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Fiction The Rat And The Serpent

Discussion in 'Fluff and Stories' started by Bowser, Oct 22, 2016.

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  1. Bowser
    Slann

    Bowser Third Spawning

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    The Rat and the Serpent

    "Do you know how many hours of torture-pain I had to inflict-cause to get these plaques translated? It all makes sense now." The two tailed skaven shrieked with delight.
    "No-no Two On One. Please do tell-describe the torture." Stabby said with a big grin.
    "I knew-guessed my tails were special. I am the prophet of the god Ratek."
    "Wha's that mean?"
    "It means that when the twin tailed comet comes we will be the king-emperors. Ratek will take the throne of the great horned rat and the big hatted lizard. Get a Moulder thing and let's begin-start spreading the word."
    ---------------------------------------------------
    "The twin tailed comet cometh"
    "We must join our forces. The Skaven threat is high"
    "I had a vision. The war cometh to the realm of Ghyran."
    "I too have seen this vision, a city called Middenheim. It has thus been decided."
    The three slann blinked in agreement and parted ways to begin their preparations.
    ----------------------------------------------
    "No-no, you not training hard enough. The Plaques say that the star lizards will foul our blessings."
    Two On One hissed and pointed at a unit.
    Stabby called them over. "Claw Leader, how many troop-things you have?"
    The Claw leader gave a cheeky salute and replied, "One hundred, maybe less, depends on who got trampled-stomped."
    Two On One pulled out his warplock pistols and shot ten of the troops. The other ninety scampered away to hide amongst other units. "Train harder. You need-have to be better. Harvest-take their tails, use the rest for field rations."
    -------------------------------------------

    "The months have passed far too quickly. I had become lost in my contemplations." Croaked Lord Tikai.
    "The ideas are abundant, however the time grows short. The comet shall ascend to our skies shortly." Lord Otta'goq said slowly.
    "The visions flash. The Decimator shalt destroy the Mortal realm of Ghyran should we not act swiftly." Lord Maztakai said gravely.
    "Then it hast been decided. We shall work in tandem to destroy the threat."
    --------------------------------------------
    "If I am reading the charts right your comet will come in two nights."
    "You had better be reading the chart-things right. This is perfect. Two tails. Two weeks. We split into two groups like my tails and take the realm for our own." Two On One the Decimator cackled.
    "We found-located the way in boss. You wanna leave now or decimate a unit first?" Stabby stood at attention.
    "We leave for Middenheim now. That will be our new base of operations. We are to be there by nightfall. Show-tell me the entrances to the portal. Ratek requires more sacrifices. Does everyone have their extra tail attached?"
    "Moulder-thing got all the tails on. He said he wanted pay and a nap. So I stabbed him. In the face, and the throat, and the belly." Stabby giggled.
    --------------------------------------
    Lord Tikai arrived first. He was surrounded by temple guard, with an eternity warden to either side of him. In the distance a large blue skink with a bright red crest was chirping and clicking ferociously.

    "Sotek is coming. Sotek requires the blood of the foul skaven. Sacrifice them by the thousands. There will be a sea of blood for the serpent god. The god whose tear led the slann through the dark, to allow us to fight on in this form." Tehenhauin preached with fury. Snakes and serpents of all kinds came from the bushes to the feet of Tehenhauin.
    The skinks were rallied up and ready to rampage.
    "Like the forked tongue of a snake we will split off into two. There will be no mercy. There will be no prisoners and not one skaven shall be suffered to live." The red crested prophet shouted savagely.
    The troglodons with their oracles and the chameleon skinks darted out in front, followed by the bloodthirsty throngs of skink warriors.
    Lord Otta'goq entered much in the same way as Lord Tikai. Off in the distance a large purple skink with a bright red crest was ferociously shouting a fiery oratory. More serpents flocked to the feet of this Tehenhauin. The skinks called for blood, chirping of sacrifice, clicking about the glory of Sotek.
    Lord Maztakai entered. His version of Tehenhauin was a large black skink, with a bright red crest and two tails. He mounted a troglodon that was surrounded by serpents, snakes and other reptiles. Riding back and forth in front of the troops preaching the ways of Sotek. The cries for blood resounded from the little skinks.
    The slann began their march after the skinks.
    --------------------------------------------
    Ratek is coming. Ratek requires blood from all who stand in his way. Sacrifice them by the thousands. Let there be a sea-ocean of blood for the two tailed god. The god who shall be king of the gods. With his first true prophet, I, Two On One the Decimator." The Decimator preached with fury. Rats and rodents of all kinds came from the bushes to the feet of Two On One.
    The skaven were rallied up and ready to rampage.
    "Like the two tails of Ratek we will split-break off into two. There will be no mercy. There will be no prisoner-slaves. There will only be sacrifice to Ratek." The two tailed prophet shouted savagely.
    -----------------------------------------

