Lion Blades

Lion Blades armorial with Chapter iconography.

A Lion Blades Battle-Brother, Sergeant of the 3rd Company, 6th Battleline Squad.

## Space Marine Chapter

### **Allegiance**

Imperium of Man
(*Fedelitas Totalis*)

### **Successor of**

Dark Angels
(Lion El'Jonson lineage.)

### **Specialty**

Drop Pod Assaults, Decapitation Strikes, Ambush, Boarding Actions, Close Quarters Combat.

### **Colours**

Bone White Torso, Pauldrons, Legs and Backpack, Dark Green Helmet, Backpack Exhausts and Arms

### Successor Chapter(s)

None

"*Heed me knights of Ravenna. You have been chosen for a duty, it is a dark, grave duty, but a necessary one. You were chosen because you are the worthiest, the greatest of this world's sons. Join us now, though Caliban is gone, its knights are not! For the Emperor! For the Lion! For the Order!*"
—Master of Sanctity Asbeel Ramón
Created during the splitting of the original Space Marine Legions, the **Lion Blades** are a venerable Chapter of the Unforgiven. Dour-faced and grim, the Lion Blades strike rapidly and unrelentingly, piercing into the heart of the enemy. The Lions of Ravenna have a long and storied history, filled with honours and praise. There are however, darker periods, hidden by the fog of memory and concealed by the Lion Blades themselves. Most notable, was the engagement against the Dread Knights that led to the destruction their contemporaries' first homeworld; Cappadocian. As with every member of the Unforgiven, the Lion Blades are a riddle of hidden symbols, circles within circles and sectarianism.

## History

The origins of the Lion Blades, lie in those dark days of the Horus Heresy and the Scouring. Chapter Master Harut of the 5th Company, was one of the Marines deployed to Caliban alongside Lion El'Jonson and other Astartes. When the Dark Gods tore the Fallen from Caliban as the world tore itself apart and Luther faltered, the Lion Blades were amongst those left with the ruins that would become the Rock. When the Guilliman's great work; the Codex Astartes, was presented, the Dark Angels split themselves, with Chapter Master Harut, along with the majority of the Stormwing becoming the Lion Blades.

After the destruction of their former homeworld, the Lion Blades were given lordship over the world of Ravenna. Like Caliban before it, the world of Ravenna was a world of questing knights and warriors searching for glory and honour. Unlike other Chapters, who remained lofty and almost semi-mythical, the Lion Blades made themselves known to the people of Ravenna; letting it be known that they crusaded through the stars, unrelentingly battling against those that would enslave and destroy humanity and that those mighty warriors of this world that wished to join them should do so, to wage war in the Emperor and Lion's name.

Like so much of the Unforgiven's history, the story of the Lion Blades though well understood and wreathed in glory, is also curiously mired in vaguery and contradiction.

One event however, is far too large to be properly hidden; the Harrowing of Cappadocian. For, whilst there is no love lost between the Dread Knights and, frankly the entirety of the Imperium of Man, that the Lion Blades would go so far as to attempt to annihilate a Chapter of their own gene-line was so far as to be ludicrous and beyond belief. And yet, it was no foe from within, without, or even beyond that destroyed the Scourge of the First's original homeworld, it was the Lions of Ravenna.

## Chapter Homeworld

Ravenna is a harsh, stark world, almost the opposite of Caliban. Craggy and mountainous, with sparse forests, it’s climate swings between sweltering summers and snowy winters. Though beautiful, as with many Marine homeworlds, there are countless dangers lurking on Ravenna. In many ways, the Chapter's homeworld is a reflection of its rulers, and the struggles of Old Caliban.

As with countless worlds of its type, the feudal city-states of Ravenna are in a constantly in warfare and diplomacy. The one thing that unites them however, is their reverence for 'Caliban's Order'

### Fortress-Monastery

A massive, labyrinthine citadel, the Cruciform was built in memory of the Legion’s days of glory, and as a promise of redemption. Nestled in the mountainous Crusader's Summit, and akin to a vast knightly priory, akin to those that dot Ravenna, the Cruciform is the goal of countless warriors of Ravenna.

