Cannibalistic Renegades

[subtlebrush]

And so it begins. I've always been a fan of the Sons of Malice since codex 3.5 when they were just a little picture amongst the DIY renegades. A few brothers here on the forum have started their own war bands of the anarchist cannibals and I thought I should finally jump in *ahem* GooseDaMoose *ahem* (theres mention of his company fighting alongside mine if you catch it).

First is a nice little short story I have slaved over for the last few days as I seem to not be able to get the Sons of Malice out of my head. I am completely obsessed with these guys for some reason. Maybe its the idea that they were ousted for enacting a small ritual involving devouring their beaten foes, were caught by an Inquisitor and then subsequently ate her alive. Or that they worship a god who was deemed "banished" a.k.a. Malal who represents a kind of lesser evil of the Chaos gods (the whole helping those who are beaten and giving them a new purpose to destroy the other gods puppets). I did my best to represent the reasons for the name change of Malal to Malice and kind of created my own background for the Sons. I haven't read the short story in Heroes of the Space Marines so don't kill me if I changed anything. By the by the main characters name is Aata pronounced (AH ah tah) and second in command Hahona (HAH ho nah) and techmarine Rangi (RAH ngee). I really liked the Maori names and I heard here and there that they may have been cannibals at one time so I thought it was fit. Enjoy and when your done there's a treat for ya.....

Aata looked down at the dying PDF trooper held in his clawed gauntlets. Servos in his power armour compensated for the weight as he lifted the human head first, to his helmeted face. With a quick tense of what little remained of his eye lids, Aata's helmeted visage began to zoom in and scan the dying man's body. Percentages and highlighted cross hairs danced across his visor displaying vital signs and armour integrity of what was left. He gave a slight sigh which emitted a deep growl through his vox grill as the trooper began to move slightly. Aata seemed disappointed in the dying man.

Hahona, Aata's second in command strode next to him, the low hum of both suits of power armour so close together slightly drowning out the indiginous insects of the encroaching jungle. Hunapo's helmet was off and secured to his belt as he still chewed on a troopers leg bone, his jagged teeth ripping and tearing chunks of flesh from what remained, "Disappointed in our first meal my Captain?" blood and small pieces of meat dripping from his pale lips. Hahona's voice was always slick and barbed like a viper with it's fangs bared, about to strike. It was hard for Aata to believe he was ever an apothecary before the fall. Aata's armour servos whined as he cocked the trooper to the left and to the right as though he was toying with the idea to devour him or cast him aside as a prisoner. A loud bestial growl emitted from his vox grille as he dropped the trooper onto his knees. Before the trooper could let out a horrified scream Aata unhinged his two handed chainsword "Eviscerator" from his backpack, flicked its power rune and decapitated the man in one fell swoop. Pleased with his work Aata rammed Eviscerator into the ground and removed his helmet with a decompressing hiss, his tight corpse like face bright white in the rising sunlight despite his black tribal tattoos which covered half his face. With a sound like air being sucked through a thin straw he inhaled the smells of the surrounding area through what was left of his nose. Animal pheromones mixed with stale irony dried blood were suddenly overwhelmed by the dead troopers twitching blood splattered corpse. Bending over on one knee Aata yanked off the troopers flailing arm in a mist of cooling life blood. Aata did'nt turn to regard Hahona as he bit down with his yellowed jagged shark like teeth, his voice still sounding like rolling thunder but with a slight lisp as he chewed on the corpse meat, "Their pathetic, they have no idea how utterly insignificant they are to the forces of this universe" Aata's corpse gray face moved from left to right as he chewed, his sunken black eyes scanning the tree line what remained of him was a mere shadow of himself before the fall.

All Sons Of Malice had changed since their last days as part of the Imperial machine. The renegade Chaos god Malal or Malice as he was to be known, granted them shelter within the Eye of Terror away from the other gods scornful gaze. In their time since the fall the nature of the warp changed them, shaping them into ghoulish avatars of death. They were dark days, the Sons having no purpose other then to hunt those still hidden amongst the chapter who rallied against their decision as a whole. Then they found the Labyrinth and it all changed. When Malal first manifested himself amongst the Chapter in those dark days after their fall, it shook them all to the core. Kathal had been speaking of visions and had enacted a sacred ritual to receive the answers they desired from their mysterious savior. What they had received was more then they bargained for.

