Reavers: Origin (Part 1) | Space Wolves

Imperial records contain very little about the Black Wolf Space Marines. What is known is that they were once a Great Company of the Space Wolves. The Black Wolf Lord, whose name is not indicated in the archives, was rewarded for heroic service in battle with command over Herjolfsnes. A recently rediscovered planet on the southern fringe of Space Wolf territory, scans of Herjolfsnes indicated a population of nomadic tribes and rich mineral resources. The entire company set off on a crusade to claim this jewel for the Space Wolves. Early transmissions from Herjolfsnes indicated that successful contact had been made with the natives and that construction of a planetary defense base had begun. Several months after the landing all transmissions fell silent. In time, scouting ships were sent to investigate but no sign could be found of Herjolfsnes or the Black Wolves. Although it is possible that the Sagas of the Space Wolves contain more information about the Black Wolves and their fate Imperial inquisitions into the matter have met with nothing more than veiled references to the Black Stone.

It was with excitement and anticipation that the Black Wolves set off to conquer Herjolfsnes. Seen as a vacation after a recent extended campaign against traitors from the Eye, this was the opportunity to hunt new creatures in an unfamiliar wilderness and test the prowess of the local warriors. The journey and landing were uneventful and before long curious scouts began to arrive, sent by their tribes to investigate fires from the sky. These scouts were sent back to their people with stories of great Sky Warriors seeking to challenge the mightiest champions from each tribe. The tribes assembled a grand festival with representatives from dozens of tribes to greet the emissaries of these Sky Warriors. Through days of feasting and challenges the Sky Warriors demonstrated their superiority and quickly became revered by the tribal peoples. When the festival was concluded a select few of the locals were chosen as scouts, guides, and ambassadors to assist the Black Wolves in their work on Herjolfsnes.

Construction began on the planetary defense base and many of the Black Wolves set out in small packs to learn what challenges the local fauna would provide. Everything was progressing on schedule. Over time the more distant tribes ventured forth to make contact and news began to trickle in that there were tribes who refused to come forth. As the months passed more and more sinister reports began to arrive; news of tribes who were practicing dark rituals of sacrifice and even whispers of dark ambassadors, similar in stature and prowess to the Sky Warriors but more sinister in nature, who had slaughtered entire tribes who refused to submit to them. These rumors became too frequent and too familiar to ignore. The Black Wolves sent a scouting party to investigate the center of this activity.

The scouting party arrived just in time to witness the culmination of a dark ceremony led by a robed sorcerer and guarded by figures wearing twisted but unmistakable suits of power armor. Countless victims had already been sacrificed, their mutilated corpses piled about a jagged altar covered in arcane runes that burned with a hateful fury. With one final stroke of the sacrificial knife the sorcerer effectively plunged Herjolfsnes into carnage and erased the Black Wolves from Imperial memory.