Eryadûr-drom Prospectorum

Symbol of the Eryadûr-drom Prospectorum

" *First haul for the prospectorum.* "
—Kin saying, roughly meaning "credit to whom credit is due."
The **Eryadûr-drom Prospectorum** is a powerful Votann League of the Kin, composed of a number of Kindreds organized around a series of influential guilds, unified as a single entity for the common good. Built off the labors of the ancient exploratory prospectors that first tapped the riches of the galactic core, Eryadûr-drom's wealth comes not from its mines and artifice, but from contracts with others, from the Kin to the Tau to the Imperium, dutifully paid in exchange for their discoveries, their services, and their innovations. Now fabulously wealthy, the Eryadûr-drom Prospectorum continue to serve, striking out into the unknown in search of treasure, brokering deals between powers, and providing new ideas and creations. This interconnectivity has made Eryadûr-drom one of the most involved and active of the Leagues of Votann, as they seek to secure the sources of their lucrative contracts...and ensure timely payment.

## Background

" *There's always more minerals in the next zone.* "
—Kin saying, roughly meaning "the next thing always seems better"
### Ancient Explorers

Tens of thousands of years before the 42nd Millennium, the first kin were sent forth among the stars, traveling on voidships deep into the Galactic Core in search of valuable minerals and resources. This was as much a mining expedition as it was an act of exploration, as those present did not know what they would find, or where to look. At the vanguard of these fleets and ships were the prospectors, bold, adventurous types who would search worlds for riches and possibilities for the Kindred behind them. This was a critical task, as the Kin could not afford to waste their efforts on anything but a sufficiently profitable pursuit. As such, those who could succeed at this task were rewarded greatly, and while many prospectors failed or died, many more acquired tremendous wealth for themselves and their kindred.

These first prospectors were bold types. Explorers, innovators, outcasts, often the kinds that don't fit in, or thought differently than the traditionally conservatively minded kin tend to be. There was, in a way, a kinship in this, those who would defy tradition, and seek their own ambitions, or simply the pursuit of the new and the unknown for its sake alone.

Soon the Kin had spread about the galactic core, emerging from wandering void fleets to fully fledged societies, the beginnings of the Leagues that would come. As the prosperity of these societies grew, so too did the wealth that could be achieved by its prospectors, becoming more than just necessary tools for the Kin's survival but ways for the ambitious and the adventurous to accomplish great things and acquire great fame. More and more were drawn to this line of work, looking to make a name for themselves and their kindred. But this ambition would soon evolve into strife. Before there was more than enough room for everyone, and prospectors were an honorable brotherhood. But now, the kin had grown powerful, and the pursuit of rare, valuable resources had brought prospectors into competition. As it became increasingly competitive and increasingly violent, the first prospector guilds would form as a means to organize the chaos and ensure fair opportunities for all.

### A Mighty Empire Forms

For a time, these guilds grew powerful and influential, finding and providing resources for the ever-hungry Kindred groups as they spread and developed. These groups would pay the guilds handsomely for prime mining rights, and soon these guilds would become so efficient the Kindred could come and ask them what resources they needed, to be provided with a healthy list of everything they could want, all for a reasonable sum of course.

These prospectors were able to leverage another opportunity that presented itself; interconnectivity. To enforce and defend claims, the Prospector guilds needed to establish firm trust and reliability among the various Kindred groups. This trust allowed them to act as mediators, investors and, in a way, bankers. Soon enough the guilds grew rich, swelling in strength with the rising prosperity of the Kin.

But this golden era was one of tension. While the presence of these guilds prevented conflict at first, as the guilds grew more influential, it transitioned from prospector against prospector, to guild versus guild. Furthermore, the Kin began to form large, powerful groups, known as Leagues, which wielded tremendous influence and bargaining power, greatly eclipsing the guilds and sapping them of their ability to stake hold of the claims they made.

So it was out of necessity that the guilds did what they had done before; they organized. It is from this that the Eryadûr-drom Prospectorum emerged, a single, unified entity, combining many of the wealthiest of these guilds together to prevent internal conflict and give them the means to compete with the emerging leagues. Now a league of their own, the Eryadûr-drom gradually reorganized into a new, powerful entity that would remain influential for thousands of years to come.

### A Challenge for a Home

There was wealth and power within the gathered guilds, but the very thing that had brought the League together and which gave it its prosperity, was also its weakness. Ever pushing into the unknown, and trading away their discoveries, the newly forged Eryadûr-drom Prospectorum both lacked a home, and possessed an unshakeable independence that challenged the structured and centralized nature of the newly formed league. In these early centuries, the League barely held together, united only by need to prevent internal conflict. What it needed was a unifying goal, a forming myth, a home to fight for.

The Umbral Cluster was a legendary and infamous corner of the core, a thick cluster of stars shielded behind impenetrable clusters of supermassive blackholes and quasars. League science predicted the cluster would be a rich and bountiful trove of resources if it could be penetrated, though it wasn't simply a matter of difficulty that had kept out the Kin. Attempts had been made, and time and again they had vanished, stories of monsters held within; dark, terrible things that are either hiding away within the Cluster or, perhaps, were trapped there, a prison for evil things.

