Skabnoze

Skabnoze was an Orc Shaman of varying ability, who had a penchant for summoning Minotaurs to fight for him.

## Death Below Karak Azgal

First encountered in the halls of the ex-Dwarven kingdom of Karak Azgal, Skabnoze ruled the topmost hall from where his Minotaur-conjouring skills were put to use in the training of his Orc bodyguards who would wear the pelts of the vicious beasts if they managed to kill one.

After meeting and escaping the Warriors through the use of a Ring of Invisibility, Skabnoze fled to the second level of the stronghold. Here he hoped to conclude a simple trade deal with a Warrior of Chaos who was able to split himself into four separate entitites; the Grunnson axe which he had nabbed from the corpse of Ungrun Grunnson for a magical item called the Star of the Dawn.

Little did the unfortunate Orc know that the axe he carried was not the legendary Grunnson axe, nor that the Star had already been traded to another Shaman in return for knowledge of the Chaos portal between Karak Azgal and the Imperial city of Middenheim. The negotiations were frought between the two parties, and only the interruption of the Warriors saved Skabnoze from certain death.

Hoping to curry favour with the Chaos Warrior, and still sore from their earlier encounter, Skabnoze decided to aid the armoured figure who split into four identical copies. However, The Son of Ixthod managed to read a spell which brought the roof of the hall caving in on Skabnoze, burying him beneath a mountain of rock. Skabnoze was barely able to push his Invisibility Ring onto his finger and drag himself out of the rubble.

## Lair of the Orc Lord

Having survived the cave-in, Skabnoze escaped north to Mount Gunbad where he encountered the Orc Lord Gorgut. Having lost his other Shaman in battle with the Warriors who interrupted negotiations with the Skaven for the use of their Giant Rats, Skabnoze was given the unenviable task of trying to create a breed of super rats with which the Orc Warlord hoped to unleash upon his enemies to keep them busy while he got round to killing them.

However a scouting party of Dwarfs managed to track the Orc Shaman, and so Skabnoze once again met the Warriors in his den on the top level of the Orc's lair. Although the Orc had learnt a few new spells, including dazzling the Warriors with 'pritty lites', he was once again defeated and escaped by using his Invisibility Ring. Dropping the key to his lair however meant that the Warriors were able to follow him deeper into the dungeon.

Feeling the Warriors hot on his heels, Skabnoze retreated to a room he had set up as a trap (ideally to eventually usurp Gorgut) where his Minotaur-summoning spell could be used. He also unleashed the only successful super rat he had managed to create: the Alpha rat. Neither of these plans were successful however, and the Warriors once again managed to defeat the Shaman, though were left frustrated by his disappearance into the lowest hall of the keep, Gorgut's lair.

Having heard of the power of the Shaman's Ring of Invisibility and annoyed with his inability to halt the Warriors, Gorgut demanded Skabnoze hand it over as soon as he entered his lair. Fearing the wrath of the gigantic Orc, Skabnoze handed it over and retreated to a side-room, hoping that the Warriors would pass him by so he could sneak away yet again.

Sadly for Skabnoze, the Warriors took the wrong path and walked straight into the panicking Shaman, who once again tried to summon a Minotaur to aid him. However, the vengeful Short-arse attacked the Orc with furious abandon and was on the verge of separating Skabnoze's head from his neck when the Wizard froze the Orc in place.

Dumbfounded by the Warriors relentless pursuit of him, Skabnoze pleaded for an explanation of his persecution. On realising that the Warriors were searching for an amulet he had pilfered from the corpse of Ungrun Grunnson, Skabnoze let out a final squeal of disbelief before finally succumbing.

> *"Wot? All dis for a scabby bit o' metal?"*
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> *Skabnoze's last words*
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