Black Ravens

Black Ravens
“We shall honor the Emperor with our blood this day! May they tremble at our righteous anger! Remember our fallen brothers and our home! PURGE THEM!! FOR THE EMPEROR AND GAIA!!!”
~ Black Ravens Chapter Master Augustus Varro 
= Overview =
The Black Ravens are a 19th Founding (M36) Raven Guard successor Chapter. They were originally a Codex-adherent Space Marine Chapter, numbering about a thousand battle-brothers at the height of their strength. Being a Raven Guard successor, their favored tactics and methods of war have always been those of the rapid strike, hit-and-run, and shadow warfare. They prefer to attack using Stormravens and Thunderhawks, and generally disapprove of Drop Pods, as they are not useful for a quick escape. Their Chapter Planet was the mountainous death world Gaia (Guy-ah) Secundus in the Segmentum Tempestus. Their Chapter colors are black and brown. Their Chapter Symbol is a simplified silhouette of their lost fortress monastery, which was known as the Black Eyrie. They are not as zealously xenophobic as some Chapters, such as the Black Templars, but they hate the Necrons with every ounce of their being as a result of the Gaia disaster. The Black Ravens have one Battle Barge, which is named Raven's Revenge, that they use to travel the galaxy south of the Great Rift in pursuit of the enemies of the Emperor.
= History =
The Chapter was founded in 547.M36. Although several of their customs have survived,  much of their history has been lost due to the disasters which have befallen them and the loss of their homeworld. What little of their history survives is stored in a special chamber aboard their last surviving Battle Barge, Raven's Revenge. After the Noctis Aeterna in 999.M41, the Black Ravens were left depleted and bloodied as a result of attacks by wave after wave of Daemons and Traitor Astartes in the service of the Chaos God Nurgle. Much of the planet was corrupted, and it took the Black Ravens several Terran years to purge the Chaos taint. Many of the native warrior-tribes had to be completely wiped out, because they were so vile and mutated. This meant that in the years before the Gaia Disaster, the Black Ravens had a major decrease in the number of recruits that they received annually. However, the worst was yet to come.
When the Indomitus Crusade reached them in about 5.M42, they gladly accepted the Primaris reinforcements that Roboute Guilliman brought. Within a decade of the Crusade leaving Gaia Secundus, however, a dormant Necron Tomb Complex of the Sautekh Dynasty awoke under their very feet. The timing could not have been worse, for the entire Chapter was gathered at their fortress monastery for an annual celebration, The Sable Feast. The Black Ravens fought bravely, but were outnumbered and almost overwhelmed. Hoards of Doom Scythes and Night Scythes ripped into the Chapter Fleet, downing all of the giant Battle Barges and Strike Cruisers except the Chapter Flagship, Raven's Revenge. Legions of Necron Warriors and Immortals assaulted the main gates of the Black Eyrie, eventually wearing through them and breaking them down with massed volleys of Gaus fire. Where the resistance was toughest, the Necron Overlord released the power of an ancient C’tan shard known as the Doombringer, which could boil blood with a thought and crush bones to a bloody paste. The Black Ravens Chapter Master knew that they were doomed, so he ordered some of the Astartes under his command to get away, so the Chapter as a whole might live. The rest of the Chapter managed a fighting retreat, selling their lives so some of their brothers could live. Only those who had been ordered by the Chapter Master to escape made it aboard. They numbered less than a full Company all told. The bulk of the Chapter, including eight of the Company Captains and the Chapter Master, stayed to fight a rearguard action so some of the Black Ravens could escape. They were brutally slaughtered on the planet below, or else died when the fleet was destroyed. Luckily, the survivors included an Apothecary, a Chaplain, two Captains, a Librarian, and several squads of battle-brothers, including Primaris brothers. This gave the Chapter a fighting chance of restoring themselves to full strength, providing they played their cards right. On the downside, they lost all of their stored gene-seed