Cadet Baume
Lucas Baume was born from the upper classes of Gallia, and like many privileged youngsters he considered it a great honour to be accepted into the planetary Astra Militarum academy, famed through the Segmentum Pacificum for the utter devotion of his trainees to the Imperial Creed and the dictates of the Adeptus Munitorum. He excelled in his training, showing tactical acumen and total disregard for the safety of the lower ranking trainees he led during gruelling combat simulations. As the perfect candidate for officer duties, he was promoted to Cadet shortly after Lord Regent Guilliman had called the Indomitus Crusade. Gallia sent hundreds of regiments to the mustering grounds and Cadet Baume was seconded to the 9th Light Infantry platoon of the Gallian 1643rd, ready to complete his officer training en route and take command. But their transport was engulfed by a warp storm and spat out of the Malfactus Rift. Harrassed by the orks of Badlanding, the ship managed to reach Finis Sidera and dock there. Cadet Baume offered the few surviving guardsmen to the Rogue Trader cartel running the station, and asked to be deployed in a suicide mission to reclaim the lost sectors of the base. As soon as the soldiers heard his plan, they deserted, joining the crews of Rogue Trader ships. From that day, Cadet Baume has been drinking heavily, ashamed by his failure, and hired himself as bodyguard for the Rogue Traders. Ever since the arrival of Inquisitor Quintus Severus to Finis Sidera, the disgraced soldier has tried to pledge his services to him. The shrewed Inquisitor has not yet accepted the offer, distrustfull of a man unable to fulfil his duties.
This was a model I did to get rid of bits shortly before packing my stuff. It is a simple conversion, the only part requiring some careful work being the cutting of an old Cadian lasgun to be replaced with a boltgun.
The rest of the bits are old Cadian legs, a Tank Officer torso, belt accessories from the Genestealer Cult upgrade pack and a French Infantry head from, I guess, the Brothers Perry's Napoleonic War range. Don't even ask me how that bit found its way into the bitz box!
Obviously, the fact that the torso had braces worked incredibly well with the head, so I replicated the colours of the Light Infantry uniform in the Napoleonic army.
Raymond & Rork
Raymond was part of a Ministorum delegation, en route to join the Hermitarium Lodovicum on Imeria, that had reached Finis Sidera shortly before the opening of the Malfactus Rift. As outbreakes of Gellerpox and daemonic manifestations ravaged the station, Raymond found himself separated from the Ministorum delegation and far from the docks when the Rogue Trader cartel sealed them off. Surrounded by shambling infected, the crusader prayed to the Emperor to take his soul when suddenly a hail of high-calibre bullet cleared a path for him. Sure that the God-Emperor had sent another of His devout servants to fight at his side, Raymond was instead greeted by a hideous mutant. Despite the mutant being barely able to speak, he managed to give his name as Rork and offered to lead Raymond to the docks. And though disgusted, Raymond felt bound to accept, for the wretch had saved his life.
For days the two fought through the bowels of Finis Sidera, and Raymond surmised that Rork had been on the station for a long time, perhaps he was even born there, and served on various Rogue Traders' ships. By the time they reached one of the few still working entrances to the docks, the crusader had to acknowledge that the Emperor worked in mysterious ways. If He had put Rork on his path, he was to work with the mutant.
Together, Raymond and Rork have hired themselves to lead salvage parties in the lost sections of Finis Sidera, hearning quite a reputation for themselves. More recently, as the Cobalt Snake docked with Finis Sidera, the duo has come to the attention of Quintus Severus. The shrewd Inquisitor senses a similar attitude to his own in Raymond and it is only a matter of time until he finds a way to bind the crusader and his mutant crony to his own service.
For a bit of a change, I've rummaged through my bits box and put together these two fellas. Like all the 40k models I do on a whim, they will see tabletop action as part of Quintus Severus' Retinue, hence why I painted Raymond in the same colours as my other crusader, Gerard.
The legs are from an old Fantasy kit, the arms from the Freeguild Greatswords, while the torso and head are from the Space Marine Scouts. The simbol on the Stormcast shield had been clipped off, so I've tried to replicate it when painting the model. It's not great, but it will do. The back of the model was similarly damaged and I've covered the area with pouches from the Sapece Marines Scouts. More pouches helped to hide the rough joint between legs and torso.
Rork is based on the body of a 5th edition Saurus Warrior, with a Ghoul head and Ork arms.
The Saurus body had a large flat area on the chest, where the original head was to be glued. That was sculpted over, continuing the wrinkles in the skin. Finally, I added the scales on the head, joining them with those along the spine. Some more Space Marine pouches completed his look.
