The Claws of Corax

[Claws of Corax]

Here is a synopsis of the fluff behind my Chapter

 

In the distant past (future to us) The Emperor created 20 Primarchs to be his generals and War Council, one Primarch was Corax, the Father of the Raven Guard Legion. Of the Legion, many fleets struck out to prosecute the Great Crusade; one such Fleet was under the command of Commander Camulos.

 

When the general recall of the Raven Guard fleet was called by Corax so that the amassed legion could advance on Istvan V (The Drop Site Massacre) Powers in the Warp conspired to render the astropaths in Camulos' fleet deaf to the recall. So, unaware of the heresy of Horus and the plight of the Legion, they continued their duty. Only when word reached them of the Drop Site Massacre did they return to the Raven Spire.

 

On their return, only Commander Camulos made planet fall, he wanted no hero's return, he merely wanted Corax's Council. On approaching the Primarchs chambers Commander Bran (From Ravens Flight) blocks his path. Bran's response to his Brother is cold and cutting, accusing Camulos of failing the Legion when they were needed most and that Corax does not want to see him. Camulos asks if they are the words of the Primarch, to which Bran responds "I have my orders. If you wish to speak to our Primarch, you should have followed yours." Camulos so grieved by the accusation of cowardice turns and leaves without speaking to Corax.

 

The fleet leaves Deliverance and takes the war to the traitors in an effort to prove their loyalty and courage. During the course of their new crusade, they make planet fall on a contested planet and find a raging battle between the Ultramarines and the Wordbearers. The effort of Camulos’ Brothers tips the battle in the favour of the Loyalists, and the Ultramarines greet Camulos and his Brothers. As a by product, Camulos' fleet is utilised by Roboute Guilliman in the Scouring, and adopts Guilliman's Codex Astartes.

 

After the Scouring, Camulos and his fleet return to the Ravenspire once again, hoping that their actions have earned Camulos the opportunity to speak to Corax. Camulos again approaches Corax's Chambers (on the last day of his self imposed solitude) and Corax opens the Doors to his Chambers and walks out and sees Camulos. Camulos is surprised to see Corax smile at his return. Not only did Corax not know about Camulos first return (Bran kept it a secret) Corax also thought that as no word had been received of Camulos' fleet it was assumed lost with all hands. Corax then forgives Camulos for not being at the Drop Site. He says to Camulos "You have always been the embodiment of my most violent aspect; you strike without hesitation or notice. You are my claws extended. I name you the Claws of Corax. Your Chapter icon shall be the score of three talons, one for each time you believed you failed the legion, but in turn have proved fortuitous. Corax then departs the Ravenspire as fluff says

 

Camulos then returns to his fleet and prosecutes many more battles against Chaos. He is finally slain by a trap organised by the Night Lords and Alpha Legion.

 

 

 

The Claws don’t have the same Geneseed deficiencies as the Raven Guard and other successors. They have strong ties with the Ultramarines; one of the Chapter Relics is a copy of the Codex Astartes, gifted by Roboute Guilliman himself. They have a strong hatred for Chaos, especially the Alpha Legion and Night Lords.

 

Any thoughts? Comments? Questions? I want to make it tie in better with official 40k fluff...

 

Cheers Claws

[Ace Debonair]

Corax then forgives Camulos for not being at the Drop Site. He says to Camulos "You have always been the embodiment of my most violent aspect; you strike without hesitation or notice. You are my claws extended. I name you the Claws of Corax. Your Chapter icon shall be the score of three talons, one for each time you believed you failed the legion, but in turn have proved fortuitous. Corax then departs the Ravenspire as fluff says

 

This sums up the problems here nicely, I think. :)

 

Chapters didn't actually exist in the way they do in 40k until after the heresy.

 

Having Corax create a chapter like this at all (especially at this point) is a bit of a problem because Corax would probably take them back into the legion instead of sending this windfall of unexpected, healthy, combat ready marines off to do something crazy.

 

The Claws don’t have the same Geneseed deficiencies as the Raven Guard and other successors. They have strong ties with the Ultramarines; one of the Chapter Relics is a copy of the Codex Astartes, gifted by Roboute Guilliman himself. They have a strong hatred for Chaos, especially the Alpha Legion and Night Lords.

 

OK, Corax would have to be pretty dumb to have sent those guys off away from his legion.

