vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Orca - Armament: An Orca is primarily armed with ventral, pop-down turret-mounted weaponry which provides some protection from enemy interceptors attacking from below. The weaponry is not used for dogfighting, however. Orcas primarily use their defensive weaponry to sweep and clear a landing zone of enemy targets prior to landing. Integrated weaponry within the turret includes twin-linked Long-Barrelled Burst Cannons and a Missile Pod. Orcas are also equipped with a Targeting Array for increased accuracy when firing.An Orca's large hold can carry up to the equivalent of 48 Tau Fire Warriors and their equipment, and two or three Orcas can transport an entire Hunter Cadre's worth of troops, drones and battlesuits onto a planet's surface. Troops disembark from the rear ramp once an Orca has reached its destination. However, Tau Battlesuit troops and Drones can opt to jump from the aircraft at high altitudes and drop directly into battle from above. An Orca's cargo hold can be adapted to carry a variety of different kinds of Tau troops and supplies and many different fittings can be placed inside. The standard internal loadout of an Orca cargo bay includes Drone transport racks, seats for Tau warriors, and weapon stowage racks which can fit Pulse Rifles, Pulse Carbines and Rail Rifles. An Orca also can mount a roof-mounted automated Battlesuit transportation rail that can fit up to six XV8 Crisis Battlesuits or three XV88 Broadside Battlesuits, and hold them in place using magnetic rail clamps. However, this extra space can be used to carry extra Tau warriors such as Pathfinders and Stealthsuits, and other Tau units such as Drone Sentry Turrets, Remote Sensor Towers, Tetras, Kroot Carnivores, Krootox and Kroot Hounds. As well as a large cargo hold, an Orca also possesses a forward-upper command deck from which two Fire Caste operators can monitor combat or resupply operations. A extra seat is also available for important individuals such as an Ethereal or a Tau commander. Each Orca is piloted by a single Air Caste pilot and the pilot's compartment or cockpit is also an escape pod from which the pilot can eject from the aircraft in case of an emergency. An Orca is commonly outfitted with a secure communications boom on its rear dorsal side, and this boom doubles as an exterior air data sensor and attack warning system. A modified variant of the Orca transport intended to be used for deep strike missions may also be used to transport up to six XV9 Hazard Battlesuits, and includes a modified cargo hold to accommodate the size of the Battlesuits, defensive energy fields for additional protection, and more skilled Air Caste pilots who can pilot the Orca close to the ground as if it were a skimmer.
Orca - Upgrades: Orcas can also be equipped with any of the following Tau vehicle support systems:Automated Repair System - Automated Repair Systems consist of dispensers which release tiny maintenance Drones which swarm over damaged weapon and drive systems, repairing them in the midst of battle.Advanced Targeting System - An Advanced Targeting System assists the vehicle's gunner by identifying targets of particular value or danger, and plotting fire plans to counter them.Blacksun Filter - Blacksun Filters allow the vehicle's gunners to accurately see and target enemies in low-light conditions.Decoy Launchers - Decoy Launchers are a form of defensive measure that is mounted near the engines. They are capable of firing clouds of reflective strips and sophisticated electronic decoys, which are combined with flare and chaff launchers to protect the vehicle's thruster arrays from enemy missiles.Disruption Pod - Disruption Pods display distorting holographic images in the visual and electromagnetic spectra to make the vehicle harder to target.Point Defence Targeting Relay - Designed to provide superior covering fire for nearby Fire Caste units, a Point Defence Targeting Relay automatically targets and engages enemies that try to assault the vehicle or nearby friendly units.Sensor Spines - Sensor Spines feed data to an advanced ground-following flight control system. This allows the vehicle to avoid hazardous terrain that could otherwise damage the vehicle's drive systems.
Orca - Ordo Xenos Departmento Analyticus Technical Specifications: Serial Number:85673-908461Main Armament:2 Long-Barrelled Burst Cannons, Missile PodDesignation:DropshipVehicle Codename:OrcaSecondary Armament:N/AVehicle Type:ShuttleCrew:1 Pilot, 2 OperatorsTraverse:360°Weight:25 tonnes (empty)Elevation:+0° to -90°Length:21.45 metresAmmunition:12 Missiles, 4000 RoundsWidth:14 metresArmour Type:Nano-Crystalline Alloy, Composition Unknown to the Adeptus MechanicusHeight:4.95 metresMax Recorded Speed:2100 kilometres per hour at 5000 feet; cruising speed 1200 kilometres per hourSummary:Transport Shuttle carries up to 48 passengers or equipment
Orca - Sources: Aeronautica Imperialis, pp. 110-113Deathwatch: Rites of Battle (RPG), pg. 194Imperial Armour Volume Three - The Taros Campaign, pp. 202-207, 287Imperial Armour Volume Three - The Taros Campaign (Second Edition), pp. 188-193Imperial Armour Apocalypse, pg. 77Imperial Armour Apocalypse (2nd Edition), pg. 77Imperial Armour Apocalypse 2, pg. 60Imperial Armour Apocalypse (2013), pg. 125Imperial Armour Aeronautica, pg. 61Courage and Honour (Novel) by Graham McNeill
Orcan Stonecrushers - Orcan Stonecrushers: The Orcan Stonecrushers are an Ogryn Abhuman Imperial Guard regiment that hails from the high gravity world of Orcus, located in the Calixis Sector. Following their discovery by the Imperium in the wake of the Angevin Crusade, the Ogryn population were welcomed into the Imperium and wholeheartedly embraced the Imperial Creed. Recently, several Ogryn regiments have been raised in the aftermath of the Imperium's retaking of Orcus from the traitorous Severan Dominate forces during the massive campaign being fought in the Spinward Front.
