The Heresy of Hieros: Torbenos' Narrative Project

[Torbenos]

Many of the myriad cults and creeds on Hieros maintain armed forces of some description, whilst highly unusual and frowned upon in the Imperium at large a sweeping exception on the shrine world has been made in the wake of the Dark Times. The majority of them are commoners who have taken up arms to defend their sacred idols and prophets, maintain the territory the cults have influence over. In some areas it has devolved to glorified gang warfare as much of the society is still recovering from their time cut off from the Imperium.

 

 

 

 

I threw these together mainly on a whim as I wanted some more civilian looking figures who were still armed and fit into the Warhammer 40.000 universe. 

[Torbenos]

 

++++5143M42++Hieros++Pietrun+Solar Square++++

 

Sir William together with Verus and Thaddeus make their way through the ruins of the Solar Square once the center of the people's faith in the planatery capital of Pietrun. Untold towering temples and sacred sites once stood here, left a looted scar upon the world in the wake of the great rift. Once a place of imperial authority it has become a battleground for gangs of witch hunters and fanatics, all proclaiming their own creed the -true- will of the blessed Emperor, damned be all who stand in their way. The presence of Inquisitor Regulus made known through the distant stare of the servo-skull following in their wake.

Edited July 18, 2020 by Torbenos

[Lucerne]

What were the parts that went into the civilians? They look great!

[Torbenos]

 

"The people of Hieros cry out for righteous retribution! For years we suffered! The Arch-enemy came to our very doors yet we did not turn from His face! Now these outsiders come, promisig salvation! Claiming the right to our world! To the rewards of our suffering! This Regulus is no inquisitor! He does not speak with the voice of Blessed Terra nor does he serve the will of the Eternal Martyr he names Emperor! Follow me now, as we seek liberation!"

-- Anointed Redyn Visslas, prior to an assault upon the Ducal Palace

 

Time flies as they say and the hobby is a fickle mistress, to give a very belated answer to you Lucerne they fellows are all Frostgrave bodies, Genestealer Cultist arms and various Warhammer Fantasy heads. As can be seen they were painted during a brief stint where I grew bold with trying to paint eyes, I could do some work here and put a wash over the white to make it blend better. But for now they serve.

 

They are generic enough to serve in many different contexts, which I am happy with but still look like hard working people who have just picked up an autogun.

[Torbenos]

The leader lady for my gang of thugs.

 

[Torbenos]

 

 

Interrogator Darid Khol

 

While Inquisitor Regulus himself favours dealing with his work on Hieros from behind the thick walls of the Ducal Palace his protoge has become the face of the Inquisition known to the inhabitants of the planet. Indeed many of the social elite of the shrine world believe Darid to be the Inquisitor himself choosing to adopt a less august guise as part of his blessed work. As an offworlder he's seen as strange to the common folk and an exotic novelty to the gilded. While William has become known as the herald of the Inquisitor's wrath, Darid moves freely within the social strata of the world.

 

More than one preacher and blessed leader of a cult in the capital city of Pietrun has thought the Interrogator a friend, a contact or even an asset to keep themselves protected from the relentless Inquisition has found themselves disillusioned when faced with the barrel of the Interrogator's stub revolver. 

 

 

 

 

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

 

I've also gone through and fixed a few broken links from my imgur album clear out awhile back, and took a few new photos of the old miniatures to replace the old. I also did a dirty quick paint job of the Scions at some point over the last few years, might go back and touch it up in the future. 

 

 

Edited February 26, 2022 by Torbenos

[Torbenos]

After reading Flesh and Steel by Guy Haley I dug around for a few of the servitors I've had lying around in the cupboard for half a decade or more now and started painting. I'm nothing if not predictable when it comes to my reading inspiring me.

 

[Torbenos]

Threw together two more fighting sorts, a gunslinger and one man with a real love for plasma weaponry. I'm quite enjoying the greatsword torso as you can tell with my more recent conversions.

 

 

 

 

[Torbenos]

Jurgen Hrost
Corporal of the 76th Laaron Lions

 

"It's quite the thing. To carry the power of a star in your hands."

 

 

 

 

Corporal Hrost first came into service with Inquisitor Regulus during the Reclamation Campaign of the Jinko system in 013.M42. Serving in the 76th Regiment of the Laaron Lions he rose to prominence during the Solvak Offensive where he distinguished himself in the battle against the heretic forces. In the wake of this he was recruited by Interrogator Darid in the following action with the Yiox Witch Warriors.

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

 

 

I also finished the last of my servitors, still quite into listening to Warhammer books again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 27, 2022 by Torbenos

[Torbenos]

 

++++5143M42++Hieros++Pietrun+Organic Recycling Plant V++++

Darid clutched his stub gun close, its heavy frame and weight lending him some comfort even as he crouched down behind the pumping canisters. His face was still wet with the foreman's blood, from that first shot. It wasn't supposed to have gone down this way, this was a routine check-in after multiple reports of attempted sabotuage at the recycling plants. Savat Soqira had estimated the pattern to suggest it was attempts at ration theft by the local populace since the Duke declared a new rationing schedule in the wake of the recent warp storms.

