Dearest Amelia

++++ Correspondance Document ++++
++++Delivery Destination: Ultima Segmentum; Scandiacus sub-sector; Gretchen system, Lacuna Lithia [ERROR: Planetary location address classified]++++
++++Send date: 997.M41++++
++++Recieved: 997.M41++++
++++ Source Location: [ERROR: origin location classified]++++
++++Author: Inquisitor Jav're, Ordo Hereticus++++
++++Attachments detected; recieved. Attachment subject: physical cargo - organic matter. Size class: minoris++++
++++Running security checks++++
++++Weaponry detected: none++++
++++ Toxins detected: none++++
++++Dangerous pathogens detected: none++++
++++Dangerous technology detected: none++++
++++Psychic signature: negative++++
++++Psycho-conductive content: none++++
++++Running purity checks....... probing for taint........ scouring for taint......... checks complete; no taint detected. Purity status: Pure++++
++++Threat assessment: nil. Document and attachments safe to review++++
++++Thought for the day: He who is without righteousness is nought.++++

Dearest Amelia, sweetest Katherine, 

I pray this letter finds you well, in good health, in fine spirits and, above all, by the eternal will and glory of the God-Emperor, alive. You are truly a treasure, both to this honoured branch of the Inquisition, and even more so to me. Already I cannot bear to fathom you lost. 

I also trust that the flowers I send with this letter make it to you intact. As you will probably note upon immediate inspection, they are a rare variety of Cosmorose, found in scant places within the Imperium, and especially scarce in the Galactic East. Indeed, I am told they are thought to be a dying species. Recently we stopped at a small Convent-world, and I found several bushes of them growing around the primary Ecclesiarchal chapel present, and their icy blues and violets recalled the infinite depth and beauty of your eyes. The Sororitas there, of the Order of the Celestial Cross, were kind enough to help me pick and preserve in stasis a few of them for deliverance to you. Some of them commented that you were lucky to have the adoration of such a dedicated and pious servant of humanity. I myself beg to differ, for I consider myself far luckier to have discovered you. It was a wondrous little 
world, full of light and colour and pretty little horticulture arrangements, and the chapel was a thing of marvel. Perhaps one day we might have the good fortune of uniting there in marriage someday, when this darkness finally breaks. 

I am afraid to say that I cannot reveal where I currently am at the moment. As I'm sure you know full well, secrecy is paramount in this business, and information is dangerous if left unguarded. Suffice to say I am somewhere far far away from Holy Terra, where the blessed light of the Emperor does not quite reach, and as always hunting something particularly dangerous. The particular heretics I have secured of recent in my pursuit of the heart of their blasphemous coven have proven notably resistant to both interrogation and pennant cleansing techniques. They revel in any sensation, even excruciating pain, and unlike many others of their ilk, sensory deprivation only seems to incite them to dream up imaginary experiences to feel. I have come to employ a method where the subjects are heavily sedated, before being put through various tortures, such as the Martyred Widow, the Crucius Gibbet, with carefully recorded footage of the procedures being recorded and shown to them once they are fully conscious. It has thus far proven effective enough to glean a number of confessions, and I believe I am coming closer to rooting out this vile tumour. Praise be the Emperor! 

I have also come to discover that these heretics seem to particularly favour port worlds in which to fester in. Indeed, just a few days ago we uncovered the largest cell yet of this insidious cult on a world just bellow a major naval starbase! The heretics had managed to worm themselves into the heart of the planet's cities, with many of their number masquerading as individuals of ill repute and providing 'entertainment' services for Imperial crews on leave. Who knows how many fine upstanding Imperial Navy personnel might have been corrupted by these infernal traitors? Fortunately we were able to wipe the scum from the face of the planet with fire and fury, with the support of the planetary Arbites. It certainly did strike a chord of nostalgia in me to be working with them again. Regrettably however our victory came at the cost of 14 dozen good souls in total. An especially high amount of those were also hardened veterans of my household troops. I do not know how long it will take to find replacements that pass muster. 

The days are long and sore without you at my side. Though the time we spent together was but a short few months, already I feel you in my heart, and coursing through my veins. I see your exquisite beauty in the stars, the void they are suspended in as lustrous and dark as your ebon tresses, and all my dreams are of us sharing a lifetime together. I yearn for your touch and wish nothing more than to hold you again in my embrace. I pray fervently to the Emperor that I may be able to see you again soon. Perhaps you will have Cosmoroses in your hair? 

