Supply Drop
***File L73-Vox capture--SUBJECT: Intelligence gathering session--SECURITAS: Adeptus Maxima-INQ QS***
Don't worry, old friend. You're unarmed. The dizzyness and lack of short term memory is a small side effect of the psy-shackling. I'm sure you understand and won't mind Kasander here to keep the psy-shackling tight while we have a little chat. But first, I imagine you'd like to know how we have come to this. Last you remember I was being dragged away by my men, I suppose. Well, suffice to say that Confessor Tull brought enough med-supplies from Uphive to restore me to full health. We then meet again in Broken Dock. Apparently valuable information had been placed, by unknown operatives, there. You and your men had a headstart on us and had alreay checked a few data points.
I was onto another one, like you without much success. My men were fanning out to investigate the remaining ones and cut some of your isolated operatives from the theater of action.
Confessor Tull located the information in a barely functioning data-lectern. As is the wont of most preachers, he had to praise the Emperor for his discovery in his booming voice, alerting you of the find.
You displayed some remarkable skills at coordinating your men and we came under heavy cross-fire. However, I managed to get to the lectern.
Your men kept their safe position in cover and continued firing, to good results, I must admit. They left only me and XA-305 standing.
Then, your rashness proved your downfall. You charged straight into my hammer. Your men, to their credit, came to the rescue rather than turning tail and fleeing.
You should be proud of them. I wasn't expecting a bunch of hive scum like them to charge somebody they could not match. They did not fare well, as you can imagine.
I left XA-305 to finish the work, secured the data and brought you here. And now, you're going to tell me everything you know and were planning about the Guardian.
Wait...what's that noise? It looks like your men are trying to mount another rescue. We'll continue once I've thought them one more lesson.
Now that Kalyustar is done it is time to give him a retinue of hirelings. They will be the unit leaders and heroes of my growing army of the Gilded Hand. They will all be based on the classic Dogs of War, whether actual models or illustrations from the 4th edition Army Book and White Dwarf supplements. Of course, besides the individual models I'll use in AoS28 games, I'm also going to work on the rank and file models. But don't worry, every model will be at least kitbashed. And now, let me introduce you the first Company to join Kalyustar.
Lucius Scopos and the Venithyan Marksmen
Lucius is based on the Maximilian Damark model. I've used the standing legs, a torso and pointing arm from the Empire Cannon kit and the head with the largest hat from the Freeguild Crossbowmen. The right arm comes from the same kit. Originally, the weapon on the shoulder was a handgun. I've clipped the barrel and replaced it with the stock and bow from the repeater crossbow. To his belt, I've added a pouch from the Duardin Thunderers and a dagger, again from the Freeguild Crossbowmen. I think the kitbash pretty much captures the feeling of the original model.
The Marksmen are similarly inspired by the Marksmen of Miragliano and are kitbashed with bits from the Freeguild Guard, the Freeguild Crossbowmen, the Empire Militia and the last head I had left from the Empire Cannon.
You'll notice that I've given the musician a drum (Crossbowmen have pipers in their warscroll), replicated the stance of the banner bearer and mixed armoured and unarmoured torsos and bare heads with pot helms and leather caps. What I haven't replicated are the feathers. That's because I've decided to keep all feathered heads for two more Companies I've planned.
As always, fluff will come once they're painted...
Kalyustar of the Gilded Hand
The alchemists of the Gilded Hand lost their faith in Sigmar when the God-king retreated behind the Gates of Azyr. Ever since, they have learned to trust two things only. Their knowledge of the elements and the magicks that rule them and the skills at arm of the best mercenaries that wyrd-gold can buy. Kalyustar is no exception in this respect. Where he differs is in that, since the onset of the Storm of Sigmar, he forwent the safety of his laboratory in Venithya. Since then, he has traveled the Realms to collect the rare substances so crucial for his experiments. In Ghur, at the head of a motley host of ogors and orruks, he sacked the vaults of the Lofnir Lodge. On the Sky Roads of Chamon, he led a charge of Demi-gryph Knights to capture one of the Olwyr Stonehorns and grind its bones. He spirited away a chunk of Shyishian Realm Stone from Voldyr Keep, the Scourge Privateers he hired fighting their way through ravening flesh-eater hordes. Countless of times he has clashed with Chaos Lords and Sorcerers whose keeps held secrets worth the lives of many a man. Equally celebrated as a hero and reviled as a villain, he has collected the rarest of substances, but one. Sigmarite, the celestial metal, still eludes Kalyustar. As the Eclipse engulfs the Realms, he knows the vilest of Chaos servants can channel its dark energies and trap the precious metal. He will stop at nothing to seize their secret, whether this means ripping it from those he can vanquish or struck a bargain with those too powerful for him and his mercenaries.
As a nod to the old Dogs of War fluff that placed the mercenary armies in the Warhammer version of the Italian peninsula, Venithya is loosely based on 16th century Venice. For the first member of the Gilded Hand I modeled, I therefore choose the colours of Venice flagg, gold (for the barding) and red (for the mantle). I didn't want to overdo with the gold, so I've broken it with the blues and greens of the vials. Again, not to have too much gold, I kept Kalyustar's armour a dull silver, but decided to paint his mask white to make it stand out more.
I've painted the Militia banner bearer and musician using the same palette of the unit they will join in larger games. The colours work well also alongside Kalyustar, with the red tying the models together, but the brown and beige marking the two men as less wealthy than the wizard.
The flagg was painted blue with red sigmarite symbols to match the dress of Lothar Valdemius, the Excelsior Warpriest that leads the Church of Sigmar's Retribution.
Head Hunt
***File H79-Encripted vox-com--SOURCE: Mancunius Dome--DESTINATION: Spire Docks--SECURITAS: Adeptus Maxima-RT Tirpnitz***
Tirpnitz to Cobalt Snake...Tirpnitz to Cobalt Snake...do you copy? We need immediate assistance, head down. I repeat, head down. Over.
Head and XA-305 were in a warehhouse, questioning some hivers. I was searching the pumping station on the Rank Oats end of the Sludge Canal with Kasander. Over.
Then the Wyrd psy-sensed hostiles approaching. Over.
A group of Sumptraders was sneaking towards our position. Around Silo B45 a screaming fanatic disappeared in a ball of blue flames, while head's 'friend' moved for the warehouse. Over.
We sent head's servoskull to slow down the Sumptraders and fell back to the warehouse. Head took XA-305 with him and went to settle the score with his old 'friend'. Over.
And then a damn servitor gerked to life and poured plasma on head. The Sumptraders run past the servoskull, blasting away with their guns. Over.
Kasander psy-ordered XA-305 to drag head's body to our position in the warehouse. We were about to be outnumbered. The midget was taken by another of his delusions of greatness and made it for the servitor, scraming he would avenge his master. Over.
We gunned down a couple of Sumptraders. Over.
While the rest hung back in cover we retreated. Over.
We are falling back to headquarter in Moss Slide. Send down somebody. I don't want head to die on me, we still need his letter of pardon! Over and done.
