TCFKA the Red Ravens - The StormCrows the "Villta Veiðin"

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

Here's my very Norse themed Raven Guard successor Chapter; The Red Ravens. This is still a work in progress, but I like to share what I'm working on. I'd like you to read through the document, but I'll give a brief rundown:

 

Nominally they are a Second Founding Chapter. Really they were Terran-Born Astartes of the XIX legion, that Corax exiled due to their slow adoption of his ideas. With some Advisors, and a heck of a lot of need, they adopted and adapted Corax's teachings to fit their experience, to become a premier raiding and reconnaissance force, also excelling in their previous role as shock troops. Due to Opportunistic recruiting practices, they became associated with an ancient Terran legend, the Wild Hunt. Further enhancing their image as ghostly soldiers, are the glowing blue lenses of their helmets and the ashen grey armor they wear. They wear the insignia of the Raven Guard on their left shoulder, though colored red, to indicate their exile from the legion. They're a fleet based chapter, and recruit mainly from battlefields, with Imperial Guard survivors making up a large percentage of their recruits. This makes them terrifyingly efficient soldiers, but their cultural heritage stems from taking a number of recruits from the Space Wolves World of Fenris (they have a habit of taking the wounded and dying, and giving them a new lease on life).

 

Furthermore, their armor is supposed to look as though it were originally black but become stained grey with ash, a nod to their tendency to leave only ash and blood in their wake. I've littered their backstory with references to viking raiders and Norse mythology. I kinda wanted them to feel a bit like the old legion of the damned, but not actually ghosts bonded to armor. They move in shadows, their presence only rumor, and heralding catastrophe, and when they show themselves they bring fire and ruin to the enemies of the Imperium. I wanted them to feel like an old chapter but a very pragmatic group, hence why they would have readily adopted and made use of so many primaris marines.

 

I hope you enjoy, and I'd love to hear feedback.

 

Edit: I have done a renaming. The Chapter Formerly Known As The Red Ravens will now be called the StormCrows. and their Nom De Guerre is now Villta Veiðin.

Edited June 3, 2020 by Ulrik_Ironfist

[Bjorn Firewalker]

They're a fleet based chapter, and recruit mainly from battlefields, with Imperial Guard survivors making up a large percentage of their recruits.

Gene-seed works best on 12-year-olds (see the Iron Warriors killing children older than that, when they raided a Schola Progenium for potential gene-seed recipients, in Graham McNeill's novel The Chapter's Due). Implantation is risky in 16-year-olds (Hyperion's age when he received Grey Knights gene-seed, as noted in Aaron Dembski-Bowden's novel The Emperor's Gift).

 

Planetary Defense Force conscripts MAY be young enough to safely accept gene-seed; but most Imperial Army (pre-Heresy) and Guard (post-Heresy) members will be TOO OLD, and likely die because their bodies rejected the implants.

This makes them terrifyingly efficient soldiers, but their cultural heritage stems from taking a number of recruits from the Space Wolves World of Fenris (they have a habit of taking the wounded and dying, and giving them a new lease on life).

The Space Wolves are EXTREMELY unlikely to tolerate the Raven Guard Legion poaching potential recruits from Fenris. Furthermore, Fenrisian colonists were genetically enhanced with canine DNA when the planet was first settled (read Graham McNeill's A Thousand Sons; note Ahriman's shock when he scanned a Wulfen's genes in the climactic battle, and finally understood why Magnus claimed "There are no wolves on Fenris,"), so implanting Raven Guard gene-seed may make it chimeric, and thus likely to be rejected.

 

Best create another planet whose colonists have a Viking-like culture, e.g., "Varangia."

[Lysimachus]

Agreed with Bjorn's points, I do very much like the picture you've painted of them so far though!

 

When were they exiled? If it was before the Heresy, you could actually have RG Successors without all the genetic problems that they all have? Of course, having been exiled, they'd be quite resentful of their former Legion and wouldn't be inclined to share the precious resource of properly working geneseed with them? That would be pretty grimdark.

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

 

They're a fleet based chapter, and recruit mainly from battlefields, with Imperial Guard survivors making up a large percentage of their recruits.

Gene-seed works best on 12-year-olds (see the Iron Warriors killing children older than that, when they raided a Schola Progenium for potential gene-seed recipients, in Graham McNeill's novel The Chapter's Due). Implantation is risky in 16-year-olds (Hyperion's age when he received Grey Knights gene-seed, as noted in Aaron Dembski-Bowden's novel The Emperor's Gift).