Orcan Stonecrushers - Training and Equipment: Orcan regiments have an advantage over many forces raised from other Ogryn worlds due to the training that many of them undergo to serve as guards of the Orcan penitarium complexes. These Ogryns have experience following orders, however limited and simplistic they might be, which is valuable to the Imperial Guard. Because of this, Orcan regiments have a reputation for being somewhat easier to work with than other Ogryn forces. With many of them having already reached the limits of their mental capacity, Ogryns raised from Orcus often undergo even less training than other Ogryn regiments, which is to say practically none at all. Orcan regiments are equipped with extremely heavy and thick Flak Armour incorporating numerous rigid plates. While still basic and simple to produce, this armour provides greater protection than typical models of Imperial Guard Flak Armour, enhancing the Ogryns' already considerable resilience. As with nearly all Ogryn regiments, the standard-issue weapon of the Orcan regiments is the Ripper Gun, a massive automatic combat shotgun, far too large and unwieldy for use by a normal human. While the recoil alone could tear a man's arms from his sockets, the Ogryns of Orcus seem completely oblivious to the kick, happily blasting away at their foes with burst after burst of fire. Drawing on their primitive instincts and talent for brutal melee combat, the Departmento Munitorum has also seen fit to grant many Orcan regiments with additional melee weapons. While Ripper Guns are built to withstand use as clubs in hand-to-hand combat, many Orcans prefer weapons with the feel and effect of the crude stone greataxes, hammers, and mauls of their homeworld. Similarly, simplistic weapons crafted of more advanced materials are significantly more effective in battle, and their shiny surfaces seem to please the Ogryns greatly.In addition to their Munitorum-issue kit, many Orcans bring primitive weapons from their home, or the heavy-duty truncheons issued by the Adeptus Arbites for their gaoler duties. Despite the orders of their superiors in the Imperial Guard and even the Commissars, whom the Ogryns adore, many Orcan regiments practice barbaric rituals that are common in their society, from taking the skulls of their slain enemies or other such grisly trophies, to loud and raucous celebrations featuring their traditional "music." Such issues are not unique to the Orcan regiments, and are common with regiments raised from Feral Worlds. Such activities are less common amongst the Ogryns who have served as guards for the penitariums, however -- yet another reason the Departmento Munitorum prefers to recruit such individuals to the greatest extent they can negotiate with the Adeptus Arbites.
Orcan Stonecrushers - Wargear: What follows is a list of the most common items of wargear issued to the members of the Orcan Stonecrushers regiments:1 Ripper Gun and 4 Clips - A Ripper Gun is a massive automatic combat shotgun, far too large and unwieldy for use by a normal human, which is a favoured weapon of the Ogryns.Imperial Guard Flak Armour - The most common type of armour used by Imperial Guard forces is Flak Armour, and it is standard-issue combat gear to the countless millions of Imperial Guardsmen who fight on the Emperor's behalf across the galaxy. Many layers of ablative and impact absorbent material go into making each suit, enough to deflect or negate most low-level attacks such as small arms, shrapnel, and proximity blasts. Solid hits from high impact weapons can generally negate it, but given that it is relatively lightweight, cheap to produce, and dependable in most combat situations, many veterans keep using it even when offered something better.Orcan Stronecrushers Imperial Guard Uniform5 Krak Grenades - Krak Grenades are crafted with powerful concentrated explosives designed to punch holes in armoured targets such as vehicles or bunkers. While stronger than Frag Grenades, Krak detonations do not produce a blast effect and their more focused explosion makes them less practical as anti-personnel weapons.1 Mono-Great WeaponPoor Weather GearRucksackBasic ToolkitMess KitCanteenBlanket and Sleep BagRechargeable Lamp Pack - Sturdy and reliable, glow-globes illuminate many an Imperial paveway and cathedral. Most portable ones are roughly the size of a clenched fist and can shine strong, yellowish light a dozen or so metres in width, lasting roughly five hours before their power pack needs recharging or replacing.Grooming KitDog Tags6 Weeks' Rations Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer - A standard-issue Imperial text that covers a vast variety of topics, this book is possessed by all members of the Imperial Guard as part of their standard-issue equipment. The Primer is a basic guide that details everything a Guardsman needs to know: principles and regulations of the Imperial Guard, issued arms, attire, apparatus, and equipment, basic battlefield policy and Imperial Guard organisation and structure, elementary battlefield medical instructions, and a detailed guide on the foes of the Imperium. No Guardsman should ever be found without possession of a copy of the Uplifting Primer for the punishment is severe.
Order Elucidatum - Order Elucidatum: The Order Elucidatum, whose agents were euphemistically known as "Officers of Elucidation", but colloquially called "Elucidators" or "Tallymen," was an agency of the Imperial government established during the Unification Wars by Malcador the Sigillite, the Regent of Terra. They seemed to serve as functionaries of the Imperial Administratum but were in fact the Sigillite's secret police as the Imperium rapidly grew during the Great Crusade.The Elucidators carried out operations of censorship and assassination to eliminate any threats to the spread and enforcement of the atheistic Imperial Truth that served as the foundation of Imperial culture in the Pre-Heresy era. In many ways, they were the forerunners of the later Holy Ordos of the Inquisition.In 012.M31 during the height of the Horus Heresy, the Order Elucidatum was formally dissolved by the Sigillite without fanfare, and records pointing towards its existence expunged. Those few Tallymen who survived to return to their master on Terra were not lauded as either heroes or villains but quietly inducted into different secretive Imperial agencies, for Malcador was still in need of proven men and women with their particular skills.
