Skaven

"Steeling themselves, the pitiful remnants of the city's once proud populace descended. In the ancient halls of kingship they found the Dwarfs, now naught but gnawed bones and scrapes of cloth. And there they saw by the dying light of their torches the myraid eyes about them, glittering like liquid midnight as the rats closed in for the kill.....The manlings stood back to back and fought for their lives, but against such implaciable ferocity and countless numbers of the verminous horde, their weapons were useless. The tide of monstrous rats flowed over them one by one, dragging them down to be torn apart, the yellow chisel-teeth sinking into their soft-flesh, the dark futted mass drowning their pitiful screams with their hideous chittering..."

- Translated from the Tilean tale "The Doom of Kavzar" also called "The Curse of Thirteen"



The Skaven, sometimes known as the Ratmen, the Ratkin or the Children of the Horned Rat, are a malevolent and diabolical 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 Skavens as a whole are a cruel, treacherous and highly numerous species that have since spread their loathsome corruption to the farthest corners of the Warhammer World. From deep below the earth, these scavengers have built a vast Empire, whose military power and incomprehensible numbers have the potential to smother the lands of the Old World in a seeting tide of violence and anarchy. It is believed by all of Skaven-kind that the world is destined to be theirs, for they consider themselves the Supreme Master Race, undeniably superior in everyway to all the other races of the Warhammer World.

This unwavering belief stems from the promises made by their horrificly malevolent God, 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 all things the Skaven are or ever will 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 most powerful Skaven Warlords whom are deemed Chosen by the Horned Rat himself. It is the Council's harsh tyranny that has managed to unify the Under-Empire in some shape or form, for none could ever hope to overcome the legions of warriors under their iron-rule.

Out of all the mortal civilizations within the greater world, no single race, neither the ruthless Barbarian tribes of the North, nor the savage Greenskins of the East 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 then perhaps any other race known in existence. Such ruthless lack of cooperation stems from the Skaven's insatiable need to survive and reign tyrannical over his other brethrens. To every Skaven, there is no such thing as pity, remorse, compassion, or cooperation. There is simply survival, survial in a society that only spares those that possess the brute strenght, extreme cunning, and the instinct to outmaneuver and kill the opposition, no matter the cost or the body count of either friend or foe. Such corruption and ruthless lack of cooperation has caused the Skaven race to splinter into hundreds, if not thousands of highly unstable, clan-based societies. 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, when the Horned Rat's children will swarm across the face of the earth and claim it as their own.

Origins
A few radical scholars and university professors argue endlessly over the true origins of the Children of the Horned Rat known simply as the Skaven race. Some have speculated that the Skavens are an off-shoot or a variant of the Beastmen race, while others insist that the Skavens were not descended from man, but an evolved and mutated version of the normal rat. However, the most terrifying thing about this is subject is that the vast majority of Mankind would agree that there is no such thing as a Skaven, and those that dare to speak openly about such matters are often shunned by normal society, and at worst burned at the stake for such heresy. Skavens are naturally shy, conniving and difficult to determine, as their society and race dwell naturally in the underground tunnels far from the reach of normal observers. Along with this, Skavens would only surface during their most violent and inexplicable wars, from which once they are defeated or victorious, their armies would simply slump back to their tunnels and mysteriously disappear from sight for many decades afterwards.

The only source of origins scholars could gather about the first existence of the Skaven was mentioned in an old Tilean tale called the "Doom of Kavzar". The version most commonly referenced by scholars is an ancient epic poem of 13 stanzas, in either the original Tilean or a translation. Copies of this tale have all been destroyed or have since gone missing over the course of the centuries. Some speculate that Imperial authorities accused the text of being heretical and burned all the knowledge it held. Others believe that the Skaven might even had a hand in this disappearance. The tale, however, lives on within the lands of Tilea, as the story is a very common folklore amongst the many farmers and commoners that live in the rolling country-side of that land. Indeed, the Tileans of that land are far more closer with these vermins than many would care to admit, and this old story was once fortold by their grandfathers grandfathers from ages long ago, a time when one of Mankind's cities was truely at its most pinnacle.

The Doom of Kavzar

 * "Once upon a time, long long ago, Men and Dwarfs lived together beneath the roof of one great city. Some said it was the oldest and greatest city in the world and had existed before the time of the longbeards and manlings, build by older and wiser hands in the dawn of the world. The city lay both above and below the earth, in keeping with the nature of the populace that dwelt there. The Dwarfs ruled in their great halls of stone below ground and wrestled the fruits of the rock free with their day-long toil, while the manlings reaped the fields of swaying corn that surrounded the city with a patchwork blanket of gold. The sun smiled, men laughed, and everyone was happy.


 * One day the men of the city decided that they should give praise to their gods for their good fortunes. They planned a temple such as the world had never seen before. In the central square a colossal hall would be built and topped with a single, cloud-piercing tower. A tower so tall it would touch the very heart of the heavens. After much planning, and with the help of the longbeards, they set about their monumental task.


 * Weeks became months and months became years and still the manlings built. Men grew old and grey working on that great temple, their sons continuing their work through summer sun and winter rain. At last, after many generations, work began on the great spire itself. Years passed and the tower reached such a height that the manlings found it ever more difficult to take the stone up to the top. Eventually the work slowed to a crawl and finishing the tower seemed impossible. Then one came among the men of the city who offered his help in their great scheme. He asked a single boon of them in return and claimed that if they would grant him this, he would complete the tower in a single night. The manlings said to themselves. "What have we to lose?" and offered to make a bargain with the grey-clad stranger. All he wished was to add his own dedication to the gods onto the temple structure. The manlings agreed and the bargain was struck. At dusk the stranger entered the unfinished temple and bade the manlings to return at midnight. Clouds swept over the moons, cloaking the temple in darkness as the manlings left. All over the city, men watched and waited as the hours slipped past until, near midnight, by ones and twos, they gathered again in the temple square. The wind blew and the clouds parted as they gazed up at the temple. It rose like an unbroken lance against the sky, pure and white. At its very peak a great horned bell hung gleaming coldly in the moonlight. The stranger's dedication to the gods was there but of the stranger himself, there was no sign.


 * The manlings rejoiced that their fathers 'fathers' work was done. They surged forward to enter the temple. Then, at the stroke of midnight, the great bell began to toll, once.... twice.... thrice. Slow, heavy waves of sound rolled across the city. Four... five... six times the bell rang, like the torpid pulse of a bronze giant. Seven... eight... nine, the rolling of the bell grew louder with each ring, and the manlings staggered back from the temple steps clutching their ears. Ten... eleven... twelve... thirteen. At the thirteenth stroke, lightning split the skies and thunder echoes through the night. High above, the dark circle of Morrslieb was lit by a bright flash and all fell ominously silent. The manlings fled to their beds, frightened and puzzled by the portents they had seen. Next morning they arose to find that the darkness had come to their city. Brooding storm clouds reared above the rooftops and such rain fell as had never been seen before. Black, like ash, the rain fell and puddled in the streets, slicking the cobbles with darkly iridescent colours.


 * At first some of the manlings didn't worry, they waited for the rain to stop so that they might resume their work. But the rain did not stop, the winds blew stronger and lightning shook the high tower. Days stretched into weeks and still the rain did not stop. Each night the bell tolled thirteen times and each morning the darkness lay across the city. The manlings became fearful and prayed to their gods. Still the rains did not stop and the black clouds hung like a shroud over the fields of flattened corn. The Manlings went to the Dwarfs and beseeched their help. The longbeards were unconcerned -- what matter a little rain on the surface? In the bosom of the earth all was warm and dry. Now the manlings huddled in their dwelling, fear gnawing at their hearts. They sent some of their number to faraway places to seek help but none of them returned. Some went to the temple to pray and sacrifice their dwindling food to the gods but they found the temple door closed to them. The rain grew heavier. Dark hailstones fell from the sky and crushed the sodden crops. The great bell tolled a death knell over the terrified city.


 * Soon great stones cleft the heavens, rushing down like dark meteors to smash the homes of the manlings. Many sickened and died from no apparent cause, and the newborn babies of the manlings were hideously twisted. Skulking vermin devoured what little stored corn there was left and the manlings began to starve. The mangling elders went to see the Dwarfs again and this time demanded their help. They wanted to bring their folk below ground to safety, they wanted food. The longbeards grew angry, and told the manlings that the lower workings were flooded and their food had also been devoured by rats. There remained barely enough food and shelter for them and their kinsmen. They cast the manlings out of their halls and closed their doors once more.


 * In the ruins of the city above, each day become more deadly then the last. The manlings despaired and called for succor from the dark gods, whispered the names of forgotten Daemon Princes in the hope of salvation. But none came -- instead the vermin returned, bigger and bolder then ever. Their slinking, furred shapes infested the broken city, feasting on the fallen and pulling down the weak. Each midnight the bell tolled thirteen times on high, seeming now brazen and triumphant. The manlings lived as hunted creatures in their own city as great rats packs roamed the streets in search of them.


 * At last the desperate manlings took up such weapons as they had and beat upon the Dwarfs door, threatening that if they did not emerge they would drag them out by their beards. No reply came from within. The manlings took up beams and battered down the doors to reveal the tunnels below, dark and empty. Steeling themselves, the pitiful remnants of the cities once proud populace descended. In the ancient hall of kingship they found the Dwarfs, now naught but gnawed bones and scrapes of cloth. And there they saw by the dying light of their torches the myriad eyes about them, glittering like liquid midnight as the rats closed in for the kill. The manlings stood back to back and fought for their lives, but against such implacable ferocity and countless numbers of the verminous horde, their weapons were useless. The tide of monstrous rats flowed over them one by one, dragging them down to be torn apart, the yellow chisel-teeth sinking into their soft-flesh, the dark tufted mass drowning their pitiful screams with their hideous chittering.....


 *      Translated from the Tilean tale "The Doom of Kavar" also called "The Curse of Thirteen"

History
The Skaven care little for the past, and do not keep any recorded history. For a Skaven, there are only two times worth thinking about: right now, when they are not ruling the world, and very soon, when they will be. The only history the Skaven do consider worthy of thought is personal, rather than racial. One might recall such things as the glory days when he rose in power in his sect, or the despicable enemy that brought about his downfall, but rarely would think about his origins, or any great achievements of any Skaven not himself. They have no rituals or remembrances of their dead, for the Skavens are a jealous breed and would rather undermine their fellows rather then praise them for their achievements. Beyond this, they even have no concept of time or dates, nor years, generations or ages.

Therefore, the history of the Skaven remains unknown and mostly unknowable to the inhabitants of the Old World. The Skaven themselves do not care about it, and the few Humans who make an effort to collect and catalogue it find themselves facing insurmountable difficulties. The only sources available are those few Humans who witnessed the culmination of Skaven plans and somehow manage to live to tell of it. Moreover, it is clear that many Human agents, for reasons both nefarious and well-intentioned, have actively purged or altered what few records exist of the Ratmen’s actions, and persecute those who search these areas too deeply. Whatever the case, what little bits of the history that can be gathered about the Skaven are often taken from scripts and folklore from tales and legends passed down by the generations during times long ago.

