Enter, and Be Welcome Once More to the Grand Apothecarion

[Elazar The Glorified]

 

Quote

 

"Enter, and be welcome once more to the Grand Apothecarion, Oleander Koh. The Chief Apothecary is expecting you."

- Arrian Zorzi in 'Primogenitor' by Josh Reynolds

 

 

 

I'm of the very firm belief that the Fabius Bile trilogy by Josh Reynolds (Primogenitor, Clonelord, and Manflayer) are amongst the very finest of works from the Black Library and I'm currently working on my Chaos Space Marine army based around some of the themes of Fabius Bile's 'Consortium' and the Emperor's Children legion. Essentially, my army isn't looking to represent the Consortium of the books but my own ragtag band of hedonists, misfits and deviants who have fallen into the orbit of Fabius Bile (or he has fallen into theirs).

 

I love kitbashing and coming up with some bits of my own fluff so this is just as much an excuse to create lots of little characters as it is anything else, but, I need to get the hobby momentum going as there's lots to build and paint. My timing couldn't be much better as part way through the project, we have the new 10th Edition Codex Chaos Space Marines and the announcement that there's going to be an Index for the Emperor's Children! Can't wait!

 

I'll use this post as a bit of an introduction one and something that I can come back to and amend to as a bit of a hub once more things actually get built and painted!

[Elazar The Glorified]

The Consortium
This seems like a good place to start with some minis for my warband. The warband is a majority Slaanesh warband but when planning the army from the Index, as Fabius Bile has the Mark of Chaos Undivided the squad he was attached to would also need to be Undivided.

 

With the new Codex Marks of Chaos aren’t really a thing anymore outside of Pactbound Zealots - there’s a review of the new Codex on Oath of Moment if you’re interest (shameless plug - sorry!)

A

s I’ve said before, outside of Fabius, the characters for these are my own creations but certainly some of the inspiration from the Josh Reynolds book series is there.

 

Vortalkai The Whisperer - Apothecary - Tzeentch

Tzeentch was one of the more interesting challenges I thought as there really isn't a great deal of Tzeentch in 40k outside of Magnus and his Sons but they seemed like a legion with the least use of an Apothecary nowadays so even if one was formerly a Thousand Sons Legionary he'd probably not be one nowadays as he wouldn't be leveraging the valuable skills he has to those making their base in the Eye of Terror. So I wanted an Apothecary from a Tzeentchian warband and I wanted to avoid the stereotype of him just being a Sorcerer and lean more into the politicking and subterfuge angle of Tzeentch. The Scourged also present an interesting concept with their ability to hear all the lies of mankind but I don’t like their scheme so he’s borrowing some fluff from them but will have his own scheme.

 

 

Vortalkai has aligned himself to Fabius, to exert the subtle influence of Tzeentch over the Spider and his Creations. Vortalkai (and Tzeentch) know that Fabius is too crafty a creature to be yoked but that his influence as the Primogenitor and the Pater Mutatis extends to a great many Cultists, Mutants and Legionaries alike. Vortalkai often presents himself to those 'lesser' beings as the voice of Fabius. Shepherding them in directions that suit Fabius' designs perhaps, but definitely suit those of Vortalkai and his patron. With an impressive aptitude for unearthing the secret treacheries and betrayals of others, Vortalkai is an able student of the apothecarion and, for now at least, Fabius is amused by the scheming of his protégé. Better the devil you know not to trust than the one you don't!

 

Quote

Vox-record from experiment 3412889 Designation - Caprine-Alpha Study
"What did you tell the Primogenitor of our conversation?"
- Response unclear -
"I can tell that you're lying. "
- Distortion caused by drilling noise accompanied by braying screams -
"What does the Primogenitor know?"
"You know, they whisper to me the truth behind all your lies? But no matter, there is no greater way to offer praise to The Great Changer than the making or unmaking of a thing. I shall be incredibly thorough and exacting in my praise through the gradual unmaking of you to ensure there's no detail I have missed.”

 

Gremulus Kron - Apothecary - Nurgle
Formerly of the Death Guard, Gremulus Kron was mostly an excuse to purchase the Plague Surgeon and put him on a smaller base. I love the mini for this so much so nothing special here. He’s going to get some Nurgling friends though.

