Ghosts of Nemirath project log

It's been a hell of a long time since the last update in this log. I originally had planned to paint the entirety of my 1000pts Eldar force, but with life getting in the way all the time, I managed to paint only a fraction of that. Either way, here's what I've completed!

First off, the Wraithlord I've been planning to paint for over a year now is complete!




Once, he was know as Naseth the Cold Serpent, an Autarch that has been recorded in the annals of Nemirath as an exemplary for intricate, very detailed plans where every second was of importance. Autarch Naseth continuously learned of Necron battle protocols, finding the strengths and weaknesses in their constantly repeating patterns, driving himself to the point of being so sure of his theories that he would perform maneuvers and execute tactics that other autarchs at the time deemed reckless and far too dangerous. Naseth laughed in the face of danger and continued to push the limits of himself as well as his warhost, but it was not meant to last forever. One small mistake, one slip of hand in a daring clash against an awakened Necron Vargard, and the foe's heavy warscythe sealed Naseth's fate. Cleaved cleanly in half, his soul stone was later found by Nemirath's warhost. The stone glowed hot, as the now dead Autarch wished to fight on - not only out of his eternal duty to the Craftworld, but also to have revenge on the foe that landed the finishing blow.

Since then, he was referred to as the Slumbering Dragon for his temperament in battle. Slow to anger, but once in stride's range from the soulless presence of the Necrons, his great sword and ghastly flamers cutting a shimmering arc through the ranks of the hated ancient foe as the great Autarch curses his deathless foe with words they will never hear.


A much more recent addition to my collection, yet one I had awaited for a long time - Wraithguard!





To most Eldar, the act of extracting a soul from the Infinity Circuit of the Craftworld is an abhorrent act, akin to necromancy to other races. The grim denizens of Nemirath see it differently. Their duty since embarking the exile upon the Craftworld has always been the safeguarding of the resting places of the ancient foe of the Eldar, the Necrons. Such life of self sacrifice and obsession over guarding the past is sure to force the young to seek other paths and wander away on the path of the Outcast. Those who return to the Craftworld, however, do so with a determination and dedication so great, that not even in death would their duty end. For one of Nemirath, the act of a soulstone being placed in a Wraith body is not something to be lamented or disliked, but instead something to be truly proud of. To become an eternal watcher in the Craftworld's eternal vigilance is to fully devote oneself to the task and embracing the ultimate future of the Eldar as a whole - a race of ghosts, silently striding ancient halls, their faceless masks keeping horrible truths from those not ready to face them.



The name Nemirath loosely translates as "The Eternal Vigilance". The rune of the Craftworld illustrates their fate and purpose - a silent guardian infinitely keeping a watchful eye on the past, so that the mistakes of their ancestors would not haunt anyone else. Their ancestors were the only few who remained mindful of the ancient horrors, when the self-indulgence of the Eldar race as a whole was close to reach its peak. Like many others, so did they embark on an exile upon a Craftworld. However, unlike those Eldar of other Craftworlds too preoccupied with their own survival, the Seers and Autarchs of Nemirath remained vigilant. The Necrons would one day rise again to enslave the galaxy again, and the watchers of Nemirath would be there to stop their efforts, no matter the cost.



I'll conclude this update with a small group shot of my painted Eldar force thus far. Hopefully, the next update will come a little bit sooner.

I love them! They look really much like the Retribution of Scyrah, if you know what that is - and I mean that as a compliment, because the RoS have one of my favorite colour schemes.

Thanks, glad you like them! Yeah, thinking about it and comparing models it seems unconsciously I really have gone for Scyrah colourscheme. It is a lovely scheme to be sure - I'm not too keen on Warmachine models, but Scyrah have quite a few of my favourite models from that line.

Now I stand at the pain of figuring out a colour scheme for my Warp Spiders and Autarch who accompanies them - there just aren't enough Warp Spiders not painted in the original aspect colours out there!

Saintspirit wrote:

I love them! They look really much like the Retribution of Scyrah, if you know what that is - and I mean that as a compliment, because the RoS have one of my favorite colour schemes.

Absolutely! Beautifully done  

A small update and a bit of a teaser. Finally got myself one of these



He won't be white - for one, I dread thinking of all those layers on a model of this size, but for the other, I have slightly different thematic planned, one that will be mirrored with my Wraithblades further down the line.

Oh wow! I came here after your post in the Rangers vs Mandrakes debate (I hope this isn't considered necro-ing!). I have to say that I think your colour scheme is one of the best I've ever laid eyes on for Eldar; it really captivates their shadowy ghost like concept and the fact that your units camouflage so nicely with the bases is an excellent touch! As necrons are their target of modus operandi I wonder how a couple (and only a couple mind you, maybe one or 2 per squad) would look with some minor left over Necron debris - a pallid silver with green light. I don't know but the green would draw the eye I think. Its perhaps hard to tell with your models on a light blue background (table).

