The Priestess and the Guard

Back in 2016 Michael Anderson sculpted me a fantastic set of sci-fi civilians for my fledgling Colony 87 range (now available through Crooked Dice). One of my very favourite figures from the range was High Priestess Cardinia. On a completely unrelated matter, in July 2017 Warlord released a limited edition alien mercenary for their Gates of Antares range. The figure is now freely available to purchase through the Warlord website, but in 2017 the only way to pick the figure up was to attend the Antares open day in person. Both figures have been sat in my boxes for years, just waiting for some paint!

 

I decided that the two unrelated figures might work nicely as an astropath and her enigmatic xenos bodyguard. With complimentary paint schemes, I think it's worked out, in spite of the completely different styles.

The Listener of Whispers and Helsreach Grows

Without wanting to sound like I'm repeating myself, it's been a little while since I last added to my Astropathic Choir. So I pulled a suitable figure out and daubed some paint to swell the number of choristers.

Astropath Varees holds the title of Listener of Whispers. It is he who seeks out the quiet and the hidden - the secret messages that are transmitted faintly and furtively. Not for him are the mundane and strong signal of corporate entities, inter-planetary political announcements or universal broadcasts. Varees listens to subtler transmissions. Coded tense negotiating positions. Highly sensitive notifications of high ranking births, marriages and deaths. Perhaps subterfuge and espionage. He hears much and speaks little. For this, he is well rewarded by grateful, yet anonymous clients.

 

+++ They Came From Beyond the Warp +++

Prologue: The Enemy Without

 

Some duties are heavier to bear than others. Guarding the Astropathic Temple of the Benevolent Listeners based on the planet Eccebestus is one many guards of the Beelraphon system aspire to. The planet is as peaceful and welcoming as the task and the Astropaths are dull.

 

It is such a quiet life here, it almost looks odd. Some would even wish for problems to occur to make it look more "normal". The answer to this might have arisen when an Astropath collapsed this morning without any explanation. His last words were "Don't let them take ANY of us with them...". From the agitation outside it seems there's another matter too. Things are getting way too "normal" all of a sudden. That's one hell of a report you're going to have to send to HQ...

 

My good friend JB (aka Asslessman) has conceived an international, multi-game system narrative campaign, incorporating games of Rogue Trader, Space Crusade, Space Hulk, Space Fleet and possibly others. I believe some of these games will be played at Bring Out Your Lead 2017 at Wargames Foundry in July. JB asked if myself and another good friend, Graham, would like to start off the whole thing with a small scale skirmish using the Inquisimunda rules. Of course we would!

The Monastery of the Benevolent Listeners

Only a few short weeks ago I made a nice new piece of terrain in the form of a fringe-world homestead. I happened to suggest it might also make a suitable Astropathic Monastery.

And then it just so happened that Asslessman was writing a scenario for a game between my friend Graham and myself. "An astropath temple would be cool to have" he says, "your dome/temple with statues and other things around would be grand".

Now I happened to have some statues already that I've used in the odd scenic set-up:

But they hadn't really been properly finished off. Time to sort out the statues and "other things" and turn the homestead into a temple.

Tough Guys Don't Need Armour - Adeptus Custodes

With the release of the new Custodian Guard in Games Workshop's 'Burning of Prospero' game, I decided it was high time that I got on and painted up my Rogue Trader equivalents. The half-naked cloaked figures with tall helmets and spears you see below, are indelibly imprinted in my mind as the image of Adeptus Custodes.

 



These are Adeptus Custodes.

These are some kind of mega-armoured giants.

The Blind Mage - Astropath Alsus

One thing I've really enjoyed about the direction of my hobby over the last 10 years or so, is the way that the internet has allowed me to meet and engage with people outside of my local circles. I've gamed with people from Germany, Finland and France. I've been to Ireland for a convention. I've played pick up games with kind people at their homes whilst away on business. I've undertaken collaborative projects with people in other parts of the world. It's very exciting and very rewarding.

 

Recently, I was in conversation with Gretchin over at Greenstuff Gretchin. "I have an Astropath conversion", she says. "Would you like it?"

 

I've expressed my fondness for Astropaths numerous times previously, so there was no hesitation. A few days later, this rather lovely conversion arrived through my letterbox:

 

Figure converted by Gretchin

 

The Blind Leading the Blind

Did I mention before that I'm quite fond of Astropaths? I think I may have! It's been some months since I made Mother Cantor Mechthild, and I facing adding to my choir. Fully enthused, I painted up a pair of new Astropaths - Precentor Peyter and Astropath Fraites.

Precentor Peytor accompanied by Astropath Fraites.

 

Leading the Choir - Astropath Mother Cantor Mechthild

Over at the Ammobunker Inq28 forums, Commissar Molotov is running a monthly competition with the aim of getting folks motivated to make and paint something new. January is the first round, with a theme of Primus inter Pares - First Among Equals:

With it being the first month, it makes sense for the theme to be about being 'the first.' This might be an Inquisitor, on the brink of embarking upon his career - or a hoary old veteran hardened by a lifetime of horror. A Priest leading hordes of zealots, or an experience veteran leading a stormtrooper kill team. It could be an Imperial Guard veteran, the leader of a hab-stack kill-gang. Perhaps is might be wise to consider who the 'equals' are: perhaps your character might simply be one who takes a lead role in certain aspects - a wizened scribe who serves as one of his master's most favoured servants.

