Picture courtesy of the talented Virlandil (https://twitter.com/virlandil)
The Moonlight Blades Aspect Shrine is my own personal Aspect Shrine I have been working on. Thanks to Virlandil I now have some art at last to show off of the base Aspect Warriors of this Shrine.
Wearing the same Heavy Aspect Armour as Dark Reapers, Fire Dragons and Striking Scorpions, the Moonlight Blades are well-defended whilst still possessing impressive dexterity and alacrity. Like the Striking Scorpions they are an Aspect focused on close combat but, whereas the Striking Scorpions rely on stealth to undermine their foes, the Moonlight Blades instead focus on assaulting the most heavily armoured of opponents to cleave through with their Crescent Great Axes (Effectively Power Great Axes). As with all of the Aspects individual Warrior Temples and Shrines can differ in apparel and aesthetics, this particular one belongs to the Mirrored Moon sect of Craftworld Loufiwea (created for Stahl Sector by Camille).
In addition to their Crescent Great Axe the other recognizable piece of equipment worn by all Moonlight Blades is their Sariour Chakra, the device on their backs, linked into the armour, generates a powerful holographic field about the Moonlight Blades, akin to the Clone Field used by certain Drukhari, it provides further protection to the Moonlight Blades in combat.
The somewhat leonine visage of the Moonlight Blades is a tribute to their Phoenix Lord; Lady Lalinoi Arhain, the Herald of Night, also known to her pupils as the Roar/Lion (word meaning ambiguous) of the Moon/Darkness.
Indeed; of late numerous Shrines of the Moonlight Blades have appeared in the Stahl Sector, independent even of their home Craftworlds, for news has spread that the long lost Lalinoi Arhain will be found here, her armour finally taken up by one of her successors, so she might return.
Warboss Skorg Kutta has enjoyed a meteoric rise within Da Goldtoof Maw. Among the Orks who have bullied their way into the inner council of Da Grimmfleet none are as recent as Skorg nor did they make their entrance in quite as spectacular a fashion; killing two other Kaptins in attendance when they tried to block his intrusion. Among the myriad Warbands loosely cooperating under the auspices of Da Grimmfleet Skorg’s War Boarz have a reputation for violence and aggression which is unmatched. Though all Orks are belligerent and warlike it is true that Da Grimmfleet’s Warbands tend to focus on the acquisition of loot and resources first and foremost, usually in pursuit of greater violence later. By contrast Da War Boarz are content to engage in conflicts even without much promise of loot at the end of it, the violence itself can prove sufficient.
Skorg is part of the Goff Clan, an Ork-type infamous for being ill-tempered and aggressive even by the standards of their own species. Among the most powerful Warbosses of Da Grimmfleet he stands as the only Goff, an oddity among more numerous ranks of Deathskulls, Blood Axes, Bad Moons and Evil Sunz. Skorg had already secured for himself a reputation, leading his Warband across the sector, pillaging planets, before his ramshackle fleet drifted into the Goldtoof Maw and he decided to stay, and seek to build power for himself, rather than simply moving on or attempting an ill-advised attack against the more numerous Orks of da Grimmfleet.
Among his peers he is considered brutal, uncompromising, humourless, unsubtle, stupid, simple and miserably unfun to be around. This is only partly true, however, for though he is most certainly brutal and suspicious in how he restrains his own mirth, he is neither simple or stupid. The true horror of Skorg Kutta is that he is at least half as cunning as he is brutal, and that is very bad news as any Ork who has ever seen him in action could assure you. Beneath a veneer of some raging maniac, fit to be compared to the likes of a Weirdboy, is a relatively patient and meticulous, if vindictive, intellect which seems him happy to build his way to Gartog’s side slowly, replacing bosses along the way, until he is primed to be able to cut down the Kommodore himself and assume control of the entire Grimmfleet.
Considering this trajectory it is unsurprising that the Warboss has, almost since his arrival, found a rival in Evil Sunz Warboss Badredd Da Great un Powerful. Badredd has always fancied himself Gartog’s right-hand Ork, and for the most part Gartog has seemed more than content to allow him, and others, to believe this. Badredd sees Skorg as an uppity Git trying to destabilize a power balance that clearly works, and both Orks have already attempted numerous ‘accidents’ against each other. The only thing to have prevented an outright challenge within the Grimmrok itself is that neither Warboss are yet absolutely confident enough of victory to risk it, and both are more cunning than the sort of Ork who would not let something like caution get in the way of a good fight.
