Iason and the hunt for the Golden Ram

[sarabando]

So brilliant.

I have to visit this thread almost every day to breath in these wonderful models.

IL have to get out of my funk and make sure there are some updates for you. I shall update soon when Iason and his Argonauts meet the blind mutant Phineus whos home is plagued by foul winged harpies.

[sarabando]

++Personal record Legionnaire Iason 543256721++

 

Day 63

 

Deeper into the belly of this unending beast we dove. Warp foulery is a foot as our instruments show we clearly have travelled much farther than the original auspex scans predicted the structure to stretch.

Bigger on the inside, it turns my stomach at such ill omens, nothing good can come from something bigger on the inside than the out.

We secured the secondary control station and allowed the Argo to continue through the dark far above us.

 

We travelled onwards on foot for two days, the tunnels caked in mud and grime as if they had been flooded some time before and recently cleared. We were soon to loose heart before we found signs of life, or more accurately former life. Bodies, withered and starved, emaciated and pot bellied they filled the corridor. Twisted men and women mutants and subhumans, many sorts i had never witnessed.

The Word Bearers who had attacked us were absent at this time their pursuit slackening and fading as we continued deeper through the dank laberynth, the auspex chiming as we followed way points that the device assured us would lead to the Argo.

late on the second day we came to a wide room with a tall vaulted ceiling, dull fires burned in braziers and a great stone table bisected the space.

My men fanned out with out a word securing the area, Hercules groaned about needing Hylas again his bloodied form creaking in protest as he moved.

 

From the shadows a twisted figure appeared half man half beast of burden leaning heavily on a twisted staff for support. The creatures appearance offended and sickened my eyes his long snout like that of a bull or ox. Menoetius moved to strike the animal down but it bleated raising its empty miss matched hands in an offering of submission.

 

"Phineus We are, oh great ones." He said through flat teeth, his eyes milky. "oh warriors i know you although the Emperor does not grant my eyes the light to see you." It fumbled around in its rags before removing a pendant and offering before himself. Phineus sheathed his weapon but kept his shield up as he stepped forward taking it in his hand presenting it to me.

 

"A crux Vitrix." He offered knowing I knew this already.

"These are often given to the mortals when they leave an expeditionary fleets after a successful crusades. The red edging signifies a sanctioned abhuman regiment although i fail to make out the designation Lord."

 

Phineus nodded enthusiastically.

 

"yes, yes. Many days i fought for the master under many suns, we all did." He waved his arms around and i noticed for the first time a throng of abhumans had appeared in the shadows unseen by even my acute autosense. The members of squad Iphitos moved as one to surround me with a wall of shields and shimmering blades.

 

The old goat waved his arms around frantically.

"No no no threat, many friend." Phineus cried.

 

I ordered my men to stand down but though a private vox i advised them to keep their wits about them.

Phineus gestured to his people around and they gathered about us a menagerie of twisted forms and depraved shapes, many wearing tatters of ancient imperial army uniforms. I held the award out but the ancient leader simply stared through me.

"The old one is blind my lord, look at his eyes." Advised Butes and indeed the community leaders eyes were a dull milky white, I took its heavy hand in my own and placed the pendent in his palm.

 

“The Emperor and the Sons of Ultramar thank you for your service.” I bowed my head as was tradition when meeting such an ancient veteran

 

For hours we were regaled with tales of battles won long ago, how they had fought along side the 1st, the 9th and the 17^th legions for hundreds of battles.

I told him how the sons of Lorgar had betrayed the Emperor and of our quest and this sent a wave of braying and stamping of hooves through the group.

 

Phineus told us of his home, how once this ship had been a great troop lander that had been on its way to some back water moon that his clan had earned settlement rights to after a particularly bloody campaign. They were unsure when it had become part of this great edifice of space debris but he was sure that it was punishment that was well deserved.

He told me of how he felt that the Emperor had been disappointed at them for some unknown slight and now sent his punishment to them daily.

Brutes asked him what he meant by this but before he could answer a great bell tolled the sound reverberating through the halls. From above a wide rust encrusted trough creaked as it was lowered into position. The gathered herd raised their heads as one and let out a low brey that made my enhanced diaphragm shake.

A foul smelling muck some sort of food stuff gushed from the trough splashing over the tower, the gathered mutants pushed and shoved each other to get mouthfuls of the thick mush into their snout like mouths.

 

Phineus just sat at the end of the table weeping not making any effort to feed himself. A second Bell toll rolled through the cavern and i turned to face him waiting for some explanation. He dropped his milk white eyes to face me.

"The Emperor punishes us, with food enough so we do not starve but before we can eat our fill his punishment will come and take their toll.

 

On cue the doors at the end of the hall barged open a foul stench filled the space turning my guts.

 

++Personal record Legionnaire Iason 543256721++

 

Day 63.5

 

Great beasts lumbered out of the shadows sending the gathered mutants fleeing back to their warrens. Around the feet of these twisted machines more man like mutants and human dregs whooped and shouted firing crude autopistols into the air.

“Those are no servants of the Throne. To arms!” I cried drawing my weapon.

We fell upon them blades slicing through the weaklings with righteous fury, but the victory was shorted lived. The mechanical abominations, a twisted amalgamation of rotting flesh and rusted machines moved faster than my eyes could track.

No beast that large should be able to move as swiftly as these did, driven by some ill wind. They rushed too and from weapons, and limbs lashing out legs snapping back and forth with powerful kicks towards the fleeing mutants and my own men.

Ancient Hercules swung his great fists in vain, mighty blows landing where foes no longer stood. His bellows of rage expressing the same rage i felt as i ducked a lashing limb. Philoctetes was flung against a bulkhead next to me with such force his vital signs blinked out of existence for a moment.

 

Menoetius dragged his injured brother to his feet and i gave the order to retreat. Peneleos blasting away with his gravgun covering our retreat. As we battled our way to the exit my eyes met Phineus who nodded knowingly as we left. An hours march in a foul mood put us at a docking port and the familiar site of Argo did little to raise our spirits.

 

Tiphys balks at the idea of fleeing from such a foe with all the bravado of someone who hasn't had seven shades of hades beaten out of him, he was always one for stories of great heroes and mythic deeds but the tillerman was unfamiliar with the filth of real combat.

 

Apothecary Eribotes has confirmed that Philoctetes is stable and will recover but he is concerned with the mood of the men. Actor demands to be given another chance as do many of squad Iphitos but i wave their protests away, the monsters were simply too fleet of foot for us to tackle.

 

I knew the abilities of each of all the warriors who joined us a Iolcis and I knew that only one group had the abilities to match these creatures. I called them forward, at the front Zetes and Calais two warriors who i knew by reputation alone.

Known to many as the Sons of the North Wind for their swift action in battle a title given by the Primarch himself.

 

With them came Talaus a warrior of great experience and skill, his axe hummed hungrily.

 

 

Nauplius stepped forward and drew his blade placing it before me in the way of the ancient wars pledging his life against this task.

Lastly Oileus came forward, a bundle of grenades clutched to his breast and a wicked grin on his youthful face.

 

The Strike squad had brought with them powerful jetpacks that would let them take to the sky as the Gods of old.

They swore with fire and blade to liberate the one known as Pineus a beast cursed in life who still bore his loyalty to the throne with pride.

 

 

 

Edited October 23, 2021 by sarabando

[Pearson73]

Great poses on these chaps, the colours of the weapons give some real retro feeling to them.

[sarabando]

Long time no update 

 

It occurred to me that I never posted the finished breachers so here they are along with Iason who now also has a shield.

 

Next up is apothecary eribotes 

 

And finally a WIP tactical squad