Codex: Hrud - Clan Skyre

[Calixtus]

The founding of Clan Skyre can be traced back to the origins of the Hruds when they first achieved sentience as a race. It all started when a Prospector Fleet of the Demiurg discovered the presence of as yet unknown ore within the underground cavern of a moon of a planet at the center of the galaxy. A Bastion Class Commerce Vessel was sent down to investigate the occurrence of the ore. The Bastion Class Commerce Vessel drilled a hole through the rocky surface of the moon, just big enough for it to descend into its confines. Starlight descended through the hole, onto the center of that immensely large cavern. The Bastion Class Commerce Vessel discovered huge deposits of Warpstone beneath the ground of the cavern. The Demiurg had encountered Warpstone prior, through their endless travels through space, and have found purposes for them as fuel for their gigantic Commerce Vessels, among other things. As such, the finding of these huge deposits of Warpstone was an unmissable prospect to be seized upon by the Prospector Fleet. Mining crafts were sent down in due course to gather the Warpstone for the purposes of the Brotherhood. The mining crafts drilled through the surface of the underground cavern where the deposits were largest and most abundant. In this way, the Warpstone was exposed to the surface. As they were raw Warpstone in its most unrefined and purest form, these deposits were highly radioactive and would have produced mutations among the Demiurg were they not within the protective confines of their craft.

The Demiurg were not the only lifeforms within the underground cavern however; the Hrud in their presentient forms were highly similar to the rodents of Holy Terra. They populate the cavern in their millions, living off all manner of things, including their own carcasses. The reason their population continued to grow was due to the fact their females produced almost a hundred pups in a single litter. These presentient Hruds lived pretty much like beasts, and were largely ignorant of the huge amounts of Warpstone that lay beneath their paws. However, the actions of the Demiurg in extracting the Warpstone left them exposed on the surface of the cavern. The rodent-like lifeforms in their constant roaming came into contact with the Warpstone on the surface, drawn by the bright light emitted in its raw form. Some even brought back pieces of Warpstone to their dens. Thus, in this way, the raw mutagenic essence within the Warpstone came to be exposed to the population of the rodent-like lifeforms at large. All sorts of physical deformities erupted within the lifeforms; however, some were fortunate enough to experience the mutations at the genetic level that would give rise to sentience within them. Slowly, the lifeforms grew to become aware of their immediate surroundings, and the conditions of their existence. Their growth of awareness led them to experiment with the objects around them, imitating the use of tools as it was with prehistoric man. The use of tools prompted the evolution of bipedal movement among the lifeforms, to free the use of their upper limbs to wield all manner of tools. By reaching a bipedal form, these lifeforms were that much closer to achieving full-blown sentience. Soon, they became aware of the presence of other lifeforms besides their kind. They marvelled at the shiny surfaces of the mining crafts, at the deliberate, mechanical movements of the craft as they excavated the Warpstone deposits. What caught their attention most however, was that big hole right at the center of the roof of the cavern, from which the only source of light poured in. Through that single patch of sky, they watched entranced, by the multitude of stars that dot the spaces between and the infinite worlds that lay beyond. To them, it presented the existence of a larger world, beyond the confines of the cavern they were born in.

The arising of sentience within the population of the lifeforms reached a critical mass. Most were now capable of bipedal movement, standing upright on their hindlimbs. The ends of their forelimbs developed into nimble digits, capable of much dexterity, able to wield simple tools with what can be called "hands". The Demiurg were largely ignorant of these developments in the native lifeforms of the cavern, concerned only with the speedy gathering of the Warpstone ore deposits. Only one thought resonated within the entire chittering mass of rodent-like lifeforms, and that was that their only recourse and escape from the dungeon that was the cavern was through force of arms, overwhelming the Demiurg occupants of those shiny vessels and seizing them for their own. So it came to be that the lifeforms, through force of numbers, wielding all manner of crude weaponry in the form of sticks and stones they could scavenged, rose against the Demiurg, and overthrew them, killing them in an event that was to be known as the Great Uprising. Although caught off-guard and vastly outnumbered, the Demiurg provided a stout resistance. When every single last one of them had succumbed, the lifeforms became divided; where once they shared unity of goal, now having achieved that goal, all that was left was the spoils of war, and the lifeforms selfishly took whatever they could for their own. The lifeforms banded together into tribes that was based on familial ties, sharing familial origins within the same brood. These tribes degenerated into warfare and conflict, in a bid to seize the most of the spoils. In an era of warfare, where only the strongest are recognised, the leaders of the individual tribes were more often than not Blackfurs, that referred to themselves almost exclusively as Warlords. This gave birth to a new era, the Age of Warlords, where the rules of war were established by the actions of the most successful Warlords. These Warlords came to dictate the hierarchy within all the Tribes, with the Warlords at the top. The Warlords chose the strongest, most outstanding Blackfurs among the lot to be their Black Guard, the elite bodyguard regiment of the Warlords. The rest of the Blackfurs were delegated as Blackfangs, and were divided among the Greyfur packs to lead them in war. Thus, the social order within the Tribes was determined by divisions in physical strength, and as Blackfurs were generally physically stronger than their Greyfur kin, the Blackfurs held superior status to the Greyfurs. This state of affairs was known by all as the Great Tradition, and it is the standard by which all tribes follow. Soon however the conditions among the Tribes calmed down to some degree, and the grounds within the cavern was divided into territories demarcated through some landmark or another, for instance, the presence of a Warpstone mine deposit.

Through this development, an idea occurred within the Warlord of one tribe, which happened to be one of the more successful tribes during the Age of Warlords, by the name of Skyre. He noticed the Demiurg had expressedly arrived within this cavern to exploit its vast amounts of Warpstone. He deduced that the Warpstones by their nature, possessed incalculable power, which he vowed to tap into. While the rest of the tribes were engaged in petty territorial disputes, he seized the moment by gathering the cleverest, most talented of his Chieftains, charging them with manipulating the essence of the Warpstones, and through whatever experimental means, develop weapons of war based on the Warpstones, from which the Tribe could then rise to prominence and pacify the rest of their kind with their superior firepower. These Chieftains came to be known as Warplords, after the art of Warp-engineering. Before he could put into action his Great Plan however, Skyre had to present his idea before the Council of Warlords of his Tribe and gain their collective support and approval. His fellow Warlords were deeply impressed by his plan, and Skyre was hence given command of the entire Tribe's resources and placed Lord-Warlord of the Tribe in order to realise his Great Plan. Under the astute leadership of Skyre, the Tribe became the most organised and efficient among the chittering mass that characterised the lesser tribes. Through determined invasions, Warlord Skyre managed to secure and expand the existing Warpstone mines under their possession. The Warplords were thus free to experiment at will, using up their Warpstone stores with abandon, as they sought a means to tap into the power of the Warpstones. The Warplords made much progress in their search when certain Warplords decided to use the technology present within the mining crafts to "empower" their research. Through their experimentation, they came to establish the Warpstones into a variety of forms: Warpstone in its pure solidified state; Warplasma when the Warpstone is superheated into a molten, volatile state; Warpwind when the Warpstone is decomposed leaving only its core essence and the fumes produced as a result; and Warpfire, when the volatile fumes of Warpwind is ignited through some external source. All of these various forms were harnessed into weapons of war, fueled partially by the technology of the Demiurg that was put to good use by the Warplords. The main infantry of the Warlord Skyre's forces was comprised of units of Warplock Riflers, supported by devastating Warpflame Throwers and the noxious Warpwind Grenadiers. Units of Warpstone Shooters, troops that shot raw Warpstone directly into the blood stream of their targets, acted in the role of snipers, taking out the leaders of the various tribes that challenged the advances of the Warlord Skyre's forces. The lesser tribes had nothing to counter the Warp-based technology of Warlord Skyre's forces, rather they did not have any idea of handling the technology of the Demiurg crafts within their possession. As such, slowly but surely, each tribe succumbed to the advances of the Warlord's forces, until every single tribe was forced to acknowledge Skyre and his Tribe as the foremost Tribe among their kind, during an event that was known as the First Great War.

There was one tribe however, that provided some form of resistance against the might of Warlord Skyre's forces. The Warlords of these particular tribe had gained a keen interest in the workings of Demiurg technology and fastidiously studied the mining craft and the objects within. So it came to be that when the Warlord Skyre's forces advanced within the domains of that tribe, the warriors of the tribe were armed with the firearms they could scavenged from within the mining crafts, a whole assortment of Demiurg war gear from Lasrifles to Photon Blasters. Thus, that tribe provided the fiercest resistance Warlord Skyre faced throughout the Great War. In fact, their act of resistance was so successful that it drew the backing of many lesser tribes, who saw them as their only hope of challenging the might of Warlord Skyre's forces. During their greatest moments of defiance, the Tribe grew to such proportions that it vastly outnumbered the forces of Warlord Skyre. However, ultimately their efforts proved useless as the firearms found within the mining craft were insufficient to equip all the warriors of the tribe, and they had to surrender soon enough or face total obliteration. Their act of resistance was not entirely fruitless however as by the end of the Great War, the tribe had grown to become the largest tribe within the cavern, as the hundreds of lesser tribes eventually merged into one. Even with the Great War over and Warlord Skyre victorious, the lesser tribes continued to remain as one instead of going their separate ways, drawn together by the charismatic aspirations of the original tribe. This tribe came to be known as Tribe Rictus, or the Tribe of the Heavens, so called for their greatest dream was to leave the cavern that is their birthplace in a grand starship and sail the places between the stars, a dream that happened to be the driving motivation of their interest in the technology of the Demiurg.

