Skaven Wars

The Great Skaven Wars was the first major Skaven invasion of the Empire of Man. Fought from 600 to 1111 IC, it was a devastating conflict that saw nearly three in every four Imperial citizens die, primarily to a nefarious Skaven disease known as the Black Plague

Overview
With the ending of the First Skaven Civil War and the entry of Clan Pestilens on the Council of Thirteen, at last would the children of the Horned Rat make their move on the most powerful Kingdom of humanity, the Empire of Man. 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 Talabheim, 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 Middenheim, 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 Goldgather 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 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 Skaven 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 Averheim, 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.

Aftermath
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 Skavenslayer 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. Disaster would eventually beset Skavendom once more in the aftermath of the debacle, as the Second Skaven Civil War began shortly after.