Palatine Patrycja
Patrycja was in charge of a Mission established by the Order of the Sacred Rose among the Ghoul Stars. Located on a remote planetoid some seven light years south-east of New Drekport, their sanctuary was engulfed in the opening of the Malfactus Rift. Patrycja and the Sisters under her command managed to take off on a battered shuttle in an attempt to reach New Drekport. Wave after wave of daemonic horrors breached the ship's warp shields, yet every time the Sisters repelled them, all the while stearing the ship towards the edges of the Rift. It was there, when only Patrycja and a handful of Sisters survived, that they made contact with the Cobalt Snake. Quintus Severus and his retinue boarded the shuttle, the Inquisitor placing the Sisters in psybonds. He was unwilling to execute potential allies in such dire times but all too aware of the risks posed by daemonic taints. At least, that was what he said to Patrycja, the only one to withstand his psyprobes, promising he would do all he could to cleanse her Sisters. As times passes, the Palatine is beginning to suspect that Quintus' motives might be far less noble. Yet, with no proof to challenge his authority, the only course of action left to Patrycja is to fight alongside the Inquisitor.
As a palate cleanser while working on Peker's Haven, I've dug out the Canoness Veridyan model and added it to Quintus Severus' Retinue. The model is so iconic that I didn't want to convert it, but the classic paint scheme didn't really appeal to me, so I painted it in the colours of the Order of the Sacred Rose.
As I was painting her, I've also updated the dirty brick red paint on an old shrine I had, so that it fits alongside my other Imperial ruins.
The fact that the 20th anniversary of Inquisitor is to be celebrated with a global campaign, has, obviously, no bearing in my returning to Quintus Severus' Retinue.
The Plague and the Shadow
She had managed to remain undetected ever since accomplishing her mission. It had been a routine assignment. Infiltrate a mining union on Hathara to eliminate their heretical leader and ensure production quotas, meager as they were, were maintained. Then, the sky had flared purple. Hiding among the miners, she had witnessed the planet plunge into confusion as the warp anomaly cut it from the rest of the Imperium. She lost contact with the recovery ship, her only hope to stay hidden until the storm receeded. When two fiery trails appeared in the sky, she had hoped her troubles were over. Then the Xenos and Heretic Astartas had wrecked havoc across the facility. The few miners that had witnessed the clash were now falling sick, the mark of Chaos on them. She had granted the Emperor's Peace to many, but the Plague was faster then she could ever be. Was there no hope? Would her fall too? A glimmer of light caught her attention. It pulsed, and then consolidated into a green and purple robed figure. She started stalking the new arrival.
"Translation successful, Lord Severus. I can see the miners. They are...tainted" Kasander shielded his mind, yet he still perceived the chorlting of a bloated deity.
"No sign of the Heretics. The Orks are still here. Their witch...so powerful!"
The Astropath felt the build up of psy-energy around the Ork Wyrd as the brute shouldered his way through the shambling miners.
Kasander tapped onto the Warp, translating himself away mere seconds before the greenish blast hit the spot were he stood. Sickened miners stared mindlessly at him, the Walking Pox plain to see on their gastly grins.
She saw the Orks growling in frustration as the Astropath reappeared, reading their guns to take the man down. Her training kicked in, revealing her true form.
Kasander heard the commotion. The Orks were fighting something, a blur of black and green. He bent his mind to the Cobalt Snake, only to find the connection with Lord Severus had been severed.
He had to send a signal out, New Drekport had to be warned, the Plague had to be stopped. Carefully, he avoided the Poxwalkers to approach the Hexagrammatic Cogitator he had spotted.
As he reached the machine and projected his mind into its psy-crystals, warning lights flashed. He recoiled, a cloud darkening his Warp-sight. There was a Shadow in the Warp...
Run Through the Jungle
The Cobalt Snake buckled and groaned as it was flung out from a sickening purple rent in the galactic void.
"Where are we, Tirpniz?" Quintus Severus harsh voice came from the command dais behind the pilot's throne.
"All cogitators are scrambled, our nav-data are corrupted. I can't get a location", the Rogue Trader finger darted between flickering command runes.
"I can hear..." the wisper came from inside Kasander's golden mask.
Severus turned to the robed figure next to him. "What do you hear, Astropath?"
"Screams... of terror, of wild joy..."
"Holy Emperor's teeth!" the curse wistled between the Rogue Trader's lips as the image of a raging warp anomaly resolved into the vid-screens.
"... a name... Malfactus..."
"For the Emperor's sake!" Severus' eyes were fixed on the static-laden images of the warp rift "We are on the wrong side of the Cicatrix..."
"I'm pickin up a signal! One parsec away. From Imeria, Ministorum Ermitage class-A planet. Sir, the signal is a nav-beacon..."
"Set our course to it, Tirpniz. We make planetfall. We need whatever nav-data are stored there if we want to rejoin the Indomitus Crusade. Gentlemen, get your weapons ready and pray for your souls. The Ghoul Stars have never been a peaceful place."
They had followed the signal to its source, Sanctuarium Lodovicum, in the equatorial jungles of Imeria. Borebettles and Sliterfangs had attacked them, and they even heard the roaring of the gigantic Imerian Tigers in the distance, but they were finally approaching the Sanctuarium.
The buzzing of flies suddenly filled the air, heralding the arrival of a band of foul servants of Nurgle.