 

Planetary Defense Force conscripts MAY be young enough to safely accept gene-seed; but most Imperial Army (pre-Heresy) and Guard (post-Heresy) members will be TOO OLD, and likely die because their bodies rejected the implants

Is that a hard and fast "rule"? Is it possible that the Apothecaries could have tinkered with the gene seed to allow a wider range of ages, so as to make recruiting easier, but then have something like a radically increased incidence of the "sable brand" as a consequence?

 

 

The Space Wolves are EXTREMELY unlikely to tolerate the Raven Guard Legion poaching potential recruits from Fenris. Furthermore, Fenrisian colonists were genetically enhanced with canine DNA when the planet was first settled (read Graham McNeill's A Thousand Sons; note Ahriman's shock when he scanned a Wulfen's genes in the climactic battle, and finally understood why Magnus claimed "There are no wolves on Fenris,"), so implanting Raven Guard gene-seed may make it chimeric, and thus likely to be rejected.

 

Best create another planet whose colonists have a Viking-like culture, e.g., "Varangia."

 

Those are fair points, and I was unaware of that. I mean I knew that the space wolves wouldn't like it, but I had an explanation, but given GW wolfy crap reasons,  I guess I'll have to create a different world.

 

 

When were they exiled? If it was before the Heresy, you could actually have RG Successors without all the genetic problems that they all have? Of course, having been exiled, they'd be quite resentful of their former Legion and wouldn't be inclined to share the precious resource of properly working geneseed with them? That would be pretty grimdark.

The Idea was that they'd have been exiled pre-heresy, during the time just after Corax was discovered. I didn't want them necessarily resentful, as their exile wasn't so much of a "begone I don't like you" and more of a "You need time to adjust to the new way, and I don't have that kind of time". So they were split off, and sent on campaign. They recolored their legion insignia, because they didn't want to be branded blackshields and traitors, so they needed to keep a link to the legion, while still being set apart from it. They're a pragmatic lot.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

 

 

They're a fleet based chapter, and recruit mainly from battlefields, with Imperial Guard survivors making up a large percentage of their recruits.

Gene-seed works best on 12-year-olds (see the Iron Warriors killing children older than that, when they raided a Schola Progenium for potential gene-seed recipients, in Graham McNeill's novel The Chapter's Due). Implantation is risky in 16-year-olds (Hyperion's age when he received Grey Knights gene-seed, as noted in Aaron Dembski-Bowden's novel The Emperor's Gift).

 

Planetary Defense Force conscripts MAY be young enough to safely accept gene-seed; but most Imperial Army (pre-Heresy) and Guard (post-Heresy) members will be TOO OLD, and likely die because their bodies rejected the implants

Is that a hard and fast "rule"?

Considering how often the gene-seed recipient's age is brought up in Black Library novels, it might as well be one.

Is it possible that the Apothecaries could have tinkered with the gene seed to allow a wider range of ages, so as to make recruiting easier, but then have something like a radically increased incidence of the "sable brand" as a consequence?

The only Apothecary who can SUCCESSFULLY tinker with gene-seed in this manner, is Fabius Bile of the Emperor's Children. For all non-Chaos Space Marine Chapters, such tinkering will be frowned upon; not only will it be seen as an insult to their gene-father (Primarch), but considering how precious gene-seed is, it will be intolerable to risk its destruction via tinkering.

[gripschi]

To your Idea Recruiting Out of the IG:

 

Most have a Tross of addtional People, maybe take the Youth Out of These

 

And many Battles produce Orphans,they surived only when they manage to Adept

 

Offer them the Chance to Take Revenge.

--

 

Geneseed tinker wasnt really in use before the Crused Founding. And the results we're very Bad usally.

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

To your Idea Recruiting Out of the IG:

 

Most have a Tross of addtional People, maybe take the Youth Out of These

 

And many Battles produce Orphans,they surived only when they manage to Adept

 

Offer them the Chance to Take Revenge.

 

Those are some good ideas. Here's one I just came up with, I'm sure that there are Imperial worlds that would have to start training soldiers from childhood, like from the age of 6 or younger, because of how short on manpower they are. Or Kids from besieged worlds that show a knack for fighting and surviving, making them already battle hardened by the age of 12-16.

 

Maybe they could recruit from among the storm trooper programs of the Schola Progeneum taking the most likely to survive, and adding their own intensive training on top of the six years of hell the kids will already have endured.

 

Considering how often the gene-seed recipient's age is brought up in Black Library novels, it might as well be one.

Ok. Well, that's... inconvenient. I'll have to come up with something else.

 

 

The only Apothecary who can SUCCESSFULLY tinker with gene-seed in this manner, is Fabius Bile of the Emperor's Children. For all non-Chaos Space Marine Chapters, such tinkering will be frowned upon; not only will it be seen as an insult to their gene-father (Primarch), but considering how precious gene-seed is, it will be intolerable to risk its destruction via tinkering.

