WARHAMMER ARMIES -
SKAVEN

THE COUNCIL OF 13:

Description of the Council of Thirteen
The Council of Thirteen is the greatest and most feared authority in all of Skavendom. With such esteemed membership as the Horned Rat himself at the head, it's no surprise the breadth of it's authority. None may challenge the authority of the Council of Thirteen.

The greatest problem involving the Council is the Council itself. The Council has twelve members, with the thirteenth position being filled symbolically by the Horned Rat himself. The Council was set up by the Horned Rat two centuries ago, according to the dictates engraved on the Pillar of Commandments. The members of the Council are known as the Lords of Decay. The Council is organized in a circle of power, with the Horned Rat at the thirteenth and highest position. The position of the seats is numbered in a circle from the seat to the left of the Horned Rat, known as the first seat, around the circle until it ends at the seat on the Horned Rats right, the seat number twelve. The closer on either side of the circle, the more power the occupant holds in the Council. The position on either side of the Horned Rat are the most powerful, these seats are the first and twelfth seat.

When the Council needs to decide on a motion, action, decree or referendum, the Council will vote. Each Lord of Decay may vote in favor, or abstain. When a Lord of Decay abstains from a vote, it vetoes the vote of it's "opposite number" in the Council. The opposite numbers are Seats 1 and 12, 2 and 11, 3 and 10, 4 and 9, 5 and 8, and 6 and 7. This system of opposing votes with vetoes by equally powerful members of the Council can be paralyzing. Long before a motion comes to a vote, the political battle begins. Bargaining of all sorts, threats, blackmail, applying political and military pressure, bribery, slander, begging, plotting, conspiring and any other means to pass a vote, or to block an enemies vote. The alliances are always changing, and the Lords of Decay see no problem in exercising outside pressure to influence the Council.

All too often the political maneuvering and plotting began before the motion was even placed before the Council. Lords of Decay will manipulate and interfere with Clan matters to influence or alter conditions that the Council will meet upon, and rivals will seek to counter these moves by using other Clans to prevent further plotting or progress. By playing beyond the Council chambers they hope to serve their own ends. The subterfuge played within and without the Council Chambers is unsurpassed anywhere else in the Old World.

Duties and Powers of the Council of Thirteen
The Council is supposed to serve numerous functions. It serves as the absolute head of the Cult of the Horned Rat. All (or at least most) Grey Seers obey and serve as minions to the Council. The Council relies on the Cult as the source of it's best servants. It may demand the service of any Clan represented by it, but it simply can't trust or rely on such dubious allies. The Council also maintains a large number of Skaven agents.

The Council also functions as the highest Legislative and Mediating authority in Skavendom. All decisions and decrees from the Council are final. There can be no higher appeal other than the Horned Rat himself.

The Council also wields a great degree of economic control. With all the Warpstone Tithes coming from the individual Represented Member Clans, and the holdings of Warpstone Reserves, they wield considerable influence.

The Council and it's servants are the only group allowed to interact or deal with the above ground dwellers. Although this is law, many Clans do get away with secretive actions such as raids, abductions, or small trade transactions, but all these are heretical transgressions and punishable by death. Despite the punishments, this law is often violated.

Finally, the Council can draw on the military strength of any Clans to provide them with a certain amount of troops. Such troops though, are often the worse, and the strain in controlling large groups of troops from different Clans is to awkward to employ on a regular basis.

Despite all the legislative, economic, military and religious authority, the Council simply can't control all the happens in the Skaven Under-Empire, much less all of Skavendom. Skaven society is just far too dispersed and spread out to administer with that degree of authority. The divisions and plotting of the Council further complicate the already complex issues.

Current Members of the Council Of Thirteen
The current Lords of Decay have all held their seats for at least the last two centuries. They are organized by their seating. Listed not by their power, but by the numerical arrangement of their positions.

