Alabaster Order

"There are few things that will set the mind of a novice guardsmen at ease more effectively than the knowledge that the twentieth is supporting his campaign, for he knows, should he fall in combat, that there are few more gifted in the medical arts than the Apotheker of the Alabaster Order, and none more willing to stand between him, and those who would do him harm, than those brothers of the Amathame Brotherhood."

-Colonel Stonegrave, 28th Beoni Infantry Regiment

As the XXth and last legion, the Alabaster Order have always been predisposed towards support roles, yet they have embraced this and focus on humanitarian aid. This would eventually lead to their censure by the Emperor as Gustave Dunant turned the legion too far from their combat purpose. Many of the legions don't understand the mindset of the twentieth, but the courage, and unwavering discipline of the legion is beyond question, earning them the respect of several legions and the Imperial Army. The other aspect that the legion is most well known for is their unique organisation, being split into two arms. The Alabaster Order is the medical and humanitarian focused arm, and the Amathame Brotherhood is the combat and defence arm. Although they sought to do no harm, and benefit mankind first and foremost, they would eventually be a source of much greater harm and damnation.

A Legion in Support
Drawn primarily from the populations of Europa, Franc, and Jermani, the Twentieth Legion would only see limited action by the closing days of the Unification of Terra. Under the command of Legion Commander Koloman Geiger, they would serve in mostly supporting roles alongside the more experienced Legionnaires of their fellow Legions.

As the Legions marched forth into the stars, the Twentieth would continue to serve in this capacity, and as a result, the honor rolls of this period in the Imperium’s infancy make sparse reference to their exploits. So few are these accounts in fact, that even the most argent chronicler would find the task of researching the early years of the Twentieth a near impossible task. However, for the most determined of those that seek the truth, there is one event in the Legion’s history that remains readily accessible, even to this day, although the actual factors leading up to its tragic outcome are still a matter for debate among the scholars of the Imperium. An event known simply as the “Jupiter Incident.”

The Jupiter Incident
During the closing days of the Sol campaign, as the Emperor began to set his divine gaze beyond the borders of the cradle of Humanity; the Twentieth found themselves regrouping over the planet Jupiter, mustering in just one of the many orbital stations used by the Imperium. With the entire might of the Legion either aboard their docked ships, or aboard the station itself, it was deemed impossible that any enemy of the Imperium still present in the Sol system would be foolish enough to attack such a heavily defended location. As a result, though still inhumanly vigilant, the Legionnaires of the Twentieth were caught nearly unaware by the disaster that was about to befall them. A disaster orchestrated by a resistance cell present in the region at the time.

Whilst even the notion of such an organization existing in the God-Emperor’s Imperium of today seems mock-able at best, at the time various factions of dissidents remained within the borders of the Sol System. One such faction, known as the JRB, or Jupiter Resistance Block, operated small scale cells in Jupiter’s orbitals, as well as the various orbitals and stations of its moons. Though they had never been so blazen as to attack a Legion position in the past, they had managed to remain a surprisingly persistent thorn in the side of Imperial Command, attacking Army supply convoys and Imperial garrison patrols.

Though the exact details of how the attack was carried out remain a mystery, what is known is that a small cell of JRB operatives had somehow managed to infiltrate the station the Twentieth were occupying, and had assimilated into the station’s mortal population. Soon thereafter, the stations’ plasma reactors went critical, and gave birth to a small, short lived sun that consumed everything in its immediate vicinity, including just over ninety-thousand Legionnaires of the Twentieth Legion, as well as just under nine-tenths of their allotted fleet assets.

A Legion Saved by Chance
By happenstance, Legion Commander Koloman Geiger, along with ten Chapters of the Legion that had deployed with him, were waylaid on their journey to the muster site by a humanitarian crisis occurring on a mining colony within Sol’s inner belt. As it lay just off their planned Warp route to the muster site, Geiger had ordered his fleet to respond to the colonist’s hails for aid. Though an unintended consequence, it would be this decision to help the citizens of the Imperium in need that would save the Legion from complete annihilation, and enable them to seek out the remnants of the JRB, and visit upon them a sort of wrath only the Emperor’s Angels of Death are capable of. Regardless, a legion so drastically reduced in strength was doomed to see themselves incorporated into the rosters of one of their fellow Legions, and well aware of this fact, the Twentieth resigned themselves to their fate. One that remained an ever present possibility for just over thirty-six years, and was prevented only by the timely intervention of the recently discovered Primarch of the Eighth Legion, Koschei Kharkovic.

The Dreamer
Impressed by the Twentieth’s perseverance, The Primarch Koschei, recently reunited with the Eighth Legion, the newly named Godslayers, took it upon himself to petition the God-Emperor himself to allow him to take the Twentieth under his command, until such time as their Primarch was discovered. While his request was granted, he determined that he would not interfere with the workings of the Legion, and allowed Legion Commander Koloman Geiger to retain his command.

