Index Astartes: Nineteen Red Ravens

[Wookiee2122]

3 hours ago, Necca34 said:

I can tell. You really do exquisite work. You're quite the word smith as well. I'm very much enjoying following your chapter's lore and development. 

 

Thanks for the compliment. If I had the time and the mood to draw, I would like to draw some war art like in the official codex books. Because I would like to create my own Codex Book. I am currently professionally preparing books for a publishing house in my country. But I don't have time for that anymore creating 2d art for the web, coming up with texts and coloring miniatures, takes a lot of time. 

[Wookiee2122]

 

Today I want to show you the Apothecarion, ruled by an ancient veteran from Isstvan V.

The Apothecarions of the Nineteen Red Ravens are a combination of cold-blooded scientists and fanatical guardians of genetic purity.

 

I would be extremely grateful for any opinions and constructive criticism (C&C welcome!)

 

 

Apothecarion

 

Morr Caldar
Phantom Chief Apothecary
Apothecaries
Chapter Serfs
Medical Servitors

 

 

 

The Apothecarion of theNineteen Red Ravens Chapter is a place dedicated to the preservation of the life, gene heritage and memory of their fallen brethren. Under the guidance of the Phantom Chief Apothecary, they oversee the health of Astartes, perform gene seed implantations and ensure their collection and preservation. In addition, apothecaries play a key role in rituals of death and transition, preserving not only genetic material from the bodies of the fallen, but also personal relics for sealing in tombs. Their work is a combination of science, faith and reverence for legacy, and their chambers are silent, shadowy sanctuaries of life between wars.

 

Chief Apothecary:

 

Morr Caldar

• The first Phantom Chief Apothecary

A veteran of the 74th Company of the XIX Legion and a survivor of Istvaan V, he played a key role in saving his unit's geneseed. His expertise and discipline earned him the trust of the Raven Guard upon his return from the Warp, allowing him to oversee the purity of the survivors' geneseed. It was his unwavering work that later led to the founding of the Shadow Fears unit - and eventually the entire Chapter of Nineteen Red Ravens, of which he became the first Phantom Chief Apothecary. In this role, Caldar leads the entire Chapter's Apothecarion. He oversees the harvesting, testing, and preservation of the geneseed, insisting on strict adherence to both ritual and scientific protocols. He has built isolated crypts to store samples, personally oversees the training of each new Apothecary, and instituted a system of "gene memory" that links the physical heritage of the brothers to their actions. Morr believes that every sample carries a story - and that every brother is a continuation of a chain that began in the dust of Istvaan. His cold logic and almost religious devotion to the geneseed make him an almost mythical figure – a silent guardian of the chapter's future.

 

 

 

Notable Apothecaries:

 

Jareth Sorn (KIA)

• Legion Apothecary in Assault Squad - Positions in the Raven Guard Legion of the 31th Millennium.

 

Apothecary in Command sguad 3. Company - Positions in chapter Nineteen Red Ravens.
He came from 77th Company of the XIXth Legion. Apothecary Jareth Sorn came from 77th Company of the XIXth Legion, where he served as a combat medic in the assault unit. He was distinguished by his extraordinary diligence and calm, which he was able to maintain even in the harshest battles. On Istvan V, he became the last surviving Apothecary of his platoon. As the remaining brothers fell one by one, Jareth treated the wounded with unwavering calm, often working in the mud and blood. Aboard the Silent Omen, Sorn became the main authority on medical care and geneseed supervision. His dedication bordered on fanaticism - records indicate that he refused to regenerate his own physical damage until the geneseed of all his fallen brothers had been secured. The laboratory aboard the Silent Omen was transformed into a silent sanctuary; above each geneseed box hung the name of the fallen and a piece of their armor. Jareth was said to speak to these relics, as if he could still hear their voices. After returning from the Warp, he joined the Shadow Fears organization, where he became the chief protector of the gene heritage and symbolic guardian of memory. He was at the service of the chief apothecary, Morr Caldar. When the Nineteen Red Ravens Chapter was founded. His obsession with the purity of the Corax geneline deepened - he saw it as a sacred task and constantly warned against the possibility of "blood tainting". He died (009.M40) during the first days of fighting on Planet Guarion 12, defending the gene pool of his fallen brothers from an attack by Drukhr raiders. He refused to retreat and remained in the pits. His brothers found only charred armor and intact boxes of geneseed samples after the battle - proof that Jareth Sorn had fulfilled his promise.

