vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Raven Guard - Chapter Organisation: While the Raven Guard were organised along the lines of the Codex Astartes in the wake of the Second Founding, their application of its principles are subtly different. Following the Drop Site Massacre on Istvaan V the Legion just did not have the resources remaining to re-equip properly and had to make due with older arms and patterns of Power Armour.Because of this reality, even at present the Raven Guard uses a significantly larger number of the more ancient patterns of Power Armour than most Chapters and the individuals that are lucky enough to be gifted with these suits view themselves as blessed by their Primarch.The senior officers of the Raven Guard are known as "Shadow Captains" and the Chapter Master is called the "Master of Shadows." Corax is reputed to have ordered the use of these titles before he disappeared and the Chapter has made use of them ever since.Raven Guard Shadow Captains are fiercely independent, and it is incredibly rare for the Chapter to fight as a whole. Individual companies are completely autonomous and are quick to lend their aid to Imperial commanders across the galaxy, with or without the sanction of their Master of Shadows.Such behaviour has led some in the other Space Marine Chapters to question the Raven Guard's soundness as a military force, but most recognise that such fluidity of command only proves the presence of the Chapter's formidable discipline, not its absence.During the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy the Raven Guard Legion was organized into specialized companies such as the Falcon Assault Company and the Talon Tactical Company, which were organized much like the Reserve Companies of later Codex Astartes-compliant Chapters.
Raven Guard - Chapter Wargear: The Raven Guard Chapter makes wide use of the "beaked" older versions of the standard Space Marine Power Armour (Marks IV-VI, with a heavy reliance on the beaked Mark VI helmet pattern). After their near-destruction as a force on Istvaan V during the Drop Site Massacre of the early Horus Heresy, the Raven Guard have had to make due with the older Power Armour patterns and equipment that remained in their reserve armoury.The available resources were too few to re-equip them up to the most advanced technological standards of the Imperium and even today there is a higher percentage of ancient suits of Power Armour amongst the Chapter than in most others.The Raven Guard's homeworld of Deliverance and its fortress-monastery on that planet, the Ravenspire, has the production capacity of a small Forge World (since it can draw upon the resources of the actual Forge World of Kiavahr that Deliverance orbits), ensuring that the Raven Guard now rarely lacks for the materiel needed to prosecute its campaigns.
Raven Guard - Recruitment and Wraith-Slip Training: Owing to the instability of the Raven Guard's gene-seed due to the experiments of Corax, much of the Chapter's genetic stock has been irreparably damaged. Now, much of their genetic material comes from stored supplies held on Terra by the Adeptus Mechanicus.This means the cycle of recruitment for the Raven Guard is much slower than for other Chapters while they wait for purified samples of gene-seed to be sent from Terra and fewer Raven Guard Neophytes prove able to survive their training and genetic modification than is the norm in other Chapters.This means that before the introduction of the Primaris Space Marines, the Chapter was constantly short-handed. The Raven Guard's recruits are almost all drawn from the hardy population of miners that has called Deliverance home for millennia.As masters of stealth, infiltration and sabotage, all Raven Guard Neophytes are trained by the finest Shadow Masters of the Ravenspire. Despite their Astartes-enhanced physiology and their cumbersome armour, they are taught to move with silence and invisibility, shifting from one pool of darkness to another within the shadows. This art of silent and stealthy movement particular to the Chapter is known as wraith-slipping.Raven Guard Neophytes are taught this art in the labyrinths of the Ravenspire, and they learn how to muffle the noise they make, first with rags and packed earth, then with acoustic dampeners and pure skill at movement. They later use these techniques to baffle the sounds created by their own Power Armour, in what are known as the "secret rites of silence," as every Raven Guard must have mastered these abilities once they become full Initiates of the Chapter.Each Raven Guard warrior moves silently in his own way, and it is each warrior's understanding of the empty spaces between sounds that allows them to occupy them. Every Raven Guard who practices the arts of wraith-slipping tests themselves, for without trials, the ability to wraith-slip begins to erode.Only by becoming one with the shadows can a warrior move through them without revealing himself. Only by being hunted can he reach that place within himself that allows the wraith-slip to become perfect camouflage. Such protection is not infallible, and no member of the Chapter is ever truly invisible, but veteran Raven Guard Astartes, such as the Shadow Captains, possess such an affinity for the dark that they might as well be.
Raven Guard - Raven Guard Librarians: Like their fellow Astartes Chapters, the Raven Guard also maintains a Librarius of potent psykers who are highly talented and trained to master the power of the Warp.Each Chapter selects its Librarians in its own way, either from seed worlds, as it does with the bulk of its Initiates, or from the ranks of gifted psykers brought to the Scholastica Psykana. Most Chapters train and test chosen psykers following the ancient ways laid out in the Codex Astartes.Librarians of the Raven Guard are trained in this way, and, with few minor traditional variances, have been taught to live by the word of the Codex. Raven Guard Librarians have a number of unique psychic abilities only used by the psykers of their Chapter:Corax's Ingenuity - A Raven Guard Librarian can plunge his mind into the Warp, harnessing its power. He is infused with power, embodying the pure ideals of Corax, and emanating this power to those around him, increasing their skill in battle and fortitude in the face of the enemy's blows.Curse of the Raven - When a Raven Guard Librarian employs this ability he curses his opponent, condemning him to death at the hands of the Emperor's champions. Warp energies eat at the target's mind, and reveal weaknesses in his defences that the Battle-Brothers can exploit. This power only works on a single target.The Unkindness of Deliverance - The Raven Guard Librarian is able to manifest his psychic power as an unkindness of ravens. Black as night, these ferocious birds swarm over his opponents. The Librarian can either have the ravens target one individual or swarm a number of opponents, blinding them temporarily.