For his part Gartog, Da Kommodore, sees Skorg as perhaps his most pressing nascent threat. For despite his brutality and seeming simplicity Skorg is possessed of a singularly important talent in Orkish society; death. Despite how recent his arrival in Da Maw is he has already garnered impressive trophies; Carnifex skulls, plates from a Leman Russ Battle tank incorporated into his armour and even the heraldry of defeated Space Marines. Skorg’s popularity is growing through the fact that it is known he can, and will, lead his Orks to where the fighting is thickest and, so far, triumph. Despite entering as a small Warband, compared to the major players of Da Grimmfleet, Da War Boarz have soon grown to rival the likes of Gullba Deffist’s own, much older, Warband.
For now, at least, Skorg continues to obey Gartog, paying his so-called ‘Skrap Tax’, but this is small comfort for those who live within striking distance of the Maw, where Skorg’s distinctive one-eyed visage, often sporting a vehicle fuselage fashioned into facsimile of a Lho-stick, is feared and reviled equally.
(Done by the talented @thewinddrifter/https://twitter.com/MusketAnna)
The Sslyth Uttaraxia is one of the primary Lieutenants of the Corsair Prince Arhain. Formerly a mercenary in the employ of Drukhari Kabal, the ambitious Sslyth eventually found her way into the employ of the Azure Veil Host after a joint raid performed by both the Anhrathe and the Drukhari.
Impressed by her capabilities the Prince sought to sway, or bribe, the Sslyth to his side and, eventually, she decided his offer was better than what her former employers could afford, becoming one of the most important members of the Azure Veil and bringing with her a contingent of fellow Sslyth mercenaries who often serve in boarding operations.
Uttaraxia herself is a wild and impulsive being, who has a particular penchant for violence. Within the fighting tourneys held by the Host, during periods of inaction or boredom, the Sslyth has distinguished herself as the reigning champion.
Like many Sslyth she also serves as a bodyguard to her employer, the imposing sight of the large Sslyth often found behind Arhain when he must meet with those he considers of dubious intentions (which, considering he is a Prince of a Corsair Host, is almost everyone he meets). Uttaraxia is well-liked, in-general, within the host, known for her gregarious, extroverted attitude and love for libations and celebrations, even if her idea of rough-housing can quite literally leave a fortunate, or unfortunate, Aeldari with a broken bone (or two).
Stahl Sector Faction Analysis: Da Grimmfleet - Part 1
Da Grimmfleet represents one of the most substantial concentrations of Orkoids within the Stahl Sector. A detailed analysis of all information gathered concerning this assortment of aligned Orkish warbands, and some other mercenaries and allies, will be presented.
Firstly, the base of operations, and area of space from which they operate, must be understood...
Geography:
The Grimmfleet has made its base of operations a massive circumstellar disc spanning between multiple different star systems within the Stahl Sector. With an approximate diameter of 14850 AU, the disc is one of the largest stellar bodies within the entire Sector and difficult to scour or cleanse due to the vast space it spans.
The disc itself has been known to the Imperium for thousands of years and is listed officially as Harlan’s Shore, named after the Rogue Trader who initially rediscovered the it during the Great Crusade, but within the Stahl Sector the disc is also frequently referred to as the Glimmer Disc, owing mostly to the high proportion of rare and valuable mineral ores found within it.
Harlan’s Shore has been the preferred hideout of pirates, criminals, rebels and outcasts for millennia, slowly building up a massive population of individuals who found nowhere they could comfortably exist within the Sector under tight Imperial control. The size of the disc allowed multiple of these groups to thrive and the dense planetoids, as well as interference with auspex caused by numerous strange ores, made purging Harlan’s Shore an impracticality, though numerous Imperial forces attempted this regardless.
However, it is only of late, since the arrival of the Ork Warboss known as Gartog ‘Ardbiter, that the Shore has come into sharp focus once more. Although at first leading nothing but a small, depleted, flotilla of Freebooters, Gartog began a campaign of slowly accumulating power within the Shore, a campaign that pitted him against rival Freebooters, Anhrathe Corsairs, Human pirates and more. Eventually the Warboss succeeded in conglomerating a large number of Orks under his control, by making the Shore open to the use of other Warbands seeking somewhere to resupply or avoid enemies, growing his might and power until, eventually, he emerged as the dominant power within the entire disc.
