Heroforge: Lady Jamort

Lady Marjory 'Maggie' of House Jamort

Back in college, I ran a little adventure path called 'Kingmaker' for my friends. We didn't get overly far, but they did carve out a little kingdom for themselves- a Kingdom called 'Serastros'. A year or so later another friend of my ran a continuation (using both a heavily modified Red Hand of Doom and Tomb of Horrors) set in the same country decades later. During that game I ran Nathaniel Jamort, an over-the-hill explorer and member of the Pathfinder Society who wanted nothing more than to retire to the life of an advisor to one of the realms noble families with his wife and children.

Over the course of the campaign Nathaniel and his trusty warhammer protected the realm, and (after they were kidnapped) saved his family from the clutches of a vile undead enemy. At the end of the day Serastros was saved, and Nate could finally find the retirement he craved.

Maggie here is his granddaughter, one who chose a path very similar to his. Picking up a trusty pickaxe, she left for crumbling ruins and deep dark caverns where she hoped she could make a name for her own!

Maggie isn't the normal run of the mill noble-
she's an explorer and naturalist!

A good lantern is key for any non-magical dungeon
or underdark exploration. Don't want to stub a toe
on any crystal now!

A good explorer never leaves home without a full
pack- eat on the way in, then carry the valuables out!

Many underestimate the trusty pick- but Maggie knows
it's uses. Knock down doors, pry open chests, break through
walls and even smash the odd skull or two when needed.

Maggie never leaves home without her trusty sketchbook and
journal to keep track of all the natural and historical wonders
just waiting beneath the ground. 

Year of War: Lady Quentessa

So confession- building and painting the first Warglaive was so much fun that I couldn't help but build the other one right away! There's an apocalypse game coming up so even if the 'Lords of War' section of the Year of War painting/modeling competition I have a reason to field this pair.

Lore:

On the planet Midian, the Governorship is not what it is on so many other worlds. With a pedigree supposedly reaching back to the Emperor's Great Crusade, House Li Halan have acted as the custodians and guardians of their planet- somehow avoiding the great excesses and corruption so common amongst the political elite of the Imperium. They are the protectors of their people, and by long tradition the second son of the family always becomes the pilot of the family's Warglaive as a testament to their willingness to sacrifice as much as the common citizen.

The most recent generation of Li Halan's were not so lucky- with only one son to call heir and a bevy of daughters that (by tradition) were not expected or allowed to take up arms. This was true even for the prime of the Governor's eye- his middle daughter Quentessa. By all accounts she was a feminine grace that was the talk of the sector, perfectly demure and beautiful enough to stop an Imperial Guard regiment. What wasn't widely known was that the blonde noblewoman was also a passionate firebrand who could do no wrong. So when she demanded to secretly be trained as the Warglaive's pilot there wasn't an instructer who dared deny her request. What was the harm anyway?

A scant eight months into her training Midian came under attack from an Ork Invasion force. It was a relatively weak horde, the remnants of some other great WAAAAGH that recently broke apart in another sector- but it was enough to cause a great deal of havoc. The Governor's Palace itself came under direct assault. Striding alongside the Palace Guards, unbidden, was Quentessa herself. Over the next month of heavy fighting she proved herself not only to be an unparalleled pilot but to have an aptitude for the sort of close order butchery needed to fight the greenskins. The soldiers she fought with gave her the title of 'Huntress' due to the way she prowled the ruined streets. For her own part, Quentessa never felt more alive- and when the war was done she slipped aboard a massive lander used by the Imperial Guard for tithes and never looked back. How she came into the service of the Deathwatch is unknown, but it is rumored that she was specifically courted and tempted by an Inquisitor who knew full well her reputation.

"Oh, hello there~"

Lady Quentessa making her way through a ruined building.

Did the golden doors fall from incoming fire, or did Quentessa
herself tear it apart while trying to get through to the enemy?

The sigil of House Li Halan, and a reference to the Fading Suns universe.
Note again how my freehand, is at best, not amazing.

The back, where you can see that I cut and repositioned the Warglaive's
right leg to give the impression of 'running'. 

Under the door there is the broken remnent of a foul Xenos, severed by
some combat Emperor knows how long ago. 

Quentessa cuts through the Rockcrete of the structure with her massive
chainblade so she can burst through the gap. 

Sadly it seems that a brave guardsman couldn't avoid the heavy metal door
falling and crushing his body- such is the grimdark nature of the 40k universe.

Another look at the modified leg, with the Thermal Spear
lifted high as if she's tring to squeeze through or fire over
the ruined wall. 

Sir Balderich and Lady Quentessa side by side- who wears it better, the blue
or the purple? 

Year of War: Sir Balderich

It's a little early, but I couldn't help but build and paint at least one of my Warglaives (though I'm sure you won't be surprised to learn that the second one is already coming along) when I opened up the new Forgebane box!

Lore:

Sir Balderich of House Alden once was the princeps of a proper Imperial Knight. Towering above the battlefield, the good-humored crusader fought side by side with the forces of Imperium across dozens of warzones across the galaxy. He was lauded as a hero, and was always known for putting himself and his knight chassis in the line of fire to protect the wellbeing of civilians and comrades in arms alike. On his home planet songs were sung and feasts were had over every success... but then he committed the greatest sin imaginable.

In a duel with an Eldar Wraithknight he saw that a convoy of Imperial Guard were about to be overwhelmed by a coterie of howling she-witches... and instead of protecting himself, he turned his fury upon the blade-wielding Banshees. He scattered them- and in return took critical damage from his more worthy foe. Dying a glorious death would have been acceptable, but surviving the destruction of his Knight? Unforgivable in the eyes of his house. He only had one choice- to take the cockpit of a lesser walker, and search for redemption... probably through death.

Still, Sir Balderich does not regret his choice. He still wanders, he still fights, and he still protects those who need it. These days he has sworn his glaive to the Deathwatch, where he can fight Xenos wherever they spring up!

Sir Balderich the Ireedemable, the brave crusader.

Balderich's personal crest, a Wyvern (I did my best on the free hand there). 

The base is set up to be an abandoned hardpoint featuring some Deathwatch
weaponry- apparently they needed the heavy support.

A little servoskull always follows Sir Balderich to
take accounts of his deeds for his families annals.

Can't wait to try out the big meltagun.

I wonder, what could be under that hatch as the war machine marches
on? Maybe some survivors, or some cowering genestealer cult!

Red, Black and Silver tie the Warglaive to
his Deathwatch allies.