It was, unsurprisingly, Eryadûr-drom explorers that first managed to breach the Umbral Cluster, finding a surprisingly stable passage through, like a door way into a bunker. As the Prospect broke through the barriers and entered the world beyond, they found it was, as so many had suspected, not an empty space but thriving with life. Horrific, hostile life. It is a testament to the resilience and skill of the Kin in the fleet that they lasted as long as they did against the horrific onslaught of alien weapons and warriors that threw themselves at the explorers. Long enough, as it were, to send back a message of warning of what was within. Vid-feeds and auspex scans of hordes of thrall-warriors, mind slaves thrown in endless numbers at the Kin at the behest of large, monstrous warriors. Their foes wielded strange weapons, powerful electromagnetic cannons fired from ships with long, tentacle like extensions, tearing apart the explorer ships with shocking ease.

The Kahls of Eryadûr-drom had hoped that this was, perhaps, the end of it. As much as the grumblings of a grudge unsettled bothered the elders, cooler heads won out; a retaliatory expedition against the aliens that had since been dubbed the "Malevolent Ones" would be costly and exhausting affair. Instead a watch would be set, and the armies of Eryadûr-drom fortified, in case they would emerge.

But the Malevolent Ones gave them no choice.

It is unsure what motivated these aliens to emerge from their hiding place. At first, the Kin believed that they had been trapped there, and that, in finding their way in, they had only showed the Malevolent Ones the path out. But the ease of their escape made it clear they had always known. It seems, rather, they saw the Kin as a threat, who now new how to enter their domain, and would not stop until they had cleansed those who knew of them. Truthfully, for this reason of self defense alone it would been enough to arouse the ire of the Kin, but with the grudge of the lost explorer fleet unsettled, and with the realization of the vile and contemptable nature of these aliens, there would be no holding back until the deed was done.

In the shadows of neutron stars, Kin warships dueled with the alien fleets, while on the worlds below Hearthkyn warriors fought in the dark on worlds that only a kin in his void armor could survive. Their implacable lines repelling endless waves of thrall-warriors, while their Einjyr dueled with terrible, many armed warriors. It was quickly apparent that the foe they faced was fighting at but a fraction of their lost strength, a bare reflection of some ancient and terrible civilization. Even in this fractured state, they were undeniably ferocious, their technology horrifying, and their very nature repugnant.

Gradually, the Eryadûr-drom Prospectorum drove back their foes into the cluster. There was, briefly, a debate as to what to do; the foe had been pushed back, and it may be best to lock the jail shut. But when the Kin set their mind to a task, it takes the world to shake them from their course, and the nature of this foe offended them deeply. The Kin could not stop, until the deed was done. With a rage that that only orks could evoke in the kin, an invasion fleet was assembled, armies unleashed, and Eryadûr-drom pushed into the Umbral Cluster.

What they found was not a thriving Alien Empire, but more akin to a dying colony, an outpost, survivors and outcasts. There may have been pity, perhaps, for their condition; whatever vast and mighty civilization they once were, they were no more, their weapons and technology remnants and fragments of what it once was. What mighty foe had shattered them gave the Kin pause; only a force of unimaginable strength could have culled such a foul empire as these, or perhaps it existed still, somewhere, biding its time.

had they considered it logically, they would have known that they could never be at peace with such a foe, nor was it safe to keep them alive. But they did not need logic. Fury, alone, was enough to drive them. They had killed and enslaved their kin, as they had killed and enslaved clearly millions of others. They were cruel, violent, and evil. So above it all, the Kin held a grudge.

Hearthkyn descended on worlds that were being picked apart by millions of thrall-miners, who threw themselves without a second thoguht on their bolters. With their strength spent, this only served to act as a profoundly violent form of suicide. Still, despite the strength of their armies and the weakness of their foes, the act of cleansing the Cluster was a slow, painful process, the left the ground scarred, and the armies of Eryadûr-drom exhausted and spent.

But when it was done, the Kin found themselves in possession of a rare prize. The Cluster was as lucrative as they had hoped, perhaps more so. But even then, the beings they had evicted appeared to be stockpiling vast amounts of resources. a world, soon dubbed Gal-Bayzor, was filled with vast underground chambers, stocked to the ceiling with rare and precious minerals. An emperor's bounty, of unimaginable value; why had they taken so much? What was it to be used for?

this new treasure trove would become the foundation of their new home. Spent and weary from war, defeating the Malevolent Ones had tamed, for now, the wild spirit of Eryadûr-drom, and gave them a home to build, and wealth to prosper.

### Anything, for a Price

Flush with wealth and now with a place to call their own, the Eryadûr-drom Prospectorum would find themselves an influential and deeply involved League in the newly emerged Kin society. Retaining much of their original purpose, the guilds continued to prospect for resources, for there are more worlds and more resources in the core alone than could be explored and exploited in a million years. But the new power of the Eryadûr-drom league gave them greater means to enforce the claims they made, defended by a now well-developed and powerful military. Whole systems were bought and sold at the behest of Eryadûr-drom, alongside entire civilizations who often had no idea they were now the property of a Kin League who fully intended to make good on their purchase.

