Nov 3, 2011

Marrow House 2011 - The Second Great Plague

Hundreds of corpses lay only a few feet under the ground. They were piled on top of each other, encased in decayed cloth and dirt. Row after row after row of dessicated corpses, piled up like matches in a matchbox. Among the many rotting bodies, there was movement. The ‘Nachzehrer’ - vampires of German legend. They lay nestled between the dead slowly chewing on their burial shrouds in an attempt to satisfy their unearthly hunger. Tiny shreds of bloody cloth stuck between their cracked teeth, their throats clogged with earth.  Their gaunt fingers twitched occasionally. Some of them, finding that they had ingested their entire burial cloth, slowly began to chew on their maggot-ridden lips and tongue, swallowing their own teeth and flesh out of nothing but hungry desperation.

Above ground, there was movement too. A man, centuries old, had seen the undead life as an opportunity. He was a man of evil and malice, the decades of wandering barren fields and dark swamps had twisted his mind into something dark and rotten. He was a Necromancer. His desire for destruction and domination had led him to a hidden mass grave – a grim reminder of the insidious plague that was sweeping Europe. He was not alone, over the years he had gathered a small clan of dedicated minions – mostly large, plague-ridden rats.  He had dressed them in tattered cloaks and beaked masks as a cruel parody of the ‘Plague Doctors’. They crouched around him, shrouded in shadows. A few of these strange creatures held flickering lanterns in their quivering hands, throwing shifting light over the forest floor. They were about to bear witness to the birth of a new plague. A plague more vile and virulent than the last. A plague capable of wiping the living right off the earth like dust on a windowsill.


The Necromancer’s plan was perfect. All was in place and the ritual was ready to begin...



  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


   
  


  
   



   
  


   
  


19 comments:

  1. Love your set up - It's awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a truly wonderful organic haunt! Creep factor hits a 10 on the scale. Really love your detail and most of all those little beaked creatures..nice twist.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Exquisite detail + I love haunts that have a theme, a story, behind them.

    Also, the plague doctors are cute little buggers.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Really fantastic work, Marrow.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Such spectacular atmosphere, I am beyond impressed. Thanks for sharing these with the rest of us!!!

    Back to take another look!!!

    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great job Marrow, that is seriously beautiful work. I'll be back like 5 times to look it all over... lol

    ReplyDelete
  7. Incredible stuff here, Marrow. NOTHING like what I expected - it's better!

    Also, I agree with Mantan, the Plague rats are kinda cute...

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks SO much everyone.
    Glad you guys like it!

    The 'Plaguelings' were my own strange invention. Cute yet creepy was the idea. My grandmother finds them disturbing :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Amazing!! My favorite part is the "birds". Creepy!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wow. Just ... wow. Excellent, excellent work, Marrow.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wow! I have a new page to add to my favorites! Awesome job, Marrow!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Looks really great!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great job. Is that an atrium or just an enclosed glass area?

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love the twisted poses of your ground breakers.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Again,
    many MANY thanks to all of you!
    I really appreciate this!

    wicKED, it's a 100-year-old shop window on a corner, which the owner kindly lent me for my Halloween display.

    ReplyDelete
  16. wow! this is really fantastic work and what a story. I don't know how I missed your Halloween creations and blog before, but it sure won't happen again--I'm signed up. really gorgeous set-up!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Ahhh! It's a 100 year old shop window! Was wondering what your display was set up in. The pics are fantastic!

    ReplyDelete