First, A Note
I initially had no intentions of creating a Necromunda gang 100% from scratch. Let alone craft a lore for said gang. But, out of boredom, I just feverishly started typing one night while sitting in bed. What was born from that night was a three part “short” story for one character and a smattering of much shorter stories for various other characters. This was back in late 2022, after I had just finished painting the last model.
Well, it was over one year ago that I uploaded the third and final installment of the Queen Lilianna I* story. This story laid the groundwork for my Escher gang’s history. I had intended to continue the lore further in two more posts. These posts would focus on the modern age of the gang and discuss some of the current characters backstory, as well as gang doctrine. But I never actually uploaded them for various reasons. Even though these stories were done, dusted, and sitting in a [Draft] status buried deep within this websites library.
Well, as the saying goes “Better late than never”. The following are three of the current leaders for my Spyder Lilies gang.
*If you would like further reading, including the Queen Lilianna I story, those links are all located at the bottom of this page.
Queen Lilianna V
Lilianna V, formerly Willa, was the gang 2nd under Queen Lilianna IV for some years. She was known as a strict and calculating, yet an occasionally bold Matriarch. When crossed she possessed a fire that could(and did) burn down sectors indiscriminately.
One day Matriarch Willa received word that a group of ‘Lilies’, that happened to include Queen Lilianna IV, had missed a scheduled check-in. The matriarch, who was in a meeting with one of the gang’s chymists to work out the delivery logistics of a certain compound, sent out another group to track them down. This was troublesome, as the queen was quite punctual. Some time later the sisters returned with extremely unsettling news. The entire group had been wiped out. All had been accounted for and recovered, except Lilianna IV. This sent a shockwave through the ranks.
Willa immediately organized all hands to track down their missing figurehead, holding out hope that she still yet lived. Unfortunately, no clues were unearthed. It wouldn’t be until one week later that the body of Lilianna IV would be found. Having been stuffed into a shipping crate bearing the Lycoris Maidens sigil near the sector lifts. The corpse showed signs of being badly tortured. Her hair had been ripped out in patches, there were shallow cuts or bruises all over, and she was missing multiple fingers and toes. Anything of importance had been stripped by her assailants, but there was one thing that was out of place. A single coin was placed into one of her pockets. On one side of the silver coin was a large O, on the other side was an X. With the lines of the X made up of knives.
This was a calling card of a local gang, The Crossblades. This group was recently making bold power plays in the region, and had recently built a reputation for abductions. However, instead of using their abductees as bargaining chips for credits and property, they instead used them for information. Which meant their targets were planned, as lowly hangers never had the “right” kind of information. From their abductees they learned smuggling routes, cache locations, etc. Anything they could use for leverage and gain power. Acts which angered many major players in the quadrant. This, however, would be their most bold move. The abduction and murder of an Escher Queen. A bit of dark irony, really. The Crossblades taking down the leader of a House of Blades faction.
Much like the fate of Lillianna IV, ultimately once they had what they wanted from their abductees, or perhaps were unable to get what they sought, someone would eventually flip a coin. A toss of fate. Albeit a rather one sided fate. An O meant death. Usually quick and easy. A bolt or las-shot to the head, or some other swift action. An X also meant death, albeit an even worse one. Usually culminating in disfigurement, dismemberment, or various other atrocities. An X toss was where the Crossblades had their fun. While an O toss was… boring.
Lilianna must’ve drawn the latter in the coin flip.
This revelation enraged Willa and the other Matriarchs. All current business dealings with the Lycoris Maidens were suspended, as it was all hands on deck. Individual Crossblades members were rounded up here and there then “disposed of”, but the core of the Crossblades were traced back to an abandoned industrial sector where they had set up shop. Following scouts recon, traps or snipers were set at every major entrance and exit. There were sisters at the ready all over the sector. Any Crossblades gangers that were come across were swiftly and quietly put down.