The Rise and Fall of Skavenblight (-1860 to -1600 IC)
Little is known about the earliest records concerning the origins of the Children of the Horned Rat after they overran the city that was to become Skavenblight. Some speculate that they began to war amongst each for the dominance and resource of the city. Others think that they've begun to seek out deposits of Warpstone within the tunnels underneath them. Regardless, it wasn't until around 1600 years before the coming of Sigmar that the first true Skaven began to emerge out of the pits beneath the ruined city. Not only that, but the Skaven population during those earlier times have begun to rapidly grow in an alarming rate, despite the numerous starvation, infighting and disease that is rife within the city.

Pressures began to mount as food and living space became a scarce commodity for the numerous populace, forcing the Skaven leadership to find alternative ways to expand their domain. The thought of venturing unto the surface world was discarded due to the fact that the Old World was far too dangerous to travel, as it is inhabited by dangerous beasts and powerful tribes of both barbarian Human and marauding Greenskins. In a grandiose scheme, the Skaven sorcerors of the city have come up with a plan to open up tunnels beneath the surface and carve out an underground empire where they reign supreme. All their considerable quantities of Warpstone were gathered at that time to power a crude machine in hopes of amplifying the Sorcerer's formidable power in their undertaking of a grand ritual. Deep beneath Skavenblight, this great incantation began, as the diabolical device of spinning wheels, whirling gears, and makeshift power accumulators throbbed and smoked as it absorbed and magnified raw magic into the Sorceror's ritual.

The ground shook and the groans of shifting rocks almost drowned out the shrill climax of the chanting seers. High above them, within the crumbling monuments of the city, the great Bell-Tower tolled as the structure swayed and creaked like the mast of a ship at sea. Power began to accumilate in such vast quantities that it had the potential to break mountains, and shake the very world in it's foundations. Then, for the first time, but far from the last, the great machine of the Skaven's have failed them, as an unknown part of the ingenious yet imperfect device broke down in the most critical of moments. In that very moment, catastrophe struck.

With a blinding white flash of pure malevolence, a tidal wave of raw magical energy swept through the underground chambers of the city and unleashed its power upon the foundations of the world. Tunnels collapsed, buildings fell, and the land began to heave and tremble. The entire undermined plain surronding Skavenblight sank as geysers of flame erupted from the tortured ground. The damage was even more devastating as the energies swept outwards. Soon the whole of the Old World began to crumble as the titanic force erupted in all directions. The World's Edge Mountains began to buckle under the relentless assault, as the surging energy crashed against the spine of the entire mountain range. Great tidal waves rose from the ocean and washed over all in their path. Long dormant volcanoes erupted to life from the East and the lands there were forever scarred for all eternity by geysers, lava, and earthquakes. To the Dwarfs of the Everlasting Realm, their very civilization is being destroyed right in front of their very eyes. The catastrophe was an ill-prepared event, and all those that knew about that horrible time remember it solely as the "Time of Woes"

The Great Migration (-1600 to -1500 IC)
Following the great catastrophe that had befallen the Skaven race, their once mighty city was laid low as crumbling masonry littered the streets with rock and debris. But even this dreadful event had not expelled the world of the Skaven threat, for from underneath the ruins, small pockets of survivors began to claw their way out. As they emerged, all they saw was destruction, no building stood undamaged, all was in ruins, except for the great bell-tower that loomed over the great city. A seething mass of these survivors began to crowd around the great temple doors as they begged their god for guidance in this "Time of Woe", but none dared to enter, lest they incur his holy wrath. Even as the Skavens began to squabble and fight at the temple's footsteps, the great chapel door swung open and twelve figures emerged, eerily back-lit by an ominous light shining within the temple.

The twelve grey-clad ratlords spoke with one voice to the assembled multitude. The time has come for the Children of the Horned Rat to spread across the world, to multiply in the dark places, to gather strength. The great Horned Rat had whispered his plan and it was the Lords of Decay, as they named themselves, who were to lead them. With the Skaven hordes finally united under the guidance of their god, the hordes began to burrow once more into the caverns that the dead Sorcerors. Upon their entrance, they found that the Sorcerors have indeed succeeded in their ritual. Great cracks within the earth had created long passages that connects the city of Skavenblight into a massive highway of tunnels beneath the spine of the World's Edge Mountain. The surviving Skaven had heeded their gods will, and the horde began to divide into twelve armies, each lead by one of the Lords of Decay. Like a cancer eating at the world, the Skaven have spread far and wide amongst the tunnels and caverns that their Sorcerors ahve provided them. Within months, the Skaven have already began numerous raids and assaults against Dwarfen mines and settlements along the spine of the World's Edge Mountain, and from this, the glorious Under-Empire has been brought to reality.

Over the next few hundred years the Skaven have became a widespread race, with clans spreading to nearly all corners of the world. But each clan, no matter how far and wide, will always consider Skavenblight to be the one true capital of their race, with operatives and diplomats making constant contact to their home city. During this time, rumors began to spread across the Under-Way about a massive hoard of warpstone deposits located within the southern reaches of the World's Edge Mountain. The mountain in question, known as Cripple Peak, has within its roots a mother lode of the dangerous mineral embedded deep within its sundered core. With so much warpstone to be gained from this mountain, the Skaven Clans have launched multiple expeditions towards the mountain in hopes this rich mineral deposit for themselves.

However, as the Skavens began to encroach upon the tunnels beneath the mountain, reports from scouts and raiding parties have borne news that the upper reachs of the mountain is occupied by a great horde of Undead warriors, lead by the ancient Nehekharan Necromancer Nagash, and the Mountain he currently claims is the great Fortress of Nagashizzar. Initially, each Skaven clan greedily attacked Nagashizzar separately as they tried to be the first to grab the riches of the mountains for themselves. But the formidable fortress was not so easily overtaken, and in due time, the Skaven Hordes were pushed out of the mountain time and again. As this grueling war of attrition between the two factions began to stretch well into the decades, this series of invasions and military engagement was known by the Skaven as the "War of Cripple Peaks".

The War of Cripple Peak (-1300 to -1200 IC)
With so much Warpstone to be gained in this expedition, and lacking any unifying guidance to coordinate their attacks, the newly formed Council of Thirteen had to step in and take command. Under their ruthless tyranny, the Council directed the numerous Clans into a single unified force, coordinating massive assaults by using the numerous tunnel networks to infiltrate the mountain from below. So it was that not one Clan but many Hordes burst into the fortress of Nagashizzar, seeking to overrun it from below as they have done so already to many Dwarfen Holds. But the Undead hordes of Nagash were limitless, thousands upon thousands of his warriors would rise up against the assailant that would dare to defile their master's home, and those that were killed in battle, only rose up to further bolster their numbers. Savage tunnel fighting lasted for days or weeks or even months underneath the mountain. Unable to wear down such a powerful foe, the Skavens were forced into a stalemate.

In an effort to bolster the Skaven war-effort, the Council have employed the service of Clan Skyre and their Warlock-Engineers to break the deadlock, bringing with them a whole arsenal of powerful military weaponry. However, Nagash had anticipated this, and with his astounding power he exerted his will upon their machines and the crude constructs would briefly flicker and then die. Desperate to achieve a victory on the fortress, the Skaven Hordes struck the lands above, besieging the settlements of Nagash's human followers. Whole cities burned, and the Skaven looked as if they would be able to crush their foes from the surface. However, the Human followers fear Nagash far more than the Ratmen, and with this fear the Humans fought desperately against their assault. With their assault faltering, the war eventually dragged on for more then a century since. It was finally after nearly a hundred years of stalemate that the Council realized that they cannot win this war, and that this expedition is costing far to much resources to continue any further.

However, just as all hope seemed lost, an odd turn of events began to unfold that turned to the Skavens favor. The Council had received an envoy from Nagash, proposing an end to the hostilities and proposed a pact of cooperation. The pact came into terms that in exchange for the Skaven's aid, Nagash would supply the ratmen with huge quantities of warpstone mined beneath Cripple Peak. Although the Skavens' greed desired the entire warpstone deposit for themselves alone, the Skaven armies could not fight another century long stalemate, forcing the Horde and the Council to begrudgingly agreed. After claw-marking the pact, the Council of Thirteen ordered all Skaven forces to maintain a diplomatic distance while they attempted more stealthy methods to usurp the coveted resources. Most efforts failed, but reconnaissance reports of other significant sources of warpstone were being discovered around the peaks. When Nagash sent more emissaries to offer the Council more warpstone in exchange for luring Orc tribes into the Cursed Pit, the Council redoubled their spying efforts to find out what Nagash was planning.

At first their spies could learn little, save that the growing armies of the Necromancer set sail unto the Sour Sea in ships of bone. Upon their return, observers reported the ships bore only a single prisoner -- a human king of some southern realm. Then something began which the Council needed no spies to report -- a great gathering of terrible dark energy being felt over Cripple Peak. Mounting storm clouds of dark power herald a mighty spell intended to reshape the entire world to it's foundations. Nightmares stalked the surface world and portents of doom were abounded. The Grey Seers were struck by vision of the imminent future and dark omens wracked their feeble and frail minds. Fearful of the coming doom, the Council of Thirteen hurriedly gathered within the halls of Skavenblight. Using every single asset available to them, the now unified Council scurried far and wide for clues to Nagash's intention. To their horror, far to the south, they found their answer flowing like a dusty river of bone. A massive horde, probably the largest army ever known in history with literally millions upon millions of restless undead warriors going on the war march, answering the summoning call of Nagashizzar.

It was already the mightiest army the world had ever seen and more of the foul undead are already rising all across the world to join the growing legions. Before such an army, no foe in the known world shall be able to stop them, not even the numerous hordes of the Under-Empire. Terror gripped the Council, for the Skaven Lords knew that the Under-Empire will be the first to be besieged by this massive force. Their network of spies, observers, and lookouts had relayed information that all was silent in Nagashizzar, as the Great Necromancer was forced into a trance after his undertaking of the great ritual. The entire Council realized that Nagash must be destroyed, or else the Necromancer will reign forever as the Lord of the Dead. But none in the Council knew how to undermine a powerful entity as Nagash, and the Council argued on what their course of action will be. No Skaven in the entire Under-Empire had the courage or skill to face such a foe, and so the Council need to look for another more willing champion.

The salvation of the Council, and indeed the entire known world, laid deep within the dungeons of Nagashizzar itself. The human king, the ruler of a long-gone kingdom laid broken, but his will is still strong, and dire vengeance burning within this searing heart. The Council acted quickly, known that the Human needed a weapon so mighty that it will ensure the death of even the Lord of the Dead. It mattered not if the king shall die, for he knew that his own life is fading, and he will ensure that the world will not suffer the same fate as his people had. All of the Council members agreed, and so they began the creation of the dreaded weapon. With utmost urgency, the Council forged a blade made of the purest warpstone ever gathered from Cripple Peak. The Grey Seers all wove mighty spells and curses of doom upon the molten metal, whist the Warlock-Engineers of Clan Skyre inscribed dire-runes so deadly that to read them would mean death to the beholder. The final attachment to this mighty weapon was a device embedded within the hilt of the sword which allows the Council to watch and channel their powers into the Human king.

