Jomravens

tbd

tbd

The **Jomravens** are a loyalist chapter of Space Marines hailing from the gene-stock of Corvus Corvax that were created during the 13th 'Dark' Founding, shrouding their history in mystery like most of the chapters of this shadowy founding.

## Chapter History

### Early History

Many of their first engagements were alongside the Tenebris Shades and together they hunted down several void based threats in the Segmentum Obscurus, often dealing with chaos warbands that spilled from the Eye of Terror.

#### Discovery of Asaar & the Founding of Jomsborg

While pursuing the surviving remnants of one of their first engagements, the Tenebris Shades stumbled upon the world of Asaar, still uncharted and thus unknown to Imperial records, and gave the location to the Jomravens for a recruiting world as a gift. The Jodanaz (Chapter-Master) at the time also decided to not report the planet in any way, keeping the chapter known to most as a fleet based chapter even to this day.

## Chapter Homeworld & Recruitment

While known officially as a fleet based chapter, and thus assumed to be recruiting from random worlds they visit as well as using their flagship as a Fortress-Monastery, the Jomravens have actually long held a secret homeworld for recruitment and resupply needs as well as a surface based Fortress-Monastery for the various relic and gene vault storages.

### Actual Homeworld - Asaar

The chapter recruits from the death world of Asaar located in the Segmentum Obscurus outside of Imperial space and thus it's existence is mostly unknown to those outside the chapter or their allies. It is a cold and unforgiving planet of arctic forests and ice choked seas as well as storm ridden swathes of tundra known as "Badlands", toxic regions where little besides poisonous fungi and lichen grow beyond the needle grass common across Asaar as well as packs of monstrous beasts and marauding bands of tribal outcasts said to be immune to the local toxins. Arctic regions of nonstop blizzards across endless plains of ice cover both of the planet's poles. The human population live in forest clans as well as in a few large cities dotting the planet, and maintains a brutal culture of raiding during the spring and summer seasons while they usually wait out the extreme winter seasons, called the Thaw & the Freeze respectively. While during the Thaw the riverways between the seas open up and raiders will take to special boats purpose made for shallow water navigation, though during the Freeze these will choke with ice and impassable to all but the most insane traveler on foot. Once a decade or so at random intervals, toxic storms originating from the Badlands regions will rage out of them and across large swatches of the planet. During these times the most warlike clans will wage war on those that would hide from the planet's attempt to cull weakness. The capital city of Upalsla is the largest of several cities containing permanent residents of over 10,000 people as well as varying influxes of visiting traders and wanderers, with its own population standing around 29,000 permanent residents. It is also considered a holy location to the Asaarians and is overseen by the Upalsla clan that trace their roots to the founder of the city.

### Fortress-Monastery - Jomsborg

As the chapter operates publicly as a fleet based chapter as well as favoring that style of deployment, their planetary Fortress-Monastery is generally kept for recruitment and defense of the world itself as well as the site of their geneseed and relic storages.

**(To Be Added)**

## Chapter Organization

Instead of using the Codex approved layout for their chapter they split themselves into independent strike forces that are comprised of multiple squads, which can vary from 5-15 warriors each, under a single captain equivalent. This makes their exact layout hard to identify as they do not keep 10 companies or 100 squads or even use normal iconography to show squad or company designations but rather their own markings.

### Ranks & Titles

#### Organizational Terms

* **Haer** - Company equivalent formation that operates independently or with a few others for massive warzones. Generally comprised of around 50-150 marines as the bulk of the force with several veteran squads and officer command squads, as well as specialists added from their own branch of the chapter that is based from the flagship. These will operate far away for many years if not decades at a time, completing their initial war goals as well as any that they deem a priority along the way.
* **Thawnr** - Term used for all of the squads on a single transport vessel or roughly a demi company. Sometimes a single retinue will have it's own transport and thus be it's own Thawnr as well.
* **Retinue** - Squad equivalent formation ranging from 5-15 marines around a sergeant or officer though some retinues number closer to 20 depending on the officer.