Yeah, that's a very good point. Again I'll have to come up with something else.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Idea: When the Red Ravens successfully liberate a planet, the Chapter demands a tithe of youths from the planetary government, as payment for its services. These youths are then forced to run through the "Wilds" (combat training arenas, complete with plants, wild animals, and simulated weather, so the Marines may prepare for battle in a variety of environments) aboard the Chapter's ships, proving themselves by reaching designated "safe zones" within the allotted time.

 

In short, the "Wild Hunt" is not what the Marines conduct upon a world's populace in a search for recruits, but what it forces its own recruits to conduct in these recruits' search for safety.

[Brother Lunkhead]

Good start with your RG successor I really like the exile angle and the non-SW Viking cultural theme. I think if you take the advice from Bjorn and gripschi into account you should be able to eliminate those problem areas. Looking forward to seeing more

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

Idea: When the Red Ravens successfully liberate a planet, the Chapter demands a tithe of youths from the planetary government, as payment for its services. These youths are then forced to run through the "Wilds" (combat training arenas, complete with plants, wild animals, and simulated weather, so the Marines may prepare for battle in a variety of environments) aboard the Chapter's ships, proving themselves by reaching designated "safe zones" within the allotted time.

 

In short, the "Wild Hunt" is not what the Marines conduct upon a world's populace in a search for recruits, but what it forces its own recruits to conduct in these recruits' search for safety.

That's a neat Idea, but it's not quite the image I was trying to evoke. I wanted them to seem like ghostly hunters running down their quarry. The kind of thing that's supposed to make people shutter their windows, and hide, lest they be seen and swept up into the cavalcade.

 

I don't want it to seem like they get all their recruits from tithing planets. Just a small but significant number, and only those with the will to survive and fight against overwhelming odds.

 

Additionally, I had another idea about my original intent to have them recruit guardsmen. A chapter has to get serfs and support personnel from somewhere right? What if they take Guard survivors who would likely just end up cycled around to holding units, and "adopting" them to add to their rear echelon support? Being a Chapter with heresy era equipment, they'd have tanks and artillery that would be familiar to Guardsmen, that are no longer approved for astartes use, that could be employed by "serfs" in a combat support role. The fortress monastery could also have a civilian population which contributes aspirants, like every second son, and the Guardsmen could serve as a training Cadre for pre-aspirant children, to make them ready for the trials.

 

Or would that get them accused of Legion Building?

 

 

Good start with your RG successor I really like the exile angle and the non-SW Viking cultural theme. I think if you take the advice from Bjorn and gripschi into account you should be able to eliminate those problem areas. Looking forward to seeing more

Thanks. I always disliked how hard GW steered into the skids with all that wolfy stuff. I'm an avid history buff, and I really like studying about the Viking Age and Norse Mythology. A few of the guys over in the RG forum help me iron out a few kinks before I posted here, and I think it was Dracos, who gave me the idea to make them exiles.

[gripschi]

I dont think it would them accuse. As Long you dont intend to field Thousands of IG as Rear Echolon.

 

That you Take in Surriving IG, could get then trouble.

 

Maybe you can Just "Steal" them. Like o a Valkyre got Lost, how sad.

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

I dont think it would them accuse. As Long you dont intend to field Thousands of IG as Rear Echolon.

Considering that a battalion in the real world is usually around a thousand men... But no, essentially the Idea I had was to be able to Use IG on the Table top to field Malcadors and basalisks in support of my guys for big games, which are things that they would have left over from their legion days.

 

But also, I thought it would be cool to have Guardsmen that are basically "part" of the chapter that do things like set up encampments and do a lot of the military administration for the Marines, like running communications, servicing vehicles, treating wounded, and manning artillery and crewing superheavy tanks, that the astartes are no longer permitted to field. Technically they would be a regiment raised by the chapter, and administratively controlled (adcon) by the Departmento Munitorum but Operationally Controlled (opcon) by the Red Ravens Space Marine Chapter.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Additionally, I had another idea about my original intent to have them recruit guardsmen. A chapter has to get serfs and support personnel from somewhere right? What if they take Guard survivors who would likely just end up cycled around to holding units, and "adopting" them to add to their rear echelon support? Being a Chapter with heresy era equipment, they'd have tanks and artillery that would be familiar to Guardsmen, that are no longer approved for astartes use, that could be employed by "serfs" in a combat support role. The fortress monastery could also have a civilian population which contributes aspirants, like every second son, and the Guardsmen could serve as a training Cadre for pre-aspirant children, to make them ready for the trials.