Before the blade cooled, it was sheathed within a large lead casket and was rushed towards Cripple Peak to stop Nagash before it is too late. Using secret tunnels to gain access to Nagashizzar, a lone hooded Skaven crept within the dungeon. Silently, he freed the king and opened the lead casket before fleeing into the darkness. The King grasped the sword, and with unholy power, the Council guided the King towards the throne room. As the King entered the room, he saw Nagash sitting alone in his throne and at his most weakest. With the dust-clouds of the Undead Horde coming nearer by the hour, the Human King knew that he needed to end all this now. With faltering steps, the King approached, hesitating before the towering figure of Nagash. Aided by the Council's mental urging, the King finally struck. At the last moment, the Necromancer raised a claw to ward off the blow. The Fell-Blade was far to powerful to ward and clove through Nagash spell, cleanly cutting the Necromancer's upraised wrist. In retaliation, the Great Necromancer snapped out of his stupor to unleash a deadly blast at the King.

The Council reeled as they channeled more and more energy to protect their pawn from harm. Two ancient Ratlords lay smouldering as they died deflecting such a titanic blow. It was an epic struggle to behold as a King of the Living and the Lord of the Dead fought for dominance of the mortal world. With his last bit of strength, the King once more drove on and struck once more upon the Necromancer's decaying body. The king went mad with vengeance, hacking at Nagash with ever bit of strength he still possess until at last his sword's deadly enchantments took hold. Soon the Fellblade finally penetrated through the iron-hard magically enhanced bones of the Necromancer, until finally it laid shattered in a thousand pieces. With his final death, the world had been saved from a grim and silent end.

The Council saw their champion stagger away as the King looked across his once beautiful land. His land and his people were no more, and the King wept at the sight, despair washing over the fire within his heart. The King walked aimlessly back to the kingdom he once rule, with the Fellblade taking more and more of his life and soul away until he finally fell upon the River Mortis. There, the King died, and the legendary hero's body was never seen again.

The Skaven quickly overran the fortress following Nagash's defeat, where the entire Council personally oversaw the complete destruction of Nagash's remains as the Skaven cast his bones onto a smouldering Warpforge, destroying him utterly. Unbeknownst to the rest of the world, the threat to all life was averted and the most powerful necromancer the world had ever seen was slain by the treachery of the Skaven.

The Council of Thirteen, in upheaval after the loss of its Seerlord, ordered Skaven Clan Rikek to proceed with mining operations on Cripple Peak while the Council oversaw their works. The Clan leader, Warlord Graskk, became an aspiring member of the Council of Thirteen, and quickly established himself a permanent seat within the Council Chamber. The Clan crushed what was left of Nagash's Empire, including the enslavement of the humans under his former reign. Using both Skaven and Human slaves, the clan excavated never-before-seen amounts of Warpstone out of Cripple Peak and transported the minerals back to Skavenblight. With this much wealth, Clan Rikek naturally grew in power and promptly renamed Cripple Peak as "Fortress Rikek".

The War of Eight Peaks (-701 to -300 IC)
Out of all the nations that had faced the wrath of the Skaven race, none have felt such defeats and misery at the hands of these vermin like the Dwarfs of Karaz Ankor. Long before the fall of Nagash during the War of Cripple Peak, the Skaven have already made numerous successful invasions against the Dwarfs and their kingdom. This unprecedented success stems entirely on their unearthing of the long forgotten Underway; a massive network of underground highways that previously connected all the Dwarfs holds of the Worlds Edge Mountains together. With these highways, the Skaven were able to gain the element of surprise and attack the Dwarfs from below.

In time, the Dwarfs began to loose ground as they became caught between the Greenskin armies on the surface and the Skaven armies from the tunnels below. The territories that were captured by the Skaven were soon converted to ramshackle settlements or fortified strongholds. With the Skaven armies now dug-in, the Dwarfs found it difficult to dislodge them. As a result, the Dwarfs became helpless as nearly every single major stronghold has beneath its foundations one or more Skaven settlements with a variety of different Clans having claim upon it. This ensured that the mines will never be safe from any form of attacks, as these well-made tunnels proved valuable for any Skaven army wishing to make a frontal assault against the upper levels. After the unprecedented earthquakes and volcanic eruption during the Time of Woe, the Skaven began their fresh assault on the now weakened Dwarfen Kingdoms. Caught between two armies, the Dwarfs were forced out from several major holds.

Although forced to relinquish many settlements and minor strongholds, no Dwarf in their right mind would ever imagine losing magnificent stronghold of Karak Eight Peaks, the second most powerful stronghold in all of Karaz Ankor to the clutches of the verminous hordes. By the time the Skaven Clans have sent an expedition to mine out assess points into the stronghold, scouts and raiding parties have encountered fierce resistance as the Dwarfs began to mobilize their entire military for the upcoming assault. Soon, invasions that were sent underground have found the tunnels littered with deathtraps and highly armored Dwarf regiments. With typical Dwarfen precision, the Dwarfs employed the use of Ironbreaker regiments to guard and patrol key narroww assess points, where the Skaven numbers prove indecisive.

Those invasion force that have managed to break through the Ironbreakers were soon faced with a firing-line of Dwarfen marksmen and artillery batteries as they entered the heavily-fortified upper-levels. A vast amount of Skaven blood was spent for every inch of ground they took from the Dwarfs, but for every level they control, yet around each new bend could be found another well-protected stronghold.

Unable to overcome such formidable defenses, the Skaven Clans sought the guidance of the Council of Thirteen to aid in their efforts. The planning took nearly ten-generations before completion, but it guaranteed success and full control of the Dwarfen kingdom. The first step in the plan was to convince the local Orc tribes to stop fighting each other long enough for them to assault the Dwarfs on the surface. The second step would involve slowly poisoning the Dwarfen sewer and wells with enormous fragments of unrefined Warpstone. Though the toxins took time to build up, by the course of the following months, what remains of the Dwarf populace were growing weakened and sick, their stout bodies straining to fight against the corrupted waters they've drunk. In this time of weakness, the next plan would involve unleashing hordes of Giant Rats from the cages of Clan Moulder to launch sudden surprise attacks against critical Dwarf positions that greatly disrupt their war-effort. But it would be the weaponry of Clan Skyre that made the most decisive difference within the war.

The powerful but portable Warpfire Thrower was capable of melting and punching through the Gromril-reinforced gates of the hold, and as a result had no problem blasting the Dwarfen shieldwalls that form in front of such barriers. The Dwarfs began to gave ground, but still they were determine to hold out and kill as many of the vermins as they possible can. It was during the fighting that the Warlock-Engineers of Clan Skyre began to first deploy their newest and most deadliest creations. Called the Poisoned Wind Globe, this orb of glass has the capability to unleash a deadly gas attack that proved highly lethal to all that breath it. Neither armour nor stout determination could combat the fumes, and soon many Dwarfs, both mighty warriors and unrivaled artisans alike, died agonizing death in the pitch blackness beneath the world. After well over a century and a half of bitter, constant warfare, the last few hundred surviving Dwarfs were forced to fled the sacred city. With their exodus, the glorious kingdom of Karak Eight Peaks had finally be taken by the vermin hordes.

The fall of one of their largest and most prized kingdoms served notice that the Skaven were unlike any threat the Dwarfen Kingdoms have ever faced. The Dwarfs knew their enemy well. While Greenskin Waaagh! or Chaos invasions were cataclysmic outcomes, there were just one event, and those that survive the ensuring slaughter, always rebuilt and live life another day. But the Dwarfs knew the Skaven are not like those enemies, for they are numberless, no respite, nor relenting. Since losing Karak Eight Peak, there had been attacks under every major dwarfhold. Once deemed unassailable, even Karaz-a-Karak, the everlasting capital stronghold of strongholds, has since been penetrated. Its lowest levels are now sealed with powerful runes and under constant guard, for the Dwarfs know what awaits within the depths below.

With each new invasion or bitterly contested counter-attacks, underground warfare had since continue to change and evolve. The Dwarfs, steadily pushed back from their narrow hallways began defending the grand halls and caverns. Here vast armies formed, daring the Skaven to amass their forces and assault them headlong. The Dwarfen shield-walls stretched unbroken for miles. The Skaven took the bait and only after suffering repeated massacres did the ratmen adopt newer tactics. Taking examples of those tunnel fighting around Karak Eight Peaks, the Skaven began amassing large amounts of siege engines and war-machines to be used in the larger halls and caverns of the Dwarf holds. This has also led to the development of digger machines used to dig through the thick rock walls and unleash surprise attacks upon the upper levels. In time, the employment of Clan Skyre troops became more common as their weaponry proved highly decisive in breaking through powerful Dwarfen positions. Just like water roaring through stone, the Kingdom of the Dwarfs begins its mutual decline and erosion as the constant wars and invasion have taken its toll on their people. Karak Izil was plundered and its ruined halls left to the Greenskin hordes. The mines of Grim-Duraz in the Grey Mountain were taken by Clan Morbidus, while Mount Gunbad and Mount Silverspear had fallen to both Greenskin and Skaven armies alike. Invaded by both above and below, the great Everlasting Realm of the Dwarfs begun to buckle under the relentless assault.

The First Skaven Civil War (17 to 600 IC)
For many years the Under-Empire have been united in one way or form, for none could defy the ruling of the Council of Thirteen and the numberless hordes of ratmen under their control. However, by the year of 17 IC, rumors began to rise in the west as a growing power began to present itself upon the Under-Empire once more. Ages ago, during the Great Migration, this power were just one of many clans migrating out of Skavenblight and making their own domain within the wider world. They had passed beyond the knowledge of the Council, all that was remembered was that they swore they would one day return. The name of the clan had long since been forgotten, the only thing that was certain was that they ventured into the hot dry deserts of Araby and there they found it. From below the lands of Araby, the Clan found a massive inter-continental tunnel that stretched beneath the Great Ocean and made its way towards the damp jungle-continent of Lustria.

From below, the Clan arose from under a great Temple-City deep within the central jungles. There, they claimed the city for the glory of the Horned Rat, and fought off and killed the Lizardmen armies that tried to reclaim their city. But it was not these mighty reptilians that proved the downfall of their clan, but one enemy that no sword nor spear can ever destroy. The dire swamps and jungles of Lustria began to takes its toll on the verminous horde, as diseases of many kind began to sicken and kill the Clan from the inside. With only a few hundred of their brethrens left, the vermins begged their lord and savior, the Horned Rat to deliver them from this nightmare. With their fur soaked in sweat and blood, with boils all around their bodies, their fevered brains were wracked by visions called down upon them.

It was then that the Skaven knew now what they had to do. If they dedicated themselves to the Horned Rat, they will be spared. If they scoured the lust jungles of the south for victims to be sacrificed, the Horned Ones hunger will be appeased. If they grew to worship the very diseases that is killing them, they will finally be borne anew. And so from the darkest desperation, the disease ratmen of Clan Pestilen was born upon this world and the beginning of the Rise of Sotek.

