+++ Dawn Cometh - A Word Bearers Log +++

[Noctus Cornix]

Through the  miraculous gift of agony, we are born into this waking, breathing world.

Through the beneficent gift of suffering, our purpose is made manifest by eyes in the sky.

Through the virtuous gift of hatred, we are unborn and reborn as one of the chorus.

 

Through the Ruinous King, the Will is made real.

Through his presence, the unborn blossoms free.

Through his touch, the miracle is made manifest.

 

Through the gates of charred stone, he strides in tides of fire and seas of blackened blood.

Wearing the gilded face of the forgotten martyr, he has been chosen as heir and lord.

 

Anointed in the tears of the Father, Birthed in the Ashes of the Mother.

 

He rides out to complete his sacred charge

 

By His Will

The Dawn Cometh

------------------------------------------------------------

 

First Sergeant Ado'Zai of the Word Bearers Legion

Devout Warrior of the Chapter of the Stillborn Dawn

First Squad, Designation (Und) of the 33^rd Void Marine Company

Breach-Master and Lifeguard of Centurion Vor'Gath

Mortis Pict-Capture taken at the Thandros Genocides

 

“In the silent butchery above burning Calth, he took the head of Signal-Legate Baldurian. He carried the Legate's axe with him until his final breath was taken by the same edge."

Edited June 24, 2022 by Noctus Cornix

[Sagentus]

  what an amazing paint job to finish off a stunning conversion!! 

[Noctus Cornix]

Not going to lie, I think that's the best squad sergeant I've seen when it comes to traitor Marines. You've knocked it out of the park with this guy for real. 

Thank you so much, Nomad! Glad you like him, man!

 

Damn that guy looks unstoppable, I really like the use of the Legatine axe, very thematic.

Trophies of war shouldn't just be left on display. ;)

 

that squad sergeant looks epic! great work all rnd, eager to see more 

Eager to share more!

 

Great presence, nicely menacing posture he's got. The partially cleaned plague marine bits suit lots of legions just fine.

Yeah, man. Especially Word Bearers because it means I don't have to clean up that much of the chaosy stuff.

 

I love shield bro. Looking forward to seeing it painted. 

Well, now you have it. :)

 

  what an amazing paint job to finish off a stunning conversion!! 

 

Thank you, man! 

 

It's been a hot minute since I last put in some work on my Word Bearers. Well, my mk ii and mk iii bodies finally came in from Tortuga and they are GLORIOUS!

 

It's safe to say that I'm thoroughly pleased with the bodies and I look foward to true-scaling my entire Word Bearers legion force.

 

Let me know what you gents think!

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy!

[Pearson73]

This new chap is one of my favourite that you've done! The bolter ammo feed looks great, as do all the trophies and trinkets. The MKV pattern just looks so aggressive too.

[MegaVolt87]

  Promote shield bro to Consul immediately.    The gods will it. 

[Wulf Vengis]

There's some truly pants watering good models and fluff going in here.

Keep at it! This is great.

[Noctus Cornix]

This new chap is one of my favourite that you've done! The bolter ammo feed looks great, as do all the trophies and trinkets. The MKV pattern just looks so aggressive too.

Really? Glad you like him so much!  Yeah, Mk V is definitely one of my favorite power armour patterns. I don't have a lot of it, but I intend to get some more stuff later on.

 

  Promote shield bro to Consul immediately.    The gods will it. 

Sorry, no can do. He's the right-hand man of his Captain and he'll stay that way as a glorious line sergeant.

 

There's some truly pants watering good models and fluff going in here.

Keep at it! This is great.

Thanks but uhh... might want to go see a doctor if you're having this issue.  

 

Still no paint, but here's another Tactical marine fully built. I'm really digging working on some of the more late-heresy Word Bearers. I can marry together a lot of bits from various kits together, including the newer Chaos Space Marine sprue that I'm already deeply in love with. Of course, this is also with the glorious aid of Tortuga's bodies.

 

Next up, I'll probably have a proof of concept for another unit type. That one will be carrying some serious firepower. 

 

 

 

 

 

As always, enjoy!

[BadgersinHills]

Lovely. 