For just under ten years, the Twentieth served alongside the Eighth, and were fortunate to share with them the glories won under the leadership of Koschei Kharkovic. Through him, they were able to regain a measure of their lost honour, and though the process was slow, they were able to rebuild their numbers to about a quarter of what they had once had. Such was the state of the Legion, battered, but unbowed, that when they found themselves called to the planet Paradis Trovato they were able to stand before their Gene-sire, Gustave Dunant, with hope in their eyes, and pride in their hearts.

Breaking the Spirit
The First Rangdan Xenocide would bring the Alabaster Order their greatest shame, as criticisms of their hesitation and request to establish field hospitals acted as the final straw for the Emperor. The Emperor met with Gustave in private, informing him of his displeasure at the Alabaster Order’s recent performance and Gustave’s changes to his Legion. After Gustave refused to change his priorities, the Emperor had no choice but to enforce his will. The Alabaster Order were sentenced to a penitent crusade, where the XXth were to conquer one hundred worlds through force for the Imperium without the support of any allied forces. The number of units dedicated to humanitarian relief were to be scaled back and the focus returned to compliances. The Alabaster Order dutifully gathered above Paradis Trovato, drawing in all of their attached medical support groups from across the Imperium and all the supplies they were to be given for their crusade. While the crusade in and of itself was a simple enough exercise for a Legion, the shame of being reprimanded stung the Order deeply. Many of the more militant Legions and Primarchs were vindicated in their criticisms, though there were some planetary governors and Imperial Army forces who had benefited from the XXth’s aid were quietly downcast. The Alabaster Order would rejoin the Great Crusade subdued and seemingly returned to militant form, but Gustave would not let his dreams be broken.

Despite his superhuman intellect, Gustave could not break from his nature, and over time the Alabaster Order would slowly slide back into focusing on humanitarian objectives. The rate of compliances would begin to slow once more, and complaints would return. The Emperor would chide Gustave once more, warning him to retain the Legion’s military focus, but this would not prove enough to stop Gustave’s dreams. Eventually, the Emperor would seek a permanent solution to Gustave’s persistent disregard. Following a compliance where the Alabaster Order had brought the world into the Imperium through diplomacy and had begun setting up their humanitarian facilities, the Imperium Somnium and Emperor’s Oblivion arrived and the Emperor ordered the Alabaster Order off-world. Confused, the Order returned to orbit, only for the Red Eyes to unleash virus bombs upon the world. The Emperor ordered Gustave to watch the burning world and told him that the Alabaster Orders’ disobedience would no longer be tolerated. Any world that the Alabaster Order delayed departing for humanitarian reasons would be punished, and it would be the XXth’s fault. Gustave, shocked by the sudden destruction, would swear an oath to the Emperor to keep the Alabaster Order a military force. This time, the lesson would stick, and for the rest of the Great Crusade the Alabaster Order would crusade as any other Legion. However, the Order and Gustave would not forgive the Emperor for this, and when the Vanishing occurred, Gustave was the only Primarch to secretly celebrate the Emperor’s disappearance.

Guardian Chain Halberd
A weapon of revered repute among the legion, the Guardian is a symbol of the early-days of the XXth Legion as they secured those worlds conquered by the Great Crusade. Although their purpose has changed since the reunificaiton with Gustave, the weapon stands as testament to the Legion's duty and diligence.

Sagitarii Power-Spear
As a rare sign of cooperation between the insular Martian priesthood and the Alabaster Order, the two came together after the The First Rangdan Xenocide, with the latter appreciating the Skitarii's efforts so much they wished to emulate some of their combat methods with the Gotrenag.

Alabaster Order
The structure of the Alabaster Order is structured as follows:


 * Chirurg - Lead Surgeon of a Medical Corps
 * Apotheker Primus - Second Surgeon
 * Apotheker Adept - Leader of a Rettungssanitäter (emergency medical team)
 * Apotheker - Veteran Brother of the Medical Corps
 * Leitmediziner - Ärzteteam (medical team) leader
 * Feldmediziner - Brother of the Medical Corps
 * Funktionär - Initiate of the Medical Corps
 * Einleiten - Aspirants

The Amathame Brotherhood
The structure of the Amathame Brotherhood is structured as follows:


 * Großmeister - Grand Master
 * Kommandant der Ritter - Captain
 * Haubenritter Sergeant - Veteran Sergeant
 * Haubenritter - Veteran Battle Brother
 * Ritter Sergeant - Sergeant
 * Ritter Bruder - Battle Brother
 * Neophytes
 * Aspirants

Alabaster Order

 * Gustave Dunant - Primarch of the XXth Legion
 * Régis Gildemeister - First Chirurg Primus of the Alabaster Order

Amathame Brotherhood

 * Jean-François Stäbler - Großmeister of the Amathame Brotherhood
 * Rafael Schalcher - Pilot of the  'Razorwing' - Lieutenant of the Amathame Brotherhood

Colours
The Alabaster Order has primarily white armour, with limited red accents. The Amathame Brotherhood has black armour instead, with silver accents rather than red.

Symbol
The Alabaster Order have a white eagle above a white rod with two snakes wrapped around it on a red field, and the Amathame Brotherhood have a similar image but in silver and a maltese cross replacing the eagle.

Gallery
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