Meet the Kabal of the Ivory Talon: Garaserius and Verinarian, Twin Sybarites of the Mirrored Mask. (These were my first Drukhari models I ever painted and the first I made lore about!)
Vat-grown Drukhari made by The master Humonculi of the Ivory Talon, Garaserius and Verinarian (Center Left and Right) command a lower rank detachment of Kabalites. Their twin-souled creation has them irreversibly bound to one another against their will, able to communicate telepathically between one another but also allowing them to share the physical or mental pain the other experiences. To "enchance their co-operation and leadership skills" Archon Azeshi has put both twins in charge of the same unit of Kabailites. Despite this, the unit was almost immediately split in two, the warriors flocking under the Sybarite that they respected more than the other and deemed more worthy of command. The detachment still functions as one unified group as not to warrant to baleful eye of the Hellwing, but there is often a moment where the group is divided on their stratagem and two plans begin simultaneously, sometimes to the detriment of one another but sometimes the methods sycronise and confuse the foe. The twins have remained at the lower rung of the hierarchy in the Ivory Talon, despite they're prestige and heroics in battle. They believe that this is due to they're inability to work in complete synchronicity and become a true flurry of blades and death. But, unbeknownst to the twins, Archon Ashruebris believes that one can only truly excell once they have experienced the loss of the other, preferably to the others blade. As they're souls are linked, the passing of the other would imprint on the survivor, they will feel the full experience of death washing over them. If they do not succumb to the shock of death, Azeshi believes that this will turn the other into a warrior never seen before. The soul-linked twins Garaserius and Verinarian have been placed in charge of the Band of the Mirrored Mask. This group of Kabalites are consisting of the Ivory Talons rejects, underperformers and troublemakers, perfectly suiting the sibling Sybalites that are supposed to be leading them. Despite thier supposed myriad of faults these kabalites possess, they are still the kabalites of the Ivory Talon. The Mirrored Mask are still loyal to a fault to their lady Azeshi Ashruebris, aided by the twins almost matriarchal devotion to her, and still desperately try to prove themselves to her and the rest of the kabal. Each member of the Mirrored Mask have their own strengths and faults that they bring to the dysfunctional group, and these skills are often misused due to the twins psychic argumentations and disagreements on plans for missions.
Starting with the rear-guard, Kalos (Second Left), the sniper of the squad is almost always absent from the front lines. Equipped with his immaculate dark lance that he obsessively tends to and maintains, calling the weapon "Vespertine", when combat starts he will disappear like clockwork, only to reappear in an advantageous sniping spot to pick off targets, regardless of the type of mission. There has unfortunately been more than one occasion where Kalos has been left behind when he disappears at the start of combat during an escort or convoy ambush, the objective and the rest of his crew abandoning him to catch up.
Next over is Sisico (Forth Right), the designated Venom driver and punching bag of the team. Sisico used to be one of Azeshi's honoured captains of her venom fleet until he crashed one of the venoms when on a training mission. She has been punished now by being stripped of her rank and forced to wear a crown of thorns built into her helmet as punishment. Despite being demoted, the group still requires a professional and superior ship commander to transport them on missions, so Sisico will have to do. Considered "unnaturally handsome" by her battle squadron, she often comes across as weak willed and timid by Drukhari standards and so is bullied by her peers, often put in difficult positions or left with the worst jobs just because they can.
The epicentre for Sisicos' beratement is Garran (Third Left), the heavy gunner of the squadron. Given the nickname "Oghyr" (literally translating to Necron in Aeldari) due to her off-putting lack of facial expressions and stilted and often slower reaction time and movement when compared to the rest of the group. To all but the group she comes off as just that, an unfeeling steel-faced machine that lacks the ability to show emotion. But the group know intimately that Garrans subtle inflections in her voice and slight cracks in his stoic facial features betray her otherwise unreadable form. Unfortunately for Sisico, the Oghyr prefers to express himself through torment and beratement of her peers, particularly Sisico who she has singled out as the weakest link. As a response, Sisico often refers to Garran as the high gothic word Ogryn instead of the Aeldari Oghyr, thinking that it better off portrays Garran as a thick-skulled lumbering oaf.