Order of Blindness - Order of Blindness: The Order of Blindness, also called the "Hidden Ones," were a specialist unit of the Thousand Sons Space Marine Legion that served as the Legion's Scout Auxilia. There is very little in the way of information in Imperial records of how this mysterious unit was deployed or what kind of operations it undertook.Imperial historical accounts show that there is the distinct possibility that these specialised reconnaissance troops served a far more sinister role for the XV Legion that was more akin to that of traditional espionage agents than a unit of typical Scout Marines composed of Astartes neophytes engaged in reconnaissance-in-force and combat infiltration missions, though the Hidden Ones also carried out those types of missions as well.An operative of the Hidden Ones would infiltrate a target organisation of interest to gather intelligence while operating under a cover so deep that they never even realised that they had been psychically-reprogrammed to act as a sleeper agent for the Thousand Sons.
Order of Blindness - History: It is only by extrapolation, and the interpretation of scraps of intelligence, that the wider Imperium knows of the existence of the Order of Blindness. Thought to have been headed by Magnus' equerry, and former tutor, Amon -- the so-called "Hidden Ones" appeared to have been an order of infiltrators, spies, interrogators and scouts deployed to gather intelligence.How the members of this order were recruited, controlled and deployed remain unclear, though there is evidence that the use of psychically-conditioned non-Legiones Astartes mortal Humans were a part of their broader methodology. An operative of the Hidden Ones would infiltrate a target organisation of interest to gather intelligence while operating under a cover so deep that they never even realised that they had been psychically-reprogrammed to act as a sleeper agent for the Thousand Sons.Beyond this, their membership and purpose remain shrouded, though there is some evidence that the order may also have been responsible for the control of certain fringe military elements within the Legion, whose purposes were less to do with stealth than the creation of chaos in a foe, such as the Thousand Sons' few Destroyer-type units, although this remains unconfirmed. The Hidden Ones' status following the Thousand Sons Legion's transformation into a Chaos Traitor Legion devoted to Tzeentch and the enactment of the Rubric of Ahriman is unknown.
Order of Our Martyred Lady - Order of Our Martyred Lady: The Order of Our Martyred Lady is one of the major Orders Militant of the Adepta Sororitas, or the Sisters of Battle, founded in honour of Saint Katherine by the Ecclesiarch Alexis XXII (the long-lived successor of the great reformer, Sebastian Thor) in the 36th Millennium when the location of the Adepta Sororitas' primary convent was split between Terra and Ophelia VII, creating, among others, the Order of Our Martyred Lady.Of all the Orders Militant, there are none more numerous or more widely spread than the Order of Our Martyred Lady. Their name is known by the ruling elites and unwashed masses alike on countless worlds across the galaxy, and when spoken evokes hope in the righteous and fear amongst the faithless.The order is renowned for its unrelenting pursuit of those who defy the Emperor by doing harm to His Imperium and its citizens. Xenos, marauders, Chaos armies and heretical cults are met with burning fury by the Sisters of Our Martyred Lady, who gather wherever the enemy is found to scour them from existence.The Order of Our Martyred Lady holds fortified sanctuaries on a great many Imperial worlds, many of which date back to Saint Katherine's Wars of Faith. Some of these sanctuaries operate in relative isolation, existing far beyond the established boundaries of the order's parish, but the majority are located in the Segmentum Obscurus.The broad distribution of the order's preceptories has seen the sisters of the Order of Our Martyred Lady engage in many of the Imperium's most gruelling war zones. On Armageddon, the sisters amassed to defend the Sanctorum of Saint Katherine against the Ork hordes of Ghazghkull Thraka.Though fully half of their number were martyred, they inflicted such casualties on their enemies that vital greenskin forces were drawn away from other battlefronts, the sheer grit of the sisters enticing Orks from far and wide to join the siege.The order also fought on Cadia during the 13th Black Crusade of Abaddon the Despoiler. Though the planet eventually fell, the faith held by those who battled there led to a great miracle, with Saint Celestine appearing from the Warp to bolster the defenders in their darkest hour.Although the Great Rift now divides many of the order's sanctuaries, the sisters of Our Martyred Lady have not relented in their quest to avenge the Imperium's fallen heroes. They stand dauntless against the Chaos forces that pour from newly opened Warp Storms, and they march out to annihilate any foe that would prey upon Humanity's beleaguered defenders.The fire of their spirit is a beacon of hope, a sign that even in this time of abounding horror, the Emperor has not abandoned His faithful servants.
Order of Our Martyred Lady - Order Combat Doctrine: The Sisters of Our Martyred Lady continue to embody Katherine's burning passion and unflagging determination. On the battlefield they employ tactics that see their formations spread like an unstoppable fire, advancing inexorably as they reduce all who stand before them to ash.Yet their approach to warfare is far from undisciplined. Katherine was a devoted student of military doctrine, and combined the formidable fighting techniques developed by the Daughters of the Emperor with those practised by other branches of the Imperium.Her teachings have been upheld by the Order of Our Martyred Lady, and its sisters are able to switch from one strategy to another with frightening speed and efficacy.
