Every section of Imperial society contains a priest class tasked with interpreting the God-Emperor’s will and tending to the spiritual welfare of the masses. Where possible such preachers are dispatched from the monastic shrine-worlds which churn out priests in the same industrial production-line fashion as everything else to which the engines of the Imperium are directed. On a hive world such as Necromunda however the numbers required are too great and so much of the population must rely on locally-born, self-taught mendicants. Although at times this has an unfortunate effect on the degree of spiritual deviation and results in a disturbingly high level of observance of non-standard faiths the fanaticism of these individuals, and the resultant increase in the propagation of religion amongst the masses, is regarded as an acceptable counterbalance.
Amongst the ash-crust miners of Delving Alpha-12 responsibility for spiritual oversight lies with Vyrion the Elder. Born into the insular community Vyrion proved from a young age to be gifted with a grand vision, combined with a natural skill for oratory. Whilst most of his clan preferred to remain amongst their own kind for fear of suffering the judgement and suspicion of outsiders Vyrion undertook pilgrimages to the other delving in the local cluster, from Alpha-7 in the north to the deep warrens of Gamma-9 beneath the slag dunes to the south. There he has won many convert awed by the minor miracles of which he is capable and inspired by his visions of the Void-Emperor who watches over them all and, when the moment is right, will descend in righteous hunger to consume and remake this bitter world.
Having devoted his life to spreading the good word amongst the miners and championing their rights to the manufactorum lords, Vyrion has now turned his unblinking gaze towards Ironhouse. Leading a small band of the faithful he seeks to establish an outpost within the bastion settlement and make it his gateway to the mills and forges of the hive proper. Even before the pilgrims set out word reaches them that the Goliath brutes who claim it as their turf have been bled almost to extinction. Truly the will of the Void-Emperor is at hand!
The genestealer magus is just a lovely model and the opportunity to include it in the gang was too good to pass up. At some point I’ll probably add a combat orientated alternative leader for the gang but to begin with we wanted to explore using a psyker in the game as well. Of course this also gave me the excuse to paint up a familiar to accompany him.
I always found the idea of the familiars as psychic manifestations slightly silly. I know that the Tyranid hive mind is probably the most powerful psychic entity in the galaxy (sorry Tzeentch but you can’t create the Shadow in the Warp now can you?) and so presumably conjuring diminutive beasties is no trouble at all, but surely it makes more sense that these are just tiny Tyranids spawned to serve their master? After all despite it’s psychic prowess the thing the Tyranid race is most famous for is its capacity as generic manipulators, spawning creatures of all shapes and sizes, from warrior beasts, to ripper swarms, to vast living spacecraft, so a mini genestealer would be no bother at all. Am I alone here?
With these two complete the gang is finished for now so this is a fine opportunity for a group shot.
I do however have a few more models built (as previewed previously) which I’m aiming to get painted in the early part of 2019. You’ve not seen the last of the cult yet!
