INSPECTING THE TROOPS BY J.GADD
Make it stand out
"Alright you Great Unwashed.
We've had a run of bad eggs of late, heresy appears to be running rampart within the upper bulwarks of our fair forces. I am sure that this time, we can learn from a true Lord of Order!"
How I got into the hobby
I discovered 40k when I was 13 or 14 (mid 90s) and it was amazing. A friend and I started playing
games in my parents’ garage on an old door that I painted green and grey, with a blue line to
indicate a river. We didn’t have models, we just had pieces of paper/card cut to template size to
represent them, and we didn’t know most of the rules. Still loved it. I liked Chaos and Eldar. The
expense kinda killed it off for me, though, and I forgot about the game.
Fast forward to 2015, and a Warhammer shop opened in town. Took the kids to see the toys I used
to love and bought them AoS (which they’ve now basically forgotten about). I went back a while
later and bought Kill Team a few weeks before 8th was announced. Bought the Dark Imperium set as
a way to start getting into it properly, collecting the Space Marine force. I went with Salamanders as
I like green, and I like fire.
I’ve now started collecting the army that 13yo me would have died for – Imperial Knights! I love the
image of these massive behemoths stomping all over the field of battle, it’s the absolute essence of
the 40k universe for me: oversized, ludicrous, and so cool.
Knight Army Fluff
The Rise of House Chelonius
During the Long March, many worlds were settled, often with the help of the knightly Houses.
Phodina was one such, deep in Segmentum Tempestus. As they scanned the planet from orbit, the
settlers discovered a vast network of caverns and passages throughout the planet's crust, and the
decision was taken to begin the colony underground.
Over the centuries, the colonists built a thriving society under the surface of Phodina, mining the rich
veins of rare minerals and ores. They discovered a vibrant ecosystem which provided a wealth of
resources, as well as some unforeseen dangers in the shape of the stalkers – terrifyingly intelligent 8
limbed predators larger than a man. The lords of Phodina took the fight to the stalkers, hunting
them in their knights, and destroying every nest and every brood. The blue blood of the monsters
was splashed across their mechanical steeds as a terrible warning to the creatures – death is coming
for you in the dark. The rich turquoise blue has been part of the heraldry of the Knights of Phodina
ever since.
During the Old Night, many worlds fell into darkness, and Phodina very nearly became one of them.
The noble families found themselves drawn into secretive worship of powers they did not
understand, becoming steadily more depraved and monstrous. On the night before the nobles
completed a ritual that would have opened a portal to the Warp within the tunnels of Phodina, a
cadre of the planetary guard rose up and slew them all, rallying the people to their cause. In the
power vacuum that followed, it was agreed that the guards and their descendants would rule
Phodina, guarding the colony from the taint of Chaos for all time. Led by Lady Freya Chelonius, the
new rulers took her name, and House Chelonius was born.
Sir Michael / The Burning Dark
Steadfast, slow, and utterly loyal to the House, Sir Michael has spent many decades piloting The
Burning Dark, an ancient and venerable Knight Valiant. Lighting the way for the family with burning
promethium, this formidable war machine has laid low innumerable Xenos and Heretics.
John of the Blood / The Vengeful Dark
Bastard son of the House, John of the Blood lives with the shame of his illegitimacy. His parentage
prevents him from carrying the name Chelonius, instead bearing the epithet of the Blood; in
recognition of his heritage. While he rides forth under the family crest, it is marked with the
Bastard's Bar. John has led a life of piety, prayer, and endless war. Commanding the Knight Gallant
known as The Vengeful Dark, he scorns the use of long range weaponry, preferring to deliver the
wrath of House Chelonius and the Emperor more personally, destroying his foes in ferocious displays
of melee violence
Lady Sara / The Killing Dark
In times of peace, Lady Sara is known for her quick wit and her kindly nature. In times of war, she is
know for her remorseless and implacable pursuit of the foe. She rides to war in The Killing Dark, a
Knight Crusader, pounding the enemies of the House to dust
The Lady / Borrowed Time
House Chelonius is often accompanied by the Freeblade known as Borrowed Time.
The Armigers of Phodina
Unlike most knightly Houses, House Chelonius does not use their Knight Armigers as steeds for lesser
members of the family. Instead, criminals who are shown to have an exceptional tactical flair are
pressed into service in Armigers known as Punishment Engines. Using a technology derived from the
creation of servitors, the conscious mind and personality of the condemned is wiped clean, leaving
them with their reactions and innate skills but no motivation to use them on their own behalf. The
mental link that allows other Houses to take control of their Armiger pilots allows the Knights of
House Chelonius to give them that motivation, setting target priorities and giving the strategic aim.
