TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................................. 2 TERROR FROM THE UNDER EMPIRE ................................................... ..................................................... .................................................................... ............... 5 BIOLOGY OF THE RATMAN ................................................................................................................................ 7 REPRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................. 9
.................................................................................... ............................... 10 VERMINOUS SOCIOLOGY .............................................. ..................................................... THE HORNED RAT ............................................... ...................................................... ............................................................................................. ....................................... 14
PRIMARY UNITS ......................................................................................................................................................... 14 CLANRATS .............................................................................................................................................................. 15 (SKAVEN)SLAVES ................................................................................................................................................. 16 PLAGUE MONKS ................................................................................................................................................... 18
LINE BREAKERS ......................................................................................................................................................... 20 STORMVERMIN ..................................................................................................................................................... 20
........................................................................................................... ......................................................... .... 21 RAT OGRES .............................................. ...................................................... PLAGUE CENSER BEARERS .............................................................................................................................. 25 PLAGUE FURNACE ............................................................................................................................................... 26
RAPID RELIEF ............................................... ...................................................... ........................................................................................................... ......................................................... .... 29 RAT SWARMS / GIANT RATS / WOLF RATS .................................................. ................................................ 29 POISIONED WIND GLOBADIERS ..................................................... ......................................................................................................... ................................................................. ............. 33 DOOMWHEEL ........................................................................................................................................................ 34 CLAN SKRYRE WEAPON TEAMS ................................................... ..................................................... .................................................................. ............. 36 WARPLOCK JEZZAIL TEAMS ................................................. .................................................... .......................................................................... ...................... 39
SPECIALIST SUPPORT ............................................................................................................................................ 41 PACKMASTERS/MASTER MOULDERS ........................................................................................................... 42 CLAN LEADERS ..................................................................................................................................................... 45 STANDARD BEARERS .......................................................................................................................................... 45
........................................................................................................... ............................................................................................. ....................................... 47 PLAGUE PRIESTS ..................................................... ........................................................................................................................................ 48 WARLOCK ENGINEER ........................................................................................................................................ CLAN LEADER MOUNTS ................................................. ..................................................... .................................................................................... ............................... 49 NIGHT RUNNERS ...................................................... ............................................................................................................ ............................................................................................. ....................................... 50
GUTTER RUNNERS .................................................... .......................................................................................................... ............................................................................................. ....................................... 51 ASSASSIN/SORCEROR ......................................................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................................................... 54
............................................................................................................................................................. 59 GREY SEER ............................................................................................................................................................. ...................................................................................................... ................................................ 60 VERMINLORDS ................................................ ......................................................
= VERMINLORD WARBRINGER = .............................................. ..................................................... .................................................................. ............. 63 = VERMINLORD DECIEVER = ....................................................................................................................... 63 = VERMINLORD CORRUPTOR = ................................................. ..................................................... .................................................................. ............. 64 =WARPNAW VERMINLORDS = ..................................................................................................................... 66
BREEDERS .............................................................................................................................................................. 68 == SHOCK AND AWE == ............................................... ...................................................... ............................................................................................. ....................................... 70 HELL PIT ABOMINATION .................................................................................................................................. 71 SCREAMING BELL ................................................... ...................................................... ............................................................................................. ....................................... 74 PLAGUECLAW CATAPULT ................................................................................................................................ 77
.......................................................................... ...................... 79 WARP LIGHTNING CANNON ................................................... .................................................... .......................................................................... ...................... 80 MONSTERS OF THE HELL PIT ................................................ .................................................... DREAD MAW ........................................................................................................................................................... 82 ...................................................................................................... ................................................ 82 STORMFIENDS ................................................. ...................................................... HEROES AND LEADERSHIP .................................................. ..................................................... .................................................................................... ............................... 86 SKAVEN CHAIN OF COMMAND ................................................ .................................................... .......................................................................... ...................... 86 SKAVEN ORGANIZATION ................................................. ..................................................... .................................................................................... ............................... 87 COMMAND CATEGORY ........................................................................................................................................ 88 OVERALL COMMANDERS ................................................................................................................................. 89
........................................................................................................... ............................................................................................. ....................................... 89 COUNCIL OF 13 ..................................................... .................................................................. ............. 91 THANQUOL AND BONERIPPER .................................................. ..................................................... LORD NURGLITCH ......................................................................................................................................... 101
MAJOR GENERALS .................................................... .......................................................................................................... ........................................................................................... ..................................... 102 QUEEK HEADTAKER ....................................................................................................................................... 102 LORD SKROLK .................................................................................................................................................. 107 THROT THE UNCLEAN .................................................. ..................................................... .................................................................................. ............................. 111 IKIT CLAW ......................................................................................................................................................... 115 GENERALS ............................................................................................................................................................. 118 THE PLAGUELORDS .............................................. ...................................................... ........................................................................................... ..................................... 118 ........................................................................................... ..................................... 119 GHORITCH THE CASTELLAN OF HELL PIT ...................................................... TRETCH CRAVENTAIL ................................................................................................................................. 120
LESSER COMMANDERS ...................................................................................................................................... 121 KLAWMUNKAST .............................................................................................................................................. 121 MORBUS SANGUIS ........................................................................................................................................... 122 SKWEEL GNAWTOOTH ................................................................................................................................... 123 COVERT OPS ........................................................................................................................................................ 123
VESKIT ................................................................................................................................................................ 124 THE BLACK 13 .................................................................................................................................................. 125 DEATHMASTER SNIKCH .............................................................................................................................. 126 TACTICAL & STRATEGIC SUPPORT
.. 130
THE SHADOW COUNCIL ............................................. ..................................................... .................................................................................. ............................. 132
SKAVEN LAIR DEFENSE ......................................................................................................................................... 135 SKAVEN ARMY X-FACTORS ................................................ ..................................................... .................................................................................. ............................. 139 ADDITIONAL FACTORS .......................................................................................................................................... 142 STRENGTHS ........................................................................................................................................................... 142 .................................................................................................... .............................................. 144 WEAKNESSES ................................................... ...................................................... VICTORY GAINS .................................................................................................................................................. 147 ........................................................................................... ..................................... 147 GRAND STRATEGY .................................................. ...................................................... ........................................................................................... ..................................... 147 OPENING SETUP ................................................... ...................................................... FOREIGN RELATIONS .................................................... ......................................................................................................... .................................................................................. ............................. 149 INITIAL STRATEGY ....................................................................................................................................... 150 ADAPTIONS ................................................... ...................................................... .................................................................................................... .............................................. 151 WITHDRAW ...................................................................................................................................................... 152
