Skaven

"Steeling themselves, the pitiful remnants of the citys 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 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 Skavens are a race of humanoid rat creatures that currently lives within a massive continent-spanning underground network of tunnels, called the Under-Empire, where at the very heart of Skavendom lies the great skaven city of Skavenblight, the species capital city and the probable birthplace of the Skaven race. The Skavens as a whole is one the Old Worlds most numerous species, often having a population number of around a hundred million in the Old World alone, as these creature breed at a very high exponential rate. Such is the size and numbers of the Skaven race that in nearly every major stronghold or cavern that the skavens occupy, the average population numbers would be around the hundreds of thousands, and are often near other large population centers of races such as humans, often scavenging over the filth of these races to look for anything of value.

The main skaven religion that dominates nearly every single part of the Under-Empire is the veneration and worship of a minor Chaos God, known by many names, but its well known title is that of the Horned Rat. This diety takes the form and appearance of a massive horned rat, with its symbol of power being the number 13, along with the rough equilateral triangle and the horned bell as its holy icon. With those few that do know their existance, they describe the skaven race as an often unjust society, where the concept of wit and strenght is considered above all other traits, and the ideals of compassion and cooperation is often denied existance within this Under-Empire. As such the Skavens as a whole are divided, often far more divided then any other race in the Old World, due to the fact that this society promotes methods such as backstabbing, assasination, and betrayal as an essential part to progress through their society. Such ruthless lack of cooperation has led many of their kind to do things that would endanger or perhaps ensure the death of nearly hundreds of their own kind -- all for the greed or ambition of just one Skaven. Such corruption and dis-union has made the Skaven race to splinter into hundreds, if not thousands of unstable, clan-based societies, where each skaven clan has a certain skill or trait that is often seened as "unique" to other skaven communites, providing either food, goods, or weapons of war for the trade of other goods made by other Skaven clans.

The Doom of Kavar
"Once upon a time, long long ago, Men and Dwarfs lived togather beneath the roofs 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, built by older and wiser hands in the dawn of the world"

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

The only source of origins, scholars could gather about the first existance of Skavens was mentioned in an old Tilean tale called the "Doom of Kavar". The tale describes the creation of the first of the skaven race, during a massive construction project being built by both humans and dwarves that lived in this once prosperous city. The city in question was once a massive metropolis built many ages ago and was speculated to be located within the northern reaches of present-day Tilea. The city was located within a large verdant grasslands, perfect for mass irrigation and farming for the cities inhabitants. Such was the happiness the people of this land felt about their city, that they all decided to build a massive temple in order to give thanks to the gods for such a boundiful life.

Even with the help of the dwarves, the process was long and back-breaking. Weeks turned into months -- months turned into years -- years turned into decades, and yet the great temple has not been finally finished, for the temples most greatest feats was the construction of a massive tower so many miles high that some say it would pierce the clouds itself. Men grew old and grey working on that great temple, their sons continuing their work through summer sun and winter rain. Eventually the work finally slowed into a crawl and finishing the tower seemed impossible to the populous. Strangely however, a mysterious grey-cloaked man approach the elders of the city and promised the rulers that he has the ability to finish the construction of the temple, and all he wish in return was to add his own "gift" onto the temple structure.

The manlings agreed and the bargains was struck. At dusk the stranger left to the tower and told the people to return by midnight. Many anticipated the finishing of the temple and once they returned to see their glorious tower, the construction was complete, for as the wind blew the clouds away, the crowd could see their tower finished, at the very top laid a massive horned bell. The stranger was never heard from again.

The city rejoiced and many entered the temple to see the works of their grand-fathers father. Then, at the stroke of midnight, the great bell began to toll, once....twice....thrice. Slowly, the heavy bell continued on the next few tolls -- four, five, six. At the toll of nine the bell began to grew louder with each ringing, and the manlings staggered back from the temple steps clutching their ears. It was at the thirteenth stroke that the bell finally stopped, and the city's fate has been sealed. Lighting began to crackle at the night sky just as thunder roared through the night. Thunderstorms raged on for the whole day, and the crowds of manling huddled togather in their city to await the light of day.

