Solstice Keep

[Doghouse]

Solstice Keep

 

 

 

Missionary Uriah Jacobus had spent three long years studying and documenting the people of Solstice before attempting to bestow the gift of the light of Him on Terra upon their world. He carefully selected a great leader of one of the more power nations and it was agreed that they would meet and begin introducing the population to the teachings of the Cult Imperialis.

His arrival had been lacking in pomp and ceremony, there were no parades or fanfares announcing their arrival. Uriah wore the simple robes of a Missionary, his body guard consisting of a small number of Crusaders. The world was of little threat to the Imperium, it was a feudal society that had barely mastered black power weapons. It had been settled by one of the great colony ships of the old expanse during the Dark Age of Technology but little evidence of any such technology had long since been lost and forgotten. Uriah had surmised that some great calamity had occurred and the civilisation had devolved into superstition where technological advance had been supressed until recent times so it had seemed.

The great nation with which he met had in recent years known an unprecedented rise in the development in technology. Where once stood a humble castle surrounded by meagre farmland and aches of lush green conifer forests now stood a baroque menacing fortification. For miles in every direction lay great chimney stacks that that belched black and acrid smoke into the sky bloating out the sun. The lands withered and died under the strain of such immense industrial progress in what could have only been a matter of years.

 

The Arvus Lighter had touched down with some degree of care on one of the larger towers and Uriah and his bodyguard disembarked to be greeted by an entourage of troops carrying what looked like to be crude tesla rifles. As they were escorted into the tower menials scurried avoiding their gaze as their disappeared into the shadows. It was during the meeting with the head of the state Church that the façade finally fell as Uriah noticed that many armed god of death that the church had worshipped and although he did his best to hide the revelation several hooded figures bearing the familiar forehead ridges of foul Xenos stepped from the dark alcoves into the light. Immediately his bodyguard drew their sword igniting the furious spirits within as they crackled with energy. The Hybrids leapt with inhuman speed, knocking one of the guards cursing to the floor as the second rushed to the aid of Uriah slicing through chitinous limbs and deflecting the furious slashing blows of their claws. Uriah drew his weapon, the Redeemer and began blasting shouting promises of eternal damnation as hordes of malnourished and sickly looking peasants trampled each other with no fear of harm to themselves, screaming and braying like rebid animals. With the situation looking dire, his bodyguard pushed Uriah onto the balcony while the other stood his ground muttering prayers under his breath. The last Uriah saw of him was him disappearing under a wave of squealing flesh.

Slamming the huge oak doors to the balcony behind him Mianel slammed her shield down creating a wedge between the balcony wall and the door itself. Removing her damaged Crusader helm she frantically looked about for a means of escape before calling to the Arvus Lighter to come pick them up. 

As the roar of of it's engines and howling winds swept around the two Uriah stepped onto the rear ramp as the wall behind them crashed down collapsing the balcony and sending Mianel tumbling down along with her monstrous attackers into the moat below.

As the Arvus pulled away the xenos broodkin threw themselves off the edge crashing into the starboard engines and clogging the mechanisms with ragged bloody meat and sinew as they were sucked through the turbine. The engine coughed in protest, whining before an explosion torn it apart. The Arvus slunk to the side as it began to lose altitude before crashing into the wastelands below.

It was several days before Uriah could make it on foot to the forests of Mount Vestani, his pilot had perished in the crash and taking what little he could before the local authorities arrived he attempted to make his way to a high enough vantage point so that some how he could signal the fleet. Truth be told the survival Vox he had salvaged from the crash had faired little worse than the unfortunate pilot but he on Terra would provide, of this he was certain.  

It was during the following days that he came across a small monastery, isolated in the deep forest set against a great waterfall. Cautiously approaching the religious temple he was approached by men on horseback who he would discover to be disenfranchised Nobles and Knights that had gathered in seclusion to rise up against their King. The Emperor had provided and with this army he moved amongst the many cities and villages gather foot soldiers until he stood before an army of thousands.

