The Black Psalm (WIP) + [LASC 2021]

[Gamiel]

Any comments on the above? Anything people like or don’t like or think could be done better? All constructive feedback will be greatly appreciated.

 

Overall good I would say. Suggest making the daemon not a Khorne one but an Undivided one since they are a Chaos Undivided warband, even if a notable part of them are going toward Khorne, since it feels like if the first daemon they have as guide is a Khorne one so would they quickly turn into a Khorne only warband

[Zebulon]

Overall good I would say. Suggest making the daemon not a Khorne one but an Undivided one since they are a Chaos Undivided warband, even if a notable part of them are going toward Khorne, since it feels like if the first daemon they have as guide is a Khorne one so would they quickly turn into a Khorne only warband

Thanks. Hmm, I didn’t realise an undivided daemon was a possibility? Thought all daemons served a specific god?

 

Agree that they are meant to be undivided but given the lack of known details perhaps I could “correct”/retcon that suggestion as in my view it doesn’t fit with the idea I have of who the Black Psalm are. In fact, I don’t really “get” how a Chaos warband could genuinely follow all aspects of Chaos - the four gods don’t totally “fit” together as I see it, they represent quite different aspects and interests within both the physical and metaphysical realms.

[Ryltar Thamior]

viz. the 'undivided' versus all daemons must be of a particular chaos god ... 

it's one of those areas that's gone back and forth in the fluff for some time now ; furies are, in theory, not of a particular chaos god (nor are two specific daemon primarchs, and several daemon princes), and I would hazard that various other specific named daemons and 'minor warp entities' (I forget the precise term - but like the two that were supposed to be semi-gods relating to Chaos spiky bitz) are likewise.

Drach'nyen appears to be an 'undivided' daemon as well , as does this chap. 

one way you *could* run an undivided force with a khornate .. beginning of leaning/current/drawing - would be the notion of chaos as a general thing, rather than four disharmonious elements put together ; in a similar way but inverted to how white light *is* all colours together, even though if you attempt to mix all seven colours together if they're paint you basically just get brown rather than white. Except due to the pursuits and the proclivities of various of the traitors involved in your warband, there's a distinctive 'red' hue becoming more and more prominent within the overarching (not-)white. 

Technically, GW has de-emphasized this sort of thing in rules (but not really, as we have seen, in fluff) in favour of the 'it isn't really a thing, except when it's all four in concert kinda like waht Abaddon / Archaeon have' ... but given the fact that this still occurs in the background, even relatively recently, and the fact that it makes quite a bit of conceptual sense , I'd say that if it's what you'd prefer to do, then  run with that  .

I presume you've seen some of Noctus Cornix's relevant theological conceptualizations. 

[Zebulon]

Thanks for your thoughts, RT... I like and think I understand your analogy with light and the possibility of one part of the spectrum dominating.

 

Yes, I am not overly concerned with the rules as I am more interested in fluff and forming a coherent narrative for “my dudes”

 

I have seen NC’s well-crafted work, I am hoping he may also have some thoughts or guidance to lend. It is my hope that if I can tend the sparks of inspiration with some helping hands, that the flames will build into a raging inferno over time. However, I know that I will need to work hard and give time to it.

 

It occurs to me that so far my reference points have been solely Christian, influenced by the key word, “Psalm” - I can and should cast my net wider, as there is much else out there that I could draw upon.

[Zebulon]

IMMEGHAR THE IMMOLATOR

 

 

I know this belongs in the Forge really, but I wanted to get him published and let the B&C see.

 

My thoughts are troubled, and my body groans;

My heart is racing fast, and I tremble with rage.

Completely focused, I am as a bird on furious wing,

Swooping into battle I seize them from their shelter.

I am the howling wind, the raging storm

[Zebulon]

I have been having a think, and the previous colour scheme above strikes me as too obvious in its pursuit of a Khorne/Slaanesh leaning, being half one thing and half another.

 

I was also struck by the suggestion from Gamiel that as former Illustrians, a shining colourscheme might be apt.