 

Gene-seed:

 

Gene-seed stock:
The Chapter's main geneseed supply is stored deep beneath the fortress monastery on Guranion 12, in a subterranean crypt known as the Purifying Circle of Blood. This chamber is carved into the bare rock beneath the mountains and protected by multiple layers of security—including biometric seals, genetic keys that respond only to selected Apothecaries, and ancient mechanical locks designed by Elor Vex. Access is only possible in the presence of two high-ranking members of the Apothecarion and at least one chaplain, as each entry is accompanied by a ritual of oath and purification. The crypt is also completely isolated from the main power core, so that in the event of an attack or infiltration, the samples cannot be easily destroyed or taken away. Each geneseed sample is kept in a cryogenic unit with a connection to autonomous backup sources. The units are individually marked with the donor's name, date of death, and notes on their mental state—Morr Caldar believes that the seed also carries a memory. In addition to the main supply, there are also two portable capsules with 25 samples each - designed for rapid evacuation of samples in the event of the destruction of the monastery. These relics are constantly guarded by an armed servitor, sworn to secrecy and prepared to die before the seed falls into the wrong hands. Some of the seed samples are also entrusted to the Raven Guard and other Adeptus Mechanicus, to whom the chapter sends additional samples for safekeeping from time to time. Access to these samples is highly guarded to prevent any unauthorized intervention. For the Nineteen Red Ravens, the geneseed is not just a biological heritage - it is the spiritual foundation of the chapter, the living memory of Istvaan.

 

Gene-seed purity:
The geneseed of the Nineteen Red Ravens Chapter is considered to be of extraordinary value, as it comes from the 33 Astartes of the XIXth Legion, (and several other samples preserved in portable capsules) who survived and were brought back after the massacre on Isstvaan V – and were recruited before that event. This means that the Chapter's genetic material is derived from a relatively stable Raven Guard line from M31, which has not yet been disrupted by extreme experimentation or the genetic collapse caused by Istvaan. However, it carries several minor but permanent mutations that were characteristic of the XIXth Legion during the Great Crusade – such as the dysfunctional Betcher's Gland and the defective Melanochromatic Gland. Unlike the newer Raven Guard lines, which suffer from more severe degenerations after the failed cloning program and the long-term depletion of the gene pool, the Nineteen Red Ravens geneseed is significantly more stable and pure. This allows the Chapter to more safely create new brothers without the high risk of physical or mental mutation. However, the Chapter's apothecaries still maintain a strict protocol for monitoring deviations, believing that with each generation the hereditary burden can manifest itself again. This caution, coupled with a deep respect for the memory of the fallen, makes each new Astarte not only a warrior, but also a bearer of the legacy of an ancient, almost uncorrupted lineage.

 

Gene-seed retrieval:
Geneseed retrieval is a ritual as sacred as it is necessary in the Nineteen Red Ravens Chapter. When a brother falls, the Apothecary approaches the body as a relic, not a tool. Using his narthecium and a reducing needle, he carefully extracts the seed from the progenoid glands—one in the neck, the other in the chest cavity. The process is accompanied by a silent litany of the “Last Whisper,” recited by the Apothecary and the brothers present. Each seed is immediately sealed in a black metal vial and placed in a sanctum casket, protecting it from Warp contamination, physical, and other influences. The bodies of the fallen are often left at the scene of death, as Nineteen Red Ravens belief dictates—but the seed is always brought back, for “the memory of the brother must be preserved.”

