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The Imperius Ravagers, known also as the 'Headsmen of Charopós', are a 2nd Founding Successor Chapter of the honourable Ultramarines, created in 021.M31, following the galaxy-wide conflict known as the Horus Heresy and the bloody years of the subsequent Great Scouring. Most unusual for a Successor Chapter created from the lineage of Roboute Guilliman, the initial cadre of the Imperius Ravagers was made up of particularly hate-filled, bellicose Astartes - many of which survived the horrors of the Calth Atrocity and the subsequent Underworld War fought beneath the surface of Calth for over a decade after the end of the initial battle, to rid the planet of the hated Word Bearers. When the acting Lord Commander of the Imperium, Roboute Guilliman, called for a new Founding in 021.M31, the Ultramarines saw the opportunity to rid themselves of this headstrong and willful commander and those line warriors who shared Kratos' similar disposition and brutal mein.
The vast Space Marine Legions were dissolved and reorganised into smaller existing formations known as 'Chapters', comprised of 1,000 Astartes each. One kept the colours, livery and honours of the original First Founding Legions that had served the Emperor, while the rest were stripped of kith and kin, shorn of past glories and forced to forge their own destiny in a vast and uncaring galaxy. Many of these newly created Chapters were created from the lineage of the Ultramarines, and came to be called the "Primogenitor" Chapters.
One such Chapter was the newly incepted Imperius Ravagers Chapter. Shorn of the last ties to their old Legion, they were free to conduct themselves and prosecute the enemies of Mankind as they saw fit. Led by their unforgiving and darkly-famed commander, Bruticus Kratos, this ferocious Chapter quickly garnered a fell reputation as both savage and unforgiving, wreaking terrible slaughter on those who dared to oppose Imperial rule. Since that time, this bellicose Chapter has continued to defend the sovereign realm of the Emperor and bring swift death to those who dare oppose His will.
The Imperius Ravagers are a brutal and warlike Chapter, whose dark and bloody deeds have writ a murderous legacy in the annals of Imperial history. Following the end of the era known as the Great Scouring in 021.M31, the acting Lord Commander of the Imperium, Roboute Guilliman, decreed the adoption of his newly penned magnum opus, the Codex Astartes. The Space Marine Legions were dissolved and divided into several smaller existing formations, known as a "Chapter", which was comprised of 1,000 Astartes each. Never again, would one individual hold the power of command over the strength of an entire Legion. One Chapter maintained the original colours, livery and honours earned over two centuries of service.
Meanwhile, the newly formed Chapters were each to assume their own nomenclatures, and colours, forming their own culture and traditions. These newly incepted Chapters comprised the Second Founding or "Primogenitor" Chapters. Many of these Chapters were comprised of battle-brothers of similar outlooks or preferred styles of warfare. One such Chapter was the Imperius Ravagers, a Second Founding Chapter of Space Marines, which emerged following the implementation of the Codex Astartes by Roboute Guilliman. With their own distinct identity and traditions, the Imperius Ravagers embraced a brutal and warlike nature, dedicated to seeking out and annihilating the enemies of humanity. Led by their uncompromising commander, Bruticus Kratos, they eschewed defensive or strategic roles in favour of aggressive and relentless campaigns.
The Imperius Ravagers' primary mission was to seek out and eliminate threats to humanity, sparing no effort in their pursuit. Their dedication to this singular task allowed them to specialize in offensive operations, becoming experts in the art of warfare and combat. Their actions were not bound by defensive or strategic considerations, enabling them to deliver devastating blows to their adversaries. With their own distinct identity and war-like culture instituted by their Chapter's founder, the Imperius Ravagers have continued to pursue a relentless and bloody-handed path, seeking out and slaughtering the enemies of Mankind with unwavering determination.
An Age of Darkness[]
The origins of the Imperius Ravagers harken back to the galaxy-wide conflict that tore the burgeoning Imperium asunder. This terrible civil war occurred in the early years of the 31st Millennium, during the tumultuous era of the Horus Heresy. The burgeoning Imperium of Man faced its greatest internal conflict. The seeds of this heresy were sown over centuries during the Great Crusade, a time when the Emperor of Mankind led his Space Marine Legions in a quest to reunite humanity under his rule. Horus Lupercal, once the most beloved and trusted of the Emperor's Primarchs, succumbed to the temptations of Chaos and turned against his father and the Imperium. Horus, who would forever after be known as the Arch-Traitor, rebelled against His father, seeking to overthrow him and take control of the Imperium for himself. His betrayal unleashed a galaxy-wide conflict that shattered the unity of the Imperium and led to a devastating civil war. Legions that had once fought side by side during the Great Crusade now clashed in a bitter struggle for dominance.
As the Horus Heresy unfolded, loyalist forces fought desperately against the Traitor Legions. Countless lives were lost, and entire worlds were ravaged by the horrors of war. Planets that were once thriving bastions of the Imperium were reduced to charnel houses, their populations decimated, and their landscapes tainted by the corrupting influence of Chaos. Amidst the darkness and grief, those loyal to the Emperor fought on, driven by a deep sense of duty and the desire to protect humanity from the forces of Chaos. Brothers fought against brothers, legions clashed in brutal confrontations, and the galaxy was consumed by violence and death.
The seed for the birth of the Imperius Ravagers would be planted during this chaotic period. The initial cadre of warriors that would make up this bellicose and unforgiving Chapter originally hailed from the noble XIIIth Legion - the Ultramarines. They endured the horrors of the Horus Heresy and continued their fight against the traitors, even when all hope had seemed lost. They stood shoulder to shoulder, forever changed by the traumatic events they witnessed and experienced, but unwavering in their determination to defend the Imperium and its ideals.
The Headsman of Charopós[]
After the reunification of the XIIIth Legion with their long-lost Primarch on the capital world of Macragge, the newly renamed Ultramarines Legion had begun to reunify with the worlds in nearby systems, forming the Five Hundred Worlds of the Realm of Ultramar. One such world was the war-wracked world of Charopós, a backwater feudal planet whose city-states constantly waged war upon one another in an effort to secure limited resources. This state of eternal conflict had existed since the time of the Age of Strife when thousands of human-inhabited worlds had been cut off from the rest of humanity and were forced to survive by any means necessary. This constant state of warfare and strife bred warriors that made ideal candidates for the ranks of the Legiones Astartes.
Following the discovery of Charopós, the process for Imperial Compliance was carried out. Proud and insolent in nature, despite their variations in culture and origin, the Charopósians all had one factor in common: their violent and often bitter resistance to conceding to Imperial Compliance. Their resistance was broken ultimately in each case not by negotiated surrender but near-annihilation, with, in some situations, little remaining save interned refugees and orphaned populations left by the savage conflicts which had brought these peoples to heel. Hailing from these militant people was a young warrior known as Bruticus Kratos. As a youth, he was noted for his physical attributes, possessing physical and mental abilities that far surpassed those of most ordinary humans. His genetic purity, prodigious strength, endurance, and reflexes, made him an ideal candidate for the XIIIth Legion. He was taken from his homeworld and brought back to Macragge to undergo the physical trials to become a transhuman Space Marine Legionary. He took part in many of the Ultramarines early campaigns, including the Xenocide of the Osiran Psybrids, The Fall of the Lords of Gardinaal, Tesstra Compliance, and the Razing of Monarchia.
The Calth Atrocity[]
An ancient portrait of a young Lieutenant Bruticus Kratos during the Calth Atrocity (ca. 007.M31).
By the opening days of the Horus Heresy, Kratos had risen to the rank of Lieutenant and was assigned the command of his own elite assault cadre. Assigned to the 8th Chapter, Kratos and his fellow Legionaries of the 14th and 15th Chapters had recently been deployed to the Eastern Fringe. After having seen heavy combat they stood at a nominal strength of at least 6,000 Legionaries. In mid-007.M31, the Ultramarines Legion was called to muster to the Veridia System, to Calth, to take part in a joint-Legion punitive crusade against the Orks of Ghaslakh.
The Ultramarines' officers that had seen the tactical audits knew that the Orks of Ghalaskh presented little real threat to the Imperium. But the wiser, more experienced Chapter Masters realised that the Ultramarines were to lend a little shine to the tarnished reputation of the Word Bearers by operating in concert with them, and the assault on Ghalaskh was intended to demonstrate the authority of the Warmaster over all of the Legiones Astartes.
Lord Guilliman felt that the Emperor had been wrong to use the Ultramarines as an instrument of humiliation against a brother Legion and as an example of Astartes perfection. Guilliman was correct in believing that relations between the Ultramarines and the Word Bearers had been poisoned by what had happened on Khur but wrongly thought that Horus had ordered the two Legions to work jointly in the pacification of Ghalaskh in an attempt to close the rift that had opened between them.
As the XIIIth Legion made their way towards the Realm of Ultramar, once-stable warp conduits were now rife with storms, directly to Macragge, making the journey both arduous and time-consuming. Despite these setbacks, the 8th Chapter arrived nearly six months later. They were slated for full resupply at the munitions plants of Dainhold before loading for transport outsystem. By the time Lord Guilliman arrived with the main body of the legion twelve months later, Calth and the Veridia System had become a veritable fortress. No unauthorised craft could have survived within the boundaries of the system for more than a few moments, such was the efficacy of the Ultramarines' preparations. Yet all of this was to come to nought when the Word Bearers arrived to bring death and destruction to those who had so recently been their brothers.
Ignorant of the Warmaster's treachery, Guilliman obeyed his brother's orders without question, mustering twenty of the XIIIth Legion's twenty-two chapters at Calth. Years later, Imperial military savants' analysis would criticise that there were plenty of signs warning of the Word Bearers' treacherous intentions, but the Ultramarines, for all their martial prowess, failed to notice them. The Ultramarines were simply unprepared for the novelty of fighting against a brother Legion, especially one that based its strategy on manipulating the forces of the Empyrean. Lorgar took full advantage of this blindness.
Unaware of the civil war already engulfing other parts of the Imperium, the Ultramarines were utterly unprepared for the sudden betrayal of the Word Bearers when Lorgar’s sons turned the guns of their warships on the XIIIth Legion's anchored fleet and began its systematic destruction. Just as in orbit, the mustering fields on the surface of Calth played host to a carefully planned and heinous campaign of betrayal and fratricide. Countless warriors of Ultramar, some of them veterans that had fought to expand the Imperium's borders since the early days of the Great Crusade, were mercilessly slaughtered where they stood by their erstwhile brothers. The Ultramarines and their Solar Auxilia allies suffered crippling losses at the opening stages of the Calth Atrocity, but eventually, the proud scions of Roboute Guilliman overcame their shock and disbelief, rallied their forces and fought back. With countless already dead, the Word Bearers set in motion long-laid plans to murder the system's star and bring about the birth of the Ruinstorm.
Underworld War[]
Loyalist Ultramarines fighting against Traitor Word Bearers during the Underworld War.
So lethal was the fell light of the star of Veridia that even the genetically enhanced warriors of the Legiones Astartes were forced to seek shelter. With billions of lives having been lost in the opening attacks, the Ultramarines evacuated the surviving civilians to Calth's subterranean arcologies in an effort to provide some shelter from the jaws of total catastrophe. However, the Ultramarines were not the only warriors to retreat below ground. The Word Bearers too recognised the fiery doom descending through the void towards them, and likewise made for the safety of Calth's arcologies. There, in the confusion and mayhem of the cataclysm's aftermath, a new phase of the Horus Heresy unfolded. Within days of fleeing the surface, the fighting moved to Calth's underworld, where the surviving forces of the two Legions that were stranded on the planet continued their internecine war. The Battle of Calth had burned bright, but briefly, now the Underworld War had begun.
Eventually, the remnants of the Ultramarines fleet returned to the Veridian System in 014.M31 to support the Loyalist holdouts on Calth that had ridden out the storm. Vetanus had vowed that the Ultramarines and their allied Loyalist forces would continue to fight until every last Traitor on Calth had been exterminated. Eventually, the Ultramarines succeeded in purging all the Traitors from Calth. Despite achieving such a momentous victory, it was a pyrrhic one, as the Loyalist survivors would never fully heal from the mental scars inflicted by the Battle of Calth and the Underground War.
Mark of Calth[]
Of the entire XIIIth Legion, only five whole companies and a handful of separate detachments from other chapters were spared the Mark of Calth. Having lived through such a horrific betrayal, an unspoken rift formed between the veterans of Calth, such as Kratos, and those who had not passed through the fires of betrayal. No official designation to mark the veterans of Calth was ever promulgated amongst the XIIIth Legion, nor did Guilliman ever sanction any division between the warriors of his Legion, yet on those occasions where the Ultramarines gathered afterwards in numbers, the survivors of Calth ever formed a separate body. The bitter wound of base betrayal was one that Kratos and his fellow Calth veterans carried through all their days, the lasting legacy of the Word Bearers' assault on the worlds of Ultramar; trust came to them only with difficulty and always there was a hint of paranoia in their preparations for war and the execution of their campaigns.
Legio Inductii[]
Following the disaster at Calth and the destruction of several worlds during the opening months of the subsequent Shadow Crusade, the Ultramarines had been badly crippled and no longer presented a viable threat to Horus' plan to drive on Terra. The Ruinstorm would also isolate and trap those Loyalist forces caught behind it like the Ultramarines, preventing them from coordinating their efforts and supporting one another as the Traitor Legions prepared to move on the Throneworld itself. It would even prevent them from warning each other, for a time, of the Warmaster's perfidy as astrotelepathic communication was all but cut off from the rest of the galaxy.
With the heavy casualties sustained at Calth, few of the Chapters committed there could muster even a quarter of their nominal strength, and some were so decimated that they faced being reorganised into other chapters and their old designations removed from the XIIIth Legion's order of battle. For the first time in their history, the Ultramarines' losses far outstripped their ability to replace them with new recruits. With the Warmaster's forces driving upon Terra, Guilliman was confronted with a dilemma - remain dedicated to existing standards of induction and risk sacrifice upon the altar of war, or turn to newer methods to replenish numbers, no matter the cost. As a consequence, the Ultramarines began a massive recruitment drive from nearby planets from which fresh generations of Legionaries could be gathered.