Skyre changed several things immediately upon gaining complete dominance among the tribes. First of all, to distinguish his Tribe from the lesser, weaker tribes, he declared that his Tribe from then onwards be known as Clan Skyre, after his chosen name, and from that time onwards all Tribes that have reached a similar level of prominence refer to themselves as a Clan rather than a Tribe. The Council of Warlords of Clan Skyre acknowledged Warlord Skyre as having singlehandedly engineered the rise to prominence of their Tribe, and thus deferred to him as the supreme leader of the Clan, with the title of Overlord. As Overlord Skyre, he declared the domains of the immense cavern that was their birthplace and all the tribes within, the Underempire of Clan Skyre. With that said, he created the rank of Supreme Overlord of the Underempire for the Lord-Warlord of the Ruling Clan, which was him, currently. In order to instill purpose within their kind, a purpose not felt since the Great Uprising, and to prevent them from succumbing to infighting once again, he organised the First Great Council, with the powers he possessed in the position of Supreme Overlord, a gathering of the representatives of each major Tribe, which totalled twelve, inclusive of Clan Skyre. He declared that there will be a thirteenth seat within this council, occupied by the Great Horned One, the archetype that represents the foremost of their kind. This invisible seat was the means in which the Great Council would maintain an odd number of seats, so that all the representatives would recognise themselves as being equal before their Great God. As their God, He would hold the most power, so the balance of powers would always be kept in check with the invisible seat, in theory at least. In practice, the Supreme Overlord would have the last say in the Council, as he had the backing of the whole Ruling Clan behind him, making him essentially the most influential individual in all of Hrudom. The formation of the first Great Council, and the many after it, came henceforth to be known as the Council of Thirteen. The seats and the great table of the Great Council were established at the center of the entire domain of the Underempire. It so happened the Starlight Cycle was in its mid-cycle, such that starlight fell into the middle of the cavern, shining directly upon the location of the Great Council. All the tribes were gathered around that one place, where the Great Council was being held at the heart of the Underempire. During the Great Council, Overlord Skyre declared that the true intention of the formation of the Council was to revive the purpose their kind once shared as one, which was to escape their existence trapped within the confines of this great cavern, through the use of the mining crafts of the Demiurg. This was the Great Dream, the First Desire, the First Impulse, that was shared universally by all of their race. He revealed that his chosen name, Skyre, was directly inspired from the patch of sky observable from the hole at the center of the roof of the cavern, from which soft starlight descended into a spot at the center of the cavern. His entire name was dedicated to the promise held within that patch of sky, of a greater world beyond the suffocating confines of the cavern they seemed condemned forever to dwell in. To this end, he revealed that his own probings into the workings of the mining crafts had proven fruitless, and as to how to control them for their own ends, that remained a mystery to be discovered. He progressed from there, declaring that if the best of his Warplords could not discover the means of controlling the mining crafts, there was little the other tribes could possibly progress in that department. (Tribe Rictus occupied one of the seats in the Great Council, having been acknowledged as the second militarily strongest tribe by the other tribes, as proven during the events of the Great War. They too, despite their efforts into studying the mechanics of the mining crafts, could not deduce how they worked.) He then suggested the building of the Tower of Heaven, a vast tower built right at the center of the cavern, upon the very ground which they now stood, made from the rocks and gravel that formed the composition of the ground beneath them, that will reach the hole at the roof of the cavern at its height. None among the Council challenged him, and all deferred to the wisdom of his words. As such, effort was made towards this end, with each tribe contributing the manpower needed to lay the foundations of the Tower of Heaven. Within the timespan of a couple of starlight cycles, the foundations of the Tower of Heaven had been laid and progress had reach such a point that half of its proposed height had been reached.

It was some time during this point, that another Tribe rose to the prominence of a Clan, rather than through strength of arms as Clan Skyre had done but through its grip of influence over the lesser tribes. This Tribe was to be known as Clan Skaven. Skaven was used with various connotations to mean "select" or "chosen" within their tongue. Such was this view that the Skavens had of themselves that they sought to undermine the power and influence that Clan Skyre enjoyed, and replaced them as the foremost Clan amongst their kind. That was their ambition, and the social order of Clan Skaven proved to possess the most Machiavellian tendencies among the tribes. Theirs was an order based on ruthlessness and will to power, fuelled in large part by the actions of the Greyfurs within the Clan. It appears the Blackfurs of Clan Skaven were especially large and aggressive, so much so that the Greyfurs within the Clan had to resort to much backstabbing and manipulation to reach positions of equal standing among their darker kindred. Likewise, through much deceit and cunning had they spread their influence and established control over a large number of tribes. The Chieftains of Clan Skaven were known as Seers, for a large part of their rise to power was through the deception of their reputed ability to manipulate the Warpstone through mystic, secret means they had declared they possessed. In truth, there was much doubt regarding their mystic abilities, but as of yet, they had managed to convince a large part of the tribes that they had found a way of escaping the Underempire and the labour of creating Skyre's fatuitous Tower of Heaven. But first, they declared, much preparation had to be made if their method was to succeed. Their first act was to secure many Warpstone mines, from which their Grey Seers, what they called the elder Seers of their Clan, would congregate and work their magicks within. All this while, the Tower of Heaven progressed ever upwards, and was nearing the pinnacle of its height, reaching the hole at the roof of the cavern, and jutting into the space beyond.

Actually, the crafty Seers of Clan Skaven had deduced the true nature of the Warpstones as the solidified substance of the Immaterium. From there, their own calculations had suggested that the Warpstones could be used to open a portal into the Immaterium, from which travel to other planets became possible. Even now, the Grey Seers were capable of making miniature Warportals from which they could observe other realms while remaining safely detached within the Underempire, studying the nature of the Human population residing within these worlds. From these viewing portals, the Grey Seers bore witness to worlds where the harsh suns of their systems scorch the ground bare, suns whose glaring brightness proved anathema to the eyesight of the nocturnal Hruds. It was thus decided that when the Warportals were opened, each would directly lead to the under sections of the cities of the new worlds the tribes were to inhabit, where they would be away from the harsh light of the suns of those worlds.

A large part of the supposed "mysticism" of the Seers of Clan Skaven stemmed from their own innate ingenuity and cunning, a result of the utterly ruthless nature of their social order, where only the strongest and smartest reached positions of power. Such a social order encouraged an extreme form of natural selection to take place, as a result, the Seers of Clan Skaven in their attempts at obtaining status within their Clan, were forced to develop the cunning and willpower needed to manoeuvre themselves within the social politics of the Clan. Having reached the highest positions possible as the Grey Seers of the Clan, the Grey Seers abandon their old ways of backstabbing and manipulation, instead consolidating their positions from ambitious Seers vying to rise in status through joint alliances of mutual cooperation with other Grey Seers. From there, they convened amongst themselves, conducting all sorts of plans to further strengthen the influence of their Clan among the other tribes. One of these plans was dubbed "The Great Migration", manipulating the burning desires within every single individual among the Tribes to leave the confines of their birthplace and explode out into the great unknown in one massive migration. From there, the tendrils of their influence over the other tribes would solidify, forever indebting them to Clan Skaven.

The Grey Seers' knowledge of the true nature of the Warpstones was leaked out however, and their attempts at transforming the Warpstone mines into dimensional portals inspired the Chieftains of Tribe Rictus into thinking that perhaps, the mining crafts were not navigated through physical means, but rather required a sort of psychic symbiosis with the navigational systems of the craft. The knowledge that the arising of sentience within them was a direct result of their exposure to raw Warpstone was ingrained in them at the primal level of the psyche; indeed many of them had unconsciously carried out the process of the arrival of sentience within them as a race, when they in the innate inquisitive nature of their rodent-like species, had brought back with them small pieces of Warpstone into their dens. As such, the Chieftains of Tribe Rictus experimented with having various subjects ingests varying amounts of raw Warpstone, to induce psychic powers within the subjects. As raw Warpstone is poisonous to the bodies of living organisms, the Chieftains of Tribe Rictus only succeeded after numerous dead subjects, having managed to find the right amount that would induce psychic abilities while still being under the lethal dosage of Warpstones. These psychic navigators came to occupy a position of power within the Tribe, for the Tribe is entirely dependent on their ability to control the mining crafts. Tribe Rictus withheld the secrets within their possession from the other tribes of the Underempire, and especially from Clan Skyre, for it was their one means of achieving their dream and they would not allow it to be lost by the meddling of Clan Skyre or any of the lesser tribes. Towards the ends of accomplishing their dream, they salvaged as many of the mining crafts that had come to be abandoned by the other tribes, having come to be seen at large as no longer necessary with the erection of the Tower of Heaven. Having done all they could to secure their dream, all that was left was to await patiently till a wandering starship would so happened to pass by within the vicinity of the Underempire. Little did they know, such an occurrence would soon take place...

