Raivans
Five Facts about Raivans
- They are abhumans related to the Annwfyn Although the conditions the Raivans have lived in have caused them to develop away from baseline human genetics significantly enough to be considered genetically divergent by the Imperium, they are a sub-culture of Annwfyn originally.
- They have worshipped the God-Emperor for Millennia. Perhaps one of the unique factors about the Raivans is they have preserved a worship of the God-Emperor seemingly since before the coming of the Regency. Given that the Sector was cut off for Millennia this cult has developed independent of the Ecclesiarchy and while tolerable, is notably divergent from the Imperial Cult.
- They are some of the best skirmishers and guerillas the Prosperitas Crusade has access to. The natural advantages and militant culture of the Raivans make them incredibly effective warriors and the Prosperitas Crusade have been eager to maintain the populations stability as a fertile ground for abhuman auxiliaries.
- They are valued, but oppressed and exploited. While they are valued by the Imperial colonial rulers of Shadowglow and their superiors in the Prosperitas Crusade, the Raivans are still subject to state discrimination under the Imperiums genetic purity laws. Their value to the Imperium means they are treated as a valuable resource rather than people.
- They are incredibly loyal to each other. Raivans place a great deal of importance in Family, though for them the meaning of Family does not simply refer to ones bloodline, but wider interconnected bonded 'tribal' structures based on mutual care and respect - while the Nobles of the Imperium do not choose their family, Raivans certainly do and they pack-bond very rapidly socially.
The History of the Raivan People
When the Prosperitas Crusade first encountered the Raivans on the freezing eclipse-shrouded desert world of Shadowglow, scouts initially believed them to be cave-dwelling mutants. When later investigation revealed a deep cultural loyalty to the Emperor, the Imperium soon realized that it was the Raivans and not the ostensibly human Mining Guilds who swore allegiance to the Archenemy, who were their allies.
For the most part the Raivan culture takes its history from that of the Annwfyn with much of the same myth cycles being preserved, but their planetary and subspecies history significantly diverts from that of the Annwfyn around the time of the occupation of the sector by the Regency.
The Raivan people owe their habitation on the subterranean habitats of eclipse-shrouded Shadowglow due to their cruel worlds as a penal world for those who did not swear loyalty to the Archenemy during the Great Heresy. Many of these prisoners brought with them the early stirrings of belief in the Emperor's divinity and early versions of the text of the Lectitio Divinitatus. Under the cruel lash of the Archenemy Mining Guilds the early prisoners of Shadowglow, forced to live in the hostile mines began to adapt to their environment, slowly evolving away from baseline humans, until a breed of durable, powerful workers began to emerge adapted to a life in the dark with their natural night-vision.
Over time the Raivan population rebelled against their Guild masters and retreated deeper into the subterranean networks beneath the pitch-black surface of their homeworld, for thousands of years the Raivans warred with the Archenemy Guilds for control of the resources beneath Shadowglow. Their culture, shaped by constant guerilla war and their faith in the God-Emperor, developed a devout warrior tradition that persists today following the destruction of their Guild oppressors in alliance with the Imperium. It was in this time that the first Faca were forged from metal deposits mined by Raivans beneath the surface of Shadowglow.
Under Imperial Rule
Initial Imperial expeditions to Shadowglow reported a resource-rich world where humans warred against 'subterranean mutants' but as the rot of warp-worship became apparent within the Guilds and the Raivans first demonstrated their pre-existing veneration for the God-Emperor, the Crusade allied with the Raivans against the Guilds. Exterminating the human rulers of the world, while allowing the Raivan population to exist intact. After installing a -human- Colonial government in the great armoured cities that once belonged to the Guild the Imperium rapidly began to exploit the Raivan populations faith to recruit en-mass several Raivan Auxilia Regiments of the Imperial Guard. Denied the freedom to hold officer ranks within even their own regiments, Raivans found themselves under the command of Imperial Officers who, at first, viewed their posting to a 'abhuman' regiment to be abhorrent but who soon began to value the contributions of their charges. Command of a Raivan Regiment is considered to be more of an honour than a punishment for the Officers transplanted to them as the Raivans are very eager to prove their devotion through duty.
Though the Raivans have expressed nothing but loyalty to the Imperium they are still treated as sub-human by the Imperium and actively oppressed under the letter if not implementation of Imperial law. Raivan-Human interactions are high on Shadowglow and both human and Raivan communities on the world have good relations and mutual respect. It is not unknown for Raivan-Human interbreeding to occur, and it is possible, but it is considered illegal and against the Imperium's genetic purity laws.
The Raivans have few basic rights existing as helots to the Imperium, those who remain on the world live in mining settlements as they did when imprisoned there by the Regency occasionally visiting surface settlements to engage with the human colonial presence on their world. Raivans live beneath the surface of Shadowglow, Humans live above it, this is how it is, as the Raivans would say. Rebellion is rare amongst Raivans, their devotion to the God-Emperor outweighs their resentment of their treatment. The majority of the human colonists on Shadowglow actively enjoy the company of their abhuman companion-civilization. It is likely that Shadowglow would be less segregated if it were not for the presence of the local Arbites Precinct Fortress which is ever-present to represent the monolithic voice of the Imperium on this matter, and enforce the Imperiums conservative genetic purity laws and segregation. For this reason the Arbites are the most actively resented branch of the Imperium by most Raivans.
