The Ebon Wolves

[Bloodfinger]

The Ebon Wolves

This is my second attempt at a homegrown chapter, the first, the Black Scorpids, having semi-retired to lick their wounds following some bruising encounters with the orks! Their beliefs are loosely inspired by the first part of the poem “The Law for the Wolves” by Rudyard Kipling, because I wanted a wolf themed chapter that differed from the feral Space Wolf style, and this approach seemed to work. Anyway any views, comments or suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks

Origins

The Ebon Wolves were created in the 23^rd Founding in the latter part of the 37^th Millenium to provide an agile, aggressive force to counter the Ork and Eldar forces threatening the extreme south eastern fringes of the Ultima Segmentum. Kostas Alexeyev, a captain from the Imperius Reavers chapter was tasked with commanding a cadre of his battle brothers in leading and mentoring the new chapter. Alexseyev was noted for his courageous leadership in battle, but also his obsession with duty and strict discipline. He set about moulding his new recruits to train and fight in his image.

Homeworld

The Ebon Wolves are based on the jungle deathworld of Vermortis near the southern tip of the Ultima Segmentum. It is a vast planet almost entirely covered in sub-tropical jungle which teems with a huge variety of ferocious and deadly carnivorous lifeforms. The human population of Vermortis consists of scatterred tribes of natives, believed to be descended from the original human settlers who decided to stay when attempts to colonise the planet were formally abandoned due to its hostile ecology. The natives of Vermortis are by necessity resilient and are skilled and dauntless hunters, as the planet is too dangerous to support any agrigulture or all but the most basic industry. From their fortress monastery based in an abandoned temple deep in the heart of the densest jungle the Ebon Wolves monitor the population, selecting the best young hunters to face the trial of the wolf pack. In pairs the young aspirants are abandoned in the most dangerous jungle, unarmed and clad in only a loincloth with the single instruction to return to the fortress monastery in three days. Those who fail to return are not mourned, for they are many. Those who return alone are sent back to their tribes, for they do not have the spirit of the wolf pack. Only those who return together have shown that they have both the skills of the hunter and the instinct to fight for each other. They are inducted into the chapter to begin the arduous training that will one day, if they survive, see them become Ebon Wolves.

Combat Doctrine

The doctrine of the Ebon Wolves had its genesis in that of their parent chapter, the noted alien hunters of the Imperius Reavers. The Ebon Wolves largely follow the Codex Astartes, being a highly regimented and organised chapter operating in well drilled combined arms formations. After careful scouting and infiltration, they attack swiftly and ferociously in overwhelming strength, descending on their foes like a pack of wolves. Where possible they prefer to hunt at night to increase the element of surprise and enhance the advantage their well prepared forces have against more disorganised foes. They utilise mounted infantry, assault squads, scouts and bike squadrons, making relatively little use of heavy armour. This best suits their role as fast moving hunters and enables them to quickly switch tactics and positions in a way that would be impossible for more heavily armoured forces. Their emphasis on obediance and strictly following the chain of command can mean they lack flexibility if operating without clear orders but in such situations they are prepared to fall back and regroup. They believe it is unwise to provoke or forewarn their enemies unnecessarily and are cautioned against bombastic shows of bravado or ill-judged last stands. This does not mean they lack resolve however, and they are fully prepared to die fighting to the last man, if it is the best way to serve the Emperor.

Organisation

The Ebon Wolves are organised in line with the Codex Astartes, maintaining ten companies of ten squads each, with the designated balance of tactical, assault and devastator squads. Known as an extremely disciplined force, they obey orders without question, always defer to their leaders at all times in all things, and respect the heirarchy of the chapter to an extreme extent. This is particularly true in the presence of other chapters or if there is a dispute or disagreement. Their emphasis on stringent organisation and finely tuned teamwork means that squads from different battle companies are effectively interchangeble, being uniformly drilled in the same tactics and are able to fight alongside each other, without losing the cohesion that other chapters develop by fighting in strike forces primarily based around a single battle company.

Beliefs

The Ebon Wolves beliefs are founded on their twin virtues of courage and discipline and by their absolute obedience to the law of the chapter. This law places primacy on the survival and strength of the chapter and ensures that each battle brother at all times places this ahead of any personal desires for glory or heroism. Each marine is taught to be bold, aggressive and proud but not reckless or arrogant, and to recognise that their true strength and power only comes when they work together for the good of the chapter. When disputes do arise within the chapter the law requires that they must be settled swiftly and decisively between the individuals concerned, away from the sight of their brothers. This prevents other members of the chapter taking sides or becoming involved in the dispute, which could weaken the unity and strength of the chapter.

