Skaven clan

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Skaven society is ruled by a violent hierarchal order of clans, where treachery and tyranny are constants. The Verminus Clans are the most numerous while the Greater Clans are the most important and ruling over all of those is the Council of Thirteen.[1a]

Greater Clans

Skavendom is largely dominated by the four Greater clans, known as the Great Clans in the World-that-was. Constantly conspiring and feuding against each other, they agree in one matter: the status-quo, which puts them at the top, has to be preserved. Any ambitious Warlord clan threatening their joint dominion has to weakened and if needs be, mercilessly crushed.[2c][1a]

Even through each of the four Great clans is much more powerful than any single Warlord clan, before the End Times, they were concerned with the rise of Clan Mors, the most powerful Warlord clan.[2a][2c]

Each of the infamous Greater Clans have their own specialisation, troops, armaments and methods of waging war:[1a]

  • Clan Skryre, technological savants that provide war machines.Needs Citation
  • Clan Eshin, stealthy assassins.Needs Citation
  • Clan Moulder, breeders of war beasts.Needs Citation
  • Clan Pestilens, spreaders of disease and plague.Needs Citation

Verminus Clans

The bulk of the Skaven population belongs to the Verminus Clans, known as the Warlord Clans in the World-that-was. They are formed of petty overlords and teeming hordes beyond count.[1a][2a] A Thrall Clan is a Warlord clan which has pledged its allegiance to one of the four Great clans.Needs Citation

At the top is a Skaven Warlord who intimidates everyone through threats and punishment while rewarding faithful followers. He also keeps an ever watchful eye on their progress,[3a] and disloyal behaviour and incompetence are punished mercilessly. The lieutenants in turn dominate their underlings through the same means.Needs Citation Beneath the captains of the Skaven forces run the mass make-up of the Clan, the Clanrat. Besides forming the rank and file of every Skaven army,[3b] they are also tasked with the daily chores and tasks within a Clan's warren. An ambitious young Clanrat has to prove his worth. A common way to climb the social ladder is to conspire against and eventually murder one's immediate superior, thereby creating a suitable opening in the social ladder. As a consequence all superiors watch their underlings carefully and try to intimidate them into fearful obedience and "remove" too ambitious ones. At the very bottom of the clan hierarchy are the innumerable Skavenslaves. While some slaves are non-Skaven, most are Skaven either born into slavery or captured from rival clans in war. These are destined to never see the light of day again as they toil their whole lives in the mines and tunnels or are sacrificed in bloody rituals to the Horned Rat.Needs Citation

In the World-that-was the largest clans held a myriad of lairs and strongholds throughout the Under-Empire, while other clans inhabited Skavenblight.[2a][2c]

See Also

Sources