The Order of the Resplendent Dawn

[Sister_Miriya]

Stencils may be your best bet for a consistent look but I agree on the colors.

 

As for the scribblings, my best ideas are typically on sticky notes it is just a matter of deciphering my own hand writing

[Shifte]

Never tried stencils. Will have a look - I'm not the best at freehand so it's a good idea.

[Sister_Miriya]

It should be fairly easy, print out the design twice to the correct scale, cut out the half sun on a piece of cardboard or plastic card and do the same for the fleur on the 2nd.

 

Edit: you may have to "free hand" the connecting piece on the fleur

[Shifte]

Will have a go soon! Maybe a giant logo on the back of the immolators would work. Hrm.

Speaking of immolators, I was horrified to discover that I'd forgotten the headlights on one of them and had lost the sprue. I've had to get a little inventive...

http://i.imgur.com/ZQOBaxq.jpg

At least I know where Canoness Shiana will be, once I've built and painted her. Or the eventual Cardinal model I get.

[Sister_Miriya]

The rear door on the rhino chassis would probably work best, large flat area begging for detail

 

Edit: I dig the mistake fix! It almost feels like the flags on political limousines

[Servant of Dante]

I agree 1 and 2 look best imo. Though I like both the black and the white, though the black fleur might be a bit gaudy.

[WarriorFish]

I like 2 as well :)

[Shifte]

Thanks for the advice all, really appreciate it. Really looking forward to having the whole thing done. Whilst I'm not the best painter, I think it'll be the best I've ever managed. Which is only fitting, because Sisters have been my army of choice since I started 40k.

Tabletop wise my new army list hasn't lost yet in its first 4 games. Though it definitely has weaknesses!

[Shifte]

Little update. I've had less time to paint this week, but I've started working on the Immolators. Also ordered two more Meltagun Sisters. The Multi Meltas (if you can see them) are placeholders! Also working on a wrecked Immolator, behind.

 

http://i.imgur.com/wXoBlnH.jpg

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/VsMEq9x.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/4x8TX8N.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/cA8yCyd.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/uvFEBdC.jpg

[Shifte]

The background for my Canoness. She's a bit of a Mary Sue. She's heavily based upon my Dark Heresy character, who I've had for over half a decade, so that might explain why. The longer pen and paper roleplay goes on, the more special snowflake a character becomes.

Canoness Shiana Raine:

Early Days:

Shiana Raine began her career as a Battle Sister of the Order of the Argent Shroud. Her first assignment was to serve alongside a Mission of twenty Battle Sisters dedicated to the protection of the Church of Our Lady of the Blessed Undoing on the planet Aryus One. Despite being a sparsely populated, rarely troubled agri-world on the fringes of Imperial space, this site was of particular importance to the Argent Shroud due to records which show that the story of its patron Saint, Lucinda, was held in high regard by Saint Silvana herself. Saint Lucinda, a twelve year old girl in M34, is said to have bravely banished a warp entity with just the touch of her hand. Despite living millennia before the formation of the Daughters of the Emperor, the Church has become a popular place of pilgrimage for Sisters of the Argent Shroud and has been protected by a dedicated honour guard for centuries.

Unfortunately for Shiana, her Battle Sisters and the people of Aryus One, their relative peace did not continue beyond the 41st Millenium. The arrival of The Pale Locust, a Prophet of Nurgle, brought disease, corruption and an army of heretics to the world. The Sisterhood, badly outnumbered and afflicted by pestilence, were ground down during a desperate and inherently unwinnable war of attrition. After a series of skirmishes only Shiana survived to see the bittersweet arrival of the Inquisition. Clutching the power maul of the fallen Palatine Cinthara, out of bolt shells and protecting the bodies of those Sisters she could reach, the bloody and battered Sororitas was there to meet and brief the Inquisitor as he landed alongside several units of Tempestus Scions.

With the Pale Locus long gone and the world's once bountiful harvest forever tainted, Shiana accepted the Inquisitor's offer to join his warband. The Battle Sister was utterly determined to find those responsible for the horrific murder of her Sisters and vowed to personally bring the Emperor's Wrath to the servant of Nurgle who had orchestrated this planetary atrocity. Much to Sister Shiana's later regret and shame, the Argent Shroud erroneously recorded the Sororitas as being one of twenty Martyred In Action during the conflict.

Inquisitorial Agent:

Shiana spent the next decade and a half serving amongst the Holy Ordos, first for Inquisitor Lord Severus of the Ordo Malleus and later as the right hand and Interrogator of Inquisitor Linetta Res of the Ordo Xenos. Throughout her years of service Shiana investigated and battled a variety of enemies and slowly became more pragmatic in her approach to morality and the rules of engagement. Despite maintaining her puritan roots, the Sororitas' formed a reluctant appreciation for the need of those who were willing to do distasteful, radical actions in the name of the Emperor.

