The Great Horned Rat: A God Absent from the 41st Millennium
The simple and direct answer to the question, “Where is the Great Horned Rat in Warhammer 40,000?” is: He is not there. The Great Horned Rat, the deity of the Skaven, is exclusive to the Warhammer Fantasy Battles setting (and its successor, Age of Sigmar). He does not exist within the grim darkness of the far future that constitutes the Warhammer 40,000 universe. While both settings share some common mythological roots and the concept of Chaos Gods, the Great Horned Rat is a specific entity tied to the fantastical world of rat-men and epic battles, not the sprawling space opera of 40k.
The Great Horned Rat: A Warhammer Fantasy Phenomenon
Realm of Ruin and Ascension
In Warhammer Fantasy, the Great Horned Rat is the god of the Skaven, a race of verminous rat-creatures. His domain is the Realm of Ruin, a chaotic reflection of a world overrun by Skaven. Initially a minor Chaos God, he has since ascended in the lore to become a more significant power, even challenging the established hierarchy of the major Chaos Gods. This ascension, while a significant development in the lore of the Old World and subsequently the Mortal Realms of Age of Sigmar, has no bearing on the 40k universe. He embodies the concepts of ruin, plague, and the insidious spread of corruption, driving his Skaven followers to relentlessly expand and dominate.
A Distinct Chaos Entity
The Great Horned Rat is often compared to Nurgle, the Chaos God of disease and decay. However, while Nurgle finds a twisted joy in the cycle of life and death, the Horned Rat simply desires complete and utter desolation. He is a creature of plotting, scheming, and relentless ambition, driving the Skaven to acts of treachery and conquest. This contrasts with the more deliberate and often cyclical nature of Nurgle’s influence. The Great Horned Rat’s unique characteristics, such as his emphasis on ruthless ambition, treachery, and overwhelming numbers, are distinct from the archetypes of the four major Chaos Gods, reinforcing his unique place within the Warhammer Fantasy setting.
Why No Skaven in 40k?
The absence of the Skaven and their god from Warhammer 40,000 is a deliberate choice by Games Workshop. While both settings share elements of chaos, the universes are fundamentally different. The technology and scale of the 41st millennium would likely render the Skaven’s style of warfare ineffective. Imagine their hordes encountering Imperial Guard tanks or Space Marines, their sheer numbers would be far less threatening than in the more fantasy-oriented battles of the Old World.
Tech Over Vermin
Furthermore, the lore within 40k emphasizes technology and large-scale military forces, which contrasts greatly with the Skaven’s preference for swarm tactics and backstabbing plots. In earlier editions of the 40k lore, Skaven were considered, but were discarded due to their lack of viability, as the setting’s technological advancements would have made them too easily eradicated. In 40k, the technological advancement of the Imperium or other xenos races would easily detect and eradicate any type of rat-like civilization, making them non-threatening. The strategic depth and brutal warfare of 40k do not align well with the Skaven’s more chaotic and disorganized approach to conflict.
Different Universes, Different Gods
Ultimately, the Great Horned Rat and his Skaven are creations perfectly suited to the Warhammer Fantasy setting. His unique nature as a Chaos God, his domain of ruin, and his scheming followers create a dynamic and engaging threat that is specifically designed for that universe. The decision to exclude them from 40k allows each setting to maintain its distinct identity and narrative focus.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is the Great Horned Rat a Chaos God?
Yes, within the Warhammer Fantasy setting (and Age of Sigmar), the Great Horned Rat is a Chaos God. Initially considered a minor deity, he has since ascended in power to become a more prominent force, though he is still viewed with disdain by the established four Chaos Gods.
2. Does the Horned Rat have daemons?
Yes, the Horned Rat has daemons, the most notable being the Vermin Lords. These are massive, monstrously muscular Skaven with crowns of curling horns, representing the Great Horned Rat’s own image. They serve as powerful agents of chaos, spreading corruption and furthering the Skaven cause.
