Skaven
The Skaven, sometimes known as the Ratmen, the Ratkin or the Children of the Horned Rat, are a race of large humanoid rat-creatures that inhabits a massive inter-continental underground empire known in their tongue simply as the Under-Empire, where at the very heart of Skavendom lies the horrific city of Skavenblight, the species capital city and the probable birthplace of the Skaven race. The Skaven as a whole are a cruel, treacherous and highly numerous species that have since spread their corruption to the farthest corners of the Vitaea. From deep below the earth, these scavengers have built a vast empire, whose military power and incomprehensible numbers has the potential to smother the kingdoms of Vitaea in a seething tide of violence and anarchy. It is believed by many of Skaven-kind that the world is destined to be theirs, for they consider themselves the Supreme Master Race, undeniably superior in every way to all the other races of the World.
This belief stems from the promises made by their malevolent deity, known by many legendary names, but his most well-known title is that of the Horned Rat. The Horned Rat is known as the Harbinger of Corruption and Disease, the embodiment of all things the Skaven believe themselves to be, and whose worship over the Under-Empire is both supreme and absolute. Within the cruel hierarchy of the Under-Empire, the wishes and demands of the Horned Rat is issued and maintained by the ruthless tyranny of the Council of Thirteen, an organization that consist of the twelve most powerful Warlords within the Under-Empire whilst the thirteenth seat is reserved for the Horned Rat himself. It is due only to the Council's harsh tyranny that the Under-Empire remains unified in some shape or form for centuries, for none could ever hope to overcome the legions of warriors the Council has under their iron-fisted rule.
Out of all the mortal civilizations within the greater world, no single race can be compared in terms of instability to that of the Skaven Under-Empire. The Skaven race as a whole is extremely divided, often far more divided than perhaps any other race known in existence. Such disunion and ruthless lack of cooperation stems from the Skaven's insatiable need to survive, thrive, and reign tyrannical over their brethren. To most Skaven, there is no such thing as pity, remorse, compassion, or cooperation. There is simply survival - survival in a turbulent society that only spares those that possess the brute strength, extreme cunning, and the vicious instinct to outmaneuver and kill the opposition, no matter the cost or the body count of either friend or foe. Though no matter how divided their race may be, they are nonetheless unified in a single cause, and that cause is to conquer the surface world and bring about the Great Ascendancy, where it is said that the Horned Rat's children will swarm across the face of the earth and claim all of it as their own.
Biology
The Skaven, in terms of physical appearance, look almost exactly like large bipedal rats, possessing just enough intelligence to make simple tools and converse in a developed language. The more gifted among them are able to learn complex mathematics and rudimentary engineering. Skaven have an expected lifespan of about a handful of years or less; that said, were it not for the (often violent) internal competition of their species, they might live a relatively normal lifespan. More powerful members of Skaven society tend to live longer, even hundreds of years, due to the use of drugs, magic, or frequent use/exposure to the unstable magical substance known as warpstone. Most have brown, often dirty or matted fur, with large fangs in the upper jaw structure, red blood-shot eyes, over-grown claws, and a naked tail growing to the size of its body length. The large majority of Skaven are normally malnourished, having scrawny arms and legs, and lacking greatly in terms of strength or weight. Though physically weaker than most races, Skaven are naturally faster, more agile, and natural diggers. As such, a Skaven can never truly go head to head with a human, and due to their cowardly nature, they will more likely run than engage in direct conflict. Only when cornered will a Skaven fight with a reckless sense of rage. Those born as white and grey-furred are prized amongst Skaven litters, as they will often become Grey Seers; the Skaven equivalent of a priest and wizard in their society. Black fur is looked upon as the sign of a true killer, so the elite Stormvermin Corps draw their members from only those black furred ratlings, however it is also common for lighter coloured Skaven to dye their fur black, especially if they happen to be a member of the Stormvermin. Albino Skaven are rare but not unheard of, and are considered special and unique in the eyes of Skavendom, and held in higher esteem than most other breeds. As such, those born as albino are often taken from birth and trained to become the elite of the elite -- the personal Stormvermin honour guard of the Council of Thirteen.Physiology
