Beneath Terra - Inquisimunda & the XIth Legion

[MordentHex]

As much as i love a good black and Red paint theme. Its been done to death. You will really need to get creative for these guys to stick out from the rest. I would recommend an Ash Black and a very bright "flaming" red.  That's just my two cents though.

[Dagoth Ur]

Panoply of War

 

Clad they shall be in blackest ash and purest blood

The gold of ancient lords shall be theirs

Upon the plains of Seath, littered with bones,

Beneath Eola, the inward-facing pale eye of the night,

They came to me in times of most dire need.

When the First Flame of Man threatened to dim

They gave me freely what was not mine to demand.

To stoke the soul of a world then foreign to them

To save a father who had not seen them grow

They gave the holiest withing them.

Now they are denied the peace of sleep

The respite from battle unbeknownst to them

As they wage a war deep within their souls

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp194/hodoalmir/_20161018_231448_zpszvwanvtp.jpg

 

Proud my father bestowed his blazing sword upon them.

It was not my decision to take it from them

Not in a way that my brethren did to their sons

They were born as the Eleventh, the First amongst the Second

Raining down fire and hell upon the cur, they became the Infernal Swords

Now, as they march in the ashes of a million dead kings

Now, as they bear the white flame of Loria on their plate

They have become the knights of old myth

They have become the Ashen Warriors

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp194/hodoalmir/_20161018_231603_zps7hdshfgk.jpg

 

I see the scars their sacrifice has left within their souls

Hungering they burn for war and salvation from the beast within

I cannot heal them, so I weep into the Nether's eternal dark

Things roam that place, unspeakable beings to which the Sorceror King speaks

Things roaming within our minds, dangerous hunters of which the Thunderchild warned me

They flee before the hungering void that is the Eleventh's soul

They flee because we consume, we purify what is within them

Just as we cleanse the Unwilling and the Resistant,

So do we cleanse It-which-stalks-the-Night

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp194/hodoalmir/_20161018_231647_zpslucir9an.jpg

 

My father despises me

Not only for what I am

A roaring inferno to his mind

But for what I could become

A throneseeker unjust

What I one day must become

An heir ordained.

I never wished for any of this

Not for this legacy

Not for my responsibilities

I was given all I have

I was created to be what I am

Why do you despise me, father?

Why, indeed, create something that you fear?

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp194/hodoalmir/_20161018_231629_zpstl3exue8.jpg

 

There is but one path I and my sons must walk,

Forward into the dark of the Future.

Wisp-Fire wreathing our fists and feet,

Blood splattered on our faces,

Fury in our hearts.

We must release our rage upon a galaxy unwilling to bow

For we are the fury and the force

We are the Cerberus of war

Blood, Fire and Suffering.

We must march on a path of no return, for I have seen,

The Kiln has shown me,

The treason that is to come.

I accept, Father.

With heavy heart,

I accept.

 

------------------------------------------

 

So, halfway there with the scheme for my legion. Still unsure what to do for the fabric/loincloth though... I will definitely be changing the boltercase and the the top of the backpack to red, as is, there is a tad to much gold for me. The sword still needs another coat of black.

 

C&C is, as always, very welcome and encouraged!

 

@The Psycho: You didn't miss that much actually, one thing that comes to my mind is the poem in the story. It's taken from the Diablo videogame series (I want to say Diablo 1?). I'll be painting up three testers, one with green eyes, one with yellow and one with blueish-green ones. Thanks for the compliments :D

 

@SanguiniusReborn: Good point about the uniqueness! Thanks for the pitched ideas for the legion icon, it was basically what I had in mind, minus the mound of earth as thats too finicky for me to paint/sculpt and I prefer the simple sword look :) Still, very much appreciated!

 

@Soric: Thanks for the compliments! :) The slaughterpriest is indeed an amazing figure and I love converting all the AoS stuff up! I've got about 5 converted slaughterpriests and a dozen more in work...

 

@MordentHex: I understand your concerns and that's something I've been thinking about too. In the end I went with a crimson-bordeaux red and a greyish-black with white accents. I think the white flames will provide enough visual distinction. I just didn't want to paint something metallic again (As I paint both IW and Mechanicum), nor something brighter (As I have BA's and some World Eaters post heresy), so I went with the classic black plus somethingsomethingsomething. Still, thanks for your ideas and I hope you find this half-finished tester to your liking! :)

[Nomus Sardauk]

Glorious... The pure white of the Loria flames contrasts wonderfully with the black and dark red armour, not to mention the nice brass Bolter casing and armour details. I also like the subtle references to "the Thunderchild" and the "the Cerberus of War."

