The Rains of Tirnan (My Black Library Short Story Submission)

A couple months ago, Black Library asked the public for short story submissions based on the Deathwatch, Chamber Militant of the Ordo Xenos. I have always dreamed of being a published writer, especially for the Black Library. Putting my mark on the Warhammer universe would be a dream come true. So, I worked for about a month or so writing my own 500 word short story, The Rains of Tirnan. The story focuses on Brother Jael of the  Blood Angels and his fight against a tyranid lictor and his chapter's curse, the red thirst.

Now, I am no Dan Abbnett. But, I did really enjoy writing this and figured I would share it. It was a really fun exercise, and good practice for the next time the opportunity comes around. Anyway, let me know what you think. I see this hobby as having four main creative outlets: modeling, painting, playing, and writing. While some of us may only partake in one or two of these outlets, I think it is important to flex your creative muscles whenever you can. We all have a story to tell, so tell it!

Until next time!

The Rains of Tirnan

The blood was everywhere. Running and mixing with the thick clay mud at the roots of the redwoods, forming a sickening ichor under Jael’s ceramite boots. These two men were on their way to the mines when it caught them. Was it two? Yes, Jael only saw two heads. They were torn limb from limb, large holes dug into their empty skulls. Their bodies split and cut into what seemed like a dozen pieces. The wounds were fresh, made within the last few minutes. Suddenly, Jael felt weak. A great thirst had overtaken him. The Red Thirst. No water could quench this. He needed blood.

This sensation was unmistakable. Twenty seven years prior, on the deathworld of Carthag VI. The planetary defense force was decimated in the fighting against the swinehordes of a now dead warboss. One of the men lay fallen, dying at his feet. Jael felt a sudden urge to drink the poor man’s blood. The guardsman’s eyes were wild with fear as Jael eyed him. But, in that moment, he was brought back from madness. Eremiel, the sanguinary priest, quietly sung the litanies of the primarch into Jael’s ear. “Do not fear the blessing of Sanguinius”. The priest understood the desire, but the terrified comrades of the dying soldier would not. 

Now, the Blood Angel was trembling. Jael felt helpless. Overcome by his desire. Eremiel was not with him now. No one was. He was alone in the rain, save for the remains of the two dead Tirnans. The clouds above him swirled a hellish red. Crimson rain swelled into huge droplets. They felt soft as they hit his tongue. He tilted his head back, mouth open wide. He drank in the blood falling from the sky. 

His scream echoed through the forest, "Control yourself, brother!”. Jael was shaking, black helmet thrown into the blood-red mud at his feet. A black bird flew below the soft gray clouds above. The rain felt warm running through his hair. He heard it as it fell through the leaves of the trees above him. Fumbling as he fell to his knees, his hands sunk into the ground. The world around him pulsed to the heavy beating of his hearts. Senses heightened to every movement, every sound. 

Jael heard clicking, movement, and a low sloppy growl. He turned in time to avoid the talons as they fell into the mud. Jael tumbled and rolled under the rending claws and took to his feet. The lictor was hard to see, its carapace mimicking the trees and undergrowth behind it. Two large talons reared above its body. Claws dug into the mud of the forest floor. Raising his bolter, Jael fired kraken rounds into the tentacled maw of the beast. The tyranid made an awful screech, cocked its hind legs and shot into the trees above. It left a trail of acid blood burning into the ground. Jael blinked, readied his combat knife, and began searching the forest canopy. The hunt was on.

There Can Be Only One, And It Wasn't Me (Endgame Highlander Tournament)

Last Saturday I played in my first highlander event at Endgame in Oakland. I love this format. It still allows for competitive gameplay, but really tones down the spam and meta gamer lists you'd normally find at a tournament these day. But, that doesn't mean there isn't a challenge in creating a fluffy list when you can't repeat units. Point value based games inherently make list building hard, so any additional restrictions do add to the challenge. That said, any good game should be a challenge. Lucky for me, I had two strong opponents and two challenging games.

I brought the Yell Hounds (my Blood Angels custom chapter). It looked something like this:

HQ

Astorath (Warlord), Librarian, Captain

Troops

Tactical Squad in a Razorback, Scouts with shotguns

Elites

Death Company (jump packs), DC Dread, Terminators (w/ heavy flamer)

FA

Deathwind Drop Pod

HS

Stormraven

The first was against Eran and his tricky, quick Eldar. Holy shit, Eldar are good! Eran played them really well in an awful, terrible 2-23 beatdown (jetbikes, man, jetbikes). My second game was against Stephen and Typhus. The Traveller is tough. He ended up killing Astorath and my Librarian in two consecutive turns of close combat. This one was a bit closer (4-9) but Papa Nurgle won the day.

