Just another reblogger @yo-ma-lei - Tumblr Blog

Corvus Corax and the Raven Guards: addressing some common misconceptions and lore [Part I]

Translator's note: This is a translation of a meta essay written by 沈某 in Chinese, originally posted on Jan 2024. The original can be found here, and I have OP's permission to translate and repost this here. The author can also be found on RedNote here. Any further translator’s notes and additions from me will be in purple. There is a second part coming up. The link will be added here once it's done.

Author's note: The characterisation of Corax and his Raven Guards in the canon novels and storyline is quite unique, which leads to the fandom having misconceptions about them. This is not an accusation of any kind, I too was mislead by some of Corax’s actions, but as I learnt more about them I realised there is a lot of contrast in the way they’re characterised, so here I am trying to voice some of my thoughts.

A brief summary

Corax is a depressed goth literature bro

Corax is withdrawn and has a gothic aesthetic, but he is neither depressed nor a literature bro.

2. Corax is a socialist, he is approachable, against class stratification, and promotes freedom

There can’t be any socialists in the Warhammer setting, Corax is against the oppression of the lower class, not the existence of class itself.

3. Corax is a naive baby that got manipulated by the evil tyrannical Emperor

Corax is not naive and stupid, he clearly understands the morality of the Emperor’s actions. He is willing to sacrifice everything for the Emperor’s vision of humanity, and believes that is the reason he was created. The Emperor also trusts Corax completely.

He is also not a hypocrite who serves a tyrant despite his hatred for tyrants. Once again the setting must be considered; Corax’s definition of tyranny is based on abuse of power rather than simply authoritarianism.

4. Corax hates Curze, and looks down on him

Curze thinks everyone hate him, so Corax must hate him too. Before the Heresy Corax did not much of an opinion on anything besides of the Emperor and the Imperium.

5. The original Terran Raven Guards does not obey Corax; he treats them poorly, and discard them when they are no longer useful

Even the Terran Raven Guards that were sent away on independent missions respects Corax greatly. He has already given all his sons enough support and opportunity, and only most obstinate ones died at Gate Forty-Two, and this also pained him greatly.

1. Corax is a depressed goth literature bro

This is a misconception brought about by TTS (If the Emperor had Text-to-Speech Device). TTS itself is a great parody fanwork but many characters that appear in there differs greatly from canon. As many people were introduced to WH through TTS, so it’s expected that there would be misconceptions.

But to be honest, other than the gothic aesthetic, none of the other points there! Are canon!

Corax never said he enjoyed poetry, reading or writing books, he only mentioned in Deliverance Lost that, once the war is over and he retires, he will write a book, and the book will explain the political philosophies he learnt as a child.

“He was a commander, not a governor, and if he had no more battles to fight, he could have happily spent his remaining years, however many hundreds or perhaps thousands that might be, in comfortable retirement; perhaps compiling a treatise on the political lessons he had learned from his mentors on Lycaeus.”

Deliverance Lost, Chapter 6

This is not the same as an author writing a novel, he just wanted to share what he learnt in the form of writing, and it is not stemmed from a love of literature and creation. Another thing is Corax’s final line “nevermore”, which is a reference to The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe, but it’s just a reference, and does not mean that Corax loves poetry.

“His mentors on Lycaeus had taught him of poetry, of rhyme and metre and cadence, but he had never quite been able to see the appeal. Poems reminded him too much of the work-songs the prisoners had invented to keep up their spirits while they had hewn with pick and laser drill at the unforgiving stone of the penal colony. The last three lines left Corax feeling disquieted, though, as if the Emperor had suspected that his Imperium could not endure any more than the great empires of mankind’s long history.”

Deliverance Lost, Chapter 7

This is Corax’s reaction upon seeing poetry written by the Emperor. He didn’t have much thought or emotion in response. He saw the poetry and was reminded of songs he heard before, that’s it.

I interpreted this passage slightly differently, but regardless, there is no canon evidence that Corax liked poetry.

If he had the time, he would’ve better spent it making new equipment for his sons

Shortly after his rise to Captain's rank, Kayvaan Shrike won the Contest of Shadows, a bicentennial trial of stealth and ingenuity. In victory, he was permitted to select any item from the Ravenspire's vaults, his to wield in the Emperor's service until his last breath. Such has ever been a generous prize, for Corax often laboured at the forge in the days after Isstvan V, seeking through the sweat of his brow to replenish an armoury so sorely denuded by the treachery of Horus and the unkindness of fate. Indeed, there even now remain many weapons crafted at the Primarch's hands which have yet to gleam in the flames of war, and it may yet be that many never will, save for in that last striving that one day comes to all warriors, where the enemy presses close and one final stand must be made before all slips into shadow.

