Crimson Raptors

The Crimson Raptors are a Codex-Divergent Successor Chapter of the famous Blood Angels. Like all sons of Sanguinius, the chapter suffers from the Black Rage and Red Thirst. They actively search for a cure, and many apothecaries spend their entire lives trying to end this curse upon their gene-seed, to no avail

Chapter History
As part of the 4th Founding, the Crimson Raptors would be a part of the many chapters created to replenish the ranks of the Imperium after the War of the Beast, but would only be founded after The Beheading. In this period of anarchy the Crimson Raptors would assist in the crusade to remove Vangorich, but their size, having recently suffered a catastrophic battle with a remnant of the Beast's WAAAGH!, would ensure they only took minor roles in the crusade.

In 626.M32, nearly eight decades after Vangorich seized control over the Senatorum Imeprialis, the power-mad tyrant was forcibly removed from power by the Imperial Fists and a couple of newly created 4th Founding Chapters. In the aftermath of Vangorich's fall, the Imperium would proceed to descend into a period of anarchy for some time. Finally in 646.M32, the Crimson Raptors join the Ultramarines and 48 other chapters in a flight to Terra, where they would put an end to the squabbling for seats on the high council of Terra. Matters were quickly sorted out in the presence of the Emperor's mightiest warriors. No one knows what happened inside the chambers of the council, and no one has dared ask the Crimson Raptors, but when they finally departed there were once again twelve High Lords of Terra.

The chapter would engage in several centuries of warfare, trying to keep the Imperium together and defend it from those who wished to strike at it's borders. During this time period the chapter would discover Pompeiius, and would be granted it as the chapter's homeworld, where the fortress-monastery of the chapter still stands. Since the discovery of Pompeiius, the chapter split off from the standard stock of space marines, their personality and tactics becoming more unique, at least as unique as a chapter of space marines can be. What were once a crusading chapter, roaming the Imperium and engaging in quick strike attacks to cleanse a planet before moving on to the next soon became a hermetic chapter, forced to divert more and more of their attention to combating the twin curses.

When the Crimson Raptors returned to the fray they were a changed chapter, convincing some they were touched by Chaos. They had to spend several decades proving their innocence, during which time their anger was reflected by the worlds they fought upon, found completely devoid of sentient life after the Crimson Raptors departed. This gave them a dark and sinister reputation, compared to chapters such as the Flesh Tearers or the Blood Vultures. Even after their anger passed they were outcasts, and found themselves taking more and more independent roles in a campaign. This became tradition, and the chapter accepted acting independently, using it as a way to hide their affliction from the forces they served alongside.

Notable Campaigns

 * The Karchan Uprising (910.M35 -- 910.M35) - The Crimson Raptors put down a rebellion in the Karchan system, but could only save 1/3rd of the planet's original population.
 * Wrath of the Chaos Sun (010.M37) - The Crimson Raptors would take part in the cleansing of hundreds of worlds after a Red Giant star explodes, causing hundreds of worlds to fall due to mutation or possession by the forces of Chaos.
 * Clearing of Hranda (560.M37) - After contact with the Hrandan Sub-sector is lost, the Crimson Raptors would respond, heading to the Sub-sector without a word. A month later the world of Hranda would contact the Imperium once again, thanking the God-Emperor for his Angels of Death for sparing them from the slaughter.
 * Cleanse of Urfur (590.M37) - The Crimson Raptors respond to distress calls from the system of Urfur, asking for aid and saving from the Daemons of the Warp.
 * Devastation of Baal (999.M41 -- ???.M42) After receiving the distress call of Lord Commander Dante of the Blood Angels, the Crimson Raptors departed as a chapter to Baal, to aid their progenitors and fellow cursed sons of the Angel. There, they assisted their brothers in fending off vile Tyranids, losing more and more of their brothers each wave. When the defense forces regrouped at the Blood Angel's fortress-monastery on Baal, there were little over 400 Crimson Raptors left, still commanded by a wounded Ezekiel Frostclaw. Even after the Great Rift had spared them from the rest of the hive fleet, the Crimson Raptors knew that there were enough xenos to claim the rest of the defenders. Despite this, the Crimson Raptors fought valiantly, and were some of the last to retreat whenever Commander Dante ordered to fall back. When the Indomitus crusade arrived and saved them from the brink of death, the Crimson Raptors had less than 300 marines remaining, and it is said that Frostclaw was covered in xenos gore, his lightning claws having tasted an inhuman amount of blood. They were reinforced by many of the new Primaris marines, but even then were undermanned.