Under the Imperium the Raivan population is mostly contained to Shadowglow, those who are permitted to leave their homeworld do so only in service to the Imperium, either in service to Nobles and Rogue Traders, or as part of the Raivan Auxilla Regiments. By Adeptus Munitorum, Raivans, as helots, are treated on paper similar to a crate of high-quality lasguns, they are essential to the war effort and are to be carefully assigned, but they are not people. Though their service is rewarded, they receive nothing approaching the benefits of a human Guard Trooper, the Imperium considers allowing abhumans to live despite their 'genetic deviation' to often be reward enough. Because they are considered an important asset, the Munitorum is notoriously defensive against attempts by Rogue Traders and Nobles to recruit Raivans to their retinues but as with anything thrones speak louder than policy.
There are a few examples of Ravians granted greater freedoms as rewards for exceptional services, themselves and often their Families granted the right to live off-world in spaces accepting of abhumans. More often confined to their own vessels or the edges of society. Most of these end up in service to Rogue Traders, Nobles and often the Inquisition, where their talents are welcome but some remain independent and live as mercenaries and bounty hunters where their natural abilities are best suited.
Recent History
Throughout the 41st Millennium the Raivans have continued to serve the Imperium with distinction, the shifting fortunes of the Prosperitas Sector however have left their population often at risk from the more puritan elements of the Imperial hierarchy who believe the existence of any abhuman, no matter how pious or obedient they are. Raivans have often been the targets of these individuals who point to their nearly-human appearance as representing the 'threat' of 'infiltration' of human settlements by their number. Despite the fact that Raivans have never done anything of the sort in recorded history, not least because they are proud of who they are.
Though Raivans have been present in most of the important battles of the Prosperitas Crusade, the most significant event in their recent history occurred in 595.M41 when an expedition of puritan mutant-hunters from the Temple of the Saviour Emperor attacked Shadowglow during the centennial celebration of the Fèis Solas the only day of sun Shadowglow see's every ten years. Pursued into their subterranean home by the Templars, who breached the surface of many of the cavern-settlements nearer the surface in order to use the brief sunlight to have an advantage over the dark dwellers, the Raivans soon demonstrated that they had forgotten nothing of fighting in their tunnels. Making it impossible for the Templars to find them.
When night did fall, the Raivans emerged from amongst the spoiled decorations of their most sacred religious day and wrought bloody revenge on the invading puritans, killing them to a single warrior, who was sent back to their Masters as a message not to bring their war to Shadowglow.
While the Templars were ascendent, many Raivans from the diaspora of those who have made lives beyond Shadowglow began to find their ways back to their homeworld, the formation of additional regiments of defence units from returning veterans of the Galaxy has bolstered the human PDF units that proved largely ineffective against Templar invaders with veterans of the Imperial Guard. With the threat of the Temple now ended, these defence units remain in place, and few have moved to disband them, many of the Sector's military minds, and others beyond, value the faithful nature and considerably deadly reputation of the Raivans and are content to turn a blind eye to the abhuman's militia as it protects the planets most valuable resource, the Raivan's themselves.
Raivan Appearance
Raivans have naturally pallid, ranging into pure white and blueish-white in some, skin - where darker tones do occur in them it is the result of interbreeding with humans and does not naturally occur in the Raivan population though these individuals are no-less Raivan in the eyes of their fellows. Raivan hair is usually pure white, though it is not unknown for Raivans to dye their hair various non-natural colours. Most are very cautious about dying their hair natural colours for fear of accusations of attempting to 'infiltrate' human society.
The most notable physical feature of the Raivans however is their eyes, often similar to many nocturnal predators, though white and silver eyes are common, Raivan eyes can appear 'human' in normal light but when dark falls have a strikingly inhuman quality to how they reflect light in how they have adapted to the natural dark of their world. Because of their natural darkvision many Raivans struggle to see under intense light, and for this reason tinted goggles or glasses are common accessories for Raivans travelling the galaxy to to protect their eyes. Other than this most Raivan clothing tends to be darker in tone, black and dark blues, greys and purples tend to feature heavily. While Raivans do not use Woad like other Annwfyn cultures facial markings do remain common, often using dark paints that stand out well against naturally pallid features, blacks, blues and purples all being quiet commonly used in makeup and markings.
Perhaps the most stand-out and unique piece of equipment carried by all Raivans is the heavy curved khukri-like knife known as the Faca this blade, forged from metal refined on Shadowglow, features heavily in the Raivan culture. Almost every Raivan has a faca forged for them - when varied in the past but for most now it is forged when a Raivan reaches the age when they become applicable for conscription. The Faca is forged within the Family with most families having at least one member trained in the forging of them so that the Family might all play a part in its forging - because of this the Faca represents a symbol of Family, and of Shadowglow, Home. The Faca is not simply ceremonial or symbolic however, in the hands of the wielder accustomed to it it is a lethal weapon weighted to cut easily through bone and muscle.
