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|Colours=Dark red/black/parchment white.
|Specialty=Large number of [[Librarians]]<sup>2b</sup>
|Battle Cry="Knowledge is power, guard it well."<sup>2c</sup>
|Strength=Unknown
|Symbol=BRS.jpg
==Founding==
[[Image:Blood Raven.JPG|thumb|A Blood Raven Astartes]]]
The precise Founding in which the Blood Ravens were created is unknown; their own chapter histories only begin in [[M37]], though other [[Imperial]] records contain some small references to the Chapter as existent before then. It is important to note that the Blood Ravens' histories are ''completely absent'' before the M37 date; they are not just spotty or fragmentary records. As a result, the [[Astartes]] of the Chapter know absolutely nothing about their origins, including having no knowledge of their [[First Founding|primogenitor legion]] or [[primarch]]. This absence of information about a primarch has resulted in the Blood Ravens focusing their spiritual reverence on the [[Emperor]]. However, they do have one particular mytho-historical figure of reverence in the form of [[Azariah Vidya]], known as the '''Great Father''' of the Blood Ravens.<sup>2d</sup>
Azariah Vidya is reputed to have been a member of the Chapter during its first years. According to the legend (for actual records of this event apparently do not exist), during a disastrous campaign against a [[Chaotic]] uprising in the [[Gothic]] [[sector]], their [[Chapter Master]], [[Master of Sanctity]] and most of their elite 1st Company were killed in action. The young Chapter, now without much of their senior cadre, turned to [[Chief Librarian]] Vidya for leadership. Vidya, already said to be an expert in the ways of the [[Ruinous Powers]], turned to both research and guile to achieve victory, using [[Imperial Guard]] forces to probe and distract the enemy before leading surgical Astartes strikes on important [[heretic]] locations that critically disrupted not only their military lines but also their sources of eldritch power. The campaign was swiftly ended in favour of the Imperium, and in the aftermath it was discovered that the whole rebellion (and the associated extermination of the Blood Ravens veterans) had been organised by the [[Alpha Legion]].<sup>2d</sup>
Vidya was asked by the ''''Secret Masters'''' of the Chapter to officially become Chapter Master; something he did while retaining his position as Chief Librarian.<sup>2d</sup> This resulted in the tradition of the Blood Ravens whereby Librarians are afforded dual-roles as command officers.<sup>2b</sup>
== Recent Years ==
The Blood Ravens of fact, not of legend, are driven by the need to discover the truth about their origins, as well as the philosophy of the gaining of knowledge. To this end, they have developed friendly interactions with the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] and have often been assigned to [[Explorator]] missions to unknown/uneplored areas of the [[galaxy]] as a result. Combined with their own missions to seek out ancient ruins, mythic sites or other sources of information, the Blood Ravens have done much to expand the boundaries of both Imperial knowledge and space.<sup>2e</sup>
The Blood Ravens have also become notable for engaging their [[Chaos Space Marines|heretic brethren]], with some of their most recent campaigns featuring heavy interaction against the forces of [[Chaos]].
The Second Company, along with small elements from the other companies, engaged the [[Necrons]] army in a legendary battle beneath the Thur'Abis Plateau on [[Kronus]]. They emerged victorious after Captain [[Davian Thule]] successfully planted a bomb deep within the Necron catacombs, which detonated and collapsed the caverns on top of the still waking Necrons. In reference to this great victory, the Second Company later added the Necron skull to their heraldry and adopted the motto ''"Victory Over Death."'' <sup>3 (confirmed in [[Dawn of War 2]])</sup>
Recruits are drawn from planets ranging from the most primal [[feral world]] to sprawling, violence-plagued [[hive world]]s - the only common factor of the specific worlds they recruit from being their heavy incidence of [[psyker]] mutations.
===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==
NOTE: The only time the "secret masters" of the chapter are talked about are during Chris Roberson's Dawn of War II book. This conflicts with canon established in the Dawn of War II game where the Force Commander was promoted by the Chapter Master. This is most likely who leads the chapter, though it is also possible that the Secret Masters provide a council of sorts for the Chapter Master.
===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 and 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 armor suits.<sup>[1]</sup> During the [[Aurelian Crusade]] Gabriel Angelos remarked the fact the 5<sup>th</sup> company is only allowed a single librarian at any time. This is strange since the chapter incorporates so many psykers including two battle squads of the first company being made completely of librarians.<sup>[5]</sup>
**<sup>2c</sup>:p.5
**<sup>2d</sup>:p.1
**<sup>2e</sup>:p.4
*<sup>1</sup>[[Dawn of War: Winter Assault]]