Seat One-Lord Kritslik the Seerlord
Seat Two-Greylord Skrisnik-Warlord and Seer of Clan Skrisnik
Seat Three-Lord Sneek, Lord of Decay, Nightlord of Clan Eshin
Seat Four-Lord Paskrit, Warlord-General of all Skavendom
Seat Five-Lord Kratch Doomclaw-Clan Warlord of Clan Rictus
Seat Six-Lord Gnawdwell-Clan Warlord of Clan Mors
Seat Seven-Lord Vittrik
Seat Eight-Arch Plaguelord Nurglitch of Clan Pestilens
Seat Nine-Lord Verminkin, Packlord of Clan Moulder
Seat Ten-Lord Azarskittar-Greylord of the Southlands
Seat Eleven-Lord Burr-Keeper of the Temple
Seat Twelve-Lord Morskittar-Lord Warlock of Clan Skryre

Skaven and Council Dealings with Humanity
The Skaven find humanity to be intelligent, yet greedy, and utterly willing pawns. The Council of Thirteen often, through it's agents, interact and manipulate human affairs for their own benefit. Human's may be approached by other trusted human Skaven agents, with simple tasks or jobs. By this means the Skaven will often acquire items or tome of great power of influence. They may keep these items, or barter and trade them with greedy humans for even more important items or information. The Skaven also acquire human wealth in coins, gold, and gems with which to entice humans. They will only deal with completely corrupt and evil humans. Others will be manipulated by their proxies. The Skaven through sorcery and stealth, can easily attain a wealth of information to set up or blackmail those they seek to use or dispose of.

Those humans who are a threat to Skaven, will often be abducted at night by the Skaven, and dragged down to hidden tunnels and lairs beneath the sewers, never to be seen again. Those less worthy of this treatment, are merely harassed or intimidated by human Skaven agents.

These humans who are Skaven agents are often people obsessed with power and secrets, easily trapped by the Skaven into a vicious circle of blackmail, delusions, power, and wealth. A few of these humans are actually Cultists who become worshippers of the Horned Rat, seeking the power and influence and the blessing of the Horned Rat. They hope to escape what will befall the rest of humanity when the Skaven shall inherit the earth. Their hopes and fervent prayers are useless, of course, but these wretched men are little more than puppets to the Skaven.

The Skaven often use fake businesses under the control of human agents to acquire Warpstone. These items are smuggled secretly to cities under the guise of alchemical ingredients where they will be eagerly secreted away by the Skaven.

Only the Council of Thirteen and the Cult of the Horned Rat are allowed to authorize interaction with humans, but this edict is often ignored, and the Council and Cult, aware of it, bide their time to blackmail or expose the Clans that are violating the edicts at a time when it serves their purposes.

SKAVEN RELIGION:

The Horned Rat is the deity of the Skaven, he is a mighty Chaos Power and gnaw at the fabric of the universe. He and stand for spreading diseases and corruption and like vermin his Skaven erupt over the world in fits of rage and destruction. The symbol of the Horned Rat is often painted upon shields and armour of Skaven Warriors and on the robes of Grey Seers. The Horned Rat's associated number is thirteen.

All Skaven within the Underground Empire worship the Horned Rat. However isolated Clans or Skaven renegades may turn to worshipping other Chaos gods and it is quite common to find small bands serving in Chaos warbands, under Chaos Champions often a Champion of the Horned Rat. There are also many Humans who offer him prayers and sacrifice. These Human followers can be found throughout the cities of the Empire and Bretonnia, where they serve as spies for the Skaven or gather Warpstone. They hope to be spared when the Horned Rat walks the earth and willingly perform any order they get from the Council of Thirteen or the Order of Grey Seers who are the only ones allowed to deal with these cults.

Needless to say Humans, Dwarfs and Elves see the Horned Rat as their enemy, or rather as the Chaos Power he is and therefore their sworn enemy. These races make little distinquish between the many powers, but only see Chaos as a formless mass. The other Chaos Powers wiev the Horned Rat as a rival, though Tzeentch enjoy the plotting and scheeming and Nurgle and Clan Pestilen share a common base in diseases. The Chaos Powers are not above allying with the Horned Rat to pursue their own goals or to wreck havoc on the lands of man, dwarh or elf.

The only holy day of the Horned Rat is Vermintide, which is also the day of the Horned Rats incarnation. Hundreds of slaves are sacrificed in terrible and foul rituals to the Horned Rat. However a few rituals are performed when Morrslieb is full.

