Skaven managed to burrow into it with Warp Grinders and tunneling machines led and designed by Ikit Claw (because it was sitting on a lake of Death Magic). And three Warp Bombs collapsed it's foundations entirely. They were going to use more, but the guards threatened to destroy them so Ikit set those already in place to blow and skedaddled.
Skaven managed to burrow into it with Warp Grinders and tunneling machines led and designed by Ikit Claw (because it was sitting on a lake of Death Magic). And three Warp Bombs collapsed it's foundations entirely. They were going to use more, but the guards threatened to destroy them so Ikit set those already in place to blow and skedaddled.
So instead of destroying it like in canon we steal it from under Nagash's nose?
I don't know, I fear the thing is so intrinsically intertwined with Nagash that even if we managed to pull it off, we could never use it to its full potential.
So instead of destroying it like in canon we steal it from under Nagash's nose?
I don't know, I fear the thing is so intrinsically intertwined with Nagash that even if we managed to pull it off, we could never use it to its full potential.
Stealing for anything longer than it takes to study and blow up is likely a bad idea.
The best bet is do a college-style cram session of it and copy as much information as we can before turning it and Nehekara to a radioactive wasteland instead of just a regular wasteland.
I mean, copying it's info isn't the only solution.
We could always run there and do what Nagash wanted to do, absorb it's power for ourself. Alternatively, if that's too scary, sacrifice it to the Great Horned One.
It's a lot of power to just let go to waste, it would be nifty to use the power but not the object.
I mean, copying it's info isn't the only solution.
We could always run there and do what Nagash wanted to do, absorb it's power for ourself. Alternatively, if that's too scary, sacrifice it to the Great Horned One.
It's a lot of power to just let go to waste, it would be nifty to use the power but not the object.
The issue with that is that it's within spitting distance of Khemri. Such an action would attract attention. It's just not worth it with all the other stuff to devote the resources and effort needed to get it done relatively efficiently and without overt issue.
Although, I mean, for all I know, given the Horned Rat's themes of ruin, destruction and decay, we could have the Grey Seers do the appropriate rites and tunes on some Glass Orbs, "may the ruins born from these weapons be taken unto the Realm of Ruin, into the paws of the Horned One." or something like that.
Creating ruin while throwing it into the Warp plus some magical preparations might well equal giving it to the Horned Rat.
Mmm, with permission from Xantalos, and given there is a certain relevance to it, I'm posting a little thing I've created.
The project was meant to empower to Verminlords, whom I've always had a fondness for, up to something more capable and in-line with Greater Daemons, but via direct and indirect feats and inferences. As such, every change is based on stuff that was directly written in various content (well, I say various but it was all from the End Times content where they premiered) all of the relevant quotes are at the bottom. Feel free to ask me, if you wish, what change/upgrade came from what statement, I'm happy to elaborate.
Let's start with the most common, the Verminlord Warbringers.
Verminlord Warbringers:
M 8
WS 8
BS 4
S 6
T 6
W 6
I 10
A 6
LD 8
Level 4 Wizard, one spell must be Death Frenzy, remainder of spells are from Lore of Ruin or Lore of Plague. May re-roll failed casting attempts when attempting to cast Death Frenzy.
Verminous Fury: All Skaven within 24" of are Stubborn. Skaven units, including ones that the Warbringer is embedded into, within 13" of the Warbringer are subject to Frenzy after two turns of being in such a radius.
Strength from the Many: If the Warbringer is embedded in a unit of Skaven at least three ranks deep, it's WS and S are raised by 1.
Bloodstone Armor: 4+ Armor Save that cannot be affected by Strength modifiers
Immune to Psychology, Large Target, Thunderstomp/Stomp, Scurry Away!, Terror,
Daemonic Attacks (all attacks are magical)
Rat Daemon (affected by all rules, abilities, spells, weapons and so on that affect Daemons)
Shrouded in Darkness: Enemy units that target a Verminlord Warbringer with a shooting attack suffer a -1 To Hit modifier in addition to any other modifiers
Shadow-Walker: A Verminlord Warbringer may, if not in direct contact with an enemy unit facing it, gain the Ethereal special rule until the end of the phase and immediate move up 10" as if it were the remaining moves sub-phase. The model is unaffected by terrain hazards. The model may not move into base contact with any enemy models. Only usable one per turn.
Protection of the Horned Rat: A model with this special rule has a 5+ Ward Save
Doom Glaive and Punch-dagger: Magic Weapon. Warpstone weapons. Paired Weapons. Attacks made from these weapons have the Killing Blow, Multiple Wounds (D3), and Flaming Attacks special rules.
Verminlord Corruptors:
M 8
WS 8
BS 4
S 6
T 6
W 6
I 10
A 5
LD 8
Level 4 Wizard, one spell must be Plague, remainder of spells are from Lore of Plague. May re-roll failed casting attempts when attempting to cast spells from the Lore of Plague. When rolling on the secondary chart after successful castings of the Plague spell, may reroll the secondary chart roll, but must accept the result of the second roll.