Yours forever, and forever the Emperor's, 

- Jav're 

Summer Days

Wow it's been far too long since I updated this. I had meant to sooner, but once again I was without wifi, and then other things kept coming up...

So anyway, the other day I bought a copy of the new White Dwarf. In case you don't know, White Dwarf is a magazine published by Games Workshop to cover new products, hobby articles, battle reports and other things. As of late it's developed a bit of a bad reputation, largely due to the scaling back of hobby and background articles, but just this month it's been rebooted as a weekly magazine (before it was monthly).

I'm... not sure how I feel about it. On the one hand, well, it's a pamphlet. it's a mere fraction of the size of the older format, and I don't feel as though I get as much as I used to. On the other hand, it has a much more reasonable price, and I like the way some of the articles are going. I'm a bit disappointed with the lack of new background articles, and the absence of a battle report seems a bit.. odd, but it seems to me like a step in the right direction. They've even started putting in rules again, just like the good old days of Chapter Approved!

So, all in all, the jury's still out as far as I'm concerned when it comes to this new version.

Oh, and guess what I also got...

That's right, a vintage copy of 6th edition Warhammer. I happened upon it in a nearby second-hand bookstore, along with a copy of the rules for 5th edition Warhammer and the 5th edition Orcs and Goblins army book. I was only able to snag the 6th edition book though, but I'm very glad I did. As well as being extremely nostalgic for me, it's also given me more than a few ideas for hobby projects in the future. For those wondering, checking the inside cover shows it's a third imprint from March of 2002.

And I also painted up both of my Wood Elf nobles, to help with all the tedious bureaucratic administrative work that comes with ruling a woodland kingdom. Background ahoy!

Mir'q'arielle the traveler

Like the current Wishmaster, Mir'q'arielle hails from Imaginaerum, the provincial capital of the Meadows of Heaven. Of all the Asrai of the Meadows of Heaven, Mir'q'arielle is by far the most well-travelled, having visited over the course of her life nearly every part of Athel Loren inhabited by the elves, and many many locations beyond the forest's boarders as well. Indeed, Mir'qarielle rarely spends much time at all within her homeland, instead spending her time roaming the forest and wandering between different areas. Strangely however, considering this wonderlust, she has never taken up the path of the Waywatcher. It is likely that this is due to differing focuses in travelling, for where most Waywatchers are content to simply roam the pathways of Athel Loren, Mir'q'arielle also has a rare taste for discovering new lands outside the woodland dominion of the Asrai. Indeed, it is said by many that Mir'q'arielle embodies the spirit and joy of exploration that the first Elven colonists to settle outside of Ulthuan, long before the discovery of Athel Loren and the formation of the Wood Elves. 

As a result of her constant travelling, Mir'q'arielle eschews much of the more traditional wear of the Meadows of Heaven, and instead wears garb and ornaments picked up from other parts of Athel Loren. Her frequent journeys also give Mir'q'arielle a number of important tasks, especially diplomatic roles. It is often Mir'q'arielle that is sent to entreat with other Asrai kindreds and factions, the good reputation built up in previous adventures serving her well. Even when not representing the Meadows of Heaven, she will often accompany delegations from the territory as a guide, ensuring the group reaches it's destination with speed and safety. 

The other important role Mir'q'arielle often fulfils is that of inquisitor or investigator. Her many travels have left her with a number of sources of information, and she is frequently occupied with hunting down potential cures for the Winterheart. Any word of such a treatment, or something that could lead to one, is swiftly pursued, for amongst the Asrai of the Meadows of Heaven Mir'q'arielle is second to none and equal only to Aneaeth Ollissin in her drive to see the end of the Winterheart's malign influence over the Wishmaster. Her connections with the rest of Athel Loren work both ways however, and as much as she debates in the name of the Meadows of Heaven, she is also influenced by the rest of the forest, and so represents the interests of greater Athel Loren within the royal court of the Meadows of Heaven, as well as acting as a watchful eye for the King and Queen in the wood to ensure that the Wishmaster and the irregularities brought on by his condition do not spread to the rest of the Asrai, and that he and the Meadows of Heaven conform to the rest of the forest where possible. 

