Spellbreakers at Realm's Edge, Part 1

The Shadowflames

We are gearing up to a skirmish campaign using the rules in Malign Sorcery and this spurred me to finally start a project I had in mind since Battletome Fyreslayers was released. It all started when I read this snippet of background.

I had immediately imagined the Shadowkin as Aelfs and when Silver Tower came out I decided that the Mistweaver Saih and the Tenebrael Shard must be hailing from that mysterious faction.
At the same time, the idea of fiery duardin fighting side by side with shadowy aelfs set in motion another train of thoughts. One that twisted the tolkien-esque idea that shadow and flame were the bane of the dwarf race. When the Chosen Axes were released, the Sahdowflames were finally born in my mind.
Lately, real life interfered with hobby time so I didn't go for conversions. And on top of that, both the duardin and aelf models are so great I couldn't imagine how to change them. What I did, to convey the Shadowflames narrative, was to experiment with painting, keeping a limited palette of black, white and greys for the aelfs and trying a fiery scheme on the duardin. For spot colours, I went for the purple metal of the Caengan lodge icon, but on the weapons and armours of the aelfs, and some dark blue on the rubble sculpted on the bases. The sand colour is there so that I can use them alongside my other Order models.
Now, enjoy the models and their story.

Across the Realms, stories have spread of a cloying darkness concealing bright flames. Warriors returning from the front lines tell of how it descends upon the battlefields to pick on isolated fighters and of how only corpses can be found, stripped of any magically attuned object. Explorers of the Realms' hidden corners swear they saw black skinned aelfs and fyreslayers hiding in the misterious darkness. Shadowflames call them the people of the Free Cities. The mystics and scholars of the aelfish enclaves, wisper of Arh'khaladh, the Flaming Shadow, the perfidious nobility of their distant relatives and their mercenary allies. Only among the Fyreslayer lodges enough is know of the pacts between the Caengan lodge and the Shadowkin of Ulgu to realise that a Zharradumal, a Kindred of the Fire within the Darkness, is stalking the Realms.

Laelanyel

Long had Laelanyel inflicted pain on the fools that braved the mists and shadows of Ulgu. And that, she would have continued to do gladly, but the Necroquake changed it all. The Mistweaver Saih's nightmarish glamours faltered, leaving her palace vulnerable to the predations of the Hosts of Slaanesh roaming Ulgu. A queen without her crown, she called on the ancient pacts with the Caengan lodge. For she had to seek for the tools to reclaim her heritage, artefacts of power that could have becalmed the wild magic and restored her palace. And if anyone was to stand in her way, they would have had to share in her pain.

Aef-Grimnir

The Runefather had grown restless ever since his ur-gold runes had flared bright as the Necroquake hit Ulgu. Grimnir was calling him, but the Runemasters reminded him of his duties towards the lodge. He could not leave the Caengan at a time of strife. Then came Laelanyel calling on their old alliance. So great was the offence she had suffered, that only the service of the Runefather could fulfil the Cengan's oaths. Raising his son Garn to rule over the lodge, Aef-Grimnir left Ulgu.

Engrin Skavenbane

The captain of Aef-Grimnir's royal guard had never left the Runefather's side in the long wars against the Skaven gnawing at the roots of the lodge forge. And though it pained him not to see the mangy filth finally repelled, honour demanded he was at Aef-Grimnir's side through his voyages across the Realms.

Tark & Durbak, the Kinless

The only survivors of the kinsband of Aef's first-born, Tark and Durbak had long been outcasts among the Caengan. As they both had survived, the oath of the Grimwrath was not open to them, leaving them only the shame of failure in protecting the Runeson. It was because of that that Aef-Grimnir called upon them. "Kinless", he said "the lodge has no need of your shame and you owe me a blood debt. By your life or death, fulfill it".

Drevakh Xosh

Of Drevakh Xosh, the Caengan knew little. Some said he was Laelanyel's twin. Others that he was her favourite lover. The few that had dared to ask any aelf about him, had vanished. What they did know for sure, was that whenever Laelanyel took to the field of battle, Drevakh would have soon materialised from the shadows.

Tor Megiddo: Oil & Blood, Part 9

The Caravan

And as the Purebred celebrated, out of False Hope the Slipgibbets went. And yet, the vile mutant never accepts its humbling. Greedy for the tech and food traded in False Hope, the Slipgibbets laid in ambush. Great was the loot they piled upon the Stranger, and on the red sands, it weighed the truck down. Slowly they advanced, ravelling in their impurity. And Great Warfather Arun swore he would make them pay the price of blood. And Commander Blitzer of the Ashtown Wasters threw his lots with Arun. Not out of rage at the mutant acted Blitzer, but coveting the spoils of its demise.

