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Brazen Claws - A Grimdark Tale - Feel No Pain


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http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/Darkbeastman/BrazenClawswhiteclaw_zpse93ff1ce.jpg

 

Brazen Claws: A Grimdark Tale

 

A single dead eye wept tears of oil and frozen silver, gazing out at the ten figures standing before it. The endless storms rose among the monster and the ten, ash laced winds forcing their way through the ice caked ruins, strong enough to strip the paint off armor. The erosion-cut scars on surrounding cliffs emitted echoing howls that never seemed to fade. What should have been an unforgiving sun bearing down on a grey desert, was reduced to nothing more than a smear of amethyst glow. Of the ten immovable in the storm, two stood apart towering over their brothers of flesh and bone, wrought entirely of black iron and servos.

When the monster finally spoke, it was with an inorganic machine snarl.

"You stand amongst the legacy of our Father.
This, the birthplace of a Legion, the foundation of our Chapter, where the Gorgon first fell.
You stand amongst the legacy of our Father.
This, the place of strength, the future of our line, where our blood endures.
You stand amongst the legacy of our Father.
This, the place where flawed flesh is shriven clean, remade into iron."


The monster walked towards the ten, dead eye missing nothing, gaining the measure of the ten’s demeanor. Faces betrayed the simple fact that for many this was the first time returning since their trials. The monster leered. It was the rictus leer of a machine that possessed neither mouth nor lips. To the eyes of the ten, the leer was the stuff of nightmare. No life, no humanity, just the ruthless possession of a being dedicated to war.

"You stand here amongst the legacy of our Father, so that I may offer you the single greatest gift, and the single greatest burden a son could ever endure. I ask that you willingly remove the mark of our Father from your pauldrons."

Disgust. Revulsion. Apprehension. Horror. Hatred. Rage.

The monster leered again.

"You stand here amongst the legacy of our Father... as Founders."

Sadness. Sorrow. Duty.

"Here amongst the legacy of our Father, I speak to you as equals. Few are to share stewardship over the line of the Gorgon. Far too few."

The monster paused for a moment, and then continued.

"None know better the legacy that was left, the struggle within, our Father's shame and the curse of this flesh. The oaths made to maintain the purity of the machine, the strength of iron, and the resilience of your mind. Never forget that we are fated to endure the failures of the past and the weakness of our Father. Weakness you shall never forgive.”

“Such are the wars cast upon the domains of man, that in their wisdom the High Lords of Terra have issued a decree for a new Founding, second of its name. The efforts of an entire generation have been set into motion. Whole forge worlds are tasked with the production of ships, armor and weapons. New gene seed is being grown. Allegiances to the hundreds of factions and houses required to see the rise of a Chapter are being sworn and oathed. All that remains are the tempered souls to lead this new generation."

Autek Mor, Iron Father of Medusa looked out through his single dead eye at the ten figures before him.

"You stand here amongst the legacy of our Father. Do you possess the strength to serve?"

"I am a Son of Medusa above all else."
"I am a Son of Medusa above all else."
"I am a Son of Medusa above all else."
"I am a Son of Medusa above all else."
"I am a Son of Medusa above all else."
"I am a Son of Medusa above all else."
+++ "I am a Son of Medusa above all else."+++
"I am a Son of Medusa above all else."
"I am a Son of Medusa above all else."
"I am a Son of Medusa above all else."

 

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Hello everyone, thank you all for the wonderful comments.

 

I suppose this start is a little confusing, what I can say is that it has been a long time coming.

 

I am an unabashed fan of the darker aspects of 40k, the Grimdark original art, and the very flawed characters that belong in this setting (as well as 30k). What this is, is a ground up look at the rebuilding of a Chapter, starting 5 years before the 13th Black Crusade.

 

That means a look at the training cadre, that means the interaction and deals, and rejections that will go on to form the equipment base of the Chapter. The selection, growth and effect that a new homeworld would have, and the death of the old. Not only on the founding cadre, but on the first new generation of Aspirants. The massive technical hurdles faced by the logistics to move all the pieces to where they need to be in that 5 year span (in this tale, something orchestrated and spurned on by a character called “the Calculator”). The first steps of a Chapter in those first years after the rebuilding. The first honours, the first losses, the creation of an identity, separate from their primogenitor and their old sleves.

 

Iron Hands. Why their legacy, why their geneseed?

 

I am a very outspoken Dark Angel advocate and have always been since joining this board. The Lion and his 30k sons still hold a high place in my heart, and when I see the FW model for the Lion, there may be a 28 year old man tear that will fall down my cheek. This however, has no effect on my passion for 40k, which has always been the Sons of Ferrus.