Upon return to the fortress, each seed cartridge is carefully cleansed, decontaminated, and re-cataloged under the Bloodline Code, maintained by the Chapter's Apothecarion. The samples are then stored in the Pure Circle of Blood enclosures—either as a reserve for the future or ready to be implanted into new recruits. Each sample is thoroughly tested for genetic stability and potential aberrations before use, with the Apothecary also examining the historical context of the originator—his or her actions, company, and manner of death. This information is considered important in selecting a suitable recruit, so that the new bearer is as true to the tradition and character of their predecessor as possible. This approach reflects the Chapter's belief that geneseed is not just biological material, but a living thread connecting generations of warriors, deserving of respect and responsibility.

 

Organ characteristics:
The Nineteen Red Ravens Chapter inherited most of the Raven Guard's genetic organs from before the Isstvaan V massacre, and most of them function properly. There are two known exceptions, however.

 

• Melanochromatic Gland: The Nineteen Red Ravens Chapter's gene seed exhibits the same defect as their parent Raven Guard legion. The gland, which is normally supposed to control skin pigmentation and protect the body from radiation, is either nonfunctional or severely weakened. The result is an extremely pale to ashen complexion for the Chapter's brothers, sometimes accompanied by hair loss or increased sensitivity to light. This appearance, while not physically serious, reinforces their symbolism as "shadow warriors" and terrifies many of their enemies, who view them as inanimate specters.

 

• Betcher's Gland: This organ is supposed to produce a corrosive saliva capable of dissolving metal and allowing for a poisonous discharge. It is completely nonfunctional within the Chapter, as it is within the parent Raven Guard Chapter. The Nineteen Red Ravens lack this ability, thus losing one of the less commonly used but useful features of the Space Marines. However, given the Chapter's fighting style - focused on precision, infiltration and surgical strikes - this loss does not limit their effectiveness in the field, and is considered more of a curiosity than a weakness.
•  

 

Chemicals:

 

• Silent Thorn: A special chemical. A microdose of neurotoxin injected directly into the spinal cord of brothers before they are deployed on particularly dangerous missions, particularly against the forces of Chaos. The substance suppresses instinctive reactions of fear and panic, calming breathing and heart rate while sharpening the senses. Astartes under the influence of Silent Thorn react with icy calm even in environments where others would go mad – such as near the Warp, in combat with demons or during interrogations. The effects wear off within an hour, but in more sensitive individuals they can induce brief memory-type hallucinations – this is considered by the Chapter to be a favorable sign of connection with the past.

 

• Raven Caustic: A dense black aerosol with microscopic crystals, it is a chemical weapon. Released through modified grenades. The substance is designed to attach to organic and metal surfaces, where it immediately begins to break down molecular bonds. It is particularly effective against xenos with chitinous shells or against heretics in armor without full sealing. Raven's caustic also blinds, irritating the nerve endings of the eyes. Before the chemical penetrates the enemy's organism in the space where it has spread, it also absorbs light, creating a shadow effect and causing disorientation in space. It is used only exceptionally when cleansing areas where direct contact is not desired.

 

 

Other:

The 33 Astartes, who entered the Warp in the 31st millennium and did not return until the early 39th millennium, differ from their kind in another disturbing way: since their re-emergence in reality, they have aged noticeably more slowly. Their long imprisonment in the Warp has left a subtle but permanent mark on their physiology - as if time has passed differently for them even after they have escaped the warp currents. The Apothecaries have noted that their cellular regeneration and geneseed stability exhibit anomalies that cannot be attributed to any known mutation or heresy, but nevertheless defy even the standards of their parent chapter, the Raven Guard. Of the 33 survivors, several are still alive in M42. Their vitality defies all medical expectations. They do not appear to have been corrupted by the warp—more like they carry a subtle “warp of time” that has slowed their aging without granting them true immortality.

Although the Nineteen Red Ravens Chapter has drawn its gene seed directly from these original 33 survivors since its inception, the question remains whether this warp anomaly is passed down through the generations. No younger brother has yet shown similar signs of extended vitality—but both Apothecaries and Librarius admit that it will take time to answer. Some believe it was a unique consequence of long wandering through the Warp that cannot be passed on… while others argue that such a legacy can only manifest after centuries of service.

 

Edited Sunday at 04:08 PM by Wookiee2122