Arcane Reavers

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## Arcane Reavers

Arcane Reavers armorial with corrupted warband iconography.

Arcane Reavers Heretic Astartes.

## Chaos Warband

### **Allies**

* Dark Mechanicum
* Thousand Sons
* Unbroken Warlords
* Rusting Maw
* Flaying Dragons

## Pre-Heresy

### **Colours**

Teal & Grey

"*Forgive me, brother. But I am no longer the Imperium's puppet.*"
—Arius Diven, former chapter master of the Astral Carbines, Herald of the Arcane Reavers, to Kal Iranius.
"*Tzeentch calls to us! We are his arms, his eyes, his warriors!*"
—Librarian/Sorceror Ajatho Scikar, addressing the Arcane Reavers.
The **Arcane Reavers** are what became of much of the Astral Carbines after their fall to heresy. After Arius Diven sold his soul and his chapter to Tzeentch, the Arcane Reavers rose in the shadows, as the Astral Carbines' glorious days started to wane. Now, they're a warband of Chaos Space Marines, but unlike many other warbands, their tactics are organized and mixed, being able to hold their ground against other organized threats. Their use of sorcery dramatically improves their effectiveness in combat. The corruption of Tzeentch means numerous Arcane Reavers have grown mutations, despite being Primaris Space Marines, with some even gaining access to psychic power when they might not have before. However, they're still under the will of Tzeentch.

## Warband History

### Origins

The seeds of the Arcane Reavers' creation came from when the Astral Carbines were lost in the warp, beached on a rock as hordes of daemons rushed in. Despite the valiant attempts of defending their Fortress-Monastery, the Astral Carbines were whittled down by half their chapter, some believing they were practically dead already. As the daemons besieged the Fortress-Monastery, Tzeentch visited the mind of Arius Diven, the Chapter Master of the time after Darian Skyborne's death. Tzeentch had a proposition, that Arius would sell his soul and the chapter to his service. If not, all the Astral Carbines' souls would be tortured for eternity. Arius vehemently refused at first, but he feared he would be branded a heretic if he were to tell anyone about Tzeentch's proposal. Months dragged, Astartes died, and Arius' spirit was worn down by death and ruin, and Tzeentch laughing and mocking the young chapter master. Arius, only wishing to spare his chapter from suffering, accept the pact with Tzeentch. And, although it had been months in the warp, 9 years passed outside in the material realm. But Arius was not the only one to fall into Tzeentch's grasp.

The years after what is known as 'The Months of the Warp' saw a change of the Astral Carbines. Subtle at first, as Arius Diven would re-order the companies, and start recruiting more and more Astartes, even exceeding the 1,000 limit by the Codex Astartes. Arius Diven would trust less in Darian's Symposium, the high command council of the Astral Carbines. Soon, Arius made more drastic changes; Karstian was demoted, to Epistolary, and Ajatho, despite his inexperience, became the Head Librarian. Tibo was sent out to study with the Adeptus Mechanicus, indefinitely, and the Astral Carbines themselves were seldom aiding the people of the Imperium, and were ordered to chase down Chaos artefacts regardless of the costs. Even Arius' brotherhood with Kal Iranius was strained, as the two bickered more between themselves. More and more, the Astral Carbines were being corrupted. Small shrines to the ruinous powers were set up in hidden corners of the ship, and to those who were not touched by Chaos, a sense of uncanniness, even dread, was tickling them. Perhaps the most egregious moment was when Menelaus and his veterans were assigned onto a Death World named Zapherus IV, and all contact was cut from them- leaving them for the Ork infestation.