Order of Our Martyred Lady - Order Beliefs: Since the death of their founding Matriarch, the Order of Our Martyred Lady have developed a cult of martyrdom that is unparalleled amongst the Adepta Sororitas. All Sororitas are taught that to die serving the Emperor is the purest fate His servants can hope for, but amongst the Sisters of Our Martyred Lady this ideal is expressed so fervently that it can appear to the uninitiated as though they have a death wish.Isolated battle-sisters stand bravely against onrushing hordes of foes, hymns of defiance and reports of boltguns rising to a simultaneous crescendo -- and when the blades of the foe hack into the sisters' flesh, they give their souls willingly up to the God-Emperor. Such noble deaths are met with shouts of praise from the slain sisters' comrades, for it is by such unwavering loyalty and boundless faith that the Emperor's gaze is drawn to the battlefield. In the name of these martyrs, those who remain achieve feats that defy explanation, destroying foes of far greater numbers and transforming inevitable defeats into miraculous victories.It is not only the slain warriors of their order that the sisters of Our Martyred Lady revere -- it is all who have given their life to preserve the sanctity of the Imperium. The sisters look to the example of their Matriarch -- who as a shield bearer placed the lives of others above her own -- and celebrate those warriors who embody the spirit of Saint Katherine in their defence of Mankind.Through battle psalms they give praise to the Imperial Guardsmen, Space Marines and Tech-priests who have been slain fighting alongside them in their Wars of Faith. The bravest fallen soldiers are bestowed the same honour that the Order of Our Martyred Lady gives its own sisters -- their names are added to the order's hymns of vengeance, and are sung before combat to stoke the wrath of the Sororitas.
Order of Our Martyred Lady - Order Colours: The Order of Our Martyred Lady wore black power armour with black vestments that possessed red linings from the death of Saint Katherine until the end of the Third War for Armageddon in 998.M41.They currently wear black power armour and red vestments, with the red intended to honour the sacrifice of the battle-sisters who died on Armageddon.In the past their weaponry has also been painted a distinctive red.
Order of Our Martyred Lady - Order Badge: The iconography of the order is that of an ankh with a white skull placed in the centre of the ankh's circular head.
Order of Our Martyred Lady - Sources: Codex: Adepta Sororitas (6th Edition) (Digital Edition), pp. 15, 20, 139Codex: Adepta Sororitas (8th Edition), pp. 18-19, 37-39, 100Codex: Necrons (3rd Edition), pp. 11, 22Codex: Sisters of Battle (2nd Edition), pp. 18-19, 35, 60Codex: Witch Hunters (3rd Edition), pp. 6-7, 19, 43Dark Heresy: Blood of Martyrs (RPG), pp. 80, 85-86, 88Deathwatch: Rising Tempest (RPG), pp. 46-47, 56, 124-125Gathering Storm - Book One - Fall of Cadia (7th Edition), pp. 6-88, pg. 122Gathering Storm - Book Three - Rise of the Primarch (7th Edition), pp. 4-93The Citadel Journal 49, pg. 23White Dwarf 293 (UK), "Liber Sororitas - Matriarchs of the Sisterhood," by Andy Hoare, pg. 56White Dwarf 379 (UK), "Codex: Sisters of Battle (5th Edition), Parts 1 and 2"Daemonifuge (Graphic Novel)Faith and Fire (Short Story) by James SwallowCain's Last Stand (Novel) by Sandy MitchellTales from the Dark Millennium (Anthology) , "The Invitation" by Dan AbnettThird War for Armageddon Worldwide Campaign - Forces Disposition, Imperial Forces: Order of Our Martyred LadyImperium Nihilus - Vigilus Defiant (8th Edition), pp. 94-95White Dwarf 35 (July 2019), "Indomitus Crusade Fleets," pg. 45White Dwarf 39 (November 2019), "Dawn of the Era Indomitus," pg. 50Psychic Awakening - Faith & Fury (8th Edition), pp. 13-15Warhammer 40,000: Piety and Pain - Rulebook (9th Edition), pg. 5Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader (PC Game)
Order of the Argent Shroud - Order of the Argent Shroud: The Order of the Argent Shroud is one of the major Orders Militant of the Adepta Sororitas, or the Sisters of Battle, founded in honour of Saint Silvana by the Ecclesiarch Alexis XXII (the long-lived successor of the great reformer, Sebastian Thor) in the 36th Millennium.It was at that time that the Convent Sanctorum was split between the convents on Ophelia VII and Terra, founding the Orders Militant of the Ebon Chalice, Valorous Heart, Fiery Heart and the Argent Shroud.The majority of the Argent Shroud's sanctuaries lie in the region of space that abuts the jagged mass of Warp Storms known as the Great Rift. During the Noctis Aeterna, when Chaos energies were blasted across the galaxy and the light of the holy Astronomican was temporarily extinguished, many of these sanctuary worlds were thought lost.Screaming maelstroms enveloped entire sub-parishes, while countless other worlds under the order's watch were bathed in the warping glow of the Cicatrix Maledictum. As galactic maps were compiled and the true scale of the horror became apparent, it was estimated that as many as eighty percent of the Argent Shroud's sisters might have been swallowed by the yawning maw.But in the harrowing years of the Era Indomitus since, the order has continued to fight against the marauding forces of Chaos without showing any signs of diminishment. The Sororitas appear without warning in raging war zones along the breadth of the Great Rift, striking with crippling speed at their unprepared enemies.Multiple preceptories that were thought lost have since been seen in battle, and though they say nothing of the fates of their sanctuary worlds, they fight with unmatched hatred against the servants of the Dark Gods.