But the sun never came, for the storms continued its monstrous course. The manlings were afraid and confused, for the rain began to turn to an omnious colour, and the rats that filled the streets began to fall towards the puddles of liquid, slicking the cobbles with darkly iridescent colours. This strange phenomenon continued on for hours. Days stretched to weeks and weeks stretched to months and the strange thunderstorm has not passed. Food began to grow scarce and many in their homes felt that something dark is happening to their once beautfil city. Some prayed to the gods for deliverance, but no reply came from them, and so the manlings seeked out their dwarven allies for aid. But the longbeards were arrogant, taking no heed for the dark omens surronding all around them, and thusly sent their allies off.

Soon desperation began to grow upon the cities inhabitants as many began to die of starvation and strange mutation becoming rife amongst the manlings infants. Some lost hope and began to pray for the Dark Gods for aid against this nightmare, but even these foul dieties has denied them even this. Soon the manlings grew ever more afraid and reckless and once more came into the doors of their suppose allies. Once more the longbeards have also denied them salvation from the storms, because for their arrogance, their tunnels were flooded, and their food eaten by rats. With barely enough supplies to even feed their own people, the dwarves begrudgingly cast their allies off once more.

It was finally when the hour of doom draws to a close, that the manlings saw shadows out in their streets, of furred creatures sulking within the shadows feasting on the bodies of the fallen that littered the floor. Fearful and angry at the betrayal of the dwarfs the remnants of the city's occupants banged once more on their allies door, threatning to break it down if not allowed entrance -- No reply came. Filled with rage, the manlings burst through the gate to have vengance on the selfish Dwarves. But all they saw in the hall was the scattered bones of their once former allies, gnawed and eaten by the same furred creatures within the city's streets. The horde of furry beast slowly moved ever closer to the last of the manlings.

Fighting back to back, the manlings fought out viciously, as they fight for the survival of their families and their own lives. Alas, the horde was relentless, and slowly the manlings faltered, as one by one these brave warriors were dragged down upon the cold floor being ripped and torn apart from teeth and claw. The dark furred mass continued its assault and soon the manlings doom has finally come, just as the dark furred mass drowned their pitiful screams with their hideous chittering.

History
"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 addresses the other customers after drinking too much ale in the tavern

The nature of a Skaven is one of pure urgency -- unless led or directed by powerful leaders a Skaven would naturally try to find the quickest and most easiest solution to any problem. If a Skaven pause in its efforts, it would often be as a result of them explaining the brilliance of their plan to themselves or others, or contemplating a scheme to further increase his own status or destroying anothers. As a result, many Skaven society has little focus or reason of producing or recording their history. Due also to the short life-span of a Skaven, these vermin would strive to gain any achivements as fast as possible just for their own personal benefits. Being well-remember has no existence within Skaven society, for a Skaven hero of his race would just as well be forgotten as the trash or filth these vermin would throw away.

In a sense, the only way for a person to know much about the Skavens is either through recorded events of them from other races such as the Dwarves. These recordings includes books about several invasions led by these vermins along with names of places or leader, and events significant to their race. Those extremely rare moments when a clan do have recordings still within the archives of their clan, are apparently far too biased and over-exaggerated to really covince any historian of its reliability, and as such many scholars have all agreed to consider any Skaven recordings as nothing more then false or just plain propaganda for its clans.

The Rise and Fall of Skavenblight and the Age of Woe ( -1860 to -1600 IC)
Although the main origins of the Skaven is still debatable, the Tilean tale of "The Doom of Kavar" has given many insights on the suppose location of their existence. From what many could gather, after the Skavens overrun the city and made it their own, there was a great fear within the Skaven society of the world outside the walls and tunnels of Kavar. After that incident, the Skavens began to warred against each other for the resources and dominion of the city of what is to be known as Skavenblight. It wasn't until 1600 years before the coming of Sigmar did the clans began to pressure their way outside the boundries of the city. With skaven population rising at an extremely high rate, even with the numerous starvation and diseases these vermin had gone through, the mounting numbers have forced many clans and leaders of the Skaven race to find ways to spread their territories as much as possible. However, the surface world for the Skavens is far too dangerous for them to succefully migrate, for the surface world is dominated by the other more larger race that inhabit the Old World. And so the leader had no alternative but to follow one path that is still open to them; Underground. Although Skavens are natural diggers and miners, the process of creating new tunnels from scraps would take years, and due to the Skavens fractious nature, this process will spread into decades or more if not united long enough. And so the Skavens tried to find the quickest and easiest way to overcome this obstacle.

