Philleskaven

Philleskaven, the Rat-World Emissary

Race: Skaven (mutant strain from the Black Underground)

Current affiliation: MERC Unit (Cosmic Exploration and Recovery Mobilisation)

Origin: Corpse Cities of the Underworld of Viretrouge (former Skaven empire)

Physical description:

Philleskaven stands just under 1.30 metres tall, but don't be fooled by his size: he is a nervous, muscular creature covered in shaggy black-grey fur. His glowing red eyes, sparkling with malice, constantly scan his surroundings for weakness, fear or... opportunities.

His long, scaly tail, bristling with metal spikes, has been modified into a flail, a weapon he wields with calculated brutality. Attached to his left arm is his Ion Pulveriser, a weapon improvised – and perfected – from a plasma cannon fused to a supply of ionised gas stolen from an Eldari cruiser. It fires an electrified mist that eats through armour and flesh with terrifying speed.

Background and break with his horde:

In the chaotic history of the Imperium, few Skaven act outside their gregarious instincts. Philleskaven, formerly a member of the techno-alchemical horde of the Wailing Bell, was different from birth: too intelligent, too curious, too ambitious to be content with gnawing on the remains of an empire already in decay.

After betraying his Clanmaster in an ‘accidental’ laboratory explosion (which he personally triggered from a distance), he fled through an unstable warp tunnel... which propelled him far from his homeland, to the frontier regions of the galaxy. There he was captured – and then recruited – by the MERC unit, impressed as much by his exotic weaponry as by his deviant knowledge of Skaven technomagic systems.

Personality:

Philleskaven is an unstable mix of cunning, paranoia and inventive genius. He talks fast, thinks even faster, and sleeps little – if at all. He regards the other members of the MERC unit with a mixture of admiration, strategic contempt, and sincere (albeit twisted) camaraderie. He loves to repair – or rig – technological equipment, and his speech is peppered with repetitions (‘yes-yes’, ‘quick-quick’, ‘don't touch that-no!’).

He has no respect for traditional chains of command, but recognises brute force (which earns him a mixture of respect and fear for Denfensor, whom he nicknames ‘TooBigTooSlow’).

Role in the MERC unit:

Philleskaven is the team's sabotage and experimental biochemistry specialist. He is often sent on infiltration missions, into contaminated areas or to defuse – or arm – unstable artefacts. His Ion Pulveriser is effective against energy fields and light armour, while his flail tail allows him to engage in close combat with brutal efficiency.

He builds his own gadgets, sometimes from enemy debris, and is capable of improvising a quantum bomb with a lunchbox and three servoskull circuits.

Personal objective:

Philleskaven claims to want to ‘find others like me to rebuild a horde’... but he seems much more interested in the infinite possibilities of the free universe, far from the clutches of the Council of Thirteen. He secretly dreams of a techno-skaven empire where he would be at the top, and every mission with MERC is an opportunity to learn, steal, or experiment with new technologies and increase his fortune.