The pace of war often prevented the establishment of ties with such worlds nor did it allow lengthy assessment of planetary cultures. Harsh training programmes, supplemented by intensive bouts of hypno-indoctrination, were implemented by many Legions in an attempt to subvert lingering cultural ties. Where hypno-indoctrination was employed, it was common for old ideals to clash with new ones in the aspirant's mind, leading many Inductii to become little more than crude parodies of their veteran brothers as they aped traditions they lacked sentiments for. These newly created Legionaries had never known the glory of being in the presence of the Emperor or had served on campaign under the leadership of their own gene-sire. They had never known the glory days of the Great Crusade when the Space Marine Legions were united in common cause to wipe out monstrous Xenos empires and reunite the disparate worlds of Humanity under the rule of the Master of Mankind's burgeoning Imperium. Instead, they had only known an Age of Darkness - an era of ceaseless warfare and unimaginable carnage - where Space Marine fought Space Marine. They were but a pale imitation of an age now rendered extinct.
Great Scouring[]
Finally rescued from the hellscape that had been Calth, Bruticus Kratos was intent on enacting his vengeance against those that followed the Arch-Traitor Horus. Those Legions that had spat on their oaths of fealty to the Master of Mankind and turned upon their own brother Legions was a sin that Kratos could not forgive. As the only ranking officer and one of the very few survivors of the decimated 8th Chapter, Kratos was raised up to the rank of Captain and given command of the newly reconstituted 23rd Company. Enroute to Terra, the Ultramarines received word that Horus' campaign to strike towards Terra and achieve a quick and decisive victory to overthrow the rule of the Emperor had ultimately been defeated during the epic Siege of Terra. Kratos was incensed beyond all belief. However, his incandescent rage quickly turned to lecherous glee, when he found out that those Traitors who had not been slain outright during the siege of the Imperial Palace had fled before the vengeful wrath of the Loyalist forces. Seeing the opportunity to enact his bloody vengeance upon his foes, Kratos was granted the brevet rank of Lieutenant Commander and given command of a small Loyalist Retribution Fleet. He then began his personal war against the Traitors, intent on exacting his pound of flesh from those who had wronged him.
Thus, began the dark and bloody era known as the 'Great Scouring', a dark time of confusion and monumental violence. As the Imperium was a broken and shattered husk of its former self, those who now ruled on behalf of the Emperor's name had neither the ability nor the desire to prevent a war of reciprocity. Kratos was given carte blanche to enact his blood vengeance however he sought fit. His merciless approach to war and dedication to the utter annihilation of those who had made truck with the Arch-Traitor was brutal in the extreme, but the bloody toll of his brethren in order to enact his personal vendetta sat ill with his own Legion. Kratos had become consumed by his desire to utterly eradicate those who had shattered the Emperor's dream, bordered on the obsessive.
By the end of this dark era, Kratos was recalled by Lord Guilliman back to Macragge in order to reign in the excesses of this blood-maddened and merciless commander. Though Kratos had proven to be a warrior of absolute loyalty, his casual brutality stood in stark contrast with the ideals of the XIIIth Legion. Despite his dedication to the eradication of the Traitor Legions, Guilliman felt it best for his battle-weary son to be assigned temporary garrison duties in order to curb his worst excesses. In recognition of his long and dedicated service, Kratos was raised to the senior rank of Chapter Master and was given command over the newly-reconstituted 8th Chapter. He was charged with overseeing the training of the next generation of Evocatii and would continue to do so until his gene-sire told him otherwise.
However, the scars of Calth still lingered within Kratos. Despite his attempts to rein in his bloodlust, there were moments when his obsession with eradicating the Traitor Legions resurfaced. The constant reminder of the betrayal suffered by his Legion and his personal losses fueled a relentless drive for vengeance that he struggled to contain. Nonetheless, Kratos remained a loyal servant of the Emperor and recognized the need for unity within the Imperium. He understood that the Imperium's survival depended on rebuilding and reuniting its fractured forces. While he trained his warriors, Kratos also worked to forge alliances and strengthen the bonds between the Ultramarines and other loyalist factions. He saw the value in collaboration and sought to restore stability and order in the war-torn galaxy.
The 'Bloody Eighth'[]
With the proclamation of Lord Guilliman, the willful and uncompromising Chapter Master Kratos was charged with the overall command and training of the elite assault cadre of the Ultramarines' 8th Chapter. By this era, the ancient warrior was known to his younger brethren as a bellicose and ruthless warrior who held a sinister reputation as both a brilliant strategist and a malevolent soul. It was known that Kratos had been formally chastised by Lord Guilliman on several occasions for meting out harsh and draconian punishments against those who failed to live up to his own militant standards. It was even darkly rumoured that during one notable incident, his gene-sire imposed one of the Adeptus Astartes' most severe punishments upon Kratos for causing the unnecessary deaths of several of his own warriors, in the form of a 'Death Oath'.
Formally cast out of the Chapter, the ferocious Chapter Master was forced to undertake his suicidal journey into the notorious warp rift known as the Maelstrom. Miraculously, Kratos survived his one-man war waged deep within this hellish realm and fought his way across the stars and back to Macragge, where he was eventually granted the Chapter's forgiveness. Despite everything that had befallen him, Kratos refused to change for anyone and continued to rule his company with a cruel and unforgiving hand, imprinting upon his warriors his cruel mien and remorseless ways.
The warriors of the assault cadre of the 8th Chapter were comprised of a mixture of veterans of the Calth Atrocity and those of the Legio Inductii who had been rapidly created through various methods and hypno-indoctrination. Due to the psychological trauma experienced during the Horus Heresy, these warriors had often proven themselves to be vexatious and difficult to command. As punishment, many of these warriors had been placed within 'Bloody Eighth'. Throughout the bitter fighting of the savage age known as the Great Scouring this Chapter became a sink for those Astartes who displayed unwarranted savagery and excess upon the battlefield. These warriors were the Legion's most bloodthirsty and ruthless elements, who willingly fought and died under Kratos' merciless command.
Kratos's tenure as Chapter Master was marked by a complex balance between his personal vendetta and his duty to the Emperor and the Ultramarines. He sought to honour the memory of his fallen brethren while upholding the ideals and traditions of the XIIIth Legion. As time passed, he hoped to find redemption and a sense of purpose beyond his thirst for vengeance, ultimately striving to rebuild the Imperium and secure its future. However, fate intervened once again, steering Kratos towards a path he had not foreseen.
Inception[]
Following the end of the Horus Heresy and the subsequent wars of the Scouring, the new acting Lord Commander of the Imperium, Roboute Guilliman, reorganised both the various organisations that made up the Imperium proper as well as its military forces. With law and edict, Guilliman forced the dissolution of the Space Marine Legions. Where the original Legions' numbers were nearly limitless, they would now be broken down into smaller, more manageable formations known as a 'Chapter'. This itself was a unit formation that existed within the organisational structure of the old Legions, however, they would only be authorised a maximum number of 1,000 Astartes each. One Chapter would maintain the name, colours, livery and honours of the old First Founding Legion, while the rest would take on new nomenclatures, colours and iconography. They would be free to conduct themselves as they saw fit, forging their own path, history and deeds.
Originally, these Second Founding Chapters shared their parent ("Progenitor") Legion's gene-seed. Subsequently, each newly formed Chapter's gene-seed would be isolated by the Adeptus Mechanicus, forming new genetic lines. Many of these newly created Chapters came from the lineage of the Ultramarines, due to their genetic purity and impeccable lineage. These Chapters came to be known as the "Primogenitor" or "first born", a title that was solely reserved for these Second Founding Chapters and not given to later Chapters of the many subsequent Foundings created during the next ten millennia. In some cases, these newly incepted Chapters were created by the amalgamation of battle-brothers of a particular mindset, particular outlook or preferred realm of warfare. One such Chapter was the newly formed Imperius Ravagers.
When the Second Founding occurred in 021.M31, the Ultramarines saw the perfect opportunity to rid themselves of the troublesome elements within their Legion that were considered ill-omened and surrounded by a pall of death. Lord Guilliman decreed that Kratos and the veteran elements of his Chapter who had been deemed irksome would be granted the 'honour' of becoming a new Chapter. The ruthless commander and many of his most loyal warriors became the core founding members of the newly created Imperius Ravagers Chapter. The initial command cadre was formed from many Horus Heresy veterans, many of whom had survived the fires of betrayal during the Calth Atrocity and the horrors of the subsequent, brutal subterranean fighting during the Underworld War. Scarred both mentally and spiritually, these Astartes possessed a particularly brutal mein and were often characterised as being quite paranoid and untrusting of others.
Shorn at last of their last ties to the Ultramarines, the newly created Chapter was free to forge their own destiny as they saw fit. Taking the title of 'Legatus Praetore', the vengeful Bruticus Kratos led his eponymous Chapter on a blood-soaked crusade to seek out and annihilate any vestige of the Traitor Legions or those who followed the Ruinous Powers. Their actions, even in the early years of the Imperius Ravagers' existence, would lay the foundations upon which they would be known, and judged, ever after.
Bloody Legacy[]
Like many of their fellow Primogenitor Chapters, the Imperius Ravagers forged their own history and traditions distinct from their Progenitors. They saw themselves as the bringers of righteous annihilation, wreaking terrible slaughter upon those who opposed Imperial rule, and due to their bellicose and merciless nature, developed a savage culture as a result. Unlike their fellow Scions of Guilliman, the Imperius Ravagers' bellicose and merciless nature set them apart from other Primogenitor Chapters. Following their inception they quickly garnered a reputation for being a highly aggressive force, its warriors hot-blooded and savage. Operating as a spearhead shock assault force, the Imperius Ravagers were relentless in their pursuit of Imperial victory. Whether engaging in open battle or storming fortified positions, they were known for their courage and their ability to unleash sheer fury upon their enemies. Despite their relatively small numbers, they often carried the attack through the sheer force of their will and their ferociousness.
However, their aggressive and antagonistic nature also brought with it challenges. The Imperius Ravagers had to carefully balance their lust for battle and their desire to exact vengeance with the ideals of the Ultramarines. This delicate line between righteous fury and uncontrolled savagery was one that Legatus Praetore Bruticus Kratos and his officers constantly grappled with. Despite their reputation and their unconventional approach, the Imperius Ravagers remained loyal to the Emperor and the Imperium. Their ferocity and willingness to throw themselves into the most dangerous of battles made them a formidable force on the battlefield. They became a symbol of the uncompromising nature of the Imperium's wrath, embodying the brutal side of the Emperor's justice.
As the Imperius Ravagers continued their crusade against enemies of the Imperium, they would face further trials and tests of their resilience. Whether they would be able to channel their aggression and brutality into a disciplined and focused force or succumb to their own savage instincts remained to be seen. Nonetheless, they had already earned a fearsome reputation as a Chapter that embraced the darkest aspects of warfare in the name of the Emperor.
Notable Campaigns[]
The Bloody Path (ca. 500s.M32) - One of the Chapter's more darkly-famed campaigns, during the middle centuries of M32, both the Imperius Ravagers and the newly created Spartiate Marines formed an unofficial alliance. As both Chapters were assigned as Chapters of the Astartes Praeses, to provide overwatch over the Eye of Terror, and both hailed from the same proud lineage of Roboute Guilliman, these bellicose Chapters found themselves of like-mind and similar mien. As the Imperium was rife with civil discourse and open insurrection throughout much of the known galaxy, these two Chapters launched a brutal and bloody-handed war of reciprocity against the myriad enemies of Mankind. Riding from the depths of the outer darkness, the formidable flotilla of warships of the Scions of Guilliman launched their campaign of fire and blood from the blackened void, attacking their foes while they were at their weakest and obliterating them without mercy. Those worlds that had fallen beneath the shadow of the Ruinous Powers were reserved for the greatest measure of these two Chapters' boundless wrath. The full role taken by this independent Astartes battlegroup is impossible to collate. Nevertheless, fragmented accounts of dozens of battles are extant in the scattered records of the era. Some list no more than the Chapters' names, soon a byword for the destruction of those who followed the Dark Powers, and can therefore be considered apocryphal, while others are more complete, offering a tantalising glimpse into the many savage wars of this bloody age. Within official Imperial records, this Crusade of vengeance came to be known as the 'Aimatirós Monopáti' or the 'Bloody Path'.
The Tenebra Uprising (014-103.M33) - The Tenebra Uprising was a massive sub-sector-wide conflict that erupted in the Tenebra Sub-Sector located in the Caligari Sector, an ancient and nearly forgotten region located on the fringes of the Segmentum Tempestus. Several forge worlds formed an outlaw technocracy, declaring their independence from the Imperium proper, and soon began raiding nearby worlds in their obsessive quest to obtain lost technology. When word reached the ears of the High Twelve, they immediately dispatched a large Imperial castigation Crusade to bring the wrath of the Emperor down upon the upstart forge worlds. Several Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes, including the Imperius Ravagers, Death Templars, Blades of the Lion and the Tempest Knights, alongside several Astra Militarum regiments and Skitarii forces of multiple forge worlds, joined the Imperial Crusade to take back the disputed sub-sector. As the conflict ensued for over a decade, the staggering death toll continued to climb into the hundreds of millions. With no end in sight, and lacking the resources to end the conflict decisively, the Imperial forces blockaded the system, to contain the secessionist technocracy forces. From the outer dark, an unknown Imperial force soon arrived, unheralded and unlooked-for - the mysterious and previously unknown Space Marine Chapter, the Shadow Talons. With the arrival of such a fierce force, the tide of the entire conflict was about to shift in the Imperium's favour. Without a preamble, the Shadow Talons officially entered the conflict during the Siege of Metis, which was under siege by both the Blades of the Lion and the Tempest Knights Chapters. Launching an all-out assault on the forge world's capital city, launching a Vanguard Strike force deep into the bowels of the capital city's primary forge. Once they reached their intended target, the forge's main reactors, and then in an act of pure malice, they planted melta charges. In a series of coordinated explosions, the Shadow Talons caused a catastrophic chain reaction, which resulted in significant damage to the capital. The Siege of Meratis was effectively ended, and though the cost was high, it was nothing compared to the lives that would've been lost had the siege been protracted. Following the end of this conflict, the Shadow Talons would continue prosecuting this campaign, reaping a huge tally in enemy lives and establishing a fell reputation as harbingers of death.