Immune to Psychology, Large Target, Thunderstomp/Stomp, Scurry Away!, Terror, Frenzy, Poisoned Attacks
Daemonic Attacks (all attacks are magical)
Rat Daemon (affected by all rules, abilities, spells, weapons and so on that affect Daemons)
Shrouded in Darkness: Enemy units that target a Verminlord Corruptor with a shooting attack suffer a -1 To Hit modifier in addition to any other modifiers
Shadow-Walker: A Verminlord Corruptor may, if not in direct contact with an enemy unit facing it, gain the Ethereal special rule until the end of the phase and immediate move up 10" as if it were the remaining moves sub-phase. The model is unaffected by terrain hazards. The model may not move into base contact with any enemy models. Only usable one per turn.
Protection of the Horned Rat: A model with this special rule has a 5+ Ward Save
Aura of Creeping Sickness: Any models in base contact with a Verminlord Corruptor suffer -1 on all their To Hit rolls, and must roll a Toughness check each turn in combat. If failed, the models are at -1 to Strength for the duration of that turn. Clan Pestilens units in base contact roll a d6 each turn, and on a 6 have +1 to their Strength for the duration of the turn.
Living Icon of Pestilence: All Clan Pestilens models within 12" of a Verminlord Corruptor will never lose their Frenzy, even if losing combat.
Pestilent Plagued Parasites: Should any foe live long enough to close with a Verminlord Corruptor, their battle has only just begun. Living upon the greasy pelt of a Corruptor can be any number of tiny parasites, stingfleas or three-eyed mites. They bite all who approach, and infect their prey with bubonix - the flesh-bubbling disease that rots foes in minutes. The Verminlord Corruptor has an extra +D6 Attacks in close combat, worked out at WS4, S2, I3. These attacks are magical, ignore armor saves, and have Poisoned Attacks. In addition, for every point of Toughness below 4 the target possesses, the Poisoned Attacks automatically wound at one less on To Hit rolls. Thus, a T3 target will be automatically wounded on a To Hit roll of 5+, a T2 on a To Hit roll of 4+, and so on.
Plaguereapers: Magical Weapons. Attacks from these weapons are Poisoned Attacks, combining with the Verminlord Corruptor's natural Poisoned Attacks to Wound Automatically on a 5+ rather than a 6+. In addition, for every Wound an enemy takes, a Toughness test must be taken. If failed, the target loses one additional Wound, and any Scaly Skin saves are reduced by 1.
Verminlord Deceivers:
M 8
WS 8
BS 6
S 6
T 6
W 6
I 10
A 5
LD 8
Level 4 Wizard, one spell must be Skitterleap, remainder of spells are from Lore of Ruin or Lore of Plague. May re-roll failed casting attempts when attempting to cast Skitterleap.
Immune to Psychology, Large Target, Thunderstomp/Stomp, Scurry Away!, Terror, Always Strikes First, Scouts, Sneaky Infiltrators, Killing Blow
Daemonic Attacks (all attacks are magical)
Rat Daemon (affected by all rules, abilities, spells, weapons and so on that affect Daemons)
One with the Darkness: Enemy units that target a Verminlord Deceiver with a shooting attack suffer a -2 To Hit modifier in addition to any other modifiers, and cannot be charged, shot at, or targeted specifically by spells unless the attacking unit first rolls a D6 result of 3+.
Shadow-Walker: A Verminlord Deceiver may, if not in direct contact with an enemy unit facing it, gain the Ethereal special rule until the end of the phase and immediate move up 10" as if it were the remaining moves sub-phase. The model is unaffected by terrain hazards. The model may not move into base contact with any enemy models. Only usable one per turn.
Protection of the Horned Rat: A model with this special rule has a 5+ Ward Save
Dodge: 6+ Ward Save
Hidden: A Verminlord Deceiver may be hidden in the same way as an Assassin
Warpstilleto: Magic Weapon. Attacks made with this weapon have the Armour Piercing and Poisoned Attacks special rule.
Doomstar: Magic Weapon. Ranged weapon, range 12", Strength at users, Poisoned Attacks, Quick to Fire, Arcing Death (makes as many shots as the number of models in the front rank of the unit that are within range)
Verminlord Warpseers:
M 8
WS 8
BS 4
S 6
T 6
W 6
I 10
A 5
LD 8
Level 4 Wizard with Loremaster in the Lores of Ruin and Plague. During each magic phase, roll a D6 after rolling for Winds of Magic and Channeling. On a 5+, generate an extra power dice.
Lightning Struck, the Vermin Swarmed, and the World Shook: When casting Warp Lightning, a Verminlord Warpseer always counts as rolling a 6 when determining how many hits the spell causes. When casting Cracks Call, roll on a 5D6, with buildings, war machines, and chariots required to reroll successful rolls to not be destroyed (requiring a 5+). When casting When casting Vermintide, all units touched by the template suffer 4D6 Strength 2 Hits, rather than 3D6, and all hits ignore armor saves.
A Voice Steeped in Deception: All enemy models in base contact with a Verminlord Warpseer must roll a Leadership test to attack.
Immune to Psychology, Large Target, Thunderstomp/Stomp, Scurry Away!, Terror,
Daemonic Attacks (all attacks are magical)
Rat Daemon (affected by all rules, abilities, spells, weapons and so on that affect Daemons)
Shrouded in Darkness: Enemy units that target a Verminlord Warpseer with a shooting attack suffer a -1 To Hit modifier in addition to any other modifiers.
