A Holy Work - The Three Hives Rebellion

[Argent aquila]

I believe this is te hundredth post, congrats!

 

Astounding good work on the models, and an exceptionally well crafted story, can't wait until the oversized rolling box is painted up :D

[JackDaw]

Thanks buddy, much appreciated :) Not too much more to go here either, only the fun stuff. Few more posts to come tonight. 

[JackDaw]

Interlude – The cost of secrecy

“It took our counter-intelligence agents months to find even the smallest trace of bio-data on Sholesh and his associates. Even then, we got barely more than a name for some of them. Cost us a lot to get that as well. You don’t go poking around the Inquisition and expect not to get burned.”
Danel Traygar, Imperial Intelligence and Records, attached to the 131st Malaz Heavy Infantry during the Aren Prime Reclamation.

***Begin Image Record

 

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[Transcribers note – the information contained here is speculative at best, culled from eye-witness observations and the smallest of data-trails. As ever, knowledge of the many facets of the Inquisition is a dangerous thing to possess and is never entirely accurate]

 

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One of the few Ordo officials to be positively identified, Sholesh dan Raf appeared to take control of the espionage-war quietly fought on the streets and data-streams of the rebellious Northern Hives. It was the information gathered by dan Raf and his associates that eventually turned the tide of the war, though some whisper that he may have been responsible for more than just the resolution of the Aren Prime Reclamation. Now in the early years of his second century, dan Raf has a reputation as a cold-blooded manipulator and schemer with little compassion for those who become pieces in his games. Nevertheless, his results are well-regarded within the Ordos and he has so far escaped censure by his peers. Seen here clad in typically understated civilian dress, dan Raf’s sole concession to the import and grandeur of his vocation seems to be the advanced bionic limb replacing his right arm. Forged by artisans of the Adeptus Mechanicus, the bionic contains an implanted hellpistol in the palm of the hand as well as several other arcane devices suited to his work in the Ordo Hereticus.

 

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Inquisitor dan Raf was often accompanied by these companions, who he referred to as his ‘wards’ – whether literally or in jest is not known. The stormtrooper identified himself as Eli Mortlock and the markings on his carapace armour would suggest that he is attached to the Hereticus Stormtroop Regiments. While this is not unusual in itself, it is most unusual that Mortlock has retained his personality and memories – Inquisitorial Stormtroopers are routinely mind-wiped to prevent accidental corruption. We can only speculate that some aspect of Mortlock’s personality is important enough to ensure that his mind remains intact while in dan Raf’s service.
Introduced simply as Maljinn, little else is known about the feral swordswoman. Indeed, she was seen to be increasingly hostile towards any Imperial individuals who attempted to engage her in conversation, though several witnesses attest that her capacity for violence and skill with a blade was second to none. It is assumed that she was found on some backwater feral or deathworld and has been retained by dan Raf out of pity or amusement. 

 

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Identified during the unfortunate accusations and tribunals that followed the Namas Highway Incident, Interrogator Corlo Hyrant has served under dan Raf for the last 7 years. Afflicted with brittle bones due to exposure to high levels of radiation during the Lockhart Affair, Hyrant is now reliant on the steel support brace encasing his legs and lower back for mobility and displays the characteristic hair-loss common to radiation exposure. The ocular device worn by Interrogator Hyrant is a Psyocculum, an arcane seeing device used to identify and track psykers.
The Interrogator is accompanied by the imposing figure of Cal Morrow, an individual all-too-pleased to broadcast his heritage as a member of the Sam-Crow criminal gang of Newpest. Still clad in his gang leathers, Morrow is a particularly abrasive and unpleasant fellow by all accounts but seems strangely protective of Interrogator Hyrant and, in his own way, is possessed of a certain code of honour.

 

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The individuals shown above are the most secretive of dan Raf’s agents, with little information other than their names recovered via facial recognition machine-spirits and the smallest of traces in the data-streams of the Northern Hives. The lack of neither any readily available bio-data of these subjects, nor any data held in storage across the Imperium would point to the use of high level data-obfuscation technology or the infiltration and amendment of Imperial records by an individual.
The female has been identified as Jessamy Quinn, native of New Crobuzon in the Scarus sector. Her exact role in dan Raf’s employment is unknown, however Cal Morrow was overheard as referring to her as, quote, ‘that data-rat bitch’, end quote. Quinn appears to be accompanied by a canine replicant animal, identified as a Re-Engineered Dog Variant XIII by Mechanicus sources.
The final individual’s identity is a troubling one. Facial recognition provided a 67% probability match to an Ethan Frayne, native of Harlans World, as well as matches to Elim Reynard, Takeshi Kyusa, Jackson Daw and several other identities. Several of these matches flagged outstanding warrants for acts of narcotic and arms dealing, as other more serious crimes such as terrorism, links to planetary uprisings and secessionist activity and multiple counts of murder. Worryingly, approximately 4 hours after this information was recovered, Imperial Intelligence data-stacks suffered a complete shutdown and reboot which appeared to wipe all record of Ethan Frayne from their records as well as now updating several other profiles to show the subject as deceased.

 

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It should be noted that several of the Imperial Intelligence agents involved in obtaining this data were later found to have died in suspicious circumstances or have simply disappeared. Inquisitor Sholesh dan Raf has not provided any comment on this matter and the whereabouts of the individuals Jessamy Quinn and Ethan Frayne are currently unknown.

***End Image Record

 

[JackDaw]

Escalation - Aggression Overload

"Hail Varras of the Fifth. Let the little bastard know that the God-breakers have arrived."
Communique broadcast from unidentified Astartes frigate 25 minutes after arrival in-system. Broadcast was made through wide-band communication with no encryption or security in place.

***Begin Image Record

 

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Imperial system ships record arrival of unmarked and unidentified Astartes frigate, analagous to Sword class Imperial design in-system. The frigate immediately joins the Astartes Strike Cruiser Kiss The Blade in close orbit over Aren Prime.