[migsula]

What a cool blog! Really enjoying your approach and models.

[MordentHex]

Well, I was Dubious about the colors at first but you managed to bring it together and it does look much MUCH better now.  I would go a bit further with the white flames. really work them into the black armor in the odd area's and such as well. You said no more Metallic and i was going to mention Metallic red. HAHA! Well they definetely look awesome. keep it up man.

[Kizzdougs]

Damn! Really nice colour scheme, bro!

 

I love the weathering and the MkV helmet looks great :tu:

[Soldier of Dorn]

Magnificent, mate. Absolutely magnificent. Love the freehanded flames, even if they are a tad rough in places, they have a lot of character. Honestly, I'd actually say keep the gold on the bolter and the backpack: looks just about perfect to me (especially on the bolter.)

 

Diablo, eh? Huh. Never played it myself.

 

(Also, is the Thunderchild an oblique reference to our dear Athrawes' Icarion Stormborn? Seems like it might be..)

Edited October 19, 2016 by The Psycho

[bluntblade]

I missed the Kaled reference before. That made me chuckle.

 

On a more serious note, this is really good stuff

Edited October 19, 2016 by bluntblade

[Dagoth Ur]

@SanguiniusReborn: Thanks mate, glad you like it! To be honest, the Cerberus was just a metaphor for the triheaded aspect of war I chose to picture, so I dunno if I have referenced something without intending
 
@migsula: http://i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/264/212/b03.gif That-feel-when-migsula-himself-compliments-your-stuff. Thank you very much! Means quite a lot, since you are one of my main inspirations.
 
@MordentHex: I knew you'd like him The flames will definitely see wider dsitribution and more placement, but I fear metallic colourschemes won't be coming from my forge as I hate painting them and just don't find them all that appealing.
 
@Kizzdougs: Thanks mate! I've always loved how simple weathered black is to paint. Drybrush black to standard mechanicus grey, wash with 1:1 Lahmian Medium & Nuln Oil, then sponge on some Chainmail and wash again with the same mix.
 
@The Psycho: Thanks bro! I'll be painting up two more testers to see what distribution of gold to red I like the most, but your advice has been noted I can only advise you to play Diablo 1 & 2 if you are into fantasy dungeon crawlers.
 
@Bluntblade: EXTERMINATE-EXTERMIN-*Cough**Cough* Sorry, what? Glad you have some fun, I always try to build in some funny references when I see them as fitting. Thanks for the compliments!
 
So, I bring you a WiP of Logarachs armor as a little celebration of my second mentioning on the Between the Bolter and Me blog!

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp194/hodoalmir/_20161019_211222_zpsypr3qwqy.jpg

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp194/hodoalmir/_20161019_211144_zpstb2obw9o.jpg

 

The red armor is basically finished, including all the golden tribal filigree and weathering. RIght now I am doing the silver and will move on to the brass. Then comes cloth and skin and some more blood and fluids and stuff. I will be doing a tutorial on my filigree work on an imperial knight that will feature in a future Inquisimunda story of mine :)

 

Hope y'all like it!

 

Have fun and C&C is highly appreciated! Thanks for everything guys :)

[Nomus Sardauk]

@SanguiniusReborn: Thanks mate, glad you like it! To be honest, the Cerberus was just a metaphor for the triheaded aspect of war I chose to picture, so I dunno if I have referenced something without intending

 

Really? :huh: Huh, that's a weird coincidence, have you ever heard of the YouTube Musician Miracle of Sound? I ask because the "For we are the fury and the force. We are the Cerberus of war." is similar to a segment from his Mad Max: Fury Road tribute song Road Rage that goes "I am the fury and the force, I am the river and the source. Behold the Cerberus! Guns and Gas and Gods!" I thought you were maybe making a reference to the song you see. :sweat: Edited October 19, 2016 by SanguiniusReborn

[Dagoth Ur]

Good grief that may actually be true as I was listening to his music while writing! A subconscious influence probably then....^^'

[Nomus Sardauk]

And I just realised that of course you listen to MoS, you directly quoted one of his best songs, Fires Fade, earlier in the thread. (facepalm)

[Dagoth Ur]

Act XII: To Live is to Suffer, to Suffer is to Prevail

 

 

There must always be a struggle. Light burns away the Dark, the Dark eclipses the Light. Rot and Purity, the Fire and the Deep, Duty and Desire. It is all human, all essential. One cannot be without the other, lest it looses and devours itself. To struggle, to wage war is natural. In order to prosper, one must sacrifice. In order to know enlightenment, one must know adversity.