Raven Guard - Chapter Beliefs: Like many other Chapters, the venerable Raven Guard maintain long-standing rituals and beliefs assimilated by the cultural beliefs of their homeworld. One such example are the fetishes worn by warriors of the Raven Guard Chapter, known as Corvia.During the long, arduous initiation process of a prospective neophyte, all must undergo an initiation in the form of a meditative trance or spirit quest to hunt the miniscule avians of their homeworld that are native to the forests of Kiavahr.Trained by the finest Shadow Masters of the Ravenspire in the arts of stealth and infiltration, it takes many solar months for Neophytes to master the fine art of "Wraith-slipping", in order to hone the necessary skills to sneak up on the small and alert ravens, snatching them up with their bare hands and quickly snapping their necks.Also known as Corvia, the skulls of these small birds are worn as potent totems which hang from small chains from an Astartes' belt or battle-plate. These fetishes represent an individual warrior's honour, and when one falls in battle, one of his fellow Battle-Brothers will recover the Corvia from their fallen brethren and continue to carry it in battle, and thus, carry their fallen brethren's honour until such time that they can return to Kiavahr and bury the small avian skulls in the soil of their Chapter's homeworld.The claiming of a fallen warrior's Corvia goes hand in hand with stripping the body of the deceased Battle-Brother of all equipment and Chapter trappings, which includes the harvesting of the all-important gene-seed. Once the Chapter has claimed its due, the stripped corpses are then left for the local carrion birds to feast upon.The Raven Guard do not venerate the Emperor with the fervour or zeal of many other Astartes Chapters, viewing Him as a distant figure, the master of the galaxy and the founder of the Imperium but little more. Corax is viewed as a mighty leader capable of making tough decisions when the need was great.The Raven Guard still follow the path that Corax set for them, reviewing the data collected from each battle to learn its lessons and a great deal of the tactical doctrines of the Raven Guard were learned and laid out from such examinations.As for the officers of the Raven Guard, they emphasize initiative and tactical skill as much or more so than personal martial prowess.The Raven Guard are much more likely to use a swift surgical strike than to engage in long, protracted battles or sieges. However this tendency causes some tension with other Astartes Chapters who the Raven Guard consider blunt and clumsy, such as the Blood Angels.
Raven Guard - Rivalry with the White Scars: Many Space Marine Chapters have existed for millennia, with those of the First Founding having their roots in the original Space Marine Legions created to prosecute the conquests of the Emperor's Great Crusade.With histories stretching back into the dawn of the Age of the Imperium, it is perhaps inevitable that Chapters should come to blows, both metaphorically and at times literally. There are many instances of rivalries, and some of outright hostilities.The deep-rooted and mutual antagonism between the Space Wolves and the Dark Angels is well-known, but there are many more examples. One example of such rivalry can be found in the case of the Raven Guard and the White Scars, who have harboured a mutual mistrust dating back centuries.In truth, there may be no single cause of the bad blood between the two Chapters, but the mere mentioning of several battles are sure to raise the ire of Raven Guard and White Scar alike.The Assault on Hive Lin-Mei is one such conﬂict, as is the Last March on the Sapphire Worlds.Most acrimonious of all is Operation Chronos, in which a venerated Raven Guard Chaplain fell to Enslaver domination in circumstances where a nearby White Scars force might have been able to intervene.The ill will created by these and numerous other incidents has led to the two Chapters regarding one another with barely contained loathing, a situation that none can see an end to any time soon.
Raven Guard - Chapter Gene-Seed: The genetic material of the Raven Guard was greatly damaged by the accelerated processes utilised by Corax to rebuild the Legion following the Drop Site Massacre of Istvaan V. Much of the gene-stocks of the Raven Guard were lost or irreparably damaged and as such a significant portion of the Chapter's genetic material now comes from Terra.Additionally the process of transformation into an Astartes is notably more difficult for Aspirants in the Raven Guard and so many casualties early in training only add to the slow and limited recruitment process of the Chapter.Even further degeneration in the gene-seed has caused several of the implants to fail. Due to the degeneration of the Raven Guard's gene-seed, several of the genetically-engineered organs normally implanted in Space Marines no longer function properly or simply no longer even develop after they are implanted as zygotes.For instance, Raven Guard Astartes do not possess the Mucranoid organ which allows a Space Marine to survive extremes of heat, cold or even exposure to the vacuum of space or the Betcher's Gland organ, which allows them to spit a venomous toxin.The Raven Guard's Melanochromic organ that allows an Astartes' skin to adjust to variable levels of solar radiation has a unique mutation that causes the skin of a Raven Guard to lose its pigment, regardless of its original hue.Eventually the Space Marine's skin becomes pure white while the hair and eyes darken until they are jet black, which was the pigmentation carried by the Raven Guard's Primarch Corax.