 

Or would that get them accused of Legion Building?

Accusations of "Legion-building" will only be made if the number of Marines (gene-seed recipients) exceeds 1000. Note: There are loopholes, e.g., the fact Chapters may recruit above the Codex-mandated limit, in anticipation of heavy casualties they're likely to suffer in a crusade (one the Black Templars famously took advantage of).

 

Of greater concern would be the Munitorum (which runs the Astra Militarum) accusing the Red Ravens of poaching its personnel, which will likely get the Inquisition involved. Even if the Chapter is found innocent of "Legion-building," a comparison to the Astral Claws (Red Corsairs) will be inevitable, and likely result in restrictions to the Chapter's activities, maybe even a sentence of a penance crusade.

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

Accusations of "Legion-building" will only be made if the number of Marines (gene-seed recipients) exceeds 1000. Note: There are loopholes, e.g., the fact Chapters may recruit above the Codex-mandated limit, in anticipation of heavy casualties they're likely to suffer in a crusade (one the Black Templars famously took advantage of)

Ok. That's only a concern for the chapter in the Era Indomitus, since they were always understrength (according to how I've written them).

 

 

Of greater concern would be the Munitorum (which runs the Astra Militarum) accusing the Red Ravens of poaching its personnel, which will likely get the Inquisition involved. Even if the Chapter is found innocent of "Legion-building," a comparison to the Astral Claws (Red Corsairs) will be inevitable, and likely result in restrictions to the Chapter's activities, maybe even a sentence of a penance crusade.

Since I have them written to have a deep distrust of the Inquisition anyway. The Red Ravens see the Inquisition and the Ecclesiarchy as an affront to the Will of the Emperor (they Remember the Great Crusade and the Imperial Truth). As for the Pennance Crusade, that would just be business as usual for them, they're always rotating battle companies out sending them to hunt down traitors and xenos threats, or now sending them to fallen worlds to raid chaos strongholds to force Abaddon to pull forces back to reinforce his flanks and rear areas, and thus diverting resources from his front lines.

 

The Red Ravens don't like what the Imperium has become, but they serve it because it's the only thing that stands for humanity, and they are Defenders of Humanity above all else.

 

[Bjorn Firewalker]

The Red Ravens see the Inquisition and the Ecclesiarchy as an affront to the Will of the Emperor (they Remember the Great Crusade and the Imperial Truth).

Fair enough.

As for the Pennance Crusade, that would just be business as usual for them, they're always rotating battle companies out sending them to hunt down traitors and xenos threats, or now sending them to fallen worlds to raid chaos strongholds to force Abaddon to pull forces back to reinforce his flanks and rear areas, and thus diverting resources from his front lines.

You have a good eye for tactics, but if the Chapter wants to keep fighting, it (and you, the creator) needs a good eye for propaganda and politics as well. Otherwise, potential allies will become rivals, competitors for limited resources, and even enemies.

 

The Red Ravens need X amount of fuel to let their vehicles fight in Y War? If the Chapter doesn't have a good relationship with the AdMech, the latter will allocate the Red Raven's fuel for Regiment A, fighting in B War, instead. The Red Ravens need X amount of recruits to replenish their ranks, after suffering casualties in Y War? If the Inquisition imposes a penance crusade upon the Chapter, it won't be allowed to recruit new Marines (renegade and Chaos Space Marine warbands explicitly break the law, recruiting when they should NOT).

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

 

The Red Ravens see the Inquisition and the Ecclesiarchy as an affront to the Will of the Emperor (they Remember the Great Crusade and the Imperial Truth).

Fair enough.

I had it in mind for these Guys to be very pragmatic, and also follow the Emperor's actual guidance on dealing with Xenos. Humanity first, but if the xenos aren't hurting anyone, leave them alone. I had an idea for an interaction with the Inquisition, where there was an agri-world that was being threatened by dark eldar raiders and some chaos shenanigans. This agri world also had some exodite eldar, and also maybe some half human/half eldar living there. Rather than just stand by while the Inquisition exterminatus'es the planet they just saved, they have a tussle, and maybe the Inquisition force gets reported as lost in the warp, because the Red Ravens are defenders of Humanity, and Half Human is still human enough.

 

I know it's heretical, and would absolutely see them get put on a penance crusade, if anyone ever found out, but it also wouldn't be the first time that a space marine chapter told the inquisition to shove it.

 

 

You have a good eye for tactics, but if the Chapter wants to keep fighting, it (and you, the creator) needs a good eye for propaganda and politics as well. Otherwise, potential allies will become rivals, competitors for limited resources, and even enemies.