PAST OPPONENTS .................................................................................................................................................... 153 THE NATIONS OF MEN ............................................. .................................................... ........................................................................................... ....................................... 153 .................................................................................................... .............................................. 153 THE EMPIRE ................................................. ...................................................... BRETTONIA ...................................................................................................................................................... 154
........................................................................................................ ........................................................................ .................... 154 OTHER HUMAN NATIONS .................................................... THE ELVES ............................................... ...................................................... ........................................................................................................... ....................................................... .. 157
THE DWARVES .................................................. ...................................................... .................................................................................................... .............................................. 158 UNDEAD ................................................................................................................................................................. 160 LIZARDMEN ......................................................................................................................................................... 160 ORCS & GOBLINS / OGRES .............................................................................................................................. 161 CHAOS .................................................................................................................................................................... 163
THE SKAVEN NAVY ................................................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................................................. 164 SKAVEN NAVAL MAGIC .................................................... ......................................................................................................... .................................................................................. ............................. 164 DOOMBRINGER .................................................................................................................................................... 165 PLAGUEBURNER & WARP RAIDER .................................................. ..................................................... ................................................................ ........... 167 THE SKABRUS ....................................................................................................................................................... 168 OTHER SKAVEN VESSELS ................................................ ..................................................... .................................................................................. ............................. 170 APPENDIX A: CLAN C LAN SKRYRE MISC TECH .................................................... ......................................................................................................... ....................................................... .. 170 APPENDIX B: CLANS C LANS..................................................... ........................................................................................................... ........................................................................................... ..................................... 173 GREATER CLANS .............................................. ...................................................... .................................................................................................... .............................................. 174 — CLAN CLAN PESTILENS ..................................................... .......................................................................................................... .................................................................................. ............................. 174 — CLAN CLAN SKRYRE ............................................................................................................................................ 175 — CLAN CLAN MOULDER ........................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................ 176
........................................................................................... ..................................... 177 — CLAN CLAN ESHIN ............................................... ...................................................... ............................................................................................................ ........................................................................................... ..................................... 178 — CLAN CLAN MORS ...................................................... RABBLE CLANS .......................................................................................................................................... 179
LORE OF RUIN ..................................................................................................................................................... 186 PERSONAL SPELLS .............................................. ...................................................... ........................................................................................... ..................................... 186 BATTLEFIELD SPELLS ................................................ ..................................................... .................................................................................. ............................. 186 LORE OF PLAGUE .................................................... .......................................................................................................... ........................................................................................... ..................................... 188
........................................................................................... ..................................... 188 PERSONAL SPELLS .............................................. ...................................................... .................................................................................. ............................. 189 BATTLEFIELD SPELLS ................................................ ..................................................... THE DREADED 13TH SPELL ................................................................................................................................. 190 END TIMES MAGIC .................................................... .......................................................................................................... ........................................................................................... ..................................... 191 LORE OF PLAGUE .................................................. ...................................................... ........................................................................................... ..................................... 191 LORE OF RUIN ................................................................................................................................................. 191
Sources used: ................................................................................................................................................................ 192
For, privileged to hear the words of Magnus the Pious as he gave a stirring and impromptu speech … I was moved to join the ranks of his citizen- army army in its march to relieve Kislev, then under siege by the forces of darkness. … Time and time again we were tested. Together we faced bloodthirsty tribes of Kurgan horsemen, savage herds of Beastmen and disgusting throngs of mutants. We saw burned villages whose every inhabitant had been slaughtered; vast battlefields littered with decaying and scavenger-stripped corpses, and even heard the chilling cries of the screaming screaming stone mouths of Chaos-warped Praag. Praag. And through all those days and nights we never faltered. Emboldened by our our love of our nation and faith in our our God, we stayed true to our duty. Until at last, with the war won and Kislev saved, we turned to begin the the long march south for home, little realizing that the greatest horror of of all still awaited us. … By then Magnus had dispersed his army into smaller units to better forage for food and fuel, and we were but one such grouping— grouping— a thousand men in all. Experienced soldiers by then, then, and glad as we were to be back inside the Empire, we still knew to be mindful of the dangers of the forest.
… My own first intimidation of the horrors that confronted us came as I was awakened by the screams of dying men. Hurrying from my tent with half-pike in hand, I saw sights that I shall never forget. Ahead of me the entire camp was in confusion as, everywhere, men struggled and died in savage conflict with the the creatures that had slain our sentries and crept crept unheard into our camp while we were sleeping. I saw men cut down by jagged jagged blades, torn limb-from-bloody-limb by ferocious ferocious beasts and overwhelmed by rabid, hordes of hungry rats. rats. But even these were but the smallest part of the horror I witnessed. witnessed. I saw men run shrieking past me, arms flailing in helpless agony as their bodies burned with the unearthly glow of alchemical fire. I saw others others die haloed in choking, green vapors, mouths mouths foaming with bloody froth as they breathed their last. I saw strange weapons, sinister machines, monstrous beasts, and a vast vast and terrifying tableau of unholy horrors. I saw the face of our our enemy. I saw the Ratmen. Here was the worst horror of all. A horror greater than all the beasts and hordes of Chaos combined. combined. I saw vile creatures armed as with the machineries of nightmare, foul foul hybrids of rat and man that walked on two legs, wore armor armor and carried weapons as though in mocking imitation imitation of our ways. I saw wave after wave wave of disparate and feral bipeds, mad with bloodlust, come come to overwhelm us by sheer weight of numbers. I saw saw things that seemed born of the nightmares of visionary madmen, as though the very shapes of the underworld itself had been given flesh and set loose upon us. I saw a thousand different horrors, all of them wearing the face of the rat. Perhaps I was guarded by Sigmar’s guiding hand, for I alone of my comrades survived survived that night. Beneath the world of Warhammer, across oceans and under unsuspecting sprawling cities creeps the Skaven race. Numberless masses reaching in the billions, the Skaven have managed to keep their existence from most realms. And what they plan for those above is not altruistic. For they believe they are destined to inherit the gift of the Great Horned Rat, nothing short of the whole world, with wi th the remaining races slaving for their every want and desire. To achieve this goal the Skaven claw, drag and eat each other to the top of their nefarious society. It is literally a rat-eat-rat society.
To face a Skaven army is to behold a living ocean ocean of tainted fur; filled with skittering ratmen moving faster faster than a man’s run. Supporting their massed chaos are lurking groups of greenish mechanical weapons carried by two man teams, with larger hulking war machines all built by the fickle ge nius of Clan Skryre. Chanting, squealing mobs of Clan Pestilens revel in their rotting, yellow-gnawed buboes, gifting the enemy with all manner of magicpowered disease. Lurking in the shadows, Clan Eshin sabotage and assassinate leaders, emerging upon doomed prey from tunnels carved behind enemy lines. Clan Moulder drags and prods monstrous creations, bizarre mutations of rat ogres and multi-limbed rats and giant rats the size of dogs, up to the many-storied Hell Pit Abominations. At the beckoning of war leaders, legions of heavy armored Stormvermin march confidently as the Grey Seer wizards poison friends and foe to taint battlefields and wrack the skies wi th unbearable storms. The origins of the ratmen lie deep in mystery, for mere mere record-keeping and story-telling is almost always exaggerated or outright churning with lies (as if they aren’t vile enough!). They seek Warpstone to fuel their underhanded creations, from disease and mutation to technology and energizing their magical prowess.
Superficially, the Skaven look like any other Beastmen of the series, a seeming complete cross between man-like bodies with that of the rat. However, they vary from Beasts of the world, who possess mutations off the human form with with few consistent variations, and while Beastmen mutations are the result of chance or pure chaos mutation, they are more likely to be harmful rather than helpful. Instead, the Skaven are in fact a whole separate species, with consistent differences and specialized advantages. The typical Skaven is about four to five feet tall and 90120 lbs. (40-55 kg). However, they appear significantly shorter due to their tendency of always walking in a hunched over, twitchy, scurrying manner. This crouched, cautious form belies speed that can well outdistance the best human runners, and reflexes that are usually superior to a human. They are known for being rather flexible and agile — agile — with trained individuals of Eshin able to pounce up to five times their height. Skaven are good climbers, naturally stealthy and possess a wry sort of strength, though the latter is not noticeably better than a human and in certain forms is weaker (Children of the Horned Rat mentions that can't carry objects as well as humans). Courtesy of their lifestyles, Skaven have hardy constitutions and are more resistant to diseases and infection than a man. As one might expect from merging rat and man, the Skaven possess tails that allow greater balance and sometimes even serve as a third weapon appendage , though a Skaven likely has to go through training to do so as with Eshin-rats Eshin -rats (ordinary Skaven can still use their tail to trip or bludgeon with though). Skaven possess four sets of paws and with their fil thy lifestyle being scratched by one risks infection . Skaven are typically brown or reddish in color, though different types of fu r lend to different species. Those larger born with very dark to fully black usually are fated to become either Stormvermin or the adepts of Clan Eshin, while those grey or white furs, rare i ndividuals, can generally look forward to life as a Grey Seer. Skaven eyesight is specialized to the dark places they inhabit, and they can see in low light conditions far better than a human or even a dwarf. Conversely, they are at a disadvantage in the sun or bright conditions. In fact, bright enough light can be painful to them, and they will avoid battles in the daylight if they can. If forced to, the Skaven will prefer to use lots of smoke to obscure the sun. Skaven are far more reliant on smell, being able to identify races, even individuals, by scent alone and Children of the Horned Rat states they can sniff a human up to at least a hundred yards (depending on which way the wind is blowing). Their sense of of hearing too is rather good, comparble to a hunting dog.