Xerithar (Fourth Left) is often the first seen in combat, all too ready to show off and "prove themselves" in battle. This often does quite the opposite, endangering his squadron who have to dig him out of the mess he finds himself in the centre of. Ever attempting to be the centre of attention, Xerithar can often be found talking over the other squad members, much to their displeasure, and playing an Aeldari Bonesinger instrument that he had looted during a raid and was swiftly reprimanded and demoted for doing instead of saving his prior teammates. Obviously bereft of the ability to create Wraithbone, Xerithar simply enjoys the sharp, thrashing sounds that the instrument make, similar to that a ravaged human electric guitar would make his played through metal tubes. Despite his abrasive and annoying character, the Mirrored Mask do find enjoyment keeping him around, often joking that he would have made better of a Harlequin than a Kabalite.
Euroleth (First Right) acts as the anti-armour gunner of the Mirrored Mask. A Drukhari of questionable sanity, Euroleth sees himself as an artist, the battlefield his canvas, the enemies his paint and his blaster rifle the brush. Given the blaster rifle is such a violently explosive weapon, Euroleth wields the gun with a surprising amount of finesse and subtly, sending bolts of energy careening gracefully to his intended target before it indiscriminately decimates everything the vicinity. Euroleth takes great pride and pleasure in doing this, believing that he is creating great works of art out of these massacres and often taking digital copies of the aftermath to display in his room. He was regarded quite highly within his previous regiment, despite his unstable disposition, until he fired upon his former Sybalite for making fun of his work, a mistake Garaserius and Verinarian had made sure not to repeat. Yirresh (Second Right) is the youngest of the group, placed into the Mirrored Mask due to her only just being able to scratch the minimum requires to become a Kabalite of the Ivory Talon. Wholly unqualified and inexperienced, Yirresh often clings close to one of her twin leaders, often looking for guidance or asking for assistance whilst on missions. The twins regard her with a sense of duty, wanting to take the young Kabalite under their wing to try and train her up to be a great warriors. However this tends to lead to a "blind-leading-the-blind" situation.
Rayek'khan (Third Right) was once an aspiring Incubi initiate of a Khainanite temple. But training in the marshal disciplines of efficient slaughter weighs a heavy toll on the impatient Drukhari who wish to revel in the drawn out slaughter of others to nourish their soul. Rayek'khan showed great promise in his martial prowess but his lust for torturous slaughter massively set back his chances of promotion to a full incubi. Incensed by his slow progression, he sought to killing a member of the clan to speed up his trails and crown himself the next incubi in the temple. However, Rayek'khan used deceptive assassination tactics, heavily shunned by the Incubi, and failed to kill his would be victim and was pursued into the streets of Commorragh. He would eventually find himself begging at the feet of Archon Azeshi Ashruebris, offering his life and the life and any future generations into servitude to her in exchange for being able to hide amongst her ranks. His offer was accepted and he now serves as a member of the Mirrored Mask. The group are not even sure if Rayek'khan is his real name, being only some of a few that know the truth. He has not learnt from his shortcomings however, still detrimentally impatient and quick to anger. Last is Terberous (First Left), a vile and malicious witch of a Drukhari that even the rest of the group feel uncomfortable around. Obsessed with ritual sacrifice of her foes, and possibly friends, she can often be found mutilating her enemies into grotesque effigies or killing them in the most obscene ways possible to try and make a statement. She often attributes her kills to the myriad of the "Dark Muses" of Commorragh, although when questioned, she seems ignorant of even the most basic of belief systems to them. Thus has lead to the opinion of her fellow Kabalites that she is either delusional, doing this of attention or both. Sly with weapon and tongue, she is just as likely to coax her fellow members back to her quarters as she is to threaten to splay them across a crucifix. None of the other members of the Mirrored Mask have admitted to taking her up on the offers, possibly out of fear. The twins often have to discipline her as she tends to throw aside her splinter rifle and attack with her dagger and has lost her weapon on a few occasions.