With a goal set by their masters, the condemned pilots use their tactical brilliance to make it
happen.
While most Armigers have black pauldrons that match the rest of their armour, certain crimes are
marked on the right shoulder. For example, if the imprisoned pilot murdered someone of noble
birth, the front panel of the right pauldron is painted scarlet to mark their crime. If the crime was
one of impropriety – someone of low birth being caught with a member of the family – the front of
the right shoulder will be painted white. However, in this case, the House allows for the possibility
that the tryst might be more than a passing passion. As such, the noble who was involved can opt to
take the place of their lover, and be condemned to the Punishment Engine in their stead. When this
happens, both pauldrons are painted white, acknowledging both the crime and the sacrifice. In these
rare instances, the lover is taken in by the House, and given the rights and respect due the widow or
widower of a noble.
The four Armigers I have so far have alpha-numeric designations rather than names like the true
Knights, all based on other fandoms:
Engine D08: D for Discworld, 8 being the number of power in the Discworld novels
Engine G19: G for Gilead, 19 being the number of fate in the Dark Tower novels
Engine M09: M for Middle Earth, 9 for the rings that were given to mortal men
And Engine B99 for Brooklyn Nine-Nine :D
Heraldry
INSPECTING THE TROOPS BY J.GADD
10/19/2018
How I got into the hobby
I discovered 40k when I was 13 or 14 (mid 90s) and it was amazing. A friend and I started playing
games in my parents’ garage on an old door that I painted green and grey, with a blue line to
indicate a river. We didn’t have models, we just had pieces of paper/card cut to template size to
represent them, and we didn’t know most of the rules. Still loved it. I liked Chaos and Eldar. The
expense kinda killed it off for me, though, and I forgot about the game.
Fast forward to 2015, and a Warhammer shop opened in town. Took the kids to see the toys I used
to love and bought them AoS (which they’ve now basically forgotten about). I went back a while
later and bought Kill Team a few weeks before 8th was announced. Bought the Dark Imperium set as
a way to start getting into it properly, collecting the Space Marine force. I went with Salamanders as
I like green, and I like fire.
I’ve now started collecting the army that 13yo me would have died for – Imperial Knights! I love the
image of these massive behemoths stomping all over the field of battle, it’s the absolute essence of
the 40k universe for me: oversized, ludicrous, and so cool.
Knight Army Fluff
The Rise of House Chelonius
During the Long March, many worlds were settled, often with the help of the knightly Houses.
Phodina was one such, deep in Segmentum Tempestus. As they scanned the planet from orbit, the
settlers discovered a vast network of caverns and passages throughout the planet's crust, and the
decision was taken to begin the colony underground.
Over the centuries, the colonists built a thriving society under the surface of Phodina, mining the rich
veins of rare minerals and ores. They discovered a vibrant ecosystem which provided a wealth of
resources, as well as some unforeseen dangers in the shape of the stalkers – terrifyingly intelligent 8
limbed predators larger than a man. The lords of Phodina took the fight to the stalkers, hunting
them in their knights, and destroying every nest and every brood. The blue blood of the monsters
was splashed across their mechanical steeds as a terrible warning to the creatures – death is coming
for you in the dark. The rich turquoise blue has been part of the heraldry of the Knights of Phodina
ever since.
During the Old Night, many worlds fell into darkness, and Phodina very nearly became one of them.
The noble families found themselves drawn into secretive worship of powers they did not
understand, becoming steadily more depraved and monstrous. On the night before the nobles
completed a ritual that would have opened a portal to the Warp within the tunnels of Phodina, a
cadre of the planetary guard rose up and slew them all, rallying the people to their cause. In the
power vacuum that followed, it was agreed that the guards and their descendants would rule
Phodina, guarding the colony from the taint of Chaos for all time. Led by Lady Freya Chelonius, the
new rulers took her name, and House Chelonius was born.
Sir Michael / The Burning Dark
Steadfast, slow, and utterly loyal to the House, Sir Michael has spent many decades piloting The
Burning Dark, an ancient and venerable Knight Valiant. Lighting the way for the family with burning
promethium, this formidable war machine has laid low innumerable Xenos and Heretics.