However, Eryadûr-drom wealth was built on these transactions, and deprived of the safety of the reliability of a mine or the surety of a factory floor, the Prospectorum needed to continue to expand, finding new prospects and new opportunities. They would be among the first of the Leagues to make contact with the civilizations outside the Galactic Core, their Explorer Fleets passing into the territory of the Imperium in search of opportunity. These first explorers saw the Imperium as yet another opportunity; a vast, wealthy institution in great need. They were just the kind of clients the guild was interested in.

But just as much as the wealth of the Prospectorum depended on new discoveries, it also depended on maintaining its allies and clients. Eryadûr-drom collected enormous riches from the contracts it had formed with other Leagues, who were often the Guild's first and best customers. If they prospered, Eryadûr-drom prospered. If they suffered, Eryadûr-drom suffered. It then became common for Eryadûr-drom to be involved in the affairs of others, either directly or indirectly, and their warriors were seen on battlefields far and wide in defense of those who owed them great debts.

### An Opening Galaxy

For the most part, the Leagues of Votann remained in their galactic core, engaging with the wider world - full of its fanatics and monsters - in a comparably limited fashion, preferring to mine their wealth from the relative safety of the galactic core. While Eryadûr-drom made deals with those beyond, it respected the general sense of privacy and isolation; best to not risk the Kin as a whole, and keep dealings quiet and at a distance.

But with the tearing of the Great Rift, and the coming of the Tyranid Swarm, it would become increasingly apparent that the Leagues could no longer hide in their proverbial mountain halls, dragged as they were to the stage. Events were at play that would see these ancient humans fighting alongside - or against - the other civilized species of the galaxy, including their cousins of the Imperium of Man. Among these Leagues, few would be so eager to lurch out of the core than Eryadûr-drom. For thousands of years, they had prospected and traded in their own corner of the galaxy, and now countless billions of stars and worlds were open to them to explore, to discover...to exploit. Whatever would happen in this new, tumultuous future, the Eryadûr-drom Prospectorum would be there first, like the prospectors of old, for all its horrors and glories.

## On Prospecting

" *The First Prospector gets the Motherlode!* "
—Kin saying, roughly meaning "those who work hard and get there first get the benefits."
"Prospecting" is not simply the act of finding new minerals, though this is a critical and foundational part of the concept. Rather, prospecting, as the Eryadûr-drom Prospectorum defines it, is the seeking of valuable resources, be it Auramite, rare plantlife, ancient relics, or new clients in desperate need. Each of these is a resource to be exploited in its own way, with clients ready to pay handsomely for the opportunity to do so.

When a prospector discovers something, he must first determine its relative value, and ease of recovery. If it is a quick exchange or simple cache, they then mark it, and Eryadûr-drom is able to exploit it themselves. However, if it would take great effort to acquire, or would take centuries to fully exploit, Eryadûr-drom will instead take what is most easily gained, and then gather as much information as possible regarding the prospect. This prospect can then be sold to a client, typically another League, through a Contract. The nature of the payment depends on the nature of the resource but typically is a small portion of the total wealth extracted. In this way, the Eryadûr-drom Prospectorum gains vast resources, trickling in from dozens of Leagues and hundreds of contracts, some of which span back thousands of years to their initial discovery.

This process is highly favorable to all parties involved; it must be for Eryadûr-drom to have gained such wealth and power. For their clients, they can avoid the risk and waste that comes with exploration and prospecting, getting an exacting figure of the resources they are to extract. Most leagues would prefer 80% of a vein of minerals, knowing for surety where it is and how to get to it, then risk nothing at all for that last 20%. For the Guilds, however, a particularly valuable find can produce a steady supply of wealth for thousands of years to come, for no effort on their own.

Because wealth and opportunity come in many different forms, the "prospectors" of the 42nd millennium are a far cry from the mineral hunters of the old guilds. To truly look for any opportunity, these prospectors must be equal parts geologists, biologists, archaeologists, explorers and cartographers, both able to brave the dangerous unknown and find any and all that it can offer them.

### Contracts

Much of the wealth collected by the Prospectorum is in the form of signed Contracts, binding documents that state what services are rendered, and how and what payment is offered. To the Kin, the Contracts are Truths, unbreakable facts of life that are followed through to the letter barring the most extraordinary of circumstances; their word is their bond, and they will not have them or their kindred known as word breakers. Understandably, the guilds become rather upset when these Contracts are broken, seen to them as a deep offense and insult, and will see that they are repaid this disgrace in full and in blood.

Contracts are typically related to concepts such as mining rights, but as a fully fledged League, the Prospectorum make Contracts for any number of services rendered: technology, mercenaries, even first access to a new and profitable customer. These Contracts are stored, among other places, within their Votanns, so that memory of what Eryadûr-drom is owed, and what services they are bound to, passes from generation to generation. Some Contracts are so ancient they go back to before the founding of the Leagues, payments and services rendered out long after it is of any value to either participant, simply because that is what was agreed upon.