 

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Gun-cam emplacements on Imperial armour units capture the arrival of Astartes veterans clad in Tactical Dreadnought Armour. The displacement crater created by their deployment via warpjump teleportation can be seen as they deploy and the resultant electromagnetic disruption caused by this method or deployment resulted in several Imperial armour units suffering catastrophic failures of several systems. Witnesses state that the Astartes Veterans refused to answer any hails from Imperial personnel, no matter the rank of their source.

***End Image Record

[Hyaenidae]

Maljinn is badass, man. Love the look.

 

Keep on, brother.  :tu:

[Marshal Rohr]

Absolutely love the SoA references!

[JackDaw]

Evening Fellas :)

 

100heathens - yeah Maljinn is a sweet little model isnt she? One of the few Privateer Press ones I like. More upcoming as well 

 

Marshal2Crusaders - man, SoA is one of my favourite programs. I would happily move to California to join an MC club like that, 

[JackDaw]

Escalation – Brute Simplicity

 

“That thing was unstoppable, like a section of the city just up and moved around where it pleased. Nothing the Secessionists had could even dent it. And when it delivered its cargo….well, it was all over then.”
Third Sergeant Hyram Rand, 19th Platoon 131st Malaz Heavy Infantry, speaking after the Stane Service Township Reclamation Action.

***Begin Record

 

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For time beyond memory, the Land Raider has been the brute symbol of Astartes superiority – their iron will made manifest and the hammer that breaks their foes. Once a common sight during the days of the Great Crusade, the form and function of the Land Raider has changed little, although the presence of older marks has become a rare thing in more recent times. The majority of Land Raiders currently employed by the Astartes are variations on the relatively younger Mark III chassis, the main advantage of which is a flexibility in its modular design that allows weapon systems and the internal transport capacity to be amended at will. The Crusader and Redeemer variants sacrifice heavy firepower in return for increased transport space, allowing them to bring greater numbers of Astartes to battle, while the classic Phobos pattern retains the standard armament of anti-armour lascannons and defensive heavy bolters. Clad in the thickest plasteel, adamantine and ceramite armour, the Land Raider is all but invulnerable to most weaponry, allowing its deadly cargo to be delivered untouched into the heart of the enemy. It would be easy to assume that such a hulking mass of armour would be ponderous and unwieldy, however the Land Raider can boast an impressive turn of speed thanks to its powerful engine. However, many would argue that its greatest asset is the integral Machine-spirit bonded into its vital systems – a hallowed aspect of the Omnissiah that imbues the battle-armour with its own will and holy vitality. Able to support its Astartes crew by engaging secondary targets and even driving the Land Raider itself on occasion, the Machine-spirit is truly a sign that the Land Raider is blessed above all other vehicles of the Astartes.

The Iron Talons Chapter can field a dozen Land Raiders of varying pattern – although nominally attached to no specific Company Blade, it is fairly common for particular Land Raiders to be informally adopted by the Blades themselves and jealously protected. While it is easy to assume that the assault-minded Talons would favour the Redeemer or Crusader variants, it is in fact the heavy firepower of the Phobos that is favoured, the pragmatic Talons realising that the combination of heavy anti-armour firepower and transport of a full strength squad is a valuable asset for the Devastator-light Company Blades. Thus, if a Company Blade is fortunate enough to lay claim to more than one Land Raider, it is common to find that most will favour the Phobos pattern.

 

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The Fifth Company Blade is no exception to this, currently able to field a brutal Redeemer pattern affectionately known as ‘Fury’ and the Phobos pictured here – the favoured and much-loved ‘Iron Bride’. Adopted by Praetor Varras and the Assail as their personal transport, the Iron Bride has never failed to deliver its cargo safely and despite receiving almost catastrophic physical damage on several occasions has never been outright destroyed. The Machine-spirit of the Bride is grizzled and experienced, possessed of an almost maternal attitude towards the Assail – though this may be the result of the almost fetishistic way that the Fifth revere the behemoth, a projection of their own deep-buried trace memories of their own biological mothers. Clad in the bone and crimson of the Talons, Iron Bride is as much a blooded Astartes as its passengers and has been ritually taken through the rite of The Letting by the Shield-fathers and Techmarines of the Talons. 

 

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Iron Bride’s main armament is a pair of twin-linked Godhammer pattern lascannons, the heaviest pattern of lascannon available to armoured units smaller than Knight-equivalent size. The power supply needed for these formidable weapons results in almost a full third of the transport capacity of the Mark III chassis being taken up, though the resultant firepower is immensely destructive. The Godhammers, coupled with the sophisticated targeting arrays, are easily able to carve through even the thickest armour and to pinpoint their carving beams at the weakest structural points of their targets. Their mounting in front of the secondary flank access doors is a departure from the common profile of the Phobos pattern, however during initial assembly runs of the chassis allocated to the Chapter several Talons Astartes were heard to ask in scathing tones why an infantry access hatch would be placed directly in the arc of fire of their own main armament…. A heavy-gauge pair of bolt-cannons mounted above the assault ramp provides Iron Bride with a measure of protection against infantry assault, while also providing a high rate of covering fire for the disembarking Assail. Also noteworthy is the additional armour plating placed over the frontal track sections – although these bear similarities to the assault launchers utilised by the Crusader and Redeemer patterns, they are in fact additional ablative plating, a temporary measure adopted while repairs are carried out on the heavily damaged additional armour plating normally sported by the Iron Bride. 

 

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Proudly bearing the Chapter symbol of the Iron Talons on its armoured flanks, the Iron Bride also displays additional markings made in the cuneiform script adopted by the Talons. To date, the translation and meaning of these markings have escaped all Imperial Savants attempts to decipher them and the Iron Talons themselves remain silent on the subject. The Aren Prime Reclamation saw the Iron Bride once again survive battered and bruised, but unbroken by the unkind attentions of the Secessionists. Tallying a fearsome count of enemy armour units while ensuring the Assail were able to hit the throat of the enemy, the Iron Bride once again proved itself to be a talisman of the Fifth.