It was at about this time that the Demiurg Bastion Class Commerce Vessel that had continued through space in prospect of other ore deposits after deploying the mining crafts, had returned, to check on the conditions of the mining crafts and to collect the harvested Warpstone ore. It returned to find the hole it had created at the center of the roof of the cavern blocked by a huge, tower-like construct, hindering it from descending within its depths. In order to remove the obstruction, it sent a death beam blast that tore off about a quarter of the top portion of the Tower of Heaven, and sent it toppling down into the bottom of the cavern, killing thousands of Hruds in the process. As they descended back into the cavern in an attempt to recall the mining crafts, its sensors indicated that the cavern was teeming with activity. Millions of diminutive lifeforms scurried about the grounds of the cavern, and among them the remains of the mining crafts can be seen jutting up from the seething mass as shiny objects amidst a sea of darkness, due to their reflective surfaces. As the mining crafts were not responding to the signals of recall sent by the bridge of the Bastion Class Commerce Vessel, the Demiurg deduced that the worst had happened, that the occupants of the mining crafts had succumbed to the as yet unknown lifeforms that populate the subterranean cavern of this moon.

Meanwhile, the intrusion of the Bastion Class Commerce Vessel and the toppling of the Tower of Heaven had led to other developments below, within the domains of the Underempire. Tribe Rictus knew the arrival of the Bastion Class Commerce Vessel presented the only chance of accomplishing their dream of obtaining a starship of their own. They boarded the mining crafts within their possessions in their hundreds of thousands, squirming and wriggling into every possible space as they made room for the rest of their kin. As if meant to be by their Great God Himself, the skeletal structure of the Hruds is filled with numerous joints and appendages, allowing them to easily squeese a thousand of them into the confines of a single mining craft. In this way, the five hundred thousand strong Tribe Rictus managed to board the thousand or so mining crafts. The psychic navigators of the Tribe powered up the mining crafts and directed them ever upwards, towards the great starship that covered the sky. The bridge of the Bastion Class Commerce Vessel, although stunned by the sudden arrival of the mining crafts, had decided that indeed, some Demiurg had survived and in the commotion of the moment, had failed to respond to the recall signal sent by the bridge. The mining crafts were thus allowed to dock within the Bastion Class Commerce Vessel, and they came in their hundreds, an unexpectedly large number by the estimations of the command bridge. Unbeknownst to them, the mining crafts were infested with the rodent-like lifeforms, and they poured forth in their hundreds of thousands, overrunning the defenses at the docking bay of the Commerce Vessel. Soon, Tribe Rictus had gained entry into the lower levels of the Vessel and were still advancing at a progressive rate like a seemingly unstoppable tide. In what came to be known as the Great Invasion, the second war between the Demiurg and the Hruds was fought. The Demiurgs referred to the rodent-like lifeforms that infested their Vessel as Hruds, which in their tongue meant vermin or pest. The word came to be used self-referentially by the population of Tribe Rictus, as a definitive noun that meant the individual or one. From there, the usage of the word Hruds spread from Tribe Rictus to the rest of the tribes of the Underempire, and came to be used formally as the term of reference for them as a race.

Meanwhile, the Grey Seers, through their cunning and intellect, had succeeded in opening the first of the Warportals, by freeing the essence of Chaos solidified within each and every Warpstone. The tribes began the Great Migration, selecting a Warportal specifically for the use of their tribe only, so that they would not be forced into territorial disputes with another tribe within the new world they arrived in. Overlord Skyre was rendered helpless against the events of the Great Migration, being unable to stop the actions of hundreds of tribes as they left en masse. He contented himself with the knowledge that although the power of Clan Skyre had been much diminished, they still remained the foremost power amongst their kind, and at the very least the dream of exodus from their birthplace on the moon at the center of the galaxy was achieved by the majority of their race. Acknowledging that the events of the Great Migration were beyond his power to stop, the Overlord proceeded to solidify his hold over the lesser tribes that had remained, securing each and every Warpstone mine within the Underempire for the use of the Clan in producing their weapons of war. Thus, Clan Skyre remained the foremost power within all Hrudom, until they were ousted from their lofty seat by the actions of Clan Eshin during the Great Skirmishes. The remains of the Tower of Heaven, at once representative of Clan Skyre at the height of their power and the greatest accomplishment achieved by their race as a whole, became the Sky Warren, an intricate network of tunnels and dens that formed the home of Clan Skyre. At the base of the Tower of Heaven are the burrow holes from which the forces of Clan Skyre could pour forth at will, to face all who would challenge the supreme authority of Clan Skyre within the domains of the Underempire.

[Calixtus]

Special Rule:
Great Downfall: The Council of Warlords of Clan Skyre is extremely bitter about the current state of affairs of the Clan. They had plunged deep from their exalted position on the Throne of all Hrudom, and the very culprit to blame is none other than Clan Eshin, and their blasted Runner Assassins. The formidable powers of the Runner Assassins, especially of the Warp Runners, have left a great impression on the Warlords of Clan Skyre, such that even to utter their name would cause them to flinch in fear. As a result of their Great Downfall, the Clan's sociopolitical and economic standing has been much diminished, such that it even has troubles obtaining the products of Tribe Mors, a staple in many Hrud tribes. Every unit within an army of Clan Skyre bears Hatred against every unit in an army of Clan Eshin. In addition, the Warlords of Clan Skyre suffer from Fear of Clan Eshin's Warp Runners. The products of Tribe Mors, the Nightshades and Stillsuits, are gotten at great expense by Clan Skyre, given their diminished wealth and influence; thus they cost 1Pt above the normal cost.

After the Great War which resulted in the total dominion and the rise of Clan Skyre as the ruling Clan within the Underempire, the territory of Clan Skyre was vastly expanded, and so too were the Warpstone mines in their possession. The Warpstone mines were put to use by the Warplords in manufacturing the Warpstone-based weapons of war of Clan Skyre, and mass-production of Warplock Rifles commenced. During the peace established by the union of the tribes by Clan Skyre, in the era known as the Age of the Council, trades between the various tribes were common. In an era of peace, the progressive, competitive tendencies of their race was present through exchanges of the various information and produce unique to each tribe. In this way, the technology of the race as a whole was increased, as each tribe shared what technology it possessed with the other tribes.

One such commodity was the Warplock Rifle, which Clan Skyre was able to produce in abundance, due to the simplicity of its make. Thus, the Warplock Rifle was a common item of trade for Clan Skyre, in its various exchanges with the lesser tribes. The Warplock Rifle thus proliferated among the various tribes, and came to be the standard firearm of the race as a whole. This case of issue was received with much displeasure by Overlord Skyre, who wanted to maintain the superiority of the forces of Clan Skyre, relative to the lesser tribes. The Fusil was thus developed to replace the Warplock Rifle as the standard firearm of the forces of Clan Skyre. The Fusil is almost entirely similar to the Warplock Rifle in all respects, with the sole exception that its ammunition is in the form of pellets instead of the Warplasma shells used by the Warplock Rifle. Up to three Warplasma shells are contained within a single pellet. When fired, the pellet scatters the Warplasma shells contained within, causing multiple explosions as the shells collide with the target. As such, the Fusils are heavier due to the large pellets that form their ammunition, resulting in a larger bore. The mobility of the Fusiliers are much reduced as a result, being hindered by the weight of the Fusil and the complications involved in its usage.

As it is with the rest of the infantry that comprise the forces of the war-like Clan Skyre, the Fusiliers are well-trained and disciplined, unlike the troops of the lesser tribes. The infantry of Clan Skyre are well-armoured too, due to the wealth of Clan Skyre as a major power.

Troops:
Fusilier: MS:3 BS:2 S:2 T:2 A:1 W:1 I:4 L:6 AS:5+ CS:-
Point Cost: 10
Unit Size: 10-20
Equipment: Fusil, +Nightshades+4Pts, Shell Armour

The Fusil is almost entirely similar to the Warplock Rifle in all respects, with the sole exception that its ammunition is in the form of pellets instead of the Warplasma shells used by the Warplock Rifle. Up to three Warplasma shells are contained within a single pellet. When fired, the pellet scatters the Warplasma shells contained within, causing multiple explosions as the shells collide with the target. As such, the Fusils are heavier due to the large pellets that form their ammunition, resulting in a larger bore. It has the following profile: R:30" S:5 AP:3 T:HD3, Blast, Pinning, Warplasma Acid, Heavy Weapon.
The Warplasma contained within the pellets are highly corrosive and burns through contact with armour. Targets splashed by Warplasma Acid suffer a permanent -1 modifier to their AS that is accumulative.
Fusils operate in much the same way as a Warplock Rifle, in that however, instead of slinging the Warplasma Shells into a belt around the body, the Fusils use Warplasma Pellets. The weight and method of storage of these Warplasma Pellets make the Fusils Heavy Weapons that are cumbersome to move around with. As such, the Warlord is unable to seek refuge in cover in the same way as if he was wielding a Warplock Rifle instead, thus the Special Rules of Instinctual Preservation and Fleet of Paw are lost.
Through engaging with expensive trades with Tribe Mors, Clan Skyre is able to procure Nightshades by trading a single Fusil for each Nightshades. The Nightshades enable the wearer to see his surroundings as if it was nighttime.

