Plague Monk

"Ah, yes. The Plague Monks. Where to begin? These wretched creatures have wholly embraced the diseased aspect of their horned god. They inflict themselves with sickness, drawing strength from it and gaining some measure of immunity to mundane diseases. So inured are they to pain and discomfort that they hardly feel it any longer. Driven by a fury and zeal that only the truly religious can comprehend, the Plague Monks are certainly one of the Skaven’s most disturbing and terrible innovations"

- Steffan Paulus Adelhof, Scholar of Wolfenburg

The Plague Monks of Clan Pestilen are zealots utterly dedicated to the spreading of corruption and decay in the name of their Clan and that of the Horned Rat. At the lowest levels are fervent and devoted worshippers of the Horned Rat, singing daily praises and liturgies to the Lord of Decay. Each is riddled with disease, covered with self-inflicted wounds and eruptions that ooze blood and pus. When unleashed against the enemies of the Skaven race, Plague Monks are much more effective than one might expect. It is easy to discount their abilities, given their sicknesses, yet it seems that they find solace in their constant pain. Mundane discomforts like severed limbs and opened bellies cause them no more than passing discomfort.

These devout disciples are unique amongst the Under-Empire in that they are fanatically committed to their clan and their belief. To all reasonable creatures, and to an extent, even other Skaven, the Plague Monks are a horror to all the senses. The Plague Monks of Clan Pestilen are readily recognized by their signature appareals, such as ooze-dripping robes, soiled shrouds, bony growths and fluid-filled blisters upon their skin are but one of many ways to distinquish their kind from all other Skaven.

Within the political and religous landscape of the Under-Empire, the Plague Monks believe that the rest of their Skaven brothers have been misled by the devious Grey Seers, their political and religious rivals. They feel that the average Ratman has been blinded to what they profess to be the true face of the Horned Rat; namely, pestilence itself. The clan’s overriding goal is to bring the rest of the Under-Empire into the fold, while avoiding declarations of heresy from the Grey Seers. Appeasing the Grey Seers for the time being is the only way to succeed. In time, once their victories have been secured and the rest of the Skaven clans have been won over, the Grey Seers, too, will follow their example, or die.

When the Plague Monks gather for a holy crusade against their enemies, their squeaky chanting can be heard as they recite from the Book of Woe, the holiest tome dedicated to their faith. When marching to war, these foul ratmen would only follow under the banner of their Clan. As they slowly reach their intended victims, these Plague Monks would begin to incite themselves into a terrible rage. They hurl themselves at the enemy without thoughts of self-preservation, with such ferocity and devotion that puts all their other brethrens to shame. Having been toughened by the very same diseases they worship, only the most lethal blows can truly put down a Plague Monk for good.

Source

 * Warhammer Armies: Skaven (7th Edition) -- pg. 44
 * Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay: Children of the Horned Rat (2nd Edition) -- pg. 70

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