Squad 81

History
Squad 81 are the 1st squad of the 8th Doom Host and have one of the most glorious squad histories in the Heralds of Coming Doom Chapter records. 81 were founded just over centuries after the Chapter's inception during the Third Founding when the Chapter's numbers were just below 1000 and validated the creation of additional Codex-strength Companies or Doom Hosts as they are known to the Heralds. During this period the 7th, 8th, and 9th Doom Hosts were created and the Scout Doom Host was reassigned as the 10th Doom Host.

Since then they have fought in many battles, both skirmishes and Chapter-level assaults alike, this Squad have proved themselves time and time again, no matter if the members have changed many times in battle. The ultimate fate of any brother of 81 is either promotion to Doom Reaper or higher or have joined a command squad instead. Or if neither of these deeds are accomplished then they die in glorious service to Doom, Chapter and Imperium, selling their lives at the highest possible cost, buying time for brothers. There have been several times during the Squad's history where it has totally been wiped out, but each time has been rebuilt with the best Brothers the Vengeance Cult has to offer. Most notable engagements include many battles during the Black Crusades and surgical strikes against Ork Waaaghs. More recent engagements include strikes against the Tau including the climatic battle for Calfarus V. The current Squad Roster includes: Jayriel Barilius, Aries Hathius, Carzail Alphriel, Almius Garetus and Azriel Gathion.

Over the centuries the Squad has been rebuilt and has had losses replaced many times over, but it's identity has always remained the same and the strong sense of brotherhood and camaraderie have always been characteristics displayed by it's members. It is unsure if marines recruited into the Squad are chosen for these traits or if the Squad's history and identity themselves cause these traits to occur. Either way the squad has had a long tradition of openness and friendliness amongst it's members which even most other close-bonded Astartes squad rarely match. This happens to be one of the Squad's greatest strengths for when one of them succumbs to the ravages of war, his squad-mates are inspired beyond even the limits common to the Astartes and their hearts fill with righteous fury, hatred and vengeance that few Chaplains or Doom Sayers can match. This Squad has earned more honours and medals than any other in the Vengeance Cult and most of the Chapter with the exception of the Death Cult and in any chapter with a normal organisation would have earned their Terminator Honours long ago, this is true for all members both living and dead.

When the Squad was first founded, it's original members under the command of 1st Sergeant Kasekial Jassion it fought on the walls of an Imperial fortress on Cadia when a Black Crusade struck at the benighted world. 81 were chosen to lead surgical strikes and raids against the forces of Chaos, this led to beginnings of the legend that would become Squad 81. The Squad struck at key positions and supply lines, this led to much confusion and havoc amongst the Great Enemy, slowing down their advances and starving them of supplies leaving increasingly unable to conduct the Cadian War. Dozens of Black Legionnaires and hundreds of Chaos Cultists were slain by 81 over the coming weeks, causing Abbadon no end of frustration. Legend has it that once when one of Abbadon's Champions reported the latest losses and shortcomings caused by the Squad 81, Abbadon flew into a blind rage of the likes he had rarely experienced even during the Horus Heresy and murdered the Champion and many other Black Legionnaires who were unlucky to be in the same room at the time. So great was Abbadon's rage his officers had to take command of the war effort for two days while he calmed down.

During this time Squad 81 had struck at their enemies again, sabotaging columns of tanks and artillery pieces and detonating ammo stores and slaying key personnel. It was repetitive, but unpredictable strikes like these which contributed massively to the Imperial war effort and to a certain extent defeated the Black Legion. These strikes were unpredictable, because every time the objective would be different along with the timing and location and these factors combined with the urban ruin that Cadia had become made the strikes almost impossible to protect against such was the skill in terms of martial and strategical aspects of Squad 81. Every member was awarded a Doom's Star along with the Strike of Vengeance (which was named thusly to honour the havoc and victories caused by 81's members' efforts) medals.

NOTE: The 1st Squad of each Doom Host isn't a Command Squad. Command Squads have the Squad Designator of 0, for example 40 would the Command Squad of the 4th Doom Host.

Notable Battles

 * The Sigrian Uprising- There was a massive Chaos Cultist uprising on the Hive World of Sigrian Prime led by detachments of the Chaos Legions. Within a month the Planetary Governor and his Loyalist forces were defeated in a grinding war of movement, during this time the Governed managed to send out a distress call to the Imperium. This was answered by several Guard Regiments who were then diverted to combat this highly dangerous threat, but when they landed they were met with stiff resistance and were slowly ground down in a war of attrition. The Heralds of Coming Doom having heard of this plight sent the entire 8th Company to crush the uprising. The Heralds arrived just in time to drive off a major Chaos attack that was about to break Imperial lines. The additional power of the Heralds was able to push Chaos back enougth to restart a war of movement with numerous Doom Fury and Inferno squads attacking the flanks of Chaos forces, causing massive havoc, while other Herald forces closed in from behind, while the Guard closed in from the front, butchering the forces of Chaos. This was the campaign which resulted in Jayriel Barilius' induction into Squad 81.


