Skaven Q&A 3: The Most Great Answers, Yes-yes!

[@dIRECTOR259]

[A bit of advice]: DO NOT worry about the length of the videos. People mostly just listen to lore videos anyway, I'm sure pretty much nobody will mind if its an hour or longer. Take as many questions as you feel are interesting to answer (assuming you yourself have the time and interest of course).

[@Thumbdumpandthebumpchump]

This.

[@thecharmingnavigator9946]

I adore the long form videos. So great to paint or hobby to

[@jforozco12]

I would love this in podcast format as I would like to listen while ill take my daily walk, and i dont hve youtube premium lol

[@matthewbrasel2737]

Nurgle - "Tzeentch may be your father, but he ain't your daddy. "

[@devilskiss8421]

Nurgle hate skavens because they dont treat his pestilence as a gift

[@charlottewalnut3118]

@@devilskiss8421 Pestilince does though

[@diogoteixeira4950]

i always tought that the Horned Rat was like, a creation of all the 4 dark gods, who just decided: "Well, let's make a new brother."

[@AndersMurberg]

Even as one who has read all the skaven related books and love them to death, you actually told some details i didn't know! Keep up the good work Sotek :^) Also, the horned rat is basically a mix between all the chaos gods dont you think? he plots (tzeentch), he is a strong warrior (Khorne), skaven take pleasure in torture or undermining allies (slaanesh) and he embodies ruin and decay, decay being (nurgle).

[@idkdude2377]

Monotheism - the doctrine or belief that there is only one God. They can interpret that one god however they want, they still all acknowledge that it is a single figure.

[@Indubidably0]

I view the Horned Rat to be a lesser Chaos god of craven hunger and putrid cunning, a marriage of Tzeentch and Nurgle. I view Hashut similarly, a lesser Chaos god of spiteful hatred and terrifying superiority complex, a marriage of Tzeench and Khorne. I think there are others like this that never really got fleshed out.

[@hangebza6625]

So basicly Khorne, Nurgle and co are the cardinal directions and hashut and the huge Rat are Northwest and Southwest?

[@croicullagh7530]

The five essential elements of life: Violence Pleasure Stagnation Change Rats

[@ASpaceOstrich]

in my headcanon, the mysterious figure that completed the tower and created the Skaven was.... time traveling Skaven in disguise. Skaven creating themselves in a bootstrap paradox seems incredibly fitting for them. Though I don't think my idea is true, I like it.

[@jiado6893]

10:51 "Our next question comes from Squats4ever - that is a very unfortunate name." ROFL

[@biofoot7874]

I really wish these videos got the love they deserve from the viewers they deserve! This is an amazing series!

[@undertakernumberone1]

Tzeentch Plan, as example, if it involves sending a guy on a quest: He completes it: Just as planned He failes: Just as planned He completes it but dies: Just as planned He failes yet lives: Just as planned The Guy decides not to do it: Just as Planned The Guy somehow ends up "killing" a Lord of Change: JUST AS PLANNED!

[@phreakazoith2237]

Tzeentch would probably not consider an obvious setting like this a plan, rather a little finger exercise. Rather like this maybe: Dude is sent on a glorious quest and completes it. While returning to his home he brings a seed with him, stuck on his boot. The seed grows into a tree and 100 years later its roots growing into pipes cause a leakage in a castle built in the meantime. Dripping water distracts a guardsman on duty. Enemies attacking right at this time get a strategic advantage and kill everybody. Just as planned.

[@hangebza6625]

That makes tzeentch the worst schemer ever. A person who plans everything, plans nothing in the end. Which makes tzeentch powerful and pathetic at the same time. He may embody destiny, but you choose it. All you have to do is making these plans of tzeentch becone reality which benefit you (and fend off all attemps to stop you). Stopping Archaeon or Chaos in general? Tzeentch has a plan for that, probably multiple. Just pull that one through that fits you best

[@hendrik1769]

Just want to say thank you for answering my question!

