Skaven - Appearance and Culture - The Council of Thirteen

The Council of Thirteen

The Council of Thirteen is the ruling body of the Skaven race. They rule from a giant horse shoe shaped hall which contains thirteen raised diases on which thrones are placed. a 13 sided black pillar made of pure warpstone and engraved with the Horned Rat's commandments sits behind the middle one. The order for the seats from left to right is 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7. The 13th Seat (the very middle of the horseshoe table) is the symbolic seat of the Horned Rat, and it acts as a tie-breaker in votes amongst the other members, with the "Horned Rat's" vote typically being interpreted by the Seer Lord. The 1st and 12th places (the right and left of the Horned Rat)are therefore the most powerful, while seat six and seven are the weakest. The council are constantly shifting allegiances, backstabbing, cheating, lying, or otherwise trying to undermine each other, even hiring assassins to dispatch their rivals, much to the amusement of their malevolent god.

This back story helps justify why a rapidly reproducing, disease-resistant race does not rule more of the world; they are too busy fighting each other. Indeed, if not for the race's constant infighting, the Skaven could easily have the means to overrun the entire surface world. Each member of the council is open to replacement at any time. The applicant must simply challenge his rival to a fight to the death; if he wins, he takes the place of the loser on the council. Though rare, more than one member of the Council has been replaced this way. The latest council of Thirteen members however has not changed in the last century. Another mystery is how the dreaded Council members maintain such long lifespans especially when a Skaven is considered ancient at 30 years (60 years for a grey seer). It is speculated that the magical warpstone enchanted council seats might be an explanation for the unusual longevity of its occupants.

The Council chambers are guarded by mute Albino Stormvermin known as the Council Guard. The Council guard are taller than average Stormvermin and wear blood-red armour of the highest quality (as far as Skaven standards go). The guard are as loyal as it is possible for any Skaven to be and are thus immune to bribes to betray their masters on the Council of Thirteen. This loyalty comes from both the vast wealth of the Council and the fear they inspire, this led to the question asked in Skavenblight "...do the Council guard dye their fur white or did it turn white when they enter the Councils employ"

The Current know Council members (and their seat numbers) mentioned in the background are

• Seat 13: The Horned Rat
• Seat 1: Lord Kritislik the Seerlord (only Grey Seer)
• Seat 12: Lord Morskittar, Lord-Warlock of Clan Skryre
• Seat 2: Warlord Gnawdwell, leader of Clan Mors
• Seat 11: Lord Verminkin, Packlord of Clan Moulder
• Seat 10: Arch-Plaguelord Nurglitch of Clan Pestilens
• Unknown seat: The Nightlord of Clan Eshin, Lord Sneek
• Unknown seat: Kratch Doomclaw, warlord of Clan Rictus.
• Unknown seat: Vrisk Ironscratch of Clan Skurvy
• Unknown seat: Griznekt Mancarver of Clan Skab
• Unknown seat: General Paskrit, Warlord-General of Skavendom

Kritislik occupies Seat number 1 on the Council, and Morskittar occupies seat 12 ; hence these two are the most powerful of the Lords of Decay (although Kritislik, being the Seerlord, gets two veto votes (one for his position and one for the absent Horned Rat) making Kritislik the most powerful member of the council.)

Below the council in the fictional hierarchy of the race are the Grey Seers, prophets of the Horned Rat himself, and powerful sorcerers. Grey Seers have prophetic powers and are usually grey-furred; hence the name. While the Grey Seers are often physically weak, they make up for this in cunning, guile, and the use of magic. Most other Skaven fear and hate Grey Seers in equal measure. The most feared symbol of the Seers is the "Screaming Bell," a massive, horned bell mounted on a carriage and pushed into battle, the daemonic chimes enthusing the Skaven hordes. This holds a fairly unique place in the game as it is based like a monstrous creature, but fielded within a unit of Skaven troops, granting bonuses to both the unit, and the larger army with its effects.

The rest of Skaven society is organized into innumerable clans. Four clans are traditionally more powerful than the rest: Clan Pestilens, Clan Moulder, Clan Eshin, and Clan Skryre. These four are collectively known as the Greater Clans, and dominate the back-story of the race and of most army units.

In prior editions of Warhammer (and now restored in the most recent edition), the Skaven at times would be led by daemonic beings called Vermin Lords. Believed to be some sort of Avatar of the Horned Rat, Vermin Lords were greater daemons that even the Grey Seers feared and acquiesced themselves to. Grey Seers often threaten to summon a Vermin Lord to ensure obedience, but in truth, they are loath to do so as these creatures are more powerful and cunning than any living Skaven and their lust for power and love of betrayal are legendary.