 

Thanks. The idea was more of a "better to ask forgiveness than permission" sort of thing. Or maybe they just have a standing agreement that they can reallocate "Orphaned" guardsmen. I don't know what happens to guardsmen who survive the annihilation of their regiment. I can't see a regiment of mixed catachans, cadians, vostroyans, kriegers, mordians, and steel legionnaires actually working well together at all.

 

Obviously, the Chapter master isn't a pirate, and he doesn't just do whatever he wants. He pushes to see how much he can get away with, and stops just short of crossing the line. The Chapter isn't going to just take guardsmen and run off. The battle has to be won, and there have to be adequate defenses.

 

The Red Ravens understand, probably better than most space marines, that it's one team, one fight.

 

 

The Red Ravens need X amount of fuel to let their vehicles fight in Y War? If the Chapter doesn't have a good relationship with the AdMech, the latter will allocate the Red Raven's fuel for Regiment A, fighting in B War, instead. The Red Ravens need X amount of recruits to replenish their ranks, after suffering casualties in Y War? If the Inquisition imposes a penance crusade upon the Chapter, it won't be allowed to recruit new Marines (renegade and Chaos Space Marine warbands explicitly break the law, recruiting when they should NOT).

 

Right. They're not going to step all over the people they need for support. Given how much heresy era equipment the Chapter has held onto, including dark age tech that they recovered during the great crusade, and shared with the AdMech, and the fact that they received tons of new gear and support for the Indomitus crusade, I'd say that the irritations they've caused aren't enough to see them punished severely (you know, not including things that the Red Ravens have kept secret).

 

 

[Bjorn Firewalker]

 

Idea: When the Red Ravens successfully liberate a planet, the Chapter demands a tithe of youths from the planetary government, as payment for its services. These youths are then forced to run through the "Wilds" (combat training arenas, complete with plants, wild animals, and simulated weather, so the Marines may prepare for battle in a variety of environments) aboard the Chapter's ships, proving themselves by reaching designated "safe zones" within the allotted time.

 

In short, the "Wild Hunt" is not what the Marines conduct upon a world's populace in a search for recruits, but what it forces its own recruits to conduct in these recruits' search for safety.

That's a neat Idea, but it's not quite the image I was trying to evoke. I wanted them to seem like ghostly hunters running down their quarry. The kind of thing that's supposed to make people shutter their windows, and hide, lest they be seen and swept up into the cavalcade.

 

I don't want it to seem like they get all their recruits from tithing planets. Just a small but significant number, and only those with the will to survive and fight against overwhelming odds.

Another idea: The Red Raven has pledged to protect planets in a certain area of space, but in turn, these planets' governments must pledge to provide the Chapter resources (including human resources, i.e., potential recruits, serfs, and servitors). These planets thus have annual festivals in which its youths must brave the "Wild Hunt" by running across the "Bone Fields" (paved with the bones of those who died); those who survive, will feast upon a portion of the foodstuffs, and be rewarded with a portion of the iron (considered a precious metal, in antiquity), gathered for the "Einherjar" (Red Raven officers, come to retrieve the resources promised them). The festivals were meant to force potential recruits to prove themselves before Red Ravens watching from orbit, and allow these potential recruits to be taken with minimal fuss.

 

As the Red Ravens wouldn't be present for every single Wild Hunt of every single year on every single planet, the planetary governors may forget for whom these resources were collected, get greedy, seize the iron for themselves (likely to be sold in exchange for jewelry) and devour the food in grand feasts meant to honor the governors themselves- and then be PAINFULLY reminded of their places when the Red Ravens reappear after many years' absence, demanding the resources promised them.

 

The planetary governors would likely have asked the Inquisition to "save [the governors'] worlds from the Renegade Marines' predations." But the Inquisitors who did their jobs, would be shown the ancient treaties signed between the Chapter and the governors' predecessors- possibly after the Red Ravens forcibly boarded the Inquisitors' ships- forced to acknowledge the Marines' actions were legal, and back off. Those who refuse, would disappear without a trace (the Red Ravens ships' onboard manufactories would scrap the Inquisitors' ships, melt down all evidence of their existence, and recycle the materials).

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

Another idea: The Red Raven has pledged to protect planets in a certain area of space, but in turn, these planets' governments must pledge to provide the Chapter resources (including human resources, i.e., potential recruits, serfs, and servitors). These planets thus have annual festivals in which its youths must brave the "Wild Hunt" by running across the "Bone Fields" (paved with the bones of those who died); those who survive, will feast upon a portion of the foodstuffs, and be rewarded with a portion of the iron (considered a precious metal, in antiquity), gathered for the "Einherjar" (Red Raven officers, come to retrieve the resources promised them). The festivals were meant to force potential recruits to prove themselves before Red Ravens watching from orbit, and allow these potential recruits to be taken with minimal fuss.