A Skaven is roughly human-sized, with the typical specimen being between four and five feet tall on average. Their body posture is often hunched, a trait that was developed from the cramped conditions of their natural habitat. Skaven fur is often fine and thick, making it excellent at insulating the body from the cold. The skin also excretes a layer of fine oil upon the fur that makes their bodies almost water-proof. This oil, which is common amongst aquatic rodents, contributes to the Skaven being competent swimmers. This same oil is a pheromone that a Skaven can use to deduce the emotions or motives of another individual. Certain pheromone smells can mean certain emotions that only a Skaven nose can identify, such as fear, agitation, or stress. The skin of a Skaven is thick, naturally thicker than a normal human, and its surface is often littered with a variety of scars, the most common are marks made by other Skaven. Skaven also have naturally strong constitutions against sickness and plagues, a trait that was forcibly developed in order to survive the often unsanitary environments that the majority of Skaven live in. The skeletal structure of a Skaven is generally light-weight, giving them a greater degree of speed, movement, and natural reflexes than a typical human. This is further aided by possessing extremely strong back legs that help to propel a Skaven at twice the speed of a normal human. The skeleton itself is also highly flexible, enabling them to slide through even the most cramped environment with relative ease. However, due to their physiology, the typical Skaven is often weaker in terms of physical strength in comparison to other intelligent races within the known world, so much so that a healthy human male often can easily outweigh and outmatch a Skaven in terms of sheer physical strength alone. Also, the Skaven advantage of movement and speed comes at the cost of a higher heart rate and a high metabolism rate. In order to supply the body with sufficient energy, a typical Skaven has to eat food far more frequently than what is considered normal by human standards. In fact, a typical Skaven would naturally eat around five times a day, which usually amounts to eating its own body-weight in total. This metabolism makes Skaven naturally scrawny or even malnourished, forcing many Skaven to eat just about anything, which also leads to frequent acts of cannibalism amongst their own kind. Like similar animals, nearly all Skaven have acute hearing that allows them to hear sounds at a greater distance and range of frequencies than humans. Skaven also have excellent noses, which can detect smells from a greater range than those of humans. Due to their subterranean lifestyle, a Skaven has naturally poor eyesight during the day-time, but when in the darkness, most Skaven can see in almost complete darkness.Psychology
As a general rule, a Skaven is a very selfish and unloving creature, raised within a turbulent society that only promotes violence, cunning, and the need for survival. As such, each and every Skaven has a mindset that is singularly focused on survival, which offers little room for remorse or pity, not even for close "friends" or even siblings or kin. Not only are the Skaven a petty and jealous race, they are also devious and sly in their attitude to one another. In their everyday lives, a Skaven is always looking for an angle to play in order to advance themself and only themself within the grander scheme of things. Naturally, a Skaven would usually find the quickest and easiest path to glory and power, a mindset that stems from the Skaven's extremely short life expectancy. This trait is most notable when a Skaven tries to claim an achievement as their own, which would naturally draw them attention and possible recognition amongst their peers. However, a Skaven is a naturally shy creature as to draw too much attention to oneself often ends with their immediate death. But perhaps the single most defining factor of a Skaven's mind is the emotion of fear. The only thing a Skaven truly has within the Under-Empire is their own life, and to lose your life is the ultimate misery. However, the status of a Skaven within their society is also as important to a Skaven, but perhaps only second to fear itself. To be shamed or demoted from a position of power is an extremely heavy blow to the over-flattered ego of a Skaven, and to be humiliated publicly is far worse. Any setback is therefore likely to result in a long and insane paranoia that another Skaven from somewhere, someplace in the Under-Empire is plotting against him. If a warband is routed, it is obviously because of the cowardice of clanrats or the lack of conviction of his officers. If