 

So, I have considered this:

 

 

An armour of predominantly warplock bronze with black detailing could sell the image of once bright, gaudy marines who have become dulled, tainted and warped by long warfare and the influence of chaos. I can still blacken further the armour of the berserkers, with the same logic as before about flame weaponry scorching them. It also plays to the dull robes of monastic devotees (at least in western traditions). And the robes I am painting, I am choosing dryad bark as the base colour, but sometimes livened up with deep bloody reds and exotic purples.

 

I think this is better than the previous idea for the scheme. Comments welcomed as per.

Edited November 27, 2020 by Zebulon

[Ryltar Thamior]

Speaking from experience [as you'll have seen,  the major colour for my Adamanticores is warplock bronze] - i'm not sure how well black detailing will work ... apart from how difficult it is generally to get it to visually distinguish itself [people *think* black is easy .. it isn't - the highlighting is quite a skill] , it may fade all too easily into the similarly dark bronze. 

Although then again, if i t's appropriately highlighted it may actually work IRL, so would be interested to see what you come up with. 

I'm also remembering a chap who made use of graphite to get black armour to be rather striking. Like .. straight-up pencil graphite. 

This gentleman just recently did a rather excellent looking bronze-patina-faded mockup in photoshop or something for his own project; it may be of some referential use for that colouration. 

Definitely feel that something less wildly neon than pink or even th somewhat more subdued purple, is a good way to go for the vibe you're looking for. And bronze does manage a rather 'orthodox' , 'old-school' feel , perhaps like old hard-wood 

[Zebulon]

Oh no! :D I genuinely had the Adamanticores down in my mind’s eye as being more of a Mechanicus Standard Grey - apologies. Perhaps the subconscious homage went too far...

 

I was thinking a Matt black finish might stand out against the metallic bronze, but I hear you. Bronze and brass is another combination that I am considering.

 

I did also consider warplock bronze and naggaroth night trim, but I am not at all convinced that will look anything other than “nasty” - and not in the good sense!

[Noctus Cornix]

I think you have some interesting notions, but I think there's a missing foundation at the core of what you're trying to create. I'll try to break my thoughts into sections so as to make this a bit easier for digestion. 

 

 

On Paint Schemes - Personally, I think neither of the presented colors would work very well for the concept of the Black Psalm. In Warhammer, colors tend to have a very direct corrolation if it's in the name. Black Legion. Red Templars, Ultramarines, White Consuls. Most often than not, if there is a color signified in the name of a Chapter/Legion/Warband, the thought turns immediately to that color itself. I know that black is a relatively overdone color in the 40k universe, but I would highly encourage you look to black as your primary color. Keep it simple, but execute it well. 

 

They are, after all, called the Black Psalm. Keep their armour black. Pitch black. Make it almost oily, like the armour itself is made of undried ink. Maybe use a healthy layer of Black Templar contrast paint over everything else to give it that slightly shiny effect. If you want a trim, I would recommend something metallic. While I know gold is typically taken for the Black Legion, I think I would personally recommend it. Keep it dark. Keep it grimy. Go heavy on the oxidization to get that bright bluish-green color in there to contrast the inky black. For a more unique touch, personally I'd recommend giving a start contrast with bright blight runes on the armour. Keep it small and subtle, but it would certainly stand out and add a bit of uniqueness outside of just being a similar color to the Black Legion. You don't need to reinvent the wheel to get a good, unique result. 

 

 

On the Musings of Chaos- For me, I always find it incredibly important to understand exactly what it is that drives a force and what their core values are. This is especially important for a force of supposedly religious individuals. Religion is a complicated and driving external force that should never be simply hand waved as 'as yes, religion' because that provides little in the way of context to much of anything. This has been one the primary driving factors in how I approach my Word Bearers, because they are the paragon of a Chaos Worshipper in the 40k universe... and yet, as a religious organization, we are given nothing. "It's the will of the Chaos Gods." Yeah, but what else? Why? What makes a Word Bearer any different from a normal Chaos Space Marine? There has to be a core belief, more than pure personal drive. This as well has largely been one of my issues with the Word Bearers. As much as I adore the characters like Erebus and Kor Phaeron, they are utterly selfish beings that have very very little connection between a metaphysical compulsion and their objectives. It has all largely been self-driven desire. Argel Tal was much the same. He was a soldier, not a priest. His motivations were purely loyalty to Lorgar. While these are not inherently incompatible motivations, they become problematic to the fact that we are still entirely unaware of what this faith really is that they follow (quite literally) into hell itself. 