## Notable Members

* **Arius Diven**- Arius Diven was born from nobility on Casimus, and whose battle brother was Kal Iranius. He was an exemplary Astartes, with natural leadership and skill, favoured by Darian Skyborne himself. He had a strong brotherhood with Kal, saving each other multiple times, with Arius also defending Kal's less orderly actions. He eventually became Chapter Master, after Darian's death. He led the Astral Carbines into a golden age of heroism until Tzeentch trapped the Astral Carbines in the Immaterium. Tzeentch revealed, or bluffed, that he had planned all of it from the beginning, and that only by selling his soul to him, could Arius save the Astral Carbines. He did so, and caused the downfall of the chapter. He had once started off inspired, respectful, wise and strong-willed but soon became erratic, reckless and even anti-social towards his comrades, especially to his battle brother Kal. When he ultimately defected to Chaos entirely, he tried to maintain some level of dignity and honour, but he was tormented by Tzeentch. However, the other Arcane Reavers saw him as a prophet of Tzeentch, due to his close connection. Arius led the Arcane Reavers in their attempt to activate the Arxath and turn his old homeworld into a Daemon world. However, after a duel with Kal Iranius, he defected back to the Imperium and sacrificed himself to save Casimus, shutting off the Arxath from within.
* **Ajatho Scikar**- Ajatho Scikar was a Librarian in the restored Librarium of the Astral Carbines, joining to explore his own latent powers, and the duty to aid the people of the Imperium, shared typically in the Astral Carbines. He was a rather powerful psyker, but was treated equally amongst the Librarium. Although, later, he was treated more coldly due to his own attitude, leading him to be ignored by Karstian, the Chief Librarian at the time. Ajatho would soon start digging into texts forbidden to him when no one else was around, hoping to find a way to be recognized. When the chapter was stuck in the warp, his mind was touched by Tzeentch, and his desire for arcane power grew. He became trusted by Arius, and he started establishing the seeds of the Tzeentchian cult within the ship. When he became the Chief Librarian, the cult grew even more. He send Karstian to do menial archive filing, and taunted him. Ajatho has a high opinion of himself, and sees his power as near infinite. He initiated the rituals, trained the sorcerors and was Arius' advisor. Not many of his bretheren liked him at all. He holds a great desire to ascend into a Daemon Prince.
* **Zale Verrak**- Zale Verrak was the 4th Company Captain, and now the Arcane Reavers' most intimidating asset. Though he does not have the power of the Warp, he compensates by fusing his body with technology through mutations, his philosophy being one of humanity achieving its true potential, unrestricted by the laws of the Imperium and reality. He has developed a way of commanding the Forsaken, making them either sedated or whip them into a frenzy. Those under his command treat him with respect, for if they didn't, they'd be beaten into a pulp and fed to the Forsaken.
* **The Forsaken**- The Forsaken are not a singular character, but the name of those driven mad by the power of Chaos. Not possessed, but rather broken. They act as close-quarters fodder, relying on brutality and frenzy to cleave through their enemy. They have no psykic ability, but they do not need to. When not on the battle-field, they are docile and catatonic. They are seen as weak by the sentient Arcane Reavers, and some just use the Forsaken as meat-shields or decoys for the salughter. One could compare them to Khornate beserkers, but they aren't bound to the blood god, but the god of magic.

## Warband Tactics

### Recruitment

The Arcane Reavers recruit by ransacking worlds, taking slaves, and any young psykers or notably tough and relentless youths who are found would be immediately chosen to become an Arcane Reaver. Unlike their former selves, there is nothing spared in the training, and aspirants endure great hardships to even start. The Arcane Reavers are able to maintain themselves more sustainably than other warbands in terms of logistics, as they have found friends among the Dark Mechanicum through trading captured loyalist brethren and donating them for research into how Primaris are made.

What's more horrific, however, is the fate of captured Astartes who are not executed or donated. They are brought into the bowels of what was once the proud Battle Barge Aedus, subjected to cruel torture and warp exposure, twisting them into the Forsaken.

## Warband Gene-Seed & Mutations

The Arcane Reaver geneseed is derived from the Astral Carbines' progenitor, the Ultramarines. However, the Arcane Reavers' gene seed has started to show an increase in mutation, completely counteracting the Primaris' resistance to being mutated. The Arcane Reavers gene seed has also started to develop an influx in psykic potential, with 'aspirants' with inert psykic potential becoming noticeably more attuned to the warp once the gene seed is implanted.

## Warband Appearance

Their armour exhibits traits typically seen with other Chaos Space Marines, and their helmets are typically horned, some helmets having beaks. Many sorcerors would adopt some of the Thousand Son's designs.

### Warband Colours

The Arcane Reavers are primarily painted dark teal, with their shoulder pauldron trim, thigh-plates, vambrances, poleyns (knee guards) and sabaton soles a brass colour.

### Warband Badge

Two curved blades, pointing down diagonally, cross each other, with a horned shield in the back.

## Relations

### Allies

**Skarax's Warband**-

**Thousand Sons**- The Arcane Reavers deliver many artefacts to the Thousand Sons to add to their arsenal, and some have adopted iconography and philosophies from the Thousand Sons. However, some are less welcoming to the Thousand Sons' influence. Ajatho Scikar typically acts sycophantic towards the Thousand Sons, while Zale is skeptical. The Thousand Sons see them as an asset. Not a valuable one, but convenient. Some do see the Arcane Reavers as slightly annoying though. There are those who think the Arcane Reavers are trying to be Thousand Sons, and others who think Arius' connection to Tzeentch is false.

**Unbroken Warlords**-

**Rusting Maw**-

**Flaying Dragons**-

### Enemies

**Astral Carbines**- The remnants of the Astral Carbines waged war against the Arcane Reavers. Menelaus and Karstian took up co-leadership to exterminate the Arcane Reavers.

**Kal Iranius**-

**Draconian Wardens-** Led by Julo Neronius, who left when Arius became the Astral Carbines' chapter master, they see it as their duty to rid the Imperium of their fallen progenitors.

## Gallery

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

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