Shadow-Walker: A Verminlord Warpseer may, if not in direct contact with an enemy unit facing it, gain the Ethereal special rule until the end of the phase and immediate move up 10" as if it were the remaining moves sub-phase. The model is unaffected by terrain hazards. The model may not move into base contact with any enemy models. Only usable one per turn.
Protection of the Horned Rat: A model with this special rule has a 5+ Ward Save
Doom Glaive: Magic Weapon. Attacks made with this weapon have the Multiple Wounds (D3) special rule
Scry-orb (Enchanted Item) A Verminlord Warpseer has a +1 bonus to its ward save while it carries this item. Once per game, in the Shooting phase, you may choose to throw the Scry-orb. If you do so, the bonus to its ward save is immediately lost for the rest of the game. To throw the Scry-orb, place the small round template with its centre anywhere within 12" of the Verminlord Warpseer and within its line of sight. Scatter the template using the scatter dice and a D6. Models touched by the template must pass an Initiative test or be destroyed, with no saves of any kind allowed. Remember that a 6 is always a failure. "Look Out Sir!" works as normal. All units that would otherwise be hidden from the Verminlord Deceiver are revealed at the start of the game, those that not appear on the board at the start of the game will appear where the player directing the Warpseer chooses, depending on what rules govern how they appear.
And finally, properly suited out, formed of all, but not a mere copy of all. The only Verminlord to become one prior to death. The one who embodied all aspects of the Horned Rat and the Skaven, even as he existed prior to some. Called by some the avatar of the Horned Rat.
The Rat King.
Skreech Verminking.
M 8
WS 8
BS 4
S 7
T 7
W 7
I 10
A 5
LD 9
Level 4 Wizard drawing from the Lores of Ruin and Plague, in addition to the four roll generated spells, knows the Dreaded 13th spell. MayMay reroll failed casting rolls of The Dreaded 13th.
Immune to Psychology, Large Target, Thunderstomp/Stomp, Scurry Away!, Terror, Always Strikes First,
Daemonic Attacks (all attacks are magical)
Rat Daemon (affected by all rules, abilities, spells, weapons and so on that affect Daemons)
Shadow of the Horned Rat: Enemy units that target Skreech Verminking with a shooting attack suffer a -2 To Hit modifier in addition to any other modifiers. The first time Verminking engages in close combat with a unit in a game, that unit must reroll for successful Terror tests.
The Thirteen Headed One: When casting the Dreaded 13th, all models that would be killed by the spell are turned into Clan Rats, regardless of whether the number of dice rolled of the 4d6 exceeds the number remaining in the unit. In addition, Monstrous Infantry may be targeted, however a D6 will be rolled rather than a 4d6, and units killed are turned into Rat Ogres.
Fleshshaper: Transcending the material science of Moulder with avenues that aren't quite the direct providence of the arcane Seers. Once per turn, if within 1" of a Rat Ogre, may upgrade it to a four-armed Rat Ogre Boneripper (that may be used as a mount for a character) with the following profile:
M 6
WS 4
BS 3
S 6
T 5
W 5
I 5
A 6
LD 7
Unbreakable, Terror, Large Target, Thunderstomp/Stomp
Soul-Spy: In, the Skaven can steal into anything, why not another's soul? At the beginning of each turn, nominate one character. This character must reroll successful To Hit and To Wound rolls against Skreech Verminking. If the character is in close combat with Skreech Verminking and was not nominated on the previous turn, roll opposing Leadership tests. If Verminking's is lower, the character realizes the presence of the rat in his soul and resists, removing the effect.
The Rat King: All Skaven units within 13" of Skreech Verminking are Unbreakable and Immune to Psychology.
Shadow-Striding the World: Skreech Verminking may, if not in direct contact with an enemy unit facing it, gain the Ethereal special rule until the end of the phase and immediately move up 20" as if it were the remaining moves sub-phase. The model is unaffected by terrain hazards. Only usable once per turn. This model may move into base contact with enemy models.
Blessing of the Horned Rat: A model with this special rule has a 4+ Ward Save. If within 6" of a destroyed building, Ward Save failures are rerolled.
'Ere the First Bloody Cough: Before there was the plague, there was the skreech. Before there was Pestilens, there was the Verminking. A living blight before and after the aspect was incarnated in Clan Pestilens, embodying the paradox of plague before plague was. All spells of the Lore of Plague cast while Verminking is on the battlefield cannot harm (friendly) Skaven.
Bound spell, Plaguestorm: Only Skreech Verminking so completely crosses the lines of the aspects of the Horned Rat, and the religious figures at the top. Cast on 20+, targets all units (friends or enemies) within 24" of the caster, including the caster and his unit (if any). Roll a D6 for each targets unit, with enemy units affected on a 4+ and friendly units on a 2+. All affected units suffer D6 Strength 5 hits that ignore armor saves. Counts as part of both Lore of Plague and Ruin.
Ruinous Arsenal: Skreech Verminking is armed with both a single Plaguereaper and a Direglaive. Magical Weapons. Attacks are at Always Strike First, Multiple Wounds (D3) and Poisoned Attacks automatically Would on To Hit Rolls of 5+ rather than 6+. In addition, attacks ignore armor saves.
