nurgling6688 Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Hello everyone, I recently finished all of my profiles for my first Tactical Squad of my Astral Claws. These guys are my heroes of sorts. If my army is a novel than they are the focus and it is told from their perspective. Anyway, since these were kind of scattered around in my WIP post I thought I would collect them all here. Sin-Nasir http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/tylerrox6688/Tac5.jpg Sin-Nasir, known as Nasir to his squad mates, is one of the oldest member of Tactical Squad Numas. He has served the Astral Claws for over 200 years and has known two chapter masters including Huron. Nasir hails from Badab Primas, having been recruited before Huron's drive to expand the chapter to legion size, and his appearance is characteristic of those from that planet. His stoic nature is often reflected by his lack of facial expression. Even in the midst of battle he keeps a calm, cool exterior. When the Chapter started to switch their symbol from the traditional lion's head to the Tyrant's Claw Nasir did not hesitate for a moment. To him he has no place to question his superiors, this also partially explains why he is still a mere Tactical marine after his years of service. He is the perfect soldier but has no room to think for himself or question the morality of his actions. Throughout the course of the Badab War he gained the title of "the Butcher" from the mortals in service to the legion. When a Centurion ordered him to bring the guardsmen back into line he would take the most direct and efficient approach. Some claim his kill ratio of mortal allies is higher than enemy combatants felled by him. This never sat well with Numas who was skeptical of Huron's plans the whole time and would often reprimand Nasir for his violent nature. During 2nd squad's last moments in the tunnels beneath the Palace of Thorns, Nasir calmly watched as Balathu crept up behind Sargent Numas and slit his throat. It is said that the only time Nasir allowed himself to truly smile was as he watched the shock and life drain from his former Sargent's eyes. Post-Badab War: A warrior matching Sin-Nasir's description has been seen fighting with the Red Corsairs on several accounts. He is said to never show emotion as he wades through his enemies, his armor adorned with the freshly taken heads of his victims. One guardsmen who happened to escape his attention described Nasir's eyes as brutal and empty as he methodically disemboweled his victims. After the Badab War Imperial investigators would later decide that he had shown signs of being a sociopath early on and should have been weeded out during initiation. Arshaka http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/tylerrox6688/Tac1.jpg Arshaka was recruited right at the start of Huron's drive to expand the Chapter. He hails from one of the Astral Claw's feudal worlds and shares little with those from Badab Primas. His skin tone is distinctly paler than others as well as having coal black hair. Arshaka was known as a trouble maker be some of his former commanders as he would go out of his way to avoid casualties to the legion's mortal allies, but these same actions led to him being sought out by Numas. By this point the Badab War was just starting to expand into the full fledged conflict that would be recorded by history and the Sargent of 2nd squad was looking for men who thought more like him. He felt most of his squad followed the Tyrant's orders with too much enthusiasm and was increasingly worried that he was amongst a chapter of sociopaths. As the conflict deepened Arshaka found himself in more and more situations that would test his morality and stretch his loyalty to the limits. Certain members of his squad troubled him such as Sin-Nasir and Rihat but inexplicably he developed a friendship with Balathu. As the conflict began to draw towards it's inevitable conclusion Numas began to share his doubts with him and make sure he would support him with any decisions he made. Unfortunately Arshaka never survived long enough to see the battle at the Palace of Thorns and the breaking of the squad. He was lost during a boarding action against a Red Scorpions strike cruiser mere weeks before. Post-Badab War: Arshaka's body was later identified by investigators amongst the other casualties on the Red Scorpions vessel. Curiously there were no puncture wounds by bolt guns or other typical weapons used in a boarding action, instead there was only a single puncture wound through one of his eye lenses consistent with a mono-molecular combat knife. How he suffered this wound eluded investigators as they concluded there would had to have been little to no struggle for an enemy to kill him with such a precise stroke. Confounding them further no Red Scorpions or crewmen took credit for the kill even when questioned. Hunzuu http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/tylerrox6688/Tac7.jpg While others in the Astral Claws lean more towards the extremes of being a paragon or a sociopath Hunzuu represents the middle path. He is more typical of the average marine and would not be out of place amongst other chapters of legend. When Huron began expanding the chapter and its domain Hunzuu had no reason to doubt him. They are the Adeptus Astartes, charged with protecting humanity, and if the High Lords did not see fit to send more chapters to the wardens then why shouldn't the Astral Claws take charge of protecting the Maelstrom. In his mind