Special Rules:
Nocturnal
Fusillader: The Fusiliers of Clan Skyre are drilled to carry out various formation manoeuvres during a battle. Right before engaging with the enemy in a firefight, the troop of Fusiliers will regroup into a formation called a Fusillader, and unleash a fusillade upon the enemy. During the Shooting Phase, you may choose to position your Fusiliers such that they are right next to each other, i.e. there is no space in between each of them. The length of the unit can only be ten models long.
Echelon: After firing off a fusillade, the Fusiliers regroup into a formation known as the Echelon, in which they stagger their lines to minimalise casualties from grenades and other blast-type weapons. During the Assault Phase, you may choose to stagger the ranks of the Fusiliers by placing each model 2" apart from each other.

The Veterans of the First Great War are seasoned warriors of many battles during the advances of Warlord Skyre's forces in his ambition to unite the lesser tribes. The Veterans are considerably lesser than the regulars of Clan Skyre, so instead of having them form their own units during times of war, they are called upon instead to lead troops of infantry into battle.

Great War Veteran: MS:3 BS:3 S:2 T:2 A:1 W:1 I:4 L:7 AS:5+ CS:-
Point Cost: 10
Unit Size: 1 per 5 Heavy Infantry
Equipment: Fusil+5Pts/Warpwind Grenades+0Pts/Warpflamer+10Pts, +Warplasma Grenades+2Pts, +Warpfire Grenades+4Pts, +Warplightning Tractor Beacon+6Pts, +Nightshades+4Pts, +Stillsuit+6Pts, Shell Armour

Warplasma Grenades are the genius creations of Clan Skyre, as a means for their forces to flush out enemy forces hiding behind cover. They are glass containers holding volatile Warplasma within. Upon breaking the glass orbs, the unstable Warplasma is released into the air, and react cataclysmically with it to produce a massive explosion. Warplasma Grenades are thrown right before engaging with the enemy in close combat. They are specially designed for use when attempting to engage enemies behind cover. For each Charge bonus you choose to lose, you may throw a Warplasma Grenade. It has the following profile: R:G12" S:5 AP:3 T:A1, Blast, Pinning, Warplasma Acid. For each casualty suffered from the Warplasma Grenade Attacks, the enemy unit must pass a Pinning Test with a -1 modifier. If the target unit fails its Pinning Test, all bonuses gained when receiving a Charge while in cover are negated. Both Attackers and Defenders engaged according to Initiative value as if there was no cover.
During the wars with the Imperium of Man at the start of the Age of Skavens, the Hruds had great difficulty in dealing with the armoured vehicles of the Imperium. Overlord Skyre called together his Warplords and tasked them with developing a weapon that would be specifically used against armour. The Warpfire Grenade was the result. It works by compressing Warpfire within the Grenade at tremendous temperature and pressure. When the Grenade is released on the attack, it explodes in a superheated blast capable of melting through neosteel. The Warpfire Grenade is used against enemy armour just like the Melta Bomb of the Imperium, with the exception that it is a Blast Weapon, and it Hits at Strength 9.

Special Rules:
Nocturnal
Troop Leaders: Veterans are always attached to a unit of Fusiliers, Warpwind Grenadiers or Warpflame Throwers. They must always be placed at the front of the unit.

As the Greyfurs are used exclusively to wield the Warpstone-based weapons of Clan Skyre, Blackfangs are not used to lead them in battle as it is with most tribes, but are instead banded together into a single unit. They are used as close combat support to the main troops of Fusiliers, overwhelming the enemy with weight of numbers rather than through feat of arms. They are led by Fangleaders, who are larger, stronger Blackfangs that are potential candidates for the Black Guard. The Blackfangs naturally defer to their leadership, but should they fall, the Blackfangs will erupt into infighting to determine a new leader.

Blackfang: MS:4 BS:1 S:3 T:3 A:1 W:1 I:3 L:6 AS:- CS:6+
Fangleader: MS:4 BS:1 S:4 T:3 A:2 W:1 I:3 L:7 AS:5+ CS:6+
Point Cost: 6/9
Unit Size: 10-20/1 per 5 Blackfangs
Equipment: Warplock Pistol and Claw/+Scimitar+1Pt +Sheath+2Pts, +Nightshades+4Pts, Mirage Cloak
/Warplock Pistol and Claw/+Scimitar+1Pt +Sheath+2Pts, +Warplasma Grenades+2Pts, +Warpfire Grenades+4Pts, +Warplightning Tractor Beacon+6Pts, +Nightshades+4Pts, +Stillsuit+6Pts, Mirage Cloak, Shell Armour

Special Rules:
Instinctual Preservation, Nocturnal, Overgrown Incisors, Fleet of Paw, Pack Mentality, Pack Leaders
Ritual of Dominance: If at any time during the start of your Turn there is a complete lack of Fangleaders within a Blackfang pack, having all fallen in Battle in the previous Turn, as long as the Blackfang pack is not within 6" of an enemy unit, the Blackfang pack will erupt into infighting. The Blackfang pack resolve all of its Attacks against itself. For every 3 Saved and Unsaved Wounds, replace one Blackfang with a Fangleader. As long as one Fangleader is "revived", all infighting cease. If not, infighting carries on till a Fangleader is selected.

It has been speculated that Vermin Tides are Hruds in their infant forms gathered into swarms. The question is why would the Hruds sent their young in their diminutive forms into battle when they would have a near survival rate of 0%? It has been suggested that the Hrud Queen produces too many offspring at times, going beyond the ability of the tribe to provide for the increase in mouths to feed. This would be highly agreeable for indeed the Hrud Queens are capable of producing many offspring in a single given brood. Yet the rare Black-furred pups have been spotted in Vermin Tides. If the Hruds within a Vermin Tide are meant to be expendable, it would almost certainly be composed entirely of Greyfurs. The truth of the matter is that the pups that compose a Vermin Tide do not have the necessary means to achieve sentience, becoming stunted in a primitive state. The Hrud Queen is able to sense which among the brood are born without sentience. These defects are gathered into a single swarm and thrown at the enemy to act as fodder and a distraction for the more integral parts of a Hrud force. The fact that there is the presence of Hruds that lack sentience within the broods gives relevance to the fact that the Hruds achieved sentience as a species from an external source rather that through the rigours of evolution. Although it is uncertain as to how the Hrud first came into contact with Warpstone, it is undoubtable that the mutational effects of Warpstone allowed for the arising of sentience within the Hrud. The Hrud Queens knowingly repeat this process by ingesting raw Warpstone particles and allowing the Warpstone to influence the developing foetuses within Her womb. When the damaging effects of the Warpstone becomes too much for the Hrud Queen, She regurgitates the Warpstone, now in a liquefied state, which is either fed to a developing Whitefur or left to be crystallised once again into solid Warpstone. This explains the close relationship the Hruds share with Warpstone. To them it is more precious than gold for it is their lifeblood.

Vermin Tide: MS:3 BS:0 S:1 T:1 A:10 W:10 I:4 L:4 AS:- CS:4+
Point Cost: 10
Unit Size: Swarm Base
Equipment: Claws and Fangs

Special Rules:
Nocturnal, Instinctual Preservation, Fleet of Paw, Blackfurs, Swarm, Swarm Mentality

Warpwind Grenadiers are support troops to the Fusiliers who are the main infantry of the combat forces of Clan Skyre. The Warpwind Grenades are glass orbs containing dense clouds of noxious Warpwind fumes created during the decomposition process of Warpstone. When the glass orbs are shattered upon contact with a hard surface on the battlefield, the noxious Warpwind fumes are released into the air and linger, until a passing wind dissipates the fumes. Due to the lingering effects of the denser-than-air Warpwind fumes, Warpwind Grenades are used to create deterrent zones to enemy units, especially enemy close combat specialists, who could potentially cause havoc within the ranks of the infantry troops of Clan Skyre.

Elite:
Warpwind Grenadier: MS:3 BS:2 S:2 T:2 A:1 W:1 I:4 L:6 AS:5+ CS:-
Point Cost: 10
Unit Size: 5-10
Equipment: Warpwind Grenades, +Nightshades+4Pts, Shell Armour

The Warpwind Grenades are glass orbs containing dense clouds of noxious Warpwind fumes created during the decomposition process of Warpstone. When the glass orbs are shattered upon contact with a hard surface on the battlefield, the noxious Warpwind fumes are released into the air and linger, until a passing wind dissipates the fumes. The Warpwind Grenade has the following profile: R:G12" S:- AP:4 T:A1, Blast, Pinning, Warpwind Fumes, Lingering Fumes, Anti-Bio-Organic, Heavy Weapon.
Warpwind is created when a Warpstone is allowed to decompose through heat, and the noxious gas released as a result is the Warpwind. As such, if inhaled, the mutagenic essence of Chaos takes its toll upon the internal systems of a body. Over time, the body succumbs to the mutating effects of Chaos, and the organs of the body are attacked internally. This continues for an interminable period, as such it is called Warpwind Sickness. When an enemy unit encounters a cloud of Warpwind Fumes, it takes an immediate AS if its AS is Power Armour or any of its equivalent. If it fails or is unable to take the AS, for every Turn the unit starts within a Warpwind cloud, the unit suffers a permanent -1 modifier to its Toughness. On top of that, it takes an immediate Toughness Test with its modified Toughness value, which upon failing the unit suffers a Wound with no Armour Saves allowable.
The cloud of Warpwind Fumes linger in the air, dissipating with the passing of the wind. Leave the Blast marker where the Warpwind Grenade landed to denote the Lingering Fumes. At the start of every turn, roll a D6 for each Warpwind cloud on the Battlefield. On a 4+ they dissipate. Remove the Blast marker from the Battlefield.
The Warpwind Grenade and its associated effects are Anti-Bio-Organic, meaning they only work on bio-organisms. Should the enemy unit be mechanical or robotic, for instance the Drones of the Tau Empire, the Warpwind fumes would have little effect on their metallic bodies, thus they may pass through them unharmed.