Chapter Homeworld
The Homeworld of the Crimson Raptors is the feral world of Pompeiius, a planet ridden with large volcanoes and a massive planet-wide jungle. Residing in this jungle are the descendants of a long-dead civilization, the only evidence to the past settlers being the remains of a large city, destroyed by volcanic activity. The humans living on the planet live a harsh lifestyle, making them perfect for recruitment into the Crimson Raptors, whose name is taken from the dark red predators who call the planet home.

Culture
Life on Pompeiius is a constant struggle, forced to live a nomadic lifestyle due to the constant threat of being burned and buried alive by the volcanic activity and predators. The people of Pompeiius are feral, having never gotten the chance to advance in technology and are constantly competing over resources and land to temporarily call home. Tribes are often at war, and so many of the men and women are warriors, trained from birth to fight and defend their tribe from predators and other tribes, waiting for when their guard is down to strike. Life is always changing for the people of Pompeiius, but at the same time many things are constant. One such thing is the hierarchy of tribes, which are run by a democratic system where the head of each family, be it male or widowed female, gets a vote in what the tribe does, such as going to war. These feral people make the perfect recruits for the Crimson Raptors, and often many tribes will have a sudden encounter with the blood-red demigods of the Fire God, coming to choose those worthy of serving in his name.

Fortress-Monastery
The Fortress Monastery of the Crimson Raptors, The Talon, is a formidable and isolated bastion located in the region known as the Mountains of Fire by the people of Pompeiius, built into one of the few actual mountains in the region. Surrounded by active volcanoes that make ground passage all but impossible, the monastery's only entrance by ground is through the Bloodied Pass, where the raptors of the planet are numerous, creating a natural defense against Heretics. Some say that the Chapter has control over the Raptors, releasing them on anyone they do not think worthy of approaching their home, a rumor the chapter has done nothing to dispel. If an enemy force were to survive passage through the pass would have to answer to the automated defenses and sentries located all around the mountains surrounding the monastery. Using the mountain as natural armor as well as protected by a void shield, it is immune to siege attacks and orbital bombardments, and can use the ground-to-orbit defenses located in the mountains to repel enemy voidcraft.

Dark Imperium
During the early days of the 42nd Millennium, when half the galaxy was cut off from the light of the astronomicon and each system left to hold it's own against the terrifying foes of the Imperium, Pompeiius was attacked multiple times, it's citizens becoming the victims of vicious attacks by all sorts of xenos and traitor filth, most notably the Drukhari. When the undermanned Crimson Raptors returned, they found the planet devastated, it's surviving citizens crowding around the mountains which sheltered the chapter's Fortress-Monastery. Upon the discovery of what had pillaged their homeworld, the Crimson Raptors left behind a small force of defenders and departed with the Indomitus Crusade, hoping they would get a chance to find and destroy the xenos terror which had taken and tortured the souls of so many imperial souls.

Chapter Beliefs
The Chapter worships Sanguinius above all others, revering the angel and praising his sacrifice to give the Emperor the ability to defeat Horus. They share many of the same rituals of the Blood Angels, but also have come up with their own ways of praising their Primarch. They often have special markings where their hero was struck by the Arch-Traitor, but also have rituals to honor their primarch's sacrifice, notably the ritual of removal, where upon becoming a scout an initiate's left eye is removed and replaced with a bionic eye, both to combat their hyper-sensitive occulobe and show that even when harmed the sons of the Angel are still beautiful.

