Imurah awoke to the muffled hum of arcane machinery and the viscous embrace of preservative gel. His vision swam, distorted by the refracted light filtering through the containment vat. Confusion flickered for only a moment before cold, seething anger took hold. The memory of his defeat struck him like a lash. That cursed Ultramarine! That wretched Lieutenant! He thrashed against the containment tube, his clawed fingers finding purchase on the cables and conduits that fed his reborn form. With a guttural snarl, he tore them free, the alchemical gel spilling in a frothing cascade as the glass shell shattered.
He collapsed to the chamber floor, his bare, sinewy form gleaming with the remnants of the gel. The acrid scent of sorcerous chemicals and warp-tainted incense filled his nostrils. Imurah spat out the bitter residue, his rage bubbling to the surface. “Curse that Ultramarine,” he hissed, his voice a venomous snarl. “Curse him and his wretched resistance.”
Rising unsteadily to his feet, he surveyed the room. The chamber was dimly lit, bathed in the cold blue glow of runes etched into the walls. Servitor-automatons skittered in the shadows, their soulless eyes flickering. Tzeentch’s ever-shifting sigils spiraled across the dome above, a reminder of both his patron’s power and the delicate threads of fate that bound him. This was not the first time he had tasted death and rebirth, and the indignity of it gnawed at his pride. A sorcerer of his magnitude did not die easily, and yet he had been bested—humiliated.
A rustle at the chamber’s edge drew his attention. A skulking Tzaangor, its avian features glinting with a sickly sheen, crept forward, cradling his robes in its taloned hands. Imurah regarded the creature with a mixture of disdain and necessity. Being laid bare was not his concern; such vanity was beneath him. But to be seen like this—freshly reborn, stripped of his regalia—would invite mockery from his peers. That was a luxury he could not afford. Word would already begin to spread of his defeat, carried on the whispers of daemons and the treacherous lips of lesser sorcerers. He would not compound the shame by appearing weak.
“Bring them here,” he commanded, his voice cold and imperious. The Tzaangor obeyed, bowing its twisted head as it offered the robes. Imurah donned them with deliberate care, the rich fabrics and rune-stitched sigils a stark contrast to the raw, mottled flesh of his newly cloned form. The moment the robes settled on his shoulders, he felt a measure of his dignity restored.
He turned to the cloning vat that had birthed him. Another body floated within, its features eerily similar to his own—a contingency he had crafted long ago. The incantations binding his soul to these vessels were complex, labyrinthine in their intricacy. He approached the vat, murmuring the litanies of binding under his breath, the air crackling with warp energy as he renewed the arcane links. The clone’s pallid flesh began to ripple subtly, the warp-touched essence of his soul leaving its mark even on this dormant vessel. A good sign. It meant Tzeentch’s favour had not deserted him entirely.
“You are ever the fickle one,” he muttered to the sigil of Tzeentch above, his tone laced with bitter amusement. “But I remain your instrument, as always.”
The rituals complete, Imurah turned to his armour vault. The ornate chamber yawned open, revealing rows of weapons and artifacts, each humming with latent power. Yet, many of his finest relics were absent. Some had been lost in the heat of battle, others scattered across the stars in the wake of his defeat. Reclaiming them would be a task for another time. For now, he selected a set of older wargear, its runes faintly glowing as if awakening from slumber. The armour fit snugly, its plates clicking into place with a satisfying finality. It was not his most potent suit, but it would suffice to deter any opportunistic rivals who might think to strike him down in his weakened state.
Fully armed, Imurah strode to his meditation chamber, the air growing heavy with the scent of burning warp-fused incense. The chamber was a sanctum of shifting geometries, its walls adorned with ever-changing patterns that defied mortal comprehension. Here, he would begin the arduous task of rebuilding his warhost. His lesser sorcerers and cabal leaders would need to be summoned, their loyalty—or lack thereof—evaluated. The world of Demerium, the stage of his recent humiliation, could wait. There were other threads of fate to weave, other schemes to set in motion.