Regardless of the reason or purpose behind her travels, Mir'q'arielle's journeys frequently take her into danger, and so she has become a competent fighter and expert shot with her longbow, in fact believed to be one of the legendary Hunter's Talons originally crafted for the master Waywatchers in ages past. Not only that, but Mir'q'arielle has also come to form close ties with a Murder of Spites, who now travel within her cloak and protect her from harm by both keeping lookout for danger and striking directly at assailants. Mir'q'arielle is also a close friend of the Eagles in and around the Meadows of Heaven, and has a number of gifts from the noble birds as a result of this friendship, including the great helm of raptors, a cloak of Eagle down, the dense feather coatings of which provide as much protection as an equivalent piece of metal armour while being considerably lighter warmer and more comfortable, and her faithful avian companion, Kaereon, whose vicious beak and talons prove just as effective in combat as any hand weapon. 

Gaerielle, the twilight storm 

Gaerielle is the current leader of the Twilight Glade, one of the smallest and most mysterious of the areas in the Meadows of Heaven. Isolationist even by the standards of the Asrai, the elves that live in the Twilight Glade rarely interact with even their kin in the rest of the Meadows of Heaven, and devote much of their lives to 'mastering the darkness', spending much time perfecting the arts of divination (such that it is said they rival the seers of the Celestial Heath in their ability to navigate the paths of fate), and prowess in combat, and consequently the Twilight Glade produces some of the most incredibly skilled, fearless, merciless and terrifyingly lethal fighters in all the Meadows of Heaven, and for many leagues beyond. Indeed, the warriors of the Twilight Glade are famous for having never surrendered or fled in battle in the entire history of the Meadows of Heaven, and such was the reputation they gained during Cyanathair's first assault on Athel Loren that many Beastmen would panic and run if they believed elves from the Twilight Glade stood against them. 

Because of this, elves from the Twilight Glade have often acted as bodyguards for Wishmasters, and Gaerielle continues this tradition as well as representing both her home and the armies of the Meadows of Heaven in the royal court. Adorned with Amethysts, considered by the Asrai of the Meadows of Heaven to be the gemstone of death, and a Helm of the Hunt formed from the antlers of a mighty Great Stag fallen in battle, and wielding a Spear of Twilight, Gaerielle acts as the Wishmaster's protector and King's Executioner. Almost unique amongst the peoples and civilisations of the world, those who dwell in the Meadows of Heaven hold no dishonour in a leader refusing a challenge, for should a particularly skilled ruler fall in such a test of strength their leadership would be lost forever. Instead, the Wishmaster of the Meadows of Heaven appoints a King's Executioner, a noble invested with the authority to represent their lord in personal combat, as well as to execute those the Wishmaster deems particularly worthy of their wrath. It is considered an honour to be appointed as a King's Executioner, for it is a task that requires exceptional honour, valour, conduct and battle prowess. 

Of the Asrai of the Twilight Glade, Gaerielle easily has the most contact with the world beyond her home, and is one of the most social of the elves of the Twilight Glade, something made necessary due to her role in the politics of the Meadows of Heaven. Even so, she is still sombre, brooding and of few words (a common trait in the Twilight Glade, for it's inhabitants strongly believe that actions speak far louder than words), and often stays to her own company. This is not necessarily a disadvantage, for her cold silent brooding temperament is often enough do discourage any who would intend harm upon the Wishmaster, and is often enough to restore order to a heated debate. Where Gaerielle truly excels, however, is not in court discussions but at the general's table and on the field of battle. Like all nobles from the Twilight Glade, she is an extremely proficient warrior and peerless tactician, and has led armies from the Meadows of Heaven to victory on many occasions, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. However, she is considerably less capable as a strategist, and while she can exquisitely orchestrate battles, she often struggles to master the greater scheme of conflicts, though this is something she would dearly like to rectify. 

There is also one final side to Gaerielle, one that is seen by almost none. For beneath her icy exterior there resides a kind, gentle and poetic soul. While her upbringing has left this aspect of her highly suppressed, she nonetheless is often silently upset when those around her stereotype her as only a cold battle-hungry killer, though she would never let such feelings surface in public. Indeed, it could be that one of the reasons she is so utterly loyal to the current Wishmaster is that he is one of the few who know about this and give her someone to confide in.. 

That's everything for now then, I have more Glade Guard to paint. 

exunt 

The Zephyr through the Leaves

So while I'm agonising over whether or not to base my next Glade Guard regiment in snow or not (so far I'm leaning towards yes), I finished the movement tray for my Glade Riders, The Zephyr through the Leaves.

And the background for them that I wrote. If you're coming here from Asrai.org, you'll have probably already red it, but otherwise here it is. 

