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Order of the Ebon Chalice - Order of the Ebon Chalice: The Order of the Ebon Chalice is one of the major Orders Militant of the Adepta Sororitas, or the Sisters of Battle.The order was founded in honour of Saint Alicia Dominica by the Ecclesiarch Alexis XXII in the 36th Millennium when the Convent Sanctorum was split between the convents on Ophelia VII and Terra, founding the Orders of the Ebon Chalice, the Valorous Heart, the Fiery Heart and the Argent Shroud.Like all of Humanity, the Order of the Ebon Chalice has been faced with untold horrors since the Great Rift opened at the start of the Era Indomitus. Alongside their allies of old -- the Adeptus Custodes, Space Marines and Adeptus Mechanicus -- the spiritual descendants of Dominica fight to keep the unleashed forces of Chaos from overwhelming the Segmentum Solar.The sisters have eradicated several warbands of Chaos Space Marines, most notably the Blades of the Despoiler -- a Khornate host of the Black Legion whose path of slaughter was headed directly for Terra. Yet the Ebon Chalice has also taken heavy losses.Though the Schola Progenium proffers a constant stream of new recruits, only the most promising are accepted into the order, and of those only a small percentage prove themselves in the gruelling initiation rites to become battle-sisters.This has left the sisters of the Ebon Chalice straining against the sheer weight of the heretical incursions -- but they are far from broken. Each is an expert in the ancient forms of battle established by the Daughters of the Emperor, a warrior who has mastered both their weaponry and their faith.Those who prove themselves worthy enough to rise to the rank of Celestian or Zephyrim are amongst the most skilled veterans in the entire Adepta Sororitas. The most honoured of these sisters are even entrusted with a portion of the hallowed truth learnt by their Matriarch in the chamber of the Golden Throne.
Order of the Ebon Chalice - Notable Sisters of the Ebon Chalice: Saint Alicia Dominica - The Patron Saint of the Sisterhood, Bearer of the Grail of Ages, and Founder of the Order of the Ebon Chalice, Alicia Dominica is revered throughout the Imperium as both the founder and patron saint of the Adepta Sororitas. In the 36th Millennium, she ended High Lord Goge Vandire's Age of Apostasy after condemning him for his crimes against the Emperor and beheading him with her Power Sword. Shortly after, under the instruction of the newly appointed reforming Ecclesiarch Sebastian Thor, Dominica established the Sisterhood -- the Orders Militant of the Adepta Sororitas, with the Sisters later divided between the Convents on Terra and Ophelia VII. She herself became the first Canoness of the Order of the Ebon Chalice. In 650.M36, Alicia Dominica fell at the Battle of Frideswide's World, surviving hundreds of blows but falling to a single Traitor's lasgun blast to her heart. She was declared an Imperial Saint by the Ecclesiarchy soon after.Palatine Rhiannon - Palatine Rhiannon was the Sister Superior put in charge of a small task force or Mission composed of fifty battle-sisters of the Ebon Chalice sent from the Convent Prioris on Terra to the far-off Calixis Sector of the Segmentum Obscurus. The Mission's destination was the lawless world of Iocanthos. The Mission's reason for its deployment to Iocanthos remains mysterious and was initially considered a slight on the Canoness General of the Ebon Chalice already within the Sector, bringing with it many unanswered questions. Only the influence of the Ordo Hereticus has managed to smooth things over between the two factions of the Ebon Chalice now present.Seraphim Aescarion - Seraphim Aescarion was the sister who witnessed the fall to Chaos of Sergeant Castus of the Ultramarines 2nd Company. She made it her life's mission to bring this Heretic to justice. She prevailed after many standard decades and returned the Chaos Champion of Nurgle to the fold of the Imperium. She gave him a chance at redemption by sacrificing himself in the service of the Emperor. Castus carried an Exterminatus-grade weapon within his own body which he used to purify the world of Saafir of the Lord of Plagues' taint and send the Daemon Prince Parmenides howling back into the Warp.Canoness Preceptor Persphone Sheng - Sheng served as a member of the senior command staff of Fleet Primus' Battle Group Haephestus during the Indomitus Crusade and led a full perceptory of the order during that conflict.