Mala spoke like the very voice of a raging valcano. His eyes were ablaze like the scorching uncaring sun. All the while a smirk formed on his blackened face, "My sons. You are upon the plateau, the pinnacle of your true path. You only need a slight nudge in the right direction." Every Intiates eyes were focused on the living embodiment of a god. "They cast you out for what you believed in, for what you have done for all your lives. To eat your enemies is to know what they know, see what they've seen and gain the advantage" Aata could tell he was playing to their beliefs of cannibalism, the same act that ousted them from the Imperium. It was working. "They tossed you aside, breaking you, leaving you to the vultures to pick at your corpse. But I was there to pick up the pieces. I am the architect of your fate. Your true path that you so desire." His immense smoldering black bulk passed behind the chapter master and the assembled chaplains. The smell of sulfur strong to the point of gagging. A large talon like hand rested upon Kathals shoulder. "I only require one thing. Worship me. Cast aside your preconceived notions. I am not of the four. I am Malal, slave to no one. Worship me and I will give you the strength to continue your honour bound duty. And above all else to enact your grudge to reclaim the stain on your honour. MY SONS! MY SONS OF MALICE"

Malal later revealed the need to refer to him as Malice from then onward. Utterance of his name amongst the Chaos filth (and even the Imperium) would bring undo attention to their cause. He had given them their purpose back. Bring down the decaying Imperium which held them under its boot and destroy the zealots of the Chaos powers. Malal would give them his power. He would appear when they needed him the most, manifesting in the strongest. A true avatar of Chaos. Chaos against Chaos. How bitter sweet it all sounded.

After the first ritual the Chapter seemed to split in its purpose. Some wanted nothing more then to stand upon the soil of their home world Scelus and had the notion that with regaining it all would come full circle. To the other half, Scelus mattered no more. The true path was ahead to serve Malal and to crusade in his name to fight both the forces of Chaos and the corrupt Imperium. Aata was of the latter, he had no longing to be on their home world again as he knew in his hearts that the Inquisiton had probably destroyed what was left of their population or even worse virus bombed the planet leaving it a dead rock. It made him bitter, it molded him into a hate fueled monster and he only longed to best the lap dogs of the Imperium and of the Chaos Gods and feast upon their flesh. "Kathal sent us to do what we do best, create anarchy. We've taken their comm base and airport in one swift attack. While brother Rangi sets the tech virus we must prepare for more to come. I've had my fill of these pathetic weaklings..." he motioned with his massive bloodied fist still holding the now half eaten arm, to the remains of the dead PDF troops who had been guarding the jungle base. Their bodies scattered to and fro, bloodied skeletons left exposed to the elements. Meat ripped from their cooling corpses, blood was smeared and splattered from ceiling to floor. It was a charnel house and it was home to the Sons of Malice.

The 5th Company Sons of Malice had not so long ago initiated their first strike. The battle was over within ten minutes, the Sons Of Malice appeared right amongst the troops just before dawn had broke the horizon with help from their midnight black drop pods. Terror was their tactic and with it they scattered any type of resistance. Some PDF squads made it from the drop zone and barricaded themselves in the tower and amongst the large ammo containers. That was what Aata relished in, resistance. When the enemy tried to resist, that was what thrilled him, what made him lick his corpse like lips even now. However devouring the lowly troops had to be done quickly. They couldn't keep to the full extent of the sacred rights that their chapter initiated, they needed to create anarchy among the bases before finally slitting the commands neck.

Aata quickly turned his head to the left, blood still dripping from his lips as he looked over his shoulder at the tree line. A smirk formed across his face, the action was like a stone cracking its surface to imitate a smile. Hunapo's twin hearts began to speed up, watching Aata was akin to watching their home worlds Twilight Bear's from which he earned his name. The massive midnight colored beasts were the appitamy of the word, predator. Though far from the Terran example of a bear they were hard as stone, covered in tusks and spikes and were instinctively quick to temper. Aata's every movement and action showed that he had earned his name. He was always on alert, relentless in his pursuit of prey and he was quick to anger. Although far from their seemingly mindless advancements in the presence of prey, Aata showed restraint and cunning where the Twilight Bear's would charge off a cliff if it meant finally grabbing the prey in its claws.

