So for my next 40k Army I will be joining the "Good" side with a Marine army. I have been fascinated with the fluff of Raven Guard and deepstriking marines since they were a Chapter Approved list way back in 3rd edition. They were one of the finalists for my first GW army. So I want to do a elite strike force feel to my next army, and Raven Guard fits the bill...except!
The big except is the paint scheme. I'm not entirely sure a black army with grey edging will be a terrible challenge for my skills, so I'm going to make a successor chapter, and my own successor at that.
Back story:
In the not too distant future after the Targus campaign, Captain Kayvaan Shrike was sent on a holy pilgramage to the Nemesis subsector near the Eye of Terror. His mission was to investigate a world, Nemesis IV, that had recently been rumored of posessing of pre-Heresy technology. The Cheif Librarian of the Raven Guard beleiving, that these rumors may have something to do with their Primarch's travels to the Eye of Terror many centuries before.
Upon arriving on Nemesis IV, Captain Shrike and his team were strangely able to find no invasion of Chaos despite the world being a Feral world so near the Eye of Terror. Rather, the local tribes sang of a prophet to the mighty Man-God of Humankind. Indeed, with some research Shrike uncovered that the prophet was named Corvus and cave drawings showed him to be a white skinned giant. Certain, that his progenetor had trod on this very planet after his self imposed exile towards the Eye of Terror, Shrike interrogated the local shaman's for every last byte of data.
One shaman, recognizing the similarities between Shrike and the prophet Corvus, and mistakenly beleiving Shrike was a second coming and took Shrike to the most holy of thier tribes places. A cave with an entrance nearly covered over by ivy and vines, but only a few feet into the entrance the stone of the cave smoothed to a flawless grade and perfect rectangular shape. Clearly this cave was man made. Following the cave Shrike came to a large grey double door that gleamed dully like iron when bathed in the light of his power armor. When he layed a hand upon the door, a long undistrubed light in the door blinked to life, a scanner jutted light out and over Shrike, after a few seconds it spewed forth in a digital voice. "Lineage Confirmed. Access granted".
The door hissed open, with fresh air from the outside world sucked into the cavern that had opened up beyond the door. At this point the shaman fled in terror! Inside was a shrine to the Emperor, every bit as detailed if not as large, as the Grand Shrine on Deliverance. Shrike offered a long prayer to the Emperor and rushed forward to investigate more thuroughly. Several tunnels led off of the Shrine room. Beyond a vast complex beyond any mere shrine. The most impressive part of the complex lay beyond a double door that could fit a land raider through easily. Etched into the doors an inscription, large enough to read from 50 paces. "For my children, you will have to battle with ever more furor to follow in my footsteps. - Corax, Master of The Ravens".
Indeed Corax had bestowed a blessing of a fortress upon the Raven Guard, it was stocked with 4 Thunderhawk Drop Transports meant to carry Drop Pods, 100 pristine suits of Power armor adorned as finely as any 1st Company Power Armor should be, 6 new Dreadnoughts ready to be inhabited by fallen heroes of the Raven Guard, and 10 Drop Pods set ready to be loaded into the Thunderhawks. Along with enough weaponry to fit a full company of Marines.
If this had not been enough of a gift, Corax bestowed the fortress with a laberatory, containing enough direct gene-seed in stasis to create 100 marines and the equipment to sustain and create a full chapter more.
Upon relating all this information back to Deliverance, it was decided Shrike would remain on Nemesis along with his company, to form a new Chapter. The Raven Guard bestowed upon Shrike a battle barge and 2 cruisers, Epistolary Zenith and Codicer Harrow, 3 Chaplains and 2 Apothecaries. While it would take the Chapter years to recoup the resources given, clearly it was something desired by their Primarch himself.
And so born were the Ghost Ravens...