Skull Gold
By: Andrew Morgado
A story inspired by "A Vampire Count's Army"
in White Dwarf magazine #285.
Altorat and his entourage of acolytes, wights, and a floating steel box trudged through booby trap laden passages far under the sands of Nekhara. The necromancer cast a spell of sight to check this new corridor. "Have Volcar toss one of those black powder orbs we collected from those foolish engineers. That should reveal those pitfalls. I'll defuse the protective wards." The wights moved backwards in formation, flaming skulls always ablaze. A cloaked figure threw a sparking sphere down the passage and ran back with the others. A mid-sized explosion showed where the floor dropped out. "Excellent. Our master will be pleased," said the black robed necromancer. A symbol of a flaming skull insignia was on his shoulder as well as on all the others. His staff top comprised of a human skull burning with an infernal fire of turquoise blue.
"Salop, Stine, fetch my pets," ordered the black mage. A visible shudder passed throughout the acolytes. Their master's pets were regarded with reverence and fear. The two he called for, visibly reluctant, treaded stealthily to the armored box containing Talon and Scream, the bone constructs of Altorat. The two hooded, frightened men thrust the key in quickly and opened the box. A bone-chilling scream erupted from within as two pure white creatures emerged. They had razor-sharp claws on all of their four limbs, spiked tails, and narrow elongated heads. They crawled on the walls and ceiling, heeding their master's will.
"Follow, my pets, seek out those which would oppose me," and with that the creatures burst into the ceiling and followed the necromancer whenever he moved. "Move now skulls of flame, and bring glory to the Infernal Skull!" commanded Altorat. The wights moved forward in formation, the necromancer behind with his entourage of minions. Avoiding the pitfalls, they crossed several more corridors marching until they reached what they had sought, the tomb of the ancient Nekaran mage, Horavent.
The floor was littered with skeletons and blades. "The lich is near. Have your weapons ready for when those bones rise." Altorat had the wights form a circle around the acolytes as they moved backwards towards the pedestal in the center of the room. A miniature black pyramid floated inches above the gold plated pedestal. "Ah yes! The key to the Tomb of Nagash! My lord in Sylvania will be pleased," exclaimed Altorat. He then cast a spell of shielding around himself and his minions before he took the dark artifact. At that moment the dead on the floor began to rise.
A hellish sound arouse as the entombed mage of the chamber arose. The wight's dammned witchblades cut through the skeletons as more came. Altorat had his acolytes repeatedly casting the spell of magic missiles annihilating several of the dead each time. It seemed that the black mage would be denied his prize for disturbing the guardians, but then a ceiling tile was shattered as two pure white creatures joined the fray.
"Talon, Scream, kill that bone master! I want his head for my staff!" the two hell-bent creatures rushed at the mage. They climbed the walls and avoided the liche's attempts to destroy them. As the battle raged around them they tore the lich asunder with tooth and claw. With the binding spell of their master gone the skeletons fell into piles of bone. And in that short time the necromancer claimed his prize at the cost of two sights and seven acolytes. "Let us return to the homeland my servants," and with that they marched back up to the sands around the tomb and disappeared to Sylvania, the Land of the Vampire Counts.
"Yes Altorat, you have done well. You have brought me the means to further the Infernal Skull. You will receive your just reward soon enough," said a hooded figure holding a staff that held an unholy fire. "You may leave." Without a word the necromancer left, knowing soon he would have a gift of more troops and more lore to study. His black heart rejoiced at the prospect.
By: Andrew Morgado
A story inspired by "A Vampire Count's Army"
in White Dwarf magazine #285.
Altorat and his entourage of acolytes, wights, and a floating steel box trudged through booby trap laden passages far under the sands of Nekhara. The necromancer cast a spell of sight to check this new corridor. "Have Volcar toss one of those black powder orbs we collected from those foolish engineers. That should reveal those pitfalls. I'll defuse the protective wards." The wights moved backwards in formation, flaming skulls always ablaze. A cloaked figure threw a sparking sphere down the passage and ran back with the others. A mid-sized explosion showed where the floor dropped out. "Excellent. Our master will be pleased," said the black robed necromancer. A symbol of a flaming skull insignia was on his shoulder as well as on all the others. His staff top comprised of a human skull burning with an infernal fire of turquoise blue.
"Salop, Stine, fetch my pets," ordered the black mage. A visible shudder passed throughout the acolytes. Their master's pets were regarded with reverence and fear. The two he called for, visibly reluctant, treaded stealthily to the armored box containing Talon and Scream, the bone constructs of Altorat. The two hooded, frightened men thrust the key in quickly and opened the box. A bone-chilling scream erupted from within as two pure white creatures emerged. They had razor-sharp claws on all of their four limbs, spiked tails, and narrow elongated heads. They crawled on the walls and ceiling, heeding their master's will.
"Follow, my pets, seek out those which would oppose me," and with that the creatures burst into the ceiling and followed the necromancer whenever he moved. "Move now skulls of flame, and bring glory to the Infernal Skull!" commanded Altorat. The wights moved forward in formation, the necromancer behind with his entourage of minions. Avoiding the pitfalls, they crossed several more corridors marching until they reached what they had sought, the tomb of the ancient Nekaran mage, Horavent.
The floor was littered with skeletons and blades. "The lich is near. Have your weapons ready for when those bones rise." Altorat had the wights form a circle around the acolytes as they moved backwards towards the pedestal in the center of the room. A miniature black pyramid floated inches above the gold plated pedestal. "Ah yes! The key to the Tomb of Nagash! My lord in Sylvania will be pleased," exclaimed Altorat. He then cast a spell of shielding around himself and his minions before he took the dark artifact. At that moment the dead on the floor began to rise.
A hellish sound arouse as the entombed mage of the chamber arose. The wight's dammned witchblades cut through the skeletons as more came. Altorat had his acolytes repeatedly casting the spell of magic missiles annihilating several of the dead each time. It seemed that the black mage would be denied his prize for disturbing the guardians, but then a ceiling tile was shattered as two pure white creatures joined the fray.
"Talon, Scream, kill that bone master! I want his head for my staff!" the two hell-bent creatures rushed at the mage. They climbed the walls and avoided the liche's attempts to destroy them. As the battle raged around them they tore the lich asunder with tooth and claw. With the binding spell of their master gone the skeletons fell into piles of bone. And in that short time the necromancer claimed his prize at the cost of two sights and seven acolytes. "Let us return to the homeland my servants," and with that they marched back up to the sands around the tomb and disappeared to Sylvania, the Land of the Vampire Counts.
"Yes Altorat, you have done well. You have brought me the means to further the Infernal Skull. You will receive your just reward soon enough," said a hooded figure holding a staff that held an unholy fire. "You may leave." Without a word the necromancer left, knowing soon he would have a gift of more troops and more lore to study. His black heart rejoiced at the prospect.