#(lady of ashes) ashiiq bonegnawer

[warhammer-fantasy-muses]

@iimmaranhu

A Wood Elf, no matter how far or near from Athel Loren, was always a dangerous foe. Wild, and feral things they are, but they have certain things that they respect and honor. The natural cycle was one of them. And this was what the Grey Seer she-rat was wanting to see if they could bond over. She had always been curious about other creatures who value the cycle of life and death like she and her clan did.

Carefully, cautiously, surrounded by a veil of shadows, Ashiiq Bonegnawer would approach the Wood Elf, watching him wander through the woods. She had pulled every precaution to not go detected, but it was not a matter of if, but WHEN, this one would probably spot her somehow. But for now, she'd simply observe.

[warhammer-fantasy-muses]

@chapter-master-darius

The cold. She liked the cold. Not like the rest of her retinue that were staggering behind her, chattering their fangs despite their thick fur-coats shielding them from the whipping ice-winds of Norsca. But she did not mind it, just as long as she kept tightening her own coat around her body. The cold reminded her of the cold embrace of death that she wielded, how its life-extinguishing chill tingled upon her fingertips whenever she used it...

"Stop snivel-whining, clanrats!" she'd whip her head around with a soft hiss at her subordinates, who cowed and bowed their heads low at the words of their Grey Seer. "We are not far-far away now, yes-yes. Ashiiq can sense-feel it..." they had come here for a specific goal anyhow, and she was to see it through...

Though, the sudden whiff of something else caught her attention. Something living. Something... human. She'd pause, signaling for her half a dozen clanrats to keep close as they'd close in on the location of the smell.

[warhammer-fantasy-muses]

"Lies-slander! Do not listen to grey-faced nobodies, Ashiiq is nice-kind rat! Will not kill-kill you for no reason-purpose, yes-yes! Only kill-kill if someone threatens her... or if they make nice-decent offering to funeral pyre."

[warhammer-fantasy-muses]

which lore of magic does your grey seer use?

Ashiiq uses a mixture of the Lore of Warp and the Lore of Death!

[iimmaranhu]

Immaranhu stepped inside cautiously, noticing the distinct lack of filth he had grown accustomed to with Skaven. Truly, this was a different experience. Even the ''noble'' skaven he had the displeasure of being in the presence of enjoyed a pile of indeterminable origin here and there.

The cozy den even seemed...familiar. Even with the death-worship-related decorations. So much so he was tempted to leave his things at the entrance, as if his grandmother was around the corner ready to yell at him for tracking dirt into the house.

"Been here for a while, huh?" he asked, looking around.

"Aah, you are so alike Ashiiq's own kin! See-see, she told you so!" she chitters again in amusement as he talks about having to kill his own kind. But, she clears her throat. "Ah'rm! Of course, Ashiiq has to kill-kill her own because they try and get in her way! You, on the other hand... sounds more like you kill-kill your own kin to survive-live." she said, taking mental note of the whole "Asrai" and "Eonir" thing he mentioned.

Soon enough, they would reach a rather large, dug-out hole in a nearby hillside, which Ashiiq indicated was her little burrow away from home. Approaching it, however, she'd hold a paw out to halt Immaranhu. "Halt-wait! Ashiiq just has to-" and she walks up to the edge of the entrance, placing her paw upon a rune inscribed upon the opening's left hand side, and muttering a quick incantation. Suddenly, the opening lights up a baleful green, creating a 'tunnel' of energy that leads into a rather cozy-looking den within.

"Ashiiq has to keep her lair-warren filled with Death Magic when she's away-gone, otherwise the forest will destroy-devour it! Has happened before when Ashiiq first came here! Almost got crush-buried by living tree roots!" she spoke with a huff, shaking her hand off after removing it from the rune, flecks of green dust shaking off her paw, before she steps inside, showing it was safe. "Death Magic is kept at bay now! Will let us step-walk inside!"

[warhammer-fantasy-muses]

"Aah, you are so alike Ashiiq's own kin! See-see, she told you so!" she chitters again in amusement as he talks about having to kill his own kind. But, she clears her throat. "Ah'rm! Of course, Ashiiq has to kill-kill her own because they try and get in her way! You, on the other hand... sounds more like you kill-kill your own kin to survive-live." she said, taking mental note of the whole "Asrai" and "Eonir" thing he mentioned.

Soon enough, they would reach a rather large, dug-out hole in a nearby hillside, which Ashiiq indicated was her little burrow away from home. Approaching it, however, she'd hold a paw out to halt Immaranhu. "Halt-wait! Ashiiq just has to-" and she walks up to the edge of the entrance, placing her paw upon a rune inscribed upon the opening's left hand side, and muttering a quick incantation. Suddenly, the opening lights up a baleful green, creating a 'tunnel' of energy that leads into a rather cozy-looking den within.

