The Legacy of the Blood Ravens

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

The Legacy of the Blood Ravens is a sprawling fan fiction written by multiple authors that covers key points in the history of the Blood Ravens chapter of Space Marines. Each story puts emphasis on expansion, including dozens of new characters while also giving the events a more cinematic feel. The results are stories that seem much more like novels than video games.

In chronological order, The Legacy of the Blood Ravens includes:

Firestorm Over Kronus by TheBloodyMagpie, also known as TV troper math792d. It marks the exploits of Akileus, a Space Marine in the 1st Company of the Blood Ravens chapter. Under the command of 4th Company Captain Davian Thule, and his own Captain Gaius, Akileus battles traitors, aliens and heretics on the contested world of Kronus. It is still in progress and can be found here.

Battle Lines by Arcsquad12, who is the troper of the same name, TV troper Arcsquad12. It outlines the defeat of the Blood Ravens in the Kaurava system. From the perspective of Captain Cyrus of the 10th Company, the story shows the folly of Captain Boreale and the devastating losses that the Blood Ravens suffer. It is still in progress and can be found here.

Nothing But A List of Names to Mark His Ascension by Darkeldar, also known as TV troper Augustine. The largest story in the Legacy, Nothing But A List of Names to Mark His Ascension spans the entirety of Dawn of War II. It provides perspectives from every faction involved and some that are never mentioned. As the largest of the stories, it has more divergences than the others, but not enough to move into full AU territory. It is still in progress (and will be for some time), and is found here.

Additionally, there is a planned series of short stories set during the conflict on Meridian, written by Arcsquad12. The first of these, By the Will of the Emperor, can be found here.

When adding tropes, please ensure that they are not used the same way as the source material.

Tropes used in The Legacy of the Blood Ravens include:

The Legacy of the Blood Ravens as a whole provides examples of:

  • Adaptation Expansion: A given when considering the amount of new characters.
  • Bloodier and Gorier: It may seem impossible, but the very first chapter of Ascension manages to be even more violent and visceral than the game it is based on, which itself was regarded as ridiculously over the top to begin with. It also helps that the ones doing the fighting are barely children.
  • Continuity Nod: Many between the different stories of the Legacy, as well as the universe as a whole.
  • Hero of Another Story: Each story has a different main character, but it doesn't mean that the others don't show up occasionally.
  • OC: Dozens of them, the most important being Akileus, Sergeant Major Merrick's squad, and the trio of new Blood Ravens in Nothing But a List of Names to Mark His Ascension.

Firestorm Over Kronus provides examples of:

  • Apologetic Attacker: Few Blood Ravens want to attack the Imperial Guard on Kronus, the major exception being 1st Captain Gaius.
  • Bald of Awesome: Like many Space Marines, Akileus is bald. Unusually, he still receives lighthearted ridicule for it.
  • Curb Stomp Battle: The Guardsmen don't have a chance in hell of stopping the Blood Ravens. Doesn't stop them from trying though.
  • Foregone Conclusion: The Blood Ravens will Win Kronus, defeat Eliphas the Inheritor, and obtain the soulstone of Taldeer.
  • Ludicrous Gibs: There isn't much left after Akileus goes to town with his assault cannon.
  • Meaningful Name: Akileus is a butchered spelling of Achilleus, the Danish name for Achilles, the hero of the Trojan War who was supposed to be invincible. Akileus is a Terminator veteran.
  • More Dakka: Akileus' main weapon is an assault cannon.
  • Power Fist: Gaius wields the Fist of The Father, a relic power fist.

Battle Lines provides examples of:

  • Attack! Attack! Attack!: The Imperial Guard's primary tactic is to charge the Blood Raven's lines with nearly a million soldiers, not stopping until every Space Marine is dead.
  • Badass Grandpa: Dreadnought Alexis manages to throw a Chimera transport over his shoulder, taking his arm with it. He keeps on fighting.
  • Blood Knight: Sergeant Mieron of the 5th Company revels in close combat, fighting ferociously alongside his brethren.
  • Cold Sniper: Cyrus, and to a lesser extent the rest of the Scout Company.
  • Combat Medic: Apothecary Demetrius is one of the fiercest fighters left alive after the fight.
  • Curb Stomp Battle: The Imperial Guard use their primary strengths to overwhelm the Blood Ravens with sheer numbers, resulting in massive casualties.
  • Handicapped Badass: Mieron loses the use of his right arm after a grenade explosion shreds it. Doesn't stop him from fighting tooth and nail.
  • Elite Mooks: Later in the fight against the Guard, General Stubbs sends in contingents of Stormtroopers and Ogryns to fight the Space Marines.
  • Fallen Hero: Captain Gelden feels immense regret for his failure to act during the disaster.
  • A Father to His Men: Cyrus is fiercely protective of his initiates, and questions Boreale's dangerous tactics, which often put his students in danger.
    • Captain Hethforn also has shades of this, almost to a fault. He abandons the defense of the Blood Raven's main base to search for survivors from his own company.
  • Foregone Conclusion: The Blood Ravens will lose the Kaurava Crusade, and Captain Cyrus will become a Sergeant.
  • General Failure: Captain Boreale's Steel Rain tactic results in dozens of Drop Pods falling off course, separating the majority of the Blood Ravens, who are then overwhelmed by the Guard's superior numbers.
  • Hot-Blooded: Vaenor becomes increasingly agitated by Cyrus' efforts to keep him safe. To the point where he disobeys direct orders to go fight on his own.
  • The Peter Principle: Captain Boreale was a very skilled scout that was promoted one too many times. The battle of Kaurava is a testament to his overall competence.


