#Siege of Taralus

[yandins-beleagured-historian]

-Calimorre flings open the door to her sanctum, approaches the giant cork-and-string board titled "Siege of Taralus", uncaps a marker, located the pinned image titled "Lord Commander Eidolon" and appends the name with five question marks.-

-before letting out a very long sigh-

GW has pushed the new Eidolon-novel back to October, this can only mean one thing:

New Emperor's Children stuff incoming in Q4!

I may be mad I can't read something fresh with the best Lord Commander Primus (according to him) this month already, but I am now VERY looking forward to all the new lore, the new Noise Marines, the new 40k Lucius ...

[yandins-beleagured-historian]

Behind the Curtain #1

Despite the standard tone of the Warhammer 40k universe and the tendency to play even the most ridiculous factor's straight (Which I'm happy to hold my own hand up for, given half the posts on this blog), there's a hugely refreshing catharsis that silliness and absurd humor bring when applied to 40k. It's one of the things that I love about this side of the community, where every angle, be it happy, horny, silly or wholesome, can be explored with full-throated enthusiasm. And after almost a decade in the more morose, right-leaning, edgelording side of the community, giving a daemon engine the name Wesley and the disposition of a small puppy feels like a sign that nature is healing. That being said, I asked a loved one today about which parts to use on a Biker champion I'm currently kitbashing. The models I have of the Iron Fists' Fourth Company are somewhat neglected, having been quickly and badly painted in preparation for a schools league tournament I never got to play in, but something's compelled me to revisit them and have another go this last week.

Here's the piece I was asking about.

They took one look at this part and said "Oh, it's a name-brand sword. Like Gucci."

The connotations of these weapons as prestige symbols in theory but showy garbage in practice is already spectacular enough, but this isn't even the only such weapon in the squad.

So not only has this conversation accidentally manifested Balenciaga Imperialis / Gucci Honour into existance, but it's also painted the entire command squad of the Iron Fists Fourth Company as some band of vapid armoury fashionistas. This effect is magnified by the fact that the captain of the Fourth, one Katon Cantabricus, is primarily known for being away on a hunt while over 80% of his command exploded in the opening moves of the Siege of Taralus. So congratulations all, we have inadvertently acquired the high-velocity mean girls. I love it here.

[yandins-beleagured-historian]

Entry #012.3v2.(fennion).uncompressed.

--The Second Company, Part 4 of 9 5 9-- +Header Item: Pict-Capture, Sergeant Harmik Fennion, retrieved from archived sensor-capts, Avaricum Tercius, Demeter Campaign, approx. 963.M41. The Departmento Photartem formally apologises for hue losses and degradation encountered during processing.+

Continuing this entry on, and I quote "names that should be known" (??) within the Iron Fists' Second Company, we come to Harmik Fennion. Chapter readiness records, as delightfully reliable as they are, suggest that Fennion was the sergeant of the seventh squad, second company, from 932.M41 at the latest. This is according to a few cross-referenced accounts of the Emerigo campaign, in which Fennion is described as:

"a proud graduate of the Gygar Octavian School of Unsubtle Grox-Headedness" by one Ensign Ebosan, and

"...adequate..." by the aforementioned Sergeant Gygar Octavian himself.

Despite this...ringing endorsement by his peers, Fennion seems to have enjoyed a fairly successful career as far as space marine sergeants go. His squad attained consistently high kill rates, relatively few casualties, and battle commendations across Demeter, Poros and a number of other campaigns. However, a few noted statements in his log stand out as unusual, and detail explicit rejection of bionics, in apparent confliction with the chapter's general adherence to the teachings of Ferrus Manus. This appears to have even gone so far as to merit him an official warning from Company Command for "deliberately slowing tactical replenishment rates". Odd. What is also odd is that the best-quality pict-capt I could find of Fennion depicts him wielding a power sword of a pattern that is generally not seen outside the armouries of the Ordo Malleus. I;ve asked Yandin about the sword, and he has refused to comment.

+Supplementary Log, Cosrau Yandin, Captain, 7th Company Iron Fists+

"Fennion was...well, you couldn't have asked for a better sergeant, in my books. The line between mechanical obedience and radical initiative is a hard one to walk, especially as a sergeant, but he managed it, and managed it well. He never cut corners, never took shortcuts, but always managed to find little ways of improving things. For example, I remember him wrapping ammunition belts around his wrist rather than using magazines, because 'the burst rate never quire lines up right with the clip capacity.'" "By the time he took me into the seventh squad, his reputation for clean efficiency was known well outside the Second Company. It was a reputation that got him places, no doubt about that. Fennion's reputation put him alongside First Captain Aurastra, when we charged at a Shadowsword on Avaricum Tercius. Fennion's reputation also put him on the plainwards flank of Verchen's rearguard during the siege of Taralus. It put him against two score Kakophoni noise marines of the third legion. It put him in his grave, that day...."