Raven Guard Codex 8th edition, p.39

Corax busy making equipment for his sons as seen in the Codex

Also, he is not depressed not depressed not depressed, he really does not have depression. His natural tendency is to stay hidden in the dark, he is more comfortable like that, but he knows that others around him need him to appear sometimes, so when he’s not hiding he’s doing work, and when he does hide it’s more like he can’t be bothered pretending anymore.

Trigger warning: suicidal ideation, as appeared in canon

He did exhibit something similar to suicidal tendencies in Weregeld

“It was a mistake,’ he whispered, still kneeling with the Wolf King cradled close to his chest. ‘We were a mistake, brother, I know that now. I see it for myself, in my own blundering. I see it in the eyes of the mistakes I created, just as surely as the Emperor sees it in ours. There is no sense of guilt, only good intentions gone bad.”

Weregeld, Chapter 4

But this isn’t like the usual tendency of someone in great pain who is seeking an end to their suffering, he simply thought that primarchs are a mistake, so his existence as a primarch is wrong, and he should fix it by dying in battle.

His sudden change of mind was because he felt his duty has not ended so he can’t die yet.

TW over

Corax is a withdrawn man with a gothic aesthetic, and if he is truly mad he would not be bothered speak to anyone, but he’s not depressed and definitely not a literature bro.

2. Corax is a socialist, he is approachable, against class stratification, and promotes freedom

This is a bit more complicated to explain, but in Warhammer, human society hasn’t even reached the capitalism stage. All human worlds, no matter how good the living conditions, are still feudal societies with slavery. With that mind, there really can’t be any socialists.

And if we take a closer look, Corax is actually against slavers mistreating their slaves, the upper class wielding power without respecting each individual’s personal worth, and those who take pleasure in causing suffering. He is not against the idea and existence of class itself.

That much Corvus had understood, even if Manrus had spelled it out in no uncertain terms that such political imprisonment was immoral. To remove one’s enemies made sense to Corvus, especially if they could be turned to a more profitable endeavour. It was the condemnation of the families that Corvus had not fully understood. Again, he could perhaps justify the imprisonment of those related to the first agitators and demagogues, because there would be grounds to suspect a criminal’s beliefs might be shared by those around him. What stretched Corvus’s comprehension was the continued internment of those born and raised in the mines.

Deliverance Lost, Chapter 4

Corax can understand punishing dissenters and making them work in mines, but he thinks the prisoners’ descendants should not be responsible for the crimes of their ancestors.

If only it were that simple,’ said Corax. He had not worked out anything, simply remembered it. The Emperor had never attempted to create what Corax sought, and so there was no base of knowledge for him to recall. ‘That still leaves you with seventy-two different gene-strands to analyse.’ ‘A moment, please,’ said Orlandriaz, laying his hand on Corax’s arm as the primarch turned away. Corax glanced down in annoyance at the magos’s clutching fingers, noticing that the tech-priest’s fingernails looked to be made of a dull bronze. Realising his error, Nexin took his hand away and nodded his head in apology.

Deliverance Lost, Chapter 11

Corax has class consciousness; he values the individual worths of his subordinates, so he encourages free thinking and for people to voice their opinions, however not everyone can speak to him as casually as his sons.

The leaders of the Legion remnants assembled by Corax were a mix of line officers and sergeants for the most part, the odd lieutenant amongst them – warriors of higher rank tended to have been closer to their primarchs at the outset of the civil war. Seated around a long table brought into the grand hall for the assembly, they looked at the primarch with a mixture of hope, wariness and awe. He did not stand up, preferring not to overwhelm the delegates with his physical presence. For the same reason, he had not donned his armour but was dressed in a simple bodysuit of light grey beneath a long charcoal-coloured coat. Like the throne upon which he sat, the clothes had been made for him as a token of favour of Naima by Scaratoan craftsmen and women. It had been a long time, over two years Terran-standard, since he had worn much else other than his armour. He had wondered what it would be like, fearing that perhaps he would feel underdressed, but in fact it allowed him to think more like a civil leader than a general.

Ravenlord, Chapter 5

He opted for a plain appearance as to not imitate others so they could speak properly.

‘A thousand disparate pieces, each of purpose and value, brought together under the control of a single mind,’ said Corax. ‘We shall be the same. A machine, an organism. Of many parts working separately, but invisibly, silently bound by common purpose and thought. I do not ask you to swear loyalty to me, for there is no greater oath you have sworn than by your deeds in the name of the Emperor. I do not ask you to become Raven Guard, for the blood of other fathers and the customs of other worlds have shaped you. You are each what you are, individual – but together, indivisible, we will be even greater.’

