Skaven
Skaven or "Children of the Horned Rat", are a Chaotic mockery of Man's nations. Inventive and insane, the ratmen live in a vast network of tunnels beneath all the Warhammer World, referred to as the Under-empire. Many human denizens of the Old World do not believe the Skaven exist, much to their detriment. The crazed mechanics of Clan Skyre create powerful yet unreliable weapons to aid their rampages. It is said that one day the Grey Seers will unite them and take over the Old World. The Skaven have a general Steampunk motif, in that the Skaven use primitive and magic-driven science similar to alchemy and medieval proto-science.
Some Skaven concepts might be inspired by the Old World's view of technology as imbalanced, or knowledge/science not held in check by morals. This is a theme which runs through the background of The Empire, in which wizards, gunpowder manufacturers and Sigmarite priests all try to limit or free themselves from the others influence.
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