 

3^rd Fragment of the Book of Lindenburg, Sage of the Flame

 

 

May your plight be eternal, for that very plight shall deliver you from oblivion.

 

Prayer inscribed upon the Monastery of Mankh

 

 

The Warp is wailing again, Laurenz. It speaks to me of three more visions. The gracious Lord wishes to grant us audience, but that requires sacrifice. If we wish to see the end of this path, then a life must be given.

 

Ivanka, bound in silver and lead

 

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp194/hodoalmir/_20161025_231646_zpserp4cn4c.jpg

 

I found Logarach on top of a small spire. The collapsed thing resembled some ancient, Bäbülonian tower of ancient Terra. The mutant was kneeling infront of a small flame, burning bones and something that resembled resin or molasses and produced the smell of citrus fruits and pine trees. I decided to keep respectful distance to him, as I believed this to be some manner of ritual important to his church.

As I stood there, I got a good chance to take in the brutal, yet fine craftsmanship of his armour. The adamantium was hammered into rough, edged shapes and was painted in a deep, crimson red and bone. The red surfaces were partially covered in beautiful gold swirls and lines, resembling tears and sunrays. All of his armour was heavily weathered, no doubt due to the rough weather of this world and his role as a warden. Many purity seals were affixed to the plate with purple wax and inscribed in neat, gothic script with prayers to the, I assumed, God-Emperor.

"Do step closer, friend" The deep voice uttered "The flame is still small, but it will provide warmth."

Expressing my gratitude, I drew closer and took place upon an old plinth. Logarach was staring at me with his one, pale eye, while thick fog was wafting out of his mask.

"You rarely come to me, unless you have questions" The mutant said, almost sad "How may I help you today."

Before speaking my mind, I evaluated what I was about to say. The fire was warm, but somehow it also warmed my mind, my mental insides. Curious. Witchery, maybe?

"I would like to know more about this old master of yours, Liram."

"Very well, what would you like to know?"

"You say he was a part of the Ordo Chronos, a currently missing-in-action Ordo" My eyes were affixed to the flame and the discoloured skulls staring at me from within "What do you know of that Ordo?"

"As far as I understand, travel through the warp does not follow conventional flow of time" Logarach took his axe and produced a cloth with which he began to wipe it down "Liram and his compatriots were concerned that the warp may be used to change what had happened, which is why they explored the warp and its powers on time."

"Fascinating" Logarach knew apparently a bit more about his master's goals than the usual henchmen does, then again maybe the Ordo Chronos machniations demanded just that "How did he vanish?"

"Ah" The mutant laughed, as if I had made a joke "Cutting right to the core of the matter, eh? Well, I suppose I must explain a bit more before I can answer this question."

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp194/hodoalmir/_20161025_231723_zpsygf38oxx.jpg

 

Lord Liram was a good man, a radical, but a good man nonetheless. I know that he had consorted with various xenos races; Eldar, Tau, Demiurg and Regi Tempus amongst others. His main interest was in finding out how one could change the future, as changing the past would prove far to difficult and to dangerous when it came to temporal paradoxons. Simply put, he wanted to find a way to travel into the future, learn what happened and then return to the present in order to either avert plight or speed up progress and wars. In order to do this, he had amassed a humongous retinue of various creatures. An agent of the red Church, Assassings, Pariahs, Psykers, Gangers, a Freeblade, xenos, mutants, even a legionary of the XX^th legion and many more. In his almost two thousand years of life, he has undertook much to amass as much knowledge as he could. Liram was taught by the Martian Mechanicum, he has read the thrice sealed tomes of Bahar and even went so far as to speak to the Korova-sentience within Khangba Marwu.