The Hellion War (870-880.M33) - In the wake of the anarchy that followed the murderous internecine conflict of the War of the False Primarch and its aftermath, the Hellion Sector declares its secession from the troubled Imperium. Bloodily attacking its neighbours, it becomes quickly apparent that the sector's rulers had fallen to the worship of the Dark Gods, and its millions of men-under-arms were corrupted and given over to darkness, while its mass manufactora were turned to churning forth twisted war machines consecrated to the dark gods. The call-to-arms is eagerly answered by several bellicose and savage Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes that possess a war-like mien, including the Imperius Ravagers, Megalodons, Void Reapers, and the Myrmidons - the latter Chapter being the Imperius Ravagers' Successor Chapter born of their lineage. With the arrival of this formidable Space Marine task force, these Chapters begin to systematically destroy each Secessionist force they encounter. This task force proceeds to fight together for the next decade until they are finally relieved by an influx of several other Space Marine Chapters that arrive to take part in the ongoing conflict. But soon, the ever-widening war swells to ravage more than eighty inhabited systems and uncounted billions die in the fighting. By the dawning of M35, the Hellion Sector and its environs are reduced to little more than a waste zone of barren worlds and dead hive cities.
The Pale Wasting (Unknown Date.M34) - Within the vast edifice of the Imperial Palace on Terra, there is an oft-forgotten stele mounted within that recognises the services of several Adeptus Astartes Chapters, including the Imperius Ravagers, for their actions against the Pale Wasting - a mysterious event that occurred sometime during the 34th Millennium. Extant evidence relating to this xenos threat from the Ghoul Stars has often been purposely occluded or outright erased from most official Imperial records. This lone artefact praises the Imperius Ravagers and their allies, crediting their service for having "unmade that which cannot die". Partial records that have been uncovered hint that several Space Marine Chapters were destroyed in the final battles of what must have been a truly apocalyptic struggle. This campaign was where the Imperius Ravagers earned some of their earliest recorded battle honours fighting alongside their fellow Scions of Guilliman, the newly created Wardens of Orask. The Imperius Ravagers were one of several Chapters ordered to mobilise to take part in the campaign to quell the threat of the Pale Wasting, and though this is one of the Chapter's earliest recorded battle honours, the Chapter's chronicles are curiously empty of any reference to this conflict. Were it not for such prominent recognition, the incident might have been completely forgotten.
The Nova Terra Interregnum (Unknown Date.M35) - The Imperium of Man fractures into two interstellar empires when the Ur-Council of Nova Terra dismissed the High Lords of Terra and claimed separate rule over the Imperium's worlds of the Segmentum Pacificus. The Imperius Ravagers were one of several Chapters called upon by the High Lords of Terra to mobilise to this troubled region of the galaxy to help counteract the rapid erosion and contradiction of the Imperium's borders. Fighting alongside the newly created Imperial Fists' Successor Chapter - the Blades of Dorn - and their fellow Scions of Guilliman - the Wardens of Orask - this powerful triumvirate deployed from one warzone to the next, fighting against secessionist forces as well as adding their strength to multiple ongoing campaigns. These three Chapters helped to tip the balance of several conflicts in the Imperium's favour.
Smoldering of Wrath (965.M35) - In the latter centuries of M35, several systems located adjacent to the infamous tear in reality, known as the Maelstrom, were subjected to a massive invasion by the Forces of Chaos. During this tumultuous period, severe warp surges had cut off many of these systems from the rest of the Imperium, making warp travel a dangerous prospect. This volatile region of the galaxy had long been subjected to attacks by those who followed the Dark Gods as well as renegades that sought refuge within the hellish realm of the Maelstrom. For several decades, the Word Bearers and their Chaos Cultist allies lorded over these helpless systems, as they fell one at a time to the overwhelming and destructive power of the chaotic crusade of destruction. Unwilling to let this stand, an Imperial Crusade is called for by Imperial authorities, and the call to arms is sent throughout the Segmentum. Several Astra Militarum Regiments, Adeptus Mechanicus Skitarii, and Orders of the Adepta Sororitas answer the call. They are quickly joined by a triumvirate of bellicose and unforgiving Space Marine Chapters, including the Imperius Ravagers, Tempest Knights, and Wardens of Orask. The Imperial Crusade launched a multi-pronged assault into the closest system and began to break the Heretic's lines. Using rapid strike attacks, the three Space Marine Chapters spearhead the Imperial assault and win hundreds of battles, but only manage to slow the Heretic's rampage as they focus the majority of their efforts on those worlds being overrun with daemonic legions. The long and bloody conflict culminates in an epic final confrontation with the enslaved Shrine World of Pictoris, where the Forces of Chaos had covered the entire surface with blasphemous temples to the Dark Gods. The Tempest Knights and their brother Chapters broke the back of the Chaos overlords and put every single Traitor to the sword, leaving behind hundreds of mounds of piled skulls - a grotesque display to serve as a stark reminder and a dire warning to those that made truck with the Ruinous Powers.
The Trianguli Execution (206.M37) - The Alpha Legion, led by the infamous Daemon Prince Rangez Nightbane, invade the jungle planet of Trianguli in order to salvage an ancient and long-forgotten Imperator-class Battle Titan left since the ancient days of the Horus Heresy. Infiltrating the few populated cities of the verdant planet, Alpha Legion operatives managed to stir up dissent amongst the disgruntled miners and workers, who broke out into open insurrection against Imperial authorities. Capitalising on the chaos that had erupted across the planet, the Alpha Legion secretly made their way toward the long-lost titan, before Imperial authorities became the wiser of their true intentions. Sending an astrotelepathic request for aid, the Wardens of Orask Chapter quickly responded. Dispatching Captain Mirex, the stalwart commander led elements from the Chapter's 3rd and 8th Companies to the jungle world, to eliminate the rebellion and to drive the Traitor Legion from the world. Despite the fact the Alpha Legion was making use of the now-captured God-Engine, the Wardens opted to attack the hated Heretic Legionaries in an all-out drop assault. The Wardens' bold tactical choice, at first, seemed to drive the enemy forces back, but the monstrous war engine's void shield generators and weapon batteries proved to be operational with devastating consequences for the servants of the Emperor. Many Wardens of Orask Astartes fell in the first assault against the Titan. The Wardens feared that the only course open to them was to end the threat outright, by enacting Exterminatus against Trianguli. Further aid arrived in the form of the bellicose Imperius Ravagers Chapter's 4th Company. As the Wardens' ferocious allies launched their own attack on the Alpha Legion's bastion from below, the Wardens used their Stormravens to initiate a series of drop assaults against the secondary plasma reactors that powered the Titan's weapons. The Wardens neutralised the Titan's defences and the Ravagers swarmed into the massive war machine's lower levels. The Daemon Prince Rangez ultimately escaped once more, leaving his followers behind to be savagely exterminated to the last heretic by both Scions of Guilliman Chapters.
To Kill A God (433-451.M37) - The powerful Chaos Lord +++REDACTED+++, claiming to be a fifth Chaos God, rises to power within the Orcuz Sector, and soon, several worlds rise in open revolt. All across the surface of three Imperial worlds, the hidden covens of Chaos cultists, aided and abetted by this Chaos Lord and his Warband, the +++REDACTED+++, attack vital strategic locations. Within a matter of months, several other worlds fell into internecine conflict, and soon, nearly the entire sector declared their secession from the Imperium. To compound the problems for the Imperial defenders reports soon reach Segmentum command that several more Heretic Astartes Warbands were involved in the fighting. The High Lords dispatch multiple Adeptus Astartes Chapters, including the Imperius Ravagers, the Wardens of Orask and the 6th Company of the Silver Centurions, as well as a demi-Legio of god-engines of the Legio Nox ('Lords of Night'), and supporting Skitarii and Legio Cybernetica forces from a nearby forge world, as well as several Astra Militarum Regiments. The battle for control of the sector lasted for several decades and is matched in intensity and ferociousness by those Astartes Chapters sent to quell the uprising, resulting in the death of millions of innocents as well as tens of thousands of heretic forces. The conflict culminates in a final assault upon the sector capital world of Khai-Mortanus, where the Chaos Lord and the bulk of his forces have taken refuge within the planet's capital hive city. The combined forces of the Imperius Ravagers and their Astartes allies strike like thunderbolts of a wrathful god, and finally kill the Chaos Lord and wipe out his heretic forces. The world is brought back under Imperial compliance within the day.
Belrath Crusade (182-232.M38) - Under the auspices of Praetor Slayban Belrath, a powerful noble from the Terran court raised to the rank of Lord Militant, a mighty crusade was instigated in 182.M38, to liberate and dominate the long-benighted region of the Segmentum Pacificus known as the Laanah Rifts. Located in the northwestern fringes of the galaxy, this region was a dangerous and largely uncharted area of space, much of which had remained untouched by human contact since before the Age of Strife, and had long been held in the hands of both xenos and heretics. The Imperius Ravagers were one of several Chapters that would take part in the Imperium's endeavours to conquer this long-forgotten area of the galaxy, but despite their participation, the Crusade met stiff resistance to its progress almost from the start when they encountered the foul xenos known as the Hellgrammite - anthropoid creatures that possessed occult-infused weapons capable of flooding the void around their worlds with Ætheric fire. Although their physical forms were decayed and frail, they rode to battle on the backs of howling bio-mechanical monstrosities whose barbed pincers could slash through tank armour with ease. Despite several setbacks, the Imperius Ravagers brought their unfettered wrath down upon several worlds controlled by this twisted alien race, though they suffered severe casualties during the taking of these worlds. Eventually, the attrition rate sustained by the Imperius Ravagers became untenable which forced them to pull out of the Crusade so that they could rebuild their sorely depleted forces.
Altid Crusade (299-309.M38) - Six decades later, having rebuilt their Chapter's numbers to an acceptable level, the Imperius Ravagers took part in the Altid Crusade, a decade-long Imperial campaign to take back the Altid Sector which had rejected the rule of Terra decades before and declared independence from the Imperium. The Imperius Ravagers' Chapter fleet launched a bloody war of retribution upon one recalcitrant world after the other, using the same tactics upon each. Hailing from the outer darkness, the Imperius Ravagers would fall upon an unsuspecting world by launching a lightning assault, destroying the planet's pitiful orbital defences. Then they would enact a ruthless bombardment of the planet from low orbit and immediately commence preparations for a ground assault. Then came the bellicose Imperius Ravagers to enact their bloody judgment. Any resistance was swiftly obliterated as entire cohorts of planetary militia and their overseers were crushed beneath the Imperius Ravagers' unrelenting assault. Seats of government were blasted to rubble and those of power that had aided the secessionists or sided with their cause were methodically hunted down and executed. As a final warning, the Imperius Ravagers would then launch orbital strikes upon the most densely populated cities of the planet, passing sentence upon both the secessionists and those who had knelt before them. There were no 'innocent bystanders', no civilians to be given quarters, only loyalists and traitors - to the death. The full role taken by this independent Astartes battlegroup is impossible to collate. Nevertheless, the fragmented account of almost a dozen separate battles is extant in the scattered records of this era, and soon the name of this notorious Chapter became a byword for destruction and ruthlessness.
9th Black Crusade (537.M38) - Abaddon the Despoiler and his Black Legion launch the 9th Black Crusade out of the Eye of Terror in 537.M38, intent on bringing about the demise of the naval fortress of Cancephalus. Abaddon proceeds to ravage the sector at will. During this time a number of crusading Chapters are recalled by the High Lords of Terra to help deal with the rising threat of incursions from the Eye of Terror. The Imperius Ravagers form an alliance with the Sable Lions, a bellicose and brutal-handed Imperial Fists Successor Chapter, to fight a relentless campaign against various encroaching Chaos Renegade warbands and xenos marauders from the nearby Pelegron Cluster. The brutal fighting resulted in the loss of nearly a third of their Chapter's warriors.
Scourging of the Meratis Cluster (Unknown Date.M39) - Sometime in mid-M38, isolationist voider families fleeing persecution in the dynastic wars of the Ixaniad Sector settled the Meratis Cluster in the stellar dead zone between the abyss and their former home. In time their numbers are swollen by human Renegades, outlaws, and worse, forming the Meratech Clans. Over the next millennia, this lawless region of the galaxy becomes caught beyond the light of the Imperium, as the outlaw Meratech Clans continuously launched raids upon Imperial worlds with impunity. Entire populations were slaughtered and stockpiles plundered, as any Imperial claim to the region was effectively severed. Though the wheels of Imperial bureaucracy turned slowly, they eventually did turn, as the eyes of the Imperium inevitably fell upon several Imperial worlds that had fallen behind on decades worth of quotas owed to the Administratum, primarily due to the constant raiding and destruction of vital infrastructures. The High Lords of Terra immediately ordered the launch of an Imperial punitive expedition comprised of three bellicose and bloody-handed Adeptus Astartes Chapters, including - the Imperius Ravagers, Murdering Sons and the Wings of Salvaxes. Each Chapter was darkly famed in its own right, infamous for its similar savage mien and brutal, heavy-handed tactics. Sent to enact the High Lords' judgment these three Chapters were unleashed upon the unsuspecting worlds of the Meratis Cluster. The Astartes battlegroup launched a ruinous campaign of vengeance against the upstart heretic and renegade forces that inhabited this long-benighted region of space. As they fell upon world after world, they continued their relentless assault, which was both devastating and indiscriminate, as the ruthless Astartes were heedless of the loss of innocent lives. Though many Astartes fell in glory, the renegade warlords were slain and their forces fractured into hundreds of smaller, more manageable factions which were soon put down by supporting Astra Militarum regiments and Imperial Naval forces. In the wake of the conquest of nearly a dozen enemy-held worlds, the cluster of remaining worlds quickly capitulated with terrified speed, all willing to submit to Imperial rule under any terms as long as they were spared the wrath of the Emperor's Angels of Death.
