[This post was originally posted to Otherverse Games & Hobbies as part of a series called Plastic to Painted, or P2P. You may see logos or references to this site and series]
Dread of a Different Variety
In the GRIMDARK, being entombed in a Dreadnought could be seen, for the most part, as an honor. I see it as a pretty effective recycling program. Rather than letting them die outright and collect their gene-seed, the mortally wounded champion is placed(read: hardwired) into the sarcophagus, thus giving them another chance to use their talents to serve the God Emperor(or maybe the darker gods…). Now with bigger guns and more armor. Granted, not all Marines see it as an honor. White Scars would rather just die their honorable death than be placed in that massive lumbering target for heavy weapons. Some Chaos Space Marines would rather succumb to their wounds as well. Lest they be bound to an eternity of torment in those haunted machines.
And then there is the fanatical Adeptus Ministorum. While not known to employ Dreadnoughts, the Adepta Sororitas do take the concept of a walking death dealing machine down a very different road. The Penitent Engines and Mortifiers are tools, not an honorable tomb. No, they are in fact, a sentence. If you are set to be bound to these devices, then you have been found guilty. For Penitent Engines, you have been found guilty of Heresy. For Mortifiers, the Sister Repentia pilot had committed a high sin to the Order. They fled from battle. That is a no-no for someone that is supposed to be fighting to repent.
Once fitted into these devices, it is impossible to escape your bonds. As they are attached to your very being. Physically and mentally. Shackles and bolts drilled directly into your bones. Wires and electrodes implanted into your brain. Unlike a dreadnought, whose occupant is encased within a walking tank, the Penitent Engine pilot is not protected by armor. They are exposed to everything. A target. Their worth is only temporary. And there is always someone to replace them should they fall. Always.
I love the Penitent Engine. It is so deliciously dark and gothic. A walking torture rack with twin-heavy flamers and buzz saws(or flails). I got both of these in the pair of initial release boxes I got from back when GW finally redid the Sisters line. They were mildly challenging to paint. As there is a lot of details like, metal trimmings and whatnot. Plus there is the pilot, and I suck at painting flesh(though I feel good about these two heretics). For the most part I stuck to the established paint pattern while painting mine. I thought about painting them red, for my Order of the Bloody Rose. But decided to keep it traditional. I do want to get a couple more to round out a squad of 4. And I will possibly pick up a Mortifier too.
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Robert
All of the following are true, except for one:
Robert is: a Hobbyist with too many hobbies to list, a Music Lover, an RPG/JRPG Gamer, a Mustard Lover, Chaotic Neutral, a Japanese Speaker, a Veteran, an Otaku, an Aviation Professional, a New York Rangers Fan, a Chaos Lover With Loyalist Tendencies, in a toxic relationship with spicy foods..