I'd love to see your current status of the models - especially the Wraith Knight!

It's been quite some time since the previous update. Of course, I have not worked much on that Wraithknight I teased with. It seems I am incapable on finishing a figure that hasn't sat around for at least a year on the shelves, so the Wraithknight will have to wait for a day when I finally make up my mind on how to paint it. It has been quite something in all my games, though.

Anyway, onto new stuff! First off a counts-as Illyrith, bought simply because of the model. Sadly, Finecast has this way to ruin the whole look with tiny little defects - in this case, it's missing a bit of his nose, screwing the whole thing over. I am not too pleased with how this model turned out.



Aryath Ghostwalker is a prime example of the overwhelming sense of duty that is displayed by those young Eldar that have returned to Nemirath after their wanders. Though aloof and rarely seen on the front lines, Aryath and few of his trusted pathfinders are always scouting ahead for the hated Necron tomb worlds or ignorant lesser races on their way to awaken that ancient doom. As such, he has good knowledge of the Webway paths, sometimes sneaking in a force of furious Wraithblades far behind the enemy lines.


Next one is a classic metal Warlock that I use as a spiritseer. The only flaw in this model is height, otherwise it is one of my favourites.



Due to the atypical views on the nature and use of the ghost warriors on Nemirath, it is quite common to see nearly every member of the Seer path to embrace the art of communing to the dead. One such example is Veldorath, a spiritseer that has nearly found his demise on the battlefield one too many times. Headstrong and grimly determined, typical to Nemirath's denizens, he is one to fight to his last breath and is usually carried off the battlefield by the very Wraithguard he leads into the fray. These near-death experiences do not stop him, as Veldorath is already at the front lines as soon as he is nursed back to health.


I also did some minor adjustments now that I am finally arriving to a colourscheme that I really like - the dark blues really contrast the whites and turqoise better than the creamy whites did. I repainted the loincloths of the Wraithguard and Wraithlord, as well as painted the base to a grey cliff to better contrast the snowy base and put it more in line with other units. It was standing out too much and not in a good way!






Well, that's it for the Craftworlders this time! No more promises on when the next update is coming. That clearly does not work for me!

They really lo great with that dark blue, Siticus. I like the freehand on the Wraithlord's loincloth, too.

I love the little pieces of fluff for the models. Good fluff makes any army better in my eyes. I'm glad to see you're settling on a colour scheme.

Somehow I seem to have missed this army log until now. This is beautiful work Siticus, I would love to see your army in the flesh on the tabletop. Some very nice fine details that are so subtle they almost go unnoticed.

I really look forward to seeing more in the future, my friend!

Cheers.

Well, this has been something coming along for a long time now. I had the thing assembled and primed for a long time, but never quite got further than laying down the very first basecoat of red. Going into this May, I realized that if I was to ever complete the guy, I will need some outside help. So, I asked a friend to give the model a basic NMM airbrushing so that I could then work from there. I seem to have realized that I absolutely hate the basecoat stages, while I adore working on details. This arrangement seems to have worked out well.

Without further ado, here's my Wraithknight: The Vengeance of Khaine!







Of course, it would not be complete without some Necron bits! I also tried out a different way of preparing the basecoat to be then covered with snow. I quite like the way it turned out.






It is a mixed blessing to be born with a twin on Nemirath. The already massive pressure to devote your life to the Craftworld's eternal battle against the hated Necrons is amplified tenfold - the dire need for able bodies for the titans is ever growing. Yanesh and his twin brother Inres had defied it all. No matter what their great families, the seers of the Craftworld or anyone else had said, the two of them had sought and found freedom on the crews of the outcast corsairs.

However, they could not evade the damned fate of their race forever. In a raid gone bad, ambushed by a Necron raider force, the twins were involved in a desperate struggle for survival. Although one by one the heartless machines fell, one Necron had found an opening in Inres' defense and pierced his chest with a gleaming green spear, then twisted it. Yanesh watched helplessly as his brother's life was snuffed out in a merciless instant, and the killer had looked at him with empty, dimly glowing eyes. There was nothing Yanesh could see in those eyes - no emotion, no reason, nothing but cold, mechanical purpose of eliminating all that they had come across. Yanesh emptied one shuriken casing after another in those cold eyes with such fury, that he had to be stopped by his crewmates to inform him that the battle was over.