As avatars of the Horned Rat, Verminlords can call upon fell energies. Any onlooker finds that he cannot look away from the nightmarish creature, yet at the same time fervently hopes not to make eye contact. And this is wise, for even the passing attention of such an ancient and wicked being is enough to stop a man's, heart. Few dare to meet a Vermin Lord's all-seeing gaze for even an instant and none can hold it. With the power of its voice alone, a Verminlord can manipulate the weak-willed into doing almost anything. Foes upon the battlefield have laid down their weapons before a Verminlord, convinced by whispered words that this was the wisest course of action. They stare at the Verminlord trustingly as they do so - even as the doom glaive falls. The rat daemons can even call down storms of warp lightning, or disappear in a cloud of nebulous shadow only to reappear at another location In the blink of an eye.
The Verminlord Warpseers are the most inscrutable of all the rat daemons. Great leaders and visionaries, they are often found at the centre of the most complex plots. All Verminlords are manipulative, but the Warpseers bring beguilement to new levels. Every syllable whispered and every subtle nuance has been crafted to Influence an endgame that it alone can fathom. When a Verminlord Warpseer arrives in the world. It does so not with a plan, but with dozens, even hundreds of plots and intrigues - and is not through words and schemes alone that a Verminlord Warpseer will work its wiles. When it comes to the arcane arts, the Warpseers wield great power. All Verminlords can hurt black lightning, but when the Warpseers do so, it is not lone bolts that they cast but vast, arcing chains of destruction. With a stomp of their clawed foot they can open rifts, crack foundations and topple the structures of the so-called civilised world. At their command, the vermin of the world swarm, forming tidal waves of rats. So powerful is their call, that rodent kind from the shadow realms join the pack, and nothing can stop their chisel teeth, for they are able gnaw the soul from a body in seconds. Verminlord Warpseers alone can summon forth a scryorb of enormous proportions. This sphere can be used to gaze into all possible futures, allowing the Verminlord to know the unknowable and see that which is beyond sight - a powerful boon as they plot the fall of their enemies and the fate of their allies. At times of great need, the VerminlordWarpseer can hurl this swirling orb as a weapon, its destruction releasing a miasma of multiple futures and fumes of purest warpstone. Those caught within the blast are driven mad, reduced to utter feeble-mindedness by the nightmare visions they are gifted.
SPECIAL RULES: Master of Lightning: A Verminlord Warpseer always has the Warp Lightning spell from the Lore of Ruin, other spells are generated as normal. It can re-roll failed casting attempts when attempting to cast Warp Lightning. Furthermore, he always counts as rolling a 6 when determining how many hits the spell causes. MAGIC ITEMS: Scry-orb (Enchanted Item) A Verminlord Warpseer has a +1 bonus to its ward save while it carries this item. Once per game, in the Shooting phase, you may choose to throw the Scry-orb. If you do so, the bonus to its ward save is immediately lost for the rest of the game. To throw the Scry-orb, place the small round template with its centre anywhere within 12" of the Verminlord Warpseer and within its line of sight. Scatter the template using the scatter dice and a D6. Models touched by the template must pass an Initiative test or be destroyed, with no saves of any kind allowed. Remember that a 6 is always a failure. "Look Out Sir!" works as normal.
Perhaps the least seen of all Verminlords are the Deceivers. This is as they prefer it. It is not their way to barge about upon a battlefield like some clumsy warlord. Instead, their power lies in stealth. They move in clouds of shadow, obfuscating even those around them. Only when their intrigues are ripe will a Verminlord Deceiver step out of the darkness to strike. Out of nowhere they appear, moving with blurring swiftness. Into their uplifted hands they summon forth triple-bladed throwing stars. With a snap of its wrist, the Verminlord can fling the killing star, sending it to scythe down foes in a great circling arc. The flash of its passing can be seen, leaving decapitated victims and sliced off limbs in its wake. At the end of its circuitous flight, the Verminlord Deceiver will snatch it out of mid-air and throw it again in quick succession. Such is their agility, and their ability to rapidly displace themselves, that the creatures can even throw their weapon and catch it from some completely different part of the battlefield. In close combat, the Verminlord Deceivers favour the warpstiletto, a stabbing weapon the length of a man. Its steeply acuminated shape allows the blade to penetrate deeply into a foe, where its toxic nature can do the most damage with great efficiency. Whilst common soldiers might batter each other ceaselessly, with only a swift thrust from the warpstiletto a Deceiver can fell any foe, no matter how large. SPECIAL RULES: Shrouded in Darkness: Enemy units that target a Verminlord Deceiver with a shooting attack suffer a -1 To Hit modifier in addition to any other modifiers.