stock, which meant that they would have only the gene-seed actually stored in the battle-brothers’ bodies to rely on. Meanwhile, the survivors broadcast a distress call to any other Astartes strike forces that might be in the area. The only Imperial troops to pick it up were a strike force of Dark Angels. While the exact wording of the return message was not recorded, the general idea was that the Dark Angels already had a mission, that they didn't have time to help, and that the remaining Black Ravens should sell their lives dearly for the Emperor. Having ended the message, the Dark Angels turned and sailed away. Although the Black Ravens didn’t know it, the Dark Angels’ mission was to go after one of the Fallen. Even so, this refusal to help their brothers has fired every Black Ravens battle-brother with an inextinguishable hatred for the Angels of Caliban. As the last of their brothers were eliminated on the planet below, the Raven's Revenge made the warp-jump that took the survivors far from their destroyed former home. They remain scarred and depleted to this day, with the entire Chapter numbering less than one hundred strong. The Chapter has been reorganized into one so-called “Great Company” that includes Veterans and Scouts as well as standard battle-brothers. They are slowly rebuilding their numbers, recruiting from the inhabited worlds that they fight on. They are now a “fleet” based chapter, with one Battle Barge left, and they patrol all over the Segmentum Tempestus and the rest of the galactic South in general. This nomadic way of life has brought them into contact with many Chapters of renown, including the Ultramarines, White Scars, Salamanders, Black Templars, Iron Hands, Imperial Fists, their parent chapter, the Raven Guard, and of course, the Dark Angels, whom they detest. They also seek revenge against the Necrons, and especially those of the Sautekh Dynasty, for the destruction of their home. 
= Chapter Tactics =
The Black Ravens are a Raven Guard successor, so their prefered ways of war have always been that of the hit and run. With the loss of most of their Chapter, however, they have honed this skill to a fine art. Because they have so few men left, they cannot afford to become entangled in extended engagements or wars of attrition. Thus do they above all other Chapters detest the use of Drop Pods. They will only use Drop Pods as a last resort, as deploying by Drop Pod leaves no escape. Also, they deviate from the Codex Astartes by giving many of their squads more special or heavy weapons than the Codex advises. The Codex dictates this because, in most Chapters, there are not enough special weapons for any one squad to have more than one special weapon. But since there are so few Black Ravens left, and many of them are skilled craftsmen and can build many types of weapons, they have no such shortage. Also, with so few squads available, each must pack as big a punch as possible, so as to make each deployment count. For example, a Tactical squad, instead of having one, might have three or even four special weapons. Or a Devastator squad might have five or more heavy weapons, as opposed to four. 
Their preferred ways of deployment are small task forces, as in a couple of squads, inserted by Stormraven and Thunderhawk, alongside close support squads with jump packs, which are dropped directly from the Raven's Revenge. They will close with the enemy, preferably under cover of darkness, and launch devastating surprise assaults before jetting away into the gloom to be picked up by a waiting Stormraven and redeployed elsewhere. Often, the Black Ravens will have their Terminators teleport directly into the heart of the enemy lines for maximum damage, both physically and to morale.  Failing that, a Tactical squad or two might be inserted behind enemy lines to stage a brutal ambush on an enemy column. Sometimes, when the target is very tough, they will deploy a Hellblaster squad or even their last remaining Devastator squad in order to crack it. The Black Ravens keep only a few armored vehicles for when an ambush needs an especially powerful punch, or for more conventional missions undertaken alongside other chapters. They also place a high emphasis on air support, as having control of the air allows them to rapidly deploy when and where they will, using their favored Stormravens. 
