Kharadron Overlords Arkanaut Company

Arkanaut Company

Despite the overwhelming firepower of air fleets, all admirals know that infantry is needed to secure territory. When it comes to groundedness, the Arkanaut Companies form the main fighting force of the Kharadron Overlords. By rapidly descending a frigate's grav ladders or suspension ropes, a company of Arkanauts can quickly engage in combat. Most are armed with Pistols and sturdy cutting blades, allowing them to bombard the enemy with shots before engaging them at point-blank range. Some of the Arkanauts carry heavier weapons - a skypike increases a company's melee capabilities, an aethermatic salvo cannon provides an incredibly high rate of fire, while the man-portable version of the ship-mounted skyhook can effectively take out large targets.

The Arkanaut Companies are a hardened bunch, hardened not only by battle but by the daily challenges of aviation life. They spend entire wind cycles at once on board their boat, crammed into a very small space. What seemed like a simple sailing can turn into a treacherous journey without warning, whether due to sudden and severe climate changes or attacks by airborne fighters and monsters. Standing guard at high altitude is an ordeal, for even in arcanaut armor a duardin is bitten by the wind, their skin hardened by the strange Metallic air that blows far above the clouds of Chamon. Special rebreathers built into their helms and masks filter noxious fumes as the arcanauts work long shifts to scan the horizon for enemies, searching for the telltale gleam of veins of aether-gold, or keeping an eye out for the oncoming blobs that all too quickly morph into roaring packs being able to dissolve Manticore. Any passing Black cloud could harbor a Harkraken, and enemy fleets - from the rogue Skyports to flying Grots - can attack from any angle.

Despite the many dangers of life on the Heavenly Ways, there are a growing number of duardin wishing to become arcanauts, eager for their chance at great wealth. In the days of the Sky Exodus, the growing air fleets were manned by clans. However, when the code was introduced, meritocracy supplanted the old methods, and so recruiting practices changed. Those who chose to serve in the Arkanaut companies were not only able blood-bound bodies, but the boldest of their kind.

On the day of Brynruf - when the sun shines golden over Chamon - each Skyport's various Arkanaut Academies hold a six-day competition. Only high performers are allowed to attend Arkanaut Academies, the training institutions where Air Force veterans conduct military exercises and teach aeronautical skills. On pattern press days, captains come to watch the drills, and they may choose to recruit new crew members by purchasing contracts, often to fill in the vacancies caused by death or injury. Those who join the Arkanaut Companies will endure a series of rites and rituals sacred to their new fleet, their ship, or both. Those who have progressed to three model presses instead have to settle for lesser positions, often on mining or fishing vessels, or as longshoremen.

For the Kharadron Overlords, the Grundstok name is synonymous with military elite. In exchange for a charter and a share of the fleets' profits, the Grundstok Company - sometimes called the Grundcorps - sends its highly trained warriors and escort fighter planes to protect the air fleets. Founded shortly after the Sky Exodus, the rise of the core corps has paralleled the growth of the burgeoning Empire of the Kharadron Overlords. Now their training academies can be found in all major skyports and even some smaller ones. Their mission has remained the same since they were founded by Belegrimm Grundstok when he trained units of top marksmen. Their motto "kazar valrhank" means "protect with honor". It's a duty they appear to be doing well, as Grundcorp's business is thriving.