    A skaven started screaming, its flesh was sizzling and melting off of the bones. A volley of poison tipped darts hailed down on the rats. Commands were squeaked. Somewhere in the woods a rotting wooden arm was creaking. A payload of filth covered the trees. Seemingly invisible creatures started to vomit and fall out of the trees. The creatures began changing colours before decaying into starlight.
    "More starlight. Ratek demands more sacrifices." Squeaked Stabby.
    A stream of blue skinks led by the blue Tehenhauin rushed forward. They were met by Skaven, each with two tails. Vicious and savage the battle raged. Starlight and blood bated the battlefield. A wave of purple skinks led by the purple prophet of Sotek flowed into the battle.
    More shrieks and squeaks followed by the sizzling of flesh. The blackTehenhauin rode in on his troglodon. "I am Tehenhauin of the sacred spawning of Sotek. Fill the ground with the filthy vermin blood."
    The blue Tehenhauin was outraged. "Imposter. I am Tehenhauin prophet of Sotek. I brought the plaques of Chaqua to light. I foretold the coming of the Serpent god Sotek and sacrificed the rats to appease him."
    The purple Tehenhauin twisted his face. "You may all claim to be Tehenhauin, but know that it was I who called down the forked tongue comet, it was I whosacrificed until mighty Sotek burst forth from the volcano to destroy the vermin plague. The three stared in disbelief at one another. The battle did not stop for them. The three withdrew to analyze the claims. They all had snakes at their feet. They all had the sacred plaques of Chaqua and the same sacrificial blade. They all had red crests. "We can't all be Tehenhauin. We don't even remember it the same. The only consistency with our memories is that we took the plaques and dagger from Chaqua, led the skinks against skaven, and Sotek came from the volcano because of our sacrifices." The blue Tehenhauin chittered.
    "We must seek council with the slann. They must tell us who the real Tehenhauin is." The purple Tehenhauin chirped.
    "The true Tehenhauin will be decided by the most rat blood spilled. After that we shall seek council from the slann." The black skink steadied his mount.
    -------------------
    Two On One the Decimator was breaking through the lines of skinks. The skaven following him fought with a fervor. More sacrifices for Ratek. Jezzail teams and rattling guns mowed through scores of skinks. "More-more. Kill them all. Feed Ratek. He will make us ruler-kings of our own realm. Middenheim is close." The Decimator shrieked.
    --------------------------------

    "The twin tailed comet cometh this evening." Lord Maztakai blinked, a blue and a purple troglodon appeared by the blue and the purle Tehenhauin.
    The Tehenhauin mounted their beasts and rode further into the fray.
    Skink and skaven alike were being slaughtered en masse. The ferocity of the normally cowardly skaven and skittish skinks was impressive. The blue Tehenhauin called out. "Kill their leader. Cut off the head the rest will crumble."
    The troglodons spit their poison. Two On One was too fast. Other skaven were not so lucky. Skaven began swarming the troglodons. Biting, clawing and stabbing just to make the sizzling noises stop. The trio jumped down and cut their way towards Two On One. The Decimator planted his totem bearing the plaques of Chaqua.
    The battle seemed to stand still as the four of them engaged in combat. Two On One the Decimator was quite handy with his twin tails, fending off the attacks of two of the Tehenhauin while facing the other with his paw weapons. Metal clanged hard as they savagely smashed their weapons towards thehated enemy. "Do you see it? The twin tailed comet of Ratek is in the sky. Heralding the Great Two Tailed Rat. He will destroy you. He will eat your very essence." The Prophet of Ratek hissed.
    "You fool. That is the herald of Sotek, that is not two tails, that is the forked tongue of a serpent, come to destroy you and any other foul abomination on the realm." Bellowed the Purple Tehenhauin.
    "Where did you get the plaques? How dare you defile them with your filth?" Hissed the blue one.
    "More Sacrifices.” The four shouted in unison. The battlefield erupted once more.