[@Corvito_]

The "I think that Mysterious guy is tzeentch" theory, is old as the "Doom of Kavzar" itself. this theory also said that Tzeentch give this power to an lesser demon (the horned rat) to plot something against Khorne

[@keegobricks9734]

Alright so listen here. I don't know if this is canonically correct (but it should be). We got warpstone right. Large deposits of it underground. Humans come in, build a city on top of a large underground deposit of warpstone. Humans create refuse which attracts rats. As my understanding of it, the rats were gradually over generations mutated and warped by the effects constant exposure to warpstone, much like exposure to uranium. Eventually the rats become man-like, developing sentience. Deep in the forlorn, squalor of a human city where rats fight desperately for survival and a culture of extreme desperation and 'me first' mentality forms. Some sort of chaos entity notices these new children and takes their form and becomes their god. The story of the Bell is really more of their first appearance to the surface, or perhaps the entrance/creation of this rat god. A dramatic entrance that sacrifices hundreds of thousands or perhaps millions, such a calamity unsettles the warp enough for this new god to form. The similarities to nurgle are coincidental. Rats carry diseases and are resistant to them (because of their rate of birth they mutate faster irl) and so that was simply incorporated into the skaven when GW made them.

[@grassytiger]

Keego Bricks I think he talked about how a human city went underground because of flooding and while they were down they needed to build a monument to their god and some stranger approached them and said he could build the monument in one day if they would allow him to make a small monument to his god on it. The lazy bums agreed and the next day when it was built a bell rang and all manner of rats came and started attacking the citizens and killed them all off and that's how the skaven came to be I think.

[@wyvernnemecek595]

23:05 I can understand why you believe it is Tzeentch, however I personally believe it’s not just for the sake of fucking with people that he did that. I believe he wanted to make a new Chaos God, just as he plans to do with the Emperor in 40K. My reasoning for this is the fact that Chaos Gods are born, we know this because of Slaanesh being fairly young of the main four. And someone has to know who the newborn god is through their creation having an impact. This would suggest the Horned Rat had an explosive birth. And it was. Khavzar *was* the Horned Rat’s birth in truth, however it was already forming as a deity. Every mortal being experiences fear in some manner, and the gods of Chaos are formed from emotions and thoughts. The Horned Rat is the culmination of an entire planet’s existential fear and paranoia, taking the shape of the most frightened creature on said planet: a verminous rodent. I believe Tzeentch to be the whistleblower to the Horned Rat; discovering the unborn deity, and putting into motion its birth. This would explain why the Skaven naturally default to scheming, while also being inept at it in the long run: Tzeentch influenced their god, but isn’t the father of their father.

[@richardround2071]

Thanks for the answer. I wasn't really expecting it to be answered because it was so long. Really appreciated.

[@dawi4ever]

squats will come back #freethesquats

[@thegreatbookofgrudges6953]

they will come back!

[@codyraugh6599]

the great book of grudges they're back...but in age of sigmar but it's clearly squats, chainswords, power armour and tanks.

[@phreakazoith2237]

squats already came back: right from the Nid's insectoid behinds...after being chewed well and being digested

[@darthalex3]

I heard skyrim tavern music,you instantly get my like good sir

[@emanethan8767]

HERESY- call a witch hunter now

[@warhawk9566]

I think I read somewhere that skaven can tell from birth of a female skaven is infertile and if she is they more or less just throw her in a pile with all the other skaven and ignore her. Due to skaven society though she won't be considered female as "Skaven don't have females, just breeders" and would never be referred to or treated as such and would likely even refer to herself as male. Long story short, there could be Skaven female characters, but we would never know because Skaven society refers to any skaven that can't breed as male. This could be complete bullshit though

[@Zarkxac493]

Do the Dark Elves have any other settlements other than Naggarond, Ghrond, Har Ganet, Hag Graef, Karond Kar, and Clar Karond?

[@rockstarstar2241]

dylan allred minor settlements

[@TheKolboShow]

Black Arks are basically huge cities that sail the seas

[@scionoftheemperor1240]

We know the Dark Elves despise the High Elves but what are there opinions on the Wood Elves and if given the Chance would they Burn Athel Loren to the ground out of Spite?

[@jackcornelius8021]

so are skaven born evil or does their society make them that way? Can a stolen brood mother produce "good" skaven?