and the minds of the majority of the rest of the chapter the only logical thing to do was to expand their numbers. When the Tiger Claws were rediscovered and brought into the fold of the chapter it was seen as a momentous day by Hunzuu and he welcomed his brothers openly. As the Inquisition and the band of "loyalist" chapters began to persecute their war against the Maelstrom Wardens it only further justified their cause in his eyes. He was not entirely blind to the turmoil around him however, you would have to be blind to not notice that some of the more unhinged members of the chapter such as Balathu were prospering a bit too much under the new regime. On the other end of the spectrum though he found Numas and Arshaka to sometimes come across as weak and to sympathetic to the mortal allies. They were merely there to serve the Astartes, and should be thankful for their protection. If a few hundred of them had to die to save the life of one marine then it was a sacrifice well made. Throughout the entire Badab War Hunzuu merely saw the Astral Claws as being wrongly persecuted and always thought he was the one fighting for the best interests of the Imperium and the Emperor. During the battle for the Palace of Thorns he painted over his symbols of loyalty to the Imperium like all the others but still carried a cry of "For the Emperor!" on his lips. Sadly his tale is typical of those who fought under Huron's banner. He was not an evil man, just misguided and loyal to his chapter master to the end. While fighting off the Carcharodons in the palace's courtyard he was grievously wounded while protecting the rest of the squad as they made their retreat into the tunnels below. As the loyalist forces were retreating off the planet Hunzuu was found clinging to life and was taken for further interrogation by the Inquisition. Post-Badab War: Hunzuu was held by the Inquisition for questioning like many of his brethren until his formal execution many years later. Most of the more relieable knowledge of Squad Numas comes from him. While never pardoned he was deemed pure by Inquisitorial authorities but never allowed to leave. His crimes were to heinous, however misguided they were, however, to his credit he went into the arms of the Emperor willingly. Balathu http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/tylerrox6688/Tac3.jpg Balathu was recruited from Badab Primis itself. In his youth he had joined a local hive gang to survive and became a ruthless murderer. When the Astral Claws went throughout the hives to recruit, one of their number was attacked by Balathu, who saw it as a chance to prove his worth and either join the astartes or elevate his position within the gang. He was defeated, but not without nearly slitting the marine's throat. Normally this type of attitude would not be tolerated within the astartes, but with Huron's drive to expand his chapter to the strength of a full legion Balathu was given a shot, he clearly had the martial talent. Once within the ranks of the Astral Claws his brutal attitude made him a perfect fit for the Retaliator squads that were being formed. He served amongst their number for a decade before a lucky greenskin managed to take his left leg. The bionic replacement slowed him down to much to keep up with his brother retaliators and he was re designated as a Tactical marine. While he was a more then competent warrior he did not get along well with others and mostly kept to himself. He connected most with Sin-Nasir and Rihat and to everyone's surprise Arshaka. His friendship with Arshaka was merely a means to an end however. He knew that Numas was wary of him and did not fully believe in Huron's plans so he used Arshaka to keep tabs on the Sargent. Before a boarding action against the Red Scorpions Arshaka confided in him how Numas planned on switching over to the "loyalist" side if things became to dire, unfortunately Arshaka, Numas' only true ally, never made it off the enemy ship. Underneath the Palace of Thorns is was Balathu who slit Numas' throat and led the remnants of 2nd squad back to safety. The one item that Balathu always kept with him since his youth as a ganger was his combat knife, which was refitted with a mono-molecular edge after becoming an Astartes. Post-Badab War: Since the end of the war a marine fitting Balathu's description, known as "the Flayer" has been seen leading groups of warriors in the ranks of the Red Corsairs. His bionic leg has since been replaced with a mutation granting him all the stealth and speed he could need after receiving the blessing of the dark gods and he adorns his armor with the flayed skin of his enemies. His rank is unknown, some say he is a Sargent while other claim he has formed his own warband within the ranks of the Corsairs. What is known is that even other members of the renegade chapter keep their distance from him; his friends have a tendency of turning up with their throat slit and their face missing, only for it to reappear stretched across Balthu's armor. Rihat http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/tylerrox6688/Tac2.jpg Rihat, like many of his brethren, was recruited from Badab Primaris itself. When he was first recruited he showed great promise and many within the chapter expected him to quickly rise through the ranks. He excelled as a tactical marine and showed great skill with melta and flamer weapons, in fact this quickly saw him promoted to the ranks of the Retaliator squads. Even though his duty within those units was to strike