Also extra Night Lords from the Omnibus just because 🦇
A lot of Vandred because of a really powerful scene with him in one of the books and because I'm a creature artist deep in my heart ಥ‿ಥ
Outcast among Outcasts. Untouchable among Untouchables. Alone.
Talos and Ruven and all the world of differences between them. My half of a trade with @captainswank :}
Alternate color versions, closeups and composition notes below cut
so my whole concept here is just. Ruven and his isolation within his legion, contrasted with Talos and his many many bonds and brothers. Talos belongs, and Ruven is Enemy. No one will look at him or touch him.... because Talos disapproves. Because Talos has made him untouchable. Witch.
This is set shortly after Ruven was retrieved, while he is still showing starvation and has not received augmetics yet.
COMPOSITION:
Every figure here looks away or turns his back to Ruven. All the "contacts" between figures happen on a different plane; I've made them distinct compositional groups in
-their poses: everyone stands but Ruven. they exist in the foreground, and he in the background. the only thing that somewhat inches into the middle space is his shackled foot...
-their contacts: they all look at and touch each other, while Ruven *seeks* contact but gets none. He is looking with blind eyes and seeing no one. The only one who looks at him/acknowledges him is Talos, who is looking down on him. Ruven is below and separate.
-color wise: Ruven is wearing a psy-blocking collar in this part of the story, which only further isolates him from a legion that won't touch him. I've made the others bright to match their souls, while he is weak and washed out and cold. he cannot see them and he cannot sense them. He is cut off from them in every sense.
The reason Abaddon has yet to have an (actually) successful crusade is because he’s too distracted trying to keep his harem of sorcerers from killing each other
If you believe that Night Lords are secretly gopnik, and you want to make their cussing more expressive, here's a list of best Russian cusses for you - translated & contexted. Let's roll!
а поебаться тебе не завернуть?
Translation: “Wanna wrap up and fuck off?”
Meaning: A dismissive, aggressive way to tell someone to get lost or stop bothering you, implying they’re wasting time.
Example: The Exhalted snaps at Talos in the Strategium, “A poebat’sya tebe ne zaveranut’?”
а сто хуев - большая куча?
Translation: “A hundred dicks a big pile?”
Meaning: A sarcastic retort questioning someone’s complaint or exaggeration, implying their problem isn’t a big deal.
Example: Uzas laughs as a brother complains about a lasbolt grazing his armor. “Sto khuev—bol’shaya kucha?” he cackles.
в душе не ебу
Translation: “I don’t fucking know.”
Meaning: A blunt admission of ignorance or confusion, often with frustration.
Example: Xarl glares at a tech-priest babbling about a malfunctioning warp drive. “V dushe ne ebu,” he mutters.
война - хуйня, главное маневры
Translation: “War’s bullshit, maneuvers are what matter.”
Meaning: A cynical dismissal of grand conflicts, emphasising strategy or survival over ideals.
Example: Cyrion ducks a daemon’s claw and sneers, “Voina—khuinya, glavnoe manevry,” chopping off the creature’s head.
голосуй не голосуй, вот уже получишь хуй
Translation: “Vote or don’t, you’re still fucked.”
Meaning: A nihilistic jab at futility, suggesting outcomes are rigged or inevitable.
Example: Mercutian watches slaves beg for freedom at a mock trial. “Golosuy ne golosuy, vot uzhe poluchish khuy,” he drawls.
дневальный! подай станок ебальный!
Translation: “Orderly! Fetch the fucking-machine!”
Meaning: A crude, barked order, often humorous, for a mundane item, like a shaving tool.
Example: Variel, flaying a prisoner’s skin for armor, hisses at a trembling serf, “Dneval’niy! Poday stanok yebal’niy!”
ёбарь-перехватчик
Translation: “Cock-blocking interceptor.”
Meaning: A playful or mocking term for someone who ruins plans or interrupts pleasure.
Example: Talos curses as a Harlequin jetbike foils his ambush. “Yobar’-perekhvatchik,” he snarls.
ебись оно конем
Translation: “Let it fuck a horse.”
Meaning: A dismissive curse, wishing something frustrating would go away or fail spectacularly.
Example: Xarl glares at a jammed plasma cannon, sparks flying. “Ebis’ ono konem,” he spits.
ебать мои саночки
Translation: “Fuck my little sledge.”
Meaning: An exasperated exclamation, often humorous, for a situation gone wrong, like “damn it all.”
Example: Uzas slips on ice mid-charge, his chainaxe skidding. “Ebat’ moi sanochki,” he roars.
заработать хуем по затылку
Translation: “Earn a dick to the back of the head.”
Meaning: To deserve a harsh, humiliating punishment for stupidity or failure.
Example: For their efforts, the First Claw was on many occasions dangerously close to "Zarabotat' khuem po zatylku" from the Exhalted.
и рыбку съесть, и на хуй сесть
Translation: “Eat the fish and sit on the dick.”
Meaning: Wanting to have it all—greedily seeking two incompatible rewards.
Example: Mercutian catches a brother hoarding both gold and sacred relics. “I rybku syest’, i na khuy sest’,” he scoffs.
каждый кулик на своём хую велик
Translation: “Every snipe’s a king on his own dick.”
Meaning: Everyone boasts about their own importance, no matter how small their domain.
Example: “Kazhdy kulik na svoyom khuyu velik,” Mercutian says thoughtfully, looking at Abaddon from afar.
какая пизда тебя родила
Translation: “What cunt birthed you?”
Meaning: A harsh insult questioning someone’s origins or worth, implying they’re despicable.
Example: Talos faces captive Ruven. “Kakaya pizda tebya rodila?” he marvels at the traitor.
кого ебёт чужое горе
Translation: “Who gives a fuck about another’s grief?”
Meaning: A callous dismissal of others’ suffering, emphasising self-interest.
Example: Xarl ignores pleas from fleeing civilians. “Kogo yebot chuzhoye gore?” he growls, bisecting a militia leader.
на моих золотых полчаса как спиздили
Translation: “My golden half-hour got fucking stolen.”
Meaning: Complaining about wasted time, especially precious moments.
Example: Uzas curses a delayed duel with a World Eater. “Na moikh zolotykh polchasa kak spizdili,” he snarls.
на одном месте не уебёшь — надо перетаскивать
Translation: “You can’t fuck it up in one spot—you gotta drag it around.”
Meaning: A sarcastic remark about spreading chaos or failure across multiple efforts.
Example: Cyrion watches a botched boarding action spiral. “Na odnom meste ne uyebosh—nado peretaskivat’,” he mutters.
нас ебут, а мы крепчаем
Translation: “They fuck us, and we get stronger.”
Meaning: A defiant boast about resilience in the face of adversity.
Example: Talos rallies his squad under orbital bombardment. “Nas yebut, a my krepchayem,” he roars.
ни в пизду, ни в Красную Армию
Translation: “Neither to the cunt nor the Red Army.”
Meaning: Something utterly useless, unfit for any purpose.
Example: Uzas tosses aside a jammed lasrifle. “Ni v pizdu, ni v Krasnuyu Armiyu,” he growls.
