#107 The Death-Dealers, Blood-born of Valter Heisenberg

The intricate, golden instrument hit the cavern wall with a crash and shattered into pieces. Hansine scurried over to clean up the glittering fragments - and to move a safe distance from the Count.

"When did the line of Vyrkos become so weak?!" he cried over the shattered corpse of yet another vampire slumped on the operating slab of his laboratory.

"Your Excellency," ventured Hansine from her refuge, "might I suggest that the problem lies with the Death-dealers? Perhaps they are not strong enough to capture a vampire of sufficient resilience to withstand our procedures?"

"They are my own Blood-born, Hansine!" squeaked Count Valter, "Are you suggesting -"

"I meant no disrespect your Excellency," she frantically interjected, "I merely wonder if your experiments require a subject so strong that even your own Blood-born might struggle to subdue them?"

"Hmmm, that is a possibility. Do you have any suggestions?"

"Well, it might help if there were more of them your Excellency? And perhaps House Heisenberg could provide some additional armour and weaponry?"

Count Valter Heisenberg paused, apparently unwilling to admit that his assistant's suggestion was actually an excellent idea.

"Well," he eventually responded, "it will further delay our work on Blaukryst, but I suppose creating a few more Blood-born might help... And there may be some suitable equipment in the armoury... Well, go on then - see to it!"

Relieved to escape the ill-tempered Count, Hansine scurried out of the Pit of Despair and headed straight for the armoury.

Inspired by Kritza the Rat Prince (coming soon as Count Valter Heisenberg), I wanted to create a rodent version of the Vyrkos Blood-born. This is my attempt, using the Skaven Bloodbowl team with ghoul heads. I'm not entirely happy with the result (I'm worried they look more simian than murine), but they'll do.

#108 THE SECOND ECUMENICAL SYNOD OF THE SANGUINE ROSE