[Biohazard]

Great looking force in here. Always had a soft spot for the post heresy Word Bearers since reading the Dark Apostle trilogy.

[Noctus Cornix]

 

"What I remember most about the days before Istvaan V was... was how quiet it was.

 

After nearly half a century of our accursed elightenment, planning a crusade of treachery in the dark, we finally sailed across the black sea to ensure our Primarch's vision was made real. On that ashen surface and in orbit above, we would find our brothers, cousins whom we had fought side by side with for two centuries.

Three legions of our beloved kin... And we were going to murder them in cold blood.

Beneath the burning oratory of our Chaplains and the mumured chanting of our invocations, we all knew what was to come, what we were about to do..

This stain of our kindred's blood would never wash away.

 

Did we have any regrets, any doubts, any private traitours thoughts?

 

Perhaps...

 

But no one said a word; not on the trip to Istvaan, not when we boarded our Dreadclaws and not when when Primarch's order came.

 

Not a word...

 

That is why many of us took the arterial crimson of our new pact. It is not a show of devotion or to honour the Crimson Lord's sacrifice.

It is because we knew that we had stained our very souls for the love of our Primarch, and there was nothing else left for us...

Nothing..."

      - Attributed to [REDACTED]

 

Battle Brother Cephra of the Word Bearers Legion

Devout Warrior of the Chapter of the Stillborn Dawn

Second Squad, Designation  b(Pa) of the 33rd Void Infantry Company

Astartes Pict-feed taken at the Thandros Genocides

 

-------------------------------------------------------

 

Just finished up my first Tactical marine for my new Word Bearers project, the first of many to come in my slow, plodding progress. I can't express again with how happy I am with the bodies from Tortuga and the result of combining the bodies with 40k and Horus Heresy products. I'm genuinely super happy with the results and I hope you guys enjoy it too!

The fluff blurb here is a blatant homage for the opening narration from the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 on mission 7: Knightfall as the 501'st legion is prepared to march on the Jedi temple. The moment is incredibly heavy with contemplation and I wanted to evoke that feeling.

Let me know what you guys think!

 

_{Inhibitor chips were a mistake.}

 

Edited June 24, 2022 by Noctus Cornix

[Pearson73]

Really like that fluff, puts a more nuanced take on the normally more one-dimensional fanatics. Solid painting as per.

[Noctus Cornix]

Lovely. 

No u :)

 

 

Great looking force in here. Always had a soft spot for the post heresy Word Bearers since reading the Dark Apostle trilogy.

Hey, Biohazard! Great to see you around again, man. Glad you like them!   Yeah, I completely feel the same.

 

Even if their characters weren't always the best, the Dark Apostle trilogy was a major source of inspiration for me. I always adored how every single scene taken from the perspective of someone who wasn't a Word Bearer read like a horror novel. They are the blackest creatures, some how more horrifically cruel and evil than any of their brother legions. 

 

Really like that fluff, puts a more nuanced take on the normally more one-dimensional fanatics. Solid painting as per.

I've always found it somewhat annoying that Argel-Tal is generally described as such an oddity to his Legion. The idea that basically the entire Legion didn't have any regrets, or doubts about the whole thing because of some genetic deviancy rubbed me the wrong way. Accepting their lot in life? Sure, but nothing blatant as what we usually get.

 

The Legion effectively abandoned reality for sentient nightmares at the will of their Primarch and then told to orchestrate and enact genocide on their own people and their own brothers they had fought side-by-side with for 200 years. Even for Space Marines, that's a bit much, yeah? Do they follow through? Yes, of course. They are emboldened by bitterness against the Emperor of Mankind and loyal to their Primarch to the bitter end, but there's several layers of disconnect between the Emperor and the other Legions. 

 

It's the same thing for the Ultramarines. Monarchia was the Legion's greatest shame, but are there really going to the that many Word Bearers that just vehemently hate the Ultramarines for it? I could understand many of them taking a black humor' to situation and finding some solace in repaying the 13th legion for what happened, but not the rage that often gets described about Calth...

 

Hell, if anything, I'd see the anger more likely to be because they might view the Ultramarines as the source of their predicament. Like, who actually cares about Monarchia? They wouldn't be forced to accept the laughing malignancy of Dark Monarchs as their divine if Khur didn't happen.