 

Everyone has a moment in 40k, where they see something, a picture, a model, a codex, a magazine, and they cross over a threshold that pins them to that moment, where they will forever go, “Yes. This is everything that I could ever want in a hobby, and that is awesome.” The moment, even decades later, you can look back on and say, “ That hit me right in the feels.”

 

For me it was starting the Horus Heresy series and being introduced to the complexities of the most seemingly underated primarch of the lot, Ferrus Manus. There are moments all over the heresy where the greatest minds of the primarchs recognize Ferrus as one of the tactical lynchpins, that with him, a force cannot lose. He is very layered with his character, and it is not as obvious as some. I also believe he is the most misunderstood and underestimated of the primarchs. He is the one that as an adult, I have arrived at through sheer interest.

 

There is very fertile ground here, and I mean to plant a flag and stick to it. This will be a log containing a few types of hobby: stories, charts, timelines, old artwork, original artwork by me, models, tutorials, conversions and painting.

 

As for why Brazen Claws, there is something about that bright colour scheme that screams to be ripped down into the mud. They have taken their lumps and arrive at a choice, the most important choice they will ever have to make. I like the idea of making and adding to something that not a lot is known about.

 

I promise loss, struggle, tragedy, and a bloody end to our heroes (or villains).

 

For now, I will leave you with this, a Candleshoe original in true scratchy grimdark fashion, a snippet of one of our founders on this journey, a Brazen Claw far more machine than man. I plan to draw out a full mock up of some of the models, before it’s made, to help plan the direction and mood. Full drawing for next post!

 

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/Darkbeastman/photo_zps50d3e573.jpg

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Thanks Semper, Teetengee and Demon - I've got a lot of backlog stuff, so updates will be quite regular for the time being.
 
As promised, here is the very first training cadre member, and soon to be test model for the chapter, one very ugly Brazen Claw.



http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/Darkbeastman/MarineSketchML_zps94dd6de9.jpg

Brother Bal’tar,
Master of Recruits
Veteran Sergeant, Clan Nullbuilt, Brazen Claws
994.41M


Brother Bal’tar is an ironclad veteran of the Brazen Claws, with nearly 656 years of service. With such a long and distinguished record with the Brazen Claws, it should be noted that Bal’tar has declined the honour of wearing terminator warplate, preferring the responsibility of training the Clan's future sons. A bitter survivor of his Chapter's rage fuelled crusade, he remains the Chapter's foremost expert in urban warfare and close range bolter tactics, bringing invaluable experience to Clan Nullbuilt's initiatives.

It is common practise for the Brazen Claws to fight with their feet on the ground, mired in an unstopable, steady advance. Bal’tar stands as a testament to the Iron Gorgon's versatility and restrains his fury, only to be unleashed when a hole in the line appears.

Often found where the fighting is thickest, Bal’tar is no stranger to horrendous injury, often choosing crude cybernetic augments in order to return to the fighting faster. This is met with righteous approval by many of his brothers, for his visage has become that of a patchwork monster. Even in times of transit to new conflicts, he has little care or patience for aesthetics. The loss of his leg to orks at the defense of the Assab Gap, and the loss of his arm and face to the relentless Black Legion boarding action above Tsapho, has only steeled Bal’tar’s determination to serve the Chapter. Many of Clan Nullbuilt's surviving veterans cannot remember a time when Bal'tar wasn't giving his non-operational time as a mentor to initiates, or drilling them in positional tactics and urban breaching, ensuring they meet his high expectations.

Bal’tar can be seen here wearing a heavily modified suit of Mark IV warplate, with a reinforced ceramite chest piece, built for engaging in ferocious close range firefights, where explosive frontal impacts are unavoidable. He is also armed with a traditional Talusian long-knife, encased in ice wyrm leathers, the blade and scabbard a stern reminder of the very first tools of death earned by progressing neophytes in the Brazen Claws.

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Chapter Designation: Brazen Claws

Reformation - Operational Conclave

16th Session - Point of Order f(428)

"Tradition. Few alive know it as intimately as the sons of Talus. The Gorgon was martyred defending it. My brothers have bled for 10,000 years to uphold it. You expect me to cast my Father's legacy aside and build anew without hesitation or recrimination? The heraldry of my birthright? You are a fool."

+++ Bal'tar, Master of Recruits, Clan Nullbuilt

 

"This is legacy. This is tradition. Will you plant only doubt for future harvest? Our Father was a being of true vision, what path would he have taken? Reflect on this and find the strength to endure."

+++ H'gnea Gout (appellation "The Calculator"), Chief Logisticiam, Clan Nullbuilt


Scout Master Brazen Claw Scheme Possibility 1
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/Darkbeastman/spacemarine_zpsef532141.jpg

SchemeScout Master Brazen Claw Scheme Possibility 2
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/Darkbeastman/spacemarine2_zpsaef0a1ad.jpg

Finally we can pick a colour scheme for our scouts and the grizzled master. The two above are the top choices to choose from, when originally creating the project, I wanted to make sure to use a colour that doesn't appear in a lot of armies. I ended up deciding on a deep blue turquoise.