Bringing togather their most potent and powerful sorcerors, along with the largest quantity of warpstone ever to be gathered at that date, the fiendish vermin began a very long and powerful ritual to create new tunnels underneath Skavenblight to allow the clans to quickly expand their domains outside the city. The ritual took place in an underground warren deep beneath Skavenblight, as the magical energies being gathered has the potential power to crack rock and under-mine whole mountains. Such was the power being gathered, that the Skavens had also created a fiendish machine long ago that consumes the vast quantities of the warpstone being gather to further amplify the sorcerors already formidable power. However, these foolish vermins greatest triumph would also mean the greatest sacrifice for their cause, and these creatures have no clue for the amount of power the sorcerors had within their grasp. The ground shook and groaned as the shifting rocks almost drowned out the shrill climax of the chanting seers. High above the crumbling momuments, the great Great Bell of the indomintable tower of the Great Horned Rat tolled as the structure swayed and creaked as the ritual finally reached its climax.

Then, for the first time, but far from the last, the great device of the Skaven failed them, as an unknown part of the ingenious, yet imperfect device broke down. It would be the greatest catastrophe the Skaven race will ever witness with their very eyes. With a blinding flash of pure malevolence, the raw magical powers of the warp itself flooded through the corridors of the cavern, and swept through the very core of the world. Tunnels collapse and the mountains shook as the magical energies these foolish Skavens have unleashed devastated all in its path. The energies began to flood outwards and soon molten rock and spewing geysers began to crack through the earths outer core and laid waste to the very spine of the great World's Edge Mountains. Once dormant volcanoes began to roar to live from the east, and the land began to buckle as ash and lava poured out of the belching mountains which would forever scar the lands that surrounds it. Such ruination was brought upon the world that day that the Elves and Dwarves called this time, the "Age of Woe"

The Coming of the Lords of Decay and the Great Migration ( -1600 to -1500 IC)
After the great catastrophe that befell the Skaven race, their once mighty city was laid low as crumbling masonry littered the streets with rock and stone. But even this dire event had not expelled the world of the Skavens, for from underneath the ruins, small knots 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 "Age of Woe", but none dared to enter such a holy place. Even as the Skavens began squabbled at the footsteps of the temple, the great chapel door swung open and twelve figures emerged, eerily back-lit by the mystical light 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 race once more united under the guidance of their god, the horde began to burrow once more into the caverns of the Seerlords below. Upon their entrance they found that the Seerlords have indeed succeeded in their ritual. Great cracks within the earth had created long passageways that stretched into a massive highway underneath the world. The surviving Skavens had heeded their gods will, and the horde began to divide into twelve armies, each under one of the Lords of Decay as they venture deeper into the network of tunnels. Like a cancer eating at the worlds, the Skavens have spread far and wide amongst the tunnels and caverns that their Seerlords provided them. Within months, the Skavens have already began numerous raids and attacks against Dwarven mines and settleents along the spine of the Worlds Edge Mountain, and soon enough the Children of the Horned Rat will create their glorious Under-Empire, as decreed by their vile god himself.

Over the next few hundred years the Skavens 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, rumours began to spread across the Under-Way about a massive hoard of warpstone located within the southern reaches of the Worlds Edge Mountain. The mountain in question, known as Cripple Peak, has within its roots a motherlode of the darkly magical rock deep within its sundered core. Over time the erosion had carried warpstone dust far across the land, turning the region around the mountian into a blistering hell-scape. The waters and lakes near the mountain glowed with an omnious green, and was haunted by mutated serpents of alarming size. With so much warpstone to be gained from this mountain, the Skavens launched multiple expeditions towards the mountains in hopes of gaining more of this precious mineral.