#### Officer Ranks

* **Jodanaz** - Chapter master equivalent that means "Lord of Frenzy" in Asaarian.
* **Haerjar** - Captain equivalent in command of a Haer and it's fleet assets from their personal flagship.
* **Thawnrjar** - Unique title given to the astartes commander of a strike or vanguard cruiser and is used as the Lieutenant equivalent when the Primaris and their *Codex* revisions were introduced. As the commander of a transport vessel each also commands the handful of squads within it, and sometimes assigned escort vessels, under the overall direction of the Haerjar.

#### Specialist Ranks

* **High Gotthi** - Master of Sanctity and Reclusiarch equivalent term.
	+ **Gotthi** - Chaplain equivalent term that uses a loud war horn in battle.
	+ **Judicars**

* **High Spirit Speaker**
	+ **Spirit Speakers** - Librarian equivalents.
	+ **Rahinr Spirit Speakers**

* **High Apothecary**
	+ **Apothecaries**
	+ **Helix Adepts**
* **Master of the Forge**
	+ **Techmarines**
* **Banrgar** - Standard Bearer equivalents that also use loud war horns in battle.
* **Einhjar** - Term used for Dreadnoughts.
* **Bersinr** - Asaarian term for a crazed warrior dressed in bear skins that channels the fighting spirit of a bear, and used by the chapter to describe the equally crazed warriors dressed in bear skins that are afflicted by their Primarchs Curse and fight with intense fury when they are deep in the blinding rage of their Bersinrgang. They are also a danger to allies when in this state and are best avoided until they either die or finally calm down enough to take control.
* **Drengar** - Veteran equivalent term.
	+ **Hirskarl** - Bladeguard & Terminator equivalent term that is also the Asaarian word for a member of an honor guard.
	+ **Jofuur** - Used for the firstborn veterans that never lose their battle lust as a neophyte and become Vanguard Assault Marines. It is an Asaarian word for an elite warrior similar to a Bersinr but dressed in feral boar skins to take on that aspect instead, and the astartes also wear these skins.
	+ **Ulfhinr** - A lightly armoured unit that almost always uses carapace armour over power armour and is equivalent to a Scout marine, but instead of being a neophyte each is an elite veteran that conducts basic recon missions as much as they do other more elite covert operations deep behind enemy lines like assassinations and asset retrieval. It is an Asaarian word for an elite warrior similar to a Bersinr but dressed in wolf skins to take on that aspect instead, and the astartes also wear these skins.

#### Line Ranks

* **Hersir** - Sergeant equivalent that commands a squad.
* **Strivan** - Asaarian word used as a Battle Brother equivalent term.
	+ **Vigamn** - Term used for battleline units like Tactical marines and Primaris Intercessors.
	+ **Bondi** - Term used for close support units like Assault marines which all firstborn neophytes become and is also used for Primaris Inceptors.
	+ **Klyr** - Term used for fire support units like Devastator marines and Primaris Eradicators & Hellblasters.
* **Rahinr** -Primaris Vanguard Marine equivalent term that covers all of the various units. While firstborn neophytes are inducted straight into assault marine squads and Scout duties are performed by veterans, the Primaris ones are added to their Vanguard squads to offset the elite firstborn scouts of the Ulfhinr. It is an Asaarian word for a warrior similar to a Bersinr but dressed in fox skins to take on that aspect instead, and the astartes also wear these skins.
* **Neophytes** - Once the implantation surgeries are fully healed the newly created astartes will receive induction into an assault squad since the chapter has veterans fill the role of scouts. Another reason is due to the fierce battle lust that newly implanted Neophytes possess and it can only be tempered by combat experience. Primaris Neophytes are put within the Vanguard units of the Rahinr.

#### Non Astartes Personnel

* **Thralls** - Besides those that have failed induction into the chapter, the chapter will also get these serf equivalents from Asaarians who are too old for implantation but still want to serve them on a lifetime religious basis on par with joining a monk order. Most of these adults do it for either true religious devotion or as penance for any perceived sins. The chapter in general does not look favorably upon their Thralls or even treat them with much respect, but refrains from physical acts against them.