fear into both the enemy and the mortals of the Tyrant's legion in equal measure he never showed any particular hatred towards his allies or joy in their punishment. His meteoric rise through the ranks continued and saw him given a trial position as a legion Centurion where he excelled, inspiring the just the right amounts of fear and loyalty. During a battle against the scum of the Maelstrom his melta-gun malfunctioned and horribly disfigured him. The heat from the gun partially incinerated his armor along the left side and fused parts of it to his skin. As his loyal mortal allies rushed to help and defend him he lashed out in a violent rage and slaughtered many of them before fellow astartes could restrain him. After months of isolation, skin grafts and therapy he was seen fit to return to duty, although not to the command he once held. His psyche had been horribly shattered by the event, and although he was fit to fight the enemies of the Astral Claws he had a tendency to lapse into periods of intense brooding or extreme violence. This was usually taken out on any mortals who had the misfortune to be fighting with him. His face remained maimed and disfigured, although the apothecaries said they could repair the damage. He wanted to keep the scars to help inspire fear in his enemies and remind him of his failure. Once under Numas' command he began to show promise again before an incident where he turned on their own allies almost losing control of the objective they were tasked with holding. As the Badab War escalated Rihat found himself drawn to individuals like Balathu and Sin-Nasir. Nasir and him would often have a competition of how many of the Tyrant's legion would meet with "accidents" at their hands, many of them horribly burned. He always managed to escape death in any battle at the cost of several of their allies, his life being infinitely more valuable then mere mortals. Post-Badab War: At the end of the war an individual matching Rihat's description was seen fighting with the Corsairs. It was noted that him and the man known as "the Butcher" had a close, if not sadistic bond. During one noted incident where the Corsairs and Night Lords fought together against the Imperium, he turned on his own allies and deflected over to the Night Lords. This was the second time that Nasir was said to have shown emotion as he screamed in rage and frustration at his former ally. Rihat could not bring himself to kill his battle-brother and instead crippled him before fleeing with the Night Lords. Since that day Nasir has sworn that if he were to come across Rihat he would leave with his head adorning his armor. Kuri http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/tylerrox6688/Tac6.jpg Little is known about Kuri's past, in fact it has been rumored that he was originally a member of the Tiger Claws chapter before being absorbed into the Astral Claws. He is considered massive even for a Space Marine and stands a head taller than most of his peers. He largely keeps to himself and rarely is seen without his battle plate, despite this he is not cold or cruel like other members of the squad. It may take a lot to gain his friendship, but once you have you would be hard pressed to find anyone more loyal. Kuri never showed any animosity or favoritism towards the members of squad Numas but consistently would put his life on the line to save any of his battle-brothers. This steadfastness and loyalty has made him the rock upon which second squad would often rely. No matter what the situation, Kuri could be relied on to keep calm and continue to lay down suppressing fire until the squad was clear. Due to his massive frame he was a natural fit for the heavy weapons specialist in the squad and is as equally skilled with a Lascannon as he is with his favorite Multi-Melta. As the Badab War escalated Kuri continued to follow whatever orders were assigned to him without question. It was noted that he was less brutal with the mortal allies within the Legion but he certainly did not show them any compassion either such as Numas did. During many campaigns second squad's survival was attributed to his unwillingness to back down, having single handily saved several of their lives on multiple occasions. When thanked for his help Kuri would simply grunt an acknowledgement before moving on to the next task. There was only one time when he was known to have turned on one of his battle-brothers. Underneath the Palace of Thorns after Balathu took Numas' life Kuri strode up to the psychotic marine and back handed him with enough force to crack his helmet and send him sprawling several feet backwards. When everyone thought he was going to kill Balathu he simply stood over him and said "Never again," before continuing with their retreat, leaving his brothers to help the marine to his feet. Post-Badab War: A Marine matching Kuri's description known as "the Bull" has been seen fighting with the Red Corsairs on several occasions. If battlefield reports can be believed he has grown even more massive since retreating to the Maelstrom. He does not appear to have gained any sort of command and still commonly carries a heavy weapon to war although it is not unknown for him to close into assault either. On the few occasions where Balathu and Kuri have been reported fighting together it has been noted that the former tends to keep his distance from the latter. Whether this is out of fear or respect is unknown but operatives within the Inquisition are currently devising way to exploit