Morr, the god of death in the old world, is shown respect with skull tokens. as he's seen both as the guy that ultimately ensures you don't go to hell when you die and keeps the dead from rising from their graves, people tend to go all-in on making sure he knows they aren't disrespecting him.

Also, dark times mean popularity of symbols of death. The Death, presented as a skeleton, danse macabre and mementos mori were very popular in Europe after the black plague until the end of middle ages.

Not to mention that skulls everywhere are grim like, you know, Grim World of Perilous Adventure.

Originally posted by Jakal bringing that 2018 luck!:

Morr, the god of death in the old world, is shown respect with skull tokens. as he's seen both as the guy that ultimately ensures you don't go to hell when you die and keeps the dead from rising from their graves, people tend to go all-in on making sure he knows they aren't disrespecting him.

So it is a tribute to one of the gods. I think that makes sense. Are the other gods tributed as much as he is as well or has it to do with the End Times or some kind of Hierarchy?

Also, as was said,

Originally posted by skinnyraf:

Also, dark times mean popularity of symbols of death

Danse Macabre, Memento Mori, and other types of skull and skeleton motifs were extremely popular in the Middle Ages, both in churches and also as artwork in regular people's homes.

If anything it'd be more common in WHF, because life is even ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ and death is even more ever-present than it was in the real Holy Roman Empire.

I've always figured it was a reflection of the sanctity of life by expressing the fragility of human life in a harsh world. The horrors of the old world are carried on the shoulders of those who sacrifice much of themselves to do what they can to save others. And the skulls are a reminder of those sacrifices/ongoing struggle of existence in a violent realm. And then you tie that in with Morr and whatnot.