 * The Purging of Strontus Alphus- The contact was lost with a newly established Imperial colony on the world of Strontus Alphus and the 8th Company were sent to investigate. This battle would be Jayriel Barilius' first as leader of Squad 81. When the 8th arrived they found the space port and settlements deserted and while investigating a township they were attacked by an Eldar force. Jayriel led the charge against the Eldar and his Squad slew several warlocks and sabotaged three Vypers while the rest of the Company were engaging with Dire Avengers and Dark Reapers. During the battle 81 were able to capture an Eldar warrior and she was taken to the Doom Reaper and interrogated, eventually the Company learned that Strontus Alphus was a Necron Tombworld that the Eldar had tried to prevent from awakening by exterminating the human population. Disgusted with this new information the Doom Reaper gave the Eldar to the Death Seer of his Doom Guard squad who harvested the Eldar's life force to power his abilities later during the battle against the Necrons. During a series of hit and run tactics and frontal assaults, the Heralds managed to destroy the Necrons albeit with heavy casualties and drive off the Eldar. Squad 81 had proved instrumental in this by slaying both the Necron Lord and Eldar Farseer leading their respective factions. This led to the routing of both alien factions and victory for the Heralds.


 * The Siege of Calfarus V- Squad 81 and Strike Force Omega were sent to recapture a Tau Fortress which had been originally an Imperial agri-world. The planet happened to be in a strategic position which allowed whoever controlled the world controlled space travel for the entire sub-sector, making it both a vital trade route and supply route. This meant if it was captured nearby Tau forces would suffer from a lack of supplies and reinforcements, making them easy targets for other Imperial forces or for the Strike Force itself at a later date. The Strike Force was dropped via drop-pods from their Battle Barge, "Omega's Fury", right into the middle of the Tau forces on the ground outside the fortress in a little settlement built to support the fortress and it's fledging colonists. The Tau were taken totally by surprise and were slaughtered. The battle progressed to the walls of the fortress where the Tau provided stiff resistance and pushed the Force back, whilst heavy casualties were inflicted on both sides. The Force regrouped at their secured landing sites and prepared to repel the Tau counter attack while their heavy armoured vehicles and the supporting Imperial Guard made landfall. The Astartes managed to hold out long enough for the Guard Tanks to drive the Tau back whilst the last of the Astartes siege vehicles deployed. The Imperials pushed the Tau back and started to pound their fortifications to rubble, meanwhile 81 and other jump infantry squads scaled the walls of the fortress and engaged the defenders and lowered the gates, allowing the Guard and remaining Astartes to storm the keep. 81 led the hunt though the fortress keep to find the Tau leaders. The squad managed to overcome their body guards and slay the Shas'O and Aries himself managed to kill the Ethereal leading the planet. Their bodies were then thrown from the keep roof which crushed the Tau resolve and their remaining forces were either crushed or routed completely and either ran for their lives or surrendered. The Tau who surrendered immediately killed themselves or were executed by the Imperial forces. The Tau who escaped were hunted down and exterminated.

