66th Caelum Grenadiers

The badge of the Militarum Tempestus 66th Caelum Grenadiers

## Other information

### **Specialty**

Shock Assault, High-Mobility Warfare, Xenos Eradication, Target Decimation, Guerilla Warfare, Asymmetric Warfare, Decapitation strike, Drop Assault

## Commanders

### **Acting**

Tempestor Prime Sharaf Madzhab

"*Alone, I am a mere man, but together our enemies will learn to fear the Beasts of Caelum!*"
—Tempestor Prime Sharaf Madzhab
The **66th Caelum Grenadiers** are the regiment of elite Militarum Tempestus Storm Troopers hailed from the tropical Deathworld of Caelum, Vykral System, Herzavar Sector. The hardborn regiment was formed following the formation of the *Cicatrix Maledictum*, the great rift that divide the Imperium. The 66th Caelum grenadiers functions as the stormtrooper (tempestus scion) regiment of the much larger Astra Militarum regiment of the planet, the Caelum Wardens.

The regiment itself was largely known as the Caelum 4th Shock Regiment, a veteran company the wardens used to spearhead a breakthrough in the enemy battleline. It is not until the year 009:M42 that the seed of the 66th would be planted on Caelum, the so-called “viride ad inferos”, The Green Hell. This Militarum Tempestus regiment is known for its Air to ground shock assault and behind the enemy lines operative.

## **History**

At the early years of M42, A Tyranid splinter Hive Fleet Jormungandr invade The Vykral System, rampaging both Jotun and Caelum in the process. Suffering heavy losses on all fronts, the Caelum command called for reinforcements from all across the sector. Several of these were the Tempestus Scion regiments of the 54th Psian Jakcals, the Iotan Gryphonnes, and the 133rd Lambdan Lions. Still these forces were not enough and soon the reinforcements were also ground up by the tyranid threat, leaving many to be severely understrengthen by the middle of the campaign.

To counter this and ensuring the defeat of the Hive Fleet Jormundgandr, the Caelum command ordered for these understrength regiments to be merged into new regiments, one of these being the remnants the 4th Caelum, 54th Psian Jakals, Iotan Gryphonnes and the Lambdan Lions, christening it as the 66th Caelum Grenadier regiments. The regiment soon had its baptism of fire within a week of its formation, conducting guerilla-style warfare in order to pacify the Tyranid nodes as well as counter the Tyranids tunneling creatures.

In the end, the regiment has received many esteemed accolades from both local commanders and the imperial segmentum command, who officially formalized their place as a permanent regiment for the Caelum Wardens as a part of their elite stormtrooper regiment equal to the tempestus scions in prowess and skill, and as their later campaigns would prove, extremely adept at eliminating the biggest threats of the enemy.

Recently the 66th Grenadiers had absorbed the 412th Cadian Kasrkins to their ranks adding 198 additional man to the ranks of the Militarum Tempestus

## **Recruitment Process**

The Caelum Grenadiers recruit its candidate in two ways, aspiring cadets from the local schola progenium and fresh recruits promoted from veterans of other various Caelum regiments. Because of this, members of the Caelum 66th do not go the usual mindwipe procedures of the normal tempestus scion regiment in order to foster a stronger sense of camaraderie between its members.

Despite this, many of those who are recruited into the ranks of the grenadiers must pass a challenge before they are officially inducted, regardless of their past rank, experiences, or status in life, in a trial simply called "The Great Hunt". The Great Hunt involves in the new scion candidates to be released into the jungles of Caelum and was given the task of hunting the biggest known predator of the planet, the Caelumian Goliath. A predator that stands 3 times as high as a normal Firstborn Space Marine possessing extreme versatile movement and swift as an Aeldari with teeth and claws sharp enough to pierce through solid ceramite.

Slaying this beast, therefore, requires solid cohesion, coordination, tactics, and teamwork amongst the scions, those who cannot find these qualities will become the ultimate prey to these xenos. Should the candidates succeeded, then they could not only just possess an innate ability to rival the Astartes in tactics and skill but also become part of the Caelum Grenadiers itself.

