Blood Ravens - Chapter Beliefs: The Blood Ravens have a deep belief in the Emperor, perhaps because they do not know who their primarch is, which leads them to give praise to the Emperor with a fervour greater than almost any other Chapter. Like most Astartes, they venerate Him not as a god, but as the mightiest of men, a belief that often times brings them into conflict with the Ecclesiarchy.A common battle cry of the Chapter is, "For the unknown primarch and the Emperor!" The Blood Ravens venerate knowledge and constantly seek it out and guard it. Their motto is "knowledge is power, guard it well," a maxim held firmly by all the Chapter's Librarians and central to the core beliefs of the Chapter.As their quest for knowledge echoes many tenets of the Adeptus Mechanicus, the Chapter also maintains unusually close ties with the Priesthood of Mars. Often times the Blood Ravens will join forces with Mechanicus Explorator fleets in their search for archeotech and lost knowledge in the unknown quarters of the galaxy.The Blood Ravens are often known to seek out sites of lost artefacts, fabled writings, and ancient relics to deny them and the secrets they hold to the Archenemy. To achieve this, they rely heavily on their Librarians both to lead the continuing search for new additions to their holdings and to keep the secret archives in order and compile new records. The Blood Ravens believe that information is the greatest weapon available to them in the fight against the Emperor's enemies.The Blood Ravens are a proud and secretive Chapter, obsessed with ritual, history, and the acquisition of knowledge -- most especially for the truth of their beginnings. This gap in the Blood Ravens' history has led to endless speculation as to the exact origin of the Chapter, and what could have happened to expunge such a large and important portion of their history from their lore.It is this focus that has driven their ongoing quest to discover more information of all kinds. This quest has unquestionably subjected Blood Ravens battle-brothers to an increased exposure to heretical knowledge. Some from outside the Chapter question the wisdom of their pursuits, when they could safely embrace the security of ignorance.Because of the many facets of their investigations, the Blood Ravens have often worked closely with members of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Through the millennia, these Space Marines have uncovered many examples of archeotech, which they have almost always provided to the followers of the Omnissiah without question. At times, the Cult Mechanicus has repaid them for their generosity with gifts of additional wargear, which is well-suited to advancing their cause.There is no formal relationship, as such could be viewed as an insult to more needy Chapters. However, this appears to represent an understanding based upon enlightened self-interest. The Blood Ravens are likely to take full advantage of these additional resources as they continue to rebuild after the losses they suffered during their recent internal strife.The Blood Ravens' battle cry is, "Knowledge is power, guard it well!" This is more than just a chant to bellow as they charge forth to slay the Imperium's foes. It is a mantra by which the Chapter's battle-brothers live. They firmly believe that information is the key to solving countless problems and a weapon that can be exploited by the Imperium or by its enemies. These two points explain the care that these Space Marines exhibit prior to entering into combat and the security that they use to keep their own information and tools isolated from even their allies.It is not uncommon for groups of Librarians to be dispatched with an army of servitors and a number of Space Marine squads to uncover a lost artefact whose location has been recently unearthed or revealed through ritual divination. This has brought the Blood Ravens into direct conflict with the Inquisition on several occasions, as many of the items they seek are touched by the Ruinous Powers.The Blood Ravens insist that it is their duty to hunt down and oppose the forces of Chaos wherever they may be and that by recovering and destroying the tools of Chaos they deny the Archenemy their use. However, the Blood Ravens have been less than forthcoming regarding any proof of the destruction of any of the hundreds of Chaos artefacts they are said to have procured. Such actions do nothing to allay their critics.When dark rumours about the Blood Ravens began to circulate in the aftermath of the Third Aurelian Crusade, Inquisitors from both the Ordo Malleus and Ordo Hereticus headed for Sub-sector Aurelia determined to discover the truth. Alas for them, their expeditions coincided with the emergence of the Great Rift. They have not been heard of since and are presumed dead, lost in the deadly tangle of Warp storms that has cut the galaxy in two in the Era Indomitus.The ancient Chapter Master and Chief Librarian, Azariah Vidya, is the single Space Marine most revered by the Blood Ravens. While he is not believed to have been active at the time of the Chapter's founding, he is credited with the formation of their many traditions. While a normal Space Marine, the Blood Ravens refer to him as the "Great Father," a term that other Chapters might use to identify their primarch or even the Emperor.Such a degree of idolatry expressed towards a fellow battle-brother is certainly uncommon but seems to fulfil the void in the Chapter's iconography due to the lack of knowledge of their genetic origins and the iodentity of their primarch. Their views towards the Emperor are in keeping with the most common Space Marine beliefs; the Blood Ravens deeply respect the Emperor as their creator and leader, but they do not follow the teachings of the Imperial Cult and do not believe that the Emperor is divine.There is little information available, even among the Chapter's legends, concerning its leadership prior to the Great Father assuming the mantle of Chapter Master. Many scholars among the Adeptus Administratum believe that it was his legendary role as both Chief Librarian and Chapter Master that has led the Blood Ravens to value Librarians so highly among their battle-brothers.Since Chapter Master Gabriel Angelos has taken command of the Blood Ravens, they have renewed their devotion to combating and overcoming the ways of Chaos. This is in large part due to the extensive heresy that he uncovered within the Chapter, and may be a consequence of the corruption that he found on his homeworld of Cyrene. Under his direction, all of the Chapter's traditions regarding the Warp are currently being scrutinised. Its leadership is now well aware that the Blood Ravens can ill-afford to lose any further members to treason or heresy.