"Ashiiq has to keep her lair-warren filled with Death Magic when she's away-gone, otherwise the forest will destroy-devour it! Has happened before when Ashiiq first came here! Almost got crush-buried by living tree roots!" she spoke with a huff, shaking her hand off after removing it from the rune, flecks of green dust shaking off her paw, before she steps inside, showing it was safe. "Death Magic is kept at bay now! Will let us step-walk inside!"

Immaranhu gave a small chuckle at her joke, feeling his heart rate slowly go back to a steady pace. She was...interesting, to say the least. Now that his nerves weren't too distracting, he was able to get a better look at her.

The bones that decorated her small but nimble frame carried an air of odd familiarity. He was reminded of the healers and magic users of his own kith, decorating themselves with animal bones to honour their slain souls.

"Hey, can't fault ya." he replied, sighing. "I've killed enough of my own to understand. Coincidentally, you are the first skaven to not immediately stab me." he said lightheartedly.

"It seems you've ran into a few Asrai though. Those're some mean sons o' bitches." he then said once he thought about her statement more. "I'm what the elves call Eonir. We're...a bit more reasonable, at least with most others. A lot more curious."

[iimmaranhu]

Immaranhu gave a small chuckle at her joke, feeling his heart rate slowly go back to a steady pace. She was...interesting, to say the least. Now that his nerves weren't too distracting, he was able to get a better look at her.

The bones that decorated her small but nimble frame carried an air of odd familiarity. He was reminded of the healers and magic users of his own kith, decorating themselves with animal bones to honour their slain souls.

"Hey, can't fault ya." he replied, sighing. "I've killed enough of my own to understand. Coincidentally, you are the first skaven to not immediately stab me." he said lightheartedly.

"It seems you've ran into a few Asrai though. Those're some mean sons o' bitches." he then said once he thought about her statement more. "I'm what the elves call Eonir. We're...a bit more reasonable, at least with most others. A lot more curious."

She'd tilt her head a bit as Isaac explained his predicament with his skin color, huffing a little. "Well that is stupid-dumb! Skaven are born with lots-lots of fur colors, but no one say that one color is not 'pure'. We all hate-loathe each other equally~!" she chitters in amusement at her little self-aimed joke. It was true though, for Skaven only hate each other a FRACTION of a fraction less than they seemingly hated every other race.

But she answers him in kind; "Not exactly-really. Only you are first forest-elf to speak-squeak with Ashiiq without trying to put arrow in her head!" she goes to full on laughing now, which is a little haunting with how her Rat Ogre skull bounces up and down on the flat of her head a bit from her laughter, like a second upper jaw raising and lowering with her laughs.

"Of course, they all fail. They all die after trying. Hope you understand why Ashiiq had to kill-kill them though!"

[warhammer-fantasy-muses]

She'd tilt her head a bit as Isaac explained his predicament with his skin color, huffing a little. "Well that is stupid-dumb! Skaven are born with lots-lots of fur colors, but no one say that one color is not 'pure'. We all hate-loathe each other equally~!" she chitters in amusement at her little self-aimed joke. It was true though, for Skaven only hate each other a FRACTION of a fraction less than they seemingly hated every other race.

But she answers him in kind; "Not exactly-really. Only you are first forest-elf to speak-squeak with Ashiiq without trying to put arrow in her head!" she goes to full on laughing now, which is a little haunting with how her Rat Ogre skull bounces up and down on the flat of her head a bit from her laughter, like a second upper jaw raising and lowering with her laughs.

"Of course, they all fail. They all die after trying. Hope you understand why Ashiiq had to kill-kill them though!"

"Unfortunately, I have the same question." Immaranhu sighed, his nerves calming down the more they walked.

"Only one who'n answer that is my mother and father, n' they died centuries ago. I assume they looked like me. At least my grandmother did. Others say we were...not pure. Safe to say I didn't have much friends growing up."

He looked over at the ratwoman, "So 'm I the first wood elf you talked to?" he asked.

[warhammer-fantasy-muses]

Ashiiq makes a singular, high-pitch squeak of excitement as she is handed the badger fur, gently holding it in her paws before she holds it close and sniffs it over, nodding in satisfaction as she wraps it around her neck like a boa. "This will do well-nicely! You will receive it when we split-part ways." she promises him, before she nods her head in one direction, urging him to follow.

They'd wander for quite a bit, so in the meantime, she'd make small-talk with the elf, turning her head to glance back at him over her newly-acquired pelt. "So tell me, elf-thing. Why is your body this strange-odd color? Other elf-things do not look like you. You are special-unique, no-no?"

"You have my word." Immaranhu said to her, a hint of intrigue in his tone, placing the ornament in his breast pocket, where he knew it would be safe. The more he listened to the ratwoman, the more he was intrigued by her kind. He knew the skaven came in many different clans, some more reasonable than others. What was the harm in learning more?