[@kiarasessyoin6260]

The Skaven must be what those fellows at Area 51 were hiding.

[@jimmyjager]

Whats the flute-song you have in the beginning of the video? Fantastic, I NEED IT! :D

[@dumplingshakes22]

you have a new sub sir!! have you ever done a dwarf lore video? I've always wanted to know more

[@richardround2071]

How does elven immortality/ageing work? It seems some elves age like Hellebron, some don't age due to magic like morathi, and some just don't seem to age like alith anar. So is it like biological ageing in humans or 'world weariness' like Tolkienian elves.

[@lastdefenderofxhotl]

Richard Round They aren't immortal they will die of old age

[@richardround2071]

Crawford 470 I thought so to, it is just why is it that Alith anar, who has been around since the sundering, not aged.

[@partydean17]

Last Defender Of Xhotl how come malekith and morathi don't age?

[@rubencoucke54]

Apperently Alith Anar might just be an aspect of wrath or vengeance, he might live as long as those that still deserve justice (morathi mostly) are not yet slain. Its mostly fan theories but he is kinda like a ghost rider esque person in that he might not die or age untill his goal in life is fulfilled.

[@Kornelius707]

The Skaven is really a warhammer comparison to the secret societies in real life. Denial and mockery of their existence in warhammer is the equivalent of denial and mockery of secret society existence. The skaven even have the same cultic symbols.

[@benjaminlopez541]

Skaven using them sweet sweet WW1 tactics

[@thegreatbookofgrudges6953]

Do Executioner's just operate on har ganneth?

[@rockstarstar2241]

Lord Sniek...This is to good. :D

[@Slimythewolf]

Well, your explanaition about who might be the man who completed the tower sounds less like Tzeentch but more like Zuvassin to me

[@AnthroTsuneon]

How do you think fatigue will work for skaven in Total Warhammer? Since numbers are their speciality, tiring the enemy out, but in Total Warhammer they might become a swab of tired out masses, too?

[@Rellana1]

You said in your Lizardmen Video that it you steal important stuff from them,they come come after it.reclaim whatever it was ,and kill you. Does that mean that the Lizardmen have gone to Naggaroth in pursuit of stuff that the Dark Elves have stolen from them,as I understand they keep raiding the Temple-Cities for magical artifacts?

[@lastdefenderofxhotl]

Rellana1 Not really because they don't get anything super important anyways because if they do the Lizardmen will slaughter them before they get off Lustria

[@Rellana1]

I still would like to know if Lord Mazdamundi and his army would be capable of leveling Naggaroth if they annoyed him enough,in the same way that he did to the settlement of Cadavo as they seemed not to get the idea that raiding lizardmen temple cities is a bad idea.

[@undertakernumberone1]

You wonder if a Frog that can cause tectonic plates to shift, raise Mountain ranges and cause earthquakes could level Naggaroth?

[@undertakernumberone1]

This "Mazdamundi almost wiped out the Dwarfs" is a oversimplification... a Skaven Weapon of Mass destruction (maybe a Doomsphere) was triggered by the shifting plates, blowing up in Skavenblight, nearly eradicating all of Skavendom and leading to the the plates shifting further then the Slann had anticipated, leading to far worse Damage to the Dwarfen Underway and Earthquakes then the planned course of the plates would have created. Due to this Damagethe enemies of the Dwarfs could find many ways into the Karaz Ankor

[@Rellana1]

Which is probably good for the Dark Elves that the Lizardmen have trouble telling the difference,as I imagine they could make quite a bit of trouble for them,if they understood that the Dark Elves have essentially abandoned the Great Plan,as they are known to work with Chaos at times,among other things.

[@vrinnmetagen]

I'm still convinced the horned rat is a daemon of nurgle origin made into a god and thus separated from nurgle.

[@thephoenician9597]

"And if you try to tell him they don't, the dwarf will usually end up just ignoring you or he'll probably end up breaking your nose." if he can reach your nose, that is

[@KS-PNW]

A man is only as tall as he is AFTER you smash his kneecaps 😉

[@thephoenician9597]

@@KS-PNW Hah. Good point

[@salgarcia8021]

Could it not also be that the pre skaven had hopes and dreams of there own which manifested as a stranger.

