After their long absence from the galactic stage, the Leagues of Votann have returned to Warhammer 40,000 with millennia of knowledge stored in their hyper-advanced Votann cores, armed with powerful STC weapons lost to the Imperium during the Age of Strife.
But what exactly are they up to now? With the Cicatrix Maledictum splitting the galaxy in two, Hive Fleet Leviathan aggressively advancing on the galactic west, and the forces of Chaos emboldened by the return of the Daemon Primarch Angron, it’s a busy time in the 41st Millennium – so it’s time to find out what life is like for the Leagues of Votann.
The High Kâhl’s Oath by Gav Thorpe is the first Black Library novel starring the Leagues of Votann, sheds new light on the Kin and their exploits and adventures.
Hernkyn Prospect leader Myrtun Dammergot is a member of the Kindred of the Eternal Starforge, and flourishing in this new age of conflict between the Kin and the Imperium, exploiting battles for great personal gain. When a messenger sent from her Kindred’s Hold Ship upends her freewheeling life, she and her companions are thrust into a dangerous venture with high stakes, but a magnificent prize if they succeed.
There will also be a Special Edition with a striking orange and blue cover.
To celebrate the announcement, read the exclusive excerpt below
‘Securing junction designate fourteen lateral. Second squad moving to dorsal promontory designate fifteen dorsal.’
Listening to the reports from Iyrdin Cabb gave Lutar little idea of the scene inside the bioship. He knew from past conversations with Myrtun and others what the innards would be like: aspiration chambers full of cloying fog, slick lubrication tubes and throbbing ichor pumps, hot hall-like exhaust ventricles expelling the accumulated heat of a creature that, by any Kin understanding of biology, should not be able to exist. Despite this, and holo-recordings of previous expeditions, he found it impossible to create a proxy simulation of an environment even more alien than a gas giant’s storms or the depths of a helium sea.
Fortunately, the scan data from the boarding party provided a better geo-topographical interpretation for him to work with. A holo of the triangulated readings hovered just above the sensor station, overlaid against a translucent rendering of previously encountered bioships stored in the Grand Endeavour’s Fane – at least those that Jôrdiki had been able to coax from its records. The similarities were clear. Even though this exact configuration – species? – of the Bane had not been encountered before, its internal layout formed equivalent, reasonably predictable patterns.
With this information Lutar was able to place a virtual marker in the displays of the assault teams, highlighting an area previously identified as the statocystic chambers. The best minds of the Leagues had studied captured bioships and determined much of their anatomy, but the exact functioning of many organs and systems was still conjecture rather than fact. Lutar knew that the statocystic chambers, typically four of them in symmetric organisation, affected the movement and sensory abilities of a bioship in a similar way to those of waterborne invertebrates found all over the galactic core. However, in the depths of space with minimal gravity to impart directionality, it was not known to what force the primary statocysts responded. Some thought they were potentially attuned to the warp plane in some way.
While the theory was very much up for debate, the practical application of this knowledge had been tested many times since the Bane had invaded the Leagues. Disruption – preferably destruction – of the statocystic chambers rendered a bioship unmanoeuvrable. Returning to its inter-system biostatic state, the ship was then an easy target as it drifted lifelessly across the void.
Destroying the organs was, however, a far from easy task. And even then, other creatures within the bioship had to be dealt with.
‘There should be a coil-route heading vertically up and down from fifteen dorsal,’ Lutar told Iyrdin. ‘You need to climb up through the aortic channel and then cut open a membrane across an opening on your left.’
‘Understood. Beginning ascent.’
Small pulsing runes moved on the display, clustered around the brighter rune of Myrtun. Lutar tried not to fixate on that particular symbol. He knew that every Kin fulfilled a life worthy of the animus given them by the Votann, from kâhl to reactor technician, Grimnyr to hydroponics farmer. He also knew that he was functionally incapable of the kind of emotion that other Kin might feel for a special individual. And yet…
His thoughts were interrupted by Duri at comms.
‘Receiving signal from the Canny Wanderer. It’s Fyrtor.’
Lutar gave a nod and the comm-speakers crackled as the inter-ship link was established.
‘I’m on? Right. This is Fyrtor, commanding the Canny Wanderer for the Hernkendersson Prospect. I seek audience with Myrtun, Gatemistress of the Ebon Channel, Voidmaiden of the–’
‘She isn’t here,’ Lutar cut in as he checked the scan of the bioship. The expedition were almost completely past fifteen dorsal and making their way through the cut membrane into the superior amphibowel. The quickest way to their objective was unfortunately through part of the immense creature’s digestive tract. ‘She’s busy, I’m afraid.’
‘Myrtun’s actually on that Bane monstrosity? Now? Did she not get the message?’
‘She received your missive, but judged this matter of higher priority. I am sure you would agree that securing such a valuable prize and preserving Kin life are our foremost concerns?’
‘Er, yes, of course. I saw that she had sent over a boarding action, but figured that perhaps she wouldn’t have gone herself.’
The juxtaposition of this assumption with everything Lutar had stored on Myrtun in his databanks set off a short cascade of processor reactions, culminating in a brief but loud laugh.
‘You haven’t met Myrtun?’
‘Once, when I was much younger.’
Lutar had been left strict instructions for this eventuality.
‘I assure you that Myrtun will attend to your message the moment she has returned to the Grand Endeavour,’ he said.
‘She really would rather hide herself in the guts of a Bane monster than hear what I have to say? This is ridiculous!’
‘Your comms appear to be working well, I do not understand the problem.’
‘I have to guarantee that she has received the message. There can’t be any room for doubt.’
‘Then I am afraid you’ll have to wait.’
‘You don’t understand,’ answered Fyrtor, his frustration growing. ‘I have to deliver this message in person, as soon as possible. I was tasked with this by the Hearthspake.’
‘And if they hear that you did not do your utmost to fulfil their wishes, you think they might withhold payment?’
Silence was the only answer Lutar needed. He rapidly assessed the situation and surmised that Fyrtor was intent on joining the boarding action. It was in everybody’s interest that the two forces were coordinated in their efforts.
‘I can share our tactical data with the Canny Wanderer if you wish?’
‘No need, I’ve been tracking the attack since we came within range. Going for the shut-down-and-loot approach?’
‘That’s the plan, yes.’ Lutar ran a quick evaluation through the scanners. He was not programmed for combat leadership, but tactical thinking was mostly a matter of informed pathfinding anyway. And he had quite a wealth of data to use.
‘A dorsal entry would divert a considerable proportion of the mounting opposition,’ he suggested.
There was no reply for a short while. Haeven at the scanner reported that the Canny Wanderer was manoeuvring into position above the bioship, their trajectory taking them close to a cluster of spiracles just under the rim of the forward edge of the main shell.
‘Let Myrtun know we’re on our way. Fyrtor out.’
The High Kâhl’s Oath will be available later this year.