Sword Bearers and the Unforgiven (Updated 1/07/23: Angels Redeemed)

[Spaced Hulk]

The Penitent: Part Two

They materialised inside the dark heart of the space hulk, leaving the madness of the Immaterium for the more mundane nightmare of reality. As the stark brightness of the teleport flare faded fully from their vision, each terminator activated their infravisor, rendering the blackness of their new surroundings into a harsh grey monochrome. Even so, the air around them was thick with dust thrown up by the shockwave of their arrival, and visibility remained limited despite the advanced prey-sight of their armour.

The squad had emerged from the warp at an abandoned crossroads, an unlit nexus in the warren of maintenance tunnels that comprised the hulk's lower levels. The five knights instinctively formed a defensive circle, each of them covering a different corridor and avenue of approach. This was hostile ground, and despite the presence of the teleport homer which had guided them here, it would be both foolish and potentially fatal to presume their appearance had gone unnoticed. A particularly ferocious breed of xenos stalked these corridors, and even now, after a full week of combat operations, the battle to purge their taint was far from over.

But that is not our concern, though Penitent Galeron, First Knight and commander of Redeemer squad. Officially, the task of clearing the hulk had been assigned to Second Company and their Skitarii allies, under the direction of the Martian Explorator who had first encountered the derelict. The Mechanicum had requested Astartes support, and the Sword Bearers had answered, deploying one of the infamous black strike cruisers of the Celerum Mortem to spearhead the assault. Officially, Galeron and his fellow Penitents were on board to support the strike teams as they purged the ruined vessel, deck by deck. And officially, they had teleported across to assist in cleansing a particularly hostile brood nest.

Unofficially, of course, they had far more important work to do.

“Movement on the left flank. Multiple auspex returns.” Penitent Cador broke the vox silence, raising his thunder hammer into an attack posture as he spoke. Galeron and the rest of the squad responded immediately, repositioning themselves to face the potential threat and readying their various weapon systems. Only Huon, the heavy weapons specialist, remained behind to cover the approach to the rear. Decades of service together had allowed the squad to hone their skills and co-ordination to almost machine like precision, a fact which the squad leader never failed to appreciate.

As the First Knight aimed his storm bolter into the murky darkness of the tunnel, six indistinct shapes detached from the shadows and began to rapidly approach. There was a sharp crack of ozone as Druss energised his lightning claws, whilst Cador and Nathanial simultaneously activated their storm shields, creating a defensive barrier against incoming fire.

“Stand down brothers.” Galeron spoke softly, already lowering his own weapons. His prey-sight had locked onto the approaching targets and identified them. “They're friendly.”

The silhouettes gradually resolved, becoming six ominous, all too familiar power armoured forms.

“That's a matter of opinion.” Druss chuckled, powering down his blades as he watched the skull helmed warriors approach.

Staring into the baleful death mask of the nearest Revenant, Galeron had to agree.

***

Penitent Brother Galeron, First Knight of 'Redeemer Squad', armed with storm bolter and 'Heavenfall' power sword:

Penitent Brother Druss, armed with twin lightning gauntlets:

Penitent Brother Nathanial, armed with thunder hammer & storm shield:

Penitent Brother Cador, armed with thunder hammer & storm shield:

Penitent Brother Huon, armed with 'Executor' plasma cannon and chain fist:

Terminator Assault Squad 'Redeemer'

Edited April 11, 2015 by Spaced Hulk

[Brother Captain Arkley]

OMG they are not painted :) Report to Cell 42...

 

They will look good painted :)

[Spaced Hulk]

OMG they are not painted Report to Cell 42...

 

They will look good painted

 

ETL brother, ETL 

[Brother Captain Arkley]

 

OMG they are not painted Report to Cell 42...

 

They will look good painted

 

ETL brother, ETL 

 

 

Man you could be the new Stobz with excuses like that :)

[Spaced Hulk]

 

 

OMG they are not painted Report to Cell 42...