 

 

Quote

“Hush, hush little one.” Gremulus burbled to the Nurgling as it’s impatience got the better of it. “All in good time.”

 

 

Mararon Shosk - The Exiled Son - Undivided
A Legionary of the Sons of Horus who has refused to take the black of the reborn Black Legion. Originally taken as a prisoner on the Emperor’s Children’s raid on the Monument, Shosk survived as a gladiator, killing for sport in the arenas of Canticle City. A shrewd and calculating mind backs up his brawn and when he was elected commander of a slave revolt he instead betrayed his former legionary brothers in exchange for the protection of Fabius Bile. Alone in the galaxy and hated by all, Shosk is a reliable ally for Fabius Bile because he’s despised and distrusted by all around him.

 

 

Delupon Baul - The Phoenix Guard - Slaanesh
Once one of the 200 blades guarding Fulgrim, he spent centuries roving across the Eye of Terror in search of the Primarch in his repose. Delupon was a mercenary, a reaver and a raider, fighting alongside warbands in exchange for rumour of Fulgrim's whereabouts or the resources to continue his search.

Now though, he accompanies Fabius Bile. Respecting his rank as Lieutenant-Commander, if not having a great deal of respect for the Spider himself, Delupon guards the Chief Apothecary for Fulgrim. He knows that Fulgrim will look for Fabius when he awakes, so Delupon will ensure that Fabius goes to him. Whether that's to return him to the Primarch unscathed or to deliver his head will depend on the whims of Fulgrim when he stirs, but either way, Delupon is confident his proximity to Fabius will enable him to win his father's favour when he returns.

 

 

The Butcher Kinakh Randar - Apothecary - Khorne

 

 

Quote

Kinakh Randar was a contradiction. An artist possessing the soul of a dancer... but the nails clawed into the meat of his brain and made of him a savage beast straining against its leash. Those two elements of his being might be in stark contrast but neither diminished the other and indeed only heightened them. When Fabius let him loose, the nails burned and his chainblades span and kicked with the clinical efficiency only an Apothecary could bring. Who better to fell a foe than one that had intimate knowledge of all that had built him. Kinakh was less a scalpel making a deft cut and more the bonesaw that removed the whole limb.

Finally, the five of them together - need to add Fabius in next time!

 

Edited May 21 by Elazar The Glorified

[Terminatorinhell]

This is a cool thread... Also funny because I want to make a group of like 13 apothecaries for my loyalist chapter. 

[Firedrake Cordova]

Nice conversions, and I like that you're giving them all background

[Elazar The Glorified]

16 hours ago, Terminatorinhell said:

This is a cool thread... Also funny because I want to make a group of like 13 apothecaries for my loyalist chapter. 

 

4 hours ago, Firedrake Cordova said:

Nice conversions, and I like that you're giving them all background

 

Thank you both! 

 

It's Emperor's Children Index Release Day (making it sound more exciting than it technically is seeing as they're just the same warscrolls from the original CSM Index) but Lucius and Noise Marines seems like a good theme for a post today!

 

Because it's felt rather inevitable that Noise Marines and Lucius would get new minis I've struggled to make piece with them as it's a great deal of effort to convert anything half decent but knowing it'll be invalidated sometimes soon makes it a bit tricky. However, I decided I'd try and build something that I could repurpose when the time comes that these all get new proper kits!

 

Blade-Prince Nicepherous Grycas - Lord of the Weeping Blade Dance, Prince of Envy, Lord of Hubris, 'Little Lucius'

 

Quote

 

"He fancies himself a swordsman. Like Lucius"

"Don't they all," Bile said.

- Exchange between Oleander Koh and Fabius Bile from 'Primogenitor' by Josh Reynolds

 

I was re-reading Primogenitor and this little exchange between Fabius and Oleander discussing Gulos Palatides struck me with an idea..