+End log.+ +Addendum. I refuse to comment on Fennion's sword. -Y.+

Throne knows I try, Hester Vinchix Calimorre, Historiographer-Moderatus, Logos Historica Verita.

[yandins-beleagured-historian]

Untitledmemoranda(23)[cathaytemple].autorecovered

In light of the recent antics of one Custodian by the name of Calladayce Taurovalia Kesh, a desire has been expressed amongst the higher levels of the Logos Historica Verita to reappraise existing histories of the Emperor's Companions and ascertain what proportion of named individuals may, like Kesh, be, and I regrettably quote "Companionesses." (remembrancer mikelos why are you like this??) 

Given the agonizingly byzantine nature of personal onomastics within the Adeptus Custodes, I have requested that I use my current research connections as a method for contribution to this undoubtedly grand and worthy undertaking (/s), rather than spend the next five decades combing through Terra's underlibraries and arguing twenty different forms of ancient linguistics with adepts who still believe the Necron are chaos robots.

I caught up with Captain Yandin on the launch deck to introduce him to my new task and ask him whether the Iron Fists have ever fought alongside the Adeptus Custodes. He was just limbering up to regale me with the story of eighth captain Demiach's experience aboard the Talos Clarion during the siege of Taralus, when we were promptly interrupted by savant Paramete, who was heard to explain something along the lines of "WE CAN DO THAT NOW??" Before leaving the deck at speed in a state of what I can only describe as 'righteous jubilation.' 

With some trepidation, I asked Yandin if the savant has a particular affection for cyclonic warheads. He responded that "The Cathay Temple is just a bit excitable when it comes to matters of engenderment." While there are notes of closed-doors organisations within the chapter, with the honour guard of the Arcan Temple being most notable, I have yet to probe further into this 'Cathay Temple'. Mostly as such exploration will likely require interacting with savant Paramete. Given the fortitude that such an experience will require, I am not keen to undertake this quite yet. Throne preserve my good graces, Hester Vinchix Calimorre, Historiographer-Moderatus, Logos Historica Verita. -Addendum- +Attached file: replication of token seen to be carried by Savant Haymer Paramete, seventh company command, Iron Fists+

[arceansworde]

The traitor came barrelling out of the smoke, chainsword spitting old gore as it swung towards him. Sergeant Yandin changed course, ducking out of its path, chain teeth shrieking as it ground a deep line into his pauldron. He raised the colossal gauntlet, swinging round to face the traitor as the blade came growling back at him. The crackling knuckles of the power fist caught the blade on its edge, and the chainsword crumpled around it in a gout of filthy oil. Yandin's next blow struck the chaos marine in the chest, cracking the ceramite and bones underneath and pitching him against the stump of a broken statue. He flailed with the broken weapon as Yandin's power fist closed around his head, placing the bolter's muzzle carefully against the ancient, rusted neck-seal of the traitor's armour. The bolt shells tore the traitor’s neck open and burst inside the guttering power unit, the mariner’s armour leaking blood and smoke and sparks.

Yandin turned from the dead marine, the helm coming off n his hands. He looked at it for a moment, staring into the dull eye-slits. Mark Seven, early production. Martian most likely, late M32 by the look of it. His old Ironlore training rattled off statistics, material properties, cogitator capacity, power specifications. But despite that, something deep within him was unsettled. It was like the empty helmet was looking at him.

“Sergeant; update.” Clipped tones buzzed in his vox. Yandin turned, the power fist dropping to his side as he gave his report, looking out over the ramparts, He watched the lead elements of the chapter rolling back the traitor's front, armoured platoons sweeping over the endless mire of trenches and bunkers and gun emplacements.

“Acknowledged, captain.” He responded, as orders came through over the vox. There was a call from behind him, one of his marines, hard-headed, tending to a weathered graviton rifle. Yandin nodded curtly, slotting a fresh bolter clip home. “Ever onward.” He muttered, as the fingers of his power fist curled around the helmet and, with a spike of contempt, crushed it.

<<Rememberancer painting - Oil, sketch - Sergeant Cosrau Yandin, Iron Fists Second Company, late-stage during the Siege of Taralus, approx. 091.M42.

Sergeant Cosrau Yandin.Commission by Ilqar