vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Rafen - Blood Angels Civil War: Near the end of the 41st Millennium, Rafen had taken his place as a Tactical Marine of the Blood Angels' 6th Company, under the command of Brother-Captain Simeon. He had been assigned to serve as a ceremonial guard upon the Cemetery World of Cybele.A large moon orbiting a gas giant, Cybele was a world covered in the iconography of the God-Emperor and possessed few defences other than the Blood Angels contingent present there.Thus, it was a perfect target for the 9th Host of the Word Bearers Traitor Legion, commanded by the Dark Apostle Iskavan the Hated, who invaded in force to defile and claim Cybele in the name of Chaos Undivided.With Simeon slain during one of the Heretics' attacks, the Blood Angels' defence seemed hopeless, until the arrival of the battle barge Bellus. The vessel had carried the rest of the 6th Company on an endeavour to retrieve the Spear of Telesto, an ancient relic weapon, holy to the Blood Angels, that had been wielded by Sanguinius.The Spear was said to have been forged by the Emperor Himself. With their aid, including that of Arkio, who had been assigned to the expedition, the Word Bearers were routed and forced to retreat to the captured Forge World of Shenlong.Unfortunately, Rafen's biological brother Arkio had been manipulated by Inquisitor Ramius Stele of the Ordo Hereticus who had turned to Chaos. With the help of his "patron", the Tzeentchian Daemon Malfallax, Stele corrupted Arkio, mutating him into a likeness of the Blood Angels' Primarch Sanguinius.The illusion was further enhanced by the fact that Arkio was able to "awaken" the Spear of Telesto. This, and Arkio's tremendous feats in battle -- partly thanks to Stele's unseen efforts -- made many Blood Angels believe that Arkio was the resurrected Sanguinius, though Rafen was not convinced.The plot by Tzeentch to turn the Chapter to Chaos through Malfallax and Stele was thwarted by Rafen, who had to kill Arkio, and wielding the Spear of Telesto, banished Malfallax back to the Warp. Stele, whose body was by then used as a Daemonhost by Malfallax, was utterly destroyed in the same action.Upon returning to Baal, Rafen escorted the Spear of Telesto to the Regio, the Blood Angels Techmarines' underground base on the planet, where the spear was to be held for safekeeping in one of its Reliquary chambers.While there, he was confronted by High Chaplain Astorath the Grim, who was not convinced that Rafen had actually overcome the Black Rage, and was ready to execute him.Astorath finally stayed his hand after his attempt to goad Rafen into the Flaw failed, and told Rafen that he was reserving judgement on him for the time being.
Rafen - Power of the Bloodline: The extreme power of Sanguinius' blood that he had injected overcame Rafen, who collapsed as soon as he set foot on Baal. In a delirious state, he was taken to the Amareo Tower, where those Blood Angels deemed too far gone to even be inducted into the Death Company were kept, and had to be restrained, as the potent qualities of the primarch's blood wreaked havoc on both his body and his mind.While Rafen's condition was deteriorating by the minute, Chaplain Lemartes and Chief Sanguinary Priest Corbulo argued over his fate. Finally Corbulo decided to try one last, desperate move to save Rafen's sanity and life: he ordered that Rafen be again placed in the sarcophagus he incubated in during the final stages of his becoming an Astartes.Corbulo was hoping -- not without reason -- that the ancient technologies of the sarcophagi (where Blood Angels aspirants actually received a miniscule amount of the primarch's blood) would somehow heal Rafen by reversing the process and draining the excess primarch blood from his system.After several solar months of agony, the process was indeed successful. Fighting terrible hallucinations in a nightmarish environment, Rafen found himself in a hellish mindscape where he allied with another Astartes who had incubated in the same sarcophagus millennia earlier, the First Founding Blood Angels Apothecary Meron.During the Great Crusade, Meron had been similarly placed in the incubator sarcophagus again, in hopes of healing a wound by a biologically and psychically poisonous Drukhari weapon. It is thought that the sarcophagus which incubated both warriors, combined with their common bloodline, acted as a mystical link between their psychic mindscapes within the Warp, transcending time and space.Helped by the Sanguinor, who was present in their common mindscape, they each managed to defeat the other's daemons -- this was the final clue of Brotherhood forged by the Bloodline, as neither could defeat their own daemons alone.They finally emerged in their respective real time environments, Meron in the Great Crusade, Rafen in the late 41st Millennium, with their sanity intact, their survival assured.
Ragged Knight - Ragged Knight: The Ragged Knight is a Bloodthirster of Khorne born during the Terran Middle Ages from an ancient atrocity.The Ragged Knight was later bound and used by the Renegade Thousand Sons Chaos Sorcerer Iskandar Khayon as a weapon against the Emperor's Children during the Legion Wars of the 31st Millennium that transformed the Sons of Horus into the Black Legion.
Ragged Knight - Origin: The Ragged Knight emerged millennia ago on Terra during the European Middle Ages which was dimly remembered in the Age of the Imperium as the "Steel Era" of Old Earth's history.Iskandar Khayon would later relate the tale that a powerful holy man named Innocent had demanded that the Karthur people of the land of Gawl, also called the Frankish Empire, be eradicated as an affront to his religion.Innocent proclaimed that any knights who took up this crusade against the Karthur would find all their sins before their god forgiven. Thousands of warriors responded to Innocent's call and laid siege in Gawl to the fortress of Albajensia.Knowing that all their sins were already forgiven, the crusaders ultimately broke through the Karthur's defences. When the city had fallen, its survivors were brought before Innocent.Since it was impossible to tell the heretics from the true followers of Innocent's faith by sight, he simply ordered  all of the men, women and children within massacred before burning the entire edifice to the ground.The hate, fear, rage and terrible sense of betrayal that bled from the people of Albajensia as they died into the local Warpspace gave birth to a potent new Greater Daemon in the Immaterium that was stronger than many of its fellow Bloodthirsters -- the Ragged Knight.
