The Lost and Forgotten: Building the II Legion

[Hyaenidae]

I'm locked up for the winter myself (already got my ticket to go shoot some caribou :D ), but the spring would be amazing.

[depthcharge12]

I'm locked up for the winter myself (already got my ticket to go shoot some caribou :D ), but the spring would be amazing.

 

Lucky sonhuvagun! I'd almost travel up there to go hunt :D that's some good eating too.

 

 

Anywho...how's that knight Titan coming along Athrawes?

[Demus Ragnok]

I'm locked up for the winter myself (already got my ticket to go shoot some caribou :D ), but the spring would be amazing.

Jealous sir, very jealous.

 

And this thread. Awesome. That is all.

[Hyaenidae]

I always got a spare couch, whiskey, and a roaring bonfire, gents.

Having a hunting buddy up here is pretty much mandatory, if you can handle hip-deep snow and -40 weather.

[Captain Nameless]

There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.

 

Anyways.  There's a knight titan coming?

[marine7312000]

I've got some of the ECWCS stuff that I didn't have to turn-in. Now if I could only convince the wife to let me take the trip.

[Athrawes]

I have to say that I've been giving serious thought towards creating a campaign book for the fall of Madrigal. I Have an internship in Hong Kong over the Winter but if you guys are still interested in getting together for a pre heresy Campaign, I'd be willing to put one together for the spring. Might be cool to have our actual battles dictate how the fluff for the fall is written.

 

The question is how we could make it fun without it always being one of you or two of you against me. It'll start getting lonely on the II legion side, although from a fluff standpoint, I suppose that makes sense. Might give me the motivation to create that Madrigal themed Imperial army force as a secondary army for random people to use as an allied force for team battles.

 

Thoughts?

[blackoption]

Random thought, but could it be possible an Eldar faction would be willing to defend Madrigal.  Perhaps a Craftworld's farseer foresaw a better future Icarion was successful in his efforts? 

 

Alternatively, perhaps a religious order arose to help defend Icarion for... reasons. This religious order could be represent with SA rules

 

Both would be damning help in the eyes of the Imperium

[Vazzy]

Man this thread has been fantastic. It'd be really cool to see you guys do a csmpaign. Sadly its difficult to do here.

[Astartes-ULTRA]

Athrawes,

As you know you have inspired me and now my own workings on raising the XI legion are reaching completion

I have to once again applaud your brave undertaking of this project, I never realised how tricky it would be to create one of the lost legions, even with the bits and pieces of lore floating around the internet it's not easy to come up with an original and plausible backstory, as well as characters, theme and eventual downfall. I have toyed with idea after idea and I can only assume you've had similar experiences but I do feel I have cracked it.

Just like you I too am hoping to give something back to the hobby and community, I have poured my soul into this new project and just hope that my efforts can to some extent mirror yours and really do the lost legions proud.

[depthcharge12]

I have to say that I've been giving serious thought towards creating a campaign book for the fall of Madrigal. I Have an internship in Hong Kong over the Winter but if you guys are still interested in getting together for a pre heresy Campaign, I'd be willing to put one together for the spring. Might be cool to have our actual battles dictate how the fluff for the fall is written.

 

The question is how we could make it fun without it always being one of you or two of you against me. It'll start getting lonely on the II legion side, although from a fluff standpoint, I suppose that makes sense. Might give me the motivation to create that Madrigal themed Imperial army force as a secondary army for random people to use as an allied force for team battles.

 

Thoughts?

 

I do agree there needs to be some balance. I'm sure we can recruit someone from the FLGS, failing that we can always tip the objectives in your favor.

 

I really hope we can see this come to fruition as it will give me motivation to finish building and painting my 1st legion!

 

 

I'm sure we can get the help we need, we just need a game plan. I'm really looking forward to a siege of Madrigal campaign!!!

[simison]

Athrawes,

As you know you have inspired me and now my own workings on raising the XI legion are reaching completion

I have to once again applaud your brave undertaking of this project, I never realised how tricky it would be to create one of the lost legions, even with the bits and pieces of lore floating around the internet it's not easy to come up with an original and plausible backstory, as well as characters, theme and eventual downfall. I have toyed with idea after idea and I can only assume you've had similar experiences but I do feel I have cracked it.