Raven Guard - Primarch's Curse: Lure of the Shadows: Like many Chapters, the Raven Guard also suffer from certain genetic deficiencies. The Raven Guard's demeanour heavily reflects their combat doctrine.Generally reserved, Raven Guard Space Marines stay in the shadows until the right time to speak. When they do pitch in they tend to be very recalcitrant and terse, often condemning the more direct tactics of their fellow Chapters.As they become unstable, they begin to mimic the sullen nature of their Primarch before his mysterious disappearance. When the Chapter's genetic curse manifests itself in an affected Battle-Brother, it comes on in three stages:Stage 1 - The Battle-Brother is used to working in his small Raven Guard strike team, and finds the direct tactics used by other Chapters to be brutish and ineffective. When commanded into a direct attack that he finds foolhardy, the Battle-Brother is resistant, almost to the level of disobedience.Stage 2 - Becoming increasingly intractable, the Battle-Brother is quiet and brooding. In mission briefings he stays in the shadows, only speaking when absolutely necessary. For example, the fellow members of a Deathwatch Kill-team would feel uneasy around the moody Battle-Brother, tending to avoid him when possible.Stage 3 - The Battle-Brother despises the tactics of his fellow Battle-Brothers, knowing that his more intelligent approach is the best way to victory.
Raven Guard - Reflex Shield Technology: During the time of the Great Crusade, the Raven Guard Legion fleet made use of a variant of Void Shield technology known as Reflex Shields that had been developed on the Forge World of Kiavahr, the planet which the Raven Guard's homeworld of Deliverance orbited. Reflex Shields acted as a form of cloaking device for Raven Guard warships, preventing them from being seen either by sensors or even the naked eye. A Void Shield worked by using the power of the Warp itself to displace incoming projectiles and high-energy attacks through gravitic manipulation. Reflex Shield technology altered the modulation of the Warp-Drive cores that powered a Raven Guard warship's standard Void Shields, calibrating them to a much higher tolerance and also directing them inwards, so that all of the matter and energy emitted by the vessel was redirected instead; all forms of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the Raven Guard's starships could be displaced, rendering them undetectable to almost all forms of scanning equipment.The advantages of the Reflex Shield technology fitted well with the XIXth Legion's ethos of war, allowing Raven Guard starships to approach their targets unseen and strike swiftly and decisively before withdrawing. The low energy requirement for the use of the technology meant that such stealth could be maintained almost indefinitely. There was, however, a serious downside to the use of Reflex Shield technology. By employing its Void Shield generators for the projection of Reflex Shields, a Raven Guard vessel had no defence against physical attack and it took time to switch the generators from one state to the other, leaving a warship vulnerable for several minutes with neither its cloaking field nor its energy barriers fully operational.To the Auspex Augurs and scanning arrays of an orbital base or starships throughout a star system, any starship activating Reflex Shield technology would seem to melt away into the stars. To the naked eye it would appear to shimmer, as the Reflex Shields engaged and reflected all visible light from the ship's surfaces, until eventually all such energy was dampened and the vessel was rendered effectively invisible to sensors and the naked eye alike. Another problem with Reflex Shield technology, one that Corax had unsuccessfully laboured to overcome for many years, was the relatively low amount of energy emissions it could cloak. A vessel's reactors could only be run at half power without generating too much energy to be displaced by the Reflex Shields. Thus, when operating under the cloak provided by the technology, a Raven Guard starship had to reduce its top speed and make do with decreased sensor capabilities.It is unknown if the starships of the post-Heresy Raven Guard Chapter still have access to this ancient cloaking technology.
Raven Guard - Sable Heraldry: The shadows have always been the greatest ally of the Raven Guard, from their brooding demeanour and pale complexion, to their stealth tactics and guerilla warfare.Born out of necessity, the Raven Guard stick to the shadows out of a need to survive to maintain their constantly limited numbers.This inclination is greatly reflected in their jet black armour and symbols of the black bird that is their namesake:The Ravenclaw - Commonly placed on the right shoulder of Veteran Raven Guard Battle-Brothers, the black Ravenclaw is painted upon a white shoulder plate and is reserved for those with long and venerated service to their Chapter. These Battle-Brothers are practiced in the art of guerilla warfare, they react fluidly to changes on the battlefield and are constantly aware of their surroundings.Raven Calvaria - Taking the form of a bird's skull, the Calvaria is a decoration worn by many Battle-Brothers across the Chapter. It is commonly worn hanging from a chain around the Space Marine's neck or strung from their right shoulder plate.
