Aethon Shaan
 Aethon Shaan[5] | |
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| Title(s) | Lord of Deliverance |
| Homeworld | Deliverance |
| Born | c. M41 |
| Active Period | M41 - Present |
| Species | Human |
| Type | Astartes |
| Gender | Male |
| Relatives |
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| Occupation(s) |
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| Affiliation(s) |
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| Preceded by | Kayvaan Shrike (As Master of Shadows[6] |
Aethon Shaan is the current Master of Shadows of the Raven Guard.[5] Before his current position he was Shadow Captain of the Chapter's 1st Company[4] and before that its 4th Captain.[1a][3]
History
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The following paragraphs contain spoilers for: | The Chapter's Due (Novel) |
Battle-Brother
Aethon Shaan has served in the Raven Guard for hundreds of years, and over his long career served in the 10th, 8th, 4th, and 1st Companies before becoming 4th Company Captain.[7]
Shadow Captain
When the Chaos army known as the Bloodborn invaded Ultramar in 854999.M41[2], the Raven Guard's Master of Shadows sent Shaan and one of the Fourth Company's elite squads to assist the Ultramarines. Their entry into Lord Calgar's chambers inside the Fortress of Hera was so stealthy that even the legendary Scout Sergeant Telion did not detect their presence until they announced themselves. Their specific mission was to capture Ardaric Vaanes, a renegade Raven Guard who had been seen traveling in the retinue of Warsmith Honsou.[1a]
Shaan and his squad infiltrated the Chaos-held city of Axum on Tarentus and neutralized the sentries, allowing an Ultramarines strike force to enter and demolish the defences. However, Axum was a trap laid by Honsou for Uriel Ventris, who only just managed to evacuate his troops before the city was levelled from orbit. During the evacuation, Shaan saved Scout Sergeant Issam's life by casually beheading a persistent Khorne Berserker clinging to their escaping Thunderhawk.[1b]
Shaan later joined Uriel and the Ultramarines Fourth Company in defending Calth from the assault of the Iron Warriors, and helped Inquisitor Namira Suzaku to interrogate Vaanes after he was captured during the fight at Guilliman's Gate.[1c]
Shaan and his squad were instrumental in turning the tide on Calth, when they infiltrated the Chaos force's command vehicle, the Black Basilica, and destroyed it with demolition charges. This not only killed a fair number of the Chaos soldiers, it also halted the corrupt Adept Cycerin's attempts to take control of the Praetorians fighting on the Ultramarines' side.[1d][1e]
In the climax of the battle on Calth, Shaan accompanied Uriel and his Command Squad through the caverns to the underground tomb of Remus Ventanus, the saviour of Calth.[1f][1g][1h] Shaan lost several men in the fight with Honsou's warriors, but survived the fight, and the collapsing of the cave by Honsou.[1i]
Afterwards, Shaan was bewildered by the actions of Vaanes, who had fought for their side in the final battle. Shaan had been ordered to take Vaanes back to the Ravenspire for punishment, but did not know what he would say now. Uriel suggested that Shaan tell the truth: that Vaanes had given his life fighting against the Ruinous Powers. Shaan agreed, and asked Apothecary Selenus to extract Vaanes' gene-seed, for return to the Raven Guard's fortress-monastery.[1i]
Shaan and his surviving warriors also accompanied the Second and Fourth Companies to Talassar to relieve the besieged First Company led by Chapter Master Calgar, taking part in the jump pack assault against M'kar's daemon army.[1j] He and his surviving warriors were among the few non-Ultramarines to attend the Chapter's victory celebration in the Shrine of Guilliman on Macragge, and the fallen Raven Guard were honoured along with the Ultramarines.[1j]
First Captain
Shaan eventually became Captain of the 1st Company and was given the honorific title of Lord of Deliverance. In this capacity he oversaw the defence of the Raven Guard homeworld while also gaining de facto control of the Chapter's logistical, manufacturing, and information network. Shaan thus came to specialize in the Rite of Shadow known as the Spraakfys, which deals with the nature of realities and falsehoods. He also came to master the Trifold Paths of Shadow. But while Kayvaan Shrikea and Corvin Severax both leaned too closely to the Path of Ambush, Shaan had managed to obtain true balance between the three principles of Corax.[7]
Master of Shadows
During the Indomitus Crusade, Shaan oversaw victories against the Genestealer Cults of Gelvia, the Iron Warriors at Strigneth System, and the Orks at Aescia II. All three victories had been won with minimal loss of life and exemplified the Trifold Paths of Shadow in their execution. Kayvaan Shrike, having long looked for a successor, knew that the Captain exemplified the tactics set by their Primarch. Shrike saw that his and his predecessor Corvin Severax's reliance on the Path of Ambush had weakened the Raven Guard, and saw in Shaan someone who better exemplified the ways of their Primarch.[7] Shaan was summoned back to the Ravenspire and quietly and unceremoniously appointed Master of Shadows while Shrike resigned while continuing to lead Raven Guard forces in the Bastior Sub-Sector.[7]
Befitting his title, Shaan prefers to lead from the shadows and wage campaigns of subterfuge and misdirection. He emphasizes the value of intelligence and utilizing highly autonomous independent strike forces of Raven Guard. To that end, he rarely appears openly in battle and maintains a network of spies, info thralls, and Servo-Automata to constantly collect information on potential threats. On the rare occasion that Shaan commits himself to the fight, his presence heralds doom for the enemy. Usually, he arrives at the culmination of the Raven Guard's clandestine efforts, descending to land the killing blow upon an already weakened foe.[6]
Wargear
Shaan wields the Lightning Claws dubbed the Claws of Severax and the relic Jump Pack dubbed the Blackwing Mantle. Both were taken up following his appointment as Chapter Master and were formerly wielded by Corvin Severax. Shaan is also accompanied by Servo-Automata drones taken from the Ravenspire.[6]
See also
Sources
- 1: The Chapter's Due (Novel):
- 2: Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition), pg. 40
- 3: War Zone Damocles: Kauyon, pg. 29
- 4: Codex Supplement: Raven Guard (8th Edition), pg. 11 - Chapter Organisation
- 5: Warhammer Community: The Big Summer Preview – Champions of the First Founding (archived from the original 18 July 2025, last accessed 18 July 2025)
- 6: Warhammer Community: Aethon Shaan: Master of Shadows (Saved archive page, dated 2 September 2025, last accessed 2 September 2025, original link: https://www.warhammer-community.com/en-gb/articles/8wocrwoc/aethon-shaan-master-of-shadows/)
- 7: White Dwarf 517, pgs. 21-23