"We call them La Souriscarle, these fever-rats, who brought the Mal Rouge—the Red Death—down upon us. We lost so much to them, the souls of many great knights and the beauty of our great countryside as well..."
- —Jacque Bicheau, Bretonnian court scribe [2a]
A Plague Priest leads his disciples into battle.
A Plague Priest of the Skaven Clan Pestilens occupies the highest and most senior position within that religious Great Clan, just below the ruling plaguelords themselves.[1a]
These lords of pestilence guide their foul brethren in their eternal pursuit to create the greatest and most horrific diseases known to all Skavendom. Their purpose is to use these plagues to weaken the mortal races of the surface world in preparation for the Skaven's final apocalyptic invasion and the Great Ascendancy of the Skaven that will follow.[1a]
It is the Plague Priest who stokes the righteous fury of the younger Plague Monks of the clan, teaching them litanies of hate and breeding intolerance for all customs outside their own. Loyal and fanatical, these ratmen are singularly devoted to their holy cause.[1a]
Within the workings of Clan Pestilens, each member does not seek individual wealth for themselves, but instead are utterly and insanely focused on their masters' work. It is the diseased, but devoted Plague Priests who enforce this harsh discipline. Under the guidance of the governing plaguelords, the Plague Priests are responsible for leading daily rituals meant to record and monitor the newest strain of virulent diseases that are forced not just upon captives, but even other Skaven and the Plague Monks themselves.[1a]
Rotted to the bone, a Plague Priest sits astride a hideous Great Pox Rat, brandishing a rusted sword.
Indeed, their own specially made diseases are not feared, but accepted as a blessing to these fanatics. To them, being a living and walking altar of contamination and disease is the strident goal of every Plague Priest, who themselves lead by example. As such, each Plague Priest is given the duty of ensuring that the Cauldron of a Thousand Poxes, an ancient and evil artefact stolen from the Chaos God Nurgle himself for the greater glory of the Horned Rat, is never empty, but instead brims over with many new diseases ready to be unleashed upon the mortal world.[1a]
When the clan goes on an unholy crusade, the Plague Priests are the ones who lead their brethren to war. Claiming to be given sorcerous abilities by their malevolent god, the Plague Priests are able to unleash many spells of corruption and pestilence upon their enemy, vomiting out geysers of black death or cursing the enemy from afar so that he may erupt with blistering boils. When the outcome of the battle has particular importance to their clan, a Plague Priest might even sanction the building of a Plague Furnace to accompany the brotherhood on their divine mission to destroy all who oppose them.[1a]
Some among the ranks of the Plague Priests show the white or grey fur and horns that by the ancient rights and laws of the Skaven mark them out as Grey Seers, the orthodox mage-priests of the Horned Rat. However, as they often do, Clan Pestilens openly defies the Order of the Grey Seers and retains its grey-furred horned ratlings, raising them on their pestilent dogma and teaching them the Lore of Plague.[3b]
Wargear[]
- Plague Censer - A Plague Censer is a large, incense-filled flail that disperses Warpstone-based incense smoke. Those struck by the weapon contract a supernaturally-enhanced disease. Though not contagious by normal means, the disease ravages the lungs and flesh of those it affects, leaving them choking upon their own clotting gore as they die.
Notable Plague Priests[]
- Puskab Foulfur - The apprentice of Arch-Plaguelord Nurglitch IV during the Black Death era in 1111 IC, Foulfur was a white-furred Skaven with horns; normally this would mark him as a Grey Seer. He assisted in the creation and spread of the Black Death, which decimated the kingdoms of Men at the time but proved ineffective on fellow Skaven. Foulfur eventually won a coveted second place for Clan Pestilens on the Council of Thirteen after defeating Blight Tenscratch for his seat.
- Vrask Bilebroth - Vrask Bilebroth was the hated rival of Puskab Foulfur, and possibly the true originator of the Black Death contagion. However, he also might have stolen the credit for it-- Krritch's spies were unclear. After his rival won a council position, Vrask briefly entertained an alliance with Seerlord Skrittar. He rises to his own seat on the council, however, after Clan Fester joins the Pestilent Brotherhood and forfeits the chair.[3a]
- Blightskab - Blightskab is a Plague Priest initiated in infection and well-versed in the contents of the Liber Bubonicus. In battle, he chants from the Liturgus Infectus in his phlegm-filled voice. He leads a a pack of Plague Monks who are considered some of the most disgusting warriors in the Under-Empire.
- Nelrich the Suppurater - Nelrich was a Plague Priest who worked with the Grey Seer Asorak Steeleye in the spreading of a contagion through the Imperial city of Talabheim. Unknown to him, however, the treacherous Grey Seer tampered with his plague.
- Ndemix - Ndemix was a Plague Priest and the leader of the Bubonic Choir. Ndemix accompanied Lord Gritch on his assault of the Lizardmen's temple-city of Itza.
- Pusskab - A Plague Priest and Festoring Chantor, Pusskab was a member of Clan Pestilens and leader of a small contingent of Plague Monks. He had been gathering strange, black-green worms for an unknown purpose, the very same kind the Wormstone infected its victims with. Before he could impart his reasoning to Grey Seer Thanquol, the ratmen were ambushed by Clan Eshin Gutter Runners. Pusskab was killed in the ensuing skirmish, as were his monks.
Sources[]
- 1: Warhammer Armies: Skaven (7th Edition)
- 1a: pg. 45
- 2: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Children of the Horned Rat (RPG)
- 2a: pg. 10
- 3: Blighted Empire (Novel) by C.L. Werner
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