 

I didn’t want to make Lucius at all (he’ll join when he gets a new mini) but a warrior consumed by Hubris and Envy in equal measure and trying to live up to the paragon of swordsmanship within his former legion. That could be an interesting character. So, Blade-Prince Nicepherous Grycas was born. Mockingly called Little Lucius by those who see him as a preening imitation of The Eternal - although none have survived using that name within earshot… He’s a duellist always desperate to prove his superiority, driven by the ever-present doubt that if the one he aspires to match ever faced him he’d be shown to be inferior. 

 

There's a beautiful irony in that if he and Lucius ever faced off, should Grycas prove justified in his own self-importance and triumph, he'd be unable to resist revelling in his victory and very soon become Lucius anyway... Hubris and Envy indeed!

 

 

The base for the conversion is the Forge World Captain Lucius. Seeing as Lucius has both of his melee weapons included on the one profile I decided to go for the dual blades approach. One is the power sword from the Chosen kit the othee is a sword from the Myrmidesh Painbringers kit from Age of Sigmar. The face, also an Age of Sigmar piece, is from the Slaves to Darkness Chariot and then his Doom Siren has a combat drug injector added.

 

The Ensemble

 

Quote

The Ensemble, as it was known, was less an organised unit of warriors than it was a loose assembly of Slaanesh's Chosen. Pilgrims drawn from warband to warband, following the Song of Slaanesh. In battle, they grouped themselves around the strongest voices in their choirs, but there's little uniformity to their structure from one battle to the next.

 

Just the Noise Champions to share for today. Noise Champions are an odd mini in that they can take a Sonic Blaster, a Doom Siren, and a Power Fist so they were always going to be fun to model!

 

Noise Champion Telukion - Orchestrator and First Voice of The Ensemble

 

 

Noise Champion Kelios - Second Voice of The Ensemble

 

Edited May 21 by Elazar The Glorified

[Elazar The Glorified]

Wow I've been really bad at adding anything else into this thread!

 

I built these a little while back to celebrate the Night Lords Kill Team.

 

I wanted a Nemesis Claw or Terror Squad that had found itself indebted to Fabius Bile, and he has called in his marker. The Terror Squad known as the Keening Wail is led by the Headsman, Morvek Flay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The extra Night Lords sprue in the Kill Team box is pretty awesome and has loads of bits for use beyond just Night Lords actually, I did a review of the kit for kitbashing potential for the Oath of Moment blog (link in signature). Tempted to paint these in alternative Night Lords colours to include some pink lightning!

Edited 2 hours ago by Elazar The Glorified

[Firedrake Cordova]

They look great, especially the first one. Night Lords are probably my favourite of the Heretic legions ...

[Elazar The Glorified]

On 11/19/2024 at 3:22 PM, Firedrake Cordova said:

They look great, especially the first one. Night Lords are probably my favourite of the Heretic legions ...

 

Thank you! I do have a lot of time for the Night Lords. The Aaron Dembski-Bowden trilogy is high up on my list of favourite Black Library stories - obviously the Fabius Bile trilogy rates higher for me, or I wouldn't be quoting it in the title of this thread - but ADB through those stories and the Talon of Horus and Black Legion has done a lot of good for Chaos Space Marines and really bringing them to life in a properly three-dimensional way.

 

However, it's time for some proper proper Heretics of the most perfect of Legions...

 

This is a Chosen Squad built around their leader, Prefector Axiter Gine formerly of the Palatine Blades.

 

Quote

Axiter longs for a return to the former glories of the Emperor's Children Legion of old. When they cast off the Imperial yoke it should have freed them to pursue those glories for themselves but instead his brothers now pursue only their vices or the deluded whispers of those champions already too lost to the embrace of the Dark Prince.

Axiter has surrounded himself with those who share similar ideals, or at least in theory. They are the least outwardly corrupted amongst their brethren, although of course the touch of the warp is felt by all confined for so long to the prison of the Eye of Terror.

Lieutenant Commander Fabius Bile, whilst a monster, is a monster largely unchanged since the Siege of Terra and for that reason Axiter has aligned himself to the Chief Apothecary.

Of course, Axiter is as deluded as those former brothers he looks down upon. Addicted to the chemical stims provided by Fabius Bile and in constant pursuit of the glory of single combat on the battlefield, longing to prove his superiority over the champions of other Legions and races, Axiter is as corrupt as all of them. He offers up the souls of the vanquished to Slaanesh for a taste of power and to stave off some further corruption.

