The Order of the Ossuary

I backed the Black Crab Miniatures Kickstarter last October. Andrew May is a guarantee of success and job well done. No second thoughts, as soon as I saw the minis I knew I needed them. The KS ran smoothly and I got my minis a few weeks ago. Being just three of them, I have slipped them between my current projects, eager as I was of painting them.

From the upcoming Terramortis range by Meridian Miniatures

 No point in taking WIP pics, so...

The Ghost of Christmas past, the Ghost of Chris... Ehm. No. Sorry, my mistake

The colours used in the original pics (and original lovely art) were dark red and black. I tried a different scheme, all in blues and greys.

And checkers, of course. I cannot paint without checkers

I used quite a limited palette, as I wanted to give them some uniformity. In my mind the concept of some weird cult took shape immediately. In my Rogue Trader Warhammer 40,000 setting I can easily see them as strange monks taking care of old relics. This is how the Order of the Ossuary was born.

Also known as the Order of the blurry pics

The Order has the venerable mission of collecting bones and relics of fallen Imperial heroes, in order to keep and venerate them. The monks themselves are former servicemen who were severely injured but didn't earn martyrdom. Declared no longer fit for active duty, most of them bearing horrendous scars or burns, some of them seek for a life of contemplation and service to the Emperor in other ways.

They are more charming than you believe. He's actually smiling behind the mask

They are a common view on battlefields once the fight is over, assisting medical services in retrieving bodies with Ministorum priests and clerks who help to record the deeds of Imperial warriors all over the galaxy. They determine who behaved heroically, became martyrs of the Imperial cause and deserve the honour of being preserved.

Look at the numbers on the bones on the three minis. I bet for the most macabre puzzle ever

Once the bodies are properly dealt with, the bones or other suitable items can be used as relics. They go under proper Ministorum consecration rites and then are incorporated to Ecclesiarchy banner poles, shrines all over the Imperium, taken to battle by Imperial Preachers or Adepta Sororitas or whatever other use is considered appropiate. The ossuaries of the Order ar quite well known, and even turn themselves into peregrination sites for the common people who just want to pay their respects for the most humble Guardsmen.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Order of the Ossuary (if you come with a better name I will gladly take it under consideration, I'm simply making up all this stuff as I write).

The amazing thing about these minis is that they can fit into a number of sci-fi settings (specially 40K, of course)...

No heroic bones in sight, brothers

...as well as fantasy!

Yup, the Stormcast Eternals really messed up with our bussiness

I'm enormously delighted with the minis. If there are more of the like incoming, I'm definitely in. The only thing that really bugs me about all this is... that I need to build a friggin' ossuary now!! :P