That still didn't stop him from instinctively flinching when she suddenly reached up towards him, feeling the rake of phantom claws on his back. Still, he followed her gaze to the single badger fur he had.

He pulled it off his shoulder and folded it before handing it to her. "Good choice. I was planning on keeping that one." he said.

[iimmaranhu]

"You have my word." Immaranhu said to her, a hint of intrigue in his tone, placing the ornament in his breast pocket, where he knew it would be safe. The more he listened to the ratwoman, the more he was intrigued by her kind. He knew the skaven came in many different clans, some more reasonable than others. What was the harm in learning more?

That still didn't stop him from instinctively flinching when she suddenly reached up towards him, feeling the rake of phantom claws on his back. Still, he followed her gaze to the single badger fur he had.

He pulled it off his shoulder and folded it before handing it to her. "Good choice. I was planning on keeping that one." he said.

The Grey Seer does perk her ears up a bit as he asked if he could hold onto one of her little ornaments. She'd look down upon her robes, and upon the myriads of small totems and tokens hanging off of her, before she'd shrug a little. "Not hate-hate so to speak. But each of these are marks-tallies of the rats that Ashiiq has offered up to the Great Horned Rat. Each one a reminder of their great-grand sacrifice!" but, she does reach to fiddle with one of them, gently wringing it off of her robe, and handing it up to the wood elf.

"This-this one is of a Stormvermin who protected great-grand Clanlord of Mordkin from an Ogre! Treat-handle it with care." she said, placing it in his palm, as the ornament was that of a small chime made of a pair of fangs framing a small bone-shard, as if resembling that of a Stormvermin's helmet. She then reaches up towards him with both arms, making grabby-hands at one of his many furs decorating his frame. Especially, she noted a grey-colored one that she was now eyeing with slightly starry eyes.

[warhammer-fantasy-muses]

The Grey Seer does perk her ears up a bit as he asked if he could hold onto one of her little ornaments. She'd look down upon her robes, and upon the myriads of small totems and tokens hanging off of her, before she'd shrug a little. "Not hate-hate so to speak. But each of these are marks-tallies of the rats that Ashiiq has offered up to the Great Horned Rat. Each one a reminder of their great-grand sacrifice!" but, she does reach to fiddle with one of them, gently wringing it off of her robe, and handing it up to the wood elf.

"This-this one is of a Stormvermin who protected great-grand Clanlord of Mordkin from an Ogre! Treat-handle it with care." she said, placing it in his palm, as the ornament was that of a small chime made of a pair of fangs framing a small bone-shard, as if resembling that of a Stormvermin's helmet. She then reaches up towards him with both arms, making grabby-hands at one of his many furs decorating his frame. Especially, she noted a grey-colored one that she was now eyeing with slightly starry eyes.

Falling leaves in autumn? That was a nice description for his skin color, though anything was better than "dirt". It was funny how most of the younger races had nicer things to say about his appearance than other elves did.

Immaranhu looks her over before gesturing to one of her bone ornaments. "One of those. Would you hate if any of them were stolen or destroyed?" he asked.

"I'll take one, and then give it back once I have to leave. In exchange, you can hold onto some of my furs."

[iimmaranhu]

Falling leaves in autumn? That was a nice description for his skin color, though anything was better than "dirt". It was funny how most of the younger races had nicer things to say about his appearance than other elves did.

Immaranhu looks her over before gesturing to one of her bone ornaments. "One of those. Would you hate if any of them were stolen or destroyed?" he asked.

"I'll take one, and then give it back once I have to leave. In exchange, you can hold onto some of my furs."

The moment his sword was sheathed, Ashiiq lowers her hands and smiles a bit more genuinely. The bone ornaments clatter and shift as she moves closer to him, but keeps a good few feet's distance. She was... observing him now, as the previous tension didn't let her study him properly.

"My my, very strange-unique color on you, for a forest-elf. All brown and auburn, like falling-flittering leaves in autumn." she notes aloud, chittering softly as her nose sniffs the air loudly. "And smells like fresh rain... very interesting~"

"Of course, elf-thing may ask anything of Ashiiq, to let her prove-show that she will not stab-jab him in the back! Anything!"

[warhammer-fantasy-muses]

The moment his sword was sheathed, Ashiiq lowers her hands and smiles a bit more genuinely. The bone ornaments clatter and shift as she moves closer to him, but keeps a good few feet's distance. She was... observing him now, as the previous tension didn't let her study him properly.

"My my, very strange-unique color on you, for a forest-elf. All brown and auburn, like falling-flittering leaves in autumn." she notes aloud, chittering softly as her nose sniffs the air loudly. "And smells like fresh rain... very interesting~"

"Of course, elf-thing may ask anything of Ashiiq, to let her prove-show that she will not stab-jab him in the back! Anything!"

