Golden Ravens

[Bloodspeaker]

 

Golden Ravens

War Cry - Loud screaching, like the cry of a hawk 

Founding -  Unknown, suspected 21st

Primarch - Unknown 

Successor of - Unknown 

Chapter Master - Cesar Superior Aggrikola (deceased)

Homeworld - Omeyga Prymaris, Segmentum Ultima

Heraldry - Halved. Dried-blood Red (left), White (right) with gold trim

Ravenguard chapter symbol, but recolored gold is the chapter badge

History

Formed some time in M.36, the Golden Ravens have served with distinction in several major theaters of war, earning the respect of many withing the Ultima Segmentum where they mostly operate. Company captains, known as 'Cesari', are also honorary members of the senate of the Omeyga system, though they do not often involve themselves in the politics of the senate. This makes the Golden Ravens one of the few space marine chapters to have an active hand in politics beyond their homeworld. (I know many chapters are involved in the politics of their homeworld and maybe meddle in the politics of any local governments for an area they are currently active in, but off hand the only chapter i can think of with a stable, multi-planetary political interest is the Ultramarines. Correct me if i'm wrong.)

 

Initially plagued with problems with their gene-seed, For a time it looked like the Golden Ravens gene-seed would prove too unstable and that the chapter would have to be abandoned. While this is no longer the case, the Golden Ravens are still known to be prone to minor genetic abnormalities. Mostly these abnormalities take the form of unusual hair, eye and skin colors. Occasionally Golden Raven space marines have been known to have fangs and even hardened bone 'talons' in place of finger nails. Because of they believe these minor corruptions of their gene-seed mark them as impure, the space marines of this chapter rarely remove their helmets when not in their fortress-monastery.

 

Based on Omeyga Prymaris, a moon in orbit around a gas giant of Omeyga, the Golden Ravens are frequently found fighting the ork forces of both The Grand Warlord and Waaaagh! Bork. Recently the Golden Ravens have suffered a series of major defeats at the hands of the orks. The latest of these defeats was caused by a serious miscalculation of the strength of the orkish forces on the world of Damragosh. Currently the chapter is only able to field 6 companies of space marines and is in the process of choosing a new Cesar Superior (Chapter Master) from the ranks of their surviving Cesari (Company Captains). Though the orks have not yet tried to invade the Golden Ravens home system, it is feared that such an attack may be imminent. Currently this chapter is desperately trying to recruit more marines to help stave off the looming orkish invasion.

 

Prior to M.41 the Golden Ravens had been remarkably successful at keeping the ork empires they were engaged with off balance. They had adopted a tactic of hit-and-runs targeted mostly on the orks supply lines and communications, only joining a pitched battle when they had already weakened or disoriented their foe. This tactical weakening of the orkish enemy had been necessary because of the sheer number of orks either empire could have sent against them, had they been allowed to unite. The Golden Ravens took advantage of the orkish propensity for infighting, frequently making it seem that one warband had attacked another or stolen another warbands supplies. While such tactics have been viewed as underhand by some of the other space marine legions, the Golden Ravens believe them to be necessary when fighting such a vast number of foes.

 

One campaign of particular note was the Epsylon campaign. For months the Golden Ravens destroyed supplies from one warband within the empire of The Grand Warlord and left captured weapons from a rival warband at sites of the battles. The ork warbands, predictably, fell to fighting each other. In the middle of the fighting, before either ork army left the field, the Golden Ravens attacked. The ork forces were routed and almost completely destroyed. The space marines of the Golden Ravens 3rd and 4th companies did not loose even a single space marine. This battle became known as the Massacre of Verdaan.

 

Gene-seed

From their beginning the Golden Ravens have been subject to numerous mutations of their gene-seed. Initially these mutations were serious enough that many wondered if they would even be able to form a viable chapter. Since then the worst of the chapters genetic problems have been resolved. The Golden Ravens are still prone to minor gene-seed aberrations that have been known to cause unusual hair, eye or skin pigmentation. More rarely, the space marines of this chapter have been known to have fangs or hard, bony 'talons' in place of fingertips. 

