The Albian histories in accordance with Rujoria prime data
The fifth planet in the Rujoruan system has been troubled since the great crusade which colonized it. With the system banished for a mellenia by the terrible warp-storms that surrounded it the colonists were cut off from the wider imperium.
Cut off as they were, the colonists regressed to a stone age level of technology. Over the intervening mellenia the inhabitants built themselves back up until the warp-storms cleared to reveal a world being torn apart by an all consuming war of cannon, saber, bayonet and ships powered by sails.
The six great nations that had arisen were engaged in a globe-spanning war due to the successes of Arthan Wellespond, viscount-general of Albia.
Situated off the northern coast of the main continent, the islands of Albia relied mostly on a strong navy to protect their shores and people. Recently however, Arthan had reformed the land armies, deposed the monarch Gregorius VI, and embarked on a campaign to conquer the other nations residing on the main continent.
In response the kingdoms of madras, Parisia, Pranas-Dam, Astrang, Novgoros, and Indju allied to form a great coalition against Arthan and his newly christened Albian empire.
Through a series of masterful assaults and defensive actions, Arthan managed to hold most of his newly conquered territories, although loosing half of his gains in Parisia to shatter the coalition armies manpower.
Happy to enjoy their own gains and lick their wounds the allies sued for peace with Albia, which Arthan grudgingly gave because his own troops required rebuilding. Nevertheless, the shadow of war loomed close.
This is when the lords of Rujorua prime, loyal followers of the machine god, intervened. Secretly landing in the Viscounts imperial palace at night, Magos Primus Aldenbrand offered Arthan the mechanicus-forged weaponry that would allow him to conquer the planet and rule. Such powerful arms would come at a price, forever more would Albia have to pay a yearly tribute of manpower to those who gave them.
Although terrified by Aldenbrand's metal infused appearance the temptation of absolute victory, conquest, and ultimate power were too hard to ignore. He agreed, signing the legendary Decree of cogs that very night.
Within days mechanicus landers carrying las-muskets, plasma-rifles, and batteries of las-cannon had descended to the surface. Within a week, Albian naval facilities were filled with ships of steel. Within a month, the entire land army's uniforms had been altered to include sewn in flak plates and its supply carriages sprouted with a profusion of turreted cannon. Some gas-masks, although rarely equipped, were issued in case of any allied schemes.
Encouraged by his new-found strength Arthan mobilized his entire military establishment. The navy annihilated the allied fleet, smashing their timber hulls to kindling. Blockades were set up around each port, strangling sea trade and consigning any possible relief effort to long overland marches.
One by one, the allied states fell. Madras, already the poorest of the nation-states, with an army in disrepair after the last war was easily overrun. Parisia resisted Albian incursion fiercely, but their feeble black powder weaponry could not stand against the quick-loading abilities of the las-musketry of the Albian army. The forces of Astrang hid within their homelands swamps and forests, but were slowly and surely pushed out and forced to surrender. And so it continued, until even mighty Novgoros' bear-spirited troops were put down and the Monarch's made to bend the knee.
The mechanicus, in thanks for their assistance were given the city of Venras, the oldest urban center on the planet, to have as their own. Walls of silvered steel were erected around its old demarcations, and the glowing eyes of its guardians can be seen from quite a distance at night.
Within their new citadel a great basilica was built in honor of the machine god, a potent reminder of the mechanicum's lordship. Arthan was crowned governor-general and king of planet here as well.
Every year bulk troop transports, emblazoned with the iron cog symbol of the machine born descend from the heavens to receive the mechanicum's due, and every year Arthan has kept his word by giving up an army's worth of troops (including recruits from all of the conquered kingdoms – now called provinces – who are uniformed akin to their Albian lords) to join the legio Scutulatus in their galactic wars.
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Hello and welcome to my blog of Albian army construction as well as thier mechanicus masters. I hope you enjoyed that first bit of background, there will be plenty more to come.
Now, onto the pictures:
I started out with a victrix peninsular center company boxed set. I began to assemble a few men, including the platoon command to get a feel for the set:
I then began to assemble more men:
Which spawned a test figure:
Which turned into a small assembly line:
Which, at the current moment, is a finished squad of infantry:
I'll be back tommorow with progress, until then please post your thoughts!