Nothing But a List of Names to Mark His Ascension provides examples of:

  • Action Girl: Commissar Connor and Howling Banshee Arcadia.
  • Alien Geometries: The Monument of Sin's corridors have no concept of distance. One simply has to want to arrive at their destination, and the ship will ensure that it happens.
  • Ancestral Weapon: Many, including Remembrance, the Alexian Blade, Thanatos, and Ocella Lyon's bolter.
  • Aristocrats Are Evil: Averted with Sergeant Hurst, played straight by Governor Vandis.
  • Artificial Limbs: Sergeant Corallis has one. It gives him trouble in cold weather. Alek has artificial fingers on one hand.
  • Badass: Where to start?
    • Badass in Charge: Aramus kicks all kinds of ass.
    • Badass Preacher: Chaplain Automemos for the Blood Ravens, and Eliphas the Inheritor for the forces of Chaos.
  • Butt Monkey: Private Alek from the Daredevils squad suffers near constant injuries, and is the worst guardsman stationed on Meridian.
  • The Cavalry: Several moments stand out. Some particular ones include the Thunderhawk rescue of Sergeant Ariston when obtaining the prime gene sample, and the famous Chapter Drop courtesy of Gabriel Angelos.
  • Combat Pragmatist: Taught to scouts by Ariston and Cyrus. Augustine uses it due to necessity.
  • Cool Starship: The Litany of Fury, the Armageddon, and the Retribution.
    • The Monument of Sin as well.
  • Crazy Prepared: Nathaniel Augustine plans out every step of his second fight with Nikephoros
  • Deadpan Snarker: Multiple, most notably Marksman Kippler.
  • Drop the Hammer: Remembrance and God-Splitter.
  • Dual-Wielding: Apollo Diomedes wields a lightning claw and a power axe.
    • Aramus occasionally uses Remembrance and his sword simultaneously.
  • Exactly What It Says on the Tin: The Blood Trials involve a lot of bloodshed.
  • The Faceless: Mercutio never removes his helmet.
  • Friendly Sniper: Soras Kippler from the Daredevils squad is quiet and snarks a lot, but he is friendly when he has something to say.
  • Genius Loci: Suspected of the Monument of Sin by Eliphas and Amphion.
  • Grenade Launcher: Vornas and Remer are the grenadiers in the Daredevils squad.
  • Improbable Aiming Skills: Ocella Lyon with the help of his blessed bolter.
  • Improvised Weapon: Sergeant Major Merrick uses a shard of glass to kill a House Vandis soldier. It also cuts his hand pretty badly.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Aramus arguably. He is a glory hound and is very blunt, but wants the best for the Blood Ravens.
  • Karmic Death: Brother Draco.
  • Kill It with Fire: The Avatar of Khaine packs enough heat to kill millions of gaunts a second.
  • Knife Nut: Zephus-Hassan has twelve, among other things.
  • Mythology Gag: A Blood Raven Sergeant named Magnus?
  • Names to Run Away From Really Fast: The Dominatrix and Zephus-Hassan.
  • Noodle Incident: A recruit rejected his own name, for reasons unexplained, and was given the name Nathaniel Augustine after the Blood Trials.
  • Out of the Inferno: Nathaniel Augustine can withstand intense heat due to a suit of power armor from the Marines Malevolent chapter, a rival of the Salamanders.
  • Playing with Fire: Nathaniel Augustine's power's manifest like this.
  • Power Trio: Ocella Lyon, Nathaniel Augustine, and Nikephoros.
  • Running Gag: Alek's gets severely injured in every fight he participates in. Vornas jokes that each wound he receives gives their squad another year to live. He most recent estimates put them at around eleven years.
  • Scars Are Forever: Thaddeus' face is burned by bio-acid. Even Harkon says it would take extensive surgery to fix.
  • Screw Destiny: Eldar Farseers and Warlocks can see the threads of fate that all living things possess, allowing them to see deadly situations before they happen.
  • Silver Mask of Death: Zephus-Hassan has a silver mask of a face with a hand covering the mouth.
  • Single-Stroke Battle: Draco's death comes through one of these, courtesy of Arcadia.
  • Sniper Duel: Happens between Cyrus and Nemerian in the jungles of Typhon.
  • Taking the Bullet: Idranel for Draoi, much to his regret.
  • Teleporters and Transporters: Bercastle understands the Monument of Sin so well that he can use it to appear at will. He also admits that he is quite adept at teleportation even without the influence of the ship.
  • There Is No Kill Like Overkill: The Avatar of Khaine flattens a mountain to kill the Dominatrix.
  • This Is Not My Life to Take: Said by Arcadia to Augustine after beating him in a duel, only because he returned a soul stone to her.
  • Took a Level in Badass: The Avatar of Khaine is a far cry from the ones recently seen in 40k proper.
  • Treacherous Advisor: Eliphas to Araghast, as well as Bercastle to Araghast.
  • Weak but Skilled: Nathaniel Augustine, while still a post-human space marine, is the smallest Blood Raven in the 4th Company, and uses special methods to defeat stronger foes.
  • Wrestler in All of Us: Apothecary Harkon isn't above using chokeslams to kill a hormagaunt or two. In fact, he is more dangerous unarmed than he is with a blade.
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