Yanesh took the body of Inres and carried it on an escape craft, then set course for Nemirath. He had felt it - the skein of fate that the seer Ilindra had warned about, that were he to diverge his path of that of the Craftworld, he would eventually return, but consumed by hatred. His twin brother's soulstone hanging around his neck and Inres' body on his back, he returned to the silent, white halls, to find the seeress waiting him, her face grim. Yanesh fell on his knees, accepting his fate and cried out for a way to avenge his brother. Ilindra said nothing, and Yanesh knew there was but one way left for him.

When Yanesh awoke again, he was no longer the same. In every move that his wraithbone body made, he felt as if he made it in sync with Inres. He didn't just feel that way, the dead and now the barely alive twin had become one. Inres' grand soulgem burned with hatred against the foes of the Craftworld and Yanesh bellowed out in rage, giving voice to the undead battlecry. Thus arose the Vengeance of Khaine, the Wraithknight that embodied the smoldering hatred of Khaine, its battlecry giving hope to the living and guiding the fury of the dead. The visor on the head displayed the flickering cinders dancing and assembling in a scowling face, screaming for vengeance, and the assembly of scratches, scars and scrapes reveal a glimpse at the red wraithbone, pulsing with immortal fury.






This model was a true joy to work on. The assembly was like a dream, the massive amount of surfaces allowed for my ideas to go crazy (and then later be toned down if I ever wanted to finish it!), and in the end, I am quite satisfied with how it turned out. The model has seen a fair share of battles, and only in Apocalypse when an entire army's worth of firepower focused it for a turn has it fallen. And to top it all off, in 7th edition he now counts as a character if made into a warlord via Iyanden supplement! I foresee some brutal duels in the future...

Stunning!.........absolutely stunning. The painting on this is incredible and I Love the fact that the things you paint have a little back story written for them. Great stuff man

Wow! Love it! The work on the face in particular is fantastic.

Great log, love the color schemes on the army. The Knight came out really cool with the face.

That is amazing, Siticus. It's rare to find a fantastic painter and a great fluff writer in one person, but when you find them models become much more exciting.

This is excellent work. I love the smouldering ember face and the shield. Truly great work!

Thank you for the kind words, everyone! It is great that you love my stuff, always gives motivation to keep going and strive to paint even better.

Update time! As some have probably seen from July's vow, I've been busy! While I only managed to get the Shadow Weaver and Warp Spider squad up to my standard and had to leave the rest half-done, there's still some considerable progress!

So, here are my Warp Spiders and Shadow Weaver:




On craftworld Nemirath where joining the silent halls of the dead is seen as the final, greatest honor awaiting all eldar, another great honor that every eldar can achieve while living is donning the mask of the Warp Spider. The dead marching to battle is akin to the very Infinity Circuit of the craftworld awakening and undertaking a task of utmost importance, and it is the sacred duty of the Warp Spiders to protect it from intruders. So it is then that this metaphor is taken to far greater lengths on Nemirath - nearly every single adult eldar passes through the shrine of the Ghostly Skein at least once in their life. The warrior-mask of the Warp Spider is one of peril, for each jump through the Sea of Souls can be perilous. It is then no wonder that after walking this path for a considerable length of their lives, the denizens of Nemirath are courageous and unyielding in battle, willing to fight to the very last drop of their blood.

The shrine of the Ghostly Skein on craftworld Nemirath was founded by Exarch Mauganar, the Wraith Spider. Present in nearly every battle ever since, the Exarch has been a potent threat to any foolish enough to dare to oppose the will of Nemirath's dead. Silent and precise, he stalks the battlefield and guides his disciples ever onward, pushing them to take ever greater risks, for only through steely courage can the eternal vigil be accomplished. Though he himself has perished many times in battle, it is said that his will is so strong that his suit always finds a way back to the shrine, only to await a new aspirant worthy of Mauganar's legacy.

As one of Mauganar's base tenets of training as a Warp Spider is the mastery of the monofilament weaponry. The aspirants are tasked with operating and slowly mastering the Shadow Weaver and Nightspinner weapons. This is the very first step to take on their path of becoming a distinguished Warp Spider, for if they cannot shear away with precision of a hair's breadth, what hope do they have to accomplish the same after a dive through the Sea of Souls?



Here are some shots of the Wraithguard, Spiritseer, Wave Serpent and Jetbikes that I only managed to get done at a very basic gaming standard. It pains me to do this, but tournament deadlines are not forgiving for endless layering of white!





And here is what my entire Eldar force looks so far! It's pictures like these that make all those painful hours of layering white so very worth it!

I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say this is the most beautiful Eldar army I've ever seen.

All the effort with the layering white has paid off. I would have had no such patience

Nice snippets of fluff, as always, and it's great to see that it's all coming together.