an entire horde is lost, it is necessarily the fault of the Lords of Decay who provided him with such incompetent minions. If it rains too much, if the well is dry, if it is too hot or too cold, the faults shall always fall upon the Grey Seers who meddle in what does not concern them. No matter what situation, no matter what the results, a Skaven will rarely ever recognize fault in their own actions. To a Skaven, life is a complex web of plots and intrigues designed by their enemies for the sole purpose of harming them. A cautious Skaven, however, never attracts more attention than is necessary, for fear of becoming a tempting target for an upstart underling or a suspicious superior. It is common for Skaven to show their superiority towards their underlings by showering them with shrill abuse on a regular basis. These actions are as much as to inflate a Skaven's ego as to deter potential rivals. Thus, while the failures of a Skaven are due to the weaknesses or the machinations of others, their achievements are nevertheless the result of one's own incredible talents. To a Skaven, if a group assault decimates the enemy, it would be thanks to their brilliant planning. If a Skaven horde emerges in the right place, it is thanks to their genius that they have discovered the right path. Whether it's the right time, the right place, or the perfect weather, a Skaven would always believe that they are a master of strategy, logistics and politics beyond anyone else in the entire Under-Empire.Council of Thirteen
The Council of Thirteen is the ruling body of the Skaven Under-Empire, and whose members are known famously throughout as the Lords of Decay. These Ratlords of the Skaven race oversee all matters pertaining to their entire species, from hatching terrible plots to initiating an invasion against the enemies of their kind. Within the tyrannical hierarchy of the Under-Empire, the Council of Thirteen consists of the warlords of the Four Great Clans as well as seven other lesser warlords. It is considered the right and sovereign duty of the Council of Thirteen to unite the various Greater and Lesser Clans under a single banner. While the Council holds sway over the entirety of the Under-Empire, the reality of a unified Skaven nation has yet to be fully realised. If it were not for the constant squabbling between the various Skaven clans, the Great Ascendancy would have occurred millennia ago. Instead, internecine fighting and bickering hold the Skaven back, much to the benefit of the Old World. Within the capital-city of Skavenblight, the Lords of Decay sit at a long horseshoe table made of pure warpstone and engraved with one of many of the Horned Rats commandments. Seats one through twelve are seated such that the more extreme numbers such as one and twelve are held by the higher ranking members of the council, while the middle seats such as six and seven are held by the lowest ranking members. Seat thirteen is the symbolic seat of the Horned Rat, and it acts as a tie-breaker in votes amongst other members, with the Horned Rats vote typically being interpreted by one of the Grey Seers, often from the Seerlord himself. This effectively gives the Grey Seers an extra vote, as they also hold the first seat. The Council of Thirteen gathers, in whole or in part, at least once a month, and sessions are occasionally called on a weekly basis, especially in times of war. The Council members discuss battle plans, political dilemmas, and important issues that face their race and must vote on what course of action needs to be taken. Politics also plays an important part in the Council’s discussions, and alliances are often made or broken in full view of the other members. The unity of the Council remains, at its core, an illusion. Only when the issue is the most dire or when the Horned Rat personally intervenes in the decision-making will the Council ever unite under a single cause.Members of the Council
- Kritislik, Seerlord of the Priesthood
- Kratch Doomclaw, Warlord of Clan Rictus
- Gnawdwell, Warlord of Clan Mors
- Paskrit the Vast, Warlord-General of Skavendom
- Morskittar, Exalted Warlock of Clan Skyre
- Griznekt Fleshcarver, Warlord of Clan Skab
- Nurglitch, Arch-Plaguelord of Clan Pestilens
- Sneek, Nightlord of Clan Eshin
- Vrisk Ironscratch, Fleetmaster of Clan Skurvy
- Verminkin, Packlord of Clan Moulder
- Warlord of Clan Carrion
- Warlord of Clan Morbidus
Recruitment