## Notable Incidents

* **Destruction of the Malevolent (M32.013)** - The first great challenge of the nascent Eryadûr-drom Prospectorum, Explorer fleets discover the presence of a hidden race, the vile, enslaving race the Kin call the Malevolent ones. Immediately and virulently hostile, the Malevolent ones swiftly destroy the Explorer fleets who only barely manage to send a message back of the incoming danger. It is these strange aliens that escalated, emerging from their hiding space like hornets from a disturbed nest, intent on destroying their discovers in their totality. Here, the warriors of the newly formed league cut their teeth in horrific battlefields beneath shadowy suns. Hearthguard duel with strange, multiarmed aliens amidst hordes of thrall-warriors, held off by the steady and implacable bolter barrages of the hearthkyn soldiers. These were truly dangerous foes, but, thankfully, fundamentally broken, and lacked the strength to fight a true war. With their strength spent, Eryadûr-drom purged their worlds, taking them as their own.

* **Baubles for the Elves (M34.678)** - The accidental discovery of an ancient cache of strange gemstones leads to an Explorer Kinhost to be assaulted unexpectedly from unknown quarters by strange, robots, led by a mysterious wizard who wielded the power of terror itself. The strange weapons used by these alient robots would tear holes in reality itself, bypassing even the formidable armor of the Kin. It would not be strength of arms that would end the conflict, but mutual interest; upon discovering that these strange gems were of great value to this wizard and his kind, the Explorer host offered to find more and trade them in exchange for resources and knowledge. The resulting contract would be of great value to both parties, and for thousands of years the Kin of Eryadûr-drom would seek out these curious gems to trade.

* **The Ten Penny War (M35.989)** - Brokhyr of Eryadûr-drom are contracted to repairing the ancient archeotech mechanisms that allow the Goyta Hive of the Imperial world of Valor's Pride to survive, which had become damaged with time and raids from orks. The Kin artificers not only repair the mechanisms, but go above and beyond, restoring it to a superior state and fixing a number of systems that had been neglected; the Kin will respect not only the letter of the contract, but the spirit in which it was written. Overjoyed, the Governor made his payment, and the matter was settled. However, Eryadûr-drom accountants discovered, to their surprise, that the payment was short an amount of a tenth of a crown. When representatives of the Prospectorum approached the Governor to rectify this clear oversight, they were aggressively rebuffed; the governor wished to save face in front of the Adeptus Mechanicus representatives, who he had avoided contracting to fix the hives issues. Before a solar month was out, a Eryadûr-drom Contract Fleet arrived in the skies above the world, prepared to take what was theirs. The resulting war nearly leveled the hive, destroying much of hte systems that they had repaired and costing thousands of lives. Ultimately, the Kin were victorious, recovering their unpaid dues.

* **Professional Piracy (M37.013)** - Lord-Governor Allystrous The Magnificent hired the Eryadûr-drom Prospectorum for a massively extensive mining contract, promising great wealth for access to the rich mineral resources in his home system, along with the equipment to access it. However, once the materials were delivered and the job completed, Allystrous reneged on the contract, claiming boldly he would never deal with faithless mutants such as the Kin. Under normal circumstances a Contract Fleet would be dispatched, but the Governor's worlds were well defended, and had the protection of a Space Marine chapter. Unwilling to committ to a fullscale conflict, the Eryadûr-drom Prospectorum found a different solution. The Prospectorum negotiated a Contract with the Valbor Syndicate, a renegade League of Kin that had slipped into criminality and piracy. Normally such acts would be reprehensible to Eryadûr-drom, but the Valbor, despite their otherwise objectionable actions, had proven to be true to their word in the past. A handsome payment, as well as to be held on retainer for future 'contract enforcement' opportunities, was the price to be paid for their...unique skillset. The Kin may have been unwilling to confront the Imperials directly, but the Valbor could raid and pillage, swiftly robbing the Governor of the resources he had hoped to acquire. Soon enough, the Space Marines investigated, only to discover the Governor's machinations; the governor had contracted with non-Imperials, and had failed to pay the expected fee. Disgusted that the Governor had allowed the sector to suffer for his greed - and not able to be ordered by him - they promptly executed him to make an example. His successor, determining that humility was in order, paying off the Prospectorum, who recalled the Syndicate from their raiding.

* **Proprietary Technology (M41.970)** - The Eryadûr-drom Prospectorum establish a profitable contract with the aliens of the Tau Empire, trading advanced Ion Cannon technology and the means to equip it to their vehicles. For much of the length of the contract, the Sept with which they cooperated were diligent, even preemptive, about paying their debts. However, an Ork Waagh! threatened to crush this sept, forcing the Tau to contract for more of these Ion weapons, and forestall payments. When the due date passed, and the reminder ignored, Eryadûr-drom sent out a kill signal, and the Fire Warriors watched in horror as all of their Ion Weapons shut down at once, refusing to fire. A Water Caste envoy was quickly sent to negotiate with the Kin and explain the situation. Explaining their dire nature of the war they fought - and bringing with full payment plus interest - the Eryadûr-drom Prospectorum proved understanding, both turning on the Ion Weapons once more, and dispatching a Contract Fleet to resolve the matter. The Ork Waagh is prompty destroyed, ensuring their clients remain intact to continue payments into the future.