Following their rebirth, Clan Pestilen grew strong, plundering the ancient archives of the ruined cities of Lustria of arcane secrets long hidden within sealed vaults. They brought back sacrifice after sacrifice for their vile god, bringing to him the blood and body of their reptilian enemies. The clan looked further and further to dedicate themselves more to the essence of corruption itself, for their devotion to their god was unquestioned. However, with the Skaven threat becoming far to large to simply ignore, the other Temple-Cities were forced to mobilize their forces to end the Clan once and for all. After a great many battles, the Skaven armies were pushed back all the way to the ruined city of Quetza, where there, they were encircled by the full-fledge armies of all the Temple-Cities, gathered to finally rid the world of the Pestilent Threat once and for all. Encircled and isolated, the Plaguelords of Clan Pestilen was forced to flee the continent.

The pestilent host spent a decade fighting their way towards the shoreline, and it was from there that they create a fleet of rotting ships to bore them towards the jungles of the Southland. There the clan was established, strongholds were built, fortress lairs were raised, and the Clan prepared for their confrontation with their brethrens of the north. When the emissaries of their Clans reached the doorsteps of the Council Chamber within Skavenblight, they demanded that they reclaim their rightful place within the Under-Empire and proclaim Lord Nurglich as a member of the Council of Thirteen, as was promised to them from the Horned Rat himself.

Enraged at this transgression, the Council killed the emissaries and threw their rotting corpses within the outskirts of the grand city to be made as an example to those that would try to defy their dominance. In retaliation, Clan Pestilen moved forward with their long-planned offensive. With the use of biological weaponry, the Clan devastated whole Strongholds of Skaven all around the Southlands. One major clan, Clan Merkit still fought on against the newcomers, but Clan Pestilen planned a faster solution and unleashed foul cauldrons filled with warpstone and putrescence upon the network of caverns within Merkit's Stronghold, killing the entire Clan within a matter of horus. It was said that only Lord Merkit and his personal retinue of honor guard were the only survivors of the massacre.

With the loss of Clan Merkit, the Council responded by amassing several armies of Clanrats, supported by the Warlock-Engineers of Clan Skyre in their push against Clan Pestilen. Their response was late, however, for by the time the armies have engaged Clan Pestilen, the remaining Southland Clans have changed their allegiance to the new growing power. With their armies bolstered by fresh recruits, Clan Pestilen had the sufficient numbers to engage the Under-Empire head-on. As the years passed, the war was escalating uncontrollably into a full fledged Skaven Civil War, with whole armies of their kind slaughtering each other for the cause of the ambitious few. The war grew so fierce that it also began to take its toll on the Under-Empire, both financially, militarily, and politically. So unstable and incompetent was the Council at dispatching Clan Pestilen that several other Skaven Clans revolted against their tyrannical reign, either joining Clan Pestilen's cause, or made war for their own personal gains.

The Civil War dragged on for the better part of four centuries as the civil strife killed untold thousands, if not millions of Skaven lives, but neither side could get the other one to yield, with the northern hemisphere still dominated by the Council of Thirteen, while the Plague Lords controlled the South. Many Clans stood apart during the conflict, joining sides with whoever had the upper hand, while others joined those with the highest bitter. The Civil War eventually grounded to a stalemate as neither side could gain a lasting victory over their rivals. For many years afterwards, the Council tried and failed time and again at dispatching the treacherous Clan from power, but none could find a particularly good solution at countering Clan Pestilen's use of biological warfare. It was perhaps by the blessings of the Horned Rat that their salvation came not from the South or West, but from the East. Just like Clan Pestilen before them, a growing power have also taken the ancient Migration of their ancestors, and made their way towards the East, and it was there that they did not learned disease and plagues, but one of a more silent and lethal nature. The deadlock was broken by the reappearance of another long-lost clan, for the assassin-adepts of Clan Eshin have finally returned to the great Under-Empire.

The black-clad assassins of Clan Eshin pledge their allegiance wholly to the Council of Thirteen, bringing with them offerings and gifts containing the heads of Warlords, Chieftains and Plague Lords that dared to overthrow their holy dominance. The Council wasted no time in using the Clan's skillful assassins to good use, killing off Warlords and powerful Leaders to further disrupt their enemies war-effort. Soon support for the Clan began to erode, and slowly but surely, it soon became clear that Clan Pestilen was losing this war. Realizing that their position is becoming unattainable, the Plague Lords requested a parlay with the Council and a cease to the fighting. The Council reluctantly agreed, and Lord Nurglich made his way towards the capital city of Skavenblight. After surviving several assassination attempts on his way to the city, Nurglich abased himself before the Great Temple of the Horned Rat and unreservedly placed the resources of his clan at the disposal of the Council of Thirteen.

However, many within the Council wanted him dead for the devastating Civil War that he had brought upon the Under-Empire and called for his execution. Nurglich anticipated this, and to further his point, he revealed to the whole Council a single small vial. With fanatical eyes, he told them that he was carrying a vial of Yellow Skull Fever, one of Clan Pestilen's most virulent diseases and any further attempts at his life would leave him no other choice but to release the contagion there and now upon the very heart of Skavendom itself.

Swallowing their pride, the Council greeted their long lost brethren back with open arms, and Arch-Plague Lord Nurglich earned the right to a trail by combat against one of the Council of Thirteen. Though it was a near thing, the Plague Lord used a poisonous bite to defeat his opponent, Lord Vask, the most vulnerable member within the Council Chamber in single combat. With that deed, Clan Pestilen has cemented their place within the Under-Empire.

The Great Skaven Wars (600 to 1111 IC)
With the great war over, and two of the Great Clans finally coming back to the fold, the Council once more took back control of the Under-Empire. Over several centuries, the Under-Empire recovered, and once more, the armies of Skavendom grew large. With Clan Pestilen's mighty plagues, and the deadly assassins of Clan Eshin within their disposal, the Council felt it time to finally enact an invasion of the surface. It was during the winter of 1111 IC that the Council finally put their plans into motion. Using both Clan Pestilen's most lethal diseases, and the adepts of Clan Eshin, a small task force of Skaven assassins infiltrated many Imperial cities and unleashed a wave of bio-engineered diseases.

The plagues were dispatched within Imperial cities almost simultaneously, in order for the Plagues to spread quickly almost noticed without enough time for the Imperial government to order an immediate quarantine. Such cities that were infected included the provincial capitals of Nuln, Altdorf and Talabahiem, where the cities immense trade-routes and highways helped to spread the plagues to neighboring villages and towns that were not targeted by the Skaven. Those towns that caught news of the plagues began to close their gates to everybody, people and refugees alike. The only major city that escaped the worse of the plagues was the Imperial city of Middenhiem, where the local leaders wisely began their own quarantine efforts, closing viaducts and trade routes from the outside world.

Whole villages were lost, and the numbers of the dead began to outnumber those of the living as the Empire dies its slow death. So much misery and death were brought upon the populace that many began to lose hope, and bands of flagellants were a common sight roaming around the few towns and villages that were still left in the Empire. It was finally at the start of Spring did the plagues began to subside a bit. Many once more began to regain a bit of hope, and felt that the worse was over, but they didn't know the true nightmare that will come to destroy them all, as the great Skaven Wars will soon bring the Empire to its knees.

As if this was the sign to attack, thousands upon thousands of the verminous host began to emerge all around the extremely weakened Empire. In a matter of time, the whole country-side fell into the hands of the Under-Empire, as the Imperial armies of the Empire were far too few and weakened to make an effective resistance. Whole armies were outnumbered and destroyed, with the corpses of the slain being eaten up and the crop and livestock plundered by the Skaven armies. Even fortified towns with stout walls were being assailed at by the hordes, as even these formidable defences were destroyed with relative ease by the Skaven's War-Machine. The Imperials were helpless against this sudden onslaught, and only the bastion cities of Nuln, Averhiem and Altdorf managed to hold on against this coming assault, while the north is beginning to buckle under the still rampant plagues.

By 1115, the incompetent Emperor Boris Goldfather was killed by assassins sent by Clan Eshin operatives. Having done nothing during the Black Plague, the hated Emperor simply hid himself within his manor and had party after party while his people suffered during this dire time. His death was little remembered and little loved. Along with his death, the armies of the Under-Empire continue their tyrannical grip around the outskirts of the city, with starvation beginning to take its toll upon the cities defenders. Soon these cities are becoming the only bastion of human resistance all around the land, and if they fall, then the Empire is finished.

Several years later, slaving operations were being implemented as the horde systematically rounded up those humans still surviving outside the cities walls. Those captured were being hauled within long columns of carriages to be brought to the slave-pits of the former towns of Ubersriek and Pfeildorf in the province of Wissenland. Those lucky enough would worked above ground, where they will plant and grow the food necessary to keep the Skaven war-effort going, while those less fortunate would work at the mines doomed never to see the light of day ever again. As slaves and plunder were stripped from the Empires lands, the status of Clan Pestilen grew exponentially. Even the other Lords of Decay (try as they might) could not deny the potency of the dreaded Black Plague. Taking advantage of the situation, and the momentous amount of influence and wealth the clan has gathered, the Plague Lords overthrew and supplanted two of the other Council members, giving them 3 seats within the Council Chambers.

In 1118, the flames of hope began to flicker within the hearts of the Empires populace once more. News are coming in from the north of a crusader army being assembled within the confines of the city of Middenhiem. After having relieved a siege intended to bring the city down, Elector Count Mandred began to gather whats left of his forces and reunite with the other Elector Counts as they try to push the Skaven out of their homeland. Unbeknownst to Mandred, the Skaven armies were starting to die off like flies as the very Plagues they sought to use was turned against them. Soon whole armies of the vermin were dying out, unable to find a cure for the hellish disease their lords had presented upon the world.

With the Skaven armies in disarray, and lacking the overwhelming numbers to beat their foe, Mandred took the initiative and rallied the surviving Elector Counts to his Anti-Skaven crusade. Unable to stand against the vengeful Imperial armies, the Skaven were pushed back time and again, as the plague continued its course around their ranks. In their last-ditch efforts to win the war, the Skaven's counter-attacked the Imperial army in the battle known as the Battle of the Howling Hills. The battle was a near thing, but the timely intervention of Mandred cutting off the head of Great Warlord Vermik of Clan Mors shattered what little vestige of courage the vermin horde had left and soon the armies were massacred. Within the following years, the final Skaven army was defeated at a battle near Averhiem, marking the end of the war. All Skaven hope of victory was lost that day, and the great Skaven Wars was brought to a close.

After their defeat, the Under-Empire was ravaged by disease and war, and could not continue their war-effort against the Empire. Along with this, the Skaven took so many prisoners and slaves back to the Under-Empire that the Council feared a massive slave-revolt. The Council then decided to take their time to recover and take on the Empire at another time, but sadly it would not be so. Over the next 25 years, the man-things recovered more rapidly than the Lords of Decay thought possible. Under Emperor Mandred Skavenslayers stern rule, towns were rebuilt, land were settled, and the Imperial armies grew large once more. Even worse, Mandred ordered a constant guard against anymore ratman interventions amongst the Imperial cities of the Empire and was the founder of an organization known as the Sewer Watch, meant to halt anymore Skaven incursions into the sewer networks. Not only that, but the long feared Slave Revolt also occurred, with further outbreaks of the Black Plague consuming entire clans.

