Raven Guard Successors and Space Sharks

[Lysimachus]

Just looking for some details on an area of the fluff I'm not too clear on.

 

So, we all know that the RG gene seed is messed up due to Corax's playing with accelerated Astartes creation techniques after Istvaan (and possibly AL interference as well, not read the RG HH novel?).

 

However, as I understand the FW fluff on the Space Sharks, they are implied to be RG Successors but they left before Istvaan? Does this mean their gene seed is free of the issues that plague all the known RG Chapters?

 

Further to this, are they therefore the means by which the RG could fix those issues? If they are, why haven't they? Is it that they don't know who the SS really? Or do they know but still shun them as Corax did?

 

Equally, I assume the SS still know where they came from, so why haven't they offered to help? Is it revenge on the Legion and Primarch that cast them out?

 

Final question, do we know how many nomad-predation fleets were sent out by Corax? Are there other Successors out there?

 

Anyway, just some musings that I'm not clear on myself. And the answers might be interesting to think about for DIYers who want to write about the sons of Corax.

[Conn Eremon]

Pg 138 of Extermination:

 

"A small number, mostly Terrans of the Legion of old, had been assigned to serve beyond the fringes fo the Imperium, some in independent 'nomad predation' fleets, others attached to various Rogue Traders Militant or other so-called 'lone wolves.' One of these fleets was in fact commanded by the Legion's former commanding officer - Shade Lord Arkhas Fal - on the direct order of the Primarch when Corax took over the Raven Guard. What became of the Shadow Lord, his fleet and the other elements may never be known, and the fact that Corax appears to have made no effort to recall them suggests they were considered a body apart from the bulk of the Legion."

 

Most Terrans died at Gate Forty-Two, but for all we know it's just most of the Terrans Corax didn't kick out.

 

As for the gene-seed, the Raptors are already a known Raven Guard 2nd Founding successor with pure gene-seed taken from before the Legion's mess-up. This gives precedence for a successor to 'fix' the genetic problems of a progenitor without it ever being provided to that progenitor or other successors, for whatever reason.

 

For the Carcharadons, the only evidence of their gene-seed provided to us outside of the above quote is that, during the Badab War, an Inquisitor has their genes tested. The results were inconclusive, but Raven Guard markers were noted. How much the Chapter itself knew, we don't know.

 

We do see that this Chapter spends the vast majority of its time in the "outer dark," as it was ordered to since M32/33 and as is already common for a Chapter to practice the "nomad-predation" Codex pattern. For all we know, this has kept them so distanced that they don't even know about the trouble of their brothers. After all, FW has Corax never bringing these elements back home even after the Massacre. Even if they still know their lineage to the XIX Legion, they might not know what has befallen the others.

 

Edit: Hit post too soon.

[Lysimachus]

Thanks Conn, that's interesting!

 

I didn't realize the Raptors had escaped the gene seed degradation, how is that accounted for? And it makes the whole thing even more weird!

 

If they were created in the 2nd Founding with pure seed, why wasn't that 'good' seed spread between all the Successors, including the Raven Guard Chapter themselves?

 

Or even centuries or millennia later, surely the RG/all other Successors haven't had any issues with the Raptors that would prevent them asking for help/share gene seed stocks? And I don't know of any reason the Raptors would refuse to give such help? (I kinda get it with the Carcharodons, even if they do know who they are, having a problem with helping Corax's other sons but...)

 

Anyway, it's all interesting, but even more of a rum do than I thought...

 

 

Edit: just looked it up on Lexicanium, do you have a source for the Raptors pure seed Conn, as the stuff there says they have the same issues as the rest of the RG Chapters?

[Conn Eremon]

The original explanation is that the Raptors were descended from a company of initiates that, though they excelled during the Heresy, remained behind at Deliverance during the Isstvan Massacre. So they were exempt from the genetic tampering.

 

Current BL lore has a Captain of 1,000 Raven Guard sent to Deliverance while the rest of the Legion goes to Isstvan. He goes against his orders, goes to Isstvan, and reached his Primarch and what is left of his Legion. Corax reorganizes his Legion, placing this Captain in command of Legion recruits, calling them the Raptors.These Raptors are the worst affected by the genetic tampering and AL shenanigans.

 

 

So . . . *shrug*

 

 

 

Edit: Ah, caught your edit. My source is FW's Badab IA volumes. In it, it says that they do not suffer the issues other RG successors do due to the tampering, which is never really defined that I have seen. The RG gene-seed mutations are universal, but not their difficulties with implantation, which is specific to that gene-seed which was tampered with, leaving the Raptors noticeably of Raven Guard descent but not suffering their true tragedy.