## Culture

" *A rolling stone polishes its corners.* "
—Kin saying, roughly meaning "those that keep doing avoid stagnation."
Eryadûr-drom Prospectorum is a fully fledged League of Votann, containing multiple kindred, various guilds, and several Votann that are equally honored. It was originally organized around a series of powerful prospector guilds, and while these guilds remain deeply influential to their politics and culture, it has sense evolved into a more complete and well rounded institution. The modern Eryadûr-drom composes a number of Hold Worlds, and while it is not as large as the greatest of the Leagues, it remains a deeply influential force in the lives of the Kin.

Owing to this prospecting history and only encouraged further today, the Kin of the Prospectorum are unusually adventurous, bold, and imaginative, by Kin standards. It pays to have kin that are able to thrive in exploring the unknown, and so while many of their Kinfolk go about their business dutifully as they do, many more seek out opportunity as mercenaries, innovators, and explorers.

This culture or exploration and innovation reaches to the very soul of the Prospectorum. Many of the ancient tales of their ancestors speaks of the great journeys they performed, and the wonders and horrors they encountered. To find something new, create something new, or do something that has never been done is to plant your name on history and to be honored by the Ancestors.

More so than most Leagues, the Prospectorum permit, even encourage, the accumulation of vast wealth. While hoarding to the detriment of your fellow Kin is considered wasteful and taboo, it’s not unheard of for individual Kin to acquire vast resources, built on the backs of great discoveries, innovative designs, or tremendous services rendered. Traditionally, these Kin return the favor by investing back in their community, though even with this contribution some of these Kin, especially among the Guildmasters, can possess wealth to rival or exceed that of the richest nobles of the Imperium.

### Gal-Bayzor

The Chief Hold of the Eryadûr-drom Prospectorum is a world known as Gal-Bayzor, not the first world to hold such distinction, but when it became by far the wealthiest and most influential world, the center of their industry and culture transitioned there. Deep in one of the darker corners of the Galactic Core, Gal-Bazyd was first a world populated by a strange and malevolent race the Kin called the Malevolent Ones. Eryadûr-drom Explorer fleets passed through a challenging series of astral phenomena, discovering what they would soon conclude was not the original core of their empire, but a surviving fragment, hiding from some other, greater threat. Immediately and violently hostile, the Malevolent Ones immediately attacked the Kin, unleashing hordes of mind-controlled slaves before ferociously powerful warriors, wielding strange, devastating radiation weapons. It was unclear if they were attacking out of an inherent sense of hatred for the Kin and life, or perhaps they thought their hiding place had been discovered and lashed out at the unfortunate explorers.

But for all their strength, Eryadûr-drom could tell the Malevolent Ones were but a barest shadow of their former glory, little more than a last surviving fragment. While normally the Kin are not the kind to engage in an act as cruel as extermination, the vile nature of these species did not stay their hand, and Oathbands pushed them from their worlds, taking it as their own. For all their contemptable nature, the Malevolent Ones had prepared this corner of the Galactic Core, and their worlds were rich with vast amounts of rare, valuable minerals. Too valuable, in fact, to leave to other leagues to mine.

Modern Gal-Bazyor is not one world, but three, build in an artificial system, several dwarf stars orbiting a black hole. The worlds themselves are vast cityscapes, great skyscrapers that rise up into the sky, lighting the dark nights with great neon signs. Rain is constant, as the the worlds use great cloud systems to reflect the heat of the various stars and regulate the worlds temperature. Like most hold worlds, it is a world replete with forges and factories, providing for all the resources that a League would need. But just as much, it is a financial center, great adminstration centers that manage the vast network of contracts and all their varied payments into a cohesive system. Deep beneath the arcopolis on the surface ar the vast stores of supplies beneath the surface. Most are of Kin design, but some are remnants of the Malevolent Ones, new ones of which are being discovered still. What, exactly, the Malevolent Ones were stockpiling resources for is unknown, though they are grateful these vile beings are gone. Hopefully.

### Kindred

As with all Leagues, the Eryadûr-drom Prospectorum is composed of a number of Kindreds, genetic lineages that emerge from a Votann. These Kindreds are the heart and soul of the Leagues, from which all Kin emerge. Several Kindreds stand out of note, for their undue impact on the League.

*Forlorn Kindred*

The Kin that emerge from the Forlorn Kindred are, curiously, almost all created as warriors, the Votann seemingly unable to produce anything else. These Kin make exceptional fighters, stronger, tougher, and more aggressive than their peers, and so are commonly find work as guards and mercenaries, and are disproportionately represented among the Einhyr Hearthguard. Many believe the Votann has gone mad, struggling to produce a reasonably varied population. It's Grimnyr, however, argue that it is instead gradually perfecting itself, as each generation seems to be more lethal, more dangerous than the last.

