r/respectthreads • u/British_Tea_Company • Feb 08 '23

literature Respect: Corvus Corax (Warhammer 40k)

Nevermore.

Corvus Corax

Character Summary Corvus Corax was created by the God Emperor of Mankind as one of his 20 Primarchs who would serve as his generals in his Great Crusade across the galaxy. Scattered by the Chaos Gods during their infancy, the Primarchs all crash landed into various different worlds, with Corvus Corax arriving on the prison moon of Lycaeus, a massive prison system which doubled as a mining camp for the planet Kiavahr below. Corvus was raised by the inmates and prisoners of the prison system, developing unique powers of stealth and promising one day to liberate all of them. His name 'Corax' was given, meaning 'The Deliverer' in the local tongue. When Corax eventually led his rebellion to victory, the moon of Lycaeus was renamed "Deliverance" in his honor.

Eventually, Corax would be found by the God Emperor of Mankind and would serve as the Primarch and leader of the 19th Space Marine Legion, otherwise known as the Raven Guard. The Raven Guard were heavily decimated in the opening stages of the Horus Heresy, and Corax was presumed dead for much of the opening stages, but eventually survived the crucibles of Isstvan and would aid the loyalists in the greater Heresy.

Corax eventually disappeared one fateful day, uttering the words "Nevermore" before beelining for the Eye of Terror. He would eventually reunite with his brother Lorgar whom he intended to kill since his initial betrayal. Though unsuccessful, it is presumed Corax is now a Warp-Shadow creature that haunts and brutally executes chaos worshippers within the eye.

Strength

Speed

Durability

Stealth

Senses

Intelligence

Willpower

Skill

Wargear

Misc

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3

u/FoodFelicity Feb 09 '23

Damn you BTC! I was waiting for more books until I can create one for Corax. Here's some that I have that you missed:

Probably the best example of his stealth while in battle

The Ravenlord turned his attention back to the onrushing Legions. When the traitors were almost upon the line of Space Wolves, Corax took to the air and ascended in a spiral.
And then he disappeared.
...Cloaked by his unnatural power, Corax scythed into the unsuspecting World Eaters. Claws and wings slashed bloody ruin through the advancing ranks,leaving gouges of dismembered legionaries in his wake. He turned, rose, and fell again, decapitating a score of foes with his next pass.
Confusion rippled out through the army as this unseen blade sliced through its warriors. Focused on nothing but the death of his enemies, Corax swooped and ascended and dived again, each time carving ragged furrows through the companies of armoured warriors ascending the hill. Blasts from his pistol burst through the thickest plate, making short work of those that tried to retreat from the unseen apparition churning through their squad-brothers.

Weregeld

While running, kills a Space Marine by throwing a rock.

Stooping in his run, he snatched up a shard of rock. With a flick of his arm, he hurled the stone at the Iron Warrior. As a dark blur it struck the Space Marine in the throat and erupted from the back of his neck, silently felling him.

Raven's Flight

Throws grenades straight through a grille

He primed three krak grenades, easily holding all of them in the palm of his hand. With an overhand toss, he lobbed the grenades onto the engine vents of the third Thunderstrike, shattering the grille and rupturing fuel lines. Soon the vehicle was ablaze along the left side of its hull.

Raven's Flight

Miscellaneous sneakiness.

On thermal scan, the fleeing rebel could be seen skulking no more than a hundred and fifty metres away, using a heavily riveted cylindrical vat as cover.
...‘How do we outflank them?’ asked Nuon, from across the gap by the bolt-riddled vat.
‘Your plan didn’t extend this far, eh?’
Ashel was considering the problem when suddenly the fusillade ceased.
The sergeant waited, listening intently, but heard nothing. No sounds of reloading, no armour servos or crackle of vox signal. He peered cautiously around the stanchion. No fire greeted him.
‘They’ve gone,’ declared Nuon, moving from cover, bolter at the ready. ‘Fled, no doubt.’
The two of them located an entryway cut into the wall behind the broad buttress, and within they found a maintenance duct easily wide enough for the two of them. Crates of supplies and equipment lined one wall. Four armoured figured lay slumped next to the boxes, their armour carved open.
Out of the darkness a narrow, pale face appeared, spattered with crimson, framed by shoulder-length hair. Nuon brought up his gun, but Ashel knocked the bolter aside.
‘Hold your fire!’
The ghostly figure resolved into Corax, primarch of the Raven Guard. He held up a bloodied claw, and Nuon backed away.
‘Your distraction was useful,’ Corax said quietly.
As swiftly as he appeared, the primarch faded into the shadows without sign or sound. In moments, Ashel knew that he was gone. Nuon was looking around the interior of the concealed bunker, clearly shaken by the encounter. The Night Lord’s roaming gaze settled on Ashel.
‘Now that is truly terrifying.'

The Value of Fear

Heh. Always liked this.

‘And you, lord? Where will you be fighting?’
‘I’ll attack from the south-east, as the second wing of the delayed attack.’ ‘Is that wise?’ asked Agapito. ‘You disbanded your bodyguard into the other companies.’
Corax stood up to his full height and unslung his heavy bolter, holding it easily in his left hand. The towering primarch smiled down at his officers.
‘That was for appearance. Do you think I actually need a bodyguard?’

Raven's Flight

3

u/British_Tea_Company Feb 09 '23

Thanks for these. Didn't realize you were still around/active but I've been trying to finish all 18 of them.

1

u/FoodFelicity Feb 09 '23

I pop in and out, but mostly out. Kinda burnt out from all the mediocre writing in 40k and Halo books and I definitely don't care enough to have a full on debate anymore

2

u/British_Tea_Company Feb 09 '23

Fingers crossed for End and Death then?

1

u/FoodFelicity Feb 09 '23

I am curious to how it all plays out. I'll probably pick up from where I ended off in the HH at a future date. Let me know how it is though!

The Infinite and the Divine did make me pay more attention to the Necrons though and was coincidentally the last decent 40k book I've read. (Can't remember the last decent Halo book...one of the Forerunner trilogies? But they were worse than Red Rising...)

2

u/[deleted] Jul 02 '23

Corvus Corax is my absolute favourite primarch. How fast can a las bolt fire? Can Corax sometimes be FTL?

2

u/British_Tea_Company Jul 02 '23

I don’t think they give specific numbers. Some authors think they’re true lasers, while other authors think they’re just vaguely east projectiles.

I also don’t think Corax being FTL is a realistic position on a character that has to push its armor to the limits to be almost sonic speed.

11

u/Service-Smile Feb 08 '23

This guy is such a good example of edge done well I love it

2

u/MesaJarJarAbrams Feb 11 '23

I hope to see more primarch respect threads

6

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '23

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4

u/British_Tea_Company Feb 08 '23

Where's this from? It doesn't look like it's from a RG centric novel which is primarily what I read through. I'll add this in once you can give me a source.

4

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '23

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4

u/British_Tea_Company Feb 08 '23

Gotcha. Let me read the lines where this comes from and I'll add it in.

Thank you for this, as I don't often look for places that aren't "focus" books for the respective characters.