Just like you I too am hoping to give something back to the hobby and community, I have poured my soul into this new project and just hope that my efforts can to some extent mirror yours and really do the lost legions proud.

Sir, you have stoked my curiosity. Where can I read about your project?

[Astartes-ULTRA]

Soon brother and in it will be in here, with any luck it will be on the cards for the very near future. Just for fun I have decided to drop a few clues in this post, see if you can spot them

Like Athrawes, I too have looked into the Arcana and have made it my mission to bring "Fortune" to life, and with that I had some help.

I have been in contact with Athrawes earlier and though the project has been re-born a couple of times he has been very helpful in guiding me along the right path and not wandering too far from the point. After much wine and much writing in my little epic I am pleased with the way things have ended. I have tried in this project to answer some of the dark and unexplained mysteries of that time, tie in as much or as little of the published snippets of information regarding the lost Primarchs as plausibly possible and also provide a suitable ending fitting for such a legion.

Is the Primarch loyal or traitor? Perhaps a bit of both, perhaps neither... But one thing will be certain is that he does play quite a pivotal role that inevitably gets the HH ball rolling. He is definitely unlike his brothers, and nothing like his father(s). But knows it is a big galaxy and despite the might at your disposal no-one can survive alone. Confused yet?

The lost XIth has been a lot of fun writing up and has provided me with plenty to do in my downtime recently. After recently becoming a dad again, and working long hours I was determined for this project not to get left behind, on a nice note I do feel quite connected with this legion as I share very similar traits with the Primarch and felt if I'm going to do any project it has to be this one. it would be a great way of giving back to the hobby Ive been doing for so many years and I really hope you all like it too.

Right then, enough telling into the XIth, Athrawes can have his thread back But I'll leave you with a quote from the project lore:

"Man has always desired power, some more than others..."

[DietOfLiquor]

Love it!

[Athrawes]

Guys, I love all of the work you have put into other lost legion projects, but could we please keep this thread devoted to my project with the second Legion?

 

Creating a general purpose list legion thread might be cool ( in fact I have made several in the heresy subforum) but it's getting kind of out of hand.

 

Again, I'm thrilled that my project has sparked so much interest in the lost and forgotten, but as much as it pains me to say it, I really don't want this thread devolving into discussions about other peoples projects. I've let it slide a bit because some of that discussion was more geared towards general lost legion theory crafting which is fine, but posting your own lore for your own legion (which isn't even a take on the II) is just a bit too far off center for the purpose of keeping this thread a resource.

 

Thanks for understanding guys.

[Astartes-ULTRA]

My apologies Athrawes,

 

You're absolutely right, please know I never intended to hijack your thread buddy. I wanted to pass a compliment and let you know I hadn't given up on the things we spoke about, I got a bit carried away when interest was shown and ended up putting it in the wrong place, next time I'll pm bro.

 

Are you currently working on anything new for the II?

[Athrawes]

actually I just put in a rather large order with forgeworld. 

 

20 Tacticles to round out two squads of 15 marines.

 

1 Contemptor with conversion Beamer

 

40 Solar Auxilia that I will be converting in a Madrigal themed, fleet-based Imperial 'Marine' Brigade.

[Astartes-ULTRA]

Awesome! I cant wait to see it, especially the Madrigal themed Auxilia... Are you carrying on the samurai/Japanese theme with those too (please say yes...)

[Conn Eremon]

An Imperial Japanese Army, during the Meiji era of the late 1800s, would make a pretty sweet Solar Auxilia regiment, and contrast nicely with the more archaic look of the anachronistic II Legion.

[Athrawes]

I already have a pretty decent idea of the conversions I want to do for the general auxilia infantry, adding a hip holster, adding a half robe covering one leg, and altering the head optics to something a bit more high tech. Also most likely adding jinbaori for sergeants/ officers.

 

My question is how to paint them. Whether to give them a unique scheme or a palate which fits in with the Lightning bearers. 

 

-1st scheme option is black armor and grey under suit (basically inverting the Legion colors.  The webbing boots and gloves would be in brown. 

 

-2nd scheme is  red armor with brown under suit. Black boots and gloves. and the half robe would be in house colors a colored pattern over black robe). 

