WIP Shrine of Saint Harold the Gentle, First Chapter Master of the Iron Boot

[Arikel]

I recently acquired a box of someone’s random terrain discards and it’s fired up my neurons and I have started creating. Here is the weekend’s most significant achievement , a shrine dedicated to the first Chapter Master of my custom fellas.

 

As reported by Felix Pulchra, Chief Herald and Master Of Propaganda, Angelus Ferrei Misericordiae

 

”Behold and weep you damned, you xenos, you heretics. The Holy Resting Place of Saint Harold the Gentle, known for first spreading his emperor’s Truth and Mercy to this dark benighted corner of the galaxy still stands proud, under the sacred protection of his descendants His Emperor’s Very Own Blessed Angels Of Iron Mercy.
 

(notes: The Herald here is using the direct translation of the chapter’s high gothic designation,  

Angeli beati ferreae misericordiae ipsius imperatoris sui

more often, it is variously translated as the Angels Merciful, Angels of Iron Mercy, Iron Boots, Iron Headsmen, Emperor’s Butchers, Imperial Executioners and so own, depending on the local dialect of the system’s fortunate enough to be under the watchful eyes of these enlightened sons of our God-Emperor).

 

As you can see in the pictures, it just needs a few finishing touches before basing and painting. We can tell humanity is winning here because the bottom level has only one panel with battle damage!

 

 

[Firedrake Cordova]

That looks like there's some of the old Sector Imperialis kits in there? I never got any of those, but always thought they looked nice.  

[Arikel]

I think so but couldn’t say for sure. I was always an army guy, only just started with terrain in the last year or so, since I have more than enough first born stocked up to finish my company. 
 

Guy tossed the jumbled terrain box at me for free as I was buying a whirlwind and a tree/forest set off him, and he’s been on a fire sale trying to get rid of stuff. A few other goodies  in there too, but these were the best find. Had to separate and chop stuff a bit to make the shrine here but I haven’t had the hobby bug this strong in a while. Think the hyper fixation is gonna last a little while.

[Firedrake Cordova]

Sounds like you got a pretty good bundle there, then  

[Arikel]

Couple more pics. Think that’s it for the structure itself. Might get some banners and maybe another mounted gun or two.

 

 

[Arikel]

Building is built and base coated. some little extra flash msy be added but nothing major

 

 

[Arikel]

Started work on a guardian for the tomb. An honourable post for an aged space marine who is not yet doomed to sleep until battle calls for him again.

 

 

[Arikel]

Haven’t started painting yet, but it will happen. Instead we see that Brother-Magos Alexei has been hard at work with scraps from the armory.
 

The attack on the shrine world was a surprise, a dagger from the shadows within. The few pdf forces  that remained loyal, along with the sisters of battle that reside there have put up a strong resistance but have been steadily pushed back to the very holiest of places . Aided by the small honour guard of space marines lead by Tomb Keeper Brother Aetholwold, they put up a desperate defence as they pray to the emperor that the relief forces enroute arrive in time.

 

Alexei, who had come on a spiritual vigil to the shrine world to ensure his soul against deviance from tradition, was always a bit odd, even to his techmarine comrades and other members if the machine cult. Instead of memorizing all rituals by rote and restoring items exactly to their original state, he seemed to have almost an intuitive understanding of the machine, and could communicate easily with any machine spirit, even without following the exact rituals as mandated by the liturgy.

 

His time spent in the campaign against the Humiesplatta Waagh of Grand High MekBoss Henk Dakkahand did nothing to bring his tendencies to bypass proper rituals and seek to improve the function of the machines under his care, he was fas fascinated by the xenos tech and spent much time studying captured orkish equipment. By the end of the war, he was brought to the Chief Engineer, Brother-Magos Ricardo, on charges of tech heresy.

 

Ricardo, aware of the seriousness of the charges, was yet unwilling to lose such a brilliant magos to death or biotransformation into a servitor. Instead Alexei was subjected to an intense torture and conditioning regime, in an attempt to purge the heretical urge to innovate from the young marine. After this course of treatment, he was sent on pilgrimage to the shrine world as penitence, to be placed under command of the Tomb Keeper and be part of the honour guard for 5 years, during which he should properly absorb the importance of tradition and history, before returning to the chapter house.

Present during the cultist rebellion, Alexei participated in the defence of the world and the shrine. As the situation became increasingly desperate, the mental conditioning and blocks imposed during the torture were defeated by his urgent need to defend the world by any means possible.

 

Descending into the armoury below the tomb, he salvaged old relics of anything still useful, building an energy shield emmitter that could be used to protect the tomb. While it can still be overwhelmed by significant firepower, and has been several times, the  shield generator has been key to the defense of the shrine, keeping the lower levels almost fully intact.

 

In addition he has built several semi automated turrets from a variety of weapon systems taken from no longer functional relics, utilizing servitor brains and autotargeting scripture to allow them to act independently if required.

 

Initially, Tomb Keeper Aetholwold was horrified by this when he found out, and considered granting the emperor’s mercy on the spot to the obviously unrepentant, perverse, and deviant heretic that stood before him. However, he did have to grudgingly admit that without Alexei’s disgusting “creations”, that the tomb itself would have been conquered and destroyed by the swarming horde outside the defence perimeters they had established.
 

Still, there was suspicion of continued xenos taint on the lad. All this tinkering positively reeked of Orkish corruption. Another trial would be ordered and held, and Alexei would be held responsible for his continued sin. But, only after the relief force arrives and this rebellion is crushed under the Iron Boot once more. Until then, he had need of this apostate and his creations to keep the tomb safe.

 

WIP pic of one of alexei’s creations, hurricane bolters salvaged from the broken shell of a Land Raider Crusader, bonded with an Assault Cannon from a damaged arm of Dreadnought Armour, the only remnant of Brutus the Pious to be salvaged from his final destruction.

 

Accompanied by his devoted Servitor Edward armed with a Plasma Cannon, he now horrifies the Keeper by styling himself as Sergeant Brother-Magos Alexei, leader of Tactical Squad Automata, Saviors of the Shrine. He insists the machine sprits are much happier to be useful once more, and were not  wishing to continue their honourable but unsatisfying rest. He estimates that with the TacSquad Automata turret, himself and Servitor Edward, that he can put out at least as much firepower as any other tactical squad in the chapter, which is sorely needed against the cult outside.

 

 

 

 

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