 

For me, the Host of the Grievous Will has been a pet project into musing on these very things. If humans do truly worship the Gods and the warp, what is that like? What kind of horrible existence do they live? What do they believe in? How do they view things like the creation of the galaxy? Is there a creation story? Does that even matter? And what about the Word Bearers? Is the dark faith they spread to the galaxy inherently the same as the faith they practice themselves? Where do they seem themselves in the spiritual hierarchy? What do they truly believe in? It will be a long, complicated web of questions that I encourage you to ask yourself in your own warband, and many of the answers will likely only give you more questions... However, I do sincerely believe it will do you a world of good.

 

 

Musings on the Psalm - Okay, so what exactly do we know about the Psalm? Basically nothing. Yet, there is an incredibly key note to recognize. Psalm. A psalm is a sacred song or hymn. So, why is it that the Warband would dedicate their names as the Black Psalm? What is the psalm that they're referring to? That, in itself, should be the core of your exploration, and it should ultimately become the foundation of everything else that is to come after. This should be everything to the Warband, in some way.

 

As an example, my Word Bearers are the Host of the Grievous Will. They refer to themselves as this because the are, in essence, a doomsday cult that quite fervently believe that it is the divine mandate of all existence to suffer and ultimately end, because they believe that all life itself is a perverse sin and a poison. The 'Grievous Will' is the underlying reality beyond the scope of understanding. That reality is simply a desire to cease. Thus, they sail the stars with the single desire of ultimately bringing their divine judgment on all life and ensure the extinction of the universe itself. 

 

This is purely an example of how I have chosen to perceive my fanatical Chaos worshippers, and I encourage you to research ancient religions to figure out your own. I take a great deal of inspiration from Catholic, Islamic, Norse, Hindi, and Buddhist faiths and have used many of their underlying aspects to slowly form my perception of a Chaos faith.

 

Simply put, always remember that there is a song in the galaxy, and remember that your warriors are part of the celestial choir.

 

Hail to the Nightmare.

Edited November 28, 2020 by Noctus Cornix

[Zebulon]

Many thanks NC for your detailed response. Hopefully you can see why I was impressed by your Word Bearers, and why I said I was a fellow traveller. I definitely agree that I need to go deeper.

 

I will respond to the sections of your extremely helpful notes gradually, when I have the time to give to each bit. Again thanks as they really help me to define better what I need to do in order to increase the breadth and depth of the warband’s character.

[Zebulon]

So, the easy bit first:

 

 

 

Paint schemes - correlation between names and colours in-universe. Black is overdone, but it is the most appropriate.

 

I would agree that at first, the Black Psalm name conjured marines in black power armour with brass/gold trim, and at first that is what I had in mind. However, as I began to think more about the character of the warband, I thought that maybe eschewing the obvious would work better. I totally agree that black is overdone in 40k, too.

 

I am also aware that the basic concept of the Black Psalm sits somewhere between the Word Bearers and the Black Legion, and I am keen to avoid being too close in theme to either!

 

In the case of the Black Psalm, it is the Psalm which is black, not necessarily the armour. The first counter-example which leapt to mind was the Brazen Claws - halved red and blue. Surely there are some others, too.

 

The other thing I bore in mind is that they were not created as that which they became, and for me the idea that maybe a once brightly coloured Illustrians chapter would have dulled as part of their transition to Chaos (perhaps by natural tarnishing as much as through the dark gods’ gifts) - I am quite keen on this bronze armour/brass trim or bronze armour/bone trim as something a bit different.

 

One thing I do very much like is this idea of script or runes on the armour, albeit that again is something distinctive to the Word Bearers, so I would have to think how to do it differently. Well, WBs, and on the loyalist side I guess there are the Excoriators and the Guardians of the Covenant who write scripts on their armour.