And the sudden allies rushed through the Scorched Plain, 'till the Stranger was in sight.

Loud rang Arun's voice, drowning even the bark of guns. Forward, the Great Warfather ordered the Purebred, and Dez' flames engulfed the Stranger. Out of the truck some Slipgibbets jumped and others cowered behind its armour. And bullets and grenades wistled and blasted and blood drenched the sand. Blitzer waded in, his hammer taking a great toll of the impure. And yet, the stranger ground on.

And then, the vile Hijack felled on Snapper.

And once again, the Vulture stepped out of the dust. On the Great Warfather, the Rust Man's gaze fell. And Arun turned to listen, for the grinding murmurs of the God Machines are said to reveal the future to those that can decypher them.

And with the Great Warfather's lead gone, rage overtook Dez, for Snapper was his loyal companion. Flames engulfed Hijack and then Dez turned his back to the Stranger to vent his hanger on the wounded Slipgibbets.

And then, it was just Eshelon the Rider and the Wasters to take the fight to the Slipgibbets. Again and again, they surrounded the truck. And yet, the Stranger ground on.

And then, the sands gave way to sulphur flats. On solid ground, the Stranger roared and away it went. Punishment had been dealt on the Slipgibbets, and yet they still held onto most of their ill gotten gains.

Of renegades... again!

After I converted some regular Space Marines into Renegades to add them to the models from Assassinorum: Execution Force I had promised myself to finish the work by adding five more Cultists so that I could deply two 10-men units. However, since I've been progressively loosing interest in large games, I kept postposing this work, even though I had a box of Cultists ready to go.
And then came Kill Team! The Chaos Marines and Cultists I had converted were perfect for it, but not enough to have a flexible Combat Roster. And the inspiration returned, leading to the addition of more Loreseekers to the followers of Marduk Fatebender.

I wanted to have a Gunner with Heavy Stubber and a Combat Specialist and change the heads to all models so they did not look identical to the others I had. Some Flaggelant heads and arms, Genestealer Cultist heads, a Palgue Monk sword, an Ork Heavy Shoota and ammo belt, a Scout Marine backpack and the axe head from the Chaos Terminator Lord and few touches of greenstuff were all that it took to get the look I wanted.

Since I was at it, I also put together some objective markers, mixing Chaos and Imperial bits.

Finally, I had an old metal Chaos Familiar and the miniature Lord of Change from Silver Tower going spare. Once put on some 40k resin bases they were perfect to act as markers for tactics effects or counters for Command Points.

In the meantime, Commanders has been released, giving me the opportunity to include Marduk Fatebender himself. However, the model I have is in Terminator armour. But guess what? In the bits box there was one of the metal Chaos Sorcerers released at the time of the 2nd edition Codex! It will soon get a lick of paint on itslef...

Tor Megiddo: Oil & Blood, Part 8

The Pit of False Hope

In False Hope, the gates of Promethium Refinery Station 534 opened. In reverence, the Tribes called a truce, for the grand Pit Fights promised fortune and glory for any brave enough to enter them. And when rumours spread that Phospho of the Disciples of the Black was to face Cable of the Slipgibbets, Warfather Dez flared in rage. His was the right to humble Phospho after their clash at Crashpoint and no debased mutant would rob him of it.

And as the champions entered the arena, their Tribes cheered. Guarded, the fighters approached the centre of the Pit. And then, Cable charged Phospho. Mutated arm and whirring claw clashed. But the purity of the machine is no match for the weak flesh of the wretch. Cable went down and Warfather Dez grinned. For another day, he swore, would be the punishing of mutants. Now was the time of restoring honour. Flames leapt from his weapon, enraging the Disciples of the Black for the use of promethium against their champion. And the Black listened to them. Phospho emerged unscated. Around rocks and the inhert form of a Rust Man, Dez and Phospho weaved the dance of blades. Blood drenched Mother Stone. Feinting a trust to the neck, Dez umbalanced Phospho, then his jagged blade darted for an exposed leg. And the Disciple of the Black fell. On that day, the Mighty Father in his Golden Throne smiled upon the Purebred. Riches and respect were poured upon them.