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From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
→History: fix wording
Fearless in the cause of locating, securing, and harvesting resources for their race, the Cthonians think nothing of braving environments so extreme that even other [[Kin]] would balk at the hazard. This bloody-minded approach extends to not only physical hazards such as the fringes of black holes or [[Space Hulk]]s but also to living dangers such as predatory alien races and hostile empires. Many Guild surveyors think nothing of assessing assets of other civilizations such as plasma storage plants, [[Promethium]] stockpiles, ore barges, and industrial infrastructure. They are viewed no differently than naturally occurring resources. In such instances, trade is often attempted as the first recourse, but if these measures fail they will promptly turn to war.{{Fn|2}}
Not all miners join the Cthonian Guild. There are hundreds of unaffiliated asteroid mines and void-harvesting rigs scattered across League space. However, a large majority of Kin miners do choose to acquire Guild accreditation for firmly pragmatic reasons, for the Cthonians are rich enough to operate their own fleets of ships that allow them to better lay claim to resources. Most Kin who join the Cthonians are already adapted for hardiness, possessing [[Cloneskein]]s that imbue them with benefits such as hyper-dense bone structures, resistance to extreme radiation, and the ability to perceive esoteric energy spectra. Added to this are willingly submitted surgeries that further reinforce them with benefits for their trade, such as reinforced skull-plates, advantageous bionics, and artificial organs that allow them to survive in the most extreme environments. Indeed, there is a cheerful rivalry amongst the Cthonians as to who is the most heavily adapted, with the hardiest being nicknamed "luggers".{{Fn|2}}
The Cthonians do not just undertake traditional mining. This is a broad term that also covers global magna-extraction, tectonic delving, and star-harvesting. Nor do the Cthonians shy away from mining in active warzones, and indeed many conflicts have been triggered by their acquisitive efforts.{{Fn|2}}