Verminlord Corruptors are disease given form. They are surrounded by an aura of creeping sickness, and all about them life withers away. The spreading of plague is their craft, and at their command are the worst maladies of the world. With but a malicious glance, a Verminlord Corruptor can cause foes to break out in the Roteye Pox, the Oozing Twitch or the Black Plague. There are none more malignant nor more uncompromising than these infested terrors. Of all the Verminlords, the Corruptors often have severely decayed and, consequently, the least elaborate horns - though simply mentioning this to one of these repulsive rat daemons is certain to begin a vendetta that will last an eternity. Although not above a degree of skulking, Corruptors are more likely than any other Verminlords to be at the forefront of battle. They are zealots who incite extreme hate in others, proving especially effective in goading plague monks into an extreme frenzy. More sorcerous than most of their kin, the Corruptors can call down plaguestorms, shrivel skin, or vomit forth impossible geysers of noxious poisons, should any foe live long enough to close with a Verminlord Corruptor, their battle has only just begun. Living upon the greasy pelt of a Corruptor can be any number of tiny parasites, stingfleas or three-eyed mites. They bite all who approach, and infect their prey with bubonix - the flesh-bubbling disease that rots foes in minutes. As the foe reels, the Verminlord Corruptor will then summon forth a pair of Plaguereapers, sickle-like blades which it will use to eviscerate its enemies with a savage fury. SPECIAL RULES: Plaguemaster: A Verminlord Corruptor always has the Plague spell from the Lore of Plague, other spells are generated as normal. It can re-roll failed casting attempts when attempting to cast Plague. MAGIC ITEMS: Plaguereapers (Magic Weapon) Paired Weapons. Attacks made with these weapons have the Always Strikes First
The Verminlord Warbringers are the most commonly seen of the rat daemons, and of all the Verminlords, none are so full of themselves and self-posturing. Warbringers have a fondness for dramatic entrances, such as arriving in clouds of smoke before mustered hordes of skaven. They stride the battle lines, towering over the ratmen, who cower in the presence of such majestic and terrible beings. Wherever possible they strike heroic poses, with their sinuously curving horns thrust regally outwards, and their weapons glinting in the fires of battle. All of this preening is not merely pretentiousness on the part of these Verminlords, however. Skaven - particularly Clanrats and Stormvermin - rally to the awe-inspiring sight of these godly creatures. Thus can the presence of such a Verminlord steady even the most craven force. With each colossal stride or dramatic whip of the tail, the chiltering tumult rising from the fighting hordes Increases In its intensity. Skaven who bask in that verminous presence for long enough will be overcome by a bloodthirsty. Teeth snapping rage that they long to unleash upon the foe. The Warbringers are not zealous about leading from the front; they far prefer to stride amongst a seething tide of ratmen, for they draw strength from being amongst their mortal underlings. When they reach the front line, few mortal creatures can match their speed or strength, and they cut down whole ranks at a time with great sweeps from their doom glaives. When facing larger enemies - or to deliver a dramatic coup de grace - a Warbringer will manifest an enormous spikefist, driving it through the foe and tearing out its entrails for all to see. SPECIAL RULES: Verminous Fury: A Verminlord Warbringer always has the Death Frenzy spell from the Lore of Ruin, other spells are generated as normal. It can re-roll failed casting attempts when attempting to cast Death Frenzy. MAGIC ITEMS: Doom Glaive and Punch-dagger (Magic Weapon) Paired Weapons. Attacks made with these weapons have the Killing Blow and Multiple Wounds (D3) special rules.
For an instant, Soothgnawer lost composure. Black lightning crackled. No mortal creature -not even the legendary Snikch, the so-called Deathmaster -could approach the Verminlord unawares. The Warpseer had the power to see the future and could hear thoughts. Who had done this? 'Ahhhh,' said Soothgnawer, grasping the source of the startling voice and also the unseeable shadow that had interwoven through his augurations of late. 'It is you, Lurklox. Yes-yes. Now I see. That explains much. Even I could not see how Queek found Thaxx so quickly. We could not see-scry...' Lurklox did not step out of the shadows. Instead, the sinuous creature was the shadow. He unfolded into the light. He was the knife in the dark, the thing that moved in the gloomlight. Few, mortal or immortal, had seen him and lived.
—-
A shadow moved across the valley. It flickered between the stonepiles, scurrying from place to place with a hard-to-follow quickness. Yet behind it, the blur left behind dead goblins. Metal flashed out from the pall of gloom and returned. Lurklox, perhaps the greatest of the Verminlord Deceivers had revealed itself. When moving beneath a bright sun the rat daemon would have appeared shrouded in gloom, on that overcast battlefield it was a fast-moving blur of night-black shadow. Its chief weapon was more easily seen. In quick flashes, an enormous throwing disc spun out, leaving a faint flickering trail of warpstone radiance. The razor sharp projectile arced outwards in a graceful curve, slicing down all it encountered before circling back. From out of the shadow a deft hand snatched it, only to once more send the reaping star hooking outwards. With a single circuitous toss, Lurklox cut off half of an arachnarok's legs -severing the segmented joints in a flash. The enormous spider toppled over, splintering its howdah. Volleys of arrows were directed towards the shadowy thing. With some trick of the eye, or perhaps movement beyond the ken of mortals, by the time the arrows landed, the shadowspot was no longer lurking there. The gloom manifested itself behind the spider riders, and from it stepped the Verminlord, striding into their midst like some god of battle. Eyes gleamed from behind a black mask. By blade and throwing star, spider limbs and goblin heads were soon sheared off with scalpel-like precision. Amidst the massacre, the remaining spider riders fled before the rat daemon's wrath. With his stare alone, Lurklox sent more greenskins fleeing.
—-
'You will do as I say, small creature,' said the voice, coming first from near, then from behind and then to his left, 'or I will devour you as surely as the Horned Rat himself devoured Kritislik. Arrogance is a virtue, but too much of a good thing is still too much.' Queek glanced about. Lurklox had disappeared completely; the twitching shadows that betrayed his presence were not visible. Queek felt the first stirrings of fear. He shifted on the throne, acutely aware of his musk glands for the first time in years.
