Raven Guard

The Raven Guard are an army that features in Warhammer 40,000.

History

The Raven Guard were a Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes that were created by the Imperium of Man. They were one of the original First Founding Legions of Space Marines with their Primarch being Corax but he along with his kin was scattered by the forces of Chaos. Corax was found by the slave labourers of the mineral-rich moon of Lycaeus, orbiting the technologically advanced Kiavahr. All that is certain is that the slaves took in the white skinned infant with midnight black hair and eyes as empty as space, hiding him from their jailers and raising him as one of their own.

The Emperor descended to Deliverance during the victory celebrations, to find Corax curiously waiting for him. The two talked for a day and a night, during which Corax accepted command of the Raven Guard Legion of Space Marines, on the condition that the Emperor help him bring order back to Kiavahr. This was done, the already broken Tech-Guilds were destroyed and the Adeptus Mechanicus stepped in and took control. The Great Crusade saw Corax lead the Raven Guard in some of the most stunning victories of the age. His training in covert warfare was not forgotten, and was used to topple many planets hitherto considered impregnable. Corax and his Legion fought under the command of Warmaster Horus for a time. Corax's Legion had garnered such a fearsome reputation that Warmaster Horus requested their aid many times in his campaigns and it is thought that it was thanks to the Raven Guard's assistance that Horus's tally of victories was so high. But the two Primarchs did not see eye-to-eye, and only avoided bloodshed when Corax removed his Legion from under Horus's command.

The Raven Guard took part in the doomed assault on Istvaan V, the location of Horus's headquarters after he turned to Chaos. The Raven Guard, together with the Iron Hands and Salamanders, were decimated when the four Legions supporting the attack turned traitor, nearly destroying the Loyalists in the process. Corax returned to Deliverance with orders to rebuild his Legion as quickly as possible. Forced to sit back and watch as the Imperium teetered on the brink of collapse, Corax turned to tomes of ancient knowledge detailing the risky process of gene-seed zygote acceleration. Despite warnings of the terrible creatures that might be created, Corax ordered the Apothecaries of the Legion to begin the process. There are no records of the first results of the process, but rumours stated that the monstrosities created using these techniques were herded into battle by their brethren; barely one in ten able to even hold a bolter, let alone use it. Amongst these, there might have been one in a hundred with a stable enough genome to become an actual Space Marine. As the Horus Heresy built into a full galactic civil war, Corax and his Marines were slowly able to rebuild their Legion, playing what parts they could in the greater war. The Raven Guard's talent for small, covert operations behind enemy lines were able to partially offset their lack of resources and manpower, but it wasn't until nearly a century after the Heresy that the Legion was able to fight in meaningful numbers. Corax had rebuilt his Legion, but at a great cost. The dungeons below the Raven Guard's fortress monastery echoed with the howls of the deformed monsters created by his order. The Primarch agonised over what should be done with the bloodthirsty monsters. After much agonising, he finally decided that he should administer the Emperor's Peace to every single one of them, personally. He did so, praying for both their souls and his own. When Roboute Guilliman drafted the Codex Astartes, it was met by much resistance from many of the Space Marine Legions, but Corax was in support, allowing for the creation of the Black Guard, Revilers, Raptors, And The Hawk Lords Chapters during the Second Founding. Following this, Corax is said to have locked himself away, praying for forgiveness from the Emperor for his transgressions. A year after he had locked himself away, Corax emerged, haggard and wild-eyed. He commandeered a shuttle and left Deliverance for the Eye of Terror, leaving only a single word as his valediction, "Nevermore...".

Overview

Raven Guard armour is primarily black, with varying trim for different specialisations (Green for Tactical, Red for Assault, and Yellow for Devastator squads), and has only changed in the application of the specialisation patterns since the Heresy. The Chapter symbol is a white raven, wings outstretched, on a black background. They specialise in devastating strikes behind enemy lines, guerrilla warfare and rapid reaction to enemy manoeuvres.

After Istvaan V, the Legion had to rely on a reserve of older equipment, an imbalance that has remained over the ten thousand years since the Horus Heresy. They also have a shortage of armoured vehicles, relying primarily on infantry actions. The Raven Guard's ability to have troops in the right position to wreak maximum havoc is legendary, and their mastery of rapid deployment and squad level tactics is required study for initiates of many other Chapters. However, their primary strength is their ease and method of deployment, allowing them to assess the situation, just before engaging.

The majority of new Space Marines are recruited from the moon of Deliverance, where the Raven Guard maintain close ties with the population. However, due to corruption caused by Corax's accelerated rebuilding programme, the process of initiation is much slower and more hazardous than normal. Few candidates are able to handle the transformation from man to Space Marine, and even more die or go insane early in their training. Also, the Raven Guard no longer have access to certain gene-seed organs, while others function less effectively than compared to other Chapters.

The Raven Guard follow the Codex Astartes as closely as possible, mainly differing in the tactical application of their troops. There is a heavy dependence on Scout forces to act alone for long periods, and rapid response training is promoted more than usual. Raven Guard forces will commonly deploy from orbital drop pods, or via Thunderhawk gunships, in response to intelligence gathered by the Scouts. The Chapter's forte is covert operations, meaning they will only engage in a pitched battle if absolutely necessary. Vehicles are not often used, though it is common for Dreadnoughts to deploy using drop pods.

A battlecry is inappropriate for a Chapter depending on stealth and guerrilla warfare. The Chapter motto is Victorus aut Mortis, meaning Victory or Death..

The Raven Guard's fortress monastery is known as the Ravenspire, the former headquarters and bastion of the Lycaeus prison guards. The world of Deliverance is a barren and airless rock. Once, the atmosphere domes and shelters were poisonous mini-worlds of industrial waste and the effects of overmining. Conditions have vastly improved, and Deliverance, along with Kiavahr, is able to produce enough ordnance and war material to almost equal a Forge World.

Members

• Corax : Primarch
• Kayvaan Shrike : a Captain who became the hero of Targus VIII and leader of the "Shrike's Wing" veterans.
• Aajz Solari : a Captain of the 2nd Company.
• Vincente Sixx : Chapter Master through the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy
• Alenpo : an Instructor Sergeant of the 4th Company.
• Adaric Vaanes : a Battle-Brother who became a renegade Raven Guard trapped on Mendrengard (the home of the Iron Warriors) with other renegades. Appeared in Dead Sky, Black Sun alongside Uriel Ventris. Is believed to have joined a grand company of Iron Warriors with two other remaining renegades.

Notes

• The Raven Guard were created by Games Workshop and featured in the setting of the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

Appearances

• Warhammer 40,000:

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