 

I like the Festival idea, I've already come up with a Planetary Star cluster with some habitable worlds that they recruit from. A hive world with offworld mining concerns, a forge world which would contribute to the spread of stories, as well as a techmarine recruits, and a fortress world that trains children from the age of six to be superb soldiers, three agri-worlds that support the cluster (and provide a source of excellent scouts, trackers, and hunters, of some sophistication), as well as four resource rich feral worlds which are the source of the folklore and excellent warriors. Having a common cultural thread in the form of a festival, is a cool idea. But rather than being in honor of the Wild Hunt, it is a festival to ward them off. The Worlds using it to "cull" the undesirables (orphans, the sick, and the disruptive, ironically the ones that the Red Ravens Actually want) and appease the Hunt, so they won't come to collect others. The Red Ravens don't care if the "aspirants" are capable of making it through the impossible trials, what they are looking for is the desire to perservere. Orphans are given a family, the sick are cured, and the wild ones are given purpose, it's the will to live that will get them chosen. I'd rather Call the festival the "Hunter's Rite" or something, rather than stray from being faithful to my source material.

 

I'm not turning the Wild Hunt into a thing that people do. That's not what the Wild Hunt is in folklore, that's not what the inspiration is, and it's not something I'm going to change. The Wild Hunt is a Hunting Party, made up of the spirits of hunters and warriors chasing their prey for eternity. For the Red Ravens that ever elusive prey is the Forces of Chaos. They will ruthlessly hunt chaos wherever they sniff it out and pursue it until it is destroyed. They'll also hunt genestealer cults, and the biggest reason is because of the hunter's instinct bred into the bulk of their recruits from t he feral worlds of their home cluster.

 

I've already decided that the Einherjar reference is the First company. For those in the First Company all succumbed to the Sable Brand and "died" only to be reborn anew into the first company. It's a rite of Passage into the First Company. Many Astartes will never be part of the Honored First, but those who suffer the ash blindness and come through it, will.

 

 

As the Red Ravens wouldn't be present for every single Wild Hunt of every single year on every single planet, the planetary governors may forget for whom these resources were collected, get greedy, seize the iron for themselves (likely to be sold in exchange for jewelry) and devour the food in grand feasts meant to honor the governors themselves- and then be PAINFULLY reminded of their places when the Red Ravens reappear after many years' absence, demanding the resources promised them.

The way I see things happening are that the battle companies form task groups and are sent "a viking". The Chapter treats the task groups as raiding parties, and it's a way for them to blood new recruits. Their fortress monastery meanders through the void in the cluster, but there is always a battle company task group in garrison at the fortress, along with the bulk of the reserve companies.

 

I like the idea that the Governors might get greedy, and decide to divert resources allocated for the chapter for their own profit and gain. Or they become heavy handed tyrants, and need to be reminded that they serve at the Emperor's pleasure. The legends of the "Wild Hunt" are often used as an idle threat to keep people in line (kind of like the legends of "Svarte Pete" or Krampus, are used to scare children into behavior lest they be devoured). Or sometimes the Red Ravens will be evoked in the form of ancient curses, usually in the form of graffiti "Þit skyli hjarta rafnar slíta" (may ravens tear your heart asunder) to which the Red Ravens seem to have an alarming tendency to respond. Usually in a graphic manner, by splitting the offending official open at the spine and pulling the lungs out in the shape of wings, and left to be in full view of the public as a reminder of what happens when you deny the Raven's due.

 

 

The planetary governors would likely have asked the Inquisition to "save [the governors'] worlds from the Renegade Marines' predations." But the Inquisitors who did their jobs, would be shown the ancient treaties signed between the Chapter and the governors' predecessors- possibly after the Red Ravens forcibly boarded the Inquisitors' ships- forced to acknowledge the Marines' actions were legal, and back off. Those who refuse, would disappear without a trace (the Red Ravens ships' onboard manufactories would scrap the Inquisitors' ships, melt down all evidence of their existence, and recycle the materials).

I really like that idea. Even in a localized region, it could be a century or more between contacts especially if the Chapter's attentions were focused elsewhere.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

I'm not turning the Wild Hunt into a thing that people do. That's not what the Wild Hunt is in folklore, that's not what the inspiration is, and it's not something I'm going to change. The Wild Hunt is a Hunting Party, made up of the spirits of hunters and warriors chasing their prey for eternity. For the Red Ravens that ever elusive prey is the Forces of Chaos. They will ruthlessly hunt chaos wherever they sniff it out and pursue it until it is destroyed. They'll also hunt genestealer cults, and the biggest reason is because of the hunter's instinct bred into the bulk of their recruits from t he feral worlds of their home cluster.