Due to their nature, the Council members began to point blame on each other rather then take responsibility. This division eventually split the Council between the three Plaguelords and the other Council members as each side spit piles of accusation and blame on the other side for the loss of the war. Not only that, but those diseased ridden clans demand compensation for the plague that ravaged much of their strongholds. The instability eventually forced the Council to halt any further operations within the Empire, except for one last act of vengeance. In their pride, the Council sent a single Skaven assassin within the bedroom of Emperor Mandred and slew him in his sleep. The Emperor's passing was heartly mourned by his people.

The Invasion of Bretonnia (1786 to 1812 IC)
After the disastrous defeat at the hands of the Imperials, the Council had to develop a different method of approach with the other human nations of the Old World. In their desire to follow up the unbelievable success of the Black Plague, the Council tried to use a more subtle method on taking on their next victims. Using Clan Eshin operatives, the Skaven were the instigators for several war that had erupted during this century, including the Invasion of Jaffar and the Crusades and the Wars of Errantry. Though successful in their plot, the wars didn't give the Skaves any lasting victories that would turn the fortune of the Under-Empire like before. It was where Clan Eshin failed, Clan Pestilen once more persuaded the Council members to unleash another plague upon the nation of Bretonnia.

Using the same method used against the Empire, the Skaven unleashed the Red Pox upon the sewer networks of the city of Bordeleaux. The scourge was once more successful, and nearly 1/3 of the populace was infected in killed, but the Baron Giscard Du'ponte acted quickly and ordered the Poor Quarter of the city to be sent to the torch, killing both innocent people and the vast majority of the infected populace. This act, for its deplorable lack of humanity, halted the contagion to further spread. However, just a quarter of a century later, the full assault was launched by the Skaven and nearly all of Bretonnia and northern Tilea blossomed with a virulent outbreak of the Red Pox. As the nightmare that unfolded within the Empire once more repeat itself, whole country-side was lost, with the cities of Brionne and Quenelles soon fighting for their lives against the verminous hordes of the Skaven Empire. It seemed that this time, the Under-Empire shall triumph, but fate has an ill-will towards the ratmen, and once more their glorious victory was taken away from them. A combined army lead by the Duc de Parravon and the Wood Elves of Athel Loren arrived just in time to stop the Skaven. With their combined might the managed to break the siege of both cities and upon the Battle of Remarche, the Skaven armies were miraculously broken and finally massacred by the timely charge of the Bretonnian Knights. The strings of fate has once more intervened and so another attempt to subjugate the man-things under the iron-claw of the rule of the Skaven race has ended in shame and paw-pointing.

The Second Skaven Civil War (1850 to 2302 IC)
Outraged by these two momentous defeats, the Council members once more blamed Clan Pestilen for the disastrous loss of both money and prestige, and demanded that the Plaguelords be cast out of the Council of Thirteen for their incompetence. After months of tense political manoeuvring, blackmail, threats, bribery, and assassinations, a vote of this matter was ordered by the other Council members. Rather then be cast out like the vermin they were, the Plaguelords preferred to fight to maintain their luxurious position and plotted to instigated a revolt against the the entire Council. On the day of the vote, the Plaguelords rose up from their seats and accused the other Council members as heretics, unbelievers of the true intentions of the Horned Rat. With that one horrific outburst Clan Pestilen renewed the titanic conflict between Clan Pestilen and the Council of Thirteen creating the Second Skaven Civil War. Several Warlord clans rose up with them, and fighting eventually ensued between the Albino Stormvermin guards of the Temple of the Horned Rat, and the Plague Monks of Clan Pestilen. Anarchy ruled the streets of Skavenblight as different factions vied for control of the city.

Clan Skyre, having long foreseen such an uprising from the heretical monks, began their own offensive against Clan Pestilen. Using their powerful war-machines and advanced weaponry the Warlock-Engineers began raising fortifications and defences all around the grand Temple. Ikit Claw, one of the Under-Empires' most promising Warlock-Engineers,took command of the forces stationed within the ruins of Skavenblight, and was promoted by his superiors to the rank of Chief Warlock, ostensibly to restore order within the city. Within weeks, Clan Skyre made precautions to stop any Clan Pestilen troops from making their way into the temple. Clan Skyre stationed their highly trained Jezzail sniper teams up on the sacred Bell Tower to provide covering fire, while Warlock-Engineers stationed diabolical war-machines of all kinds at every entrance leading into the temple. Unable to over-come such defences, the Clan Pestilen armies were repulsed from every one of their assaults, giving Lord Morskittar, Lord Warlock Engineer, the status and prestige he needed to officially declare himself ruler of all Skavenblight. With his new supposed rulership Lord Morskittar planed to re-establish the Council beneath his tyrannical rule. However, even his ingenious mind could not stop the infighting from spreading all over the Under-Empire as dozens of factions began to rise to prominence to take advantage of this anarchy.

And so it went for 400 years once more. Dozens of factions rose and fell during the course of this age, with the war being marked by a constant shifting of allegiance and loyalty, a war that only further amused their selfish and vile god. The most powerful factions during the Civil War were the three Great Skaven Clans, along with several allied clans that supported their cause. Clan Moulder, Clan Skyre and Clan Pestilen all headed their own great factions within the Under-Empire, while Clan Eshin remained neutral during the conflict in order for them to profit from the constant infighting by hiring out their deadly expertise to the highest bidder.

It was during the War that Clan Skyre reestablished their main stronghold within the confines of Skavenblight. With time Clan Skyre assembled a mighty force of infernal devices and engines of destruction on a scale never before seen in the known world. It was with this gathering of newly developed apparatus that Chief Warlock Ikit Claw detected a strange rising of dark magical energies emanating from the far north. Dark omens abounded throughout the world, as Morrslieb -- the Chaos Moon -- hung low towards the earth, and showers of warpstone meteorites rained from the skies. Dark energies swept once more from the north, as the largest Chaos army ever assembled at that age and time gathered for the great slaughter that would engulf the lands of the Empire. Know to only a few within the Under-Empire, a great event was coming, and only Lord Morskittar was well prepared for the great ritual that the Grey Seers were plotting to unleash.

The Grey Seers visited every Skaven stronghold up and down the Under-way, and gave a single ultimatum -- be at the annual feast of Vermintide or suffer the wrath of the Great Horned Rat. The Grey Seers knew that this pitiful war must end, otherwise the dreams of World Domination that the Horned Rat has both gifted and demanded from his children will never been fulfilled. And so, the Grey Seers shall invoke a spell that shall bring the Under-Empire to its knees in servitude towards the one true rulers of Skavendom. Soon, entire clans made their way towards the great ceremony, while others, fearful of a trap, sent representatives of their clan to the gathering, but none dared to stay away altogether, for fear of their ill-mercy god's wrath. For only the second time in their entire history, a member of each clan gathered at the footsteps of the Temple of the Great Horned Rat, to bear witness the great ritual that was being summoned. An atmosphere of fearful expectation could be smelt upon the assembled masses as the temple doors swung open and the full order of 169 Grey Seers filed out. Seerlord Kristislik was the last of the Thirteen Thirteens to step out, and with him carried a skin-bound book, from which he set upon an iron altar.

As he spoke, leading the incantation, the very air seemed to twist and a distant ominous crackling could be heard as the grand ritual began to take shape. They Grey Seers picked up the chant and amplified their lords voice. The intensity rose as they began the sacrifices. One by one, 169 slaves died in increasing agony, with the last one dying to the torments of the Seerlord himself. Their squeals of fear and pain reached out to the very bowels of creation where the Horned Rat gnawed at the roots of reason. The Great Bell tolled as the brooding skies began to darken and chains of lighting lashed out to illuminate the dreadful scene. Again and again rang the unholy bell, so impossibly loud that it drowned out the sounds of chanting and thunder alike. At the thirteenth toll the bell stopped, and an eerie silence filled the whole city.

In the sudden silence, the great Seerlord opened his jaw and screeched, as a massive cloud of vapor rose up and engulfed the very sky in its darkness. A titanic claw reached out from the void and ripped apart the very curtains of reality, and there he sat. With skin blacker than black, and two blood-red eyes as wide as castle gates, the Great Horned One stared out into the teeming masses of his own children. All in that city knew who they were staring at, and all knew that they are nothing but servants to their one and true ruler.

As one, the Skaven hordes fell prostrated, pressing their muzzles hard unto the cool stone, with some dropping dead from the dreaded sight. It was then that the titanic hand once more ripped through reality and reached out and scooped up a score of squealing Skaven. As his hand retreated, a score of massive yellow-fanged teeth flashed in the dark gloom as the Great Horned Rat consumed them whole. After his feast, the Horned One gazed out over his quailing children and reached out again and again. It was only after his final feasting that he withdrew his paw, and revealed to his children a gift. There standing at the very centre of the hordes laid a glowing pillar of the purest warpstone, with 13 sides, each marked by 13 blocks of glowing runes. These runes contained the unholy verminous commandments of ruination and the dictates of ruler ship, along with prophecies of the Great Ascendancy.

Then their lord and god, whispered to the assembled horde with a voice of a million scratching and gnawing rats. His dreaded voice spoke, and told them that their pitiful wars amused him greatly, but these quailing must cease. He demanded that the Skaven must spread his corruption in order for the Skaven race to inherit the world and assure his full return. He demanded the reformation of the Council of Thirteen and swore that all must obey their commands or feel his eternal wrath. Only his favoured could touch the sacred pillar, and thusly only the chosen ones could join the great Council. With his final commandments, the Horned One retreated back to the netherworld, with the crack within the fabric of reality narrowing and sealing behind him. Until finally, all was silence, their god was gone, and the horde stood silent and fearful.

The musk of fear hung heavy over the survivors as they blinked at the black pillar and reassured themselves that the Great Horned One had really been there and was really gone. Fear still gripped the teeming masses as they stared at the unholy sight, but to each of the Lords of Skavenblight, they knew that they must touch the pillar, in order for their ascendency towards the Council be assured. Lord Rakin was the first to touch the pillar. He burned with black fire until his corpse collapse and only ashes remained. Over the long night, each Skaven Lord and Chieftain strode to the unholy pillar and places their paw upon the warp-encrusted stone. Many did not survive, as a multitude of the Ratlords burned with unholy fire, as the Horned One denied them his chosen. Only twelve lived, with each Lords of Decay being imbued with an aura of dark magical energy, truly the blessing bestowed by the Horned Rat himself. From that day forward, the Council have remained unchanged. Many Skaven have touched the pillar and died. Some have survived, but none have the skill and courage to defeat the first Chosen of the Horned Rat. And so it began that the Skaven were once more united under the ruler ship of the Thirteen.

The Unification of the Under-Empire (2320 IC)
Following the great Summoning of Vermintide, the Skaven race was once more united under the tyrannical rulership of the Council of Thirteen, with the clans becoming more obedient and willing to obey their overlords wishes. Fearing that the Horned Rat might once more return to bring down punishments for their sins, open warfare between clans have disappeared almost completely, and more and more of the Clans began to bow themselves to the Council, eager to gain their favour, and indeed the favour of the Horned Rat.

