Order of the Penitent Spirit (WIP)

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Excellent work on the Canoness. I like the purple and gold-flecked cape.

[Atrus]

Hokay, so this is just the start of the fluff following the BoA17 format. I'm only doing this a bit at a time because I don't get much time to write. I know there's not much to feedback on here, but at least a general gist of if this is going in the right direction.

 

Order of the Penitent Spirit

 

 

 

SUMMARY

 

▪ HOME WORLD: Avelor (formerly Praxedes IV)

 

▪ MAIN COLOURS: Dark purple, Crimson, and Gold trim.

 

▪ SPECIALITY: The numbers of the order have grown since its early days to become the main enforcement of law and faith upon Avelor. As such, the order has become adept in urban suppression- favouring Heavily Armoured Personnel Carriers (HAPCs) such as Repressors and more mobile Immolator counterparts to facilitate effective deployment of Sororitas elements to locations of civil unrest or daemonic incursion.

Still, the order maintains the battle disciplines from the time of its earliest blessed founding when its numbers were perilously depleted. That of small, effective kill teams that strike at identified enemy key positions and leadership.

 

▪ BATTLE CRY:

Call: "From us the darkness hides."

Response: "For we bear the Emperor's Light!"

 

▪ CURRENT STRENGTH: Upon Avalor's renewed contact with the Imperium, the militant members of the order number at 600, with an additional 150 Hospitaller, Dialogus, Missionaria and Famulous.

 

▪ ALLEGIANCE: Solely to the God-Emperor of mankind.

 

 

Thats it for now; I know, not much. The battle-cry doesn't fit well with me. Want something along those lines, but just feels forced to me.

Edited March 28, 2017 by Atrus

[Servant of Dante]

. . . Consecrated Concubines? What?

Smells an awful lot like Heresy *primes flamer*

Edited March 28, 2017 by Servant of Dante

[Atrus]

The? Haaaaaaaa forgot to take that bit out *doh* that was early drafty stuff that I decided to remove as it was more related to the knight house than the Order.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

I appreciate the background details. Love the battle cry.

[Atrus]

Well after a couple weeks of batch painting, I have come to the conclusion that I hate batch painting.  It took forever to feel like I was getting anywhere with these girls, but here they finally are: the Repentia.

 

 

 

 

Been a while since I've painted flesh, and boy do these girls have a lot of it.  This is actually my first time trying my hand at dark flesh- not too bad for a first attempt and I quite like the looks.  Decided to get a mix of skin colours for my order- variety is the spice of life.

 

For those interested, I've got a spoiler section below on the brief fluff speel I've got for a kill team im doing for a local heralds of ruin kill team campaign.  Fun relaxed campaign.  GM has made the world we're on a general mcguffin world- recovering from a recent Tyranid invasion, now pirates and heretics run rampant; planetary governor sends for aid.  Just a short speel- NOT related to my Order; still working on that and didn't want to get confused, so made up one for the fluff I spent all of 5 minutes pulling out of my dairy air.

 

The light of the God-Emperor of Mankind rests within all the world's of his blessed imperium. Kryner was no exception.

The Ecclesiarchy citadelNachtmusik. Center of worship for the emperor, and fortress to the Adepta Sororitas minoris order of the Honoured Matres.
When the Tyranid hive fleet struck, it was here that a splinter of the Tyranid infestation was revealed in the form of a genestealer stealer cult.
For decades, the xenos infection had spread unnoticed even under the watchful eyes of the Sororitas. Slowly it had grown, becoming on of many beacons on Kryner to draw the Hive to the ill-fated planet.

The xenos influence was not limited to the civilian populace; by the time it was discovered that several priests and even some of the Sisters themselves were under the thrall of the genestealers, the Tyranid fleet had entered the system.

Nachtmusik was overrun in the early days of the invasion. It was with fervent, dedicated effort that the remaining Sororitas forces were able to retake and purge the holy site. Determined not to lose ground again, the battle sisters fought from the citadel while priests reconsecrated the church. Nachtmusik would become one of the few strongholds in the city capable of sheltering civilians. With the genestealer threat still about, many civilians even remotely suspected of taint were immolated on the spot.

When the Tyranid hive fleet was finally defeated, Nachtmusik stood unbreached, but shadow of its former glory. Still, the bells that remained and what organs that were still functioning played praises all day.