#### The Hexagrammaton

This immense council hall was named in honour of the ‘Six Wings’ of the old Dark Angels. None but the Chapters of the Unforgiven are allowed within this hall, for it is a private place, almost a chapel of remembrance built in memory of the Legion of old, a monument to the knights of Caliban, their honour and the duty placed upon them as the First. Whilst not a required task, every Grand Master of the Chapter has seen to it that they themselves are the ones to maintain and care for this venerable council hall. Despite their untrammelled hatred for each other, because of their shared purpose, the Dread Knights are allowed into this council chamber, and no-where else on Ravenna unless escorted. Despite the Lion Blades being made from the majority of the old Stormwing, they do not consider themselves the modern incarnation of that branch of the Unforgiven, even despite Azrael's respect for and belief in their position amongst the 1st Legion. This desire to reunite the Dark Angels as an honourable Legion has been noticed by the Supreme Grand Masters of the Unforgiven, this hope for something better, is appreciated by those less jaded amongst the sons of the Lion.

### Recruitment

In memory of their lost Legion's homeworld, the Lion Blades still maintain the traditions of the knightly Order, as way to recruit members into their ranks. Unlike many other Chapters of Astartes, recruitment into the Lion Blades is completely voluntary. In the fortress-cities of Ravenna, emissaries of the Lion Blades offer honour and renown with their order. As with the Order of Caliban, those wishing to become Lion Blades are either born into the order or, join in search of the mighty, glorious brotherhood. The pilgrimage to the Cruciform is a harsh journey, an aspirant must travel to the six great cities of their homeworld and receive the blessings of the Chapter Masters that rule over the largest of the knight orders, collecting the teachings of the Lion Blades. On each step of the pilgrimage, the Lion Blades interrogate the character and will of their aspirants, before each blessing is granted by the Priest of the Order (a permanently Ravenna-bound cadre of Lion Blade Chaplains) every hopeful is bombarded with distressing, painful questions. Whilst every blessing will be granted, the responses are given to the Master of Recruitment. The questions themselves no doubt play endlessly on the minds of the pilgrims.