Seating himself on the jagged throne at the chamber’s center, Imurah allowed his mind to drift into the warp. The currents of the immaterium surged around him, chaotic and vibrant. He extended his will, casting it out like a net to draw in his scattered forces. His plans would not end here. Titus—that meddlesome Ultramarine—had merely delayed the inevitable.
A sinister smile curled his lips as visions of vengeance danced before his eyes. The game was far from over, and Imurah was nothing if not patient. Tzeentch’s grand tapestry had many threads yet to be pulled, and Imurah would see to it that they all led to his ultimate triumph.
“You may have won this battle, Ultramarine,” he whispered into the ether. “But the war is eternal.”
Bringing Imurah to the Tabletop – A Thousand Sons Conversion
I was beyond excited to see the Thousand Sons featured so prominently in Space Marine 2—even if I still can’t play as them (looking at you, Sabre Interactive…).
What made it even better was the introduction of a brand-new named character, Imurah. Unfortunately, the game’s storyline leads to his defeat, but I couldn’t let such a promising character become just another footnote in an Ultramarine’s tale. So, in my headcanon (and now on my tabletop), Imurah is very much alive—plotting, scheming, and ready to take his revenge.
Fittingly, I received a box of Thousand Sons Exalted Sorcerers for Christmas, and to my delight, most of Imurah’s in-game wargear comes straight from this kit. The choice to bring him to life in miniature form was obvious.
Matching Imurah’s Wargear
To start, I wanted to replicate his in-game appearance as closely as possible using parts from the kit. Fortunately, several key components were a perfect match:
✅ Both shoulder pads
✅ Torso
✅ Backpack
✅ Mutated right arm
✅ Staff
The legs, however, were a mix of different pieces. In Space Marine 2, Imurah has the clawed feet from the hovering pose, which I had already used on another sorcerer (seen below on the right).
However, his distinctive gown with small triangular embellishments didn’t quite match the floating legs in the Warhammer kit (see the game screenshot with the highlight).
Choosing the Right Legs
Ultimately, my decision came down to practicality—specifically, which set of legs could be attached to a Disc of Tzeentch. The hovering legs wouldn’t work, so I opted for a different pair that still maintained the right aesthetic.
As a bonus, these legs also feature a glowing orb or potion bottle, just like the one visible in the in-game boss fight. That small detail helped solidify the choice.
Customising the Head
For Imurah’s head, I started with a Genestealer Cultist head and made a few modifications:
Thickened the jawline with greenstuff
Gave him a partial haircut
Sculpted the mutation on the opposite side
Once painted—complete with his signature glowing eyes—I think it turned out great. At this scale, there’s a limit to how much detail you can capture, but I’m happy with the result.
Magnetized for Battle
For the final technical touches, I magnetized both feet, allowing him to swap between a Disc of Tzeentch and a normal base. No matter which version he’s using, though, both bases feature dead Ultramarine Lieutenants—because let’s be honest, at this point, he’d probably kill them on sight.
One day, perhaps, he’ll even get his revenge on Titus.
Anyway, I hope you like him. Here's the reference images I used as well as more shots of the model. You can see the rest of my Thousand Sons via the linked blog below.
7th of February
A quick update on this—well, more like an update on the update that Space Marine 2 received last night.
Do you know what they just added, dear viewer?
A bestiary. A catalogue of units. A menagerie of monsters...
That's right! You can now rotate and inspect the game's 3D assets in detail. Want to see Imurah up close? You can now examine his equipment, check out the colors, and scrutinize every little detail.
Ironically, this comes just a week after I finished painting my miniature. I spent ages painstakingly hunting for screenshots from every possible angle, only to find out—I got a couple of things wrong.
Some inaccuracies were unavoidable. For example, getting the legs right would have meant cannibalising two different sets from the Exalted Sorcerer kit. Imurah does indeed have the floating legs' feet/claws, but the gown and belt match the set I ultimately used. However, the newly accessible 3D model reveals something unexpected: he actually wears a red gown and wields a staff with a purple orb.
In my defense, I based my painting on the reference images available at the time. And to my eyes? That gown definitely looked sand-colored, and the orb? Green.
Ah well, the winds of change are very fickle...
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