*Stoneborn Kindred*

The Stoneborn are the humble folk of the Eryadûr-drom Prospectorum, the kin that are born being almost always hard working, dutiful, fastidious and conscientious, but lacking in ambition and content to a life of honest work. As such, the Stoneborn make up much of the population of the laborers that keep the forges burning and factories churning. Curiously, every so often, the Stoneborn will produce a rare individual of absolutely exceptional quality, individuals which go on to become the leaders of society, its legendary heroes and champions. What causes these rare, magnificent individuals to emerge is unknown, but they are celebrated by these Kindred and remembered centuries on.

*The Kindred of the Three*

A relatively small Kindred known for producing an unusual number of Grimnyr, more than is typically needed. These psykers then gather into small covens, often of no more than three or so individuals, combining their gifts and operating as a single, cohesive unit.

## Warfare

" *No Treasure Greater than a Grudge Settled.* "
—Kin Saying, roughly meaning "satisfying accounts is a great joy."
The Eryadûr-drom Prospectorum are more influential, and more wealthy than their population organically allows. Furthermore, their need to be expansive as well as the level of engagement they have with their clients, forces them to maintain a disproportionately large military, even by League standards. As such, Eryadûr-drom takes a quality over quantity approach, focusing on maintaining an exceedingly well-equipped army to allow them to keep up with all their relative expectations.

Because of the need to explore dangerous locations and face unknown threats, Eryadûr-drom has championed the development and creation of advanced exo-armors, powerful, self-contained suits that can protect its wearers in the most dangerous of environments. Its forges and Brokhyr Guilds are some of the most prolific and well-known armorers in the Leagues, and as a result, Eryadûr-drom Kinhosts can field an exceptionally large number of high-quality exo-armours, who often form the brutal core of their armies. Furthermore, the regular need for warriors has produced a degree of professional soldiery, the ranks of the Einhyr expanded beyond what is typical for such a League.

In contrast, Eryadûr-drom has far fewer Cthonian Beserks to their name. While they have numerous cthonian mining guilds within the League, much of their mineral wealth is in the form of payments for contracts, so they simply have fewer of these warriors to go around.

In battle, Eryadûr-drom fight similar to most Leagues of Votann; short ranged volleys of precise, deadly fire as swift, all terrain transports deply and redeploy their resilient infantry. Positioned up front, between their Kin and the enemy, are the Einhyr, fielded in great numbers. These Exo-armoured warriors shield their allies from fire, while laying down a withering volley of their own as they tackle the hardest assaults, the thickest masses of the enemy. Uncommon among the Einhyr, use of the RAM Shield and accompanying Autoch-pattern combi-bolter is in very regular use, providing a volume of fire far more intense than what a a standard issue plasma gun can offer, while providing additional defense, something of great value to these bastions of iron. In practice, the Einhyr learn to fight with all the weapons common of the Hearthguard, from the Plasma Gun to the Volkanite Disintegrator to the Mass Hammer, bringing what weapons are needed to face the enemy in question.

Aside from the Kin focused on protecting their homes, such as the Embyr, there are broadly two different types of Eryadûr-drom kinhosts that Eryadûr-drom deploys; Explorer Hosts and Contract Hosts. These vary greatly in strategy and equipment, as they have two very different, yet very important, tasks to perform.

### Explorer Kinhosts

Explorer Kinhosts vary in size from singular ships to full fleets and armies, whose purpose is to travel in search of new resources and prospects. Operating far from home, and often in strange, dangerous, and unexpected parts of the galaxy, these Kinhosts are defined by versatility. The members who go on these expeditions are among the most courageous, most adaptable, and most skilled of their League, for they must be everything they need to be; scientist, diplomat, geologist, biologist, warrior. These expeditions may travel for centuries, making great sweeps through the galaxy, scouring out worlds and systems, exploring ancient ruins, beating back hostile aliens to make claims, or making deals with other civilizations. When these explorer fleets return home, it is to fanfare and celebration as returning heroes, for while they are battered and bloodied, they bring with them wisdom, stories uncounted, and unimaginable wealth back to their League.

Explorer kinhosts contain vast numbers of Hernkyn aboard swift-moving vehicles, which search around the fleet, with a singular core of elite, exo-armor wearing kin to handle the most dangerous of tasks. Speed, versatility, and adaptability are most important to the explorers, for they never know what dangers they may face. Truthfully, they are first and foremost explorers, warfare being simply a cold necessity of their duty.

### Contract Kinhosts

In contrast to the Explorer Kinhosts, Contract Kinhosts are gathered exclusively for warfare. Most of the resources consumed by Eryadûr-drom are in the form of Contracts, made with other entities. For the most part, these contracts are paid on time in full; Kin are if anything, fastidious in following through on agreements, so there is rarely any need to force the matter. But other civilizations, such as the Imperium of Man, have been known to...forget to follow through on arranged payments. When this happens, Eryadûr-drom is kind enough to send a reminder, but just one; the Kin do not suffer being taken advantage of, and will not permit further offense. Should proper payment not be made, then a Contract Kinhost is released to collect what is owed to them by force. They will take none more than what is owed - plus enough to meet the cost of forces expended - then leave, having reminded their client of the consequences of not following through on an agreement. If they are lucky, they will be swiftly defeated by the Kinhost. Should they fight back and defeat the Contract Kinhost, the Eryadûr-drom will return again, many times greater; establishing the precedent that one can get out of a Contract simply by fighting back hard enough is bad for business, and they are quick to see the score settled.