Failing the Horned Rat, the Council of Thirteen, or the the Order of Grey Seers usually results in death. This is also the punishment for any Skaven who disobeys or cross a representative of the council. However it is more important that someone is punished then that the right Skaven is punished. The council and its agents will ofteb overlook the failings of a Powerful Skaven, on the other hand a Skaven that have fallen in status will often find himself accused and swiftly executed.

Temples
The main temple of the Horned Rat lie in Skavenblight and is the birthsite of the Skaven race. At the very centre of Skavenblight stand a single, cloud-piercing tower. The tower reaches towards the heavens and around it lie a great tremple. The tower is crowned by a great bell, its clang ring over the city and remind the Skaven that their master is watching them. The temple is shrouded in a cold mist and hide all but the outline of the temple. The tower was built of white marble but is now cracked blackened with the smoke of forge and the blood from countless sacrifices. This is also the meeting place for the Council of Thirteen and the home of the Order of Grey Seers. The order guard the tower and the Pillar of Commandments, which was placed there by the Horned Rat during his physical manifestation.

Most Skaven stronghold maintain a temple of varying size and there are lots of shrines in the numerous lairs. The size of a temple depend of the power and rank of the Grey Seer in charge of it. The higher the rank the bigger the temple and the more assistants and guards will there be. However the rank itself is not the key factor. Only a powerful, and thus high ranked Grey Seer, will be able to be assigned control of the temple. The higher the rank of a Grey Seer the more personal guards and control of lesser Warlord clans he will have. An Apprentice Grey Seer is often sent to run a shrine in a remote lair, often to regain of the Warlord clan residing there. It is also a test of the apprentices ability to control a situation. If the apprentice is killed the council will solve the matter with the more costly solution of sending a loyal clan to recapture the lair and bring it under the Councils command once again. Sometimes an apprentice is given command of a small force and is given control over the lair if he captures it.

THE ORDER OF GREY SEERS:

The Grey Seers are the Horned Rat's representatives and servants among Skaven society. They are free of all Clan loyalties, and answer only to the Council of Thirteen and the Horned Rat himself. Grey Seers are highly respected and feared in Skaven society, few dare to interfere in Grey Seer activities and even fewer would think to attack the Grey Seer as any intervention in Grey Seer affairs is immediately punishable by death.

ORGANISATION OF THE ORDER OF GREY SEERS
Young skaven flock outside the gates of the Shattered Tower hoping to gain entry to the Horned Ones service. At irregular intervalls the gates are opened and all present Skaven are allowed in, this is the first test of the candidates precognition skill. Many Skaven wait for days outside the gates, not wanting to spill their chanse by sneaking off to eat, they succumb to thirst and starvation long before the gates are opened, however sometimes a Skaven may get lucky. Inside the temple they are confronted with the Test of Death, one by one they have to divine which door, among thirteen, that lead to the Sanctum of the Horned Rat. The other doors lead into the Chambers of Certain Doom. The potential Candidates step into the Sanctum and is welcomed by a Senior Grey Seers and as he is told that he have passed the test to become an aprentice screams, can be heard in distant chambers. As the Apprentices lives their next decade inside the temple they perform minor duties, assist in rituals and ceremonies They study the Doctrines of the Cult of the Horned Rat, as well as penetrating the secrets of the realm of magic. They taste the warpstone snuff that send delightful visions of carnage and death dancing through their brains. They learn the secret rituals that hone their precognitive powers, allowing them to tear the veil of the future. They master the secret arts of diviniation that reveal the plotting of their foes and learn arcane spells that are capable of slaying whole armies.

INITIATION AS GREY SEER
The total number of Grey Seers are always fixed at 169 Seers and an Apprentice may not become one until a seat is vacant through the death of its holder. This causes much plotting from the Apprentices and many divination runes are cast trying to singled out the weakest Grey Seer so that a seat may be vacant. If the Grey Seer is missing an Apprentice is not promoted until after 6 months after the presumed death of the Grey Seer, often a Grey Seer is missing in battle or lost on a mission. Sometimes a "deceased" Grey Seer returns and find his seat taken, the unfortunate Apprentice is lucky if he is killed instantly.