[@jakeortman2110]

Is there any race that the Dark Elves refrain from using as slaves? I know that in the case of the Chaos Dwarfs, they're somewhat against enslaving Skaven due to their treacherous nature, and Ogres due to their strength and stubbornness. Is there any race that the Dark Elves deem not worthy of enslaving? Or do they mainly just stick to enslaving humans from the Old World?

[@undertakernumberone1]

I think they refrain from using High Elves as slaves... iirc they hate them so much that slavery would be a comparably kind fate for what the DEs do to them (similiar to how Dawi Zharr view the Dwarfs)

[@chucknorris584a]

have there ever been any skaven in naggaroth and have the dark elves and skaven ever fought ?

[@thanquolrattenherz9665]

what would you get if a highelf and a skaven could manage to interbreed

[@jamesbernadette6216]

Humanoid chinchilla?

[@jacob1203]

do the dark elves or high elves believe in skaven or know they exist. also why would you invade lustira not high elf home to mess with the vortex.

[@Killeraholic]

Elves know Skaven excist. And Lustria has the Geomantic web wich is a whole network of magical power the Slann often draw their power from. Further more the Slann slightly altered the Web to help power the Vortex. So that's why.

[@jacob1203]

Killeraholic thank you so lustria just has ass load of power in the ground. so u could mess with vortex from across the sea. also are dark elves less powerful then high elves or are they same kind of power level

[@Killeraholic]

Jacob Berner, Exactly...if someone can tap into the Geomantic Web they can mess with the Vortex. As for Dark Elves and High Elves power... it really depends. High Elves have the strongest navy in the Wathammer world. But I think on terms of military power on land, the Dark Elves and High Elves are quite equal... maybe the Dark Elves are slightly better...due to them adding many monsters in their armies.

[@jacob1203]

Killeraholic so why doesn't people to try to understand or use the geomantic web. also why in the hell peoplewould destroy this vortex. from I understand it basically keeps the world from being over run by the demons of chaos. and being there personal cum despoits

[@Killeraholic]

Jacob Berner, Some think that they can harness the power of the Vortex to make themselves very powerfull... and the Dark Elves want to kill the High Elves no matter what.. The main reasons no one taps into the power of the web that easy is because the Jungles of Lustria are very very deadly. Also the Lizardmen have build many temples and Cities on places where the Leylines cross (Leylines are what makes the Web) so going to such a temple/City and try to tap into the Web..or even going near the temple/City will cause the Lizardmen to attack and kill you..

[@benjamincoker1177]

What's kind of monsters do the dark elves have?

[@Killeraholic]

Hydras, Medusa, Black Dragons, Cold Ones...

[@thegreatbookofgrudges6953]

you forgot Kharybdis...

[@bjornliljedahl2857]

What do the dark elves think about chaos? Have they had any major conflict with any of the gods, before end times...

[@quangcaodo8864]

Björn Liljedahl Dark Elves are opportunists. While Malekith prosecutes Chaos cults and executes their members in Naggaroth, and clashes with marauders from the Wastes, they are known to work with them at certain points, most notably the Great War against Chaos, where he enlists the help of a cabal of Tzeentchian warlocks. His mother-lover (yeah, I know) is secretly a Slaaneshi cultist

[@bjornliljedahl2857]

thanks!

[@phreakazoith2237]

what's the book at 30:54? tome of the horned rat or so? spells?

[@Razielts1]

It's the liber bubonicus Lord skrolk's tome of pestilence or it's the book of woe their main book of the cult of pestilens

[@lastdefenderofxhotl]

Don't forget Clan Mors who have the best and most Stormvermin

[@lastdefenderofxhotl]

Almost have risen to making the 4 great clans into the 5 great clans

[@horusx8987]

I can't remember the skryre type verminlord, but the eshin type is called a deceiver. Verminlord Deceiver

[@flexzible3848]

Question: The dark elves want to disrupt the vortex to allowing chaos into the world in streams of demons again, dont they realize how bad this could be also for them, its not like they have alliances with any chaos faction. And do they ever fight chaos or a specific faction/god

[@KS-PNW]

Malekith thought he could channel the full winds of magic and destroy the other elves, then put the vortex back in place. Not exactly a foolproof plan but supposedly that was his thinking. At least during the sundering..