Angevin Crusade (322-384.M39) - The Imperius Ravagers are one of several Adeptus Astartes Chapters that take part in the massive Imperial Crusade, led by Lord Militant Golgenna Angevin, to liberate and dominate the area of space designated as the Calyx Expanse. This massive undertaking launches itself into this dangerous region of space, directing its focus upon two prominent star systems - Malfi and Solomon. The Imperius Ravagers launch themselves like a mailed fist into the heart of the Calyx Expanse across the Periphery as a part of the two-pronged assault, taking the fight to the Malfian System to bring the light of the Emperor to the darkest corners of the galaxy, expunging the various enemies of Mankind with both bolter and blade. They take special pleasure in bringing their unfettered wrath down upon those who make truck with the Ruinous Powers, mercilessly slaughtering those who would dare worship Dark Gods in place of the God-Emperor. They make fearful and bloody examples of the various Chaotic cults, leaving piles of ravaged corpses as a stark reminder to those that would dare turn away from the pre-ordained rule of the Master of Mankind. The Imperius Ravagers garner such a reputation for ruthlessness and single-minded dedication to the extermination of their foes, that soon, whole sub-sectors begin to outright surrender when their fleet enters their section of the galaxy, rather than face these bloody-handed executioners.
Hell Descends Upon Acheron (565-585.M40) - In 565.M40, a massive warp surge came into being in the Acheron System, the home system of the Imperius Ravagers Chapter. Its corrupting embrace engulfed several worlds, unleashing chaos upon the region. This surge had dire consequences, as the sudden wave of unholy power rippled through the localised area of warpspace. Those afflicted psykers were either sent irrevocably mad or transfigured into short-lived and murderous demigods who killed thousands and further pushed those few worlds that remained under civilised control to the brink of collapse. Chaos-infused psykers and daemons stalked the various worlds, bringing nought but death and ash in their wake, as whole cities were razed to rubble and the dead were sacrificed in profane rituals to the Dark Gods. This affront by Chaos could not go unanswered, and so, the Imperius Ravagers were roused to war, deploying nine out of ten companies to come to the aid of nearby beleaguered worlds that were under siege from daemons or caught in the throes of civil uprisings. The Imperius Ravagers responded swiftly and brutally, quickly putting down insurrections on multiple worlds and restoring order wherever they deployed. The campaign to retake these affected worlds by Imperial forces of the Acheron System was a brutal and deadly affair, with the Imperius Ravagers leading the charge. The Imperius Ravagers battered their way into their daemonic foes and their Chaos Cultist allies, blasting apart their bastions and storming their fortresses chamber-by-chamber, leaving bloody abattoirs in their wake. The campaign to eradicate the Forces of Chaos from the Acheron System was a protracted and gruelling endeavour, spanning two decades of relentless conflict. The Imperius Ravagers, alongside their Adeptus Mechanicus and Astra Militarum allies, fought without respite until every world was cleansed of the taint of Chaos. The cost in terms of manpower was staggering, and the Chapter bore a heavy toll. The losses suffered during the Defence of Acheron left the Imperius Ravagers severely depleted, losing nearly half of their numbers. Rebuilding their ranks would take several more decades, emphasizing the sacrifices made by the Chapter in their determination to rid their home system of Chaos. This campaign served as a reminder of the relentless and unforgiving nature of the Forces of Chaos and the sacrifices made by the Imperius Ravagers and their Imperial allies to defend Emperor's realm. It is a testament to their unwavering dedication to cleansing the galaxy of the corrupting influence of Chaos, even at great personal cost.
12th Black Crusade (139-160.M41) - Utilising his deadly vessel, the Planet Killer, Abaddon the Despoiler launches his 12th Black Crusade, better known as the 'Gothic War', a massive assault by the Forces of Chaos that ravages the Gothic Sector for just over two decades before finally being driven back by Imperial reinforcements, which includes several Adeptus Astartes Chapters, including the Imperius Ravagers, that arrive to aid the Imperial Navy's beleaguered Battlefleet Gothic fleet. Due to the potent warp storms that were produced by the will of the Dark Gods, this prevented the Imperius Ravagers and their fellow Imperial reinforcements from reaching the isolated sector.
13th Black Crusade (999.M41) - The Warmaster of Chaos - Abaddon the Despoiler - launches his largest invasion of the Forces of Chaos, in order to remove the last obstacle to his full-scale invasion of the Milky Way Galaxy, and launches an all-out assault against the Fortress-World of Cadia and it's surrounding systems. The Imperium responds in kind, sending a large Imperial counter-strike force against the Forces of Chaos, including dozens of Adeptus Astartes - including the Imperius Ravagers - as well as other various Imperial military forces and their Adeptus Mechanicus allies. Though the Imperial forces halt Abaddon's advance and manage to take back several systems that had been invaded by Heretic Astartes forces, in the end, their efforts did little to prevent the ill-fated destruction of the bastion world of Cadia. With the destruction of the Fortress World of Cadia, the warp-riven galaxy is cracked asunder as the material universe and the Immaterium merge. A large tear in reality splits the galaxy in twain - from the Eye of Terror all the way towards the Eastern Fringe - forming the Great Rift. As the Noctis Aeterna sweeps over the northern reaches of the galaxy, cutting off the light of the Astronomican and all astrotelepathic communications, the northern half of the galaxy is all but isolated by the encroaching darkness, forming the Imperium Nihilus, or 'Dark Imperium'. With the waxing might of the Ruinous Powers, thousands of worlds are trapped within the Dark Imperium and are beset upon by the myriad enemies of the Emperor of Mankind, including the Forces of Chaos and xenos like the Tyranids, Orks and Drukhari. Surviving the destruction of the fortress world, the Imperius Ravagers are forced to withdraw. They make all haste towards the Acheron System, to defend their demesne from the encroaching tide of foul Chaos filth and their daemonic allies.
Indomitus Crusade (999.M41-111.M42) - Despite the dire events that had occurred in the Cadian System, all was not lost, as a miracle-of-miracles had occurred upon the Ultramarines' homeworld of Macragge - the PrimarchRoboute Guilliman - had been resurrected from his millennia-long, deathless slumber! The news of the rebirth of the Avenging Sons quickly spread like wildfire across the Realm of Ultramar, and despite the difficulty of Astropathic communication, rumours that had begun to trickle out of the besieged Ultima Segmentum, and into the galaxy beyond. The resurrected Primarch and his Terran Crusade, faced untold hardships as they fought their way to the Throneworld, in order for Guilliman to commune with his father, the Emperor of Mankind. When the Primarch finally emerged from his father's chambers, he immediately assumed the post of Lord Commander of the Imperium and forcibly removed several High Lords of Terra from office and replaced them with individuals of his own choosing. As the terrible encroaching darkness descended upon the galaxy, the Primarch enacted his ultimate contingency plan, which had long been put into motion by Guilliman 100 standard centuries past. Utilising the sagacity of the Adeptus Mechanicus, combined with the long-forgotten technology from the Dark Age of Technology, a new legion of transhuman warriors had been created beneath the surface of Mars - the Primaris Space Marines. Gathering a vast armada, along with elements of the Emperor's personal guardians - the Adeptus Custodes, the mysterious Silent Sisterhood, a large contingent of Adeptus Mechanicus forces and over a dozen pre-existing Adeptus Astartes Chapters, the newly-designated Lord Commander of the Imperium launched his Indomitus Crusade.
A newly inducted Primaris Assault Intercessor of the Imperius Ravagers.
The ætheric storms of the Great Rift continued to batter the worlds of the Acheron System, unleashing legions of daemons and various Chaos warbands of Heretic Astartes. The Imperius Ravagers and local Mesaran Mechanicus forces, fighting alongside the beleaguered forces of the local Astra Militarum regiments and local PDFs, dug in to stage desperate last stands against the encroaching Forces of Chaos. Hordes of traitors and abominations assailed the Imperial worlds of the Acheron System, as the Imperial defenders desperately struggled to hold the hordes of Chaos at bay. Large swathes of these worlds were ravaged by daemonic hordes as they slaughtered millions of innocents and offered their innocent souls to their dark masters. With the loss of over half their Chapter, the Imperius Ravagers bitterly fought against the endless legions of the damned, determined to sell themselves dearly and slaughter as many of the foul abominations as possible. In their darkest hour, the Emperor answered the cries of His followers in the form of a newly arrived Imperial fleet entering the system. Though it had taken several decades for the Indomitus Crusade to reach this region of the galaxy, Primarch Guilliman and his Crusade fleet wasted no time in taking the fight to the Forces of Chaos. Like an avenging angel, the forces of the Indomitus Crusade struck like a thunderbolt, smashing the lines of the Chaos forces. After many more battles, the worlds of the Acheron System were finally cleared of the Chaos threat. With victory achieved, the various Imperial forces and worlds of the Acheron System sent delegations aboard the Lord Commander of the Imperium's flagship, the Macragge's Honour. Despite his extensive injuries, they were led by the Imperius Ravagers' Chapter Master, Legatus Praetore Thanatos Cronius, who was granted a short audience with his gene-sire. Painfully, the proud Chapter Master kneeled before the Primarch. When the Indomitus Crusade reached Charopós, it brought a new breed of warrior with it. The Ultramarines Primarch had anticipated the need for such gene-bred heroes for this, the darkest age in the Imperium's history. He knew that the galaxy would eventually need warriors resilient enough to stand against the Forces of Chaos as the Imperium was poised on the brink of annihilation. Guilliman had learned of the Chapter's misfortune and assigned over six hundred Primaris Space Marines to its reinforcement. The Imperius Ravagers' sorely depleted ranks were replenished nearly overnight. Legatus Praetore Cronius graciously accepted this profound gift from the resurrected Primarch and welcomed these new warriors into his Chapter's ranks. Even as they continued the rebuilding of their shattered system, the Imperius Ravagers worked hard to bring their new Primaris brethren into the fold, teaching them the rites of battle and training alongside them night and day until the new warriors fought seamlessly with the old. Though a few traditionalists of the Chapter worried that inducting so many off-worlders into their ranks would change the soul of their Chapter, the new vision of the Imperium shared by their resurrected gene-sire and Chapter Master ensured that they kept their counsel to themselves.
Chapter Home World[]
Departmento Cartographicae pict-capture of the Imperius Ravagers homeworld of Charopós.
Charopós is an ancient world that lies just beyond the northeasternmost edge of the known galaxy, near the border of the Segmentum Obscurus and the Ultima Segmentum, in the Acheron System. Once a technologically advanced world, Charopós managed to miraculously survive the savagery, chaos, and strife of Old Night. For thousands of years, the light of civilisation refused to die out completely, as the Charopósians were subjected to a multitude of horrors, ranging from savage internecine conflicts, mutations, the emergence of psykers, and the attempted dominance of rampaging xenos. From the war-wracked world, fragments of the Dark Age of Technology remained - a reminder of the former accomplishments of humanity from a bygone era - which was treasured through the subconscious racial memory by the ignorant descendants of mankind. The survival of this world was only accomplished due to the planet's location near several Warp anomalies which makes interstellar travel difficult, yet provided enough of a veil of reality that protected them from the malignant influence of Chaos. Despite long forgotten, past events that occurred during the Age of Strife, the Charopósians still maintain a healthy distrust of anything otherworldly, including psykers and sorcery.
Following the creation of the Imperius Ravagers and the subsequent launch of their Crusade from Macragge, Charopós was discovered nearly a century and a half later. Still led by their Chapter's founder, Legatus Praetore Bruticus Kratos, the Imperius Ravagers found Charopós as a world ravaged by war, as various city-states and client satrapies fought one another and were ruled by corrupt, decadent, and inbred nobles. These city-states dominated the planet and endlessly fought over the limited verdant valleys, plateaus, and vales in a constantly shifting lattice of power and warfare. Given the pursuit of wealth, dominance, and security, the people of Charopós developed into a secular, opportunistic culture.
Many of the regions of the newly discovered world had been ravaged through the use of forbidden chem and rad weapons in ages past, turning many of the once verdant areas into radioactive wastelands. The legacy of past conflicts in which millions of soldiers had given their lives in pointless conflicts was also evident throughout the planet, as trenches and ruined fortifications were spread across the length and breadth of entire continents. These wasteful wars were not fought for honour or conflicting ideologies, they were motivated by the greed and arrogance of the planet's rulers. The utter disregard shown by the world's nobility for the lives of their subjects was both shocking and horrific.
These warring city-states were separate dictatorships ruled by brutal tyrants who often conducted purges against all opposition, both real and imagined and kept their subjects in line through ruthless and draconian tactics. Within this fractious realm, the strength and ruthlessness of one's military forces came to be the hallmark and measure of the greatest of the city-states and their rulers. Charopós' incessant wars were fought between these massive armies of professional soldiers. The Charopósian arts of war evolved over time towards a sublime mastery of heavy infantry-style tactics and brutal close-quarters assaults.
The Imperius Ravagers found the Charopósians to be a hearty and proud people who were not submissive, and therefore, not the most pliant or easiest of subjects to rule over as they were aloof, prideful, and justly wary of friend and enemy alike. To them, mercy was an alien concept, as they were prone to mete out murderous violence to any insult or slight to their honour. Taking several subjects from the local populace, the Imperius Ravagers thoroughly tested them in soul-crushing trials which tested them physically, mentally and spiritually. As they were not found wanting, the Imperius Ravagers ultimately deemed them free of deviancy and found the people of Charopós to be ideal candidates. Legatus Praetore Kratos saw the value of such a world - the inhospitable terrain and warlike culture proved an ideal recruiting ground for the Chapter - as the world's inhabitants could easily be moulded into potential Astartes. The Imperius Ravagers declared the world of Charopós as their own and its surrounding system as its demesne in the name of the Imperium of Man. Kratos had found a permanent home for his Chapter.
Acheron System[]
The Acheron System consists of three habitable worlds, an outer ring of asteroids as well as various mobile defences and star-fortresses. Notable worlds include:
Charopós - The Chapter homeworld of the Imperius Ravagers is a savage war world of rocky windswept mountain ranges and rad-ravaged wastelands. The people of this world live in a feudal, early-industrial state, whose city-states constantly wage war upon one another in an effort to secure limited resources and helots (slaves) to perform both mundane tasks, and to serve as helot-warriors within their vast armies. Over thousands of years, this constant state of warfare has purposely been encouraged by the Imperius Ravagers, who often stoke blood feuds and internecine conflicts between the various city-states, in order to keep the people of Charopós in a constant state of conflict. This makes for a hearty warrior-stock that is ideal for potential Astartes candidates.
