The Incarnadine Angel burned through the void like a lance of gold and ivory. The Custodes aboard were grim and silent — they had seen daemonic incursion upon the Throneworld itself, and now they were racing to the next contagion point in the solar system. Yet what waited for them on Mercury was not mere cultist insurrection.
When the Incarnadine Angel reached Mercury orbit, they found an obsidian gunship already docked at the primary voidlock of the Command Hive. Black as voidstone, marked with faint gold script in High Gothic, the craft bore no Imperial heraldry, only the sigil of the Ordo Sinister, a single Roaring Lion's head rendered in burnished Silver.
From its ramp stepped Kalimak Augustus Solthnar.
He was massive even by Custodian standards — his Allarus Terminator armour black as volcanic glass, the gold of his Auramite gleaming like veins of captured sunlight through obsidian fractures. His faceplate was an archaic design, filigreed and covering his nose and mouth, his eyes bare which glowed with latent psychic energy. When Custodian-Serjant Gallimadean Calax and Vexilla Sanish greeted him in the Docking Hall, they felt the psychic weight of his presence before he spoke.
"Prima-Legati Solthnar, your arrival was not recorded on fleet auspex." Vexilla Sanish’s tone was respectful, but wary.
"It was not meant to be.", The voice that issued from the Terminator’s vox-grille was a deep, harmonic resonance, not entirely his own. The Ordo Sinister felt the convulsion before even your augurs did. The weave of the Astronomican shivered. We have traced the psychic pulse to this world. You will give me your data-streams and command-code access to your auspex relays."
Sanish hesitated. "With respect, the Ordo Sinister is not of the Talons’ chain of—"
"Enough," Solthnar interrupted. "Your duty is to the Emperor’s Will. I am its executor."
Even among the Ten Thousand, there are some whose authority transcends rank. Solthnar was such a being. As Equerry to the Collegia Sinister, he spoke with the voice of the Emperor’s darkest sanction, of which few knew of during the Heresy and fewer still knew of in these dark days of ending.
*****
Fools have asked 'why did the Dark Age of Technology end in the fall of Humanity?', and other fools answer back 'Folly' or 'Pride' or 'The Worship of Progress' as if these things alone have any meaning.
The reason, the wise know is simple.
It is because finally Humanity had the arts at their disposal to make their dreams reality, and the dreams of Humanity have ever been the darkest things in all creation.
- Introduction to the Emerald Testament - A Treatise of Ancient Psi-Weapons, Suppressed work of Techo-Archaeologist Saran Brooke, M39.
*****
IT's been a while since I visited the hallowed halls of the Custodes, but with a surge of enthusiasm I am working towards clearing things off the paint table and after a rough few days I took an "easy win" option.
Prima Legati Solthnar was mostly finished just after the turning of the year, and has only needed layering up and highlighting to finish.
He is based off of this piece of character concept artwork* I found on Pinterest:
I added flair to my model with a bit of red and silver and the bright blue gems to add a spot of colour against the black, gold and purple:
If I'd have had the spare parts I would have added in the power sword like in be artwork, but I'm happy with the finished model.
More photo's:
The fur is taken from the old Space Wolf Terminator kit and mushed together to make a larger pelt, and the various chains attached to him were a flair I added when kitbashing**.
You may be asking yourself what is the "Ordo Sinister" and why is Solthnar the Equerry to them?
The Ordo Sinister are the most horrific weapons which the Emperor created during the Great Crusade in the Warlord Psi-Titans, piloted by a psychic blank princeps and crewed by enforced psykers who use their souls as ammunition.
They could only be ordered to deploy by the Emperor's direct command.
As for Solthnar being their Equerry in the 41st Millennium?
The Psi-Titans were secured in their fortresses underneath the Imperial Palace at the end of the Heresy, and to very limited knowledge, they are still there, eating for the Emperor's command, one trustworthy Custodes is given the job of Equerry to the Ordo, to ensure nothing and no-one gains access to the hidden weapons.
He'll just be a standalone character, I may build a second version of the character at some point in the future, see if I can kitbash a bit better, rather then just a quick job which I did here.
I also want to build a Psi-Knight if I can find a decent looking gun arm to 3D print.
Until next time, have nice day...
*
Orniris.com does a shedload of artwork like this which can be found in various places on the internet, I just really liked this particular character.
**Originally I had planed on having had him break the chains of the Ordo Sinister vaults in he story, hence the addition of them to the model, then decided to change it up and add it to the ongoing Custodes story I started a bit ago.
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