Ravenlord, Chapter 5

3. Corax is a naive baby that got manipulated by the evil tyrannical Emperor

The variant of this I see more on Tumblr is that Corax is a hypocrite who, despite his hatred for tyrants, is still loyal to the Emperor, the biggest tyrant of them all, but I have seen both. While it’s not completely the same, some of the points here also address the issue on how Corax views the Emperor and why he remains loyal.

This is a very important point; Corax is not a naive baby, he is a primarch that grew up on a prison world. While most of his foster parents are political prisoners, it’s still a grim prison world, with prison guards that abuse the prisoners and gangs. While Corax was protected by his foster parents and friends, he still grew up surrounded by death.

Moritat-Prime Kaedes Nex A dark figure of gruesome repute amongst the tightly-knit survivors of Deliverance, Kaedes is seen as an ill-omen by his brothers. On Kiavahr in his youth he was known as the Blood Crow, an infamous murderer condemned to rot on the moon-prison. There he remained, until Corvus Corax offered him freedom and a pardon if he fought alongside the other rebels and limited his targets to those chosen by his new master. After enduring a painful late transformation to a Space Marine, it was only by the continued favour shown to him by Corax that he remained within the ranks of the Raven Guard, with few of his brothers willing to tolerate his macabre obsession with the hunt. Yet, in the grim shadow-wars fought by the Raven Guard in furtherance of the Emperor's grand plan, his murder-honed skills were employed with grim regularity. When the Raven Guard came to Isstvan V, Kaedes came with them, vanishing into the wastes to stalk the Traitors on his own terms. Nothing is recorded of his role in either the retreat from the massacre or the days that followed, and some maintain that not all of the Traitor craft to later leave Isstvan V carried only the followers of Horus, that Kaedes continued his private war in the shadows of the Horus Heresy.

The Horus Heresy Book III Extermination, p.280

Kaedes went to prison for murder as a youth, and later, with Corax’s favour, became part of the Moritat, a unit that does the dirty work behind the scenes.

Corvus was half as tall again as the youths around him, and broader by far, but of all those who had met the guerrilla leader Nathian showed almost no fear. The prisoner’s stare matched Corax’s in its intensity. ‘That’s the boon I bring, ain’t it?’ said Nathian. ‘They think I can be trusted. I run the largest smuggling ring on the wing. A few bribes and words here and there will make it a lot easier for you to be moving stuff around, I’d warrant. And I’m no shirker in a fight. I’m dishonest, but I give you my word, for what it’s worth. I want out of this stinking hole as much as any of this lot.’ ‘He knows too much already – a curse on him and his prying,’ said Agapito. ‘Let’s be rid of him. We’ll put the body in the incinerators next shift.’ Nathian sneered, but did not look afraid. ‘No,’ said Corvus. He looked at Nathian closely, and saw the feral danger behind his eyes. A multiple-killer, aged only thirteen. It was not pleasant, but what Corvus had planned would sometimes need men of cold disposition, not just courage. ‘I can use him. Yes, Nathian – I accept your oath. And make no mistake, I will hold you to it.'

Ravenlord, Chapter 14

Nathian became a gang leader at age 13, and followed Corax during the uprising in Deliverance. Corax knew his moral character was not good, but he admires his ability and wants give him guidance, so he accepted him despite complaints from others.

And some voices, disturbing, demented voices that hovered on the edge of memory. He could not recall what they had said, but was left with an uneasy feeling of defiance and distrust.

Deliverance Lost, Chapter 2

Corax actually had high psychic potential, but he doesn’t delve into it or use it on purpose. In Deliverance Lost, the forces of Chaos actually noticed him before he left the incubation pod, and whispered to him, but he ignore it completely.

‘I speak not of you, but the Emperor. What makes his vision of the galaxy any purer than that of Horus, or yours, or the Mechanicum’s? You may have been the weapon the Emperor used against a galaxy of foes, but it was his power that wielded you, unleashed your Legion against those that opposed him.’ Again Corax was forced to think for a moment, to formulate his reply so that a knot of instinct and simple knowing could be unravelled into something more reasoned. ‘The Emperor is all the things he wishes to be. He has been both tyrannical and compassionate, merciless and merciful. But I have seen into him, and I have touched minds with him in a way no other can. And at the core of what others see is a man of humility and wisdom and learning. He is a man driven by the rational. A tyrant craves domination, but the Emperor carries his power like a burden, the responsibility for all of humanity on his shoulders. He is everything he must be, not out of desire, but from duty and necessity.’