—-
Only then did the grey seer notice that the Verminlord's claw¬like feet did not sink into the river of filth.
—-
'Our name is Skreech Verminking,' said the Verminlord. 'There are many of us in here.' As he spoke, Thanquol saw before him the varied aspects flicker -the contagion-ridden body of the plague priest, the shadowy assassin, the hungry hordes, the tinkering weaponsmith, the future-gazing seer. 'The ruins, the decay -they give us power. We were called here by blight and destruction,' it said, sniffing the air and craning its neck. 'And by you, Thanquol.'
—-
Thanquol had many questions, but it was difficult to speak with the Verminlord. Soon after helping the grey seer claim leadership, the unnatural being had retreated back to the shadowlands. That had been a few days ago. Since then, Thanquol had heard Skreech's voice inside his own head several times. This happened at night when the green moon was out, and when the grey seer had consumed much warpstone.
—-
If the ringing of the great bell emboldened the ratmen, the sight of the grey seer atop his enormous rat ogre sent them into a frenzied rapture. Or so Thanquol thought. Although its presence remained mysteriously shrouded, there was something else alongside Thanquol. It was something larger and more powerful still. Though mystically shielded from sight, the verminous majesty of its merest shadow was wild inspiration for the skaven. The army surged forward again.
—-
With outstretched arms and hateful maledictions that burnt the ears of those that heard, Skreech called forth a plague storm. The smog thickened, congealing into a sickly green. Lightning forked as the skies opened up with a rain of filth. Men burned beneath that corrosive deluge, their flesh running like necrotic slurry, sloughing off to reveal rancid bone beneath. To the Children of the Horned Rat, the rain was an unholy baptism. It healed their hurts and filled them with unnatural vitality. Not done yet, Skreech disappeared into shadow, reappearing before the Amber wizard, fearsome weapon raised. Even as Quickclaw's twin griffon heads looked up from mauling clanrats, the doom glaive -a glowing warpstone-infused halberd -came down. It clove through Berndt Aberwold and drove deep into the monster's breast. The handscythe blow that followed swept both the griffon's heads off at once.
—-
Rising up to his towering height, the Verminlord gazed upon Thanquol and then looked east. 'No-no, another doom awaits them. First we must skitterleap to Skavenblight, little horned one. Then to the lair of the Iizard-things,' said Skreech. TheVerminlord tittered, as if enjoying a private joke. 'Perhaps not long near the lizard-things' lair.' Growing used to cryptic asides, Thanquol knew better than to ask further details. Amidst the ruins, the Verminlord had grown larger, his corporal form more solid. 'The skitterleap across the man-things' city was the longest I have done, oh Greatest of Verminlords,' said Thanquol. 'We will show you,' said Verminking. The Verminlord drove down his doom glaive. Once again, Thanquol felt himself folded into willpower, moving in blackness. When Thanquol opened his eyes he stood amidst the overcrowded and lopsided streets of Skavenblight.
—-
Thanquol cringed, for the second Verminlord was a Corruptor, and disease bristled upon the ends of its beslimed fur. The air grew pungent with rot.
—-
These were not just Verminlords that aided Clan Pestilens -they were Pestilent Reapers. They were as different from other Verminlords as the boil-ridden plague monks were from the other clans. For those not blessed with disease-thickened hides, simply to gaze upon the sickly malevolence of these rat daemons was enough to cause outbreaks of seeping pox or fill lungs with phlegmy fluids. The Verminlord Corruptors were the ultimate carriers of sickness and disease, walking epidemics. Defilement dripped from their claws. In their raspy voices could be heard a viscid bubbling, and their words seemed to have an infectious quality -they seeped into the brain, overwhelming it with feverish zeal. When summoned, the Verminlords set alight the rampant fervour of Clan Pestilens. The sound of chanting plague monks accompanied these Cullers of Civilisations as they strode into the jungle. There was no difficulty a Verminlord could not handle. With uplifted arms, they brought down plaguestorms, raining filth upon the primeval forests. Others vomited forth geysers of impurities, or turned rivers to sludge with their touch. With their befouled blessings, a Verminlord could grant great power to the plague monks that followed them, and although they showed a reluctance to close with the foes themselves, when roused to great wrath, the Corruptors were terrible to behold. They fought with handscythes, each of which trailed an unnatural shimmer -as if they infected the very air. A single slice from such a blade could turn a reptilian monster to a pitiable and withered thing. Many such cold¬blooded beasts burst out of the forest, roaring their challenges, only to limp and drag themselves back into the undergrowth, leaving behind a trail of scales that sloughed off their besickened bodies. When Lord Blistrox was ambushed upon the Trail of Bones, he called forth a Verminlord. Hemmed in by the thick jungle, the skaven had found themselves subjected to hit and run attacks from all angles. When the hunched form of the Verminlord arose from its summoning triangles, it heard the plaguelord's pleas. In answer to the ambushing skinks, the Verminlord sent forth clouds of corruption -roiling masses of death. Before that miasma, the verdant sea of jungle blackened and collapsed for as far as the eye could see. With their covering canopy gone, it was possible to see the skinks that had lain in wait -now fallen to the ground, twitching out their painful ends.
