- "Brass Keep is pressing in the North-North!"
- "Our troops-troops are hungry and rebellious!"
- "Darkslayer knows our secret-secrets!"
- "The Inferno Lords are threatening the South-South!"
- "That would not have happened-happened had you listened to me-me!"
- "You say-say it's my fault!?"

Slit Skythe smiled as he let his eye wander over the tumult. The warlords' gathering of the Claws of the Horned One was only inches away from turning into an open fight. Not that he had planned this or even fuelled this very skavenlike state. But it was playing admirably into his hands.
Warlord Wynnar looked like he would strike down Snikkit any second and only the green glow toying around the warpblade of one of Snikkit's skryre bodyguards kept him from breaking lose. At the same time plague priest Sarzskittar emitted a giant fart, instantly silencing another of warlord Kyrik's tirades and sending a couple of his followers to the ground. Even warlord Raasnaard was shouting at the top of his lunges.
The only rats that had kept calm so far were Verminous Fang and Slit Skythe himself. The grey seer that sat next to Slit Skythe this evening had just returned from a very successful campaign against the elf-things and man-things. One word of the mighty general and grey seer would have stopped the fray with no doubt. Then again Slit Skythe could have done the same, emphasizing the vast wealth his clan had amassed and the fact that the other clans depended on him for supplies. But it was not the right moment to do so. Not yet.

A movement to his left told him that the one he had been waiting for had arrived. He bent ever so slightly to his side. Not that this precaution had been necessary in this tumult, but you never knew.
- "I see you have-have returned. Were you successful, honourable grey seer?" Slit Skythe enquired with a hushed voice.
- "Of course-course. Everything went well. We shall soon-soon present our trophies to the masses," snarled Skritchit back. "You may proceed."
A nod from Verminous Fang on his right signalled to Slit Skythe that the grey seer had overheard their conversation - no doubt by magical means - and agreed that their time had come. Slit Skythe waited for a particularly nasty moment when Kyrik was about to lunge for Raasnaard's throat and stood up.

Slit Skythe's voice boomed through the hall like he was the Horned One himself - thanks to a little magical help from Skritchit and Verminous Fang. Immediately the hall fell silent, the assembled skaven freezing in mid-action.

- "Friends! Claws! Skaven!

"Lay down your weapons, stop the fighting!
"These are dear times for our faction. We have had great-great success, but now we are facing strong-strong opposition. We must not fight among ourselves - we must-must stand together like one single rat!
"See-see me standing here with the honourable grey-grey seers Skritchit and Verminous Fang. We-we have taken it among ourselves to stop-stop the in-fighting. While you all-all have been fighting against each other-other, Verminous Fang has-has fought our enemies without. Grey seer Skritchit has ventured into the depths-depths of the Ulricsberg himself-self on an important mission and I have-have amassed the supply-supplies for our troops-troops.
"Now look at yourself. Kyrik: You-you are about to lunge at the honourable Raasnaard's throat. And Raasnaard: Have you not just insulted clan Rykit's brood wenches?
"Sarzskittar, what is that poisoned dagger doing in your hand? Snikkit: Why are your warlocks summoning warp energy? And Wynnar: Why are you stretching your claw behind Snikkit's back? "We must cease-cease to fight among ourselves or we-we will perish! We must-must follow one spokesrat again!"

- "So if you are so grand-grand ratmen, why don't you-you lead us?" Snikkit snarled back at Slit Skythe, but as he spoke he already realized his mistake.

- "You mistake our motives, Snikkit. We do not want power for ourself-selves. We do not seek-seek to set ourselves above you. But the times force-force us into this position. The Triumvirat will do-do everything that is necessary to destroy our foe-foes, and the Triumvirat will do it for the glory of the Claws of the Horned One and for the glory of the Horned Rat Himself.

We are the Claws of the Horned One, and we will prevail!"

- "Hail to the new Triumvirat!" warlord Wynnar burst out. Immediately the other warlords got carried away with him.
- "Hail the Triumvirat! Hail Verminous Fang, Skritchit and Slit Skythe!"
- "Hail the Triumvirat! Lead us to victory!"

It was only then that Wynnar realized that the three appraised had been sitting alone at the top of the hall in a raised position right from the start.