***End Record

[marine7312000]

Man, I absolutely love the fluff you write for your guys.

[JackDaw]

An Awakening - the Oncoming Storm draws near

"This should never have been done. It weakens us and betrays his memory. Regardless, he is needed."
Sevrin Kallas, Master of the Company Blades, Iron Talons Adeptus Astartes

***Begin Image Record

 

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Pic-cap of unknown Contemptor pattern Dreadnought in Iron Talons heraldry recovered from intercepted signal broadcast from Astartes escort frigate to Iron Talons Tactical Dreadnought Armour unit, code-named God-Breakers. No further information available at this time.

***End Record

[Argent aquila]

YES! the dreadnought is going to look beautiful when finished!

[JackDaw]

Escalation - The God-Breakers, Storm Veterans of the Iron Talons

"So you call yourselves the Prodigals? That's sweet. We are the God-Breakers. Witness our wrath"
Storm Veteran Falkus Ortiz, overheard by elements of the 131st Malaz Heavy Infantry at the Stane Service Township engagement

***Begin Record

Amongst the ranks of the Astartes, none are more revered or held in higher esteem than the Terminator elite. Clad in nigh-impregnable suits of Tactical Dreadnought Armour, each veteran Astartes can withstand firestorms of unbearable magnitude, inviolate within their blessed armour. Reserved for the use of the most experienced veterans of the First Company, Terminator armour can support a bewildering array of weapon systems, with what it lacks in speed being more than made up for in resilience and augmented strength. Terminator veterans are often deployed in the very crucible of war, into theatres of war inimical even to the Astartes themselves - diseased and corrupted space-hulks, radioactive wastelands, even the foul xenos bio-ships of the Tyranids. They are the elite of the elite, each a veteran many times over and each suit of Tactical Dreadnought Armour is a priceless relic. Several Chapters are blessed enough to be able to clad the majority of their veterans in such armour, layers of ceramite and plasteel further augmented by inbuilt field generators and muscle fibre bundles, leaving each Terminator veteran a true Titan of war.

For its part, the Iron Talons Chapter lays claim to only fourteen suits of Tactical Dreadnought armour of varying design. This is partly due to the relative youth of the Chapter - at only a few thousand years old, relics such as Terminator armour are hard to come by. However the attitude of the Talons themselves is also the cause of this paucity of Terminator veterans, with many Astartes finding Terminator armour simply too restrictive and slow for their preferred way of making war. As a result, the Terminator veterans are not attached to any Company Blade in particular and instead form their own distinct force - the Storm Veterans. Led by the First Sword of the Iron Talons, Irio Mourn, the Storm Veterans deploy themselves where they see fit in support of the Company Blades, while also acting as an unofficial praetorian guard for Sevrin Kallas, Master of the Iron Talons. It is also known that the Storm Veterans march to war alongside something else, an ancient and powerful relic named The Oncoming Storm. Such talk however is frowned upon by the Shield-fathers and can result in censure - the shame of The Oncoming Storm is not to be spoken of. 

 

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Joining the Fifth Blade for the escalating conflict on Aren Prime were five Storm Veterans, collectively known as 'The God-Breakers', an epithet earned during the Blackmaw Subjugation when these Storm Veterans, alongside The Oncoming Storm, were responsible for the destruction of a Gargant scrap-walker. God-Breaker is the literal translation of the xeno-linguistic references made to these veterans by the Orkoid clans in the aftermath of the Gargant-kill and the sheer brutality of the title has been enthusiastically embraced by these Talons. The presence of the God-Breakers alongside the Fifth was seen by some as an honour and an endorsement of their role in the Aren Prime Reclamation, while others saw it as an insult - a none-too-subtle inference that the Fifth could not be trusted to prosecute this war by themselves and bring this errant world to heel alone. Praetor Varras in particular was somewhat taken aback by their arrival - while he shares a firm friendship with the First Sword, the presence of the God-Breakers and Falkus Ortiz especially was troubling and antagonistic. Regardless, once arrived, the God-Breakers wasted little time in making their presence felt, their brutal martial prowess throwing Secessionist forces back broken and bloodied wherever they met them.

 

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Seen here consulting an inbuilt auspex system, Ren Malik of the God-Breakers acts as a technical advisor to his brothers and is responsible for identifying weaknesses in enemy formations and armour units for them to exploit. Malik's armour bears several additional surveying and tactical arrays, allowing him to gather and process tactical information art a much greater rate than his brothers, a process aided by his mainly bionic cerebral enhancements. While this augmentation was necessary due to injury and has only sharpened the edge of the God-Breakers, it has stripped nearly all vestiges of the sharp-tongued Astartes personality, leaving him a cold logic-driven warrior more suited to the cold embrace of the Iron Hands or the Mechanicus.

 

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By comparison, Tolin Doul remains as brash and ill-mannered as he did when initiated into the Talons. Reveling in the brute power afforded to him by his Terminator armour, Doul relishes close quarters combat and the destruction of armoured targets in particular. The immense chainfist he sports on his left gauntlet ensures that little can stand in his way, armoured or not, but this propensity for close quarters engagement has resulted in Doul's accuracy with a firearm falling, hence the additional targeting array atop his stormbolter. Tolin Doul's poor aim is the subject of much hilarity amongst the Storm Veterans, with several brothers placing bets at the start of each engagement as to how many of the foe Doul will miss.

 

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The versatility of Tactical Dreadnought Armour allows a wide variety of support weapon systems to be utilised, however the most common found is the assault cannon - a multi-barelled cannon capable of a truly staggering rate of fire, each armour piercing round more than capable of scything down infantry and armour alike. In the heathen tongue of his feral birthworld, Kibre Shan refers to it as 'Sha'ik Hish'tar' - the reaping whirlwind, and treats his weapon with an almost fetishistic reverence. His pierced and tattooed skin hidden behind the impassive mask of his Terminator armour, only his rank as a Storm Veteran protects Shan from censure for his more feral traits and the rituals and customs of his homeworld that he has never truly left behind.

