Purity Seal

The Purity Seal is a mark of a Battle-Brother’s pure faith or morality in the eyes of the Emperor and the Chapter. Such seals are only ever awarded by the Chapter’s Chaplains, bestowed onto Battle-Brothers before battle as the Chaplain bestows a blessing onto the ranks of Space Marines. In many Chapters, this is a solemn ceremony accompanied by chanted litanies in honour of the Primarch and the Emperor. This can be because they are about to undertake a special task or mission or because they are not expected to survive. Unlike other Honours the right to bear a Purity Seal comes only after a Battle-Brother has worn it in battle and proven his courage to live up to its ideals. Typically a Chaplain will bestow a Purity Seal on a Battle-Brother with a specific blessing, such as killing a certain foe or number of enemies for the Emperor, or completing his duty even when mortally wounded. If the Battle-Brother then returns, successful, he has proven the blessing true. He is considered to have the favour of the Emperor and is granted the right to wear the Purity Seal on his armour permanently so that others might recognised his faith and devotion.

Description

A Purity Seal takes the form of prayers or litanies inscribed onto paper and then affi xed to the Battle-Brother’s armour with red or black wax usually then coated with protective sealants or for more permanence electrum casings. A Purity Seal can be affi xed to any part of a Battle-Brother’s armour or weapon. Other common places include leg plates and the rims or tops of the shoulder pads. Purity Seals should also not be confused with the prayer sheets and paper litanies worn by the Black Templars, sometimes in large fl uttering layers on their armour. These are specifi c to that Chapter and part of their own systems of faith and honour and not taken from the teachings of the Codex Astartes.

Benefits

Each Purity Seal carries with it a different invocation of blessing as devised by the Chaplain depending on his assessment of the Battle-Brother’s own purity. The exact nature of the blessing depends on the Chaplain (i.e., the GM), and is chosen when the blessing is bestowed. Common blessings include such things as that no xenos blade shall piece the brothers fl esh; once within the brother’s sight, no enemy shall live to see another day; or the brother’s boltgun shall never grow cold from fi ring or his chainsword dry from blood once the enemy has been encountered. The effect of these blessings is mostly to spur the Battle-Brother in an effort to prove his valour to his Chapter and to the Emperor by bringing the blessing to pass, and it may even cause him to change his tactics or become reckless with bravery. A Battle-Brother can also draw strength from his Purity Seal by reciting its prayer and reaffi rming his sense of duty to his Chapter and to the Emperor. In game terms, this can mean the GM giving the player-character a moment of respite or chance to gather his Battle-Brother’s wits before making another great effort. It could also mean resisting some manner of subversion if it would break the nature of the Purity Seal’s blessing, granting the Battle- Brother another burst of effort fuelled by his unbreakable sense of honour. Finally, those that bear a Purity Seal are recognized for their devotion and loyalty (in a similar way to the Imperialis), and as a result respected for their achievements.

Item type

Clothing / Accessory

Deathwatch: Rites of Battle, p211.