DARK•HERITAGE -- 16 installments to date, updated April 20th

[Desdichado]

Still need to take that picture (and I don't have a camera that'll do it, but my neighbor does. Just need to make the time.) After I do that update, I have one more session (so probably about three updates worth) to be caught up.

But long before I get to that point, I think we'll have played again, luckily.

 

[The Axe]

...After I do that update, I have one more session (so probably about three updates worth) to be caught up...

I'm looking forward to more!

 

[Desdichado]

Interlude, Part III

"What was that?" Rosham rasped to Tson and Konrad. Both had narrowed eyes and pale faces, but neither answered.

"I thought you could tell us," Konrad said. "You're the one who's so bloody curious about all this bloody arcana."

Rosham started to answer, but there wasn't really anything he could say. That, and there was a curious sound coming from below them; a skittering sound like thousands of tiny throats calling out madly, and tiny claws rasping on metal. Suddenly one of the pools erupted with a dark, blot-like stain. More pools did as well, then the dark blobs were spreading from pipes along the walls as well.

"Rats!" Tson yelled, and he was right. The "blobs" were tightly packed throngs of mangy, frothing rats that swarmed as if by hivemind onto the three of them, biting, scratching and clawing. Tson swung his chain rapidly, but the rate at which he could kill rats was swamped by the rate at which they could cover him. Konrad's pistol rang out once or twice, then went quiet. Rosham was screaming.

"This way!" Konrad shouted, brushing rats off of him as quickly as he could, his face and hands a mass of small bloody wounds. Rosham and Tson followed him until he stopped in front of one of the hot steam valves, and broke it off roughly with a blow from his club. Jets of steam washed over them, scalding them, but the rats also ran, screeching and screaming.

As quickly as they appeared, they were gone. A few rat bodies twitched and writhed still on the floor, scalded or cut or bashed, but the swarms were gone. The Steams was unnaturally quiet, except for the hard, raspy breathing of Tson, Konrad and Rosham. Then another sound, faint at first, but growing quickly, came to their ears from outside. Screams of terror and pain, and a skittering bellow like a rat given the voice of a lion. They gripped their weapons expectantly, and looked briefly for a door through which they could escape, but they didn't have time to find one. The broad front doors exploded outward. Their faces sagged with fear as they saw the monstrosity that skittered towards them like lightning in spite of its size. It was only vaguely humanoid, with short clawed legs, a bare, worm-like tail, and a long torso bulging with muscles. Arms that hung nearly to the ground were used like extra legs, but they had huge hands tipped with black claws. One hand was encased in a steel gauntlet of some kind. A dirty green rag of a loincloth hung loosely from the thing's waist, and mangy patches of mouldering and fungus-like fur sprouted on its hunched back. It's head was like that of a giant, twisted and rabid rat, covered in a ragged mail hood, but its massive teeth flashed yellow and dripping with filthy saliva in their direction. A sutured wound, apparently rather fresh, was on the side of the beast's torso.

Rosham stood stock still as he put the pieces together and realized that this creatures clothing and wound matched the pattern of the man in his vision. It rushed at him, slapping him away with a massive arm. He crashed painfully through the paper walls and a few heavy beams to land dizzy and stunned in another room. Konrad's gun boomed in time to a shout and the creature reared back to it's full fifteen foot height as it bellowed in pain with an oddly squeeking roar. It's massive arms and claws scratched huge ragged furrows in the wood of the high ceiling. Tson's chain was already whirling, it's deadly spikes rasping against the creatures skin and drawing gouts of blood with every whirl. It turned on him then with a head larger than a horse's as it tried to bite him. Tson held his chain in front of him with both hands, neatly bisecting the mouth of the creature that struggled to reach him. The hulk was thrown from his feet, sliding roughly on his back to smash into a wall behind him, still holding his arms and the chain that kept those teeth from clamping on him with all his strength.

"A... little... help..." he gasped as it arms inexorably lost ground. In the background, he could hear the gun ringing out one more time, and a curse from Konrad. Then, a strange chanting sound that seemed to almost take his mind away from where he was, drawing him in like a magnet. The chanting was with Rosham's voice. Then the pressure suddenly stopped.

The rat-thing literally flew off up him as if brushed aside by a hand more massive than The Steams itself. It crumpled with a whelp against a brick wall, mortar dust falling loose, and the bricks caving inwards to collapse on the creature. Tson saw Rosham leaning wearily against a wooden beam, blood streaming slowly from his mouth, but his hands were still outstretched towards the creature. He didn't want to know what had just happened, but he could imagine...

Konrad was wasting no time. He rushed forward and bashed the beast as hard as he could on the head with his club twice, then three times. And then he dropped his club and jumped back with a yelp.

"It's as I thought..." Rosham said almost to himself. In place of the rat-thing was a man, or what was left of one. He was old and sickly, and his skull was completely crushed from Konrad's ministrations. There was a faint twitching still on the corpse's torso, and then it ruptured like a rotten fruit. A blood-drenched rat fell out of the wrecked ribcage, writhing in pain and confusion, foam covering its jaws and its eyes glazed. Rosham shambled forward and ran it through with his rapier.

Konrad ground his teeth as he picked up his club. "This town gets more interesting all the time," he mumbled.

Tson walked up, breathing heavily still and rubbing his arms as if they pained him. "Maybe it's time we took a little vacation. Didn't you say you discovered a place out in the desert, gray? A place where we can get away for a few days, learn something about the cargo we're trying to recover, and maybe lay low while we're at it until the city cools down just a bit?"

Konrad and Rosham stirred at those words. "Yes," Rosham rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "A field trip would do us all good, I think." They were already walking as quickly as they could, stumbling in a near run, away from The Steams. They would need Elroy's help in wrapping their latest wounds, cleaning them from the filth and disease of the rats, and gathering supplies for a journey out of town. And the sooner they were clear of Razina, the happier they would all be.

--------------------------------~~***~~~--------------------------------​

Well, there was the end of the interlude. When next we pick up, there's a minor change in the cast of characters, and our "heroes" make an attempt to get free of the web of intrigues that seem to have plagued them in Razina. To at least some extent, they're partially successful, but at what cost? Mwahahaha!!

Anyway, I never did get a good digital picture of my own model, so I'll attach this one of a very similar model someone else did. In fact, except for the head (and the better paint job on this one) this is essentially my model anyway, so you can get a pretty good idea of what the rat-thing looked like.

 

[Quickbeam]

And now we see that the Gray has begun to embrace the occult, arcane, unknown powers (and horrors) which lie among the pages of the ancient tomes we possess. Until this past Tuesday, the session you've just described was my personal favorite...now it's a close call.

Thanks for the flashback Josh!

 

[Desdichado]

Wow, that good? I had no idea you were so masochistic!

 

[Quickbeam]

Wow, that good? I had no idea you were so masochistic!

Keep the abuse a-coming!! I still have a few sanity points left .

 

[Stockdale]

I don't know about that . Roshambo needs to rest and recouperate as does Broj's gunslinger. Konrad is getting a little tired of playing nursemaid to the two of you.

 

[Funeris]

Just wanted to drop in and say excellent story hour. I'll be keeping my eyes open for updates.

 

[Desdichado]

Well, now I'm motivated to get caught up. And, since I don't have the excuse of waiting for an opportunity to take a good picture of my mini, I'm hoping to have another update this week or the next.

Welcome aboard!

 

[HalfOrc HalfBiscuit]

You might like to know you've got another reader hooked.

I've spent far too much time over the couple of days reading this S/H instead of working ... but it's been worth it .

I love the "steampunk" feel of the world, and it's very well written too. Looking forward to more ...