Soulforge, Chapter 4

Corax’s retort against the opinion that the Emperor is a tyrant. He is not denying that the Emperor uses some questionable methods and insisting that he is a faultless saint, but rather stating that the Emperor is both cruel and merciful, but he does not desire to rule over everything, but rather view it as a duty.

Corax does not view the Emperor as a tyrant, as he believes the Emperor‘s methods are a means to an end. In his axioms, he defined tyranny as “force without justice”. In a similar vein to his view on class, he is not against the existence of authoritarian rulers itself but rather the abuse of this power to oppress their people. The setting must be considered when interpreting Corax’s political views. There is no hypocrisy in his loyalty to the Emperor because by his definition the Emperor is not a tyrant.

In yet another convergence of great events, it was in the immediate aftermath of the liberation of the prison moon Lycaeus and the opening salvoes of the atomic bombardment of Kiavahr that the Emperor arrived to reclaim his lost son. Unlike events surrounding so many other such meetings however, the Emperor came alone, and the next day left alone. While it is known that the Master of Mankind and the XIX Primarch spoke for long hours, what passed between them remains a matter of conjecture.

The Horus Heresy Book III Extermination, p.133

The Emperor taught Corax to nuke Kiavahr after his arrival on Deliverance, and taught him that sacrifice is necessary in order to achieve his ideals.

In Deliverance Lost, the Emperor arrived after the atomic charges have been dropped in Kiavahr. Corax himself was reluctant to drop the bombs, out of consideration for the innocents, but after input from his friends and mentors, he gave the order in the end. Regardless of the order of events, and who prompted him to drop the atomic charges, this shows that Corax is far from innocent and naive.

He had been too focused on rebuilding the Legion and then striking back at Horus to quell the chattering, but now it was time to make certain truths known. Truths that had been revealed to him directly by the Emperor; truths that even now were hinted at in the recesses of his mind where the last memories the Emperor had passed to Corax still dwelt, like shadows at the bottom of a gorge. He trusted Agapito, and had done so since they had first stood together so many decades ago. Though hot-headed of late, he needed to know the nature of the foes they were now facing; all of the Raven Guard deserved that after suffering so much at their hands. ‘There are creatures that live within the warp,’ said Corax. Agapito nodded in understanding and was about to reply but the primarch cut him off. ‘Things not just in the warp but of the warp. The creatures that can consume a ship if its Geller fields fail. The creatures that the Navigators call the empyrean predators, and the Emperor calls daemons.’ Agapito muttered with distaste while a cruel laugh erupted from Vangellin. The other tech-priests listened with interest, seemingly detached from concern. ‘Yes, daemons,’ said Corax. ‘Beings not of flesh but of the stuff of the warp itself.’

Soulforge, Chapter 4

In Soulforge, The Emperor told Corax about the matter of the warp himself.

Also I just needed to say, most of Corax’s appearances are written by Gav Thorpe, but his primarch novel is written by Guy Haley, who made Corax an idealist with weak grip on reality to serve as a foil for Curze’s primarch novel also written by him. This is very different to how Gav writes him, so this book is a bad reference, due to the discrepancies. Of course there are also discrepancies in the parts of the story written by Gav, and I will mention those when they come.

For anyone who would like to know more about Corax, I strongly recommend you start on Deliverance Lost and not his primarch novel, due to the reasons outlined above. In fact, I would recommend looking at all the HH period novels and short stories first and the primarch novel last, if you are going to read it at all.

As mentioned above, Corax understands the dark side of human nature and of the Imperium. Corax knows that in order for the Emperor to protect more people he must do some things that aren’t very freedom and equality. There is always casualties in war, and Corax is against pointlessly throwing away the lives of soldiers, his goal been to achieve victory while minimising losses.

Sacrificing a small fraction of people to achieve victory is the baseline logic of Warhammer, you can’t say that others can do it but Corax isn’t allowed to because he likes peace and freedom.

Basically, everyone is a war criminal. Corax just has more regard for human life than some other war criminals in this franchise.

There’s also a bit of retconning in terms of Corax and the Emperor written by Gav. In the 40k Carcharadon novels, they mentioned that the Emperor gave Corax an artefact called the Void Glass, which can reveal everyone’s true forms. The Void Glass was first given to Corax by the Emperor, and then Corax gave it to the founder of the Carcharodon chapter for keeping.

Tangata Manu shook his head. 'I know the truth now. The Void Father gave the Glass into the keeping of the Forgotten One to take into the Void and keep it there. It was given to us to be lost, not used!’ The Librarian stared at the Void Glass but he said no words.

