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...
How good it is that, just when you have started a new hobby project, Mama GW announces the launch of a revamped Codex covering exactly the models you are working on? The excitement for Agents of the Imperium made me literally wiz through the painting of Quintus Severus and his retinue. The rest of the models I have planned will have to wait for the release of the new Codex, who knows, new rules and fluff might give me new ideas. But now, let me introduce you the finished models.
Inquisitor Quintus Severus
Born on Calth from lower Ultramar nobility parents, Quintus was a boy of five when, in the early 8th century of M41, his entire family perished during the Tyranid incursions that followed the rediscovery of the xenos know as Old One Eye. Inducted into the Schola Progenium, he strived to be the first of his class. When, at the onset of puberty, he manifested the first signs of psychic talent he was already a talented warrior whose hatred of the xenos was well know to all of his instructors. He was therefore sent to the Inquisitorial Fortress of Talasa Prime for assessment. There, Quintus impressed Xenos Hunter Ezekhaya that took him as one of his accolytes. Over nearly two centuries, Quintus has followed on the footstep of his master, embracing his Thorian beliefs and after a lengthy affiliation with the Ordo Xenos moving onto the ranks of the Ordo Malleus. The discipline and rationality of Ultramar nobility blend with the harsh training of the Schola Progenium and the Inquisition, making Quintus as rational and determined as he is ruthless and uncompromising. Yet, Quintus is a practical men who knows that, with due study and experimentation, even the tools of mankind's enemies can be used in the service of the Emperor.
Servitor XA-305
Servitor XA-305 is Quintus' most brilliantly failed experiment. As a Xenos Hunter, Quintus had taken an interest in the fleshcraft of the debased Haemonculi Covens and had managed to capture and question one of the debased xenos. With the xenos' secrets in his hands, Quintus set out to augment an otherwise useless convict. The results were as spectacular as disappointing. XA-305 was indeed physically powerful, but its brain utterly ravaged and only able to focus on slaughtering anything that got too close to it. It had taken an entire squad of Stormtroopers, and a few casualties among them, to pin down the brute and place a pacifier helm on its head. Unwilling to completely waste years of work, Quintus had XA-305 undergo extensive cybernetic and brain surgery to turn it into a Servitor. To test his creation, Quintus unleashed XA-305 on the cackling Eldar ultimately responsible for its creation. As the xenos' body laid dismembered at his feet and XA-305 returned to a stupefied inactivity, Quintus knew he had acquired an excellent bodyguard.
The Servoskull, the Cherub and the Raven
Quintus keeps a range of psychically attuned familiars to act as messengers, spying devices and targeting relays. While he has many, three in particular, a Servoskull, a Cherub and a Raven, have proven to be truly blessed by the Emperor and he never leaves his quarters without them.
The lure of the dark future is still keeping me away from the Silver Tower box. Reading Blanchitsu on the first issue of the new monthly White Dwarf, while holding in my hands the Slaughter Priest freebie, inspired me to use a bunch of models I had stashed away and which were not finding their way in any of my existing armies. What better way to use them than to convert them into an Inquisitorial retinue? I put all those models into a pile, threw in a few assorted bits and frantically started converting.
Inquisitor Quintus Severus
The first model I tackled was the Liberator that came with the weekly White Dwarf issue announcing the release of Age of Sigmar. The baroque armour was perfect to represent a high-ranking Imperial figure like an Inquisitor and its size perfectly matched the bits I had left over from the Chaos Terminator Lord from Asassinorum: Execution Force.
First, I removed the more obviously Chaos decorations like the skull on the storm bolter and the horn and hook hanging from the power axe cable. Then I swapped the axe head for the Liberator's hammer. To add a more Imperial feeling I added parchments from the Plague Monks hanging from the armour and hammer, sculpting a seal on one of them. The base comes from the now out of production 40k urban basing kits.
The collar comes from the Collegiate Arcana Battle Mage merged to the armour gorget using a bit of Green Stuff. The head, like the arms, comes from the Chaos Terminator Lord. The aged face with its resolute expression and the lack of any Chaos marking makes it perfect to represent a seasoned, grim Inquisitor.
On the back of the collar I glued an etched brass Imperial Eagle coming again from the Urban Basing kit. The vents on the armour back are taken from a Space Marine backpack. The combination of Eagle on the collar and small, built-in vents is inspired by the Custodes armours from The Burning of Prospero.
With the addition of a scroll and skull from the Plague Monks and a sculpted plug to join the hammer cable to the armour, Quintus Severus was done.
Servitor XA-305
Next in line was the Slaughter Priest. With the addition of weapons from the Astra Militarum Sentinel and by shaving away all the spikes on the armour and flesh, it turned into a perfect Servitor.
I used pieces of wire and a bit of green stuff to add some more futuristic details, to replace the Khorne icon on the belt and to cover the one on the helmet. The Chaos star hanging from the belt was instead replaced with the hook I had removed from Quintus' axe power cable.
The gun is the Sentinel Autocannon with shortened barrel. As Servitor XA-305 has no hands to throw grenades, the smoke launcher, also from the Sentinel, found its way on the Priest's shoulder pad.
Psyber Familiars
For these three little fellows I made use of various bits.
The Cherub comes from the Freeguild General and for its base I used another etched brass detail from the Urban Basing Kit and a Space Marine banner.
The Servoskull is a skull from the Khemri Skeleton Warriors, with wires and green stuff for the cables and bionic implants. The base is a resin details from the Urban Basing Kit.
The Raven also comes from the Freeguild General with the addition of a bionic eye and cable. The base combines another resin details from the Urban Basing Kit and a broken spar I had left over after finishing Hab-block S22.
While I was assembling it, I realised that it reminds of this Blanche's drawing from the Necromunda rulebook. So thank you Mr Blanche for your inspiring work!
