Anno Domini 1666 - The Old World without the Warhammer

Athos, was very much the “senior” musketeer and often thought of as the leader of the group (although in the game, which is set somewhere towards the end of the timeframe of the final novel, D’Artagnan is the faction leader as befits his status at that time). He was stern and taciturn, often melancholy and prone to drowning his sorrows in drink for Athos also carried with him a secret history. Once, he was, married to Milady de Winter, who by the start of the D’Artagnan Romances, was a villainous agent of Cardinal Richeliue.  Athos discovered after they were wed, that she was in fact a criminal on the run, wanted for murder. After discovering this truth he tried to kill her and ultimately abandoned his former life of privilege as the Comte De La Fére, to become a musketeer, adopting the nom-de-guerre of Athos, which is the only name that his peers knew. This left a deep scar on him, leaving him jaded and bitter, but despite that he was still loyal to his friends and protective of the young D’Artagnan. Ultimately he got his revenge on Milady, seeing her captured and executed for her crimes, but that did not truly make him happy. In later years, he has a son, out of wedlock, named Raoul whom he formally adopted (thus making Raoul heir to the position and title of Comte de la Fére).  It is in his son that he truly found happiness. He was also involved in the English Civil War, attempting to rescue Charles I and eventually assisting Charles II in his restoration to the throne. However his end was ultimately tragic as his son Raoul was killed in battle in Africa, after being sent to a dangerous part of the front by King Louis XIV who had fallen in love with his fiancée. Upon hearing this news, Athos withdrew to his home but was overcome with grief and died.

I think this quite nicely captured in the model. The uniform is simple and plain but ultimately functional, a soldier’s uniform of a simple buff coat over a shirt and britches with a red sash around his waist, something that is very common among officers which, along with the pose, helps to create an air of command about him. I have to say that the camera has let me down a bit in the photograph as the contrasts painted on the coat aren’t really as pronounced as the appear on the actual model. As with the other models in the group, he wears a royal blue cloak to identify him as belonging to the musketeers. Also the details on the face weren’t particularly crisp and that made the eyes especially difficult to paint.