## Notable Campaigns

* **Destruction of Caliban (015.31)** - Before the edicts of Roboute Guilliman clove the Astartes Legions apart, the warriors that would become the Lion Blades took part in the incident during the Great Scouring that would destroy the first Primarch's homeworld. During the fallout of the Siege of Terra, when the treacherous forces of Chaos fled from the vengeful and triumphant forces of the now crippled God-Emperor of Mankind, the Dark Angels, still unaware of Luther's duplicity returned their warp-tinged homeworld to rest and regroup before re-joining the great route of the traitor legions. However, once the Lion's fleet arrived in orbit above Caliban, the forces stationed on the world, loyal to Lion's adoptive father and oldest friend, opened fire on their returning battle-brothers. Furious at the betrayal of such a respected and revered member of their Legion, Dark Angels assaulted the forces of Luther, all the while, the loyalist fleet relentlessly bombarded the planet until, eventually, the world broke apart.
* **Fall of the Dark Pride (420.M35)** - Across the breadth of the Morgante system, a foul band of Fallen Angels calling themselves the Dark Pride summoned a grim warp-blight. Where many members of the Fallen were simply content to vanish as hermits or to survive as renegades, the members of the Dark Pride had devoted themselves to Khorne the gore-drenched Chaos God of War, and had declared that in his name, they would spread his wrathful gift to the Morgante system, smothering it with a hate plague that drove the system's residents into an insane rage. Led by Grand Master Escanor, entirety of the Lion Blades descended on the system, intent on ending the threat of the hateful traitors. As the drop pods landed, the Knights of Ravenna were presented with an insensate, feral horde; the residents of Morgante Prime had been driven into an animal rage, tearing each other apart in mindless rage. For prideful Escanor however, there was no rage. The Lion of the Risen Sun believed the Fallen beneath himself and his brethren, that their existence should be a shame to them was laughable. Where even his brethren began falling to the rage, though focused towards those not their own, Escanor remained unaffected. Despite Escanor's mighty victory against the Dark Pride, there was much fury from the Unforgiven at the time. Instead of capturing the Fallen Angels, Escanor simply killed them seeing them as simply below his father and brothers.
* **The Harrowing of Cappadocian (781.M37)** - Led by Grand Master Lucius, the Lion Blades led a surprise assault on the Dread Knights' homeworld of Cappadocian, believing their cruel brothers in the Unforgiven had fallen to the corruption of the Ruinous Powers. Like the mountain lions of their homeworld, the Knights of Ravenna leapt upon their reviled cousins. Despite the fact they attacked an Astartes homeworld, the Lion Blades annihilated the Dread Knights, rapidly scattering their fleet and beginning the bombardment of the vicious Chapter. As the surface of Cappadocian cracked and buckled under the Lion Blades' thunderous guns, Grand Master Lucius revealed a horrifying truth; he had fabricated the evidence of collaboration between the Dread Knights and Alpha Legion and, worst still, Lucius of the Lion Blades had never existed, he was in fact Cypher, Lord of the Fallen. On the bridge of the ancient On Pinions of Fire and Light, a firefight broke out, as the mysterious traitor attempted to escape. Immediately, with their flagship suddenly gone silent, the Lion Blades' fleet ceased their bombardment, even as Cappadocian began to crack and break apart. As the Dread Knights' fleet recovered from their shock and surprise, the Lion Blades' began to attempt to contact the silent flagship. Eventually, Cypher somehow managed to escape and, as the Dread Knights began to return the Lion Blades' assault, the fleet suddenly began to depart. On Pinions of Fire and Light was the final ship to depart. Before it made a warp jump, as the Dread Knights' fleet got into firing range, the Lion Blades' flagship simply sent a single message before vanishing 'We were deceived'.
* **Purging of the Corpse Flenser (789.M37)** - After the Harrowing of Cappadocian, the
* **13th Black Crusade (995.999.M41)** - Drawn to the Cadia system by the mysterious broadcasts of the so-called ‘Voice of the Emperor’ a strike force of Lion Blades, under the command of Voted-Lieutenant Erail Pellinore of the Deathwing aided the Imperial Fleet in its attempt to repel the Black Legion. Following in the immense wake of the Phalanx, the Lion Blades set about the Chaos ships, led by the strike cruiser the Gaze of Fire the Knights of Ravenna began countless boarding actions, hoping to cleave a path to the monstrous Vengeful Spirit itself and, by the grace of the Emperor should he deign to give it; kill Abaddon once and for all, ending the Chaos threat forever. Though daring, such an action would not come to pass. As furious as the fighting in the void, it was nothing compared to on the ground. As the Will of Eternity plummeted into Cadia, the Lion Blades fought the foul Th’ankra Ironblood, daemonic servant of the Despoiler and master of the hateful vessel; Damnation’s Edge. Clad in one of the Lion Blade’s ancient suits of Cataphractii terminator armour, Erail matched the daemon enhanced speed of the former Astartes with sheer resilience. After a gruelling battle, the 1st Voted-Lieutenant of the Lion Blades managed to shatter the daemon prince’s with his power maul, before tearing his wings from his body. Leaving him to die as explosion’s rocked his vessel. It was then amidst the gore-choked laughter of the daemon that the Lion Blades saw what had happened. Cloaked by daemonic interference, comms from the Imperial fleet broke through urgently ordering a retreat. Brimming with denied rage, Erail and his men beat a hasty retreat, scattering the solar winds as Cadia fell.

## Chapter Organisation

The Lion Blades operate using the same organisation as the other Unforgiven. Because of their roots in the Legions of old, they still retain a lot of the old terminology, Captains are appointed by their peers and referred to as Voted-Lieutenants. Like the rest of the Unforgiven, they have a Ravenwing and a Deathwing. The personal bodyguards of the Grand Master/Stormbringer are known as the Stormwing. The Stormwing are more than simple guardians, from their number, the next Grand Master of the Lion Blades is chosen, so they must be paragons of Ravennan chivalry and honour. Like the First Legion, the Lion Blades are an insular gathering of multiple brotherhoods, orders within orders all with the Inner Circle at the centre, connecting them to their progenitor.