Local populace, kark, these aren't local, if they were human at all. Darid kept still as he heard them shamble and sniff in the air, breaking open plasteel crates and gorging themselves on the carb-bars within. He'd faced mutants before in his service to Regulus, and this was no different. But he was alone and they were many. He'd counted at least a score emerging from the sewage works as he'd fled from the initial skirmish.

They stood short, diminutive and shruken in size from living in the undercity. Their skin pallid and sickly from a lakc of sun, their limbs swollen and malformed from what must have been generations of inbreeding and mutation. Darid's musing were interuppted by a wet slapping sound nearby, and looking over the canisters he saw one of the stunted creations hacking away at the flesh of a plant worker with a pipe.

"Bad! Bad! Here-tyk! Here-tyk!" it gargled with a tongue that was too large for its small head. And after bones were broken and flesh bruised it leaned down to try and tear at the meat with its few teeth. That was when it paused, its yellow eyes having caught sight of Darid behind the canisters. Their eyes met, and there was no hesitation then. He brought the gun up and pulled the trigger.

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Imperial Records found in the first survey post the re-conquest of the world that the population had decreased by at the very least sixty percent during the period cut off from the Imperium. While initially this was assumed to have been due to starvation and violence during the violent riots and daemonic rifts that the locals claim appeared recent incidents in the lower levels of the city has lead to several encounters with mutated social groups. Their numbers are unknown and some theorise that their much exceed initial estimations, and may be the answer to the question as to the eventual fate of the population lost.

[Torbenos]

 

 

++++5164M42++Hieros++Pietrun+Street of Saints++++

Things weren't looking good.

Darid ran through the Saints' District, said to once have been a jewel of Pietrun but that was long ago. His stub-revolver was clutched tight even as he heard the short efficent calls of his men behind him, and following that the barking roar of bolter-fire. In less than ten seconds their approach had changed from clandestine to a :cuss:storm.

It was known the religious warfare of the lower districts had grown more heated of late, with the Duke having declared the zone in quarantine until such a time order could be re-established. But a small team Darid had argued could surely move unseen, his work to turn and extract a member of the Church of the Star-Born Sage had been ongoing for near a terran standard year.

They had been inserted via ducal heli-bird at Sanctioner Station Gamma near the edges of the quarantined zone and made their way through the ruined streets largely without trouble. As was the way in these parts of Pietrun anyone without the protection of the Faith Gangs behind them shied from the sight of armed men, and they cut an imposing sight in their brightly coloured carapace armour. Large bolters in the hands of masked men were enough to bring any reasonable man to pause.

But Pietrun was not a city ruled by the reasonable.

It was the voice of a woman who had declared their death.

"Outsiders! Heretics! They come for us! They come for us children! For our faith!"

Darid had just barely seen her up on the balcony of one of the million churches that once crowded these streets, And then came the rattling roar of autoguns, a trio of the gangers sprayed down the street which they had been advancing upon. Without thought he had thrown himself into the shelter of a nearby abbandoned container, to be greeted by screams and moans as the sickly and fearful people that had made it into their home scrambled out of his fear. Fearful of him and the fighting that had so suddently erupted.

He could hear the auto-rounds strike at the plasteel exteriour of the container from the outside, and it held for now. He cursed under his breath as he forced his way through the mass of people cowering. "Out of my way! Get down!" a snarl on his lips. He emerged on the other side to be greeted by more ruins, and was brought to a pause as he heard the sound of a round being racked into a shotgun.

 

 

 

[Torbenos]

 

Dissection Report
Subject: Homo Sapien Variatus, "Underdweller" 
Age: Unknown. Adult    Gender: Male

 

Dissection conducted by Medicae Tirena Dola
Annotated by Savant Soqira Vraksian
Attending: Interrogator Darid Khol

Initial Impressions:

Subject is deceased adult, genus Homo Sapien Variatus of unknown provenance. Cause of death is a stub-gun wound to the torso followed by blood loss, approximately 37 hours before the documented date. Subject shows substantial deviation from standard homo sapien sapien genome surpassing the set Hieros allowance of 9 points of the Godolkin Index, see attached Index Diagram.

The subject measures 112 centimeters and displays signs of malnourishment and muscular atrophy, environmental conditions in the underhive makes it difficult to ascertain if the cause is due to mutation or natural symptoms. Generally the subject maintains the morphology of homo sapien sapien and thus does not cross the 20 point of standard deviation from the Index. 

