Hell Pit
Contents
Overview
On the northern spur of the Worlds Edge Mountain, in the blasted wasteland known as the Troll Country, is located the infernal breeding pits of Clan Moulder. A overpopulated stronghold which burrow down into the walls and floor of a ragged chasm in a snowy mountainside. Volcanic pools at the bottom of the ravine raise a greyish plume of noxious steam, and the foul stench is incredably potent. Worse still is the dreadful cacophony of screams, cries and shrieks that constantly rise out of the frozen chasm. [2a] [4a]
The Chaos Wastes are barren around Hell Pit, save for packmasters scouring the lands for dangerous beasts to capture. Chaos monsters and mutated beasts offer the best chance for Master Moulders to extract enhancements for existing creatures, or even to create a new kind of beast. Expert hunters will trail a Manticore, Hydra or Chimera for days waiting for an opening to strike. Captured creatures are led back to Hell Pit in cages. [2a][3a]
Hell Pit Army
Master Moulders lead their most successful and horrific creations to defend Hell Pit. [4d]
- Lords: Ghoritch, Castellan of Hell Pit OR Throt the Unclean, Grey Seer. [3b]
- Heroes: Skaven Chieftain, Harbinger of Mutation, Master Moulder. [3b]
- Core: Clanrats, Giant Rats, Rat Ogres, Rat Swarms, Skavenslaves, Stormvermin, Throtlings, Wolf Rats. [3b]
- Special: Armoured Rat Ogres, Augmented Rat Ogres, Flayerkin, Mutant Rat Ogre. [3b]
- Rare: Aberration, Burrowing Behemoth, Chimaerat, Trolls. [3b]
History
c. -1450 IC (Imperial Calendar) Grey Lord Malkrit brought his followers into the wasteland and bid them burrow deep into the land. There they built a new stronghold where they could experiment of the varied warped beast that they captured from the land above. [2b]
Around -1000 IC, the Norse Dwarfs trade with less violent Norse tribes but also begin a war with Hell Pit. [5a]
The Rat Ogre was first created in Hell Pit. [2a]
The only assault on Hell Pit to gain headway occurred during the Great War against Chaos. Warrior tribes and warherds of beastmen allied in a attempt to raze Clan Moulder's capital.[2a] The Chaos armies forced their way inside the warrens, laying waste to the first three circles in a blaze of blood and ruin. The minions of the Dark Gods were halted, as innumerable Giant Rats were driven forward by Packmasters to bog down the foe. The invaders were eventually surrounded and wiped out when Throt the Unclean led an entire army of rabid Rat Orgres, many of them especially augmented, to completely clear out the tunnels and warrens. [3a]
Around 2480 IC Throt captures a Blyndwrym dragging it back to the Pit [3b] where it is force fed with warpstone and after much effort the first Hell Pit Abomination was created. [3c]
Grimgor Ironhide attacks Hell Pit with his 'Ard Boyz, fighting their way deep into the tunnels until Throt himself was forced to send a wave of Mutant Rat Ogre's against the Orc Warlord. [6a]
The northern chaos worshipping tribes began to mass and the entry/exit tunnels leading into the stronghold are barricaded. A brutal war begins with the Skaven emerging at night to attack until finally two Chaos Sorcerer's seek to speak to Throt. [6a]
They informed him that Archaon, Lord of the End Times sought a pact - he would give Clan Moulder a tribe that had failed him to which Throt agreed. [6b]
Throt leads an army from the pit to engage Aelfric Cyenwulf and his horde in 2518 IC. Cyenwulf retreats and invades Kislev instead. [3b]
Locations
Great labyrinthine tunnels of Hell Pit spiral down in nine expansive circles, worming and twisting as if they were a vast intestinal tract, all crammed with huge numbers of mutated, tormented creatures. [2a]
- Gateway: A huge iron and bone construction studded with warpstone and starving human captives. At the top are osalms that extoll the glories of Clan Moulder and warning any who enter to acandon all hope. A grey crusted river of lava runs between the gates with a great stone vessel which holds the guardian of the gates - a fell steersman with his eyes replaced by warpston. Flies and wasps sting any who linger here.
- First Circle: Cages: Just inside the gates are the raw materials for the experiments of the clan, cages filled with captives - humans, elves, dwarfs, skaven and giblins all await their fate here. [4a]
- Second Circle: Breeding Pits: Huge Halls strewn with bloody straw and infested with fleas and cockroaches. Many Brood-mothers can also be found on this level. [4a] To continue their insane crossbreeding, flesh-bonding experiments, Clan Moulder requires constantly toiling slaves and captured creatures in staggering multitudes. The nine circles of Hell Pit are rife with Breeding pits - laboratories and flesh distilleries, testing grounds and skin forges which mean that Clan Moulder can continue their quest for stable monsters to sell or rent to other clans.[2a][4a]
- Third Circle: Feast Halls: Here the clan plans their campaigns and celebrates their victories with some areas open to the sky from which warpstone tainted rain constantly falls. Throt also has his own laboratories on this level. [4a]
- Fourth Circle: Treasury: Huge vaults hild piles of glittering warpstone and mountains of precious metals, each with its own skaven accountant recording the clans wealth. [4a]
- Fifth Circle: A vast gladiatorial arena is suspended from cliff faces bu hundreds of chains. Duels are fought here before the clanrats of Moulder and Grey Seer guests, many of the losers plummet down to the next level. [4b]
- Sixth Circle: Punishment Level: The single exit is watched over by a things whose gaze can turn escapees to stone. It is ruled by Griskit, Lord of the Sludge. [4b]
- Seventh Circle: Barracks The Warlords and fiercest creatures live here with huge slime-walled tunnels which lead to the outside world. Grimgor once fought his way through them into this level. Ghoritch keeps order here. [4b]
- Eight Circle: Waste This level narrows to funnel the huge quantity of waste and it is where those who try to cheat the clan are imprisoned - melded into the twisting root that writhe and constrict. Scarskrex rules here.[4b]
- Ninth Circle: Pit Bottom: Failed experiments are discarded here where those that survive squirm, crawl and flop after each other to feed. Two cyclopean giants rule here. [2a]
Defences
If the toxic fumes don't put off an enemy's approach to Hell Pit, then perhaps the twisted death throes of failed experiments will. These shambling, still mutating beasts are rejected from the warrens to spend their last miserable days howling in agony amidst the barren rocks, attacking anything they happen to sense. Despite such defences, Hell Pit is regularly attacked. Every few generations a boastful over-reaching champion of the savage tribes attempts to conquer the sprawling stronghold. Warriors of Chaos may be individually mighty, but the assaults are foolish, daring to assail the overwhelming numbers housed under the streaming vents of Hell Pit. Merciless death awaits the lucky. [3a]
Inhabitants
Gallery
Quotes
Unmentionable unions that could drive a witness insane are the bread and butter of this realm, and it is better not to dwell on such practices. |
Sources
- 1: Warhammer: Thanquol: Book 2
- 1a: Children of the Horned Rat, pg. 9
- 2: Warhammer Armies: Skaven (4th Edition)
- 2a: The Under-Empire, pg. 8
- 2b: The History of the Skaven, pg. 13
- 3:Warhammer Armies: Skaven (7th Edition)
- 4:White Dwarf 311 (UK)
- 5: Sea of Claws (book)
- 5a: Sea of Claws Timeline, pg. 6-7
- 6: White Dwarf 290 (UK)