### Specialist Ranks

* **The Stormwing** - The eternal guardians of the Lion Blades' Grand Master, the Stormwing are the mightiest warriors of the Order of Ravenna. Paragons of the Chapter's virtues and peerless duellists, the Stormwing go to war wielding their mighty Ravennan Espadon and massive boarding shields. To join this austere gathering is perhaps one of the highest honours to a Lion Blades, each knight of the ten is drawn from the leaders of the hidden esoteric circles within the Knights of Ravenna.
* **High Knight of Ravenna** -The

## Combat Doctrine

The Lion Blades are masters of boarding actions. When the Dark Angels Legion split, the Lion Blades took many of it's void warfare and boarding specialists. Wading through great storms of fire, the Lion Blades strike, boarding shields in hand, carving through their opponents, crippling the ship along the way. Like the lions of Caliban that they were named after, the Lion Blades strike swiftly and unrelentingly, always from a position of strength.

Fighting the Lion Blades is like fighting an canny predator, never knowing if their retreats are a feint or a genuine withdrawal. This constant paranoia is effective, tiring their enemy with constant wariness. Such tactics can however backfire, is their enemy is hardier than expected the Lion Blades can find themselves overwhelmed and trapped by their would-be prey. They are still however Space Marines and Sons of the Lion, peerless duellists determined to enact a heavy toll on those that would defy the Imperium. Of late however, their tactics, which require a strict hierarchy, has been taken advantage of by traitors and heretics, if their leaders are killed, the Lions of Ravenna are often left in disarray.

With these emerging problems, the Lion Blades have begun to operate with a more flexible hierarchy, allowing for commanders of any stripe to emerge and rally their troops more effectively. Despite taking it upon themselves to rehabilitate the Sabretooths, their feral cousins and their more independent nature has been having a positive effect of the Lion Blades, blending their definitive hierarchy with the collective initiative-driven, survivalist tactics of the Storeggan Astartes.

## Chapter Gene-Seed

As is typical for Marines of the 1st Legion, the Lion Blade's gene-seed is of the purest stock. There are no mutations present in it. As with their fellow Unforgiven, the Lion Blades are still under a level of intense scrutiny from the Ordo Astartes and High Lords of Terra, normally only given to aberrant Chapters like the Black Dragons.

## Chapter Beliefs

Like all those of the Unforgiven, the Lions of Ravenna mourn the loss of Caliban and the disappearance of their Primarch, they do however, see it as the price of weakness, the Fallen's greed and frailty of will brought about the world's fall. Though they are forced to cloak their more unpleasant deeds in shadow, the Lion Blades are incredibly severe when confronted with deception, perhaps due to Luther's actions and betrayal. Though they are savage and relentless combatants, cruelty and needless brutality are looked upon with scorn, the Lion Blades still cleave to the tenets of the knightly orders of Caliban; fight with honour, never fear and serve your lord unfailingly. This unbending attitude and regard for their superiors, whilst allowing for the astounding efficiency and coordination, is what allowed the Harrowing of Cappadocian, through the manipulations of authority. Despite the Dark Angel's reputation for secrecy even when a Legion, the Lion Blades have attempted to remain, relatively speaking, truthful and cloaked only in honesty, abhorring the veil of lies that shrouds so much of the Unforgiven. Yet, despite this standard for integrity, the undeniable darkness that fills the hunters of the Fallen Angels has insinuated itself into the Warriors of Ravenna's culture, where there was honesty, now certain words become couched in shadowing metaphor, an ugly aspect hated by the Lion Blades, but inescapable to them. Because the Lion Blades were made from the majority of the Stormwing, they still retain the terminology of the old Legion. For example, they still also refer to their Chapter Master as the Stormbringer. Despite a large portion of their number being drawn from the Stormwing of the old Legion, in the modern day iteration of the Hexagrammaton (where the Dread Knights hold the position of Dreadwing, the Vaunted Sons before their extinction held the Ironwing, the Consecrators the Firewing etc.) the Lion Blades do not consider themselves the modern day incarnation of the Stormwing, despite their own continued terminology. To the Order of Ravenna, the Hunt for the Fallen is still ruthlessly observed and carried out. However, to those members of the Chapter allowed to know of their wayward and treasonous kin, the levels of deceit, secrecy and often cruelty the search for those who followed Luther has often clashed with the honest and righteous knightly teaching of their Chapter. As the years have gone on, more and more as the darkness of the Hunt weighed heavily on the Lions of Ravenna, murmurings have emerged, with many of the Chapter's Inner Circle believing the toll on the Unforgiven's honour is growing too deep and shadowy for them to ever truly redeem themselves, with Brother Vitale, a veteran of the Deathwing even effectively continually staying with the Deathwatch in voluntary semi-exile out of disgust for the hunt's enabling of the Dread Knights' worse traits. Despite these consistent reservations, the Lion Blades have remained unshakeably loyal and respectful towards their brother-Chapters and the memory of the Lion.