 

It is not know from which chapters gene-seed the Golden Ravens were created. It is not even known what happened to the records of their genetic forebearers. Due to the chapter gene-seeds apparently inherent instability the Golden Ravens are theorized to be a chapter from the 21st 'Cursed' Founding. 

 

Organization

Recently losses have reduced the Golden Ravens to a mere 6 companies. Most of the 1st company was lost in the fighting Damragosh,leaving the chapter with very few veterans and terminators. The remaining veterans have been spread amongst the chapters other companies. The 10th company has won the honour of becoming the chapters veteran company and currently houses the remaining terminator squads. As a mark of respect for their fallen brothers, all Golden Ravens veterans and terminators have painted their helmets black. In addition to the 10th company assuming the role of both the 'veteran' and scout companies the Golden Ravens now have only three battle companies and two reserve companies. The 10th company is now serving as both the scout and veteran company, so that the scouts can benefit from the experience of their veteran brothers. This has also served the terminators well, since they are usually the first to hear of any heavy fighting from the scouts and can deploy more quickly to were they are needed most. 

 

Due to the fact that the Golden Ravens do not currently have a Cesar Superior the chapter is being run by a council formed from it's company Cesari. This Council of the Cesars is advised at need by the companies purifiers, librarians or techmarines. While each Cesar does in theory have more freedom in how his company is run for the time being, the Cesari are far to busy attempting to find new recruits and prepare for the seemingly inevitable orkish invasion of the Omeyga to make any significant changes to how their companies are organised.

 

Due to their instability of their gene-seed Golden Ravens created a special rank within their chapter. Purifiers serve the dual roles of Chaplain and Apothecary. It is their duties to decide if a marines gene-seed remains free enough from the Golden Ravens genetic degradation to be implanted into new recruits.

 

Although the 10th company is currently acting as the chapters veteran company, the Captain of the 10th has not yet earned the right to claim the title of Cesar Superior. With both of the previous Cesar Superiors secondus, the two Cesari most likely to succeed him as Cesar Superior, also being lost on Damgarosh the Cesar of the 10th is currently viewed as the first amongst equals. Should he succeed in becoming Cesar Superior he will be the youngest Chapter Master in the Golden Ravens history.

 

Recruiting

The Golden Ravens recruit from the Omeyga system. They do not recruit from just one world however, but from all the human inhabited worlds in their home star system. Each world is expected to 'tithe' their best young warriors to the chapter for selection. Competition to be a part of this tithe is fierce, as the Golden Ravens are seen as heroes by the Imperial citizens of Omeyga. Each world has arenas and the top fifty gladiators from each of the Omeygan worlds arenas will be sent to the chapter homeworld for selection. There they will fight again in the Collessium on Omeyga Prymaris. Once there were less than one hundred gladiators remaining they would be organised into teams of five. Then the teams fight in a series of battles known as Trials of Worth. 

 

In less desperate times for the Golden Ravens, only gladiators who remained undefeated through the Trial of Worth would then be allowed to undergo the process of becoming a space marine. Since the Battle of Damgarosh the chapter has had to loosen it standards slightly, as they desperately need to replenish their missing companies.

 

Beliefs & Traditions

'The whole is greater than the sum of it's parts.' Every marine of the Golden Ravens chapter believes this wholeheartedly. Space marines from this chapter will remain in the same squad until all the squad members die or they are called on to join the upper echelons of the chapter. It is not uncommon for squad members to develop similar mannerisms over time, so deeply is this belief in cohesion held.