Taking one last bite Aata raised his free hand to his right ear, the action opening his line to the 5th companies vox network among the base. He glanced at the tower windows where techmarine Rangi could be seen plugged into the bases data towers. "Brothers, it has begun" blood flew from his lips as he spoke into the vox "ready yourselves. Intel from Cell Enigma has lead us to beleive anything alerted to our location will be five to six squads in size and upon in mere moments. We must give tech-brother Rangi time to impregnate their comm network with the tech virus." Aata tossed aside the arm seeming satisfied with his snack. With the slightest of movements he pulled Eviscerator out of the ground and connected it back to his back pack. He unslung his combi-bolter and checked the mag. Even though he hadn't fired the weapon yet he still checked over it praising Malice as he moved the loader. "Brother Rangi" The voice that answered was like the sound of skulls being crushed under a Rhinos tread yet at the same time utterly mettalic and inhuman. "Yes Captain" spoke Techmarine Rangi. "Status on the uploading of the tech virus" seconds ticked away, Rangi always took the time to calculate every word he would speak before answering, "seventy five percent Captain. I had broken through many complex firewalls and encrypted cyphers overlayed with..." "ENOUGH brother..." Aata always hated the complexity of Rangi's answers, even more so after he spent time with the Dark Mechanicis during their duration in the warp.

Malal himself had summoned a team of Dark Mechanicus priests to the daemon world they inhabited as a token of favour at their recent downfall. It sickened Aata to allow his few remaining Techmarines to commune with the deamonkin alchemists but he knew that for them to survive, they would have to commune with the very beings they fought against before their downfall and they needed to adapt. Aata spat on the ground, the acid melting part of the barricade he stood behind. "Keep communication open as we repel these yapping dogs and speed up your pace Techmarine, we need to meet with the other half of fifth and seventh" again a pause and Aata's brow furrowed with impatience at Rangi's pace "as you command" came the metallic reply.

Hahona slid along the barricade to Aata's left. "Is it just me or does he sound...slower to you" Hahona's and Aata's relationship allowed for a slide in protocol, they had been close friends even before the fall and Aata never asked for his friend to keep to protocols among themselves. Aata had his helmet back on and growled through the vox grille. "It seems to me he has more then his own voice speaking to him these days" Hahona's deamon grilled helmet nodded in approval "I have a feeling Rangi is not the only soul in that artificer armour anymore" Aata grunted but the sound that emitted from his helmet was more of a strange metallic beast like groan. Aata had felt it after the daemon priests secluded themselves with the techmarines in the depths of their hulk Labyrinth.

Flicking through his visors plethora of runes Aata organized his squads runes and the warning runes for incoming ordinance fire with certain muscle movements in his eyes. 'Mortars, just like cowards to fight out of sight' though Aata. Blink clicking the vox back to his squads Aata urged "Await the end of their bombardment. They will come at us head on as standard procedures. Give them ground. Only fire on my command" Hahona opened the private line between him and Aata. "I don't think these dogs have ever seen a space marine let alone fought one" Aata noticed a smile in Hahona's voice as he nodded "and that's why they'll taste even sweeter brother" the two marines gripped the others forearms with their massive clawed gauntlets as they had done before every battle. "Short controlled bursts brothers. Send their souls screaming into the void" this had met with all assembled Sons banging their gauntlets across their chests, an old sign of respect still used by the Sons. The troopers were coming and they had no idea of the hell that awaited them.......

Phew that was that then. Let me know what you think. And as I said here is a little extra for you. When I finally decided on Sons of Malice I walked to the basement and assessed what I had bitz wise. It seemed I had alot of Chaos bitz and alot of Loyalist, but not enough to begin making full marines but then I opened my old Black Templar case. In it I found the beginning of my SOM project. I decided to go through my old models, clean them up and repaint them in the colors of Malice. Oh I know many of you will cry Heresy but I had no use for them so I just started to gut and scrape and below is what I have so far.

First Son

Some beakies working as Plasma gunner and random bolter

I dont know how I feel about the next one. He is supposed to be aiming with his right hand, dodging incoming fire and holding the combat knife ready to sink it in someones neck. Let me know what you think.