    -------------------------------------

    Lord Maztakai opened his eyes wide. A white light was emitting from his eyes. The other two felt it, in a sad realization they knew they must leave the realm. Their forces would fight on in their absence, but it would be for naught.
    The comet was directly above the battle, burning bright in the night sky. Underground geysers began erupting. Those caught in the geysers were tossed into the air, their bones breaking from the pressure, their flesh boiling from the heat. In other places the earth opened up and swallowed large groups of skaven and skink alike. The sky darkened, the winds rose, lightning struck down between the fighting skinks and skaven, electrocuting all in its path. Funnel clouds began to form, becoming tornadoes quickly. The tornadoes tore through the battle, ripping trees from the ground, destroying entire battalions. Trees and other debris flew around the battlefield. The realm was tearing itself apart around the four prophets locked in battle. Smoke in the form of a two tailed rat began to form. A long stream of steam, formed and moved in a serpent like manner toward the smoke. The ground exploded, lava and water burst forth. The once mighty city of Middenheim was forever preserved under magma. A rat battling three skinks was likewise preserved. A monument to the fight between the rat and the snake.

    In High Azyr the three Slann called their troops back to life.

    “We failed.” Said the twin tailed black Tehenhauin.

    “How could we lose? Sotek was on our side.” Hissed the purple one.

    “Send us back. We must finish this.” The blue one chirped.

    “There is nothing to go back to. Nobody won. Nobody lost. You did not however fail. You have succeeded in what we had planned.” Croaked Lord Tikai.

    The three skinks boldly called out to the slann. Wordlessly theslann stared down at them.

    The skinks could feel the power flowing from the mighty slann. The sheer power caused a shiver to run down the spine of each skink. Fearlessly the three approached. "Which one of us is the real Tehenhauin?" The blue one shouted out, immediately regretting the anger in his voice.
    The slann made no reply.
    "We must know. We all have similar but different memories. We can't all be the real Tehenhauin." The purple one said calmly but urgently.
    The slann did not stir.
    The black one looked at his brothers, then back at the slann, then back again to his brothers.
    "None of us." He said coldly. "The real Tehenhauin would not have failrd." He said with a said tone. He fell down to his knees. "So who am I?" He shouted at the slann, his voice trembling. "Who are we? What are we? We're just bad copies of something great. Fragments of a long dead memory. Why.." The twin tailed black skink began to weep.
    The two others rushed to his side and knelt down beside him.
    "You are correct. Thou art not Tehenhauin. The last time I saw Tehenhauin it was also not the hero from the tales. Tehenhauin was a great hero. Great enough to know that his legend would be greater than he could ever be. Tehenhauin became a mask, an idea. Many great skinks wore it throughout the ages after his death. Whenever the threat was great a large red crested skink would emerge from our jungles, to encourage and lead our skinks to victory." Said Lord Tikai.
    "You are not the original Tehenhauin. You are you. A part of our great constellations." Said Lord Otta'goq.

    “The fledgling god created by the abominable skaven was stopped before it could gain any more power. Your belief in Sotek, and the belief you bestowed upon your troops was strong enough to call forth the serpent to fight with the rat.” Lord Otta’goq said.

    “Sotek defeated the rat? We did win.” The purple skink interjected.

    “No. There was no winner. Middenheim was destroyed, and it will take centuries for life to bloom there again.”

    “If there is no winner does that mean they killed each other? Is Sotek dead?” The blue skink chirped.

    The three slann remained silent.

    The three skinks demanded to know what the slann knew. They knew that with a thought they could cease to exist, but what was the point of being the prophet of a dead god?

    “Can a god truly die? Do they rise from the ashes like a phoenix on belief alone? If the skaven can create a god, can you not recreate a god? The battle is over, the war rages on.” Lord Maztakai said as the seraphon turned back into starlight.
     
  2. Bowser
    Slann

    Bowser Third Spawning

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    The original can be found here: July-August 2016 Short Story Contest Voting Thread
    I have edited this to change up some key parts. Don't know if it helped the flow, but I hope it did. I kept in the somewhat hokey ending, because I think the ideas are bigger than the story.
     
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  3. spawning of Bob
    Skar-Veteran

    spawning of Bob Well-Known Member

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    It seems smoother, and I think you tightened up some of the dialogue in the middle of the battle which I recall was a bit of a speed bump.

    I agree wrt the idea of every hero of renown being a memory of their best day being a big idea. I think that exploring that one is usually a bit of a downer (the fallen / reduced hero usually dies of noble self sacrifice in the end) but in the Seraphon context it contains a kernel of hope in a crapsack universe - the days of glory will never be truly gone.
     
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  4. Bowser
    Slann

    Bowser Third Spawning

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    I think it works a bit better keep the action cohesive instead of taking a philosophy break. The Seraphon and memory in general gives quite a few story hooks. Might have to try writing some more old world fluff to work the memory mechanic. Do a before and after type story. See where that leads.
     
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