What came next was Willa walking alone into the center of the industrial complex and calling out the Crossblades leader. In a booming voice she called out who she was, and why she had come. An overly confident large man appeared from a building opposite Willa as laughing and cat-calling rained down on her from the adjacent buildings. Windows and gashes in the walls were now filled with multiple faces. The man had a smile from ear to ear, and he was eventually flanked by two equally burly and tattooed men carrying large caliber weapons. Willa eyed each before returning her gaze to the man in the center. The Crossblades were overconfident as of late, and were used to having the upper hand. But not this time. The matriarch smirked.
Before anything could really be said, Willa heard two voices in her ear and immediately raised her hand with a swiftness. In her hand, her pistol. She fired a bolt straight through the leader’s forehead as snipers, the source of the two signals, dispatched the two goons. All three hit the ground with massive thuds, and all hell immediately broke loose. Sisters sprung to action from their hiding places and began storming the buildings. Shots rang out from everywhere. Grenades that were tossed into windows exploded, silencing the voices within. The Crossblades members were hardly even bearing arms. Overly confident, indeed. Struggling to find anything to defend themselves in the confusion.
In short, it was a slaughter. As Willa slowly searched the dead leader’s corpse, the sisters pushed the remaining Crossblades that were pouring out of the buildings back towards two exits. One was rigged with a fire bomb. The other had a walkway over a deep crevice that was set to a remote detonation device.
As one group made their way towards the first exit the fire bomb detonated, engulfing them all in burning gas. Some overzealous juves were caught in the spray of burning gas. Their screams were muffled by the burning men’s screams. The other group, after seeing this, ran towards the walkway. As they made their way across, the detonator was triggered and the whole walkway lurched and then fell into the Hive’s abyss. The screams of the falling men were inaudible though, as the screams of the men(and women) that were burning alive were much louder. These were the sounds of a resounding victory.
Willa then ordered the entire area burned. Without checking for hostages or survivors. Fire bombs were set in every structure, and the resulting pyres were spectacular. The inferno took days to fully extinguish, leaving nothing recognizable. Investigations into the incident concluded that a gang war had occurred there but the responsible parties were unknown.
Following the Crossblades massacre, Willa, following a unanimous voted to be the next leader by the other matriarchs to the High Escher House, formally ascended and took the title of Queen Lillianna V. Her first official decree was that any surviving elements of the Crossblades be killed on sight. It was a mostly symbolic decree, though. As they had wiped out more than 90% of the gang. But, that said, they are still technically being hunted by the Lycoris Maidens to this day.
Rumor is that Lilianna V still carries the very Crossblades coin that was found on her predecessor’s body, and can, in fact, occasionally be seen toying with an old tarnished coin when lost in thought.
Whiskers
The Phyrr Cat, Whiskers, was a tribute given to Queen Lilianna V by Matriarch Kaho the Suzume upon her promotion to leader. A lovable, yet obviously deadly companion whose snoring(and breath) could rival that of the burliest of Ogryn. Whiskers has been known to be incredibly protective of its master, and has attacked visitors on more than one occasion. The Matriarchs would often object when it was time for business meetings with outside elements, when Whiskers would saunter into the meeting space with the queen. Lilianna would shoot them down with only a look. Some swore that they could see the cat grinning at this.
In fact, it is known that Whiskers alone has been the cause of at least 2 major opposing gang conflicts. Having maimed emissaries from rival factions in meetings. But Queen Lilianna can’t find fault in him. He’s just a good boy.
Matriarch Singe
Singe, the current 2nd for the Lycoris Maidens, had been a pyromaniac since childhood. Fire was bright, warm, refreshing, deadly, and just plain pretty. She earned her nickname(which would become here full-time name) Singe at a young age because her hair was always singed. She often smelled of burnt hair, and rarely had eyebrows. Prior to joining the Lycoris Maidens her most notable action was taking down an entire Palanite garrison on her own in a brazen act of revenge.
