Squat
Template:IntWikSquats are abhumans who colonized the worlds close to the centre of the galaxy. They are part of the earliest human expansions into space, long before the emergence of the Emperor. Each of the planets colonised bears a striking resemblance to the next; dark, bleak and with high gravity. The planets are rocky and barren with little (if any) animal or planet life. The atmospheres are either thin or non-existant, and those planets with atmospheres are blasted by tremendous storms. The main attraction of these planets is their rich mineral wealth. The heavy mining and violent storms caused the populations to develop an underground society and culture centred around the machines they use to work the mines and keep them alive. They soon found that a compact build and stocky appearance was best for the job. This was where the similarites between the humans and Squats ended, for they quickly evolved (or the Imperium would say mutated) into a short powerful build and an aptitude for mechanics. Some say the real history of the Squats begins in the Age of Strife when the worlds were cut off from Terra by violent storms, but their history begins much earlier during the Dark Age of Technology, or as the Squats call it, the Age of Founding.
Contents
Squat History
Squat History is broken up into 5 sections, each being an Age and each marked by a dramatic change in both galactic conditions and Squat society. These ages are:
Age of the Imperium
In the current time the Squat Homeworlds are unique among the Imperium. They are part of the vast empire of humanity, but they are not directly controlled by the Administratum. Instead, they are given autonomy, being ruled by their strongholds and league as they had been since the beginning of the Age of Rediscovery. They have a strong cultural unity and a fiercly independent nature. Instead of becoming vassal worlds to the Imperium, they negociated treaties which allowed them to remain free. In exchange for this freedom the Homeworlds provide troops for the Imperium and trade exclusively with them. This has made them very wealthy. They also allowed the Adeptus Mechanicus free access to their technology, there being several working STC systems and a higher proportion of working technology from this period than anywhere else in the galaxy. They are also expected to follow Imperial policy of external affairs, which is not a problem as they are a very inward looking society. The Squats do not follow the Imperial Cult, rather they worship their ancestors. Each death lets the spirit leave the body and go to their ancestors. They make sure that their deeds in life give them credit in the afterlife. When the Squats fight along side the Imperial Guard they often encounter Commissars and adapt their worship saying the Emperor watches over their ancestors, satisfying the Imperial religious police.
In war, the Squats used squads of motorcycles supported by massive artillery barrages from outlandishly large superheavy tracked vehicles such as the Land Train, Colossus and Leviathan. They also use advanced armour, such the super-thick Exo Armour.
It appears that the Squats were almost entirely wiped out by the Tyranids, though presumably those who were in the interior of the Imperium of Man remain extant, surely harboring a truly heroic grudge against the Tyranid Hive Mind.
It has been theorized that the Demiurg are a possible revitalisation of the "Space Dwarf" concept
Despite this, many other model making companies have been producing space dwarf models for a long time and some players have even converted the rules of Warhammer 40K to allow them to play. However popular this trend has proven to be, the official ruling from Games Workshop is that only 40K races can be used in 40K.
Squat Structure and Wargear
Though the Squats are long since dead, they did have an army list and a detailed wargear section, though these belong to an age gone from Warhammer 40,000.
Sources
Other Information
Squat Quotes is a list of things said by various people with regard to the race of Squats.
It should also be noted that any one who mentions squats on the [1] message boards gets permanantly banned on the first offense with no warning.