Order of the Argent Shroud - History: Like the other founding saints of the Sororitas, Silvana was one of five sisters and a member of Alicia Dominica's bodyguard when she was taken before the Golden Throne. She is noted for the many selfless acts of self-sacrifice she performed throughout her life, and sisters who have survived a battle despite terrible odds often invoke her name in thanks for deliverance from the forces of evil.She was one of the first sisters to lead Imperial Crusades in the name of the Emperor of Mankind. Her service as head of the order was brief. Shortly after Alicia Dominica had founded the Order of the Ebon Chalice, the remaining sisters of the Convent Prioris were placed under Silvana's command -- but Silvana was struck down before launching a single War of Faith.In the late 36th Millennium, Silvana is said to have died after being poisoned by a Death Cult assassin, and the hjournal of Ecclesiarch Alexis XXII states that her body mysteriously vanished after having laid in state for a solar week within the Inner Sanctum of the Convent Prioris.Some suggest the murderer was an agent still loyal to Goge Vandire's vision of the Ecclesiarchy, whereas others propose that the forces of the heretical Alpha Legion played a hand in the fell deed.A silvery image of her bones was left imprinted on her death shroud, which is revered as one of the sisterhood's most holy relics, and that gives the order its title. The image most often associated with Saint Silvana is that death shroud, imprinted with the ghostly image of her skeleton.She was declared an Imperial Saint by the unanimous vote of the Holy Synod of the Ecclesiarchy. Silvana was renowned for her altruistic spirit and her stoic faith. She seldom spoke, believing that deeds on the battlefield spoke more of a warrior's devotion than any words.The Sisters of the Argent Shroud likewise rarely speak, and they are famed for their selfless acts of heroism. As such, the Order fields a high number of Celestian and Seraphim squads, their faith a shield as strong as their silver armour and their righteousness a weapon as potent as Bolter fire.
Order of the Argent Shroud - Order Combat Doctrine: Without fear or doubt, the sisters of the Argent Shroud throw themselves into the deadliest conflicts, marching boldly against overwhelming enemy numbers and into hellish battlefield conditions. They avoid formulating grand stratagems and rarely communicate intended tactics to their allies, to the ire of many Imperial generals.Simply put, the order places its trust in the divine guidance of the Emperor more than in the carefully orchestrated plans of His fallible servants. The results achieved by the Argent Shroud soon put paid to any misgivings. Spearheads of silver-clad warriors race towards teeming xenos throngs, and invasion cathedrums hurtle onto worlds writhing with Chaos energy.With swift surges the Sororitas smash through the defensive formations of far-larger armies, destroying monstrous artillery batteries stationed behind the front lines, and permanently silencing the demagoguery of heretical enemy commanders. Lightning-fast assaults are followed by rapid withdrawals, and as the foe reels in confusion, the Sisters of the Argent Shroud reform and strike again.By committing themselves so boldly to these offensives, the warriors of the Argent Shroud often leave themselves cut off from support, surrounded and outgunned. But it is in such dire circumstances that their faith shines brightest. The sisters cry out to Saint Silvana for protection, knowing that their fallen saint watches over them in battle -- incoming salvoes ricochet off their gleaming armour, brutal enemy blades fail to find their mark, and blasts of malefic energy veer miraculously off course.Filled with divine conviction, the Sororitas fight on against impossible odds, standing strong amidst the carnage as they drop their foes one by one. Those sisters who fall often save their entire squad from annihilation with their dying action, throwing themselves into the line of fire just as their Matriarch would have done.There are countless legends in which the sisters of the Argent Shroud emerged from battles that Imperial logisticians had calculated to be unsurvivable.The most famous of these was the opening assault of the Gyre Crusade, in which the order was first deployed to war. It is said that a commandery fought a raging war across the magma flats of Dvost Prime that lasted a whole Terran year, emerging with only a handful of losses and the skulls of three Iron Warriors Warpsmiths.Due to their propensity for hit-and run assaults, the Sisters of the Argent Shroud have some of the deadliest and most experienced shock troops of all the Adepta Sororitas. Many of the order's commanderies boast large contingents of Dominion Squads, who are deployed en masse to break through the defensive lines of unsuspecting enemies, or are sent in small numbers to infiltrate fortresses, macro-bunkers and command centres in hostile territory.These Dominions are also leaders in many of the Order’s rites of worship, their prayers on the battlefield often being the first intoned before being echoed by the other Sisters.
Order of the Argent Shroud - Order Beliefs: The Order of the Argent Shroud teaches that deeds have more power than words when it comes to purifying the spirit and purging the taint of corruption from the Imperium. This belief is derived from the example of Silvana, whose acts of bravery and faithfulness were well recorded during the Age of Apostasy, yet not a single word spoken by her is recorded in any surviving transcription from the time.Her sisters emulate this by speaking very little and by entering long periods of complete silence whenever they engage in training. This limitation of speech does not preclude them from prayer or worship, and like the members of other orders they still chant hymns of wrathful purgation as they march into battle.But the sisters of the Argent Shroud believe that it is more righteous to provide their service to the God-Emperor than it is to ask for His holy favour.A peculiarity amongst the Order of the Argent Shroud lies with how they treat their dead. Where the members of other orders cry out when a comrade is slain, reciting prayers to guide the fallen's soul to the Emperor and oaths of holy vengeance against the enemy, the sisters of the Argent Shroud say not a word.Amongst their ranks, death is met with silence. Certain Ecclesiarchal scholars attribute this to a belief within the order that martyrdom is a luxury, a reprieve from sacred duty that should only come when there are no more enemies left to slay.Yet the dead Sororitas are still handled with great care and solemnity after the fighting has finished. The martyrs are removed from the battlefield in sombre processions, their wounds cleaned and dressed, their armour repaired and polished, and they are laid to rest for seven solar days in the sanctuary in which they served.After that, the bodies are removed, though what becomes of them after this point is not known by anyone outside the order.