Carcharodons - Silent Hunters

This conflicts with the original story written by Gav, where Corax is shaken upon learning about his true nature born of the warp, but in essence still hints that Corax knew some secrets of the Emperor and primarch pretty early on, and shows that the Emperor trust him absolutely and believes he is reliable.

With the benefit of hindsight, some have claimed that the Emperor spoke to Corax of things men, even some other Primarchs, were not yet ready to hear; of the truth of those powers that seethe within the Warp and the darkness soon to come.

The Horus Heresy Book III Extermination, p.133

Corax understands the Emperor’s thoughts, he agrees with the Emperor’s vision and is willing to give up everything for it.

4. Corax hates Curze, and looks down on him

This point came from Curze’s primarch novel, where he said he thinks all brothers hate him, so Corax must hate him too. But from the description, Corax was shocked at seeing him killing his sons but didn’t really make a comment, however due to Curze’s habitual defensiveness, he interpreted this as Corax humiliating him publicly.

'Brother,' said Corax. 'I come to you without violent intent, but please, explain to me what is going on in this city. His voice was soft like the Night Haunter's, though not as sibilant, and with a more measured tone. Sevatar refused to let it beguile him. The threat Corax made was clear enough.

Corax broke the silence first. 'What is the meaning of this, my brother?' he said, gesturing metre-long claws at the mess of the slain. 'What happened to your warriors?' Unable to help himself, the Night Haunter snarled. He caught it and turned it into a mocking smile, but not before all present had seen his anger. He was a predator challenged by something just as dangerous. For a moment, Konrad Curze exhibited weakness. 'I happened to them, said Curze evenly. Corax looked over the ruined flesh in the room in disbelief. 'What have you done?' Curze smiled blackly. 'An internal dispute, Lord Corax, he said airily. 'A Legion matter, that I have resolved. You must understand, there are many criminals in your Legion also. You have your ways of dealing with those who stray too far from the bounds of good conduct.’ He poked a blade of Mercy through the shattered eye lens of a helm and held it up for Corax to see. ‘This is mine.’ Corax's eyes lingered on the blood staining Curze's chin. ’Then perhaps you could tell me why you are bombarding this already compliant sector?'

Konrad Curze: The Night Haunter, Chapter 6

So here Curze realised some of his sons are bad and deviated from his idealogies. In order to cover up this crime, he decided to bombard a planet that is already compliant. Corax of course cannot accept this as it is a waste of the Imperium’s resources.

'I do not think anything about you,' said Corax. 'Other than the disgust I feel for your methods. Curze shrugged. 'You may join the line of all the others who feel the same. I don't care. I am exactly as the Emperor intended me to be. Are you really any better than I, Corax shadow-skulker? The Eighth are open in our murders. The Nineteenth are assassins. We are all killers. We are brothers in method as well as in blood.’ 'Our way of war is clean, said Corax. Sevatar found his voice annoyingly lugubrious. Such misery. They said he was raised in a prison, and that accounted for his saturnine demeanour. Sevatar wanted to hurl him into the deeps of Nostramo's hives, so he might better learn what lawlessness was. The primarchs were preening fools, self-obsessed, unable to see the truth for their own, aggrandised woes. Curze was lonely in being true to himself. He was a fiend, but at least he was honest. 'No war is clean. All of them come with a price,‘ Curze continued. 'Some are more obvious than others, that is all, and the price must always be paid.’ Curze sighed, shrinking into himself, bored. 'War's reckoning awaits you. Do you wish to know the cost?' Corax's black, unreadable eyes rested on Curze for several seconds. 'I will return to my ship. Stop this bombardment. The conquest is falling behind schedule. We risk turning the population further from the Emperor's light.’

Konrad Curze: The Night Haunter, Chapter 6

Still from Curze’s primarch novel, and from Sevatar’s biased “only Curze is perfect and always correct” perspective. Corax did not refute that he is a tool of the Emperor, and has the same awareness of the fact as Curze, however Curze’s feelings on this matter are more pointed. Curze minds that his father sees him as a tool, but Corax does not.

And also there’s a major problem here, in that there’s a discrepancy in Corax’s characterisation written by Guy Haley. He wrote that Corax said his wars are clean, but this contradicts every other novel about Corax. As mentioned previously, he does have his own specialised units and methods for doing the dirty work, and of course he understands that no war is clean, and that Curze’s fear tactics are a necessity, but should not be overused. Unless of course by “clean” they meant the battlefield is cleaned well afterwards.

So if we look at this passage carefully, what happened is Corax discovered Curze is doing something in secret, so he came to investigate, and realised Curze was killing a bunch of his sons. He didn’t say you can’t do that, but just asked him why, and also I wouldn’t do that if that was me. And to Curze it’s, you’re humiliating me.

