Rusty-Soup-Can drew this commission for me. You may find the original here: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/63356957/.

I asked her to draw a picture of a ratman and gave as reference the 'Skaven Assassin with Twin Blades' Games Workshop model. I was most pleased with this interpretation in every way.

I have long been aware of Skaven, but I feel I have never so much thought of them or appreciated them until 3 or 4 weeks ago, when I saw that the computer game Vermintide 2 was free on steam. Seeing Skaven speak, move and interact, gave them life as never before. I then picked up Vermintide 1 (for less than £2!), and the level "The Enemy Below" with the glimpses down into a vast under-empire, with a river of ratmen marching below you, much affected my imagination.

After this, I then started listening to an audiobook of 'Skavenslayer', a novel involving the various clans of the ratmen, and a Grey Seer besides, plotting to invade a city, and at the time of typing I am still listening to it a little each day, enjoying hearing of the ratmen. In particular, their way of speaking: repeating words for emphasis and pairing verbs and/or nouns together is very endearing. It is also delightful to learn that some Skaven can write letters in Reikspiel, with rough angular handwriting, and contrive to have them delivered to a certain human.

For weeks now, I have been thinking about Skaven every day, and I hope this thinking of them, and delighting in them may continue for a long time yet, and even if my attention wanders from Skaven in particular, ratmen in general are so fine a thing that they desire a special place in furry.

I also note that the inspiration for Skaven obviously came from the Swords Of Lankhmar, since that features not just ratmen, but ratmen who have a council of thirteen.