However, the Skaven expedition began to face heavy resistance as each clan tried to encroach upon the great peaks. Reports began to flood in that the mountain is currently occupied by a great horde of Undead, lead by the Necromancer Nagash, and the Mountain he currently claims is the great Fortress of Nagashizzar. Massive armies of the undead regularly patrol and mine the many tunnels beneath the mountains as they haul the warpstone minerals towards their lord, further amplifying his already formidable power. Initially each Skaven clan greedily attacked Nagashizzar separately as they try their best to be the first to grab the hoard. But the formidable fortress was not so easily overtaken, and the Skavens were pushed back time and again. As this grueling war of attritition between the two factions began to stretch into decades, this series of invasions and engagement were now known by the Skavens as the "War of Cripple Peaks".

The War of Cripple Peak and the Great Ritual of Nagash ( -1300 to -1200 IC)
With so much Warpstone to be gained in this expedition, and lacking any unifiying guidance to coordinate their attacks, the newly formed Council of Thirteen had to step in and take over. Under their leadership, the Council directed the numerous clans into an effective fighting force, coordinating massive attacks using the numerous tunnel networks to infiltrate the mountians from below. So it was that not one clan but many hordes burst into Nagashizzar, seeking to overrun it from below as they done already to many Dwarf Holds. But the undead hordes of Nagash were limitless, thousands upon thousands of warriors would rise up against the assaliant that dare to defile their masters home, and those that were killed in battle, only rose up to further increase their numbers. Savage tunnel fighting lasted for days or weeks underneath the mountain, but the Skaven could not wear down such a powerful foe and a stalemate soon ensured.

In an effort to bolster the Skaven numbers, the Council have employed the service of Clan Skyre and their Warlock-Engineers to break the deadlock, bringing with them their deadly machinary to help further aid their war effort. However, Nagash anticipated this, and with his astounding power he exerted his will upon their machines and the pathetic construct briefly flickered and then died. Desperate to achieve a victory on the fortress, the Skavens struck the lands above, besieging Nagash's human followers. Whole cities burned, and the Skavens looked as if they would be able to crush their foes from the surface, but the humans feared Nagash far more then the Skavens, and the conflict dragged on for a century. It was finally after a hundred years of stalemate that the Council realized that they cannot win this war, and that this war is draining much of the Under-Empire resources.

It was at this time that the Council had also recieved an envoy from Nagash himself -- proposing a ceasefire and a pact of cooperation. The pact came into terms that in exchange for the Skavens 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 and the horde begrudglingly 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 reconissance reports of other significant sources of warpstone were being discovered around the peaks. When Nagash sent more emmisaries 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 heralded a mighty spell intended to reshape the entire world. 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 were present everywhere. Fearful of the coming doom, the Council of Thirteen hurriedly gathered within the halls of Skavenblight. Using every single assets available to them, the now unified Council scried far and wide for clues to Nagash's intention. To their horror, far to the south, they found their awnser 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, awnsering the summoning call of Nagashizzar.

It was already the mightest army the world has ever seen and more of the foul undead are already rising to join the growing legions. Before such an army, no army in the known world shall be able to stop them, not even 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 hoard. Their network of spies, observers, and lookouts had relayed information that all was silent in Nagashizzar, as the Great Necromancer was in a trance after his monumental undertaking of the great ritual. The entire Council realized that Nagash must be destroyed, or else the Necromancer will be the one true ruler of the world as the Lord of the Dead. But none in the Council knew how to undermine such a powerful entity such as Nagash, and the Council argued on what their course of action will be. No Skaven in the entire Under-Empire has the courage or skill to face such a foe, and so the Council need to look for another.

Indeed, the salvation of the Council, and indeed the entire known world, laided 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 vengance burning within this very heart. The Council acted quickly, the man-thing needed a weapon so mighty that it will ensure the death of Nagash and the bearer itself. 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 faith 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. 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 upon the king.

Before the blade cooled, it was sheathed within a large lead casket and was rushed towards Cripple Peak to stop Nagash before its 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. Burning with rage and retribution, the King entered the dark room, with Nagash sitting alone in his throne. With the dust-clouds of the Undead Horde coming nearer by the hour, the King knew that he needed to end all this now. With faltering steps the king approached, hesitating before the towering figure. Aided by the Council's metal urging, the King struck. At the last moment the Liche Lord raised a claw to ward off the blow. The Fell-Blade clove through Nagash spell and cleaved the Necromancers upraised wrist, but the Great Necromancer snapped out of his stupor to unleash a deadly blast at the King.