Ragged Knight - Legion Wars: The Black Legion Sorcerer Iskandar Khayon, always referred to as "Soulweaver" by the daemon, proved able to bind the Ragged Knight to his service, trapping its essence within one of the leatherbound tarot cards he always carried.Though the daemon had been entered into his service through a pact, it was a rebellious entity that Khayon never trusted. Khayon's tutelary daemon, Gyre, was the one who kept it in check and in service to the Sorcerer.During the Legion Wars in the Eye of Terror that followed the defeat of the forces of Chaos at the Siege of Terra, the Emperor's Children Legion's 16th, 40th, and 51st Companies attacked His Chosen Son, a Space Hulk that was serving as a meeting ground for Khayon, the Sons of Horus Captain and Possessed Chaos Space Marine Falkus Kibre and the Renegade World Eater Lheorvine Ukris.The three had met as part of their joint search to find Ezekyle Abaddon. With Abaddon to lead them, they hoped to restore the XVI Legion to its former glory after the death of Horus.To defend himself from the Emperor's Children's assault, Khayon summoned the Ragged Knight to his side.The Greater Daemon killed eighteen Emperor's Children Heretic Astartes in only a few solar seconds, and then proceeded to build a throne for itself from four of their corpses after consuming the others.At Kayon's command it fought Telemachon Lyras, a former member of the Sons of Horus who had fallen to the service of Slaanesh and now was the second in command of the Emperor's Children warband that has truck at the His Chosen Son.Lyras, a powerful swordsman, was able to hold off the daemon up until the point that one of his blows succeeded in penetrating the entity's physical body. The burning viscera that sprayed from the wound incapacitated Lyras.As Lyras fell, the Ragged Knight turned its wrath on Khayon, deciding to take the opportunity to be freed from its unwelcome service.Tired of the Ragged Knight's unreliability, the Sorcerer succeeded in banishing the creature back to the Warp.
Ragged Knight - Appearance: The Ragged Knight's skin is the bleeding red charcoal of scorched flesh, like the families who burned in their homes during the siege of Albajensia.Its armour is a fire-blackened mockery of the mail worn by the knights whose treachery gave it birth.It carries a sword, just as those butchering knights carried swords, but inscribed  with runic curses heralding the  glory of the Blood God.The fire that lit the horizon as the doomed city blazed burns behind the Ragged Knight's eyes, and each of its exhaled breaths is the echo of ten thousand dying screams.
Ragged Knight - Trivia: The story told by Iskandar Khayon about the origins of the Ragged Knight actually correspond to the real world Albigensian Crusade's first major action, the Massacre at Béziers, which unfolded on 22 July 1209 AD (055.209.M2 Imperial Calendar).The holy man Innocent is actually Pope Innocent III who called the crusade against the Roman Catholic heretics in southern France known as the Cathars.The quote "Kill them all. Our God will know who is loyal," which Khayon attributed to the holy man Innocent in his recounting of the tale, is historically attributed to Innocent III's papal legate and Cistercian abbot Arnaud Amalric.
Ragnar's Claw (Novel) - Ragnar's Claw (Novel): Ragnar's Claw by William King is the second volume in the Space Wolf series of novels and is collected in The Space Wolf Omnibus.
Ragnar's Claw (Novel) - Synopsis: From the Death World of Fenris come the Space Wolves, the most savage of the Emperor's Space Marines. Ragnar's Claw explores the bloody beginnings of Space Wolf Ragnar Blackmane's first mission as a young Blood Claw warrior.  From the jungle hell of Galt to the polluted cities of Hive World Venam, Ragnar's mission takes him on an epic trek across the galaxy to face the very heart of evil itself.
Ragnar Blackmane - Ragnar Blackmane: Ragnar Blackmane, sometimes called the "Black Wolf," is an ascended Primaris Space Marine officer of the Space Wolves Chapter and the youngest Wolf Lord to lead one of the 12 Great Companies of that Chapter in the history of the sons of Leman Russ.Blackmane's Great Company, "the Blackmanes," frequently has the honour of leading the Space Wolves' planetary assaults, a role at which Ragnar and his warriors excel, for his packs are the undisputed masters of the Drop Pod assaults known as the "Claws of Russ."Blackmane is the only Space Wolf to become a Wolf Lord without first becoming a Grey Hunter. Blackmane is the current Chapter Champion and bearer of the revered artefact known as the Wolf Helm of Russ, which he presented to Ulrik the Slayer as a sign of respect.Blackmane prevented an invasion by the forces of Chaos and the return of the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion to the Shrine World of Garm, a planet sacred to the Space Wolves because it was the home of the Shrine of Garm's Skull, by casting the sacred Spear of Russ into a Warp Gate, an action which for a time earned him the bitter enmity of his fellow Battle-Brothers before his later actions earned eventual redemption.Ragnar is an incredibly powerful warrior; surpassed only by the Great Wolf Logan Grimnar and the Space Wolves' most powerful Rune Priest, Njal Stormcaller, in the Space Wolves Chapter. Ragnar Blackmane is exceptional in every sense of the word.He possesses unusually keen senses and a preternatural sixth sense for knowing when things are amiss. The youngest ever Battle-Brother to have been promoted to the exalted rank of Wolf Lord, Ragnar exudes confidence, skill and athletic ability from every fibre of his whipcord-fast body.It is said that he is always the first to make planetfall during an invasion and the last to leave the battlefield, and to witness one of his berserk rages is to watch the fury of a storm come to life.Many believe that he will eventually succeed Logan Grimnar as the Chapter's Great Wolf, but the eldest of the Wolf Priests know that he will have to master his anger first. For though Ragnar's temper and capacity for raw hatred gives him great power and strength, it makes him impetuous, a trait which may yet prove to be his downfall.