He would have kept them there to revitalise the failing Geneseed of his Raven Guard, surely? ;)

 

Also, why use Raven Guard geneseed if you don't want the mutations?

You could just make a UM successor that has a penchant for stealth instead - that's not a crime or anything. :)

 

I'm also not getting any real sense of character from this chapter.

What sort of personality do the marines in your chapter have? What makes them get up in the morning and kick the face off of Humanity's enemies? :P

 

Lastly, if you've not read it, I reccomend the DIY guide stickied at the top of the forum. It's a wealth of knowledge, and extremely useful. :(

[Muras]

I don't recall the exact timeline of everything that occurs in there, but overall I think you've a good start. Have you given any thought to anything past the initial founding of the chapter?

[Claws of Corax]

Thank you for your comments.

 

Chapters didn't actually exist in the way they do in 40k until after the heresy.

As I understand it Corax secluded himself in the Ravenspire after the heresy and after the Codex Astartes edict had been made. He stayed in the Ravenspire a year and a day, before leaving.

Having Corax create a chapter like this at all (especially at this point) is a bit of a problem because Corax would probably take them back into the legion instead of sending this windfall of unexpected, healthy, combat ready marines off to do something crazy.

By spending the entire Scouring with the Ultramarines they were already cosidered a Chapter, by the UM's, in their own right. Roboute Guilliman thought highly enough of them to give them a copy of the Codex Astartes..

OK, Corax would have to be pretty dumb to have sent those guys off away from his legion.

He would have kept them there to revitalise the failing Geneseed of his Raven Guard, surely? :huh:

Corax was so wracked with guilt at his mistakes that seeing a line of his geneseed pure and untainted would be a reason to feel some absolution.. Why would he insist on his one chance to have a pure line of his geneseed ruined by mixing it with the tainted of his remaining legion. surely? :huh:

I'm also not getting any real sense of character from this chapter.

What sort of personality do the marines in your chapter have? What makes them get up in the morning and kick the face off of Humanity's enemies? :P

The chapter use Drop Pods as a favoured tactic, using the Ravenguard preferred tactic of striking without warning. They are the violent aspect of Corax.

As for personaility, they still feel alot of guilt at failing the Legion. (Like the Dark Angels) only as Brothers rise in rank do they know the truth of the Chapter. They start knowing the failures... (To drive them to absolve the guilt) and as they rise in rank they start to find out that it is already absolved (A lesson in humility and to honour Corax who still bears the burdens for his failures)

[Ace Debonair]

Ah. I always thought that stuff in the spire took place during the heresy, rather than after.

My mistake! :P

 

OK, Corax would have to be pretty dumb to have sent those guys off away from his legion.

He would have kept them there to revitalise the failing Geneseed of his Raven Guard, surely? :huh:

Corax was so wracked with guilt at his mistakes that seeing a line of his geneseed pure and untainted would be a reason to feel some absolution.. Why would he insist on his one chance to have a pure line of his geneseed ruined by mixing it with the tainted of his remaining legion. surely? :huh:

 

No no, I mean he'd probably keep them in the Raven Guard with a view to only using their pure, untainted geneseed in any new recruits from that point on, keeping the legacy of the legion alive.

 

He'd stop using the damaged/tainted stuff, and keep using the pure geneseeds, is what I'm getting at. ;)

 

EDIT:

Typos. Damnable, damnable typos.

[Claws of Corax]

Thank you.

 

I was hoping to avoid the re-incorporation into the Ravenguard by having them seperate from the legion during the scouring. Then as it finishes the Codex Astartes edict has been made.. Corax the divides up his Legion into the respective Chapters... The Claws then return, to which Corax cant make rejoin the Chapter (as it's already the predescribed size) So has no choice but to let them be their own chapter... Does that work?

 

Cheers

 

Claws

[Lysimachus]

I'm afraid I'd have to agree with Ace here. Picture Corax, suddenly presented with (presumably as they're forming a new Chapter) at least several hundred sets of pure, unsullied, un-tampered with gene seed*. Given only a little time, this will be more than sufficient to undo the curse he brought upon his own children, to restore every Chapter born of his lineage, and change the entire destiny of all of the RG Successors who will ever follow. Why would he pass that up? Compare the possibilty of fixing everything to worrying about the newly minted Codex Astartes 1,000 Marine rule, seems obvious to me which way he'd go. Even if he didn't keep them as part of the RG Chapter for fear of breaking the new peace, he probably just split them up between the 2nd Founding Chapters, then it wouldn't be a huge number of extra Marines in each and they'd all be able to start repairing their genetic issues.