Immaranhu lowered his shortsword further, narrowing his eyes. She seemed...sincere enough, but his experiences with Skaven convinced him otherwise. Then again, he has been wrong enough about many groups, like Druchii, and that experience convinced him to consider.

He cautiously sheathed his shortsword, adjusting the bundle of furs on his shoulder before crossing his arms.

"I'll admit I am...interested, but I need something to make sure you won't stab me in the back." he said sternly, though his body language conveyed lingering nervousness. "I'm sure you understand."

What's the harm? If this goes south, I'm strong enough to crawl my way out of it...again.

[iimmaranhu]

Immaranhu lowered his shortsword further, narrowing his eyes. She seemed...sincere enough, but his experiences with Skaven convinced him otherwise. Then again, he has been wrong enough about many groups, like Druchii, and that experience convinced him to consider.

He cautiously sheathed his shortsword, adjusting the bundle of furs on his shoulder before crossing his arms.

"I'll admit I am...interested, but I need something to make sure you won't stab me in the back." he said sternly, though his body language conveyed lingering nervousness. "I'm sure you understand."

What's the harm? If this goes south, I'm strong enough to crawl my way out of it...again.

Ashiiq was a bit disappointed that he for some reason decided to not attack her. What a rip-off! She had heard all about the ferocity and feral nature of the wood elves, and here she was literally offering herself to him to attack! And yet he did not... naturally, she would not have let him. She'd put up a 'Death Sphere', a spell of her own making, around her being, which would've turned that sword into naught but a rusted piece of junk the moment it'd pierce its veil.

But she did not let him know that. She'd simply smile a bit... in what ALMOST passed as a sympathetic way. "Ooh, is little forest-elf scared of an old crone-lady like me~? Ashiiq is flattered~" she teases him, snickering in Queekish. "Still... yes, we are alike-same in some aspects. Not all, but some-some. Why not sit-seat yourself with me for a bit? Ashiiq has small burrow-lair not too far from here. No one but old Ashiiq there." she held her hands up in a disarming manner, like a convict displaying his hands in surrender. Showing she was being truthful enough.

"I brew-boil a pretty decent herbal tea. Will help with tension-nerves that you are displaying."

[warhammer-fantasy-muses]

Ashiiq was a bit disappointed that he for some reason decided to not attack her. What a rip-off! She had heard all about the ferocity and feral nature of the wood elves, and here she was literally offering herself to him to attack! And yet he did not... naturally, she would not have let him. She'd put up a 'Death Sphere', a spell of her own making, around her being, which would've turned that sword into naught but a rusted piece of junk the moment it'd pierce its veil.

But she did not let him know that. She'd simply smile a bit... in what ALMOST passed as a sympathetic way. "Ooh, is little forest-elf scared of an old crone-lady like me~? Ashiiq is flattered~" she teases him, snickering in Queekish. "Still... yes, we are alike-same in some aspects. Not all, but some-some. Why not sit-seat yourself with me for a bit? Ashiiq has small burrow-lair not too far from here. No one but old Ashiiq there." she held her hands up in a disarming manner, like a convict displaying his hands in surrender. Showing she was being truthful enough.

"I brew-boil a pretty decent herbal tea. Will help with tension-nerves that you are displaying."

Immaranhu narrowed his eyes. She was actively looking for wood-elves? His aggression momentarily turned into sincere curiousity, his shortsword lowering, though her taunting caused him to bristle a bit. Suddenly overwhelmed by the paranoia of being swarmed once again, he hesitated.

He felt shame as his feet were rooted to the ground in fear, the pounding in his head getting louder and steadier. He fought off hordes of these things in Lustria and Marienberg, saved his friends from the diseased ones after multiple sleepless nights...and here he was, caught like a deer in a trap because of one skaven??

"I.." he started, finding himself speechless, but steeled himself. "I assure you we are nothing alike." he said through gritted teeth.

[warhammer-fantasy-muses]

Ashiiq huffs and chews down on the rest of the burnt ends of her bone, before sticking it in the fire again to char a larger portion of it. She dug into another pouch of hers to pull out a small phial of green dust, popping the cork off of it. Then she'd pour the powder in a clumsy, but somewhat straight line across the back of her hand, and snort it up quickly, a shiver of euphoria rattling her whole body as her eyes briefly glow bright green, before settling down as she sighs in bliss.

"Ashiiq is my name, friend." she huffs out once the rush had settled, taking the burnt bone out of the fire again and starting to gnaw and snap off pieces of it again. "Ashiiq Bonegnawer! Grey Seer she-rat and right-paw of Clanlord of Mordkin!"

“I’m rather good at questioning gods, but I’ll gladly accept tips.” Darius says with a smile. He takes out a pipe, lighting it with a match before taking a drag.

“Darius. That’s my name. Nice to meet you.”