## Chapter Beliefs

The chapter is deeply religious and long ago intertwined their views with the Asaarian's local faith that existed when they initially claimed Asaar, which only added to the primitive nature of their chapter cult and beliefs. They hold the God-Emperor of Mankind, whom they call the *Jomfather*, as a truly divine being worthy of worship and that only an honourable death will bring the faithful to His side. They also believe that the souls of the dead can visit the living in the form of ravens or similar birds to impart various omens, and that occasionally a sacrifice must be made to appease the angrier or more evil spirits also found in that realm. Many in the chapter think that these evil spirits are in fact daemonic warp entities trying to take hold in the material realm and that they must actively act to repel them in any way they can.

### War Horns

Most officers and and some specialists, like the standard bearing Banrgars and religious based Gotthi, wield loud war horns to bellow through in battle as much as to raise morale as to signal to their forces. Horns are also used by Asaarians for the same reasons and hold a religious significance to them that carries over to the astartes, believing that using them calls friendly spirits to aid the horn bearer and their allies.

## Combat Doctrine

Masters of aerial and void warfare in all aspects, from long ranged ship combat to savage boarding actions which they favor and excel at more than anything else, as well as things like line breaking tactics and covert operations on planetary surfaces in support of allied forces. When not using subtle tactics they will often use a massed wave of drop pods and dropships to quickly reinforce covert forces inserted beforehand, or reversely warriors will be taken directly to a target via aerial vehicles following an initial wave of drop pods to counter any defensive points giving them trouble.

### Aerial & Ground Vehicles

For ground vehicles they keep a less than expected of a loyalist chapter but keep a much larger amount of aerial vehicles given their favoring of void based tactics. They maintain a massive depot of Thunder hawks and Storm Eagles as well as their variants and other aerial vehicles for quick response to threats as well as for troop insertions.

**(To Be Added)**

## Chapter Gene-Seed

The Jomravens hail from the lineage of the Primarch Corvus Corax and the Raven Guard of the original First Founding Space Marine Legions, though the exact chapter from which their initial gene-seed was pulled from is unknown. They share an innate skill with stealth assaults and covert operations as well as close combat as seen with most Raven Guard successors. Something more unique to them however is how their Primarch's Curse affects them, making them ruthlessly brutal but rage blinded predators that are also a danger to their allies at times.

### Gene Flaws

Like other chapters that draw from the genestock of Corvus Corax they exhibit the same genetic mutations and organ failures & malformations found in other Raven Guard successor chapters.

* **Belchers Gland** - Organ which produces acidic saliva is no longer present.
* **Melanochrome** - Organ malfunction that gives their lineage their iconic jet black hair & sclera of their eyes as well as greyish pale skin, though this malfunction is more pronounced than usual thus giving them even more of a predatory look when combined with their mannerisms.
* **Mucranoid** - Organ that allows the astartes to survive extreme environments as well as creating the sus-membrane to allow a life sustaining coma is no longer present.

#### Primarch's Curse: Bersinrgang

As they spend their lives in the void it is said a piece of that emptiness is etched into their souls and sometimes comes out as part of their Primarch's Curse leaving them as little more than soulless predators consumed by a blindingly deep seeded rage, hunting whatever prey they can until either they die in a violent but overly reckless assault or there is nothing left and they eventually calm back down, just to return to this rage blinded state another time. As the curse is permanent those that are afflicted will generally go between steps 1 & 2 outside of combat. Woe be to anything that is between a stage 3 afflicted warrior and his current prey though, for it will be cut down with the utmost of brutal efficiency and near total disregard for the warrior's own life. Due to the similarities to the Asaarian warriors known as Bersinrs, crazed veterans who wear bear skins into the heaviest combat, those afflicted by the Primarch's Curse are called a Bersinr with their crazed rage called a Bersinrgang.