 

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Second of the God-Breakers, Bruco Ortega is the enforcer of Falkus Ortiz's will. Seen here target-marking potential objectives for his brothers, Ortega is also strangely pious for a Talon, evidenced by the profusion of purity seals affixed to his otherwise unadorned armour. While he likes to think of himself as the soul of the Storm Veterans and their unofficial confessor, he is treated with outright disdain and mockery as a sycophantic and overly pious fool, with only his martial prowess a saving grace.

 

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Arrogant. Vain. Vicious. Brutal. All these words and more describe Falkus Ortiz, one of the longest serving Storm Veterans. More than a lifetime of hard constant combat has seen Ortix replace several limbs and organs with bionic replacements and his face is little more than seamed scar tissue held together with plasteel and synth-skin. Spoken of as ugly inside and out, Ortiz is particularly critical of Corvin Varras and other Talons of his ilk, seeing their more tactical approach to war as unbecoming of a Talon and lacking in glory. Ortiz believes in the brutality and cruelty of war and his actions have sometimes earned rebukes from his fellow Astartes. As a result, the First Sword Irio Mourn has ordered that Ortiz bear the title of Remembrancer - an ancient role that entails memorising the name and deeds of all the fallen Storm Veterans and bearing their Crux Terminatus' about his own armour. It is Irio's hope that this role will force Falkus Ortiz to think on the cost of the blind pursuit of glory, however Ortiz bears this responsibility with little grace.

It would be easy to forget that these warriors rank among the greatest in the Iron Talons, with only the Assail and other veteran squads able to match their exploits in battle. Despite the individual and esoteric honour markings and trophies borne by each veteran, each bears the bone and crimson of the Talons first and foremost, and the blessed Crux Terminatus itself - proof of their prowess and skill. Few indeed are those that can stand in the face of their unleashed wrath and their presence was to form the killing blow against the Secessionists of Aren Prime.

***End Record

[Andromonoid]

Gorgeous terminators, I really like their color scheme.

[deathspectersgt7]

The Best yet.

[JackDaw]

Evening everyone, thanks for your continued enjoyment of this plog. 

 

Argent Aquila - I won't lie, the Contemptor does look pretty sweet ;)

 

Andromonoid - thanks man, I was real happy with how they turned out. 

 

Deathspectresgt7 - cheers buddy :)

 

Right, more for you all in a second....

[JackDaw]

Escalation - Second Edge, veterans of the Assail

 

"You are mistaken. The Assail are not the best of us. They are not paragons of the Astartes. They are simply the best killers in the Fifth. Without mercy, without compassion, without restraint or respite."
Edge Veteran Canaan Dujek of the Fifth Company Blade, Iron Talons Adeptus Astartes

***Begin Record

 

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The Codex Astartes states that Chapter Veterans should exemplify the best of their peers - noble, courageous, unbreakable in combat. Forming the First Company of the Chapter, the veterans should be the example that their brothers aspire to. The Assail of the Fifth are as far from this ideal as it possible for a loyal Astartes to be. In general terms, the Iron Talons are so few in number that forming a pure First Company Veteran force is not possible, and thus the majority of Iron Talons veterans remain in their Company Blade, forming a solid experienced core of hardened warriors and leaders. In specific terms, this means that the Assail are formed from the purest, most vicious killers that the Fifth Blade can create. Clad in customised reconditioned suits of MkIV, MkVI and MkVII plate, the Assail arm themselves with the various special ammunition types available to Astartes veterans as well as other more potent arms. In battle, the Assail take great pleasure in breaking the elite of the enemy, crushing their champions so efficiently and brutally that the morale of their foe is often a second casualty. Few can hope to stand before them and survive, and the reputation of the Assail is rightly justified. Although their armour bears the crimson and bone of the Talons, a surprising lack of honour marks and kill-tokens can be seen. The reasons for this are simple - each Astartes in the Assail has earned so many that displaying them all is impossible and impractical. Thus, each of the Assail advertises their prowess simply by not advertising it - they feel no need to broadcast their legacy, trusting in their actions to see it made true.

 

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The Assail's Second Edge is nominally led by Veteran Pollus Haran, seen here wielding a Hel-pattern plasma gun. The heavy cardon scoring present on the muzzle indicates that Haran has recently been engaged in heavy fighting and would need to replace the muzzle unit before a catastrophic malfunction occurs. Clad in a heavily customised suit of MkIV plate, Haran bears a brass starburst insignia on his right pauldron, signifying his part in the destruction of an enemy warlord. Pollus Haran is known to be a particularly morose Astartes, ever convinced that his death and judgement for his sins is imminent.

 

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Alyx Tarsus is perhaps Haran's closest brother and bears a matching honour-marking on his right pauldron. Wearing a suit of newer MkVI plate, Tarsus is known for his reconnaissance skills, as well as his keen eye. Wielding a custom-made stalker-pattern bolter, Tarsus delights in the killing of enemy officers and medics, basking in the panic this spreads amongst the enemy. Tarsus also bears several purity seals as wards against psychics and other warp-magicks, something he views with not only distrust but outright revulsion.

 

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A specialist somewhat unique to the Iron Talons, Killan Ashyr is responsible for the disruption and corruption of the enemies communication systems, as well overseeing the tactical maps constantly updated by his brothers. From com-net disruption to signal subversion, Ashyr will ensure that any enemy engaged by the Fifth is subjected to their greatest weapon - fear. Such signal-terrorism is expressly forbidden by the Codex Astartes, which refers to this practice as dishonourable and underhanded, an echo of tactics used during the Great Crusade by Legions best forgotten. 