Each position within the Council is open to new potential candidates or replacements at any given time. In order to become such a candidate, the applicant must place his hands upon the Pillars of Commandments and survive, which would signify the candidate as being worthy to become one of the Lords of Decay. Then, the candidate must simply challenge one of the already existing members of the Council in a fight to the death. If the candidate wins, he takes the place of the loser in the Council Chamber. Though rare, more than one member of the Council has been replaced this way. The second, and most common, method for gaining a Council seat is to destroy a clan that possesses one. By right of conquest, the seat of a vanquished clan belongs to the victor as a spoil of war. In this scenario, the warlord doesn't necessarily have to duel a council member, for without a power base to solidify his claim the former Council Member is often assassinated or removed by the other Council members by force. Whether the victor can retain the seat once it has been taken is another matter entirely.Religion
The Horned Rat is the supreme god of the Under-Empire, worshipped by Skaven and ministered by the Priesthood of the Horned Rat. Though not affiliated with the lords of Chaos, the Horned Rat is certainly a distant relative of those foul, nebulous beings. He represents all things the Skaven are, or wish to be. Undying and eternally scheming, this cunning deity patiently awaits the day of the Great Ascendancy, when his children will swarm across the face of the world, devouring it from within. Entropy is his mantra; decay is his stock in trade. All things must rot, figuratively or literally, and the Horned Rat and his offspring are the worldly reality of this simple truth. Most Skaven revere the Horned Rat and few 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. Blood sacrifice is common in the day to day worship of the Horned Rat. The Skaven fear that if the Horned Rat’s appetite is not satisfied, he will devour his children instead. The form of the sacrifice—a slave, Skaven or otherwise—is not as important as the sacrifice itself. There is no specific doctrine that governs who or what must be sacrificed. The sacrifice itself is enough to sate the Lord of Decay for a brief time. Young victims are considered to be the most potent sacrifices for the Horned Rat, while the blood of the aged and infirm is less desirable. The number of sacrifices made to the Horned Rat by his followers varies considerably depending upon their need. In times of war, the number of daily blood sacrifices can be staggering, sometimes numbering in the thousands in the great Skaven cities of Skavenblight or Hell Pit. The Skaven also increase the number of daily sacrifices if they fail to secure victory in battle, or suffer some other embarrassing setback. The Grey Seers preach that victory cannot be won if the Horned Rat is unsatisfied with his minions, and thus, any defeat or failure is a sign that he must be appeased. Religious services are constantly held by the Grey Seers in honour of their sinister god. All Skaven are expected to be present at a mass at least once a day, even though no formal records of attendance are kept. Those who do not attend services open themselves up to all manner of criticism, including accusations of heresy, treason, and atheism. Influential Skaven warlords contract their own spiritual advisers from the ranks of the Grey Seers, and these priests for hire give private services to their employers and their households.Language
The language of the Skaven, Queekish, is a chittering and hasty speech. Skaven dialogue is often littered with a hodgepodge of rapid squeaks and trills. Queekish words are short, clipped, and often repeated several times in a row in an effort to add emphasis to statements. Due to the speed with which Queekish is spoken, long sentences are often broken up into several fragments. As such, these fragmentary sentences must be pieced together to form coherent thoughts, especially during long stretches of dialogue. The written form of Queekish consists of several thousand pictograms, each representing a single word or concept. Most Skaven know the most important pictograms, while only a few can recite them all. As new discoveries are made, new pictograms are devised. Many are so similar as to be indistinguishable to the untrained eye. Writing is accomplished by the use of a sharpened stylus or an extended claw.Society
Skaven society is often divided between two types of social system, which is separated between a Caste System and a Clan Hierarchy. The Caste System focuses heavily upon the color of a Skaven fur, which denotes the Skaven as being assigned a particular role in society. Those born with horns and Grey or White fur are considered chosen of the Horned Rat and thus are presented to the Priest or Religious Caste of the Under-Empire. Due to their influential and political power, they are also the most obvious leaders amongst Skaven groups. Those born without horns but have white or grey fur are typically taken to be trained as the Albino Stormvermin Guard of the Council of Thirteen. Below the priestly caste is the militaristic Warrior Caste that are composed almost exclusively of black-furred Skaven. Black fur is considered the mark of a killer and Skaven of