Raven Guard - Chapter Colours: The Raven Guard use a relatively Codex Astartes-adherent system of iconography and markings, with only a handful of minor variations.It should be noted, however, that Raven Guard warriors operating for extended periods behind enemy lines have been known to obscure, obfuscate or remove altogether their heraldic markings to prevent identification by the enemy.Long ago, during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy, the Raven Guard Legion made use of much more extensive iconography, some of which is depicted above.After the Second Founding following the Heresy, the Raven Guard, already drastically reduced in size in the wake of the horrors of the Drop Site Massacre, reverted to the much simpler system of markings used today.The Raven Guard Chapter wears black Power Armour.The Raven Guard display their Chapter badge upon their left pauldron against a field of sable. The left shoulder plate's trim is always black.The right pauldron bears the squad specialty symbol -- battleline, close support, fire support, Veteran or command. The Raven Guard icon for fire support Astartes differs from the standard icon and is represented by the symbol of a stylised explosive blast.The colour of the right pauldron's trim designates the company of a Raven Guard Astartes as determined by the Codex Astartes -- white for the 1st Company, gold for the 2nd Company, red for the 3rd Company, green for the 4th Company, etc.The squad is designated by a Low Gothic numeral displayed on the left knee plate.Some Raven Guard Force Commanders or high-ranking Veteran officers and Sergeants have all-white shoulder plates, as well as helmets and sometimes the armour covering their entire arms.The Raven Guard use a system of helm studs and colouration, coupled with iconography on the right pauldron, to show what rank each of their Battle-Brothers holds. These are backed up by heavily encoded Auspex signifiers readable by Power Armour auto-senses should the icons themselves need to be concealed.Sergeants are designated by a skull placed in the centre of the helm.Veteran Sergeants have a white helm with a skull placed in its centre.Lieutenants have a red-and-white stripe on their helms with a skull placed in its centre and an ornate right pauldron design.Shadow Captains have a white helm with a skull placed in its centre and an ornate right pauldron design.
Raven Guard - Chapter Badge: The Raven Guard Chapter badge is a stylised large white raven centred on a field of black.
Raven Guard - Sources: Codex: Space Marines (8th Edition) (Revised Codex), pp. 42-45Codex: Space Marines (6th Edition), pp. 8, 16, 38, 60-65, 67, 70, 73, 78, 113, 148-149Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition), pp. 25, 49Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition)Codex Supplement: Raven Guard (8th Edition), pp. 6-11, 22-34, 58-59, 62, 64Deathwatch: Game Master's Kit (RPG), pg. 26Deathwatch: First Founding (RPG), pp. 14-19, 98, 100, 104, 112Horus Heresy: Collected Visions (Artbook)How To Paint Space Marines (2004), pg. 79Imperial Armour Volume Eight - Raid on Kastorel-Novem, pp. 104-112Imperial Armour Volume Twelve - The Fall of Orpheus, pg. 16The Horus Heresy - Book Four: Conquest (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pg. 49The Horus Heresy - Book Six: Retribution (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 22, 31, 46Index Astartes IV, "Claws of the Raven - Raven Guard Space Marine Chapter", pp. 96-101Insignium Astartes, pg. 59Warhammer 40,000: Altar of War - Stronghold AssaultWarhammer 40,000: Dataslate - Adeptus Astartes Storm Wing (Digital Edition)Warhammer 40,000: Dataslate - Space Marines Strike Force Ultra (Digital Edition)Warhammer 40,000: Planetstrike (4th Edition)Warhammer 40,000: Rulebook (6th Edition)White Dwarf 326 (US), "Modeling Workshop: Space Marine Devastators", pg. 90White Dwarf 276 (US), "Index Astartes: The Raven Guard"White Dwarf 166 (US), "Space Marines: Codex Imperialis Extract - Legions of Adeptus Astartes", pp. 8-19White Dwarf Weekly Magazine #109 (27 Feb 2016) "The Deathwatch: Kill Team Cassius", pg. 7Fulgrim (Novel) by Graham McNeillThe First Heretic (Novel) by Aaron Dembski-BowdenAge of Darkness (Anthology) edited by Christian Dunn, "The Face of Treachery" by Gav ThorpeRaven's Flight (Audio Book)Raptor (Audio Book) by Gav ThorpeDeliverance Lost (Novel) by Gav ThorpeCorax: Soulforge (Novella) by Gav ThorpeCybernetica (Novella) by Rob SandersScorched Earth (Novella) by Nick KymeCadian Blood (Novel) by Aaron Dembski-Bowden, pg. 62Chapter's Due (Novel) by Graham McNeillDead Sky, Black Sun (Novel) by Graham McNeillFear the Alien (Anthology), "Unity" by James GilmerHeroes of the Space Marines (Anthology), "Headhunted" by Steve ParkerThe Hunt for Voldorius (Novel) by Andy HoareWarrior Brood (Novel) by C.S. GotoWarriors of Ultramar (Novel) by Graham McNeillLabyrinth of Sorrows (Audio Book) by George MannLegacy of Russ: The Lost King (Ebook) by Robbie MacNivenRavenlord (Novella) by Gav ThorpeThe Unkindness of Ravens (Novella) by George MannHelion Rain (Novella) by (Audio Book) by George MannSons of Corax (Anthology) by George Mann,contains the short stories "Prey", "With Baited Breath", "Old Scars", "Helion Rain" and "By Artifice,Alone" as well as the novella "The Unkindness of Ravens"Damocles (Apocalypse Anthology), "Blood Oath" by Phil KellyGhostmaker (Novel) by Dan AbnettSoulbound (Audio Book) by George MannSwordwind, Part 3 - The Baran WarForge World - Corvus Corax, Primarch of the Raven GuardForge World - Raven Guard Mor Deythan Strike SquadForge World - Raven Guard Dark Fury Assault SquadForge World - Raven Guard Darkwing Assault
Raven Sword - Raven Sword: The Raven Sword is a revered artefact of the Dark Angels Space Marine Chapter, and in times of need, Sammael, the current Grand Master of the Ravenwing, the 2nd Company, wields this famous master-crafted Power Sword.This sword is one of a quadrumvirate of legendary swords collectively known as the Heavenfall Blades, and these formidable weapons are only carried by the highest-ranking members of the Inner Circle of the Dark Angels.The Chapter's lore states that these blades were forged from the core of a meteorite that struck their mobile fortress-monastery, known as the The Rock, in orbit around the Feral World of Al Baradad. The mightiest of these blades is the Sword of Secrets, carried by the Supreme Grand Master of the Chapter, and the current wielder of that sword is Azrael.The blades wielded by the Grand Master of the Deathwing, the Grand Master of the Ravenwing, and the Company Master of the Dark Angels' 5th Company also utilise small amounts of the obsidian taken from the meteorite in their working.It is also said that a small portion of this meteoric substance was despatched to each of the Dark Angels' Successor Chapters, so that the senior members of the Unforgiven's own Inner Circles would also bear the same heritage forged in steel as those borne by the Masters of the Dark Angels.
