The Defence of Raven's Keep (Batrep intro)

Cronus Verenus Marius

Astropathic summons screamed through the aether as the Raven Guard were drawn into ever smaller rings of defence. Legend spoke of the Raven's Keep being erected as tribute during the great crusade when Corax himself had brought compliance to this backwater world. Now, the Raven Guard were surrounded with little hope of preventing this holy relic from falling to the perversions of the god of sensation and its minions.

Orgasmic screams of pain drowned out thought as the noise marines put down scores of base notes that ruptured organs and drove lesser men mad. Dark eldar forces harried the flanks capturing any living being the could for their masochisms.

As the Raven Guard felt the Keep at their back an answer finally arrived. A scout element from the Night Hawks, Devestators from the Emerald Fists, assault marines from the Blood Angels and an unexpected hero; Cronus Verenus Marius in the sarcophagus of his venerable dreadnought.   The Custodian, a bearer of names enough to cover the surface of his adamantium shell had left Terra to fulfil what could only be a blood debt to Corax himself. These scattered heroes and bolstered the numbers of the Raven Guard.

The shrieks of pain pleasure became louder with each passing moment and the high pitched whine of dark eldar engines melded into a horrific melody which sent shudders down the spine of the Chaos lord. "Onward" he yelled into his mouth grill; its inward facing spines piercing his throat to his delight.

"Here we stand brothers, for the Imperium and for Corax!" Dozens of ceramite encased fists crashed against aquillas as the last loyal forces on the planet hunkered down within the bastion, filled with duty and devoid of fear.