Painting painting painting....

Okay, so for the last few days I have been engaged with something that I haven't done in a very very very long time; painting a miniature.

My local GW has a painting competition going on for the first day of October and the subject matter is the free Slaughterpriest that came with September's edition of White Dwarf. The Runtherd insisted that I challenge myself and enter, so after three weeks of on and off converting/sculpting, this final week has been set aside for painting the (what I can only describe as) 'angry beefcake'.

I'm about three-quarters of the way done and on Saturday you'll get to see the first example of my terrible painting skills on this blog....

What this space.

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Chopin for the soul

Something I've been listening to whilst sculpting.

Enjoy.

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Elven Exiles - Leader

Way back when Mordheim was released during its prototype phase in White Dwarf and the various warband types were introduced to the waiting public, I did wonder whether the elves would feature in the game at all. I figured that the Dark Elves at least would be really interested in the acquisition of wyrdstone and imagined a corsair led party sneaking around the twisted broken streets, with screaming witch elves leaping from the rafters of ruined buildings and even an assassin lurking dangerously in the shadows.

Imagine my bitter disappointment when they plumped for a squad of shadow warriors, that were seemingly pulled together without any forethought or imagination. Anyway, this settled ill with me, like a stomach ulcer. It wasn't until much later, when Mordheim pretty much had long past its heyday, that the concept of elven exiles came to mind.

These were kind of inspired by Dan Abnett's Gilead books first, but mostly inspired by the hit anime series Sword Art Online. I envisaged the idea that there were any number of elves from all races (Dark, High, Wood and Sea) who, for whatever reason (be it personal or circumstantial), had become displaced from their native homelands. Some of whom may come together, all previous racial grudges forgotten, to form a warband.

The leader (name in progress) is inspired by SAO character Kirito and is based on a classic Eldar Harlequin model that I acquired at a very reasonable price on eBay due to its pistol being missing.

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Grime Lights - A Catch Up 2

Okay, so it has been a while since I caught up with my RYR entries (both on here and on Ammobunker). Indeed, I haven't even started August's and September's entry, although I have a firm idea about the former one. Anyway, I have July's entry under the theme of "Dog Days" and I have already written a background for the Watchdogs of the Ordo Nemuritorus here. The second is a remake of my Iron Maidens sister from March's entry as I really wasn't satisfied by here original and firmly believed that her concept could be better executed.

On a self-criticising note regarding Blan Tơjuh's head; what was meant to be a gritted-teeth snarl, ended up more like a sneer worthy of Bruce Payne.

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Outgard - Red Priest of the Forge

On Outgard, the Red Priests are the descendants of those who came from Mars, a heavenly abode wherein dwells their majestic god, a Dragon, with skin of steel and blood of mercury who sits atop the mountain of intricately wrought iron and whose breath is the very furnace for the life-fires of copper and cobalt.

The Red Priests are the keepers of the old stories and teach their craft only to those who apprentice themselves to their order. Normally the Red Priests remain secluded in secrecy behind the walls of their Forge-Monastery, but occasionally, journeymen are seen wandering the wilds, moving from forge to forge in the villages of man, offering their services.

Such peregrinates are considered gruelling because Red Priests are forbidden to bare any flesh outside the walls of the Forge-Monastery and so are forced to travel in heavy crimson robes, their hands bound in steel and leather gauntlets, and their heads entirely enclosed in a mask of cold iron. Some of the more fervently devout take this decree to greater heights of piety by ceremonially mortifying their own flesh (notably the limbs) before encasing it in freshly forged plates of steel, which scorches and cauterises, binding to the offending meat forever. Such 'augmentations' are then reverently cared for with daily applications of unguents and holy oils to prevent infections and rust.

When venturing into the wilds, Red Priests rarely travel alone, and are often accompanied by a small coterie of servitors, former criminals who have been ritualistically purified of their wickedness using the ancient secrets of lobotomy, their faces then forever obscured behind iron helms so that none may recognise their old life. It is these servitors that bear the Red Priest's articles of craft; inscribed anvils, lesser tools and are even sometimes yoked to large mobile forges.

The Red Priest will carry the greater tools themselves, holy instruments of forging, along with the sacellum-brazier filled with blessed coal to use in foreign furnaces, and sometimes they may even bear one of the priceless sacred artefacts from the Ancient Times when the ancestors could perform miracles and crafted articles of wonder.

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RIP to the Watch Series

Today is a very sad day for me as I say goodbye to one of my most beloved literary series.

For our wedding anniversary, the Runtherd bought me Sergei Lukyanenko's latest Watch instalment on its day of release. I discovered the Watch series rather late on in their publication lines in 2006 and very swiftly chewed through the first three books (Night Watch, Day Watch and Twilight Watch) in a matter of days. Back then, they were still referred to as the Night Watch trilogy, so after I finished the third book (Twilight Watch), I put it down with a distinct feeling of glowing satisfaction, knowing absolutely that this had become one of my favourite literary trio.

When I found out that a fourth book (The Last Watch) had been released in 2008, I can say shamelessly that I practically wet myself with excitement. From that day on, I kept one eye on the horizon, so I knew that The New Watch and, subsequently, The Sixth Watch were being published well in advance.

I cannot express in words just how much this series has filled me with reading pleasure and the series remains close to my heart (being choc-full of Russian folklore, it's perhaps not that surprising). So when I closed The Sixth Watch, having read the epilogue with an aching sense of 'this cannot be the end', please imagine how cold my heart became when I later read (from none other than the man himself) that this was indeed Sergei Lukyanenko's final book in the Watch series, with no more to follow......ever.

So, RIP to one of my most favourite literary series, but that still won't stop me from flying your pennants and urging anyone who will listen to read you with a fiery enthusiasm.

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INQ28 - Oldhammer style!

Sometimes, when you're searching through your lead bits box (that one that has been around for about two decades now), you find those little diamonds that you completely forgot about and aren't entirely certain when it was you acquired them.

Anyway, some of you may have noticed that I've been building the world of Glebe IV with a view for something playable in the future, so when I found this little diamond, things instantly clicked around a new (more militant) warband.

Photo courtesy of Solegends

So, I discovered that this little diamond is a rather old Aly Morrison sculpt from the Citadel Miniatures AD&D range. Obviously she has a very 'classic witch hunter' look to her, so she is destined for the Ordo Hereticus. I planned to change her 'stop in the name of love' right hand/arm so that she is hold a pistol of some sort (to properly tie her into the 41st Millennium). The only unfortunate thing is that she is at 25mm rather than 28mm, meaning she is a tad on the small side, so I will probably put her on a base elevated with some kind of scenery. Actually, her petite-ness puts me in mind of John Blanche's very own Hilgardius.

Photo courtesy of Iron Sleet

Now I must figure out what sort of weapon to give my female Solomon Kane!

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