Thread: They Who Thirst (Dr. Nibbles & SomethingEsoteric)

Each crack of the brothers battering ram echoed through the hallowed halls of the keep, dust and timeworn matter shuffled down from the high cathedral ceilings, the men and women Hilde was honour bound to protect to her last fighting breath beginning to go cagey and fearful. Rng-hrff-hrff theyre coming Enuss choked not seconds before a tremendous crack could be heard followed by the most terrifying of sounds any of them could fathom in the moment the crash of forged iron and splintering of great wooden constructs, stone slabs, the cheers of TagothUr women and the roars of their warped brothers. There were no words of pride or protection, not a coddle or hush from the lord of the keep or his lady, only the whimpers and groans of futility from his duchesses and the chattering chain mail of his knights each one of them trembling in their armoured suits. Hilde did not tremble, she did not whimper or groan, she showed only stalwart conviction she reached out My hammer. A young squire scampering across the room to deliver the instrument of divine intervention to her hand, My shield, and then the steely face Lash them. She went on, the boy tying a sanctified strap about her wrists and netting them about the instruments so they could not be disarmed or dropped a sign Hilde was preparing for the worst if she fell shed fall with her hands firmly clutching her two greatest and of her very few worldly possessions. Lesser warriors may have felt naked without their chest plate or pauldrons she however, was protected by Sigmars Armour the greatest of bulwarks imaginable she believed a simple white cotton shirt loosely covered the flesh of her shoulders and torso, an emblazoned tunic of Shaemoors coat of arms as well as a pin with the twin-tailed comet of her deity pinning it in place they would know her fury, the would know her wrath, they would know her loyalties, the would know she knew no fear in the heat of battle! Were doomed, the Duchess from the north of the keep whimpered, closing her eyes tight as the screams of falling soldiers began to echo through the keep toward the throne room. Her skin was pallid from the perpetual state of winter in her mountainous town known for their chilled ale and wild berries, her hips swollen and ready for child-bearing, her chest shapely much the same, long blonde hair spilled passed her shoulders and to the small of her back an icy blue dress matching her hauntingly bright eyes. The priestess will protect us, a darker skinned woman, tall and lithe like an elf though very much human hazel eyes, short cropped black hair, high cheek bones she seemed to be the strongest of the trinity but still huddled in the corner like her peers. From the southern city state of Zanththaarr the woman should not of been here, she was visiting with her trusted compatriots to strike trade agreements for spices and exotically forged steels, I will not die in this blasted, damp and dark moor. The final bereaved Duchess sister in law to the Lord of this keep had long since broken into hysterics knowing her husband to be, a captain of the wall had been lost to the tides of chaos if theyd breached the keep. A thin girl, auburn hair and freckled ruddy complexion could not be consoled back to her natural beauty with their plight. Screams, rumbling marches, the clink of steel upon steel and the blood curdling sound of entrails falling to the floor, heads rolling, skin splaying it drew nearer and nearer with the litany of cackles and triumphant yips that made clear whos blood had spilled. The northern Duchess Avice sprung to her feet with a plan Shh-shh-shh! Everybody quiet maybe theyll believe weve fled if we dont speak! Ah-ha, a fitting plan for a foolish girl of the north, woe, I feel it if we survive this day not one of you will ever see a proud Zanthion in your company, hiding in your keeps and mountains, upon your blighted moors, cowards ever last one of you. A priestess your only hope? Pah! Weak-weak-weak every last damned one of you. Seras wishing to feel the dry, arid climate of her home one last time lashing out at those who could not provide her that grace. Quite! The lot of you! A knight barked from the door a trembling steel-clad finger drawn out to point at them in accusation We will not fa-waugh! mid-sentence, fall he did, the door crashed down upon him with a sickening splat and crunch of his steely shell, blood and gore bursting from his chest plate. Each of the Duchesses, the Lord and Lady and the squire screamed in horror, the knights piquing to attention Enuss wheezed and coughed but said nothing Hilde brandished her hammer and readied herself as peasants scattered like fruit flies to hide behind the throne. When the dust and cloud of gore cleared a snarling beast stood in the doors wake A brother. The warped beast barrelled into the room its great muscle wrapped form easily bashed away the advancing knights its great warp twisted arms, sheathed in hard twisted chitin hit the men with such force their bones could be heard shattering beneath their armour, organs rupturing and fountaining from their screaming mouths before they hit the ground dead it was only a matter of time before the hind ranks retreated, leaving the middle of the room for the priestess and brother only. It snarled and spat, bashing its fists against the slate ground, shattering stone tiles and making a sound that could only be likened to a grim chuckle as Hilde sized him up. Easily twelve feet tall though standing at eight the way it hunched forward, the beasts skin was sickly purple and black only in the most fleshy of areas did it resemble a human even slightly, the leathery complexion stretched and knotted like a bolt of disheveled cloth, muscles weaved and protruded in the most unnatural ways. Its legs were short and gnarled the though rest of its body huge, arms like tree trunks, hands that could wrap around Hildes entire body if it so chose she was sure and disturbing as the others of its kind a long, thick cock swayed languidly from side to side with its dramatic slurping breaths. Its arms, bulbous and muscular as they were werent just frightful for raw strength they had hardened and blackened to carapace like shells with deadly spikes much like its long face and chest and where the warps boon hadnt touched him it appeared his sisters had bolted steely plates right into his flesh. The legions of chaos were many, were terrifying and powerful, Hilde would not be moved. The beast charged at her finally, the priestess raising her shield and bracing her feet a flash of radiant light crackling through the air as it delivered a blow much like those that had virtually liquefied her compatriots. Hrgff! She grunted, though her defence did not break. From under her shield Hilde swung low, her maul driven into the brothers vulnerable ribs with a sickening crack causing him to crumple and shriek in pain. The sheer weight of the brother was too much for her though as it fell downward atop her, knocking her flat on her back beneath his twisted frame. Her shield was propping him up by the chest, its appendages simply too long to find her though their faces were level. Whooah! She barked up at it, muscles beginning to give as its long jaw of fangs snapped at her face drool and froth dripping down on and around her. Knowing the Priestess was in trouble the remaining knights encircled stabbing the spawn in all sides with their swords and spears, a flurry of glancing blows that initially went unnoticed till one found a chink in the brother, driving his blade between two ribs where Hildes hammer had left a seared scar. Mrglrglrffff! The brother shrieked, springing up and batting away the knight before rolling onto its back, crushing another two behind it, scrambling to pull the disarmed sword out of its rib cage but with such awesomely large clawed fingers it was a near impossible task making it worse, knocking the sword about, puncturing lungs and slicing organs till it began to choke on its own blood. Hilde took her chance, she struggled back to her feet and charged, stomping up onto his gut and with all her might Raaah! her hammer came crashing down on his face purple blood, flecks of bone ribbons of his brain matter popping like a smashed pumpkin and a breath of relief.