Endless...Endless.

Hello!

The Grimdark ramps up in this WIP!

As usual, the majority of the Grimdark WIPs are not on Patreon anymore.  But community members can still access the latest WIPs as mentioned in previous posts.  Just to be thorough, community members will receive an email with the access information as well.

Please leave any comments/feedback/reactions on this post like you would normally do. Thanks!

In this update, we cover the Norn-Queen, one of the most terrifying things conceived in the grim darkness of the far future. 😱

As many community members know, the Space Locusts were attracted to the Milky Way during that fun kegger humanity was having. An especially large firework went off and that drew the attention of the Great Devourer. Now that the Tyranids have arrived at the Milky Way buffet, Norn-Queens have sent out their kids to get them a big slice of that pie!

So what makes Norn-Queens one of the scariest things in 40K? Well first off, they are the driving force behind the Hive Mind. Each directs Hive Fleets towards viable systems for consumption and spawn the limitless hordes of Tyranids to deal with any obstacles in their quest to nom-nom everything. The Tyranid 'command' structure is nodal and complex in nature but all Tyranid 'generals' ultimately answer to the Norn-Queen and it's her goals they are pursuing.

By far the most terrifying thing about Norn-Queens is their ability churn out obscene amounts of meat shields, bio-weapons and even bio-ships. Orks are famous for spawning quickly but I'm pretty sure even they can't match replacement rates Norn-Queens can achieve. Every Titan or Baneblade destroyed by the enemy is often an irreplaceable (or at least very expensive) loss for the Imperium. But as long as there is biomass, Norn-Queens will always be replace their highest tier assets (like the Swarmlord) in a relatively short amount of time.

That's scary enough but their most overpowered trait is to hyper-adapt. You see, Norn-Queens (also known as Splicer-Beasts) process the vast amounts of biomass retrieved during a planetary conquest, storing strands of new enemy DNA into Tyranid 'gene banks'. They can use these strands to create new and terrifying bioforms that are suited to the environment that they're conquering. Those extra chunky Carnifexes are rumored to have Space Marine traits but you didn't hear it from me. 😉

Tyranid victories are rarely mentioned in the books but the snippets of information that come through paint a very harrowing picture. I'm reminded of Ingvar, a Space Wolf who recently completed a Deathwatch tour of duty. During his secondement, it's hinted that Ingvar helped the Inquistion burn entire loyal Imperial systems just to deny the Tyranids biomass, the memory of which still haunts him. "Endless..." he whispered in horror. "Endless."

By the end of the campaign, Ingvar comes to the chilling conclusion that the Imperium cannot win against the Tyranids. Nothing can as there is literally not enough guns or bodies (Imperial, Chaos or Xenos) to stand up to the Great Devourer.

To put things into perspective, the Silent King didn't even bother to check his notifications when the Beast was getting his WAAAGH on or Abaddon was making excuses for his latest setback. But he cut his vacation early and ran back to the Milky Way galaxy to make sure all the dynasties were prepared when the Tyranids arrived in earnest.

As an invasive species that has consumed entire galaxies, the Milky Way is just another buffet in they Tyranid's grand tour. And if you want to get really grimdark, there are probably other fleets out there nom noming distant galaxies the Imperium isn't even aware of. 😱

So my proxy is designed to show the the Norn-Queen as she's described, a giant monster factory. Biomass is fed from capillary towers into her body where clusters of Tyranid eggs spill from the rows of ovipository orifices along a Norn-Queen's flanks. Nutrient fluid-filled depressions on the massive alien mother's upper surface writhe with maggot-like larvae. Fetal amniotic sacs for other bioforms hang like ripe fruit from corded umbilicals, while huge Teleporter Worms burst from incubator pouches on the Norn-Queen's sides to allow newborn bioforms to be quickly moved around the vessel for easy deployment.

BTW, I'm thinking of calling my version of the Norn-Queen the 'Nom-Nom Mom'. Do you think that'll catch on? 😄

On that cheery note, let's move on to Dante, one of the most important characters in the setting. So in 40K, there is this idea of the Big Three, the three Space Marines that everyone in the Imperium (and fanbase) has heard of. There's Papa Smurf, famous for his Power Fists, having them ripped off by Swarmlord before winning a rematch. Oh, and his amazing spreadsheet skills of course, second only to Big Papa Smurf. 😄

There's Logan Grimnar who is famous for being a great drinking buddy and taking the Inquisition to the back of the shed for the Emperor of all spankings. Then there's Dante, whose reputation has reached mythical status as he's become the spiritual successor of Sanguinius, the most beloved Primarch in the Imperium.

So Dante's story is actually kind of unique even among Space Marines. As a recruit, it's noted that he wasn't outstanding in the trials and would have even outright failed the final test if not for his guardian angel. He did pass the most important test which was refusing to kill a fellow aspirant after defeating him in combat to earn his place among the Blood Angels (Test of Horus). But as more stories are written about Dante, it's become clearer that Dante embodies all the principles Sanginius wanted his Blood Angels to have.

His list of accomplishments are way to long to recount but major highlights include the Kallius Insurrection, the Second War for Armageddon and the Devastation of Baal. Still, Dante's greatest strength has always been retaining his humanity in a blood soaked galaxy. Wearing the death mask of Sanguinius, Dante is the living embodiment of the Great Angel reminding everyone of the 9th Primarch's sacrifice for the Imperium. And no matter how divergent members of the Blood become throughout the millennia, they still look to Dante as their guiding figure and will immediately rush to his aid when things get really dire.

In modern 40K, Dante is old and very tired, having outlived entire generations of Space Marines. He is so old that his age is written on his face, which is unheard of for members of the Blood who almost always retain a youthful appearance. Unlike Dreadnoughts who can sleep for centuries to avoid burnout, Dante does not have that kind of reprieve. He's been active for 1,600 years and needs to not only be a messianic figure for the Imperium but continuously stave off the Red Thirst and Black Rage which is an incredible feat of willpower. Dante has been leading the Blood Angels longer than the Primarchs led their Legions during the Great Crusade which is pretty mind boggling if you think about. 😲

Dante prays daily that death will finally take him and he can rest by his Primarch's side. But like Him on Earth, Dante endures because he has had to, believing he still has one great task to perform for the Emperor. Whether this is true or just a vision to keep him going remains to be seen.

So for my proxy, I wanted definitely wanted to give Dante wings as I always thought it strange the Chapter Master of the Blood Angels didn't come with them. I mean they gave it to these two but not the Chapter Master? If there's one thing that should be engraved on the front gate of every Fortress Monastery, its 'The Chapter Master always gets the best drip.". Oh and I gave Dante Blood Cherubs because you gotta have Blood Cherubs in a Blood Angels Month. 🩸

Speaking of wings, did the Angry Company really remove them from the Sanguinary Guard in the latest edition? Huh, strange I thought they liked money.

Anyways, wargear wise, I've made his selection very adaptable with the normal types players would expect. For fans of the very original Dante version, you be able to do that if you want as well as a varied array of helmet options. I'm thinking about making a maskless version but that is in the TBD category right now. If community members have suggestions for poses or themed character bases, please let me know. And please leave a reaction on the post if you like where the characters are going so far as it helps me gauge if I'm going in the right direction.

Finally, Fantasy voting will also be up next week. Please have your suggestions in in the next few days. Thanks!