Vignette - kobold necromancer
An idea I had. And still have. And should probably work on more.
The heavy stone guillotine blade fell, the marble slab helping to push the jagged flint edge through the neck of the orc strapped below. The kobold sighed as the scent of blood (and of death) filled the air. Dark blood gushed against the cold blade as the body slowly shifted and flexed as the muscles relaxed one final time. He waited, just a few heartbeats, just enough for the torrent of red to slow to a trickle, before touching one foot of the headless body with the butt of his staff. "Okay, that's enough lazying about for you. Get up, grab that head, and let's go" A wave of tension passed through the body of the orc as the spell took hold, the wiff of death taking a sourer note as the scent of necromancy joined it. The muscular body rolled off of the platform it lay on and sat on the blood-soaked ground. The kobold walked around to it, producing a key to remove the irons that bound its limbs. Once released, the kobold turned and walked away, the orc slowly rising to its feet and grabbing the still twitching head from the pool of blood below the mighty blade. It was a strange sight to see, blood still running down the neck and torso of the body, while in its hands a bloody head was held. A head that had previously been attached. A body that by all rights of nature should be still. But the kobold seemed indifferent to it all. The orc's body followed its master, walking down the dirt trail (now long turned muddy from the blood of its previous venturers). the route lead them back towards the city gates, to the waiting array of stone posts - their tops cut into points. A few held skulls, but most displayed fresher remains from the most recent culling of the local orc clans. "Okay, you take the next spot. Just crush that old thing" the kobold said, mentally directing its puppet to the next available spot. With the old bone crushed and added to the broken bits that littered the ground around the posts, the orc pushed the neck of its former head down onto the sharp stone. Then, it feel to its knees and began clawing at the ground below it. Looking around the "graveyard", the kobold could see two more bodies at work, their handlers staying near by to keep their spells working. It was a novel trick. It was a great way to intimidate the city peasants, to show them just how powerful their protectors were, and left a lasting message to any visiting spies or armies. The orcs worked with their bare hands, digging their own graves. Posthumously.There must be a better use for these guys, the kobold thought. Seems like they'd last longer than just a few hours. I wonder if I could preserve them...