In the aftermath of the invasion, the seriousness of the Sisters placidity that had lead to even those of their own order to become enthralled to the xenos, sank in.
Ashamed and convicted of such heinous sin, the majority of the Sisters tore their habits and threw ash over their heads, wailing as they willing took the vow of the Repentant- forsaking their armour, wargear and recognition as a sister, to become one of the Repentia; ferocious bezerkers, seeking redemption or forgiveness in the deaths of the enemies of the emperor, or their own.

Their numbers decimated, the order of the Honoured Matres only have the resources to function is small teams while the government reestablishes order. These teams are used to put down looting and food riots, the Command structure of the Honoured Matres seek to focus their efforts on locating and destroying elements that would destabilize imperial rule.

Prioress Katran leads the order now after her superior was slain during the invasion; as such her duties lay mostly in an administrative role these days. Her immediate second is Mistress Layna who takes to the field, spurring the many Repentia of the order on towards the imperium's enemies.

(Pictured: Mistress Layna, Father Niklos and Hospitaller Florence with a Repentia team.)

Special Fluff rule: the sisters of the Honoured Matre order are eager to earn forgiveness for their sin and are quick to take up the vow of the Repentant. After a match in which the sisters are defeated; for each Repentia that dies as a result of being taken out of action, a core Battle Sister may be "upgraded" to a Repentia for free as she takes the Repentias vow, seeking to atone for her failure. Any special equipment the Battle Sister had is lost as she is stripped of her wargear and takes up the eviserator of her fallen predecessor.

 

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Good job on the models. The Special rule is interesting, but I question its use (Sisters Repentia have no armor or long-range weapons) and how the new Sisters Repentia take off their power armor (described as time consuming to put on in the absence of servitors in 'Blood Gorgons') on the battlefield. It may be simpler to say the Sisters Repentia use suicide bombs that detonate when they lose their last wound, ensuring they take the enemy with them, and that a Genestealer implant will not subvert their loyalty to the Emperor- I wrote a similar rule (the "Last Chance for Redemption") for the Death Company of a Blood Angels descendant.

[Atrus]

The GM said our little special rules have to be fluffy and have no effect on combat in a game. Basically these are rules that come into play during the post game; so suicide bombing repentia would be a no-go.

So the sisters are doing all the armour shedding off screen.

[Servant of Dante]

I find the idea of suicide bombs distasteful in general (not that the Imperium would have a moral issue with them, I just don't find the idea of them being in the game appealing at all), and I really don't think they fit the flavor of Repentia (but then I just said I was biased against them).

Edited April 13, 2017 by Servant of Dante

[Bjorn Firewalker]

After dealing with Genestealers, I imagine the Sisters would rather use suicide bombs than risk letting a Genestealer implant subvert their faith or perverting their bodies- their very humanity.

[Atrus]

I'm with Dante on this one. They don't sit well with me from a fluff perspective.

 

Also on a personal note, having some friends in army who have had to deal with suicide bombers; their off handed use in a game has absolutely zero appeal to me whatsoever.

[Atrus]

Hey, long time since I've posted here.  I've been very busy painting a 20 girls squad which has been going slowly.  Managing to get one model done a night but had to take last week off as I was starting to burn out a little. Getting back into painting them again.  Just have the Superior, 4 sisters, heavy bolter, flamer and simulcrum to go now.  I may do a Priest as well just to round them out.  Thinking of doing the flyer or my exorcists next to take a break from infantry.

 

With 8th on its way and all this talk of pistols in combat, I've gotten excited and done up a wishlist model.

 

 

This is Sophia- also known as "The Cleric" (hope somone gets that). 

 

 

I know some of her looks cluggy with thick paint.  This is due to a very bad undercoat paint that I lost the patience to try and strip again.

Her left arm and plasma pistol is from a guard command sprue.  I was thinking of snipping off the pistol and slapping it on her normal arm, but I've not seen sisters with bionics and I wanted to have something different; so the bionic arm stayed.

Right arm was tricky.  I wanted her to dual wield pistols because thats freaking cool.  Of course, sisters only have mellee in left arms, so some snipping was required to get the inferno pistol off an existing arm and slap and disguise it onto the new arm.  It came out okay....as long as you don't look at it for too long or too closely.

