Theodicy's End - The Horus Heresy

[Pirate Brushes]

Cannon to the right of them

Cannon to the left of them

Cannon in front of them

Volley'd and thunder'd

Storm'd at with shot and shell

Boldly they rode and well

Into the jaws of Death

Into the mouth of Hell

Rode the six hundred

'Charge of the Light Brigade' by Remembrancer Tenyson M2

Attributed to the Folly of Aemon

 

 

 

When the Word Bearers revealed their true colours on Calth a hundred worlds recoiled in horror. The very idea that those that we could have once called our brothers would be so willing and so eager to bring harm to us and our domain was as repugnant as any xenospawn. To see the monsters they had thrown their lot in - creatures beyond what one could conjour in a nightmare - was more than many could take.

 

I was not there on Calth, nor Armatura, nor Nuceria. But I saw the extent of their treachery. The 134th were deployed to distant Vespyr, in the Haydez Cluster, far from the Five Hundred Worlds and far from the site of the betrayal. We were escorts to a Mechanicum fleet, observing the formation of a nascent warp rift - hardly a task befitting the Lions of Macragge. But we are noble sons and we performed our duty to the beset of our abilities, no matter the task.

 

It was aboard the Lion Rampant that we had our first taste of betrayal. Looking back on the event, we should have realised what was happening, but we were blinded by the ties of brotherhood. The bonds of fraternity run deep, far deeper than we expected. Even with our misguided, younger kin.

 

When the XVII Legion arrived, we met them with open arms. Captain Aemon Terentius, may the Emperor watch over his immortal soul, summoned their commanders aboard so that we may feast to their honour. We didn't even get as far as breaking bread with our brothers.

 

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r82/SpaceDug2005/f16a92a4-1d38-4590-81bf-346b305e4569.jpg

 

This, is brother Octavion (sans markings and base), the first of my Ultramarine contingent from BaC. I've never painted Ultramarines before (somehow) and so this was quite the experience. Excuse the face as it's been rather washed out by the lighting in the photo - its actually got some Devlan Mud shading in those recesses. Honest.

 

I'm working on three more of his squad mates before I move on and give the Cataphractii an attempt. It's a welcome change painting an army again, I've gotten too used to painting vignettes and kill teams and so I'm going to have to figure out a way of mixing things up so as not to get bored.

 

C&C are appreciated as always. Hopefully I'll remember to update this as I develop the Folly of Aemon's protagonists and, eventually, the antagonists (who'll no doubt end up taking over this plog as they will be developed into my actual AoD army)

 

~Aximand 

[Pearson73]

Nice smooth colour on Octavion, liking the introductory fluff.

[hushrong]

Good stuff and an awesomely crisp paint job.

[Pirate Brushes]

Ashraf Hazeem chose the Mechanicum outpost on Vespyr to meet. Neutral ground. It had been four decades since Monarchia, but the deepest wounds take the longest to heal. We had encountered Ashraf Hazeem on three occasions before today. He was a noble warrior, one that we were proud to call 'brother', but he was still angry over Khur. The few times he had set foot aboard one of our vessels his discomfort was plain to see across his soft features. Every time we agreed to meet on neutral ground, despite the grievances it caused our auxilia forces.

 

We agreed to meet as the sun rose over the eastern peaks. Captain Aemon chose to bring his five senior officers and an honour guard to meet the Word Bearers. It was as it always had been: fifteen Ultramarines and fifteen Word Bearers, an even matched pairing. Legionnaire would shake hands with legionnaire and accept one another with open arms.

 

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r82/SpaceDug2005/IMG_3532.jpg

 

Sergeant Cassian had gathered the honour guard from across the 134th

 

When the Sixteenth arrived they arrived in force. Four Thunderhawk gunships and the Stormbird Guiding Light descended from the heavens and unloaded ten times our number into the sands of Vespyr. Aemon and Cassian shared a look - even behind their battle helms we could tell our commanders were concerned by this show of force. Still, we are Ultramarines, the Emperor's finest, and we stood tall and proud in our ceremonial plate ready to greet out brother legionnaires.

 

The Word Bearers we saw where not the Word Bearers we had fought alongside for the past half century. Gone was the slate grey and elegant high gothic, replaced instead with a red deeper than blood and a haphazard mix of what appeared to be cartographical etchings and crude scratch-runes spread across their banners and armour. We had seen markings like these on the walls of the temples and fanes that we had crushed in the name of the Imperial Truth, and we immediately knew that something was amiss. Had the children of Lorgar fallen to the same madness that had afflicted them forty years ago on distant Monarchia?

 

When Aemon and Cassian went to welcome Ashraf Hazeem we quickly found our answer.

 

Thanks for the compliments, guys. I'm debating whether the armour needs a point highlight on the corners of the plate or whether it should stay as is. As for an update, I've been a busy camper the past couple of days and have smashed out two of my Cataphractii Terminators and have partway completed the next three Veteran Legionnaires (including the vexilia). 

 

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r82/SpaceDug2005/IMG_3530.jpg

 

Veteran Legionnaires Trantor and Faustus formed a part of the Lion Rampant's boarding forces. Equipped with Cataphractii-pattern Tactical Dreadnought Armour they were considered all but impervious to the most heaviest of weapons.

 

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r82/SpaceDug2005/IMG_3526.jpg

 

The honour guard was made up of Veteran Legionnaires such as Learches, Varinius and Cestus. The Ultramarine formal regalia was almost indistinguishable from their battle plate and tended to feature honourifics marked out in white and cerulean.

 

Again these guys are waiting on transfers and detailing. I'm waiting on finishing the full force before I slap on the markings to try and keep it consistent. The Veterans look like they need to have their eye lenses brightened up and the Vexilia needs to be finished off too, but otherwise I'm quite happy with how they are coming out (Cataphractii are surprisingly fast to paint compared to line infantry).

 

As always, any C&C would be greatly appreciated.

 

~Aximand

 

[Pirate Brushes]

There was something unsettling in the way that Ashraf Hazeem greeted out commander. The man was draped in a tattered robe and carried a string of fetishes and talismans across his armour - he looked more a barbarian warlord than a Captain of the Legionnes Astartes. He embraced Aemon in open arms whilst grabbing Cassian by his wrist, in the tradition of warriors.

 

The atmosphere was tense: we did not know how to react to these changes. In my head sprouted the theoretical, that these fellow legionnaires had adopted some new form of traditions within their fraternity. Whilst it certainly was not a welcome change, it was certainly a step up from their deifying of the Emperor, and such feral appearances were not uncommon among some of the other legions.

 

Never would I have though that they had betrayed humanity in the way that they had.

 

 

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r82/SpaceDug2005/IMG_3570.jpg

 

First Sergeant Sendus Cassian was the right hand of Captain Aemon and 134th Company. He was a decorated line officer and favoured among his brothers.

 

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r82/SpaceDug2005/IMG_3571.jpg

 

The change in heraldry of the Word Bearers was not the only change noted by the 134th on Vespyr. The Legion's burning book, a symbol once of bringing illumination through knowledge (or perhaps, the purging of falsehoods), had been replaced with a snarling skull. Colchisian scriptwork was not uncommon across the surfaces of armour, as well as numerous astrological signs.

 

*

 

So its been a bit of a lengthy break since my last update (uni's getting in the way of life again!) but I've powered through and now I've a demisquad of Ultramarines finished (including my March of the Legions entry) as well as a tester for the villains in this story.

[MikhalLeNoir]

Really great paint jobs here. But your ultramarines with the white facemasks remember me of nightlords. It is the exact colorscheme minus the corpse parts;)