It is hard to say if the man was corrupt or not, for his body and mind had long left mortality. Was he loyal to the Emperor? I don't know. Was he loyal to humanity? Yes. Rarely does one see the pain of killing billions in the eyes of an inquisitor, yet Liram's were filled with the weight of the innocent dead. He was so removed from humanity and yet so terribly human. I came to him as he came to the Red Church in pursuit of knowledge. Liram wished to learn from us, to learn what it means to sacrifice. It is this that ultimately led to his vanishing. This and the Kaled-Incursion in the Halo Stars.

The Kaled's, I shudder to spea of them, were a gruesome, war-loving race. The only thing they felt was hatred and disdain for anything non-Kaled. However, they were technologically advanced and apparently possessed a relic that would have facilitated Liram's plans. Suffice to say, they were annihilated and the relic retrieved.

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp194/hodoalmir/_20161025_231912_zpsc3cmf6bh.jpg

 

Logarach had fallen silent for several minutes as he dropped a few more coals and bones into the fire. I had wrapped my coat tightly around myself, despite the heat. I was amazed to hear how ressourceful an Inquisitor of a minor Ordo could be.  A Freeblade?!

"What then? What happened with the relic?" I inquired

"It was simply called the Gate. A very fascinating thing. It was comprised of a one-man Geller Field and a compact warp-projector. Basically a portable warp-capable ship" Logarach was gently oiling has ax, carefully removing every single bit of dirt and blood from it "Liram had it integrated into his armor, along with several crystallized navigator eyes and hexagrammic wards. During the first testing, he had vanished and not returned."

"You mean to say that he propelled himself into the warp?" I was baffled, it was already madness to try and look through a glass dome into the nether "I suppose he is dead. Nobody survives that."
"Who knows friend, who knows" Logarach answered with a slight chuckle "Fate always finds a way."

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp194/hodoalmir/_20161025_231811_zpsgohxupk3.jpg

 

After that we spoke about more trivial manners. Mostly about art and culture. To my surprise, Logarach was well versed in these things.

Ultimately I left, unable to focus anymore.

A man traversing the warp like some ancient hero.

Madness.

Hope.

Funny how close these things came to each other.

 

-----------------------------------------

 

So, Logarach is finally finished! It was quite a journey and a lot of fun :) A few more things are comming before we turn completely to the XIth legion (Amongst those Ivanka and Liram and even a Freeblade!)

 

Hope you folks like him!

 

C&C is, as always welcome! :)

[Dragonlover]

If you don't use one of the Hasslefree Doctor models as the basis for Liram, I will be slightly disappointed.

 

Stunning work all round though so far. Looking forward to the Freeblade!

 

Dragonlover

[Dagoth Ur]

Act XIII: Unexpected Aid

 

 

"War is simply the galaxy's hygiene"

 

Attributed to Alpharius

 

 

"It is always easy to draw the line between good and evil, black and white. It is even easier declaring any opposition as unworthy and detrimental to life. It is much harder, however, to realize that nothing can be truly black or white, but grey. One's demise is another one's survival. One's boon is another one's curse."

 

Theodor, Sage of the Deep

 

 

"To stare into the abyss is to stare into the eyes of truth. All begun in the dark. Deep beneath the once-oceans of Terra our life came to be. Without the cold, silent deep all would be barren and unliving and mankind would not rule the galaxy as its rightful heir. True, man's hand has extinguished the inky pools of primordial Earth, but what once was shall arise again. Once again the rain shall fall. Once again shall blue mirrors span the Earth. Once again shall the Leviathans rule beneath them."

 

Alexandar, Pontiff of the Deep

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp194/hodoalmir/_20161027_212222_zpsls57dvqz.jpg

 

Sleep brought little respite. I was always dreaming of two things. A world enclipsed in darkness, no stars shining in the sky, no moon casting its pale light upon the barren soil. Barren it was. Warped, stone trees reached into the sky for what appeared to be miles, akin to the hands of starving pilgrims. The grass was hard beneath my feet, like razor wire it stung and slashed against my clothes. The flowers that grew amongst them, how paradoxical that may sound, were beautiful. Upon many-pronged cups of white petals that looked like covered in powdered sugar sat small globes of pale yellow. I knew this flower well, for upon Trachia-III, my home, they were considered a rarity to be gifted to loved ones. Leontopodium Alpinum. Edelweiss. I cast my eyes across the horizon and my breath stopped, even though I had seen this image uncounted times in my dreams. Cities, whole hives, collapsing and bending into themselves, as if attracted by one singular force within them. The ground was littered with bones, amethysts forming within calciifying sockets and broken femurs. Haunting beauty.