The chapter also takes some beliefs from their homeworld, too. They often have charms and other icons of Raptors, including claws from the one's they have slain, displayed on their armor as a sort of good luck charm. Librarians of the chapter often have the upper skull of a Raptor on their psychic hood.

Chapter Gene-seed
As descendants of the Blood Angels, the Crimson Raptors suffer from the twin flaws of Sanguinius, a curse they actively fight against. They also suffer from a 50% mutation rate, and have seen many aspirants who have survived the trial and have the potential to become great space marines, only to have their bodies mutated and found wanting. They have the same pale skin shared by all sons of the Angel, but also suffer from hyper-sensitive Occulobe, which causes the chapter to live in darkness, where their eyes can see perfectly and are free from the harm of light.

Recruitment
The Crimson Raptors recruit their aspirants from the tribes of Pompeiius, taking them from their villages to the Fortress Monastery of The Talon, where the Aspirants must perform a single task in order to become a chapter: Survive a duel with one of the Brothers of the chapter. Aspirants usually lose this duel, but those who manage to take down their challenger have become some of the most revered members of the chapter. After the duel, the aspirants are judged, and those who have passed are usually brought back from the brink of death, and begin the implantation process to become a Crimson Raptor. Once they complete the implantation process and become a full battle-brother, they may challenge the brother who dueled them when they were aspirants to a non-lethal fight. This has been known to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood among the Crimson Raptors, and has created lasting friendship among brothers.

Chapter Organization
As a Codex-Divergent chapter, the Crimson Raptors are not completely true to the teachings of the Codex Astartes, but only because of their valued ranger squads and Death Company, a divergence shared by all the chapters who descended from Sanguinius. After the Devastation of Baal, the Raptors changed their organization to fit the Codex more, as the disproportionate amount of support squads made covering a retreat harder than normal, as the devastator squads could not effectively support the more numerous assault squads in their charge, resulting in unnecessary casualties.

Command Ranks

 * Chapter Alpha
 * Captain
 * Lieutenant -  Added to the Codex Astartes after Guilliman's return, Lieutenants act as a captain's right and left hand men, each taking command over half a company and conveying the captain's orders. For the Crimson Raptors, these officers lead parts of a strike from the front.
 * Recuisarch
 * Chaplains
 * Apothecaries
 * Librarians
 * Techpriests
 * Pack Alpha - Sergeant

Veteran Squads and ranks

 * Carnivora - The elite terminators of the Crimson Raptors
 * Sternguard Squads
 * Company Champion
 * Raptor Packs - Crimson Raptor equivalent of Vanguard Veterans, Raptor Packs not only serve the role of Vanguards, but are also deployed as a secondary bodyguard to the Captain, and so are deployed to the thickest fighting.
 * Rangers - Elite scout squads made up of veteran astartes, usually former sergeants of the 10th company, who have given up their power armor to don scout armor and serve as recon and interference.
 * Standard Bearer

Battleline Squads

 * Tactical Squads
 * Primaris Intercessor Squads

Close Support Squads

 * Primaris Inceptor Squads
 * Assault Squads
 * Primaris Reiver Squads
 * Hunter Squads - Bikers

Fire Support Squads

 * Primaris Aggressor Squads
 * Primaris Hellblaster Squads
 * Devastator Squads

Chapter Command
Current Order of Battle, as of 111.M42:

Chapter Combat Doctrine
The Crimson Raptors choose to utilise lightning strike tactics, attacking the enemy in overwhelming force unexpectedly. To do this, they deploy their scout squads to act as reconnaissance units, which are always lead by a Rangers, elite veteran astartes who have traded power armor for scout armor and have become the ultimate infiltration units. The Rangers, reivers and scouts will serve as interference, sowing chaos among the forces of the enemy and causing confusion within the ranks, as well as launching surprise attacks on valuable resources and crippling the enemy. When the attack comes, it will come from three directions. The strike force's devastator squads and a bulk of tactical squads will attack the enemy and draw their attention, while the assault squads and remaining tactical squads will strike from another direction that has been left exposed, and the force's vehicles and hunter squads will attack from a third direction. The chapter also makes good use of it's aerial firepower too, deploying aircraft to assist with all three strike directions, soaring overhead to take out enemy aircraft or destroy key positions.

