The Ninth Legion

Who are the Ninth, and what do they do?

The Ninth uses black swords as their symbols.

They are stationed around the Helerostiun peninsular. Due to their southern position, they are
often recruited to aid in the establishment of southern colonies. They’ve seen a fair few failed
attempts at establishing colonies, but they’ve also fought alongside some more successful ones.
They’ve been back in Magna Thule for a fair few years now, but it looks like times are
changing...

Nova Thule is generally considered to be the hardest continent on Kairos when it comes to the
Abyss. As there are so many southern veterans in the Ninth, they have a reputation of being
good at kicking in demons. Many are the tales they have brought back with them of times they
fought strange beasts in the woods or other such weird shit.

Aquilina, patron saint of the Ninth

There is an undercurrent of Aquilina worship through the legion. It is a more blood and battle,
eye for an eye interpretation. This means that there is harsh discipline within the legion.

This has had an interesting side effect; it has hardened people to the punishments. As such,
rather than deter people from breaking the rules, it has just made them hard enough to take it.
Stationed in peaceful Thulian lands, some people can get a bit boisterous. Fights in pubs, things
like that. When the punishments come, people do not glorify the crimes, but they wear the
punishment with pride. It shows they have paid the price for their wrongs, and it proves their
strength that they can survive the whipping/hard labour/lack of water/whatever.

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Sword-siblings is a pre-Acacian tradition in J Company of the Ninth (and in the wider Legion, but
J Company's the most pagan and cultish lot). In the most basic terms, your sword-brother or
sword-sister is the person you trust with your life - the one you'd kill for, die for, the one who'll
take your sword and get revenge for your death (and vice versa). They're closer than an actual
sibling, closer than a lover (they can be your lover, but a whole lot of sword-sibling pairs are
platonic, and taking a lover who is already your sword-sibling is generally seen as more than a
little incestuous)

Most people only ever have one sword-sibling at once - the exceptions tend to be groups of
three or four who've been through something fairly horrific together.
To make someone your sword-sibling you cut their right palm with your issue-knife (yes, straight
silver for any Gaunt's Ghosts readers), they cut yours with theirs (if they're a civilian you both
use yours). Then you clasp hands and mix blood, usually while swearing an oath of some sort
(as formal or informal as you want).

Most sword-siblings mark the bond in some way, either by having similar tattoos or similar small
twists on their issue-kit (the same religious token or engraved belt-buckle or scabbard or
something).

Also, there is no stigma attached to becoming sword-siblings with someone from another Legion
or with a civilian. If anything, the non-Legion sibling gets a hell of a lot of respect from people in
the Ninth who know.

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1x braid = sergeant
2x braid = Company Sergeant (Company Sergeant Jehanne Orleans is the Company Sergeant
of J Company of the 9th)
3x braid = commander
5x braid = captain (Dave's captain Bracxtus (not sure how Dave spells it) is the captain of the
9th)
Blue and Red = Legate