Difference between revisions of "Blood Ravens"
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|Fortress-Monastery=[[Omnis Arcanum]] | |Fortress-Monastery=[[Omnis Arcanum]] | ||
Revision as of 10:52, 30 November 2008
The Blood Ravens are a Chapter of Space Marines that prizes information greatly, but ironically know little of their earliest centuries of service. This Chapter is also known for having an unusual high number of powerful Librarians.
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| Founding Chapter: | Unknown | ||
| Founding: | Unknown | ||
| Chapter Master: | Azariah Vidya | ||
| Homeworld: | several Battle Barges and Strike Cruisers | ||
| Fortress-Monastery: | Omnis Arcanum | ||
| Colours: | Dark red, black trim, parchment white | ||
| Strength: | Estimated 1000 Marines | ||
| Battle Cry | Knowledge is power, guard it well.For The Great Father And The Emperor.1 | ||
Contents
Background
Homeworld
The Blood Ravens are a fleet-based chapter and have no official homeworld, living on board of several Battle Barges and Strike Cruisers instead. Their Fortress Monastery is the Battle Barge Omnis Arcanum. Also much of the chapters marines were born on the planet Cyrene but was Destroyed by an Exterminatus order issued by Brother-Captain Gabriel Angelos.
In the Dawn of War: Soustorm campaign line, if played as the Space Marines (Blood Ravens) and win, the epilogue notes that they were given their own fortress-monastery on Kaurava II in the Lands of Solitude, renamed Borealum in honour of Brother-Captain Indrick Boreale, the force commander who led the five Blood Raven companies to victory.2
Beliefs
The Blood Ravens value information and knowledge greatly. They are known to seek out sites of lost artefacts and ancient significance to deny them to the enemy. The Blood Ravens rely heavily on their Librarians to keep the secret archives in order and compile new records, but just as important as their custodial tasks is their duty to seek out new information to bolster the archives and guide the Chapter in its quest for knowledge. Obviously Librarians are highly regarded within the chapter, and recruits are drawn from worlds with high numbers of psykers.
Geneseed
The Blood Raven geneseed seems to be stable, though the high proportion of psykers in the Blood Ravens ranks has resulted in more regular testing of the purity of their geneseed tithe. Thus far, there has been little evidence of mutation. There is, however, a slight mutation in the Catalepsean Node, which grants Blood Ravens perfect recall, but renders them unable to experience R.E.M. Sleep.
Organisation
The Blood Ravens follow the standard organization laid down in the Codex Astartes. Due to the higher proportion of Librarians within the Blood Ravens, it is not unknown for Librarians to lead companies into battle.
The higher echelons of command within the Blood Ravens reflect the high proportion of psykers within the Chapter and many of the Secret Masters of the Chapter are themselves psykers. These warriors obsessively study the ways of the enemy to better fight them.
The Fated
The Blood Ravens 5th company is known as the 'Fated', and though the reasons for this are obscure, it may go back to an incident recorded in the annals of the Chapter's Librarium, but never spoken of openly. In M38 the entire 5th company was recorded as having been lost in the Warp, but the truth of the matter may be by far darker. It is whispered that one of the company Librarians was seduced by the lure of the ruinous powers, and turned his fellow brethren to Chaos. This notion is by large dismissed by the Chapter today, but for unknown reasons the current members of the Blood Ravens 5th Company wear badges of redemption, penitence and shame upon their armour suits. None either will, or can, reveal the reasons for this.
Notable Blood Ravens
- Azariah Vidya - Master of the Chapter Librarium later becoming Chapter Master, had a major influence upon the whole chapter.
- Gabriel Angelos - Captain of the Third Company, mentioned in Blood Ravens: Dawn of War Omnibus.
- Davian Thule - Captain, leading 1st, 2nd, and 4th companies on Kronus.
- Indrick Boreale - Brother-Captain, leading 5 companies in Kaurava system.
- Ulantus - Captain of the Ninth Company; mentioned in Dawn of War: Ascension and Dawn of War: Tempest.
- Chaplain Mikelus
- Isador Akios - Librarian serving with Gabriel Angelos, dies on Tartarus IV.
- Jonas Urelie - father Librarian, formerly serving on Rahe's Paradise.
- Rhamah - Librarian serving with the Litany of Fury, Ninth Company.
- Anteas - Epistolary
- Saribander - Epistolary
- Gordian - Apothecary
- Borian Arivalt - Apothecary
- Martiel - Sergeant
Vessels of the Blood Raven fleet
- Omnis Arcanum
- Litany of Fury
- The Observer
References and sources
- 1Blood Ravens Index Astartes entry - GW website
- (August 2004) "Index Astartes – Blood Ravens". White Dwarf: North American Edition (295). ISSN 0265-8712.
- (November 2004) "Index Astartes – Blood Ravens". White Dwarf: Australian Edition (299). ISSN 0265-8712.
- "Index Astartes – Blood Ravens". White Dwarf: UK Edition (305). ISSN 0265-8712.
- Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War computer game and associated materials.
- Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War: Dark Crusade computer game and associated materials.
- Goto, Cassern (2004). Dawn of War. Nottingham: Black Library. ISBN 1-84416-152-8.
- Goto, Cassern (2005). Dawn of War: Ascension. Nottingham: Black Library. ISBN 1-84416-285-0.
- Goto, Cassern (2006). Dawn of War: Tempest. Nottingham: Black Library. ISBN 1-84416-399-7.
- 2:Dawn of War: Soulstorm