But Contract Kinhosts are used for more than simply collecting payments. It is in the interest of the Eryadûr-drom Prospectorum that their allies remain healthy and prosperous, and these kinhosts often come to the defense of those they do business with. This has led to the strange situation of Imperial Worlds, blithely paying off debts many millennia old, may find themselves saved by a strange host of squad humans who have come to protect their investment.

Contract Kinhosts, more heavily concentrated on warfare than the Explorer Kinhosts, go to battle decked out in heavy weaponry and artillery, such as the Hekaton Land Fortress, alongside a healthy compliment of exo-suit warriors to lead the frontal assault. They aim to be swift and brutal; all the better to make their point.

## Forge of War

" *Stones fall, they all die.* "
—Kin saying, roughly meaning "victory is inevitable."
Like any good League, the Prospectorum maintains vast and capable forges, manned by skillful Brokhyr utilizing advanced sciences and techniques. These forges work to keep the forces of Eryadûr-drom equipped with the finest gear the kin can create. The speciality of the Forges of Eryadûr-drom is in armor, and can produce great numbers and high-quality Exo-Armour for the Oathbands. Ever imaginative and pushing to further their skills, the Brokhyr of Eryadûr-drom have created a number of unique and powerful weapon systems, often seen accompanying their warriors in battle.

**Erukyr Mobile Exo-Suit**

There are few armorers in the galaxy that can match the artifice of the Kin, and the Armorer Guilds of the Prospectorum consider themselves among the finest. With access to plenty of resources and expertise, these skillful Brohkyr keep the League replete with all manner of these nigh invincible suits.

The Erukyr Mobile Exo-Suit is one such innovation by the armorers of the Prospectorum. Less a suit of armor and more a piloted mech, the Exo-Suit, similar in design to the famous Exo-driller, is a powerful and capable warmachine first designed explicitly as an all terrain hazard suit, able to protect its pilot and survive in the harshest of environments, from toxic wastelands to the surfaces of proto planets to the bottoms of the ocean. Wrapped in thick layers of armor and protected by elegantly assembled force field emitters, the Exo-Suit moves with the assistance of advanced grav engines, designed to let the heavy machine bounce and move with ease; some variants can even fly, should the artificer deem it useful. These suits are regular sights in Prospects, traveling with Explorer Fleets and providing heavy firepower to their smaller Exo-armored Kin.

While notably different in design and construct, there are a number of technological and structural similarities between the Exo-Suits of the Kin and the Crisis Suits of the Tau Empire. Given that the Tau had received technology from the Leagues in the past, one must wonder if the crisis suits are another such technological gift, or if these two mobile suits are simply the product of independent technological convergence, or perhaps the Kin imitating what they saw as an effective, practical design.

**Warforged Ironkin**

Ironkin regularly fight alongside their flesh and blood kin in defense of their kindreds, but these Ironkin usually do so as citizen-soldiers, artisans and laborers first, warriors by necessity. The Warforged are instead Ironkin created from the ground up as warriors and defenders. Towering over their fellow kin at over four meters tall, these great warmachines possess tremendous strength and resilience, along with deadly integrated weapon systems. As the galaxy grows more and more dangerous with each passing century, Eryadûr-drom pushes to produce more and more of these powerful Ironkin to aid their armies. They must be careful, however; these Ironkin bear a striking resemblance to the War Robots of the Adeptus Mechanicus, and while the machines of the Imperium are little more than automatons - while the Warforged are fully fledged Kin - the techpriests nonetheless find their presence a grave offense to their strange techno-god.

## Famous Kin

***Valkyr The Enforcer***

She Who Brings Ruin, The Destroyer, The Darkstar Princess, The Wrath of the Kin, Valkyr is known by many names, though to the enemies of the Votann, she is simply death. Valkyr is the champion warrior of the Eryadûr-drom, and to many, a champion of the Leagues of Votann. Valkyr is the greatest, and deadliest, Kahl of Eryadûr-drom, and has led its armies and kinhosts in campaign after victorious campaign. An anomaly among the cloneskeins of the Kin, Valkyr is physically exceptional. A product of the warrior-focused Forlorn Kindred, Valkyr is the epitome of their millenia of gene-shaping, and is, by kin standards, a physiological marvel. Standing as tall as a human, Valkyr possesses strength and resilience far beyond that of even her Kinfolk, but her most notable feature is her speed, with reflexes and reaction time startling for one of her size. She was, in a very literal sense, born for war, and has been mastering that art every day of her long life.

