Blood Ravens

The Blood Ravens are an army that feature in Warhammer 40,000.

History

Blood Ravens

The Blood Ravens have been a part of the Imperium's defences for at least several thousand years, though their origins are shrouded in mystery and speculation, as the Chapter's origins are unknown even to themselves, including their founding Primarch (calling him instead the Unknown Primarch), Space Marine Legion and gene-seed. Because of this, they venerate the Emperor above all and the current shape of the Chapter has been influenced primarily by the Marine known as the "Great Father", Azariah Vidya, whom they respect as something of a Primarch figure.

The Blood Ravens have a reputation of being legendary scholars among the Adeptus Astartes; their mantra of ‘Knowledge is Power, Guard It Well’ is not just a saying, but a true and fervent belief, and their reputation is as impressive among the ranks of the Inquisition (who distribute research material and information to their chapter that ordinarily would never make it outside of the Inquisition), and several pure research orders in the Adepta Sororitas (who will often ‘loan’ a Sister for collaboration in a research project). This level of direct co-operation is almost unheard of within the Imperium, given the fierce mistrust between the Space Marines and the Ecclesiarchy, and the distrust with which the Inquisition regards even its own branch members. One major reason for such good relationships is their dual identity as warriors as well as scholars; while their faith in the Emperor and Imperium is as strong as that of any other Chapter, it is not blind. No matter how much their numbers may dwindle, the Blood Ravens maintain only the highest possible standards in recruitment of new Marines, not daring to trust any than the most pure to the vast and secret knowledge they guard. In acknowledgement of this, all Blood Raven Neophites are offered a choice to stop their transformation into a Space Marine long after the point it would mean both their deaths and a waste of valuable material, to make sure that only those truly willing to withstand the pain and hardships of a Marines life will be allowed in.

The Blood Ravens also enjoy stronger relations with many of the Imperium's other power structures, as well as strong ties with other Chapters such as the Space Wolves, the Ultramarines, and the Black Dragons. However at times these relationships may be strained, when their methodical, scholarly and logical nature in battle clashes against the more impulsive brethren in other chapters. Indeed, in one engagement against the Thousand Sons, the Blood Ravens Librarian Urelie had almost come to blows with the Black Templars Chaplain Broec when the Chaplain accused Urelie of near Heresy with his persistent questioning and doubts, the Blood Ravens amazed and repulsed by the mindless, unquestioning and simple way in which the Templars embraced Imperial Dogma.

Overview

The Blood Ravens of the 1st, 2nd and 4th Companies wear dark red armour with brown-black trim, red eye lenses and parchment coloured shoulder armour. The 3rd Company wear more lightly-coloured armour and have green eye lenses. The Chapter symbol is a silhouetted raven in flight, as seen from above, incorporated with a stylized drop of blood below its wings. Another symbol is the Book of Unknown History that resembles an open book. The Blood Ravens follow the Codex Astartes in spirit, if not in letter. Although the squad mix within battle companies varies, the companies are organized on Codex lines. The Blood Ravens have no homeworld. Instead, their Fortress-Monastery is situated aboard the Battle Barge Omnis Arcanum, also home to their Librarium Sanctorum - reputed to be the largest repository of knowledge in the Imperium. The rest of the chapter serves aboard the chapter fleet of Strike Cruisers and Battle Barges, all of which contain extensive Librariums in their own right as would be expected of the Blood Ravens.

The Blood Ravens are known for the large number of Librarians within the Chapter, many second in power and skill to only the Grey Knights. Within the Blood Ravens' Veteran Company, there are two squads composed entirely of Librarians, who deal with arcane and daemonic threats. How such vast numbers of psychically-talented marines come to be is unknown, but it is believed to be based on a combination of the Chapter's reverence for the Father Librarian, their recruitment process and - some say - their gene-seed. And as would be expected of a chapter that values knowledge so deeply; while the Librarians are valued for their formidable Psychic gifts they are just as -if not more so- valued for their scholarly prowess and role as guardians of knowledge for the Chapter.

Within the Chapter exists an organization known as the Ordos Psykana, which is solely comprised of Librarians. They maintain psychic beacons on the Chapter's battlebarges, first placed there by Azariah Vidya himself. The primary reason for these beacons is long lost to the Chapter; but it appears they were designed as a weapon against the Necrons and in imitation of the Infinity Circuits of the Eldar. They are also used to ritually summon the soul of a slain Blood Ravens Librarian before his physical remains are laid to rest. The Psykana maintains armories stacked with force weapons, many procured willingly from the Eldar, speaking of an ancient relationship between the Eldar and the chapter.

This in-depth knowledge of Chaos, high number of psykers, and vast stores of force weapons arguably makes the Blood Ravens second only to the Grey Knights in terms of anti-daemon tasking. In the computer game Dawn of War: Dark Crusade, a small task force of the Grey Knights is attached to the Blood Ravens by the Inquisition, for unknown reasons (For purposes of gameplay balance, if not that of storytelling.) However while the Grey Knights are anti-daemon specalists, the Blood Ravens are 'generalists', just as skillful fighting against Chaos as Eldar or Ork, Necron or Tau.

As the Blood Ravens have no homeworld, they draw on a series of worlds for new recruits. One of the more popular recruiting worlds was Cyrene, this however was before an Inquisitorial Exterminatus was carried out as told by Captain Gabriel Angelos. Another was the world Rahe's Paradise, however this planet also fell to an Inquisitorial Exterminatus because of a renewed Necron presence. The Blood Ravens also recruit from other parts of the Imperium unused by other chapters such as the Scholastica Psykana, with whom they hold an agreement to recruit a quota of psykers as potential Librarians.

The Blood Ravens believe in studying their enemy before using this information to wipe them out. This approach to warfare draws criticism from several other chapters, but the same cannot be said when the Blood Ravens finally decide to launch into combat.

In battle, the Marines of the Chapter systematically destroy enemy units with ruthlessness and precision. They never vary in their battleplan nor have reason to, as the precognitive abilities of their Librarians will already have been employed to account for every possibility.

Members

• Azariah Vidya :
• Gabriel Angelos :
• Davian Thule :
• Indrick Boreale :
• Hyrcleon :
• Mikelus :
• Anteas :
• Gordian :
• Ravenholm :

Notes

• The Blood Ravens were an original creation by Relic Entertainment and featured in the setting of the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

Appearances

• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War:

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