Corax’s opinion of Curze was overall pretty positive pre-Heresy. He doesn’t like it when his legion is compared to the Nigh Lords, but it’s the behaviour not the person. No one likes it when people keep comparing you to someone else. Corax doesn’t like the image of “Night Haunter”, but he has nothing against Curze.

The general interpretation of what “Night Haunter” means to Curze in the CN fandom space is quite different to here, due to language structure, naming conventions and probably translation as well.

One characteristic of Corax is that he doesn’t have subjective opinions of individual people, he forms opinions on people based on their behaviour and then react accordingly. Corax dislikes Perturabo, because he saw how Perturabo has little regard for lives lost during his wars; Corax dislikes Horus, because he saw how there is hidden arrogance in Horus’ friendly demeanour, and how he was making things difficult on purpose for Corax’s subordinates. But Corax didn’t have such a reason to dislike Curze. Curze may be difficult to get along with, but he does everything for the Imperium, so to Corax he is a brother, just one with a different style who can be temperamental at times.

EX TENEBRIS Ex Tenebris is a masterwork bolter fitted with an incredibly sophisticated telescopic scope system. Chapter legend has it that the weapon was forged by Corax himself, as a gift for his wayward brother, the Night Haunter. But the Horus Heresy turned the two Primarchs’ Legions against one another, and Ex Tenebris was instead borne into battle by heroes of the Raven Guard.

Raven Guard Codex 8th edition, p. 58

Corax is not the type of person who would actively try and form close relationships with people. He prefers to act alone, and there is usually a clear purpose for his actions. Even for Guilliman whom he does like, it’s only on the level that he has a good impression of him and wants to learn about administration from him. So Corax actually wanting to give a gift to Curze can be interpreted as having a decent opinion of him.

People like saying that Corax likes comparing himself to Curze, but Curze actually does that more, and Corax doesn’t just compare himself to Curze, he also thought about his similarities to Angron. In his eyes they are all primarchs, and whatever flaws the traitor primarchs had he must have too, and that’s what concerned him.

Each of those parts that they put into me, I gave to each of you,’ the Emperor had said. Corax had asked who had put what into the Emperor but he had shaken his head and refused to answer, telling Corax that it was not important anymore. Reunited with his primarchs, he would be whole once again. The Raven Guard’s leader wondered what part of the Emperor had been put into a beast like Angron. He shuddered to think what Horus had promised the World Eater in return for his betrayal of the Emperor. Conquest, no doubt, and glory in battle. Angron had craved these things more than any other primarch, though Corax and his brothers had all been created with a fierce military pride. What else, Corax thought. What do you gain from this rebellion against the Emperor?

Raven’s Flight

‘We have been touched by forces beyond the Emperor’s own design – you know this, brother, as well as I do. No good comes from that which in evil is born, no matter the purpose or cause. I look at Curze and see myself. Do you find Angron in your reflection? How thin is the veneer that keeps us loyal, keeps us civilised? But for chance, it seems, any of us might now have crossed that line. Does the line even exist, or do we simply draw it in front of us as suits our own vanity?’

Weregeld

‘He made us what we are, but I cannot divine his purpose any more,’ said Corax. ‘Do you think we have failed?’ ‘We conquered the galaxy in his name, brother. We brought humanity into the light from the darkness of Old Night. He created us for that purpose and no other.’ ‘The Emperor also created Horus and made him Warmaster,’ countered Corax, unsettled by Dorn’s words. ‘He brought the likes of the Night Haunter into his plans.’ ‘What else could he have done?’ said Dorn. ‘Curze is one of us, though perhaps a victim of circumstances none of us can even imagine. I know better than anyone exactly what he is capable of.’ Corax nodded grimly. ‘The likes of Curze and Angron were broken from the start. You know the ultimate sanction open to the Emperor. He could have–’ Dorn raised a hand before he could finish. ‘I find your doubts disturbing, brother.’ The wrinkles on his forehead deepened further in annoyance as he gazed across the shuttle port, his fists clenched by his sides. ‘It is still the Emperor’s will that mankind become the masters of the galaxy.’

Deliverance Lost, Chapter 7

This part is when Corax and Dorn discuss their brothers in Deliverance Lost. On the surface Dorn seem quite calm, and Corax is very aggressive calling Curze and Angron broken, but that’s because this is after the drop site massacre, and while Dorn knows what they did at Isstvan V, he wasn’t there to witness it.

From Corax’s perspective, the primarchs are tools created by the Emperor, and if a tool rebelled against its master then it’s a failed work, he didn’t meet the Emperor’s expectations so he’s also pretty much failed. So his main point isn’t actually hating Curze or Angron personally, but rather than he should’ve recognised the problem earlier and dealt with it.