 

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Recruited from the feral-world of Kossuth, Ferro is a murderous savage tattooed with cuneiform lettering in the style of his savage homeworld, hidden behind a thin veneer of Astartes augmentation and ceramite. His MkIV suit has been enhanced with additional plasteel studs on both greaves and several other plate sections - though whether this is to provide greater protection or simply a more brutal aspect is unknown. Ferro wields a rugged design of bolter, able to withstand the rigours of being used as a club in close-quarters combat.

 

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The Crucifer. Refusing to reveal his true name to any Iron Talon save Praetor Varras and Cryo Tollen of the Assail, Brother Heinrich of the Argent Crucifers has stood with the Assail for close to a score of years. The sole honourable man in a brotherhood of killers, the Crucifer's reasons for being with the Fifth are known only to himself and three other Astartes and while his presence is viewed with some suspicion by the majority of the Fifth, those who have fought alongside him respect his strength and skills and have accepted his place amongst the Fifth. The Crucifer's dull metallic plate, a heavily artificed suit of MkVII, still bears the heraldic colours of his parent chapter, though in deference to his new brothers, his left pauldron has been repainted in the bone of the Talons and bears a symbolic rendering of their Chapter symbol. It is not known whether the Crucifer has undertaken the Letting, however the presence of a blood-red banner suspended from his power-unit may be indicative of this proud warrior-knight submitting to the savage practices of his hosts.

Further details on the remaining members of the Assail will be made available once the appropriate data has been collated and reviewed.

***End Record

[Hyaenidae]

The Crucifier = awesome.

[JackDaw]

Escalation - First Edge, veterans of The Assail

"I have met and fought alongside several Astartes Chapters. The Ultramarines were stoic and honourable. The Argent Crucifers were courageous and noble. The Talons are none of these things. They are vicious and unrelenting and sometimes cruel. They are killers. In short, they are entirely necessary."

Attributed to Sholesh dan Raf, Inquisitor of the Ordo Hereticus.

***Begin Record

 

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We have already discussed the nature of the Assail and their role within the Fifth Company Blade of the Iron Talons. No virtuous warriors these, only the basest and most efficient killers amongst a brotherhood of the vicious. The First Edge of the Assail exemplify the tenets of the Talons approach to war - the fast, unrelenting strike that hits without mercy or respite. Often forming an ad-hoc honour guard for Praetor Varras, the First Edge were responsible for the impressions of the Talons formed by Imperial High Command during the Aren Prime Reclamation. Sadly it may not have been possible to find worse ambassadors for the Astartes. Seen here breaking the defensive lines at the Stane Service Township engagement, the First Edge take pride in engaging the heaviest and most elite formations of the enemy. It was this predilection that would lead to several clashes between the Assail and the Secessionist Prodigals, each of which exacted a heavy toll on each party.

 

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Syrio Assan would have you believe that he is an honourable man. Of all the Fifth, Assan alons has read the Codex Astartes in full and makes at least some attempt to honour it, evidenced by the Crux Terminatus displayed prominently on his right pauldron. Scratch this honourable and educated veneer however and below lies an arrogant assured killer, equal to any in the Assail. Syrio has appointed himself the unofficial equerry to Praetor Varras and will often be found in the Praetor's shadow. While this has earned him some respect from the Astartes of the Fifth, the rest of the Assail treat him with little more than mocking disdain.

 

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The newest member of the Assail, Seth Lyran joined their ranks during the Blackmaw Subjugation. The sole survivor of his Tactical Blade after it was ambushed by numerous mobs of the xeno-beasts, Lyran's MkIV plate still bears the heat scarring of this encounter, visible even under the fresh paint of the Chapter colours. Engaged on all fronts by the xenos and with brothers falling swiftly, it was Lyran's sure eye that put a bolt-round into the incendiary load of an overflying xenos bomber, creating a rainstorm of burning promethium and other fuels that scoured the battlefield. The sole Astartes to walk from the inferno, Lyran has yet to speak a word, his vocal cords seared by the flames and all augmetics refused. 

 

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Taken from the Glass Hives of Scotia at the same time as Meryn Kibre, Donal Kimt shares a similar disdain for Praetor Varras and his leadership of the Fifth, though he hides it better than his fellow Scotian. Kimt will often be the first to question the Praetors orders, something that has made him the focus of Borusa's ire on several occasions and earned him several marks of censure. Unusually for the Assail, Kimt wears a heavily augmented suit of MkVII plate that bears extensive artifice work on the chestplate - a detail that has earned Kimt a reputation as something of a dandy amongst the Fifth. Armed with the armour-busting Hel-pattern plasma gun, Donal Kimt provides the Assail with fire support, engaging anything that can withstand the torrent of bolter-fire from his brothers. 

 

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To believe Cryo Tollen capable of providing the same level of medical care as a true Apothecary would be a grievous error. To the Iron Talons, pain is something to be expected and accepted, used as fuel for their hatred of the enemy. Talons are trained to accept pain and use it, and therefore would not expect or accept medical aid during battle from any Astartes or mortal. During war, Tollen performs the sole remaining important task of any Astartes Apothecary - the recovery of gene-seed from the dead and dying of the Fifth. Possessed of a bleak gallows humour, Tollen has embraced the unofficial name given to him by his brothers - 'The Cutter' - with a grim relish and several wounded Astartes have found themselves able to fight on rather than accept his tender ministrations. Clad in reinforced MkIV and bearing the gene-seed recovery tools of the Apothecarion, Cryo Tollen stands ready to ensure the future of the Fifth and is thus the most important Astartes in the Company Blade entire, his survival more important than even that of Praetor Varras himself. 

 

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Command of the Assail is a difficult thing to master, and Maxim Borusa has managed it for the last three-score years by dint of being a colder, more vicious and more brutal warrior than any of his brothers. An imposing figure in his modified MkVII plate, Borusa bears an ornate chestplate displaying two Aquilas that seems out of place amongst the more practical and savage Iron Talons and may be the result of battlefield repairs and scavenging. Considering his love of brutal close-quarters combat, this is perhaps not surprising. Possessed of little ambition but fanatically loyal to Varras, Borusa is spoken of as the mastiff of the Assail, a brute force of destruction that wreaks havoc on all in its path. His choice of weapons are testament to this, his bolter bearing a chainblade attachment and his left hand encased in a devastating powerfist. It is interesting to note that this fist bears the Imperial Laurels as decoration, further evidence of the Talons propensity for 'acquiring' equipment from other Chapters during joint operations.