Faint murmurs came from the center of this ashen meadow, as they always did. There was a small bonfire, faint and crimson against this eternal palette of pale grey, black and purple. Involuntarily my feet took me there, as if drawn by some well of gravity. It was a mound of ash and bones, eternally cracking and chanting as it burned. It felt as if it had burned for aeons untold, created by some ancient hand that could have impossibly been human. As I closed my eyes, I saw the true nature of it. A wailing, hungering thing clawing meekly at everything it could consume. It was not evil, not inherently. It consumed simply because it was created to do so. It knew nothing else.

"Intruder" The whispering, yet strong voice was new "Who art thou?"

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp194/hodoalmir/_20161027_212118_zpscg5vephq.jpg

 

"A Lord has addressed thee" Behind the fire rose a true titan of a man "Givest an answer or begoneth. I hath no patience for vagabounds."

I could feel myself gasp outside of the sleep. The ancient suit of armour was pitted and cracked, yet intact and glorius. The soft, dark greyish-black was embossed in ancient gold and painted with pale flames. Upon one shoulder throned the image of a sword wreathed in flames, the other was covered with a ragged coat with the colour of burgundy. I could hear machinery and pistons hissing and clicking beneath the fabric. The uncovered hand clasped a sword hewn out of raw stone or forged out of some foreign iron, I could not tell.

The face was most impressive though. Patrician, yet haggard. It was sharply cut and possessed an inherent hardness to it. The hair was long and of a dark-blonde, almost brown colour, as was the beard. It all appeared unimaginably weary. The lips were cracked, the teeth yellowed and the eyes sunken into dark sockets. These orbs of pale blue were strong, however. Unbroken.

"I HATH ASKED WHO THOU ART" The voice echoed across the world, I believed, cast by a mouth glowing with fire and flinging sparks like some forge "ANSWER ME"

"I-I am Laurenz Kothophardi" I could hear myself utter meekly, covering beneath a living myth "Inquisitor of the God-Emperor, may his name be hallowed."

"Ah" The living god answered "I hath not expected thee to come so early. It is not time yet. The idol's glow hath not yet vanished fully. The widows hath not yet begun their song."

"Who are you, sire?" Of course I knew who this was. I just wanted to hear it.

"I am He who follows the Path. I am the Forever Flame. They called me many things: The Warcaller, the Ashen King, the Lord of Sunlight, He-Who-Bound-The-Deep, the Betrayed and Gracious Lord. To my father and my brethren I would come to be known as the First Sinner" Yes, say the words. Speak the truth "I am Morain, the Forgotten."

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp194/hodoalmir/_20161027_211956_zpsx33bfalj.jpg

 

"Where are we?" My throat felt sore, as if filled with coarse sand "What is this pla-hnghhh"

"Thou walkethst within the Great Kiln, thou facest the First Flame." Morain held his gauntleted hand into the fire, forced to crouch in order to do so. Black vapors began wafting out of the cracks and I could hear a faint sigh "A remnant of ancient, voidfaring people. Who knoweth what wondrous creature hath composeth such a curious thing?"

"What does it do, gracious Lord?" Instinctively, I used his ancient title. Curiously enough my throat easened up almost immediately.

"Thou knowethst mayhaps, that the Abyss you call Warp was not always this vessel of madness and rage and corruption. Once it was pure, calm and peaceful. Filled with wondrous journeys and tales" The black vapour began changing, slowly shifting into a gleaming golden-yellow that stung my eyes "The flame is akin to a pyxis or prison, designed to hold just a sliver of this untainted soul-mass. What its purpose was I doth not know, but it grants power. It grants the power to cleanse, to burn away corruption that sits within man, yet it demands so much in return. It demands your own weakness, your own peace. It eats away at your humanity, changing the nature of your soul ever so slightly until naught human is left. Thou art left an empty vessel, your soul so impossibly hungry for sustenance. That hunger....I shudder to even think of it as it howls in my chest."

Morain's eyes turned bleary, as if blinded.

