Svartalfheim

Svartalfheim is a mountainous world known for its heavily fortified underground cities and its incredible artisans. It was one of the Founding members of the Imperial Trust, and is counted among the best defended worlds within it.

## Environment

Svartalfheim is a mountainous planet whose surface is near uninhabitable due to intense solar radiation. As such its ecosystem, and civilisation, has always been based in its extensive network of underground caverns, the largest of which can hold entire Hives. This network has been expanded by tens of thousands of years of mining, leaving countless exhausted mine shafts throughout the planet.

## People

The Black skinned natives of Svartalfheim are known within the Imperial Trust for their craftsmanship, with all Svartalfheimers expected to have some skills in crafting. Svartalfheim has coped with the death of the Emperor better than most planets due to their already existing ancestor worship and belief that the Emperor is still looking down on them.

This is mostly due to the planet being dominated by the Artisan Guilds of Svartalfheim who have close connections with the Adeptus Mechanicus and are famed for their abilities in crafting weapons and armour of a level that few others can produce. These weapons and armour are the most valuable of Svartalfheim's exports despite the fact that each weapon is the result of years of work by an Artisan.

The cities of Svartalfheim are built into the massive cave systems that cover most of the planet and are capable of containing the entire population of their region in times of war. The cities fortifications are massive, incredibly advanced constructions which could hold of a small army by themselves. Currently several dozen of the most centrally located cities are having their defenses even further upgraded to the point where only the Imperial Palace on lost Terra could exceed them. The armies of Svartalfheim primarily consist of well trained and very well equipped elite Infantrymen with the Svartalfar Guard in particular being incredibly well equipped. Each member of the Svartalfar Guard may choose a weapon or piece or armor from the guards artifact vaults upon joining the guard and may make an addition choice on certain occasion such as being promoted. The officers can choose from the Guards relic vaults which contain some of the greatest items forged on Svartalfheim over the last twenty thosuand years. Given that the Svartalfar Guard number slightly over one million it is a terrifyingly dangerous force.

## History and Government

Svartalfheim is ruled by the greatest of its Artisans as decided by a once per fifty years contest of skill called The Proving. Most First Artisans focus on their craft and lets the Administratum run Svartalfheim except where it interferes with matters they cares about. This has resulted in a well-run planet, where the Artisans focus on their craft and the Administratum tries to avoid any issues that would cause the First Artisan to take an interest in running the planet.

The majority of the cities of Svartalfheim are run by the Planetary Government each of the Guilds has at least one, and up to twenty cities that are their private fiefs. These cities are where the majority of the more senior members of the Guilds reside and are in many ways separate stats, with only some of the laws and regulations of the Planetary Government applying. In fact is it ownership of one of these cities that separates a Guild from a collection of Artisans, and if a Guild loses all of its home cities then it also loses its status as a Guild and everything that come with that. Currently there are one hundred and twenty-six Artisan Cities on Svartalfheim and three hundred and seventy-four independent, or normal cities. The Independent Cities usually have members of at least a dozen guilds working in them and provide the main local market for the goods that the guilds produce. They are directly run by the Administratum of Svartalfheim, though their ultimate allegiance lies with the current First Artisan.

The Artisans of Svartalfheim are divided into five major and several dozen minor Guilds each of which controls an area of Svartalfheim and compete with the others over their quality of craftsmanship. In fact several times throughout history there has been a competition over who can create the best item, usually weapon for some great hero, often among the Aesir or Vanir and this competitions have resulted in most of the great relics of the Nine Worlds, though the weapons and armor of the Champion of Muspelheim come from a different source. One of the more interesting customs of the Artisans Guilds that you have found is that each Artisan makes a artifact for the Svartalfar Guard, Svartalfheim's Grenadiers, upon reaching several important milestone in their life such as finishing their apprenticeship, becoming a full Artisan and becoming a Master, Grandmaster or Guild Master. These artifacts are works of art and to a good extent the quality of the gift provided will determine the future opportunities available to and Artisan. Given that this tradition dates back to the Dark Age of Technology and that Svartalfheim has hundreds of thousands of Artisans the armories of the Svartalfar Guard must contain millions of relics, some of which contain long forgotten technologies.

## Military

The military of Svartalfheim is a very well equipped force that specialises in defensive siege warfare and tunnel fighting. Their general skill level is a bit below the Imperial Trust average, with the exception of the Elite Svartalfar Guard.

The Svartalfar Guard are the best of the best among the warriors of Svartalfheim, making up a fraction of a percent of the military. They are all highly skilled warriors of great experience and even greater courage, trusted to defend Svartalfheim to the last man without flinching. While their skill is a little below that of a Midgardian Chosen they are some of the best equipped soldiers in the Imperial Trust, with only the Fire Giants of Muspelheim surpassing them.