Ragnar Blackmane - History: Ragnar was born on Fenris, the homeworld of the Space Wolves Chapter. He was born to the nomadic tribe called the Thunderfists in the far reaches of Fenris. His personal saga says he has always been touched by glory. As a child he ran with young tribal warriors twice his age, and even as a youth his famous battle frenzies saw him reap a frightening tally of the rival tribes' menfolk.His audacity and fierce spirit made Ragnar perfect for induction into the ranks of the Adeptus Astartes. His chance to join the "Sky Warriors" came when his tribe was attacked by a rival Fenrisian tribe, the Grimskulls. During the attack, Ragnar and Strybjorn (a member of the Grimskulls) were silently observed by the Space Wolves Wolf Priest Ranek Icewalker.Both Ragnar and Strybjorn were mortally wounded in a duel that earned them a place as Space Wolves Aspirants. This rivalry would continue for the rest of their lives, although by the time they both became Blood Claws, they had come to respect and even like one another. Ragnar's clan was destroyed that night and Ragnar lost the first love of his life. Later her image and memory would be used to attempt to turn Ragnar to the service of Chaos.After the battle, the two were taken to the Russvik training camp, and later the Space Wolves' fortress-monastery, The Fang, for training and their eventual transformation into Astartes Neophytes. After he received the gene-seed organ implantation and the painful transformation it wrought upon his body, Ragnar was dropped a long distance away from The Fang in the Vanaheim Mountains, and ordered to make his way back to the fortress-monastery or die trying.It was during these punishing trials that every Space Wolves Aspirant must undertake that Ragnar's resourcefulness and skill came to the fore. As he roamed alone through the wilderness, Ragnar was hunted in turn by a giant Fenrisian Wolf, one of the much-feared Blackmaned Wolves, as dark and terrible as any night-daemon. Though it was many times his size, Ragnar managed to slay the wolf-beast with his bare hands. Though naked and burning with exhaustion, Ragnar subsequently hauled its carcass through the snowdrifts to The Fang.This great deed was seen by the Wolf Priests as a good omen. From that day forward, Ragnar took the Blackmane as his totem and namesake, forever cementing his place in the legends of the Sky Warriors. Ragnar took the Blackmane Wolf's pelt to use as a cloak and would continue to wear it well into his days as a Wolfblade, and later during his time as a Wolf Lord. Such is his animal charisma he is often accompanied to war by two hulking Fenrisian Wolves -- Svangir and Ulfgir -- that lope in his wake, just as the legendary wolves Freki and Geri once followed Leman Russ himself.At this time, he also befriended Sven, another fellow Space Wolf Aspirant who had passed the trial of the Blooding. Their friendship would continue throughout their days within the Chapter. Later in his career, Ragnar would also end up unintentionally slaying one of his friends, who had succumbed to the Curse of the Wulfen.
Ragnar Blackmane - Chaos on Fenris: Very soon after their transformation into Astartes, Ragnar's pack was sent to investigate the disappearance of a missing pack of Blood Claws on Fenris. They investigated a cave in the mountains, and discovered a shrine dedicated to the worship of Chaos. Soon afterwards, they were attacked by a group of Thousand Sons Chaos Space Marines led by Madox, a Chaos Sorcerer. The majority of the pack and their Sergeant were killed by the Chaos Space Marines, with only Ragnar, Strybjorn, Sven and two others escaping.Ragnar commanded the survivors to establish communications with the rest of the Chapter in order to alert them to the existence of the Chaos shrine and the presence of the Thousand Sons warband, while he stayed behind to help Strybjorn, who had been injured. Before Ragnar and Strybjorn could escape, however, Madox confronted them.Ragnar duelled the Chaos Sorcerer with Strybjorn's help, and managed to defeat him. Both Astartes believed the sorcerer dead. The duo then escaped the cave, and the rest of the Space Wolves destroyed the heretical shrine.
Ragnar Blackmane - Thunderfist Great Company: Winning great renown, Ragnar was inducted into the Great Company of Berek Thunderfist, a renowned warrior specifically chosen to mentor the up and coming Blood Claw.Ragnar's first mission occurred when his Blood Claw pack was tasked to assist a pair of Inquisitors, Ivan Sternberg and Karah Isaan, a psyker, and the first woman since his transformation into an Astartes that Ragnar had developed romantic feelings for, an experience which he thought extremely "un-Wolflike".The Inquisitors had come to Fenris to request the aid of the Space Wolves in reclaiming the three pieces of the Talisman of Lykos, an ancient Aeldari amulet, in order to save a dying Imperial planet, Aerius.The planet was suffering from a deadly plague, and Sternberg suspected that the Black Pyramid, a famous structure present on the world, which was once the site of a battle of the Space Wolves, the Imperial Guard and the Inquisition against the Aeldari, could save the people of Aerius.One piece of the Talisman was kept in the treasure rooms of The Fang, one was to be found on the planet Galt, and the third was lost in the Warp on a derelict Space Hulk.Along with the survivors of his pack, and Sergeant Hakon, who had been the training sergeant for the Neophytes at Russvik, Ragnar travelled into space for the first time. When they arrived at the planet Galt, they found that an Ork horde had invaded the system and the Ork Warlord in command was in possession of the needed piece of the Talisman.Ragnar and his companions infiltrated the Ork horde, and battled against the Warlord to reclaim the piece of the Talisman. One of Ragnar's pack, Lars, was killed by the massive Ork leader, but they managed to recover the piece of the Talisman and escape from the world.After this, Inquisitor Isaan used her psychic abilities to discover that the last piece of the Talisman was aboard a Space Hulk near the dead sun of Korealis. Ragnar and the Inquisitor successfully recovered the final piece of the Talisman after battling the myriad dangers aboard the Hulk. When they travelled to Aerius to reunite and use the Talisman, they found nearly the whole planet had already been infected by the plague.An Aeldari hologram warned them off as they entered the Black Pyramid, but the Space Wolves and the Inquisitors ignored it. They were shocked to find a Great Unclean One of Nurgle, a Greater Daemon named Botchulaz, inside, who had been controlling the Planetary Governor Sternberg's troops. Sternberg and one of Ragnar's pack, Nils, fell battling the powerful daemon, and Karah Isaan sacrificed herself to seal the Pyramid, trapping the Great Unclean One within.
