Ebon Blades - The Liber Challenge

[Perth]

Disclaimer: This is very much a work in progress, any comments or criticisms are greatly appreciated.

 

Chapter name: Ebon Blades

Descended from (if known): Raven Guard

Founding number (if known): 23rd

Descendants (if known): None
 

Chapter origins: The Ebon Blades Chapter was created from the geneseed of the Raven Guard Chapter as one of many raised from the 23rd founding. The Ebon Blades were tasked with the protection of the Eskandor system in the southern reaches of the Loki Sector. The Chapter was organized according to the Codex Astartes, with a focus on stealth and ambush tactics.
 

Chapter History: While the Ebon Blades, like most Chapters, can claim to have done battle against nearly every possible type of foe, most of their recorded combat action has been against Greenskins. In the later years of M40, the Chapter repelled Ork invaders of the Eskandor system and assisted in the defense of their neighboring system of Rynnstar. This was not the last the Chapter would see of the Greenskins however. In M41 the mighty Waaagh! Snagrod rampaged through the Sector. Even with nearly the full might of the Ebon Blades leading the defense, their homeworld of Eskandor Prime was overrun by the Greenskins. Beyond a task force consisting of members of the 4th and 10th companies, the entire Chapter had been eradicated. The survivors only remained among the living by virtue of being assigned too far away to reach their homeworld in time. 

 

Seeking to avenge his fallen brothers, the leader of the task force, Captain Alexander Vulkas of the 10th Company, answered the distress call of the Crimson Fists, who were entrenched within their capital city repelling the same Ork horde that had conquered Eskandor. Along with brothers from numerous other Chapters that had come to assist the Crimson Fists, the Ebon Skulls fought the Greenskins off the surface of Rynn's World. By the end of the fighting the Ebon Blades had been reduced to Captain Vulkas, a mere 3 full Battle Brothers of the 4th Company, and 4 Veterans leading 23 Initiates of the 10th Company. Vulkas had initially planned to lead his remaining troops to glorious death against the Greenskins that still inhabited the system, but was instead inspired by Pedro Kantor's will to rebuild his shattered Chapter, and thus Vulkas swore an oath to do the same. With the aid of several Apothecaries of the Imperial Fists and White Scars Chapters, a significant amount of Ebon Blades geneseed was recovered, leading to a sizable batch of new recruits Ebon Blades from the labs of the Raven Guard.

 

 

Combat Doctrine: Given his experience with fighting as a Scout Marine and the extremely limited number of power armored brothers at his disposal, Captain Vulkas made the decision for the remaining Ebon Blades to be trained and equipped only as Scout Marines. Power armored Marines required battlefield support that the Ebon Blades were simply not equipped to provide. As such, when the Ebon Blades go to war, they do so acting as scouts, saboteurs and assassins for Imperial Guard regiments or other Space Marine Chapters. 

 

Battle Cry: Vengeance from the shadows! 

 

Notable Characters: Captain Alexander Vulkas - The current leader of the Ebon Blades, Vulkas possesses a keen, tactical mind with a gift for ambush tactics. When leading his brothers on the field, he wields a masterfully crafted Stalker Bolter to strike from afar and a keen power dagger to silently eliminate hostiles up close. Like all of the remaining Ebon Blades, he wears light scout armor in place of bulky power armor.

Colour scheme: Keeping with the traditions of the 10th Company, the remaining Ebon Blades wear camouflage suited to their environment and cameoline cloaks. They bare their Chapter Icon on their shoulders, a black double edged sword.