that color are therefore given a position in society that focuses heavily on training these individuals into hardened warriors. In certain cases, a Skaven who does not possess black-fur can still join if he can prove to be just as effective a warrior as any other black-furred Skaven. Such situations, nevertheless, ensure that the Skaven would at least dye their fur black so as to keep to their image as elite warriors. Below the Warrior Caste is the general population of brown-furred Skaven. The Brown-furred Skaven form the very foundations of Skaven society, making them the most diverse in terms of profession, quality of life, and social status. Being outside the Caste System, the brown-furred Skaven are often divided further into certain sects that focus on professions such as trading, building, and the crafting of weapons and goods. All of these groupings allow the Skaven to apply their urge for social climbing on a much larger scale, each sect battling for supremacy over the other, just as each Skaven battles for supremacy within his sect. Outright warfare between these groups is not as common as many would think, simply because the Priest Caste often moderates hostilities between factions by use of terror and cruelty. In their case, the Priest Caste wants to ensure full control over the Under-Empire, and without some form of unity, the Under-Empire as a whole cannot truly exist.The Four Great Clans
Of the many diverse Clans that engulf much of the Under-Empire, there are none so powerful both militarily, politically, and influentially as the Four Great Clans. These ancient Clans consist of the Warlock-Engineers of Clan Skryre, the fanatical Plague-Monks of Clan Pestilens, the Assassin-Adepts of Clan Eshin and the mutated War-beast of Clan Moulder. These Clans hold the greatest occupation within the Under-Empire, and whose wealth, power and influence has the potential to change the political and social landscape of the Under-Empire on a whim. Their power extends so much so that the leaders of each Clan occupies a seat within the Council of Thirteen. Clan Moulder - Clan Moulder is the first of the Four Great Skaven Clans that specialises in the mastery of breeding, mutating and surgically creating some of the most horrific and fearsome war-beast to have ever existed. It is still unclear how these loathsome ratmen have managed to achieve such results in their experiments, for the Pack-Moulders are a greedy and jealous lot, but what is no secret is that the Clan is considered one of the wealthiest of the Skaven Clan within the entire Under-Empire. Clan Skryre - Clan Skryre is the second of the four great Skaven clans that specialises in the creation and research of demented diabolical machinery by using a horrible combination of arcane magic and technological machinery. Its members, known as Warlock Engineers are both inventors and magicians alike, whose expertise aids in the manufacturing of all kinds of War-machines and weaponry for the use of those willing to pay. Many of them are full-fledged wizards themselves, capable of manipulating the Winds of Magic to cast spells on their own, but their most potent of weapons lies in their use of their own deadly weaponry. Clan Pestilens - Clan Pestilens is the third of the four great Skaven clans that are feared throughout their domains for the vile diseases and plagues these Skaven have mastered and unleashed upon this world. Probably the most feared out of all the Great Clans, these Skaven are hated by enemies and allies alike, having been the main aggressor and instigator of both the two great Skaven Civil Wars that has ravaged much of the Under-Empire for four centuries, and almost overthrowing the Council of Thirteen from their power. Also known as Plague Monks, the disciples of disease and decay, these Skaven have dedicated an unhealthy fervour to spreading pestilence and corruption in the name of the Horned Rat to all those they see fit, even their own brethren. Clan Eshin - Clan Eshin is the fourth of the Four Great Skaven Clans which specialises in the deadly and secretive arts of stealth, murder, poison and assassination learned from the exotic Far East. Out of all the other clans which populates the Under-Empire, Clan Eshin is by far the most secretive and hidden of them all. This mysterious Clan has eyes and ears everywhere and its deadly operatives are scattered throughout the Under-Empire as well as secreted about within the cities and settlements of the surface dwellers. For the right price, the black-clad agents of Clan Eshin will steal any information, commit any act of ruthless sabotage or assassinate any rival with ruthless efficiency.Warlord Clans