Once a seat is vacanted, the oldest Apprentice is given the right to demand to be initiated. This do not take place until the day after the announcement that the sear is vacant and thus the rate of accidents and assassinations increase. The Apprentices must rely on their diviantion skill to survive assassination attempts as well as their skill in striking at their foes before they strike at them. When their time comes the candidate are set to overcome the Thirteen Circles of Initiation, leathal tests of faith and magical potential, and walk blindfolded through the Maze of Inevitable Death. The Apprentice must answer question on the Doctrine, recite liturges and succesfully divine the safe route through traps. If he fails but one test he is fed to the rats and the skeleton hung outside the study chambers as a reminder of the consequences of failure to the Apprentices. If the Apprentice fails the next oldest Apprentice is given the right to demand to be iniated, many Apprentices secretely perform rituals that will ruin thier brother Apprentices chanses of success. The end part of the initiation take place inside the Shattered Tower as the candidate step out of the Maze and as his blindfold is removed he gaze up into the welcoming eyes of a Grey Seer Lord. The Apprentice is lead into the holiest place of Skavenblight, the room where stands the Pillar of Commandments. Enscribed, by the Horned Rat himself, upon its thirteen sides is the 169 commandments that define the laws of Skavendom. The Grey Seers make the candidates abase themself before the Pillar of Commandments and give him his equipment and formal title of Grey Seer Champion. The equipment of a Grey Seer are the Sacred Robes, light grey to match the wearers fur and inscribed with protective runes; the Grey Seer Staff with the rune-sign of the Horned Rat and a Seal of Cult Authority. The new Grey Seer is set at running a temple of the Horned Rat or to assist a higher ranked Grey Seers. In case of political power he has the last say in Cult matters and must only listen to higher ranking Grey Seers or Council Authorities, in reality they only rule ceremonies and rituals. Though their title is Grey Seer Champion, non-Grey Seers address them as Grey Seers and higher ranking Grey Seers address them as Apprentice Champions. To progress the Grey Seer Champion must have succesfully performed a number of missions for the Council of Thirteen. Grey Seer Champions compete with and intriuge against their brother Grey Seer Champions for missions that will give them a higher chanse of succeding and earning the approval of the feared Council of Thirteen. When the Skaven have claimed the title of Grey Seer Master he is given access to the inner chambers of the major temples. His political power is increased as he is given limited authority as a representative of the Council of Thirteen, he may be overruled by local rulers, but his rule in Cult Matters may only be challenged by a higher ranking Grey Seer or a member of the Council of Thirteen. A Seal of lesser Council Authority is incorporated in the Grey Seers Cult Authority. The highest title is that of Grey Seer Lord and nominations are only accepted by the Council of Thirteen themselves. A Grey Seer Lord wield the undisputible political power as a Council Authority and is given a Seal of Council Authority, the mere sight of it causes lower Skaven to tend to his every need and obey every command. Not even the Council of Thirteen may overrule them in Cult matters, and they often make personal matters Cult matters. The supreme ruler is the Seerlord and he is elected by the Grey Seer Lords from their own rank, he need to have a strong political base as well as the ability to predict the future in order to further the wishes of the Horned Rat as well as the goals of the Order.

MEETINGS OF THE ORDER OF GREY SEERS
Grey Seers attend great meeting to discuss religous or mundane matters and a final desiscion in an issue is not taken until a vote have been done. Each Grey Seer vote with their seals, Grey Seer Champions have Seal of Cult Authority, a Grey Seer master have a combined seal of Cult and Lesser Council Authority, while a Grey Seer lord have two; a seal of Cult Authority (combined with a seal of Lesser Council Authority) and a Seal of Council Authority. This means that the Grey Seer Lords often swing an issue in their favour if they can persuade some lower Grey Seers to vote with them. The Seer Lord, the supreme leader of the Order of Grey Seers, also hold the Seal of Grand Lord so he have three votes.

Title Number Votes
Seer Lord 1 3
Lords 40-45 2
Masters 40-45 1
Champions 80-90 1
Total 169

DESCRIPTION OF THE GREY SEERS
Anyone that survives the Test of Death becomes an Apprentice. They have to divine which door, among thirteen, that lead to the Sanctum of the Horned Rat. The other doors lead into the Chambers of Certain Doom. They then live their next decade inside the temple where they perform minor duties, assist in rituals and ceremonies They study the Doctrines of the Cult of the Horned Rat, as well as penetrating the secrets of the realm of magic. They taste the warpstone snuff that send delightful visions of carnage and death dancing through their brains. They learn the secret rituals that hone their precognitive powers, allowing them to tear the veil of the future. They master the secret arts of diviniation that reveal the plotting of their foes and learn arcane spells that are capable of slaying whole armies.

