Curtis of Ramshackle Games has been leading a team of intrepid sculptors in a quest to put together a Chaos warband which is being called the "Circle of Chaos". You can find more on the Facebook page, but here's my (still WIP) submission to the project with some background story. Qikdeath Gallbroiler started as a Realm of Chaos champion of Nurgle generation- Skaven, Limb Loss (both arms), Chaos Weapon, Head of a Beast of Nurgle.
Qikdeath Gallbroiler raised its snout from the carcass of
the white deer and held its nostrils to the wind. Though it was no longer Skaven
the ratbeast’s nostrils were still keen and there was something in the winds
today that would have quickened its heart were it still beating. The scent was
not flowing in the natural wind, this was coming over the fens to the west and
carried with it the usual pungent odour of marsh gas and decay. Such scents
brought pleasure to Nurgle’s creations, but it was not this that excited
Qikdeath. No, the scent which had stirred him from his feasting was borne on
the subtler winds of Chaos, flowing down from the North, and that way he turned
his muzzle.
The Gallbroiler had found the white deer here a few hours
ago. The animal had been dead several days and its remaining flesh was putrid and
green, satisfyingly pulpy to the spawn’s tastes. It had not failed to notice
the remains of the crudely drawn circle of summoning, the chalky marks on the
obsidian-black standing stones or the disturbed earth which told of a rite
disturbed and a skirmish lost. Qikdeath had been tracking a motley band of
travellers over the last month after they had passed by his hole. Normally it
left well-equipped warrior-types alone, but in this instance there was
something drawing it out of its lair and after the strange party. Something in
the winds of Chaos. Something it smelt again now. The green-clad travellers
with the white arrow mark on their shields and cloaks had continued southwards
into the marshes at great speed and Qikdeath had lost sight of them as it
struggled to keep up. At least one of the travellers was riding a horse, one
other was mounted on a giant dog, another on a bear and another was a centaur.
Together with a forbiddingly large giant they were covering open ground swiftly
and the spawn was loathe to follow too closely for fear of being seen so it
kept to the scrubby woodland, forcing it to detour and struggle to keep up. It
had been a week since the Gallbroiler’s four eyes had caught a glimpse of the
warband but the remnants of the site at which he was now gorging on deerflesh
told him he was still on the right track.
Scanning the winds of Chaos for some sign, some message, the
spawn suddenly found a firm conviction growing in the remnants of its simple
mind. There was no need to follow the band further, not yet. The ritual had not
been completely in vain. The cultists’ work was not entirely unfinished. Qikdeath
would wait here. Others were coming, others drawn by the same wind, others with
greater patronage and understanding. Once more the Gallbroiler would not be
alone, it would fight once more for the infernal powers. Maybe in time it would
be raised to higher things. The ratbeast turned its eyestalks to the broken and
scuffed summoning circle on the ground. When the others came the markings would
be restored, the Circle of Chaos would be completed.
AWESOME!
ReplyDeleteI love the dreadful nature of random rolls on the chaos charts. Limb loss/both arms + chaos weapon; what a devillish combo - "here's a powerful weapon... but I'm taking your arms so you struggle to use it. HA!" Nice idea for it to be attached to his tail though. Cracking sculpt too
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