 

Beyond these thoughts, to be honest there is also my technical limitations as a painter, which make me think that keeping it simpler, and not trying to write tiny symbols or use many layers might be better. But that’s weak sauce, so maybe I will give it a whirl. Maybe.

[Gamiel]

You could have them covered in black papers with psalms written on them

 

 

The first counter-example which leapt to mind was the Brazen Claws - halved red and blue. Surely there are some others, too.

Red Scorpions, beside their Chapter symbol do they not have any red on their armour

[Zebulon]

You could have them covered in black papers with psalms written on them

 

Red Scorpions, beside their Chapter symbol do they not have any red on their armour

Yes, that is an interesting idea. I may yet consider that.

 

Thank you, another good example!

[Zebulon]

Test Zerker

 

 

More angles here:

https://imgur.com/gallery/XOvH9pM

 

Yes, I do accept he looks rather like a fallen Adamanticore :p

[Ryltar Thamior]

Huh, the warplock actually looks a lot more black than I'd thought, on this ; might be good to see it in different/better lighting to see how it works with the brassy trim - as while it *shouldn't* look close to Black Legion [coz not black and gold], it kinda does for some reason. 

And what have I done mentioning the Adamanticore scheme :P As it happens, when I did the first round of 'line Astartes' for the Adamanticores *many* moons ago now, that same brass [Runelord Brass, yeah? ] was basically what I wound up using. 

One thing you can try is a lighter metallic , and then inking it over to the point of the lustre being lost and the whole thing darkened as if sooted up. Kinda like what I did with the main surface of the pauldrons on these pre-heresy XIXth. 

In the same manner that the World Eaters went from white armour to ... red, due to the outer manifestation of their inner corruption becoming quite painfully (for others) apparent due to blood-spatter ... you could do likewise: work out what the chapter's panoply looked like *pre-fall*, and then steadily 'darken' that with the miasmatic patina of despair and degradation. Past a certain point, the buildup of smoke-stain from candles lit in forlorn endeavours at the resemblant simulacra of previously-held piety when they felt 'whole' ... would certainly begin to build up almost into a new identity for them. The soot, the carbon, the 'dark-reflection' becoming the new tangible form; the original shadings and schema merely smoke-wreathed memory that stubbornly refuses to stop occasionally showing through when touched or dinged. 

Or something.

Now, in terms of 'writing' ... yeah, it's a pretty great idea. And one that's surprisingly easy to do, even sans super-advanced skills with the paintbrush. 

What you do is you get one of them fine detail pens with a sub-one millimeter tip , in whatever colour , and go with it from there. Much easier than using a brush. 

That, and the old 'this very fine squiggly line is actually rather small text' shorthand. 

Although assuming you're attempting to do script large enough to be somewhat legible ... do some drafts, practice on paper first so you can get the sizing right [and be aware that on curved surfaces, things may .. alter relative to doing htem on the flat] and work out what it is you want things to say. It may be worth looking into some non-Roman scripts that are capable of expressing more information with a fewer span of characters , or which simply look more exotic in practice; and which go with whatever cultural base you're aiming for. 

There's , of all things , some Exorcist marines I've seen done around the place that manage a perhaps similar effect with script upon the armour plating.  

[Gamiel]

You could have them covered in black papers with psalms written on them

To continue with this, you could have that they are still in their old, Illustrians, colours (if a bit weatered and worn) but now have them covered in black paper with the psalms on, maybe they have stoped carring about their armour colours and not even repaint scavanged armour parts that they have taken from others, they just cover those new parts in black psalms

[Zebulon]

 

^^^ Different background in an attempt to make the colours clearer in photo.

 

Yes, I have previously used seraphim sepia over dwarf bronze to get a rusty look on metallic bases and vehicle steps etc. I quite like that the warplock bronze looks almost black though, and only picks up a sheen at certain angles or in certain lighting.

 

I very much like the sentence “the miasmatic patina of despair and degradation” though, and that whole paragraph actually. I couldn’t have put it better myself, to describe what lies in my imagination!