 

"THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" the Word Bearer roared in two voices, one laced with a the bitterness of mourning at his own damnation while the other merely laughed its words through too many teeth. 

 

Regardless, there's so much opportunity for nuance that's often missed out because BL writers tend to focus far too much attention on Primarchs and the Dramatis Personae. So, it's my hope to get to indulge in some of the nuance of how one might cope with the grandest of treacheries. 

[BadgersinHills]

Great miniature! Wonderful inspiration for my Night Lords.

Edited October 7, 2021 by BadgersinHills

[Noctus Cornix]

Great miniature! Wonderful inspiration for my Night Lords.

 

I really look forward to seeing your Night Lords, mate. ^_^

[Brother Dallo]

Do I see an ever so subtle 501st reference?

[Noctus Cornix]

Do I see an ever so subtle 501st reference?

 

Lovely stuff as always.

 

Dallo

Subtle? Not in the slightest, no. :P Like I said, it was very much meant to be a blatant homage to it. 

 

Thanks for your continued support, Dallo!

[No Foes Remain]

501st refference was spot on, read that in Morrison's voice as soon as I twigged where it was from.

 

I really like the amount of detail and kitbashing you put into each model, makes them feel more real that way.

[Xin Ceithan]

 

Lovely. 

No u

 

 

Great looking force in here. Always had a soft spot for the post heresy Word Bearers since reading the Dark Apostle trilogy.

Hey, Biohazard! Great to see you around again, man. Glad you like them!   Yeah, I completely feel the same.

 

Even if their characters weren't always the best, the Dark Apostle trilogy was a major source of inspiration for me. I always adored how every single scene taken from the perspective of someone who wasn't a Word Bearer read like a horror novel. They are the blackest creatures, some how more horrifically cruel and evil than any of their brother legions. 

 

Really like that fluff, puts a more nuanced take on the normally more one-dimensional fanatics. Solid painting as per.

I've always found it somewhat annoying that Argel-Tal is generally described as such an oddity to his Legion. The idea that basically the entire Legion didn't have any regrets, or doubts about the whole thing because of some genetic deviancy rubbed me the wrong way. Accepting their lot in life? Sure, but nothing blatant as what we usually get.

 

The Legion effectively abandoned reality for sentient nightmares at the will of their Primarch and then told to orchestrate and enact genocide on their own people and their own brothers they had fought side-by-side with for 200 years. Even for Space Marines, that's a bit much, yeah? Do they follow through? Yes, of course. They are emboldened by bitterness against the Emperor of Mankind and loyal to their Primarch to the bitter end, but there's several layers of disconnect between the Emperor and the other Legions. 

 

It's the same thing for the Ultramarines. Monarchia was the Legion's greatest shame, but are there really going to the that many Word Bearers that just vehemently hate the Ultramarines for it? I could understand many of them taking a black humor' to situation and finding some solace in repaying the 13th legion for what happened, but not the rage that often gets described about Calth...

 

Hell, if anything, I'd see the anger more likely to be because they might view the Ultramarines as the source of their predicament. Like, who actually cares about Monarchia? They wouldn't be forced to accept the laughing malignancy of Dark Monarchs as their divine if Khur didn't happen.

 

"THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" the Word Bearer roared in two voices, one laced with a the bitterness of mourning at his own damnation while the other merely laughed its words through too many teeth. 

 

Regardless, there's so much opportunity for nuance that's often missed out because BL writers tend to focus far too much attention on Primarchs and the Dramatis Personae. So, it's my hope to get to indulge in some of the nuance of how one might cope with the grandest of treacheries. 

I think this a very good look at the Word Bearers - especially since they were supposed to be one of the largest Legions before / in preparation of the Heresy. 

Genetic flaw or not, that is a quite a lot of Marines to be just going off the deep end because ,.,evil.

 

This / your whole work makes them very bad people / things to be around, but they are at least interesting bad guys!

 

oh, and the miniatures are nice too ;)

 

[Noctus Cornix]

501st refference was spot on, read that in Morrison's voice as soon as I twigged where it was from.

 

I really like the amount of detail and kitbashing you put into each model, makes them feel more real that way.