The Council reeled as they channel more and more power to protect their pawn from harm. Two ancient Ratlord fell dead as they helped to deflect such a titanic blow. It was an epic struggle to behold as the King of the Dead and a King of the Living fought for dominance of the mortal world. With his last bit of strenght, the King once more drove on and with infernal fire burning within his heart, he hacked more and more upon the Necromancer. The king went mad with vengance, hacking at Nagash with ever strenght he still have until at last his swords deadly enchantments took hold. Soon the iron-hard bones of the Lich Lord lay in a thousand peices, and the threat to the world was over.

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 his homeland, as the Fellblade took more and more of his life and soul, unitil finally the  King fell upon the RIver Mortis. There, the King died, and the legendary hero's body was never seem again.

The Skavens quickly overran the fortress, as the Undead Horde quickly evaporated into dust and littered bone. The Council oversaw the complete destruction of Nagash's remains as the Skaven cast the Lich Lord onto a warpforge, destroying him utterly. Unknown to the rest of the world the threat to all life was averted and the most powerful necromancer the world has ever seen was slain by treachery.

The Fall of Clan Rikek and the Return of Nagash ( -1197 to -100 IC)
The Council of Thirteen, in upheaval after the loss of its Seerlord, ordered Skaven Clan Rikek to procueed with mining operations 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 permanante seat within the Council Chamber. The Clan crushed what was left of Nagash's Empire, including the enslavement of the humans under Nagash's former reign. Using both Skaven and Human slaves, the clan exavageted never-before-seen amounts of Warpstone out of the Peaks and flowed it back like a river towards Skavenblight. With this much wealth, the Clan grew naturally in power and influence and then renamed Cripple Peak as "Fortress Rikek".

Their dominace over the mountain lasted for over 300 years, until the day came when a shrouded figure approached the gates of Nagashizzar, now Fortress Rikek, and demanded entrance. The Warlord was enraged at this insolence, and ordered his clan-rats to swarm over the interloper. Just when the clan-rats reached their suppose victim, they froze in fear at the horrid sight. From behind the cloacked stranger, a host of Ghouls lumped behind the stranger, and with a flick of his hand, the gates swung open with an unnatural force. Removing his hood, the assailant revealed his skeletal face and glowing eyes upon the Vermin hordes within the fortress. All of them knew him, for they heard tales of his tremedous power -- Nagash has returned and Clan Rikek was crushed within a single night.

When the handful of surivors reached the doorsteps of Skavenblight and relayed the event to the Council, the Ratlords dispatched an army upon the mountain, and the fruitless long war was reborn anew. The Councils true intentions was to seek information about Nagash and is current state. From what they could gather Nagash is still formidable, but not as strong as he once was. With the last few Warpstone deposits being mined and hauled back to Skavenblight, the army withdrew from its siege, leaving Nagash alone in his empty Fortress. Nagash remained in his stronghold, unassailable, but too weak to venture out, and so it was that Nagash remained in his weaken states for centures to come.

The Rise of Pestilen and the Great Civil War  ( 17 to 600 IC)
As the centures past, rumour 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 known world. They had passed beyond the knowledge of the Council of Thirteen, but they swore they would one day return, and will be hungry for power and dominace. The name of the clan has been forgotten since ages past, but all knew that they ventured unto the hot dry deserts of Araby and there they found it. A secret tunnel never before seen in the world, no one knows where they found it, but that the tunnel stretched beneath the very Oceans of the world, and there the clan had found itself within the great continent of Lustira, the Empire of the Lizardmen.

From below, the clan arose from under a great Temple-City deep within the lush jungles of the land. There, they claimed the city for the glory of the Horned Rat, and fought off and killed the Lizardmen armies that tried assailed them. 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 kinds began to sicken and kill the clan from the inside. With only a few hundred of their brethren left, the vermins begged their lord and saviour, 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 call 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 borned anew. And so from the darkest desperation they were born -- Clan Pestilen has finally arisen from this world.