= Chapter Homeworld =
The Black Raven’s Chapter World was Gaia (Guy-uh) Secundus. It was a rocky, bleak, mountainous planet, with several volcanoes and hot spots, and large ice caps at the poles. It was inhabited by savage warrior tribes who constantly fought amongst themselves. These warriors greatest joy was to ambush a war party of one or other of their rivals and massacre them completely. The Black Ravens almost never took a hand in the vicious internecine wars that would engulf their planet, as only the toughest would survive. These wars ensured that the Chapter had a hardened race of warriors to draw their recruits from. When the wars did come to a halt, which was very rare, the Black Ravens would send their Chapter Serfs to stir up the conflict again, ensuring that there was always a healthy gene-stock among the inhabitants of the planet. Most, if not all, of these tribes were wiped out or contaminated either when the planet was invaded by the Forces of Chaos, or when the Necrons awoke under the planet's surface. No one knows whether any of these tribes still survive or if they are slaves to the Necrons.
Two decades before the dormant Necron Tomb Complex awoke, the planet of Gaia Secundus suffered several waves of attacks from the servants of Nurgle, the Chaos God of Plagues and Disease. Much of the planet was overrun, and many of the local people were corrupted, turned into hideous monstrosities by the malignant power of the Warp. These vile abominations were totally wiped out, so that the plague would not spread and also to avenge the insult to the Chapter and the Emperor. This systematic purge of the heretics took several years. The Death Guard attacks and the Noctis Aeterna also took a toll. Consequently, in the years leading up to the awakening of the dormant Tomb, the Black Ravens suffered a decrease in the number of recruits they received. This meant that many of their Companies, and especially their Scout Company, were already operating at understrength levels when the Necrons awoke. 
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= Chapter Campaigns =
Most of the Black Ravens’ history and lore was lost with their fortress monastery. However some of the Chapters’ Legends have been preserved and are presented here. It should be noted that those battles that occured before M42 happened when the Chapter was at or near full strength, and that the strategies used then would be useless in the Chapters’ current weakened state. Also, many of the dates given here are most likely incorrect, due to the loss of the Chapters’ Librarius. These dates are a subject of much debate among the remaining Black Ravens, especially Chaplains Daniel and Sar and Librarian Kanar. Captain Tirius often takes part in these debates as well; he sees it as his duty to know as much about the Chapter’s history as possible.
The Space Hulk Purge (879.M36) - A task force of Black Ravens Terminators led by 1st Company Captain Amreal board the Genestealer-infested space hulk, Blade of Pain. As they purge the heretics from the massive hulk, they come under a surprise attack from thousands of actual Tyranids, including a giant Carnifex. Many brave Space Marine warriors are killed in the ensuing melee, but manage to take hundreds if not thousands of Tyranids and Genestealers with them to the grave. The surviving Black Ravens fight their way back to their Strike Cruiser, Raven’s Claw, but Captain Amreal is mortally wounded after being swarmed by over three dozen Hormagaunts and has to be interred inside a Dreadnought.
Waaagh! ButtzKikka (Unknown dating M36) - When Waaagh! ButtzKikka arrives on the Imperial Fortress World New Fidea in search of large, loud, and powerful weaponry, the local population prays to the Emperor for salvation. When the local Planetary Defense Force proves unable to stop the massive horde of Orks, several Space Marine Chapters send detachments, including the Black Ravens, Imperial Fists, and Red Talons. Within a year, the Orks are almost completely exterminated, their units and vehicles destroyed, and the survivors forced into hiding, to be purged by the local forces. 
Daemon Attacks (143.M37) - A massive army of Daemons attacks the shrine world Benignus V. A detachment of Black Ravens responds to the distress call. They arrive and launch rapid strike after rapid strike, purging the Daemons and any of the populace who embrace the Chaos Gods and their foul servants with Bolter and Chainsword. To the beleaguered loyalist inhabitants of Benignus V, the Black Ravens are as angels from heaven, sent to them by the Emperor to save them from the Daemonic horrors. After the battle, the planetary governor invites the Black Ravens to a banquet in their honor, but they are already gone, having returned to their massive star cruisers, bound for the next war zone. The serfs and vassals of Benignus V give thanks to the Emperor and celebrate for six solar months with feasting and banquets.
