Nubh'grul da fers unorky!

"Here, oh dear connoiseurs of a good ork story'.. is inscribed the tale of Nubh'grul, in our sophisticated and superior (to orkish) english language known as the first undead ork.. or so he thinks himself, apparently.. as there is no way to tell other than how many cobwebs have accumulated around the bastard.
Regardless!!.. as this story was once told in the original tongue, the best I can do is narrate the account in the manner it was ..eh.. paraphrased.
As a minor disclaimer.. this first Ork was mysteriously titled to Skorketal king, and stated to be first found deep under a cathedral seated on a throne, himself though to be long dead.

When some barbarian and paladin adventurers of a surface town came across the forgotten thing they thought to rummage through its carcass for a drop of orky rings or necklaces but instead were quickly smitten.

Ah such was the fate of many a dungeon crawler.

But not the brave specification guild of ours! Ofcourse lead by yours truly; Emmett von icks dactylifera the fourthieth! (from a very succesful family!) .. or mister Em to my aides!.."

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So starts the diary case number #9, found at 'crimescene.. for lack of a better word' set B and C at the entrance of the old cathedral, the fresh bodyparts scattered across these two sites unrecognicable prior to the finding of this particular belonging.., the other cases were all unsolved giving the impression that this so called guild was of either novice or fantastical nature.. and the victims had no idea what they were getting into.
Afterall, this is the wasteland.. and our Brazen Consuls Cadian dispatch has nothing better to do than investigate such ancient landmarks, hardly still standing on its decomposing foundations..

If there truly is some underground complex, noone would dare move a blockage out of the way to bury themselves hind..

"Colonel..".."our excavator drone detected fresh blood spatters as deep as thirty feet down the descend..".."they clearly did go in"
"madmen.." .."any report on missing commoners?"
"none sir, but a miners town down south did have some crazy cultists pass through"
"could be them.."
"what of them.. any specifications?"
"some occult club, investigating rural mysteries"
"that alligns with the diary.., very well.."
"you think they found what they were looking for Colonel?"
"back to your station, I'll see what else they wrote first.."
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Later that evening, in the Colonel's command tent..
Page 24;
"The aides have bravely and ably removed the rubble over the cellar hatch, if the rumors are true there is a straightforward tunnel down to the cloyster, all we will have to do is ensure that our lanterns stay lit and keep our distance from everything of value may we invite the Skeleton king's punishment! At worst we could nick away a trinket as we return to the surface, but only if the myth turns out true!
Let this be the first success of my name!" (this comment seemed to be made over and over again throughout the diary, to every case..)
The Colonel flipped forward through the pages until the content changed into hasty scribbles.. almost reaching the diary's end..
"It looked dead!!.. it did!!"
"Its huge!"
"lost one aide", "can't keep in"
.. can't keep in?.. can't keep what in? His food? The Colonel thought..
An official entered the tent with concern written on her face.. "The drone has finished its mapping..".."It's empty"..
"Whoever or whatever did this, it isn't inside that space.."

The Colonel closed the Diary and stood up from his chair.. "So that is what he meant.., the killer got out of the site.., that means.. he's roaming the wasteland.."
"Could be we're dealing with a Tyranid for all we know.., or something chaos..infested.."
"The diary didn't specify.. we cannot go by the ramblings of cultists.."
The official inquired.. "What did the diary say?"
"Lunacy about some undead Ork.., out of the question.."
"why?"
"You don't seriously believe it, Hannah.." The Colonel reprimanded..
"It's ghost stories.. people make up all sorts of things to what they don't want to face.., we're dealing with Xenos here all the time, it stresses everyone out, makes them go mad.."
Hannah the official nodded and saluted.. "Yes sir, am I excused.."
The Colonel waved her away and sat down again.. then as he was back alone opened up the diary one more time.. the final page had one last panicked scribble.., just one shaky word..
"Shot"

He stood up from his chair again, looked out from under the flap of the tent's entrance.. noone.., the sky cloudy and dark, not a star or moon visible.., he took his long coat and cape, donned his military cap and went out to the site..

It was raining, yet silent.. the site was abandoned by all but the deactivated flood light constructions, a case closed.. but it nagged him on.. what kind of shot... what kind of weapon..

He didn't want to be thought of as a nut, investigating the possibility that such a thing as an undead Ork existed.. but it could've been an Ork nonetheless.. and if he could find typical Orkish ammunition.. it would require emediate changes to the Cadian formation, such a thing would be a massive restructure, not to be undertaken on a guess..

Carefully moving through and under the makeshift supportbeams, he entered the tight corridor down the cellar hatch.. it smelled strongly of sulfur.. something gutteral..
Perhaps also incendiaries.. gunpowder..
Nothing like the plasmics or acid a Tyranid would throw..
No fuel or bullet marks one would expect from a Chaos marine to be left behind..
No.. claw marks, no sludge, no paint of any armor scratched..
Just the all encompassing mist of sulfur.., the walls keyed up with ridges as if something big had pushed itself through.. The Colonel felt around..then looked at the residue on his gloves ..rust..

He turned around and made for the surface again, he had to radio in that Orks were in the area.

-

"W..where were you Colonel!.. didn't you hear the gunfire?!" Hannah was standing at the entrance of the site, the floodlights turned on away from it as the drasted sulfuric mist expanded everywhere like a tumulteous sea..
"The hell is going on Hannah?" The Colonel coughed while wrapping a shawl around his head..
"We are being raided!.. blue looking things.. they won't go down.. it's like they can't die!!"
"Ridiculous.. must be some Tau tech".. The Colonel retorted.. "regroup a formation"

"Th..there's noone left Colonel!" Hannah cried out.. grabbing one of the floodlights tightly, aiming the beam around.. "But those things seem to really dislike concentrated light.."
"Its not Tau Colonel..".."they are .." suddenly the floodlight turned off as its glass shatted.. Hannah was blown back beside and past the Colonel..
From all directions came feet dragging some bulky forms, barely visible in the dark.. clicking and twanging what sounded like reloading..
The Colonel aimed his pistol at the assailants and threatened.. while stepping back toward the entrance of the Cathedral ruin, carefully squatting down beside Hannah to feel her pulse..

He grabbed her by the straps to pull her along, dead or alive he wouldn't leave her out with those monstrosities.., down the cellar hatch they went and blocked it from below with one of the support beams..

The next day Hannah had awoken, thankfully recovered from what had turned out to have been a concussion, outside the site had been abandoned oncemore.. but all the equipment had been smashed up, the camp practically destroyed.. and apart from some individual ribs not a soldier's remains left to the ravens..
Alas, a Drukhari fleet had landed nearby, investigating the very same event..
The Colonel employed his diplomatic status, which the Drukhari accepted under the circumstances of sharing information, and Hannah and him were provided a green zone for extraction.

The Colonel was soon promoted for his heroics in rescuing Hannah, who herself turned in her resume and relocated to a telecommunication center'.. but he found himself quickly redeployed to the wasteland, not because of his experience.. but for trading Cadian secrets with the Drukhari.., there.. he oversaw the aftermath of the first encounter with undead Orks, as much as his part in the escalations.

Fin.

The miniature kitbashed and painted, is Nubh'grul the Skorketal king, was he real? Was he truly the allfather of Unorky spawn? And what is the Drukhari part in the uptick of such?
For the last question, read the tale of Nubgruk, perhaps one could consider the legacy of Nubh'grul.
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