Carrion Crows

Carrion Crows armorial with corrupt Warband iconography.

Carrion Crows Heretic Astartes.

### **Specialty**

Surprise Assault, Sabotage, Infiltration, Search & Destroy, Decimation, Pursuit Operations, Deep-Range Raiding Operations & Psychological Warfare

### **Warband Size**

Unknown number of Chaos Cultist allies
(Believed to number in the tens of thousands, but possibly higher.)

## Pre-Heresy

### **Colours**

Black & Bone

The **Carrion Crows** is a notorious Chaos Space Marine Warband that operates out of the notorious Hellgates - a pair of relatively small, dual warp storms located in the Segmentum Solar which are located uncomfortably close to Holy Terra - less than 1,000 light-years of the Imperial Throneworld. Operating out of the Ashaklun Gate, this warband, now dedicated to the Changer of Ways, Tzeentch, were originally Astartes of the 8th Company of the Loyalist Space Marine Chapter, the War Ravens.

In the first century of M35, the strike cruiser carrying the 8th Company was on its way back to its homeworld after participating in the Repression of Akkad. While still at a considerable distance from the chapter's monastery world of Morrigan, located in the Donorian Sector, astropathic contact was lost mid-communication - presumably due to a sudden warp surge overwhelming the cruiser's Geller field. When the cruiser reappeared two centuries later it had been renamed the *Carrion Eater*. The Heretic Astartes aboard her displayed their newfound loyalty as well, calling themselves the Carrion Crows - harbingers of the Changer of Ways.

## Warband History

There is little official information on the origins of the formerly Loyalist Space Marines that now comprise the infamous Chaos Warband known as the Carrion Crows. Despite the paucity of official Imperial records, sources indicate they once hailed from the 8th Company of the War Ravens Chapter, a Successor Chapter created during an Unknown Founding from the Shadow Haunters, who themselves were a little-known, rare Unknown Founding Successor Chapter created from the lineage of the Raven Guard.

### Fall to Darkness

Sometime during the first century of the 35th Millennium, the War Ravens Chapter dispatched the 8th Company to the rebellious world of Akkad that had fallen into strife and insurrection. Utilising their singular talents for stealth, infiltration, and sabotage, the War Ravens played an instrumental role in bringing the rebellion to a swift and successful conclusion. After achieving victory, the War Ravens withdrew from Akkad and were en route to their homeworld of Morrigan. Though still a considerable distance away from their home system, all communication was lost with the lone company of Astartes. Despite their expected arrival time at their destination in only 2 solar days, they never arrived. The 8th Company was ultimately declared lost in the Warp and the memorial service was held for them in their Chapter's reclusium back on Morrigan.

The true account of what occurred to the War Ravens' 8th Company within the Warp is unknown, but Imperial scholars agree, whatever occurred, their fate ended in tragedy and sorrow. By the time they reemerged two centuries later from the Immaterium, they were War Ravens no more, for they had become the Chaos Warband known as the Carrion Crows, wholly dedicated to the service of the Chaos God Tzeentch.

### The Hellgates

The Carrion Crows primarily operate in the Thermopylae sub-sector out of the duel warp-rifts, known as the Hellgates, located in the galactic core of this region of space. The Hellgates cover an area of around fifty or so light-years across, its presence in space is marked by binary, slowly turning gyre (known as the Nebroel and Ashaklun gates) comprised of nebulae, dust, and stellar material in which countless vessels and sometimes even worlds have been lost.

Remaining considerably more stable than most other warp rifts, evidence indicates that the Hellgates have been in existence since the evolution of Mankind. Due to their relative stability, the Hellgates have long served as a haven for all manner of renegades, corsairs, outcasts, exiles, and other forgotten horrors. These hellish realms are ruled by all four factions of the Ruinous Powers, who constantly vie with one another for absolute supremacy.