## **Regimental Homeworld**

Caelum itself is a Deathworld turn Civilized world with the establishment of 5 Hive Cities and the population of nearly 20 billion souls.

It’s surface consists of a single massive landmass surrounded by a global ocean. It has tropical climate all around with temperatures averaging at 33 degrees.

Hive cities in Caelum are usually found dotted near the coastline of the landmass, with sprawling jungles filled with carnivorous plants and vicious beasts, combined with dense vegetation beyond its ever roaring wave coasts, toxic aired swamplands filled with poisonous amphibians are also a common site in Caelum, usually found in the many delta’s of Caelum rivers.

Due to its lush vegetation and abundant natural resources, Caelum has been called the Emerald, the crown jewel, of the eastern fringe, although its populace prefer the high gothic term “viride ad inferos”, The Green Hell.

Like all planets Caelum has its own local planetary defense force and Astra Militarum regiment, known mostly as the Caelum Wardens. Their main purpose is to act as a defensive and screening force against hostile incursions. The Caelum Wardens is known for its mastery of Jungle, Urban and Mechanized Warfare.

Caelumian Hardwood is the main resources of the planet. The hardwood itself si considered as one of the best building material in the galaxy (specifically in Ultima Segmentum) which commands a heavy price. The Caelumian Hardwood's toughness is nearly unpenetrated as a thrice plated ceramite and its waterproof. The wood is often used as a material to build buildings from underground bunkers to Hive Cities.

The Caelum Oysters are the darling of many banquets of the nobility all across the imperium. The Oysters enormous size of two human palms are served as a delicacy to the Imperial nobilities. The commoners across Herzavar Sector (with the exceptions of New Merica, Xianyang, Pontavar, and Gandrorum) are forbidden to possess and ate this oyster and should they possess its fermented meat or oil could result in imprisonment.

## **Combat Doctrine**

Like most Militarum Tempestus regiments, the 66th Caelum Grenadiers often deploy as heavy shock infantry, either as part of a combined assault force or as an independent insertion force, often mobilized from the air using swift Valkyrie transports and dropped deep behind enemy lines. Once there the scions would immediately identify their intended targets and swiftly eliminate them, confident that their superior aim and training would carry them through the day, especially considering the substantially heavier firepower that they would bring in the forms of highly specialized weapons such as plasma guns, melta guns and volley guns.

However, should they fought against larger foes that the 66th truly distinguished themselves, for those who passed the trials to enter the regiment are now known as the monster hunters without peer, capable of seeking out the weak spot of an armored carapace, hull plating or shielding. To this day, the 66th are always called to the fray when the Caelum command has identified a large, high priority target that needs to be eliminated, a task they relished, and conducted with alarming speed and efficiency.

The 66th Caelum Grenadier Storm Trooper's Omnishield Helmet is uniquely modified. Thanks donation from New Merican Company X-Fang Corp, the 66th Grenadier's Omnishield Helmet possess thermal vision, able to detect body heats and even heartbeats of both human and xenos.

The 66th Caelum Grenadiers is also known for their mastery of booby traps from haywire mines to Krakshard Charges. They are known to employ environmental traps when fighting enemies with greater numbers and might from hulking Chaos Space Marines to Ork Nobz in their bulky Mega Armor. The 66th's victory at Greata Secundus in Segmentum Tempestus against the All Nobz Ork Horde led by Warbozz Mekruncha is the living prove of their tactics of using canyons and quicksand as the nature booby trap to thin the herds of Nobz.

## **Notable Members**

* **Tempestor Prime Sharaf Madzhab** -Current leader of the 66th, Tempestor Prime Sharaf originally hailed from the 54th Psian Jakals, a scion regiment famous in their mastery and history of war against the Eldar. Spending his earlier years in service to both the Jackals and the Inquisitorial elite forces before his induction into the 66th, he was the ideal candidate to lead the regiment due to his broad experience would be beneficial in enhancing the tactical flexibility of the unit. It would be many decades later however that the regiment would be known for its prowess, with Sharaf’s tactics and approach at the core of each deployment.