[Transcribers note: it was unusual for Imperial forces to witness the full strength of the Assail committed in one theatre or Reclamation Action - such was the skill of these Astartes that even a single Edge is more than a match for many times their number. When the full strength of the Assail was unleashed, it was either to make an emphatic point regarding the presence of the Talons or in the times of direst need. Examples of such actions will be detailed at a later date]

***End Record

[marine7312000]

Another great update.

[deathspectersgt7]

Agree!!!

[JackDaw]

Thanks gents, much appreciated. Only a few more posts to come before this army and plog is wrapped up, hope you continue to enjoy

[JackDaw]

Conflict Resolution/Agression Overload

 

“Once they were unleashed, nothing could stop them. Close to a year we’d been fighting, holding the Secessionists to a bloody stalemate. Once they got interested, the Astartes swept them aside in under a month. Makes me wonder why we even bothered deploying in the first place.”
First Captain Morlan Assant, 3rd platoon 131st Malaz Heavy Infantry, recorded prior to the Namas Highway Incident.

“This was why I chose the Talons. No concept of mercy, of respite. Overcoming their reluctance to engage was the only problem.”
Inquisitor Sholesh dan Raf, speaking after the Namas Highway Incident.

***Begin Record

*2 weeks post Stane Service Township Engagement
Secessionist forces find themselves pushed back from the southern continental landmass entirely and hastily re-establish defensive lines along the coastlines and highway ingress points crossing the equatorial seas. The remaining ten Prodigals are recalled to Calbefraque Hive despite calls for their continued presence on the front lines. Without their moral and physical support, the military forces manning the defensive lines are swept aside by Astartes forces with little resistance.

Retreating deeper into the Northern territories, the retreating Secessionist forces are harried constantly by hit-and-run attacks from small Iron Talons warbands. Often formed from a single squad, the warbands kill indiscriminately before disappearing, tearing the Secessionist forces to pieces. It appears as though Praetor Varras has given his warriors free reign to fight as they wish, paying little heed to Imperial tactics or the requests of Imperial Military command to contribute to campaign tactical briefings. The remaining strengths of the 131st Malaz heavy Infantry content themselves with securing ground and coordinating the mass exodus of refugees from the Northern civilian areas.

*3 weeks post Stane Service Township Engagement
Co-ordinated attacks from Iron Talon warbands cripple the infrastructure of the Northern continental landmass, destroying power stations, heating and water supply-ways and industrial areas. By the end of this week, Secessionist High Command is able to consolidate its remaining military forces around Calbefraque Hive, however lacks all but the most minimal power reserves. It is interesting to note that during this time, no Astartes forces engaged the enemy in anything but the smallest skirmishes, instead concentrating their efforts on blinding and crippling the entire Northern continent.

At the end of this week, Calbefraque Hive is targeted from orbit by the Astartes Strike Cruiser Kiss The Blade and subjected to a targeted bombardment. Mass drivers and cyclonic torpedoes reduce the Hive to a flattened blasted wasteland, with the firestorm visible across the continent. No civilian survivors are recorded and it is estimated that the Triarchy are also killed, removing the nominative command of the Secessionist forces. Imperial Military Command is shocked to learn that the Prodigals and Secessionist military survive relatively unscathed, baring fallout-poisoning and secondary trauma, having been warned of the bombardment by the Talons themselves. A recording of the Astartes message shows the Talons indicating that the Secessionists should regroup at The Cut, site of the former coastal hive of Emmer's Dock, and prepare for the arrival of the Talons.

*4 weeks post Stane Service Township Engagement
Ignoring both demands and pleas from Imperial Command to launch a joint engagement against the remaining Secessionist forces, the 5th Company Blade of the Iron Talons deploys in force at The Cut via near-orbit drop pod assault, landing in the heart of the massed enemy forces at dawn. Within minutes, the Secessionists find themselves lacking any centralised command structure, their ranking military officers the first to be torn apart by the Talons spear-thrust assault. Reeling from this killing blow, command falls to the remaining Prodigals and platoon level commanders, who attempt to bring their strength to bear against the handful of Astartes deployed in the heart of their lines. Upwards of five thousand Secessionist infantry are faced down by approximately four-score Astartes, supported by roving packs of Land Speeders and Harpy-pattern Stormtalons. Despite their numerical superiority, the Secessionists find it difficult to redeploy quickly enough to bring sufficient numbers to bear against the Astartes, their formations unwieldy when faced with Tactical and Assault Blades already deeply embedded in their lines.

Hours into the engagement, elements of the 131st Malaz Heavy Infantry encounter fleeing Secessionist forces as they move northwards towards the Cut. No Prodigals are numbered amongst these prisoners. On reaching the site of the engagement, lead elements of the 131st begin engaging Secessionist forces, but are unable to establish communications with the Astartes. Recon forces finally manage to make eye-contact with the Iron Talons as they witness the Assail and God-Breakers engage a brigade of veteran Secessionist heavy infantry and the remaining Prodigals. Supported by an immense armoured walker and Tactical Blades, the Talons rip the heavy formations apart, though the Prodigals inflict heavy casualties on the Astartes before Varras and the God-Breakers end their heresy.

By nightfall, the Secessionists are ended as a military and ideological threat. Commanders of the 131st Malaz Heavy Infantry accept the surrender of the surviving Secessionist command structure, unnerved by their pleas for sanctuary from the Talons. Praetor Varras leads his remaining Astartes from the field, a full third of their strength lost in battle. As expected, no response is made to any of the messages sent by Imperial Military Command to the Astartes.