But whilst Axiter thinks that if they only sip from the poisoned chalice that the Dark Prince offers them in exchange for his gifts, they will not be made fully into their patron's slaves, he and his followers are entirely in thrall to the Youngest God and amongst Slaanesh's favourites, for what souls could be more delicious than those of the vainglorious and deluded..?

 

For the minis themselves, first up, Axiter Gine himself:

 

 

The two main parts to this particular kitbash are a Horus Heresy MkIII Tactical Marine and the resin Horus Heresy Captain Lucius, The Faultless Blade. I had a vision for a fencer-like pose for a duelist (so many duellist conversion idea rattling about in my brain, just as well I play Emperor's Children!). This particular MkIII Marine pose felt perfect, there's a bit of a juxtaposition between the lightness of foot that comes from the overall pose and the chunkiness of the MkIII power armour and as a result this is one of my favourite conversions. I swapped the second sword that Lucius carries for an open hand, luckily there was the perfect one amongst the Horus Heresy Rhino crew bits. The head is taken from the command sprue for the Tactical Marines with the addition of a horn. Even the purist living in the Eye of Terror are likely to pick up some extra bits courtesy of the warping powers of the wound in reality and importantly, Axiter kids himself at a level of purity and self-control above that of his fellow Legionaries but the truths of the darkness in his soul are written upon his flesh despite his best efforts at self-delusion. The shoulders, sword arm and cape are all from Captain Lucius. As these weren't meant to go together there were some quite chunky gaps to have to take care of between the shoulders and the torso, so I decided on the streamer like extensions on his cape as I think they add a bit more motion to the pose of the mini without overdoing it. I quite like the idea that when in full flow, there'd be all these extensions to his whirling form from the cape, streamers and the trinkets on ribbons on his belt. Those Slaaneshi sigils on the ribbons are clipped from the Myrmidesh Painbringers kit. Finally, because this is chaos and he is a Champion of the Dark Prince, the trophy rack is taken from the Chosen kit.

 

Next up is a Chosen Marine with two Accursed Weapons:

 

A far more straightforward kitbash by comparison to Axiter Gine. The torso is a MkVI Tactical Marine and the helm is again taken from Captain Lucius. The backpack is a Chaos Space Marine one, I think from the Chosen kit. Some studs were added to one of the greaves on the MkVI armour and then the arms are taken from the Myrmidesh Painbringers kit, well more specifically the alternative Symbaresh Twinsouls build of these. I liked the way the pose looked with a real balance of threat and malice and the twin weapons feel like a good pairing of shorter blades. Wasn't happy with the helm on its own so I added the crest, clipped from a Slickblade Seeker rider another kit from the Age of Sigmar Hedonites of Slaanesh range.

 

Then we have a Chosen Marine with Power Fist:

 

I liked the idea that with Axiter being a Palatine Blade, even if his current squad aren't of the same mindset, they'd be used to their leader engaging in challenges with the champions in enemy forces and that whatever passed for discipline amongst the remnants of the Emperor's Children would likely sit with another in this squad so I pictured this guy as the one who would enforce it. Largely a MkIII Tactical Marine, the Power Fist is from the Chaos Raptors kit (right-handed close combat weapons are pretty rare for Chaos outside of the Raptors!) the left arm carrying the helm is taken from the Command Squad Horus Heresy kit. I added a chain across the torso to mirror the ones on the resin shoulder pad taken from the Esoterist Consul. The head is from the Chaos Legionaries Kill Team sprues, I believe normally reserved for the heavy melee weapon wielder.

 

Chosen Marine with Combi-weapon:

Love a marine with a combi-weapon! A fairly straightforward kitbash this one. A MkVI torso, Chosen Chaos Space Marine arms carrying a combi-plasma from the same kit and then the helm is taken from the Horus Heresy Command Squad sprue.