Crude orkish guns barked, bullets flying in all directions. Inaccurate as they were, they still managed to slow down the hulking Plague Marines.
"Stop the Heretics! Don't let them get to the Sanctuarium!" Severus' voices rung with contempt as his retinue smashed onto the diseased Marines.
Firing wildly into the melee, the orks advanced toward Sanctuarium Lodovicum.
Battered by Severus' daemon hammer and XA-305's buzzing saw, the power armoured Marines fled back into the jungle, leaving their Lord to face the Inquisitor.
As their weapons locked, Severus spoke through grinned teeth. "Give me your name, so that the Emperor might know who I have defeated".
"Pustiferus Lungbane. I've served your corpse-god, and he has no claim on me", the answer came in a spat of caughing. "Nor have you. What I came for is already gone. May the blessing of Nurgle be with you, Inquisitor".
With a waft of deasesed air, Pustiferus teleported away, leaving Severus to stare at the orks ransacking the ruins of Sanctuarium Lodovicum and screaming in frustration as the nav-data held there proved to be corrupted beyond hope.
"That's Throttle's Dust Hogz" said Balthasar Tirpniz, ejecting an empty clip from his bolt pistol. "I might cut a deal with them. We go a while back, me and the 'boss. Good hands in a fight, if the loot is to their liking."
"Rogue Trader, you are treading very close to heresy" Severus' voice was cold. "But I might make good use of your questionable acquaintances if those Heretics show up again."
The deal was cut quickly. Equal shares of killing and first pick on the loot. What would happen if valid nav-data were found at the other cogitarium station they had deteced was left unspoken. Keeping their distance, Severus' retinue and the Dust Hogz waded through the jungle.
As Tirpnitz, Dexter and Severus spotted the station and closed onto it, Grandfather's Seeds of Putrefaction emerged from the vegetation, bolters blazing. XA-305 and Preacher Ian Tull moved to bar their way, the Dust Hogz offering inaccurate covering fire.
The air burst in a putrid green glow as Pustiferus Lungbane materialised close to Preacher Ian. The hulking Plague Lord smashed his way throught the priest and slammed onto Severus.
"Those data belong to me, dead dog's servant" gurgled Pustiferus. Caught by surprise, Severus barely managed to parry the Lord's onslaught before triggering the teleporter of his armour.
In a rare display of lack of self-preservation, Tirpniz jumped forward, bolt pistols blazing and cursing at himself for his stupidity.
In a heartbeat, the unconscious Rogue Trader was floating down the river. Of the Dust Hogz, there was no sign. Pustiferus caughing laugh sounded throught he jungle as he downloaded the nav-data.
All Together Now!
That, I think is reflected in the fact that every model is really an individual, rather than being part of a themed warband.
Their individual character is also reflected in their backstories, each almost completely unrelated to each other except for the role played by Quintus Severus. What I loved in developing these stories is how Quintus emerged as a manipulative figure, playing on the weaknesses of the other characters to ensure they serve him.
While right now my attention has been once again captured by Age of Sigmar, I still have plans to expand this band of misfits. For sure I want to add another Crusader, so that I can play them in regular 40k using the Imperial Agents codex. Then, I've realised XA-305 could be a central character, perhaps the leader, of a gang of rebellious cyber-gladiators. That would be the chance to work more on a theme rather than seeing what I can do with whatever bits I have at hand.
Anyway, all of this will have to wait. There's an Eclipse to watch for...
Ministorum Delegation
I've been juggling with quite some work in the last few weeks. Nonetheless, I've managed to add two more men to Quintus' Retinue: Gerard the Crusader and Confessor Ian Tull.
Confessor Ian Tull
Confessor Tull is a firebrand orator. Towards the end of M41 he led countless masses on every civilised world across the Ultima Segmentum to confess their sins and join him in a crusade of repentance. The number of Frateris Militia following Tull had began to be a serious concern for Imperial authorities when Quintus Severus found a better use for them. A xenocidal crusade against the Orks of Octarius would have covered the Inquisitor's operation in the sector perfectly. Tull embraced the plan, sure he would have replicated the successes of the likes of Solar Macarius and Sebastian Thor. Yet, the Confessor only saw his rag tag army mauled by the greenskins. Ever since, he has grudgingly followed Severus, awaiting for the occasion to once again lead the righteous in the name of the Emperor.
Busy as I was, I forgot to take WIP pictures, but the shotgun holster, gown and right sleeve are sculpted from GS.
Gerard the Crusader
The bastard son of a feudal world Governor in the Ultima Segmentum, Gerard was raised by his father's captain of the guard and eventually joined it. Consumed by ambition, he joined Tull's xenocidal crusade against the Ork empire of Octarius, hoping to carve his own kingdom on one of the liberated planets. There he met Quintus Severus. It was on Gerard's ambition that Severus played to secure the man's skills at arms for his retinue. Needless to say, the Inquisitor has no intention to keep up his promises to support Gerard in claiming his father's seat. Yet, Gerard is blinded by his own dreams of greatness and still unquestioningly follows Severus many years after the first met.