Order of the Argent Shroud - Relics of the Argent Shroud: Simulacrum of the Argent Shroud - The Simulacrum of the Argent Shroud is cut from the same cloth as that which was laid over the body of Saint Silvana, the Matriarch of the Order of the Argent Shroud. It is carried by the sister designated as the Spirit of Silvana when the six chosen members of the Orders Pronatus escort Saint Katherine's remains to battle. As the chosen sister reads aloud the many deeds of Silvana, an image of the saint appears in the shroud, revealing its miraculous nature for all to see.
Order of the Argent Shroud - Notable Sisters of the Argent Shroud: Saint Silvana - Silvana is the patron and founder the Order of the Argent Shroud. She was one of five companions of Alicia Dominica, the patron and founder of the Adepta Sororitas. She was one of the first sisters to lead Imperial Crusades in the name of the Emperor of Mankind. In the mid-to-late 36th Millennium, Silvana met her fate at the hands of a Death Cult Assassin. Her remains disappeared whilst lying in state at the Convent Prioris. She was declared a saint by unanimous vote of the Holy Synod.Canoness Dissenta - An overzealous Canoness who attacked the forward bases of the Angels Vermillion Space Marine Chapter whilst the Order was under her leadership in 822.M41.Prioress Sindal - Sindal the leader of the 97 battle-sisters who guarded the Temple of the Emperor Ascendant during the siege of Hive Helsreach in the Third War for Armageddon. Despite her advanced age, she fought alongside Reclusiarch Grimaldus and the Black Templars Space Marine Chapter until the Temple's destruction by the Orks. She, along with every Sister stationed at the Temple, perished during the conflict.
Order of the Argent Shroud - Order Colours: As the name of the order suggests, these Sisters of Battle wear silver power armour coupled with white cloaks that have red linings.The weapons that they bear are also red.
Order of the Argent Shroud - Order Badge: This order's iconography is that of an ebon skull with an Iron Halo.
Order of the Argent Shroud - Sources: Codex: Adepta Sororitas (8th Edition), pp. 26-27, 39, 45Codex: Adepta Sororita (6th Edition) (Digital Edition), pp. 13-14Codex: Sisters of Battle (2nd Edition), pp. 19, 35Codex: Witch Hunters (3rd Edition), pp.6-7Helsreach (Novel) by Aaron Dembski-Bowden, p.405The Inquisition (Sourcebook), p.65White Dwarf 293 (UK), "Liber Sororitas - Matriarchs of the Sisterhood," by Andy Hoare, pg. 56Third War for Armageddon Worldwide Campaign - Forces Disposition, Imperial Forces: Order of the Argent Shroud
Order of the Black Sepulchre - Order of the Black Sepulchre: The Order of the Black Sepulchre is a minor Order Militant of the Adepta Sororitas, the Chamber Militant of the Ordo Hereticus which also has close ties with the Ecclesiarchy.From the lack of tangible records and evidence, it is believed that this Order is but a minor representative of its kin among the Sororitas' Orders Militant, its sole known victory being participation in the Orphean War of Faith in the Orpheus Sector in the closing century of the 39th Millennium.This would indicate that the Order's homeworld is located in the border regions of the Segmentum Tempestus and the Segmentum Pacificus, although even that is unconfirmed.
Order of the Black Sepulchre - Notable Campaigns: The Orphean War of Faith (903-922.M39) - After a long millennia of decline and recurring xenos incursions, the vile touch of Chaos is discovered on several worlds within the Orpheus Sector, at the very edge of Imperial dominion. The sector's defenders and rulers, unable to organise themselves or reach common terms after many solar decades of resentment and infighting, are on the brink of losing control over the entire Dark Marches region when they are saved by the unexpected arrival of an Imperial Crusade. Led by Arch-Confessor Marduk of Helvamon, who is said to have been guided by visions of the Holy Emperor Himself, this ramshackle fleet bore thousands of Imperial zealots, Imperial Guardsmen and militiamen as well as pilgrims into the Orpheus Sector. The fractious Planetary Governors and rulers rally around the Arch-Confessor and the Imperium launches a powerful counterattack to reclaim its domains. The Crusade's fervor is such that even the vile daemons of Chaos shirk back from it, while the sector's populace, inspired by Marduk's fiery oratories, swell the campaign's rank. After several warbands of Chaos Space Marines are encountered, most notoriously of the thrice-cursed Deathmongers, the dreaded Alpha Legion and the much feared Night Lords Traitor Legions, the Arch-Confessor called for aid. The then space-faring Angels Revenant Chapter answered his call and the Ecclesiarchy sent its most elite warriors, the Adepta Sororitas, in the form of detachments of the Order of the Valorous Heart and the Order of the Black Sepulchre. Lastly, upon learning that daemons had been set loose, the Ordo Malleus also despatched a strike force of its most fearful warriors, the legendary Grey Knights. With this mighty host, the Imperium succeeded in reconquering the sector in a gruesome twenty-standard-year-long campaign that would see the death of a full fifth of the sector's population.Second Abonian Genocide (688-698.M40) - Inquisitor Halan Jentz of the Ordo Hereticus declares the entire population of the Abonian Sub-sector diabolos inculcatus and gathers an Imperial Crusade army that includes elements of the Order of the Blue Robe and the Order of the Black Sepulchre of the Adepta Sororitas as well as the Red Hunters, War Bearers and Subjugators Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes. The Crusade rages for a solar decade before the Inquisitor declares the sub-sector's crimes have been redeemed.Defence of Magdelene IX (996.M41) - In the wake of the disastrous Raid on Kastorel-Novem, the Order of the Black Sepulchre deployed Battle-Sisters to protect the venerated Shrine World of Magdelene IX in the Forsarr Sector. Splinter-elements of WAAAGH! Garaghak under leadership of Big Mek Buzzgob -- the same Warlord responsible for the defeat of the Raven Guard on Kastorel-Novem -- attacked Magdelene IX in 023.996.M41. Despite the help of thousands of Cultists of the Red Redemption and Magdelene IX's own Frateris Militia, the world fell to the Orks on 866.996.M41. The Sisters of Battle deployed to Magdelene IX are believed to have been lost to the last woman.