* **Step 1: Hunter of Isolation** - The warrior will begin to isolate themselves from others as they seemingly gain a laser focus, spending many hours training or some other past time alone, and become very hard to work with and argumentative on almost anything as they have begun to "accept" that only they know best, though close friends can usually still get across to them if even just a little.
* **Step 2: Brevity Before the Storm** - At this stage they begin to appear far more casual than expected outside of combat, a complete opposite of the former Step's isolationist tendencies. They will seem as if they can laugh off any external strife that would bring them down, though anyone looking at their face would tell that they are simply masking something much darker underneath.
* **Step 3: Bersinrgang** - At some point during combat and often before it, this calm demeanor will suddenly break and a blinding rage called the Bersinrgang will take hold and at this point even close friends are unable to stop them from slaughtering enemies of any type. Given their now enhanced focus and rage filled tenacity they will cause massive casualties and disruptions to the enemy but often die in the attempt but will shrug off most injuries until that point. The warrior will sometimes even enact their own missions on general whims and half remembered rumors if it makes enough sense to them at the time. Regardless of what they do those that survive being in this stage long enough to return to lucidity will generally return to Stage 1 to recover their strength and forever loop between the 3 stages, though if attacked while recovering they will always revert straight into this final step but take less time to return to normal and more time to recover afterwards.

## Notable Members

While members of the chapter keep their birth name and clan surname as part of their new name, they add a second name based on the warrior whose gene legacy they have inherited.

* **Jodanaz Andars Ivensan af Uppalsla** - Chapter master of the Jomravens and a brutal warrior as much as a cunning tactician. His human clan of origin, the Uppalsla clan, is a powerful force on Asaar and also use a locally sacred location as their capital and hold massive festivals several times a year. He wields a relic power spear as well as a lightning claw on his off hand that allows him to still use his hand easily, and also carries a plasma pistol for a secondary weapon. For protection he wears a suit of Mk VI power armour like most of his chapter, though his is of artificer quality, along with a jump pack for maximum mobility in combat.
* **Thawnrjar Erik Leifsan af Reykrk** - Considered the most skilled naval captain in the chapter besides the Jodanaz himself, a feat made more impressive by his relatively young age. He currently captains a Strike Cruiser within the Jodanaz's Haer fleet.
* **Thawnrjar Olaf Rolosan af Morland** - Commands a strike cruiser within the Jodanaz's Haer fleet but wishes to be promoted to Haerjar as he is a centuries old veteran and feels it is time he be given the honour of his own Haer fleet to command.

**(To Be Added)**

## Chapter Fleet

As of M42 their fleet currently stands at 6 capital ships including a pair of battleships, 21 cruisers, & 28 escort squadrons.

* ***The Gungnir* (Emperor-Class Battleship)**: Flagship of the chapter and the headquarters for the specialist branches as well as holding a small reserve of geneseed to seem like a fleet based Fortress-Monastery, a duty it maintains in official records as Asaar was never recorded as being discovered.
* ***The Lord of Frenzy* (Battle Barge)**: Primary transport of the Jodanaz and his personal forces due to the flagship's importance keeping it from most frontline duties. It is named after a rough translation of "Jodanaz" into Low Gothic.
* ***The Frozen Fire* (Oberon-Class Battleship)**

**(To Be Added)**

## Chapter Appearance

### Chapter Colours

The main colour used for most of their power armour is a midnight blue alongside black and grey accents for secondary colouration as well as to denote senior ranks and status.

### Chapter Iconography

The Jomraven's use a black & white coloured double-headed raven akin to an Aquila, though made in the runic Asaarian style, on blue pauldrons. Often runic talismans are used by Jomravens for protection from the mystical, be it on an items attached to their wargear or etched directly onto the surface of their battle-plate.

**(To Be Added)**

## Chapter Relations

### Allies:

* **Tenebris Shades** - These chapters have long been allied, stretching back to the Jomraven's very first chapter engagement. They are even the ones who gave the Jomravens the location of Asaar, having found it while sweeping various regions outside Imperial space of localized threats.

### Enemies:

* **Drukhari** - Members of this insidious Xenos species have long raided Asaar for slaves but after the surprise arrival of the chapter and their counter raids across the system the planet was no longer seen as the easy target it was before.

**(To Be Added)**

## Notable Quotes

### About the Jomravens

**(To Be Added)**

[Source]

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

[Source]