Glade Riders are a rare thing in the Meadows of Heaven. Contrary to what it's name might suggests, the territory in fact contains very few meadow areas and even fewer stable glades, and the armies of the Meadows of Heaven have historically placed little need on cavalry, instead preferring larger numbers of infantry to better move through Woodland unrestricted, an outlook that has lasted to the present day. What roles fast-moving cavalry normally fulfil are mostly performed by Warhawk Riders instead in the Meadows of Heaven. Nonetheless, there exist a few small Kinbands within the Meadows of Heaven, and they are equipped as well as any Glade Guard unit, though their equipment is generally focused more around speed. Their Lorenweave cloacks, for example, have slightly smaller and lighter cuts, and they wield lighter scout longbows rather than the heavier glade guard longbows. 

The combat daggers are of the same design as those used by the Glade Guard however, and the Glade Rider kinbands also share the tradition of giving the unit champion, a Horesmaster in this case, two such combat daggers. Like their Trusted Bowman compatriots, Horsemasters ride to battle with their cloaks adorned with golden vines symbolic of the wealth and power of the Meadows of Heaven, and a trio of rubies of command, a sign of military rank, with rubies being considered to be the most warlike of gems by the Asrai of the Meadows of Heaven. Each Glade Rider is also armed with a long elegant spear, used in both battle and hunting, and it is this rather than the longbow that is hand-crafted by each Glade Rider. 

Due to the predisposition towards infantry in the Meadows of Heaven, Glade Riders are often used for defence rather than attack, patrolling the pathways of the Meadows of Heaven using their great speed to swiftly cover large swathes of ground, as well as being sent after fleeing enemies to ride them down, so that they might never again threaten the Meadows of Heaven. 

And finally here's a group shot of my entire completed Wood Elf army so far.

From back-to-front, left to right: Summer Lightning (Glade Guard), Scaretale (Dryads), the Defenders of the Glade of Poppies (Eternal Guard), The Zephyr through the Leaves (Glade Riders), the Wood Wasps (Scouts), Moni'qeth (the army standard bearer), Aneaeth Ollissin (the Spellweaver), Maxamaron (the Wishmaster of the Meadows of Heaven, and the army general, a Highborn).

Now back to the Glade Guard...

Exunt

Metal and Magic (the New Year haul)

Ahh, at last I'm back in an area with wifi! Oh how I've missed the internet.

So I've been away house-sitting for the last couple of weeks, but over this time many things have happened on the hobby front. First of all two of my three orders arrived.

The first (which was the second I picked up due to being processed later) is the first troupe of Wardancers for my fledgling Wood Elf army for Warhammer (fantasy).

Wonderful miniatures, I couldn't be happier with them, especially since in a remarkable coincidence I seem to have gotten every single one depicted in the pictures on GW's website. More diagonally-slotted bases would have been nice though.

Then came the second shipment. Due to a processing quirk, I actually ended up getting it before the Wardancers, as well as two days earlier than I anticipated, but I ordered it second so I consider it the second one.

In it was a pair of Wood Elf nobles, to help with all the tedious administrative work involved in ruling a vast woodland empire (and because I love the models).

As well as something truly special, one of my all time favourite Warhammer models and my own personal Christmas gift to myself - Naestra and Arahan, the Sisters of Twilight on their faithful Forrest Dragon.

As well as.... an Immolator component??

At least I think it's from an Immolator. It's definitely from a Sisters of Battle tank. It came in place of the little scenic doodad which seems to come with the Sisters of Twilight kit, which irks me somewhat, since it means I don't have said little scenic doodad. I also feel a bit bad for the poor Adepta Sorroritas collector who ripped into their shiny new Immolator/Rhino/Exorcist box and discovered a pile of wood instead of a track plate. Oh well, I suppose I could substitute the other little scenic doodad I have floating around, it looks the part well enough.

And I also got a Unicorn, which will serve as a faithful steed to my Spellsinger.

And now as a reward for putting up with all these pictures of unassembled classic miniatures (hey, the blog's called Naked Metal for a reason you know), I now present what I've been working on these past two weeks: my new Spellweaver, Aneaeth Ollissin (her first name's pronounced 'Anne-ee-ath' in case you were wondering). Now at last my army has magic support!

And here she is with the first of my Glade Guard units, Summer Lightning, enhancing their arrows with the Resplendence of Luminescents floating around her.