 

Colour palette either way will be the "mineral" turquoise and a deep dark red, lots of loin cloths for splashes of lighter colour to be present. The neutral colour of choice will be a deep leather brown, as you will see with the test models, I plan on converting quite a few "duster" like cloaks or robes onto some models, allowing that earthy splash tone down the otherwise very vibrant colours. Symbols will follow traditional IH organization. Symbols will be announced in the future. I want to utilize symbols on the legs as well, as per the Clan R. book. Haven't decided if I should use the dead Talusian language or stick with the numbered and codex symbols. 

Whether the colour will end up being the primary or secondary choice is up to you all, please let me know which one you like better!

Just to let you know the shade, it would be dark and similair to how I paint Alpha Legion, as seen below:

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/Darkbeastman/AlphaLegionPortrait.jpg

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WIP

 
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/Darkbeastman/7febbc9f-51b5-485f-9b23-94fba7d2c683_zps4a2dc42d.png

Well, as you probably can tell I am quite excited and motivated to begin some actual brushwork and modelling. As mentioned before, doing a concept before really helps the marines build themselves and this VERY WIP Brother Bal'tar really benefited from it.

I was able to convert his bionic leg from the barrel tubing of a Black Knight grenade launcher, but was quite scared cutting up the forgeworld mark IV legs, but as they say, measure twice, cut once, and it sectioned nicely.

The reinforced ceramite chestplating is a brettonian shield on a shaved chest, and the rivets themselves are sewing pin heads drilled into the shield. The loincloth I believe is from the Dire Avengers kit, the bionic right arm is actually the standard bearer right arm for a Ravenwing command marine.

The left arm is an absolute mishmash of parts, a plastic straight shoulder, mark IV elbow, mark III vambrace, and the clenched hand of a pre-heresy heavy weapon marine. The head, though dark in this picture, is the standard half mech head, but I did sculpt long hair on the flesh side (bionic side still bear) which should add some nice contrast when painted up blonde. Backpack off for now until everything is finished. This is also pre-weathering, so expect them to be quite knicked and muddied up.

Gun casing is not painted - I was thinking of making it white, like the new Iron Hand scheme has it.

Overall, it’s nice to see how the two main colours mix together on some actual armour and not on the digital painter. Do you guys think they work well together/ have any suggestions or additions?

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An update on something a little different and to let you know what direction/theme will be undercurrent for the project. I know that with Iron Hands and their successors, you have to accept certain visual cues – the bionic and dark trappings of Medusa, their father’s pale skin and black hair, cog, sprocket and clan motifs, and a hat tip and nod to the machine, terminator and inhuman elements that hide their darker side.

At the end of the day, this is what makes the Iron Hands themselves cool and unique, and I knew that if I wanted to keep this project my own and unique, I would have to keep some aspects of them, but ultimately move thematically away. After all, the birth of a Chapter is the best opportunity to take that hard turn and be completely justified in it, especially one founded so late.

Without getting into story or plot specifics just yet, the overall theme that I am thinking I want to chase for the post Talus vision of the Claws is a heavy frontier/steampunk/fur trade/Scott Snyder’s American Vampire/Skinner Sweet circa late 1800’s – for visual appearance. They will specialize at close range firefights/urban cityfights.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/Darkbeastman/img-mg-stephen-kings-american-vampire-comic-page-1_133258168524_zps828cb6df.jpg

Some models will be taking advantage of the Gunslinger rule and opting for dual pistols. In order to hit this home and make it look different than others, I am really looking into making a few models with custom dusters, just sprinkled for flavour, not too overdone. I just love the idea of cloth mixed in with the power armour for these models.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/Darkbeastman/once_upon_a_time_in_the_west_19_500_pxlw_zps60690c88.jpg

Been experimenting using Ribbon, PVA, water and a bit of superglue and have seen positive results.
Here’s a photo of one drying, at its most basic – still to add are the connecting strips around the shoulders to the front, the additions of 2 empty holsters, knife, bullet belt… you get the idea. The holes in the chest are awaiting their rivets. I chose to go with ribbon, as it is already textured and is threaded and seemed on the edges, making for an already created pattern that would actually be on sewn cloth.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/Darkbeastman/photo1_zps9cec45c6.jpg

Also, really cutting apart a lot of armor marks on this project. Not that most will notice, but his left leg was swapped out at the knee for a mark IV leg – with the goal that even with their recent rebuilding, the strain of material, arms, armor and war engines is simply too great, and the chapter is simply left without many (actually the majority) of things a chapter would normally have. I like the idea of them running into not only the problems of getting the chapter off the ground, but trying to do it with both hands tied behind their back from the beginning, making the fall even more present from the start. Scavenging, looting and raiding for material that by right, should already have been theirs. Perhaps open conflicts with sons of the Raven for resupply.