Special Rules:
Nocturnal
Detachments: The specialist troops of Clan Skyre are known to work in detachments, so that the firepower of the unit can cover greater ground. You may split your Warpwind Grenadier unit into two squads, with the numbers distributed as equally as possible between the squads. The detachments work independently of each other. For all purposes, treat them as separate units.

Warpflame Throwers wield Warp-based weapons that are equivalent to the Heavy Flamers of the Imperium. The Warpflames thrown from the Warpflamer is created by the igniting of the Warpwind fumes produced from the decomposing Warpstones contained within the fuel pack of the Warpflamer. Through atmospheric pressure, the Warpwind is forced to the nozzle of the Warpflamer, where it is ignited from sparks created by drawing a flint over an abrasive. The sparks upon meeting the Warpwind, results in a blast of superheated air that is funnelled out of the nozzle, resulting in a cone-shaped spread of Warpflames. The Warpfire is not ordinary fire, as such burns from Warpfire linger as the Warpfire feeds off the flesh of the enemy. Warpflame Throwers are used in a support role to the main troops of Fusiliers, by acting as a deterrent to any foes attempting to engage the main infantry line in close combat. During the Great War, Warpflame Throwers were used to devastating effect, steadily advancing while pouring gouts of burning Warpfire on clustered packs of the warriors of the lesser tribes. When used in conjunction with the Warplasmic acid contained within the ammunition pellets of the Fusils, the Warpflamers are able to blast through any armour, cutting right to the flesh. More devastating however, is the troop combination of Warpflame Throwers and Warpwind Grenadiers. The Warpwind fumes are highly volatile and react violently with heat. Should the fierce flames of a Warpflamer come into contact with a cloud of Warpwind fumes, the resulting explosion is a cataclysmic enough to burn through even Terminator Armour. As such, detachments of Warpflame Throwers are often side-by-side with Warpwind Grenadiers, as this deadly unit combination has become a favourite of the Warlords of Clan Skyre.

Warpflame Thrower: MS:3 BS:2 S:2 T:2 A:1 W:1 I:4 L:6 AS:5+ CS:-
Point Cost: 15
Unit Size: 5-10
Equipment: Warpflamer, Shell Armour

The Warpflames thrown from the Warpflamer is created by the igniting of the Warpwind fumes produced from the decomposing Warpstones contained within the fuel pack of the Warpflamer. Through atmospheric pressure, the Warpwind is forced to the nozzle of the Warpflamer, where it is ignited from sparks created by drawing a flint over an abrasive. The sparks upon meeting the Warpwind, results in a blast of superheated air that is funnelled out of the nozzle, resulting in a cone-shaped spread of Warpflames. The Warpflamer has the following profile: R:T S:5 AP:4 T:A1, Template, Warpfire Burns, Fire-Wind Explosion, Heavy Weapon.
Even after the Warpflamer ceases to soak its victims in Warpflames, the victims suffers from Warpfire Burns, as the Warpflames continues to feed off the flesh of its victims. All units Hit by a Warpflamer suffers from a Special Attack that Hits automatically with a Strength of 5. Armour Saves of 3+ and better may be taken against this Special Attack.
Should the stream of Warpflame collide with Warpwind fumes lingering in the air, a Fire-Wind Explosion occurs. As long as the Warpflamer Hits any part of a Warpwind fume cloud, any units within the cloud of Warpwind fumes suffer a S7 AP2 Hit. Warpfire Burns from a Fire-Wind Explosion are at S7 and do not allow AS to be taken. Remove the Warpwind cloud immediately after this Special Attack.

Special Rules:
Nocturnal, Detachments

Detachments of Warpstone Shooters are almost entirely comprised of Great War Veterans, due to the low casualty rate of the role they play on the battlefield. They are the elite of the elite among the forces of Clan Skyre. They are used exclusively in the role as snipers to take out key targets within the enemy ranks. When they run out of key targets to take down, they fit Warplasma shells into their Warplock Shooters and fire them into the ranks of the enemy's infantry. To fulfill their role, they infiltrate into a position of cover far ahead of the rest of the army. They are masters of their role, often staying in cover for many nights, not moving an inch from their positions, as they look out for potential targets. As a result, they receive the best training among the various troops of Clan Skyre, and live up to their reputation as the elite of the elite.

Warpstone Shooter: MS:3 BS:3 S:2 T:2 A:1 W:1 I:4 L:7 AS:5+ CS:-
Point Cost: 20
Unit Size: 5-10
Equipment: Warplock Shooter +Warplasma Shell+2Pts +Rifle Sling+2Pts, +Stillsuit+6Pts, Shell Armour

The Warplock Shooter is a modified Warplock Rifle, designed to shoot pure Warpstone that has been sharpened into spikes. The Warplords have improved on the design and firing mechanism of the Warplock Rifle, such that the Warplock Shooter has greater range and has an attached sniper scope. The Warplock Shooter has the following profile: R:36" S:- AP:4 T:H1, Sniper Scope, Warpstone Essence, Warplasma Shell, Inorganic-Resistant, Heavy Weapon.
Sniper Scope allows all to-Hit rolls with the Warplock Shooter to be made at 2+. In addition, it confers the Pinning rule to all shots fired by the Warplock Shooter.
Warplock Shooters are high-powered Warplock Rifles that fire raw Warpstone that has been sharpened into spikes. When fired at a living target, the Warpstone spikes easily pierces the target's flesh, allowing the mutagenic essence within the Warpstone to be fed directly into the bloodstream. As the Warpstone Essence courses through the target, the internal bodily systems of a target are slowly undermined, as the mutational effects takes its toll on the target's body. For each Unsaved Hit from a Warpstone Shooter's Attack, the targets suffers a -1 modifier to its Toughness value. After resolving all Attacks, the target has to pass a Toughness Test or suffer an immediate Wound with no Armour Saves allowable. In subsequent turns, the process repeats itself, with the target having to pass a Toughness Test or suffer a Wound. This process only ends when the target dies.
The Warplock Shooter is designed to accommodate the Warplasma Shell ammunitions used by the Warplock Rifle. Warpstone Shooters equipped with Warplasma Shells may choose to fire the Warplasma Shell. It has the following profile: R:36" S:5 AP:3 T:H1, Blast, Pinning. It may be used in conjunction with the to-Hit rules for Sniping.
The Warpstone spikes fired by the Warplock Shooter are Inorganic-Resistant, meaning inorganic units are more resistant to the effects of the Warplock Shooter than organic units. While the Warpstone are unable to travel rapidly through the systems of an inorganic unit, say a Necron Warrior, the mutagenic essence of raw Warpstone still corrupts the internal systems of the Necron Warrior by warping its very substance. The same rules apply for Warpstone Essence when firing at inorganic targets with the exception that they never suffer negative modifiers to their Toughness value.

Special Rules:
Nocturnal, Detachments, Infiltrators, Stealth
Snipers: Warpstone Shooters are trained to take out high-priority targets within an enemy unit. You may choose to have all your Warpstone Shooters in a detachment aim their weapons at a specific model within an enemy unit. That model must be in LoS.

Tribe Mors was known for its secrecy and self-sufficiency, even from the eyes of their kin, the Tribes and Clans of the Underempire. However, in their own constant need for survival, the Tribe had developed such articles that would prove to become invaluable even to other Hrud tribes. These include the Nightshades, designed to protect the eyesight of the Hruds of Tribe Mors from the harsh twin suns of the desert world of Tallarn, and the Stillsuits. There was one other technology Tribe Mors was renowned for and that was its skimmer technology, the Dusk Trawlers. These vehicles were used by Tribe Mors to drive forward their great Sandcrawlers over the desert sands, immense constructs that acted as their mobile homes. How Tribe Mors acquired this technology and the raw materials to construct these vehicles, remained a mystery. They were in actual fact acquired during the Great Sundering, when several hundred tribes from the Tribe of Soil split from the main body of Clan Rictus to survive on their own. They brought with them much of the technology of the Demiurg, including the blueprints for the construction of these vehicles.