 

They will look good painted

 

ETL brother, ETL 

 

 

Man you could be the new Stobz with excuses like that

 

 

Well, I have always wanted a Thunderhawk Gunship

 

And besides, the Penitents have obviously been recorded through a battle helm's prey-sight, hence the 'harsh grey monochrome' of the images 

Edited April 11, 2015 by Spaced Hulk

[deathspectersgt7]

That is a better look at the Squad.Paint them up Brother The current Captain of the 3rd Company Angels Sanguine demands it.

[Spaced Hulk]

The Penitent: Part Three

There were five Revenants. Each one heavily armed and armoured, with hardened Mark III plate specifically designed for void warfare. For their mission within the claustrophobic confines of the space hulk, boltguns and boarding shields had replaced bikes and jump packs, and each warrior wore bandoleers of grenades and extra ammunition mag-locked to their chests.

They were also all wounded, and displaying the unmistakable marks of particularly brutal combat. As a Penitent, Galeron had fought alongside members of Second Company countless times, but he had never seen them in such poor condition. Shields and armour were cracked and battle damaged, the black ceramite marred by shell impacts and deep puncture wounds. Flicking between the display modes of his infravisor revealed that each warrior's ebon plate was also completely covered with blood and gore, both their own and their enemies.

They might be winning this war, Galeron mused, but they were not winning it easily. It was unusual to see the Revenants so hard pressed. Despite their enhanced physiology, even their postures were displaying signs of injury and weariness.

It had to be said, of course, that they did not usually fight Genestealer infestations. There was a reason why Astartes Chapters normally deployed terminators against these particular xeno-forms. The aliens were incredibly fast, stealthy and utterly lethal, with razor sharp claws and talons capable of penetrating the thickest armour. This space hulk, codenamed the 'Hell Bringer' by the Imperial forces besieging it, also carried a sizeable mutant population: human-alien hybrids capable of wielding sophisticated technology and weapons. Vicious fire fights were still ongoing in the hulk's upper levels. Terminator armour would certainly increase the odds against the xenos, but with so few suits of tactical dreadnought plate in their armoury, the Sword Bearers had been forced to deploy other assets for this mission. Indeed, Galeron and his squad had been the only Penitents available to accompany the Celerum Mortem strike force, and they had their own, quite specific objectives and reasons for being here. Which meant that apart from the limited support of the Mechanicum Skitarii, the Revenants were essentially on their own.

And of course, the skull helmed warriors were also fighting without their greatest advantage. Many years previously, during the long, protracted battles against the remnants of Hive Fleet Behemoth, it had been discovered that the Shadow was completely ineffective against the Tyranids and their collective consciousness. Unlike humans or even more common xenos like Orks or Cardochians, the creatures of the Tyrannic race were simply incapable of feeling fear or doubt. The Hive mind that guided them removed any sense of self preservation, rendering them completely immune to the Shadowcaster's effects, and so the battle psykers that normally accompanied the Second Company squads were conspicuously absent.

A fact which, if he was completely truthful, didn't bother Galeron at all. Although their First Company training allowed them to withstand the worst elements of the psychic aura, the Penitents were still far from immune to the Shadow's debilitating effects. The First Knight did not know where the strike force's Shadowcasters had actually deployed – Cador had suggested they had formed a conclave to hunt the Genestealer's monstrous patriarch through the upper decks – and nor did he care. With the mission they were about to undertake, he was simply glad to be away from their presence.

It was a different kind of psyker who led this particular squad of Revenants. Tattered robes covered the final warrior's ancient blue-steel power armour, and although he carried no firearm, a large force blade was sheathed at his side. As he approached, Galeron noted the distinctive psychic hood that framed the cowled head, whilst books, keys and other esoteric items hung from the warrior's belt. Drawing level with the Penitents, the Librarian threw back his hood, revealing a bare, heavily scarred face, augmented with an advanced ocular implant. The atmosphere in this section of the space hulk was thin but breathable, but a heavy duty respirator mask was attached to his breastplate should the environment change.

