Blue Claws

Blue Claw Heretic Astartes armed with a chainglaive.

The **Blue Claws** is an infamous Chaos Warband that was originally a Loyalist Chapter, known as the '*Fists of Justice*'. Their devastation at the hands of the Daemon Plague brought them great shame and resentment. This shame caused them to abandon their oaths to the Imperium and be cast out as renegades.

## Campaigns of Infamy

* **The Salvage War of the ‘Cursed Leviathan’ (Unknown Date.M41)** - The Salvage War of the ‘Cursed Leviathan’ was a series of salvaging conflicts on board the space hulk ‘Cursed Leviathan’. The space hulk flew into real space into the Ardekka sector near the Storm of the Emperor’s Wrath. The Blue Claws launched an effort to hunt for treasure and relics. The BCs were unaware that a local Death Guard plague host also moved aboard for the prize. It is uncertain when the groups became aware of each other but the space hulk quickly became a battlefield for kill teams. With casualties rising, the Death Guard retreated. The Blue Claws made sure the area was cleansed of all Nurgle corruption before continuing the originals search. The first documented conflict between the two was a Blue Claw victory.
* **The Boarding of the ‘Soulhunter’ (Unknown Date. M41)** - The boarding was a quick but bloody braul between a Blue Claws boarding patrol and the crew of the 'Soulhunter'. The 'Soulhunter' was a black ship. The Blue Claws wanted the psykers aboard for cultists and sacrifices. This battle is what defined the Blue Claws as a serious threat to the imperial forces in the area.

## Homeworld

### Nihlathor

Description: Nihlathor is an inky black planet where the boundaries between reality and the warp blur, making it a perilous but alluring destination for those seeking forbidden knowledge or the power of the warp. This is the Blue Claws base of operation. They use the planet to house their formidable fortress and to populate their cultist’s ranks.

### Base of Operations

#### Nihlathor Star System

Description: The Nihlathor star system is a place where the forces of Chaos and the Imperium are in constant conflict, where the boundaries between reality and the Warp blur, and where the very stars themselves seem to weep with crimson tears.

## Warband Organization

The Blue Claws function like pirates. They are held together by their twisted form of justice against the forces of Nurgle and the armies of the Imperium. Below the astartes are the mortal servants and slaves that keep the ship running and fill in the thinly stretched battleline.

## Warband Beliefs

For the Blue Claws, the escape from Tzeentch is above all. They have been trapped by their fear of the Daemon Plague and are now trying to find their own cure for it.

## Gene-Seed

### Genetic Flaws

It is unknown whose gene-seed the Fists of Justice inherited, but it is known that their skin is unnaturally darker then that of their parent legion. Any other Genetic flaws have been hidden beneath years of Tzeentch's mutations.

## Combat Doctrine

On the ground, the Blue Claws use kill teams and terror tactics and, with a little bit of magic, this can sow great confusion and fear amongst the enemy. This is often used against the followers of Nurgle who tend to be slow fighters. The Blue Claws use magic to pretend to take away the Grandfather's Blessings, and this causes great distress among his followers by making them think he abandoned them. This gives enough time for the Blue Claws to move in for the kill. With very few of their brothers left, they have little use for vehicles and prefer to fight in close combat. They prefer to fight or hunt in groups of 5 to 10 marines. These groups are extremely tight knit and are willing to die for one another.

They will also use numerous cultists and traitor guardsmen which they call “Purified Ones”. In order for the Blue Claws to indoctrinate new cultists, the Blue Claws, whether willfully or forcefully, will have the new cultist undergo a sinister ritual of cleansing, hence the name Purified Ones. These mortals are used to do all the small tasks that the regular astartes can't do with their limited numbers. Some examples include; ship crew, battle line fillers, menial tasks and blood sacrifices to call upon daemons.

The Blue Claws are willing to summon daemons to aid them in battle. This helps bolster their ranks and sow confusion and dissolution among the enemy. To call upon daemons is a price that the Blue Claws can no longer do themselves. This is why they require so many cultists and traitor guardsmen. A sacrifice must be made and they are willing to pay in blood.

## Notable Members

* **Nekroth Darkblade:** Nekroth is a sorcerer in terminator armor. The former chapter master of the Fists of Justice has been on a self-inflicted exile. Accompanied by Balzak Blackblood, he went into the warp to reflect on the loss of his brothers to the followers of Nurgle. His return marked the turning point for his warband toward greatness. He expects a lot from the Blue Claws and they shall meet his demands.

* **Balzak Blackblood:** Balzak is the loyal lapdog of Nekroth, always ready to do his warlord’s bidding. He followed Nekroth throughout the exile. His name comes from his practice of letting the blood of enemies stain his massive chain-ax black. The oddball of the warband, he is one of the more fanatical of the Blue Claws, almost bursting with emotion. He urges his brothers on with vigorous devotion to Nekroth and Tzeentch.

* **Xypheron the Warpbound:** Xypheron was one of the highest ranking surviving battle brothers of the Fists of Justice. When they converted, he quickly gained a reputation for being the strongest willed among his unit. Xypheron may not be the strongest but he is the smartest and has the sharpest mind of his kill team. Being the oldest, he has the most battle experience. Now, he leads his warp-twisted brothers of kill team Warpbound with the same cold and firm demeanor from before the fall.

## Warband Fleet

* ***Voidsworn Reaver* (Lunar-class Strike Cruiser):** The *Voidsworn Reaver* is a formidable Chaos Lunar-Class Cruiser that once struck fear into the hearts of those who encounter it in the void. It is now flown with a skeleton crew of traitorous Astartes and cultists.

## Warband Relics

* ***The Book Of Niene*:** *The Book of Niene* was found aboard the 'Cursed Leviathan' during the Salvage War. It grants the wieldier one psykic power. It is currently being held by a member of kill team Warpbound.
* **Aetherforge Fluxmaw**: The Aetherforge Fluxmaw is a towering twisted daemon-infused machine that fights for the Blue Claws. It is kept in the lower corridors of the "Voidsworn Reaver" until needed in battle. The crew, both mortal and astarte, dread any ventures into the depths of the ship if fear of meeting the frightening Fluxmaw.

## Warband Appearance

### Warband Colours

The Blue Claws have chosen to paint their armor bone white, with a bronze trim. As per their name, they have their forearms painted a dark blue. Their cloth material is a rich purple. In contrast to their white armor, all of their horns are black.

### Warband Badge

They have no known heraldry but they will often utilize heretical symbols.

## Relations

### Allies

* **1st Nihlathor "Forsworn Eclipse" Infantry Regiment** - The Forsworn Eclipse is a Tzeetch aligned traitor guard warband that fights for the Blue Claws. They fill in the battle line where the Blue Claws are stretched to thin. They also specialize in boarding actions and close quarters battles. The Forsworn Eclipse are from the populated sector on Nihlathor.

### Enemies

* The Blue Claws' continuous battles with the forces of Nurgle have left a bitter taste in their mouths. This distain was compounded on by their decimation at the hands of the Daemon Plague.

## Notable Quotes

### By: Blue Claws

"*For the Lord of Change!*"
— Blue Claws battle cry.
"*Purge the Grandfather’s Followers!*"
— Blue Claws Sergeant.
"*A tight claw is sharper than a loose one.*"
— Balzak Blackblood.

 Tzeentch Warbands
 Nurgle Warbands
 Slaanesh Warbands
 Chaos Undivided Warbands
 Malice Warbands
 Minor Chaos God-Aligned Warbands

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