Eventually, well into her second decade of service to the Inquisition, the now thirty four year old Interrogator was formally offered the opportunity to ascend to the position of Inquisitor. After her initial acceptance, and during the formal ceremony that followed, an oddly agitated Shiana found herself running an armoured finger along her right shoulder pad. Her digits found the groove where once had been a Fleur de Lys, which had been ashamedly removed when news of her misreported death had become clear. Her fist clenched and a series of panicked thoughts marched through her mind. Why am I still here? I've long since fulfilled my vow. If I do this, I can never go back. What am I doing? What am I doing??? No.

After a long moment of awkward and almost comedic silence, the Interrogator missed her cue to speak during the ceremony. After a quick exchange of furrowed eyebrows and hinting looks from her friend and mentor, Inquisitor Linetta, the Interrogator made her apologies and withdrew from the chamber. Given that the ascension had required great inconveniencing, the calling in of favours and a liberal use of influence to make it happen, this decision caused anger and shock amongst most of the attendees - many of whom were Inquisitors in their own right. For her part, Inquisitor Linetta broadly understood Shiana's seemingly sudden change of heart and had to some extent anticipated it, although had hoped that would not be until it was too late. Alas, it was not to be. The once-Sororitas had long carried an itch to make right the disgrace that her abandonment of the Order had caused.

http://i.imgur.com/wLKvbwU.jpg

Returning Home:

Shiana Raine arrived at the Convent Prioris and, when eventually granted an audience, supplicated herself before a collection of Canoness and Palatines of the Order of the Argent Shroud. Long aware of Shiana's unheralded survival and unapproved service to the Inquisition, she received a frosty welcome from the Order's leadership who made a point of treating her as though she were any other representative of an outside body. After a painfully brief exchange the leadership of the Order coldly denied her request to be allowed admittance to the Order's Sister Repentia, citing its function as a means for those of the Adepta Sororitas to seek redemption - not the Inquisition. Shiana quietly accepted the judgement, though the pain in her expression betrayed her attempts to hide that she had been crushed by it. She stood up, bowed her head and offered a short farewell before departing the Convent Prioris. "Ave Imperator."

Six weeks later, whilst serving amongst faithful volunteers at one of the many Cathedrals upon Terra, Shiana was found by Palatine Hyler of the Argent Shroud. The heroine brought surprising news. After long consideration, including advice from the Prioress herself, Shiana was to be readmitted to the Order with immediate effect. Rather than serve amongst the Sister Repentia, she would be returned to her position as an ordinary Battle Sister and expected to follow the command of her superiors with the enthusiasm and humility of a new recruit. Shiana gratefully accepted.

The Order of the Resplendent Dawn:

It was quickly decided that Sister Raine, as she was now referred to, would be best placed in a Lesser Order that had less knowledge of her past controversies. With limited fanfare, and accompanied by fifty recruits who were half her age, Shiana arrived upon the planet of Shaiyera with a new opportunity to dedicate herself to honest service in the name of the God Emperor. There would be no need to compromise Eccliesiarchal stricture, no Inquisitorial politics to worry about and no deeply held regret about the abandonment of her fellow Battle Sisters. Never again would she falter - she swore it in the Emperor's name!

Sister Raine quickly proved herself to be one of - if not the - most formidable combatants within the Order. Transfers within the Sororitas were not entirely unusual, and although there were some whispered questions about where this woman had come from, the former Interrogator became a well respected member of the Resplendent Dawn within a matter of months. After a year she had been brought into the Command Squad of Canoness Vhetali, offering valuable insight and experience towards the Canoness Superior's decision making process. Moreover, the unusual Battle Sister's adaptive mind and unique thoughts on pragmatic strategy - heavily influenced by her time in the Inquisition - were decidedly useful to the Canoness. After only a few months in direct service to the Order's leader, and to Shiana's surprise, she soon found herself being promoted to the rank of Canoness Commander and was frequently trusted with command upon the battlefield.

A number of years later, with the martyrdom of Canoness Superior Vhetali, the now middle-aged Shiana was chosen to replace her and to become the Canoness Superior of The Order of The Resplendent Dawn. With a deep sense of purpose, Canoness Raine set about leading her Battle Sisters with renewed determination and a desire to make the utmost of her merciful return to the Sororitas and the honour that she had been entrusted with.

*****

Bit tired, so will likely edit/tidy the last few paragraphs. I'll add more too as it doesn't end well. Like I mentioned at the top, I understand that this is very special snowflake. RPG characters... you lose control. almost!

[Shifte]

Given the recent spoilers re: Gathering Storm Part 3, I'm pretty glad to have situated my Sisters next to Ultramar! Exciting times.