 

The Golden Ravens regard their genetic flaws as a sign of impurity and will try to hide them wherever possible. Due to this belief marines whose gene-seeds have remained free from mutation are awarded the rosaria puritas. This is a white rosette worn on the same shoulder as the squad markings denoting the marines genetic purity. These marines are held to be lucky by other Golden Ravens and frequently rise more easily through the chapters ranks. Currently only the Cesar of the 8th company does not bear the rosaria puritas. Only marines awarded this honour are allowed to become Purifiers. Few outside the chapter are aware of the significance of the rosaria puritas. ​

 

The Golden Ravens regard the Emperor with less awe than even other space marine chapters do. While the do acknowledge his superior nature they do not attach any real reverence to this fact.

 

Golden Ravens also see the High Lords of Terra as distant rulers. The Golden Ravens have on several occasions willfully disobeyed the High Lords, risking Imperial Censure in the process. There are several instances of a Golden Raven Cesar ignoring the orders of the Senatorum Imperialis simply because it did not suit them to obey the order. Due to the distance of Terra from their homeworld, the Golden Ravens see nothing wrong with following their own missions over those of the High Lords of Terra.

 

Heraldry

Space marines of the Golden Ravens wear vertically halved armour in a dark red the colour of dried blood and stark, cold white. Their armor is trimmed in gold. A golden, gothic style number on the right knee denotes company, while the squad number and type are displayed on the left shoulderplate. Chapter heraldry is dislayed in gold on the right shoulderplate.

 

Golden Ravens whos gene-seed does not suffer from some form of minor mutation are awarded a white rosette called the rosaria puritus which is worn on the left shoulderplate. As a mark of respect to those of the 1st company who fell in the Battle of Damgarosh, all veterans of the Golden Raven chapter have painted their helmets black in mourning.

 

All the chapters leaders, be they a squad leader or a company Cesar, are marked out with a golden laurel wreath on their helmets. This is a tradition carried over from the worlds of the Omeyga system that the chapter recruits from. The Cesar of each company wears a black robe with marks them out as both a company commander and as a member of the Senate of the Omeyga worlds.

 

 

Notable Battles

M.41 - Battle of Damgarosh - Supposed to be the initial battle of a much larger campaign against the forces of the Waaaagh! Bork! the Battle of Damgarosh cost the Golden Ravens much. It remains to be seen if the chapter can survive the fallout of this most devastating of defeats.

 

Damgarosh was a remote world that was home to a minor orkish clan that was growing in power. Imperial intelligence suggested that somehow the orks of this world had aquired the necessary expertise to build Mega-Gargantuants, the largest class of ork Titan war-machines. The Golden Ravens 1st, 2nd and 3rd companies were to assault this world, destroy the titans and be reinforced by the 4th to 8th companies on their way to more heavily populated ork-held worlds. There they would drop the wreckage of the titans on orkish colonies to demoralize them before proceeding to attack the clans on the planet. The Golden Ravens attack force arrived on Damgarosh and, finding the ork forces to be of the predicted strength, proceeded with the assault on the titan building facilities.

 

It was an ambush. Once the Imperial forces were committed to the attack they watched in horror as hundreds of thousands of green-skinned savages poured out of the caves around the titan facility. Hopelessly out-numbered, realizing they were unlikely to escape alive, the Golden Ravens nevertheless tried to fulfill their mission and destroy the Gargantuants. Fighting a desperate rearguard action, Cesar Superior Aggrikola ordered the veterans of the 1st company to give no quarter. The 2nd and 3rd companies battled their way through the the titans finally making it to the Gargantuans crude reactor cores. The detonation destroyed the titan facility, killing thousands of the green-skinned scum and obliterating the 2nd and 3rd companies entierly. Most of the 1st company was also caught in the blast, however the remaining marines retreated to Omeyga, recongnising that they could carry the campaign no further. 

 

784.654 M.39 - Massacre of Verdaan - The final battle of the Epsylon Campaign, the Massacre of Verdaan was one of the most decisive battles in chapter history.

 

The Golden Ravens had been using hit-an-run attacks on orkish supply lines and stolen wargear to provoke two large warbands into attacking each other.