With great siege machines constructed from the ancient timber of the old forests his army of Crusaders made their way across the wasteland to the great city of chimney stacks and laid waste to the Xenos intruders in the name of the Emperor of Mankind.

 

Uriah would later make contact with the Fleet and Navy forces were despatched to the surface to aid his army of crusading pilgrims. His knights taking many casualties confronted the Patriach, at their front powersword humming was Mianel having survived the fall and joined up as they breached that castle walls. Despite being mortally wounded by the beast she was able to cut it's head from it's shoulders sending it's broodkin into shock as the Navy flamer turned burned them out from their hovels with cleansing Promethium.

 

Uriah would go on to provide salvation for six more worlds before his death and Mainel was posthumously declared a Martyr with her body enshrined in what would become the first temple of the Ecclusiarchy on Solstice.  

 

 

The Blacksmith and the Jailer

 

During the time of cleansing that followed the population were screened for genetic deviation so as to reveal any Genestealers in their midst. The end of this time was marked with the Festival of the Jade Lady, despite her playing a small part towards the end of the rebellion Mainel's exploits had spread far and wide. Being embellished with every retelling so that eventually it was told that she was a native of the planet that had been visited by the Emperor himself and told of the great Dragon that was poisoning the skies with it's noxious breath, blocking out the sun that it jealously hated with all it's dark soul.

The Ordo Hereticus along with the Ordo Xenos were more than happy for this story to circulate overwriting the memories of the many armed god of death.

 

It was seven summers later as the locals prepared for the winter festival that Inquisitor Heinrich Kembler while moving amongst the population of a small village on the northern plateau began to hear stories of a Blacksmith that had been set upon by a pack of Banewolves while defending the village but had risen despite no apothecary being able to heal his wounds. Despite his protests and dismissal of his injuries word spread that he was a witch or warlock and the Inquisitor had decided to investigate further.

What he found was no witch but a Perpetual, an immortal being of immense power, one that it took the lives of twenty of his Inquistiorial Stormtroopers and had it not been for the discovery of a local relic then there was little doubt short of an Adeptus Astartes strike there was little they would have been able to do to subdue him.

It would later be determined by scholars of the Ordo that the relic was most likely a single tear shed by the Emperor himself and sealed within a vial made with flakes of Fulgurite imbedded in glass. How it came to be on Solstice is not known but the energy the emanated from the relic rendered the Blacksmith's powers inert so that the surviving members of the Stormtroopers were able to subdue him and incarcerate him within a Gaol constructed from the ruins of a holy temple.

Despite their best efforts the Ordo was unable to inflict harm upon the Blacksmith and through his taunts and spiteful rants as he descended into madness it became clear that the region was home to a cabal of such beings that called themselves the Illustrata.

After sometime a second was discovered and placed in the Gaol, it soon became apparent that the forces guarding the fortress were not going to be enough and the malign powers of the beings held within prevented warp travel in the region. Solstice would be their prison but who would be their jailers?

 

 

The Quaternion of Solstice

 

So great was the threat of these prisoners that an alliance was sworn between the Black Templars, Ordo Hereticus, Adeptus Mechanicus and the Adeptus Sororitas. Each of these factions, to ensure the loyalty of those that would later come to replace them offered up a single sacred artefact presided over by a council consisting of a representative of each faction known as the Quaternion of Solstace.

Every fifteen years the high seat of the prison is rotated between the members of the Quaternion representing the fifteen knights that fought beside Blessed Mainel during the purge of the final battle with the Dragon.