The remaining Secessionist forces, numbering some thousand or so, are interred at a temporary prison-camp erected close to the Namas Highway access ramps. The camp is guarded by elements of Inquisitorial Stormtroops and native loyalist Magistratum forces.

No further military engagements occur following the breaking of Secessionist forces at the Cut and the Aren Prime Reclamation is formally declared as completed as of this date. The Astartes are not seen again until 13 days have passed and the Secessionist prisoners are moved from the temporary camp to waiting penal-world transportation at Journeys-End starport. Their route along the Namas Highway was to be the site of what some Imperial observers have labelled as a war-crime and marked an unfortunate and bloody end to relations between the 131st Malaz Heavy Infantry and the Iron Talons.

***End Record


 

[JackDaw]

Living Memory – the Unspoken Shame

 

“Without him, we are as nothing. We owe him everything, him and his brothers. Too late, we realised that to lose them all was to lose ourselves. I know he hates us, as much as I know he loves us. He was the last of the Three, and his reward is his punishment. We are cruel, yes. But it is necessary.”
Sevrin Kallas, Master of the Iron Talons

“I feel nothing. Not the wind, not the sun, not the warmth of my enemies blood on my skin. Nothing. I am cursed to this un-life, when my brothers call to me to join them. Curse you, my sons. Curse you.”
Temudjin Ironbound, the Oncoming Storm

***Begin Record

While combat records pertaining to the Iron Talons may be somewhat sparse in nature and lacking in much detail thanks to their un-cooperative personality , we are fortunate that extensive records were made at the time of their creation, and have survived intact to a large degree. Born as part of the Pentefrat Project some two thousand years ago, the Iron Talons drew their genetic legacy from White Scar gene-stock, somewhat unusual given the current common usage of Ultramarine gene-stock for new Astartes Chapters. The documents surrounding the inception and creation of the Pentefrat Project show that rather than drawing the five new Chapters concerned from one genetic source, each Chapter was birthed from a different sire-legion. As each new Chapter was initially located in reasonably close astronomical terms, it was hoped that they would bring out the best in each other’s genetic legacies – the closeness of their ‘youth’ overriding any inherited parental conflicts. Of the five Chapters, it is known for certain that the Iron Talons were sired from White Scars gene-stock and the Argent Crucifers from robust Imperial Fist seed. The sire-stocks of the Tauromach Wardens, the Steel Hounds and the Nova Lions are entirely unknown at this time, despite wild speculation. At their inception and once the nascent Chapters had reached a minimum operational size (usually around the 300-500 Astartes mark), each is allocated to a ‘parent’ battleforce to learn the arts of war. These parent forces are usually cadres of veterans, sometimes from the gene-source Chapter itself, though more usually from a related Founding Chapter. The Iron Talons were fortunate indeed to be led from their birth by veterans of the White Scars themselves, the brothers Tamburlaine, Subotai and Temudjin of Ghul Squad, vastly experienced Sternguard veterans and the sole remaining members of their squad.
 

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Known simply as ‘The Three’, the Scars veterans were responsible for leading the Iron Talons in the early days of the Chapter and for moulding their personality and creeds. The legacy of the White Scars is easy to see in the methods used by the Talons to wage war – the lightning strikes, the emphasis on rapid redeployment and close range engagement, as well as the feral edge to the Astartes themselves. For many years, the Three were found at the front of the Talons, passing their vast experience onto their charges while encouraging and enhancing those Astartes who showed command potential. By the end of the first four centuries of service, the Talons stood at close to their full strength with seven full companies established under the leadership of the Three. However, tragedy struck during the creation of the Iron Talons 8th Company Blade when it was destroyed in its entirety on Cayman-3 by the Arch-Traitor Kol Varkan, Coryphaus of the Chapter of the Sundered Crown. During the slaughter, Tamburlaine was also struck down by Kol Varkan, starting a centuries long murderous hunt in which Kol Varkan attempted to kill the remaining White Scars brothers. As a mark of respect for Tamburlaine and the fallen, it was decreed that the Iron Talons would not expand beyond the seven Company Blades currently in existence. Of the Three, Subotai was the next to fall, lost at the Crucio Falls during the Harrow Sundering and leaving Temudjin as the last of the White Scar veterans and de facto Chapter Master of the Iron Talons. Temudjin lead the Talons through fire and war for the next century, before he too was felled by Kol Varkan at the Battle of Gethesamene. However, before the Arch-traitor could finish off the grievously wounded Temudjin, he was driven off by a fierce counter-assault from the Iron Talons, Astartes laying their lives down to protect their master. In the aftermath, elements of the Adeptus Mechanicus were ‘persuaded’ to inter Temudjin in an ancient Contemptor dreadnought sarcophagus while he lay in an induced coma. While the idea of internment in such a fashion is considered damnable by the White Scars, the surviving command elements of the Talons were unwilling to allow their last founding father to slip away. This then is the unspoken shame of the Iron Talons, the refusal to let their remaining father join his brothers.
 

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Temudjin, called the Oncoming Storm, can be seen here interred in his Contemptor coffin-body – the pinnacle of Dreadnought technology that can be provided bv the Adeptus Mechanicum. Thick plates of ceramite, plasteel and adamantine protect the intricate and complex interface and control systems as well as the physical remains of Temudjin himself, while in theory each arm can be retrofitted with a variety of weapon systems. Towering over a standard Dreadnought sarcophagus, the Contemptor pattern contains enhanced sensor suites and protective shielding and an improved fusion reactor, allowing Temudjin to remain awake and lucid for much longer periods than comparable standard Dreadnoughts. Bearing the standard bone lacquer of the Iron Talons, his right arm has been painted in the pearl-white of his original Chapter, the White Scars, and the heraldry embossed in beaten iron on his chassis shows combined elements of the Chapter symbols of both the Talons and the Scars. It is interesting to note that Temudjin does not bear the crimson right arm indicating that he took part in the Letting – this practice was only adopted by the first Master to rise from the Talons themselves after Temudjin’s fall and his internment.