Beyond the shared culture of the Unforgiven, the Lion Blades have retained a great level of respect and knightly honour, both from the old days of the Legion and the warriors of Ravenna. Where other Chapters demand a tithe of warriors, taken in some way or another, for the Lion Blades, service and new recruits are entirely voluntary. Like countless other knight-orders, the Lion Blades are open to all those of the most stalwart heart and fiercest honour that wish to prove themselves.

## Deathwatch Service

For the warriors of the Lion Blades, taking the Long Vigil is not a great priority. Though at first they upheld the oath all Chapters took and sent the required amounts of Marines. In recent millennia however, since the destruction of Cappadocian and the disappearance of Grand Master Lucius, the Lion Blades have often needed to be reminded, often with the threat of Inquisitorial investigation or sanctions, to send brothers to the Watch-Fortresses. Though the reason for this is unknown, the surge in whole Chapter deployments in cataclysmic warzones perhaps points to the Chapter wishing to earn redemption and seeking out the largest and most dangerous missions for all their brethren. Though not to the suicidal lengths of the Mourning Cherubim, such guilt is concerning for their brethren in both the Deathwatch and the wider Imperium.

## Notable Chapter Space Marines

* **Grand Master Tamiel Villaret** - A dour, yet honourable warrior, Tamiel Villaret is a Marine cursed by circumstance. Renowned for his brutal honesty and coldly methodical personality, the Lord of Ravenna is a man of truth, bound in the shadows and mystery foisted upon the Unforgiven. Though he is a pitiless tactician, Tamiel is not wasteful, every life he spends, he does so only out of necessity. In recent years, the paradoxical nature of the sons of Lion El’Jonson and the darkness that has consumed them has begun to take a heavy toll on the Lord of Ravenna, with the Dread Knight’s loosed more and more, his own Chapter’s manipulation by Cypher, the secrets and lies of Caliban weigh heavily on his mind and, as more and more the galaxy descends into madness, Villaret wonders if he and his men are doomed to follow it. Despite these dark, soul-paining thoughts, Tamiel is a dutiful warrior, always heeding the call of the Supreme Grand Master Azrael. After Lazarus' success in crossing the Rubricon Primaris, the Lord of Ravenna was the first to follow, undergoing the agonising procedure. Despite initial concerns raised, primarily by those who believed that Cypher's deception still ran deep in the Lion Blades, Tamiel Villaret has proven himself still the forceful warrior he was before. Since the Great Rift tore the galaxy in twain and dissipated the warp storm known as Roshan's Fury which had engulfed the world of Storegga, long lost homeworld of the long believed extinct Lions Revenant, after a small team of Dark Angels, Dread Knights, Dark Brethren and Consecrators discovered that the missing Chapter had in fact endured, albeit after suffering an extensive cultural backslide into tribalism, it was Tamiel Villaret, who, as the Unforgiven discussed what should, or could be done with the Astartes now calling themselves the Sabretooths, spoke up in the wayward Chapter's defence. Despite derision from Lord-Paladin Ashkelon of the Dread Knights, the Grand Master of the Lion Blades vowed to restore these tribalistic warriors to their former glory. Since then, Tamiel has worked closely alongside High Chieftan Branah Half-Tooth.
* **Grand Master Lucius** - To those outside of the Unforgiven, Grand Master Lucius is believed to be one of the Chapter's greatest heroes; an honourable, fair-handed warrior, blessed with the cunning and grace of his Primarch. His first mention in the annals of Imperial history was as a veteran of the Chapter. The world of Xaraxen was rumoured to be corrupted by the machinations of the ruinous powers. Led by the Grand Master at the time; Azazel, Lucius and a small kill-team discovered that, more than some simple, runtish gathering of madmen, Xaraxen was host to a planet-spanning cult led by members of the Alpha Legion. Soon, this small investigative team was cut off from orbital support (due to the Alpha Legion turning the world's defences against them) Azazel, Lucius and the rest of the team were forced to survive in the depths of the hive