Skaven: The Conniving Children of the Horned Rat in Age of Sigmar

Skaven, known as the Children of the Horned Rat, are a conniving and treacherous race of rat-like creatures in the Age of Sigmar. Emerging from the realm of Chaos, they scuttle through the dark corners of the Mortal Realms, driven by an insatiable hunger for power and domination. Skaven are infamous for their vast numbers, insidious plots, and technological prowess.

Skaven society is organized into numerous clans, each with its own distinct characteristics, goals, and methods. The largest and most numerous clan is Clan Verminus, consisting of hordes of Clanrats. These rat warriors form the backbone of Skaven armies, overwhelming their enemies through sheer numbers and their ability to swarm and surround their foes. Clanrats are known for their savagery, fighting with a mix of crude weaponry and ferociousness.

Clan Skryre is another prominent Skaven clan, comprised of engineers and inventors. Skryre Warlock Engineers are skilled in harnessing the volatile power of warpstone, a corruptive substance that emanates from the Realm of Chaos. They create deadly weapons and war machines fueled by warpstone, such as warp-lightning cannons and doomrockets. These weapons are devastatingly effective, but they come with the risk of catastrophic failure due to the unstable nature of warpstone.

Clan Pestilens is a fanatical and reviled Skaven clan that specializes in spreading plagues and diseases. Their members, known as Plague Monks, are zealots who worship the Horned Rat as the embodiment of pestilence and decay. Armed with rusty blades and toxic concoctions, the Plague Monks unleash a storm of infectious diseases upon their enemies, sowing chaos and weakening their defenses. They are often accompanied by hordes of disease-ridden rat swarms that overrun their foes.

Skaven possess a vast network of tunnels and hidden lairs known as the Under-Empire, which spans the realms and allows them to move swiftly and undetected. These subterranean passages enable the Skaven to launch surprise attacks, infiltrate enemy territories, and escape when needed. The Under-Empire is a labyrinthine expanse filled with deadly traps, secret passages, and dark laboratories where Skaven conduct their sinister experiments.

Skaven armies are known for their unorthodox tactics and unrelenting aggression. They excel at ambushes, hit-and-run attacks, and guerrilla warfare. Their ability to mobilize vast hordes of Clanrats, combined with their ingenuity and access to warpstone-fueled war machines, makes them a formidable force on the battlefield.

The Skaven’s ultimate goal is to achieve the Great Ascendancy, where the Horned Rat will rise to claim dominion over the Mortal Realms. To achieve this, the Skaven engage in a web of intricate schemes, betrayals, and backstabbing, seeking any opportunity to advance their position and undermine their enemies.