Gugula Skell
Gugula Skell came to the Grey Seer Asorak Steeleye’s attention years ago when a Clan Eshin assassin in his employ brought news to him of a young woman who was secretly buying cadavers for dissection and performing experiments on them. Steeleye set his agents to regularly supplying the budding young artist with materials for her work and was, in fact, the one who made certain she received an unexpurgated copy of Van Hal’s infamous masterwork on Necromancy, the Liber Mortis. By the time she realized she had fallen in with the legendary Skaven, it was far too late for her to get out of the deal. At this point, she no longer cares. Steeleye has known for years that a Necromancer would be useful, and the day has finally come to call in old favours. The Grey Seer ordered Skell to unleash her masterworks on the unsuspecting Talabheim, and she regretfully complied.[1a]
Doctor Skell lives in the Manor District of Talabheim. Her large estate is strategically placed on the main road that leads to the Garden of Morr. Over the last few years, a number of cadavers that were originally on their way to a proper rest made a slight detour into the large caverns below her basement. At first, it was never enough to be noticeable and no one that would be missed. In the last few months, the operation has stepped up significantly. It is highly likely that the Priests of Morr or one of their agents would’ve caught her eventually, but she was willing to throw caution away: Her patron, Asorak Steeleye, assured her that time was running out for those that would disturb her work, and he would control Talabheim long before they could catch her.[1b]
Dr. Skell, after years of administering to the richer nobles of Talabheim, is no longer a practicing physician. She is, however, a patron of the arts, known for supporting local artists. She mostly keeps to herself these days. Whilst she is fairly well thought of in the neighbourhood, she seldom socializes anymore except at one or two of the bigger art events each year. Apparently, she has some kind of skin condition that keeps her out of the sun.[1b]
Skell once chafed at her role as a Skaven lackey, but she has since come to embrace it as the price she must pay in furtherance of her art. She appears to be a slender woman in her early 40’s with increasingly corpse-white skin. She typically wears bright colours, to better offset her new complexion and maintains a pleasant demeanour regardless of the unpleasantness going on about her. She has a dozen or more of her projects shambling about within call at all times. Skell has forbidden any Ratmen from coming within twenty paces of her new home, as she caught a pack of them eating one of her favourite “works.” All of the Skaven in Talabheim, with the exception of the Grey Seer and the Warlock Engineer Eckmorkast Sparker, are absolutely terrified of her and with good reason.[1c]