Finishing up the entourage of Lord Aquillius Lionhardt are his two loyal companions, Skrugs and Ratty.
Skrugs is the director and picter but is also the mastermind behind the whole endeavor. A cunning ruse only a Ratling could come up with, and as usual an enterprising way to make a lot of coin. There is no Lionhardt, not a real one anyway. The whole thing is a con, a way to swindle everyone in the underhive at once.
It all started with Nevin Boigs, he grew up in an acting troupe travelling the underhive, putting on a show in each new settlement. Nevin was the lead actor and a great one at that, but also incredibly unlucky. In an accident involving a latrine, a waterfall, several giant rats and a sudden hivequake, Nevin was seperated from his troupe, and his life, now forced to hustle his way in the underhive until he could find them again.
Down on his luck as always, Nevin was about to be swindled and likely stabbed by a pair of very short men he’d lost a wager to. Whilst it could easily be said that Nevin was helplessly useless at most things, like gambling, acting was not one of them. He used his only skill in an attempt to get out of the pickle he’d found himself in. He ‘put on’ one of his characters, the lead role from the ‘Hunt for the Heart of the Aquilla’, and tried to convince the ratlings that he was a highborn noble, someone they would be best to leave well alone.
Skrugs is many things but gullible is not one of them. A consummate swindler himself, he saw straight through the act but found himself looking at the spark of one of his greatest cons ever.
He offered Nevin a way to pay off the debt, an offer he could not refuse(there were various firearms pointing his way after all). He just needed to look and act the part, embody that imperial noble once again, Skrugs and his mysterious companion Ratty would do the rest. With his boisterous and ‘educational’ banter alongside his noble persona he was an instant hit, but it was the tremendous kill shots that really sealed the deal.
Shots that seem to fly round corners, to pin point accuracy over vast distances, the gun skill on show almost unbelievable. If it weren’t for careful editing by Skrugs they would be entirely unbelievable. Utterly impossible.
Whilst Skrugs sets up the shots, the pict feeds that will be seen by the fans, Ratty sets up his shot.
A stealthy and nimble ex guard sniper, he gained his nickname for his innate ability to crawl and scurry anywhere, with silence and speed. It’s what earned him his custom rat headgear and cloak after all.
Ratty speeds ahead of the cameras and sets up to make the kill shot, giving the viewers every impression Wolfhardt himself took down the target. Carrying his trusty rifle, and his specialist rounds, his rat cloak draped in place, he stalks unseen taking out anything or anyone needed with consummate ease.
Even if he is spotted his cloak offers the perfect disguise for the underhive, most will think it nothing more than a sump rat and move on. If they do take more of an interest, Rattys not adverse to slitting the odd throat.
These guys were a lot of fun to make. The base models are from Blackstone Fortress and converted with a variety of bits. The camera was made from a Tau Plasma Rifle, Sicarian antennae, a gun handle and the cap from an unknown kit. Just found that one in the bits box. Ratty was converted up using a Space Wolves helmet and cloak, cut to fit with a touch of green stuff for the seam.
That makes up my first character group, these guys and Aquillus/Nevin, and something I’ll be using in a campaign as the arbitrator. I’m working on some rules for them which I’ll show off soon.
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