Skaven possess a rapid metabolism that allows the ratmen great bursts of energy in speed, ferocity and strength. However, this metabolism has a drawback, as Skaven will need to feed every couple hours or a t least five times a day, weaken significantly. According to Children of the Horned Rat, they need to feed at though other sources suggest even smaller intervals. Skaven that do not eat will, in desperation, eventually enter into a state of “Black Hunger” where they temporarily become fearless and focused only on food, tearing up corpses, enemies, and even allies to acquire a meal. This compulsion to feed is why battlefields that the Skaven fight in are usually described as eerily clean afterward, for the Skaven loot the weapons and armor before feasting upon the corpses en masse! Their stomachs are powerful; capable of digesting bone or even steel (possibly, it would give a hell of a stomach ache!). However, Skaven stomachs are also tiny, which is probably why they need to feed so much! The Skaven bite bite is strong and given enough time they can even chew through through steel jail cells. On the battlefield, leather armor will not last long at all against their vicious teeth. When they bite down, they usually clench and will not let go, attempting to drag their prey down as other Skaven pile on.
Perhaps because of this metabolism, Skaven usually live short, brutal lives. Assuming they make it out of childhood and don’t fall victim to the myriad deaths available to their race, they can only live up to about twenty years and will start to degrade physically at ten noticeably. Grey Seers and certain individuals blessed by the council may live far longer, though this is mostly due to the existence of magical, life extension elixirs. Between betrayal, diseases, and the conditions of Skaven society, most do not live past the age of six if that. Though it takes five years for Skaven to reach their prime , as of the End Times, the Skaven have utilized magical means to rapidly speed this up, meaning they can be made adults in days or even instantly from when they are born (though they haven’t sped up the gestation period yet). Skaven possess and even communicate with, musk glands that unleash various scents depending on the mood and emotion of the ratman, with the most common being fear. As the Skaven are typically cowardly creatures, this can cause one to unleash the scent of fear, which might ca use others to unleash their own musk of fear instinctively. Ultimately this builds the palpable scent of terror in the ratman’s mind and l eads to them routing quicker than other armies. However Skaven mindset also plays a role in addition to instincts, and Skaven from other ranks will feel only contempt for routing slaves, and thus will resist routing in fear themselves. However if other, let’s say, Stormvermin rout— or or — — especially especially — their their leaders, then the Skaven will see/scent it (for leaders cultivate individual scents as a matter of pride that is mixed when they spray the musk of fear) then this will cause a much quicker rout. Skaven scent glands are extremely complex and may give off not just the emotion of something, but the quality and cause as well (Children of the Horned Rat states that Skaven fleeing from Dwarves will give off a different scent than those fleeing from other Skaven).
Skaven females are, unlike the males, fat, indolent, semi-intelligent, rare and kept in a drug-like haze. Attended to by castrated slaves, the females in the Skaven society exists for one purpose: to breed. This leads Skaven to call all females of any race ‘breeders.' They can typically give birth to about five litters litters a year, with each litter containing about twenty young, and with a ten-year typical lifespan, may produce up to a thousand Skaven in their lifetime! Despite Skaven backstabbing starting even as pups, this birthrate has allowed the Skaven to continue to have their overwhelming numbers, outweighing every other race in the setting. Skaven females are of rare birth, and are thus, along with certain leaders, are the few being s thought of as something worth pi ts, and enemies that can manage to destroy protecting. Thus they are usually kept in the deepest, darkest pits, on the Skaven population and clan presence in the area. these females can inflict a severe blow on
“The gaping black cavern spread out befor e befor e them, only partially illuminated by the torches and lanterns the soldiers bore. What that light revealed was every bit as noxious as the stench that assaulted their senses. The men stood upon a narrow lip that circled the cavern, the floor of the pit some twenty feet below. The floor floor was littered with bits of straw, fur and even strips of grimy cloth. Piles of immense rat pellets were scattered scattered everywhere, punctuated by jumbles of gnawed gnawed bone. Several immense shapes covered in dirty brown fur lay amidst the squalor and excrement. “Each was the size of an ox, but the form was that of a mammoth rodent. The beasts lounged on their their sides, exposing the twin rows of furless teats that pimpled their upper bodies. The rat-like faces of the breeders stared up at the torchlight with wide-eyed, uncomprehending uncomprehending fear, recognizing danger but incapable incapable of understanding it. The pale, wrinkled things that clung to their teats did not react react to the presence of the men at all: for the blind Skaven pups, their entire existence consisted of drawing milk from their bloated mothers. “ Thulmann Thulmann stared coldly into the pit of horror and then turned, and gave the order to the soldiers to set it aflame. The loss of the breeders would effectively destroy the warren. warren. Without their females, any remaining skaven would scatter, finding finding refuge or enslavement with other tribes of their kind.” — Witch Killer
“'Do they not care about their own troops?' asked Franka, horrified. Reiner shrugged. 'Would even a ratman like another ratman?'” – The The BlackHeart Chronicles Each and every Skaven believes himself alone to be indispensable. Possessed by selfishness, slyness, pettiness, and innate cowardice in regards to harm for their own persons, the Skaven mind cares not how much their race suffers, struggles or dies, so long as they personally benefit. “Better him than I” is the common motto as spite and fear are the two trademark Skaven emotions. They literally cannot comprehend comprehend feelings of self-sacrifice and selflessness selflessness ; it baffles them completely. Combine this with an innate extreme hunger, desiring not only food but an insatiable greed for position, power, and authority, and you have a pitiless society governed solely by the laws la ws of strength, ambition and cunning . Thus causalities are rarely seen as something to avoid, and indeed are often encouraged in the minds of the leadership, for the more dead Skaven, the less drain on resources there is, at least temporarily. Treachery too is common, for the Skaven look for any means to advance themselves over others. On a less deadly level, Skaven will steal every good idea from their peers that they can.
“Off the floor, flea - biter!’ biter!’ Thanquol spat. He pointed a claw to the alcove where the the drug -addled -addled Kempf had slept through the entire incident. ‘We must take away the man - thing thing and torture the hiding place of the Wormstone from it before Skarpaw returns.’