After almost four months of destroying supplies and staging raids on small contingents of the warbands troops, the ork forces finally came to blows. Though many within his company were in favour of attacking the orks immediately, Cesar Graccius of the 3rd company ordered his men to wait. He did not allow them to attack until the Golden Ravens 4th company arrived to reinforce them, realising that the ork forces still massively outnumbered the 3rd company alone.

 

The patience of Cesar Graccius was rewarded. The ork warbands, already weary and bloodied from fighting each other were routed, then caught in a cross-fire from the devastator squads of the 3rd and 4th companies and totally destroyed. The Golden Raven chapter did not loose even a single space marine that day. 

 

[Bloodspeaker]

Golden Ravens tactical marine 8th company with Rosaria Puritas Golden Ravens Cesar Tiberius. Captain 5th company with Rosaria Puritas

Golden Ravens Teminator. The Helmet is supposed to be completely black

[DaBoiKyknos]

War Cry - Loud screaching, like the cry of a hawk

Why not the quorking of a raven, since they are called Golden Ravens ?

I like the colour scheme, though I`m usually not in "half-half" colorways. For the rest I cannot saymuch because I`m honestly to tired at the moment.

[Bloodspeaker]

Ravens aren't that loud

[Olis]

Ravens aren't that loud

 

I dunno - imagine you're in the Wild West and a bunch of Apaches (or any appropriate stereotype you fancy) came at you screeching and squawking like ravens at the top of their voices, axes held high. It'd be pretty unnerving if you ask me. ;)

[Bloodspeaker]

I don't think it would get described as 'cawing like a raven'. More likely to be crying like an eagle or screeching like an owl. Not really happy with the war cry in any case and I will probably change it when I think of something better.
Its had to think of something oaks would find intimidating.

 

Also just added the section dealing with the chapters Heraldry. 

[Olis]

Its had to think of something oaks would find intimidating.

 

Well then, Orks are often scared by things they can't kill - that is, if there's few enough of the them to not negate that fear with mob-confidence. Maybe if you can create the illusion that you're unkillable, they'll fear you (even if they won't admit it).

[Bloodspeaker]

Added Notable Battles to the main post. I'm particularly pleased with how the Massacre of Verdaan turned out.

[DaBoiKyknos]

Ravens aren't that loud

 

With the speaker and distortion integrated into a power-armour helmet I guess you could make anything sounding properly loud and terrifying.

I just though a ravens cry would be somehow more original.

But I won`t go further on your nerves with this, if you don`t want to.

[Bloodspeaker]

Guys, enough with the fixation on the War Cry please. It will probably change when i can think of something better and it just got tagged on at the last minute. The rest of this took me a whole afternoon pretty much.

Also sorry if i come across as annoyed. My daughter has been screaming in my ear the whole day. 

[Arkangilos]

Guys, enough with the fixation on the War Cry please. It will probably change when i can think of something better and it just got tagged on at the last minute. The rest of this took me a whole afternoon pretty much.

Also sorry if i come across as annoyed. My daughter has been screaming in my ear the whole day. 

Haha, maybe that should be the battle cry xD

 

Anyways, on a more serious note:

 

Just some minor things.

 

This makes the Golden Ravens one of a very few space marine chapters who are more than just warriors or knights.  

 

Most chapters actually are involved in planetary politics to some degree. They often act as governor to their world, or sometimes to the system. At least the chapter master.

 

But it is interesting to see a chapter in a sort of hybrid role, as honorary members to the senate rather than the governor itself.

 

 Because of this minor corruption of their gene-seed the space marines of this chapter rarely remove their helmets when not in their fortress-monastery

 

I am a bit curious as to why. The Space Wolves have fangs, and the Blood Angels and their successors also have fangs. It's not really that bad of a thing. I mean, I guess that's how the chapter wishes to deal with their mutation it's cool. Still curious though.

 

doing so only when they must eat or drink.

