Kayvaan Shrike

Captain Kayvaan Shrike is a character in the Raven Guard Space Marine chapter.

In White Dwarf 302, a degree of Shrike's background story was revealed: he was born on Kiavahr, and as a boy, demonstrated a prenatural ability for stealth and espionage. As a youth, he worked as a runner for the Tarkal Guild, a gang that operated within the hive city Shrike lived in. But it was an incident in his late teenage years that set him on the path to destiny- he had been pursued by a rival gang for days on end. He'd managed to evade them for a week, feeding on rancid fungi and brackish water as he fled his pursuers. But the gang members weren't the only ones following Shrike- high above, in the gargoyle-studded spires of the city, the Chaplains of the Raven Guard, who often travelled stealthily through the cities, looking for new recruits for the Chapter, were observing the progress of the hunt with growing interest.

When Shrike was finally cornered, he fought viciously and killed four rival gangers before being overwhelmed. His captors took him back to their base and tried to torture him for information, but he resisted, and escaped after killing three more of his captors. Realising he was a prime candidate for recruitment, the Raven Guard Chaplains descended from the spires on jetpacks to rescue the boy before his pursuers caught and killed him.

Shrike resisted the Chaplains, believing them to be another gang, but in his weakened and exhausted state, the boy was no match for the Space Marines, and was taken back with them to the Raven Guard's fortress-monastery on the moon of Deliverance to be trained. But Shrike proved to be no passive pupil, and often resisted and evaded his tutors within the depths of the fortress. But as time went on, and Shrike learned more of his duty to the Emperor, he directed his energies more appropriately and became one of the Raven Guard's most promising recruits for centuries.

Kayvaan Shrike rose to fame after his actions in the war of Targus VIII against the Orks. After leading his company in a mission to destroy an orbital gun he found himself and his company stranded in Ork territory after their Thunderhawk transport was destroyed. Despite this setback Shrike remained in Ork territory with his company for over 2 years in which time he led a guerilla war against the Ork forces, destroying encampments, ammunition stores and the like, while providing the forces of the Imperium with valuable tactical information which helped bring the campaign in Targus VIII to an end long before it has been previously predicted by Imperial Strategos. Upon return to Deliverance, the Raven Guard homeworld, Shrike received the Laurel Imperialis, for having upheld his honour and exemplified the virtues of his chapter

Kayvaan wears a pair of lightning claws called "The Raven's Talons", which are said to be crafted by the primarch Corax himself on Deliverance, after the Raven Guard retreated there after escaping the Istvaan V Dropsite Massacre. The Raven's Talons can rend even terminator armour as easily as silk, in addition to the normal effects of Lightning claws. In battle he is normally seen at the head of an assault force of veteran marines, personally trained by himself and known as "Shrike's Wing". These veterans also carry lightning claws, albeit normal ones. In all his missions Shrike upholds the traditions of the Raven Guard in excelling at rapid action and guerilla warfare. Frag grenades mean they will always strike first, unless they are fighting a unit in cover. This does, however, wear off after a charge.

Wargaming
In the context of the tabletop game, Kayvaan Shrike may be included in Raven Guard army of at least 1,500 points as an HQ choice.