T’au Offensive (747.M39) - The Black Ravens deploy alongside Space Marines of the Iron Hands Chapter to combat a rising T’au offensive on the Eastern Fringe. The Black Ravens position themselves along a ridge that allows them to rain fire and shell onto the enemy, with the Iron Hands supposedly defending the ends of the ridge against any flanking movements the enemy might make. However, when the T’au advance, the Black Ravens find their flank unsupported by the Iron Hands as had been planned, and suffer heavy casualties as a result. It turns out that the Iron Hands actually had their own battle plan from the beginning, and used the Black Ravens as a decoy so they could ambush the T’au elsewhere. Despite doing tremendous damage to the enemy, the Black Ravens are left bitter and angry towards the Iron Hands, a feeling which continues to this day.
The Doomblade (814.M39) - A detachment of Black Ravens arrives on an unnamed mining asteroid to investigate a distress call. They find the asteroid’s population of miners dead, having been brutally murdered, many after being tortured in various ways. They also find an ancient Fellblade super heavy tank, that bears the name Doomblade. It appears to be untainted by Chaos or anything else, but it has been heavily damaged by a meteor collision with the planet, so they destroy it anyway. Before a month passes, however, all of the Space Marines who have come into contact with the Doomblade declare their departure from the Chapter and swear fealty to Khorne, the Chaos God of Blood, calling themselves the Ashen Butchers. They fight their way out of the Black Eyrie, and escape into the Sirens Storm in a strike cruiser they rename Gore Drinker. It is unknown whether this Chaos Space Marine warband is still in operation, or whether they have been wiped out or fractured and broken up.
The Tyranid Menace (684.M40) - Fighting alongside the Ultramarines and several Deathwatch Kill Teams, the Black Ravens stand bravely and victoriously against a Tyranid splinter fleet, losing many brave warriors in the process. This is one of the first times many of the Black Ravens come into contact with these ravenous xenos, but it will not be the last. Knowing the threat these dangerous alien invaders pose, the Black Ravens start training to combat them, taking many strategies from other Chapters and using them to great effect.
The Macharian Crusade (392-399.M41) -  The Black Ravens 4th Company is one of the many Space Marine units that accompany Lord Commander Solar Macharius on his monumental seven-year crusade in the Segmentum Pacificus. However, they deploy and fight in secret, meaning that no other Imperial units even know that they are there. They fight with courage and honor. After Macharius’s death, they come out of secret and serve alongside the Minotaurs Space Marine Chapter to defend the newly conquered territory with their blood. They are among some of the last Adeptus Astartes units to return to their homeworld after the Macharian Heresy is over, staying in the area for over seventy years.
Loss of Gaia Secundus (15.M42) - A Necron Tomb World wakes up beneath the Black Ravens’ Chapter planet Gaia Secundus. The Chapter Master and many of the other battle-brothers sell their lives so that some may survive. A nearby Dark Angels detachment refused to provide the Black Ravens with reinforcements. For this reason, the Black Ravens hate and loathe the Dark Angels to this day. The Black Ravens are still deeply affected - both in their combat capability and their psyche - by this horrible disaster. They will still make combat alliances with several xenos species (such as the Eldar or the T’au), but only out of necessity, and to this day they will never fight alongside a Necron.
Drukhari Attack (38.M42) - A large Dark Eldar raiding party arrives at the Imperial Agri-world Ferox IX. The Black Ravens deploy in chapter strength and start launching rapid strikes at the evil xenos. Terminators teleport directly into the Aeldari cruisers and hurry to critical points to plant Melta charges, which blow up the many of the doomed ships as the Terminators return to the Raven's Revenge. Meanwhile, on the planet's surface, Tactical squads, supported by the last Devastator squad and the only Hellblaster squad, purge the alien invaders with bolt and flame. At the same time, Assault and Primaris Inceptor squads plummet from the skies to mow the enemy down with Storm Bolters and Chainswords. The planet is liberated and the Eldar almost completely wiped out, with only a few able to escape into the Webway.
