Ungrel

The Ungrel are a race of vicious mutant rat-men who lurk in a vast Under-Empire below the world. They seek to bring pestilence and ruin to the surface-dwellers, and kill or enslave all who would oppose them.   The Ungrel are vile, malevolent ratmen that swarm beneath the surface of the world. Hidden in their sprawling underground lairs, they gnaw at the roots of civilization, plotting and scheming for the day they will burst from their dark tunnels and drown the world above in a tide of mangy fur, rusty blades and plague-ridden filth. They desire world domination with every fibre of their twisted beings - from their quivering whiskers to the tips of their segmented tails. The Ungrel present a massive danger to civilization. Huge numbers of them dwell in the Under-Empire which stretches beneath most of the world (except the island-continent of Eodros), and the center of this empire is the terrible city of Ungrelblight. Despite the threat, most of Borinth denies that Ungrel even exist! Dwarfs are not so foolish, as they have fought bitter wars against the ratmen for control of the underground realms. The Lizardmen also have a special hatred for the Ungrel.   Most Ungrel are male. The few females are bloated, drugged, barely conscious creatures which are jealously guarded by clans and forced to birth hordes of young. As a result the ratmen are perhaps the most numerous intelligent race in the world. Because of this, food is a constant concern for them. Apart from food, the Ungrel also crave warpstone – they are one the few races reckless enough to work with this dangerous Chaos-tainted substance. The lowest rung of Ungrel society are slaves, who also double as food when times are tough. These are mostly Ungrel, though there are also slaves of other races.   Ungrel society is divided into Clans which rule over slaves and compete for power and influence. Clan Eshin are highly secretive masters of stealth and their Assassins are feared in the Under-Empire and beyond. Clan Rictus are warriors producing the elite Stormvermin. Clan Skryre are engineers, combining magic and technology to create devastating weapons and war-machines. Clan Pestilens are a cult of religious fanatics who worship the Horned Rat in his aspect as the bringer of plague and disease. Clan Moulder hail from Hell Pit, and create horrifying mutated monsters. Aside from these, there are several "Warlord Clans" such as Clan Mors.   The Ungrel worship the Great Horned Rat, a malevolent deity who embodies all the treachery, destruction, disease and malintent of the Ungrel. The Horned Rat is served by the Grey Seers, a priesthood of white-furred, horned rats with great spellcasting powers. This caste of sorcerer-priests stands apart from and above the clans. Above the slaves, clans and seers are the Council of Thirteen, the shadowy governing body of Ungrel society. This council contains representatives from all the major clans, as well as the leader of the Grey Seers. The thirteenth seat on the council is traditionally reserved for the Horned Rat himself.