"It breathes light into this world, protecting it from all that lurks in the mire and murk behind the Great Eye. Yet where light is born so too a shadow is cast. We are the Keepers of the Flame, we are the shadow's cast. We walk amongst the stars of yonder and devour all that opposes man. It is our souls that funnel the dark into the Flame. It is our sorrow and mourning that grows ever so endless, until our minds are naught but crumbling walls and moulding, decaying burgs. All plight of man's soul dwells within us and is nourished. It must be so. As long as the Ashen King lives there will be a flame. As long as the flame refuses me the peace of earth I shall wage war. As long as I do so, my people shall prosper beneath the dark sign."

I cast my eyes to the sky and what I saw, made my skin crawl. There was a sun, i just hadn't seen it. It was a black orb, circled by a corona of blighted orange and feverish yellow.

"This is a dream, vision, perhaps even omen sent to me by some forces of the nether" I uttered, enraptured by the play in the sky "What year is this to you? How close to the End Times is this?"

"Dearest Laurenz" Morain smiled, an expression of deep compassion "It is ten years before the Wolf King sets foot upon Old Loria. It is ten years before I meet my father."

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp194/hodoalmir/_20161027_212035_zpsoveprjqx.jpg

 

--Laurenz--

A sharp pain stung through my forebrain and made me wake up, gasping like a fish in the dry. The images collapsed and rewound in my head, burnt into retina and memory alike. The feeling of psychic pressure was disgusting, even my hexagrammic wards were white-hot. As I would discover later, some had decomposed back into elementary lead and had molten out of their sockets. But now I was coughing blood as the migraine in my head begun messing with my mind. My vision became blotchy, irridiscent patches made it almost impossible to understand what was happening around me.

I could recognize a tall, armoured figure standing a dozen or two feet away from me. While the migraine made it impossible to tell, I believed to see faint indigo and green. A staff topped with a half-sun and the Imperial Aquila. Upon one shoulder was the symbol of the deathwatch and upon the other - an Alpha? No, an Omega? Both?! A distinct, cold feeling spread throug my body.

"Who are you?" My voice was faint, pressed through lips stained with bloody mucus "In the name of Him upon the Throne, who are you?"

"I am Alpharius."

 

-----------------------------------------------

 

Another experiment with truescaling! Not quite happy with the torso, somehow it's too tall, but oh well. I like him enough to call it a day and start with the painting soon! The plot is tightening and I feel more and more comfortable with giving Morain more exposition.

 

@Dragonlover: I guess I will have to dissapoint you as Liram will most likely be based off of Hector Rex or something more storm-casty as I want him to be tall and imposing (Although a certain Doctor and Rick Sanchez note will be present...). Glad you like the stuff though! Oh boy, the Freeblade, let's just say I've been researching golden latticework and romantic embellishment for the past few weeks^^

 

Hope you like this little update (It kinda came out of noweher as I want to test two schemes on truescale alpha legion astartes).

 

C&C is, as always, encouraged and highly appreciated!

Edited October 28, 2016 by The Observer

[~Drakzilla~]

I always love seeing your Marine conversions, as they're so full of character! The idea of using the iron halo as a force staff is genius. Also, love the fluff. You have a very intriguing narrative and backstory going on here, and I can't wait for more installments. It also seems the Alpha Legion has more of its tendrils on Terra than previously thought...

 

By the way, you've made an awesome color scheme for the Ashen Warriors. The white flame motif is a great touch that really makes it unique among the other eighteen.

[bluntblade]

Ashen King, huh? Great minds...

[MikhalLeNoir]

Ashen King, huh? Great minds...

...are inspired by Myazakis works^^

Edited October 28, 2016 by MikhalLeNoir

[Soldier of Dorn]

Wait... Alpha Legion Deathwatch? Huh. Wonder how that happened...

[bluntblade]

 

Ashen King, huh? Great minds...

...are inspired by Myazakis works^^

(Bristles like John Cleese) Ahem. I arrived at that title independently

[MikhalLeNoir]

 

 

Ashen King, huh? Great minds...

...are inspired by Myazakis works^^

(Bristles like John Cleese) Ahem. I arrived at that title independently

Hehe, I refered to Raktra who was heavily inspired by Bloodborne, who seemed to have inspired you. And the Observer here played to much Dark Souls as well.

