Question about the Wolf Blades

[Grim Dog Studios]

Hi all!

Was wanting to give some background fluff to the leader of my force, and thought it would be a nice touch to have him previously being a Wolf Blade.

However, I wasn't sure about some stuff. Specifically how does one actually leave the Wolf Blade once in it, or are they generally there for the entirety of their service to the Imperium and Ragnar was just a special case?

Thanks, Wulox

[Ironwulf]

It has been a while since I read the Ragnar books, but I interpreted the Wolf Blade as bodyguard function for friends and allies of the Space Wolves chapter. I could also see them assigned honor guard duties for reliquary temples, such as the one on Garm. With that said, I could see that a character assigned to be a Wolf Blade might not necessarily be shipped to Terra for the Navigator houses. As I also guessed from my reading of the books, being assigned to a Wolf Blade need not be a permanent assignment (as seen by many Wolves as exile). By the nature of the chapter, it seems obvious that a Space Wolf goes through many transitions throughout his life in the chapter (Blood Claw to Grey Hunter, Grey Hunter to Long Fang). However, some settle into their roles and make them permanent, such as Torin and Haegr.

[Vash113]

The Wolf Blade are not general bodyguards but are part of a specific alliance with the Navigator House Belisarius, in an agreement spanning back to the Great Crusade the Space Wolves send House Belisarius twenty four Space Wolves to serve as bodyguards, generals, advisors and all around military liasons in exchange for twenty four of Belisarius' best Navigators. Since the Navigator houses have a stranglehold on warp travel the acquisition of Navigators is critical for any Imperial vessel or Space Marine Chapter, this alliance gives the Space Wolves a significant advantage over many other Chapters as House Belisarius is one of the oldest, wealthiest and most skilled of all the Navigator Houses and consequently the Navigators sent to the Space Wolves are some of the best in the Imperium.

 

The Wolf Blade themselves are not permanently seconded, the only requirement is a constant number of twenty four, as some are rotated out, others are rotated in. While some Space Wolves are assigned to the Wolf Blade as a form of extended exile, the Wolf Blade also see service on Terra herself, the seat of the Imperium and a hotbed for political intrigue. This means the Wolf Blade can serve as an excellent way to groom and gain experience for potential leaders in the Chapter, Logan Grimnar himself once served in the Wolf Blade if I recall correctly, in this way the Wolf Blade can serve a similar purpose to the Deathwatch.

 

Terms of service are very vague, so that leaves it entirely up to you how you want your character to enter and leave his service with the Wolf Blade. Perhaps a deployment escorting a Belisarius noble brought him alongside his former Great Company and his service ended when he was offered a position in the Wolf Guard, or perhaps he had an oath to fulfill before he could return, or maybe he was given a specific term of service, ten, twenty, fifty, or maybe even a hundred years before returning to the Chapter.

[Grim Dog Studios]

Thanks for the speedy replies! I particularly like the idea of him being offered a position in the wolf guard of his former great company whilst escorting a noble, I might take that route on his return to the chapter. Thanks again for the replies! :)