Since the Orks have arrived they have taken to calling it the Goldtoof Maw, or more colloquially the Maw, interpreting it’s torus shape as being the mouth of some great beast, with the numerous precious minerals inside serving as the allegorical gold ‘teef’ from which it draws it’s epithet. Though the Grimmfleet’s control over the Maw is not total, it is expansive enough that the vast majority of the Maw falls under their purview, with most of the former inhabitants by now forced to flee, into hiding or knuckling under and submitting to the new leadership. Since the Orkish centralization and successful defeat of the Imperial flotilla dispatched to pacify them, the Maw has transformed from predominantly a haven for outcasts into a thriving pirate-controlled space. Black markets, Cold markets, arms dealers and slave traders of numerous banners flock to the area, as new raids are launched daily by the Grimmfleet to tow back raw materials and resources necessary to dominate more of the Stahl Sector.
Locations of Interest:
Shu: The largest dwarf planet within the Maw, Shu’s ease of accessibility and settlement has seen it be utilized by many groups over the centuries as a base of operations and mining installation. At current Orks of the Evil Sunz warband Da Badd Redd Chiefs, the Goff Warband Da War Boars, the Bad Moon warband Da Krooked Grin, as well as Orks of the Grimmfleet’s core Da Grimm warband and human pirates of the Red Cowl Crew all have operations on Shu.
Dogma Colony: Established over a thousand years ago by a group of religious deviants who, though following the Imperial Creed differed from the dominant interpretation of the time, Dogma Colony was named as such disparagingly by the Imperial retribution forces that pursued after the deviants. Dogma Colony lay abandoned for some time, with human pirates eventually settling in it, but during Warboss Gartog’s campaign they were forced out and now Orks of the Deathskulls warband Ironteef ‘Urd utilize it as a staging point for raids.
Da Grimmrok: A massive Rok, converted from one of the largest dwarf planets in the Maw, Da Grimmrok is the economic hub of the pirating activity throughout the Maw and bristles with guns and hangars, serving as the seat of Warboss Gartog’s power.
Mani Station: A powerful pirate station, converted from an old Imperial starfort during one of the intermitten times when a Sector Lord thought to try to police the Maw, control of the station is mostly now in the hands of the Vexxecus Sslyth Brood and Da Krushin’ Krew Freebooters.
Hemera Mines complex: The most structurally intact mining complex within the Maw, created by Adeptus Mechanicus when the Imperium’s authority could still penetrate into the Maw, although almost every faction has interests, control of it largely belongs to Gartog’s personal Da Grimm warband, with support from the Vexxecus Sslyth Brood who are generally the most dependable and loyal of mercenaries within the Maw.
Mammouth: A dwarf planet of considerable size, Mammouth is wracked by electric storms and a highly charged, ionic, atmosphere, which makes navigation to it difficult. However, the electricity there can be harvested for power, something that the Ironteef ‘Urd, Da Krooked Grin and Da Badd Redd Chiefs all seek to do.
Red Dur: A large and sprawling series of dockyards and hangars between two asteroids, the Red Dur serves as the primary base of the Da Badd Redd Chiefs warband.
The Dame: The Dame has a somewhat famous, or infamous, history within the Maw. A massive Spacehulk, by far the largest vessel ever to enter the Maw in recorded history, how the Dame wound up in the Maw is a subject of debate. The most popular versions are that it was summoned via the Warp magicks of cultists within the Maw who lead a pirate army to ravage the sector, before their final defeat inside the Maw saw the Dame left derelict. It’s massive size still makes it a formidable stellar fortification though, and for centuries before the arrival of the Orks in force control of the Dame tended to be symbolic of whatever pirate band within the Maw was dominant. Currently the Void Foxes pirates control much of the Dame, though the Blood Axe warband known as the Howlin’ Kommandos and Da War Boars have taken to fighting in it and seizing as much of it as they can for themselves.
Rad Town: One of the Imperium’s largest attempts to settle into the Maw, on a dwarf planet, ended in disaster when Mechanicus power generators were being installed and ruptured, irradiating the entire area. The Snakebites warband Deffroarers have settled in Rad Town, seeing it as a mark of their toughness to endure the radiation and mutated beasts within the old colony.
Silvatoof: One of the strangest of the asteroids within the Maw, the Silvatoof is a dangerous anomaly, the minerals and materials within have strange, anomalous, properties which make them valuable, but they can interfere with navigation systems and emit strong magnetic fields, scrambling electronics and sometimes even pulling a ship towards them to it’s doom.