3. What is the Realm of Ruin?
The Realm of Ruin is the domain of the Great Horned Rat, a chaotic landscape reflecting the Skaven’s ideals of complete desolation. It is a place of desiccated ruins, plagued by daemons, and a horrifying vision of what the world would become under Skaven dominance.
4. Is the Horned Rat related to Nurgle?
While both the Great Horned Rat and Nurgle represent elements of plague and decay, they are distinct entities. Nurgle is more focused on the cycle of life and death, embracing the despair of a tortured life, while the Horned Rat embodies pure ruin and destruction, using treachery and scheming to achieve his goals.
5. Who do Skaven worship?
The Skaven exclusively worship the Great Horned Rat. He is the only god in their pantheon, symbolized by a rough equilateral triangle, and his sacred number is 13. He demands absolute loyalty, driving the Skaven to conquest and destruction.
6. Why are there no Skaven in 40k?
The Skaven were considered early on in the creation of 40k lore, but were discarded. The primary reason is that the technological advancements within the 40k universe would render them too easily detected and eliminated, thus making their presence non-threatening. They simply would not fit into the 40k narrative.
7. Are Beastmen in 40k the same as in Warhammer Fantasy?
Beastmen do exist in Warhammer 40,000, but they are not explicitly tied to Chaos as they are in Fantasy. In 40k, they are considered abhumans, a tolerated subspecies of humanity, sometimes even inducted into the Imperial Guard. They are seen as simply a naturally occurring mutation.
8. What happened to Slaanesh in the Age of Sigmar?
In the Age of Sigmar setting, Slaanesh was imprisoned, creating a power vacuum. The Great Horned Rat has filled part of that void, rising to take the fourth seat on the pantheon of Chaos Gods as a God of Ruin.
9. Is there Warpstone in 40k?
No, Warpstone is a concept unique to Warhammer Fantasy. It is a substance of pure chaotic energy that is heavily associated with Skaven and their corrupting influence. In 40k, the energies of the Warp are present, but there is no equivalent to Warpstone.
10. Did Skaven destroy a moon?
Yes, in Warhammer Fantasy’s “End Times” event, Clan Skryre of the Skaven destroyed a moon, causing its debris to crash into the Lizardmen territories. This cataclysmic event is confined within the events of the fantasy lore and has no relevance to 40k.
11. How do Skaven reproduce?
Skaven reproduce through hidden females deep within their hives. These females are often bloated, drugged, and kept solely for breeding purposes, which highlights the grim and depraved nature of their society.
12. Can AI see Skaven settlements?
In Total War: Warhammer, Skaven Under-Cities are initially hidden from both AI and other players until discovered. Their detectability increases over time, simulating the Skaven’s insidious nature and how they can be hidden.
13. Who is Hashut?
Hashut is the god worshipped by the Chaos Dwarfs in the Warhammer Fantasy universe. He is known as the “Father of Darkness,” and is the god of fire, greed, and tyranny.
14. Is Nagash a Chaos God?
Nagash is a significant antagonist in Warhammer Fantasy, and is the creator of Necromancy and a powerful lich. He is not a Chaos God, but rather a powerful entity who manipulates and distorts life and death for his own ends. He is a major antagonist but not a chaos deity.
15. What are the origins of the Skaven?
The origins of the Skaven are shrouded in mystery and the details remain mostly vague. They are creatures of Chaos, believed to be a race of mutated rat-men, twisted by the energies of the warp. Their origin is often linked to the spread of chaos corruption. They are not just rats, but warped and changed by dark magic.
In conclusion, the Great Horned Rat remains a unique and vital aspect of the Warhammer Fantasy and Age of Sigmar universes. His absence in the Warhammer 40,000 setting is deliberate, allowing both worlds to maintain their distinct identities and engaging narratives. The Skaven and their scheming god represent a chaotic force perfectly suited to the fantasy environment, and his absence from the grim darkness of the 41st millennium is a testament to the specific design of each universe.