Ragnar Blackmane - Wolfblade: As "punishment," Ragnar was sent to Terra in exile by the Great Wolf Logan Grimnar to serve in the Wolfblade, an ancient Honour Guard comprised of Astartes from the Space Wolves Chapter who protect the Navigators' House Belisarius on Terra, in accordance with an ancient pact forged at the time of the Great Crusade over ten millennia ago. Grimnar informed the young Space Wolf warrior that though he agreed with his actions, he could not let them go unpunished.Therefore, he was sending Ragnar to the Wolfblade, not only as punishment, but to protect him from potential attempts on his life by those Space Wolf Battle-Brothers angry over his actions on Garm. While on Terra, Ragnar was instrumental in foiling a plot of vicious racists within the Navigators' Houses themselves.Shortly afterwards, Ragnar and his fellow Wolfblades found themselves embroiled in a Dark Angels plot to capture and kill one of the elusive Fallen Angels. Captain Jeremiah Gieyus led an elite Deathwing Kill-team that had long pursued and now prepared to capture one of the Fallen Angels known as Cadmus.This plot was secretly orchestrated by the Thousand Sons Chaos Sorcerer Madox, who intended to stir up old animosities that burned within and between both Chapters dating back to the time of the Great Crusade.Soon, the Dark Angels' Battle Barge assaulted the planet of Hyades, which was under the protection of the Space Wolves. Ragnar found himself and his companions in the midst of a great battle between the Dark Angels and the Space Wolves, led by the Wolf Lord Berek Thunderfist, who was passing through on a routine patrol of the star systems that lay under the protection of the Space Wolves.The natural distrust of the Space Wolves and the Dark Angels, which had been passed down since the days of the Great Crusade and the bad blood between their respective Primarchs, caused the two sides to assault one another.Discovering Madox's involvement, eventually the two Chapters set aside their differences and went after the errant Cadmus. They tracked down the Traitor before he could make good his escape and succeeded in capturing the Heretic. With a newfound mutual respect for each other, Ragnar withdrew his forces and let the Dark Angels conclude their Chapter business in privacy.Captain Gieyus then executed Cadmus. The two groups of Space Marines also worked together to defeat an approaching Chaos warfleet, although Berek's warship was more damaged than the Dark Angels', as they had retreated to repair while the Space Wolves battled the Thousand Sons warband under the command of Madox.With the aid of his fellow Wolfblades, Ragnar later managed to also recover the Spear of Russ on the Daemon World of Charys with the aid of the Space Wolves' long-lost 13th Great Company. This act redeemed Ragnar in the eyes of his Battle-Brothers and he was reinstated as a member of Berek Thunderfist's Great Company after he returned from his time as a Wolfblade.
Ragnar Blackmane - Wolf Lord: The next chapter of Ragnar's saga tells of Blackmane's elevation from the ranks of the Blood Claws directly to membership in his Great Company's Veteran Wolf Guard without first spending time as a Grey Hunter. This unique honour was given to Ragnar after he single-handedly slew the Ork Warlord Borzag Khan in close combat and subsequently dispatched the Warlord's entire retinue of Nobz one after the other.Ragnar did not rest upon his laurels, however. He quickly proved himself a gifted leader of men as well as a talented warrior. When his Wolf Lord Berek Thunderfist met his end on the blade of the daemon-tainted axe of a Chaos Champion, it was Ragnar who led the bloody hunt for his master's killer, and eventually slew him in vengeance. For this deed, Ragnar was elevated to the rank of Wolf Lord and took command of Thunderfist's Great Company, making it his own. They quickly adopted the new moniker of the "Blackmanes."As such, Ragnar became the youngest Space Wolf to ever become a Wolf Lord in the Space Wolves' history. Though Ragnar excels as the lord of his own Great Company, Ragnar has proved that his greatest skill lies in the execution of orbital drops and planetstrikes.The Great Wolf Logan Grimnar regularly chooses Ragnar's Great Company to spearhead planetary invasions and, with an unrivalled success rate under his belt, Ragnar's deeds have spread across the galaxy. Ragnar was pivotal in gathering the newly returned Wulfen back to Fenris, and played a major role in halting the Dark Angels' assault upon the Space Wolves' homeworld and the wider Fenris System. Considering his young age, the Blackmane may yet go on to become the greatest Wolf Lord in history.