Order of the Ebon Chalice - Relics of the Order of the Ebon Chalice: Annunciation of the Creed - The traditionalists of the Order of the Ebon Chalice eagerly grasp any opportunity to apply the undeniable letter of the Imperial Creed. Upon the craven heretic who shirks his sentence, or the witch hiding behind her puppets, this sacred condemnor boltgun announces their deviancy in unavoidable utterances of destructive justice.Blade of Admonition - This blessed power sword is the very blade carried into battle by Alicia Dominica -- the founding saint of the Adepta Sororitas -- and was famously used to cut the head from the traitor Goge Vandire and bring an end to the Reign of Blood. Saint Dominica wielded this blade in the decades following the reformation of the Ecclesiarchy, and a thousand more false prophets and heretics were slain upon its razor edge before Alicia’s eventual martyrdom.Grail of Ages - During the order's early Wars of Faith, Alicia Dominica carried the Grail of Ages with her to war -- the goblet of black stone that was created to be the embodiment of the Matriarch's spiritual communion with the Emperor. Little is known about the Grail and the power it held. Few accounts exist of this relic's holy energy being unleashed on the battlefield, and the details they provide range between the miraculous and the heretical. Awed Ecclesiarchal scribes wrote that when Dominica poured out the vessel's contents, the God-Emperor's voice boomed, and with a single word shattered whole armies. Well-guarded records of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica show instances in which every psyker on a planet spontaneously burst into flames when the Matriarch of the Ebon Chalice carried the Grail into battle. It is believed that there are tales of the Grail of Ages within the eldritch tomes of the Black Library, and possibly even in the writhing pages of the Book of Magnus. As for the sisters of the Ebon Chalice, they do not speak of its powers, but have always professed that the relic symbolises their sacred duty and eternal burden -- that they are the bearers of the secrets learnt by Dominica before the Golden Throne, and are the vessels of the God-Emperor's holy truth. This goes some way to explaining why the order has ever sought to destroy any texts concerning the Grail, and have immolated their scribes as Heretics.
Order of the Ebon Chalice - Order Colours: The vestments of the Order of the Ebon Chalice are based on the original garments worn by the Daughters of the Emperor and their combat doctrines -- based on equal parts religious devotion and military training -- have remained largely unchanged for four thousand standard years.The battle-sisters of this order wear black power armour covered by white vestments. The vestments have red piping and are also lined in red.The weapons of the Ebon Chalice are also often painted a deep red.
Order of the Ebon Chalice - Order Badge: The symbol of Dominica's order is the skull-filled and flaming Ebon Chalice, a representation of the terrible knowledge imparted to Alicia Dominica when she was brought before the Golden Throne.Few are aware of the significance of this symbol in Sororitas art.
Order of the Ebon Chalice - Sources: Codex: Adepta Sororitas (8th Edition), pp. 24-25, 38-39, 108-110Codex: Adepta Sororitas (6th Edition) (Digital Edition), pp. 13-14, 18,  20, 144Codex: Sisters of Battle (2nd Edition), pp. 19, 35Codex: Witch Hunters (3rd Edition), pg. 6Dark Heresy: Blood of Martyrs (RPG), pg. 78Imperial Armour Volume Two, Second Edition - War Machines of the Adeptus Astartes, pg. 19"Daemonblood" by Ben Counter in Dark Imperium (Anthology) edited by Marc Gascoigne and Andy JonesThe Inquisition (Background Book), pg. 65White Dwarf 293 (UK), "Liber Sororitas - The Matriarchs of the Sisterhood," by Andy Hoare, pg. 56White Dwarf 35 (July 2019), "Indomitus Crusade Fleets," pg. 45
Order of the Fiery Tear - Order of the Fiery Tear: The Order of the Fiery Tear is a minor Order Militant of the Adepta Sororitas.Its Sisters of Battle sent 1 mission to support the Achilus Crusade to reclaim the Jericho Reach in the Eastern Fringe for the Imperium of Man.
