'Legend would have it that the Astartes know no fear. A funny tale, almost as if our transhumanity was not enough to intimidate. I feared something once, the same thing most of us would tell you. A small death on some forgotten hellhole, my deeds unremembered. When I was pierced upon the thorns, I saw the manner of my end.
I do not die inglorious.'
Rylo Zelaange, Sargeant, I Squad, I Company, Crimson Shrikes Adeptus Astartes
'Within the first company of the Crimson Shrikes, informally known as the 'Thorn Wreath', there exists a distinct group of elites. Warriors that turn the tide of wars, turning certain defeat into outright victory. They fight exclusively clad in Terminator armour, teleporting into the heaviest fighting in a battle. We know them as the Laniidae.
When the Crimson Shrikes were founded, a cadre of twenty-nine neophytes were initially trained by three veteran warriors of their parent chapter, the Raven Guard. In honour of this, the Laniidae number exactly thirty-two Astartes at all times, never more, never less. They do not fight as per Codex structure, but in loose brotherhoods of between five to eight Astartes. To join the Laniidae is to become almost legend within the Shrikes, and rare is the Captain who was not directly promoted from their ranks.
When a member of the Laniidae is killed, the rest of the First Company will meet and nominate one brother from each squad of the company, for a total of seven potentials. These seven are taken by the Laniidae squad they potentially will join into the wilderness of the Shrikes homeworld. There, the potentials and Laniidae will begin a great hunt for one of the great araknowyms that live within the megafauna. Immune to weaponary that would level a Baneblade, the hunt is long and arduous, and allows the Laniidae to decipher who will be the best fit for the unit. This will not only be at a physical level, but spiritually as well. When the hunt ends, the Laniidae will choose a successor for their fallen brother. The remaining Shrikes (if any survive) will return to their squads, never speaking of their ordeal. The new Laniidae will bcome a darker, morose soul, and some believe that the visions that take place during the First Company initiation ritual are somehow enhanced, telling the Laniidae of his eventual death. Whatever the truth of this, the Laniidae are shock troops beyond compare, willing to throw themselves into battles that even other Shrikes would consider unwinnable.
Squad Zelaange were foremost within the fighting during the Shrine War, taking on missions that other would have considered suicide. The fact that not one brother of the squad was killed is testamount to both the strength of Terminator armour, and the skill and self-belief of the Laniidae wearing it. It is however rumoured that Squad Zelaange were somehow aware that none of them would die during the conflict, and this resulted in their almost suicidal attacks, knowing this would not be their time to meet the God-Emperor. Whatever the truth, the Laniidae are heroes all.'
'Rituals of the Raven Guard and Successors' - Tominas Rotajz
After telling the tale of Martyr Blue, and exploring the strange history of House Erritian, I've been toying with the idea of making more Knights. Specifically, the other two Knights mentioned, Cerulean Invective and Celestial Indigo. With the release of the new Knight kit, and after a bit of internal Back and forth, I took the plunge, and now have two extra Knights to paint! I'm looking forward to really getting stuck into these, and they should be done quite quickly thanks to having painted Martyr Blue first.
Quick family photo in the meantime! Cerulean is the Gallant, while Celestial is going to be a Warden. That pot of Nuln Oil was full when I started, so it's lucky I had a spare!
With the new Space Marine Codex out, I thought about what I'd like to have in my Shrikes in the future. And, well, this happened...
Short of a couple of Vindicators and a unit of Vanguard Vets, this will be the last major purchase for the Shrikes. There will be little units of things as and when after, but it seems a natural ending is very well in sight. There's still loads to do, so it's going to keep me going for a good long while yet.
I have some interesting ideas for these guys though...
Want a hint? Why not? Everyone loves hints. Which unit could this be about?
'Three. There are always three. They are the Equilateral, and we are witness to their wrath.' - Attributed to Zaidan Shraane, Captain, III Company, Crimson Shrikes Adeptus Astartes.
'Power Armour will win a battle. Terminator Armour will end a war.'
- Unattributed
So, I've been working on Squad Zelaange for a little while now. They've been one of those units where I've been concerned that they might not look as great as I'd hoped, but when I painted the silver they all seemed to click nicely. The black and silver needs highlighting, and the other few details such as eyes and purity seals will need doing, but they're rapidly getting there.
As for the guy in black at the back, well, Deathwatch Terminators are cool, right...?