Skrim Gnawtail wiped at his bleeding head, bowing in deference to Thanquol’s imperious authority. ‘Wise and holy despot , would it not be smart-smart to leave the man-thing alone? It is selling bits of the stone stone to pay for its addiction. If we wait-watch, it will lead us to the Warpstone on Warpstone on its own.’ Thanquol pondered the suggestion. It wasn’t a bad idea and and would save th em the risk of breaking the human. Their minds minds were so fragile and if the human lost his senses under Thanquol’s persuasive techniques, they would would lose the trail to the Warpstone almost as soon as they had discovered it. The grey seer irritably irritably struck Skri m’s m’s snout. ‘Fool - fool!’ fool!’ he snapped. ‘What we will do is allow the human to leave. He will come back to buy more dust. Before he does, his metal-tokens will be stolen from him. To get more, he will have to return to where he has hidden the Warp stone.’ Warp stone.’ Tha nquol’s tail twitched in satisfaction as he considered considered the brilliance of his plan. Skrim rubbed at his snout, trying to hide his hide his confusion over how the grey seer’s idea idea was any different from his own.” — Grey Seer Given this, Skaven society is one of constant warfare and conflict. They must constantly fight for food and privilege , both against each other and other races. Skaven differences are far greater than every other race, with high end Skaven hoarding access to to resources entirely for themselves and scheming to yet acquire more, for Skaven greed can’t be satisfied. As mentioned Skaven can be divided into different classes based on privilege, with Black-Fur Stormvermin and the White-Fur Grey Seer lording over the rest, though the existence of clans serves as a means that a Skaven cunning enough can, hypothetically, overcome this problem through rising to power in one of the clans. Warpstone, the dangerous physical manifestation of the warp, commonly associ ated with mutation and madness in the other races, is an important cornerstone of Skaven society. It serves as everything from a basis for their weapons and technology, currency, a component for protective amulets, a boost for magic, a weapon enhancer, and much, much more. Skaven will go to any lengths to acquire more Warpstone, Wa rpstone, even the most minuscule amount. Skaven are remarkably resistant to its ill effects and mutation from handling it is rare (though ingesting it is still a bit dangerous, but sometimes necessary, as it provides a temporary power boost). Warpstone is the support structure for Skaven society. society. They frequently employ it in all manner of technological devices as well as plagues. “Most precious of all substances, the pulse of our life. If the Hor ned ned Rat is our father, then surely, Warpstone is our mother. Its uses are infinite. Like the heart of an endless fire, it is. Even the smallest of pieces will continue to give power indefinitely, allowing many of our devices to become somewhat portable. Warpstone fire can not only consume a substance, but actually change its structure to far more than just ‘burned’ due to exposure to its holy flames. f lames. Weapons made from Warpstone produce their own poison. A Warpstone charm brings real luck, changing what ‘was to ‘was to be’ to what ‘might have been’ with none the wiser. So where does it come from? There are those among the more superstitiou s of our folk and a few foolish Grey Seers that believe Warpstone is the leavings of the Horned Rat. I subscribe to the secular secular view – view – that that it is chunks of the dark moon, Morskrit, which has managed to gift us with pieces of its essence. Dangerous it is, to touch Warpstone often. But that’s what slaves are for, yes- yes?” – Narshift, Narshift, Warlock Engineer of Clan Skryre
Clans rule Skaven societies; social hierarchies of populations ranging from mere hundreds to tens of millions that Skaven are born into and usually remain for the rest of their lives. Skaven can sometimes defect from their clan however this is rare, in part because other clans usually use captured members of rival clans as slaves and due to an overlapping personality imprint of the clans that impacts how the individual thinks. For example, Clan Pestilens are more likely to be fanatical and obsessed with spreading their faith, while Skryre-rats are more secular and concerned with technological advancement. Though all, at heart, have the same Skaven traits already mentioned. Just as individual Skaven scheme against each other, entire clans regard the others as rivals and plot against them for ascendancy in Skaven society. Though they rarely admit it, the Skaven view all clanmates as potential enemies enemies . Skaven who occupy positions of authority are envied for their power, while lesser Ratmen constantly face the suspicion suspici on of sedition. A Skaven’s empathy is limited to understanding the covetous feelings of his peers. Much of his suspicion is projected upon the Ratmen around him, whether or not the allegations are founded in any fact. Skaven motivations are never pure, and even the simplest of
actions on the part of one individual can cause ripples of suspicion that ultimately affect anyone who comes into contact with him.
Fizqwik bounced in his seat, wind whipping his whiskers, pebbles dashing against his goggles as the Doomwheel D oomwheel sped down the mountain side. The landscape blurred into a continuous continuous smear of grey, the uneven ground pulverized pulverized beneath the monstrous weight of his machine. The Doomwheel smashed through a rocky outcropping, sailing for a bowel-spinning moment through empty air before crashing back back to earth and slamming Fizqwik into his seat. The warlock grinned madly, spinning a handle on his right-paw control panel to initiate the warp-power generator, sliding forward a lever on his left to spike the rats, ale-fed with stimulants from a gurgling gurgling vat bolted between the barrels. The last thing he wanted was for the weak link in his creation to tire. tire. The machine trembled, tossing him about in his chair, and he glanced glanced up from his controls to notice he had smashed through the orc lines. Thick-headed brutes turned, axes chipping chipping wood from the wheels as they disappeared under the machine. Scores of ugly, misshapen beings beings homogenized into a state more befitting befitting such lowly creatures. He swiveled in his seat and smirked back at the bloody smear of devastation. Axe blades, shafts splintered into oblivion, spun out, glittering flakes in his dust trail. The machine jerked again as a particularly particularly large brute went down under the wheels. Fizqwik frowned as he was tossed about. Perhaps some kind of suspension was in order? Something for for the new model. He really should write that down. Taking his paws from the controls, he scratched about under his seat. He came came up clutching a sheaf of folded parchment tied together with string. He flicked through them, scribbling something onto the final final page, before looking up, confused. The The tenor of crushed and terrified insignificants had shifted to a higher, noticeably squishier, register. He raised himself off his seat and peered down, noting as one might a misaligned shelf that he had strayed into skaven ranks. Perhaps some kind kind of steering lock as well. He added that to his earlier scrawl before stuffing the notes back under his seat and returning his paws to the controls. controls. He broke into a fit of giggles as the immense form of a giant coalesced out of the rain. I t towered many times over him, even in his high throne, and grew more massive by the moment as he hurtled towards it. Orcs burst from beneath its colossal stride, Skaven charging forward to meet them. The very definition definition of an exercise in futility. futility. He would show them. A light on his panel switched from black to green. Minimum potential achieved. achieved. He grinned, reflected warp lightning lightning flaring in the lens of his goggles. The triumph of skaven intellect over the most monstrous foes. The true true face of the skaven future. His His future. He reached forward. Paws gripped a large black lever. And pulled. Queek basked in the cold violence violence of the explosion. He watched with deep satisfaction as hissing sheets of blackened metal rained from the sky. Even here, close to a mile from the wreck, steaming bits of it clattered off skaven helms. Tendrils of warp lightning arced out from the stricken engine, engine, searing great rents in the clouds, blasting molten furrows through rock and flesh without distinction. The black glare faded as the dying machine bled itself itself dry. Queek watched it sputter, a final satisfying satisfying act of death and pain for him to savor. In its fitful shadow, the giant swayed, legs charred black and releasing great torrents of of steam at the touch of rain. To watch a thing so large fall was an unexpected bonus. It tumbled tumbled backwards in what seemed like slow motion, but apparently not nearly nearly slow enough for those caught beneath. Its impact blew a hole in the Greenskin horde, the hundreds hurled from their feet added to the scores crushed under its back. Even high up on the the mountain, Queek felt it. His trophy rack rack creaked as the tremors passed through his body. Well done , Ikit congratulated him. Clan Skryre devices always go wrong-bad. None will ever blame Queek . The Skaven almost never accept blame for their failures, preferring instead to implicate others, thereby transferring culpability onto their competitors. The truthfulness of these accusations is irrelevant to the accuser, the accused, and the superior who must judge them; all that matters to any of the involved parties is the strength of the case. The blame game has always been a popular pastime amongst the Ratmen, and Skaven who are unabl e to shift blame from
survival and of trickery, after centuries of breeding — into into one of actual belief. Almost all Skaven seem to be psychologically predisposed to believe that their own failures must be the result of a subordinate’s incompetence, sabotage by a jealous rival, or the poor planning of a superior. The concept of failure based on one’s own merit (or (o r lack thereof) is simply impossible for them to imagine.