From the temple they hid, until they came with boils and rotting flesh, hideous and pox-ridden, their bodies were forever changed to dedicate themselves to the Horned Rats wishes. And so Clan Pestilen began its rise to power from Lustria, and they shall return to claim their rightful place amongst the great Council. Clan Pestilen grew, plundering the ancient archives of the ruins cities of Lustria, of arcane secrets long lost during ages past. They brought back sacrifice after sacrifice for their gods, bringing to their god the blood and body of their reptilean enemies. The clan looked further and further to dedicate themselves more to the essense of corruption itself, for their devotion for their god was unquestioned. The clan had grown strong and now Lord Nurglich, the traditional titles for the strongest of the Plague Lords deemed it was time for their brood to return...home.

The pestilent host spent a decade fighting their way towards the shoreline, and it was there that they create a fleet of rotting ships to bore them towards the Jungles of the Southland. There their clan was established, strongholds were built, and fortress lairs were raised, and the great civil war will soon begun between Clan Pestilen and the numerous hordes of the Under-Empire. With emmisaires of their clans reaching the doorsteps of the Council Chamber in Skavenblight, they demanded that they would reclaim its rightful place amongst the great Council and become one of the Lords of Decay, as decreed by the Horned Rat itself. Enraged at this transgression, the Council killed the emmisaries and threw their rotting corpses in the outskirts of the grand city. In retaliation, Clan Pestilen moved forward with their long-planned offensive against the other clans. With biological weaponry, and the will of the Horned Rat at their sides, the Clan devastated whole Strongholds of Skavens all around the Southlands. One major clan, Clan Merkit fought on against the uncoming horde, but Clan Pestilent planned a faster solution, and unleashed foul cauldrons filled with warpstone and putrescence upon the network of caverns within Merkit's Stronghold. Toxic fumes ran wild across the tunnelways and soon, the entire clan began to cough and die within a matter of hours. It was said that only Lord Merkit and his honour guards managed to escape the onslaught.

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. However, the Council were far too late, for by now, several Southland Clans have been overthrown and began to turn thier alligance to the new growing power within the south. With the clans under their control, Clan Pestilen's armies grew more numerous, with the clan finally able to make their own push north. As the years passed, the war was escalating uncontrollably unto a full fledge 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 Warlord Clans revolted against their former Overlords, either joining Clan Pestilen, or made war for their own personal gains.

The Civil War dragged on for the better part of four centuries as the constant warfare killed untold thousands, if not millions of Skaven lives, but niether 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, joining sides with whoever had the upper hand, while others join with those that sell the highest bitter. Plagues, sorcery, and double-crossing was growing extremely rife amongst the Under-Empire, until finally the war grind into a very uneasy stalemate. For many years, the Council tried and failed at dispatching the treacherous clan, but none could find a particuarlly good solution at countering Clan Pestilens biological warfare. It was by the blessings of the Horned Rat, that their salvation came not from the South or West, but the East. Just like Clan Pestilen before them, a growing power too took the ancient Migration of their ancestors towards the East, and it was there that they did not learned disease and plagues, but one of a more silent and deadly nature. The deadlock was broken by the reapperance of another long-lost clan, for the assasin-adepts of Clan Eshin has finally returned to the Under-Empire.

The black-clad assasins of Clan Eshin pledge their wholly allegiance toward the Council of Thirteen, bringing with them offerings and gifts of the heads of Warlords, Chieftians and Plague Lords that dared to overthrow their holy dominance. The Council waste no time to use the Clan's skillful assasins to good use, killing off Warlords and powerful Leaders to further disrupt Clan Pestilens war-effort. Soon support for the clan began to erode, and slowly but surely their Clan was losing the war. Realizing that their position is becoming unattainable, the Plague Lords requested a parlay with the Council. The Council reluctantly agreed, and Lord Nurglich made his way towards the capital city of Skavenblight. After surviving several assasination attempts on his way to the city, Nurglich abased himself at 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 Civil War that he had brought upon the Under-Empire, but Nurglich anticipated this, and to further his point, he revealed to the whole Council a single small vail. With fanatical eyes he told them that he was carrying a vial of Yellow Skull Fever, one of Clan Pestilens more dangerous diseases and any further attempts at his life would leave him no option but to release the contagion there and now upon the very heart of Skavendom.