Knife fighter front

Knife fighter side (sorry I couldn't get the camera to focus on his arm at all)

AND THE GROUP SHOT!!!!!

I pictured these guys being scavengers so I plan on utilizing as much extra baggage, pouches, grenades as possible as I see them having to carry all their equipment with them at all times. Always repairing old broken armour with Loyalist and Chaos armour. I'm also deciding on sculpting out some plastic Ghoul heads for the bareheaded marines to keep with my corpse eaters theme. If you put a ghoul head next to or over a space marine helmet its about the exact size of what they should be when the helmet is off (at least I think). They only need some bulking out and I bought some putty ealrier and may give a try tomorrow. Now its off to work and as always leave me some C&C as its very much appreciated.

Mr.Malevolent

[hushrong]

Very cool start for your Sons. Looking forward to more.

 

*I also see you had the same prob with the SoM banner in your sig.

[fivepointedstar]

nice cannibals I'm more intrigued to see what ghoul head will look on a CSM.

[GooseDaMoose]

I am very much looking forward to seeing how a ghoul's head will work. I like that the squad is all beakies B) Will the guy with the Chaos skull helm be the sergeant?

 

Also, awesome for bringing in the "twilight bear" thing I have been toying with the idea of a huge bear (like, really big) on their homeworld of Scelus, that the berzerkers have to kill barehanded to earn the title of berzerker. Cuz that's what the real berzerkers actually had to do (berzerker even means like "bear-chainmail-shirt" or something). And then they go into battle with various parts of the bear's pelt fastened to them :)

 

The story is really cool. Makes them sound evil enough to fit in 40k but not like malicious mothereffers. But the Labyrinth is a huge ship they only visit once every 100 years so I dunno if they would've met with Dark Mechanicus (good idea btw!) on that ship. Hmm what else..

 

Oh yeah! Really cool names lol will Aata be a count-as Seth since he's got the huge double-handed chainsword?

 

Looking forward to more!

[subtlebrush]

@ Hushrong: Thanks brother. That means so much to me as you and GooseDaMoose are my biggest inspirations for this project.

 

@DeathKnight2000: Thanks brother I have this picture of what they will look like in my mind. Hopefully it works out....

 

@GooseDaMoose: Yeah I'm nervous to see if this idea will work with the ghoul heads. Funny thing, I never noticed that most of Black Templars were beakies, I dont plan on making the skull marine a sergeant at the moment, I'll be adding a few others to the squad later. Glad you liked the bear idea. The funny thing is Aata's name roughly translates to bear, guess it works out better then I thought as I see this company being very berzerker like. Not running at their enemies head on but when they get close, they go ape sh**! And yes I am very much making Aata a Seth counts as. I know alot of people frown upon Chaos players using counts as loyalist lists but I figure.... why the hell not they ARE renegades ;) I could easily sneak in Death Company as The Doomed ones anyways cause I think a group of psychotic cannibal champions fits the Death Company well. Plus I always LOVED the idea of a space marine wielding a two handed chainsword that's as large as a tall human. As far as figure wise I'll delve into Blood Angels and Orks plastics. I want one of the enormous Nob choppas to be his Eviscerator. Oh and I totally didn't realize they met on Labyrinth once every 100 years ;) But I kind of tried to convey the idea that the main Chapter would leave while the majority of the senior Techmarines would stay on the Labyrinth and learn from the Dark Mechanicus in seclusion.

 

I'll be working on those ghoul heads later tonight, keeping my fingers crossed that it works. Cheers.

 

 

Mr.Malevolent

[subtlebrush]

So its 5 in the am here in the states and well I'm in the hobby mood ^_^

I worked on the ghoul head and I'm getting excited to see how it ends. I haven't sculpted in a LONG time and I have started using a nice new technique.... Vaseline instead of water. It makes working the putty soooooo much easier. So without further ado here is the head with Marine size comparison....