A. Head. Elongated ears and widened ear canal suggest enhanced auditory organs, this together with the shrunken and milky eyes seems to suggest an adaptation to existence in a low-light environment. The subject was missing several teeth, and appears to have been suffering from multiple forms of dental decay.

 

B. Arm. The subject's left arm displayed extensive growths of unknown origin, having swelled to an estimated three times its natural size and the fingers appears to have swelled and then grown together. By mico-dissection it appears this was not a condition inherent to the genus, and reports from Interrogator Darid suggests it is not a universal ailment among the type.

 

C. Clothing. The subject was retrieved wearing nominal attire in the form of fabric covering genitals as well as a rudimentary satchel hand stitched from leather. Gene-testing reveals the hide to be homo sapien in origin. Low-tech.

 

D. Weaponry. The subject was retrieved with a Leonine-Pattern autopistol, and by the report of Interrogator Darid displayed rudimentary proficiency with the firearm. By its marking number it is forged in the Cothian Factorum, and can be assumed to have been looted. The subject was also armed with a low-tech edged weapon, further suggesting to be capable of crude craftsmanship.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: The subject has been identified as an "underdweller" by local Accusators, suggested to be a known quality in the Pietrun Underhives. The extent of this mutant infestation remains unknown as the Faith Gangs continue to undermine the Accusator presence in the region. Generally believed to be few, indeed their existence was doubted and denied by Ludex of the Ascended Spires.

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

[Torbenos]

 

 

Edited September 11, 2022 by Torbenos

[Torbenos]

 

++++5164M42++Hieros++Pietrun+Street of Saints++++

 

Since the Ducal declaration of confinement the Saints' District the stability nominally imposed upon the cult by Sanctioner Station Gamma had been shattered. Roaming faith militia had seized control of the main highways within the end of the day, with the Church of the Star-Born Sage emerging as the dominant faction after initial skirmishes which saw the Acolytes of the Dawn condemned to a fiery end.

 

Reports submitted by the Planetary Defense Forces enforcing the confinement policy confirm that even now internal conflict rage in the region, although in the wake of the initial attempt at breaching the district perimeter being repelled no further act against the Ducal forces have been observed.

 

 

The above pict was taken at the main thoroughfare at the Street of Saints by Ducal Intelligence elements assessing the threat of the Star-Born Militia. So far they've only been observed to be in the possession of small arms, it is clear by their tactics that there is an experienced military element within the Cult. The road block observed in the pict while done with crude equipment is wholly adherent to the guidelines laid down in the Tactica Imperialis.

 

Requests have been forwarded to Inquisitor Regulus for information as to the identity of any notable military persons associated with the Cult. 

[Firedrake Cordova]

Nice work, @Torbenos.  Where's the "norsish" bearded head from? I can't quite place it.

[Pearson73]

Some great stuff in this thread! Love the gritty style and the chance to get a view at the more 'normal' side of the Imperium, rather than just the huge apocalyptic battles!  I particularly like the way you've done those Tox Troopers from Anvil (right?) the leader look rather dignified and the red cloak adds a lovely splash of colour to the grime.

[Torbenos]

They are indeed Tox Troopers made by the fellow over at the Edinburgh Miniature Company, sadly it seems he's sold the last of the stock and is no longer making them. A shame, I got a platoon worth just before the pandemic occured and since then far as I can tell he's not shipped outside of the UK so I've never been able to expand. Still happy to have a few squads, they're lovely miniatures.

 

I built together a backdrop from some left-over terrain bits and painted that up today. Here's a first photo, the wash isn't even quite dry.

 

 

 

 

 

++++Hieros++Pietrun+Street of Saints++++

 

The sound of thick plasteel doors shutting was all that greeted them as they marched through Habitation Block Gamma XVI, near three weeks had now passed since the confinement edict was put into place and the population of the Saints' District had begun to suffer starvation on top of the violent politics of the religious cults. Once their craft landed outside the Block some few had emerged to greet them, mistaken in their belief that the presence of Ducal Guard spelled the end of their torment.

 

Serjant Dolm had announced their warrant for the arrest of Vidicin Rourke by Inquisitorial Decree. One of the local gunthugs nearby had made a run for it upon hearing that, he never made it into the building. In the wake of initial resistance the Serjant declared the Block to not be compliant and while Unit XI and IV remained outside on confinement duties we were given the job of clearing the block.

 

As the hours dragged on and they encountered only nominal resistance by cult militia Irid began to wonder, was Vidicin even here?

 

 

Edited February 18, 2023 by Torbenos

[Torbenos]

 

 

Itara

Bladesworn of the Nicetan Order

 

Edited July 3, 2023 by Torbenos

[Firedrake Cordova]

The muted colour palette works very well  

[Pearson73]

That's a real shame about the troopers, as they're really brilliant sculpts. The backdrop looks great, a nice idea!

 

Love the weapon of Itara and I agree with @Firedrake Cordova about the colour choices.