Ragnar Blackmane - Hunt for the Wulfen: When the Wulfen of the 13th Great Company openly returned to the Imperium in the final days of the 41st Millennium to rescue the Space Wolves of Harald Deathwolf in the Battle of Nurades, they were immediately sent to Fenris to await judgement. Standing before Logan Grimnar himself, Ulrik the Slayer proclaimed that the return of the Wulfen was an omen that Leman Russ' return was imminent.A fierce debate over the future of the Chapter and what to do with the Wulfen erupted. Ultimately, Ragnar Blackmane proclaimed that the Wulfen must be gathered and brought to Fenris before they were found by the Inquisition or other Imperial authorities. Thus the Great Companies of the Space Wolves set off to gather the Wulfen, which were now being spotted near Warp Storms, in the hopes they could lead them to the Space Wolves' lost Primarch.During the Hunt for the Wulfen, Blackmane fell upon the world of Dragos, battling through daemon-haunted jungles to recover their former 13th Great Company brethren. After rescuing the Wulfen, Blackmane rescued Adeptus Mechanicus personnel who had also been stranded on the planet
Ragnar Blackmane - Psychic Awakening: In the Era Indomitus, during the Psychic Awakening, the Space Wolves attempted to curb the growing power of the infamous Ork Warlord Ghazghkull Thraka. Ragnar and the Blackmanes eventually cornered Ghazghkull at the Battle of Krongar. During the campaign, Blackmane managed to decapitate the Ork warlord but suffered mortal wounds himself, including the loss of an arm, a broken neck and multiple armour-penetrating wounds.So badly wounded that not even interment within a Dreadnought would save his life, only crossing the Rubicon Primaris and gaining the endurance and healing abilities of a Primaris Marine offered a chance for survival. Ragnar managed to survive the solar days of grueling surgery that the ascension required.Upon returning to duty, Ragnar was horrified to find that Ghazghkull had managed to cheat death once more. In another attempt to slay the Ork now being called "The Beast," Ragnar redirected an orbital station so that it impacted upon Krongar's surface.During the hunt for Ghazghkull, Ragnar's two Fenrisian Wolves, Svangir and Ulfgir, were slain by the warlord.
Ragnar Blackmane - The Blackmanes: Though the warriors of Ragnar Blackmane show as much disregard for the Codex Astartes as any other Space Wolves Great Company, they still adhere to the general heraldic code adopted by the Space Wolves.As is typical of their kin, they bear their pack marking on the right shoulder plate and the Great Company marking of their Wolf Lord upon the left. The following is the order of battle of The Claws of Russ as of the Battle for Alaric Prime in ca. 998.M41:
Ragnar Blackmane - Wolf Lord: The Wolf Lords rule from the heart of the Space Wolves Chapter, each leading a Great Company comprising a mighty host of the most lethal warriors Fenris can breed. They epitomise what it is to be one of the Sons of Russ, and each carries the mark of greatness in his own fashion. When a Wolf Lord dies, his body is burned at sea or sent into the heart of a nearby sun in a great funeral rite, and his successor is elected by his Wolf Guard.To be selected in this way, to have one's name etched into the Wolfstone under that of Leman Russ himself, is an honour beyond measure. Every command a Wolf Lord gives is obeyed without question; though he has walked the path of the warrior, he commands with the authority of a king.A Great Company will thrive or dwindle as a direct consequence of its Wolf Lord's decisions, so the fate of his brothers now lies in his hands. Wolf Lords are more than just commanders -- they are the alpha wolves, the mightiest of warriors, and where they lead, the Space Wolves follow.Wolf Lord Ragnar Blackmane
Ragnar Blackmane - Wolf Guard: The Wolf Guard are an elite band of seasoned warriors comprising the mightiest champions of each Great Company. Heroes all, every member of the Wolf Guard is personally handpicked by their Wolf Lord to be one of his trusted huscarls. It is his deeds that mark a Wolf Guard rather than his age, so there are hot-blooded young warriors as well as sturdy Veterans amongst their ranks.Each has fought hard to earn his place, for only those that consistently prove their heroism through acts of valour and skill are deemed worthy to join such hallowed company. In battle, they form their Wolf Lord's sharpest blade; bearing their choice of specialist wargear, they lead the Great Company's battle line or seize vital targets in strength.Olvec the Wise - Wolf Guard Battle LeaderThe Blackpelts, Ragnar's Wolf Guard - Tor Wolfheart, Alrydd the Bard, Uller Greylock, Hrolf Longspear and Svengril the Younger
Ragnar Blackmane - Ragnar's Blood Claws: From his earliest years as a Blood Claw, Ragnar Blackmane earned a fearsome reputation for his unrestrained ferocity in battle. Since his elevation to the exalted position of Wolf Lord, the gifted young warrior has lost none of the savage, berserker fury that earned him such renown and contributed to his meteoric rise to leadership of his Great Company.Indeed, Ragnar can be found leading packs of fiery young Blood Claws into battle as often as his trusted Wolf Guard, for he revels in their desire to take the fight to the enemy.Though replete with his Grey Hunters, Wolf Guard and Long Fangs, Ragnar Blackmane's Great Company has ever been famous for the exploits of its Blood Claws. Despite the unprecedented speed of his climb through the ranks, Ragnar himself is still comparatively young and hot-headed, engendering a sense of kinship with the Blood Claws under his command.It is for this reason more than any other that his Great Company always throngs with packs of wild-eyed Blood Claws looking to earn glory beneath the Young Wolf's banner.In the heat of battle, when surrounded by so many eager and aggressive warriors, it is easy for Ragnar to give in to his murderlust and forget his wider responsibilities. His dauntless courage and warrior spirit are his greatest strengths, but also his greatest weaknesses.Asgeir's Allslayers - 10 Blood ClawsEinar's Glorywolves - 10 Blood ClawsMerec's Bane - 10 Blood ClawsHostor's Spears - 10 Blood ClawsMaegar's Pack - 10 Blood Claws
