The coach came to a halt. Luthor peered out the window and saw a huge
mansion; it was more like a military fort than someone's house. It had a
very high tower at the back of the house and the roof had some type of
Tilean tiles. The tower had black windows and a high pointed roof. It was
pitch black now but Luthor's keen eyes could still make out the outlines of
objects. Senkrad stepped out of the coach and pulled his cloak around him
tightly, the wind was blowing strongly and was ice cold.
The house had tapestries depicting forgotten battles of the Von Carstein family. Ahead of the great mansions doors was a large staircase with a red carpet draped down them. There were about five candles on each wall so the room was quite well lit, considering its inhabitant. Senkrad walked up the steps, gesturing for Luthor Blackheart to follow. When they reached the very top of the stairs they stopped. Senkrad pulled down a portrait of some lost, forgotten person. Behind the painting was a staircase, it wasn't as impressive as the rest of the house as the stairs were just stone. The walls had crude torches hanging from them, cobwebs were draped over the steps and walls and a cold breeze flowed through the spiral staircase.
Senkrad walked up the steps until they finally arrived at the top. Luthor spied around and saw that the windows had wooden boards across, as if to block out light. The room was so small it could barely house to people like Senkrad and Luthor. There was a desk at the wall with a large tome. The cover looked like faces were writhing in agony out of the front. Luthor opened the book and read to himself.
'Some specimens will not allow transplants with certain parts. For example, elf hands decompose too fast to be transplanted. Whereas human hands are acceptable as long as you don't leave it too long. Skaven paws are excellent for transplanting, even though they decompose fast they are easy to attach once you have blood flowing through them.'
Luthor closed the book and peered around the room. "You can rest here, no witch hunters can reach you," said Senkrad as he put the book under his cloak.
"Thank you, although I fear no witch hunter" growled Luthor. Senkrad left the room and Luthor rested his broken arm down gently and tried hard to get to sleep.
Luthor opened his eyes but to his surprise there was no light, either he had woken in the night or he had his throat slit while he slept. He decided it was the former as he pulled himself to his feet. No light could enter the tower room anyway; the vampire had put wooden planks over the windows to stop sunlight seeping through. He looked around and attached his curved knives to his belt and opened the rotten door to walk down the long spiral staircase.
When he reached the bottom Senkrad was there to greet him. "Did you sleep well?" asked Senkrad, was that a hint of sarcasm in his voice that Luthor detected.
"Well enough" replied Luthor "I thought the sunlight burnt vampires?"
"Yes it does, but I am inside my humble mansion where the sun cannot reach me" answered Senkrad as he sat down at a long table.
"Tell me about my father" demanded Luthor
"There is no time. Witch hunters are here"
"What"
"Yes, witch hunters, the humans know I dwell here and often send witch hunters. They never succeed," said Senkrad.
Luthor ran to the window, and as they were on the second level of the building he had a better vantage point.
The witch hunters had a few psychotic Sigmarite peasants who were reciting passages from the holy book. A few peasants that had armed themselves with farming tools and certain kitchen implements. And lastly a Templar at the rear of the party, he was wearing full armour and had a glowing sword.
"Pathetic aren't they. If they spent less time burning proposed heretics and more time actually finding Chaos followers, the empire might be a better place," said Senkrad as he rose from his chair and walked over to a cabinet. He took a small key from his pocket and opened the drawer. Inside was a long silver sword that was inscribed with red runes. He then opened another drawer and pulled out, what looked like a sheet of human skin that had been woven into robes.
Senkrad draped the human skin over himself. "This is armour, designed to look like a flayed carcass of some poor soul who meddled with darkness too much" said Senkrad as he walked downstairs and opened the door of the mansion.
Luthor looked down amazed. A peasant threw himself at the vampire, but Senkrad dodged the blow and slit the man's throat. Luthor knew a queue when he saw one, so drew his blades and darted downstairs. The fight was relatively fast; Senkrad never stepped into the pure morning sun while Luthor slaughtered them all outside, despite his broken arm. Luthor then dragged all the bodies inside and Senkrad extracted the blood from the bodies and poured it into a jug, which he saved for later.
