Doom Eagles

''"All of creation suffers, young ones. Only in accepting our own mortality can we make a difference. Only in bearing the burden of our failures can we find the strength to go on. Only in detachment from glory, or honour, or jealousy... from life itself can we hope to spare others from grief."

''We are Doom Eagles. And we are dead already. The Doom Eagles Space Marines Chapter is a Second Founding Successor Chapter of the Ultramarines. Their homeworld is Gathis II, and their fortress-monastery is in that world's Ghostmountain. They are a notoriously pious, grim and aloof Chapter.

Overview
The Doom Eagles are a Second Founding Successor Chapter of the Ultramarines. However, unlike the Ultramarines, their use of Dreadnoughts is more extensive, fitting with their belief that they are fighting while already dead. While they do follow the Codex Astartes closely, they have the Somber trait divergence, using See, But Don't Be Seen, and the drawback Death Before Dishonor. They emphasize the use of stealth tactics and speed.

Chapter Traits
At a basic level, all Doom Eagles accept that they are already dead men in the service of the Emperor. This is the root of their courage and their unshakeable resolution and determination to stand in the face of even the greatest odds. As such, the Space Marines of this Chapter are almost impossible to deter from doing their duty, but they are a dour, grim and depressive lot, albeit staunchly loyal to the Emperor and the Imperium.

The Doom Eagles Chapter in Fiction
The Doom Eagles also featured in Dan Abnett's short story "Pestilence," in Simon Spurrier's short story "On Mournful Wings" and in James Swallow's short story "The Returned".

The 13th Black Crusade
At least five Companies of the Doom Eagles are known to exist, which participated in the defense of the Cadian Sector during the Thirteenth Black Crusade of Abaddon the Despoiler.



Chapter Appearance
The Doom Eagles' Power Armour is primarily silver in color, with red decoration and trim. The Chapter's symbol is a stylized eagle, with a human skull replacing the eagle's head.

Organization
The Acolytes of the Doom Eagles are not chosen primarily because of their strength, their courage, the depth of their soul or their physical appearance, but on the basis that every single one of them shares a feeling of total loss, grief and desperation. They regard themselves as already dying, just like their homeworld Gathis II. The tests which the future Space Marines must pass are intended to illustrate to them that they have nothing to lose and that it doesn't matter where they die. Only a very few of the recruited youths survive these tests, and only those who have recognized this fact that they are already truly dead in the Emperor's service, are allowed to survive.

Engagements
Upon arriving at the Cadian Gate, the Doom Eagles dispatched forces to war zones that had already suffered at the hands of Chaos. The largest of these detachments, under the command of Captain Luctus of the 3rd Company, was involved in operations within the Belis Corona subsector, against the Plague Zombies created by the Chaotic disease called the Curse of Unbelief.
 * 13th Black Crusade - 5 Companies Deployed5
 * Belis Corona: Battle against the Curse of Unbelief (Zombie Plague)
 * Yayor: Battle against Curse of Unbelief (Zombie Plague) on the Yayor agri-world
 * Deliverance (Imperial Navy starship): battle against Curse of Unbelief (Zombie Plague) on Imperial carrier Deliverance

Notable Doom Eagles

 * Hearon, current Chapter Master
 * Consultus, Captain on Merron
 * Luctus, Captain of the 3rd Company during the 13th Black Crusade
 * Tarikus, Sergeant on Merron and Kript under the command of Consultus
 * Korica, Space Marine on Merron
 * Mykilus, Space Marine on Merron
 * Petius, Space Marine on Merron
 * Thryn, Librarian Secundus on Gathis II
 * Keilor, Blew himself up in the midst of a Genestealer Cult while seconded to the Deathwatch