Order of the Bleeding Heart - Order of the Bleeding Heart: The Order of the Bleeding Heart is one of the Orders Minoris of the Adepta Sororitas.This lesser order had long been entrusted with the care of the bones of Saint Emiline, upon the Adepta Sororitas Shrine World of Emiline's Hope.
Order of the Bloody Rose - Order of the Bloody Rose: The Order of the Bloody Rose is one of the major Orders Militant of the Adepta Sororitas, or the Sisters of Battle, founded in honour of Saint Mina by the Ecclesiarch Deacis VI in the middle of the 38th Millennium. They are based on the Cardinal World of Ophelia VII within the Convent Sanctorum.The order also operates a full preceptory of battle-sisters at the Shrine of the Seventeen Martyrs near the Hive World of Malfi in response to brewing religious conflicts in the Drusus Marches, a sub-sector of the Calixis Sector located in the Segmentum Obscurus.Though the Order of the Bloody Rose has committed a significant contingent of its sisters to war zones along the Great Rift since the dawn of the Era Indomitus, the majority of its forces are battling against incursions coming from the galactic south.They have met the tendrils of Hive Fleet Leviathan and Hive Fleet Hydra on multiple fronts, where they have butchered the ravenous creatures and the Genestealer Cults that worship them.They have also fought a series of harrowing battles against the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion's Cult of Duplicity, combating the sorcerous machinations of the Tzeentch-worshippers with bolt, blade and faith.
Order of the Bloody Rose - Order Combat Doctrine: The Bloody Rose's precepts of anger have truly brutal results when unleashed upon the battlefield. The sisters advance with disciplined manoeuvres, using weight of fire to gain advantage over a flank or employing cunning feints to draw their enemy into overcommitting.Then, as soon as the foe is at close range, the sisters charge, striking at the moment they crash into the enemy lines, and screaming wrathful praise as they give vent to their hatred. Gun stocks are swung with enough force to shatter helms and the skulls within. Chainswords are driven messily through torsos, then wrenched out and thrust again before the spilt innards hit the ground.The power-armoured warriors deliver murderous kicks, punches and elbows that crack bones and burst organs. But in this flurry of carnage, each sister attacks with practised precision, her rage only manifesting in the instant of impact before it is once more reigned in.After the initial devastating onslaught, the Sisters unleash a barrage of point-blank bolt pistol shots into any enemies still standing.
Order of the Bloody Rose - Order Beliefs: From the moment a sister joins the Bloody Rose, she is taught to foster and harness her most violent impulses so that they may be unleashed upon the enemies of the faith. Litanies of heretical deeds are intoned as novitiates engage in combat trials, the tales of spiritual traitors and vile apostates filling the trainees with hatred.Prayers that would be whispered in silence by other orders are bellowed loudly within the Bloody Rose's sanctuaries. In place of contemplative meditation, the sisters learn to light the fires of rage within themselves, even when they are not faced with provocation.Alongside such practices they also train to focus their anger, for they are taught that to allow oneself to be overtaken by apoplexy is as great a sin as indulging in notions of clemency. Through constant drilling they learn to unleash their inner hatred only when it is most effective, channelling it with the explosive force of a shotfired from a bolter.The Order of the Bloody Rose believes sheer martial ferocity to be a manifestation of the Emperor's will. They pray to be granted the skill, alacrity and outrage of their Matriarch in battle. Often, a sister facing down a hulking Chaos Champion or xenos monstrosity will glow with rage.Rivulets of energy gather around her into a crackling nimbus, her eyes become a deep red and tears of blood streak down her checks. She moves with lightning speed, dodging and parrying numerous deathblows from her hated foe before landing her own immaculate killing strike.Such miraculous transformations are met with cries of exaltation by the recipient's fellow warriors, for they know that Mina's soul is inhabiting the body of that blessed sister.
