ORGANISATION OF THE ORDER OF GREY SEERS
By Tommy Punk,
tommy.gun.fransson@kalmar.mail.telia.com.
Young skaven flock outside the gates of the Shattered Tower hoping to gain entry to the Horned Ones service. At irregular intervalls the gates are opened and all present Skaven are allowed in, this is the first test of the candidates precognition skill. Many Skaven wait for days outside the gates, not wanting to spill their chanse by sneaking off to eat, they succumb to thirst and starvation long before the gates are opened, however sometimes a Skaven may get lucky. Inside the temple they are confronted with the Test of Death, one by one they have to divine which door, among thirteen, that lead to the Sanctum of the Horned Rat. The other doors lead into the Chambers of Certain Doom. The potential Candidates step into the Sanctum and is welcomed by a Senior Grey Seers and as he is told that he have passed the test to become an aprentice screams, can be heard in distant chambers.
As the Apprentices lives their next decade inside the temple they perform minor duties, assist in rituals and ceremonies They study the Doctrines of the Cult of the Horned Rat, as well as penetrating the secrets of the realm of magic. They taste the warpstone snuff that send delightful visions of carnage and death dancing through their brains. They learn the secret rituals that hone their precognitive powers, allowing them to tear the veil of the future. They master the secret arts of diviniation that reveal the plotting of their foes and learn arcane spells that are capable of slaying whole armies.
INITIATION AS GREY SEER
The total number of Grey Seers are always fixed at 169 Seers and an Apprentice may not become one until a seat is vacant through the death of its holder. This causes much plotting from the Apprentices and many divination runes are cast trying to singled out the weakest Grey Seer so that a seat may be vacant. If the Grey Seer is missing an Apprentice is not promoted until after 6 months after the presumed death of the Grey Seer, often a Grey Seer is missing in battle or lost on a mission. Sometimes a "deceased" Grey Seer returns and find his seat taken, the unfortunate Apprentice is lucky if he is killed instantly.
Once a seat is vacanted, the oldest Apprentice is given the right to demand to be initiated. This do not take place until the day after the announcement that the sear is vacant and thus the rate of accidents and assassinations increase. The Apprentices must rely on their diviantion skill to survive assassination attempts as well as their skill in striking at their foes before they strike at them. When their time comes the candidate are set to overcome the Thirteen Circles of Initiation, leathal tests of faith and magical potential, and walk blindfolded through the Maze of Inevitable Death. The Apprentice must answer question on the Doctrine, recite liturges and succesfully divine the safe route through traps. If he fails but one test he is fed to the rats and the skeleton hung outside the study chambers as a reminder of the consequences of failure to the Apprentices. If the Apprentice fails the next oldest Apprentice is given the right to demand to be iniated, many Apprentices secretely perform rituals that will ruin thier brother Apprentices chanses of success. The end part of the initiation take place inside the Shattered Tower as the candidate step out of the Maze and as his blindfold is removed he gaze up into the welcoming eyes of a Grey Seer Lord. The Apprentice is lead into the holiest place of Skavenblight, the room where stands the Pillar of Commandments. Enscribed, by the Horned Rat himself, upon its thirteen sides is the 169 commandments that define the laws of Skavendom. The Grey Seers make the candidates abase themself before the Pillar of Commandments and give him his equipment and formal title of Grey Seer Champion. The equipment of a Grey Seer are the Sacred Robes, light grey to match the wearers fur and inscribed with protective runes; the Grey Seer Staff with the rune-sign of the Horned Rat and a Seal of Cult Authority.
The new Grey Seer is set at running a temple of the Horned Rat or to assist a higher ranked Grey Seers. In case of political power he has the last say in Cult matters and must only listen to higher ranking Grey Seers or Council Authorities, in reality they only rule ceremonies and rituals. Though their title is Grey Seer Champion, non-Grey Seers address them as Grey Seers and higher ranking Grey Seers address them as Apprentice Champions. To progress the Grey Seer Champion must have succesfully performed a number of missions for the Council of Thirteen. Grey Seer Champions compete with and intriuge against their brother Grey Seer Champions for missions that will give them a higher chanse of succeding and earning the approval of the feared Council of Thirteen. When the Skaven have claimed the title of Grey Seer Master he is given access to the inner chambers of the major temples. His political power is increased as he is given limited authority as a representative of the Council of Thirteen, he may be overruled by local rulers, but his rule in Cult Matters may only be challenged by a higher ranking Grey Seer or a member of the Council of Thirteen. A Seal of lesser Council Authority is incorporated in the Grey Seers Cult Authority. The highest title is that of Grey Seer Lord and nominations are only accepted by the Council of Thirteen themselves. A Grey Seer Lord wield the undisputible political power as a Council Authority and is given a Seal of Council Authority, the mere sight of it causes lower Skaven to tend to his every need and obey every command. Not even the Council of Thirteen may overrule them in Cult matters, and they often make personal matters Cult matters. The supreme ruler is the Seerlord and he is elected by the Grey Seer Lords from their own rank, he need to have a strong political base as well as the ability to predict the future in order to further the wishes of the Horned Rat as well as the goals of the Order.
MEETINGS OF THE ORDER OF GREY SEERS
Grey Seers attend great meeting to discuss religous or mundane matters and a final desiscion in an issue is not taken until a vote have been done. Each Grey Seer vote with their seals, Grey Seer Champions have Seal of Cult Authority, a Grey Seer master have a combined seal of Cult and Lesser Council Authority, while a Grey Seer lord have two; a seal of Cult Authority (combined with a seal of Lesser Council Authority) and a Seal of Council Authority. This means that the Grey Seer Lords often swing an issue in their favour if they can persuade some lower Grey Seers to vote with them. The Seer Lord, the supreme leader of the Order of Grey Seers, also hold the Seal of Grand Lord so he have three votes.
| Title | Number | Votes |
| Seer Lord | 1 | 3 |
| Lords | 40-45 | 2 |
| Masters | 40-45 | 1 |
| Champions | 80-90 | 1 |
| Total | 169 |
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