Well said.

I've already decided that the Einherjar reference is the First company.

Those outside the Chapter, and unfamiliar with its traditions, may mistakenly think "Einherjar" is how Red Ravens refer to themselves and each other (for comparison, Commissar Ciaphas Cain has mistakenly referred to a Space Marine strike cruiser as a "battle barge").

For those in the First Company all succumbed to the Sable Brand and "died" only to be reborn anew into the first company. It's a rite of Passage into the First Company. Many Astartes will never be part of the Honored First, but those who suffer the ash blindness and come through it, will.

What's the "ash blindness"? A gene-seed defect or its results, like the Blood Angels' Black Rage and Red Thirst? A ritual in which the Red Ravens are given a drug that disables them, and are forced to fight despite this disability (taking direct inspiration from Bruce Wayne being administered a fear-inducing toxin, and fighting his mentor while under the influence, as an initiatiom rite to the League of Shadows in Batman Begins)? Edited May 19, 2020 by Bjorn Firewalker

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

 

I'm not turning the Wild Hunt into a thing that people do. That's not what the Wild Hunt is in folklore, that's not what the inspiration is, and it's not something I'm going to change. The Wild Hunt is a Hunting Party, made up of the spirits of hunters and warriors chasing their prey for eternity. For the Red Ravens that ever elusive prey is the Forces of Chaos. They will ruthlessly hunt chaos wherever they sniff it out and pursue it until it is destroyed. They'll also hunt genestealer cults, and the biggest reason is because of the hunter's instinct bred into the bulk of their recruits from t he feral worlds of their home cluster.

Well said

Thanks. I didn't want it to come off sounding angry. I just wanted to explain why I was so set on keeping it the way it is.

 

 

I've already decided that the Einherjar reference is the First company.

Those outside the Chapter, and unfamiliar with its traditions, may mistakenly think "Einherjar" is how Red Ravens refer to themselves and each other (for comparison, Commissar Ciaphas Cain has mistakenly referred to a Space Marine strike cruiser as a "battle barge").

That's fair, though given that The Red Ravens are Referred to as the Wild Hunt, and the Einherjar are a totally different host of the dead (The Chosen Warriors, who inhabit the halls of Valhalla, feasting and fighting in preparation for Ragnarok) the people giving the names wouldn't make that mistake. The Einherjar are honored and adored, the Wild Hunt is feared and avoided, and invoked in curses.

 

 

What's the "ash blindness"? A gene-seed defect or its results, like the Blood Angels' Black Rage and Red Thirst? A ritual in which the Red Ravens are given a drug that disables them, and are forced to fight despite this disability (taking direct inspiration from Bruce Wayne being administered a fear-inducing toxin, and fighting his mentor while under the influence, as an initiatiom rite to the League of Shadows in Batman Begins)?

The Sable brand was sometimes referred to as "the ash blindness" by terran-born astartes, prior to finding Corax. It's a gene seed defect, that would manifest under intense stress, causing the one in question to launch himself into a suicidal frenzy that would end when there were no more enemies to kill, or they were slain. According to what I've written, the members of the first company are marked by red helmets and red arms, and the wearing of bear pelts. They are often referred to by the rest of the Chapter as Berserkir (lit. Bear-Shirts). Once they are so marked, they will not be able to function effectively as part of a Battle Company, though their tactical doctrine is deliberately flexible to account for the occurrence.

 

The Berserkir in folklore were said to have been touched by Odin and granted the battle rage, making them stronger, faster, and tougher, and being so favored by the god of war and the dead, would surely be granted a place in the einherjar and a seat in the halls of valhalla.

 

Each astartes is far too valuable to the chapter to simply discard, and so all who survive their "ash blindness" would be inducted into the First Company as a gathering place for those warriors. Since the way the Red Ravens form their raiding and hunting parties is centered around a battle company, the First company never fights as a whole. In fact, their unstable nature makes it impossible to expect them to follow battle plans, so the objectives they're given are simple, and straightforward. They're expected to fly into a hyper-aggressive rage and simply destroy anything in front of them. The members of the First company are aware of their affliction, but they are not saddened by it, they do not see it as exile, but simply accept it as fate. Among the Chapter, the First Company's victories are the most celebrated, as more often than not, their few number in a given battle are responsible for inflicting the heaviest casualties.

 

The higher rate of incidence compared to the Raven Guard would likely be due to the high concentration of the feral world warriors from their home cluster. Those warriors would be more given to violent outbursts and being more easily provoked than their more disciplined and patient cousins from the Fortress world and agri-worlds. The ash blindness is something that could take any one of them with sufficient stress put on the individual warrior. 