The Tribe continued their policy of isolation from the affairs of the rest of Hrudom until they encountered another Hrud tribe upon the world of Tallarn. Tribe Scrye, previously one of the Council Tribes until they participated in the Great Migration and thus revoked their seat in the Council, had migrated to the world of Tallarn. They lived within the sewers of the city, and were expanding their network of burrows into the outskirts when they met one of the splinter tribes of Tribe Mors. An exchange of trade and information took place, and from there the Prophet leaders of Tribe Scrye learnt of the Tribe's identity as the Hruds that split from Clan Rictus during the Great Sundering. From trading with the splinter tribe of Tribe Mors, the Hruds of Tribe Scrye obtained the Nightshades and Stillsuits and saw the value of these inventions, and the great benefit it would be to the rest of Hrudom if they were circulated among the Tribes and Clans. Using his powers of foresight and prediction, the Scrylord of Tribe Scrye, Sckreet, peered into the future, and saw that great wealth and power would flow to Tribe Mors should they rejoin themselves with the Underempire and sell their technology to the other tribes and clans. The Scrylord met with the Seer Chieftain of that splinter tribe, Vanacur, and told him his prophecy. He encouraged Vanacur to enter into trade with the Tribes, as surely the products of Tribe Mors would be in high demand. Vanacur was an ambitious Seer Chieftain and had held aims at bringing back their Tribe from their policy of isolation and into the political domain of the Underempire, and thus rejoin their Tribe with the rest of Hrudom. This development was exactly the motive he needed to fulfill his ambitions. Thus Vanacur called for the Council of Seers, the gathering of the Seer Chieftains of the splinter tribes that occur by tradition once every Sun cycle. He laid bare his plans to the council, telling them of the prophecy of Sckreet, Scrylord of Tribe Scrye, and the great benefits it would offer to the Greater Tribe should they reenter the political domain of the Underempire. His inspirational discourse convinced many of the council to his side. There were others though, Seer Chieftains of great foresight, who knew that to rejoin the Underempire would ultimately be to change the way of life as they have come to know and appreciate. A vote was taken and the majority were found to be in accord with Vanacur. It was then decided that Vanacur would be placed in charge of leading the Tribe in its trades with the other tribes, and ultimately, of rejoining the Tribe with the rest of Hrudom. Thus, the position of Seerlord was created for Vanacur, and he held all political and military power of the Greater Tribe within his hands as Seerlord of Tribe Mors. Trade was first established through Clan Skaven, the link between the Migratory Tribes and the Underempire. In this way, Tribe Mors was able to reconnect with the Underempire through its trade of Nightshades and Stillsuits. When the Commerce Vessel of Clan Rictus passed through the desert world of Tallarn, Vanacur reestablished ties of friendship with them, ties that were severed during the Great Sundering. Through the medium of Clan Rictus, Tribe Mors was able to establish trade with the Migratory Tribes that were scattered across the galaxy. In this way, the Nightshades and Stillsuits came into circulation with all of Hrudom, as predicted by Scrylord Sckreet. Their monopoly over the production of Nightshades and Stillsuits, and the importance of these two items to the rest of Hrudom gave the Tribe tremendous political power. They became one of the Council Tribes in the Council of Thirteen, during the Seventh Great Council, with a seat given to Vanacur.

It so happened that Verminkin II of Clan Verminkin sought to gain an edge over the rival Clans in the Underempire, by obtaining a weapon of war that would be unique to their Clan only. Verminkin II knew of the skimmers of Tribe Mors, the Dusk Trawlers, and he wished to obtain this technology for his own. During one of the Great Councils, he found an opportunity to enter into discussions with Vanacur, regarding skimmer technology, and how it would be of great use to the rest of Hrudom if it entered into circulation just as it is with Nightshades and Stillsuits. Thus in this manner, skimmer technology was sold to Verminkin II, who promised to circulate it to the rest of Hrudom. Verminkin II put the greatest Smiths of the Clan into developing a vehicle based on the skimmer technology of Tribe Mors. The skimmer of Clan Verminkin was originally supposed to be based on the design of the Dusk Trawlers, but the Smiths diverged, due to a lack of required raw materials. Instead of using the magneto-engine to power their skimmer like it is with the Dusk Trawlers, they would use an engine that used Warpstone as fuel, given the plentiful amounts of it in the Underempire, and as such, they would not have to face the problems of the shortage of fuel in their skimmers. As the Underempire is a barren setting, and it was not within the trade agreement between Tribe Mors and Clan Verminkin that the Tribe would help the Clan acquire the required raw materials, the skimmer of the Verminkin ultimately became an open-topped Skiff. In this way the War Skiff was developed, and the Warpstone-fueled turbine engine that powers the vehicle and transforms it into a skimmer was named the Wardrive, after the name of the Skiff. A group of Greyfurs, personally selected by Verminkin II himself, was assigned the task of piloting these skimmers. These are the Wardrivers, named after the Warp-powered engine of the vehicle itself. The Wardrivers train rigourously for their task, in the ways of war and in the manoeuvring and piloting of their vessel. They have great pride in their role as pilots of the War Skiffs, for they were selected under a strict criteria, requiring great wits, reflexes, and fortitude of mind. Through constant practice, they have perfected their control of the War Skiffs and are constantly daring each other to perform difficult feats and manoeuvres with the vehicles. Clan Verminkin uses the War Skiffs as both transports for their Stormvermin to quickly traverse the battlefield and as mobile firing platforms, a battle configuration in which they would mount the massive Warplock Guns onto the rear of the War Skiffs.

During the many petty wars of the Age of Beasts, the War Skiff first saw usage when a combined host of three lesser tribes challenged the dominion of the Overlord of the Great Kinship. The War Skiffs were used with great effect in that war, harassing the foot troops from afar with the Warplock Guns, then speeding away before the Greyfur Riflers could return fire. Though the combined host greatly outnumbered the forces of Clan Verminkin, they could not hit the speeding War Skiffs, which left the foot troops befuddled and disorganised. From there, they became easy pickings to the disciplined forces of Clan Verminkin, under the astute leadership of the Overlord himself. The War Skiffs thus proved to be instrumental to the victory of the Clan in that war, and the position of Dominant Tribe of the Lesser Tribes was kept by the Clan. News of the strange new vehicles that were so formidable spread among the Tribes and Clans of the Underempire. They were astounded by the vehicles for they had never seen anything so fast and elegant before. Verminkin II thus received many requests for the technology to be sold at the end of the war, some even at greatly exorbitant prices. Finally, greed got the better of Verminkin II and the technology was summarily sold. And so the technology proliferated among the Hruds of the Underempire, even reaching the Migratory Tribes, until they became a common sight within all Hrudom. Although it was with some heartache that Verminkin II had relinquished his plan of keeping the technology beholden to only his Clan, he knew that it would benefit their race as a whole, so all was not for nought. Verminkin II instilled some sense of standardisation by promoting the War Skiffs as the definitive skimmer to be emulated. From then on, all skimmers produced by the Smiths of the tribes followed the make of the War Skiffs. The War Skiffs are used for various purposes by the Hruds. This includes as a personal transport for dignitaries and as a means of transporting Warpstone ore between locations. During times of war, the War Skiffs are equipped in various fashions depending on the preference of that particular tribe or Warlord. For instance, while some prefer to use it as a fast transport for ferrying close combat troops into war, others use it as a mobile firing platform by placing Greyfur Warplock Riflers on it. The invention of the War Skiff was an important stepping-stone for the race of the Hruds, for it showed best how quickly such high technology could be spread among the realms of the Hruds through the medium of trade, and it encouraged the propagation of important discoveries of advanced technology among the Hrud Tribes. This proved especially significant in the later Ages when the Hrud Tribes came into conflict with sentient species that possessed superior technology. In order to defeat the armoured tanks of the Imperium of Man for instance, the Warplords of Clan Skyre developed the Warpfire Grenade, which was highly effectively for its expressed purpose and its cheap cost. They were then mass-produced by the Clan, and through the medium of trade, spread to the rest of Hrudom, a course of action without which the Hruds would never have been able to match the Imperium in terms of military might.

Fast Attack:
War Skiff: FA:11 SA:10 RA:11
Point Cost: 30
Unit Size: 1-3
Equipment: +Warplock Gun+15Pts, +Warplightning Cannon+20Pts, Wardrive, Front Ram, +Side Scythes+5Pts, +Warpshield+15Pts
Wardriver: MS:4 BS:2 S:2 T:2 A:2 W:1 I:5 L:7 AS:5+ CS:5+
Equipment: Warplock Pistol, Pike, +Warplasma Grenades+2Pts, +Warpfire Grenades+4Pts, +Nightshades+4Pts, +Stillsuit+6Pts, Shell Armour
Fusilier: MS:3 BS:2 S:2 T:2 A:1 W:1 I:4 L:6 AS:5+ CS:5+
Point Cost: 10
Unit Size: 10-20
Equipment: Fusil, +Nightshades+4Pts, Shell Armour
Blackfang: MS:4 BS:1 S:3 T:3 A:1 W:1 I:3 L:6 AS:- CS:6+
Fangleader: MS:4 BS:1 S:4 T:3 A:2 W:1 I:3 L:7 AS:5+ CS:6+
Point Cost: 6/9
Unit Size: 10-20/1 per 5 Blackfangs
Equipment: Warplock Pistol +Scimitar+1Pt +Sheath+2Pts, +Nightshades+4Pts, Mirage Cloak
/Warplock Pistol +Scimitar+1Pt +Sheath+2Pts, +Warplasma Grenades+2Pts, +Warpfire Grenades+4Pts, +Warplightning Tractor Beacon+6Pts, +Nightshades+4Pts, +Stillsuit+6Pts, Mirage Cloak, Shell Armour

Special Rules:
Fast Skimmer, Open-Topped, Transport, Instinctual Preservation, Nocturnal, Flexible Skeletons, Skilled Rider, The Scythe, The Weave

The Warplightning Tower is a Warpstone-based construct inspired in form from the fallen Tower of Heaven. It is made of countless coils of Warpstone bundled together that are polarily-charged. The Warplightning Tower works by placing a tractor beacon that's polarity is opposite those of the Warpstone coils. The coils within the Warplightning Tower will then generate a bolt of Warplightning for which the tractor beacon acts as a basis for the Warplightning to travel. These Warplightning Tractor Beacons are deployed by the infantry troops of Clan Skyre, whenever they are engaged in close combat with the enemy. They will then use the opportunity to plant the tractor beacons into the ground, within proximity of the enemy, in the hopes that the enemy will get blasted by the Warplightning. It is especially dangerous for the planter for the Warplightning bolt blast a sizeable area, such that all in the immediate vicinity of the tractor beacons are in danger of getting vapourised. The Warplightning bolt generated by the Warpstone coils reach such tremendously high voltage that all caught in the blast are simply torn apart by the sheer force of the blast, regardless of the class of armour worn. When multiple tractor beacons are placed simultaneously, the Warplightning forks to the various tractor beacons, with slight diminishes in power depending on the number of forks generated.