## Campaigns of Infamy

* **Darkstar Liberation (461.M33)** - After a long and devastating Warpstorm known as Katras Mundi finally subsided, it revealed the Darkstar System fully under the control of Chaos. Recognizing the urgent need to liberate the besieged worlds and protect the Imperial citizens within, over half of the Mortiferous Shades Chapter deployed to confront this dire threat. Lasting for four gruelling years, the war that ensued was fierce and unyielding. The Mortiferous Shades found themselves pitted against a formidable Chaos coalition consisting of the Carrion Crows, Merciless and the Brotherhood of Half-Life warbands, all devoted followers of Chaos. The battles were fought across multiple planets within the Darkstar System, with the Mortiferous Shades fighting valiantly to free the Imperial citizens from the clutches of the Chaos forces. The conflict reached its climactic point at the battle of Emrus's Hope, where nuclear fires raged as the opposing forces clashed. Through their unwavering determination and indomitable spirit, the Mortiferous Shades emerged as the victors, overpowering their foes, and driving them back to the Warp in tatters. The battle of Emrus's Hope stood as a turning point in the war, where the Mortiferous Shades delivered a crushing blow to the forces of Chaos. While the cost of the conflict was significant, with both sides suffering heavy casualties and devastation, the Mortiferous Shades ultimately managed to recover a vast and populous system for the Imperium. Their successful liberation of the Darkstar System was returned to Imperial control, ensuring the safety and well-being of its inhabitants, and dealing a significant blow to the influence of Chaos in the region. The Mortiferous Shades, demonstrated their unwavering loyalty and dedication to the Imperium as they fought against overwhelming odds to reclaim the Darkstar System, adding yet another triumph to their storied history of service to the Emperor.
* **The Flight of the Carrion Birds (745.M41)** - Shortly after the inception of the Aasvogels Chapter, Lieutenant Stolonus, a founding member, took it upon himself to train and provide practical experience to a demi-company of Neophytes, eager for his warriors to gain practical experience during their first combat operation against other Astartes. Aboard the Aasvogel's battle barge *Carrion Lord*, the small force of Astartes set their sights on a lone vessel identified as the *Carrion Eater*, a known warship of the Carrion Crows Chaos warband. Anticipating an easy victory the Aasvogels immediately launched a boarding operation under the leadership of Sergeant Taijjin. To their surprise, they encountered minimal resistance upon infiltrating the seemingly abandoned *Carrion Eater*. The unexpected lack of opposition created a tense atmosphere of unease and foreboding among the young initiates as they continued to cautiously explore the enemy vessel. Unbeknownst to the Aasvogels, the Carrion Crows had cunningly dispatched their own Heretic Astartes aboard the loyalist's vessel. As inheritors of the Raven Lord, the Carrion Crows were skilled in the art of wraith-slipping and hit-and-run tactics. Several senior Aasvogels Astartes, including Lieutenant Stolonus and nearly a dozen others aboard the *Carrion Lord* would meet with a brutal demise. With deadly precision, the Heretic Astartes unleashed their claws and blades upon the Aasvogels, swiftly cutting them down in a series of relentless and brutal assaults. As masters of stealth and subterfuge, the Carrion Crows quickly disappeared back into the shadows as quickly and silently as they had emerged, leaving behind bloody scenes of slaughter and destruction in their wake. The Aasvogels, unprepared for the ferocity and cunning of their adversaries, found themselves overwhelmed by the surprise attack. The speed and efficiency with which the Carrion Crows struck and retreated created a sense of helplessness and frustration among the Aasvogels, as they were unable to effectively counter the elusive enemy. The suddenness of the assault and subsequent disappearance of their foes left the Aasvogels with a deep sense of shock and the weight of loss weighed heavily upon them. The Carrion Crows managed to slip away undetected, leaving the surviving Aasvogels to contemplate the harsh lessons learned from this harrowing encounter. This event served as a grim reminder of the dangers and deceptions that existed within the war-torn galaxy, and the Aasvogels were forced to reckon with the price paid for underestimating their foes. The memory of this encounter would undoubtedly shape the future actions and strategies of the Aasvogels, fueling their determination to hone their own skills in stealth and counter-insurgency warfare, ensuring that they would not be caught off guard in a similar manner and preventing such a tragedy from occurring again.

## Notable Quotes

### About the Carrion Crows

*Feel free to add your own*

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

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