The Ebon Wolves recognise that at the fringes of the Imperium, the Emperor’s rule is often fragile and conflicts between the servants of the Imperium can easily rise to the surface. Because of this, as their law demands, they deliberately maintain respectful and cooperative relations with all branches of the Imperium, always responding to requests for aid if at all possible and frequently assigning units to work alongside other Imperial forces. They avoid openly questioning or acting against other Imperial organisations even when they would be fully justified to do so, except in the most extreme of circumstances, because they believe that they are stronger as a chapter when they have the support of the entire Imperium behind them. Given the fractured and Byzantine nature of Imperial politics this can lead them into impossible situations, as they struggle to maintain good relations with competing factions, but their officers are noted for their even-handedness and fairness with allies and usually manage to resolve disputes peacefully, if sometimes only temporarily.

The Ebon Wolves are meticulous about maintaining, repairing and cleaning their weapons, armour and vehicles, even in the midst of a campaign, believing that all the assets of the chapter must be optimally maintained in order to maximise the effectiveness of the chapter at all times. Additionally, to risk offending the machine spirits of their wargear by showing them less than the due respect could damage the good relations that exist with the Adeptus Mechanicus, which to-date has seen them well supported and better equipped than many older and more reknowned chapters of the Adeptus Astartes.

Notable Ebon Wolves - Past

Kostas Alexeyev – the first Chapter Master of the Ebon Wolves, Alexeyev was well chosen to lead a new chapter for he embodied the twin virtues his chapter would come to represent – courage and discipline. The former he found in great abundance in the raw recruits he chose to join his chapter, for the hunters of Vermortis did not long survive without it. The latter he had learned on his homeworld of Praedis Zeta, for in the hive city where he grew up compliance was enforced by strict rules and harsh punishments. He now instilled this discipline in his new battle brothers as a fierce sense of duty and respect for the rules that he ordained.

Rian “Wolf” Adarius – the first Chapter Master to have been born on Vermortis, Adarius is revered as the Great Wolf, the wisest leader the Ebon Wolves have yet known. He adopted the name Wolf in place of his own when he became Chapter Master, a tradition that his successors have followed ever since. Adarius led almost his entire chapter on what became known as the Charadon Hunt, a century-long campaign against the Orkish domain, long before it rose to prominence under Warlord Snagrod. He led a series of raids, repeatedly penetrating deep into hostile territory, hunting down and killing would-be Ork warlords before they could consolidate their power and then retreating before the enraged greenskins could regroup and counter attack. He was the first Chapter Master to codify the rules of the Ebon Wolves into a simple law and to formalise the oaths and rituals of the chapter. It is possible that Alexeyev had deliberately left this final piece of his chapter’s structure unfinished, knowing that it would be more enduring if enacted by a native of Vermortis.

Gard DeAngelo – A Sergeant of the 2^nd company, DeAngelo was seconded to the Sons of Orar at the time of the Siege of Alaitoc, fighting bravely against the Eldar Craftworld and winning great respect for the Ebon Wolves. However, when he was told that the Chapter Master of the Sons of Orar had decided to withdraw his forces from the invasion, DeAngelo commented that this was dishonorable and that the marines should continue to fight until the aliens had been annihilated. Although the Sons of Orar regarded this as merely a minor breach of protocol, when he returned to his chapter monastery his Captain declared him an insubordinate for questioning an order from a superior and ordered him to be reduced in rank to below that of a marine, signified by the issue of an unpainted ceramite helm to replace the red sergeant’s one he wore. More gravely, he was also judged to have broken the law of the chapter by not keeping peace with the Imperium, for which the punishment was execution. He faced the firing squad without complaint, asking only for the Emperor to protect and forgive him. Since that day the 5^th squad of the 2^nd company have been known as “the Penitent” in his memory and are permitted to wear bare ceramite helms as symbols of their respect and obedience.

Notable Ebon Wolves - present

Wolf DaMatthew – Current chapter master of the Ebon Wolves, DaMatthew is reputed to be the most ferocious fighter the Ebon Wolves have ever produced and is also respected as a bold and decisive leader. He first made his name leading audacious raids against the Kabal of the Serrated Soul, daring to confront the rapacious Dark Eldar with their own tactics and eventually entrapping and destroying them before they could withdraw to the Webway. As Captain of the 5^th Company he led his Astartes against the Tyranids, fighting relentless and draining campaigns against splinters of Hive Fleet Gorgon, a task made more difficult by his refusal to cooperate in any way with the Tau Empire. He has now drawn together a major force to join the Imperium’s efforts to counter the threat of Hive Fleet Hydra, a war that the chapter is likely to be fighting for many years to come.