—-
Lifting the impaled plaguelord above him, Kroq-Gar roared to the heavens. As he did so, Vermalanx the Corrupt manifested before the warleader. Incensed at the sight of his favoured one skewered upon Kroq-Gar's spear, Vermalanx screeched out pure hatred. The Verminlord's maw stretched wide, yawning like a dark pit before it shot vomitous streams of contamination. The entire temple guard cohort behind Kroq-Gar was engulfed, shrivelling instantly, leaving behind only wrinkled hides bubbling amidst puddles of foul-smelling effluent. The vileness washed over Kroq-Gar too, he stumbled to his knee, dropping his spear and its impaled victim. The Verminlord did not finish off the lizardmen warleader, but sprang to Lord Skrolk's side. Vermalanx ripped out the shaft, his hands burning at the touch of the honoured weapon. Chanting words from the Liber Bubonicus that he had written himself long ago, Vermalanx kneaded the gaping slash in Skrolk's chest. Already the wound filled with malignant new growth, new tumours sealing the hole. The Verminlord lifted up the Clan Pestilens lord and disappeared in a cloud of blackness. None -not even plague monks -dared step through the puddled remnants of Vermalanx's bile. The noisome liquid melted flagstones, and sent up fumes that could stun a stegadon.
—
Verminking transported himself and his seer ally directly to their destination, appearing upon the very edge of the city-sized northlander camp. The Verminlord had come veiled in shadow, a fell presence that lurked, not quite visible, behind a shifting shield of darkness. This left the grey seer to cower in Boneripper's massive shadow as northlander sentries bellowed their challenges.
—-
Behind the veil, there are truths your mortal eyes cannot perceive.' The seer raised his snout and realised it was the daemon speaking. Its staff clacked against the ground, tapping like that of a blind man. Yet its heads both stared accusingly at the envoys, darting between Thanquol and Boneripper, and the shadow-wreathed being that lurked in their wake. The bird daemon croaked a guttural syllable. There was a searing flash, and Verminking was revealed as his shadow glamour tattered away. The towering Verminlord froze, motionless as a statue while both the Lord of Change's heads cackled once again. Already the Swords of Chaos were rising, drawing their blades at the sight of the many-horned rat daemon.
—-
'What should I see?' asked Thanquol, as he stared into the swirling scry-orb Verminking produced out of nowhere. 'Doom. Yes-yes. Doom which will lead to your ascension,' said Verminking. This did not exactly answer Thanquol's question. He had no idea how the swirling clouds within the orb amounted to doom or, indeed, his ascension. The grey seer was about to question the Verminlord further when the thick mists of the globe coalesced into an image. The image of a dwarf-thing...
—-
It had taken Deathmaster Snikch -greatest of all assassins -huge efforts to reach the peak of Karaz-a-Karak undetected. The blades he clutched were warpforged, each triple blessed by the retchings of the Verminlord Lurklox.
—-
With a chittering shriek, the Verminlord summoned the seething rats of Middcnheim's sewers. They emerged from grates and outlet pipes; from amongst the rubble of the guildhouse's buildings. The squealing tide flooded beneath the embattled stormvermin, and swept across the orcs and elves. Razor-sharp claws tore at pale elven flesh and thick orcish hide;
—-
might see them too.' 'You dishonour us,' said Lurklox. One could never quite catch sight of the assassin, he was so swathed in shadow.
—-
Through the reek of battle came no slaves. Instead the smoke curled around a great shape, horned and tall as a giant. Light warped around it, as if recoiling from the unnatural beast, shrouding it in a flickering darkness.
—-
The rat-daemon strode forwards. Jabbering in some unholy tongue, it swept its glaive in a wide arc, allowing its hand to slip far towards the counterweight at the bottom, and extending its reach to well over fifteen feet. Trailing green fire, the weapon impacted the first portcullis with a thunderous clash. The steel was sundered, deadly shrapnel from its destruction slicing into the ranks of irondrakes.
—-
Handgun fire from embrasures in the walls joined the shorter-ranged bursts of the irondrakes. All were stopped by the cloak of shadow that wreathed the daemon.
—-
The verminlord struck again, thrusting with the point of its glaive, spear fashion. The rune of eternity blazed again, but the warpmetal –greenish black and as unearthly as its owner –slid through the protective magic. The great strength of theverminlord punched it through the Armour of Skaldour, ripping open Thorgrim's side. The poisonous pain of warp contamination burned in his blood,
—-
It had only been a week since the battle of Granite Gates, when Thorgrim had taken a blow from a doom glaive. It had penetrated the Armour of Skaldour, the warpmetal glancing off his ribs. The posturing, red-armoured Verminlord
—-
The assassin leapt as Thorgrim began to turn, drawing two long daggers that wept black poisons. It drove them down, putting all its momentum into the strike with a victorious squeal. The blades shattered upon the Armour of Skaldour, and Thorgrim dispatched the creature, opening its body from collarbone to crotch with the Axe of Grimnir.
—/
At the time Thorgrim was more concerned with his armour -it was of ancient make and the skills to repair it were lost. Only later, after the battle, would he realise how deep the blade had cut him. Worse, the injury was not healing. Moving was agony.
—-
'This is the culmination of many scheme-plans. Deathmaster Snikch delivers the final blow to the dwarf-thing's empire. It has taken him long-long to work his way to the top of Beard-Thing Mountain-place. No other but he and Lurklox could have achieved it.' 'The king's armour…' began Thanquol doubtfully. 'He bears new knives, they are warpforged, each triple blessed by the retchings of the Verminlord Lurklox, Master of All Deceptions. They can slice through gromril as easily as incisors sink into a corpse. He will not fail, now hush, and watch!'
