The Greymanes, Reborn

[SvenIronhand]

Gesith, the personal retinues of a Greymanes Aetheling, fill a number of roles in the Chapter's organization. One such role is to carry the Fyrd's banner - a symbol of the warrior-brotherhood that binds the members of the Fyrd. This Gesith is from the 1st Fyrd, the Wighthounds. An august but ill-starred formation roughly equivalent to the 1st Company in Codex-compliant Chapters, the Wighthounds are personally led by the Cyning. While such an arrangement of personal leadership by the supreme Chapter officer is not unusual amongst even (cf. Chapter XVIII "Salamanders") Codex-compliant chapters, it is notable. 

Upon the escutcheon of the banner borne by the Gesith is the device of the Burhghest. In New Albian lore, the Burhghest is an omen of death, one of the hounds of 'Arawn'. This bears some explanation on this chronicler's part.

It should be noted that New Albians are monolatrists. That is to say, they acknowledge gods besides the Emperor, or in their parlance, Al-fodr. As such, the New Albians, and by extension, the Greymanes cannot be said to be strict monotheists. No doubt, this vexes the Ecclesiarchy, though they allow this because of the extreme isolation of the Eastern Fringe and ever-necessary Imperial syncretism. The New Albians, however, do not worship these other gods. They know better than that. Rather, they are mostly objects of terror, and if more benign, respect.

Arawn, 'Black Lord of the Underverse' (cf. Morkai, Erlking), is not respected. He is feared.

 

Of Arawn, we have a number of both oral and written accounts. There is the "Russ and Arawn" cycle of scopic literature, centering on a theomachy between the Wolf King and this figure, ending in the 'Death-King' bending the knee to Russ and losing his black sword, the so-called "Iron of Death". These are the oldest written texts about the subject, with manuscripts for the written versions dating to at least the Age of Apostasy. The Russ and Arawn stories are without a doubt far older in oral form.

Of whether Russ actually ever visited New Albia and whether this battle actually ever happened, the chronicler cannot say. What has passed to us in the wider Imperium from the Space Wolves - never a people to write things down, the infamous Omega Codex and other such exceptions not withstanding - tells us he disappeared two hundred and eleven years into the 31st Millennium. The Space Wolves notably, to this day, have not found a trace of him on their famous Great Hunts. Yet, here is an oral tradition of him visiting a world on the utmost edge of the known galaxy, battling an autochthonous death-god into submission.

It might be myth. It might be truth. It might be a half-remembered, older theomachy.  

 

Nobody knows the truth of this. 

Moving forwards from this disquieting revelation, Arawn is widely held to be a malicious figure. His emblems are manifold - the aforementioned black sword (which by some accounts persists in the hands of the Cynings under the name of Caladbolg, literally meaning "cut steel"), a great axe which he replaced it with, the skull of a human being, and the Wighthound or black-furred Burhghest. These are omens of death. Violent and horrific death, but not necessarily heedless, reckless, unending murder. Rather than the Blood God's rage, Arawn is said to have a "cold disdain" for mankind at large. 

I have written more than enough for your edification, students. But something compels me, a foolish old man whose faith and health is failing, to reveal something. 

 

Through all my time studying the Greymanes, both in the field and from afar, I have never seen or heard of anything resembling the 'foul mutants' the Space Wolves are held to harbor.

 

The so-called 'Curse of Wulfen' does not exist amongst them, or so it seems. Perhaps it is one of Magos Cawl's miracles, perfecting even the Emperor's divine work, or something unknowable, that has kept them from that particular malediction. 

Another has taken its place. I leave you these scopic verses, a set of lines the Greymanes have tried to extirpate. This dates from the immediate aftermath of the so-called Winter of Woes. I, The scop who wrote this was expelled from the Greymanes' protection, to never return to New Albia - on pain of death. They do not want this to be remembered. 

The Death-King's wycca dreams
gave them spoor of the Cu
Poor souls who became hounds,

they now see only that which seems!

All of them, victim of the Death-King.
He who patiently waits.

They serve not Al-fodr,
but the Guardian of the Mounds.

He who threads men's fates.

Cullain led them onwards
to ruddy war,
and kinslayer Hildebrand too.
The unfastening of their chains,
an omen of sorcerers' doom.

[Firedrake Cordova]

That pose works really well, especially with the slung bolter  

[SvenIronhand]

 

“Be still now, brother. Stop this madness or I will!”