Swallowing their pride, the Council greeted their long lost brethrens back with open arms, and Arch-Plague Lord Nurglich earned the right to a trail by combat against one of the Council of Thirteen. Althought it was a near thing, the Plague Lord used a posionous bite to defeat his opponent -- Lord Vask, the most vulnerable member of the Warlord clans within the Council Chamber. And so Clan Pestilen have achieved what the Horned Rat had promised his children, and now Clan Pestilen will ensure that the whole world will know about them soon enough.

The Black Plagues and 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 once more recovered, and once more the armies of Skavendom grew large. With Clan Pestilens mighty plagues, and the deadly assassins of Clan Eshin within their arsenal, the Council felt it the time to finally fulfill the promise the Horned Rat had promised upon his Children.

It was during the winter of 1111 IC that the Council finally put their plan into motion. Using Clan Pestilens most mighty plagues, and using the adepts of Clan Eshin, a small task force of Skaven assasins inflitrated the Empires many cities, and upon their task completion, the plagues will see to it the near destruction of the Empire. The plagues spread like wildfire upon the Empires numerous populace as whole towns and cities were ravaged by these fouls diseases many starting to call the "Black Plague". The first signs of infection within the populace were ominous blotches on the skin and body, followed by swelling of joints and agonising fever. Victims could last from minutes to a mere few weeks before the disturbing final stages occur, when the infected writhed in convulsions for torturous hours. The lucky died quickly, and in their death the corpse turned a dark ashen grey.

The plagues were dispatched within Imperial cities simulatiously, in order for the Plagues to spread quickly, without enough time for Imperial forces and govermental institutes to order an immediate quaratine. Such cities that were infected includes 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 Skavens. 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 of the city 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 corpse 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 Skavens 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 assasins 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 Skavens 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 Skavens 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 has 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 Skavens took soo 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 orginization 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 occured, with further outbreaks of the Black Plague consuming entire clans. (suspicously, many though)

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 unstability eventually forced the Council to halt any further operations within the Empire, except for one last act of vengance. In their pride, the Council sent a single Skaven assassin within the bedroom of Emperor Mandred and slew him in his sleep. The Emperors passing was heartly mourned by his people.

The Red Pox and the Invasion of Bretonnia (1786 to 1812 IC)
After the disatrous 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 sudtle method on taking on thier next victims. Using Clan Eshin operatives, the Skavens 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 succesful in their plot, the wars didn't give the Skavens 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 Skavens unleashed the Red Pox upon the sewer networks of the city of Bordeleaux. The scourge was once more succesful, 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 Skavens 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 Skavens. With their combined might the managed to break the siege of both cities and upon the Battle of Remarche, the Skaven armies were scattered and massacred by the Bretonnian Knights. And so another attempt to subjugate the man-things under the iron-claw of the Skavens rule ended in shame and paw-pointing.

The Second Skaven Civil War and the Coming of the Horned Rat (1850 to 2302 IC)
Outraged at these two monumentous defeats, the Council members once more point out blame to Clan Pestilen for such a disastrous lose of both money and prestigue and demanded that the Plaguelords be cast out of the Council of Thirteen for their incompetents. After months of tense political maneuvering, blackmail, threats, bribery, and assasinations, a vote of the full Council was ordered. Rather then be cast out, the Plaguelords would rather fight to keep their position and status and plotted to instigated a revolt against the Council. On the day of the vote, the Plaguelords accused the other Council members as heretics and renewed another 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 ensured between the Albino Stormvermin guards of the Temple of the Horned Rat, and the Plague Monks along with their allies of several different clans within Skavenblight. Anarchy run rife within the streets of Skavenblight as different factions sought power for their clan or themselves.

Clan Skyre have long forseen such an uprising from the heretical monks, and thusly began their own offensive against Clan Pestilen.

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



Skaven are described as a cross between a rat and a man. Skaven have the appearance of large bipedal rats and possess just enough sufficient intelligence to make simple tools, converse in a developed language and those more gifted are able to cooperate and control advanced weaponry. The longest age a Skaven would usually 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. 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 agical substance called Warpstone.

Skaven are roughly man-sized, the typical specimen being between four and five feet tall on average. Most have brown, often dirty or matted fur, with large fangs in the upper jaw structure, with red eyes, over-grown claws, and a naked tail growing to almost a meter in lenght. Those born as white and grey-furred ratlings are prized among Skaven litters, as they will often become Grey Seers -- the Skaven equivalent of a priests and wizards. Black fur is looked upon as the sign of a true killer, so the elite Stormvermin corpes draw their members from only those black furred ratlings, however it is also common for lighter colored Skaven to dye their fur, 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. 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.