However, the thing that set the tempestor prime as being different from the others would be his pragmatism, a trait common to the tempestus scion but taken to dangerous levels as observed by more conservative imperial commanders, with him being amicable to negotiations and at times cooperation with Xeno forces to be borderline heretical. His only saving grace would be the amount of successful operation that he has led, as well as the results of said cooperation leading to the benefit of the imperium as a whole, stemming complaints about his methods, at least for the moment.

Nevertheless, those who served under him know truly where his loyalties lie. To those under his command, there would be no one else they would serve under than the polite, humble and well-spoken commander.

* **Lord Commissar Decimus Kreave** - A veteran Commissar attached to the grenadiers during their creation of the 66th, Kreave prefers to use his bullets on the enemy rather than waste it on his fellow scions in the 66th, which greatly gain the scion respects. Functioning more as an NCO as opposed to a political officer since the scions have less risk of breaking morale compared to a normal guardsman and relegated himself to play important role in logistical function to the team, as well as being the overwatch of the team during operations.

Despite this, he is highly respected amongst the 66th Regiment, both as a figure of authority and providing a different point of view as opposed to the often objective focused scion, pointing out symbolic meanings to a seemingly benign objective and how would eliminating or protection of such objective would help the imperial cause.

* **Commissar Belona De Santa** - The firebrand commissar in the 66th Regiment, opposed to Commissar’s Decimus, calculated and calm approach, Commissar Bellona De Santa serves as the Scions chief political officer, leading charge after charge with the men under her service against the enemy. For the 66th themselves, the commissar serves as a paragon from which they draw inspiration, an exemplar of their creed made flesh as someone who is pure of soul, courageous beyond doubt, and is willing to give her own life if necessary in the name of the Emperor.

It is said amongst the Caelum Wardens, when the 66th are led with both their tempestor prime and Commissar into battle, the fighting prowess of the 66th borders on the superhuman, a bold claim that has merit in their words, as the 66th are known to have toppled foes many times their size and number, a claim that would earn their moniker amongst the Caelum Wardens as “The beasts of Caelum.”
* **Tempestor Volkrin Kaerros** - A veteran Kasrkin Sergeant of the old 412th Cadian Kasrkins. Volkrin led the remaining 198 Kasrkins escaping Cadia and at the beginning of M42, with the help of Tempestor Taervin Horl and Lord Commissar Creave. 412th Cadian Kasrkins were absorbed and officially transferred to the 66th Caelum Grenadiers, Tempestor Volkrin aid the 66th in Drop Assault Training as well as trench warfare he mastered back at Cadia when facing the Black Legion.
* **Tempestor Kadryc Haddings**
* **Tempestor Taervin Horl**
* **Tempestor Megara Tanis**
* **Tempestor Horic Kortman**
* **Tempestor Ibrahim Manasi**

## Regimental Colours

The 66th Caelum, hailing from a jungle world, clad themselves in carapace armor in different shades of green with a camouflage pattern, which they would adjust according to their assigned missions, leaving only the darkest splotches of green in their armor if they are assigned to a non-jungle planet, all of this camouflage variations would have the same trim on their armor, which is burnished steel so as to not give any shiny reflections on the enemy and thus giving a higher chance for them to spot a trooper.

Markings, as with any scion regiment, are also simplistic represented in 3 vertical stripes, a white bar sandwiched between 2 red ones, with one darker than the other. Ther marks, which are painted on the left kneepad and berets of each scion, symbolizes the purity of the soul of each scion at the core of their service to the imperium and the throne while the red stripe expresses courage of each one of them while dispensing their duty. The darker red stripe meanwhile expresses the sacrifices each scion is willing to undertake in order to achieve their goals.

## Gallery

Tempestor Prime Sharaf by Remembrancer Orniris