Barachiel is a Apothecary in the Flesh Tearers Chapter.[1a]
History
During the Invasion of Rynn's World, Barachiel was one of those brothers who fell temporarily into a berserker frenzy and conducted a massacre. The incident was covered up after by Chaplain Dumah.[1i]
Originally a moderate in the Chapter, Barachiel wished to cure the Flesh Tearers of the Black Rage. This brought him into conflict with others in the Chapter, such as Chaplain Dumah, who saw the rage as a core part of their identity. Nonetheless, he is part of Dumah's expedition to reestablish contact with Cretacia after it had been cut off by the Great Rift.[1a]
After helping put down a Genestealer Cult mutiny aboard their Strike Cruiser Cretacian Jungle, Barachiel's tensions with Dumah boil over to the point that he is left aboard the vessel to conduct genetic purity tests amongst the crew while the rest of the Flesh Tearers travel down to Cretacia to investigate. Barachiel is particularly reluctant, as he believes that the wilderness of Cretacia may hold a medicinal cure to the Black Rage.[1b] While Dumah and the 4th Company fight Chaos forces on Cretacia's surface, Barachiel leads a boarding action that brings down a Star Fort which has been overrun by heretical forces.[1c]
As the Battle of Cretacia rages on their homeworld against the Disciples of Rage, Barachiel continues to clash with Dumah's command. Despite initial disagreements and arguments over whether the Black Rage belongs in the Chapter or not, Barachiel agrees to follow Dumah's plan for a frontal assault supported by orbital bombardment. The Flesh Tearers are aided by the tribes of Cretacia, which are eager to expel the Chaos invaders.[1d] As the Cretacian Jungle launches an obrital bombardment and Attack Craft are launched to destroy the Fortresses defensive guns, Dumah orders a frontal assault despite Barachiel's warning. The first assault fails and the Flesh Tearers and their allies suffer heavy losses. Faced with annihilation Dumah agrees to follow Barachiel's plan of a subterranean infiltration to disable the fortresses power generator.[1e]
As Dumah leads the attack on the reliquary to stop the First Disciple, Barachiel arrives at the Fortresses Black Tower and discovers horrifically mutated Aspirants in stasis alongside surviving feral Death Company members. Dumah learns that the mutations were caused by past failures to cure the Black Rage, and is forced to kill a Death Company warrior that attacks him and realizes there is no cure for the rage.[1f] Barachiel then witnesses Dumah's new Death Company tear through the enemy positions, realizing the rage may have some value after all. He begins to receive maddening visions of Sanguinius himself and comes to accept it as part of his identity. He has a final vision of Horus aboard the Vengeful Spirit and accepts the rage into himself as part of his destiny.[1g]
After the battle, Dumah discovers Barachiel maddened by the black rage and chained. Dumah reflects on their prior differing views and his failure to save his brother.[1h]