'The true prize of any war is to be able to write history to the terms of the victor. The truth of it ends up in the gutter with the bodies of the vanquished.'
Inquisitor Judia Isut, known as the Black Hammer.
'That bastard Isut used us as a scalpel, a tool to exise the cancer that was the Ethnarch. Only he knew that the blade would break in the process.'
Olunis Varajaisn, Chapter Master, Crimson Shrikes Adeptus Astartes.
'The Fourth Shrine War. An event that resulted in the loss of millions of lives, the death of two planets and the destruction of an ancient Knight house. All of this can be attributed to one man, Judia Isut. His ruthless pursuit of the Ethnarch led the heretic to seek refuge upon Kerishian Alpha-Seven, and Isut played this fortune like a viola.
Knowing that the Crimson Shrikes Adeptus Astartes used Alpha-Seven as a recruitment world, Isut let the Ethnarch take root within the shrine-cities of the world, building his forces and spreading his taint throughout the sector, concealing this from the larger Imperium. A heinous crime indeed, but one that was undertaken as a matter of need. The shadow war had been fought between Isut and the Ethnarch for over a decade, and Isut believed that the time to escalate the conflict into an outright war was now. The Shrikes, elements of Knight Household Erritian and various Astra Militarum regiment were sequestered, while the Scions of Harlens World were requested as the personal combat force of Isut himself. Indeed, Isut was to be seen as an active combatant, leading from the front even in the heaviest of the fighting, free of the need for secrecy and knives in the night.
The initial strikes against the Ethnarch crippled the rebels high command and ability to co-ordinate assets. However, this first wave of success was blunted by the arrival of a Traitor Legion force drawn from the Black Legion, the Sons of the Arch-Heretic. Their guidance and leadership helped the Ethnarch to begin a strong and lasting counter-battle, one that would lead to the death of the Shrikes Chapter Master and massive losses to House Erritian.'
'To hear a citizen of the Imperium talk of the Astartes is to hear tales of descending angels, wiping away the heretic, the xenos, the traitor. These fairy tales suit the majority well enough, and for that they should be grateful. I've seen Space Marines fight up close, and to watch the Crimson Shrikes wage war was to gaze upon Death in its purest form.'
Attributed to Scion Tempestor Uli Honanson, 62nd Harlen World Regiment, post-Shrine War.
'The Ursine...A simple enough epithet do you not think?'
Brother Gyn Wesm, III Company, Crimson Shrikes Adeptus Astartes
Here can be seen pic-capture of Squad Akkirion of the Crimson Shrikes IIIrd Company, led by Loe Akkirion. A giant of an Astartes, Loe was deployed in situations where high-level rebel targets were required to be intercepted and captured where possible. A patient hunter, Akkirion would track his targets for weeks remaining undetected. At the right moment, quickly-adapted ambushes would be undertaken by the squad to secure assets, while leaving a trail of devastation in their midst before melting back into the shadows. However, it has been noted that towards the end of the War, these assets would be more likely than not killed during these extractions. This can be attributed to enemy friendly-fire to prevent rebel plans falling into Imperial hands, however with the horrors the Shrikes endured throughout the war, it cannot be ignored that this may have been retaliatory from Sqaud Akkirion for their lost brothers.
Presented here is the squad's heavy weapons trooper, Gyn Wesm. Brother Wesm can be seen carrying a cut down version of a Multi-Melta, a favoured weapon within IIIrd Company tactical squads. With the role Akkirion were to play, a Mk49 Ryza-pattern short Melta was preferred due to the ease of firing on the move. The pattern is notorious for its extreme short range, even for an melta-class weapon, however this was offset due to Squad Akkriron's tactics allowing for short-range engagaments.
Loe Akkirion, seen carrying a large power maul crafted from the wood of the mega-fauna of the Shrikes' homeworld. For such a large Astartes, Akkirion was famed for his stealth, and indeed was remarked by his brothers to have been a true scion of Corax. Indeed, Akkirion himself would spend many hours in both silent contemplation of his Primarch's teachings, and within the training grounds of the Chapter honing his squad's gueriila tactics. After the War was finished, Squad Akkirion had lost six brothers during operations. However, the bravery and determinism of Akkirion himself was duly noted by his Captain, and he undertook the ritual of 'The Piercing', a trial which he passed. He is currently deployed with the fourth squad of I Company, under the leadership of Sargeant Qilan.