Ragnar Blackmane - Skyclaws: The most headstrong troublemakers from each Blood Claw pack are often "rewarded" by reassignment to a Skyclaw Assault Pack. There they are entrusted with a Jump Pack so that they might better indulge their desire to plunge headlong into battle. The promotion to Skyclaw is seen as a dubious honour at best by more mature brethren, yet such disapproval only serves to make the Skyclaws more determined to prove themselves in the eyes of their elders.The Skyclaws soar fearlessly through the skies in great leaps, landing with stone-splintering force in the foe's midst. With their fangs gnashing, Chainswords roaring and their Bolt Pistols slaying those beyond the reach of their blades, the Skyclaws rejoice in seeing the enemy crumble under the reckless fury of their assault.The Thunderfists - 10 SkyclawsDreskor's Skybolts - 10 SkyclawsThe Twice-Proven - 10 Skyclaws
Ragnar Blackmane - Swiftclaws: Swiftclaw Biker Packs are formed when the Space Wolves Chapter needs a fast, mobile strike force that can plunge like a spear into a vital part of the enemy army, and the battle-hungry temperament of the Blood Claws is perfectly suited to the role. Because of their acute senses, a fully equipped Swiftclaw Biker Pack can track its quarry across hostile terrain for solar months on end if necessary, sniffing out the foes' fear-laced sweat on the breeze.Like the Fenrisian Wolves that accompany the hunt, Swiftclaw packs have near-endless stamina and would rather die than give up the chase. When they finally find their quarry, a Swiftclaw Biker Pack will release its pent-up aggression in an especially brutal display of destruction. After all, nothing whets the appetite for a violent kill better than several solar weeks spent bringing the foe to bay.Ornolf's Giantslayers - 5 Swiftclaws
Ragnar Blackmane - Grey Hunters Packs: The Grey Hunters form the fighting heart of each Great Company, and it is from amongst their number that future heroes will rise. Though they are as hungry for honour as their younger brethren, their raw aggression has been tempered by hard-won experience. Every Space Wolf knows that finely-honed cunning is a better weapon than the keenest blade, and the Grey Hunters exemplify this trait.Only when a Blood Claw pack has emerged victorious from the fiercest of battles do the company's Wolf Guard consider them worthy. Even then, each warrior must prove himself as a fully-fledged Grey Hunter by tracking one of the grey wolves of Fenris and killing it with his bare hands before the new status is awarded.Graegor's Battleborn - 10 Grey HuntersThierwulf Bloodhanded's Pack - 10 Grey HuntersSoergar's Swordkin - 10 Grey HuntersDolfen Wyrdbane's Pack - 9 Grey HuntersGraehar Slyaxe's Pack - 9 Grey HuntersRaegrec's Blades - 8 Grey Hunters
Ragnar Blackmane - Wolf Scouts: In most Chapters, new Space Marines are initiated into the Scout Company and only once they have proven themselves do they become fully-fledged Astartes. Not so the Wolf Scouts, who are usually taken from the seasoned ranks of the Grey Hunters.Packs of Wolf Scouts are expected to operate far in advance of their fellows, sniffing out the forces of the foe, slinking into fortified positions and picking off isolated elements of the enemy army. Such covert operations suit the Wolf Scouts perfectly, for they revel in the freedom to wage war their way –- namely that of the silent hunter.Many a foe has underestimated the Space Wolves, expecting a frontal assault when all the while their escape routes and supply lines are being cut off by the silent blades of the Wolf Scouts.Drekka's Nightblades - 10 Wolf ScoutsOlovec's Deadeyes - 10 Wolf Scouts
Ragnar Blackmane - Long Fangs: Some Space Wolves are indomitable enough to endure centuries of active service in the name of the Allfather. Their individual sagas are long and filled with bloody deeds, and each has earned wisdom and insight from innumerable battlefields. These packs of Veteran Space Wolves are known as Long Fangs.Their temperament is unyielding, their aim unshakable. The discipline and determination of these venerable warriors is legend, and they are entrusted with supporting their brethren in battle by utilising the heaviest weaponry found within the armouries of The Fang. The Long Fangs say that they know the soul of every weapon in the armouries of the Iron Priests, and will take every opportunity to prove it in battle.Wyvald's Wyrmblades - 6 Long FangsSunprowler's Whitebeards - 6 Long FangsAshenbeard's Wise Few - 5 Long Fangs
Ragnar Blackmane - Lone Wolves: Despite all of their skill and valour, the Space Wolves do not always emerge victorious. It is not uncommon for packs to suffer losses with every new campaign, and even the most inexperienced youth understands that this is the natural order of things; a process that sorts the truly exceptional from those who are merely strong. Every pack slowly diminishes in size as the centuries of war take their inevitable toll on their fighting strength, though they continue to fight as Grey Hunters and later Long Fangs in their reduced capacity.Sometimes, though, a pack suffers such terrible losses that it is reduced to a single survivor; one who has lost his brothers to a man. One who has no pack. One with nothing left to him but to seek bloody vengeance on those who claimed the lives of his kinsmen -- a Lone Wolf. Over the bodies of his fallen packmates, should they remain, a Lone Wolf will swear a great oath of vengeance, painstakingly etching the names of his kin upon his blade, or even into his flesh. Thus does he honour their memory and keep his hatred for the enemy burning bright.Thorfin Doomseeker - Lone WolfSkolgrim of the Blackbrow - Lone WolfKorvoc of the Red Mist - Lone Wolf
Ragnar Blackmane - Gift of Blackmane: The Artificers of the Blood Ravens Chapter once crafted a Power Axe in honour of Ragnar Blackmane called the Gift of Blackmane, which they intended to send to Fenris as a gift for the Wolf Lord.Like most Space Wolves, Ragnar only had contempt for an Astartes Chapter like the Blood Ravens which relied so heavily on psychic powers in combat like their ancient enemies the Thousand Sons. Ragnar refused the gift, remarking, "Let them keep their trinkets."