Heavy Support:
Warplightning Tower: T:7 W:3
Point Size: 75
Unit Size: 1
Equipment: -

The Warplightning Tower works by placing a Warplightning Tractor Beacon that's polarity is opposite those of the Warpstone coils. The coils within the Warplightning Tower will then generate a bolt of Warplightning for which the Tractor Beacon acts as a basis for the Warplightning to travel. It has the following profile: R:60" S:10 AP:1 T:A1, Blast, Pinning, Warplightning Forks, Feedback.
For every Warplightning Tractor Beacon placed in the same Shooting Phase, the Warplightning Forks, diminishing the S and AP for each Hit by 1.
Whenever a 1 is rolled when determining the to-Wound results or the Armour Penetration results, the Warplightning Tower suffers from Feedback, taking an immediate Hit at the Strength of the Warplightning generated.

Special Rules:
Warpstone Fuel: The tractor wheels of the Warplightning Tower moves ahead through the combustion of Warpstones. Using Warpstones as fuel is both potent and risky at the same time, for the Warpstones have a tendency to become unstable and backfire on the vehicle itself, exploding within the combustion engine and damaging the Warplightning Tower from within. The distance the Warplightning Tower Moves each Movement Phase is determined on the roll of 3D6. On any roll of a 1, the Warplightning Tower is automatically Hit at a Strength of either 6, 7 or 8, relative to the number of 1s rolled.
Plant and Run: Whenever an infantry trooper plants a Warplightning Tractor Beacon, he is extremely wary and prepares to jump out of the way of the Warplightning bolt that would soon home in on the tractor beacon. Any friendly troops in the vicinity of the Warplightning blast has to pass an Initiative Test. If upon failing to do so, they are caught in the Warplightning blast and are thus considered when determining the casualties from a Warplightning Tower Attack.

The Black Guards are Blackfangs that are noted especially for their prowess in combat and has been specifically selected to form the bodyguard retinue of either a Warlord or Chieftain. The Black Guard can be seen as the cream of the crop of the various forces of the Hrud, for indeed they are. Amongst the various coloured subspecies of Hrud, the Blackfurs are the fiercest and imbued with the greatest physical strength. Then, even among this strongest of subspecies, there are those born with the raw strength that set them apart from their peers. There are those too, individuals of lion-heart and iron determination, that by their personal strength have risen against the odds and established their names on the field of battle. Whatever the means, these first among equals have garnered the attention of the ruling Warlords and have been handpicked to form his elite retinue. As the Warlord lives, these chosen warriors fight with dedication and pride, knowing that they are the elite of the elite. If any of these prideful soldiers have any designs on the seat of the Warlord, no emotion is shown, for indeed the Warlord has risen to his position not by luck or chance. Even if the Black Guard has confidence in his ability to challenge the Warlord, his intentions will not go unnoticed by his fellow Black Guards. He must contend himself with his current position, lying patiently in wait till such an opportunity presents itself to take that one step closer towards absolute power. So it comes to be that within the midst of battle, great as he may be, the Warlord will fall, and then the Hand of Fate beckons, enticing these mightiest of warriors. The tension mounts, as the mistrust and hate built up between them all this while threaten to spill out. Ambition fill their hearts; if not now, when? The vacuum created by the fall of the One has to be filled and who better than me? At last, one amongst these proudest of warriors succumbs to his inner desires, to the beast within. He is the trigger that catalyses a whole chain of reactions, the go button they were all waiting for. Now the dam has burst, the torrent of emotion rushes forth; nothing is left but for that one prize. All pretentions are abandoned, as brethren turn against brethren in this battle for one's worth. As the dust settles, one is left standing. The Fates has chosen, and as it is and always has been, there can only be one...

HQ:
Black Guard: MS:4 BS:2 S:4 T:3 A:2 W:1 I:4 L:7 AS:5+ CS:-
Point Cost: 13
Unit Size: 10-15
Equipment: Halberd, Sheath, +Warplasma Grenades+2Pts, +Warpfire Grenades+4Pts +Nightshades+4Pts, +Stillsuit+6Pts, Shell Armour

Special Rules:
Nocturnal, Fleet of Paw, Overgrown Incisors
Elitist Pride: As long as the Warlord or Warplord is alive, the entire unit is Stubborn. However, if the Warlord is to fall in battle, and the Black Guards are not currently within 6" of any enemy unit at the start of the Turn, the Black Guards have to take a Leadership Test. If the dice rolled is lower than the unmodified Leadership value of the unit, the entire unit erupts into infighting. Treat the Black Guards as Frenzied and resolve all Attacks against itself. At the end of the combat, count the total number of Wounds incurred, Saved and Unsaved. If the total number is 6 or more, replace one model in the unit with the Warlord. The new Warlord is counted as salvaging all the weaponry and armour of the previous Warlord. Remove any casualties incurred from Unsaved Wounds and the unit may act as normal in each Phase except the Movement Phase for that Turn as it regroups from the chaos of the infighting. If the total number is less than 6, continue resolving Attacks against the unit until the total number of Saved and Unsaved Wounds is 6.
Martial Pride: The Black Guard pride themselves on their martial prowess, disdaining the need to seek protection in cover, as their lesser kin are so tended towards. Furthermore, as the Black Guard of the Warlords, they would have to uphold the safety of the Warlord in their charge and not wane in their duty. As such, the rule Instinctual Preservation never applies to the Black Guard. As the bodyguard retinue of the ruling Warlord, diminishing their form by wearing Mirage Cloaks would reduce the impact of their presence. They see concealing their forms with the Mirage Cloaks as a sign of weakness. As such, Black Guards never deign to wear Mirage Cloaks.

Clan Skyre is ruled by a caste of Warlords that are selected from the Black Guard through a brutal display of natural selection. Overlord Skyre is the current leader of the Clan, and has been for many decades since the Clan rose to a position of dominance amongst the lesser tribes. His fellow Warlords have been tempted many times in supplanting the Overlord's position as the supreme ruler of the Clan, but so far none has succeeded. When a Warlord goes forth to battle, he rides in the company of his elite bodyguards, the Black Guard. They are the largest and most aggressive of the Blackfurs within the Clan, specially selected for these various qualities to form the Black Guard.

Warlord: MS:5 BS:3 S:4 T:4 A:3 W:2 I:5 L:8 AS:4+ CS:6+
Point Cost: 45
Unit Size: 1
Equipment: Fusil+15Pts/Warplock Pistol+1Pt and Weeping Blade+4Pts/+Power Scimitar+6Pts/Halberd+3Pts/Twin Power Scimitars+12Pts +Rifle Sling+2Pts/+Sheath+2Pts, +Warplasma Grenades+2Pts, +Warpfire Grenades+4Pts, +Nightshades+4Pts, +Stillsuit+6Pts, Warpstone Armour, +War Skiff+30Pts

Fusils operate in much the same way as a Warplock Rifle, in that however, instead of slinging the Warplasma Shells into a belt around the body, the Fusils use Warplasma Pellets. The weight and method of storage of these Warplasma Pellets make the Fusils Heavy Weapons that are cumbersome to move around with. As such, the Warlord is unable to seek refuge in cover in the same way as if he was wielding a Warplock Rifle instead, thus the Special Rules of Instinctual Preservation and Fleet of Paw are lost. The Fusil has the following profile: R:30" S:5 AP:3 T:HD3, Blast, Pinning, Warplasma, Heavy Weapon.