world alone. In the end, after days fighting against an entire planet engulfed by Chaos, They managed to find the Alpha Legionnaires at the head of the uprising. In the struggle, Azazel was killed, his hearts pierced by a twin blades. In the end Lucius, in a stunning display of accuracy, managed to detonate a promethium tank that had begun to fall through the sagging ceiling of the hive. In the end, there could be no questioning who would succeed Azazel. Lucius had proven to be one of the Chapter's mightiest heroes, steely nerved and cool minded. To those more learned however (mainly from scraps acquired from Inquisitorial spies), he is (mysteriously) the greatest source of shame for the Lion Blades. In truth, Lucius, knight of Ravenna, never existed, he was simply a cover identity, created by Cypher to infiltrate the Chapter and eventually become Grand Master. He led the Lion Blades for a period, before using them in his attempt to wipe out the Dread Knights. During the assault on Cappadocian, Cypher managed to assassinate the Supreme Grand Master of the Unforgiven at the time; Suriel of the Dark Angels.
* **Brother Vitale** - A peerless fighter, Vitale is a member of the Deathwatch, serving under Watch-Captain Lanius. Vitale is unlike the stereotypical Lion Blade, where his Chapter is normally austere and dour, he is genial and friendly. In a kill-team renowned for the grim and brutal actions it must undertake, as well as the stranger members including a Captain from the exiled Flame Falcons, Vitale's glibness is seen a welcome relief. In the hidden histories of the Unforgiven, Vitale is given a place of honour, a place he hates. As the battle-brother who successfully captured former Legion Captain Arles, one of the hate Fallen Angels, to be successfully redeemed by the Dread Knights, Vitale's name and deeds are engraved in the halls of the Rock alongside countless other members of the Unforgiven who have done the same. For his part, more and more Vitale has requested to serve in the Deathwatch, disgusted by the Hunt for the Unforgiven and the barbarity it allows his cherished Chapter's hated rivals in the Dread Knights to indulge in and the darkness it taints the First's legacy with.
* **The Gracious Knight** - During the Year of Ghosts, a wraith, largely unidentifiable aside from his Ravennan livery was spotted numerous times, aiding the forces of the Lion Blades against the rampage of Waaagh! Rakzak. Seen alongside legions of other loyalist spirits, the Gracious Knight's gathering, known to the Chapter as 'the Spirits of Caliban' was seen annihilating the core of Rakzak's horde, decapitating and incinerating the Warboss in his own gargant. Since then, the Gracious Knight has become a staple of the Lion Blades' history, with numerous tales over the years cropping up, each on speaking of this Ravennan champion. Many are unsure if these tales are true or merely attributed to him thanks to many of the Unforgiven's secret activities however, those older, more venerable members of the Chapter see the Gracious Knight more as a metaphor, a tale of the Lion's continued pride and the chivalric he gave to his sons.
* **Grand Master Escanor** - Where Lucius (before his betrayal) was considered a true hero of the Lion Blades, the seventh Grand Master, Escanor, Pride of Ravenna and Lion of the Risen Sun is much, much more; less a hero and more a legend. During his rulership, the Lion Blades reached their zenith, to many, it was as if the First themselves had truly returned, gone was the dark pall of the Unforgiven, the Lion Blades were shining knights once again. A giant of man, Escanor was a proud and overwhelming warrior. Against the horribly powerful warband of Fallen, that called itself the Dark Pride, Escanor was unaffected by their Khornate hate-plague, cutting down their lord, Lanzar. Though respected amongst the other Unforgiven, Escanor is infamous for simply killing members of the Fallen, seeing them as beneath the First Legion.
* **Cresson Aistulf** -

## Chapter Fleet

The fleet of the Lion Blades is, like the Marines themselves; grim and coldly devastating. Like the Blades themselves, the fleet often appears without warning, unleashing immense storms of firepower on their foes. Such tactics can be a double-edged sword, for if faced with a hardier foe, they may become trapped in the middle of a vicious space-battle.

