Shadow Ravens

[curant]

this isn't a solid thing yet, still processing, been through several revisions already on my own, looking for refinement and addition before i try to properly post it..

idea behind it is this, i like the Blood Ravens but they're being explored constantly and set out more solidly month by month.. so i'm looking for both a creative and plausible way to create a similar chapter although not a successor because it seems unlikely they would use Blood Raven seed to make chapters..

 

As the Veiled regions are beginning to open up (DMO) a squadron of ships emerges transmitting with Astartes codes that are nearly eight millenia old claiming to be the Shadow Ravens chapter. Only the time wasted by an argument between an inquisitor and a Black Templar fleet in the region prevented them from being fired upon under the suspicion of being renegades or worse servants of chaos. In the proceeding years of Inquisitorial investigation the presence of an ancient inquisition database in the Chapters last remaining battle barge the 'Retribution Dawn' is the one thin string upon which the chapter was allowed to continue living. Eventually another ancient database confirmed the Shadow Ravens identity.

The Shadow Ravens claimed to have been on a penitent crusade for an unknown period of time, at minimum five millenia. It had been generations since any Shadow Raven had been alive who knew why the chapter has been punished in this way. Those marines thousands of years ago had been sworn to silence and now thanks to inquisitorial instructions the chapter had no true accounts of it's own history outside of the sealed database that todays inquisition have no idea how to access. Every action the Chapter had been involved in was recorded in that database and gagged from that point on. Only stories now exist within the Shadow ravens, stories of it's countless victories, endless struggle and the one day on which the final criteria of their penitent crusade had been fulfilled. In a battle nearly a thousand years ago the Shadow Ravens had been reduced to under one hundred marines, this was the fulfillment of their penance only to have the journey home take almost another millenia. In millenia upon millenia they had been blessed or perhaps cursed with an abundance of compatible recruits and as a result not fulfilled their penance until a single catastrophic battle against necrons. With their identity established and their names re-entered into the ranks of the faithful Astartes they have been sent back to the veiled regions. The Shadow Ravens have been commissioned to rebuild the chapter and help the push into the region. Imperial records on the Shadow Ravens are near non-existant as if they'd been deliberately removed, no one knows exactly what gene seed they can be traced to. Adding to the mystery is that the gene stocks released to them by the Mechanicus to accelarate their recovery were of undeclared origin.

 

I've considered not using the veiled regions and instead going with the eastern fringe or something like that, but i kinda like the idea of them spending stupid amounts of time stuck there only to be sent back.... it's the kind of jackass thing the imperium would do i feel.... also i didn't get the impression that the veiled region was prohibitive in the same way an area covered by a warp storm is, especially since the whole concept is that they went there millenia ago when perhaps it wasn't as veiled..... if anyone knows more about the region and if this wouldn't have been possible there please let me know.. The story is a litle disjointed in it's current form, it's like a scrapbook... written at 1am... lol

 

comments please!

[NightrawenII]

Disclaimer: Author of this post loathe unknown gene-seed and origins-shrouded-in-mystery with passion.

 

In the proceeding years of Inquisitorial investigation the presence of an ancient inquisition database in the Chapters last remaining battle barge the 'Retribution Dawn' is the one thin string upon which the chapter was allowed to continue living.

- Yeah, because the database you cannot open is the proof of your innocence.

 

The Shadow Ravens claimed to have been on a penitent crusade for an unknown period of time, at minimum five millenia. It had been generations since any Shadow Raven had been alive who knew why the chapter has been punished in this way.

- So, they were crusading for unknown period of time because of unknown reason? It's miracle they do remember their own name.

 

Those marines thousands of years ago had been sworn to silence and

- Punishment without knowing the sin is kinda meaningless.

 

now thanks to inquisitorial instructions the chapter had no true accounts of it's own history outside of the sealed database that todays inquisition have no idea how to access.

- Unlikely, but okey.

 

In a battle nearly a thousand years ago the Shadow Ravens had been reduced to under one hundred marines, this was the fulfillment of their penance only to have the journey home take almost another millenia. In millenia upon millenia they had been blessed or perhaps cursed with an abundance of compatible recruits and as a result not fulfilled their penance until a single catastrophic battle against necrons.

- If the Chapter was reduced to 100 marines, then it's dead. Recovering from such losses is nigh to impossible.

- You like the word "millenia", don't you?

- Necrons are late for any party until after second half of M41.

 

Imperial records on the Shadow Ravens are near non-existant as if they'd been deliberately removed, no one knows exactly what gene seed they can be traced to.

- Why removed? The records are purged, when the Chapter is declared renegade, not when it is send on Penitent Crusade.

 

no one knows exactly what gene seed they can be traced to

- The Chapter will know it. The heritage of Primarch is very important for any Chapter. It's certainly not something you forget over night.

 

Adding to the mystery is that the gene stocks released to them by the Mechanicus to accelarate their recovery were of undeclared origin.

- Why would the Admech do that? Cogboys don't help anyone out of pure kindness.

[Darkchild130]

I thought chapters were not allowed to recruit during penitence crusades? I do not remember where I read this, but I know I didnt make it up.

 

Also, I would elaborate on the Inquisitorial investigations, as I dont feel that evidence of one battle barge with the same name existing millenia ago would be enough to allow them to live.

 

I'm thinking interrogation and purity tests for each individual would suffice.

 

Darkchild

[hauk thunder-kraken]

hey,

ignre the ney sayers, that is some wicked fluff, and i can just imagine how grimdark the marines of that chapter would be, i say go for it man...

IT'S AWSOME!!!!!!!

 

Exar