Ravener - Ravener: The Ravener (Tyranicus ophidius subterra, alternatively Rapaxus anguismus) is a Tyranid bioform that is a variant of the standard Tyranid Warrior specialised for rapid assault. It is capable of digging underground to launch surprise ambushes upon unsuspecting foes from beneath their own feet.Imperial Magi Biologis researchers believe that the Ravener is a variant of the Tyranid Warrior genus. The same savants hold that other Tyranid creatures, such as the Trygon or Haruspex, may in turn descend from the Ravener genus.
Ravener - Role: Like most other Tyranids, Raveners have six limbs. One pair of these are large scythe-like claws which they use for tunneling, a second will be similar scythe claws or smaller claws useful for tearing apart armored foes. The last pair of limbs sometimes carry ranged biomorphs such as Devourers, though otherwise possess no special function. Rather than move on legs, as most other Tyranids do, the Raveners rely on their long, snakelike tail to move at high speed across the battlefield.Some Raveners are seen wielding the typical bio-weaponry of the Tyranids. Rather than carry these weapons in their claws, as other Tyranids do, Raveners have evolved the ability to carry their biomechanical weapons in their thorax, keeping their claws free for digging or killing.Utilising their ability to tunnel underground, the Ravener can burst from the ground beneath their foes, launching frightening surprise assaults. They can also use their great speed to quickly move across the battlefield, engaging their foes in close combat, at which they excel.While they lack the adaptability and telepathic "synapse" link that allows them to control other Tyranid bioforms like their Tyranid Warrior forebears, Raveners are still formidable foes. Unlike the heavy assault troops available to Tyranids, such as the Carnifex, Raveners are less durable, and are unable to survive heavy weapons fire.However, this can be somewhat mitigated by the presence of Tyranids with the synapse link ability. The Ravener's incredible senses were once believed by the Imperium to be unable to comprehend motionless targets, a theory quickly disproved in a terrible battle where an Adeptus Mechanicus Magos Biologis ordered all his troops to stay still in the face of Ravener attack.They did not survive.
Ravenlord - Ravenlord: Ravenlord is a novella in The Horus Heresy series of novels, released as an exclusive in hardback format. The novella has since been reprinted in non-limited hardback form, ebook form, and an audiobook (MP3). Ravenlord was later included in the Corax anthology novel.
Ravenlord - Synopsis: As the Horus Heresy continues, Corax and the remnants of his once mighty Legion now wage an entirely different kind of war -- liberating worlds oppressed by Traitor forces, they gather more and more followers, disrupting the Warmaster Horus' influence wherever they can. But after an unexpected reunion with a fellow survivor of Istvaan V, the Raven Guard learn of the prison colony of Carandiru and realise that they must face the ghosts of their past on Deliverance if they are to prevail.
Ravenlord - Raven Guard Series: The following is the chronological order of the Raven Guard Series story arc set within the Horus Heresy:Corax: SoulforgeThe ShadowmastersRavenlordThe Value of FearRaptorWeregeldThe Raven Guard Series begins shortly after book eighteen, Deliverance Lost. All of the Raven Guard Series is included in the anthology novel Corax.
