Rant from a Blood Claw

[Brother Nemiel]

Rant of the wolf

 

Greetings Brothers & Sisters of the Aett!

 

Just came back from a long hunting trip from the snowy fields of Asaheim, hence my absence. I've been a member for some time, but haven't been quite so active. Perhaps a future among the scouts awaits me?

In my heart I'm a Blood Claw, even though I have more than a few grey strands in my hair and beard, and I'm certainly old enough, I have not been elevated to a Grey Hunter... That's what I get for hanging too much with Lucas me thinks...

 

Potential SPOILER ALERT!

In the following Wolf-rant I'm going to touch subjects belonging the the Rangar Blackmane novels, Battle of the Fang and Ser Abnetts Prospero burns. In case you haven't read them, proceed at your own risk.

 

How much wolf would a Wolf Guard guard if a Wolf Guard wolf guard would?

 

I'm pretty sure this has been up several times in this forum but here I go, it's my rant. I tried using the search function, but the thinking engines of the forum claimed no success for my search. Obviously the machine spirits were angered and refused to cooperate with me. Either that or my own thinking engine has been compromised by the cold during my hunting trip (Although some of my pack members would undoubtedly claim this is a natural state for me...)

I have noticed that there's a whole lot of wolfing going on around: Wolf Brother, Wolf Scouts, Wolf Claws, Wolf Blades, Wolf Guards, Wolf Time etc. Even though I immensily enjoyd the Ragnar Blackmane novels and all the source material before this was a bit "tiring". Thanks to Ser Abnett, we have somewhat moved away from that towards a darker future (IMHO). Although, perhaps there was so much wolfing around that it became too much for Ser Abnett and we started to growl wetly like leopards instead. I loved the fact that in Prospero Burns it was hinted that everyone else thought we wolfed around and we ourselves thought that it was insulting... Vlka Fenryka, not Space wolves.

Perhaps I should be happy that we still have Frost Blades instead of Wolf Blades (not to be confused with Wolfblades, which is a completely different thing).

 

Don't get me wrong, I love the Vlka Fenryka and would not trade that brotherhood for any other. Our traditions, our custom, our sense of humour are second to none (IMHO). My Heart yearns and burns for it. There's just too much wolfing around sometimes. No wonder people think there are wolves on Fenris, even though there are none (except for the Wolves...).

 

Second issue: Written records (Prospero Burns vs. Ragnar Blackmane sagas)

 

According the latter fluff we don't keep written records. This also changed dramatically compared to the earlier fluff. Perhaps the Vlka Fenryka started keeping records after the Horus Heresy? So perhaps in a way we became more heretical in that sense? Let's blame this one on Magnus...

There's a lot of runes on stuff (wolf Claws, Wolfblades etc.). Are they just symbols (or pictograms) if they are not letters? In the Blackmane novels they certainly had an archivist, grouchy one at that. This last part is more of an observation than anything else.

 

The point of all this? Who knows, just needed to get it off my chest. Hence it's a rant. I know GW rewrites old truths to make new ones. Sometimes it's just neccessary to react.

I'm probably going to get spanked by a Wolf Priest for my ranting. Now to thaw out my frozen head with insane amounts of mjod...

 

Thanks for listening (reading) so far. Comments are welcome.

I'll be sitting here in the corner in case anyone wants to pick a fight to liven things up a bit...

 

Until next time!

[Marmande]

A lot can change in ten thousand years.

[hendrik]

you sir have a tongue more twisted than a snake! seriously, i tried reading

How much wolf would a Wolf Guard guard if a Wolf Guard wolf guard would?

atleast 5 times and still haven't succeeded competly in understanding the question! :)

as for the runes, some of them most likely are letters but a lot of them also have a certain meaning (not necesarrily because of what letter they are but most likely because we believe in them having a meaning or a certain power)

as for letters, we have still kept to the old(although newer) ways i think. i have never known any source to mention our skalds writing down the sagas. if you have i'm curious since obviously i hhaven't read a lot of the ragnar novels yet. i do think the rout of the 30K used paper or notes but only when needed,such as in reports that need to get send to other astartes fleet/the imperial guard, administrational matters such as a logbook of the plasma reactors in the ships etc. so no they won't record the heroic tale of wolf guard wolf that guarded the wolf against the wolfy wolfness wolfman but i find it hard to believe the kaerls would try to remember every item that needs to get inside a logbook abourd our space vessels, or even the suplies at the fang etc.

