The Curse of the Black Hunger

Lore & Background

The Curse of the Black Hunger is said to have originated from a botched attempt by Thanquol to gain favor with the Horned Rat, the Skaven god of ruin and scheming. In his arrogance, Thanquol sought to perform a ritual that would grant him immense power, but the ritual went awry, and instead, the Horned Rat cursed him with an eternal, gnawing hunger. This curse is not merely physical but spiritual, as it feeds on Thanquol's own greed and ambition, turning his desires into a literal, consuming force. The curse is tied to the warpstone that permeates Skaven society, and it amplifies his paranoia and desperation, making him a more erratic and dangerous foe.

The curse manifests as a black, shadowy aura around Thanquol, and it compels him to eat constantly, often leading to scenes that are both horrifying and darkly absurd: he will gnaw on a dying skavenslave, crunch through a chunk of raw warpstone, or even try to swallow a captured dwarf's helmet whole. This hunger is both a punishment and a twisted tool—it lets Thanquol absorb warpstone energy directly, granting him sudden bursts of power, but at the cost of accelerating his madness and physical decay. In the Vermintide games, the curse is referenced in Thanquol's frantic dialogue and in item descriptions, such as the 'Black Hunger' trinket, which grants players a damage boost at the cost of health—a perfect mechanical echo of the curse's self-devouring nature.

In Their Own Story

Thanquol crouched in the shadows of the Skittergate, his stomach rumbling like a collapsing tunnel. 'Yes-yes, the curse grows stronger,' he hissed, clutching a lump of warpstone. He bit into it, the green glow illuminating his twisted snout. 'More! I need more!' He lunged at a nearby rat ogre, tearing into its flesh with feral hunger. 'The Horned Rat tests me, but I will not fail-fail!' His eyes glowed with madness as he consumed, knowing that each bite brought him closer to power—or oblivion.

Reader's Guide

The Curse of the Black Hunger is a key piece of Skaven lore that players encounter indirectly in Vermintide 2. It is most famously associated with the Grey Seer Thanquol, who appears as a major antagonist in the game's narrative, particularly in the 'Back to Ubersreik' and 'Dark Omens' missions. The curse explains Thanquol's erratic behavior and his obsession with warpstone, which players see in his boss fights and dialogue. In the game, the 'Black Hunger' trinket (a cosmetic item) references this curse, and it is a nod to Thanquol's lore from the Warhammer Fantasy tabletop game, where he was known for his gluttony and incompetence.

Vermintide's retelling of the curse stays true to the established lore but adds a more personal, tragic dimension: Thanquol is not just a bumbling villain, but a creature trapped in a cycle of craving and shame. Players can spot hints of his curse in his frantic voice lines—he mutters about empty stomachs, gnashes his teeth between spells, and sometimes pauses mid-battle to snatch a scrap from the ground. The 'Black Hunger' trinket, a jagged warpstone charm, visually echoes the black aura described in the lore, and equipping it on your character is a subtle nod to the price of power.

Did You Know?

• The Curse of the Black Hunger is a direct reference to Thanquol's tabletop lore, where his gluttony and incompetence were recurring jokes.
• In Vermintide 2, the 'Black Hunger' trinket grants a damage boost when health is low, mirroring the curse's trade-off of power for self-destruction.
• The curse is believed to be a form of warpstone poisoning, as Thanquol's constant consumption of warpstone accelerates his mutation and madness.
• Thanquol's curse is unique among Skaven; no other Grey Seer in the lore has been afflicted with a similar hunger, emphasizing his special (and cursed) status.