# Pre-Heresy Purity Seals?



## Words_of_Truth (Sep 20, 2007)

I'm converting a Techmarine to be a Chapter Master (Iron Father) but he has quite a lot of purity seals on him. It's my impression that purity seals are more of a 40k item rather than a 30k item as they forbid the practice. Is this true? if so could anyone suggest a good way of changing them or converting them to make him look more 30k like? He already has a heresy like back pack on from forgeworld.

There's three, two at the front and one down his left hand leg.


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## Doelago (Nov 29, 2009)

Just consider them to be a bunch of oaths he has stuck on the armor?


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## Khorne's Fist (Jul 18, 2008)

Doelago said:


> Just consider them to be a bunch of oaths he has stuck on the armor?


Agreed. In the first couple of HH novels the marines made a big deal of sticking oaths of moment to their armour before going into combat, detailing what they hoped to achieve in the coming battle.


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## Words_of_Truth (Sep 20, 2007)

They don't look like oaths though, at least to me. Oaths to me are bigger and don't use wax like seals to attach them to the armour. I don't mind converting it since its makes the model look more unique and since this is meant to be a 30k iron father I think removing anything pertaining to "purity" from chaos etc makes it look like it's from the era.

I was thinking of using the parchment like plastic bit from a space marine box. It looks to me what an oath is and it has the Imperium eagles wings with a skull between them.

Or am I reading to much into the difference ^^


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## locustgate (Dec 6, 2009)

Well the tech marines are part of the Mechanicum didn't they have purity seal.


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## Words_of_Truth (Sep 20, 2007)

Not that I know of, at this stage there was no significant knowledge of chaos, only one or two legions had any idea of it.


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## Giant Fossil Penguin (Apr 11, 2009)

It could be that an 'active' Oath is depicted by a larger parchment. It then could be that a 'completed' Oath is symbolised by a smaller token that looks like a Purity Seal; after all, they had to come from somewhere. It makes sense that the idea and symbology behind the Oath of Moment survives to be built on in a post HH, and now Codex, Imperium.

GFP


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## Moonschwine (Jun 13, 2011)

Could a little green stuff modelling also be used to make the seal bit look like a chapter symbol or whatever? That way you could call it a "Legion Deeds" or something rather than an Oath / Purity Seal etc. Otherwise, I wouldn't be suprised if 30K Marines stuck all kinds of crap to their armour - Oaths, Kill Markings, Trophies, Collectable Fridge Magnets. You name it they probably did it.


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## Words_of_Truth (Sep 20, 2007)

Here's what I've done. the idea is to use this as an oath of moment, I also want to use a little transfer from forgeworld and put it at the bottom of it, along with some scrawl above it to represent writing.


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## constantin_valdor (Apr 8, 2011)

Words_of_Truth said:


> Not that I know of, at this stage there was no significant knowledge of chaos, only one or two legions had any idea of it.


I would have thought they used purity seals in the Mechanicum to appease the machine spirits and the ominisiah (however you spell it)


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## Words_of_Truth (Sep 20, 2007)

Any thoughts on the little alteration I've done? I'm unsure whether the Iron Hands where as close to the Mechanicus as they are in 40k, I think they have Iron Fathers though in place of Chaplains still.


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## constantin_valdor (Apr 8, 2011)

Im not an expert on iron hands but i would have said they had very strong ties to the mechanicus during the great crusade


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## Stephen_Newman (Jul 14, 2009)

I say they could be notes of stuff he has to repair as a mechanic in his secret part time job.....

Back on topic I would not necessarily say that the Iron hands have close ties to the mechanicum at this point but maybe more of a cult of Medusa theme that venerates machinery more than flesh, looking to their primarchs super silver hands as evidence in the superiority.


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## jaysen (Jul 7, 2011)

I agree with you. I think that, on the whole, the pre-heresy legions were much much less into the whole religious ceremony and trappings of faith that are part of the 40k world. The pre-heresy legions saw the emperor as the father of the primarchs and as the greatest man and greatest psycher to ever live. But, they didn't see him as a god, except for the Word Bearers.

For a pre-heresy iron warrior or iron hands marine, I would think the only true deity they would believe in would be the omnissiah the machine-god. For that reason, I don't think that they would use parchment or wax seals at all. Religious trappings would be so much nonsense to them. The only true worship to the machine-god would be to perfect the effeciency and power of their technology.


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## Inkkubus (Apr 19, 2019)

omnissiah -> compositum of omniscient and messiah

somebody's been wrong on the internet ;~


edit: could also be using just the prefix omni to mean: messiah to each and all


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