The Novaculan Heresy (119.M42) - The planetary government of the Shrine world Novacula announces its secession from the Imperium and turns to the worship of the Chaos God of disease, Nurgle. Within a month, the whole planet is filled to the brim with the diseased taint of heresy. When the planetary capital is besieged by several regiments of Imperial Guard, the Chaos cultists beg Nurgle for help, and in return he sends the Death Guard warband known as the The Warriors of the Unclean Eye. These diseased plague-bearers utterly destroy the Imperial Guard units, and the job of cleansing the planet falls to the Black Ravens, who are the closest Imperial unit to the battle scene. When the Raven's Revenge pulls out of the Warp, it is immediately hit by a broadside from the polluted strike cruiser Nurgle’s Oath. Because it is a Battle Barge, however, the Revenge is not damaged badly at all. The return broadside, on the other hand, nearly blows the Nurgle’s Oath in half, and the wreckage plummets down to the planets surface. The Black Ravens then deploy in Stormravens, but finding the remaining Death Guard and their cultist allies too big a nut to crack with their limited numbers, they return to the Revenge and shoot a massive Cyclonic Torpedo at the planet, destroying it utterly. They are later commended by the Inquisition for effectively eradicating the heresy on the planet, as well as the planet itself. 
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= Chapter Organization =
“Though we have been nearly destroyed, still we fight, crossing the galaxy in pursuit of vengeance. Let us show these foul heretics what it means to fight a Black Raven! They will not survive the battle’s end, but we shall go on to rebuild our Chapter, and restore it to its full glory! We shall triumph! FOR THE EMPEROR!!!!!”
~ Black Ravens Chaplain Daniel, Litany of the Raven
The Black Ravens was originally a Codex compliant Chapter, numbering about a thousand men. But in the wake of the Gaia FU disaster, the Chapter was reorganized into one Great Company, so called because it includes the Veterans and Scouts of the Chapter as well as the regular battle-brothers. In other words, this Great Company includes the whole Chapter. Of the two Captains that survived, one has been designated Chapter Master. He is Primaris Marine Augustus Varro, a superlative warrior and strategist.  The other Captain, Tarro Tirius, serves as the Chapter’s second-in-command, who stands by to take up command of the Chapter should Varro fall. There is also a Command Squad, including the last surviving Apothecary, Chaplain, a Librarian, a Champion, an Ancient, and a group of Veterans. The rest of the Chapter is composed of Veteran squads, Battleline squads, Fire Support squads, Close Support squads, and Scout squads. The chapter also has several vehicles, including Land Raiders, Razorbacks, Rhinos, Stormravens, etc. The entire chapter travels as one aboard the Battle Barge Raven's Revenge. This huge star-ship used to be the Chapter Flagship, and was the only vessel strong enough to survive the vicious swarms of Necron fighter craft that destroyed the rest of the Chapter Fleet. It serves as a mobile fortress monastery and home for the surviving Black Ravens.
= Chapter Relationships =
Below is a record of the Black Raven’s relationships with several important Imperial units, including some of the major Space Marine Chapters, the Imperial Guard, and the Inquisition. It should be noted that these are the relationships that they currently have with these servants of the Emperor and are not necessarily how they have always viewed them. For example, the Black Ravens have not always had a hatred for the Dark Angels, and this animosity has only been an issue since the loss of Gaia Secundus.
The Inquisition - Although the Inquisition is notorious for using drastic means to quell heresy, the Black Ravens do not have as intense a dislike for the members of the Inquisition as some Chapters, such as the Celestial Lions. They see the the Inquisitors as humans, prone to all the failings of mortals. The Black Ravens have no tolerance of traitors themselves, and have no qualms against using such drastic measures as the Exterminatus Order should the need arise, so they do not view the Inquisition in too harsh a light for trying to eradicate heresy.