My biggest disadvantage was a lack of speed and manueverability. Objectives in the maelstrom missions are the way to win, and static forces will always lose out to more mobile forces. Hey look, I learned something! Better luck, and some land speeders, next time I guess.

Big thanks to Mike and Adan for running the show, and to Endgame for being Endgame. Until next time!

Game One

Game Two

Nurgle's Rot and my new Yell Hounds Librarian

Well, that sucked. I came down with some stupid cold, and ended up having to cancel the Steiermark game last weekend. That, coupled with being busy at work meant I didn't get my normal hobby time this week. But, do not fret Corsairians! Check out Brother Amergin, Yell Hounds Librarian.

This was a really fun project. I basically rummaged through my bits bag and ended up finding all the makings for this guy. I was debating going for the standard blue, but since the Yell Hounds aren't necessarily codex compliant I felt like a non-standard color would look nice. Since the majority of the  army is grey, red really makes him stand out. And, it was a great opportunity to play around with a color I haven't used that often. Overall, I am really happy with the results.

Next weekend, Endgame is hosting a Highlander event. I've never played in one of these before, and I am really looking forward to seeing the types of list people bring. I have some painting to do before (five assault terminators, a razorback, a drop pod, and my custom Captain Tycho), but I feel like I always work best on a deadline. I am really excited about Tycho (he's in the picture below). Tycho is a really awesome character, and I am looking forward to putting him on the table.

Until next time!

Yell Hounds March to War!!!

So twenty Ork Boys and Chaplain walk into a bar...

Happy New Year! I really want to focus the earlier part of this year on the Yell Hounds, my custom Blood Angels chapter. After reading through the Shield of Baal: Exterminatus DLC (kidding, kidding) I have decided to use the Flesh Tearers Strike Force formation for them. I feel like it suits their background, and the warlord traits look like fun. For those that haven't seen them yet, here they are.

Flesh Tearers Warlord Traits

• Incandescent Fury Angry Marines. Warlord and unit have Hatred
• Savage Rage Warlord has Rampage
• Avalanche of Destruction Great name for a metal band. Warlord and unit have Hammer of Wrath (also a great name for a metal band).
• Unstoppable Momentum Warlord and all friendly units in 12" have Crusader
• Berserk Fury Warlord and unit have Rage. Not so good with DC, but great with everything else.
• Blood Mad Also Angry Marines. Warlord has Feel No Pain. 

Warlord traits are one of my favorite parts of 7th, and these all look very savage and bloody. I'll be playing the final game of the mini Steiermark Campaign with Ian and Jon this weekend, so expect a battle report early next week. Will Chaplain Morrigan get revenge on the swine horde? Will Inquisitor Arador's information prove useful? Will X-04 (my Vindicare Assassin) kill something for once, god damn it? Tune in next week to find out!

Yell Hounds Terminators

Happy Sunday everybody! I finished these up a while ago, but I thought I'd share them today. I though a lot about a color scheme for the terminators that would differentiate them from the standard "Death Company", especially for competitive play. When I play in tournaments, I always want to try to play as WYSIWYG. So, I did these guys in a lighter gray. The white left arm just seemed like a cool idea. And, it also drives me to think of a cool fluff reason for it. 

Shooty terminators are really fun to play with. In my army, they serve as an anchor for everything else to work around. And, who doesn't love heavy flamers. These are old 2nd edition plastics, but I feel like they still fit in with a clean paint job. And, the low detail and flat surfaces make that even easier!

I'll be working on some more Death Company today, and trying to get a drop pod painted before we head out for Thanksgiving. Hopefully I'll be able to get these guys on the table next weekend. Check out the action shots from the Steiermark Campaign below.

Until next time!

Morrigan's Charge (The Steiermark Campaign)

Congrats to to Jorn for his winning six word short story, "Unseen, unheard, the Callidus came calling". Keep on the lookout for another writing contest in the near future!

Ian and I played the second of our three game series in the Steiermark Campaign. In the first battle, Ian was able to seize Outpost Beta-19, but suffered some heavy losses in the process. This time, the Yell Hounds had assembled their forces for an all out assault on Guttrippa and his boys. Unfortunately, the good guys lost. Check out the IC's forum for a great battle report from Ian. 

Just like last time, I decided to focus on one of the main characters in the narrative. This time we will view the battle through the eyes of Bran Morrigan, Reclusiarch and Chapter Master of the Yell Hounds. Makes sure to check out pictures from the battle after the story. From the darkness, comes their demise!