Ragnar Blackmane - Heraldry: Ragnar Blackmane and his Blackmanes Great Company bear the potent totem of the Blackmane. Blackmaned Fenrisian Wolves are usually only seen in the dead of winter when packs descend from the mountains into the lands of the Fenrisians to feed, leaving little more than scraps of bloody bones in their wake.They are famously intractable -- the Fenrisians refer to the act of attempting an impossible task as "taming the Blackmane." In the myths of the Fenrisian tribes, the Blackmanes serve in the afterlife as the minions of the Deathwolf Morkai, the two-headed guardian of the Gates of Death. Legend has it that one who crosses into the afterlife with a Blackmane at his side will never truly die.According to the ancient legends of Fenris, Leman Russ fought and tamed the great wolf packs of the Fenrisian continent of Asaheim. He cast down the two-headed wolf Morkai, and made him the guardian of the gates of death, a task which Morkai has endured ever since.There are many stories of how Russ fought Morkai's lieutenants, and banished each in turn to an appointed place. The most fearsome of all was Blackmane, a terrifying black-maned giant known as the "Howler in the Night," whose long howling cry calls the souls of dead warriors from their graves.Russ fought Blackmane and slew him, making his pelt into a magic cloak that allowed him to pass into the realm of the dead. The spirit of Blackmane still calls to the dead, but can no longer summon them into the world of the living.
Ragnar Blackmane - Wargear: Power ArmourBelt of Russ - Each Great Company possesses a single Belt of Russ. These were crafted by the Master Iron Priest Stef Blacksoul following Leman Russ' disappearance and are said to have been based on the mighty belt the Primarch himself wore.Bolt PistolFrostfang - Ragnar wields the powerful relic Frost Blade Frostfang in battle that was given to him by Lady Juliana Belisarius, the Celestarch of the Space Wolves' allied noble house of Navigators, House Belisarius. This relic Frost Blade was crafted centuries ago by the Master Iron Priest Fergus Forgrim, its chainsaw teeth fashioned from a rare metal whose secret died with its maker.Melta BombsFrag GrenadesKrak GrenadesBlackmaned Wolf Cloak - Ragnar took his name form the Blackmaned wolf he slew as part of his Trial of Morkai. This deed won him great honour and promised future success.Wolftooth Necklace - A Wolftooth Necklace is an Honour Badge unique to the Space Wolves Chapter. Created from the teeth of Fenrisian Wolves, a Wolf Tooth Necklace is reputed to grant the wearer strength and ferocity in combat like that of the wolf it was taken from. Whether or not there is any true power in such tokens (like those talismans crafted by the Rune Priests) the effects on a Space Wolves Battle-Brother cannot be denied. Such necklaces are awarded as prizes in the tests of martial strength held in The Fang.Wolf Tail Talisman - Space Wolves are highly superstitious and carry a collection of talismans which they feel will somehow protect them in battle. A Wolf Tail Talisman is a charm crafted from the tail of a Fenrisian Wolf that is known to provide its bearer with resistance to attacks by enemy psykers.
Ragnar Blackmane - Canon Conflict: In the Codex: Space Wolves (5th Edition) Ragnar Blackmane is said to have been trained by the venerable Wolf Priest Ulrik the Slayer. However, in the Space Wolves novels Ragnar's mentor is said to be the Wolf Priest Ranek Icewalker.
Ragnarok - Ragnarok: The Ragnarok is a heavy main battle tank of the Astra Militarum that is mostly used by the Imperial Guard's siege regiments or when there are no Leman Russ battle tanks available.The Ragnarok, much like the Siegfried light tank, was first developed by the regiments of the Death Korps of Krieg during the 500-year-long civil war that consumed Krieg out of necessity.The Ragnarok was the largest and most impressive of the vehicles designed during that conflict and was intended to replace the many Leman Russ tanks that were lost by the Loyalist Krieg forces during their battle against the Traitors.As the civil war on Krieg ground on and the forces on both sides were drawn into a desperate stalemate marked by bloody attrition, it became clear that the only way to win was through the possession of superior numbers.The Ragnarok was designed not to be fast but to be able to cross the deadly terrain of no-mans-land and reach the enemy's lines. It was never intended to be used for long-range combat due to the pollution-choked atmosphere of Krieg limiting visibility, but to be easily and quickly built.The Ragnarok's ease of construction allowed the Loyalists to build so many so quickly that they could crush the enemy with their sheer weight of numbers. The result of this slapdash process was an ugly, slab-sided vehicle that performed above expectations and was a major factor in the Loyalist forces winning the war for Krieg.As a testament to its solid design and other redeeming qualities, the Ragnarok has been completely restored to service by the Siege Masters of Baran, who still use it to this day and affectionately call it the "Mark 1 Mobile Bunker."
Ragnarok - Known Users of the Ragnarok: Death Korps of Krieg - The original designers of the Ragnarok, the Astra Militarum's Death Korps of Krieg regiments created it and used it during their homeworld's 500-year-long civil war. As a result, the Death Korps still deploys it at times when other, more advanced Imperial tanks are not available.Astra Militarum Siege Regiments - The Ragnarok has made its way into the reserve forces of some Astra Militarum siege regiments since its creation.Baran Siege Masters - The Siege Masters of Baran, the Planetary Defence Forces of the world of Baran, have restored the Ragnarok to service and use it during their battles, affectionately referring to it as the "Mark 1 Mobile Bunker."