Ravenwing - Origins: The Ravenwing originated as the heavy cavalry unit of the feudal knights known as The Order on the Dark Angels' homeworld of Caliban before the Great Crusade. The Order hunted the potent Chaos-mutated Great Beasts that terrorised the deep forests of that ancient Death World. This cavalry unit of The Order wore black plate armour with distinctive winged helms and was so skilled in battle that its members could survive the deep forests of Caliban alone.The Ravenwing was the wing of the Dark Angels Legion's Hexagrammaton most changed by the return of Lion El'Jonson. The Ravenwing was named after the Calibanite knightly Order of the Raven which had trained the most fearsome mounted warriors to be found on that savage world. Combining those warriors of the Order of the Raven inducted into the Dark Angels with the remnants of the Legion's earlier Host of Wind and Host of the Void, the Lion created a formation that would carve a legend for itself on the battlefields of the Great Crusade and beyond.Based around the principles of mobile attacks, of strike and fade tactics and skirmish warfare, the Ravenwing excelled at the use of light skimmers and tactical aircraft, but also incorporated significant infantry assets. These were mostly reconaissance squadrons, though among those infantry units specialised in the the use of Drop Pods and other orbital assault doctrines, there were many initiates of the Ravenwing marked by the symbol of a white corvid. When the Legion gave battle to a foe that sought to evade or confuse them, or one whose overwhelming power compelled them to counter it with speed, it was the initiates of the Ravenwing that took to the fore.These initiates were often considered mavericks and glory-hounds by the more hidebound veterans of the Legion's other wings, for the Ravenwing retained a number of more barbaric customs associated with its recruits, many of which hailed from more remote Feudal Worlds. As such, those Calibanite warriors who gained admission to its ranks were often those out of favour with the masters of the more prestigious wings of the Hexagrammaton or those eager to forge their own legend.
Ravenwing - 41st Millennium: Black-clad huntsmen and masters of the art of lightning warfare, the Ravenwing race before their Chapter like thunder before a storm. Prizing speed and mobility above all else, they are an integral part of the Dark Angels' battlefield strategies, as well as a powerful asset in the Unforgiven's secret quest to bring the Fallen to justice.The Ravenwing is the Dark Angels Chapter's 2nd Company, and is a specialised formation that takes to the field in rapid assault vehicles manned by the Chapter's most capable riders and pilots. The warriors of the Ravenwing are selected for their skills with the fastest assets, and are given more advanced training upon their induction to the company so that they can perform even more incredible manoeuvres, adopting new formations that only the Ravenwing know.A new inductee can expect to master the Beat of the Unfurled Wing, the Strike of the Piercing Beak and the Slash of the Bladed Claw within solar months of joining, pushing himself and his allocated vehicle beyond what he thought possible.Only the Chapter's senior officers are aware of the Ravenwing's primary role in hunting down and capturing the Fallen Angels of the original Dark Angels Legion. The members of the 2nd Company are granted only limited knowledge to the secrets of the Dark Angels. They know more than the line Astartes of the Dark Angels' other companies, but far less than the elite 1st Company of the Deathwing and the Chapter's Inner Circle.Those battle-brothers selected for service in the 2nd Company must not only possess an affinity for fast attack vehicles, but also a mental fortitude exceptional even for an Astartes. Only the most stoic of Space Marines are chosen to join the ranks of the Ravenwing, for those that they hunt are Traitors and debased Heretics who seek to undermine their faith in the Emperor, the Lion and the Imperium itself.For this reason, the members of the Ravenwing are constantly monitored by the Chapter's Chaplains for any signs of spiritual turmoil or corruption that could be caused by contact with these malignant Heretics.The 2nd Company is led by the current Grand Master of the Ravenwing company, Grand Master Sammael. He has led this elite company into battle for over a Terran century, inheriting his current role from the previous Grand Master of the Ravenwing, Gideon, as he lay dying.Sammael succeeded Gideon as the master of the Ravenwing, a decision later ratified by the unanimous assent of the company's Astartes and the Chapter's Grand Masters. Sammael is privileged to ride into battle on one of the last known examples of an Imperial Jetbike, a lost piece of Imperial anti-gravitic technology dating back to the time of the Great Crusade. This nigh-extinct form of archeotech is highly prized, as it has not been seen in the service of the Imperium for millennia.
Ravenwing - Hunt for the Fallen: When a member of the Dark Angels or one of the other Unforgiven Chapters receives the honour of being promoted into the Ravenwing Company, they learn the secret truth of the Chapter. The Dark Angels' Primarch Lion El'Jonson was betrayed at the end of the Horus Heresy by his second-in-command Luther, who slew the Lion in single combat on the Dark Angels' lost homeworld of Caliban before he and those other Dark Angels who had been corrupted by Chaos were transported into the Warp by the will of the Ruinous Powers.These Traitor Marines are known today as the Fallen Angels, and the Dark Angels and all of their Unforgiven kin are sworn to bring every one of the Fallen to repentance or death before they can receive the Emperor's forgiveness. The Ravenwing Company was originally created to serve as highly mobile hunters in the pursuit of the Fallem Angels and this is still their most important, if highly secret role within all of the Unforgiven Chapters.