The highest praise I could ever receive. Really glad you like them!  ^_^

 

 

I think this a very good look at the Word Bearers - especially since they were supposed to be one of the largest Legions before / in preparation of the Heresy. 

 

 

Genetic flaw or not, that is a quite a lot of Marines to be just going off the deep end because ,.,evil.

 

This / your whole work makes them very bad people / things to be around, but they are at least interesting bad guys!

 

oh, and the miniatures are nice too

 

I think it's important to remember that evil often grows in steps as morale boundaries are slowly stripped away and we are left with the dreadful thing that remains inured to their own innate cruelty. The Word Bearers have been planning the Heresy for half a century, but it's rarely explained what the legion proper is up to. Chaplains are off doing their thing, spreading cults and preparing the warrior lodges or enacting the quiet purge of the legion ranks, but the line infantry (of which there are a lot) probably haven't done much more than being fed the poison of their new faith and continuing to enact Imperial compliances. 

 

So, it stands to reason that Istvaan is really the first true step on the path of damnation. Would some of the Word Bearers be content with this treachery? Certainly. There things come in varying degrees and one should always remember that no two people are ever going to respond to something the same way, even Astartes. However, many of these warriors are first coming to terms with their treachery in the moments before the dropsite massacre, when the nightmarish reality they create is coming true.

 

Some of them might have been trying to deny that it was ever going to actually happen. Others just might have tried to ignore it, to act like it was above and beyond their position to consider or question.

 

The human mind is such a fascinatingly complex engine in its capacity to create excuses. 

[Ryltar Thamior]

 

 

Some of them might have been trying to deny that it was ever going to actually happen. Others just might have tried to ignore it, to act like it was above and beyond their position to consider or question.

 

The human mind is such a fascinatingly complex engine in its capacity to create excuses. 

 

As Astartes minds often tend to be superior to human minds in various ways (as well as being particularly more 'conditioned' - often via quite evasive mechanisms around hypnotherapy, psychosurgery, etc.) , it therefore also seemingly follows that an Astartes mind could in fact be a *more* powerful engine for creating excuses. 

 

Or, if you prefer, exerting its will in the face of reality. 

 

After all, that's effectively what a certain amount of this is - self-delusion, and a gradual pathway to 'acceptance' on something closer to one's "own terms" ... but with the actual psychic force of said delusion being capable of exerting much more influence on the world around the Marine. Either in terms of directly going out and hitting things which inspire cognitive dissonance / second thoughts (and that's leaving aside that their mindscape has already been custom crafted that various of those critical faculties aren't working in anything like the same way .. even before we get to the XVIIth's ... unique genetic impact in this regard) - or, because this is the Warp and an increasingly warp-saturated legion we're talking about, in a rather more metaphysical sense.

 

It is partially why Astartes aspiring sorcerers seem to do better / last longer as compared to baseline human ones. More will, more ability to 'block things out' which interfere with same. More ability to reshape rather than being reshapen by what is going on around. 

 

It is also, assumedly, why Fabius Bile is able to do that thing he does of seriously discomforting daemons simply by actively disbelieving in them ... even when they're right there in front of him in a vial. 

 

Or, to use another example, Curze's dialogue with Sevatar around ... well ... the use of terror to enforce order ultimately not working, leading to Curze presuming he'd been dealt an unwinnable hand and bitterness; followed by Sevatar asking the rather obvious question as to whether he'd even bothered to *try* anything else. 

 

An Astartes mind is a powerful mind - in the same sense that a locomotive is a powerful engine. 

 

It goes straight lines pretty powerfully, and is truly impressive to behold in motion - even, perhaps especially due to all the artifice which has gone into its construction and the necessary care and attention required to maintain it once it's in operation. 

 

However, locomotives don't tend to *corner* very well ... by which I mean, if it's required to deviate from the 'track' it's laid down for itself (or which has been lain down for it) ... problems ensue. 

 

And that, I surmise, is partially what went wrong at Monarchia. The XVIIth were on a particular and heavily teleological 'track' - it meant that they really didn't listen, barely even registered the rather clear signposting that ... this isn't what you're supposed to be doing on *multiple* levels ... and then when the actual Sanction caught up with them, it was a truly catastrophic psychic 'derailment' for them. 