* **On Pinions of Fire and Light (Legate-class Battle Barge)** - The flagship of the Lion Blades, named in honour of an old fable from Caliban, said to herald the arrival of the Emperor and the Legion's reunification with Lion El'Jonson. In many respects the ship lives up to its name, for where it goes, the Emperor and Lion's wrath follows, descending through the skies, wreathed in fire and light. A massive vessel, On Pinions of Fire and Light is a bafflingly devastating opponent. During Harrowing of Cappadocian, it was On Pinions of Fire and Light that launched the final, devastating blow against the Dread Knight's homeworld. As Cappadocian tore itself apart, on the bridge of this ship, Grand Master Lucius revealed his true colours.
* **Wreathed in Glory (Strike Cruiser)** - The personal vessel of the High Knight of Ravenna, true to its name, wherever this vessel goes,
* **Honourable (Strike Cruiser)** - This nimble ship, is a messenger of the Ravennan Knights, where ranging ahead of the greater detachments, observing from the fringes as the rest of their brethren travel to the warzone. Honourable is the herald of the Lion Blades' fury, its coming is the coming of the unrelenting warriors, prowling battlefields and sowing terror in the hearts of those renegades that threaten the Imperium.
* **Lion's Herald (Strike Cruiser)**
* **Spear in the Shadows (Destroyer)**
* **Thunderbrand (Destroyer)**

## Chapter Relics

Like their fellow Unforgiven and Second Founding Chapters, the vaults of the Lion Blades are deep, filled with strange relics from the age of Great Crusade. Though filled with artefacts, the Consecrators appear to have been given the lion's share of the 1st Legion's weaponry. The Lion Blades however, appear to have inherited the Legion's stores of MK IV 'Maximus' Power Armour.

* **Argent Memory** - Crafted nearly immediately after the destruction of Caliban, by Chapter Master Harut , soon to be the first Grand Master of the nascent Lion Blades. Created from a shard of the ruined Fortress-Monastery, the blade known as Argent Memory is engraved with the a metaphorical representation of the Fall of Caliban. Serving as a grim reminder of the what faltering in duty, being overtaken by arrogance and greed, the Argent Memory is a bleak, but necessary relic.
* **Forest's Teeth** - An ancient chainsword, first wielded by the original Grand Master of the Lion Blades, Forest’s Teeth is borne into battle by the mightiest champions of Ravenna’s Knights. With saw-teeth crafted from the twisted claws of the Great Beast it’s owner slew to become a knight of the Order, Forest’s Teeth is a brutal tool of death.
* **Crusader's Diadem** - The helmet worn by the Chapter Champion. Currently, in a break from tradition Grand Master Tamiel Villaret still wears it, even after his ascension. The helmet itself is a symbol of Ravennan chivalry and power; inspiring the wearer's brothers to greater acts of bravery.
* **Shadowed Talons** - A pair of ancient lightning claws traditionally wielded by the leader of the Ravenwing and the Order of the Midnight Storm, the power behind that dark gathering of huntsmen in the Lion Blades. The Shadowed Talons strike like the darkness, unseen until those final moments, where they fall, death follows.

## Chapter Appearance

Given the Lion Blade’s status as a Second Founding Chapter, aside from the differences in colour scheme and icon, their general aesthetics are generally similar to the Legion from which they once split. The influences of Ravenna have however subtly worked their way into the Chapter’s appearance over time.

### Chapter Colours

The Lion Blades have a two-tone colour scheme; the majority of their armour is bone white, whilst their helmets, arms and backpack exhausts are dark green. When worn, the monastic robes are of that same dark green. Sergeants of regular squads have a bone white stripe on their helmets.

The Deathwing of the Chapter have a primarily black colour scheme, with the left arm, pauldron and right leg a bone white. The Ravenwing of the Lion Blades are once again primarily black armoured, however their arms are dark green and pauldrons are bone white.

### Chapter Badge

The Lion Blade's Chapter badge bears a large, stylised black coloured depiction of two lions, each appearing to pray to a blade in between them. For the Lion Blades, this symbolises the oath their ancient members took before their Primarch, before Caliban's destruction and the Lion's disappearance.