Hephaestios - This forgotten outpost of the Adeptus Mechanicus was from its inception in the early 30th Millennium, created to be a war world - a fane of weapons and armaments solely intended to serve the needs of the ever-advancing frontline forces of the Great Crusade. But following the events of the Horus Heresy, contact was lost with Hephaestios, due to the vagaries of war and every increasing warp turbulence that made interstellar travel and communication precarious, at best. Rediscovered by the crusading fleet of the Imperius Ravagers in the latter centuries of the 32nd Millennium, they found the Tech-Priests of Hephaestios' Cult-Mechanicus still loyal servants of the Emperor of Mankind. After successfully defending the Forge World from a rare large-scale invasion by the Forces of Chaos and their Dark Mechanicus masters, the Hephaestiosan Priesthood swore their allegiance to the Imperius Ravagers, becoming their primary source of war matériel.
Acheron Primus - The world of Acheron Primus and its sister world Acheron Secundus are binary worlds locked in a perpetual orbit ellipsing around a giant, slowly dying red sun. Acheron Primus is a feudal world very similar to Charopós, in which its people are constantly at war with one another. It is made up of several micro-states comprised of mercenary armies. These micro-states are lorded over by a greedy aristocracy, whose avarice is manifested by vast wealthy estates which are supported by the toiling of a multitude of impoverished helots. These human populations are often beset upon by abhuman Beastmen - aberrant creatures that are descended from human stock who combine the physical appearances of humans and Terran animals. A large population of these fell creatures inhabits the wastes of the northern continent known as Tartaros. These bellicose creatures thrive upon the edges of civilisation and have grown strong through their unending thirst for battle. They often launch raids into the few civilised lands as often as they hire themselves out to fight in the various conflicts that rage across the planet. There is little that the humans can do by way of prevention or retaliation because the Beastmen are such an elusive and mobile foe. Like Charopós, this constant state of conflict has proven an ideal recruiting world for potential Neophytes for the Imperius Ravagers.
Acheron Secundus - The world of Acheron Secundus is a fief world of the Imperius Ravagers, utilised as a training ground for the Chapter's freshly inducted Aspirants. It is here that they begin their journey to becoming fully-fledged battle-brothers, when they receive the first of many implants and begin their indoctrination process. Those who are found to be the strongest of their number are transformed into the post-human Adeptus Astartes. To this end, Acheron Secundus is host to a large contingent of the Chapter's Medicae. Hidden stores of gene-seed are maintained deep within the subterranean repository vaults of the Imperius Ravagers' primary medicae facility, known as Caduciós. This citadel bears massive void shields, automated defences and anti-air defence lasers, as well as a small garrison of battle-brothers for its defence. Those crusading companies of the Imperius Ravagers that sustain substantial losses during an extended Crusade are added to the garrison on Acheron Secundus, which helps add another layer to the world's defences and the vital function of protecting their Chapter's gene-heritage.
Fortress-Monastery[]
Pict-capture of the Imperius Ravagers' formidable fortress-monastery of Mystras.
Mystras is the formidable and imposing fortress-monastery of the Imperius Ravagers. It is located in the eastern hemisphere in the region of Thera, lying over a hundred leagues west of the city-state of Lacedaemon. The massive citadel is built upon Charopós' tallest peak, the foreboding Mount Pylion - a place of dark myth and legend. A heavy pall of dense mists perpetually shrouds the Imperius Ravagers' mighty citadel, whose glittering black obsidian surface shines brightly by what little sunlight manages to penetrate the dark pendulous, storm-wracked clouds that sits just above Mystras. It is said that this citadel was originally built by one of the planet's ancient kings as a shrine dedicated to the Charopós god of war. Upon assuming custodianship of the planet, the Imperius Ravagers requisitioned the ancient fortress for their own use and re-built the crumbling ruins into a mighty fortress nearly unsurpassed by other Adeptus Astartes Chapter.
A view of Mystras, as seen from the approach by air.
The Chapter's fortress is an impressive construct, built in the style of ancient Terran Grecian architecture, rising several hundred metres above the planet's surface and bristling with a devastating array of anti-air turrets and powerful defence laser batteries. Built upon the very peak of Mount Pylion, the majority of the fortress-monastery is built well within the impenetrable rock face itself; shrines, forges, a reclusium, reliquarium, apothecarion, vast armouries and twisting catacombs, create a veritable labyrinth that even an Astartes, with their unnaturally long life span, might never fully explore. The defences of Mystras are second-to-none, boasting powerful void shields which encase the entire mountain in a protective barrier able to sustain prolonged orbital bombardment from even the most powerful of void ships, as well as a deadly array of hidden gun emplacements and landing platforms for the Chapter's fleet of gunships and aerial fighters.
A pict-capture of the ornate mosaic carved upon the ''Rex Porta'' ('King's Gate), depicting the legendary first King of Charopós', Lakedaímōn.
Hundreds of doric and ionic columns, Grecian-style spires jut out from the sheer rocky outcropping of the mountain's cliff face, which are decorated with large statuary of Charopósian kings, legendary warriors and Imperius Ravagers Astartes heroes of ages past as well as the gods of the planet's mythology. Atop the fortress-monastery sits a processional gateway, or propylaea, whose highly polished black marble and gold-flecked surface is lined with statues of former Legatus Praetorii (past Chapter Masters). Their stern, eternal gaze falls upon all who pass by, as if in silent judgment. Carefully hidden scrying devices and gun servitors are secreted amongst the statuary scan for any potential threats or unwanted intruders. This is where the Imperius Ravagers meet invited guests to their citadel, escorting their visitors for the remainder of their brief visit or prolonged stay. At the end of this long and winding path lies a large black marble portico, a collonaded porch that leads to the entrance of the massive structure - two massive double doors - forged of adamantium and heavily layered with ceramite to provide extra protection from weapons fire. This is the Rex Porta or 'King's Gate'. The outer face of the Rex Porta is sheathed in shimmering silver. Carved upon the surface is an ornate mosaic of Charopós' first king, Lakedaímōn, standing triumphantly over his conquered enemies.
This entrance is flanked by an imposing pair of Catachractii Terminator-armoured Triarii, standing uniformly at attention, still as statues. These sentinels vigilantly stand their post, immobile, statuesque, awing all who approach their terrible visage. Despite their docile appearance, these terrible guardians can be quickly roused to action, striking with a speed that belies their massive, armoured frames.
Chapter Recruitment[]
Chapter Organisation[]
The Imperius Ravagers are a nominally Codex-adherent Chapter, however, they are most unusual for a Successor Chapter created from the lineage of Guilliman, as they do not strictly adhere to the tenets of this most valuable of tomes, opting instead to utilise their own unique Chapter organisation, units and even rank designations, taken from the culture of their Chapter homeworld of Charopós. Like their progenitors, they are still broken up into ten companies, each of which numbers one hundred battle-brothers when operating at full strength. This force is led by the heroes of the Chapter, drawn from the Castrum (Chapter Command) of the Legatus Praetore (Chapter Master) himself, as well as the various departments of the Chapter, including the Librarium, Apothecarion ,and Reclusiarchy. It is further supported by the heavy battle tanks, gunships, and artillery of the Armoury, and the void-sailing warships of the Chapter Fleet.
Tetrarchy[]
A notable point of divergence from other standard Codex-oriented Chapters lies in the Chapter Command. The Imperius Ravagers maintain a Chapter Council known as the Tetrarchy, comprised of a quadrumvirate of the Chapter's most exalted commanders within their ranks. These legendary heroes are personally selected by the Legatus Praetore to serve as his personal advisors. Known unofficially as the Tetrachs, this council exists outside the rest of the Imperius Ravagers' regular command structure. Together the Tetrarchy functions as the soul of the Imperius Ravagers, supporting their Chapter Master and steering the Chapter's temperament and decisions. Only those Praetores (Captains) who possess the necessary qualities of strength, ferocity, and charisma are ever allowed to serve at their Chapter Master's side. The Legatus Praetore expects nothing less than the most extreme discipline and loyalty from his Tetrachs, but most of all he expects unbending obedience to the orders he gives. Each blade that makes up the Tetrarchy is as solid, unbending, and sharp as the hand that wields them.
The Tetrarchs are also chosen for their personalities, as all four members of the Tetrarchy possess very different personalities and characteristics that are intended to complement one another and provide the Legatus Praetore with a wide array of differing viewpoints. Each of these personalities is chosen in accordance with the ancient Charopósian beliefs of the Four Humours or substances of the human body whose relative proportions and amounts shape all physical and mental characteristics - blood (sanguine), yellow bile (choleric), black bile (melancholic), and phlegm (phlegmatic). A sanguine person is courageous and hopeful, a choleric one is angry and bad-tempered, a melancholic person is often despondent, depressed, and irritable and a phlegmatic personality is one that is calm and unemotional.
Praefectus Carnifex Tartaros Algos possesses the Tetrachy's choleric personality, Praefectus Fabrum Lucius Invictus the melancholic, Tessararius Kriton Neleos the sanguine and Praetorian Prefect Triton Abraxius the phlegmatic. However, it has often been remarked by the Legatus Praetore that Abraxius was actually chosen for his display of all Four Humours in perfect balance, thus giving him the perfect human personality according to the ancient Grecian Hippocratic theory. This is why Abraxius serves as Thantos' Equerry, acting as the Legatus Praetore's right hand and most trustworthy advisor.
Veteran Company[]
The Imperius Ravagers' 1st Company consists of its most veteran warriors, known as the Vexillarii. As the most ferocious and indomitable warriors within the Chapter, it falls to these battle-brothers - and to them alone - the rare and esteemed honour of donning their Chapter's relic Terminator Armour in battle. These Terminator-armoured brethren are known as the Triarii. These stalwart and battle-hardened heroes have spent decades, if not centuries, fighting for the Imperium. Through their constant, ceaseless warfare against the myriad of enemies of Mankind, each warrior possesses a vast wealth of strategic and martial skill; deployed en masse, they are an unstoppable force; when their strength is broken up and distributed amongst strike forces comprising elements of other Imperius Ravagers' Battle or Reserve Companies, meanwhile, they lend might and keen strategic insight in equal measure. In this way, the wisdom of the Chapter's veterans is of the greatest benefit to their brothers, and their fighting strength is used to augment that of their fellows across multiple war zones.
Battle Companies[]
The 2nd through 5th Companies are the Chapter's Battle Companies. These warriors fight at the forefront of the Imperius Ravagers' campaigns. However, unlike their more Codex-oriented brother Chapters, the Imperius Ravagers' Battle Companies comprise a versatile combination of Battleline (Principes), Close Support (Lancearii), Fire Support (Ballistarii) and Scout Squads (Hastati), equipping each Praetor with a broad range of tactical tools, whether sending their full Battle Company to war or dividing their forces into smaller, more specialised deployments to meet threats of diverse kinds. It is the duty of the Battle Companies to form the mainstay of its Chapter's front-line strength, and it is from these companies that strike forces typically draw their warriors. It is rare indeed to see more than one Battle Company engaged in a single war zone, as the combined might of one hundred Space Marines is more than enough to lay low most threats.
Reserve Companies[]
Like all Codex-compliant Chapters, the Imperius Ravagers also utilise their 6th through 9th Companies as its Reserve Companies. It is their duty to reinforce the Battle Companies as casualties are suffered. Of course, in practical terms this typically means that the warriors of the Reserve Companies must be attached to Imperius Ravagers' strike forces when they are first dispatched to their ascribed war zones; the galaxy is vast, with both communication and travel being costly, time-consuming and dangerous undertakings - especially in recent times - in the wake of the formation of the Cicatrix Maledictum. If Space Marines forces in the field were to signal for reserves and wait, those reinforcements might not arrive for months, years, or indeed at all. By deploying alongside main Battle Company forces, the battle-brothers of the reserves can therefore plug gaps as soon as they appear in their battle lines, or even fight in support of their comrades if greater material strength is required. In truth, this is often the case.
The 6th and 7th Companies consist of one hundred warriors apiece, and like their Battle Company counterparts, their squads comprise the same versatile combination of various squad specialities, providing the Imperius Ravagers with a huge strength of mainstay warriors ready to occupy whatever strategic niche is required. In addition, during their service in these two companies, the battle-brothers learn to fight from light assault vehicles such as Land Speeders and to crew the main line battle tanks such as Predators and Repulsors that the Chapter uses in war.
The 8th and 9th Companies consist respectively of one hundred battle-brothers, however, the former possesses the highest number of Lancearii (Close Support) battle-brothers, while the latter possesses the most Ballistarii (Fire Support) battle-brothers. The warriors of these companies are swiftly and efficiently cycled through the varying squad roles that each company offers, be it from Eliminator to Hellblaster to Hellfury in the 9th Company or Incursor to Inceptor in the 8th. They are brought rapidly up to an ability level at which they can be seconded to the Battle Companies, alongside whom they gain a vast wealth of combat experience. This ensures that the Imperius Ravagers' Reserve Companies are some of the most adaptable examples of their type.
Scout Company[]
The Imperius Ravagers 10th Company consists of its many Tirones (Neophyte) Hastati (Scouts), along with a standing force of one hundred Primaris Vanguard who form the Chapter's reconnaissance and assassination elite. The novitiate Scouts fight under the watchful tutelage of their Praefactus Tirones ('Master of Recruits') and their grizzled Decurions (sergeants), whose duty it is to turn them from raw clay into the sculpted warriors of the Imperius Ravagers Chapter. Particularly renowned amongst this company are the Vanguard Eliminators, some of the most accomplished marksmen within the Chapter. More important even than their martial ability are these veteran warriors' talent for passing on their wisdom, training the neophytes under their charge to make pin-point killing shots with a range of deadly firearms.
Officer Ranks[]
Legatus Praetore - Senior-most rank within the Imperius Ravagers. Equivalent rank to a Chapter Master.
Cohortarch - Equivalent rank to a Force Commander, this senior rank is granted to those who are charged with commanding a cohort comprised of at least four or more companies.
Merarch - A senior rank granted to those who are charged with commanding a strike force comprised of at least three or more companies.
