Dawn Seers [LASC2021]

[Doctor Perils]

This article is presented for the Legiones Astartes Swap Challenge 2021 http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/368832-liber-astartes-swap-challenge-2021-phase-1/

DAWN SEERS

++ Accessing Inquisitorial Report. ++

++ Enter name of Report required: _ ++

>> DAWN SEERS <<

++ ... ++

++ Confirm clearance level: Vermillion (Y/n) ++

>> Y <<

++ Input Vermillion idiosyncratic runic identifiers: ++

>> iqerjgeqlkjvb mkdjfnqldfnmqfm <<

++ Processing ... ++

++ ... ++

++ Decryption >>>>>>>>>>>>____|| ++

++ ... ++

++ Access granted ++

[centre]

[/centre]

The Dawn Seers are an unusual cult of the False God SlAanE$H: it appears the focus of their worship is to experience the greatest number of star-rises as possible. As the number of worlds in the Galaxy is probably greater than a billion, this is a vain quest.

Though this goal is hardly the most destructive when compared to most Archenemy warbands, it is in their habit to invade Imperial Worlds for the space of a single night and day, slaughtering thousands of innocent Imperial subjects and heroic PDF troopers to place themselves in an optimal viewing position. Then, they will stop all fighting in order to witness the dawn, weathering any blows aimed at them - apparently, this counts as a part of the experience for them?! To further show the degeneracy of this cult, many will continue to watch the star-rise even as it sears their retinnas in what must be indescribable agony: once they are blind, some will continue to fulfil their ritual by simply feeling the heat of stellar radiation upon their skin and listening to the awakening of diverse fauna; others will instead have wide-spectrum augmetic sensors installed (no administration of anaesthetics is required in this case).

When they are most dangerous is in their subsequent revelries, in which they gallivant throughout the world they are upon, pillaging, burning, and kidnapping on their way. By all accounts, onlooking Imperial subjects - in all probability, those whose faith in the God-Emperor is not strong enough - will find themselves caught up in the delirium and will join in the merrymaking, following their new masters aboard the starships.

Any force must be used against this warband, for they are entirely nomadic and their attacks are entirely random - or at least no pattern has been discerned by our most skilled Curators and Lexmechanics. Most of all, pray they do not visit your planet next.

Report author: Inquisitor Silas Ketch

Purpose: Termination of Interrogation of the Heretic Pedram Nouse

++ Thought for the Day: Smite those that disbelieve, for they have turned from the light and fallen. ++

++ Report terminated. ++

++ Access revoked. ++

++ ... ++

++ Re-encryption >>>>>>__________|| ++

++ Done. ++

++ ... ++

++ Accessing Inquisitorial Report. ++

++ Enter name of Report required: _ ++

As you will have no doubt understood, this article isn't meant to be entirely serious. Nonetheless, I believe that it is still canon-friendly and can fit very well into the tone of many parts of the 40k universe.

WRT the colour scheme: I know that it will be difficult to pull off, don't worry, I won't be offended if you don't completely "nail it". Rather than seeing it as an insurmountably daunting task, view it as a learning opportunity, to practice painting with yellow, white, and transitions - if you already have enough experience on the technical aspects, look into the compositional side of things, experimenting with this kind of analogous colour scheme, and how to make it pop with different types of contrast. Mostly, have fun with it ;)

[Trokair]

Well that was worth a chuckle.

 

The first question that comes to mind, is do they have to witness the dawn from a planet, or can they just do their star/sun gazing from aboard their ship?

 

Would they try and raze the dawn? So keep up with it or even overtake it so that can see the sun come up again and again on a single planet?

Edited April 1, 2021 by Trokair

[Doctor Perils]

In my conception, they'd have to be on the planet (or moon, or space station), else it's not really a "dawn"

 

And no, they'd wish to live through an "unadulterated" dawn, for there is beauty in its ephemeralness; and once they've experienced one dawn on a planet, experiencing a second would only be treading over old ground, losing all savour, tasting as ashes in their mouth: such is the nature of slaanesh, they need to discover new experiences, not just relive the same ones over and over.

[Zebulon]

You know, I actually quite enjoyed that.

 

The colourscheme reminds me of a cocktail I once enjoyed, featuring several white spirits and a dash of Midori, all topped up with lemonade... :p

[Trokair]

They should visit Crematoria then, that is one spectacular dawn.  

 

Briefly seen at around 1 minute, and then the full dawn is around 5 minutes onwards.

[Brother Lunkhead]

Nice work Doctor It did give me a good chuckle, but I think it fits quite nicely into lore.

[Brother Tyler]

I always enjoy reading explorations of more nuanced variations on the worship of the Chaos powers. It's easy to follow the herd with Slaaneshi decadence leading to some combination of sexual pleasure, noise, and drugs as a manifestation of devotion to She Who Thirsts, but the spectrum of sensation is so much more than those three things. Well done on finding something unique, yet suitable to the lore.
 
I wonder if the colors used by the warband might be more diverse, covering the range of combinations of star type and atmospheric effects.

[Doctor Perils]

I always enjoy reading explorations of more nuanced variations on the worship of the Chaos powers. It's easy to follow the herd with Slaaneshi decadence leading to some combination of sexual pleasure, noise, and drugs as a manifestation of devotion to She Who Thirsts, but the spectrum of sensation is so much more than those three things. Well done on finding something unique, yet suitable to the lore.

 

I wonder if the colors used by the warband might be more diverse, covering the range of combinations of star type and atmospheric effects.

Definitely! It's not actually something I'd thought about, but it's a very good point, I really like the idea - it would further reflect the eclectic nature of many chaos Warbands

[Brother Lunkhead]

Haven't heard much from the Rainbow Warriors ....... just a thought 

[Doctor Perils]

How do you mean?

[Brother Tyler]

I think he's suggesting that [some of] the Dawn Seers may originally have been members of the Rainbow Warriors Chapter.

[Brother Lunkhead]

I think he's suggesting that [some of] the Dawn Seers may originally have been members of the Rainbow Warriors Chapter.

Right..... but I'm just joking of course.