Skaven Society

Skaven adhere to a consistent social hierarchy exhibited in nearly all the clans. The social relationships within the Clan are the basis upon which individual Skaven relate to each other. The rules maintained and promoted by the hierarchy are followed by nearly all Skaven, and frames the everyday interactions, roles, and tasks expected by the Skaven. These roles for all Skaven are fixed, and upward mobility is only possibly through guile, treachery, and exploiting the rules of the existing hierarchy.

Clan Structure

Although each Clan has different titles associated with each step in its social hierarchy, the requirements to achieve each step are the same. Presented below are the social ranks of the Skaven with "generic" terms related to them. For titles related to a specific Clan, read Skaven Clans.

Clan Rats

When you are born, if you survive the miserable conditions of the warrens (and your mother is to weak to kill you) you become a clan rat. Used as slaves in the mines or fodder on the battlefield clan rats usually have a very short and miserable life. If you survive your first few encounters on the battlefield, you my gain privileges to the warrens or maybe small gifts from your hostleader that wants to keep you working for his prestige.

To become a clan rat at Belegarth, you must:

Be a member of Belegarth and show a basic understanding of Belegarth Rules
Have the minimum garb required by Belegarth Rules (preferably dark colors and tattered/rat-like)
Express a will to become a Skaven
Choose one of the four clans to represent

Hostleader

If you survive long enough as a clan rat, you may be noticed by a rat of some importance (maybe a Clan Chieftain or the Clan Warlord) or maybe your Hostleader will meet an untimely end putting you in his place. Hostleaders are the lowest commanders of a Skaven Clan's guard, ruling over 3 or more clan rats.

To become a Hostleader, you must:

Have been a clan rat
Demonstrate basic knowledge of your clan's history and hierarchy
Use Queekish regularly on the battlefield
Recruited 3 or more people to the Skaven cause
Possess 2 Major Tokens
Complete a trial of your Clan Chieftain's choosing or Assassinate one Hostleader

Clan Chieftain

Fairing well in the political maneuverings of the various Hostleaders, you may find yourself in the position to increase your influence over the clan. Positioning yourself as a true leader (far removed from the frontline of battle), you may notice that one of the current Clan Chieftains is not paying much attention to his rear. Although not the highest in authority, Clan Chieftains deal with most day-to-day issues that effect their clan. Because the Clan Chieftains are so close to everything that happens to the clan, they wield quite a lot of power but are also blamed for most anything that goes wrong.

To become a Clan Chieftain, you must:

Have been a Hostleader
Demonstrate ability with three different weapon styles
Recruited 6 or more people to the Skaven cause
Possess 5 Major Tokens
Complete a trial of your Clan Warlord's choosing or Assassinate a Clan Chieftain

Clan Warlord

If your spreading influence is not noticed, or the current Clan Warlord is to stupid to see you as a threat (or maybe you sabotage a critical item causing an unfortunate end to the carrier of your current Clan Warlord), you may successfully supplant the current leader of your clan. The Clan Warlord is the leader of the entire clan (in your Realm), there may be only one Clan Warlord per Skaven Clan per Realm. This would seem to put the Clan Warlord at the top of the hierarchy, but there are several factors outside of Clan structure that strike fear and awe into even the most powerful members of any clan.

To become a Clan Warlord, you must:

Have been a Clan Chieftain
Strike fear and awe into the minds of anyone who looks upon you
Recruited 9 or more people to the Skaven cause
Possess 9 Major Tokens
Assassinate the current Clan Warlord

Non-Clan Titles

The following are positions in the social hierarchy that are outside of the clan structure. Grey-Seers and Lords of Decay actually have no clan affiliation and act on their own whims or the whims of the Cult of the Horned Rat. The Council of Thirteen, while they have Clan ties, are above Clan law and answer only to themselves or to the Horned One.

Grey-Seer

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 their superiors in the Cult of the Horned Rat, the Council of Thirteen, and the Horned Rat itself. Grey Seers are highly respected and feared in Skaven society. Few would think to interfere in Grey Seer activities, and even fewer would think to attack the Grey Seer. Any intervention in Grey Seer affairs is immediately punishable by death, by the Grey Seer or minions, immediately there and on the spot.

To become a Grey Seer, you must:

Have recruited 6 or more people to the Skaven cause
Demonstrate the ability to read and write Skaven Runes
Have appropriate Grey Seer garb (long robes, gray or black, tattered and torn)
Have a unique Skaven themed healing poem

Grey Seers drop all Clan titles from their name, and are no longer considered part of a mere Clan but beings directly influenced by the Horned One. Only Grey Seers and members of Clan Moulder may be healers (The Beastmasters of Clan Moulder being adept at repairing the results of their work).

The Thirteen Lords of Decay

The Thirteen Lords of Decay are the most powerful members of the Cult of the Horned Rat. Viewed by most to be as powerful as the Council of Thirteen (who are appointed by the Horned Rat himself) the Lords of Decay wield fear as most wield a sword. As the name suggests, there are only thirteen Lords of Decay. Unlike Council Members, there is no limit to the number of Lords of Decay that may reside in a particular realm (other than the notational limit of thirteen).

To become one of the Thirteen Lords of Decay, you must:

Have been a Grey Seer
Have recruited 9 or more people to the Skaven cause
Run 3 or more events with a Skaven theme
Possess 9 Major Tokens
Assassinate one of the current Thirteen Lords of Decay

The Council of Thirteen

The Council of Thirteen is undoubtedly the most powerful and feared authority in all of Skavendom, and with such esteemed membership as the Horned Rat himself at its head, the scope and breadth of its power is unsurprising. Few directly challenge the authority of the Council of Thirteen, although the more crafty may attempt to circumvent or manipulate Council decrees.

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 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 Rat's right, the seat number twelve. The occupants of the seats closest to the Horned Rat at the head of the circle are the more powerful in the Council of Thirteen. The most prized seats are those directly adjacent to the Horned Rat's chair, these seats are the first and twelfth seats.

When the Council needs to decide on a motion, action, decree, or referendum, the Council will vote. Each Council Member may vote in favor or the motion or abstain. When a Council Member abstains from a vote, it vetoes the vote of its "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, application of 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; rivals will seek to counter these moves by using other Clans to prevent further plotting or progress. By plotting and scheming beyond the Council chambers they hope to further their own ends. The subterfuge played within and without the Council Chambers is unsurpassed anywhere else in the Old World.

The Council of Thirteen decides everything that will effect Skaven on a national level. As stated above, there are only twelve members of the Council of Thirteen. There may only be one Council Member that resides in a particular realm per Clan represented in that realm. (ex. If a realm has Skaven of Clan Eshin and Clan Pestilens but no other Clans, that realm can have up to two Council Members. These Council Members may both be from Clan Eshin, both from Clan Pestilens or one from each, but there may be only two Council Members in that realm.)

To become one of the Council of Thirteen, you must:

Be a Clan Chieftain or Clan Warlord for one of the four clans
Have recruited 9 or more people to the Skaven cause
Strike fear and awe into the minds of any Skaven or manling who looks upon you
Run 6 or more events with a Skaven theme
Possess 14 Major Tokens
Assassinate one of the current Council of Thirteen
Demonstrate the ability to read and write Skaven Runes

The Council of Thirteen is always at war with the Thirteen Lords of Decay.