Legatus - A temporary rank granted to a Praetor who is charged with commanding a strike force comprised of at least two companies.
Praetor - Equivalent rank to a Captain that serves as the commander of a Maniple (Company).
Tribune - A Tribune is a rank held by a senior Astartes line officer of the Chapter who serves as an executive officer and second-in-command to a company's Praetor. Tribunes act as the right hands of their Praetors and often assume command of a portion of a Maniple in order to spread their forces across multiple combat zones. Maniples are divided into two separate Centuries (demi-companies) comprised of 50 Astartes each. Serving as a battle-commander middle-tier line officer, they also take on more specialised functions such as a Shield-Lieutenant, given charge of a boarding party in a savage void battle. Tribunes are considered Praetors-in-training, and as such, are treated with the utmost respect by their subordinates.
Centurion Primus - A Centurion Primus is a rank held by junior line officers who hold seniority over other Centurions. These individuals are consummate warriors who have risen through the ranks of their Chapter and have already demonstrated their worth in the bloody fires of conflict and have been recognized for their dedication, skill, and tactical acumen.
Centurion - A Centurion is a rank held by those Astartes junior line officers who have proven themselves on the field of battle. This rank is equivalent to a junior lieutenant.
The Praetōriī []
Captains or Praetors, act as councillors to the Legatus Praetore and the Praetorian. They command elements of the Chapter combining two or more companies and fill the duties that in other chapters fall to a company captain which includes:
Praetorian Prefect - First Captain and commander of the Legatus Praetore's Honour Guard (Praetorian). This specialty rank is only granted to the most eminent and distinguished warrior within the Chapter. He is a commander without equal and is held in the highest regard by his fellow battle-brothers.
Tesserarius - Equivalent rank to a Master of the Watch. Assigned to one of the Chapter's Praetors, a Tesserarius is charged with the responsibility of the defence of his Chapter's fortress-monastery and homeworld in the absence of the Legatus Praetore. This title is given to the commander of the designated company that is currently charged with the garrisoning of the fortress-monastery, which is allotted to a different company on a rotational basis.
Praefectus Fabrum - Equivalent rank to a Master of Sieges, this Praetor is a master of siege warfare and oversees the construction of the Chapter's defences in the field. He is also a master of ordnance and heavy artillery, commanding the Chapter's formidable firepower like no other. The Master of Sieges is also a high explosive ordnance expert and is responsible for overseeing the crafting of the necessary earth-breaching charges used by the Chapter's siege works to breach the most desirable location in an enemy's defences.
Navarch - Equivalent rank to a Master of the Fleet. Assigned to one of the Chapter's Praetors, a Navarch possesses the most experience and greatest skill at planning and executing void-combat. He is given overall command of the Chapter fleet, and essentially serves as the Chapter's fleet admiral, commanding his flagship and all other space assets when they deploy for major engagement. Traditionally, the Navarch is usually the commander of the 4th Company.
Praefectus Castrorum - Equivalent to a Master of the Marches, as well as leading an entire company of Space Marines in battle, the Praefectus Castorum has the duty of overseeing the deployment of the Chapter's fighting strength. It is his knowledge of Chapter dispositions that the Chapter Master turns to when readying for war. The Master of Marches is wholly devoted to his duty as he gazes at a massive length of parchment held aloft by a Cyber-cherub, which contains critical data. Upon his backpack are twin vox-casters which are utilised to project orders across the noisy battlefield. The Praefectus Castrorum is usually the commander of the 5th Company.
Praefectus Sacrorum - Equivalent to a Master of Rites, this Praetor is charged with recording and preserving the martial traditions of the Chapter - a bombastic, courageous warrior with unswerving loyalty to his battle-brothers. This individual exudes a sense of martial pride and fervour to those around them. A large servo-skull with an incorporated vox-caster that amplifies his war cries is anchored near his feet by a weighty pair of censers. The Praefectus Sacrorum roars inspiring rhetoric during the heat of battle, reminding his battle-brothers to remember their duty and heritage, even as they clash with the foe. The Praefectus Sacrorum is traditionally the Praetor of the 6th Company.
Praefectus Escasius - Equivalent to a Chief Victualler, this Praetor is responsible for all of the Chapter's supply needs, particularly those pertaining to food, drink and the other personal requirements of the Chapter's Astartes and human support personnel. Traditionally, this role is assigned to the commander of the 7th Company.
Praefectus Carnifex - Equivalent rank to a Lord Executioner. Assigned to the Praetor of the Chapter's elite 8th Assault Company, this commander is the master of the Chapter's assault forces. This Praetor commands the Lancearii formations when squads are deployed from multiple companies to act as a single unit in the field. He also oversees their training. Oftentimes, the Dominus Carnifex is a brutal and direct individual, not so much given to glittering heroics and flamboyant challenges as short, bloody and efficient close combats. Clutching his favoured master-crafted melee weapon in his hands, he strides purposely forward in battle, the expression of a stone-cold killer writ on his face as he heads towards his grim duty. His artificer armour is often impressively detailed with embossed skulls, scrollwork, and multiple purity seals. Of all the Imperius Ravagers Praetors within the Chapter, the Dominus Carnifex is the most menacing.
Praefectus Balistarius - Equivalent rank to a Master of Ordnance, this Praetor is charged with the heavy weapons and relic weapons utilised by the Ballistarii (Devastator Marines) of the Chapter. He also leads formations of said marines when so required by the mission. He projects an aura of stoic watchfulness as he directs the withering look upon distant foes. On his backpack is installed a targeting array that matches the angle of his gaze, gathering telemetry information to be fed to the Chapter's Devastator Marines.
Praefectus Tirones - Equivalent to a Master of Recruits, the Praetor who is responsible for training all of the Chapter's Tirones (Neophytes). He will be a skilled Veteran of hundreds of battles and a shrewd judge of character, easily able to determine what will bring out the best in the genetically-altered adolescents who survived their Aspirant Trials and transform them into true Astartes. As the leader of a Scout Company, the Master of Recruits will be an expert in the irregular forms of combat that define the missions of Space Marine Scouts, including sabotage, infiltration, and counterinsurgency. Traditionally, this role is assigned to the commander of the 10th Company.
Specialist Ranks[]
Tetrarch - A Tetrarch is a specialty rank held by the four exalted officers of the Chapter that make up the Tetrarchy, who attends the Legatus Praetore as his personal advisors.
Prefectus Fabrorum - Equivalent rank to a Master of the Forge, the Chapter's senior-most Techmarine.
Fabrorum - Equivalent rank to a Techmarine.
Delegatus - A Delegatus is a specialty rank held by a mid-ranking Chapter officer, such as a Centurion, who is often granted this rank and tasked with specific missions by Chapter high command and formally dispatched to act in all matters with the full weight of their commander's authority. As such, they could mobilise the Chapter's resources to the full, deploy its assets and, if performing a mission of vital strategic worth, assemble a strike force of chosen warriors.
Pontifex Primus - Equivalent rank to a Reclusiarch of the Chapter.
Pontiff - Equivalent rank to a Chaplain.
Primus Medicae - Equivalent rank to a Chief Apothecary of the Chapter.
Medicae - Equivalent rank to an Apothecary.
Augur Primae - Equivalent rank to a Chief Librarian of the Chapter.
Augurius - Equivalent rank to a Chapter Librarian.
Signiferi - Equivalent rank to a Standard Bearer.
Eques - A specialty designation given to a battle-brother who is a pilot of an aerial vehicle or a driver of an armoured vehicle.
Venerable Brother - This is the designation given to the Chapter's living ancestors - those battle-brothers that have fallen mortally wounded in battle and been interred within the sarcophagus of a Dreadnought to continue serving the Emperor beyond the point of death. These honoured ancients serve as living monuments to both the triumphs and the tragedy that define the Imperius Ravagers' past. They are living monuments of war intended to tie their fellow battle-brothers yet unborn to the memory of the glories of their patriarch, Bruticus Kratos and their gene-sire Roboute Guilliman. These ancient warriors have grown prideful as a result of their enhanced abilities in combat due to their permanent internment and will often seek out other Dreadnoughts or walkers in combat to display their superiority. Though their battle-brothers respect and honour the past deeds of these venerable warriors, they will often keep a safe distance once these ancient killers are released on the field of battle, so as not to stray within their engagement area. As such, Venerable Brothers will often fight alone or in small groups, negating the need for support from their fellow Astartes once they enter close combat.
Line Ranks[]
Decurion Primus - Equivalent rank to a Veteran Sergeant, the senior-most Sergeant within a company.
Decurion - Equivalent rank to a Sergeant.
Evocatus - Equivalent rank to a full battle-brother.
Hastatus - Equivalent rank to a Scout Marine.
Tiro - A novice, equivalent to a Neophyte.
Specialist Formations[]
Tetrarchy - The Tetrarchy is composed of four exalted officers of the Imperius Ravagers known as the Tetrarchs who attend the Legatus Praetore as his personal advisors. The Tetrarchy exists outside the rest of the Chapter's regular command structure. Together the Tetrarchy functions as the soul of the Imperius Ravagers, supporting their Chapter Master and steering the Chapter's temperament and decisions. Only those officers who possess the necessary qualities of strength and charisma are ever allowed to serve at their Chapter Master's side.
Praetorians - Elite Terminator-armoured Veteran Marines of the elite 1st Company who act as the Legatus Praetore's personal Honour Guard.
Squad Formations[]
Triarii - (Singular: Triarius) A Terminator-armoured Veteran Squads.
Vexillarii - (Singular: Vexillarius) Equivalent to a Veteran Marine Squad.
Principes (Singular: Princeps) Equivalent to a Battleline Squad.
Lancearii - (Singular: Lanciarius) Equivalent to a Close Support Squad.
Ballistarii - (Singular: Ballistarius) Equivalent to a Fire Support Squad.
Hastati - (Singular: Hastatus) Equivalent to a Scout Marine or Vanguard Space Marine Squad.
Tirones - (Singular: Tiro) A newly inducted Neophyte.
Non-Astartes Personnel[]
Trierarch - Equivalent rank to an Imperial Navy Captain, this specialty rank is assigned to one of the Chapter's mortal officers who possess a long history of space combat and commanding fleet engagements, such as a former or current commanding officer of the Imperial Navy who has been seconded to the Chapter under ancient inter-service agreements.
Beneficiarii - (Singular: Beneficiarius) Calatores who serve as orderlies and perform various services for the various senior officers of the Chapter, such as the Reclusiarch and Primus Medicae.
Calatores (Singular: Calator) This is a term when referring to the Chapter's human serfs who are charged with carrying out the day-to-day functions within the Chapter.
Like their progenitors, the Imperius Ravagers' gene-seed is very stable and has never exhibited signs of mutation. However, it has been noted that there are several idiosyncrasies in the Imperius Ravagers' gene-seed which often makes implantation more difficult in potential candidates taken from outside the Acheron System. The reasons for this are not quite clear, as the fleshmasters of the Magos Bioligis have been unable to determine what factors have caused such incompatibilities. Some have theorised that due to the constant warfare and the brutal harshness of their lives, that the genetic material introduced into the Imperius Ravagers' genome seems to have inherited the Charopósians' bellicose savagery and thirst for war. Therefore, the Chapter's gene-seed seems to possess a higher compatibility rate amongst the recruits taken from Charopós and its surrounding worlds.
Primarch's Curse: Blood & Rage[]
The Imperius Ravagers' gene-seed also manifests in the form of their ferocious and war-like mien, which grants them great powers but also threatens to consume them. In battle, it has been noted that some battle-brothers are prone to falling into a 'battle-rage' which enables them to fight on despite suffering horrendous wounds - severed limbs and massive trauma - that would normally fall even a transhuman Astartes warrior. These afflicted battle-brothers are prone to suffering subsequent bouts of battle-rage, which over time, can utterly consume a warrior, leaving him a raving psychopath. Only through great discipline, the strength of will, and the watchfulness of their fellow battle-brothers, can Imperius Ravagers Astartes hope to master themselves and avoid such a dark fate. Only the older, veteran Astartes within the Chapter are privy to such knowledge, having witnessed one of their fellow warriors fall into the throes of the so-called 'Blood Madness', or experiencing it for themselves. Fortunately, this phenomenon is uncommon and the rate at which these incidences occur is low, therefore, the Imperius Ravagers have avoided official scrutiny by the Imperium at large, thus far.
When the Chapter's genetic curse manifests itself in anafflictedd Battle-Brohter, it comes on in three stages:
Stage 1 (Kill-Frenzy) - The Battle-Brother completely loses control when he frenzies and finds it almost impossible to claw his way back to reason as long as there are foes to fight and blades drawn. Even when foes are not near, the madness of this killing frenzy grips him and he rages endlessly for battle and blood, howling out his anger and striking the ground with his blade. The Battle-Brother must take care, lest he loses control at any moment. Any time the Battle-Brother takes damage is confronted with a clear threat or is put in a position of great stress, he must summon all his willpower in order to contain his fury for the duration of an encounter with an enemy.
Stage 2 (Merciless) - The Imperius Ravager constantly thirsts for battle and longs to see blood spilled across the ground in great arcs and gouts. They also crave the feeling of hot blood on their skin and splattering across their armour, staining their darkened battle-plate a darker shade still. The Battle-Brother engages foes in close combat if possible, either making melee attacks against them or shooting point blank with pistols so that their blood spills at his feet. When he downs a foe, he must resist the urge to hack or blast the foe's corpse apart. If the Battle-Brother is attacked by a new foe while he is in this state while hacking at another foe, he will turn his attention to his new attacker instead.
Stage 3 (Blood Madness) - In the latter stages, the Imperius Ravager is little more than a rage-soaked killing machine, filled with fury and madness, striking out at all those around him. In between battles, he must be placed in stasis so he does not inadvertently release his killing wrath upon his own battle-brothers. While he may still have lucid moments where he remembers the warrior he once was, these are fleeting and quickly gone to be replaced with only the thought of killing and the thirst for blood, and he will attack the nearest target (friend or foe) if there is more than one to choose from. At this point, the Battle-Brother is completely within the grip of the Blood Madness and is usually transferred to the ranks of the Lancearii Breacher Assault Squads.
Chapter Combat Doctrine[]
"I come at you!"