++ Greetings brothers. Welcome to the Hell Bringer.++ As usual, the Librarian spoke telepathically, implanting the words directly into their minds.

“Hail Codicier Haradial. Have you located our prey?” Galeron spoke freely, ignoring the presence of the Revenants. As First Knight, he was well aware that the warriors of the Celerum Mortem were as knowledgeable of the First Legion's secrets as the Penitents themselves.

++ Yes, our pathway to Redemption is once again clear. ++ The Librarian's words remained telepathic, although Galeron suspected it was caused more by habit than necessity. Curiously, there seemed to be a sense of sadness in the psyker's mental voice.

++ I have indeed found our Fallen brother. ++

***

Haradial, Sword Bearer's Codicier Librarian, 'Fallen Hunter'. Attached to Revenant Strike Force 'Purgation'

Edited April 12, 2015 by Spaced Hulk

[Spaced Hulk]

Vid Capture: Revenant Execution Squad, Sword Bearer's 2nd Company. Recorded during 'hunter-killer' operations against Hrud Xeno-form Scavengers in the industrial ruins of Hothe Hive Primus, 743.M41 (See related files: Celerum Mortem; Hothe Migrations)

***

Well, it's been a while since my last update but as you can see, I have made a bit of progress. I'm particularly pleased with the bases, and I think that going forward this is how I'll be basing the army (at least, until I change my mind again ).

The Execution team is actually the fourth Revenant squad that I've painted. Here's the current state of the Sword Bearers Second Company:

http://i1372.photobucket.com/albums/ag344/mat_at/ETL2015/CIMG8184_zpsllboab4e.jpg

There's still loads of Revenant forces I want to add (including the obviously missing bike mounted units!) but hopefully it's starting to give the impression of a separate army within the Chapter, which is one of my main themes for the Sword Bearers as a whole (which is that they're actually two Chapters masquerading as one).

Those who are following the ETL (and if not, why not! ) will know that I've made a reasonably large first vow of 1000 pts (sadly I couldn't include the Execution team as they were too far painted by then). The 'before' pics are all posted in the DA Strategium, and unlike last year I won't be reposting them here (in fact, I'm going to try my best to only post pics of painted models in this thread from now on.) However, the finished models will be posted here, as well as the occasional WIP. Here's my current progress on a Devastator combat squad:

Highlights, a few small details and finally the bases and I'll be calling these done. Probably going to paint the rest of the Dev squad next.

Finally, I haven't forgotten about the various stories/fiction that are still unfinished. I'm about half way through writing Penitent: Part 4 so that hopefully shouldn't be too long. Speaking of Penitents, before the ETL started, I did paint a few test Terminators to try to decide on a colour scheme. Here's the one I eventually chose:

As you can see, I'm not brilliant at painting white schemes (and I'm equally bad at photographing them! ) but hopefully practice will make perfect.

Thanks for reading. C&C are welcome

[deathspectersgt7]

Great update Brother. White is  to paint but I think you did a Good job on it.

[Greenz]

Terrific update! I always get excited when I see new Sword Bearers updates, your stories and models have been quite the inspiration for me.

 

And those Revenants are suitably disturbing, not over the top, hard to believe those are "loyal" marines in there

[Spaced Hulk]

@ deathspectresrg7 & Greenz: Thank you for the kind words brothers

So, I finally finished my ETL vow...and managed to take some reasonable pics of them (as good as my photos are likely to get anyway!). Will be posting them up, along with some accompanying fluff, over the next week or so, but here are a couple to start it off.