 

Edit: something like this for the color palette.

http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140710044758/destinypedia/images/8/89/Ghost_Angel_(Leg_Armor).png

 

 in both cases, the metallic would be a soft brass. 

 

Which sounds better (I'll probably end up doing a test of both.)

[Shield-Captain]

I like the first option personally. I think it would complement the Legion troops well. The 2nd option seems kind of Prospero Spireguard to me. 

[apologist]

I'd be tempted to go for a distinctly different scheme – it would help make your Legion stand out as different and special if the supporting troops are a contrast in being more 'mainstream 30k'. That way they'll serve as a framing device, and help to highlight the difference in theme between the Lightning Bearers and the others. If you link them too closely, I'd be concerned that you'll detract from the uniqueness of the Legion's aesthetic.

 

That said, I think there's some legs in getting a non-European feel to the army. Perhaps a Siamese or Burmese feel or similar? I won't post the image (as it's one of my filthy xeno models), but I did a dotted design on the trouser leg of an Eldar Guardian: https://picasaweb.google.com/109610029624127946481/FrigiaCampaign?authkey=Gv1sRgCNeUr_qN_oWDJA#5927832704847414914

It's a very simple bit of freehand design, but it's very effective in getting cloth to look interesting.

[Lord Marshal Ragnrok]

this is really cool dude

[Athrawes]

So, I've been thinking about the Dread. Again falling back on Japanese culture and mythology, the dead are honoured (should they have died honourably), but the undead are utterly feared. In their culture, an undead revenant would only return from the other side in the name of vengeance or hatred. After their goal has been achieved (the death of the person that killed them, their master, etc), they return to the grave, forever.

 

To that end, I imagine that the dreads of the II would be very rare. Such a warrior would be both utterly feared, and respected, as they follow a path no living creature should ever walk. Such a life could only be voluntary, a Legionaire who refuses to pass on, until vengeance is complete. Their hulls could be cloaked in white cloth, to prevent evil spirits from overtaking the purity of revenge. A death poem, personally created by him in the tongue of his homeland, should be pinned to his hull, an oath of moment that goes beyond the point of death. Beyond that, and possibly some of the wave like art in strategic places (the water painted red to represent his anger, coming to crash down upon his enemy he is vowed to kill), I would leave the armour largely clean. Purity is all.

 

Now, here's the kicker I've been thinking.I think that, after the vow of revenge is complete, the warrior would commit suicide if he had not fallen in battle. No, I don't mean he would take his short sword and cut open his sarcophagus, lol. Instead, he would simply bow to his defeated enemy, kneel, repeat his death poem, and shut off his life support system, dying silently within his hull and drowning in the amniotic fuild. His brothers would remove his body after he had passed on, wrap him in white, and burn his broken body. Should his vow have been successfully completed, a red ribbon would be attached to the hull, marking the 'weapon' (the dreadnought hull itself) as 'Divine'.

 

 

 

I'm Back...Sort of. 

 

Ever since 1000Heathens posted that above description of a II Legion Dreadnaught, I've know that I had to create one.

 

http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i327/nickfayette1/IMG_1391.jpg?t=1416815409

 

This is my first take on that inspiration. While the Polynesian theme of the Raven guard might not really suit them in my opinion, I thought from the beginning that the wave like pattern really chimed with Heathens description. Added to this are Suzu bells and the purtity scrits which I believe ground this Contemptor in the culture of the legion and Madrigal without hitting you over the head (in a way which sticking a giant katana would)

 

I hope that the model lives up to Heathen's beautiful concept.

 

Finally, I have something else that I have been playing with. I call them the army of the Sphere, or Rakurai.

 

Long before it's inclusion within the framework of the Imperium, Madrigal was the center of a expansive empire. The voidborn soldiers of that empire, the Rakurai, would have been ideal drafts into the Solar Auxillia, I'll be detailing more about the Rakurai, in a later post, and there is actually a fellow writing a short story about them and their mortal view of the II legion. So tay tuned for more details on that.

 

http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i327/nickfayette1/IMG_1392.jpg?t=1416902609 

 

Consider this trooper as a proof of concept.

 

As always, let me know what you guys think.

[Pearson73]

Looking really good, can't wait to hear more background on the Rakurai.