— Praefectus Castrorum Lucius Invictus, Commander of the Imperius Ravagers 2nd Company. This was the Praetor's open declaration of war to the dishonourable stealthy tactics often employed by their foes. A common Charopósian phrase used to denote an unequivocal declaration of one's intentions.
The Imperius Ravagers' tactical doctrine has always erred towards the use of shock tactics, close-quarters combat, and above all, the brutal application of focused and overwhelming force to obliterate their foes. They possess a deserved reputation for being fierce fighters, for first and foremost, they are warriors, having acquitted themselves on the field of battle with almost legendary savagery. As the Imperius Ravagers prepare for battle and see the enemy, they often choose to directly engage their foes in melee combat. This proclivity extends throughout the Chapter from the leadership elements down to the newest recruits. As such, when preparing for an engagement, the Imperius Ravagers' commanders generally plan their tactics in a way that takes advantage of this tendency, instead of attempting to fight against it.
They prefer to deploy more as skirmishers than line troops, unleashing their strength where it will make the most difference when fighting alongside other Imperial military forces. This Chapter also has a propensity towards habitually deploying the majority of their elite 1st Company Traiarii (Terminator Armoured Veterans) in battle as Vanguard Squads where a Terminator assault is not warranted. Even the Imperius Ravagers' Principes (Tactical) and Ballistarii (Devastator) Squads prefer to engage at point-blank range when possible.
Though the Imperius Ravagers display competency and familiarity with armoured vehicles and fast-attack transports, such as land speeders and thunderhawk gunships, they chose to rely on the core tactic of deploying large detachments of mobile heavy infantry. In this way, the Chapter is able to make use of the bloody prowess of their warriors to carry the day in battle. The Imperius Ravagers prefer to take the initiative and often endeavour to be the initiator of battle, preferring not to fight on the defensive.
The Imperius Ravagers are also known for their refusal to give ground during battle, even when it is mutually beneficial to do so, which has become a defining trait of the Chapter and is firmly ingrained in their combat doctrine. Many times in the Chapter's history, there have been several incidences of the Imperius Ravagers fighting a particularly savage foe to mutual annihilation. On the very rare occasions that these brutal Astartes have been observed by other Imperial forces in battle, they have reported that never before have they witnessed such nightmarish scenes of carnage and destruction. They have also noted that many of the Imperius Ravagers often willingly fight on despite suffering horrendous wounds.
Chapter Beliefs[]
Codex Astartes[]
The Imperius Ravagers are unusual for a Successor Chapter of the vaunted Ultramarines, for despite being the inheritors of Roboute Guilliman's gene-legacy they feel that they have grown beyond the need to adhere to the rigid dictates of the Codex Astartes, and instead have opted to forge their own path in life and war using the blood-soaked bought battle-wisdom earned from millennia of endless warfare. Yet despite their fierce independence and bellicose nature, they still venerate their gene-father as other Scions of Guilliman Chapters do, for the Imperius Ravagers' oaths of allegiance are sworn to him and to the Master of Mankind.
Despite outside observations, the Imperius Ravagers still venerate the words of Guilliman, for he was both an indefatigable warrior as well as a superlative tactician who possessed preternatural intelligence, cold reason, and an indomitable will - traits that are highly admired by the Imperius Ravagers. Though they look upon the Codex Astartes as a foundation for their way of life, they do not literally follow its teachings through blind orthodoxy, for to do so would be both foolish and unwise. They have taken into account what they have observed down the millennia during their ceaseless crusades against the multitude of enemies of Mankind, having learned many hard-fought lessons. The Imperius Ravagers do not believe in rigidly adhering to dogma, for this is what has led to much of the stagnation and apparent difficulties that currently runs rampant throughout the wider Imperium.
Ecclesiarchy & the Emperor[]
"Men are nearly always willing to believe what they wish."
— Typical show of disdain by the Imperius Ravagers when referring to the worship of the "God-Emperor".
Like many of their fellow Adeptus Astartes Chapters, the Imperius Ravagers seldom follow the tenets of the Imperial Cult. They do not believe that the Emperor is a divine being, as they still follow the core beliefs of the Imperial Truth - the ancient rationalist ideology promulgated by the Emperor during the Unification Wars and Great Crusade. This ideology was defined by the core values of reason, science, and secular progress, unlike the older traditions of religion, superstition and faith that had long defined the bloody and often violent history of Mankind. At its heart, the tenets of the Imperial Truth are still followed by the Imperius Ravagers. The Chapter believes that the Emperor's Imperial Truth should be adhered to in order to free Mankind from fear, superstition and false beliefs by embracing the empirical and the rational. As the Imperius Ravagers often encounter sorcerers and preachers of the profane, they understand and are able to identify their enemy's weaknesses, utilising an extensive arsenal of psyarkana devices capable of combating the insidious influence of the Warp.
The Imperius Ravagers show great disdain for the demagogue and the pontifex and belief that those who rule the Imperial Cult, too often, manipulate the ignorant unwashed masses in order to live lives of opulence and lord over them with an iron fist, believing themselves to be the rightful shepherds of Mankind's soul - an ignorant and often dangerous belief - according to the Astartes of the unforgiving Imperius Ravagers. The original founding members of the Chapter were all Great Crusade and Horus Heresy era veterans - many of which were alive to remember firsthand the tenants of the Imperial Truth espoused by the Emperor Himself - and whose lessons were handed down by the Primarchs themselves to their sons while they were still alive. The Imperius Ravagers' Primarch Roboute Guilliman understood, perhaps better than the majority of his brothers, that worship of the Emperor and religious zealotry, were some of the primary contributing factors that led to the outbreak of the Horus Heresy. Though the Chapter does maintain its own cadre of Chaplains (Pontifexes) they are not agents of the Ecclesiarchy and instead serve to maintain their Chapter's internal beliefs, and morale to ensure the spiritual purity of their fellow battle-brothers.
Notable Imperius Ravagers[]
Ancient portrait of Bruticus Kratos, founder and first Legatus Praetore of the Imperius Ravagers.
Legatus Praetore Bruticus Kratos - A bellicose and ruthless warrior who held a sinister reputation within his Chapter, Bruticus Kratos was a former Captain of the Ultramarines 8th Assault Company. He had a dark reputation within the Chapter for his heavy-handed style of leadership and was known for meting out draconian punishments for any perceived flaws or weaknesses among his warriors. Kratos was also known for his merciless and bloody-handed ways on the battlefield, for he was a brutal tactician who enjoyed the utter destruction of his foes. An aloof, brooding, and malign warrior, Captain Kratos possessed an aura of barely restrained spite and malice - a far cry from the epitome of honour and righteousness, that was typical of most Ultramarines senior officers. When the 2nd Founding of the Adeptus Astartes occurred, the Ultramarines saw the chance to rid themselves of this troublesome commander, and those battle-brothers under his command who had been imprinted with their ruthless Captain's cruel and brutal mien. Unshackled from the confines of strict adherence to the Codex Astartes, the newly promoted Legatus Praetore (Chapter Master) of the newly incepted Imperius Ravagers quickly led his eponymous Chapter on bloody crusade, forging their own path. From that time forth, the bloody deeds and murderous legacy of the Imperius Ravagers' firstr Legatus Praetore would be writ in the annals of Imperial history and Chapter legends.
Legatus Praetore Thanatos Cronius, current Chapter Master of the Imperius Ravagers.
Legatus Praetore Thanatos Cronius - Thanatos Cronius is the current Chapter Master of the Imperius Ravagers. Like the Chapter's ancient patriarch, he too was the former commander of the Chapter's infamous 8th Assault Company. Displaying a propensity for strategic planning and the brutal application of overwhelming force, his meteoric rise through the ranks saw him assume command of the Imperius Ravagers in only a little over a century of service following the death of his predecessor, Legatus Praetore Lucius Augur Malivos, during the First Tyrannic War against the Tyranid menace of Hive Fleet Behemoth in 745.M41. Legatus Praetore Cronius revels in his dark reputation - his name has become a byword for death and destruction carried out in the name of the Emperor of Mankind. Regarded as brutal, ruthless, and indefatigable by other Adeptus Astartes, Cronius leads his Chapter from the front, forging new legends into the annals of his Chapter's long and blood-soaked sagas. Though a diligent and disciplined logistician and strategist, as befitting a Scion of Guilliman, Cronius has little patience for war councils or strategic planning, preferring the din of battle and the chance to destroy his foes in vicious melee combat. The dichotomy of Cronius as both a champion and defender of the Imperium as well as his sinister reputation as a feared executioner of those who renege on their oaths of fealty to the Golden Throne has earned this deadly commander a far-flung and often mythic reputation amongst the people of the Realms of Ultramar and beyond.
Legatus Praetore Lucius Augur Malivos -
Augur Primae Anaxandros Ophion - Current Chief Librarian of the Imperius Ravagers.
Prefectus Fabrorum Haephestos Gurgos - Current Master of the Forge.
Pontifex Primarus Coronus Akheron - Current Reclusiarch of the Imperius Ravagers.
Primus Medicae Philaon Aclestes - Current Chief Apothecary.
Praetorian Prefect Triton Abraxius - Current commander the 1st Maniple and Equerry to the Legatus Praetore.
Praefectus Fabrum Lucius Invictus - Current commander of the 2nd Maniple and Master of Sieges.
Tesserarius Kriton Nelios - Current commander of the 3rd Maniple and Master of the Watch.
Navarch Acamus Notos - Current commander of the 4th Maniple and Master of the Fleet.
Praefectus Catrorum Bakkus Lycurgos - Current commander of the 5th Maniple and Master of the Marches.
Praefectus Sacrorum Telamon Nemeios - Current commander of the 6th Maniple and Master of Rites.
Praefectus Escasius Eumenes Proioxis - Current commander of the 7th Maniple and Chief Victualler.
Praefectus Carnifex Tartaros Algos - Current commander of the 8th Maniple and Master of Executions.
Praefectus Balistarius Zagreus Skamandros - Current commander of the 9th Maniple and Master of Relics.
Praefectus Tirones Daedalos Xanthus - Current commander of the 10th Maniple and Master of Recruits.
Honoured Malivos, 'The Axe of Kratos', venerable brother of the 1st Maniple.
Honoured Malivos, 'The Axe of Kratos' - Honoured Malivos is a Venerable Brother of the 1st Maniple. He is the most ancient Venerable Dreadnought amongst the ranks of the living ancestors within the Chapter and serves as the living memory of the Imperius Ravagers' earliest history. When the Arch-Traitor unleashed his war in his hubristic quest to tear the crown from the Emperor's brow, Horus ignited a conflict, unlike any the burgeoning Imperium, had faced. In just a few short years the Warmaster and his treacherous servants achieved what two centuries of unceasing war against the xenos and malcontent had failed to do - shatter the Imperium and brutalise its Legions. Legionaries fell in their droves, leading casualties to outstrip new recruits. In the face of such destruction, each Legion was confronted with a dilemma, forcing them to turn to newer methods to replenish their numbers, no matter the cost. This saw the formation of the Legio Inductii - newly created Legionaries who had never known the glory of the Great Crusade, but only a galaxy consumed by war.
Atreus Malivos was one of these newly created Legionaries, undergoing harsh training programmes supplemented by intensive bouts of hypno-indoctrination in an attempt to rapidly mould Legionaries' minds. He took part in many of the early actions of the Horus Heresy which became ideal proving grounds for these new Legionaries, for they were brutal affairs which forged survivors of great mettle. Malivos fought in the campaign that came to be known as the so-called Shadow Crusade against the blood-maddened World Eaters and their corrupted allies from the despised Word Bearers Traitor Legion. Having never faced such blood-crazed berserk warriors, casualties amongst the Ultramarines Inductii during this conflict exceeded nearly all other recorded losses, yet those that survived stood prominent, for those warriors that survived were transformed into slaughterers with few equals. This blood-bought wisdom left an indelible mark on Malivos' soul, imprinting a bellicose and brutal mein upon him. A thousand times a thousand dead were heaped at the feet of this savage and unforgiving warrior, whose unwarranted excess upon the battlefield was filled with ill-omens, blood and death. Eventually, he was assigned to the ranks of the elite assault cadre of the newly re-constituted 8th Chapter under the command of the willful and unforgiving Bruticus Kratos. Despite his dark reputation, his brutal efficiency and tactical acumen as a warrior saw him curry favour with his merciless commander which quickly saw Malivos' rise to the rank of Centurion and Kratos' right-hand man. He was eventually selected to be one of his commander's Equerries, serving as a trusted comrade, aide and confidant.
Following the events of the Horus Heresy and the subsequent Great Scouring, Malivos continued to serve alongside his commander in this capacity until 021.M32, when the newly appointed Lord Commander of the Imperium, Roboute Guilliman, decreed the dissolution of the Space Marine Legions into separate, smaller formations known as Chapters. Following his ascension to Chapter Master, Kratos chose Malivos as one of his command cadre of his newly formed Imperius Ravagers Chapter. Raised to the rank of Praetor (Captain), Malivos commanded the 8th Maniple, the Chapter's elite Assault Company. He continued to lead his warriors in this capacity for the next few centuries until he fell in combat while battling an incursion of the hated Word Bearers Traitor Legion. Recovering his shattered mortal remains which still maintained a whisper of life, Malivos was recognised for his long and dedicated service to the Emperor and was granted the esteemed honour of being interred within the sarcophagus of a Venerable Dreadnought, becoming the first of his Chapter to do so.
Chapter Relics[]
Cingulum - The Cingulum is a belt formed from several studded straps of leather or a similarly strong and flexible material, which serves as a place for the hanging of victorex and other accolades of valour. Such belts are common decorations amongst the Imperius Ravagers, a tradition they carried over from their Ultramarines' heritage. The appearance of a Cingulum also varies with the type of small, detailed plates that have been used to stud it and the choices of what terminal decorations hang upon it.
Helm of Anaxandridas - Decurion Primus Anaxandridas is a legend in the annals of the Imperius Ravagers, having served in some of the Chapter's earliest and most lauded victories. This ancient master-crafted Mk IV helmet contains the pinnacle of augury sensors and prophesier readouts. A dedicated cogitator bank also provides tactical recommendations based on thousands of years of both compiled Imperius Ravagers and Ultramarines combat history.