 

So all is good^^^

[bluntblade]

I was leaning on Fury Road, to be honest

[Dagoth Ur]

Act XIV: A Smoke and Mirror's Game

 

 

What was once given cannot be returned nor reclaimed. Once given to the Kiln, once consecrated in the Flame, the offering is lost and might is gained. Who is willing to take up the yoke of darkness and solitude in order to protect? Who is willing to give all and gain naught in return?

 

I am

 

The Kindling of the Last Cycle

 

 

He who would become the last in a long line of monarchs, he who speaks fire and summons the sun's fury to his aid, it is he who managed to break the cycle. The path of the Lord led him deeper into the Abyss than all Lords before him and what he found there none can say. Whatever adversity he had to face, whatever beast of Old Night fell to his arms, he would not tell us. However, he returned aged by three times three decades and stood in the kiln blossoming with the darkness of primordial man in his soul. It is there that the cycle broke. The final offering was made, the true monarch crowned. Our Lord Morain, third of his name, ascended into the ranks of myth and legend. The Lord of CInder united Abyss and Flame within himself and the orange corona of our son waxed and waned, collapsing just like he did in the ashes of the kiln. As he awoke, so did the sun.

It was not orange, though.

It was the white of teeth and black of flint.

 

Crestfallen Priest

 

 

I could see the hunger in his soul, this horrendous yoke he had placed upon himself in a bid for survival. I fear we wronged him, I fear we can see his true heart only now. He was not corrupt. He was no usurper. The Lord of Cinder had given up his own humanity to protect those he was created to protect. Only now do I see that he had gone to further lengths in his duty than most would even think of, let alone consider. And we wanted to slay him for that.

Dear Emperor, what have we done?

 

Malcador, private writings

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp194/hodoalmir/_20161030_180435_zpszfrjluza.jpg

 

I was horrified, my mind still frozen by the sight before my eyes. Traitors. Heretics. The hydra. my migraine would not fade and I was profusely coughing blood. The psychic intrusion must have been immense. The giant strode closer to me, his footsteps were awkwardly silent on the marble floor. The pale light of chem-lamps revealed armor the color of deep indigo and green. The paint peeled off in many places, revealing clear silver beneath it.

"Greetings Laurenz" His head was clean shaven, his mouth hidden behind a mask "I do not come to harm you."

"Stay away" I coughed, my vocie raspy "In the name of the Inquisition, you are apprehended and shall stay down and be administrated your proper judgement."

"I do not think so" His cheeks moved slightly, as if he was smiling "I come in the name of my master, Lord-Inquisitor Liram. i believe you have heard of him."

I managed to pull out a syringe and pushed it into my stomach, praying it was the right substance. Quickly, the rippling sensation of Heoraxin spread through my mind and cleared the flaring patches of colour from my field of vision. My hand wandered to the holstered bolt pistol. Without properly aiming, I fired through the whole clip and expected to hear the detonations. No such sound came. The Astartes had raised one hand in a fluent, relaxed gesture. Faint, red energy pulsated from his fingers and enveloped the bolts in velvet orbs. The projectiles were hanging in the air, suspended by psychic energy. Alpharius took a step forward and vanished in a flash of red light, rematerialising just infront of me. His fingers snapped and the bolts burst into the wall behind him.

"I do not wish to harm you" He gripped his staff firmly with both hands and I could feel the pressure between my eyes "But I will if that is required."

I focused on the golden ornament that adorned his staff. The imperial aquila.

"Alright" I sighed "Let's talk."

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp194/hodoalmir/_20161030_180310_zpss2prz9xl.jpg

 

"As said" The Astartes began, relaxing his frame again "I come in the name of Lord Liram."

"I thought that he had vanished almost a century ago?" The XX^th legion was usually very tight lipped on information, I hoped to extract as much as I could "Do you have any proof?"

Without a word, Alpharius' hand slipped into a small, green pouch and produced a cube from it. He dropped it into my hand for further inspection. It was made out of polished brass, hypno-cognic silver and inlaid with a geno-matrix. A message device emplyoed by the Mechanicus only for the most important and secret messages. The cube was calibrated to only open in the presence of one imprinted mind and under constant supply of genetic material. Furthermore, what made the device even more ingenious, only the intended person could see the message, which was imprinted and sealed into its mind and almost impossible to retrieve for third parties.

"It is for you" Alpharius spoke softly "Lord Liram entrusted me to find you."

"How can it be for me?" I was still baffled by what I held, but there was one glaring issue "I have never given a genetic nor a cognic sample for such a device. It cannot be mine."