 

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In regards to armaments, in theory the Contemptor chassis can support any heavy weapon variant currently available to the Astartes, as well as paired close combat weapons. Each weapon system is designed to be able to be plugged into universal shoulder-mounts and to interface easily with the internal systems of the main chassis. However, Temudjin’s specific chassis appears to be subject to a particular idiosyncratic fault that prevents any weapon systems other than those seen here from interfacing correctly. Tech-adepts are at a loss to explain why this fault occurs and have run exhaustive tests on each individual component and system – each is in perfect working order and variation of weapon mounts should be possible without any fault, leaving them unable to find any mechanical or systemic reason for the interface failure. The Talons themselves believe that the fault is due to the obstinacy of Temudjin himself, his rage at internment in a coffin-body manifesting as a refusal to allow any weapon systems to be successfully connected other than the twin-linked heavy bolt-cannon and heavy flamer implant seen here. The fact that this offensive arrangement seems to echo the favoured armament of Temudjin when he was an Astartes – a combination flamer-bolter – would seem to lend credence to this, but the theory has been derided as mere superstition and emotionally-reliant by the logic driven Mechanicus who point out that the emotional responses of the biological remains of Temudjin should not have and cannot have any direct influence on the purely mechanical and physical interface systems of the Contemptor chassis.

 

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Standing outside of the command and company structure, Temudjin forms the iron core of the Storm Veterans, with the Tactical Dreadnought Armoured warriors forming his nominal bodyguard. In practice, the Oncoming Storm needs no such protection and the Storm Veterans often deploy as they and Irio Mourn see fit. On the occasions that both Temudjin and the Storm Veterans do make war together, it is usually against the most heinous of foes or in the most desperate situations. Fortunately, there is little that can stand before the combined strengths of the Oncoming Storm and his Terminator veterans. Present at the close of the Aren Prime Reclamation, Temudjin chose to walk with the Fifth to counter the unknown strengths of the Prodigals. Powerful though these post-humans were, they were unable to harm the Oncoming Storm and fell before him and the God-Breakers during the engagement at the Cut. It is no secret amongst the Iron Talons that Temudjin favours the Fifth, having walked with them more times than any other Company Blade since Corvin Varras was appointed Praetor and it is believed that he sees something of himself in the cold genius of the young Astartes.

***End Record

[JackDaw]

Conflict Resolution – the absence of mercy

 

“I don’t want to speak about it.”
Third Captain Morlan Assant, commanding officer of the 131st Malaz Heavy Infantry, post Namas Highway Incident.

“You call for the Astartes when all other hope is lost, or when you want to make a point. Once we are unleashed, you can’t cry about the mess.”
Corvin Varras, Praetor of the 5th Company Blade, Iron Talons Adeptus Astartes.

“Yes, that was…unexpected. You cannot fault the Talons for their thoroughness though.”
Inquisitor Sholesh dan Raf, Ordo Hereticus, speaking after the Namas Highway Incident.

***Begin Record
13 days after the final military engagement at The Cut, the surviving Secessionist forces were escorted along the coastal Namas Highway to the awaiting penal-world transports based at Journeys End Starport. Numbering some one thousand, the Secessionists were guarded by twice that number of civilian Magistratum forces and a minor presence of approximately three-hundred infantry of the 131st Malaz. Reports indicate that the Secessionists are broken in both body and spirit, kept docile by sedative laced fluids supplied by the Magistratum forces. Making slow progress, the winding chain of prisoners is barely a third of the way along the raised coastal highway before they encounter the Astartes.

A thin line of bone ranked across the highway, Praetor Varras and the Assail are joined by the surviving Tactical Blades while Stormraven aerial transports deploy Shield-Father Brukhalian and the Assault Blades to the rear of the prisoner column. Trapped on the raised highway network, the Imperial forces are unable to advance or retreat, and are unwilling to engage the Astartes in any direct confrontation. Attempts to negotiate passage are rebuffed, with a spokes-person for the Iron Talons simply stating that the Imperial forces have one hour to leave. The civilian Magistratum forces show little courage in the face of the Astartes and quickly remove themselves to a position four kilometres further on along the Highway. The Malaz forces quickly realise the Astartes’ intentions and showing the steel and fire that they are renowned for, refuse to abandon the Secessionist forces.

On the hour mark, the Iron Talons begin to advance and fire upon the Secessionist prisoners and their Malaz guards indiscriminately, ignoring repeated calls and pleas from the Malaz forces to cease. Crippled by their honour and loyalty to the Throne, the Malaz forces find themselves unable to fire upon the Astartes and resort to using their own bodies as shields for the prisoners. Their courage is admirable, but ultimately pointless in the face of the Talons focused wrath.

Three hours later, all the Secessionist prisoners and Malaz forces have been killed, systematically murdered in cold blood by the Astartes of the 5th Company Blade. The Namas Highway is a charnel house for two kilometres of its length, the rock-crete and plasteel of its construction stained red with blood. Rescue and relief elements of the 131st Malaz arrive via Valkyrie rapid deployment after a further hour, led by Third Captain Assant. Weapons hot, the Malaz forces find the butchers-site of the Highway empty of all life aside from the impassive figure of Praetor Corvin Varras and a sole StormRaven transport. Silence greets all attempted hails and accusations as Third Captain Assant approaches Varras, lasrifle aimed directly at the unarmed Astartes Praetor.

Removing his helm to reveal a pale face, thin despite the gigantism characteristic of post-human Astartes augmentation and seamed with scars across the left-hand side, Varras fixes cold grey eyes on the Third Captain of the 131st Malaz and utters only one word:

“Witness.”

Turning away and boarding his awaiting transport, Varras leaves the Malaz forces surrounded by the bodies of the Secessionists and their comrades.

***End Record
 

[Kobrakei]

Still my favourite bit of the whole story. It really gets across how much of a last resort unleashing Space Marines should be. Once they've been called in, you cannot restrain them, and you have to deal with the consequences of that.