Imperial Guard - When they go into combat alongside the vast regiments of the Imperial Guard, the warriors of the Black Ravens stand apart, preferring to fight away from the expendable mortals. When they are forced to attend a war council, which is rare, as many Imperial commanders prefer not to alienate the superhuman warriors that are the Space Marines, they stand away from the other officers, staring disdainfully around the command headquarters and talking among themselves in their Raven’s Tongue. When battle commences, they operate along the lines of their own battle plan, taking little heed of the orders and commands of the other Imperial commanders, often shutting off Vox communications entirely.
Dark Angels - The Black Ravens have a deep hatred for the Dark Angels Chapter of Space Marines, stemming from the Dark Angels refusal to lend reinforcements during the Gaia Secundus disaster, which resulted in the near destruction of the Black Ravens.
Ultramarines - The Black Ravens respect the Ultramarines as warriors but do not hold with the teachings laid down in the Codex. They believe that the Codex limits fighting strength rather than increasing it. 
White Scars - The battle-brothers of the Black Ravens have great respect for the White Scars. This originated from a long campaign against the forces of Chaos that the two chapters undertook in M38. The White Scars introduced to the Black Ravens many hit and run tactics which they still use today, to great effect.
Necrons - Above all other enemies of the Emperor do the Black Ravens hate the Necrons of the Sautekh Dynasty, for these ancient foes are responsible for the destruction of their chapter homeworld. The Black Ravens will stop at nothing to avenge their fallen brothers and their home.
Iron Hands - The Black Ravens have a bitter mistrust of the Iron Hands, both because of their cybernetic modifications, and because they feel that the Iron Hands betrayed them while fighting the T’au.
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= Chapter Customs =
The Black Ravens have several unique chapter customs. They think of the Emperor, not quite as a god, but as the ultimate pinnacle of Mankind; they believe that he will return, most likely in the near future, to lead Humanity to victory and to save them from the enemies of the Imperium. They also believe that there is a way to raise the dead. Whenever possible, then, dead battle-brothers are returned to the Raven's Revenge and interred in stasis until this way can be found. It is said that the passages and crypts of this huge Battle Barge are lined with stasis chambers, many of them with a dead Astartes inside. When a Scout is elevated to a full battle-brother, he has an image of a black raven branded into his left shoulder, and the chapter symbol onto his right. Many of the Terminator Veterans wear white feathers, gathered from the native avian species of the planets they fight on, as markings of their combat prowess. Once a Terran year, the Veterans hold a contest of arms, and the winners of individual bouts get to take one feather from the beaten party as a trophy of victory. The Black Ravens also regularly make use of Service Studs. Since the Black Ravens recruit from all over the galactic South, they may have a wide variety of tattoos or tribal markings, and even former gang symbols.
The Black Ravens are a notoriously secretive and silent group. When in the company of other troops, even other Astartes, they talk little, and once the battle is over, they return to Raven’s Revenge as fast as possible. They make regular use of High Gothic when among other Imperial units, although they have their own tongue that they use among themselves, and that no one else can understand. It has been reported that this Raven Tongue sounds very similar to that of the calls of the now-extinct avian creatures that used to inhabit Gaia Secundus, before its assault and corruption by the Forces of Chaos.
The Black Ravens also have several interesting genetic quirks or mutations. One of these causes their canines to grow very long and sharp and turn a shiny black. When a Black Raven dies and is returned to the Raven's Revenge, his closest brothers will often cut these off and wear them under their armor in battle as necklaces or bracelets in memory of the fallen battle-brother. They also have a peculiar desire for T’au flesh. This trait is mysterious in its origin. This often leads to many interesting interactions on the rare occasion that the Black Ravens work alongside these technologically advanced xenos, as many of the older Black Ravens will often start slobbering at the mouth at the sight of a T’au. This reaction becomes more pronounced with age, eventually culminating in uncontrollable mouth watering at the least trace of one of these servants of the Greater Good. Also, this can lead to offense or violence as the Black Ravens start devouring the dead carcasses of their former allies at battles’ end. The Black Ravens also share the white skin and black eyes of their Primarch, Corax, and his sons, the Raven Guard. However, their hair can be many different colors, as they recruit not from one planet and environment, as the Raven Guard do, but many. The various atmospheres, radiation levels, pollutants and many other things in the recruits native environment can cause many variations in hair color when combined with the gene seed; black, brown and even white are among some of the most common. It is currently unknown why the hair in particular is so much different from that of the Raven Guard.