Pa’al Rift: Known to the Orks of the Grimmfleet as Da Gap, the Rift was an artificially created gap within the torus of the Maw, blasted out by the Sector Battlefleet over the course of two-thousand years, intended as merely the first stage of a project to create easier internal movement between the systems the Maw touched. However, during the time the Sector Battlefleet was involved in this project, numerous systems and planets were lost within the Sector due to the lack of sufficient naval presence, and after the creation of the Rift the plan was abandoned and the leadership responsible for formulating the idea executed.
Rustbucket: A derelict former industrial complex currently used as the base of operations for Da Krooked Grin warband.
The Ghostlands: Avoided and, supposedly, haunted region of the Maw. The Ghostlands are poorly mapped or understood, and Imperial records tend to ascribe it as a region where cultists and heretics flee to escape justice.
Stahl Sector Faction Analysis: Da Grimmfleet - Part 2
Da Grimmfleet represents one of the most substantial concentrations of Orkoids within the Stahl Sector. A detailed analysis of all information gathered concerning this assortment of aligned Orkish warbands, and some other mercenaries and allies, will be presented.
To better gauge their abilities it is important to understand the economic capabilities and potential of this faction...
Economy:
In many ways the Grimmfleet’s greatest asset is the chokehold it has established among piratical and Orkish groups seeking to raid, ravage or pirate within the Stahl Sector and nearby other Sectors. From the safety of the Maw the Grimmfleet offers marginally safe berth and place to repair and resupply, as well as trade, for forces outside the established hegemons or orders.
In exchange for this Kommodore Gartog demands his ‘tithe’, a tax on any pirating vessel that makes use of the Maw and the facilities of the Grimmfleet. It is this tax that provides the Grimmfleet with a constant influx of valuable goods and materials, in particular as any failure to meet the tax will meet with an excessively violent ‘repossession’ of the offender’s vessels.
Of course; anyone is free to attempt to raid and pillage without making use of the Maw, or the protection of the Grimmfleet, but such groups quickly find that life is much harder when there is nowhere easy and safe to hide from Imperial patrols, vengeful Aeldari Corsairs, Appalachian Corporate interests or Stahl Liberation Fleets.
As a result the Grimmfleet has transformed into a massive market for goods of all sorts, and the raw material exchange that occurs within the Maw under it’s watch is truly immense.
Workforce: The majority of the workforce is composed of Orkoids, Grots and Orks, who toil within the Maw. This is supplemented by slaves taken on raids, predominantly humans though some other species are also reflected, and small numbers of human volunteers and labourers from independent crews or who had lived in the Maw before the arrival of the Orks and simply adjusted to the new leadership without complaint.
Primary Exports: The primary export of the Maw are the ores within the disc’s numerous celestial objects and raw metals and alloys harvested from voidcraft captured on raids or found within the dense clusters of the Maw’s asteroids. In addition to these Primary Exports there are some other trades that bear mentioning, if only for their societal affect on the Sector, which are detailed below.
Currency: The primary currency used among the Orkoids of the Grimmfleet are Teef, as is common among their species. Outside of this much of the economy within the Maw operates akin to a barter system, with resources traded in exchange for other resources as opposed to a form of currency. Some of the human pirates, and criminals, who operate within legal society may at times transact in whatever respective currencies their homes use, but these form a distinct minority.
Taxation: Within the Grimmfleet there exists no official taxation beyond the Kommodore’s tithe. However, it is common within Orkoid society for individual leaders and Bosses to largely, when it suits them, extort whatever amount of wealth they can from others.
Industry: Aside from the heavy focus on mining the Grimmfleet also has substantial voidcraft production abilities, assembled and jury rigged from derelict stations by their Meks.
Narcotics Trade: A substantial trade in narcotics passes through the Grimmfleet. In this particular sector the Orks are not very influential, having little use or experiencing little effects from most narcotics due to their hardy physiologies, and preferring combat to any chemical high, it is predominantly human and Strixis who have capitalized on the Grimmfleet’s stability to create a thriving narcotics trade.
Slave Trade: Frequent pirate raids have, inevitably, lead to the development of a slave market used predominantly for labour. Orks and Strixis play a significant role in this but, further, the Starfiends Anhrathe Host has made inroads within this sector, and utilizes the large slave pools of the Grimmfleet to locate specimens they deem of high enough quality to sell on to other Aeldari, whether they be fellow Corsairs or Drukhari, and in this way act as middlemen between the Grimmfleet and the numerous rapacious Aeldari Corsairs who would seek to tap into the slave markets of the Grimmfleet, but would deign actually treating with Orks as beneath their station.
