"Whatever the truth of the cannon, it is clear that Skaven weapon technology is far, far beyond that of the Empire, and even beyond that of the Dwarfs. The sole mercy of this is they still lack much attention to craftsmanship, and these terrifying weapons are extremely unreliable. In a sweet irony, they often do more damage to their Ratmen wielders than they do to their enemies."
- —Ammelie Meyer, Priestess of Verena
A Warp-Lightning Cannon being hauled to war
The Warp-Lightning Cannon is the very pinnacle of Skaven ingenuity, a marvel of both magical and scientific engineering crafted by the ingenious Warlock-Engineers of Clan Skyre. This engine of mass destruction is a machine that generates an amazing amount of energy that concentrates into a single blast of pure warp-lightning. The Lightning itself is generated within a reinforced sphere located at the back of the cannon, and once enough energy is charged, when fired, the Warp-Lightning Cannon flings the energy through its rune-etched barrel, forged and enchanted to channel the cannons destructive fury.[1a]
When fired, the Warp-Lightning Cannon emits a sizzling aura of warp-energy and anyone near the shot are rocked in its wake, fur standing on end, with a sickly green light burnt into their eyes. Once unleashed, the energy arcs earthwards, punching through any obstacles in its path before erupting in a crackling cloud of pure warp-lightning. The shot flashes too quickly to follow, but its trail, once it lands on the ground, is easily marked by a greenish vapour. Nevertheless, due to the cannons crude design and poor manufacturing, the weapon is just as unreliable as it is powerful, having been known to blow up in a spectacular fireball should the energy within the machine not be properly contained.[1a]