John of the Blood / The Vengeful Dark
Bastard son of the House, John of the Blood lives with the shame of his illegitimacy. His parentage
prevents him from carrying the name Chelonius, instead bearing the epithet of the Blood; in
recognition of his heritage. While he rides forth under the family crest, it is marked with the
Bastard's Bar. John has led a life of piety, prayer, and endless war. Commanding the Knight Gallant
known as The Vengeful Dark, he scorns the use of long range weaponry, preferring to deliver the
wrath of House Chelonius and the Emperor more personally, destroying his foes in ferocious displays
of melee violence
Lady Sara / The Killing Dark
In times of peace, Lady Sara is known for her quick wit and her kindly nature. In times of war, she is
know for her remorseless and implacable pursuit of the foe. She rides to war in The Killing Dark, a
Knight Crusader, pounding the enemies of the House to dust
The Lady / Borrowed Time
House Chelonius is often accompanied by the Freeblade known as Borrowed Time.
The Armigers of Phodina
Unlike most knightly Houses, House Chelonius does not use their Knight Armigers as steeds for lesser
members of the family. Instead, criminals who are shown to have an exceptional tactical flair are
pressed into service in Armigers known as Punishment Engines. Using a technology derived from the
creation of servitors, the conscious mind and personality of the condemned is wiped clean, leaving
them with their reactions and innate skills but no motivation to use them on their own behalf. The
mental link that allows other Houses to take control of their Armiger pilots allows the Knights of
House Chelonius to give them that motivation, setting target priorities and giving the strategic aim.
With a goal set by their masters, the condemned pilots use their tactical brilliance to make it
happen.
While most Armigers have black pauldrons that match the rest of their armour, certain crimes are
marked on the right shoulder. For example, if the imprisoned pilot murdered someone of noble
birth, the front panel of the right pauldron is painted scarlet to mark their crime. If the crime was
one of impropriety – someone of low birth being caught with a member of the family – the front of
the right shoulder will be painted white. However, in this case, the House allows for the possibility
that the tryst might be more than a passing passion. As such, the noble who was involved can opt to
take the place of their lover, and be condemned to the Punishment Engine in their stead. When this
happens, both pauldrons are painted white, acknowledging both the crime and the sacrifice. In these
rare instances, the lover is taken in by the House, and given the rights and respect due the widow or
widower of a noble.
The four Armigers I have so far have alpha-numeric designations rather than names like the true
Knights, all based on other fandoms:
Engine D08: D for Discworld, 8 being the number of power in the Discworld novels
Engine G19: G for Gilead, 19 being the number of fate in the Dark Tower novels
Engine M09: M for Middle Earth, 9 for the rings that were given to mortal men
And Engine B99 for Brooklyn Nine-Nine :D
Heraldry
The House badge, as well as each Knight’s personal heraldry, is based on mine sign from the book
Thud! from the Discworld series. The House emblem is based on the sign The Guarding Dark.
Clockwise from top left:
The badge of House Chelonius
The Vengeful Dark
The Burning Dark
The Killing Dark
House mottos
As a constant reminder of what happened to the original nobles of Phodina, and a warning not to let
history repeat itself, House Chelonius adopted the motto “Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes?” - who
guards the guards themselves?
A High Lord who ruled many centuries ago had a reputation for being slow to commit himself and his
House to any course of action. Behind his back, some of the lesser nobles mocked him, calling him
“de Chelonian” - the turtle, playing on the family name. Pressed for a decision to commit the knights
to a battle with one of the last big nests of stalkers, a battle that would cost many lives, the High
Lord told them they would have their answer in the morning, and ushered them from his halls.
Returning the following day, expecting yet more procrastination, the lesser nobles were startled to
find the knights of House Chelonius prepared for war. “De Chelonian mobile!” said the High Lord,
grimly amused by their surprise, “the Turtle moves”. In time, this became a second, unofficial, motto
of the House
Both mottos stolen from Pratchett (well, “who guards the guards” was used by him, anyway, even
though he didn't come up with it!)
My next purchases, when funds allow, will be a Castellan and a Forgeworld Knight Acheron. The
Castellan will be The Hunting Dark, and the Acheron will be The Reigning Dark, and the steed of my
House’s ruler, Lady Freya, the fourth of her name. I like thinking about the models and games almost
cinematically, and I have this image of her screaming defiance and charging her knight into combat,
burning everything that tries to stop her before hacking a tank in half with the chain fist!