 

Because they'd been going so 'fast' for so long down a particular relatively 'straight' railroad. And then all of a sudden, they don't just have to 'stop' - but actively pull a ninety degree turn. It's perhaps little surprise that they instead went for a full 180 .. bouncing off the obstacle they'd run headlong into, and going pretty much completely back the way they came along the exact same tracks but in reverse. 

 

So, after a certain amount of general all-over-the-place .. "Aporia" would be the relevant Greek philosophical term - the state of having lost one's way .. a particular *new* track starts getting laid down, this time by .. well, it *claims* it's being done by the Legion themselves. In fact, it is by some very select personages puppeteering the whole thing so that they're (willing) slaves to a new creed in dark reflection of the relationship they had with the old one before. 

 

And all the while, various of them are assumedly smugly declaring that now, and only now, are they truly "free". 

 

The mind of an Astartes truly is rather remarkable at its capacity for wilful (and occasionally seemingly necessary) self-delusion. 

 

 

[Pearson73]

 

Really like that fluff, puts a more nuanced take on the normally more one-dimensional fanatics. Solid painting as per.

I've always found it somewhat annoying that Argel-Tal is generally described as such an oddity to his Legion. The idea that basically the entire Legion didn't have any regrets, or doubts about the whole thing because of some genetic deviancy rubbed me the wrong way. Accepting their lot in life? Sure, but nothing blatant as what we usually get.

 

The Legion effectively abandoned reality for sentient nightmares at the will of their Primarch and then told to orchestrate and enact genocide on their own people and their own brothers they had fought side-by-side with for 200 years. Even for Space Marines, that's a bit much, yeah? Do they follow through? Yes, of course. They are emboldened by bitterness against the Emperor of Mankind and loyal to their Primarch to the bitter end, but there's several layers of disconnect between the Emperor and the other Legions. 

 

It's the same thing for the Ultramarines. Monarchia was the Legion's greatest shame, but are there really going to the that many Word Bearers that just vehemently hate the Ultramarines for it? I could understand many of them taking a black humor' to situation and finding some solace in repaying the 13th legion for what happened, but not the rage that often gets described about Calth...

 

Hell, if anything, I'd see the anger more likely to be because they might view the Ultramarines as the source of their predicament. Like, who actually cares about Monarchia? They wouldn't be forced to accept the laughing malignancy of Dark Monarchs as their divine if Khur didn't happen.

 

"THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" the Word Bearer roared in two voices, one laced with a the bitterness of mourning at his own damnation while the other merely laughed its words through too many teeth. 

 

Regardless, there's so much opportunity for nuance that's often missed out because BL writers tend to focus far too much attention on Primarchs and the Dramatis Personae. So, it's my hope to get to indulge in some of the nuance of how one might cope with the grandest of treacheries. 

 

 

A really solid take on that and I certainly agree. Argel Tal is the only one of the legion who I can stand really, as the rest of them lack that critical depth. Tal is the only one who feels believable in his thoughts and motives. I guess Lorgar actually comes close in that respect too.

[Noctus Cornix]

There is a line that must never be crossed, drawn in the sand of the human psyche, filtered into the roots of our species.

Everything is built upon the assurance that this sacred line is never broken.

Our shared morality, our most basic trust in fellow men.

Everything would fall apart without it.

 

We crossed that line long ago. Now, we drag the rest of humanity screaming into that abyss beyond...

 

[Doghouse]

These look great, I think you have captured the feel of the army extremely well and the conversions and paint jobs are excellent. :tu:

[Noctus Cornix]

"Truly, I did not believe this day would come. Ultramar burns and Terra will soon join it in consecrated agony. Rejoice, my brothers, for the nisus has begun and dawn cometh!"

 

 

Battle Brother Kayliph Suur of the Word Bearers Legion

Devout Warrior of the Chapter of the Stillborn Dawn

Second Squad, Designation  b(Pa) of the 33rd Void Infantry Company

Astartes Pict-feed taken at the Thandros Genocides

Edited June 24, 2022 by Noctus Cornix

[Pearson73]

Very very nice indeed, particularly the painting of the flayed skin and the use of transfers.