[Jonas Stromclaw]

Welcome back Gunnlaug, have an ale on me.

 

Fluff always changes with GW in charge, thats just the way of things. We were very lucky to have Dan Abnett write our story, as he always does a superb job. But it doesn't pay to be dogmatic about such things as Aett vs the Fang or whether or not our archivers write stuff down or not. Just use what you like.

 

Now, about the wolves. I'll admit, it annoyed me in the new dex when everything under the sun was "wolf this" or "wolf that." To me it showed poor creativity, which is something Phil Kelly is rarely accused of. Maybe he was having an off day. Lone Wolves, wolf claws, wolf guard battle leaders, fething thunderwolves all could have been called something else, without the wolf (okay maybe not t-wolves...). My suggestions would have been:

Lone Wolves = Revenants, for they are dead men walking while their pack is unavenged.

Wolf Claws = Storm Claws, a fun reference back to the old 13th company list.

Wolf Guard Battle Leaders = Battle Thanes or Grey Beards, anything but the overly long moniker they have now.

Wolf Standards = Pack Banners, Company totems, or Rune Standards, anything like that.

Wolf tooth necklace = Victor's Rune, an award given to a champion of one of the Wolves' many contests.

And etc., so on and so forth. Basically, I'd really have liked it better if they had downplayed the wolfiness. But it is a nice dex anyway, so I can't really complain.

[MonSTeR]

Now, about the wolves. I'll admit, it annoyed me in the new dex when everything under the sun was "wolf this" or "wolf that." To me it showed poor creativity, which is something Phil Kelly is rarely accused of. Maybe he was having an off day. Lone Wolves, wolf claws, wolf guard battle leaders, fething thunderwolves all could have been called something else, without the wolf (okay maybe not t-wolves...). My suggestions would have been:

Lone Wolves = Revenants, for they are dead men walking while their pack is unavenged.

Wolf Claws = Storm Claws, a fun reference back to the old 13th company list.

Wolf Guard Battle Leaders = Battle Thanes or Grey Beards, anything but the overly long moniker they have now.

Wolf Standards = Pack Banners, Company totems, or Rune Standards, anything like that.

Wolf tooth necklace = Victor's Rune, an award given to a champion of one of the Wolves' many contests.

And etc., so on and so forth. Basically, I'd really have liked it better if they had downplayed the wolfiness. But it is a nice dex anyway, so I can't really complain.

 

I have to admit, when you spell it out like that, it does read a LOT like the 60's Batman TV show. Batman, Batcave, Batmobile, Batsuit, Batboat, Batcopter, Bat shark repellent.

 

At least we didn't have WolfSpeeders and WolfRaiders :P

[Jonas Stromclaw]

At least we didn't have WolfSpeeders and WolfRaiders ;)

Thank the Allfather for that!

[Captain Juan Juarez]

It's kind of the polar opposite to the Ultramarines - vague, subtle and mostly aesthetic references to the Greco-Roman thing.

 

And then you have the Space Wolves and thematically you have to say it's akin to being ridden down by a man-wolf, riding a wolf, hitting you in the face with a bag of wolf-cubs.

[hendrik]

we've always had wolf guard battle leaders and wolf tooth necklaces (well atleast ever since the thrid edition dex what almost counts as forever!) though. they really don't bother me

[Brother Nemiel]

@Hendrik: Twisted tongue? No, good ser, more of a question of damaged goods up here *Taps a finger on the temple*

As you have been warned about spoilers in the original post I will answer your question:

 

In the second novel of the Ragnar series (Ragnars Claw) he is searching for ancient information. He proceeds to the "Hall of Battles" where the information he requires may be found. He talks to the archivists who tend ancient Cogitator/thinking engines. The engines have an incomplete index of millions of runestones which or kept at the Hall of Battle. Using the engines and some forms of cyber ravens (or similar familiar-ish type of creature) the archivists look for the stories (accounts of history) that feature the information that ragnar requires. They then use somekind of ancient parchment "printer" to print out what he seeks. So evidently writing is used. Although it becomes quite clear that the Wolves of Fenris highly value the oral tradition. If my memory serves me correct there is no mention in those novels regarding how Skalds keep their accounts.

