We already know that Kin society is run by the Votann, ancient thinking machines that the Imperium would be indisputably dubious of… if they knew about them. Fortunately, that’s not something outsiders need to know about.
The Leagues might want to be a bit more subtle about the Ironkin. These are true mechanical intellects, created by the Votann – and they’re computationally advanced enough that they’ve learned to mimic Kin social behaviour, fully integrated into League society as equal partners. Whether made from meat or metal – Kin are Kin.
Each Ironkin consists of a Cerebral Unit – woven with microfield generators that make it very hard to destroy – and a unique mechanical body. An Ironkin’s body isn’t just some component to be replaced – it’s deeply personal, as much as the bodies of their fleshy cousins, and designed to fulfil a certain niche, such as mining support units, cargo luggers, combat pilots, or shock troopers. Some Ironkin even serve as Wayfinders, whose accelerated logic-cores help them cogitate probable paths through the warp.
The purpose of the Ironkin is to support the Kin in every aspect of their lives, but it’s important to know that they’re not held in servitude, nor treated as lessers. They’re simply designed to want to be helpful. However, as artificial beings, they can only imitate the emotions of their biological fellows – it’s rare (but not unknown) for an Ironkin to possess ambition, or seek to become a leader.
On the battlefield, Ironkin combatants fight alongside Kin warriors in pursuit of the goals of the Leagues. They often accompany the Brôkhyr Iron-masters as assistants alongside the less complex COG robots, offering technical support and pitching into combat in a pinch.
The Ironkin have accompanied the Kin since their earliest days – long before myth segues into recorded history. No one is quite sure of their origins, but they’ve always been there, equal partners in each Kinhold’s every endeavour.
That’s it for now, but rest assured there’s still more to come from the Leagues of Votann – and it’s going to blow your Cerebral Units right out of their circuits. Sign up for the newsletter to get the latest interstellar secrets sent straight to your inbox.
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