| Return of the Botanist; CW Fluff | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: 23rd August 2006 - 06:58 PM (292 Views) | |
| BlackBotanist | 23rd August 2006 - 06:58 PM Post #1 |
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Clanrat
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The hunched Skaven scuttled from beneath an immense tree and into the luminous light of the cavern. Deep, deep underground, the only source of light was the myriad of warpstone gems which hummed and flickered across the cavernous ceiling. Many years ago the chamber had been a warpstone mine, which helped explain the abundance of the dangerous rock, but now it resembled a tropical jungle more than anything else. Wisps of mist hung heavy in the stagnant air, and a constant chirping emerged from the unnatural undergrowth, which festered across the floor like a rampant disease, unchecked and unmanageable. Huge trees, twisted by the low ceiling and lack of sunlight, yet nurtured by the sickly green heat of warpstone, reached out in their agony with skeletal branches. Rotting fruit hung, swollen and soft, like bodiless heads from their stems and mould crept slowly across the mulch, blanketting the floor in a furry carpet. Mushrooms and fungi erupted from the mould. They rose like miniature minarets, shuddering slightly, scattering spores to the air. In the midst of this maniacal forest, screams and shrieks sound, as those foolish enough to enter the Rotting Gardens unprepared suffer for their stupidity. Their flesh is rent by writhing roots, their eyes blinded by stinging spores. They slip and slide into murky pools, and are choked by venemous vines. Worse still, hulking Rat Ogres, mutated by the Black Lord of this realm, stalk and slither throughout the jungle, chemicals streaming through their bloodstream, roots replacing their claws and vicious, carnivorous plants sewn to their hairy hides. Giant Man-Traps gnash their great green jaws with impatiance, sweet scents luring the unwary to their painful doom. To enter the Rotting Gardens unguided is to walk the very gardens of Hell itself. The Skaven paused by a rusted tap, his thin claws slowly turning the object. He was hunched, his face covered with a thick, brass-bronze mask, and he was robed in a laboratory coat. It had been white once, but time and dirty and the blasphemous obsessions of its wearer had turned it a mixture of browns, creams and greens. He seemed thoroughly occupied in turning the tap, although behind the green-tinted goggles of his mask, the ratman could be looking anywhere. 'Help me, please!' screamed a voice from the undergrowth. The Skaven did not flinch, his head slowly rotating to watch the spot where the sound had emanated from. Several moments passed. The bush, thick with thorns, its branches ending in human hands, shook a little but no more. Content that whatever it was that had screamed had either moved on, or was dead, the Black Botanist returned to the task at hand. His deep, steady breath seeped from the mouthpiece of his mask as he finished turning the taphead, and he looked up. Through the canopy of flesh-coloured leaves and purplish fruit, he could see the series of pipes which even now shuddered and shook. Soon, he knew, green-tainted water would shower down and sprinkle his beloved creations with nourishment. He stamped a clawed foot to the earth below, testing for something. The layer of soil he had deposited to cover the lair-floor felt...harder than it should. Dryer. He had imported the earth from the Man-thing's burial grounds, in the land of the Man-things where the Dead-things walked. Many warptokens it had cost him. He would not allow it to dehydrate, no. He would keep it moist and squishy. The warpstone-tainted water would see to that. Supremely certain that the water would come, the Black Botanist span and scurried back into the undergrowth. His head was beginning to hurt, and he knew what that meant. He would be somewhere less...tempting when it came. Besides, he thought as he disappeared into the mass of unnatural vegetation, he had work to do. He was a busy rat these days. Busy-busy. |
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| scrivener | 25th August 2006 - 04:56 PM Post #2 |
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*toot*
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I like the way it creates the setting and describes it in detail. The movement, sounds, everything's well textured, as if you were seeing it in your mind's eye when you wrote it. ![]() Well done, i hope to read more of this garden. |
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| Dha-Quayshek | 25th August 2006 - 05:16 PM Post #3 |
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Clanrat
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A nice and detailed read, I salute you. Can't wait to read more
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![]() My own lil' site see you there?![]() A site made by a friend of mine. See you there? FLUFF WOW: September: Write at least one part more for my "Ancient Bones" done | |
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| Demagorgon | 26th August 2006 - 03:04 PM Post #4 |
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Demaaaaargh
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Fantastically intricate images You have a real way with words.
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| lashific the Dominator | 29th August 2006 - 08:11 PM Post #5 |
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kicking snow since IC 134
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really cool. paintede a really cool image in my mind
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"Suffer not the witch to live" Ordo Hereticus army diary | |
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| SneakyRodent | 30th August 2006 - 12:00 PM Post #6 |
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Claws of the Horned One founder member
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Very descriptive and atmospheric piece there BB. I enjoyed it. |
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Grey Seer Skritchit Lord of the Ulricsberg Clan Virulus Holder of 'Best Post' Award 2007 here Took part in the glorious Lords of Decay Revolution of April 1st 2012 The complete works of SneakyRodent can be found here [/size]
(Scrivener on the Scum And Villainy2 characters of me, DamnedPrince and himself) | |
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