Ever since the Civil War started several hundred years ago, the Skaven population was kept in check, as the constant warfare, plagues, and back-stabbing have eliminated a vast majority of their population numbers. With their population on the rise once more, and looking to stop the clans from endlessly enslaving each other, the Council directed their energy to further support their cause. Coordinated by the Grey Seers -- the Councils chief messenger and representative -- the Skaven clans began to attack and enslave several towns and villages at the outskirts of the Blighted Marsh. Whole communities were enslaved and taken from their homes, leaving entire villages empty, while others were sunken within massive sinkholes that collapse the foundations from below. Grey Seers continue to rush outwards from Skavenblight, scurrying in all directions and giving out orders and edicts towards the other numerous clans within the Under-Empire. These horned mage-rats personally handed their edicts to the Chieftains and Pawleaders of the clan, and sometimes, these Grey Seers would take personal command of the operations.

With this strict line of communication and orders from the Council, many clans began to coordinate themselves into fighting the other races of the Old World. The Warlord Clans of Foul Peak and Fester Spike all but ceased their feuding over territories in order to combined their forces to overpower the many tribes of Night Goblins that have taken shelter within the caves and caverns of the Vaults. Clan Pestilens, supported by Clan Septik, led the attacks out of Putrid Swamp, and raided the southern country-side of Wissenland of both plunder and slaves. Their raids and slaving operations were proven successful, until the time came when retaliatory armies from the city of Nuln responded to the treat and sent their troops against the clans. The pestilent host was pushed back, and fled underground, unable to fight against the massive army.

What the Council ordered their subordinates to do was simple -- scavenge along the edges of the human nation, but that was all. The Council knew they couldn't win an all-out war against the human nations of the Old World, and simply waited for a more opportune moment. From the Black Chasm and other lesser strongholds, many attacks were leveled at small towns on both the Empire and the Bretonnian side of the Grey Mountains, probing for weakness, and instigating further war between the alliance of these two nations.

Biology
"All decent folk find the common rat repulsive. Harbinger of disease, it scavenges on our waste-heaps and frightens our children. How immeasurably worse then is the foul Skaven - standing on its hindlegs in foul parody of a human. Rats as tall as man, and blessed with the most vile intellect and cunning. They are the dark side of our souls, come to destroy us for our sins."

- Albrecht of Nuln. Burned at the Stakes 1301 IC



The Skaven in terms of physical resemblance looks almost exactly like large bipedal rats and that possess just enough sufficient intelligence to make simple tools, converse in a developed language and those more gifted are able to learn complex mathematics and rudimentary engineering. The longest age a Skaven would naturally live is an expected lifespan of about 20 years or less, asserting that, were it not for the (often violent) internal competition of their species, they might live well past their 50's. More powerful members of Skaven society tend to live far 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 it's body length. The large majority of Skaven are normally malnourished, having scrawning arms and legs, and lackly greatly in terms of strenght or weight. Though physcially weaker then most races, Skavens are naturally faster, more agile, and a natural digger. As such, a Skaven can never truely go heads up with a human, and due to their cowardly nature, they will most likely run then engange 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 colored 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 then 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
"They look a lot bigger than you when you’re up close and they’ve got their claws out, especially the big fat ones. But so do Elves and Humans. I tell you, Skaven go down a lot easier. All that fur is a ruse—underneath they’re as lean as a Goblin, and just as easily smashed with a good axe-blow."

- Behram, Dwarf Skaven-Hunter

A Skaven physical appearance is roughly man-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 cramp conditions of their natural habitats. Skaven fur is often fine and thick, making it excellent in 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 often common amongst aquatic rodents, can mostly contribute to the Skaven being also competent swimmers. This similar oil is also used in excreting a pheromone that a typical Skaven can use to decide the emotion or motives of a particular individual. Certain pheromone smell 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 then a normal human, and whose surface is often littered with a variety of scars, the most common are marks made fron 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 often live in. The skeletal structure of a Skaven is also light-weight, giving them a greater degree of speed, movement and natural reflexes that a typical Human can't perform naturally. This is further aided by possessing extremely strong back legs that helps propel a Skaven twice the speed of a normal man. The skeleton itself is also highly flexible, enabling them to slide through even the most cramp 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-beat 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 typically normal. 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 often makes Skaven naturally scrawny or even malnourished, forcing many Skaven to eat just about anything, which can also lead 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 range and frequency. This is also true with a Skaven excellent snout, which can also smell from a greater range then those of Humans. Due to their subterrean lifestyle, a Skaven has naturally poor eyesight during the day-time, but when in the darkness, most Skaven can see through almost complete darkness.

Psychology
"A tale is told of two Skaven, birthkin from the same breeder. While scouting the woods above their home, they encountered a ravenous Minotaur. Wisely, they fled the beast, but it gave chase and pursued them for many miles. "Surely," said the first Skaven, panting, "we cannot-cannot outrun this horrible creature." The second chittered his agreement. "Nor do we have to," he replied. Unsure of his birthkin’s motive, the first Skaven asked, "What do you mean?". By way of response, the second Skaven tripped his companion, answering, "I--I only need to outrun you!""

- A Fable from the Lessons of the Horned Rat



The Skaven race often represents all the many things that the typical good-natured citizenry of the Empire would often despise. As a whole, the Skaven is at its base, 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 focus on survival, which often offers little room for remorse or pitty, not even for close "friends" or even siblings or kin. Not only are the Skaven a petty and jealous race, but they are also devious and sly in their attitude with one another.

In their everyday lives, a Skaven is always looking for an angle to play in order to advance himself and only himself within the grander scheme of things. Naturally, a Skaven would often find the quickest and most easiest path to glory and power, a mindset that often stems from a Skaven extremely short life expectancy. These are usually done when a Skaven tries to claim an achievement as his own, which would naturally draw him attention and possible recognition amongst his peers. However, a Skaven is a naturally shy creature, and to draw oneself too much attention often ends with his 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 his own life, and to lose your life is the ultimate misery. However, the status of a Skaven within his 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 a Skaven already inflated ego, and to be humiliated publicly is even far worse. Although this won't normally ensure the death of the Skaven, it nevertheless makes his life now a living hell.

For a Skaven, nothing ever goes the way he planned. If things had indeed, he might as well reign over a world covered in the bones of the lower races, with dozens of Breeders at his very feet. But fortunately for the world, such dreams of world supremancy has always elluded even the greatest of their own kind by the actions of the upstart "inferior" races. In the eyes of a Skaven, the inferior races are the true vermins of the world, living out their lives and defying the one true superior race that truely dominates them all. They are filled with a fierce hatred against them and had always burned with the desire to show them the place they truely deserve (which is death or digestion in the stomach). Being a victim of their attacks is an insult on itself and even in their last gasps, any Skaven would express their last few words of hatred towards these same vermin. Of course, when things go wrong, this is not always the fault of the lower races. Most of the time, Skavens would blame even their own kind for the setbacks their race has gone through. After all, for a Skaven, if something goes wrong, it can not be his fault because he is the greatest of all Skaven. The only possible explanation is that one of his superiors or his subordinates are plotting to work against him.

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 to provide 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 never ever take fault of his own actions. Ever.

To a Skaven, life is a complex web of plots and intrigues designed by his enemies for the sole purpose of harming him and him only. Cautious Skaven however, never attracts more attention than it is necessary, for fear of becoming a tempting target for an upstart underling or a suspicious superor. It is common for Skavens to show their superiority towards their underlings by showing shrill abuse on a regular bases. These actions are as much as to inflate a Skaven ego as it is 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 his own incredible talents. To a Skaven, if a group assault decimates the enemy, it would be thanks to his brilliant planning. If a Skaven horde emerges in the right place, it is thanks to his 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 he is a master of strategy, logistics and politics beyond anyone else in the entire Under-Empire.

Goverment
"Skaven society is a tyranny moderated by assassination."

- Bagrian, an Ancient Scholar who was assassinated by the Skaven. All copies of this quote were destroyed. Except (as of yet) this one.



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. They sit at a long horseshoe table made of pure warpstone and engraved with one of many of the Horned Rats commandments. Seats 1 through 12 are seated such that the more extreme numbers such as 1 and 12 are held by the higher ranking members of the council, while the middle seats such as 6 and 7 are held by the lowest ranking members. Seat 13 is the symbolic seat of the Horned Rat, and it acts as a tie-breaker in votes amongst other members, with the "Horned Rat's" 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 seat 1.

The Council hierarchy is often unstable due to the constant political battles each Council Member has with one-another. These battles  would often lead many in the room to constantly shift allegiances, backstabbing, cheating, lying, or otherwise trying to undermine each other. This political and social instability helps to justify why a rapidly-reproducing, disease-resistant race like the Skaven does not rule more of the world. The positions within the Council is not a permanate fixture. Each position within the Council is open to new potential candiates or replacements at any given time. In order to become such a candidate, the applicant must place his hands upon the Pillars of Commandents, which would signify the candiate 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 hte loser upon the Council Chamber. Though rare, more than one member of the Council has since been replaced this way. Council members and their seat numbers mentioned in the backgrounds include:

 Possible  list of Council Members


 * 1st Seat: Lord Kritislik (Seerlord)
 * 2nd Seat: Lord Skrisnik (Grey-Lord of Clan Skrisnik)
 * 3rd Seat: Lord Sneek (Nightlord of Clan Eshin)
 * 4th Seat: Lord Paskrit ("Warlord-General of all Skavendom")
 * 5th Seat: Kratch Doomclaw (Warlord of Clan Rictus)
 * 6th Seat: Warlord Gnawdwell (Warlord of Clan Mors)
 * 7th Seat: Lord Vittrik (Grey-Seer)
 * 8th Seat: Nurglitch VII (Arch-Plaguelord of Clan Pestilens)
 * 9th Seat: Lord Verminkin (Packlord of Clan Moulder)
 * 10th Seat: Tyrant Azarskittar (Grey-Lord of Clan Khesherisk)
 * 11th Seat: Lord Burr (Guardian of the Temple)
 * 12th Seat: Lord Morskittar (Lord-Warlock Engineer of Clan Skryre)
 * The 13th seat on the Council is always empty, it is the symbolic seat of the Horned Rat.

Kritislik occupies seat number 1 on the Council table, while Lord-Warlock Morskittar occupies seat 12; hence these two are the most powerful members of the Lords of Decay. Although each member is technically equal in power in terms of political votes, Kritislik is considered the most powerful member on the council for he has two votes for acting as both Seerlord and the interpreter of the Horned Rat. Verminkin, Lord of Clan Moulder occupies seat 9 while Paskrit occupies seat 4. Then there was Lord Nurglitch, who brought Clan Pestilens to prominence by defeating Lord Vask for a place within the Council of Thirteen, with this being part of Clan Pestilens' terms of surrender following the  end of the First Skaven Civil War.

Below the Council in the hierarchy of the Skaven race are the Grey Seers, prophets of the Horned Rat, and the most powerful sorcerers within the Under-Empire. Grey Seers have prophetic powers and are usually grey-furred; hence the name. While the Grey Seers are often physically weak, they make up for this weakness by having immense cunning, guile, and the use of powerful magic. Most other Skaven fear and hate the Grey Seer's in equal measure. The most feared symbol of the Seers is the "Screaming Bell," a massive, horned bell mounted on a carriage and pushed into battle, the daemonic chimes enthusing the Skaven hordes to a fighting frenzy. The rest of Skaven society is organized into innumerable clans, with each Clan being led by a Warlord, and under him various commanding positions such as Chieftians or Paw-leader.