5. The original Terran Raven Guards does not obey Corax; he treats them poorly, and discard of them when they are no longer useful

This is a more complicated problem, and we first need to address the story before.

Before Corax’s return, the XIXth legion was managed by Horus. Horus managed the legion for 140 years, but there’s only around 80 years between Corax’s return and the Heresy, so for those legionaries who have served longer than their primarch, it’s expected that they would have different opinions about Corax’s orders. Not just on the issue on experience, they may be older than their gene-father in age.

With that in mind, while there seems to be come conflict between Corax and many Terran Raven Guards, with him sending them away to distant sectors, but there is no novel actually saying Corax hated them and left them to their own devices, instead he gave them enough supplies and trust to let them complete their missions.

Corax knelt beside the body of a Raven Guard, his chestplate rent open, his ribcage splayed. His armour bore the markings of a veteran, one of those that had come from Terra and made Deliverance his new home.

Raven’s Flight

There isn’t a large population on Deliverance for recruitment, so even by the point of the Heresy, most Raven Guards are still Terran recruits. And by this point there isn’t such a large rift between the Terran-born and Deliverance-born; the Terrans see Deliverance as a second home.

The main issue with Corax’s treatment of Terran Raven Guards is at the Battle of Gate Forty-Two. Here Horus was clearly trying to suppress Corax’s influence, because Corax was the only primarch who disliked him before the heresy. Perturabo also took this opportunity to fan the flames, and in the end Russ told Corax he should listen to the Warmaster, as the Warmaster represents the Emperor.

In answer, Perturabo accused Corax of seeking to avoid battle, a crime verging on dereliction for a Primarch of the Legiones Astartes. The two very nearly came to blows, with only the intervention of Leman Russ staying bloodshed. The Wolf King counselled Corax to heed the words of the Primarch who the Emperor had set above his brothers. Russ urged Corax to smother his bitterness, but not to extinguish it, and from that guttering flame kindle the fire to carry the battle through. Taking his leave of the council, Corax mustered the Raven Guard before Gate Forty-Two. Knowing their particular demeanour would carry them forward, Corax assigned many of his Terran-dominated companies to the van, in particular those whose captains appeared the most willing to play their part in the Warmaster’s plan.

The Horus Heresy Book III Extermimation, p. 135

Corax didn’t want to waste the lives of his warriors in a frontal charge, but he still accepted the views of those Terrans who are used to being under Horus’s command, and he charged at the front with them.

The assault that followed was hailed as the Legion’s darkest hour, a grim honour that, tragically, would be displaced just a few years later at Isstvan V. At the height of the battle, the assault companies decimated and the attack faltering in the face of overwhelming fire, Corax himself led the forlorn hope, his battle cry firing the Legion to such efforts that the breach was carried and Gate Forty-Two taken. The honour of slaying the Unsighted Kings was claimed by Horus as Warmaster and at the moment of their execution, the xenos’ hold over the population was dispelled. The Akum-Sothos Cluster was delivered and the Warmaster’s prize was reclaimed. The cost was terrible however, for not only had countless millions of hosts been crippled in mind and body, but thousands of Raven Guard, the bulk of them Terran-born, had given their lives before the shattered walls. Though the Battle of Gate Forty-Two was counted a victory by (and indeed for) the Warmaster, its effects were far reaching. The Legion’s numbers were sorely depleted, leaving only 80,000 Legionaries under the Primarch’s command and making it the smallest of the Legiones Astartes. Corax removed himself and his Legion from his brother’s command, swearing bitterly never to serve alongside the Warmaster again.

The Horus Heresy Book III Extermimation, p. 135

Horus commanded Corax to sacrifice his sons at the front and then stole the kill, and even if some Terran Raven Guards did gave their lives willingly, Corax was greatly pained by this, and he certainly did not sending them to their deaths on purpose. Corax doesn’t like certain slaver behaviours seen on some Terran Raven Guards, usually commanders, but normal Raven Guards to him are all good warriors, and should not die in vain.

One last consequence of the Battle of Gate Forty-Two lingers still. In its aftermath, those line officers who, before the coming of the Primarch, had served for so long under Horus’ command were gone, and so the Warmaster was able to exert little in the way of influence over the Raven Lord’s Legion. Many of these Terrans had been inducted into the warrior lodges, and with their deaths these unseen bodies all but vanished from the Raven Guard. It has been claimed by his detractors that in assigning the Terranborn Legionaries to the assault wave that would suffer the greatest losses, Corax did his Legion a service, consolidating his power and paving the way for a future more in line with his own vision. As a result, the Legion was largely spared the wave of insurrection that was transmitted through so many of the Legions by the hidden auspices of the lodges.

