The forces of freedom and self determination amass to defend Xyphonica from the despotic & opressive invader.

3rd party goodies

So there are two of these in the boxes in the garage.  I've seen some conversions done by other bloggers, where the legs have been articulated to break up the "line dancing knights" phenomena.

\And I saw some nice little things advertised on the web:

A padded envelope from Russia, with a little capsule which looks suspiciously like a soap dish. 

And there on the brick of scrutiny is a pair of fully articulated legs.  I was going to buy a pair for each knight but then it occurred to me that I could buy one set and put one articulated leg on each knight.

So happy days there.  And a job for the new year, perhaps.

Adeptus Astartes likely to be in the vicinity of Devos IV

The Blood Angels were the Adeptus Astartes contribution to the war against WAAAARGH Burkett 800 years ago.  There are Blood Angel artefacts in the Xyphonica Basilica of the Emperor Restored.  Mauven 158, another world in the Dynorwic cluster, saw a Blood Angel strike force deploy to hunt down a detachment of the Emperor’s Children three years ago.  The Long War does not only persist in the minds of those traitor astartes in the Eye of Terror, it is remembered by the descendants of their foes as well.  The ancient fight between the Blood Angels and the Emperor's Children continues - And Eidolon escaped Mauven 158.

PVP's Blood Angels.  4000 point here.  Karitas has some too.

Rune Priests, following their own arcane predictions, have led possibly more than one Great Hunt into the Dynorwic Cluster, ready to respond to further casting of the runes.  Wolf Scouts are not a common sight, naturally, but they are at large on many worlds, sniffing out the situation and following up on leads and sightings, building up a larger and more comprehensive picture than many other of the agencies involved.  The Rune Priests have seen that failure on Devos IV could jeopardise the whole Dynorwic cluster, the attentions of a Deamon Prince from the Horus Heresy make this a fight they will take on.  The presence of Lone Wolves on Devos IV already is no accident.

One of Karitas' Rune Priests.  Gregarious fellows, Rune Priests - they have lots of friends

The Brothers of the Lostwithial, a splinter of a Black Templar Crusade, have come directly to Devos IV in order to fulfil an oath to Inquisitor Blingnor of the OH.  They have already managed to alienate many of the senior command teams at the front line, even if their incessant rituals are indulged at High Command. The mysterious Adeptus Astartes of ‘One Force’, who have previously ‘punished’ Black Templar formations for over enthusiasm (when the Brothers get carried away dispensing the Emperor's Justice in population centres) are possibly shadowing the Brothers.  Only time will tell. 

Andy BG's mysterious One Force, 

Through various agencies (possibly radicals in the OH), the Relictors have learned the fate of the War Griffons Canis Fidelis, now the Khornate Belligera Rex.  Securing any of the Aroctech from a debased  titan could possibly advance their schemes quite some way.   If your purpose is to understand how the warp can effect the laws of nature, the fundamental laws of the universe, then something like a titan, even a small one, amounts to a substantial sample.  Even if it has to be picked up off a battlefield by a thousand men with buckets.

Siph's Relictors - just the middle bits.

The Brothers of the Lostwithial may be already in situ, but their force is likely already depleted by the actions they have already undertaken on Deovs IV.   They view the Blood Angels as heretical.  The view the Relictors as heretical.  When they meet the Sons of Russ, the chances are they won’t take to them either.   Relationships between the other Astartes factions remain a matter of conjecture.  For the time being. 

My vast collection of Black Templars.  Gonna need some more....

And if something attracts four disparate Chapters, then it is almost certain to attract others...

The punisher of errant Astartes. 

Belligera Rex

Paint and Pictures by Karitas.  This was entirely done out as a Legio Gyrphonia asset before being turned to the red side.  A labour of love by it's creator - cheers dude !  Anyway, it occurred to me that it hadn't actually been shown off at all, so here it is in all it's skully glory:

The red is actually slightly darker IRL, I think it's the lights cutting through the paint to the yellows and greys underneath.  Perhaps. Anyway, I'll leave you with the tale of woe that led to the creation of this fearsome beastie:

As a part of the Imperial response to WHAABurket, eight hundred years ago, the Titan Legion Legio Gyphonicus, sent a small maniple as part of the larger Mechanicus contribution to the war effort.  The one Reaver and pair of Warhounds were pivotal in keeping the Orks within the San Cantor hive area.

For reasons not remembered, the Fabricator General of the Adeptus Mechanicus ended the campaign in command of all imperial forces.  A substantial Mechanicus garrison was intended to secure the Devos System as it was a major trade port (and indeed, food producer,) for Agripinna and hence the Fleet Obscura.  The Legio Gyphonicus would return to collect their damaged Warhound as soon as they finished their next urgent assignment.

The Garrison was left with one damaged Warhound, the Canis Fidelis, to guard whilst the main Skitarri force was redeployed to face another threat somewhere else.   The Ork menace from the San Cantor rubble field resurged, along with a requirement for reinforcements for the Skitarri armies elsewhere in the sector.  With over half of their military capacity and entire supporting arm stripped, the remaining Adeptus Mechanicus contingent, now supported entirely by (and effectively becoming an elite arm of,) the PDF, set about their task.

In the event, only by calling upon the damaged Canis Fidelis were the Orks contained.  The Fabricator Captain of the remaining mission, Magos Ptolomy Inx was slain by storm boyz at the climax of the battle; the Canis Fidelis was rendered immovable as it assaulted the crater formed by the Rok, where the heart of the San Cantor Hive had been.

The Legio Gyphonicus sent an Ark to collect the Canis Fideliseighty three years later, but the location codes had been wiped as a security measure by the PDF.  The crater, irradiated remains of the Rok and the rubble of the Hive all combined to hide the Canis Fidelis from its potential rescuers. 

The Machine Spirit of the Canis Fidelis was not happy.  It had seen its fellows from the original Devos task force maniple repaired and then taken on to their next mission.  It knew that the Fabricator General had left.  It experienced pain as it walked back to the Rok for the last time to face the greenskins again.  It felt its Princips and Moderati die and watched as the stormboyz slew Ptolomy Inx.  It felt abandoned.

Canis Fidelis became, in its immobile state, an object of veneration, indeed, a god, to the scavvie population of the San Cantor ruins.   A population of mutants and scavangers formed from the remains of the Hive population and remnants of the Adepts and Servitors whose last command from Ptolomy Inx was to serve the Warhound, keep its location hidden from enemies and serve its needs.  Through these minions, Canis Fidelis knew that the Legio Gyphonicus had returned to rescue it and had given up when their first search had failed to locate it.

At some point the abandonment turned to anger.  Canis Fidelis had passed.  Encouraged by its worshippers, Belligera Rex emerged.   Driven to constant war by the remnants of the Orks, Khorne soon found converts in the ruins of San Cantor.  As the wrath built within the Machine Spirit of Belligera Rex, so did its need to become operational once more.  It’s minions were set collecting code.  It would walk again. 

Uh-oh