The Story

He had died once before. Brought to the brink. So close to the endless comfort of the God-Emperor's side that he felt awash in glory. Taken by the Black Rage, his madness in battle was unending. Fighting against an eldar raiding party on some unknown planet. He was a Blood Angel then, the crimson red of his past life peaking through chips in his now jet black power armor. His chain-sword was death, looping slashes and cuts that split the xenos in two. But, he did no see his true enemy. He fought the legion's of Horus, watched his primarch die again and again. Overtaken, unable to control his superhuman form. He stood atop the pile of bodies and screamed. A wretched, primordial scream. And then, in an instant, peace.

Chaplain Bran Morrigan tried to re-join his brothers. But, the Sons of Sanguinius feared him. He had risen from the dead. Their beloved Bran, his beautiful and ornate works of brass still hanging amongst the works of his fellow marines. They had mourned him, and now they feared him. At first, it tormented Morrigan. He fought along side them, but not with them. He sung the Emperor's prayers, but responses were tinged with doubt. Nearing his wits end, it was the great Lemartes who saved him.

The newly christened Reclusiarch Bran Morrigan was sent to Tirnan, a storm world in the Segmentum Obsucrus. He was joined by his fellow pariahs, brothers from the Blood Angels and their successor's who had survived the Black Rage. Together, there was no mistrust. No sideways glances. No fear. Together they were Yell Hounds.

Morrigan sung the proud litanies of his new chapter as he swung his Crozius through the green tide. Smashing and ripping, the sky port landing pad was thick with blood. He desired to drink it all. Fill a large goblet and relish in his victory. But, it was not meant to be. The cowardly inquisitor had escaped. His men's assault on Outpost Beta-19 was stopped just short. Realizing defeat, he activated his jump pack and launched into the sky. Bounding off the tower, he moved quickly to the rendezvous. Guttrippa was still alive. This battle was lost. But, the war was not over. 

Bran had known death. Soon, the ork warboss would know it too.

Inquisitor Josep Arador running away from the fight, like a bitch

Death Company Dreadnought, SMASH!

Outpost Beta 19

Terminators assaulting the southern wall

These guys jumped onto the landing pad and smashed face.

Never saw it coming. Ironic, huh?

Uh, can I have my power fist back?

The Black Rage (Empathy, Understanding, and the Sons of Sanginius)

Voting ends Sunday, 11/16, for Corsair Radio's Six Word Short Story Contest. You can vote using the polling widget on the right of this post. Make sure to pick your favorite story and vote before then!

Art is so important to us because it can serve as a mirror, reflecting how we view our world. I think that I love science fiction and fantasy so much because it allows me to confront my own fears outside of the real world. I can enjoy stories full of anxiety and emotion and still feel protected, guarded from my own personal daemons. I can see these fantasy worlds through the eyes of characters (Aragorn, Spock, Han Solo) who struggle, but still persevere and make the most of every moment. The Blood Angels, my new 40k passion project, are no different.

I have suffered from anxiety for as long as I can remember. I check to make sure the door is locked three times before I go to bed, I envision my escape from nearly every location I enter, and I worry about my loved ones constantly. All that said, I still live a very happy life (a beautiful wife, two kids, a good job, and all the miniatures my 17 year old heart could desire). But, this specter of anxiety almost always follows me. These emotions are what draws me to the Blood Angels.

I just finished Deus Encarmine, by James Swallow, and I began to see that myself and Rafen, the protagonist, weren't so different. He is a loyal servant to the Emperor and his Chapter, but still a speculative man under the constant fear that The Black Rage will overtake him. That he will succumb  to "The Flaw" inside of him. Personally, I find this really inspiring. Amidst this great fear, Rafen and his brothers are still able to put their lives on the line for what they believe in. They persevere.

Now, I don't believe that my anxiety is anything like reliving the death of Sanginius (hell, I don't even have a primarch). And, this is all a part of a fantasy universe. There are real people who suffer and overcome things much greater than I will ever know, whose strength does and always will inspire me. Rafen and the Blood Angels's inner strength really adds to my hobbying life. When I model, paint, and play with my toys I relax. Like a long, deep breath. When I read on my morning commute, it is my meditation. I hope that when you enjoy this hobby, you can find the same peace. 

Until next time!

From the Darkness, Comes Their Demise (The Story of the Yell Hounds)

The Yell Hounds are my custom Space Marine chapter (using the Blood Angels codex). The concept is based on the Yell Hounds of celtic myth (more here). They are currently fighting against Guttrippa in the Steiermark Campaign, so expect more fluff and stories about the Ghosts of Tirnan.

