Raivans

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, ingrained by the use of Shadowglow as a penal world for those who did not swear loyalty to Horus during the Great Heresy, the Imperium soon realized that it was the Raivans and not the ostensibly human Mining Guilds, who were their allies.

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. They are stronger and faster than baseline humans, and have incredibly powerful night sight, even if they do not adapt well to well-lit conditions. They are identifiable by their near-white hair, and eyes that are adapted for night vision, often on well-lit worlds, a Raivan can be identified by their hair and tinted goggles alone. Although still abhumans, Raivan’s are prized as commandos and assassins by various institutions of the Imperium, well adapted as a warrior subspecies as they are, and as a result they often receive a better welcome than more deviant abhumans.