Front

Profile (as best as I could, slightly blurry)

Then while this dried I set about making a suitably evil Sergeant body. My first attempt failed as the legs I used just didn't work at all. But I found some old zerker legs and got the job started. I figured I'm going to go nuts with conversions on this army as it makes the project that much more fun and individualistic. Oh and I am loving the Ghoul frames, I'll be adding bones and ghoulish bare helmed marines all over the army. So far everything is in pieces. I cut and pinned his legs back into a new position and I gave him a "happy meal" as well as adding a Chaos Traitors helmet which I may paint in one of the Legion colors (tying in the Malice background/secretly pushing his followers to eliminate the main 4's followers). I borrowed a little something from a fellow B&C visitor as well and you'll know exactly what I mean when I finish. Meanwhile enjoy....

Sergeant Legs Close-Up

Sergeant Blue-tac together

The "happy meal"

There's plenty more where that came from so keep your eyes on this space. C&C always welcome.

P.S. I don't know if I've mentioned this but even though there is a Dread in the background I don't think I will take any Dreads in the final list. I mean if they eat the dead of their enemies then what would stop them from eating their own dead, or the occasional hero who gets bested in battle and they devour him (even if he is clinging to life trying to push them off). I think it makes them more of the ghouls I see them as.

Mr.Malevolent

[hushrong]

First off, I LOVE the happy meal! Where did that bit come from might I ask? I like how it seems that there are some meaty bits left in the busted rib cage...I guess that makes for a convenient lunch box.

 

I also like your reasoning behind not using a dread. The Sons do come off more as an infantry based force. I think the only dreads, if the Sons have any at all, would have been entombed before the betrayal. I want to make one for the heck of it an that will be my reasoning.

[firestorm40k]

Nice background/fiction to kick this thread off, I'm a fan of that :) Good start, you look to be putting some thought and effort in to the assembly of your models so I'm looking forward to seeing the finsihed results :D

[GooseDaMoose]

Ah I was looking forward to the ghoul head, but would it not work without the GS?

 

The way I see it is the only vehicles the Sons of Malice would have would be Dreadnoughts surely, since they don't use any tanks. Anyway, I fully intend to build me a dreaddy ;) Are all your gore-y bits from the ghoul box?

[Terminatorinhell]

You have to do a marine with a hannibal lecter facemask!

[subtlebrush]

@husrhong: Thanks brother. The "happy meal" comes from the ghoul frame. I think all the plastic kits from the new Vampire Count range are amazing. The resizing of everything makes it so much nicer to use with other models, I was so sick of HUGE skeletons :) . I'm patiently waiting for a new zombie set, if they'll be anything like the ones on the Corpse Cart (c'mon GW I know you can do it).

 

@firestorm40k: I'm so glad you like it. I've been a long time follower of your Taurus Legion and it means so much to me that you like what I have to show. Keep your eyes on this space for more :lol:

 

@GooseDaMoose: No unfortunately the ghoul heads are actually tiny. They fit onto the body via the neck that extends from the body like Ork heads so I had to build a new neck for him. All in all green stuffing a new neck wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Yeah as far as dreads and vehicles I'm 50/50 on it. I kind of want a large infantry force but I have a soft spot for dreads and vehicle. I might just limit the amount I have. Still indecisive on what list to use, Codex: Space Wolves, Codex:Chaos , Codex: Blood Angels (which I still don't have yet). However I'm probably crossing off BA's as it seems everyone these days is using Codex:BA :lol: Space Wolves is more of a large infantry marine build so I might go with them. And yes I am extensively using the Ghoul sprues. They are so amazing. Sooo much detail, cant wait to get my grubby clawed hands on the Plague Cart (crazy corpse defiler idea rolling around my noggin).

 

@Terminatorhell: Oh yes I do! I thought about making a Fabius Bile conversion, replacing the head and giving him a mask of skin. Like a rogue apothecary serial killer side arc to the story.

 

Slight update. Added some more to the ghoul head and I'm quit pleased. I don't have the ability to sculpt minute details yet so I'll be adding little bits and bobs later. Should have the Sergeant done in a few days. I'll post more pics ASAP. Also thanks for C&C much appreciated. Cheers.

 

Mr.Malevolent

[RedShoes]

Really like the idea and especially the 'happy meal'. That's definetly a messed up McDonalds that serve that :(

 

Consider this thread as Stalked by me and good job, keep it up and I'm looking forward to the next marine

[subtlebrush]

Thanks Redshoes. I've got plenty more coming.