[@neofulcrum5013]

Has there ever been a war against the skaven like there was against chaos?

[@Choppytehbear1337]

Cold Flame not as far as I know.

[@DaThingOnTheDoorstep]

Yes there has, like a thousand years before the "current" timeline of Warhammer. The war is simply known as the Skaven Wars.

[@richardround2071]

Cold Flame yeah, there was the skaven wars, where the skaven released a plague and then after it killed or incapacitated most of the populace they attacked, and if I remember the man who won it for the empire was called mandred skavenslayer.

[@Choppytehbear1337]

Well, I respectfully bow to the more knowledgeable individuals. I am more of a 40K guy after all.

[@damjanpavlicevic2897]

If there are so many Skaven and they all believe in the Horned Rat then how come he isn't more powerful given that gods derive power from people worshipping them?

[@everettbrooks-shroyer3963]

Solution = end times appears

[@charlottewalnut3118]

Because well they all believe in him they don’t believe very hard

[@solace6705]

Typical Dark elf army vs a typical Chaos army. Who wins?

[@rabsrabble5415]

even chaos has morals compared to skaven lol

[@00ale12]

nice video !!

[@JamesLaserpimpWalsh]

Ohhh Skaven Q&A. Squirt musk of curiosity yesyes.

[@jj-wk1om]

all hail the Horned One

[@dIRECTOR259]

The Horned Rat is a religion of peace.

[@Old_Guard2]

dIRECT0R chaos is a religion of peace

[@jrrgimli5378]

Anyone know of good books to read for the empire's rat catchers?

[@leonmasterson8939]

do you think the albino guard will be in w2

[@gavinsavage7842]

Yes

[@GrievousKhan]

Can elves catch vampreisum? That is to say get the blood kiss?

[@gavinsavage7842]

No

[@MiguelSanchezDelVillar]

Yes they can, at least in the end times, an elf who followed Eltharion to Sylvannia was turned into a Vampire by Manfred

[@timthegreatest5729]

Are you spreading rumors of millions of ratman under the empires feet watch what you say loremaster

[@MRSterling78]

What is the difference between Nurgle and The Horned Rat? They both are gods of plague, disease, and corruption right?

[@nfadaloo]

Your Friendly Neighborhood Sterls As he talks about a bit in the video, the Horned Rat as the grey seers see it is generally just an embodiment of the Skaven. Cunning, cruel, capricious and so on. It's specifically Clan Pestilens that sees the Horned Rat as a God of plagues, I guess through some intervention of Nurgle or what have you. While the Horned Rat does have aspects of Nurgle, I think this is because the Skaven now believe plague is an aspect of plague.

[@gavinsavage7842]

Nurgle is about the circle of life. In death his plagues grant new life. Where as pestilence uses plagues to destroy and only destroy

[@lebastard7421]

who is the strongest character in warhammer fantasy??? and why???

[@gavinsavage7842]

Kroak, he essentially a god

[@goticpain]

So the Empire do not Think that Skaven Exist? But i mean the Warriors of Caos know that they exist i dont get it?

[@MiguelSanchezDelVillar]

High ranks in the empire know about the Skaven, but they leave It to the Witch Hunters, its easier to not have your citizens freak out from the massive rat empire under their feet. Also the Chaos Warriors dont have cities, and cities in Norsca are shit so no Skaven hace any interest in them

[@jackping7579]

Are dark elves, wood elves, and high elves all biologicaly the same? If you stripped them of there armour could you tell the differance?

[@quangcaodo8864]

Yes, they are basically the same

[@Nordique777]

Jack Ping small differences for example most dark elves are far paler and tend to have black hair while High Elves tend to be blond

[@jackping7579]

Thanks, I just remember seeing this comment that the dark elves were all metiphorically 'burned' when Malikith got turned into barbuque.

[@dasberk4971]

Tunnels to Uthwan? Well yes but actually no.