Ragnarok - Armament: Battle Cannon2 Heavy Stubbers
Ragnarok - Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications: Technical Specifications for this vehicle are not available in existing Imperial records.
Ragnarok - Trivia: The Ragnarok's overall appearance and role was heavily inspired by the Soviet Union's World War II-era Kliment Voroshilov 2 heavy line breaker tank, which sported a massive 152 millimetre howitzer in its oversized boxy turret.
Ragnarok - Sources: Epic Armageddon Swordwind supplement, pp. 32, 34-35Citadel Catalogue, Specialist Games 2009, pg. 21
Rahe's Paradise - Rahe's Paradise: Rahe's ParadiseLsanthranil's ShieldAeldariFeral WorldBlood RavensChapterSpace MarinesTomb WorldNecronsThis area received almost all of the planet's sparse rainfall. The world's name was coined by one of the first Blood Ravens to visit the planet, the legendary Chaplain Elizur, who had commented that "this is a very harsh place to live." The tribal chieftain he'd spoken to, whose name was Rahe, had perhaps not fully understood what the Astartes Chaplain had said, and replied "No, this is my paradise", and so it was.Many subsequent visitors have noted the irony in the name. The world's population was destroyed in an Exterminatus carried out on the orders of Captain Gabriel Angelos of the Blood Ravens after the Necrons began to awaken on the world because an Aeldari artefact keeping them quiescent was unintentionally overridden.
Rahe's Paradise - Necron Settlement: Unbeknownst to the Blood Ravens, and to the natives, a deadly force slept just beneath the surface. This threat took the form of the Necrons who had made Rahe's Paradise their Tomb World 65 million Terran years before. In the caves, tunnels, and catacombs that ran beneath the desert's surface, thousands of Necrons lay slumbering, along with their spacecraft and machines of war, waiting for new Red Harvests to begin in the galaxy.
Rahe's Paradise - Lsanthranil's Shield: Lsanthranil's Shield was an ancient device constructed by the Aeldari thousands of Terran years ago, to make certain the Necrons of Rahe's Paradise would never rise. Lsanthranil's Shield was designed, essentially, to cast a psychic shield around the planet. This shield would perpetually fool the Necron Lord into thinking that the galaxy was not yet ripe for harvesting, thus ensuring he would never awaken and the Necrons would sleep indefinetely.Once the Aeldari had constructed the device, they entrusted its maintenance and safe-keeping to an unknown Chapter of Space Marines, with whom they had been working in unison against the Necron threat. However, this Chapter mysteriously abandoned their post, leaving behind little trace of themselves. In the 41st Millenium, the unchecked number of psykers on Rahe's Paradise was beginning to weaken Lsanthranil's Shield, and threatened to wake the Necrons.
Rahe's Paradise - Battle of Rahe's Paradise: In the late 41st Millenium, Aeldari from the Biel-Tan Craftworld and the Blood Ravens clashed on the surface of Rahe's Paradise. The Aeldari, including Dark Reapers Aspect Warriors and Rangers led by the Farseer Macha, were determined to ensure that Lsanthranil's Shield continued to function. Once on the surface, they targetted human psykers, seeking to thin their numbers and stop their undisciplined minds from weakening the shield. The Blood Ravens' 3rd Company, commanded by Captain Gabriel Angelos, had come to Rahe's Paradise to conduct their Blood Trials, and immediately engaged the xenos. After several intense battles, however, both sides realised the threat posed by the weakened Lsanthranil's Shield, and the Farseer was allowed to restore the device to full working order.
Rahe's Paradise - Destruction: In orbit, however, the situation was an entirely different matter. The Dark Reapers' vessel Reaper's Blade, beset by two Space Marine Strike Cruisers, was destroyed. This released the contents of the Dark Reapers Spirit Pool into the atmosphere of Rahe's Paradise. The resulting psychic feedback shattered the effects of Lsanthranil's Shield once and for all. With unnatural speed, the Necrons beneath Rahe's Paradise roused, and began to harvest all living beings on the surface, human and Aeldari alike. Both sides quickly evacuated the planet, as the Space Marine Strike Cruisers and the remaining Aeldari Wraithship in orbit struggled to contain the growing numbers of Necron spacecraft trying to leave Rahe's Paradise.This became a futile effort, however, when a Shroud-class Cruiser lifted off and fled for the system's star. While the Aeldari Wraithship Eternal Star, and the Strike Cruiser Ravenous Spirit pursued the Necron Cruiser, the second Strike Cruiser Rage of Erudition stayed behind and performed an Exterminatus upon Rahe's Paradise using Cyclonic Torpedoes to crack the world's crust. This destroyed the planet, and all the Necrons remaining on it preventing them from spreading to more Imperial worlds.
Rahe's Paradise - Population: A world as harsh as Rahe's Paradise produced hard, brutal people. Food on the surface was scarce, and competition for it was fierce. Tribes warred not only with each other, but also with the vicious animals who also competed for food. As a result, the natives of Rahe's Paradise were extremely xenophobic, distrusting anyone outside their tribe.A tribe's most important structure was its storehouse, where the food was kept. Children were raised with weapons in their hands, always prepared to defend their home from attack by other tribes and hungry animals. The Blood Ravens encouraged this vicious tribal behaviour, as it produced strong and able recruits for the Chapter.The population of Rahe's Paradise possessed an unsual number of psykers, and like all Blood Ravens recruits, if they were not already psychic they often developed psychic abilities after being implanted with the Blood Ravens' gene-seed organs.
Rahkoz - Rahkoz: Rahkoz, the so-called "Harbinger of Eternity," is a Necron Cryptek and the court chronomancer of the Suhbekhar Dynasty of the Jericho Reach.