Thanquol turned about as he heard himself addressed, his name spoken with the right right mixture of fear and respect his position warranted. The bargemaster, a pot-bellied, one-eyed ratman with piebald piebald fur and oversized incisors, bowed on the deck before him, head tilted to the side to expose his throat. Thanquol flicked his claw, motioning motioning for the skaven to speak. ‘Under - - Altdorf, Altdorf, merciless and beneficent master,’ the bargerat said. said. ‘City scent is stro ng-strong, close- near.’ near.’ A clawed foot kicked out, striking the bargerat’s bargerat’s head. The skaven reared away from the blow, flattening its muzzle against t he deck. ‘Fat - tongue tongue flea!’ Thanquol snapped, annoyed annoyed by the groveling the groveling bargemaster. He slapped a claw ag ainst ainst his own muzzle. ‘Think -think I did not smell city scent ?’ ?’ The grey seer’s foot kicked out again, but this time the bargerat bar gerat was quick enough to duck. ‘Sail this flotsam; this flotsam; leave thinking to those with wits.’ The bargemaster scurried scurried away on all fours, waiting fours, waiting until he was well out of kicking distance before before straightening. He turned, prowling over to to the nearest knot of bargerats, swatting and swiping at them them with his claws, allegations allega tions of slothfulness and other misdeeds flying from his tongue like little daggers. He threw one of the bargerats from the pole and assumed the duty for himself. The displaced bargerat skulked across the deck, deck, stopping when he reached the shackled slaves. He didn’t didn’t bot her concocting an excuse excuse as he drew the ratgut whip from his belt and be gan gan to lash the Skavenslaves.” — Grey Seer , Top Down bullying The Skaven's social hierarchy is a giant Pyramid, with their deity, the Horned Rat, at the very top. Following that is the Council of Thirteen (unofficially, Verminlords are above them), clan leaders of various ranks, and grey seers, stormvermin, clanrats all the way down to skavenslaves at the very bottom. Skaven in authority viciously lord over those below them while those below cultivate an attitude of extreme flattery to try and a nd stay in their leader’s good graces, even as they scheme to replace them. The Council of Thirteen — made made up of leaders of the twelve strongest clans + Horned Rat — — superficially superficially rules the race and are in positions difficult — — but but not impossible — to to assail by ambitious underlings. 1. Seerlord Thanquol 2. Lord Gnawdwell, Clan Mors. 3. Kratch Doomclaw, Clan Rictus. 4. Lord Paskrit, Warlord-General. 5. Vrisk Ironscratch, Clan Scurvy. 6. Griznekt Mancarver, Clan Skab.
7. Unknown, possibly Clan Morbidus. 8. Unknown, possibly Clan Carrion. 9. Nightlord Sneek, Clan Eshin 10. Arch-Plaguelord Nurglitch, Clan Pestilens. 11. Packlord Verminkin, Clan Moulder. 12. Lord Morskittar, Clan Skryre.
The Horned Rat, also known as the Horned One, is the patron deity of the Skaven and is worshipped exclusively by them. The Horned Rat represents the characteristics of the Skaven race itself — itself — deceit, deceit, spitefulness, backstabbing, disease, and corruption. Despite these characteristics, the Horned Rat wishes that the Skaven work together to rule the entire world, which would then allow him to return, though what this "return" mean s is not further elaborated. In the End Times he actually directly manifested in the world during a council meeting, killing one fractious member before demanding that the rest pool their energies together to ensure complete takeover of the surface world. All Skaven revere the Horned Rat. None question his existence. Such respect is a product of fear, for the Horned Rat’s eternal hunger does not discriminate between his vermin children and the dwellers of the surface world. A devout Skaven utters small prayers to the Horned God throughout the day, each prayer being a verbal slice of hate, envy or malice. These prayers are answered often enough to give the Horned Rat validity in the minds of his adherents, even in cases when divine intervention is obviously not involved.
5 1-2 Close Combat Close Combat The armies of the Skaven are mainly made up of Clanrats. An individual Clanrat is a relatively worthless opponent. Wearing little else than rags and maybe shoulder plates or stitched skins, they are only the match for a human thanks to teeth, claws, and twitchy reflexes and speed. But they have poor morale, strength, ingenuity or discipline, and would rather hide in the shadows and pounce on a weakened foe than attack with any boldness. Unless driven by their insane black hunger, they will paw and flick at the enemy. It is only when knowing their survival increases tenfold with the masses around them that their real abilities come to fruition. Goaded into battle with the promise of victory (only if the odds are favorable of course!), snarling threats and the desire to overrun the enemy (maybe this time we’ll get them!) they will use sheer weight of numbers to their advantage. When placed front and center before even a clearly mightier foe , banded together Skaven packs will attack with confidence and ferocity. If a weapon team is supporting them, then all the better their chances of winning (or escape). However after a single swirling melee, the Skaven will tire themselves, but instead of exhaustion, they will get ferociously hungry. After a battle, they must gorge themselves on anything, small rats, dead, even injured friends and enemies. Or if it’s convenient, backstab the Skaven in front of you and immediately start chewing (preferably while your fellow Clanrats think he’s still alive because once they realize he’s not, they will want some too. Better to have it all to yourself!). Once the casualties start mounting, even large formations of Skaven will begin to falter, and once a couple starts turning away from the battle, the likelihood increases that the rest will begin to believe the whole battle is lost and will start fleeing as well. LOADOUT: Claws, Teeth, Random Hand Weapon. Stolen enemy weapons DEFENSE: Scrap Light Armor (if it isn’t so worthless to be recognized as armor), sometimes a wooden shield
5 0-2 Slings Anywhere but here! Standing a stunted four feet tall, the Skavenslaves form the bulk of the Skaven's swollen population. They are usually born in this manner, barely holding out through a cruel, abused childhood and, being of little value, are shoved into labor. Living past any more than a handful of years is quite a cursed accomplishment. Skavenslaves are also always swelling with captured or defeated Clanrats demoted in their loss and shoved into the lowly ranks. Almost all slaves die as slaves. Without being in any pecking order to bring down their vile wrath upon, they do so against the weak of each other. Stealing, scraping, cannibalism, and a bountifully slain enemy is the only means of eating and staying alive. And when food is scarce, slaves become a primary food source in of themselves! Seen as nothing more than worthless livestock on any day, they are sent into battle with any scrap metal and splintered, rotting wood as weapons (if anything at all!) and the luckiest ones might attain a shield. Almost always shuffled to the front lines, Skavenslaves act as meat shields and a means to keep a buffer between Skaven and their more formidable enemies. Once the hundreds of slaves are choking up the enemy’s progress, those Skaven so armed can (and will) shoot right into the melee . Because their situation is so dire, to begin with, Skavenslaves have poor morale even for Skaven and will explode in a dangerous, mad scramble when cornered, unknowingly dragging down some of their enemies and fellow Skaven alike. Crushed underfoot, blindly charged into, or simply eaten as the last desperate act of life, those nearby can suffer horrible casualties, but their fleeing never causes any measure of panic in other Skaven forces. For what are the worthless slaves running but food to be hunted down after the battle? Skaven aren’t the only slaves used for labor and battle. Those of other other races (though it is rare any other race is capable of surviving very long) can be captured and, if not eaten right away, will join the ranks of slaves. Captured enemies capable of toughening it out may be utilized as slaves in future combat. That said, earlier army books of the Skaven have recognized that these slaves are less ‘reliable’ than regular slaves and will sometimes revolt when fighting their former factions!