"Lord Liram would chide me for this" Alpharius was grinning again "But you will find a small strip of meat missing from your right leg tommorrow, along with lacking the memory of this conversation."

"Tommorrow?" I gulped "How?"

"Time is a funny thing, sire. It is never linear" He took a respectful step back, expecting me to use the device "A smart man once said that it is of a wibbly-wobbly nature."

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp194/hodoalmir/_20161030_180401_zpscjosmc0d.jpg

 

"So what you are trying to tell me" I could feel my hands slightly shake "Is that someone will assault me in my sleep and forcefully remove a tissue sample and a memory in order to create this thing, record a message and then send it back in time?"

"Spoilers."

"Hrmph" Much to my distaste, Alpharius seemed to gloat. My attention returned to the cube within my palm. After pressing onto a small, blue button, I could feel two needles pressing into my hand and a strong, sympathetic psy-wave being focused onto my mind. A few seconds went by until the device made a loud, high-pitched DING noise. It reminded me of a reheater.

-Inquisitor Laurenz Kothophardi.- Within my mind appeared a shimmering orb, wafting and vibrating as it spoke -Your presence has been detected and we asume that you are willfully viewing this message. Should this not be the case, please signal this with the specific though TERMINATE three times. The message will then be destroyed, your recent memory scrambled and a false-trail planted into your mind in order to distract whoever might hold you hostage. Thank you.-

The orb vanished and I could feel my mind slipping again. No, not slipping away like unconsciousness, but rather the complete blocking of my visual senses. My vision turned black and a man appeared in the dark. He was clad in baroque armor, one hand encased in a huge, ursine-like claw and the other hidden behind a silken cloak. His face had a certain weary quaility to it, but his eyes were incredibly old. No wonder, according to the inquisitorial database, he was one of the oldest inquisitors still serving the God-Emperor. The man was two millenia old.

-Greetings Laurenz- His voice was strong, with a Gothic accent and much vigour -It appears that Alpharius has reached you. This message is pre-recorded and can only be viewed once, so please listen. This is very important.-

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-I am Lord-Inquisitor Liram, part of the Ordo Chronos' triumvirate. My location must remain secret, so please excuse the lack of area-capture. I am here to impart knowledge to you. The Throne is dying, we all know this. Mankind is on the brink of chaos. Abbadon will return at the summit of the 41^st millenium. The galaxy as we know it is about to change. His sons will return. Children long dead shall arise, monsters long-forgotten will burst from the nether. Amongst them will be the Forgotten Son. Morain is stirring again, after ten millenia he wishes to return from exile. He wishes to talk to his father, as every heir must to his kingly father. The Lord of Cinders wishes to punish those that truly betrayed his father. His sons have never left this galaxy fully. There have always been whisperings of such things. The Ashen Blades are of his blood. One of them will seek you out soon and you shall be granted passage into the innermost sanctum of Terra.

Yes Laurenz, you shall be granted an audience with the Emperor. You shall stand in His and Morain's presence as two souls converse.I will be at your side, my soon-to-be-friend. I do not know of what they will talk. That is still future to me. However, we shall be there, at the cusp of a new cycle. Morain must make an old decision anew.-

 

-To give himself to his father's soul, or to leave that flame to finally simmer down.-

 

-We must not interfere, for it is not man's place to do so.-

 

-I wish you luck Laurenz. 'til soon.-

 

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@Drakzilla: Thanks man! :) Still working on my truescale skills, as I want to make a few XIth Legion truescales soon. I'm glad you like the scheme, the idea for the flames came to me while looking at my nightlords. I found it interesting that besides them and the white scars, we do not really have a legion that features such details more widespread.

 

@Bluntblade: The idea came solely from playing Dark Souls and watching VaatiVidya :D Hope you like it still :)

 

@the Psycho: My friend, the Hydra is everywhere. Especially there where you expect it the least!

 

So, I am more or less happy with the truescale, especially this one-off colourscheme :) Was quite fun and easy to do.

 

Hope you like him. Have a nice day! :)

 

C&C is, as always, very welcome!

[bluntblade]

I see you're quoting the Cunning Man of Albyon mythology...

[Dagoth Ur]

I see you're quoting the Cunning Man of Albyon mythology...

 

The what now? Googling that yields me a band I have never heard of....