[@leonvalenzuela4096]

I would like for the Skaven to have higher max army size and cheap units

[@dIRECTOR259]

[QUESTION DARK ELVES] Do the Dark Elves still think they're the "good guys" and that Malekith is the legitimate Phoenix King? Do they call him "Phoenix King"? (I know he's known as the "Witch King", but is he formally called "Phoenix King"?)

[@quangcaodo8864]

dIRECT0R Yes, they still hold that opinion, and use the decline of the Ulthuan Empire after the War of the Beard as a justification

[@tomthestone1470]

I would like to say, the auto subtitles translates "Skaven" as "Scheming".

[@demondave3231]

what is the strongest monster the dark elves have?

[@quangcaodo8864]

Demon Dave Black Dragons, Hydras , Medusas

[@salgarcia8021]

When it comes to the other gods that are not the major four chaos it's seems the realm of chaos behaves a lot like The warp in 40k. If so then God's like the horned rat come into existence though the actions and mindsets of mortal races long before they are worshipped. The skaven the lizard man and the chaos dwarfs all had task completed along with worship to give the god power in this world. .. Or They are manifestations and manipulations of the four chaos gods.

[@KevinOroszSpeaks]

But Skaven don’t exist right? 😮

[@wyvernfallgaming]

Woudnt skaven be able to tunnel to ulflan if they find a way into athelorn and get past Orion and glade guard then use world root from oak of ages to ulflan to invade ?

[@anonanon9535]

wyvernfall gaming no magic keeps them out and roots strangle them

[@dasberk4971]

Horned Rats will yes yes.

[@dustinmcgladrey4821]

Are the dark elves the most useless race in Warhammer? Aren't they just edgy Elves?

[@matthewbrasel2737]

The Hot Topic of Elves

[@Razielts1]

They were an important piece in turning the tide against the demon hordes on the first invasions but due to being (blessed/cursed) by Kaine they fundamentally became different than high elves getting discriminated, and too much peace brought about murderous tendencies

[@Razielts1]

Like all races of the forces of destruction they were initially made or turned to fight off the chaos invasions but we're flawed so they always backfire

[@KS-PNW]

I'd argue they were relatively successful. They did have a global slave network after all.

[@samuelblau9175]

Why are there no male dark elf mages?

[@Zettern96]

Malekith heard a prophecy that a male magic user will kill him so in dark elf society male mages are killed. There are sorcesses or female dark elf mages.

[@Nemenian]

I could have sworn female albino and horned skaven could become guards and seers

[@dawi4ever]

Why do people think Malekith was right? It's comparably dumb to Griffith did nothing wrong idea.

[@quangcaodo8864]

Squats Forever The End Times

[@Stardog081]

Most gracious great one yes yes thanks likes yes yes

[@dIRECTOR259]

Wait so there was a massive Skaven invasion and most people in the Empire don't believe in them? And if there's this huge threat of a Skaven apocalypse - wouldn't it be better for people to know about them an at least prepare? Look.. This is stupid. There is no excuse. Its stupid.

[@dawi4ever]

dIRECT0R it's meant to keep the masses from freaking out because peasants forget stuff.

[@methev3718]

dIRECT0R Everyone who saw a Skaven was eaten or died of the Black death

[@milan-mv2mx]

Nice

[@Nemenian]

Also even though I love the skaven and the HR, I'm sad he replaced slaanesh because workshop is trying to become kid friendly for some stupid reason

[@chromsh2806]

RATLING-GUNS?!?!?! REALLY????

[@KS-PNW]

Yeah... they're awesome dude...

[@lalaninja006]

can an albino join clan eshin? and would he paint his fur black? xD

[@duross101]

The female skaven is the feminists nightmare. I can visualize the pain it brings them. GLORIOUS

[@TeamBlizzFM]

27:30 well that's just your opinion man...

[@captaintrainer9490]

Send Hellpits and Doom Wheels into the rear and start TEARING up... bruh u Okay

[@joakimstridh-holmertz7158]

Could you please lower or remove the background "music" so that you don't have to shout so much. Otherwise, thank you for an interesting serie of Q&A's