 

I have no issues with wolfpelts or teeth, Wolf Priest or lords etc. Some of them are needed for flavor. It's just too much sometimes. I mean, why not Fenris-pattern lightning claws?

 

@Jonas Stromclaw: Don't get me wrong I love the latest dex. Phil does quality work in my opinion. I just happened to lose while making yet another army list, when it suddenly seemed that every other word is wolf something. I really like your suggestions, I just might borrow some of them. If you don't mind...

 

@MonSTeR: Quick! To the Wolfmobile! :)

 

@Captain Juan Juarez: Me wolf. Me put Wolfclaws in man and make red snow... :)

[Jonas Stromclaw]

@Jonas Stromclaw: Don't get me wrong I love the latest dex. Phil does quality work in my opinion. I just happened to lose while making yet another army list, when it suddenly seemed that every other word is wolf something. I really like your suggestions, I just might borrow some of them. If you don't mind...

 

Not at all brother, it's what they're there for.

[Wardiel]

IIRC, Kaspar Hauser made an excellent skald because of his memory and ability to recall detail. I am pretty sure skalds keep accounts of heroism and the sagas by memory alone.

Perhaps the stuff that tradition demands is kept oral, while the more day to day administration nonsense is written.

Either way, I'll still write words in runes on pauldrons, it just looks cool.

[Captain Juan Juarez]

@Captain Juan Juarez: Me wolf. Me put Wolfclaws in man and make red snow... :)

 

I prefer making yellow snow ^_^

[hendrik]

In the second novel of the Ragnar series (Ragnars Claw) he is searching for ancient information. He proceeds to the "Hall of Battles" where the information he requires may be found.

thanks for the information since the only ragnar novel i have so far is wolf's honour. would you care to share what type of information he is looking for?as i've stated i still firmly believe the sagas only live on through their oral form while administrational shizzle like where the fleet was located at time X,Y or Z, newly spotted enemies or potential uprising sites have been catalogued and researched.

basicly: cool stuff, keep it oral. the boring items, print them out and store them somewhere

[Arez]

In the second novel of the Ragnar series (Ragnars Claw) he is searching for ancient information. He proceeds to the "Hall of Battles" where the information he requires may be found.

thanks for the information since the only ragnar novel i have so far is wolf's honour. would you care to share what type of information he is looking for?as i've stated i still firmly believe the sagas only live on through their oral form while administrational shizzle like where the fleet was located at time X,Y or Z, newly spotted enemies or potential uprising sites have been catalogued and researched.

basicly: cool stuff, keep it oral. the boring items, print them out and store them somewhere

He was searching for some info on an eldar ritual that was performed on planet(sorry can't remember the name) because an inquisitor came to Grimnar and asked for a trophy that was actually a part of an amulet that was broke into 3 parts.

[Brother Nemiel]

In the second novel of the Ragnar series (Ragnars Claw) he is searching for ancient information. He proceeds to the "Hall of Battles" where the information he requires may be found.

thanks for the information since the only ragnar novel i have so far is wolf's honour. would you care to share what type of information he is looking for?as i've stated i still firmly believe the sagas only live on through their oral form while administrational shizzle like where the fleet was located at time X,Y or Z, newly spotted enemies or potential uprising sites have been catalogued and researched.

basicly: cool stuff, keep it oral. the boring items, print them out and store them somewhere

He was searching for some info on an eldar ritual that was performed on planet(sorry can't remember the name) because an inquisitor came to Grimnar and asked for a trophy that was actually a part of an amulet that was broke into 3 parts.

 

He got the accounts of former campaigns written by Space woles who played part in them. While he was reading them he realized that writing was truly one of the greatest inventions of the imperium, since they enabled him to hear the stories of ancient warriors exactly as if he had heard the stories first hand.

 

Quite a leap to Abnetts prospero burns in other words. Not that I mind either. Both versions works in their own way.

Oh, by the way, they have sergeants too. Each blood claw pack is led by a more experienced sergeants. Not that they specifically rule out that a sergeant could be a wolf guard... He could, they just don't make the statement.