Orkevious Clay – Now the High Chaplain and Master of Souls of the Ebon Wolves, in 745 M41 Clay was a young scout attached to a training mission with the Ultramarines at the time the first incursions of Hive Fleet Behemoth were detected. With thirty of his brothers he fought heroically alongside the Ultramarines as they sought to turn back the Tyranid hordes on the paradise planet of Prandium, launching repeated offensives against the seemingly limitless tides of aliens that assailed them. Eventually he was grievously wounded when his squad was ambushed and overrun by a swarm of Tyranid Warriors and his shattered body was evacuated with the surviving Ultramarines as they reluctantly withdrew from the doomed planet. The young warrior’s life was saved by the Ultramarines apothecaries, but when the war was over he was the sole Ebon Wolf to return to his chapter and he did so with a ferocious hated for the Tyranid race that burns fiercely in his heart to this day.

Caelin Schiavoni – Captain of the 2^nd Company, Schiavoni is an unusually flamboyant warrior noted for his skilled swordsmanship. He gained great glory serving as a 1^st Company Vanguard veteran in the campaign against Waaagh! Grutsplitter, when he fought his way through the Ork hordes to confront Grutsplitter himself. Attempting to intimidate his foe the hulking warboss removed his ‘ard hat and bellowed a mighty challenge to the puny human who stood before him. Undaunted, Schiavoni responded by removing his own helmet and laughing in the face of the the surprised greenskin, before neatly removing its head with a deft flick of his power sword. Having insisted on serving in every branch of the chapter before accepting the offer of a captaincy, he is a master of all the tactics and strategy in the Codex Astartes and is equally adept at leading his company to counterattack against a ferocious onslaught with bolt pistol and chainsword, operate stealthily behind enemy lines with silenced bolters or lay down a withering storm of plasma, missiles and las fire to obliterate their targets.

Millian Za’Darius – Captain of the 3^rd Company, Za’Darius is known for his close relations with the Adeptus Mechanicus and his reverence for their technology. It is rumoured that he was selected for training as a Techmarine early in his service, but did not show sufficient aptitude to complete the training and was returned to his company. In 953 M41 he led a mission to rescue an Ad Mech force that had awoken a dormant Necron tomb whilst investigating the abandoned forge world of Xeton Prime. He was rewarded for successfully extracting the Tech-priests and their salvage with ten suits of MkIV Maximus power armour and weapons, which are now proudly worn by his 6^th squad, known as ‘the Ancients’. More recently, with the blessing of Chapter Master DaMatthew, he has invited a small party of Adeptus Mechanicus Genetors, and their associated Tech-priests, servitors and bodyguards, to establish a research base on Vermortis to study and exploit the planet’s lifeforms for the glory of the Emperor.

Xander Latavious – Seconded to the Deathwatch, Brother Latavious follows in a long line of Ebon Wolves who have served the Long Vigil over the centuries. Formerly a Sergeant in the 1^st Company Sternguard, he excels as an alien hunter, combining exceptional marksmanship with an encyclopedic understanding of his enemies and their weak points, and his Kill Team has come to rely on his skills as a sniper. Although he was initially taken aback by the divergent attitudes and unorthodox behaviour shown by some members of the Deathwatch, he quickly adapted and has taken on the role of peacemaker, frequently defusing tensions when chapter rivalries or historical grudges cause tension between members of his Kill Team.

Geneseed

The Chapter’s geneseed is from the Imperius Reavers chapter (Ultramarines) and remains pure, with no known or suspected mutations. It is possible that they may have an enhanced occulobe function, but this has never been proven and may simply be because their preference for hunting at night means they are more experienced in operating effectively in low-light conditions. Despite their chapter name and markings they have no relation to the Space Wolves and carry none of the genetic flaws of that unique chapter.

Markings

Power armour is coloured bleached bone with blood red arms and shoulders – these colours represent the bones and blood of their enemies. Company is denoted by the colour of the chest aquila, using the standard codex colours. The squad designation symbol is on the the right shoulder in bleached bone, with the squad number in red centred on the symbol. In accordance with the codex, veterans wear white helmets, sergeants wear blood red helmets, with veteran sergeants also bearing white decorations, such as laurel wreaths, skulls or wings on their helmets. Officers wear black helmets and have black exhaust ports on their backpacks, with either the helmets or the exhaust ports shaped in wolf form. Honour guard are permitted to wear similar decorations and / or wolf pelt cloaks or tabards as a mark of their status, although otherwise they wear the standard chapter colours. The chapter badge is a black wolf’s head, as for the Space Wolves.