These artefacts were placed in turn in the great reliquary at the centre of the Gaol, one in each corner with the Emperor's Tear in the centre. From the Ordo Hereticus, protectors of the Liber Damnati Animas, a manuscript containing the true names of members of their Ordo who have failed in their duties. From the Adeptus Mechanicus, protector of the Artificialis Cor, the supposed power core of the first Knight to die during the Heresy on Mars. From the Adeptus Sorritas, the stories of Mainel had long since elevated her to Sainthood and it was they that stood as Protectors of her bones. Lastly the Black Templars stand as protectors of the skeletal hand of a brother Imperial Fist scrimshawed with the names of those Brothers that fell in defence of Terra, encased in the purest amber surrounded by a solid case made from melted down and sanctified bolter casings. 

 

 

  

 

 

[Doghouse]

So this project log will be focusing on a single Patrol of Black Templars. The last time I played Templars was way back in forth edition when the minidex came out but I personally feel that they are probably the single most Chapter that sums up the gothic insanity of what 40k is. 

 

I personally have always described 40k as if you took a copy of Monty Pythons Holy Grail, buried for ten thousand years and then someone dug it up and started religion based on it.

 

For me Templars capture the zealous fantastical blind faith of over the top Medieval crusaders in a sci fi universe. So after dabbling a bit here and there with various one off models I figured what with the impending release of the possible new codex now was as good a time as any to dive in.

 

So I'm doing a patrol, one Marshal, one Crusader Squad, four Swordbrothers and a Landraider Crusader. Nice little force but there is a catch. Obviously it's going to be Truescale because I want pure Firstborn but more importantly I want to take advantage of the fact that there is ten thousand years of history as far as the Imperium is concerned. So this is going to be a historical army, set sometime way before the rise of the Primaris right slap bang in the middle of the over the top full on gothic insanity where tech regresses and humanity is still supressed by religion and superstition.

 

The Solstice Crusade

 

So as per the agreement laid out for the alliance each of the four factions must provide military protection for the Gaol. Now these forces are not restricted to staying on the planet as there is a substantial number of Inquisitorial Stormtroopers and combat Servitors to man the ramparts and maintain security but there is also a need for a mobile force that can be despatched to retrieve relics or combat the threat of the Perpetual Cabal in the region of space. As warp travel is a little tricky it could be some time before Imperial Forces could arrive so the need for an army is vital. The other thing to remember is that although this may seem absolutely disastrous should the Cabal achieve it's goals or the Perpetuals escape,  this would still be a pin prick in the greater scheme of things. The locals would probably suffer but in the greater scheme of things nothing would change.

This is one of the aspects that I love about 40k, a world could be invaded by daemons, billions could be wiped out or worse as the world is torn apart by horrifying supernatural forces and in all possibility the greater effect that might be felt elsewhere is that an Adept of the Administratum has endure the hardship of having to order more ink to enable him to put a line through the planet's name in some record book.

 

So to get the ball rolling I'm starting off with the Crusader Squad and the Land Raider Crusader. My plan is ten Astartes with each having their own Neophyte who they are training to ultimate replace themselves.

The Neophyte here is made from Primaris Infiltrator legs, the front half of an Intercessor torso and the back half of a scout torso blended with GS.

 

 

 

 

[Brother Christopher]

I appreciate your narrative-driven approach to your hobby project. I can't wait to see more of your miniatures, how you go about with painting them and read more of what you have to share.

[Doghouse]

Thanks mate. :)

 

Yeah backstory can really help flesh things out especially when you have a specific theme in mind. I've taken the little bit about Uriah Jacobus from the second edition sisters of battle codex and just expanded it working in all the elements I want in the force. I really want a pre-Primaris army, not that I don't like them I'm just not massively interested in the direction of the setting these days.

 

Luckily there are ten thousand years between the Heresy and the current Imperium absolutely jam pack with absurd madness to indulge in and like I was saying in your thread there are even parallel universes to explore with the last Cawl book I read. Then you have false recounts of events, lost records, Inquisition cover ups, if you let your imagination run riot 40k just explodes in size even beyond what is officially recognised as lore by the fanbase. 

 

Now the basics are in place I'm going to go full on Grim Dark Universe and have some fun with the models.