In her early twenties the local Palanite patrols in the sector were notorious for being ruthless. One day, during a hunt for a rogue agent they ended up destroying much of a whole ward with weapons fire and explosives. In the process they wiped out innocent men, women and children that were just surviving the hive in the area. One of whom was very close to Singe. It was her childhood friend turned girlfriend. The two were inseparable until this day.
Singe was so overcome with rage that she vowed to put an end to the Palanites terror, and began to plan almost immediately. The plan she came up with was very time sensitive and incredibly dangerous. But what did that matter? Her only reason for staying alive in this hell was now gone.
First, over the course of a few days, she collected about 50 hive rats. Disgusting creatures, but kind of delicious when fried up right. Next, she cut off the fingers from surgical gloves and filled them with a volatile liquid. She then painstakingly force fed the tied balloon-like fingers to the rats one by one. In the process, a few of the balloons punctured causing the rats to die an inevitable excruciating death, giving Singe chemical burns on her hands. Which didn’t matter. There was definitely no shortage of these rodents, and her hands were covered in scar tissue from multiple burns anyway. Next she mixed a personally devised concoction of a highly flammable liquid. One that’s smell alone would melt the hairs from your nose. The fluid was then carefully loaded into various receptacles.
It was a long day of stuffing rats and preparation, and Singe was exhausted. But there was no time for that, for on the same night she would infiltrate the Palanites garrison via the roof. Time was of the essence. These rats were ticking time bombs. So sure were Palanites of their control in the sector that their own garrison’s security was a complete joke. There was only a single sentry out front. All she had to do was carefully lower down her supplies and then belay down from overhead ducts in the sector.
First she released the rats into the various ventilation ducts. After she waited for enough time to pass that the rats could spread out inside, Singe then placed multiple containers of the concocted liquid around the roof, and also carefully slid a couple down the ventilation shafts. The smell indicated that at least one of them had already ruptured. This was perfectly fine.
Singe had also prepared a pair of Krak charges with timers, set to go off 10 seconds apart. She dropped them into two different vents and ran. Climbing back up the rope she used to get there. The first charge detonated as she was a quarter of the way up. There was a shudder in the sector. The second charge followed suit as she regained her composure and climbed further up. From there small explosions began to ring out from below. The rats. Fires started burning throughout, sending flames and heat up the ventilation shafts to the roof where the containers of flammable liquid were placed. One by one the containers were compromised, releasing their contents.
The blaze was intense, and the sector fire control systems could not keep up. Nearby girders and bulkheads began glowing red from the heat. There were 15 troops inside the garrison when Singe arrived, plus the one outside. And all 16 of them, plus about 50 rats perished. When the patrol squad returned for shift change they were met with only an inferno. Singe had made her escape and returned to admire her work, under the guise of a concerned sector citizen. Pyro’s love to admire their work. Funny thing was, Singe wasn’t the only person smiling in the crowd. Some people were even cheering. After that day, the Palanites struggled to regain their control of the sector.
Singe was already being watched prior to that night, but she was formally recruited personally by Queen Lillianna the IV after word of the Garrison’s destruction spread. She quickly earned her spot as Matriarch under Lillianna V. Singe is the current second in command of the Lycoris Maidens, following the death of Matriarch Syreen. Her trusty handflamer, affectionally named sparky ever at her side, she became notorious for leaving smoldering corpses in her wake.
Death Maiden Syreen the Cold
Syreen was a stubborn Matriarch. She was also the gangs 2nd. Given her station, the Matriarch had various duties and was regularly put in charge of handing out punishments to the lower ranks. So not every member of the gang relished the idea of venturing out into the hive with her. Or even being in her presence. One perceived wrong move could lead to something harsh. Her nature had been the same for much of her life, and she definitely crossed many people in her dealings.