Society
"Sometimes - you might think I'm as crazy as a doom prophet - but sometimes I think those rats are watching me. You know, spying like. Sigmar preserve me, but I don't like it much. I'd hate to see it if the rodents ever got their way. Still, I get paid for catching a pole-full. Give us another one, Bessie."

- Rat-catcher Ludwig Nusbaum

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 mostly upon the color of a Skaven fur, which often denotes the Skaven as being fit in a particular role within society. Those born with Grey or White fur is considered chosen of the Horned Rat and thusly are presented as 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.

Below the priestly caste is the militaristic Warrior Caste that compose almost strictly of black-furred Skaven. Black fur is considered the mark of a killer and are thus given a position within society that focuses heavily on training these individuals into hardened warriors. On certain cases, a Skaven who does not possess black-fur can still be able to join should he prove just as effective a warrior as any other black-furred Skaven. Such situations, nevertheless, ensures that the Skaven would atleast dye their fur black so as to keep to their images as elite warriors.

Below the Warrior Caste is the general population of brown-furred Skaven. The Brown-furred Skaven forms 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 are not as common as many would think, simply because the Priest Caste often moderates hostilites 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 union, the Under-Empire as a whole can not truly exist.

Clan Hierarchy
Outside the Caste System, Skaven society is usually dominated by a treacherous clan-based hierarchy, from which clans of warlords make up the bulk of the ever growing population of male ratmen. These militaristic clans, known as Warlord Clans, form a hierarchy defined by the law of the strongest ruling over the weakest. At the top of this Hierarchy is the Warlord, hence its name, who is supposed to be the strongest and most cunning individual within the entire Clan. These Warlord are the official and tyrannical rulers of the Skaven Clans, whose rule is both absolute and mostly undisputed.

Below the Warlord is also the Warrior Caste, which as expected, compose of Black-furred Skaven trained as elite warriors. As befit their prestigous position, these Skaven are given the best the Clan has to offer, which often includes adequate and regular meals, his own personal lodging, the best weapons and armor and the rights to breed with the Clan's female Skaven, known simply as Breeders. At the base of this pyramid hierarchy, the foundation on which all society is built around, is the "working class", the insignificant and expendable slaves or worker. Slaves and workers can be of varying races or culture, and are often prisoners of war or members of a rival clan that have since been subjugated into submission.

Within this harsh reality, the concept of life and individual freedom are next to worthless within Clan society. Survival is considered paramount to the individual, and so is the ascension of social status. Although they rarely admit it, nearly all Skaven view all Clanmates as potential enemies. Skaven who occupy positions of power or authority are envied for their power, while those Ratmen who served in lesser roles are constantly suspected of mutiny, backstabbing, or assassination attempts. The daily Clan-life of the Skaven is often marked by continuous fights and power struggles for supremacy.

All the huge masses of individuals forming the Clans follow the same patterns of tyrannical hierarchy. A Skavens life is a lawless and miserable world where the weak are killed, and the strong survive, provided they constantly watch their backs against rivals. Amongst the Skaves, back-stabbing and betrayals are not considered dishonorable behavior, but simply the most traditional way to advance in society. Since all Skaven are always awaiting for the chance to tease the next for personal gain, any act of treason that is attempt will not go unpunished unless it is particularly witty or have the gift of opportunity. As a result, this unstable system has given rise to extreme high levels of paranoia by nearly all Skaven leaders within all levels of the society.

All Skaven know their status within the clan, but the positions between them can change rapidly. A few rapid betrayals or even a single well given stab in the back can convert a lowly soldier into the position of Paw-Leader even before the body of his victim has dropped. In this same vein, it can be said that a Skaven Warlord or Chieftian will always and forever will be only "a stab away" from his subordinates. Everyday life at all levels of Skaven society is marked by constant "pushing and nudging " in relations of power, as each individual is conspiring day and night to improve their own personal reputation and status, or undermining others amongst his group. Alliances are created, broken and then reform constantly as a consequence.

There is not even equality between individuals of the same social status as there will always someone in the group who is considered ahead of the other. Each Skaven scrutinizes all other pack members within the group, looking for any weaknesses that can be used against them, and as a result would often be scrutinized by the former also. At all levels of the pyramid, but especially in the lower classes, the power struggles often take the form of direct physical confrontations. Most Skaven suffer terrible scars from these battles, and many may often lose an eye or an ear as a mark of the brutality. A crippled Skaven resulting in one of these confrontations usually won't last long and will eventually be eaten by the more desperate of their kin. If the loser does not get killed instantly, the cheering mass will pounce on him to disembowel and devour him in his weakened state. In the Skaven case, a crippled clansmen is simply a liability and will be eaten for food.

All Clans constantly fluctuate in the number of members they currently have. This stems mostly from the fact that Skaven population numbers often increase exponentially during times when food is plentiful, and comes down drastically during times of starvation. At its greatest extent, a Warlord Skaven has the power and influence to control a Clan with around hundreds or even thousands of individuals, spread across many dens and underground fortifications all across their occupying territories. The exact number of the different Clans that are scattered throughout the Under-Empire is near uncountable, due to the fact that rival Clans will constantly conquer or perhaps even destroy each other in an often short amount of time, leaving the numbers changing exponentially. Possible numbers might be around the hundreds if not thousands, but the precise number changes almost daily, as the largest and most powerful Warlord clans would pursue and destroy the minor clans, absorbing its members as warriors or slaves, or simply devouring or feasting on the survivors. Clans growing too fast or too slow will eventual lead to internal rivalries, which would be the result of the Warlord not exerting enough authority to his subordinates. This would eventually lead to small scale civil war between small factions within the clan.

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 Skyre, the fanatical Plague-Monks of Clan Pestilen, 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 in a whim. Their power extends so much so that the leaders of each of the Four Great Clans occupy a seat within the Council of Thirteen.
 * Clan Skyre -

Economy
The basic economic system of the Skaven is extremely simple: the strongest take everything they want. Whenever a plunder is taken, the Warlords, Chieftians 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 in the Skavens' economic system, it would most likely be the distribution and use of Witch Stone, also called Warpstone or Wyrdstone. This material is used for any public or private commerical 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 Chieftians or political leaders.

The Clans give an annual ten percent of its income of Warpstone to the Council of Thirteen to be recognized by the latter and thereby obtain protection and recognistion within the Under-Empire. This action is known as the "Warpstone Title". If a Clan all but refuse these taxes, they are subjugated to open hostilities from within the Council of Thirteen, and would be denied assistance or aid from their other Clans, and will usually be a prime target for those other major clans seeking to gain easy plunder or slaves. These large amounts of Warpstone reserves would naturally be administrated by the Council of Thirteen alone, least a very greedy Skaven will run away with all that wealth for himself. Those Clans that pay their taxes are delighted with the exchange of goods and magical artifacts in proportion to the amount of Warpstone that have been contributed to the reserve. If a clan chooses to deliver more than ten percent of their Warpstone to the reserve they would be rewarded with having more powerful magic items, goods and services. The magical artifacts are created and owned by the Grey Seers, while goods and services are administrated and exported by the other Clans that make up the Under-Empire. Warpstone is an also valuable source of personal wealth, and can be used as currency for the exhange of other personal services and goods the Skaven would wish to require.

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 breed, grown or created for the purpose of the selling to the highest bitter. Most of these shops follows 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 subdueing 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, such as Clan Moulder and Clan Skyre. These Clan-owned shops sells goods that the Clan specializes in creating, such as weapons and war-beast that are always in high demand. Although owned by the Clan, the owners of these shops do not always have to be a member of the Clan, but rather a simple 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 gillible Skaven customer. As such some are considerable wealthy and well fed, often sporting large guts as a sign of their wealth. But just like any position of power, many of these Skaven would meet a grisly end just like their many many brethrens within Skavendom.

Military
"If gutter runners failed its was because they were too subtle, They should have attacked head-on, in a massed rush, blades bared. That is the Skaven Way! That is the Clan Skab Way!"

- Lurk Snitchtongue, former War-leader of Clan Skab

The Skaven armies of the Under-Empire are numberless, thousands upon thousands of warriors, war-machines, and beast of war, that can arguably be considered the largest and most numerous armies in the entire Old World. Such is the numbers that these vermin have within their grasp, that many Pack-Leaders and Chieftians would often care little for the loss of a few hundred Skaven lives, for everyone knows that there will always be more of then ready to take their place. An individual Skaven warrior is of little match against any of the other races on a one on one fight. Without allies to aid him, a Skaven's cowardice would naturally make him flee from direct combat, only fighting if he is sure of victory over his opponent. As a result, the strongest advantage a Skaven army will always have is its numbers -- even smaller Skaven armies would naturally have around several thousand troops within its command, usually outnumbering their enemies by nearly 5 to 1, giving the hordes the bodies they need to overwhelm their larger and more powerful opponents with weight of numbers alone.

As such, the Skaven armies naturally adopt the common wave-based tactic when they are engaged in battle, naturally attacking in a large frontal assault intended to either absorb the enemies missle barrage and ammunitions, or to soften up their foes before the elite crack troops rush in for the kill. The majority of a single Skaven army will usually be directed and contributed by a single Warlord clan, with supporting detachments from the Four Great Clans to aid in their battles.

A Skaven army would naturally consist mostly of Clanrats -- weak, cowardice, and lightly armoured -- these troops are the basic frontline soldiers and the most numerous military unit within the army. Alongside these Clanrats are the more heavily armoured and trained Stormvermin warriors -- the elite of the Skaven armies of the Under-Empire -- who are meant to hold the line and fight in a coordinated phalanx of shield and spear when in combat. There will also be detachments of other troops hailing from a variety of different clans to give support to the army. Such detachments would include teams of Gutter-Runners, groups of Jezzails and Warlock-Engineers, and even packs of Rat Ogres or War-Beast from the cages and pits of Clan Moulder. With that, each army would be lead by either a Warlord, a Grey-Seer sent by the Council, or even on rarer cases, by the dreaded Verminlords -- Servants and greater-deamons of the Horned Rat himself.

The basic formation of attack the Skaven would usually deploy first is a frontal wave of expendable units to wear down the enemy with limitless numbers. The first wave would usually consist of Slaverats, absorbing the missile fire of the enemies ranged units, and tire the enemies front-line. The next wave would consist of Clanrats supported by Clan Skyre weapons team to provide support. When the battle seems dire, the army would then send their elite Stormvermin troops in to hold the line or spear-head the killing blow to the opposing army. The army would also naturally have war-machines hired out by Clan Skyre or Clan Pestilent to provide artillery fire for the horde. Such war-machines would include the deadly Warp-Lightning Cannon, the Plague Furnance and the Plagueclaw Catapult.