Heraldry Scrolls - Scrolls worked into a Battle-Brother's armour, either as metalwork or a placard are popular in many Chapters, and the Imperius Ravagers are no exception. This crest may display a motto or title, but most commonly it bears the Chapter's name or the name of an individual battle-brother, so that his enemies know who brings their deaths, and tales of their deeds may travel.
Honour Blades - Another tradition carried over from their Ultramarines' heritage, these peerless weapons are presented to champions of the Chapter. Honour Blades consist of a matching Broadsword and Poniard Power Sword set. Wielded together, the blades are perfectly matched and provide the champion with an expert defence and attack.
Legatine Axes - Created to the specifications of Primarch Guilliman himself after a comprehensive study of thousands of individual power weapon designs from across the many worlds of humanity, the Legatine Axes' design is that of a precise and perfectly balanced instrument of war. Requiring great skill to master, the weapons are swifter to wield than most power axes, but lack the brute destructive force of many of their kind, relying instead on the skillful placement of blows to inflict maximum harm. These finely-wrought master-crafted weapons were often presented to the elite warriors of the Praetorians.
Chapter Fleet[]
The following are the most well-known vessels possessed by the Imperius Ravagers. They also possess an unknown number of Strike Cruisers, Escorts and support vessels:
Spear of Kratos (Goliath-class Battleship) - The Spear of Kratos is a recently forged vessel based upon the ancient Great Crusade-era Goliath-class ship design, one of many such warships, recently commissioned for construction by the newly returned Primarch Guilliman to take part in the Indomitus Crusade. Granted to the Imperius Ravagers to carry out their wrath against the Forces of Chaos, the Spear of Kratos is a profound gift that was graciously accepted by the Imperius Ravagers from their gene-sire. Serving as the Chapter's newly commissioned flagship of their substantial war fleet, the Imperius Ravagers now eagerly take the fight to the forces of the Great Enemy, bringing their unfettered wrath down upon Mankind's greatest foes.
Blade of Guilliman (Warpsite-class Battle Barge) - The former flagship of the Imperius Ravagers, this ancient and venerable vessel is held in high esteem by the Imperius Ravagers as it has long served the Chapter, having served as their first Legatus Praetore's personal command vessel since the Chapter's inception. Though it no longer serves as the Chapter's main flagship, it is still treated with much respect and admiration by the Imperius Ravagers, and as such, has an honoured position within the Chapter's mighty war fleet, serving as the command vessel of Praetorian Prefect Abraxius of the Veteran 1st Company.
Fist of Vosotho (Legate-class Battle Barge)
Gage's Honour (Legate-class Battle Barge)
Glory or Death (Ironclad-class Battle Barge)
Honour's Wrath (Warspite-class Battle Barge)
Calth's Lament (Mortis Rex-class Battle Barge)
Antrodamicus (Grand Cruiser) - Named in honour of the original Ultramarines Legion's vessel destroyed during the Battle of Calth.
Chapter Appearance[]
Chapter Colours[]
The Imperius Ravagers primarily wear dark grey power armour. The insets of both shoulder pauldrons are light gray in colour. The Aquila or Imperialis on the chest guard is also dark grey in colour. Of further note is their distinctive helmets, which are of the distinctive 'Lorica' sub-type, an idiosyncratic variant of the widely used Mark VII 'Aquila' pattern produced by the artificers of the Imperius Ravagers. The faceplates of these helmets have a very distinct appearance as they are crafted in the typical Charopósian style. Many of these helmets are also adorned with the Imperius Ravagers' trademark red-dyed horse hair longitudinal crests, which go from front to back. Officers can be identified by their unique transverse crests that go from ear to ear and are dyed black and red.
The battle-brothers of this Chapter are also known for wearing their tell-tale balteus - a plate-covered belt - which has four heavy strips of leather and studs embedded along its length. These leather strips also hang from the outer edge of their shoulder pauldrons as well, in the traditional Charopósian fashion. On the right shoulder pauldron is a black, open-faced squad specialty symbol (Fire Support, Close Support, Battleline, Veteran, or Command) which identifies an individual's assigned role.
The power armour worn by the Astartes of this Chapter typically bears syncretic Charopósian iconography, worn on one of the shoulder pauldrons, poleyn (knee guard), or weapon, which supposedly denotes rank and battlefield record. Many of these symbols have meanings hidden from outsiders to the Chapter, though it is believed that the numeration and colouration of the "lambda" Helikan-glyph markings common to the Imeprius Ravagers' heraldry refer to attested "kills" against worthy opponents in single combat, likely in increasing order of magnitude.
Chapter Badge[]
The Imperius Ravagers' Chapter badge is a pair of crossed black coloured axes with a stylised large black skull centered between the axes, a laurel of victory surrounding the skull, and centered upon a field of silver.
The Blades of Dorn are a Sucessor Chapter descended from the proud lineage of the stoic Rogal Dorn. They were created during the tumultuous centuries of the Nova Terra Interregnum, sometime during the 35th Millennium, to help bring much-needed security to the Imperium, which had been split in half following the secession of the Segmentum Pacificus from the Imperium of Man. The Blades of Dorn were one such Chapter created to help counteract the many outside threats to the unstable borders of the Imperium during this dark period of unrest and civil strife. The Imperius Ravagers were one of several Chapters called upon by the High Lords of Terra to mobilise to this troubled region of the galaxy to help counteract the rapid erosion and contradiction of the Imperium's borders. The Ravagers soon found themselves fighting alongside the newly created Blades of Dorn, which quickly garnered a reputation for being one of the most highly active Chapters during this conflict, deploying from warzone to warzone fighting against secessionist forces as well as responding to various emergencies and adding their strength to multiple ongoing campaigns. Fighting alongside the Blades and their fellow Scions of Guilliman - the Wardens of Orask, these three Chapters often helped to tip the balance of several conflicts in the Imperium's favour. Forming unbreakable bonds of friendship and brotherhood in the heat of battle, the Imperius Ravagers were one of the few Chapters that continued to support the Blades of Dorn following the fall from grace - and eventual ex-communication - of their progenitors, the Crusaders of Dorn. Despite the aspersions, suspicions and outright hostility shown to the Blades the Imperius Ravagers stood by their cousin Chapter and vehemently argued on their behalf that they were both honourable and devoutly loyal, despite their progenitor's sins. Whenever called upon, the Imperius Ravagers have eagerly answered the Blades' call, and have fought alongside this dedicated and stalwart Chapter several times down the millennia.
This bellicose and ruthless Chapter was created during the 4th Founding and shares a similar fearsome mien and bitter anima as the Imperius Ravagers. Hailing from the same proud lineage of the Ultramarines, these two bloody-handed Chapters forged strong bonds of brotherhood during their long crusade from Macragge to the Segmentum Obscurus, where they were both assigned as Chapters of the Astartes Praeses, one of the several Chapters charged with permanent overwatch of the Eye of Terror. During that time, the Imperium was rife with civil strife and insurrection, and so, the Chapters created during this time were often of a brutal demeanour, forging ruthless reputations as blood-soaked executioners of the Emperor's divine will. Finding themselves of like-mind, these two Chapters launched a brutal war of reciprocity against the heretics, apostates and the xenos. Since that time, though these two Chapters have not fought alongside one another for several millennia, they both swore binding blood-oaths, that should one Chapter ever call upon the other for aid, they would do so - a debt repaid by both sides only on a handful of occasions.
Almost since their inception, the Wardens of Orask have been staunch allies of their fellow Scions of Guilliman, the brutal and bellicose Imperius Ravagers. Not long after their inception in the 34th Millennium, these two Chapters found themselves fighting alongside one another, to enforce the quarantine zone around the Ghoul Stars during the mysterious event known as the Pale Wasting. The Imperius Ravagers deployed half their Chapter to help stem the tide against a mysterious xenos invasion that swept across scores of Imperial worlds as "nightmare engines" slaughtered the populations of whole sectors. Finding themselves of like-mind and similar mien, these two Chapters ruthlessly executed their duties in the persecution of these deadly xenos. Much of what occurred during this tumultuous period in Imperial history has been censored or purposely destroyed, but what is known is that eleven Space Marine Chapters were lost in the final battles of this apocalyptic struggle. These Scions of Guilliman formed strong bonds of brotherhood, forged in blood and fire, as they willingly sacrificed themselves to stem the tide of this dire xenos threat. Since that dark age, the Wardens and the Imperius Ravagers have vowed to answer one another's call should the need arise, a debt that has been repaid only on a handful of occasions down the millennia.
"If numbers are what matters, all of the Imperium cannot match a small part of that army; but if courage is what counts, this number is sufficient."
— Imperius Ravagers Legatus Praetore Bruticus Kratos' reply to Imperial Commanders when they asked why the Chapter Master had come to fight such a huge host of the Forces of Chaos with so few Astartes (100 Evocatii) during the Last Stand at Acheron Primus.
"The die is cast."
— Imperius Ravagers Tribune Remus Pompeia's reply, when a rebellious Imperial world refuses the Imperium's overtures for a peaceful resolution, and the inevitable violent response that will ensue.
"Veni, vidi, vici." (Translated from High Gothic, "I came; I saw: I conquered."
— Astrotelepatic message relaying Imperius Ravagers Legatus Janus Terentia's curt response to Imperial High Command after achieving a quick, but decisive victory against the Orks of WAAAGH! Steeljaw on the world of Hadron IV.
"It is easier to find men who will "volunteer" to die than to find those who are willing to endure pain with patience."
— Imperius Ravagers Decurion Primus, Alexandros Decimia, rounding up the remaining Astra Militarum survivors of an Ork assault, and "volunteering" them to stand in place and hold a position at all costs.
"Cowards die many times before their actual deaths."
— An Imperius Ravagers Decurion explaining his Chapter's philosophy of war, before executing an Astra Militarum lieutenant for showing cowardice in the face of the enemy.
"The nearest way to glory is to strive to be what you wish to be thought to be."
"As a rule, men worry more about what they can't see than about what they can."
— Imperius Ravagers Evocatus Ganicus Lavaria
"Only the dead have seen the end of war."
— Anonymous Imperius Ravagers Evocatus on the nature of the eternal war the Imperium must fight.
"Fools take to themselves the respect that is given to their office."
— Typical disdain showed by an Imperius Ravagers Astartes for Imperial authorities.
"Through every generation of the human race, there has been a constant war, a war with fear. Those who have the courage to conquer it are made free and those who are conquered by it are made to suffer until they have the courage to defeat it, or death takes them."
— Imperius Ravagers Pontifex Primus (Reclusiarch) Augustine Numitor
"You want us to storm The Hexagon, a place full of enclosed and tight spaces? It's almost insulting how easy this'll be."
— Unknown Imperius Ravagers Lancearii during The Reckoning
"Fo spērāte!"
— Common Imperius Ravagers battle cry. Translated from Charopósian, "Make them fear!
Feel free to add your own
About the Imperius Ravagers[]
"Cut from cloth of aquamarine, shined and sharp their blades will gleam. Brutal killers and bloody kings carried forth on wrathful wings. Made in hate and forged in rage, chained inside of loyalty's cage."
"Our cousins are not so dissimilar to us Ludic. Truly. Both our Chapters fight without mercy or discrimination. We both value iron resolve and unwavering will, and the knowledge gleaned from millennia of waging war. The only difference between us, is the distance at which we fight."
"Oh yes, I look forward to fighting alongside you Thanatos, you might actually keep up with me, if you really try."
— Chapter Master Eulitus Ephrain of the Wings of Salvaxes giving a friendly barb to Legatus Praetore Thanatos Cronius
"Our system of trenches had been beaten down by hordes of enemies we couldn't even see over the piles of the putrid and dead bodies of our own men that laid before us. In the muddy fields of brown, we saw the corpses further piling up, we were sure we were about to meet our end. Determined to meet my fate early, I made sure to run like a madman to join in or die in the bloodshed beyond. Beyond the wall of flesh, I was astonished to see heretics mercilessly cut down by the ripping chain-axes of the Imperius Ravagers. This pile of bodies hadn't been a terrible omen of our doom, but a twisted gift from our God-Emperor!"
— A record found in the diary of an anonymous Imperial Guardsmen
"In such a galaxy full of unknown terrors and horrors that lurk just beyond the veil of reality, thank the God-Emperor that humanity has such monsters of its own to protect us."
An Imperius Ravagers Tribune (Shield-Lieutenant) of the Triarii (Terminator-armoured Veteran Marines) of the elite 1st Company, assigned to the Legatus Praetore's personal Praetorian Guard (Honour Guard).Arrayed in relic Cataphractii Terminator battle-plate and wielding a Hades-pattern Power Axe.
An Imperius Ravagers Centurion (Junior Lieutenant) of the Chapter's Triarii (Terminator-armoured Veteran Squads) of the elite 1st Company. Arrayed in Indomitus pattern Terminator battle-plate and wielding a Storm Bolter and relic Lightning Claws.
Imperius Ravagers Praefectus Castrorum (Master of the Marches) Bakkus Lycurgos, Commander of the 5th Company.
An Imperius Ravagers Decurion (Sergeant) of a Lancearii (Close Support Squad, Line-Breaker Detachment) Note: Typically armed with melee weapons, including a Power Sword (Charopósian-pattern) and Combat Shield. They also have a bolt pistol as a backup weapon.
An Imperius Ravagers Evocatus (Battle-Brother) of a Lancearii (Close Support Squad, Line-Breaker Detachment), armed with an artificer-wrought Hoplite-Pattern Power Spear. Note: Typically armed with a multitude of melee weapons, in this case, a Power Sword (Charopósian-pattern) and Combat Shield. Also armed with a bolt pistol as a backup weapon.
An Imperius Ravagers Evocatus (Battle-Brother) assigned to a Lancearii (one of the Chapter's elite Close Support Squads), armed with a pair of deadly relic chain-axes.
An Imperius Ravagers Evocatus (Battle-Brother) assigned to the Chapter's Ballistarii (Fire Support detachments).
An Imperius Ravagers Evocatus (Battle-Brother) Primaris Intercessor assigned to a Princeps Squad (Battleline Squad).
Chapter History