After some consideration, I realised that the obvious gap in my collection is a senior astropath. In the novel Blind by Matthew Farrer, there are several hierarchical ranks of astropaths mentioned - the one that seemed obvious to represent a senior astropath is that of the Cantor (or choirmaster). Very definitely a first among equals.

I turned to my box of unused figures and turned up this Bride of Frankenstein I picked up at Wargames Foundry from their £1 cabinet of miscellaneous figures. You can see I had already made a start in adding the archetypal Astropath's cane:

Rogue Quest Level 12 and a half: The Fighter - Vitifer Vostro Goedes

Although the Rogue Quest project came to an end last week, after 12 weeks of alternately working on models with Asslessman over at Leadplague, I see no reason to stop adding to the adventuring party. I didn't do a Ranger or a Fighter after all!

 

And then I acquired this rather sad looking figure:

 

 

Yes - the figure above is a Maniac ganger from the Citadel Confrontation range. He should have a head and was designed to be completed with plastic arms. Sometimes a figure in a partially adapted state can prove pretty inspiring, and almost immediately after receiving the figure, I started delving in my bits boxes for suitable heads and arms. After some careful selection and assembly, I ended up with the figure below:

 

 

Rogue Quest Level 10: The Cleric - Mama Gijón

I've gone on record as saying that the Astropath archetype is my favourite element from the Warhammer 40,000 universe - the whole concept of blind psykers, holding the Imperium together rather presses my buttons. If you're a long time reader of the blog, it's probably apparent that I do like Astropaths - I've painted a few to date!

It was therefore inconceivable to me that I should build my Rogue Quest party without its own Astropath. Astropaths share some similarities to Clerics (monastic clothing, staffs topped with the icons of their faith/order), so it followed suit that my Astropath would represent the Cleric archetype.

Mama Gijón became an Astropath as a young woman. Her particular skill lies in the comprehension and sifting of layers of meaning, often hidden in complex astropathic communications. Now, as a bent old woman, Mama Gijón finds herself accompanying strangers on a quest through strange places. Her homeworld has been destroyed, yet her exotic blue-furred pet, Beyni provides a comforting reminder of home.

Mama Gijón is loosely based on the morally-suspect Moma Parsheen character from Ian Watson's Inquisition War trilogy:

"The Prime Astropath of Stalinvast was a small, thin, dark-skinned woman. And she was old, antique. Deep lines grooved her prune of a face. Her hair which shone so brightly red, must really be purest white...Glowing eyes opened. Sharp small claws flexed. She toyed with an animal, which must be her companion. The creature looked both voluptuous and savage. Would it defend its mistress fiercely? 'What is that?' whispered Jaq. 'It's called a cat,' Meh'Lindi told him." (Draco, Ian Watson)

"This is Coruscant calling..." - Astropath Syl Moor



Although Citadel have only ever produced male Astropaths, it goes without saying that there must be female psykers with the right attributes for the function. Indeed, the ancient crone-like Astropath Moma Parsheen is a notable character in Ian Watson's 'Inquisitor' novel.

 

My latest Astropath, Syl Moor, is an attempt to redress the balance. I envisage her as one of the more inately talented Astropaths in the service of the Imperium - able to comprehend and intepret messages, rather than just repeat them parrot-fashion.

 

Boys In The Hood & Wasteland Wanderers



After the fast pace of output in January, I took a little break from painting at the end of Feb, partly enforced through the kids' half-term week off.

 

Over the last couple of evenings I did get opportunity to sit down and put paint to a couple more figures. First up is the next Astropath, this one from the Talisman Timescape expansion.

 

 

The Tip Of the Leadpile

At this very moment, I should be reviewing a rather boring document about recycled aggregates. But as I'm losing the will to live, I've taken a tea break, and took a couple of minutes to take a few pictures of my model cabinet (working in the same room as all my hobby stuff is probably a bad idea!).

I just thought I'd share with you some glimpses of the models which are currently WIP or are at planning stage. I'm sure you'll recognise the odd model or two!

"Call me, call me any, anytime" - Rogue Trader Astropath Yerl

I had planned to paint something else, but when I came to sit down with paints and brush last night, I decided Astropath Korm looked lonely. Plus, it's a known fact that figures look better in pairs!

So Astropath Yerl got put in the frame instead...and here he is:

 

"I've Gotta Get A Message To You" - Rogue Trader Astropath Korm

If you polled a 100 people and asked them which human character type defined Warhammer 40k, I guess most would plump for Space Marines. Some might go for Imperial Guard; others might pick Inquisitors. For me, the key to the Warhammer 40,000 universe is the humble member of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica - more commonly known as Astropaths.

Astropath illustration from the Rogue Trader rulebook

An Astropath will tell you everything you need to know about Age of the Imperium in the 41st Millennium - his or her hooded robe tells epitomises the idea of the Middle Ages in space. You can understand psykers, the risk of daemonic possession, and the Terran-bound Emperor to which they are soul-bound. You get the sense of the vastness and fragility of humankind - a million, million worlds linked by warp-space travel and psychic voices communicating with each other across the void.