Karl Erias, the Black Knight, Master of the Sword Bearer's Fifth Battle Company

Revenant Shadow Conclave, Sword Bearer's 2nd Company

Col Varus, 'The Spectre of Mire'; Devastator Squad Sergeant, Sword Bearers 3rd Company

Devastator Squad Varus, Sword Bearer's 3rd Battle Company

Thanks for looking

[Spaced Hulk]

OBERON, HIGH SHADOWCASTER OF THE REVENANTS

Even to their fellow Sword Bearers, the Revenants remain anonymous and mysterious figures, their identities concealed by both their death masks and the isolation granted to them by the Shadow. To those outside Second Company, the Celerum Mortem are known only by their squad names, with titles such as Hellrazer, Destroyer and Cursed Knight becoming engrained into the mythos surrounding the grim warrior cult.

Nevertheless, there are several individuals within the Revenant Host whose names and reputation are widely known, even if their faces, as always, remain hidden. Letholdus, the so-called Black Rider, ranks amongst the most gifted sword masters in the entire Chapter, whilst Mael the Gunsmith is a supremely talented rapid strike commander, considered by many to be the equal of any White Scar of Mundus Planus. However, one name in particular has become infamous amongst both friend and foe. Oberon, Bearer of the Mourn Blade, High Shadowcaster of the Revenants.

As the most powerful psyker in the current generation of Revenants, Oberon is the leader of the Shadowcasters that routinely accompany Second Company into battle. Like all Shadowcasters, he has been trained to constantly emit the aura of despair and dread which acts as the Revenant's greatest weapon. Indeed, such is the strength of Oberon's psychic gift that it is rumoured no one outside the Celerum Mortem, not even the Chapter Master of the Sword Bearers himself, can stand within his presence for more than a few minutes. To his foes he is simply an angel of darkness, a reaper of the damned who simply cuts them down like wheat as they stand paralysed, their minds and bodies frozen by fear. The two handed force sword he wields is known as the Mourn Blade, and is said to absorb the soul of any traitor whose tainted blood it sheds. It is said that to face Oberon in combat is to challenge death itself, a futile battle with only one, inevitable result.

[deathspectersgt7]

Ran Out of likes Brother.Really dig that Sword.

[Greenz]

I'm really enjoying the movement of him. What's the base model, Blood Angels?

Usually Librarians are very static, another excellent job Hulk

Edited July 12, 2015 by Greenz

[Spaced Hulk]

Cheers brothers, glad you like him! 

 

@ deathspectersrg7: The sword was a bit convoluted to build but I think worth the effort. The blade is from the Dark Vengeance captain, attached to the cross guard from a Warhammer fantasy Greatsword model, then attached to the handle/gauntlets from a Grey Knights nemesis force sword.

 

@ Greenz: The torso is from a BA Sanguinary Guard (with flexible cable attached to represent the normal cables on a Librarians chest plate), with the usual back from a Grey Knight for his psychic hood. Legs are from the Vanguard Veteran box (as are the other Shadowcasters). I wanted to build the Conclave as though they were all charging towards the enemy, both to give them a sense of movement (which, as you said, is usually lacking in Librarian models) but also to tie them together as a unit.

 

Thanks again for the kind words   

[Spaced Hulk]

The Revenants? They are an enigma, even to us. We are all Sons of Mire: born of the same world, bearers of the same blood, keepers of the same genetic legacy. Yet they are no more my brothers than the pale knights of Corax or the proud warriors of Honourum. They shroud themselves in fear and darkness, their secrets hidden from all outside their Order. I can recount more tales of the barbarians of Fenris than I can our own kin.

I can tell you this though. To even to begin to understand the Revenants, you must first know the curse that accompanies them. Aye, the psykers. The Shadowcasters. Our Chapter's greatest and most terrible weapon. Whatever you have heard of them, I assure you it is true.

If you are misfortunate enough to encounter them, and to experience the Shadow for yourself, then you will understand.

Vid Capture: Unknown Revenant Battle Psyker. Images recorded during the Scouring of Hyperibor Prime 866749.M41 (See related files: Sword Bearers, Celerum Mortem, Shadowcaster)

(Archivists Note: In addition to his standard wargear, the subject is equipped with a heavily customised Mark VII power pack. Although unconfirmed, Mechanicum sources suggest this non-sanctioned modification to be some sort of telepathic amplification device neurally linked to the wearer's psychic hood. Further investigation is advised.)