I sacrificed a seraphim jump pack- taking off its angel wing jets and slapping them onto the normal cannoness back pack.  It worked out better than I had hoped- the tubing comes in exactly in line with the nubby bits on the side of the pack and just make it all look natural.  I think it looks great.  Unfortunately, now I have yet another Seraphim without a jump pack...because I was an irresponsible person over the years and lost soooooooo manyyyyyyyy packs over the years.  :'(

 

 

I've experimented with hair colours and I've settled on an order of predominantly red-heads.  I love how the red hair has come out.  My attempts at blonde and brunette leave me dissatisfied, but this red looks very pleasing to me.  Blacks and cliche white hairs will make some appearances, but I like the red.

I'm getting better at the eyes I think :)

 

Even if GW don't let me have this jump packing, dual wielding Cleric; I think it's still a pretty freaking sweet looking model and she's going to be making an appearance somehow because I just love this model.

[Servant of Dante]

That is a great looking Canoness! The bionic arm is a great touch, and the flames on the jump pack! The red lining on the cloak works really well imo. Suffice it to say I'm jealous :P I hope 8E gives you the jump pack Canoness option, but I wouldn't bet on it right now . . .

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Is Cleric a reference to Christian Bale's character in 'Equilibrium'?

 

I have to ask why her eye glows like that. Is it an augmetic replacement? Or is she a psyker?

[Servant of Dante]

primes flamer

Edited May 6, 2017 by Servant of Dante

[Atrus]

Yay, got the Equilibrium reference.

 

The eyes first and foremost are simply just because I love the look of the glowey.

She is not a psyker.

The headcannon I have with this order (Still no time to write it down or fully work it out in my head) is they were part of a crusade and due to things and events a good portion of the fleet crash landed on a world due to warp storm. Long story short; due to how thin the veil is between reality and the warp, the sisters faith can have visual manifestations. Stressing right now, no witchcraft here, only faith. I like faith and stuff for sisters to be miraculous; some like it merely to be forced of will, but my headcannon is that big E actually looks out for his little girls.

Sisters exhibiting these gloweys of faith are highly regarded as their faith is plain to see.

 

Wish I had time to put pen to paper on this. Sounds cool in my head. Word-bearer enemy on the planet makes for interesting wars of words and faith as well as bolter and flamer.

[Sister Alessia]

Such a striking Army and really nice you did a background story! I adore the purple so much and that Canoness conversion is really cool!

[Atrus]

Thank you, I'm quite fond of it all too :)

 

Additional to my last post. The eyes thing ties in with their war cry. The response being "For we bear the Emperors light!" They literally bear his light within themselves.

There is a bit of contention over this manifestation when it initially appears. Lot of repenting and incarcerating and such. Over time it is seen as the Emperors favour as it just keeps happening to the most devout.

 

As you can imagine, there's also a bit of contention with the inquisition and such once contact is reestablished with the imperium after over 500 terrain years( different for them cuz time warpiness)

[Bjorn Firewalker]

If you want Cleric to have glowing eyes, you might as well say she's a power armored Inquisitor or Inquisitorial Acolyte. That will calm the "fluff Nazis" currently priming flamers and arming meltaguns at the sight of a witch bearing the Sisters' colors.

[robofish7591]

Awesome conversion! Looks like she rolled a few too many gets hots though!  Hopefully that bionic will let her make her armor saves!

[Servant of Dante]

No, paint the eyes how you want. I don't inerpret the fluff the same way, but that's irrelevant. However you enjoy 40K is just as valid as how anyone else does. And, as you said, she's not a witch :P

[Red_Shift]

That battle sister is awesome. I love glowing eyes.

[Dread]

With all the years I've painted minis I've always tried to do helmets. The eyes being the reason. Painting them that small is a real butt buster. The glow looks great and gives it a holy flavor plus the new art for Celestine shows hers glowing, I know it has to do with the living saint fluff but hey, go with it. Also I've seen my wife's eyes glow when she gets upset, no really, they do.

[Servant of Dante]

With all the years I've painted minis I've always tried to do helmets. The eyes being the reason. Painting them that small is a real butt buster. The glow looks great and gives it a holy flavor plus the new art for Celestine shows hers glowing, I know it has to do with the living saint fluff but hey, go with it. Also I've seen my wife's eyes glow when she gets upset, no really, they do.

so . . . is she a witch or a saint?

 

sorry, couldn't resist. I'll be going now.

[Dread]

Hehe, bit of both.