The Death Company
Before battles, on the eve of prayer, the Chaplains of the death company keep a watchful eye on their brothers, having been given extensive training on how to spot the signs of the Black Rage in their brother's eyes. They will watch these brothers when they chant the moripatris, and those who are unable to shake off the visions fall into their chaplains arms, and are carried away to form the Death Company. Allowed to choose whichever weapon they desire from the chapter's armory, these warriors are often sent in ahead of assault troops, their armor painted black and covered in the scrolls of the brother's deeds. They often die during assaults, but those who live are put down by the Death Company chaplain, a grim and silent brother who watches over his damned brothers from the moment madness grips them to the moment they fall. Such is the fate of all sons of the Angel

Deathwatch Service
Due to the requirements needed to become an Assault Marine, many of those seconded to the militant arm of the Ordo Xenos are tactical marines, looking to harden their minds and will. Many of those have returned from the Long Watch and become some of the chapter's fiercest warriors and greatest heroes, notably both Chief Librarian Isador Rubian and the late Reclusiarch Cyrus Stros.

Notable Crimson Raptors

 * Xeren Ciar - Hero of Legend - Xeren Ciar is the single greatest hero of the Crimson Raptors, and is revered throughout the chapter. During the dark period during which the chapter was founded, Xeren was recruited and selected for the Librarium. His dormant psychic powers awoke, and he became incredibly powerful and skilled in the ways of the psyker that he was able to defeat a Daemon Prince of Tzeentch on the field of battle, saving a small village from destruction as the recruiting party he had been a part of fought back against the Chaos assault. He soon became the Chief librarian of the chapter, and would lead the Librarium for many years, guarding the relics of the chapter until he was slain by a Champion of Khorne, the enemy of psykers. His deeds are legend throughout the chapter, and his force staff is considered a great relic, gifted only to the Chief Librarian.


 * Ezekiel Frostclaw - The current Chapter Master of the Crimson Raptors, Ezekiel has earned the nickname "Alpha Raptor" by his brothers, a sign of great respect and acknowledgment of his superiority. He is a relatively old Space Marine, aging at 453. These 400 years have brought him immeasurable amounts of glory and triumph, and he is truly an avatar of war, and the true master of the Crimson Raptors.
 * Chief Librarian Isador Rubian - Recently ascended to the rank of Chief Librarian, Isador Rubian is the greatest psykers in the chapter. He has mastered the art of the psychic, hardening his skills in the two rotations on the Long Watch, where his already powerful abilities were tuned to perfection. He has mastered many of the abilities used by librarians of the Blood Angels as well.
 * Suriel Terion - The first Primaris Marine to achieve the rank of Captain in the Crimson Raptors, Suriel is seen as an inspiration to the new Primaris recruits, having achieved his rank quickly and through skill, rather than necessity. Wielding a power sword and auto bolt rifle, Suriel commands the 2nd company into the forefront of assaults, personally ensuring victory for the chapter in the thickest fighting.

Chapter Relics

 * The Raptor Talons - The Raptor's Talons are a pair of ancient master-crafted lightning claws, similar in design to the ones used by the heretic Primarch of the Night Lords, Konrad Curze. They are gifted to the Chapter Master upon his ascension, and are extremely powerful against the Daemons of the Warp, personally blessed by the Reclusiarch before every battle they are used in. They are currently wielded by Ezekiel Frostclaw.

Allies
Due to their violent reputation and hermetic nature, the Crimson Raptors have no true allies, as they often fight alone.