Ravenwing - Pre-Heresy Organisation: "The arrow knows the path." This saying held great meaning for the masters of the Ravenwing, a formation known for adhering to strange truths acquired from distant worlds, but also for their success on the field of war. When given charge of their brothers, they were like an arrow set to flight: graceful, unerring and deadly.As with all the wings of the Dark Angels Legion's Hexagrammaton, the Ravenwing was intended to gather and focus the Legion's expertise within a singular battlefield art. In this case it was that of skirmish warfare, of the swift advance and sudden withdrawal, to engage the foe and frustrate its strategies rather than simply grind down its will to fight in a simple war of attrition. As such, the Ravenwing tended to focus on battlefield assets that complemented this style of warfare, with their ranks comprising the largest numbers of Land Speeders, aircraft and strike tanks in the I Legion|Ist Legion]], all scattered across the various orders and companies that formed the vast host of the Dark Angels.During the long years of the Great Crusade, the warriors of the Ravenwing served as experts in the field of swift war, called upon to advise the knight-praetors when their expertise was needed and to lead those units that best served their skills -- only rarely would they be gathered together as a singular host. Yet, with the outbreak of the Horus Heresy, it would be ever more common for the warriors of this wing to be called upon to fight as a singular whole, often deployed to blunt the advance of more traditional Legion hosts or to deny ground to a larger enemy army without attempting to directly contest them,and resorting to spoiling attacks and swift raids to keep a superior force at bay.During the Thramas Crusade, this gambit would be employed on a number of occasions with great success, with several worlds along the fringes of the Dark Angels' advance being denied to the Night Lords by the presence of small Ravenwing task forces. It became only natural that in the larger engagements of the crusade, at Sheol and Yaelis amongst others, that the Ravenwing continued to act as a unified force, ranging ahead of the main host to harry the Night Lords as they drew up their lines for battle and to discourage enemy forces from attempting flanking assaults of their own.It was a tactical convention that would survive the Thramas Crusade and continue throughout the Horus Heresy, and given the Ravenwing's doctrine of limited war and hit-and-run strikes, it would see them survive Horus' rebellion with one of the largest and most cohesive forces still combat ready within the Ist Legion.What had begun as a quirk of the Horus Heresy's dire needs would become tradition during the Great Scouring that followed, seeing the Ravenwing become a force unto themselves in the new Age of the Imperium that followed.
Ravenwing - Post-Heresy Company Organisation: Like the Deathwing, the Ravenwing does not conform to the ideal of Space Marine Chapter organisation as laid out in the Codex Astartes, though the other Dark Angels and Unforgiven Chapters' companies are considered to be Codex-compliant.The Ravenwing Company is mostly composed of Bike Squads and squadrons of assault Land Speeders. These vehicles are then divided into two groups; one serves as an attack squadron and the other as fire support.
Ravenwing - Talonmasters: While Supreme Grand Masters of the Unforgiven willingly put in place the new lieutenant rank, outlined in the revised Codex Astartes, within their Battle and Reserve Companies, they decided to modify the role to meet the needs of the Unforgiven's specialised 2nd Companies. As such, the equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Ravenwing and other such companies is known as a Talonmaster.Mounted in a Land Speeder outfitted with additional auspex scanners and vox-casting mechanisms, it is a Talonmaster's role to help direct the Ravenwing's fire, using his equipment to ensure no quarry can hide from his battle-brothers. Even foes that seek temporary refuge in the densest of terrain are spotted, and their coordinates vox-cast out to all Ravenwing units.Talonmasters are typically elevated to this role from the Black Knights. They are selected for their committment to the hunt as well as their aptitude for command. They also have to be independent of thought, for they are often given command of smaller detachments as part of devastating flanking attacks or secret missions.
Ravenwing - Ravenwing Black Knights: Mounted on powerful, heavily-customised Mark IV Assault Bikes, the Ravenwing Black Knights of the Chapter's 2nd Company, the Ravenwing, are heavily-armed shock cavalry. Those who survive in the Ravenwing long enough learn to take the doctrines of mobile warfare to the next level of mastery.If they can pass the Seven Rites of the Raven -- brutal ceremonies that test not only skill, but also the extremes of Chapter loyalty -- they will be inducted into the Black Knights and initiated into the Inner Circle of the 2nd Company. There, after taking part in the long and solemn ritual that culminates in the Vow of the Beastslayer, they will learn the real reason behind the Ravenwing hunt for heretics and the truth about their Chapter's history.Ravenwing Black Knights ride to battle atop Mark IV Raven Pattern Space Marine Assault Bikes, powerful machines outfitted with deadly Plasma Talons. To signify their exalted status, Black Knights carry Corvus Hammers, which are patterned after an ancient Calibanite weapon used to hunt the Great Beasts.The Black Knights' riding skills are supreme, and they can drive at top speed through almost any impediments to close on their foes. During this approach, their Plasma Talons tear gaping holes in the enemy lines before they literally ride over their prey, cracking armour and sundering flesh with their Corvus Hammers as they go.Against more formidable opponents, those Black Knights trained in the use of the Ravenwing Grenade Launcher fire a salvo of specialised rad and stasis shells, which can make even the most potent of enemies more vulnerable to a sustained assault.A Ravenwing Black Knight is a vengeful killer who will not rest until he has run his prey to ground. If his Plasma Talons do not kill the foe, the razor-sharp bill of his Corvus Hammer surely will. Ravenwing Black Knights are often led into battle by a veteran Astartes and longtime member of the Black Knights known as a Ravenwing Huntmaster.Whether deployed on their own or forming a veteran core in the centre of the larger Ravenwing spearhead, the Black Knights, mounted upon their Mk IV Raven-pattern bikes, are the ultimate weapon of the Grand Master of the Ravenwing. Although Dark Angels rarely recount battle deeds or heroic tales unless doing so addresses some special need, the Black Knights' Ravenwingbrethren often cannot hold their tongues as they speak in wonder about the fighting prowess of their company's elite battle-brothers.