this discovery. Gahal http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/tylerrox6688/Tac4.jpg Gahal was often looked upon as being below the rest of his brothers, this was due to his origins. At the outset of the Badab war he was not even a full fledged astartes yet having not received his gene-seed. Due to the Tyrant's drive to expand his "legion" at any cost, and the declining supply of Astral Claw gene-seed many of the new recruits were implanted with stolen genetic material taken by his Corpse Takers. Gahal's gene-seed originated from the Fire Hawks chapter and made him the only "impure" member of squad Numas. The scout program at the time was greatly expedited and Gahal quickly progressed through its ranks, constantly striving to prove his worth. Once having earned his place within the reserve companies he was quickly reassigned to squad Numas to bring it back up to combat strength. At this point the Badab War had progressed into the monumental conflict it became infamous for, and Gahal was thrown right into the middle. Many in the squad did not trust him and would call him halgatu which roughly means outsider in Badabian. This only pushed him to further prove himself and show his worth to his peers. Eventually he earned their grudging respect, as none could deny Gahal's abilities. Despite this he was always seen as being impure and his Fire Hawk gene-seed would continue to curse him. He would often take his frustration out on the mortal allies in the Legion and he gained a reputation as being brutal and short tempered. Near the end of the war he began to encounter a series of seemingly unlucky events, one of which being flushed out into the void during a boarding action. Although he was recovered before he died, his lungs were permanently damaged from the cold and lack of air and he had to be fitted with a re-breather. His bad luck only seemed to increase as time went on and he ultimately met his demise on the surface of Badab as squad Numas fought off the Imperial invaders. As they made a fighting retreat to the Palace proper the squad found themselves cornered by a Warhound Titan and the Carcharodons. When it seemed like all hope was lost a relief force of Legion forces and fellow Astral Claws were able to take the Imperials by surprise and managed to fell the Titan and drive off the astartes. When the dust cleared it seemed as though squad Numas had made it through unscathed until they realized that Gahal had taken shrapnel from the exploding titan mortally wounding him. Not quite dead yet they carried his broken form with them towards the palace, when they were assaulted again by the regrouping Carcharodons. Knowing he was not going to live much longer Gahal told them to leave him with his bolter and all the grenades they had. As they retreated further through the ruins they heard the bark of a bolter followed by a cacophony of answering fire. This was followed by a lull in the noise and than punctuated by a deafening explosion that shook the walls around them. When the remainder of the squad ran into the survivors of the Carcharodon force they estimated that Gahal had taken at least ten enemy astartes with him to the grave. The halgatu finally found acceptance with his brothers in death. Post-Badab War: Inquisitorial forces later decided that Gahal's increasing amount of bad luck was most likely due to his gene-seed being from one of the chapters of the 21st founding, now known collectively as the cursed founding. Tu http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/tylerrox6688/Tac8.jpg Tu was very typical of the Astral Claws during the Badab War. He was recruited from Badab Primaris like many of his brothers and has served only under Huron, being less than 200 years old. He fought valiantly in the Imperium's name against the denizens of the Maelstrom and his faith in his superiors was unwavering. When the Tyrant began to expand his Chapter and move against the Imperium Tu saw no reason to question it, they must be in the right. He has only ever served in Numas' squad and is known as a reliable, competent soldier. Like many of the Chapter he saw the Space Marines as more important than the mortals who served them and would often sacrifice their lives if it meant saving his and his brothers. Tu thought of Balathu and Nasir as unusually cruel but did not despise them as others did. As the war progressed however he became more and more brutal and began to form bonds with those he once thought of as cruel. Unknown to his brothers he would sometimes lapse into a state of blood lust where he would effectively black out only to return to conscientiousness surrounded by the butchered forms of his enemy and mortal allies. These episodes only got worse as the war progressed and he began to fear for his sanity. If anyone else noticed this they choose to ignore it and Tu managed to keep it a secret. Near the end he began to hear voices in his head right before he would slip into his frenzy. He fought it with all his will and most of the time was able to hold it off or at least shorten the length of the episode. After Gahal's sacrifice the remnants of the Carcharodons that had been pursuing them cornered them in the ruins of the city. Squad Numas fought valiantly but it seemed as though they would not succeed and there was no relief force coming this time. During the firefight Tu heard the voices whispering to him again, it felt as though something was scratching at the inside of his skull. Seeing no way out he finally stopped