 

*Hell, even if it was only a handful of pure gene seed, I just can't see Corax letting that go. It might take longer but surely he's learned the value of patience from his mistakes in tampering with it in the first place?

[Claws of Corax]

So the question is.. how can I resolve this issue with out fundamentaly changing the premise of my chapter..

• failed to arrive at the Drop site Massacre
  conviced of their failure left the legion to find absolution or a glorious death
  by their absense Corax felt that his Legion was below optimal strength so messes with cloning..
  

 

Do I say they never returned to the Ravenspire and even now crusade to be worthy of an audience with Corax...

Do I say that during the scouring something terrible happened to the geneseed (pschically tuned to the rest of the legion and mutated albeit differently)

 

Any suggestions?

 

Cheers Claws

[Elric the Silvercoat]

To be honest the Raven Guard Geneseed isn't said to be that tainted it only changes the Marines to look more like Corax and that is all that it says it does so you really don't need to have pure geneseed really. And even if you use tainted geneseed and they mutate to creatures you could have a chance at making the DIY chapter unique by making rules for them using the mutated marines. Just a thought. I mean the Blood Angels and Space Wolves use mutated marines the Death Company and Wulfen.

[Lysimachus]

Incorrect, I'm afraid. From the B+C's RG article (based on the GW IA:Raven Guard):

 

The genetic material of the Raven Guard was greatly damaged by the accelerated processes utilized following the Istvaan V Massacre. 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 comes from Terra. Additionally the process of transformation into a marine is notably higher in the Raven Guard and 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, the Betcher’s Gland and Mucranoid no longer exist within the gene-seed of the Raven Guard, and other defects cause recruits to over time have their skin become paler until it is as white as their Primarch’s, and the eyes and hair of the Astartes will eventually become a deep black.

 

bolded points added by me.

 

Edit: Admittedly, though, Elric is correct in that these losses are not huge. The implants that increase size and strength, allow power armour to be worn and that create new gene seed are ok, which are by far the most important for a Chapter to conitnue.

[Elric the Silvercoat]

Incorrect, I'm afraid. From the B+C's RG article (based on the GW IA:Raven Guard):

 

The genetic material of the Raven Guard was greatly damaged by the accelerated processes utilized following the Istvaan V Massacre. 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 comes from Terra. Additionally the process of transformation into a marine is notably higher in the Raven Guard and 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, the Betcher’s Gland and Mucranoid no longer exist within the gene-seed of the Raven Guard, and other defects cause recruits to over time have their skin become paler until it is as white as their Primarch’s, and the eyes and hair of the Astartes will eventually become a deep black.

 

bolded points added by me.

 

Edit: Admittedly, though, Elric is correct in that these losses are not huge. The implants that increase size and strength, allow power armour to be worn and that create new gene seed are ok, which are by far the most important for a Chapter to conitnue.

Do they really need to spit acid and I have no idea what the other one does anymore, the Mucranoid.

[Claws of Corax]

Can I bring this back on track.

 

I'd like any and all help to keep the fluff of my chapter realistic and within 40k canon.

 

How would you suggest I resolve the issue of them being a Chapter without Corax re-intergrating them into the Raven Guard? Do I have the Geneseed damaged in some way, or do I have them continue their redemption crusade, hoping one day Corax will forgive them (Adding a sense of tragedy to the fluff)

[Claws of Corax]

EDIT: Remove double post

[Claws of Corax]

EDIT: Remove double post

[Claws of Corax]

Since my last post and hearing about the new Horus Heresy novel about the Raven Guard I've come up with this bit of fluff:

 

On returning to the Ravenspire (after the Dropsite massacre), Commander Camulos marches to Corax's audience chamber but is intercepted by a Ravenguard captain who insists that he is not welcome and to leave (The raven guard captain is actually a Alpha Legionnaire trying to prevent the Claws reuniting with the Legion.) The Legionaire blames Camulos for the deaths at Istvaan and says that it's how Corax feels and that Camulos is no longer welcome in the Fortress..

 

The commander leaves in dispair and leads the Claws into the scouring never to return.. All ties to the Raven Guard cut.