= Chapter Supernumeraries =
Although they do not fight, the Chapter Serfs of the Black Ravens do many important tasks. They make food, clean Power Armor, array the full battle-brothers for war, oversee some parts of the recruiting process, and provide many other services to the Emperors Finest. The Black Ravens see the Chapter Serfs as welcome additions to the Chapter and give rewards for loyalty and service. On his induction to the Chapter, a Black Raven will be assigned a Serf who will serve him for life, taking care of the battle-brother’s day-to-day needs, and often being burned on a pyre with honor by the Astartes after death. The Black Ravens often recruit from among the most promising of the young Chapter Serfs, who are trained in the ways of war from an early age. 
In addition to the regular Serfs, the Black Ravens have several other types of lay servants, including Artificers, Servitors, and specially trained Serfs who help the more specialised Black Ravens, such as Librarians, Techmarines, and Apothecaries. Those in service of the Librarius are blinded, often voluntarily. This is so that they will not see any of the important documents contained within, lest they learn of the horrors the galaxy contains. 
= Chapter Heraldry =
The Black Ravens have many of the same colors in their heraldry as their parent chapter, the Raven Guard. They wear black armor, but their shoulder guards are brown. The trim on the shoulder guards is black, much like those of the Black Templars. The chapter symbol is a simplified silhouette of their lost fortress-monastery, the Black Eyrie. This badge is born on both shoulders. The Black Ravens do not use squad designations, or company markings, as they only have one company. Veteran or Sergeant status is indicated by a white helmet. Many images of skulls, Imperial Aquilas, feathers, swords, wings, etc., can be found engraved on their armor.
= Notable Black Ravens  =
Chapter Master Augustus Varro - An expert in all areas of war, Primaris Captain Varro was voted into command of the Chapter after the Gaia Secundus disaster. Before this, he was the Captain of the 2nd Black Ravens Company, the Chapter’s most elite non-veteran formation. Fighting from the front, he purges his enemies with sword and fist. He favours fighting in Mark X Gravis Armor, and uses a Power Sword and Boltstorm Gauntlet.
Captain Tarro Tirius - Captain Tirius used to command the Black Ravens 3rd Company, the Shadow Stalkers, and served with distinction over decades and hundreds if not thousands of battle-torn worlds. Following the near destruction of his Chapter, he serves as the Chapter’s second-in-command, giving advice to Chapter Master Varro and stands ready to take the place of Chapter Master should Varro fall. He has an obsession with discovering as much of the Chapter’s lost history as possible, and often takes part in lively debates with Librarian Kanar and Chaplains Sar and Daniel. He also takes special interest in the Scouts and recruits, teaching them what little of their history the Black Ravens remember. However, his first duty is to defend humanity, and to do this he needs powerful weapons of war. His preferred tools of judgement are a Power Sword and Plasma Pistol. He often takes to the field in an ancient suit of Artificer Armor that is almost as old as the Chapter itself. This venerable armor has seen battles uncounted and protected some of the Chapters greatest heroes.
Apothecary Cramauldus - The last surviving Apothecary, the fate of the Chapter rests in Cramauldus’s hands. He is probably the single most important person in the Chapter, for if he is killed, who will harvest the gene-seed? He usually stays aboard Raven's Revenge, because if he is lost, the doom of the chapter is assured. Cramauldus also has a deep desire to find a recruit that would make another Apothecary worthy of his Chapter, for than both the recruitment process and gene-seed harvest would be greatly accelerated. On the rare occasion that he does take to the field, the howl of his ancient and powerful Chainsword can be heard far and wide.