It is almost guaranteed that nearly all male skavens are to take part in one aspect of society, whether it be as a worker, warrior or slave. Females in Skaven society are both seen as physically and cultural incapable of being anything other then to aid in the production of more Skavens. As such they are often called simply as "Breeders", for the females lack a sufficient brain for them to do anything other then eat, sleep or breed. Though Breeders are far larger than the average Skaven (around 10 foot tall), female Skaven can't take care of themselves and rely on eunuchs to feed and protect them. Female Skaven typically produce three to five litters a year, each containing about 20 younglings called ratlings. They are also blind, due to the lack of use during their life-span.

Hierarchy
"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 race. 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 the other members, with the "Horned Rat's" vote typically being interpreted by one of the Grey Seers, often from the Lord Seer 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 and would lead many in the room to constantly shift allegiances, backstabbing, cheating, lying, or otherwise trying to undermine each other, even hiring assassins to dispatch their rivals, much to the amusement of their malevolent god. This political and social structures helps many of those that know their existence to justify why a rapidly-reproducing, disease-resistant race like the Skavens does not rule more of the world, and probably the most obvious awnser is simply the Skavens lack unification for a cause and therefore always fighting each other, often more so then fighting any common enemy. Indeed, if its not for the race's constant infighting, the Skaven could easily have the means to overrun the entire surface world. Each member of the council is open to replacement at any time. The applicant must simply challenge his rival to a fight to the death; if he wins, he takes the place of the loser on the council. Though rare, more than one member of the Council has been replaced this way. Council members (and their seat numbers) mentioned in the backgrounds include:


 * Lord Kritislik (Seerlord)
 * Lord Morskittar (Lord-Warlock Engineer of Clan Skryre)
 * Nurglitch VII (Arch-Plaguelord of Clan Pestilens)
 * Kratch Doomclaw (Warlord of Clan Rictus)
 * Warlord Gnawdwell (Warlord Clan Mors)
 * Lord Sneek (Nightlord of Clan Eshin)
 * Lord Verminkin (Packlord of Clan Moulder)
 * Lord Paskrit ("Warlord-General of all Skavendom")
 * 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, with Lord-Warlock Morskittar as 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 theres was Nurglitch I the Plaguelord who brought Clan Pestilens to prominence by defeating Lord Vask for a place on the Council of Thirteen (this being part of Clan Pestilens' terms of surrender following the first Skaven civil war).

Below the council in the hierarchy of the Skaven race are the Grey Seers, prophets of the Horned Rat himself, and the most powerful sorcerers in 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 with that of cunning, guile, and the use of magic. Most other Skavens fear and hate grey seers 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. Four clans are traditionally more powerful than the rest: Clan Pestilens, Clan Moulder, Clan Eshin, and Clan Skryre. These four are collectively known as the Great Clans, and dominate the back-story of the race and the political and military structure of the Under-Empire

If a Clan or army see fit to replace one of their warlords with one more powerful then any ordinary Skaven, they would often be led by a daemonic beings called the Vermin Lords. Believed to be some sort of avatar of the Horned Rat, Vermin Lords were greater daemons that even the Grey Seers feared and acquiesced themselves to. Grey Seers often threaten to summon a Vermin Lord to ensure obedience, but in truth, they are loath to do so as these creatures are more powerful and cunning than any living skaven and their lust for power and love of betrayal are legendary.

The Major clans
Of the many diverse and multi-cultural clans that engulf much of the Under-Empire, there are none so powerful both militarily, politically, and influencially as the Four Great Clans. Each clan will always have a cadre of senior members in order to administrate the social structure of their society, and often the most senior or powerful of these members will become the leader of the entire Clan. Such is the influence and power of these clans that almost every single Lord that took control of these clans were once part or is currently part of the Council of Thirteen. Each of these clans also specialize in a unique trait that has provided the clan with fame, power, and influnce that had made these four so infamous.

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 most 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 caln 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 Skavens 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, one of the most brightest and most talented Skavens 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 -- Skavens 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.