Oh, and while I'm on the subject of Glade Guard, I'll be putting together my second unit of them soon, and I was wondering about something. See, back when I was first conceiving this Wood Elf army, I had this crazy idea to base each of the four main Glade Guard units in it in a different season - Summer, Winter, Spring and Autumn. The colour scheme would stay the same with each unit, only the bases would be different. I think this could be a big success, since in theory it keeps the army looking uniform while adding variety and making each unit pop, and I have some background justifications for the phenomenon, as well as ideas on how to model each season, but I worry the end result might not look terribly good. What do you think about this? Come, share with me your thoughts my avid faithful readers. Both of you!

Well that's all I have for now then, now I have to write up background for my new creation on my Wood Elf thread on Asrai.org.

Exunt

The Christmas Haul

So as you may know Christmas happened, which means Christmas gifts, and if you just so happen to be a hobbyist like myself that probably means a whole load of new models and tabletop equipment.

So at the end of the day, when all due things were taken into consideration, in between the symphonic metal CDs and TV series, I now have this.

At last I can actually transport my armies practically, without fear of them being damaged!

I also got these girls/magical horse

In case you can't make out what it is, it's these:

And last but not least I won this at my local GW store in a giffle giveaway.

It's a Devilfish, Stealth Team and Crisis battlesuit, in case you can't quite make out all the various parts. Looks like I'll have my work cut out for me over the new year.

Merry Yuletide

So that was much longer than I was anticipating between updates. Merry belated Yuletide/Christmas everyone! I wish you all got what you wanted from Santa. Likely models, if you're reading this blog.

I was originally planning to write this new post much sooner, but things kept coming up, and then Christmas happened, and I was busy enjoying all my Christmas gifts. Fortunately though, in between gorging on trifle, listening to Delain and working through season 5 of Angel, I managed to finish off painting my first batch of hobby helpers (otherwise known as the Famous Familiars). Here they are:

And I also painted up the first of my forgeworld Kor'O'vesh spaceships for my Tau fleet for Battlefleet Gothic, a Kir'la Warden class gunship. If you're coming here through Advanced Tau Tactica then you'll have probably already seen it there on my Battlefleet Gothic thread, but otherwise here it is.  

I'm still not sure what to name it yet. So far I'm considering Project 42, since it's more of a technology demonstrator rather than a dedicated combat ship (i.e. it's a test model and surplus to the maximum squadron size of three for Wardens), but there are some other ideas floating around too. My current naming system for Battlefleet Gothic ships so far has been famous sci-fi ships for capital ships and bands/singers I like for escort squadrons, with one or two ships being named after figures I think suit them. 

Well that's all for now I think. There's still trifle calling me... 

exunt

Enter (Hobbyists fall first)

Welcome one and all to this, the inaugural post of my new hobby blog. I had to stare at the screen for a while before deciding what to call the first post, and in the end it came down to either Enter, or a crude play on the name of the first album by my favourite band. I decided to go with both.

I've been flirting with the idea of a hobby blog for some time now. I originally had another blog, intended to deliver my random musings unto the internet, but it recieved zero traffic and died in obscurity. I imagine this one will likely suffer a similar fate. At any rate, this one will be a place for me to chronicle all my escapades in the world of table-top hobby. I am no stranger to it, having been collecting miniatures since around age 8 or so, but this will be a place to show off all my present and future work. I'll also be using it to ramble and rant about things related to the hobby that I feel particularly strongly about, but mostly I'm planning for it to be about pretty pictures of perhaps not-so-pretty models.

Unlike the first post name, the blog name was easy, and it's been floating around in the twisted labyrinthine realm of my mind since around june-ish this year. It's a celebration of all the things I like in models, specifically classic metal models, as well as the fact that I even happen to like how they look without paint (all those details..). But then again I also like the Warhammer Nagash model, so I might just be weird like that.

Anywhich, with all that out of the way, here's the latest thing I'm painting, and the thing that gave me an excuse to start this blog. See, I'm getting older, or at least I feel like that sometimes, so I've gone and gotten myself some helpers. Here's the first batch of them.

You'll probably know them better as the Famous Familiars from Games Workshop's range. Characterful little doodads, I got them and the More Famous Familiars so that I could have my own retinue of little minion-helpers, inspired by a certain type of Fantasy cover artwork. You know the one, with a main character of some sort surrounded by lots of little strange and outlandish creatures. I'd give some examples, but I can't think of the names off the top of my head. 

And here they are in what will be their natural environment, my hobby space. 

Keen eyed viewers might spot my current two main hobby projects in the background, my fleet for Battlefleet Gothic, and my new army of Wood Elves for Warhammer.

Well that's all for now I think. Tune in in the future for more exciting instalments of my hobby escapades!