Special Rules:
Instinctual Preservation, Nocturnal, Fleet of Paw
Ferocious Fighter: The Warlord is the epitome of the spirit that characterises the Blackfurs, one of unbridled ferocity. The stronger and more successful the Blackfur, the fiercer his disposition would be. In combat, the Warlord is an unstoppable whirlwind of whirling blades, giving in to his primal ferocity to channel his blows. Each blow that cuts deeper only empowers him to fight with renewed fervour, flowing with the momentum of his attacks, unleashing a devastating barrage upon the fools that dare challenge him. Each Unsaved Wound caused by the Warlord, grants the Warlord another Attack.
Great Fangs: The Warlord gains Rending for one Attack only. This only applies if the Warlord is in the proximity to use his special Fang Attack.
Tenacity: On his rise up the ranks of Hrud society, the Warlord has experienced countless brushes with death. The only thing preventing him from suffering the same fate of the many before him is his tenacious will to succeed and not succumb to the weakness of death. When the Warlord is reduced to 1 Wound, all close combat Attacks made against the Warlord suffer a -1 to-Hit penalty. The CS bonus provided by Instinctual Preservation increases to 5+. When Hit by Template and Blast Weapons, the Attack misses the Warlord completely on the successful passing of an Initiative Test.
Skyre's Rule: In normal occasions when a Warlord goes to war, he rides forth to establish his supremacy and through merit of victory of arms, extend his authority over a greater part of the Clan. Not so with Clan Skyre. Overlord Skyre has such a grip on the inner workings of his Clan that the Warlords ride forth to war as a delegate of Skyre. Rarely do they operate on their own intentions, instead working under orders from Skyre himself. As such there may be as many Warlords as allowable within an army of Clan Skyre, however you must choose one to be the Army General.
Warlord's Pride: The Warlord never conceals himself with a Mirage Cloak, as such never benefitting from the -1 to the enemy's BS from Range Attacks.
Alpha Pack: When the Hruds will still mere animals and did not have tribes and clans, the Hruds lived in packs, with the strongest male in the pack becoming the Alpha male. The Alpha males are the overall leaders of the pack and the rest of the pack will account themselves to the Alpha male and look towards him to protect them from stronger males from another pack. This relationship of the Alpha male to his pack is carried on in the traditions established in the Age of Warlords, as one of the Great Traditions. The Warlord and his retinue is looked upon as the Alpha pack by all the Hruds in the army. Should any of the Hrud packs be defeated by a superior foe, they will instinctively flee towards the Alpha pack, seeking their protection. If any unit is to break and flee on the Battlefield, it immediately takes a Leadership Test using the Leadership of the current Army General. If the Test is passed, the unit flees towards the position of the Army General instead of fleeing towards the edge of the Battlefield. Upon reaching the Army General, the unit automatically rallies and regroups.

Warplords are the Chieftains of Clan Skyre, specially selected by Warlord Skyre during the early years of the Age of Warlords to figure out a means of manipulating Warpstone into weapons of war, for he recognise the innate quickness of mind and intellect of Greyfurs in comparison to Blackfurs. They each carry with them a single Warpchannel Orb, from which all manner of Warp-based destruction can be wrought on the enemy. The Warpchannel Orb is a summoning portal to focus the intentions of the Warplord and allow him to establish contact with the Warp. Their Warpstone-based creations was directly responsible for the success of Skyre's Great Plan, so Skyre greatly favours them, providing them with the best of armour and equipment, even the expensively procured Warpstone Armour from Tribe Dirge. They hold the highest positions of seniority among the Greyfurs, and are just below the Warlords in the hierarchy of the Clan.

Warplord: MS:4 BS:3 S:3 T:3 A:2 W:2 I:6 L:9 AS:4+ CS:4+ IS:5+
Point Cost: 35
Unit Size: 1
Equipment: Warpchannel Orb, +Nightshades+4Pts, +Stillsuit+6Pts, Warpstone Armour, +War Skiff+30Pts

Warpchannel Orb: Warplasma Burst: R:42" S:5 AP:3 T:A3, Blast, Pinning, Warplasma Acid
Warpstone Shot: R:48" S:- AP:2 T:A1, Warpstone Essence, Warpstone Edge(Negates IS), Marksmanship(Target any model), Inorganic-Resistant
Warpfire Blaze: R:T S:5 AP:4 T:A1, Template, Warpfire Burns, Fire-Wind Explosion
Warpwind Blast: R:T S:- AP:4 T:A1, Template, Warpwind Fumes, Lingering Fumes, Anti-Bio-Organic
Warplightning Bolt: R:60" S:10 AP:1 T:A1, Warplightning Forks
As long as the Warplord passes a Psychic Test, he may use any of the 5 powers listed above, during the Shooting Phase.

Special Rules:
Instinctual Preservation, Nocturnal, Fleet of Paw
Force of Personality: All units within 12" may use the Leadership of the Warplord for all Leadership Tests. If the Warlord and his retinue is within 12", and the Warlord is the general of the army, then the Warlord has to rely on his Leadership for his own Tests.
Bodyguard: Accompanied by two Black Guards that must stay within 1" of the Warplord at all times.

[Macmoss]

Fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers

Mossmac

[Calixtus]

Macmoss I am wondering if you have tried and tested my rules in an actual game. Indeed, has anybody who has read my rules ever attempted to test them out in a real game? I would like to know the outcome and the balance of the rules. I believe there are certain tweaks needed especially when it comes to the pricing of the units. For instance the champions of the units tend to be only slightly more expensive, on the average by about two points more, which is a little too cheap for their statline.

Also, feedback regarding my fluff and storyline would be GREATLY appreciated. To me that is the true highlight of my work. I enjoy reading the stories I have wrote for the Hrud and wonder if others feel the same way.

[Macmoss]

The hi-light for me was/is your background/fluff - loved it! - Been very busy over the last 6 months to do any gaming - having made a big move across the world with my family (finding work etc..) - so have to confess haven't playtested it - although I have converted the lists to Lethal Wargaming Rules which is what I play now anyhow so feedback on the gaming front wouldn't be that helpful (? ). Your fluff was/is great - keep it coming

Cheers

Mossmac

[kithre]

Erm, this again simply smacks of Space Skaven - eve as far as using the same names etc that are used for Skaven..

The "hook" for the Hrud ssems to be nothing to do with the "skaven" traditions of the cittering horde, true they inhabit warrens, although they are shown to have their own warp-plasma technology, based on warp crystals...They are reknowned for recycling etc, but the majority of their weapons would probably be warp-plasma based, using the same technology as Imperial starship warp-drives.

They can "phase out" from the current dimension, and seem to exist in one or more other dimensions, that should be the main hook of the army...

They are also somehwat benevolent at best, and pests at worst, not bent on destruction, and do not seem to be gathered into clans. They may also be allied with the Eldar, and are probably an older race, created by the Old Ones...Read Xenology by Simon Spurier, and also some of the Inquisitor source material...

A fact which adds credibility to this idea is the similarity of the Eldar and Hrud mythology detailed in the book Xenology. Their mythology is almost the same: their god of the forge, like the Eldar god Vaul, was sealed away, and all the other gods either died or shared this fate with the exception of one.

Races such as the noisome Hrud defy rational explanation entirely as they exhibit abilities never before seen by the xeno savants of the Imperium. These particular creatures seem to exist in a timeframe out of sync with the universe around them, and have proved exceptionally difficult to tackle as a result.

[White Ninja Warlord]

Hey Calixtus, that was a very interesting read. I'm just curious about this, is this all your own work cause I vaguely remember reading something about Hrud many a year ago. If this is the case you may be in violation of copyright. Other then that again thankyou for providing an interesting thread. (Btw if this is not the case, I apologise if you are offended)

[Calixtus]

All that I have written is from my own imagination, and thus I would like to believe they are completely original, although I do indeed have borrowed certain themes and ideas from Skaven lore. If you like what I wrote, then maybe you will like the other stories I have within this forum. They are about 8 pages back, so you got to search. Also, may I ask, what particular aspect of these stories do you like best?

To kithre: Indeed I had based a lot of my created fluff on the already established background for the Hruds. I am sure you would have noticed some of the similarities? Although I suppose that I have neglected the fact that they are created by the Old Ones and that they have a pantheon of gods similar to the Eldar, although I believe I can easily retcon this somehow. As to being able to phase out of this dimension into another, I wrote that it is through the means of the Warportals that they are able to travel between worlds. Not exactly the same but it fits my purposes and I am satisfied with it. As to the fact that they are largely benevolent and are pest at worst...I have considered that too when writing my stories. They are a race of mixed feelings towards the other races of the galaxy. Most tend to themselves and live in secrecy and self-sufficiency, while there are a rare few Clans and Tribes that are more ambitious than others and pursue a policy of aggression towards other races.

[kithre]

Thanks for the info - I suppose my main gripe is the overiding sense that pretty much every concept, name, title etc is taken directly from Skaevn. Skaven are debased human-kind merged with evolved rats, there is little evidence to suggest that the Eldar would ally themselves with mutant creatures that evolved in a Demiurg mining operation....the fluff surrounding them being creations of teh Old Ones that is speculated is pretty much ignored.

I would change the whole social structure - even if Hrud are "space skaven", they aren't creatures of Chaos, and just as the Eldar have an entirely different fluff and structure vs the Elves (High Elves in WHFB are definitely goody-goody good guys but in 40K, Eldar are enigmatic at best, similar actually to the Wood Elves). You can keep the list as is (though simplifying the special rules would certainly be better - I'd recommend using the universal special rules from the rulebook), but the background cannot be so closely paralleled to Skaven, if you want to be able to describe it to a grizzled old GW veteran like myself, after all, I saw the death of the Squats!