I’ve always wanted to create and flesh out a world in the 40k universe. It’s fun, for one thing, and it also provides inspiration for models, terrain and even armies. Recently I’ve been drooling over Apologist’s thread over on the ammobunker (and also his blog, Death of a Rubricist) and his Court of the Sunne Cyng is everything I want to do – an original world, fantastic writing and great models that capture the feeling of a decaying super-state perfectly. However, no matter sincere flattery base imitation may be, I can’t just copy him. It’d be obvious for one thing, and for another I could never hope to reach the lofty heights of Hobby Perfection which he bestrides with ease. I need something new, and luckily I’ve been thinking and planning something along these lines for quite a while.

It was mishearing the lyrics to a Duran Duran song that sparked an ember of inspiration. Soon enough, a Sepulchre World whose main industry was mourning and mortuary statuary, and whose main export was embalming fluid was conceived. A world almost entirely covered in graveyards and necropoles, bar a couple of hives and an AdMech fiefdom producing servitors and the aforementioned embalming fluid on an industrial scale (shockingly enough). No world in 40k is complete without endemic corruption, cult activity and a depressed and oppressed citizenry, and so there’s a foul necrophiliac slaaneshi cult amongst some members of the debased nobility, the embalming fluid coming from the Forge-Fief seems to have some very odd side effects and mourners troop in their thousands to mass funerals, shackled together and herded by Funerary Priests of the Ecclesiarchy. In terms of hobby, this will lead to several small projects (and some large) that will eventually merge together into something hopefully fairly impressive. The projects are as follows.

Gaming table: This will be 6×4, and serve as four distinct areas. The 4×3 section in the middle will be modular, and will eventually house the titular Elektrik Mausoleum, Vivificabit/Mortis#923-ADO (the embalming fluid factory), a Necropolis and the Cathedral of the Emperor’s Mercy. Below is a very crude paint representation of the way the board will be laid out. Many Gardens of Morr will be sacrificed to achieve this, and it allows for a campaign to be played using just one board. Where I’m going to store it on the other hand, Emperor alone knows.

With regard to miniatures, this provides me with a number of little groups to build for each different area, and maybe even an Inquisitor and his retinue investigating all the dark and horrific goings-on.

The Forge needs a Magos Biologis (named Herebeorht Wester), along with a few Adepts and some servitors. I have actually begun work on these as I was struck by inspiration when I woke up this morning. Maybe it’s gotten so bad I’m even dreaming of Inq28. The linking factor here will be fluids and implements. The Mausoleum needs the Cult, obviously, and some Rotting Courtesans. The idea here is to make two distinct groups, one male and one female, for the cult itself, and the Courtesans will be a mixture of the two. I’m thinking the visual motif here will be furs and intestines. The Temple will need some Funerary Priests and Mourners. Probably one High Priest, a few lower orders and a whole bunch of indentured mourners. Here, censers and veils will tie them together. As for the Necropolis, a gang will have made its base here, along with some feral cannibals and a few rogue servitors.

My reach most definitely exceeds my grasp, but I’m very excited about working on this.