Nevonian Free Company

This is a story about the Nevonian Knights, a once proud chapter who fell victim to a war with the Tyranids that ground them down to just under a company in strength. Despite their sacrifice they failed in their mission, 4 worlds falling to the ravages of the endless waves of xenos. In penance they became a crusading chapter, simply seeking a good place to make their final stand. They, however, were cursed to live in their shame and would not fall in battle. Eventually they were joined by others- the disgraced, the injured, and the damned who sought to find a way to do honor to the Emperor with their death. So it was that the Nevonian Knights, called the Nevonian Free Company by those who know of its true nature, began its eternally suicidal crusade against the enemies of the Emperor.
== Renegade? ==
Official decrees regarding the Nevonian Knights chapter are few and the Imperium seems to turn a blind eye to them. Officially, on paper at least, they are a loyalist adeptus astartes chapter. In reality they are a roving pack of marines from disparate chapters masquerading as a cohesive company. They show up to lost causes unannounced, often at the 11th hour, and do their damnedest to turn the tide- seeking a good death in battle. Fortunately for them (or unfortunately) they often succeed in their mission rather than die. This earns them a bit of a reprieve in the minds of those who could declare them renegades but they are not immune to suspicion. In function they act like a renegade chapter but in practicality they are loyalists (possibly some of the most devout servants of the Emperor).
== Origin & History ==
The Nevonian Knights were a 16th founding chapter using genetics of the Black Guard chapter (thus giving them Raven Guard lineage). They were based on Nevon IV, a world that would soon become the target of a Tyranid invasion. They fought a 40 year campaign against the xenos incursion but eventually failed to protect their homeworld and 3 other planets located in the path of the Tyranids. The chapter was scattered and broken, eventually retreating to their battle barge to gather their strength. They were left at a size of about 1 company at the end, 9 having been slain including their chapter master (a title never again used).
After their sound defeat they unanimously elected to simply fly their battle barge with the remaining marines into the thickest part of the Tyranid hive fleet that had crushed them and “die a good death”. Instead, despite suffering horrific casualties, they completed their task; they broke a vital link in the Tyranid invasion and caused a temporary pause in their advancement. Ever since then they have been crusading, throwing themselves at lost causes and attracting honorable stragglers from other chapters.
== Notable Campaigns ==
* Holy Sarian Campaign: The Nevonian Free Company dispatched themselves to support the  Catachan XIV Regiment and Our Lady of the Bolter in repelling and later reclaiming the 9 worlds conquered by the forces of the Tau Ethereal Aun’El Sari. While they were successfully in reclaiming 8 of them during their campaign, they were repelled at the Second Battle of Toullom. 
* Hell on Rathgarim: On a moon of Rathgarim the Nevonian Free Company arrived when all hope seemed lost and rescued a regiment of Imperial Guard from an assault by a legion of heretical marines loyal to Khorne. The Free Company is noted to have lost almost half its number in the attempt.
== Freeblades ==
The Nevonian Free Company has a number of accompanying freeblade Imperial Knights. They seem to attract exiled souls and those with something to prove. At any given time they have 1-3 freeblades with them, though it is a rotating cast. Often they will not travel with the chapter but may heed a call to arms when the crusade reaches a decisive battle.
== Recruitment ==
There are no scouts in the Nevonian Free Company as the marines who join them are from other chapters. Each marine has a different story to tell but all come to their chapter to die. The Nevonian Free Company does rigorous purity screenings, allowing only the most faithful to join their ranks. The reasons for joining are myriad and include sole survivors of conflicts, squads from disbanded chapters, brothers from failed chapters, ancient blackshields looking to regain some honor in death, critically injured marines not deserving of a Dreadnought (or when a Dreadnought is not available), battle-brothers expelled for political reasons or reasons relating to tradition, etc.
As all the marines of the Nevonian Free Company don the armor and markings of the Nevonian Knights chapter and adopt the guise of them; never taking off their armor in public view. They will not lie about their origins to those who have the authority to ask but will simply state something like, “I am a child of the Emperor, his faithful servant in all things” or “I was born to become a Nevonian Knight”. Because of this it is unclear how many actual members of the Nevonian Knights chapter are still among its ranks. It is quite possible that none do and that the chapter is simply comprised of transplants carrying on their tragic and noble legacy.
== Ranks & Organization ==
All marines of the Nevonian Free Company start by holding the rank of “routier”, a rank equivalent to “battle-brother”. A Free Sergeant leads squads while a Free Captain oversees the chapter (as they are only about 100 strong). The Free Captain, currently Faith Hawkwood, serves as the nominal chapter master but his prestige is lowly regarded. Faith Hawkwood was the name of a brother marine of the Nevonian Knights chapter but it is unclear if Capt. Hawkwood is the same person or just a nom de plume used by each successive Free Captain of the chapter.
The chapter itself is always quite small. They have about a company’s worth of marines at any given time and recruitment is sporadic at best. At times they have been brought down to as few as 20 marines only to arrive 50 years later with a much larger presence. It is likely that the Nevonian Free Company will soon achieve its goal is totally annihilating itself in the name of the Emperor.
== Contributing Chapters ==
* As the chapter is the spiritual successor to the Blackshields in some way, a number of their veterans are thought to have been some of their earliest additions.
* Some of the earliest members may have been from the Unseen Wind Coven.
* It is said that, at one point, the Nevonian Free Company absorbed some of the remaining members of the Death Cult chapter and they are still fighting anomalously under the white and purple armor.
== Tactics ==
The Nevonian Free Company uses almost exclusively melee weapons and never employs heavy weapons aside from the occasional grenade. They are exceptionally skilled hand to hand fighter, rivaling the best in other chapters. They sometimes employ single-handed firearms if the situation requires it. Plasma pistols are a common sight amongst the chapter and many will use bolt pistols as a backup weapon. Many, particularly routiers, use two chainswords or a chainaxe. In combat they are feral warriors, fighting with suicidally reckless abandon. It is not uncommon for a member of the Nevonian Free Company to throw himself into a situation where he is greatly outnumbered. They are not foolish however- they arrive in unexpected places at inconvenient times where they are needed most.
The Nevonian Free Company doesn’t have many vehicles, particularly lacking in heavy artillery. Anything that’s left is simply something left over from the early days of the chapter (often heavily repaired). Because of this the largely only employ ground forces and very little mechanized infantry. This is supplemented by their frequent allies- the freeblades of the Imperial Knights. In this capacity they serve as a much needed bit of heavy mechanized support
Free Blade Tactical.png|A Routier from the Nevonian Free Company
Free Blade Colors.png|A Routier from the Nevonian Free Company
Free Blade Assault.png|A Free Sergeant from an Assault Squad from the Nevonian Free Company
Free Blade Sgt.png|A Free Sergeant from a Tactical Squad from the Nevonian Free Company
Freeblade Tac 2.png|A Routier from the Nevonian Free Company
Freeblade Tac 1.png|A Routier from the Nevonian Free Company
Freeblade Dev 1.png|A Routier from the Nevonian Free Company
Category:Raven Guard Successors
Category:16th Founding