 

Small Update: Have you guys ever had this disaster hit your hobby mojo? When you start to second guess your decision? Then something just clicks and you've gotten reinvigorated? That happened to me recently. I just seemed to lose steam. I had this feeling of dejavu with my Sons. Mixing Loyalist and Chaos together seemed so "blah", had been done SOOOO many times before my attempt. As if my miniatures would not stand out, they were like everyone else but quartered black and white. Then I read this line on Lexicanum... "Battle Cry: None, the Sons of Malice fight in complete silence" That is when it hit me, I had this one idea for oh almost three years now to use a certain theme for a Word Bearers army that never saw the light of day. Do I turn my Sons into Bearers of the Word? No no no. I just adapt them to this scheme I was inspired by. I want my Sons to be more stoic, more like they are scaring the bejezus out of you just by methodically hunting you down opposed to them berzerking at you, hence the "no battle cry, complete silence". I mean these guys are the Hannibal Lectors of the 40k universe. They want to eat you and whats scarier then a 9 foot tall genetically advanced super human bent on eating you, alive? Plus the army will be 90% Infantry and I think as a large group this scheme looks awesome. Will I keep the characters I presented? Oh hell yeah. Will I keep to putting that extra amount of customization in every marine? Of course. I'm just saying, I'm reinvigorated , I'm back full steam and by Malice I'm so pumped to do this. Some updates may surface later today so I apologize ahead of time for double posting.

 

 

 

Mr.Malevolent

[hushrong]

Small Update: Have you guys ever had this disaster hit your hobby mojo? When you start to second guess your decision? Then something just clicks and you've gotten reinvigorated? That happened to me recently. I just seemed to lose steam. I had this feeling of dejavu with my Sons. Mixing Loyalist and Chaos together seemed so "blah", had been done SOOOO many times before my attempt. As if my miniatures would not stand out, they were like everyone else but quartered black and white. Then I read this line on Lexicanum... "Battle Cry: None, the Sons of Malice fight in complete silence" That is when it hit me, I had this one idea for oh almost three years now to use a certain theme for a Word Bearers army that never saw the light of day. Do I turn my Sons into Bearers of the Word? No no no. I just adapt them to this scheme I was inspired by. I want my Sons to be more stoic, more like they are scaring the bejezus out of you just by methodically hunting you down opposed to them berzerking at you, hence the "no battle cry, complete silence". I mean these guys are the Hannibal Lectors of the 40k universe. They want to eat you and whats scarier then a 9 foot tall genetically advanced super human bent on eating you, alive? Plus the army will be 90% Infantry and I think as a large group this scheme looks awesome. Will I keep the characters I presented? Oh hell yeah. Will I keep to putting that extra amount of customization in every marine? Of course. I'm just saying, I'm reinvigorated , I'm back full steam and by Malice I'm so pumped to do this. Some updates may surface later today so I apologize ahead of time for double posting.

 

I've had the same thoughts bud. Good to hear you are sticking with the Sons :D

 

My Anarchist's Fist army is made up of Terminators (my "Corpse Guard') with their Leaders in TDA (the Heads of the Beast). Fluff wise, they are supported by their brothers that still don power armor who carry out tasks from the shadows. They are purely silent predators. I kind of liked a line from a batgirl comic where she said that "the monster not seen but only heard is more terrifying" (or something like that). Basically, if you do not know what is out there but it is killing everyone around you...that's really psychological. So the PA Sons use more stealth and essentially hunt their prey cautiously and striking when it is most effective. Then, when they choose to, they make their presence known with unbound violence. * I do see my version of the Sons struggling to hold back when using stealth. It is too tempting to strike out at an enemy right in front of you, especially when you hate them so incredibly much.

 

Unlike the PA SoM, when the Corpse Guard are brought in...they don't need tact or stealth, they just need to know where the enemy is and the most gruesome way to take their life.

 

*I basically made that up awhile back so when I use SW minis...there would be a fluffy reason as to why they have wolf skulls and pelts since they are hunters. Besides the fact they could have taken it from slain space pups.

[subtlebrush]

Thanks Hushrong for the words of encouragement. My basic problem is I seem to limit myself way too much when I come up with my own fluff. I kind of put myself in a pinch and I over think everything. Its that artist side of me that always seeks perfection and is never happy with the end result.