 

I am tempted to give the script a go. Yes, I wasn’t thinking of using Roman script, nor even Greek script which (at least to me) seems far too familiar. I don’t know what the basis of the Colchisian scripts used for the (official) Word Bearers is though there seem to be a few Greek characters; obviously I would prefer to avoid that as well. Runic is out (too wolfy for my taste). Cuneiform is perhaps a little too abstract (lines and wedges) and might be too hard to scribe clearly at 1mm height... Hebrew might work? Or some variant thereupon. I suppose it doesn’t matter in a way whether it is accurate as long as it looks cool. Though it sorta matters to me. Hum. Given my multi-cultural leadership, a lingua franca would be appropriate. Or Hittite, or Akkadian. Or perhaps best to just make something up that looks good. Too many options!

 

I think the black papers idea is great in principle but I am not sure in practice. I might try one or two like that who I can claim are Uber-zealots? Perhaps for a champion, or perhaps for a condemned man (like a 30k style moritat).

[Zebulon]

Note to self: I think Linear B script might be the call, actually. It works as a more ancient form of a language that the Black Psalm are only vaguely aware that they are tapping into. The old ways, the grim ways. They don’t know what they have stumbled into, but somehow it feels warm, familiar, a home from home - but the reality is stranger, darker and more horrifying than they will know, until it is too late to step back or claw their way out of the abyss that they willingly fell into.

 

This also allows me to explore the orientalising and the “other” that informed so much of archaic and Bronze Age Greek culture, but through a lens of 40k and the fall of noble marines into ignoble and barbarous customs.

 

I am not sure I like the underlying assumptions of where my thoughts are tending, but hey this is science fiction and is no indication of IRL biases. Or not intentionally anyway. Gentle reader, bear with me, and stay the course...

[Zebulon]

 

“Some amongst the Black Psalm burn with hot fury, stoked by the searing fires of perceived injustice, their certainty in their truth, and an ardour for revenge. They boil, they simmer, they live only to spill the blood of their enemy. But more dangerous still are those whose fury is cold, calculating, conscious. That is the stamp of the men who truly run this warband.”

- Observations of [redacted], embedded Inquisitorial spy

 

I have worked up a few general words to try and scribe onto the armour. I am still not sure I will manage it, but these could work:

 

 

Also, I have given a little thought to a chapter badge, and worked up this open-jawed skull, as if either singing or screaming. Other suggestions would be welcome:

 

[Ryltar Thamior]

Legit! Very cool concept-work there. 

[Zebulon]

Musings of Chaos

 

If humans do truly worship the Gods and the warp, what is that like? What kind of horrible existence do they live? What do they believe in? How do they view things like the creation of the galaxy? Is there a creation story? Does that even matter? Is the dark faith they spread to the galaxy inherently the same as the faith they practice themselves? Where do they see themselves in the spiritual hierarchy? What do they truly believe in?

 

Okay, so this may not answer all of your questions, but it may at least answer some. Let me know if you feel it is too much of a cop out in parts, but this is what I think...

 

It matters not what the humans believe, for the Chaos gods simply are... they are, and have been, and will continue to be. Their powers are malign, inexorable, inevitable. They will always appeal to the baser instincts of men, and men will always be drawn to worship them.

 

The cultists of the Black Psalm are weak, servile and naive people. They viewed the coming of the Marines as a benediction; the Marines were messengers sent by the Dark Gods, and to do other than obey would be very unwise, even if it was an option for them.

 

Besides, the marines had Barukh. Any gifted demagogue and orator can twist a man’s mind and bend it to his will. Barukh is no mere man. He is as a demigod to the deranged hosts under his thrall; like a perverse pontiff he has them hanging on his every word. At his whim, they will willingly lay down their lives. How is this possible?

 

Control.

Manipulation.

Promises and lies.

 

The cultists believe that in dying for Khorne, they will become part of something greater than themselves. In a way they are right; their skulls shall indeed become part of his blood-soaked throne.