 

keeping in with the theme, though: Since they want to hide it from others (yet will eat with others I assume), maybe rather than remove it they have awesome looking masks that are like beaks and they can feed themselves through it. (It looks cooler in my head than it does in type). Like, they remove their helmets but put on a special, awesome looking mask? It still hides their mutation, but allows them to eat and such. And looks intimidating as all get out.

 

or hard, bony 'talons' in place of fingertips.

 

 Right on! That's awesome.

 

Due to the chapter gene-seeds apparently inherent instability the Golden Ravens are theorized to be a chapter from the 21st 'Cursed' Founding. 

 

So, I'm not trying to say that this is wrong or anything (it's not), but the Raven Guard have serious genetic instability as well, so it would be tough to pinpoint whether it would just be 21st cursed founding (which are surrounded with a ton of bad luck, as it happens yours does also seem to be!), or Raven Guard. So both would work.

 

 

The remaining veterans have been spread amongst the chapters other companies. The 10th company has won the honour of becoming the chapters command company and have claimed the remaining terminator squads.

 

Why? 

The tenth company is rarely united, with the scouts being sent out where needed. Wouldn't it make more sense to have the command staff remain a separate entity like normal? 

 

Or do they want to be closer to the recruits or something? 

 

I'm just asking because I'm curious, not because I'm saying it's bad or anything. 

 

only two companies each of assault, devastator and tactical marines.

 

Where did the second assault and devastator companies come from? Also, that's seven companies: scout/veteran, two tacticals, two devs, and two assaults. 

 

But yeah, the main question here is where the two extra companies of Assault and Devastators came from.

 

one deviation from the codex astartes

 

I'm afraid they have more than that, lol. The previously mentioned extra asssault and dev companies, the tenth company serving as veterans rather than scouts, stuff like that. 

 

I like the idea of the purifiers though. Sweet stuff!

 

The Golden Ravens regard the Emperor with less awe than most other space marine chapters do, viewing him more as the architect of mankind's future than as a Divine Being or father-figure

 

Most chapters don't see him as divine, only as an exceptional hero. And most chapters aren't on good terms with the good ole church either. 

 

 Not outright disobedient to the will of the High Lords, there are several instances of a Golden Raven Cesar changing the orders of the Senatorum Imperialis to better suit the needs of the situation at hand. Due to the distance of Terra from their homeworld, the Golden Ravens see nothing wrong with them exercising their own judgement. 

 

This is actually, again, how most chapters are. The HLoT generally give SM the autonomy to do what needs to be done. Buuuuut, not always, and it would be interesting to see examples of stuff your chapter has done that the HLoT might deem... against their wishes. 

 

___

 

I'm pretty tired so I'm gonna go, but so far I like it. 

 

What I highlighted and stuff is stuff I would personally like to see expanded on. Like, when I say that it's not that unique I'm not trying to say it shouldn't be there. I would just like to see you expand upon the idea. Know what I mean?

 

Anyways, good stuff!

[Bloodspeaker]

@Arkangilos - Thanks for the reply. I can see I have a few bits of cleaning up and explaining to do with these guys lol.

Apparently I remembered codex chapter organisation wrong, because I though all chapters had multiple assault companies. I'll redo the parts dealing with organisation. Honestly atm I don't know how the 10 won the veteran company status. I just liked the idea. I'm now thinking that the scouts maybe get spread around the rest of the chapter. Going to have to think about it.

Thanks again for the useful reply.

[Arkangilos]

@Arkangilos - Thanks for the reply. I can see I have a few bits of cleaning up and explaining to do with these guys lol.

Apparently I remembered codex chapter organisation wrong, because I though all chapters had multiple assault companies. I'll redo the parts dealing with organisation. Honestly atm I don't know how the 10 won the veteran company status. I just liked the idea. I'm now thinking that the scouts maybe get spread around the rest of the chapter. Going to have to think about it.

Thanks again for the useful reply.

Well for the tenth, maybe it's a training thing. Because they are trying to rebuild quickly, they won't be training like they normally would, and so it would make sense to have the veterans there to oversee it.