Current Members

 * 1st Sergeant Jayriel Barilius- The Squad's leader and the 1st sergeant of the 8th Doom Host, marking him out as the heir to the position of 8th Doom Reaper. Jayriel was inducted into the Squad as a Veteran-Brother for showing great valour as a Doom Stryker during numerous campaigns, the latest of which had seen some of the members of 81 slain. Jayriel amongst with two others were inducted into the Squad under 1st Sergeant Jadermiah Kaparus after earning the Doom's Star and Strike of Vengeance medals and proving worthy enough to join the Squad and become part of it's illuminous and vintage history. Many years later he was promoted to the position of 1st Sergeant and therefore the Squad's leader when Kaparus was felled by Abbadon himself during the prologue to the 12th Black Crusade. Jayriel managed to trap to wound Abbadon though a lucky strike and cause him to retreat, having survived the Squad's most terrible trial Jayriel was promoted. Jayriel enjoys combat immensely and has an excellent understanding of tactics and melee combat, making him almost unrivalled at close quarters combat, with only the Chapter's more senior members able to match him and beat him during contests and training. Jayriel also displays a sense of humour and a somewhat lively personality for a Herald of Coming Doom, making him easy to be around as he frequently makes jokes and has an awesome sense of camaraderie, being friendly to even non-Astartes. Beneath this friendly coating though is a true warrior burning with vengeance and a cold, calculating fury.
 * Aries Hathius- The Squad's second in command and Jayriel's successor should he die or rise to the position of Doom Reaper, assuming Aries also survives long enough. Aries was inducted into 81 as Veteran-Brother at the same time as Jayriel, the two had been close friends for decades before joining Squad 81 and since have grown closer as they have achieved more glories for the Squad and the Chapter. Like Jayriel, Aries had been inducted for showing valour during the campaign which had inflicted heavy losses on 81 prior to Aries joining the Squad. During this Campaign Aries had also earned the Doom's Star and Strike of Vengeance medals for his efforts. Aries is a somewhat quiet and wise individual who displays caution, a total opposite to Jayriel despite the number of times his presence has drawn Aries into being more sociable and light hearted. Aries has a level head, despite displaying the fury of the Vengeance Cult numerous times. Aries as mentioned before is a quiet more reserved individual who displays camaraderie to his Squad-mates, but is more quiet when concerned with those outside of the Squad.
 * Carzail Alphriel- The Squad's explosive expert, Carzail is a skilled sapper and unrivalled when it comes to sabotaging enemy vehicles and fortifications. Carzail joined 81 at the same time as Jayriel and Aries for showing valour in the same campaign and for being one of the more able candidates for induction into the Squad. He has earned the Doom's Star and Strike of Vengeance medals and shows an affinity for explosives such as grenades and melta charges and is an extremely analytical character which makes him brilliant at his job, he is also one of the best shots with a plasma pistol. He is a generally friendly character, despite being more reserve than Jayriel, but less quiet than Aries. Of the Squad he is the oldest and like all members of Squad 81 is extremely capable at close quarters combat, tactics and sabotage. However he is not a leader and prefers to follow and serve on the front line more, where his skills with explosives are the most valuable, this is one of the reasons why Jayriel was chosen to lead the Squad instead of Carzail, despite him being the most experienced (by approximately 7 years) of the Squad.
 * Almius Garetus- The Squad's Xenos expert, Almius has dedicated himself to finding more about the anatomies of various aliens and to figure out how they work so he can find their weak points and slay them as efficiently as possible. This interest has earned him a slightly unsavoury reputation amongst the rest of the Chapter outside of the Squad and the 8th Company, even one as unorthodox as the Heralds of Coming Doom. He is very skilled with a combat knife along with vengeance talons and was once pointed out by the Apothicarium, but Almius turned them down stating he was more interested alien biology than Astartes or human biology so he could better execute the will of the Doom Angel. Almius can readily identify any Xenos race and how to kill or disrupt them most effectively including the less well known races of the Tau Empire and the Hrud. Almius could tell you how to strangle an Ork or where strike a Hrud to pierce it's vital organs. He is generally a logical person with a thirst for knowledge and a passion for close quarter combat, that few Vengeance Cultists can match, he detests those Humans who he says "show low intelligence levels" but shows unrivalled loyalty to his Brothers on both a Squad and Chapter based level. He was inducted into the Squad 3 years after Jayriel, Carzail and Aries.
 * Azriel Gathion-The Squad's youngest and most rash member, Azriel was inducted into the Squad 7 years after the others were inducted into he Squad. He displays the greatest zeal and religious beliefs of the Squad, often leading it in prayer to the Doom Angel and to the War Spirits in their armour and equipment, frequently blessing the Squad's weapons and performing sacred traditions for the Squad's other members like the Oath of Moment, a traditional oath used by the Astartes Legions of old before the Horus Heresy. Of the Squad he is the most bold and overly rash, charging headlong into combat in a holy fervour less than only the Doom Sayers as he displays more rage than almost any other Vengeance Cultist. This has led to him being saved more frequently than any other member of the Squad despite his awesome skill at melee combat and unshakeable faith. He has been considered by the Doom Sayers to join their ranks as an apprentice, but have yet to announce their decision, until then he will fight with his Squad-mates in any location for however long under any conditions. He openly detests any non-Astartes and is often hostile to those Astartes who don't follow the Doom Angel and the 4 Aspects of Doom.

By
"Burn these unbelieving fools with the righteous fury of the Vengeance Cult and the Heralds of Coming Doom!"

- Azriel Gathion.

"Cover me while I rig this fusion generator to blow!"

- Carzail Alphriel during a boarding action on a Chaos vessel.

"Strike the bloody Carnifex there between the spines on the carapace,that's where the organ which allows it to communicate with the Hive Mind is!"

- Almius Garetus during the boarding action on the Space Hulk where 1st Sergeant Jadermiah Kaparus was mortally wounded.

"1st Sergeant, I recommend we use frag grenades to suppress the Orks while we charge them."

- Aries Hathius addressing Jayriel Barilius during a campaign against an Ork Waaagh.

"Come on Brothers we purge this Chaos Cult so we can get drunk and brag to our Space Wolf friends about our numerous victories!"

- Jayriel Barilius joking to his brothers over the Squad vox during a joint effort between the Doom Heralds and the Space Wolves to purge a world being invaded by Chaos.

About
"Squad 81 will do exceptionally well under Brother Jayriel's command."

- Zarkreus Safrion commenting on Jayriel Barilius' promotion to leader of Squad 81.

"I curse those loyalist dogs of Squad 81 of the Heralds of Coming Doom with the full foulness and madness of Chaos, from now and forever I declare them my most hated enemies short of the Corpse-God himself!"

- Abbadon The Despoiler cursing Squad 81

"Squad 81 is one of the most skilled and venerable squads in the Chapter you shall do service to that legacy or be disgraced."

- Ceremonial words spoken by the Great Vengeance Seer when new marines are inducted into Squad 81.

"I have heard of Squad 81 is it true they foiled Abbadon himself all by their own?"

- Excited Guard Officer asking a Battle-Brother questions.

"Beware the Humans of Squad 81 Banshees for they are very deadly and could prove our undoing if we are not careful."

- A Farseer warning her Howling Banshees before sending them to attack Squad 81.