The Dwarves had rigged the corridors, hallways and stairwells leading up to their realm with all manner of deathtraps. Gutter runners could have sniffed out the deadly ruses and bypassed bypassed them, as could any Clan Mors warrior who had been whelped in Karak Eight Peaks. They would have had the tunnel sense to see where false walls had been added, or stone blocks recently pried upwards. The surging mass, however, had not been raised in the warzone that that was the City of Pillars, nor did their blind rush give them a chance to do anything but scurry forwards. It was all they could do to avoid being crushed by their own kind, much less look for telltale signs of
It is probable that more skaven were lost in this initial surge than there were Dwarves within Karak Eight Peaks. For the skaven, these losses were expected. This was, after all, not a subtle raid, but rather the first act of an overwhelming overwhelming attack intent on nothing short of genocide. genocide. This was the fastest way to clear open lanes towards the bearded foe. Queek and all his clawpack leaders leaders fully expected the next phase to be equally costly. Of the seventy-eight planned entrance routes into the dwarf realm, fully half of these were blocked so severely by rockfall rockfall and cave-ins that they were, for now, considered sealed off. Naturally it took some time time to establish this, and the skaven that were driven down these dead ends suffered a cruel and and painful end – packed and crushed by the impetus of their own furious furious assault. Only the strongest and most desperate of their kind chewed their way out of those flesh-packed tunnels. With broken bodies, blood-matted fur and a crazed look in their eyes, these survivors were dangerous and bad for morale. They were stabbed or stomped stomped to death by a wall of armored Stormvermin that quickly put an end to their misery. — End Times: Thanquol = LOADOUT =
Teeth, Claws. Random Assortment of Weapons: Similar to Clanrats though on a worse-quality scale, Skavenslaves can be found armed with an assortment of knives, clubs, and swords, as well as spears. Uniquely, several may carry slings and throw stones. All the better to keep away from the enemy! DEFENSE: None (sometimes rich clans can afford to give them wooden shields)
5 0-2 Close Combat Close Combat “A hideous figure limped into view. It resembled a skaven, but it was like l ike no rat -man Felix had ever seen before. Here and and there great boils erupted from its mangy fur, and something something hideous dripped from its weeping skin. Most of its its body was wrapped round with soiled bandages encrusted with pus and filth. filth. It was emaciated and its eyes glowed with a mad, feverish light. Its movements were almost drunken; it reeled as if in the grip of a disease which interfered with its sense of balance. balance. And yet, when it moved it sometimes did so with bursts of obscene speed, with the unholy energy energy of a sick man mustering the last of his strength for for some hideous task. It tittered loathsomely as it moved and talked to itself in its strange tongue. (….) He and the Slayer were forced to move cautiously, lurking behind tombstones, taking refuge in the shadows beneath the trees, moving from patch of cover to patch of of cover. In some ways, Felix thought it was unnecessary. The plague monks did did not seem as alert as normal skaven. They seemed quite mad, and often often oblivious to their surroundings. Maybe their brains were as rotted as their bodies by the diseases they carried. Sometimes they would stop for minutes and scratch themselves until they bled, or their festering scabs broke and the n they would taste the pus which stained their claws. Sometimes they would pause and stare stare into space for no reason. At times foul excrement would belch forth from beneath their tails and they would lie down and writhe in it, tittering tittering insanely. Felix felt his flesh crawl. These creatures were not sane even by t he crazed standards of skaven.” — Skavenslayer
The followers of Clan Pestilens and their subordinate cla ns are a strange Skaven type. Unlike most Skaven which are more prone to flee, backstab, and grope for life, the Plague Monks seek unity, enjoying the prospect of gifting the enemy with their diseases. This fervor makes them nearly unbreakable, at lea st compared to the rest of their race. In the postbattle they are one of the few Skaven forces that will ignore the opportunity to loot, continuing to look for the enemy. However, this ill-discipline has been noted for causing them to charge prematurely. In battle, the Plague Monks are a massed group of zealots followed by a swarm of flies that trail eerie clouds of fumes that make others vomit by their presence alone. As they near the enemy, their squealing chanting vibrates with greater vigor, and they become a mad flood of rotting limbs, hacking phlegm, foaming saliva and puss -popped ooze. The more diseases that gnarl away at their bodies, the tougher they become , ignoring all manner of grievous wounds as their tainted blood flies everywhere. The only way to stop such a zealous, mad, diseased enemy is to disable or kill them.
Claws, Teeth, Daggers/swords. Also Iron-tipped staves
Similar to Nurgle Chaos followers, Plague Monks are far more durable to wounds, pai n and disease. Plague Monks are impervious to pain, are wretched enemies to fight in a combat beyond vomiting proportions. Their strange and devoted brotherhood means they are less likely to devour and backstab each other, but that doesn’t say much for other clans.
5 4+ Close Combat Close Combat Clad in heavy plate armor, wielding a halberd and often carrying a shield, a Stormvermin is comparatively pampered compared to other Skaven. Born, he is immediately recognized as bigger, darker furred, and stronger than his littermates, and given “prized” care. Separated and surviving the political backstabbing and having eaten the rest of their immediate brothers, they become Stormvermin. In reality, they are the only valuable asset to a Warlord or Chieftain. Stormvermin see all other Skaven as beneath them , which in their society, they are. Slaves, some directly owned by Stormvermin themselves, seek to please and aid their masters. When they don’t, they’re eaten by them. With their brutality and strength, they can wield larger weapons with ease and charge into combat with greater confidence. But these reasons are not the only thing that makes them valuable. They serve as bodyguards to their leader. Given the closest thing to privilege in Skaven society , Stormvermin are the first to feed after a battle and are given choice picks from the scavenge pile of collected weapons. But such is not an oddity, for a Skaven leader knows that by granting them these favors they ensure domination over the clan with their loyalty. Longer-lived Stormvermin serve as a sign of a Chieftain or Warlord's strength of position, and know what to say and do to please their master further to keep their status. As the most elite of the warlord clans, Stormvermin can be bought or lent for specific services as a po litical advantage for a show of might and power. Directed by Fangleaders, packs of Stormvermin enact the will of the Chieftain or Warlord. If one is to progress through the ranks (often from Stormvermin to Fangleader, and eventually to Chieftain and Warlord), he must somehow assure the support of the Stormvermin in the clan. Acting as the policing force of his will, Stormvermin are the usual means of ridding any would-be usurpers, even fellow Stormvermin! Any Fangleader who has successfully protected his leader can receive nearly anything he wants. Once there, he can amass resources for bribery to ensure support. A Chieftain is only as big as his Stormvermin.
Halberd, Choice weapons captured Heavy plate armor, usually a shield
6 1-2 Close Combat Close Combat When the Skaven encountered large creatures such as those trolls fighting alongside Orcs and Goblins and later the inhabitants of the Ogre Kingdoms, they figured they wanted a piece of that size advantage for themselves! Thusly, the hulking beasts known as Rat Ogres were born from the Skaven's knowledge of arcane science, merging overgrowth of a Skaven rat-like creature with that of an Ogre. The result is a stitched-together, near-mindless monster that is only possible with magical Warpstone and sorcerous surgery. A Rat Ogre moves with the tail-twitchy reflexes and speed of a Skaven while possessing the incredible brute strength of an Ogre. It also has the magnified appetites of both and must feed and eat constantly (to the point, they can ravage their own bodies and eat each other or even themselves!). A furious merging of teeth, claws, and bulging muscles nearly ripping apart from the strain of containment, whole packs of them are forced together, instinctively following the acts of the largest and strongest of their kind. Unless specially bred (or “trained” through extreme torture), Rat Ogres set free on the battlefield are incapable of anything but violence, and must be caged and separated after a battle since they do not know the difference between a battle and traveling to the next one. Anything alive, they will destroy with ruthless efficiency.
Rat Ogres can also be the subject of much experimentation. Extra spines, spears or swords jammed into the stump of a severed hand, an extra head (or two), and multiple limbs are familiar sights. No formal pattern exists except whatever works to keep them alive and held together. If it can be mixed, fused, or hammered into place, and stay just long enough to be used once, it goes. In a battle, Rat Ogres are used to hammer away at enemy beasts or smash apart a shield wall the Skaven are having trouble breaking. They can also be summoned on as the choice weapon for a challenge or duel. After the battle, surviving Rat Ogres that do well will have their broken bodies “upgraded” and quickly stitched back together for reuse. They are also extremely useful in the demolition of structures. Master Moulders can’t help themselves when it comes to their fleshy creations. Many questions abound as they find new body parts and problems with their latest breeding successes. Can it function with an additional arm? Will the pincer from a Chaos beast graft on or will it attack itself? How can more growing agents be squeezed out of prisoners to enrich new creations?