fighting the voices and answered them. This time he slipped into his blood frenzy but remained in control the whole time. As he butchered his way through the astartes, time seemed to speed up and after what only seemed like a few seconds all of the Carcharodons lay dead with Tu in the center drenched in gore. His brothers approached him warily, shaken by what they had seen and Tu lashed out at them as well, unable to differentiate friend from foe. One solid punch from Kuri brought him back to his senses and filled him with a deep sense of shame. He managed to make the rest of the retreat without another incident. Post-Badab War: Following their retreat into the Maelstrom Tu's episodes only got worse. His squad mates became increasingly wary of him and would often keep their distance. It seemed as though he had been consumed entirely by the dark gods. The periods of frenzy became increasingly common place with only small islands of sanity and calm in between. During a raid on an Imperial outpost Tu was wounded and captured by the Inquisition. After administering a heavy amount of sedatives they were able to bring him back to sanity and question him. All of the information about Squad Numas in the tunnels under the Palace is derived from him. Unfortunately they were not able to extract much about their post War operations, it seemed as though he had little recollection of those events due to his condition. Due to a miscalculation the sedatives wore off before they were able to execute him and Tu was able to fight his way out of the outpost he was being held at, claiming the skulls of all of his captors on the way. It is now believed he was able to rejoin the Corsairs and serves under the command of one of Huron's lieutenants known as "the Silent King." Khamourabi http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/tylerrox6688/Tac9.jpg Khamourabi displayed an aptitude for technology from the moment of his recruitment. In the scout core he was known as a lone wolf, having little in common with his brothers. He would spend all of his spare time tinkering with machines and his cell was constantly covered in what appeared to be clutter, but in fact was precisely organized mechanical components. Once he was elevated to the rank of full astartes he wasted no time in adjusting and "improving" his armor. His bionic eye was not due to a battlefield injury, but in fact the result of Khamourabi's interest in the workings of mechanical and bio-logical hybrids. Within squad Numas he quickly proved his worth, constantly able to pin point enemy locations and perform quick battlefield repairs. This caught the eye of Valthex who recommended Khamourabi to be sent to Mars to further his path in the Mechanicum. Unfortunately the Badab War broke out before this was able to become a reality and he had to stay satisfied as the tech expert for Numas. During the course of the war he showed little interest in the mortal allies, except for when he had the opportunity to perform impromptu battlefield bionic enhancements. Many of these procedures ended up being less than successful but still furthered his research into the workings of bionics. Throughout the closing years of the war he continued his excellent service record and was even able to save Gahal's life after being flushed into the void. Although a close friend of Numas he showed little emotion at his death, having long ago lost the ability to feel for his flesh and blood brothers. Post-Badab War: A Corsair matching Khamourabi's description has been seen working closely with Valthex and it is now believed he serves as an acolyte of sorts. With the limitations of Imperial law lifted he has delved head first into the chaotic demon fueled technological creations available in the Maelstrom. An Inquisitorial kill team is currently tracking his whereabouts, hoping he will lead them to Valthex and take out Huron's entire Dark Mechanicum cadre. Numas http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/tylerrox6688/Tac10.jpg Veteran-Sargent Numas has a long and valiant history within the Astral Claws being the oldest member of his squad. He was inducted into the ranks of the astartes in the distant past, when the name Huron was only that of a mere scout and not a maniacal tyrant. Being close to 300 years of age he has served under two chapter masters and progressed through the ranks of several companies, his longest tenure being in the 1st. Numas quickly proved his worth to the chapter and within months of being inducted into the ranks of the 1st company he was gifted with a suit of Terminator armor, a prized relic in a chapter that does not posses enough to equip all of their veterans. Wielding the awesome might it bestowed him he helped crush countless greenskin hordes, traitor warbands and even a Hrud migration that threatened Imperial borders. His deeds were so great that it not long before he was given command of his own Terminator squad. During this time his name was a byword for honor, duty and self sacrifice, a shining beacon of what it meant to be an Astral Claw. That all began to change when Huron took the mantle of Chapter Master. At first Numas greatly respected his new commander, he was after all a tactical genius and a hero of the Imperium, but it was not long before he began to see the cracks appear. He was close friends with the Captain of the 1st, Abum Baal, and was privy to much of what went on within the higher command structure. When Huron brought the remnants of the Tiger Claws back into the