Core Infantry

 * Slave Rats - Although not official considered a part of the army, the Slaverats of many clans still play an important and vital role during the heat of battle. Their main purpose in the battlefield is to swarm head-long against the front of the enemy army, tiring or absorbing much of the fighting while the more proper soldiers of the clan rush in afterwards to support them. They would also do menial task when not in the battlefield, which includes labour, mining, tunneling, or even, in dire times, becoming a reserve food supply for the Skaven army. Slaverats would usually be smaller and weaker then the ordinary Skaven, due to the fact that most of them have been poorly fed their entire lives. The labour and abuse they suffer under their masters have made them what they are today. Exceptional Slaverats can escape their servitude and snatch a more tolerable existence by being made a Slaverat Paw-Leader. The truly exceptional can even climb in status to become Clan Rats, though this is rare and takes demonstrations of exceptional cunning and or ferocity to gain the chance.
 * Clan Rats - These ratmen formed the bulk of most Skaven armies. These warriors would naturally be considered nothing more then Skaven who have arisen up to aid their clan during times of war. These troops are usually very lightly armoured, using a variety of weapons and armor scavenged or looted from many areas they have previously raided for goods and weapons. When in battle, Clanrats would form into their own block of infantry, usually lead by a Paw-leader and directed against the enemy lines as expendable units to absord the full brunt of the enemies attack. When in need of extra fire-power, a Clan Skyre detachment of Warpfire-Throwers would be attached to the block, and provide assistance in combat. Those within the group however will be very uneasy with these pyromaniacs, as there had been many tales of whole blocks of Clanrats being burned to cinder by the faulty aim of a single team of Warpfire-Thrower.
 * Stormvermin - These powerful Skaven warriors have been raised from infancy to be the most deadly killers and soldiers in the entire Skaven horde. Stormvermins would naturally be black-furred Skavens, the fur indicating them as the perfect warriors in their society. These troops would be trained in the formation of a crude Phalanx, using both spear and shield in a coordinated attack against their enemies. They would also be naturally heavily armoured, given the best food and gear available to them, and living much more luxurious lives then the ordinary Clanrat. These troops are only commited into the front when the battle is turning bad for the Skaven, and the need for more hardened warriors are required to ensure victory.

Support Armies

 * Clan Skyre Military
 * Clan Pestilen Military
 * Clan Moulder Military
 * Clan Eshin Military

Clan Moulder

 * Clan Moulder is a Skaven clan that is mostly located within the far northern reaches of the Under-Empire, situated extremely close to Troll Country. Their stronghold is known as Hell-Pit and is where Master Moulders use warpstone in a mad combination of alchemy and genetic engineering to breed all sorts of monstrous beasts to be used for their own personal wars or be sold to other clans for a very expensive price. As such they are a very wealthy clan, and is considered the richest clan in the entire Under-Empire. Their war-beasts are often a mad combination of rat and other monstrosity, being fused together to create many creations of great danger such as the wolf-sized Giant Rats and the enormous Rat Ogres -- an extremely muscular and dangerous Skaven sub-breed. To reflect their lower intelligence, they are led by Packmasters on the battlefield, and suffer severe penalties if the Packmaster is killed. Including the creation of these beast, the clan has also made many modification to other creatures, often creating monsters that sometimes have the body-parts of other creatures sowed onto them. Their city, Hell-Pit is one of Skavendoms most powerful fortress, for such was the infamy of this dreaded city that few dare ever to siege the fortress. The city has within its walls, teeming mass of Skaven workers, warriors, and moulders, each doing a part in the great economy of their clan. The city also holds the largest collection of Clan Moulders many experiments where an entire section of the city -- called the Colosseum, is dedicated to the holding and testing of these monsters combat effectiveness. Their current leader, Pack Lord Verminkin is also a member of the Council of Thirteen.

Clan Pestilen

 * Clan Pestilens is a Skaven clan that is mostly based in the southern part of the world, and has been the cause for both of the two Skaven civil wars (the first war was caused by their demands for wealth and position following their resurgence, and only ended after the activities of Clan Eshin assassins forced Pestilens to sue for peace, while the second war was caused by Clan Pestilens trying to seize power after the Council of Thirteen ousted them, and only ended after the Grey Seers summoned the Horned Rat itself to restore order). The clan was considered lost in the jungles of Lustria after a long and grueling war that burned through many decades of fighting between the denizens of the Lizard Empire and Clan Pestilen. However the clan once more resurfaced, and change extraordinarily. The Skaven of the clan had become completely devoted to The Horned Rat in his role as the harbinger of disease and plague. They are immune to most diseases and use the very plagues they worship as deadly biological weapons against the other races. Due to their diseased bulk, their plague monk troops are extremely tough, and deliriously fanatical in combat, providing a needed role of holding up powerful enemies without breaking in the often unreliable armies of the Skaven. They also use other biological weapons to annihilate their enemies such as the use of rats infected with various foul contagions, and the deadly plague censers, flails laden with burning warpstone, that emit lethal poison gas. Clan Pestilens also use a form of artillery called the Plague Catapult that fire their foul diseases upon the enemy ranks, devastating whole armies within a matter of days if not treated. Their own leaders are subject to the diseases which includes the Plague Priests, the senior member of the clan's many Plague Monks, which whom can preach to their demented followers from atop a Plague Furnace, a foul wheeled carriage that spreads disease in its wake. Their current leader, Plaguelord Nurglich the VII is also a member of the Council of Thirteen.

Clan Eshin

 * Clan Eshin was also considered lost for a long time, having traveled to the far Eastern lands of Nippon and Cathay, and never returned for much of a century. When they returned, they, too, had changed. They ended the first Skaven civil war by assassinating the leaders of Clan Pestilens and their allies. They had become the assassins of Skaven society, skilled in the art of the silent kill. In the background literature, they provide a type of secret police for the Council of Thirteen. They played a large role in the backstory of the Storm of Chaos worldwide campaign, as the ones who placed the Doom Hemisphere under Middenheim. They are represented in the army by Night Runners, cheap expendable units of skirmishers; Gutter Runners, who function as a scout force; and Assassins, elite close combat characters who can hide in units of regular skaven until they strike at enemy characters. All three are described as being on one development path. The best Night Runners become Gutter Runners, the best of which become Assassins. The most feared and deadly Assassin in all of Skavendom, however, is Deathmaster Snikch, a master of stealth, sabatoge and assasination, his presence is one of the most dreaded figures in the entire Under-Empire, for he is one of the worlds most deadliest assasins, and few if any managed to escape his wraith. Their current leader, Deathmaster Snikch, is also a member of the Council of Thirteen.

Clan Skyre

 * Clan Skyre has devoted their entire clan to the study of magic and blending it with insane science and engineering, and due to this, they have become the strongest of the Four Major Clans. Their engineers, the brightest and most talented Skaven in the Under-Empire are responsible for the creation of nearly all of Skavendoms most diverse and powerful warmachines. Such weapons includes the creation of the Ratling Gun, the Warpfire thrower, the Jezzail, the Plague Mortar and the fearsome Warp-Lightning Cannon to name a few. The engineers and magic practioners of this Clan are called Warlock Engineers -- Skaven who are able to harness the winds of magic to devastating effect often combining it with the use of technological weaponry. They would often sell these war-machines to the highest bidder, making them a very wealthy Skaven clan. This clan was also responsible for the creation of the "Doom Hemisphere", a device that when triggered and activated explodes with enough force to level an entire city into oblivion. Only a few tempted to use such a device, for this gave the one in control of it, untold power, and an incident included a Doom Sphere nearly obliterating the capital city of Skavenblight itself. This device was also placed underneath the Imperial city of Middenheim during the great Storm of Chaos. The device was intended to be detonated after Archaon's siege had either succeeded or failed, which would level much of the city and leave the Skaven to overwhelm any survivors of the blast. Fortunately for the residents, the device malfunctioned, detonating without enough force to obliterate Middenheim but resulted in a significant change to the caves and tunnels found beneath the city, as well as killing hundreds if not thousands of Skaven warriors and men in the tunnels who didn't escape the blast in time.

Notable Minor Clans
Under these four great clans, a massive number of diverse and multi-cultural clan mostly makes up the bulk of the entire Under-Empire. This category can go from the smallest of clans to the largest of the Warlord clans. Thought the vast majority of these clans are far weaker then their more stronger brethren of the Four Great clans, some have either become so powerful, wealthy, or numerous as to be in 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 within the Council of Thirteen.
 * Clan Rictus -- is a Skaven clan that has breed an unusual high number of Stormvermin. Their Warlord has a seat within 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 assasinated by Grey Seer Thanqual. Considered a traitor clan by the Council after their defeat.
 * Clan Scruten -- established in the Wasteland.
 * Clan Carrion -- expert scavengers and looters, scavenging the flith and trash of races or even other Skaven clans
 * Clan Festerlingus -- established in the Southlands, and an ally clan of Clan Pestilen
 * Clan Gritak -- was betrayed, enslaved and 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 now 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 Nagashizar 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 specialize in the making and maintaining of boats and barges, and have the 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.

Notable Skaven

 * Grey Seer Thanquol - Arguably one of the most talented and masteful minds in the entire Under-Empire, Thanquol is a Grey Seer of considerable power and influence, an expert in the Dark Arts of Magic, and a mastermind of subterfuge and deceit. Along with his title as Grey Seer, Thanquol is one of the Council of Thirteens most favoured messenger and ambassador, representing the Council of Thirteens wishes and demands on his numerous missions into different parts of the Under-Empire. A Skaven of great cunning, Thanquol has been at the fore-front of causing misery and mayhem to the enemies of the Skaven race, having been the very same Skaven that became the Supreme Commander of the Skaven force invading Nuln, the saviour of the great Clan Moulder city of Hell Pit, the destroyer of the great Skaven city of Under-Altdorf, the killer of the great Lizardmen Prophet of Sotek, and the summoner of the great Khornate Bloodthirster Skarband. Although his exploits were grandious and many, most of them have ended in near complete distator, due to his many enemies that has twarted his plan time and again, and sometimes his exploits were the result of Thanquol extreme incompetence and paranoia. As a reward for is somewhat successful missions, Thanquol was rewarded a Rat Ogre by the Council, naming him Boneripper -- a name he continues to use for everyone of his Rat Ogre bodyguards. He is also the main nemesis of the two great heroes Gotrek and Felix.
 * Ikit Claw - Cheif Warlock-Engineer and second in command to Lord Morskittar himself, Ikit Claw is considered by many to the most promising Warlock-Engineer of the entire Clan. An expert mechanic and engineer, Ikit Claw has taken Clan Skyre's mix of science and sorcery to new levels of complexity and depravity. Entire legions of Skavenslaves and Warlock-Engineers have died as a price to pay for the creation and experimenting of Ikits new arsenal of weaponry to be added to the clans already powerful stock of weapons. Ikit has travelled far and wide in search of newer and better ways to increase his vast knowledge to unparalled portions. Such is his knowledge and influence that he came very close to creating and activating the very first Atomic Bomb, a device so destructive that many within the Hierachy fear those Skaven that possess such a formidable weapon.
 * Deathmaster Snikch  - The right hand of Night-Lord Sneek, and the second most deadliest assassin in the entire Clan, second only to the Night-Lord himself. Snitch is a master of all the dark arts he and his Clan have knowned and mastered throught their long and deadly existance. An expert in stealth and subterfuge, and a highly skilled killer, Snitch instills fear to all those who hear his name, for such is his reputation that many within the Council of Thirteen itself, employ Snitch as their very own personal Assassin, to kill those enemies of Skavendom that no other Skaven could have the courage to ever face, the exception would be Night-Lord himself.