Artists of Agony

"With blood we paint our canvas of infamy With pain we feed our illustrious vanity With Chaos' power we claim our victory For we, we are the Artists of Agony Like lightning we bring catastrophe Like thunder we scream tragedy Like a storm we sing calamity For we, we are the Artists of Agony"

- Artists of Agony war chant, from which their battle cry is taken

Small in numbers yet cunning in mind, the Artists of Agony are a Slaanesh-worshipping Chaos warband that controls the world of Dragoste.

Origins
Originally a much larger force, the warband that became the Artists of Agony was caught in a trap by Imperial forces. They were massacred, cut down by scores, and the survivors escaped into the unknown. Iccabod Dael took control of the group and granted them a new name, dubbing them the Artists of Agony. Thus the warband was born into its current state, eager to spread their art of violence.

Dael directed his fellows to find a place of refuge, a world to call their own. Searching for an established yet secretive Slaanesh cult, the warband took up residence and established dominance over the planet of Dragoste. Though lacking in marines, the warband quickly united with the cultist leader, Jueelya Daraich, to boost its members.

Marines

 * Iccabod Dael: The current leader of the Artists of Agony, a surprisingly quiet and reserved man. Though he is a sadist at heart, he is almost always cool and collected. He wears armor with a unique paintjob, quartered with leopard print alternating with tiger stripes. His personal weapon is a custom-made whip.
 * Jackel Abendon: Iccabod's second in command. He is bored with recuperating on Dragoste and wishes to return to infamy.
 * Sabrael Krandall: Arrogant and condescending even to his own, Sabrael Krandall has the brightest and messiest color scheme of all the Artists of Agony. He fears no foe and proudly wears his brilliant colors onto the battlefield in full glory. Despite his personality, he is a talented warrior. Carries a chainsword.
 * Rellus Serro: Close friend to Faustus, wears armor with patterns the opposite of his comrade. They are rarely separated in battle.
 * Faustus Hailanda: Rellus' best friend, he wears armor with patterns the opposite of his comrade.
 * Markain Falko
 * Faidon Nagal
 * Vladim Sarrin
 * Aryeh Jansen

Cult and Culture
The Artists of Agony are followers of Slaanesh, and as such enjoy the arts and pleasure. All members enjoy painting their armor with vibrant patterns; animal prints are especially common. The Artists simply work over their existing paintjobs, resulting in mismatched and chaotic patterns. Compared to other warbands, the Artists seem more relaxed and reserved, though this is simply a front.

Tactics
Unlike most warbands, the Artists are conservative in combat, preferring to scheme ahead and execute artful yet devastating blows upon their enemies. Planning sessions can go on for hours, even days.

In direct, open battle, most members prefer to use ranged weapons, though the higher-ranking amongst them prefer pain-inflicting melee devices such as whips.

Recruitment
Recruits are either taken from those seeking Slaanesh's pleasure or are forced into service. The latter explicitly search out the Artists, looking for fellow devotees of their chosen Chaos God. Jueelya's cult has provided many fresh recruits to bolster the Artists' thin ranks.

Mutations
Mutations are fairly minor, if Chaotic mutations could be considered minor. These are mostly relegated to physical effects such as the voice of the Daemonic or enhanced reflexes, although a few have been (un)fortunate enough to gain Daemonlike pincers as replacement hands.

After the ascension of their cultist ally, the Voice of the Daemonic became more widespread throughout the Warband.

Dragoste
Dragoste is the adopted homeworld of the Artists of Agony. It is a small, isolated planet with a quite unremarkable though warm climate. All of the cities are clustered together on one continent, with the largest being Havilah. This is where the Artists of Agony are based, though they have various outposts across the planet run by cultists.

Havilah
Havilah is the capital of Dragoste. Like the other cities, it consists of large stone buildings built in basic rectangular shapes. As the world is effectively dedicated to Slaanesh, all structures are decorated with intricate carvings and bright paints. Atop these buildings are large gardens full of lush plants and flowers, where large parties and concerts are hosted. The streets are a grey cobblestone and are often decorated with shapes formed with painted stones.