Librarian Sacastus Kanar - A veteran of countless battles, Sacastus Kanar is the Black Raven’s Chief Librarian. The keeping of records and preserving of the Chapter’s history is his job, and on the battlefield he unleashes powerful psychic forces derived from the madness of the Warp, which he uses to both enhance his allies and confound or kill his foes. Before the loss of the Black Eyrie, he was also responsible for the training and testing of new recruits with the rare and valuable mutation that creates powerful and deadly Psykers. Now, these recruits and initiates have all been killed, and he is the last remaining sorcerous Space Marine in the Black Raven’s ranks. He has discovered only one other witch among the recruits, and he is currently training him in order to prepare him for the conflicts ahead.
Chaplain Sylarus Daniel - Chaplain Daniel was the only Black Ravens Chaplain to survive the Gaia Secundus Disaster. As such, the religious purity and fervor of his brothers is mainly his responsibility. Before a battle, he walks among the Astartes of his chapter, giving blessings and purity seals to those who need them. He also sometimes leads small detachments or strike forces. When battle commences, he leads from the front, his cries of devotion to the Emperor rising to the heavens, and strengthening the minds of his fellow Astartes against the horrors to come. He has also trained the first Black Ravens Chaplain to be recruited since the loss of the Black Eyrie, Chaplain Torvus Sar.
Chaplain Torvus Sar - The first Chaplain to be initiated into the Cult of the Raven since the Gaia Disaster, Sar is a Chaplain unlike any the Black Ravens have seen in many hundreds of years. His tactical strength, unlike that of most of the other Black Ravens, is that of armoured warfare, and he is the Chapter’s leading expert on using tanks and other armoured vehicles to crush heretics and xenos alike into a bloody red paste. When there is conflict in which the might of the Black Raven’s few remaining tanks is called for, it is Sar who plans and leads the attack. He often rides in an ancient Land Raider, Wrath of the Claw, that has seen more conflicts than most of the rest of the Chapter put together. When disembarked from his favored steed or leading a more conventional Black Raven assault, he usually makes use of a Plasma Pistol and Crozius Arcanum.
Ancient Remial Canos - It is the job of Ancient Canos to bear the revered Black Ravens Chapter banner into battle, lifting the spirits of all those Loyalist Astartes who see it. When in battle, he bears a Bolt Pistol that he built himself on his induction to the chapter. It is said that this Pistol is one of the best in the Chapter, and that while Canos does often use it as a ranged weapon, he prefers to close with the enemy in melee combat and bash the enemies’ skulls to bloody, gore-soaked fragments with it. He is known to his battle-brothers as the best small arms and unarmed fighting expert in the Black Ravens chapter, knowing best the ways of the Bolt Pistol and Combat Knife.
Champion Contis Tarim - Champion Tarim is one of the best warriors in the Chapter, and it is his job to protect his Chapter Master with his life. It is a perilous assignment, for it means he must challenge the worst fiends the enemy can throw at him, but Tarim is up to the task. His favoured weapons are a Bolt Pistol and a Master-crafted Power Sword. This ancient sword was said to have been gifted to the first Black Ravens Chapter Champion on the Chapter’s creation by the Chapter Master of the Raven Guard, with the words, “Guard your leader with your life, and uphold the honor of Corax and the Emperor.” He also carries a Combat Shield for extra protection in the heat of battle.
Venerable Dreadnought Amriel Death Howler - Amriel once commanded the Veteran 1st Company as a Terminator Captain. He can remember many of the earliest battles of his chapter. He was interred in a Dreadnought after he was mortally wounded while purging a space hulk. Since then he has been a whirlwind of anger and destruction on battlefields uncounted, purging the enemies of the Emperor with righteous zeal. As a Dreadnaught, his weapons loadout varies from mission to mission, but his favored combination is that of a Twin-linked Lascannon, Heavy Flamer, and Dreadnaught combat weapon, especially a Combat Fist, which he can use to literally tear apart the enemies of the Emperor in close combat, or to punch through a solid rockcrete wall, as the flow of battle dictates.
Category:Space Marines
Category:Space Marine Chapters