-Field Warden Griseto

The Cu Arawn are a subject for another, darker record. But for that mad rabble, the sight of a Field Warden is a familiar one. The deployment of the insane Cu Arawn is never taken lightly by the Greymanes. When they do go to war, the hounds are kept on a tight leash by a Field Warden, a member of the Chaplaincy who has been specially selected for their strength and skill at arms – so that they may better subdue the hounds. Field Wardens each wield, as a grim badge of office, a hammer-shaped Crozius Arcanum. With this, they have the right and power to mete out deadly justice to their charges, should they step out of line.

Edited October 26, 2023 by SvenIronhand

[SvenIronhand]

My painted Gesith Termies thus far.

Also, a link to a "crossroads" doc.

[SvenIronhand]

 

The Greymanes, seemingly, are free from the Curse of Wulfen – of the curse upon all who broke faith with Russ Elivagar, the Wolf-King. That is not to say there are no flaws that, biding their time, wormed into the hearts, minds and bodies of these men made gods. In the Cors Arawn, an altogether different, but terrible malediction presents itself. For the Greymanes, who pride themselves as individual, valiant and noble warriors of Al-fodr, it is uniquely terrible. It is the subordination of their will to another’s, and the violation of all they hold to their hearts.
 

[...]
 

The Cors Arawn is variously referred to in scopic verse as the ‘black mark’, ‘the dreams of the Death-King’, or ‘the evil eye’. Whether this is a mental malady, a trauma born of maleficarum, or gene-seed is up in the air. Some will claim it is one thing, others all three, and others still blame others. It is a useless distinction.

Those affected inevitably experience the same symptoms, no matter what their previous rank, their former personality, or the apotropaic rituals of the Greymanes.

It is inexorable.
 

Slowly, nobility and notions of honor gives way to the desire to kill. Then, to kill again, again and so on. Heedless of injury, of any death that might await, of any dishonor that might result, the plagued cannon themselves into a fight with wild abandon. They fight without ceasing until they or their supposed enemy is dead. None can deny the brutal courage of the hounds of Arawn.
 

To the Greymanes, this battle-madness is horrific. But to kill one so afflicted – it will not stand. So the Greymanes seize the hounds at great cost, bring them to their priests to fetter and bind. New armor is made for them, no longer the honored war-graith. But it is a prison for the hound, for the maleficarum, the foul wycca within the thing they called brother. At the press of a button, it will freeze the hounds - preventing them from moving. They are divided from the mass of the chapter, away from the Fyrds – into their own secluded druhts.

The hounds howl. 

Happy Samhain.

 

[Firedrake Cordova]

Nice. I'm liking the background you're adding  

[SvenIronhand]

 

Kinslayer said but I am Mahan
and Master of this great secret. 
That I might murder
And force order. 
 

Whosoever slay me and
if they be so bold 
and all hounds after
 

Vengeance will fall upon them sevenfold.

 

[SvenIronhand]

Going to work on repairing the images in this thread, but first, here's what I have to show for myself in my recent resurgence.

[SvenIronhand]

Aggressors! Really wanted these guys to stand out as individuals!

[Firedrake Cordova]

Nice idea for the flames on the gauntlet, and the checkerboard on the shoulder pad.

[SvenIronhand]

48 minutes ago, Firedrake Cordova said:

Nice idea for the flames on the gauntlet, and the checkerboard on the shoulder pad.

There's also Pe'a / Tā Moko esque markings on the leftmost one. Here is a WIP shot that shows it better. Out of respect for tapu, I did not replicate any real world patterns: 

[Wormwoods]

8 hours ago, SvenIronhand said:

Out of respect for tapu, I did not replicate any real world patterns:

Always important! 

[SvenIronhand]

Volund is one of the four Aethelings – the others being Godwyn, Ferdiad, and Hely Oakskin – left from the era of the Chapter’s inception. Out of the four, he is perhaps the least well-adjusted. His mind is not what it used to be, nor is his physical form. It is supposed by some that his increasing tendency towards replacing and augmenting parts of his body is a trauma response to the Winter of Woes, when he lost the better part of his left arm to sorcery.
 

The Anvil of Wayland represents forbearance, certitude, and fortitude. It being broken and shattered in Volund’s personal heraldry is no accident on his part. He deliberately broadcasts to friend and foe that though he is broken, he will show no mercy to Wycca, that which took his arm, honor, and peace of mind.

[Firedrake Cordova]

I really like the background you're adding for them

[SvenIronhand]

Heat tempers steel.
-Greymanes Axiom.

[SvenIronhand]

[SvenIronhand]

The Scout Squad thus far. Though you can't really see it in the above picture, the Sniper's cloak has some painstakingly done Berlin Brigade Camo:


 

[Firedrake Cordova]

Oh crikey ... that camo looks like it took a while!