[Shifte]

WIP of Canoness Shiana:

 

[Bjorn Firewalker]

The model looks promising. Is she wearing a hood to protect her head from the flames, and the flaming brazier to intimidate superstitious enemies?

[WarriorFish]

She's wearing a hood because they're cool :P

[Shifte]

Warrior Fish is closer to the hood explanation! She was a member of the Inquisition for quite some time, and in the RPG she wore a hood to conceal her features better. It's just part of her aesthetic, now.

 

The brazier came with the model, but I quite like it as something to make her pop a bit. In the lore she'll use it to inspire her Sisters and terrify heretics.

[Shifte]

 

Progress on the immolators! Need to do the turrets, but leaving all 7 til last. Also need to tidy up the yellow, as I haven't 'corrected' my mistakes yet.

[WarriorFish]

I really like the golden yellow you have, just looks better the more models you add :tu:

[Shifte]

Thanks!

I know it's not very 40k but the opening of this is what made me want that colour:

[Shifte]

Numbers on immolators - yay or nay?

 

 

I also have some draft names for the vehicles: 

 

Exorcist 1: Saint Carmine's Chorus

Exorcist 2: The Final Decree

Exorcist 3: Divine Censure

 

Immolator 1 (Canoness sometimes, Doms others): Lucis Imperator

Immolator 2 (Doms): The Vanguard Torch

Immolator 3 (Doms): Dusk's End

Immolator 4: The Scourge of Heretic Kings

Immolator 5: The Righteous Promise

Immolator 6: Faith's Deliverance

Immolator 7: Virtue's Reprieve

[Servant of Dante]

I like the Immos, and the numbers look good (imo)!

 

Personally, I think it sounds better if vehicle names don't begin with 'the'. Also, "scourge of heretic kings' sound like it's a weapon used by a heretic king :D . . . and, minor nitpick, 'dusk's end' sounds a little weird since night comes after dusk.

 

I think my favorites from that list are Divine Censure, Faith's Deliverance, and Virtue's Reprieve. Some of the others are a bit too bombastic for my tastes. One or two such names is fine, but, imo, if their all like that it's a little much.

[Shifte]

Hrm, I agree with some of what you're saying. I could make a two-word pattern out of the names, which would be tidy. I liked 'Dusk's End' as it was meant as an opposite to Dawn, given the Order's name. "Say goodbye to night". Night's End also makes this work, at least. Here is an edited list:

 

 

Exorcist 1: War Verse

Exorcist 2: Final Decree

Exorcist 3: Divine Censure

 

Immolator 1 (Canoness sometimes, Dominions others): Hate's Indignation

Immolator 2 (Dominions): Morning's Light

Immolator 3 (Dominions): Night's End

Immolator 4: Sin's Scourge

Immolator 5: Contempt's Vow

Immolator 6: Faith's Deliverance

Immolator 7: Virtue's Reprieve

[Servant of Dante]

Ah, I like a lot of those better, but that's just me! Again, a scourge is a weapon, so it almost sounds like sin is using a scourge, not that the vehicle is destroying sin. Hate's wrath sounds almost a bit redundant, but yeah :D 

[Shifte]

Ah, I like a lot of those better, but that's just me! Again, a scourge is a weapon, so it almost sounds like sin is using a scourge, not that the vehicle is destroying sin. Hate's wrath sounds almost a bit redundant, but yeah

Well these things often sound redundant. In some ways I was going for a little over the top. :P But scourges aren't just weapons. The word also means 'a person or thing that causes great trouble or suffering'. That's more what I'm going for.

I actually changed it to 'Hate's Indignation' and 'Wrath's Scourge'. Sounded better I think!

[Servant of Dante]

Ah, I like a lot of those better, but that's just me! Again, a scourge is a weapon, so it almost sounds like sin is using a scourge, not that the vehicle is destroying sin. Hate's wrath sounds almost a bit redundant, but yeah

Well these things often sound redundant. But scourges aren't just weapons. The word also means 'a person or thing that causes great trouble or suffering'.

I actually changed it to 'Hate's Indignation' and 'Wrath's Scourge'.

Yeah, I know, it was just what came to mind first when I read the name. I see you have a theme with the first word of each transport's name being possessive :P Anyway, cool stuff!

[Shifte]

Ah, I like a lot of those better, but that's just me! Again, a scourge is a weapon, so it almost sounds like sin is using a scourge, not that the vehicle is destroying sin. Hate's wrath sounds almost a bit redundant, but yeah

Well these things often sound redundant. But scourges aren't just weapons. The word also means 'a person or thing that causes great trouble or suffering'.

I actually changed it to 'Hate's Indignation' and 'Wrath's Scourge'.

Yeah, I know, it was just what came to mind first when I read the name. I see you have a theme with the first word of each transport's name being possessive Anyway, cool stuff!

I can't help but enjoy the personification of concepts. >_>