Valkyr has left behind her a trail of bodies, from astartes captains to chaos champions to ork warbosses. But it is not her physical prowess, or even her skill, that allows hert to accomplish these feats. Certainly, her foes are regularly able to meet or even vastly exceed her in these attributes. Rather, the true power of Valkyr lies in the her Votann artifice, exceptionally deadly weapons that she uses that elevate her to being a truly dangerous threat. Valkyr charges into battle in a bespoke suit of Exo-Armour, made of the finest of materials and with the most masterful of craft, leaving her virtually indestructible as she teleports around the battlefield from foe to foe. But the true danger she brings are her darkstar weapons, crafted from the rare and dangerous material known as darkstar that slays on the slightest touch. She wields a spear, sheathed in a mighty powerfield and tipped with this dangerous mineral, to slay even the greatest of foes with a single strike. But more often does she fell her enemies with volleys of darkstar-tipped, armour-piercing bolts fired from her custom RAM shield. Far, far too many champions have been felled in a single shot, without realizing the danger they were in, in the face of this raw, primordial lethality.

Valkyr is regularly seen commanding Contract Fleets for Eryadûr-drom, traveling the galaxy as a much feared enforcer of contracts for the Prospectorum, and protector of its allies and clients. But she is not utilized simply as a beat stick, but to keep her skills sharp, finds herself traveling with mercenary bands, either as its commander, or as its champion. Truthfully, Valkyr simply does not know how to switch off. Her life has been so dedicated to violence, shaped that way literally from birth, that she often struggles to engage with her peers. Even during the victorious toasts and jovial feasts that are so typical of Kin culture, she sits alone, drinking quietly, not hating the revelry, just not understanding it. In a way, the Votann had created so perfect a warrior, they had become utterly detached from the world they were meant to fight for.

***Tömas the Loreseeker***

There are few corners of the galaxy that the Hernkyn Kahl Tömas, the Loreseeker, the Raven-Kahl, has not searched. This legendary explorer travels the galaxy, following ancient stories and hearsay around campfires, and few within the Prospectorum can match his contributions in claims, prospects, and wealth. But Tömas does not travel for wealth or fame. He is a genuine explorer at heart, searching for new truths, new stories, and new wisdom to bring back to his kinfolk.

A true polymath, Tömas is equal parts scientist, diplomat, and warrior, equally at home in an ancient ruin, in the halls of an Imperial noble, and sharing a drink before sharing a battlefield with death world guardsmen. This has made him a surprisingly adaptable and talented leader and fighter, and while he considers himself a traveler and explorer first and foremost, he is among the most dangerous of Kahls within Eryadûr-drom. One might not know it when you meet him though; a warm, cheery smile and a friendly demeanor, carefully matched to the situation and persons with which he is speaking.

A notable recipient of Transhumanism, Tömas benefits from some of the most extensive cybernetics and genetic augments that the Leagues of Votann can offer, a necessary set of additions to help him survive in the strange and dangerous places he travels. This has only served to make him supremely resilient, both in practical resilience, and his unique capacity to escape situations where he should have rightly died, either through luck, or skill, or the skillful artifice of the Kin. Either way, he continues to wander the galaxy, making new friends, exploring new places, and enriching his people with new knowledge, and new resources.

***Moira the Red Queen***

The Grimnyr are cryptic folk at the best of times, with their minds touching the Empyrean and having to process the often confusing and enigmatic messages from the Votann. But Moira, the Red Queen, The Eye of Fate, is offputting even by their particular standards. Hunched and holding her Warding Stave, her long, red hair covering her face, she speaks in strange, concerning riddles, often cackling happily to herself at some unseen mirth. But she is not a mad witch, but a rare master of divination. Among the cloneskeins that produce psychic power within the Kin, Moira is an unusual mind, far, far more powerful than usual, and connected strangely with curious threads of probability referred to by the mystics of the Aeldari as the "strands of fate." So skillful is she at this task that it is said that her blind eye is not blind at all, but instead sees into the future itself.

Perhaps the most respected and venerable of the Grimnyr of the Eryadûr-drom Prospectorum, she is not simply one to sit in commune with the Votann, and offer advice in the Hearthspake. She is an active and engaged kin, often to the consternation of her peers who do not find her antics amusing. Sometimes she leads armies into battle, other times she disappears, following her own goals and portents. There is little concern for her safety; despite her hunched nature, Moira is physically resilient, and a supremely powerful psyker. Word has she consults with aliens, and has made contact with the enigmatic harlequins and seers of the Asuryani, as well as trading words with the Inquisitors of the Imperium, though when asked she simply offers a strange and disturbing prediction, before walking off, cackling to a joke no one else understands.

What is known at least, is that Moira is playing a game that few can fully understand. Manipulating events, moving pieces, she is affecting the galaxy on a timetable few can understand. Whether this is for her own benefit, or the benefit of her kindred, is unknown...only that every passing decade she seems closer to her goal.

## Notable Quotes

### By the Eryadûr-drom Prospectorum

" *A contract is an agreement. It is your word, your bond. We are not uncharitable, but there is little reason to be charitable to someone who lies to you.* "
—Karl Gyrm Hyldra

" *I am the wrath that betrayal begets, the ruin of the unfaithful. I have come for what you owe, and you will pay with blood.* "
—Valkyr The Enforcer

" *Three Paths. Three turns on the road. Everything twists, everything changes, but all must cross the river!* "
—Moira the Red Queen

## Trivia

* The color scheme of the Eryadûr-drom Prospectorum is based on the "NASA aesthetic" with solid white coloring, black insulation, golden glass, and blue and red symbol.