Return to Prospero ++ The Fellblade Rises++

[Brother Ezra]

Now that's a Fellblade! Stellar work - you've really nailed the red! 

[Vairocanum]

Wow that marble looks amazing! Definitely looking forward to seeing the tank completed!

[Lord Commander Eidolon]

On 12/8/2025 at 9:56 AM, abraxus said:

I’m am really liking the candy apple red with the white marble.   the marble adds a sense of "high end" to the tanks, mkaing them seem more like rolling shrines of knowledge then machines of war, very appropriate for 1Ksons

Thank you! I’m glad you agree — the Thousand Sons really should be a little ostentatious. Even in the Great Crusade era, they never struck me as a Legion that treated their wargear as purely utilitarian. These vehicles should feel like relics in their own right, revered and embellished, not just tools of war. In many ways, it mirrors how vehicles are treated in the 40k era, just without the layers of superstition piled on top… at least not yet.

 

If I have one small regret, it’s the white marble. Don’t get me wrong, I love how it’s turned out — but it does rule out the option of white striping entirely. That was always one of the classic Thousand Sons accents, and losing it does narrow the design space a bit. Still, limitations can be helpful, and it’s pushing me more firmly toward black and gold accents to carry the visual weight instead.

 

At this point, it feels less like painting a tank and more like curating a relic. Which, honestly, feels exactly right for the Sons of Magnus.

[Lord Commander Eidolon]

On 12/9/2025 at 7:39 AM, Brother Ezra said:

Now that's a Fellblade! Stellar work - you've really nailed the red! 

Thank you! And yes… it was a lot of work. On a single centrepiece model it’s manageable, even enjoyable, but doing the same process across squads of Marines and multiple vehicles? That’s where it starts to feel properly gruelling. Ahriman really isn’t exaggerating when he talks about fifteen layers — it genuinely takes that many to achieve the glossy depth and richness of colour I was chasing.

 

Painful at times, but seeing it all come together makes it worth it. The red finally feels right — and that’s something I’ve been chasing for a very long time.

 

On 12/10/2025 at 5:41 PM, Vairocanum said:

Wow that marble looks amazing! Definitely looking forward to seeing the tank completed!

You and me both!! With the red finally locked in, the next steps are starting to crystallise. Decals are up next, followed by the pin striping. I’m now leaning heavily toward black and gold accents inspired by the Third Fellowship — something a bit more ornate, a bit more ceremonial, and hopefully bold enough to stand up against all that crimson and marble. If I go with black pin stripes.

 

On the plus side, I’ve been using the reddening downtime wisely. Another ten tactical Marines are now fully candied up, which means a serious decal session is looming in the near future. It’s genuinely satisfying to see things moving forward — even if I’m still yet to put a single fully finished model on the shelf.

 

Still, we’re getting closer, should have an update soon….

[Lord Commander Eidolon]

 

Corvidaen Journal – Fragment of the Polished Marble

Tutelary intrusion: moderate. Harmonics stable. Interpretive pressure sustained but non-adversarial.
 

The work continues—slowly, reverently. It could never be otherwise. This is no mere engine of war, but an edifice of accumulated knowledge, gilded and shaped by artisans who understand that craft is a form of devotion. The Tizcan hue is sacrosanct. It is not colour alone, but symbol: knowledge made manifest, the eternal striving toward enlightenment rendered in pigment and patience.

 

—uplift? or hubris?

—you gild the past and call it progress—

 

The marble has been refined and honed, its veining disciplined until it echoes the hidden geometries once taught in the upper libraria of Tizca. Decals, pinstripes, and sigils have been laid with deliberate restraint. Still, the work remains incomplete. The name Khatek has yet to be inscribed, and until it is, the engine remains unanchored—powerful, yes, but unclaimed.

 

—a name binds

—a name condemns—

 

Progress has been slow, but there are truths that resist haste. To rush such consecration would be to invite error, and error is a luxury we can no longer afford.

 

Soon, the finer adornments may begin. The golden Achaean Scarab will be wrought upon Khatek’s hull, not merely as ornament, but as declaration—of lineage, of loyalty, of memory preserved against annihilation.

 

The red sings.

 

It echoes the glory of a bygone age: Prospero at its zenith, when the Legion stood upon the threshold of greatness and the galaxy itself seemed poised to follow us into a higher state of being.

 

—it was never stable

—it was always burning—

 

Yet while I have fulfilled my duties as dictated by the Primarch and overseen the rites of the Forge, I have not abandoned my other charge. The restoration of my brothers continues.

 

The Serpentine Sun now adorns the second cohort of veteran warriors. Cult sigils are once more etched into plate that remembers a different era. Mark II and Mark III armour—reclaimed, reforged, purified—stand as living relics of a time before compromise, before fear curtailed inquiry. It is… good to see them again.

 

—memory is a blade

—you cut yourself every time you look back—

 

Their armour is all but complete. Soon, ten more brothers will stand in crimson, whole in form if not yet in fate.

 

I allow myself a dangerous thought:

that Magnus will see the meaning in this.