“They know nothing of pain and they will not die easily. Hack off their limbs, strew their guts about their clawed feet and still they will struggle on. My sire fought them in the depths depths below Karak Eight Peaks and always he swore by his beard that even when mortally wounded, they were simply too stupid stupid to know that they had been killed. Such terrible ignorance can be perilous, perilous, for many a young Tunnel Fighter has been been slain by a Rat Ogre he ‘knew’ to be dead.” be dead.” – Rungri Kettrisson, Dwarf Soldier
Hammered armor plates in the flesh sometimes “Forwards! Only one left! Get it, get it!” screamed the pale furred Master Moulder, gesturing wildly towards the blood drenched, heavily armored figure. The vampire stood in the center of o f the courtyard, surveying his surroundings coldly. His sword, dripping with b lood and gore, was held relaxed in one heavily mailed hand. The entire keep seethed with life, Skaven scrambling over each other in a roiling, hateful ha teful mass, pushing towards him from all sides. Huge rats the size of wolves erupted through sewer gates, pushing into the overrun keep. They were twisted creatures, their forms perverted through unspeakable experiments. The vampire frowned as another disturbing mutation pushed itself forwards. A human head had been roughly sewn to a giant rat body. The face twitched and gibbered uncontrollably, its tongue hanging loosely from its gaping mouth. A Skaven raised a cruelly barbed whip, lashing out at his giant rat charges. The spikes tore into the monstrous rodents’ backs, and they leapt forwards in a wild fury. Matching the savage attack with unmatched skill and power,
reveling in the bloodshed. The dead d ead were piled thickly around the Blood Dragon’s legs, yet his unliving body bod y showed no signs of fatigue. The Skaven drew back, not wishing to get within killing range of the deadly warrior. Seeing a pale-furred Skaven towards the rear who acted like a leader, directing the creatures around it with a cruel whip, the vampire leveled his h is sword in its direction, direction , his eyes filled with menace. His voice echoed ominously through the keep. “A challenge! Step challenge! Step forth creature, and meet my blade in combat!” The Master Moulder looked at the armored figure in shock, his eyes wide. The vampire radiated strength and power, a menacing tall figure drenched in blood. The Skaven fingered his whip nervously, feeling the eyes of his brood on him waiting for his reaction. Silence settled over the keep and he shrank under und er the vampire’s gaze. A feral glint touched the Skaven’s eyes and he glared at his enemy. Turning his head, the Skaven shrieked in his obscene language into the darkness d arkness behind him. A trio of hulking forms moved towards the flickering light of the torches, their massive shoulder muscles ripping and flexing. They stepped into the light, and the Rat Ogres’ lips drew back to reveal immense, rotting teeth. Rough stitching covered their bodies. One of the beasts had sheets of rusted metal haphazardly riveted into its flesh. Another had its forearm amputated and a series of crude blades hammered h ammered into the stump, a blood-soaked bandage wrapped around the wound. The Master Moulder grabbed the heavy chain around the neck of one of the beasts, pulling it hard. The mutated creature growled dangerously and the Skaven Skav en raised a scarred hand, pointing at the vampire. The Rat Ogres turned their gaze as one towards the defiant figure, their growls rumbling deep in their massive chests. They took a menacing step forwards. “Challenge strong Clan Moulder, deaddead-thing? Accept your challenge, I do.” The three monsters pounced forwards, their speed seeming at o dds with their overwhelming bulk. They The y moved straight towards the Blood Dragon who stood in a relaxed combat stance, confident of his abilities. The vampire stepped forwards to meet the Rat Ogres head on, ducking below a lethal swipe with preternatural speed, slashing his immense, ornate broadsword across the creature’s belly. It roared in o utrage and pain as dark d ark blood pumped from the wound, guts spilling to the cobbled ground. It sank to its knees, its lifeblood poo ling around it. A massive fist punched towards the Blood Dragon, who swept his weapon down with tremendous force to meet the attack. The mighty arm was severed at the elbow, the twisted creature roaring in pain. With a lightning move, the vampire reversed his blow, and thrust his sword up through the beast’s neck, neck, stuck fast. The monstrous creature grabbed its adversary by the shoulder, claws almost a foot long pushing through his ornate armor, a nd hurled him across the courtyard. The vampire smashed heavily into a stone parapet, a blow that would have broken the bones of any mortal being. Rising into a crouch, the undead knight’s face twisted into a vicious snarl, his long black hair hanging wildly before his eyes. As the Warpstone-eyed Rat Ogre thunde red towards him, the Blood Dragon leapt from the ground towards the huge monster, landing with vice-like hand s clutched to its thick neck. Plunging his sharp canines into the side of creature’s neck, the vampire savagely ripped its throat out with a vicious twist. The monstrosity fell to the ground heavily, and the Blood Dragon turned towards the Skaven leader, streams of dark blood gushing from his mouth. The Skaven’s heart began to beat wildly, and it begun to push back frantically through the press of Skaven, seeking to put as many of his minions between him and the avenging vampire that began to stalk steadily towards him. A towering shape loomed up behind the vampire. A huge taloned hand closed around the warrior’s head, lifting the struggling figure high into the air. With a gurgling roar, ornate sword still embedded in its throat, the Rat R at Ogre smashed the vampire’s head into the ground with brutal force. Time and time again the wounded wou nded monster pounded the Blood Dragon into the cobbled courtyard until his head was little more than a bloody pulp.
The Skaven horde sprung forwards, swarming over the vampire and tearing him limb from limb in a gory frenzy. The Rat Ogre fell to its knees, pawing weakly at the sword in its throat. The Skaven leader turned to its subordinate, pointing towards the dying creature. “Take it to the pens, quick -quick! -quick! This one shows great promise.”
5 2 Close Combat Close Combat Unlike in other clans where ferocious politics and killing earn special attention of any sort, among the Plague Monks, it is religious dedication that motivates them (along with some personal advancement). And those with the greatest dedication are allowed the “privilege” to wield plague censers. censers. Running into battle with all the advantaged frenzy and squealing chants as their battle brothers, the bearers carry not
cripple enemies, the spiked balls are not solid, but hollow. Chambered within these holds the true power of the Plague Censer Bearers. The fires inside the orb burn rotting, stench-filled filth of the most diseased, p oisonous concoctions, drenched in raw chunks of Warpstone. The enhanced magical noxious gas is so potent it can kill an ethereal ethereal creature! It’s literally taking the raw Warpstone and the magical power of Chaos and change and burning it into a fuming super bio-weapon. As they approach the battle lines, small groups of Plague Censer Bearers will smash into the foe as the opportunity to strike presents itself. The mere closeness of their presence is what causes the main damage. Contact with the haze of noxious fumes will cause flesh to erupt into fluid-filled blisters. When swung about, a great fog encircles the Plague Monks; exposure to it instantly fills lungs with virulent fluid and vital organs putrefy. And yes, these same problems, more-orless, affect the bearers and any others of the Clan Pestilens brotherhood. Though the fumes for them seem to deaden their ability to perceive the greatness of the threats they charge into. No matter, even a hulking dinosaur can be reduced to ruin by a handful of Plague Censer Bearers. Anything still hacking, wheezing, and blinded by the fumes and otherwise unluckily alive will still have to deal with the smashing impact of the spiked flail.