Under these four great clans, a massive number of diverse and multi-cultural clans makes up the bulk of the entire Under-Empire. Though the vast majority of these clans are far weaker than their more powerful brethren of the Four Great clans, some have either become so powerful, wealthy, or numerous as to be on par or even equal to the influence and wealth of the Great Four. Clan Mors - the most numerous and powerful of the Warlord clans, after their great conquest and campaign against the Dwarves of Karak Eight Peaks. Notoriously wealthy, this clan has the most well-armoured Stormvermin troops in the entire Under-Empire, after ransacking Dwarven armouries of powerful and well-made Dwarven armour and weapons. Their power and influence is in par or even equal to that of the Great Four. Their warlord has a seat on the Council of Thirteen. Clan Rictus - A Skaven clan that has bred an unusually high number of Stormvermin. Their warlord has a seat on the Council of Thirteen. Clan Skab - Lives under the city of Nuln, and was the main contributor to the Invasion of Nuln. It was recently severely decimated, with its Warlord being assassinated by Grey Seer Thanquol. Considered a traitor clan by the Council after their defeat. Clan Scruten - A Skaven Clan that was established in the Wasteland. Clan Carrion - Expert scavengers and looters, scavenging the filth and trash of races or even other Skaven clans. Clan Festerlingus - Established in the Southlands, and an ally clan of Clan Pestilens. Clan Gritak - Was betrayed, enslaved, and subsequently wiped out by Clan Mors during the War of Karak Eight Peaks. Clan Krizzor - Established in the Dark Lands. Clan Makris - Was too ambitious and defied the Council of Thirteen at an early date. As punishment the clan was butchered without mercy and was completely destroyed. Clan Merkit - Was one of the first victims of the First Skaven Civil War. The ultimate fate of the handful of survivors is unknown. Clan Rikek - A formerly powerful warlord clan that established itself in Nagashizzar and was all but annihilated by Nagash upon his return. The final fate of the few survivors is unknown. Clan Skurvy - A fairly powerful warlord clan who specialises in the making and maintaining of boats and barges, and possesses the second largest of the Skaven fleets. Clan Skuttle - Possess the second largest fleet in Skavendom. Arch rivals of Clan Skurvy. Clan Sleekit - A notable Skaven clan who is a rival of Clan Skurvy, and has within their clan a considerable number of barges and ships.Economy
The basic economic system of the Skaven is extremely simple: the strongest take everything they want. Whenever a plunder is taken, the warlord, chieftain, or sorcerer who directs the raiding force takes what they choose first, then the other warriors will pick what they want, or leave them be. The food, however, is distributed a little more evenly. The most powerful clan warriors have the best weapons and food, plus the ability to have their own den in the clan and mate to create their own litters. The exchange of large quantities of arms and slaves between different clans is common. However, if there is really a form of currency within the Skavens' economic system, it would most likely be the distribution and use of Warpstone, also called Witch Stone or Wyrdstone. This material is used for any public or private commercial activity within a clan in small amounts, complementing the basic economic system that is needed to run the clan functionally. In larger quantities, this material is often exchanged between other Clans for food, slaves, weapons or to hire out mercenary forces for their wars. It is also valuable when close diplomatic and political dealings are made between Chieftains or political leaders. If a Skaven with a considerable wealth and talent at bartering wishes, he may create and own a small shop, containing goods that either he or his clan have bred, grown or created for the purpose of selling to the highest bidder. Most of these shops follow a very competitive and dangerous monopoly, just like the Skaven and their clans. Each shop would try their best to out-do the competition, destroying, assassinating, or even subduing rivals in the hopes of gaining more profit and influence within the proximity of their store. A good majority of these shops are owned and administrated by one of the two Great Clans, Moulder and Skyre. These Clan-owned shops sells goods that the clan specializes in creating, such as weapons and war-beasts that are always in high demand. Although owned by a clan, the owners of these shops do not always have to be a member of that clan, but rather any Skaven gifted at the skills of bartering. These shop-keepers can sometimes be entirely independent, with some buying the goods from the clans for a cheap price, and then selling them at a higher value to other gullible Skaven customers. As such, some are considerably wealthy and well fed, often sporting large guts as a sign of their wealth.Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
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