"I thank you for your hospitality Senkrad Von Carstein, but I have to carry on with my quest to find and kill this Khornate champion that has plagued me" said Luthor. "I see" said Senkrad as Luthor left the mansion.
The house had tapestries depicting forgotten battles of the Von Carstein family. Ahead of the great mansions doors was a large staircase with a red carpet draped down them. There were about five candles on each wall so the room was quite well lit, considering its inhabitant. Senkrad walked up the steps, gesturing for Luthor Blackheart to follow. When they reached the very top of the stairs they stopped. Senkrad pulled down a portrait of some lost, forgotten person. Behind the painting was a staircase, it wasn't as impressive as the rest of the house as the stairs were just stone. The walls had crude torches hanging from them, cobwebs were draped over the steps and walls and a cold breeze flowed through the spiral staircase.
Senkrad walked up the steps until they finally arrived at the top. Luthor spied around and saw that the windows had wooden boards across, as if to block out light. The room was so small it could barely house to people like Senkrad and Luthor. There was a desk at the wall with a large tome. The cover looked like faces were writhing in agony out of the front. Luthor opened the book and read to himself.
'Some specimens will not allow transplants with certain parts. For example, elf hands decompose too fast to be transplanted. Whereas human hands are acceptable as long as you don't leave it too long. Skaven paws are excellent for transplanting, even though they decompose fast they are easy to attach once you have blood flowing through them.'
Luthor closed the book and peered around the room. "You can rest here, no witch hunters can reach you," said Senkrad as he put the book under his cloak.
"Thank you, although I fear no witch hunter" growled Luthor. Senkrad left the room and Luthor rested his broken arm down gently and tried hard to get to sleep.
Luthor opened his eyes but to his surprise there was no light, either he had woken in the night or he had his throat slit while he slept. He decided it was the former as he pulled himself to his feet. No light could enter the tower room anyway; the vampire had put wooden planks over the windows to stop sunlight seeping through. He looked around and attached his curved knives to his belt and opened the rotten door to walk down the long spiral staircase.
When he reached the bottom Senkrad was there to greet him. "Did you sleep well?" asked Senkrad, was that a hint of sarcasm in his voice that Luthor detected.
"Well enough" replied Luthor "I thought the sunlight burnt vampires?"
"Yes it does, but I am inside my humble mansion where the sun cannot reach me" answered Senkrad as he sat down at a long table.
"Tell me about my father" demanded Luthor
"There is no time. Witch hunters are here"
"What"
"Yes, witch hunters, the humans know I dwell here and often send witch hunters. They never succeed," said Senkrad.
Luthor ran to the window, and as they were on the second level of the building he had a better vantage point.
The witch hunters had a few psychotic Sigmarite peasants who were reciting passages from the holy book. A few peasants that had armed themselves with farming tools and certain kitchen implements. And lastly a Templar at the rear of the party, he was wearing full armour and had a glowing sword.
"Pathetic aren't they. If they spent less time burning proposed heretics and more time actually finding Chaos followers, the empire might be a better place," said Senkrad as he rose from his chair and walked over to a cabinet. He took a small key from his pocket and opened the drawer. Inside was a long silver sword that was inscribed with red runes. He then opened another drawer and pulled out, what looked like a sheet of human skin that had been woven into robes.
Senkrad draped the human skin over himself. "This is armour, designed to look like a flayed carcass of some poor soul who meddled with darkness too much" said Senkrad as he walked downstairs and opened the door of the mansion.
Luthor looked down amazed. A peasant threw himself at the vampire, but Senkrad dodged the blow and slit the man's throat. Luthor knew a queue when he saw one, so drew his blades and darted downstairs. The fight was relatively fast; Senkrad never stepped into the pure morning sun while Luthor slaughtered them all outside, despite his broken arm. Luthor then dragged all the bodies inside and Senkrad extracted the blood from the bodies and poured it into a jug, which he saved for later.
"I thank you for your hospitality Senkrad Von Carstein, but I have to carry on with my quest to find and kill this Khornate champion that has plagued me" said Luthor. "I see" said Senkrad as Luthor left the mansion.