 

Chosen Marine:

 

What's calling than a combi-weapon? Just an honest old Bolter! The final Chosen Marine is another MkVI Tactical Marine although I've mixed up the armour marks a little by giving him a MkIII helm. The plume on the helm is taken from a Hedonites kit again and I think probably a Blissbarb or Blissbarb Seeker but can't remember for sure. Chosen Chaos Space Marine arms here (always a fan of a marine with an actual bolter - doubly so if he's showing old school 'True Grit' to fire it in one hand - will always have a soft spot for Space Wolves!). His sword is from another Myrmidesh Painbringer and the little Slaaneshi sigils is taken from the Slickblade Seekers sprues as that kit is chock-a-block with lots of great trinkets and treasures for the followers of Slaanesh.

 

The squad together:

 

Finally a little fluff snippet to help bring Axiter to life a tad...

 

Quote

The tired din of battle faded into the background, his brothers forgotten about, as Axiter Gine felt the universe come into sharp focus once more. He raised his blade in salute to the Aeldari champion.

 

"The youngest god hungers for your soul, alien, and I shall make a gift of it." he called as he closed the distance between them. "Be sure to tell Slaanesh that it was Prefector Axiter Gine that dispatched you to Him."

 

For its part, the Eldar warrior spat something back at him in the clipped and cold sounding drivel that passed as language between their kind. The Chief Apothecary held the Aeldari in higher regard than he did. As far as Axiter was concerned, they were a vile race, clinging on to a doomed existence rather than facing their fate with honour and good grace. When his time came, he would rather it ended quickly than be something as drawn out as the final death rattle of the Aeldari.

 

The distance between them became as nothing and their blades met in their first dance. The Eldar moved with an inhuman speed and grace that put his teeth on edge but, begrudgingly he couldn't deny that it possessed some modicum of skill. A true test of his mettle perhaps? Its electric blue form-fitting armour flexed and rolled with its wearer's movements and Axiter found himself quickly on the defensive as the keening blade it wielded slashed at him first from left, then from right. A feint to the left was redirected gracefully into a swipe from the right and, unable to get his sword across in time, Axiter instead parried the alien's wrist with a strike from his vambrace. The alien saw the parry coming and flexed with the movement so that the impact didn't shatter its wrist. It knew well enough the strength and power in the enhanced body of a chaos space marine. He pressed the space as the alien tried to dance away and put his strength into some ringing blows that the Eldar was forced to meet, blade to blade, with gritted teeth. Keen to disengage it dove into a pirouette, blade outstretched and Axiter was forced to give ground.

 

Axiter's body and soul felt alive with the dance of blades. The Eldar gave him a mocking bow as it caught its breath. He felt anger rise like bile within him and in response, chemical stims flooded his system like ice water. Gifts from The Manflayer, in return for him lending his sword arm to the Chief Apothecary's cause.

As he pressed the attack once more, everything else felt as if it moved a beat slower, the speed of the Aeldari champion tempered somewhat by his heightened senses. He on the other hand, felt as if he was not subject to the same laws and his sword arm felt lighter, faster, stronger. Whilst the Eldar met every lunge, swipe and strike of his sword, it was being harried into a reactive battle that did not suit it.

 

Axiter aimed a kick at the alien and whilst it shifted backwards to rob the blow of some momentum it couldn't escape him fully and was thrown off balance. Axiter swept his body from the kick into a spin, his sword arm whirling with chem-hanced speed before the blade bit deep into the Xenos warrior's flank. With a flourish he pulled his sword back, widening the cut and enjoying the stink of alien blood as it spilt heavily from the wound.

 

The Xenos blade fell from slackening fingers as it's wielder fell to one knee. Using the tip of his blade, Axiter pried the Eldar's spirit stone from its mounting on its armour. The last of its energy was expended in a terrified wail as the implication of this desecration became clear to it. He examined the stone between thumb and finger for a moment before letting it drop to the dusty ground.

 

"Perhaps there will be one amongst your kin that might pose me a greater challenge," he said with a resigned sigh, before crushing the alien's spirit stone beneath his heel.

 

A wave of ecstasy washed over him, marking his patron's delight with the gift of the alien's soul. The moment was fleeting and once more a spiritual weariness descended upon him as he scanned the battlefield looking for one amongst the foe who stood out for his war-craft.