The total number of Grey Seers are always fixed at 169 Seers and an Apprentice may not become one until a seat is vacant through the death of its holder. This causes much plotting from the Apprentices and many divination runes are cast trying to singled out the weakest Grey Seer so that a seat may be vacant. Once a seat is vacanted, the oldest Apprentice is given the right to demand to be initiated. This do not take place until the day after the announcement that the sear is vacant and thus the rate of accidents and assassinations increase. The Apprentices must rely on their diviantion skill to survive assassination attempts as well as their skill in striking at their foes before they strike at them. When their time comes the candidate are set to overcome the Thirteen Circles of Initiation, leathal tests of faith and magical potential, and walk blindfolded through the Maze of Inevitable Death. The Apprentice must answer question on the Doctrine, recite liturges and succesfully divine the safe route through traps. If he fails but one test he is fed to the rats and the skeleton hung outside the study chambers as a reminder of the consequences of failure to the Apprentices. If the Apprentice fails the next oldest Apprentice is given the right to demand to be iniated, many Apprentices secretely perform rituals that will ruin thier brother Apprentices chanses of success. The end part of the initiation take place inside the Shattered Tower as the candidate step out of the Maze and as his blindfold is removed he gaze up into the welcoming eyes of a Grey Seer Lord. The Apprentice is lead into the holiest place of Skavenblight, the room where stands the Pillar of Commandments. Enscribed, by the Horned Rat himself, upon its thirteen sides is the 169 commandments that define the laws of Skavendom. The Grey Seers make the candidates abase themself before the Pillar of Commandments and give him his equipment and formal title of Grey Seer Champion. The equipment of a Grey Seer are the Sacred Robes, light grey to match the wearers fur and inscribed with protective runes; the Grey Seer Staff with the rune-sign of the Horned Rat and a Seal of Cult Authority. A Grey Seer Champion is set at running a temple of the Horned Rat or to assist a higher ranked Grey Seers. Though their title is Grey Seer Champion, non-Grey Seers address them as Grey Seers and higher ranking Grey Seers address them as Apprentice Champions. In case of political power he has the last say in Cult matters and must only listen to higher ranking Grey Seers or Council Authorities, in reality they only rule ceremonies and rituals. To progress the Grey Seer Champion must have succesfully performed a number of missions for the Council of Thirteen. Grey Seer Champions compete with and intriuge against their brother Grey Seer Champions for missions that will give them a higher chanse of succeding and earning the approval of the feared Council of Thirteen. When the Skaven have claimed the title of Grey Seer Master he is given access to the inner chambers of the major temples. His political power is increased as he is given limited authority as a representative of the Council of Thirteen, he may be overruled by local rulers, but his rule in Cult Matters may only be challenged by a higher ranking Grey Seer or a member of the Council of Thirteen. A Seal of lesser Council Authority is incorporated in the Grey Seers Cult Authority. The highest title is that of Grey Seer Lord and nominations are only accepted by the Council of Thirteen themselves. A Grey Seer Lord wield the undisputible political power as a Council Authority and is given a Seal of Council Authority, the mere sight of it causes lower Skaven to tend to his every need and obey every command. Not even the Council of Thirteen may overrule them in Cult matters, and they often make personal matters Cult matters. The supreme ruler is the Seerlord and he is elected by the Grey Seer Lords from thei own rank, he need to have a strong political base as well as the ability to predict the future in order to further the wishes of the Horned Rat as well as the goals of the Order. The equipment of a Grey Seer are the Sacred Robes, light grey to match the wearers fur and inscribed with protective runes; the Grey Seer Staff with the rune-sign of the Horned Rat and a Seal of Cult Authority. When the Grey Seer progress in the hiearchy more seals are added. When he becomes a Grey Seer Master a Seal of lesser Council Authority is incorporated in the Grey Seers Cult Authority, when he becomes a Grey Seer Lord he is given a Seal of Council Authority. The Seerlord himself also hold the Seal of Grand Lord that mark him as the supreme leader of the Order.

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