I hope to also design the list and army heavily around restrictions - which eventually will come as more story is created.

Lastly, after speaking to Noctus Cornix, I needed a different head/helm version to go with the “duster” wearing marines, and decided to take a page out of his Shadows of Mysis playbook and opt for the grizzled facemask, very similar to his work seen here:

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/Darkbeastman/WP_000421_zpsc81da0e2.jpg

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Thanks for the support, you never know when an idea only seems good in your head, and you hope it translates somewhat. At least now I know its not that far off the mark.
 
Here is another WIP shot, have the mask attached and the sides of the duster built up, as well as the holster done up. The mask in real life is pressed up firm against his face, the angle of the camera and his head tilt make it seem a little off.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/Darkbeastman/photo2_zps78d9ae5a.jpg

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Thanks everyone. @Firepower - I half agree with you on the coat, but I'll hold off final judgment until it gets painted and we can see if the extra bit of fabric on the top balances it all out, or if it is just better to do the bottom portion of the duster. I'll make sure to ask when it gets finished.
 
Here is a bit of a jump ahead in the timeline on their brand new Homeworld, post crusade and Talus. Somehow they bounce back from sub 4 companies to 10 companies in less than a decade for the 13th Black Crusade, so it makes sense that recruiting worlds are a big priority.
 
 

Valance - Frontier World - 994.M41

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/Darkbeastman/69d31223-c4d6-4ef9-a0cc-93c8a9710ead_zpsddf98667.png

The frontier world of Valance had answered the Founding’s call with ragged mobs of children standing in utter silence, baking under the relentless sun with no shade from the fiery eye. On the flat of the mesa, twelve hundred stood before the gun-cutter, a plethora of cultural lines naturally dividing up the impatient petitioners. Behind the ship carved directly into the mesa’s peak, lay a simple banded arena, with stairs leading down into the pit.

To be standing on the mesa itself was a feat of strength, as no natural path existed to reach the massive heights, forcing the children to scale the unforgiving face. At least one in three who attempted the climb had fallen to their death, and at least a dozen had given in to their fears midway, immobile, weak, they still clung to the rock face with the deluded hope that someone would come to their aid, refusing the obvious reality before them.

The largest group among the children stood at the front of the cutter’s ramp, and was comprised of Valance’s largest cultural caste. They were the hard edged sons of the long coated tech-ranchers, mobile surveyors, rail-coach men, the gene bred bio-taur farmers, the hired hands for protection, and the sons of the gunfighters and outlaws who stole from them. One could hardly consider them children; such was the aggressive physicality of their forms, born from a brutal life in the wastes. Wrapped in coats of ruddy tanned leathers, amber goggles, dusk masks and machine oiled boots, even as children they were respected. Some even laying claim to killing a man for each year of their life. The arena as always, would see to the truth of such boasts.

The group keeping an almost disdainful distance from any other represented the sons of the wealthy factors, industry movers, lace-cuffed military elite, and the bluest of societal blood. Ostentatious feathers curled and sat on wide brimmed paroche-hats, tricornes and caked wigs. The children’s eyes sat dead in white powdered sockets, the blush violets and rouges smearing their lips and cheeks, running with the sweat of exertion. The finest threads and fabrics sat perfectly tailored on their undeveloped bodies, with almost endless colours and shades upon the materials that made up their filigreed and laced garments. Today however, their palette was muted, with dirt and grime staining the fabrics after their climb.

The next largest group consisted of the sons of the Travelers, men sworn in service to the factors. Swathed in skins and pelts of dead animals, their lean build and sun kissed skin hid nothing of their harsh existence in the wilds and fringes of the world, trapping, warring, and trading for their factor’s profit. Calloused and scarred hands were held motionless by their sides, unused to the idea of idleness.

Dozens of pockets of far less fortunate children littered the entrance of the gate, leery of moving too close to those that had already been established. Here were the bastards, mine workers, kitchen hands, wood workers, smelters’ hands, and all those whose families saw this one chance as something worth dying to obtain, rather than returning to their pitiful existence.

Among these, but standing at the rear of the milling youth, were the sons of the tribesmen. Fetishes and bones hung from greased upright hair, while red herbs and clay marked their naked chests, faces and hands. Some wore beaded and boned armour. All stood proud. Even the poorest petitioners scowled in loathsome disgust at them. Primitive, hated, needed, and feared, the Founding ensured a place for all Valance’s fiercest sons.

When the cerulean and ruby statue beside the gate spoke, it was with a harsh machine snarl that boomed throughout the crowd and sent the weakest to their knees, hands clawing at their ears.

“Petitioners of Valance, follow me.”

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