5 2 A few meters Enemies crushed underfoot Take a Plague Censor. Magnify the size a hundred-fold. Increase the potency of the burning fumes. Mount it on a giant, wheeled platform and swing it like church-bell battering ram. This is the Plague Furnace . Pushed into battle by a large gathering of Plague Monks, it's a diseased riddled altar to the Great Horned Rat, a platform for a Plague Priest to preach upon, and a means of hammering destruction against the enemy. While the platform is riddled with woodworm and rotting away, the structure holds. The glowing-hot censer swings forward and back, the orb blazing with heat, hurdling the deadly gas into the air. It u ses
disease. Foul ritual and unholy magic sets alight the lumpen pox-ridden skins, which in turn ignites the Warpstone. The resulting warp-heat turns into a furnace, producing the billowing cloud of baleful death. The strength of the fumes and the warp-heat is so strong it stings the eyes just to behold it . As the fumes sweep over those Plague Monks pushing the platform, their robes are bathed in the concoction, giving them over to eye-bulging bloody frenzy, shrieking their chants and doubling their efforts to reach the foe. First, the swinging censer can violently be swung around to unleash a concentration of the toxic gas upon the enemy. Then, the momentum of the blazing orb increases as it nears the foe until it crashes right into the enemy lines. The rusted chains are released, and the massive, swinging censer is tossed tossed over and into the enemy. Those that aren’t crushed, flattened, or impaled, find themselves surrounded by the sickly fog. The, undoubtedly fractured and mad-driven enemy is then found to be in the presence of dozens or more of Plague Monks, enhanced in fury and strength by their weapon as it's hoisted back in place for another swing. The Plague Priest, somewhat protected by his devout followers and the structure of his mount, can unleash his deadly magic upon the enemy or bless his fellow brothers with poisonous strength. In the year 2489, nearly 2500 years after being driven out of Lustria by the might of the Lizardmen and the Slann, the Plague Monks attempted to regain their realm. For an attack on the temple-city of Quetza, they brought so many Plague Furnaces that swathes of the jungle were covered in pestilent mist. It was so thick that the unnatural cloud could be seen for miles, rising over the canopy of the rainforest. Luckily, a stray untimely meteor strike (yeah right) prevented the total victory of Clan Pestilens. However, due to its questionable construction (as it is with all Skaven products), it is bound to develop dysfunctional mishaps occasionally. Being swung into the enemy might break the chains of the orb and cause it to fall flat into enemy ranks, or less desirable, crash apart in the wrong direction! It is also so very potent that a dozen Plague Monks can fall over the course of a battle just from subjecting to the overpowering fumes. Their brothers don't mourn their sacrifice however, for it is always for the glory of Clan Pestilens.
6 0 Close combat All over you! Wherever the Skaven tread a tide of rats follow. Naturally loyal to the Skaven, they are a natural food source and have an endless variety of uses. With Warpstone eyes, a crystal ball can see through their eyes, allowing the Skaven to size up an enemy force and listen in on their plans. They can be injected with all manner of plagues by Clan Pestilens to spread about against their foes. Clan Moulder enjoys mutating them and sprawling massed numbers of them on the
of Moulder rats, added their most potent diseases, unleashing it on the hazardous wildlife of Lustria, poisoning the whole continent. They also exist as pests; attacking random scouts or leaders as they sleep, eating up the enemy’s enemy’ s food supply, tearing up tents and clothes for bedding and nesting and leaving their filth to spoil everything else. They spare nothing: eating horse feed, leaving moist droppings and urine on gunpowder, and chewing through cords, wires, rope, and fabric. Mysteriously converging in a living carpet of bodies, they can scout ahead of a Skaven army and overrun an enemy position. Even for disciplined troops, the thought of a scuttling tide that trips men up before burrowing through gaps in their armor to reach their sweet flesh is enough to make most recoil in terror. They can provide quite an obstacle simply by wasting enemy energy and resources before the Skaven army begins their attack. The sorceries of the Skaven who can spell ruin and rot can summon them en masse. Warped or converged into the battlefield, they form a wide, unstoppable ocean at the spell caster’s call. They follow specially marked evil banners, tripling the strength of a marching regiment or are thrown as projectiles over defense lines! Setting them ablaze in fire is only one way the Skaven can fuel the damage, as each body touches the other, quickly turning the river of rats into a churning river of fire all over men, supplies, and explosives.
“He caught a flash of swift movement in t he corner of the hall and jumped as something bristly rubbed against his leg. Startled, he he looked down and saw a sleek, black-furred shape dart beneath his chair. 'Dazh's oath!' he swore disgustedly as another rat, this one o ne the size of a small dog, joined the first. 'Rejak!' Even as he shouted the name he saw more rats, dozens, scores, hundreds of them, boiling out from unseen lairs l airs to invade his brothel. b rothel. The screams started seconds later as the tide of vermin attacked, a swarming, squealing mass of furry bodies, pointed snouts and razor-sharp incisors that bit and clawed at exposed flesh. Chekatilo surged from his chair, toppling it as Rejak stamped down on a rat and a nd broke its spine. He stumbled backwards, horri fied as he saw the young boy dragged down by the sheer weight of rats, his face a mask of blood as they ripped off long strips of his flesh. Men and women crawled across the blood-slick floor, unable to believe that this was happening to them as frenziedly biting rats clung to their bodies. A naked man struggled with a pair of rats while yet more bit and clawed his lower body to the bone. He smashed one rat's skull to splinters against the wall, but another leaped from the stairs and fastened its teeth around his neck, biting biting out his throat with its powerful jaws. Bright arterial spray spattered the walls as the man collapsed and the scent of so much blood drove the swarming rats into an even greater frenzy. 'Come on!' yelled Rejak, pushing Chekatilo towards the door that led to the chambers at the back of the brothel. Screams and sobs of pain filled the air, mixed with the sounds of breaking glass, smashing furniture furniture and squealing rats. Hundreds of darting black shapes sped through the rooms and corridors of the brothel, as if directed by a malign intelligence, snapping and squealing in a frenzied mass as they attacked with teeth that cut like knives. A frantic woman, flailing at a rat caught in her hair and biting her neck and shoulders, knocked a lamp from its mounting on the wall. It fell and smashed on her head, spraying blazing oil across her and the floor. She screamed as the flames hungrily seized her clothing, blundering blindly through the brothel and igniting furnishings, spilled alcohol and other patrons as she went. Fire roared through the place with horrifying speed in her wake. As Rejak pushed him towards safety, Chekatilo saw Pavel Korovic under attack from a dozen or more rats that were biting his legs and arms and raking his chest with their sharp claws. He slashed at them with a broken bottle and stamped on others as he backed towards a shuttered window. A pair of rats leapt towards the giant Kislevite, but he dropped the bottle and caught them in mid-air, mid-air, slamming them together and dropping the limp corpses as he tore the window shutters from their hinges and leapt through the the glass to the street. Chekatilo yelled as he felt a sharp pain and forgot Pavel Korovic as a rat took a bite from his ankle. He reached down, grabbing the rat by its neck and tearing it from his flesh, ignoring the pain as blood poured from the wound. The rat twisted and bit his hands, claws like razors drawing blood with every slash. Chekatilo wrung its neck as he saw Rejak sheath his sword and draw a short-bladed dagger, the longer weapon too large to wield effectively against such small, nimble opponents. He stabbed and slashed at any rats that approached, stamping and kicking at those he couldn't kill with his blade. Rats were closing in around them and Chekatilo barged open the door to the back as another huge rat launched itself at him. He ducked and the rat slammed into the wall behind him. Before it could recover, he turned and hammered hammered his boot down on its chest, hearing a satisfying crack as its ribs shattered. Smoke, heat and flames filled the brothel as Rejak pushed him through the door, hauling it shut behind him as several heavy thumps slammed into it from the other side. The door shuddered shuddered in its frame as the rats hurled themselves at it. Chekatilo could hear splintering, scratching noises as they began gnawing their way through.