Edited July 13, 2015 by Spaced Hulk

[Greenz]

Wow, you're spoiling us this week Spaced Hulk! Another terrific model, and yet another teaser to the enigmatic Sword Bearers story

[Spaced Hulk]

Unlike the Sword Bearer's main Librarius division, which remains relatively small compared to those of other Astartes Chapters, the Battle Psykers of the Celerum Mortem exist in far greater numbers. These 'Shadowcasters', as they are widely known, exhibit a variety of unique abilities and powers, and appear to form an additional Librarius branch permanently attached to the infamous Revenant War Host. Multiple Shadowcasters have been observed in every Second Company strike force, and there are unsubstantiated reports that one of these greatly feared psykers accompanies each Revenant squad. Considering the persistent and troublesome rumours regarding Second Company induction levels, the true number of psychically active warriors amongst the Sword Bearers is potentially far higher than any chapter except [Redacted by order of the Emperor's most holy Inquisition].

Mire, the Sword Bearer's waterlogged home world, reports only moderate incidence of psychic mutation amongst it's indigenous population. As proud successors of the highly stable First Legion, the Chapter's gene-lineage is not known to accelerate psychic development amongst it's brethren. Therefore, the sheer number of psykers present within the ranks of the Revenants cannot be easily explained. Adeptus Mechanicus Bio-Mages can only extrapolate that as the source of this anomaly appears to be neither genetic or a result of the Chapter's official recruitment pool, then another factor, one which is both external and, at this point, completely unknown, must invariably be the cause.

As always, the Sword Bearers themselves remain uncommunicative.

- Extract from 'Codex Deviants: A risk assessment of Divergent Astartes Chapters', by Inquisitor Samual Isaac, dated 846918.M41

Vid Capture: Revenant Shadowcaster, recorded during the Hyperibor Scouring 866749.M41 (Archivist's Addendum: the weapons and wargear of this subject, particularly the wide variety of grenade types and munitions, suggests he accompanied a 'Destroyer' squad during the campaign. Also note the 'Mortis Halo' attached to the subject's power plant: a symbol of authority widely used amongst the Unforgiven Chapters and incorporating advanced conversion field technology.)

Vid Capture: Revenant Shadowcaster, recorded during the final stages of the Hyperibor Campaign 866749.M41 (Archivist's note: Subject is armed with a hybrid bolter/plasma weapon of an unknown type. Reports from allied Militarum Tempestus observers indicate this weapon to be easily as destructive as a Mark XIX Plasma Cannon. Requests by the Adeptus Mechanicus for a detailed weapon analysis have so far been ignored by the Sword Bearer's Chapter Council.)

Vid Capture: Revenant Shadowcaster, recorded during the Scouring of Hyperibor, 866749.M41 (Archivist's Addendum: although seemingly attached to a Second Company Execution Team for the majority of the campaign, in the final stages this subject was positively identified as part of a so-called Shadow Conclave, last seen in pursuit of an unknown adversary into the Mountains of Glass.)

Although most commonly observed accompanying Revenant strike squads into battle, the Shadowcasters of the Sword Bearer's Second Company are occasionally deployed as their own, highly specialised units. Known as Shadow Conclaves, they routinely arm themselves with blue-steel force swords, conversion field generators and other, more esoteric relics from the Chapter's armoury. However, their greatest weapon is undoubtedly their combined psychic consciousness, a communion of minds which enables them to channel the Warp with incredible strength and precision. Working together in this way, the aura of fear they create becomes an unbearable nightmare of despair, a mental assault which actually inflicts physical harm on their opponents. Those unfortunate enough to witness a Shadow Conclave attack describe a cloud of darkness descending upon them, turning day into night. Opponents simply drop to the ground, convulsing uncontrollably as their nervous systems dissolve and the blood within their veins begins to literally freeze. Death, when it inevitably comes, is said to be a blessing.

