The Purified

The Purified have the distorted bodies of former Plague Marines.

This renegade chapter fell to the scourges of Nurgle but fought their way back to humanity through faith, dedication, and a miracle at the hands of a saint.

## Founding & Early Years

The Purified, originally known as the Stellar Brotherhood, were part of the cursed 13th Founding. Like their kin, their gene sire was not recorded (or was redacted) and they quickly fell to the perils of Chaos. Their earliest campaigns are lost to Imperial records but fragments and rumor said they were on a campaign to purge a planet of a renegade chaos cult. Initial reports stated their success.

## Fall into Filth

The cult purged by the Stellar Brotherhood had been a trap and an infection had unknowingly spread amongst its marines. It lay dormant, spores in the crevices of their armor and the blood caked on their weapons. All this detritus had been scrubbed off and burned but the fires were insufficient to purge the hardy spores of Nurgle. Weeks, months, or even years later the spores slowly awoke and infected the crew and attendants of the marines first. By the time the next campaign they had already began to succumb to Nugle’s influence.

During the next campaign the chaplain was killed (unknowingly, by friendly fire) and it was just a matter of time until the chapter fully fell to the filth and disease of the Plague Father. The horrific plague that spread across the chapter killed ~75% of the marines and all their attendants. They began to harvest locals from their campaign to serve them. In time they had amassed a large horde of slaves from the unwashed masses of various Imperial planets.

The conquered an Imperial Hive World known as “Eriax” and turned it into a den of inequities and debauchery. The Plague Planet sent out tendrils to other planets in the system and, in time, they had infected a half dozen worlds.

They did battle with a number of Imperial forces during their time but the Plague Marines of the Stellar Brotherhood, now going by moniker of “The Filth”, were always victorious.

### The Scrap At Moon Mountain

The Imperium threw their worst, an irreverent chapter known as “The Devil Boys” at one of the worlds infected by The Filth. The moon was a pleasure planet and was home to a sprawling amusement park known as “Moon Mountain”. The Filth had turned it into a disgusting, plague-ridden, OSHA hazard and the Devil Boys just about had the time of their lives purging heretics and riding roller coasters. At the end of the day it was a draw as the tiny moon’s crust was shattered by heavy weaponry and virus bombs to hell.

## The Cleansing

A spot of hope lingered in the chapter however. Despite its newer converts being dyed-in-the-wool Plague Marines the original members still maintained a semblance of reverence for the Emperor. It had been twisted and warped to conflate the Emperor & Nurgle but that which is twisted can be untwisted if done with care. Hive World Eriax had an Imperial shrine and they’d kept an old Deacon, one “Rustam Umarov”, alive for sport. During his myriad torture sessions he managed to plan seeds of purity in the minds of the very people torturing him. He carefully spread his faith like a plague among the original marines of the chapter and, with compassion and a silver tongue, he saved them from themselves.

Only 52 marines of the Stellar Brotherhood remained alive and human. In one night of violence they managed to kill their tainted kin and usurp control of Eriax from them. Only after they freed Rustam did they realize a holy aura emanating from him. His humility, faith, and endurance had outshined any mortal man and it is heavily implied that he had died weeks before his death and the spirit of the Emperor of Mankind himself had been inhabiting his body.

Rustam laid hands on the faces of the remaining 23 marines who had not died in the revolt against the heretics. Where his hands touched them he purified them of all sin. The last act of Saint Rustam was to touch the stomach of a Great Unclean One, the chapter’s original Chapter Master and purified even a creature so foul of their taint. He commanded the remaining chapter

## Rebirth as “The Purified”

After purging the entire system of Nurgle’s control a new, reborn, loyalist chapter emerged from the chaos they had caused. Calling themselves “The Purified”, they did not pretend the Imperium would accept their miraculous rebirth and sought no absolution for their many sins.

The Purified now scour the fringes of the universe, hunting Nurgle’s taint wherever it may arise. The recruit from plague marines and infected warriors they encounter, cleansing them with the preserved hand of St. Rustam. They have the secret support of several Imperial governors and even some renegade loyalist Adeptus Mechanicus cults who supply them with enough funding and equipment to continue their crusades.

## Chapter Equipment

**The Hand of St. Rustam (Relic):** The preserved right hand of St. Rustam is locked in a stasis field. New initiates, followers of Nurgle or those infected by one of his plagues, may pray before the hand of the Saint. Chapter Tradition has it that if their faith is strong enough and their motives are pure they will be purged of their taint. (Inquisitors have not been able to verify this and are convinced it is heretical in nature.)

**Power Washers:** The Purified equip many of their battle brothers and tanks with high-power water sprayers that can bore holes through stone. The liquid is both cleansing literally (power antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal agents) but also spiritually. Each tank is blessed by the chapter’s Chaplain and a finger of St. Rustam’s perceived hand is placed in it. This mixture burns the taint of Nurgle wherever it is found (or so they say).

## Chapter Appearance & Name

### The Stellar Brotherhood

For a comparatively brief time after their founding the chapter was known as “The Stellar Brotherhood”. They had dark blue armor, off-white shoulder inserts and helmet, and yellow highlights. They had the proportions of a loyalist marine of the era.

### The Filth

After their fall to Nurgle they were known as “The Filth”. Their bodies were warped and bloated. They kept many of their armor colors: a dark blue primary with an off-white shoulder insert and helmet. The white was a bit more tainted by the filth of Nurgle but the greatest departure was that they began using an infected green for many of their armor highlights and accents.

### The Purified

    After their redemption at the hands of St. Rustam the chapter took on a blue, white, and gold aesthetic. The blue was brighter, the white was cleaner, and the gold a more embellished take on the Stellar Brotherhood’s original yellow accent colors. Their bodies were still somewhat deformed, having been warped by chaos and bloated by infection. They look a bit awkward in their movement and are a bit bigger than your standard marine. Gone is the statue-esque beauty of their primarchs but they hold a vitality and beautify that, despite a somewhat corpulent form, has it's own beauty.

## Sources, Inspirations, and Credit

The idea for this chapter came from a combination of PaperDuckDinosaur’s “Purified Plague Marines” and WilhelMiniatures’ famous “The Great Clean One”. These folks are AWESOME model makers and you should check them out. WilhelMiniatures has a great YouTube channel as well where you can see them work on some amazing minis!

Purified Plague Marines By PaperDuckDinosaurThe Great Clean One by WilhelMiniatures.The Great Clean One Warhammer III Skin Mod by TheBladeRoden"The Filth" Aspiring Champion."The Filth" Plague Marine."The Filth" Assault Marine."The Filth" Plague Marine."The Filth" Plague Marine."The Filth" Plague Marine."Stellar Brotherhood" Tactical Marine."Stellar Brotherhood" Tactical Marine."Stellar Brotherhood" Tactical Sgt.