Ravenwing - Ravenwing Bikers: Bike Squads form over half of the 2nd Company's bulk and they are the centre of any Ravenwing attack. The Space Marine Assault Bikes lay down a torrent of fire from twin-linked Bolters and accelerate into combat should a vulnerable target reveal itself.It is Ravenwing doctrine to avoid becoming bogged down such that their speed is negated and the enemy's superior numbers can be brought to bear. Thus, the Ravenwing Bikers might charge into a foe, but unless they break them immediately, the bikers are likely to streak off, leaving their foe bewildered, unsure of which direction the next attack will come from.Equipped with Teleport Homers, Ravenwing bikes often drive deep into the heart of their quarry before summoning the heavy assault troops of the Deathwing. The Ravenwing ride down any of the foe who attempt to flee, mercilessly allowing none to escape the ensuing massacre.The standard Attack Bike augments the more lightly armed Ravenwing bikes, lending its heavier firepower where needed. The Attack Bike is ideal for getting into position to support the Ravenwing's assaults, clearing the path ahead of the onrushing bikes with its Heavy Bolter.Some Attack Bikes are outfitted with a multi-melta: these are tasked with hunting down and destroying enemy armour which would otherwise endanger their brethren.
Ravenwing - Ravenwing Command Squads: Ravenwing Command Squads usually consist of experienced Ravenwing Black Knights who form a swift and highly-mobile bodyguard around a mounted Chapter officer, or execute other specialised missions on their own.These squads usually include several other Chapter specialists -- an Apothecary to tend to the wounded and recover the fallen's gene-seed on far-flung scouting missions, a Standard Bearer, and the Ravenwing Company Champion wielding a deadly blade of Calibanite origin.When a Ravenwing Command Squad rides to battle, they form a rallying point for one of the most fearsome fast strike forces in the galaxy. Beneath the fluttering shadow of their standard, the black-armoured Astartes of the Ravenwing bring death to the enemies of the Emperor.
Ravenwing - Ravenwing Attack Squadrons: The Ravenwing are organised entirely into fast, hard-hitting elements that are as unique as they are effective. All members of the Ravenwing operate a fast vehicle, be it an Assault Bike, Attack Bike, one of the many variants of Land Speeder or perhaps an atmospheric fighter.The warriors of the 2nd Company do not use the green panoply of the majority of the Dark Angels, but instead are clad in black armour. They typically work together in mixed formations: the standard ten-strong squad within the Ravenwing is the Attack Squadron, a force made up of six brethren riding Assault Bikes, two riding an Attack Bike, and two crewing a Land Speeder.These are further supported by additional Land Speeders or squads of the Veteran bike-mounted warriors known as Ravenwing Black Knights. All are optimised for speed and mobility over firepower or the ability to sustain assaults.As they streak into battle, Ravenwing Attack Squadrons often break into their disparate parts. Weaving in and out of each others' paths, each element works with the synchronicity of thousands of drills and the experience garnered upon blood-soaked battlefields across the Imperium.With but a signal flashed across the comm-net, the different elements will break off at speed to pursue their own goals up and down the enemy lines, only to reconverge moments later to focus their destructive powers upon on a single target.As the Ravenwing range ahead of the main force, they are often the first to find and engage a foe. This is their specialty, as the Ravenwing are the black-clad huntsmen of the Dark Angels -- and they are tasked with seeking out and pinning down the foe until the rest of the Chapter arrives.While the entire 2nd Company is occasionally deployed in a single action, most often the Ravenwing is broken into its component squads and attached to work alongside Dark Angels strike forces spread across the galaxy.The reconnaissance, flank attacks and rapid assaults of the Ravenwing are useful on all battle fronts, but are in reality a disguise that covers the company's secret mission: to hunt down the Fallen.This fact is not known to the majority of the Dark Angels, nor is it even known to all the Ravenwing themselves. They are trained to unquestioningly obey orders, as well as to be deaf to any captives' lies and heresies.Given the dark nature of their unknown mission, the entire 2nd Company is watched over closely by Chaplains and Interrogator-Chaplains, who regularly assess each of its battle-brothers for signs of spiritual turmoil and treasonous thoughts.
Ravenwing - Ravenwing Support Squadrons: The Ravenwing Support Squadron consists of a Ravenwing Land Speeder squadron and a single Ravenwing Land Speeder Vengeance or Ravenwing Darkshroud. The Support Squadrons of the Ravenwing act in concert with the Attack Squadrons, one the sword and one the shield. Skimming fast and low over the battlefield, the Support Squadron's Land Speeders scan constantly for anything that may pose a threat to the mission.Where enemy heavy armour or entrenched artillery attempt to devastate the Ravenwing with overwhelming firepower, the Support Squadrons swoop low overhead, missiles and plasma blasts reducing the weapons of the foe to blazing scrap.When enemy infantry mass in sufficient quantities to swamp the huntsmen of the 2nd Company, the Support Squadron's Land Speeders pass back and forth, raking the enemy with bullets, bolts and fiery blasts. In this way, the Support Squadrons combine their strength with their land-bound brothers to crush the foe completely.