That the return of these warriors is not coincidence, but sign.

That what was nearly lost may yet be salvaged.

 

—hope is dangerous, Ahzek

—but it is not yet forbidden—

 

Still, I cannot deny it: something has shifted. The skein resists dissolution. The work answers my hand. The red no longer rejects me.

 

Perhaps this path yet bears fruit.

Perhaps reclamation is not defiance, but preparation.

 

Or perhaps this is merely the calm before a greater catastrophe, and I am once again mistaking momentum for salvation.

 

—the red tells the truth

—listen to what it whispers beneath the paint—

 

For now, I continue.

 

— Ahzek Ahriman

Chief Librarian of the XV Legion

Listener to whispers best left unheard

Bearer of a hope I no longer trust

 

++ What is rebuilt with care may yet endure what was fated to fall ++

 

Marble, Masks, and the End of Analysis Paralysis

 

Alrighty — a little progress at last, and more importantly, the overcoming of some serious analysis paralysis.

 

Following on from The Reddening, I was (and still am) really happy with the red. I mean, there were enough coats of it — fifteen, if we’re being numerologically correct about these things. However, the marble didn’t quite survive the process unscathed. Whether it was red bleed-through from the tape and Maskol, or just the finish drifting a little too grey, it wasn’t sitting right with me.

 

So, while masking off for the pin stripes, I took the opportunity to go back in and refresh the marble sections. Nothing drastic — just a tidy-up to bring the contrast back. And honestly? It’s looking pretty decent now, if I do say so myself. That said, I’m still undecided about what actually goes on the marble panels. Gold tends to get lost against it, and black transfers sometimes disappear into the veining. That’s a problem for Future Me to obsess over.

 

With the marble behaving again, I committed to the black pinstripes. They’re quite subtle, based on the colour plate from Inferno, and I think they work nicely. The plan is to add a thin gold border to them next, just to give them a bit more presence, but first I needed all the stripes and decals down, scratched, and sealed. I really don’t want to be masking over finished paint and transfers again — especially after suffering a few small tape-related mishaps during the striping, despite my best efforts.

 

 

I’m also flirting with the idea of some light oil dot filtering next… though I’m genuinely unsure how that’ll behave over a candy-red scheme. I’ve got some transparent blue and red oils that might work pushed into the shadows, but this feels like something to test very carefully before committing.

 

While I was in the groove, I also revisited the Land Raider. That one had only seen five or six layers of red originally, so I taped up the black, added more scuffing and highlights, and then hit it with another six or so layers of red. Now both tanks match properly, which is deeply satisfying. And yes — I refreshed the marble on the Land Raider too, because it had suffered the same faint red bleed.

Seriously… whose stupid idea was white marble?

 

On the infantry front, I used the decal session wisely and got transfers onto the ten tactical marines as well. I’ll try to grab a photo of them for the next update — not the easiest thing while they’re all perched on corks and painting handles. After that, I really will have to bite the bullet and paint the white/cream robes. You can only put these things off for so long.

 

Oh, and of course I still need to refine the green stuff on those tabards too.

Which raises the important question: whose stupid idea was it to give them tabards in the first place?

 

More soon — assuming I don’t invent any new problems for myself in the meantime.

Edited December 21, 2025 by Lord Commander Eidolon
Format Chronicle Text

[Firedrake Cordova]

That sounds like an enormous amount of work, but the result is definitely worth it

[Vairocanum]

Lovely work on the tank, nice that the other land raider matches this one now! Will be looking forward to seeing the infantry 

[Lord Commander Eidolon]

Corvidaen Journal – Fragment on the Looming Fulfilment

Tutelary incursion: moderate. Harmonics stabilising. Whisper-density elevated but coherent.

 

Work upon the Fellblade continues apace—for the deadline draws near, and with it the tightening of unseen threads. The Prosperine Ruby is all but complete, now adorned with sacred markings: gold-edged lines traced with esoteric runes, the Serpentine Sun set in its proper aspect, and the hallowed Legion numerals aligned precisely with the layered strata of crimson beneath. Khatek stands revealed at last, a wonder given form through patience, discipline, and sacrifice.

 

—completion approaches—
—does fulfilment herald triumph, or closure?—
—the red remembers every hand that shaped it—

 

Only the final detailing remains upon its venerable hull before the weapons of war are married to its frame. It has been a labour without mercy, but the will of the Crimson King must be enacted, and enacted without flaw. To deliver less than perfection would be to invite censure—not merely from my gene-sire, but from fate itself.

Alongside this undertaking, progress upon the Land Raider Karakh has continued. Another relic of ancient war now nears readiness, its armour clad once more in sacred red. The Legion’s forges have laboured well, their output steady despite the strain placed upon them.

 

—metal answers more readily than flesh—
—yet flesh remembers why it fights—

 

My lost brothers remain in limbo. Deadlines press close, and the portents grow increasingly insistent. The forges must be completed at all costs. It troubles me deeply to turn my attention from my brothers, but undue haste breeds carelessness, and carelessness invites catastrophe. I will not repeat the failures that already stain my record.