The Horus Heresy Book III Extermimation, p. 135

From another perspective, even though there seems to be so much conflict between Corax and Terran Raven Guards, there weren’t any Raven Guards that chose to defect to Horus during the Heresy. Most Terran Raven Guards, upon hearing the news, chose wither to return and defend Terra, or sought revenge from traitors because they thought their primarch is dead. If Corax was really so cold-blooded, then most of the Terran Raven Guards would’ve chosen to follow Horus during the Heresy. The Raven Guards are assertive and knew who was good to them, so even the Ashen Claws, who were on very bad terms with him, chose to go renegade instead of following Horus.

After addressing the issue of Corax‘s treatment of Terran Raven Guards, I will address the idea that, because Corax was too nice to his sons, he lacks authority and cannot manage them.

Firstly, Corax returned very late, and by the time he has returned, the XIXth legion already has a terrible reputation, with problems in many areas. Corax needed to manage his legion in the Great Crusade and trying to fix all of the problems of his Raven Guards. Under this condition, the fact that there wasn’t a rebellion within the legion during the heresy is a pretty remarkable achievement. Some people will use Sanguinius as a rebuttal against this, but Sanguinius is supposed to have outstanding charisma. And if you are using Sanguinius as the standard for legion management, then any legion where there is anyone not listening to the primarch also fails, not just Corax.

Secondly, Corax is a primarch that values the individuality of his subordinates and respects their personalities. He wants every warrior to have self awareness and independent thought, that way in the absence of a leader they can quickly regroup and continue the battle. A feature of the Raven Guards is that they can quickly split up, fight in groups, and then regroup at a key moment, still in sync. So Corax would listen to the thoughts and ideas of all his subordinates, then give them an overall direction.

‘And what is strength?’ ‘True strength comes from knowing one’s own value is dependent upon the value of others,’ said Arendi. It had been only a short time since he and the other survivors of the primarch’s guard had arrived, but already he showed signs of returning health. His face was filling out, eyes brighter, skin smoother. ‘It is recognising the bond between us all and acting together for the cause of all.’

‘A thousand disparate pieces, each of purpose and value, brought together under the control of a single mind,’ said Corax. ‘We shall be the same. A machine, an organism. Of many parts working separately, but invisibly, silently bound by common purpose and thought. I do not ask you to swear loyalty to me, for there is no greater oath you have sworn than by your deeds in the name of the Emperor. I do not ask you to become Raven Guard, for the blood of other fathers and the customs of other worlds have shaped you. You are each what you are, individual – but together, indivisible, we will be even greater.’

‘Perhaps for the Raven Guard,’ said Damastor Kyil, an artificial lung wheezing as he drew in a breath. ‘Not all of us grew up in a prison, nor spent years fighting far from the command of our primarchs. You take that culture for granted, Lord Corax.’ ‘I do not,’ the primarch replied. ‘You will soon each have first-hand experience of the fighting I describe. And you will have close acquaintance with those that have been terrorised into submission. I demand no promise or oath beyond that you accompany us on our next attack and learn from the Raven Guard how to wage the war we must now fight. After that, you are free to go your own ways, to attempt to return to Terra or other home worlds as you choose, or to remain under my command.’

Ravenlord, Chapter 5

Corax teaching the followers at hand, from Ravenlord. Corax’s style has always been to lead the people into battle, giving them strength and knowledge in the process. When he is sure they can progress on their own, he will release his grip on them, and let them move forward on their own.

It’s the principles of “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.’, which is how he’s always educated his sons. So the more he trusts them, the more likely he will send them away. By 40k, the Raven Guards also use this method to manage the worlds they’ve liberated, leaving after ensuring that the people can defend themselves.

The precise means of liberation vary from world to world. If the corruption is centralised, the Darkened Blades employ the lightning assaults common to the Adeptus Astartes, mustering overwhelming power against the unready foe. More often the oppression is endemic, however, and must be confronted on a continental or even planetary scale. In such cases, the 6th Company divide into subformations and mount fast-moving guerrilla actions to make optimal use of their limited numbers. Meanwhile, local resistance forces are trained in those aspects of the shadow arts that any Imperial citizen can grasp, so that they might support the Raven Guard operation and contribute to their own deliverance. The Raven Guard cannot remain on a world forever, and their desire is to leave a liberated populace who can look to their own defence.

Raven Guard Codex 8th edition, 6th Company “The Darkened Blades”, p. 17

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

Just another reblogger