 

The Raven Guard Under Corax would isolate those afflicted into units of "Shadow Killers" and Guilliman would take that and create the Legion Moritat. The Red Ravens would follow a parallel line of reasoning.

 

Edited May 19, 2020 by Ulrik_Ironfist

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Thanks for the details on the pre-Heresy Raven Guard. I wonder if the Alpha Legion's sabotage of Raven Guard gene-seed (contamination via Daemon blood) was the reason why post-Heresy Raven Guard members don't suffer from "ash blindness," either due to gene-seed deterioration, or to the need to destroy defective gene-seed?

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

Thanks for the details on the pre-Heresy Raven Guard. I wonder if the Alpha Legion's sabotage of Raven Guard gene-seed (contamination via Daemon blood) was the reason why post-Heresy Raven Guard members don't suffer from "ash blindness," either due to gene-seed deterioration, or to the need to destroy defective gene-seed?

Yeah, again a couple of guys on the RG forum really helped me flesh out some of the RG specific lore, or at least pointed me in a direction. As for whether Current RG suffer from it or not isn't really stated. It's likely that their doctrine doesn't put as much stress on the individual astartes so it's not as much of a problem, or that their marines are just that hard core. I mean they were an understrength chapter due to the instability of their gene seed the constant stress just became the new normal.

 

Stress seems to be the key factor, and you could argue that the rate of incidence would be higher during the heresy as many of the Legions were, as-yet, untested in battle when the Great Crusade kicked off.

 

I envision the Red Ravens as having the original pure Gene Seed of the XIX legion, before Corax started tampering with it.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

The Worlds using it to "cull" the undesirables (orphans, the sick, and the disruptive, ironically the ones that the Red Ravens Actually want) and appease the Hunt, so they won't come to collect others. The Red Ravens don't care if the "aspirants" are capable of making it through the impossible trials, what they are looking for is the desire to perservere. Orphans are given a family, the sick are cured, and the wild ones are given purpose, it's the will to live that will get them chosen. I'd rather Call the festival the "Hunter's Rite" or something, rather than stray from being faithful to my source material.

I really like that idea. Even in a localized region, it could be a century or more between contacts especially if the Chapter's attentions were focused elsewhere.

I just realized a potential problem: As years, decades, even centuries may pass before the Red Ravens come to collect the culled "undesirables," those who survive may form their own societies in the Wilds- ones hostile to the planets' pro-Imperial governments, potentially allowing Chaos and Genestealer cults to infiltrate and then spread influence on these worlds. This may drain the Chapter's strength by forcing the Red Ravens to garrison the planets and maintain order, instead of leaving to fight on distant battlefields.

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

I just realized a potential problem: As years, decades, even centuries may pass before the Red Ravens come to collect the culled "undesirables," those who survive may form their own societies in the Wilds- ones hostile to the planets' pro-Imperial governments, potentially allowing Chaos and Genestealer cults to infiltrate and then spread influence on these worlds. This may drain the Chapter's strength by forcing the Red Ravens to garrison the planets and maintain order, instead of leaving to fight on distant battlefields.

That is a fair point. Perhaps it would be prudent for them to send a small detachment to quietly observe the festivals. It wouldn't take many Astartes to wrangle a dozen or more half dead outcasts suffering from malnutrition and exposure. Such tasks would be seen as sacred duties for the chapter. The Hive world would be the subject of constant scrutiny as it is the most likely place for discontent to grow.

 

Aside from Chaos and Genestealer Cults, the Planetary Governors might attempt to use the Festivals to rid themselves of political enemies. The Red Ravens would then need to swoop in, administer swift punishment, and simply take recruits by force, as penance for the "Unworthy Offering".

[Bjorn Firewalker]

When I thought up the festival, I also thought it would serve as a rite of passage for the populations of planets under the Red Ravens' protection: To be recognized as a man, a youth must pass through the "Bone Fields" over which the Wild Hunts are conducted. Rather than use the Wild Hunt to purge themselves of "undesirables," the people use it to test their own sons' worth, letting these youths prove they have the strength to survive in a cruel galaxy (those who survive a Wild Hunt, may tattoo Valknuts or other symbols on their shoulders); the feasts are meant to celebrate the end of the Wild Hunt.

Aside from Chaos and Genestealer Cults, the Planetary Governors might attempt to use the Festivals to rid themselves of political enemies. The Red Ravens would then need to swoop in, administer swift punishment, and simply take recruits by force, as penance for the "Unworthy Offering".

Good ideas. Edited May 20, 2020 by Bjorn Firewalker