And yet…

As I scry the skeins and measure the convergence of possibility, I glimpse shapes forming beyond the immediate horizon—threads long dormant beginning to stir. Ancient brethren. Forgotten paths reopening. Futures that were once sealed now breathing again.

 

—hope is dangerous—
—hope is necessary—
—choose which truth you can endure—

 

Is it folly to cling to this hope?
Or is it the first sign that this long labour—this reclamation of metal, memory, and meaning—may yet bear fruit beyond expectation?

I do not know.

But the crimson does not lie.
And it has not finished speaking.

 

— Ahzek Ahriman
Chief Librarian of the Thousand Sons
Watcher of converging futures, and steward of what yet may be restored

 

++ The work is not yet complete, and neither is the reckoning. ++

---

 

Gold Lines, Hard Decisions, and Proof That Infantry Exist

Alrighty — progress has been made! I’ve now added the gold outline around the pin stripes, and it’s made a huge difference. It really helps break up the red and properly define the stripe, especially in the darker recesses where everything was starting to blur together. I’ve also added a couple more transfers to the front, and I think it’s all starting to look properly finished in places now.

 

After a bit of testing (mostly on the inner sides of the Land Raider where mistakes can hide in shame), I’ve decided oil dot filtering isn’t really adding much value to this scheme. On a candy finish it just doesn’t behave the way I want it to. Instead, I’m going to lightly knock back the shadows with a subtle matte filter to introduce some contrast without killing the gloss.

 

Next phase will be more chipping and edge highlighting to really sell the surface wear and pitting on the hull. After that, I can finally move on to the metallics and tracks, followed by oil streaking and some very restrained rust/verdigris effects. Nothing too grimy — these are still relics, after all — but just enough to show age and use. Hopefully I can get a decent run of progress going now without stopping every five minutes to second-guess myself.

 

 

 

 

And just to prove that I have actually painted some infantry… behold: the mass of tactical marines! Yes, they exist. Yes, they are very red. And yes, I am seriously procrastinating on them. I still need to refine the green-stuffed tabards and paint the cursed white bolter casings — a task I am avoiding with Olympic-level commitment.

 

 

As if that wasn’t enough distraction, I also got a little sidetracked after a couple of days away and built this bad boy for a Boxing Day bash. A mate very kindly printed me some torsos, and while I didn’t manage to finish it on the day, I’m really happy with how it’s turned out so far. Strong Sekhmet-style vibes, which is never a bad thing.

 

More soon — assuming I finally bite the bullet and paint some white.

 

Edited January 3 by Lord Commander Eidolon

[calgar101]

I am jealous of that red, its so well done. I love that Fellblade, awesome job on it. The white contrasts really well, and the shadowing/weather effects are done well too.

Some really great hobby stuff here.

[Lord Commander Eidolon]

On 12/19/2025 at 10:29 PM, Firedrake Cordova said:

That sounds like an enormous amount of work, but the result is definitely worth it

Thank you! And yes — it really has been a lot of red layers. Definitely not helped by the back-and-forth or the occasional masking tape betrayal along the way… but it’s getting there at last. A lot of the finer scratches and surface wear sadly don’t show up particularly well on camera, which is always a bit frustrating, but they’re very much there in person. I’ll keep pushing the subtle weathering regardless — it’s absolutely worth it once you see the model with your own eyes.

 

On 12/22/2025 at 10:03 PM, Vairocanum said:

Lovely work on the tank, nice that the other land raider matches this one now! Will be looking forward to seeing the infantry 

I’ve mostly been focusing on the Fellblade recently, but the Land Raider is actually at pretty much the same stage now. I’ll need to get some photos of it when I get the chance. I’ve just finished the base coats on all the tracks as well, so tangible progress is happening, even if it feels slow at times. Of course, once the tanks are under control, I’ll still need to turn my attention back to the infantry…

 

36 minutes ago, calgar101 said:

I am jealous of that red, its so well done. I love that Fellblade, awesome job on it. The white contrasts really well, and the shadowing/weather effects are done well too.

Some really great hobby stuff here.

Thank you, I’m sure you have picked up the earlier entries really do chart all the issues I’ve had with this red over the years. It feels great to finally have it nailed down. In fairness, once you commit to the process, the paint being so thin does help — it dries quickly, and there’s always the trusty hair dryer to keep things moving. The old adage really holds true: get the base coat right and most of the work is already done.

 

Given that red makes up about 90% of these models, it’s definitely worth investing the time. Painful at moments, but completely justified when it all comes together.

 

More soon — hopefully with fewer tape mishaps and steadily fewer excuses to avoid the infantry.

[Brother Ezra]

Beautiful! The gold combines very nicely with the red, well done!

 

And glad to see some more of that infantry  I do understand your apprehension regarding painting them - an entire block of unfinished miniatures staring at you from the painting desk can be quite intimidating, indeed! I wish you much fortitude for the task at hand, and if I may offer some advice - start with one, or a few, rather than the whole bunch at once