Although undeniably effective, the tactical reason for the formation of a Conclave remains unclear. The Revenant's mode of warfare is based on the sudden application of the so called 'Shadow field' across an entire battle front, debilitating the enemy to allow their own forces to rapidly achieve victory. Focusing the psychic aura into a single (although admittedly highly potent) attack point would seem to weaken Second Company's overall effectiveness. Therefore it is theorised that Conclaves are formed purely to combat a particularly dangerous or important target, whose destruction or capture is deemed more important than the Revenant's own Modus Operandi.

- Extract from 'Idiosyncrasies of the Imperial Space Marine', by Inquisitor Christoph Noekel, 742997.M41

Revenant Shadow Conclave, led by Oberon, High Shadowcaster & Bearer of the Mourn Blade:

[Interrogator Stobz]

What's not to like?

 

Nuttin, that's what.

[deathspectersgt7]

Good God the last two great job Brother.

[Father Mehman]

In the famous words of Jim Morrison: "Pretty cool, pretty cool. Pretty neat, pretty neat."

 

You can't get better than Jim. Keep up the great work !

[Spaced Hulk]

Thanks everyone for the kind words, the likes, and the Jim Morrison quotes! (Very cool Mehman, very cool )

Going to take a break from Second Company now (I do tend to give the Revenants a lot of attention) and concentrate on the rest of the Chapter for a while, specifically the Battle Companies and the Penitent Terminators of the First. To begin with, here's the Devastator squad I painted up for the ETL. You'll notice two things are missing straight away: first of all the fluff, and secondly the squad, company and chapter markings.

This is because I'm in the process of reorganising my army to fit the formations in the new codex, as ultimately, I think I'll be working towards at least one full battle company. However, I haven't 100% decided on which Company they'll be, and what insignia they'll be getting. I also need to work out a reliable way to show the Chapter symbol, as my freehand painting is terrible and my decals are even worse! I've recently bought a load of GK Terminator Tilt plates (depicting a sword obviously) so I may use them (especially on models like the Devastators where they've already got blank shoulder pads). Alternatively, I may use the new DA upgrade pads (the Sword Bearers are still part of the First Legion, after all ), or possibly a combination of both.

Anyway, for now, here are the Devastators as they currently stand. Comments, criticism or suggestions are welcome as always.

Devastator Sergeant Col Varus, the 'Spectre of Mire'. This model is actually dedicated to my good friend Deathspectersrg7, as a thank you for his continued support and enthusiasm throughout this project.

The ubiquitous quad missile launcher Dev squad. Does any Space Marine army not have one of these? Especially those of us who played through Third Edition and earlier. What can I say, old habits die hard

Ablative wounds...sorry, I mean, bolter marines to provide essential covering fire for the missile launchers

Second in Command, or the Squad Leader for those of us who remember 2nd Edition

Thanks for looking!

[Father Mehman]

That Sergeant looks nice with his pose. Very heroic. I could imagine him pointing his sword towards the foe and five missiles streaming right on target, xenos, heretics, and Traitors flying through the air in gory pieces. Ah, this is a great hobby.

[Greenz]

Superb work there Spaced! That sergeant is dripping with character. I'm really enjoying all the little additions, such as the tome on his belt.

 

Your painting skills are greatly improving as your thread continues. Your attention to detail is getting better, and the paint jobs are looking a lot crisper (for lack of better description lol, been a very long week)

 

Perhaps try practicing some free hand designs on a piece of paper, foamboard, plasticard or whatever. Then post a pic up and see what kind of tips you can get. Your models are just fantastic, and I think youd be doing them a great justice by giving them their own chapter badge.

 

I almost forgot to mention, you're bringing back a lot of memories with regards to "squad leaders". Those were the good days

Edited July 16, 2015 by Greenz

[Interrogator Stobz]

Really cool Devs mate! Where is the Squad leader's chest piece from? LSV or DT/Neph? (I don't have those RW models so that's my best guess ;) )