Horned Rat
The Horned Rat is a Chaos God in the fictional Warhammer Fantasy universe.
Characteristics
The Horned Rat, also known as the Horned One, is the patron deity of the Skaven race, and is worshipped exclusively by them. The Horned Rat represents the characteristics of the Skaven race itself — deceit, spitefulness, backstabbing, disease and corruption. Despite these characteristics, the Horned Rat wishes that the Skaven work together to rule the entire Warhammer Fantasy world, which would then allow him to return, though what this "return" means is not further elaborated. [1]
The Horned Rat is typically depicted in icons as a large rat's head with four horns — two long goat-like horns, and two curled horns similar to those on a ram. On the rare occasions when the Horned Rat has personally appeared in the Warhammer world, he has held a similar, albeit monstrous, appearance. Other symbols of the Horned Rat involve an assortment of variations on general Chaos icons and those of the Skaven race, often incorporating horns or rat heads. The Horned Rat's favored number is thirteen, and this number affects some of the rules for the Skaven army in Warhammer Fantasy.
Cult of the Horned Rat
Mortals
The mortal worshippers of the Horned Rat are exclusively of the Skaven race. Various Skaven factions, called clans, have arisen which emphasize an aspect of the Horned Rat. For example, Clan Pestilens focuses on the disease aspect; Clan Eshin emphasizes subtlety, backstabbing and assassination; and Clan Skryre emphasizes cunning and inventiveness. When a Skaven army goes to war, the clans will lend their talents to the effort. This affects the appearance of a Skaven army, as each clan uses its own heraldry, weapons and other gear in battle.
The Horned Rat's commands are interpreted by the council of Lords of Decay; this council of the twelve most powerful clan leaders (the council includes the Horned Rat symbolically, making a total of thirteen members) acts as the ruling force of the Skaven race, coordinating efforts to destroy the other factions of the Warhammer world; however, as deception and treachery are traits of the Skaven, the council is often the scene of shifting alliances and intrigue.
The powerful Skaven wizards known as Grey Seers act as prophets of the Horned Rat, driving the clans into action against other factions. They command the respect of other Skaven, and those who defy the Grey Seers risk being declared heretics by them, which is considered a terrible crime and can lead to attacks by other clans. Despite their influence, Grey Seers are not immune to the treacherous nature of their race, and must still be wary of potential assassins. [2]
Daemons
The Horned Rat has very few daemons that serve him. The one known daemon is a Greater Daemon known as the Verminlord. This large daemon resembles the Horned Rat himself wielding a large halberd; it is said to be the corrupted form of an ancient Lord of Decay, and is thus similar to a Daemon Prince. [3] However, Verminlords were not included in the most recent rules for the Skaven. [4]
Kweethul
In early editions of Warhammer, the Skaven were generic rat-men with no patron god. According to the sourcebook Realm of Chaos: The Lost and the Damned, one skaven named Kweethul became a champion of the Chaos god Nurgle and was elevated to the rank of daemon prince, and soon gained enough power and followers to be able to grant attributes and gifts to others as a minor chaos power. The description of Kweethul in Lost and the Damned matches that of the Horned Rat that was later written into the Warhammer universe. This could explain the link between the Skaven (Clan Pestilens) and the chaos god Nurgle.