## Chapter Relations

The Lion Blades are seen as noble warriors to the wider Imperium and within the Unforgiven, they are respected, though, given Cypher's past infiltration of their ranks the Knights of Ravenna are regarded with despondency in the brotherhood with most respecting them, the Dread Knights however, hold a special, bitter hatred, viciously holding their failure over them. Given how much they cleave to the spirit of the long disbanded 1st Legion, the Lion Blades have dislike for the zealotry of the Ecclesiarchy, though they themselves do have an almost spiritual loyalty towards their liege-lords the Dark Angels, the Primarch and the Emperor of Mankind.

## Allies

### **Unforgiven**

The Dark Angels' Successor Chapters collectively call themselves the Unforgiven, for their own Inner Circles are fully aware of the ancient I Legion's chequered history and they, too, seek to absolve themselves of their ancient failure. As noted, each of the Unforgiven Chapters follows the Dark Angels tactical organisation almost exactly. The Unforgiven coordinate their actions, and it is not unknown for the Supreme Grand Masters of all the Chapters to gather for regular summit meetings on The Rock, often to discuss their progress in the hunt for the Fallen.

Amongst their peers, the Lion Blades are regarded with respect, for their age and the loyalty with which they serve. However, after the Cappadocian event and the actions of Grand Master Lucius, they are regarded with pity and sadness. Despite these mistakes they are still seen in some esteem. To the Dread Knights however, they are seen as pathetic and loathsome. Fools who deserve to be executed for being led astray so easily. This disgust is mutual however, as the current Grand Master; Tamiel Villaret remarked to Lord-Paladin Ashkelon at a gathering of the Unforgiven "My only regret is that we acted upon a falsehood. Your deaths are richly deserved profligate." Though this mutual hatred is a great difficulty for the Unforgiven, aside from Cypher's manipulations it has never spilled out into open war between the two.

## Enemies

### Fallen Angels

Like all Dark Angels Successor Chapters, the Lion Blades loathe those renegade Space Marines who were once members of the Dark Angels Legion that spat upon their oaths to the Lion and followed the Arch-Betrayer Luther into damnation. During the early years, Escanor the Chapter's seventh Grand Master; was infamous for simply killing the Fallen, believing them so pathetic and pitiable that their betrayal left no stain on the Unforgiven's honour, leading him to become a figure of fear amongst the 1st Legion's traitors given he would not hold back and attempt to capture them. Oddly, the Lord of the Fallen, Cypher, seems to hold a certain respect for the Lion Blades, even when his infiltration and manipulation of them was revealed, he fled in a (relatively speaking) bloodless manner.

## Notable Quotes

### By the Lion Blades

"*The breakers of fleets and the tempest in the void. Lions of the Storm, our roar echoing into the abyss.*"
—Interrogator-Chaplain Valletta Uriel
"*The Lion Blades will fall? Who decided that? We have failed the Emperor? Who decided that? You did? No, you are a traitor, your word means nothing. I will be the one to decide."
Lord Lanzar is bisected
"I am Escanor, Lion of the Risen Sun, and you have failed traitor, you have fallen. That, I have decided."*"
—Grand Master Escanor during the Destruction of the Dark Pride
### About the Lion Blades

"*It was an honour serving as one of you. My apologies Warriors of Ravenna, but I have been somewhat dishonest...*"
—Grand Master Lucius before revealing his true identity
"*By Vandire's rotten balls what did we do to end up with the one Lion Blade who won't shut up?*"
—Yuji, Stormborn of Deathwatch Kill-Team Lanius regarding Brother Vitale
"*Were it not for sentimental wretches like you, Luther would be dead, Caliban would've endured and the Primarch would still lead us"*"
—Anonymous Dread Knight, regarding the Lion Blades

[Source]

 White Scars Successors
 Imperial Fists Successors
 Blood Angels Successors
 Iron Hands Successors
 Ultramarines Successors
 Salamanders Successors
 Raven Guard Successors
 Unknown Lineage
 Renegades

[Source]

## Gallery

A Lion Blades Veteran Marine of the elite 1st Company ('Deathwing' formation) arrayed in relic Cataphractii Terminator Armour, armed with an ancient and rare Plasma-Caster.