40k - Aearion, Protector of the Solar Priest.

Another character model I have finished recently was Aearion.

When 8th edition came out and the Dark Imperium box set, one of my friends bought two boxes for the Death Guard and gave me one of the Primaris Captain models from it. I will admit to not being the biggest fan of the Primaris themselves, as I feel that GW could have made their release an awful lot better by simply looking at their fluff and giving Chaos something badass which caused the Imperium to HAVE to react and make the Primaris, but I'm not a writer for GW.

So here was this model, which I wasn't really a fan of, but my friend was expecting me to do something with as we were taking part in a painting competition at our local GW store.

Here is the result:

He is a standard Primaris Captain in Gravis armour, but the head and backpack come= from one of the Ravenwing sprues. His arms and shoulder pads are from the Tactical Marines box and the icon on his backpack is from the Mk.4 marines box. The Ravenwing and Mk.4 Icon I got from my friend as well.
I wanted to do a pale gold colour scheme as I felt that would contrast well with the red of the cape I was planning, with a little white as a spot colour, limiting your pallet of colours like this makes the miniature a lot easier to paint, but also much more interesting to the eye.
For an added feature, I added some classic chequerboard patterning around the hem of his cloak, most of which got drybrushed over with dust as I messed bit of it up and the deadline was looming.

Whilst I was painting him, I came up with a backstory to go along with the model:


 Aearion, Protector of the Solar Priest.

A Manifestation in real space of the Emperor's will in the Astronomicon itself, sightings of the "Solar Priest", as it has become known, were once common whilst undergoing warp travel, reported by all from lowly Imperial Guardsman all the way up to Lord Generals.

Since the coming of the great tear in space known as the Cicatrix Maledictum, sightings of this being have become rarer, lacking the frequency of reportings from before. Reports abound of a floating skeletal apparition clothed in ragged robes. There is no denying that the authoritarian power comes from the Emperor.

Aearion, was tasked with his protection orders after the Solar Priest presented itself before Primarch Robute Guilliman. Two days of tense conversation convince the Avenging Son that this WAS a manifestation of the Emperor and not some warp fiend trick.

Clad in pale gold Gravis Armour and bearing a simple power sword and plasma pistol. Once he had taken his Oath of Moment before Guilliman himself, he stoically accepted his arms and armour and has not uttered a single word since.

Aearion keeps a faithful watch over his charge, who seems to be moving with a purpose towards worlds in the grip of Chaotic Invasion.

Why this is so, remains a mystery...


In the event, I didn't make it to GW with him as I was sick on the day of the competition, but he was a good little project to do. I do have plans to convert the Solar Priest model in the future however, so I'll have the duo done at some point.

Until next time.


 - Lewis