 

They rage, because they are taught to rage. They are stirred up and prompted to hate those whom they are required to hate; fight those whom they are required to fight. The methods of this propaganda are as old as war itself. Poison drips from the mouths of the powerful, directly into the ears of those who do not think, but simply hear, digest and repeat.

 

But what do the marines themselves gain from all this? For the most part, they do not gain much more than the cultists, whom they blithely send to Khorne in their thousands. For the marines, war is simply both their hobby and their profession; to do otherwise would be unthinkable. Yes, the horrors they have seen may have damaged their minds - but this is what they trained for, this carnage is their purpose. Is it really any different, to fight in the name of one god rather than another? But their former god was an imposter, a sham and a lie. This god they now serve is real. They have seen his daemons; they have heard his voice. This cause, surely, is one worth pursuing, even unto the jaws of hell themselves.

 

And the leaders? What of their motivations?

 

For Barukh, a once concealed desire for power found opportunity in the form of his rhetorical skill. He believes that as long as the blood keeps flowing, Khorne will favour him and grant him some measure of immortality. He is puffed up with his arrogance and self-importance; when he dies he will be shocked to find his skull tossed carelessly into the pile with all the others.

 

Khairemon and Immeghar are much like the marines below them; they simply excel in skill at-arms and in their implacable hatred and bitterness- the former for the Imperium, the latter for everyone and everything. This makes them good at their jobs, and useful to their dark master.

 

And Maï Q’ura? None shall know their mind, unless or until such time as they wish to reveal their plans and motives to us... perhaps they are already a daemon, beneath their hooded armour that they never remove. Perhaps they are some xenos, whose motives are their own. Perhaps they are seeking to balance out the galaxy, or perhaps they wish to see it burn. For now, only one thing is clear: their influence on the Black Psalm has increased the warband’s effectiveness and reach, since they came along...

Edited December 5, 2020 by Zebulon

[Gamiel]

 

You could have them covered in black papers with psalms written on them

To continue with this, you could have that they are still in their old, Illustrians, colours (if a bit weatered and worn) but now have them covered in black paper with the psalms on, maybe they have stoped carring about their armour colours and not even repaint scavanged armour parts that they have taken from others, they just cover those new parts in black psalms

 

Another similar idea to this is that they have overpainted their old colours but did a sloppy job so you can see the old colours here and there, and then scribed their dark psalms on the black areas.

 

Regarding showing of those who are on the way to any specific god would I suggest doing that with the bling/accessors – jewels, fine fabrics and elegant weapons for Slaanesh; skulls, bones and blood spatter for Khorne; I guess books, mystical trinkets and visible mutations for Tzeentch; and rust, broken gear and filty cloths for Nurgle.

Edited December 6, 2020 by Gamiel

[Zebulon]

I have put some work into a noise marine for the Black Psalm, WIP below:

 

 

I think maybe I should GS some speakers to attach to the backpack; not decided whether the eye lenses should be red on this guy yet. Also, I think some fleshiness might be appropriate on some of the tubes and wires around.

 

Thoughts welcome.

 

PS: yes I know there are still thoughts I haven’t responded to from my kind commentators; apologies I hope to have a little more time to think about all this soon... :tu:

[Zebulon]

Tonight I tried to add some text to some of my Berserkers, using what I had worked out. I am of course cackhanded and the tip of the pen wasn’t quite as fine as I hoped, but still I am reasonably happy with the result:

 

[Zebulon]

 

When boiling rage//surges in our veins,

Brother, we know that we still live!

Bring me another//let me test my skill

I’m all out of :cuss to give!

 

 

There are those within the ranks of the Black Psalm who do not follow Khorne most closely, but instead are drawn to Slaanesh. Those who hear the sibilant whisper of the Lord of Excess become members of the warband’s Dark Orkhiestra, devoting their efforts to mastering the mindbending art of wringing a tune from their sonic blasters. Their strange and disturbing musicks are often used as an accompaniment to the chanting that entrances the warband before each engagement with the enemy, before those same instruments of violent music are turned into instruments of violent warfare, the shredding blasts of twisted sound sending shockwaves through the luckless foe.