------
'Valten, behind you,' Martak roared, flinging up his hands. With almost treacle-slowness, Valten and Archaon both turned. The triple blade hissed as it whipped through the air and struck Valten cleanly in the neck. The Herald of Sigmar made a sound like a sigh as his head tumbled from his shoulders. Archaon lunged forward and caught his body as it fell, roaring in outrage. From the darkness came a sound like the scurrying of myriad rats, and a whisper of mocking laughter. Then it was gone.
---
Anxious to get his claws dirty in the mortal realm, Verminking became Thanquol's patron, aiding the Grey Seer in usurping leadership of the Nuln attack from Clan Skryre. It was Verminking that enhanced Boneripper, using his magics to enlarge the creature and amalgamating several other specimens within that hulking beast. Boneripper was akin to all rat ogres, only greater in every respect; more muscle-bound, bestial, and absolutely hostile towards everyone save Thanquol and its creator.
I feel like maybe Vlad and Isabella Von Carstein should get some hefty bonuses thanks to them being the world record speedrun holders in conquering the entire planet in Total War Warhammer. You can read a detailed account in the link above this, but down below is a time lapse of the map view.
34 turns. It's almost a third of all of the other records for doing this. Nothing has even come close.
I feel like maybe Vlad and Isabella Von Carstein should get some hefty bonuses thanks to them being the world record speedrun holders in conquering the entire planet in Total War Warhammer. You can read a detailed account in the link above this, but down below is a time lapse of the map view.
34 turns. It's almost a third of all of the other records for doing this. Nothing has even come close.
Heh. Skyre weaponry's gonna be showcased well in this, I can just tell.
And I'm glad to see you've reached the end of your read-through, by the by. I've been watching you proceed through it by the likes for the last little while.
If i have to say anything about your quests is that they value quality over quantity. And i respect that, you have managed to bring the skaven to life in ways i have never dreamed of, your updates are slow granted, but they have so much life, effort and passion breathed into them. Remember to take your time and take a break every now and then so you dont get burnt out
Though we still haven't finished the fight with the Undead yet, I figured it would be a good idea to have our future goals discussed ahead of time. I think that for turn 3 we should focus largely on research and development, but should put some resources into Tilea in case Myrmidia pops back up and maybe Cathay if we have any authority to spare.
We should have Thanquol assist Doomclaw in necromancy research.
Have Drazhoath study the Scripture of Hashut.
Have Verminkin study the Yasei no Majo.
Assign Sneek to study Supirittosheipā.
Use the process proposed earlier in this thread to turn Sleek into Skaven Deadpool.
Have Ikit and Morskittar study Chaos Dwarf Wargear.
Assign Skrolk, Kritislik, and the potential hero Skrettek to Daemonbinding.
Have Vrisk study Estalian warships.
Let me know if you have any ideas. Also for turn 4, does anyone else feel like re-enacting Total War Warhammer 2's plot?
If you mean the part about capturing the vortex, sure. After all whenever someone mentions it all I hear is infinite warpstone generator. After all, all that magic is just being siphoned away and wasted. Let's do something useful with it instead, like make a crap ton of warpstone.
I'm leaning towards trying to nab the Southlands and putting some Infiltration/a Trading Ring in Ind to find out what the hell's going on over there, then the rest getting stuffed into research.
Clearly some of it already isn't From a Dead World–canon, but there's some cool fan-made stuff for places Warhammer didn't give much fluff, like the Hobgoblins or Ind and Cathay, and it's not behind a paywall. It's part of a larger project that seems to basically be summed up as "Fuck Age of Sigmar". As far as I'm aware this isn't pirated, but the actual people/group/page/whatever doing this. Here, if anyone cares to look.
If i have to say anything about your quests is that they value quality over quantity. And i respect that, you have managed to bring the skaven to life in ways i have never dreamed of, your updates are slow granted, but they have so much life, effort and passion breathed into them. Remember to take your time and take a break every now and then so you dont get burnt out
And believe me, I'm incapable of not taking my time, otherwise I'd be up to a level where I could maybe make my quests compete with someone like torroar's.
HAAHAHAHHAHA actually I've been thinking of a bunch of structural changes to make to the quest that will let me actually produce turns at a semi-decent rate - kinda taking what I've learned from running Respect Your Elders. I'll probably have to make a new thread to properly set the tone, but I'll do that after this turn is finally done.
I'm leaning towards trying to nab the Southlands and putting some Infiltration/a Trading Ring in Ind to find out what the hell's going on over there, then the rest getting stuffed into research.
Clearly some of it already isn't From a Dead World–canon, but there's some cool fan-made stuff for places Warhammer didn't give much fluff, like the Hobgoblins or Ind and Cathay, and it's not behind a paywall. It's part of a larger project that seems to basically be summed up as "Fuck Age of Sigmar". As far as I'm aware this isn't pirated, but the actual people/group/page/whatever doing this. Here, if anyone cares to look.
Hey @Xantalos just wanted to ask a question, if the Skaven invade lustria (Without tanking a few hundred Deliverances to the face) would we be able to reverse engineer their spawning pools and/or their delicious technology?