A unique varient exists known as the Facad'Alma (low gothic: Soul Knife) is reforged from the reclaimed metal of several Faca through a technique known only to Raivan smiths. The blade is called as such because the process exists to reclaim the knives of dead friends and Family, and reforge them into a new weapon, blended so (in Raivan belief) part of their soul carries on with the new blade. There are two ways in which a Facad'Alma comes into existence, the first is as a heirloom, most Raivan Family's possess one forged from their ancestors that is kept in the family home as a marker of their hearth and place of origina, and which can serve a practical use as a source of metal should the family ever be cut off from the mines of Shadowglow and need to forge new Faca. The second method is through tragedy, where a Raivan loses friends or Family in violent circumstances and reclaims their faca, a facad'alma forged in such a way becomes a weapon intended for vengeance, and is usually never drawn unless to draw blood of a foe. Unlike Faca that are universally knife sized blades a facad'alma, being forged from several knives is often a larger weapon such as a sword, or axe or sometimes glaive, depending on the preference of the Raivan and the quantities of metal used.
Raivan Culture
Raivans are a proud people, they consider themselves human despite Imperial classification, and often see their mutation as something of a blessing to fight the Emperor's Wars. Of course, no Raivan in the modern age would be stupid enough to tell a human that they consider themselves to still be human they've long learned the hard way that 'pretending' to be human breaches the genetic purity laws of the Imperium.
As noted above Raivans are stereotypically a highly social people, they pack-bond quickly with eachother and quickly adopt many individuals who stay in their company for long. The most important part of Raivan culture, after patriotic devotion to their kind and Shadowglow, is the Family. Family for Raivans is not defined by who birthed you and your genetic lineage, indeed co-parenting is common in most Raivan communities as conscription tends to be uncaring of whether a child is expected or not. Raivans are generally natural-born as they have no access to the genevat technologies of the Imperium, but a culture built on communal child-rearing often means that an individuals 'Family' is a personal choice more than being determined by shared blood. When a Raivan refers to their 'Family' it is vast collection of individuals who they have bonded with closely, there are those Raivans with whom they share a Family name, who are their formal Family, and there is the Family they create through their life of interconnected loved-ones.
Family is both a powerful source of stability for a Raivan, and their greatest weakness, indeed it has been muttered by some more rebellious elements of the Sector that the reason that the Raivans are so loyal is because they are well aware that should they turn on the Imperium they would put their Family at risk. Threats to the family are incredibly effective ways to control Raivans but such methods are not without considerable risk as a vengeful Raivan is not something to be underestimated. They live relatively long lives, and are relentless hunters when their ire is raised.
The religious practices of the Raivans worship of the God Emperor evolved separate to the challenges that have faced the Imperial Cult through its long and tumultuous history, unchanged for millennia, the Raivan religion is a are example of elements of the 'original' Imperial faith, though it has evolved entirely along its own lines.
Solar worship is central to the aspect of the Imperial Cult demonstrated on Shadowglow, the world sees light one standard Terran daily cycle once every ten years, and a huge amount of focus is placed onto that day known in the local dialect of Gair as Fèis Solas [Low Gothic: Festival of Light] (one of the few expressions of the Gair language the Raivans have been permitted). On this day many of the hardy Shadowglow-breed Grox are ritually sacrificed to the God-Emperor of Unconquered Sol and the Raivans take the opportunity to spend an entire day-cycle on religious celebrations of the God-Emperor. Unsurprisingly, during the long decades between Fèis Solas celebrations light continues to play an important central focus in their worship of the God-Emperor with lanterns, candles and lumen-lamps all used in ceremonies that focus on the Emperor as a light that banishes darkness, it is not uncommon to see the God-Emperors visage replicated in cavern and tunnel-shrines carved into the wall with a halo of lumen lamps to provide light from behind the features of their head that makes it hard to look at them through the glare, especially with Raivan eyes.
Where Raivans find themselves deployed on worlds where their suns are visible, they tend to, despite their usual deployment in night-fighting, perform their prayers at dawnlight while the sun creeps over them - often bowing and slowly raising to praise and meet the sun.
Martial traditions also form a part of the Raivans religious observances, if not in part because they were oblivious of the bar on the Faith directing military forces. A Raivan Auxilia Chaplain is often the individual also responsible for the units PT, and the Raivans have a series of drills and exercises that are performed as part of their standard prayers.
Raivan Names
Raivan naming practices tend to be similar to those of the Annwfyn however their specific Gair dialect contains a lote more Gothicised words than standard Gair due to their embrace of the High Gothic text of the Lectitio Divinitatus in their early history which has led to the spread of words and names that also have a somewhat Iberian root from the Portuguese and Spain of Terra-that was creating strange fusion names when combined with Gair ones.