Raven Guard
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Raven Guard | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Primarch | Corax |
| Battlecry | Victorus aut Mortis |
| Colours | Black |
In the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000, the Raven Guard are one of the original First Founding Legions of Space Marines. They specialise in devastating strikes behind enemy lines, guerrilla warfare and rapid reaction to enemy manoeuvres.
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[edit] Origins
[edit] Corax
Little is known of the early history of the Raven Guard's Primarch, Corax. He 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, hiding him from their jailers and raising him as one of their own.
Within the space of a few years, the infant Corax had matured, and was educated by the various exiles and prisoners of Kiavahr, their diverse origins granting him an education in everything from urban warfare and demolitions to the qualities of a general and leader. Corax absorbed everything at an astonishing rate, his strength, intelligence and demeanour making him a quick and voracious learner.
Believed by the people of Lycaeus to be their saviour, Corax began to sow the seeds that would bring about his adopted peoples' freedom. He began by showing the slaves how to manufacture weapons from their limited resources, and had them hidden in caches at key points within the mineworks. He then began to organise and train members of the slave population, promoting the best to squad leaders and drilling them thoroughly in their place within his plan. He also began a campaign of psychological warfare on the jailors, organising strikes and riots that stretched the guards' resources and morale to the breaking point.
When the time came, Corax and his army struck. Mining machines were diverted to run wild through the streets and key security points. Sabotage teams ceased the flow of power, communications and life support to the enemy's strong points. Corax and the elite of his trainees assaulted the main bastion of the jailors, capturing it during the course of a single night's fighting.
The ruling Tech-Guilds of Kiavahr were shocked at the fall of their primary source of mineral resources, immediately dispatching troops to the moon in an attempt to recapture it. The war was short and brutal. Corax's troops took advantage of Lycaeus' position at the top of Kiavahr's long gravity well, bombarding the planet with crude atomic weapons. When troops were able to land on the moon, Corax and his army were waiting for them.
In the end, Corax was victorious. Kiavahr's economy collapsed, and the planet descended into anarchy as factions of the Tech-Guilds fought each other for the planet's meagre resources. The celebrations on the moon of Lycaeus went on for days, during which the now-free slaves renamed their home Deliverance.
[edit] The Great Crusade
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, but the two Primarchs did not see eye-to-eye, and only avoided bloodshed when Corax removed his Legion from under Horus's command.
[edit] The Horus Heresy
The Raven Guard were to take part in the assault on Istvaan V, the location of Horus's headquarters after he turned to Chaos. The Legion was shattered when four of the seven Legions participating in the assault turned traitor, decimating the three Loyalist Space Marine forces.
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 along with his.
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, and Raptors 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...".
[edit] Organisation
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.
[edit] Headquarters
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.
[edit] Recruitment
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.
[edit] Combat Doctrine
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.
[edit] Battlecry
A battlecry is inappropriate for a Chapter depending on stealth and guerrilla warfare. The Chapter motto is Victorus aut Mortis, meaning Victory or Death..
[edit] Appearance
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.
[edit] Inspiration
"Nevermore" is a quote from the poem by Edgar Allen Poe,The Raven,in which the only word said by the Raven is "Nevermore". Games Workshop has made many references to E.A. Poe and this poem, such as the the fact that Corax and Edgar both had pale skin and black hair. There is also a line from "The Raven" found in the Space Marines Codex describing the tactics used by the Raven Guard, "From the darkness we strike, fast and lethal, and by the time our foes can react... darkness there and nothing more."
[edit] Notable Members
- Captain Kayvaan Shrike – hero of Targus VIII and leader of the "Shrike's Wing" veterans.
[edit] References
- Chambers, Andy (2004). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Space Marines, 4th Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-526-0.