Order of the Bloody Rose - Notable Sisters of the Bloody Rose: Saint Mina - Saint Mina is the patron of the Order of the Blood Rose. Although this long-dead martyr never led her Order in battle, it was founded in her name. She was one of five companions of Alicia Dominica, the patron and founder of the Adepta Sororitas. In mid-late M36, Saint Mina was martyred by a sanguinary cult whilst at prayer in a shrine on Hydraphur. When her body was found along with the shrine, she was surrounded by the corpses of twenty of her attackers - her body covered in their blood. Her personal symbol, the red rose, represents her strong character and her final death.Canoness St. Aspira - Saint Aspira, 18th Canoness of the Order of the Bloody Rose, led her Sisters against the Heretic Denescura and liberated almost a hundred worlds from his power with only a thousand warriors. The Cloak of Saint Aspira, worn by the Canoness in life, remains a holy relic of the order. Although she did not die there, Saint Aspira, the Saviour of a Hundred Worlds, was entombed on the distant world of Ero, in the Caradryan Sector of the Segmentum Tempestus. Over millennia, her tomb became a towering monument, the Reliquary Tower. Following the destruction of the Reliquary Tower, the bones of Saint Aspira have recently been transferred to the order's Convent on Ophelia VII.Canoness Ludmilla - Ludmilla was the commanding officer of the powerful detachment of Sisters of Battle during the events of the Defence of Hive Superior during the 13th Black Crusade. Like other Imperial forces, Canoness Ludmilla had been purposefully misled by the Ordo Malleus Inquisitor turned traitor, Gholic Ren-Sar Valinov. The Canoness and her fellow sisters were duped into fighting the Grey Knights detachment, under the command of Justicar Alaric, that were sent to stop the rogue Inquisitor from summoning the Daemon Prince Ghargatuloth, the Herald of Tzeentch. Fortunately for the Grey Knights, Canoness Ludmilla had heard legends of the silver-clad warriors and recognised them as loyal servants of the Emperor that they were. Canoness Ludmilla led her fellow battle-sisters alongside the Grey Knights in an attempt to atone for her previous error by slaying the traitorous Valinov. Unfortunately, the rogue Inquisitor was protected by a Conversion Field, which absorbed Ludmilla’s shot, and the Canoness was slain in the subsequent hand-to-hand combat that followed.Severita - Formerly a Battle Sister of the Order of the Bloody Rose, for her failures, Severita has become a Sister Repentia. In an unusual move for one of her status, she chose to leave her order behind and link her fate to that of Inquisitor Covenant.
Order of the Bloody Rose - Relics of the Order: Beneficence - This fearsomely savage chainsword is lauded amongst the Order of the Bloody Rose for its perfection of weight and the deepness of its pious bite. As the deep-red armour of its wielder plunges ferociously into dense knots of faithless idolaters, Beneficence sends arterial sprays across the battlefield with each cut of enemy flesh. Terrified mutants and witches fall before its blessing, as ground won for the Emperor is consecrated in sweeps of viscera.Cloak of Saint Aspira - Canoness Saint Aspira of the Order of the Bloody Rose led her battle-sisters in a War of Faith that liberated nearly one hundred worlds from the grip of the blasphemous tyrant Denescura. At the inception of the war, Aspira was presented with a magnificent cloak blessed in the Ecclesiarchal Palace of Terra. Whilst this in itself marked the cloak as a treasured relic, small shards of the Emperor's own armour were woven into it to ward away the blows of the enemy, elevating it to a sacred garment of incomparable spiritual significance. Saint Aspira wore the cloak throughout the War of Faith, striding into the fray heedless of her own safety, secure in her unwavering knowledge that the Emperor protects.
Order of the Bloody Rose - Order Colours: The Order of the Bloody Rose's vestments and power armour is primarily a bright, blood red with black vestments on the outside and pure white within.The Bloody Rose's weapons are the same black as their vestments.
Order of the Bloody Rose - Order Badge: The badge of Saint Mina and her followers is a red rose, with prominent thorns, representing her nature.Behind the rose are crossed two knife blades dripping in blood, symbolic of the circumstances of her martyrdom.
Order of the Blue Robe - Order of the Blue Robe: The Order of the Blue Robe is a minor Order Militant of the Adepta Sororitas that serves under the auspices of the Convent Sanctorum of Terra.Their most notable recent actions were when the order recently assisted Inquisitor Halen Jentz during the Second Albonian Genocide and helped to defend the Shrine World of Saint's Halt from the forces of the T'au Empire's Fourth Sphere Expansion and Fifth Sphere Expansion in the Era Indomitus.
Order of the Blue Robe - Notable Campaigns: Second Abonian Genocide (688-698.M40) - Inquisitor Halan Jentz of the Ordo Hereticus declares the entire population of the Abonian Sub-sector diabolos inculcatus and gathers together an Imperial Crusade army that includes elements of the Order of the Blue Robe and the Order of the Black Sepulchre of the Adepta Sororitas as well as the Red Hunters, War Bearers and Subjugators Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes. The crusade rages for a solar decade before the Inquisitor declares the sub-sector's crimes accounted for.Defence of Saint's Halt (Unknown Date.M42) - The tides of the Great Rift send the fleets of the T'au Empire's Fourth Sphere Expansion into the Chalnath Expanse, and the xenos attempt to establish a foothold on the Shrine World of Saint's Halt as part of their larger invasion of the region. The Order of the Blue Robe manages to hold the T'au assault long enough to receive Deathwatch Space Marine reinforcements from Watch Fortress Mortguard.
Order of the Blue Robe - Order Colours: The Order of the Blue Robe makes use of silver power armour and light blue vestments. Their weaponry is also painted light blue.
Order of the Blue Robe - Order Badge: The iconography of the Order of the Blue Robe is that of a black-coloured ankh, with an image of a blue-coloured patron saint placed in the centre of its upper portion.
Order of the Blue Robe - Sources: Imperial Armour Volume Two - Space Marines and Forces of the Inquisition, pg. 231Imperial Armour Volume Two, Second Edition - War Machines of the Adeptus Astartes, pg. 19Codex Supplement Deathwatch (9th Edition), pg. 19
Order of the Crimson Oath - Order of the Crimson Oath: The Order of the Crimson Oath is a minor Order Militant of the Adepta Sororitas.Its Sisters of Battle sent 2 missions to support the Achilus Crusade to reclaim the Jericho Reach in the Eastern Fringe for the Imperium of Man.