Motto

Formally “Duty and Courage”, less formally “Trust your Battle Brothers”. Both are spoken frequently as exhortations during battle.

Oath

This is the final words spoken during the ceremony in which a scout is elevated to become a fully fledged Space Marine. The Master of Recruits declares “The strength of the pack is the wolf” to which the recruits respond “and the strength of the wolf is the pack.” As with the chapter’s motto this oath is frequently repeated in battle between commanders and their men.

Warcry

“Bones and Blood” or the full version “The Bones and Blood of our enemies shall lie scattered in our wake”

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Good job, overall. I have questions regarding the "Trial of the Wolf Pack", though. Are the young hunters volunteers, or are they forced to undergo the trial? (The latter will critically weaken the villages these hunters come from, as the settlements will be deprived of their best fighters- those who serve as the villages' defenders in a crisis- at unpredictable moments.) Do the participants know the Victory Conditions before the trial begins- do they know they must complete it as a TEAM?

 

How are the young hunters' teams formed? "Team A is composed of hunters from Village A, Team B of hunters from Village B"? Or is it like the Beacon Academy initiation from 'RWBY', i.e., the young hunters are sent into the jungle as individuals, and must form teams DURING the trial, with people who're likely strangers beforehand?

[Draakur]

I actually like this a lot. The way you've gone about the emphasis on unity and cooperation has cleverly dodged the sappy, "hugs bro" kind of feeling that often results from this approach.

 

You've drawn a nice path between being interesting and unique in a few ways but not at all Mary Sue-ish, and I liked the pace and style of your writing. Very clean and not overly verbose, but still descriptive enough to paint a picture.

 

A few things:

 

- is their Chapter symbol black? I can't see any "ebon" on them.

 

- given their non-feral nature, the blood and bones references seem a bit out of place or something?

 

- you say the fortress monastery is an old abandoned temple - would this actually be suitable to house an entire Chapter of Astartes? Or has it been altered?

[Bloodfinger]

Great questions, thanks Bjorn. The participants definitely aren't told that they have to complete the trial as a team, as the intent is to find the recruits whose instinct is to look out for each other, and to weed out the ones who might be more self centred.

 

The other points I hadn't thought about which is why questions like this are really helpful.  The Ebon Wolves priority is always the strength and survival of the chapter, so they wouldn't be particularly concerned about the effect they have on the tribes. On the other hand they're not callous by nature and it isn't in their interests to weaken the tribes too much as this could dry up the source of recruits and threaten their future. So they would avoid selecting too many subjects from one village and wouldn't force them to take the trial - they would offer them the opportunity and honour of proving themselves. The potential recruits are therefore volunteers in the sense that they are willing participants (although not terribly well informed about what is involved), but there is no way to put yourself forward for the trial - the Wolves choose who they want to test based on their own observations.

 

To form the teams they would pair up two potential recruits who don't know each other, so they would be from different villages, and fly them out into the jungle to be dropped off with just the basic instructions about what is expected of them.

 

More great questions Draakur. The chapter symbol is black, and black is also used by officers as a mark of status, so it's their special colour, used sparingly. The bones and blood is more of a symbolic choice as you're right they're not feral or brutal and don't rend their opponents apart to collect their bones, drink their blood or anything like that. But they do see themselves as a wolf pack aggressively hunting their prey, so I think it fits that image.  I did think that the colours could also represent the twin virtues of the chapter - bone representing the strength of their discipline and blood red representing the courage that beats in their hearts.  I'm not sure if this is overdoing it a bit though?

 

I must admit I hadn't thought too much about the chapter monastery - I'm not actually sure how big a chapter monastery is. The image I had in my mind was sort of based on an old temple from the Jungle Book combined with the rebel base in Star Wars which is hidden inside an old temple. But now I think about it the chapter would have no need to hide, so perhaps it's built around an old temple, or is just a purpose built fortress in the jungle. I'll give it some more thought.

 

Thanks for the questions :) 

[Bjorn Firewalker]

As high attrition rates are to be expected, I think the Trial of the Wolf Pack should be undertaken with larger teams- at least as large as a combat squad (five members), with a full squad (10 members) being ideal- and the victory condition is that at least 30% of the team members survive to reach the fortress-monastery.