Sisters of the Amethyst Claw - a WIP

[srpelicano]

Evening all,

 

I'm starting to get to painting up my converted Sisters of Battle which I've built using Dreamforge Eisenkern Storm Troopers and Wyche heads. I know, egad xenos, but the style fits the background for my order.

 

The Sisters of the Amethyst Claw were once a decorated branch of the Order of the Bloody Rose stationed in the Caltus Sector fighting for the grand Crusade started by Cardinal Gaius Ollivar. After 2 decades of near ceaseless fighting and the subjugation of the Caltus Sector, the Sisters took to keeping the peace for an Ecclesiarchal Sector. After a campaign to quell a rebellion against a group of alleged fanatics, then Celestian Superior Elizabeth Belmore began to publicly condemn the attack against the "fanatics" as a waste of Imperial resources to commandeer the holdings of frightened lambs who wouldn't give up their birthrights. A schism began to form among the sisters of the convent whether the Will of the Emperor was enacted that day or not. Sororitas began to draw lines and take sides if leaders in the sector were to be arrested for their crimes or not. Word of the schism made it's way to the very top of the sector where the Offices of His Excellency Cardinal Ollivar and the Inquisition made their move.

 

Throughout the sector, strike teams were assembled to eliminate the renegade factions of the Convent. Scions, Imperial Guard Regiments, and companies of Sororitas through acts of treachery and outright betrayal systematically massacred the sisters who believed what Belmore had brought to light. On planet after planet, sisters were murdered. Belmore's faction reaped a terrible toll in lives when they came to from the betrayal, but realized they couldn't hold out and had to retreat. They had to board whatever ships they could and were relentlessly hunted. Belmore and her loyalists were scattered to the winds and under pursuit by the Imperial Navy, made an unguided jump into the Warp to whatever fate awaited them.

 

Despite being shattered and ruined, Belmore and her Sisters were blessed by The Emperor with a stroke of luck. They managed to escape the pursuit and regroup. For years, they have been a shadow force striking at the Caltus Sector exterminating leaders and Inquisitors abusing their positions of power.  Elizabeth Belmore has been dubbed "The Black Widow" by the forces hunting her and the faction she leads have taken the name "The Amethyst Claw." They act as silent heroes to the citizens of the Caltus Sector. Their survival comes from munitions and repairs from Mechanicum agents they have aided in the past. A day will come when Ollivar and his corruption will meet justice.

 

 

I have some work on the faces to do and also need to drill out the bolters and exhausts. The bases will also be urban rubble keeping with the small strike forces theme. More to come between soon and eventually!

 

 

[deathhasdignity]

Great work, do like purple - my dark eldar are purple!

[WarriorFish]

Purple is the colour of Emperors and royalty, so it works well on Sisters :) I didn't quite recognise the base models at first so the converting is done well, but they don't feel particularly Sistery for it. Not that I'd recommend adding lots of details as that would be far too much work but you could use the transfers to tie them in to the armour some more?

[Naminé]

I agree with Warriorfish; I like the work done so far, but personally I feel they need a little more iconography to make them tie into the vehicle and mark them out as Sisters.  Maybe painting some fleur-de-lys on the shoulderpads will be enough :)

[srpelicano]

Thanks for the kind words, everyone.

 

It's on my list of things to add some kind of squad markings on their shoulder pads so I can differentiate them on the field. I like the idea of the water transfers. I'll just have to see if I can find them. EIther way, I'll be adding something to make them more sisterish without breaking the framed renegade theme.