Chapter Yell Hounds

Founding Chapter Blood Angels

Known Descendants None

Chapter Master Reclusiarch Bran Morrigan

Homeworld Tirnan

Colors Crimson and Grey

Specialty Covert Operations/Assault

Strength ~100 marines

The Black Rage has had devastating effects on the Blood Angels and their successors. Many space marines have died due to the overpowering psychic impact of this curse. But, thanks to their superior genetic make-up, some marines are able to conquer their emotions. These men, veterans of countless battles, and have purged many threats to the Imperium as members of the Death Company. Unable to find solace in the silence of death, these survivors are tormented by their experience. Their battle brothers see them as pariahs, the ghosts of their lost friends. In these uncommon situations, the survivors are sent off to Tirnan to join the Yell Hounds.

The Yell Hounds are experts in covert operations and close quarters combat. These warriors are known throughout the Imperium for their ferocious bloodlust in battle. They wear no heraldry, only simple grey armor with a crimson red helm. The Hounds are an incredibly close brotherhood of fanatical warriors. Survivors of the Black Rage. Led by the wild Reclusiarch Bran Morrigan, they live by their chapter's battle cry: "From the Darkness, Comes their Demise!"

The Battle at Outpost Beta-19

Guttrippa's Gambit is a part of the larger Steiermark Campaign hosted by G3 Santa Cruz Warhammer Club. The campaign pits Ian's Ork Warlord Guttrippa against the combined Imperial forces of Reclusiarch Bran Morrigan of the Yell Hounds, Ordo Xenos Inquisitor Joseph Arador, and the mysterious Vindicare Assassin X-04. This edition will focus on X-04, and the skirmish for Outpost Beta-19. For the full battle report, check it out at the Independent Character's Forums.

+ + + + + TRANSMITTED: Holy Terra

+ + + + + RECEIVED: Steiermark

+ + + + + DESTINATION: Steiermark

+ + + + + DATE: 0.132999.M40

+ + + + + TELEPATHIC DUCT: CONFIDENTIAL

+ + + + + AUTHOR: CONFIDENTIAL

+ + + + +  SUBJECT: X04

+ + + + + THOUGHT: Exitus Acta Probat

X-04,

The Ork Warlord Gutrippa and his warband have been located near Sachsenheim. Find and eliminate him before he can further consolidate the xenos threat on the continent.

>>ATTACHED PLANETARY DATA DOWNLOAD<<

>>PROCESSING<<

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The Green Tide

Silent. Forever silent amongst the chaos of battle. Still, above the Orks breaking through the defenses. X-04 wasn't even sure that the Imperials knew he was above them, mists of red blood amongst the Green Tide. There was nothing the Scions could do. They were outnumbered. Their support, Morrigan's wild Yell Hounds, overcome by battle lust landed too far from the outpost. Many Orks died that day, but not the Ork. His target, Warlord Guttrippa. He had one chance, and missed it thanks to the ineptitude of the haflings. They could have moved back to safety, given him more time. Instead, they all died. All save the Inquisitor. 

He'd report this back to Terra. He had failed. But, it wasn't over. 

X-04 met the Reclusiarch at the rendezvous point. He swore he saw dried blood around his mouth.

"Any survivors?"

"None. We drank the blood of many xenos today. Praise Sanginius!"

"Not Guttrippa. That was your mission. You..."

"Don't tell me what to do, coward. Why didn't you kill him from afar? Did your honor unsteady your hand?"

"..."

"Listen, Vindicare. The Ork is as good as dead. Let him revel in his victory today. Tomorrow, the Yell Hounds strike. From the darkness, comes their demise."

"From the darkness, comes their demise"

+ + + + + TRANSMITTED: CONFIDENTIAL

+ + + + + RECEIVED: CONFIDENTIAL

+ + + + + DESTINATION: CONFIDENTIAL

+ + + + + DATE: CONFIDENTIAL

+ + + + + TELEPATHIC DUCT: CONFIDENTIAL

+ + + + + AUTHOR: CONFIDENTIAL

+ + + + +  SUBJECT: Yell Hounds

+ + + + + THOUGHT: Exitus Acta Probat

Target escaped. Yell Hounds are preparing for planetfall. Inquisitor captured. He's as good as dead.

>>ATTACHED PLANETARY DATA DOWNLOAD<<

>>PROCESSING<<

>>DOWNLOAD COMPLETE<<