On one night, she was tasked to lead an inspection of a cryo storage facility. One that was of particular importance to the gang. Its rightful owners and the Lilies had a “business agreement” of sorts. The Lilies provide security, and the owners look the other way with how their product is used. Well, maybe the “deal” was kind of one sided. The Lilies may or may not have sensitive information on the company’s owner. Information that would end him in very hot water if it landed in the wrong peoples hands. The Lilies had use for the products stored in the facility, and it just so happens that their “agreement” also offered them an endless supply of cryo fluid. Free is always better. As such, this facility held a moderate level of importance to them and their goings-on.
What seemed like a simple security inspection, however, this venture into the cryo-holds turned out to be a ploy. The intel that they had received from “trusted” sources was all founded in deception. Reports claimed that unknown entities had been holed up in the facility and were up to something shady. Even though the gang had constant surveillance on the facility, they had to investigate. Perhaps there was a blind spot. Who knew. It wouldn’t be lest to chance.
As Syreen and her crew would find out, these suspicions weren’t founded. There was no one to be found in the facility, and everything was fine on the surface. However, in the shadows there was, in fact, someone. He wasn’t hiding in a blind spot, per se. But there was definitely someone who did not belong there that night. Much like the Lilies arriving on a mission, he had a mission of his own. A hit had been ordered on Syreen specifically, by an unknown party, and the false reports were the bait. Given the importance of the facility, the likelihood of Syreen leading the group personally was high.
Syreen, accompanied by a group of seven, split into three groups upon entering a large bulk cryo storage area. The Matriarch, now accompanied by a single trusted sister, were inspecting a cryo monitoring console when a shot rang out. What followed was a small explosion. The targeted Matriarch and the lowly ganger had stumbled into a kill box. A sniper, with a single shot had ignited a pre-set Krak-charge and the tank above Syreen was ruptured. The Matriarch was completely covered in the supercooled cryo solution and the accompanying sister was partially covered. It was enough though, they were both flash frozen to death. Objective eliminated. Job done. Time to get out.
The remaining members of the group, after hearing the explosion began searching for assailants. Two were able to locate and chase the sniper, eventually killing him. This came at the loss of two other sisters however, in a massive crossfire situation in the confusion. 50% of the small party had been wiped out during this routine mission. It was a disaster. Unknown to the Lilies though, the person that had ordered the hit on Syreen was overjoyed at the results. He did not mourn the death of the assassin. The hit was a success, and only ⅓ of the promised credits had changed hands. Much like the Lilies “business agreement” with the Cryo facility owner, this was hive business at its finest.
Enraged by her demise, Queen Lillianna V had Syreen’s carefully body recovered, and ordered an investigation into her assassination. The culprit would be found, and put down some time later in a manner befitting the crime. She also ordered Syreen returned back to the gang as a Death Maiden. Syreen was far too valuable to the gang to let go. Not like this. Though she would need to be replaced as 2nd. An honor that would ultimately fall to Matriarch Singe.
After her reanimation, and as a result of her cryo freeze, Syreens body temperature always felt quite low, Though she never personally admitted feeling cold. Not that she talked much anymore. Those who got close to her would swear the temperature in the area had dropped considerably. Thus her name became Syreen the Cold. Though this would not be her official title. If you uttered this suffix in her presence, there would be hell to pay. There were quite a few juves that were put down on the spot by Syreen. Not because of acting out or even treason. Just for merely uttering those two words.
Syreen did not relish the idea of being brought back to life, and carried a grudge against Queen Lillianna V because of it. Though she would never act on it. At least not yet.
She was loyal. For now.
In the next post: The final installment. More characters story’s and some gang doctrine.
For further reading about my Escher gang, the Lycoris Maidens, please see the following:
- Table Ready: Escher Gang
- Lycoris Maidens: Origins – Lilianna I, Part 1
- Lycoris Maidens: Origins – Lilianna I, Part 2
- Lycoris Maidens: Origins – Lilianna I, Part 3
- Lycoris Maidens: Notable Members, Part 1
- Lycoris Maidens: Notable Members, Part 2 + Gang Doctrine
- Lycoris Maidens: Gallery Page
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..
