Lore of the Votann – Who Are the Guilds?

[Lord Marshal]

From WarCom. Reposting here since it seems a longer term avenue for discussion.

Quote

 

The stalwart Kin who make up the Leagues of Votann are doughty, rugged survivalists – but the galaxy is a grim enough place that even they won’t go it alone. All Kin – save a few rare outcasts – belong to a Kindred, a social group somewhere between an extended family and an outright nation-state, its members all springing from the same genetic crucibles* to forge an unbreakable fellowship.

A Kindred might be a few dozen strong, or a few million, but they all live, train, and toil in the same shared Hold. Kin prefer not to waste words, so “Hold” is a malleable term – it could mean a fortified outpost, a live-in factory, or a warren of tunnels. Some Holds float in the void of space, cling to asteroids, or hover on the fringe of a black hole, while others may stretch out across the surface of an entire planet.

Most Kindreds have some means of defending themselves, and some are mighty battleforces in their own rights – but they tend to unite for protection under the banner of a League. These formal affiliations allow Kindreds to share the benefits of trade, military support, and so on. Leagues like the Ymyr Conglomerate are massive and ancient power blocs, but others have waned in power, or only risen to prominence in more recent times – such as the Seran-Tok Mercantile Leagues, who have profited greatly from trade with the T’au Empire.

But what of the Guilds? These groups exist outside the bounds of Kindred or League, uniting all who practice a particular trade within a given region of Kin space. Whether you make a living by salvaging broken void craft or concocting nutritious liquid rations, there’s a Guild for you – setting standards, providing accreditation, and demanding tithes. Guild membership is voluntary – but there’s no love lost between Guildkin and freelancers, who regard each other as disreputable and hidebound, respectively.

In theory, the Guilds are not political entities, but independent commercial groups, dedicated to ensuring fair competition – in practice, smaller Guilds rarely extend beyond a single Hold, and maintain key positions within their ruling bodies. Guildmasters typically sit on the Hearthspake – a Kindred’s governing council – as civilian representatives, alongside the military commanders of the Kinhosts and the Grimnyr.

Competition between Guilds can become heated, even drawing other species into the crossfire as jockeying Guildmasters sponsor Oathband expeditions to survey systems rich in resources. Anyone who happens to already inhabit these hotly-contested worlds are out of luck – existing civilisations and ecosystems are a much lower priority than beating rivals to the punch.

Despite their fractious natures, Guilds are invaluable to Kin society – their accumulated know-how and contacts are what smoothes trade and transit between disparate Kindreds, providing a web of organisation and support that runs throughout the Leagues. From star-mining and gravitic fracking to constructing the far-flung Holds that the Kin call home, every venture is marked by the high standards – and relentless competition – of the Guilds.

The Cthonian Mining Guilds are particularly powerful, embodying the belligerent acquisitiveness of the Kin. 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 baulk at their hazards. You can expect to hear more about this particular Guild – and its much-modified members – soon enough.

 

[phandaal]

Worth noting that "Cthonian" means "under the earth." There is no confirmation yet that the Cthonian Mining Guilds are anything other than a group who spends a lot of time underground. Not necessarily any connection to Cthonia besides the name.

[Lord Marshal]

4 hours ago, phandaal said:

Worth noting that "Cthonian" means "under the earth." There is no confirmation yet that the Cthonian Mining Guilds are anything other than a group who spends a lot of time underground. Not necessarily any connection to Cthonia besides the name.

I just don't think GW aren't going to expect people to put two and two together. One Steve Limit and all that. We know Cthonia was a mined-out husk before the Great Crusade, so even if the lore amounts to, "they trace their history back to the first settlers of Cthonia" I don't think GW would consciously overlap the words, especially when they've been putting the planet into a lot of prominence recently. 

[silverstu]

Its great that they tie in the old lore about the squats into the Leagues, great to see the Guilds mentioned. I'm wondering if the Guildmaster or other guild members might appear as models in the range.The Cthonian's are obviously coming as CC specialists, other guild members could offer some additional character to the faction on the tabletop. The "Freelancers" sound interesting too- League equivalent of the Path of the Outcast - possibly scouts?

 

I really love the art though - the cityscape with the Hammer like spaceships overhead and the Brokhyr forge are both excellent.

Edited July 28, 2022 by silverstu

[phandaal]

1 hour ago, Lord Marshal said:

I just don't think GW aren't going to expect people to put two and two together. One Steve Limit and all that. We know Cthonia was a mined-out husk before the Great Crusade, so even if the lore amounts to, "they trace their history back to the first settlers of Cthonia" I don't think GW would consciously overlap the words, especially when they've been putting the planet into a lot of prominence recently. 

I think there is a good chance of overlap when talking about a race of miners like Dwarves/Squats. Cthon, cthonic, etc are all used regularly when coming up with a cool sounding name for something underground. i.e. why Cthonia got that name in the first place.

"Cthonian" is a cool name for a mining guild, ya know?

From a lore standpoint, Cthonia was in one of the closest star systems to Terra. That is nowhere near the galactic core where the Squats founded their empire. It was mined out because it was one of the very first planets ever settled outside of the Solar System. People had just been digging there for a long time.

Certainly they could go with a connection between the two, but it would be more believable if they did not.

[Andrés Pacheco]

10 hours ago, silverstu said:

The "Freelancers" sound interesting too- League equivalent of the Path of the Outcast - possibly scouts?

Votann Freelancer Pirates killteam for the gambeson fans?

[Xin Ceithan]

2 hours ago, Andrés Pacheco said:

Votann Freelancer Pirates killteam for the gambeson fans?

I’d happily throw my money at a killteam of grumpy, mad max style slayer pirates 

Also already pondering how to convert a miniature to represent a freelancer  for 

“The Book of Borkhan Phaett”

The Inq28 Adventures of  the galaxy greatest,  shortest and grumpiest bounty hunter 

[TheVoidDragon]

This article makes me wonder...do the Leagues and/or large holds not have a professional army? We've only seen mentions of Oathbands and Kinhosts in a context that implies they usually do other things and are citizens just serving as soldiers when needed. Like even the Einhyr article says they're recruited from the best warriors in a hold, yet a hold can be something as small as an outpost with a few dozen Kin. I don't really get the impression that the extremely well-defended Dwarf fortresses idea is a thing with the Leagues.