fold and decided to keep it a secret from the High Lords, Numas was one of the most vocal of the opposition. It was no surprise that when Huron began to restructure the Chapter to accommodate there lost brothers and begin the expansion to legion size Numas found himself reassigned. The Chapter had need of battle tested leaders to take charge of the newly re-organized squads and he was given charge of a tactical squad within the 2nd company. His bitterness only deepened when his former captain, Abum, was slain in a duel with Corian Sumatris who was rewarded with captaincy of the 2nd as well as being bestowed the title Tyrant's Champion. Numas was nothing if not a professional soldier though and served his new captain faithfully. As he began to see his once glorious chapter begin to transform into a brother-hood of thugs and narcissists he decided that his only option was to begin to recruit like minded marines to his side. However he found little luck in this and his only true ally within his own squad was Arshaka, although he did become close friends with Khamourabi and Hunzuu. For the most part he valued all of the astartes under his command, even if he found Nasir and Rihat's habits to be less than ideal. The only astartes he did not trust was Balathu. As the Badab War began Numas thought he was fighting for a valiant reason, despite his misgivings with how the Chapter was run he had no reason to believe that they were in the wrong. As the war progressed his views began to shift as he saw the brutal acts inflicted upon their mortal allies and the conviction in their enemies. Chapters they once fought alongside now called them traitors and their allies soon began to surrender. Despite this he continued to fight for his Chapter with all the conviction and skill expected of Space Marine. It was not until the end when the Palace of Thorns burned around them that he decided enough was enough and intended to defect his squad over to the loyalist's side. His last thoughts were of confusion and betrayal as Balathu's knife slid across his throat... The tunnels shook with the deafening sound of explosions as the palace above them was torn to pieces by the very enemy that now hounded them through the dark. The report of bolter fire sounded from off in the distance, a dry bark that heralded their encroaching doom. This was all wrong he thought. We are the righteous, we are the mighty, how could it have come to this. Numas stopped in his tracks, the forms of his battle-brothers hurrying past him before realizing the absence of their leader. "Brother-Sargent, we must hurry. The savages are close behind and greatly outnumber us, we do not have the luxury of resting," said Khamourabi. "This is all wrong," he muttered back. "What is he rambling about?" rasped Rihat, his voice a savage whisper from the severe burns he had received. Numas felt a massive hand rest upon his shoulder guard and looked up into the dead lenses of his heavy weapons specialist. "We must go," the giant said flatly, stating the obvious. The turmoil that had been building inside him for years finally reached a breaking point. This was all wrong he thought, we are wrong. The realization hit him suddenly, shattering all of the indoctrination and ingrained loyalty the Astral Claws had drilled into him. Numas looked around at the remnants of his squad, only five others remaining. Kuri still rested his hand upon his shoulder a giant amongst giants, his helm as impassive as his moods. Khamourabi stood nearby, his armor tattered and worn. His posture that of one who understands little of human emotions and cares even less. Behind him cradling his beloved melta Rihat stood impatiently. His face a patchwork of old burn scars and knotted scar tissue which twisted his expression of impatience into a menacing scowl. Tu seemed unable to stand still, pacing back and forth muttering to himself, punctuating his madness by occasionally slamming his head against the wall as if it would end his torture. Sin-Nasir merely rechecked his bolter, bored with the events transpiring around him. Behind them all sulked Balathu, a phantom in the shadows of the tunnel. Glaring at him through his visor slit with all of the menace of an apex predator denied its last kill. "We are wrong brothers. We have been betrayed by our own leaders," Numas said looking at them pleadingly. "Do you not see what they have turned us into? We butcher our brothers out there, we fight against the very institution that we vowed to protect." "They are no brothers of mine," spat Rihat. "They came into our realm and dared to tell us how best to serve them? And now they chase us through our own monastery. That is no institution I vowed to protect." "You are wrong brother, we all were. Come with me and we can right this wrong. They might not take us back but we can serve a greater purpose with our deaths." Kuri slowly withdrew his hand and took a step backwards, "We must go," he said again. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Why will you not stop!" Tu screamed before slamming his head into the wall repeatedly, the act seeming to bring him some form of solace as he withdrew into a silent stupor. "He is right," Nasir said, his eyes never leaving his work. That brought a slight chuckle from Balathu who still remained withdrawn from the conflict. "Surely you do not mean to abandon your Sargent? Khamourabi, you will follow me, right?" Numas pleaded. The tech-aspirant merely stared back at him, his bionic eye whirring in place, "No. This is no time for emotions to cloud our judgement. If we do not leave now there is a 97.6253 percent chance that we will not live." "I would like to live," Nasir said flatly, finally finishing whatever work he had with his weapon. Another distant explosion shook the tunnels, showering them with a light cloud of dust and debris. His squad stood impassive before him, even Khamourabi and Kuri denied him. Anger began to well up inside him, a deep frustration at his inability to lead his own squad. "If you do not come with me now you are throwing in your lot with the traitors and the heretics, is that what you are?" Numas raged. "This is you last cha..." he was cut short as a blade passed through his throat, severing his jugular. "Enough of this," he dimly heard behind him. The world began to fade to black as he collapsed to the floor and he vaguely saw Kuri backhand Balathu across the tunnel, slamming him into a nearby wall. There was more spoken between his squad but the words began to lose any semblance of a language he understood. The massive silver shapes began to run back into the shadows, only one with a glowing bionic eye paused to give him a second glance before he too was gone. Don't leave me he thought and then everything went dark. *** "You don't want to die," a distant voice whispered from the darkness. "There is so much more for you to do..." Numas tried to form a reply but found that he had no voice. He wasn't even sure he had a body at all, all he saw was blackness. I do not want to die he agreed. "Yes, it is not your time. You are destined for greatness. The galaxy will burn before you and you will being vengeance to all those who drove you to this fate." The voice seemed to slither through his thoughts, as if it were a living thing all its own. I am destined for greatness, was destined for greatness he thought solemnly. Now I am dead, I must surely be, I felt my life fade from that traitor's knife. "You are neither dead nor alive, but somewhere in between. You stand on a knife's edge, to one side lies oblivion. Nothingness for evermore. There is no place for you next to your emperor's side, you were fed lies. Your brothers saw that, your Chapter Master too. On the other side is Life. Glory. Vengeance..." the last word seemed to drag on forever, echoing across the void. "Huron knows this, even now he has been given the same offer. You can earn a name for yourself at his side. You failed him and yourself in your past life, do not make the same mistake again." His thoughts began to become more fuzzy and distant, he began to feel himself fade once again. Panic gripped him and held tight. "You must choose now. Death or life." Life. The voice split into four overlapping voices, one gurgling and decayed, another angry and demanding, the third seductive and soothing and the last a mere whisper, "You must swear allegiance to us." I swear... *** Pain flooded back into his senses. Fuzzy lights swam before his eyes as he forced them open. He could feel the warm fluid seeping from his neck, pooling beneath him; born again in blood. The sound of ceramite encased boots rushing through the tunnels crashed against his ears. He dimly saw silver shapes hurrying past him, they seemed to be carrying a body, or half of one at least. The man's ravaged and burnt face seemed familiar to him. Lord Huron? he tried to say but it merely came out as a gurgle as more blood was pushed from his wound for the effort. The sounds must have caught someone's attention as one of them shouted and pointed towards him. His vision was consumed by the visage of a heavily augmented astartes helmet. A plethora of bionic eyes whirred and adjusted as they studied him. Valthex, he thought. "He can be saved, grab him," were the last words Numas heard before his world faded into unconsciousness. Post-Badab War: Although Numas is believed to have died on Badab Primaris there is some speculation as to whether he somehow survived. A high ranking lieutenant within the Red Corsairs seems to match his description. This Corsairs' name is unknown since he never speaks, some believe him to be physically unable to speak due to some form of serious injury. How he communicates with his troops is also unknown and he has never been known to remove his helmet. He is known only as the Silent King. Whether or not this is Numas, the Silent King is a number one priority of several Inquisitorial kill teams as he has conquered countless worlds in his masters name and has slaughtered entire populations for reasons unfathomable to Imperial minds. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/244713-squad-numas-of-the-astral-claws/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyrox Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Those are some very nicely painted minis - bravo dude! The faces are excellent, the conversions great and the metallic is some of the best ive seen, you must share the recipe! Will be visiting this thread regularly ;-) Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/244713-squad-numas-of-the-astral-claws/#findComment-2958879 Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr tough guy Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Individually they all look great, any chance of a group shot? Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/244713-squad-numas-of-the-astral-claws/#findComment-2958880 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olis Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Bing! Awesomesauce. Good to see the whole squad and the fluff all together in one place. Excellent paintjobs and modelling, as I've said in the WIP thread. Ten out of ten. :) Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/244713-squad-numas-of-the-astral-claws/#findComment-2958881 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimdarkness Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 There perfect just perfect well done. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/244713-squad-numas-of-the-astral-claws/#findComment-2958971 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Sensei Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Splendid stuff, frater ! DS Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/244713-squad-numas-of-the-astral-claws/#findComment-2959149 Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorenzo_ishivar_kain Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 I am following your progress on the other forum, the w.i.p. one I repeat amazing stuff brother!! I expecially love brother Tu and brother Gahal :D Perfect work on Numas' banner :) ( can you give me the recipe for silver, blue and gold please? ;) ) Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/244713-squad-numas-of-the-astral-claws/#findComment-2959176 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Tancrede Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Excellent painting here, brother. The banner is really good ! And it's really cool to give each of your marines name and fluff. Keep us showing such good stuff !! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/244713-squad-numas-of-the-astral-claws/#findComment-2959214 Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasman Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Awesome paintjob, I really love the way you paint silver, and excellent (and extensive) background. :lol: Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/244713-squad-numas-of-the-astral-claws/#findComment-2959307 Share on other sites More sharing options...
nurgling6688 Posted January 5, 2012 Author Share Posted January 5, 2012 Thanks guys, this is all I have in the way of group shots right now. http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/tylerrox6688/squad1.jpg http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/tylerrox6688/squad2-1.jpg http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/tylerrox6688/army.jpg This last one is courtesy of Games Workshop. They edited the photos together onto the blue background for their blog. http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/tylerrox6688/m2100052a_image-3xl.jpg Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/244713-squad-numas-of-the-astral-claws/#findComment-2959424 Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Crimson Cartel Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 TOP NOTCH those... :rolleyes: Absolutely loving the smooth highlights and the awesome freehand. Well done brother. -CC Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/244713-squad-numas-of-the-astral-claws/#findComment-2959509 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ah-a-nothepsis Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 The first marine in this topic with the bald head is my favourite. Love it all, though. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/244713-squad-numas-of-the-astral-claws/#findComment-2959578 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyrius Cryptorus Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 These models are quite amazing, but what got me was the fluff you wrote for them, especially Numas'. All in all, the fluff really gave life to the squad. Reading the 'where are they know's at the end of each made me want to see the chaosified versions of the survivors :) Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/244713-squad-numas-of-the-astral-claws/#findComment-2959635 Share on other sites More sharing options...
MMEagle Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Lovely minis. Simply stunning mettalics, and the skin is amazing. I also love the fluff for each guy and the short story below. very good writing, and a good fluff drive for this unit. you are the type of gamer I love, takes pride in his minis and is fond of luff based units etc. very good job, lookign forward for seeing more work my friend :( Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/244713-squad-numas-of-the-astral-claws/#findComment-2959648 Share on other sites More sharing options...
KYR GKIKAS Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Lost of words.......!!! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/244713-squad-numas-of-the-astral-claws/#findComment-2959776 Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathnid Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 brilliant silver, well done Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/244713-squad-numas-of-the-astral-claws/#findComment-2960102 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cain Tiberius Kondrad Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 Very nice. I love your minis. But its the back ground to them all is what really makes them. I really want to know if Numas ever took his revenge on Balathu. And if he did, did Balathu know who it was who killed him? :D CTK Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/244713-squad-numas-of-the-astral-claws/#findComment-2960144 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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