Order of the Glowing Chalice - Order of the Glowing Chalice: The Order of the Glowing Chalice is a minor Order Militant of the Adepta Sororitas.As spiritual descendants of the Order of the Ebon Chalice, the sisters of the Glowing Chalice are exacting in their standards of faith and martial prowess.They have established a chain of sanctuaries across the coreward portion of the Vedill Sub-sector, and have battled multiple Chaos incursions alongside the Tempestus Scions of the 9th Iotan Gorgonnes.When launching assaults, these sisters attack with the coming of the Terran dawn, striking when Sol and Terra rises over a war-torn world's horizon.Though the planets on which they battle are far too distant for the light of Sol to reach, the sisters of the Glowing Chalice still feel the Emperor's illumination falling upon them.The Glowing Chalice draws most of its sisters from the progena of the Schola Progenium located on the world of Vedill I, the same place from which most of the troops of the 9th Iotan Gorgonnes are also recruited.
Order of the Glowing Chalice - Order Colours: The battle-sisters of this order wear black Power Armour covered by red vestments. The vestments have a white interior.The weapons of the Glowing Chalice are also often painted white.
Order of the Glowing Chalice - Order Badge: The badge of the Order of the Glowing Chalice is is a golden chalice from which a halo of golden light is emerging.
Order of the Glowing Chalice - Sources: Codex: Adeptus Sororitas (8th Edition), pp. 30, 67Codex: Militarum Tempestus (6th Edition) (Digital Edition), "Regiments of the Militarum Tempestus"
Order of the Sacred Rose - Order of the Sacred Rose: The Order of the Sacred Rose is one of the major Orders Militant of the Adepta Sororitas, or the Sisters of Battle, founded in honour of Saint Arabella by the Ecclesiarch Deacis VI in the middle of the 38th Millennium at the same time as the Order of the Bloody Rose was founded. The order is based on Terra in the Convent Prioris.
Order of the Sacred Rose - Order History: In the wake of the mad High Lord Goge Vandire's downfall in the 36th Millennium, which ended his tyrannical Reign of Blood, Sebastian Thor was declared Ecclesiarch, and instituted sweeping reforms to the Ecclesiarchy. The High Lords of Terra were fearful of a repetition of the Reign of Blood. And so the "Decree Passive" was passed, forbidding the Ecclesiarchy from maintaining "men under arms."Alicia Dominica, leader of the Daughters of the Emperor, at Thor's order, formally founded the Orders Militant of the Adepta Sororitas, which adhered to the letter if not the spirit of the decree in that all its warriors were female.Following Thor's Reformation of the Ecclesiarchy, the newly founded Adepta Sororitas were split between the Convent Prioris on Holy Terra and the Convent Sanctorum on Ophelia VII.Both of these convents are massive fortresses housing tens of thousands of sisters. Those sisters still residing at San Leor were transported to the new convents, and the foundations of the non-militant orders were laid.In time, the Orders Militant grew into larger and more powerful organisations and Sebastian Thor's successor, the Ecclesiarch Alexis XXII, decreed that the two convents each be divided into two Orders Militant.Though Arabella was only canonised posthumously, she performed countless miracles during her lifetime. She travelled the Imperium serving as a commander and beacon of faith for many solar decades. The circumstances surrounding her martyrdom are not recorded in any Ecclesiarchal text, but in the 38th Millennium the Order of the Sacred Rose was founded in her name.Ecclesiarch Deacis VI formed the order from the sisters of the Convent Prioris, and from the outset the Sacred Rose proved themselves worthy of their Matriarch. Through their Wars of Faith they brought the light of the Emperor to regions long thought lost to the darkness -- Imperial planets were freed from the yoke of heretical tyrants, cabals of xenos mystics were hunted down and butchered, and sanctuaries were established to serve as outposts of divinity in the most remote corners of the Imperium.The Sacred Rose forged a sizeable parish in the Ultima Segmentum, but like Arabella they brought their faith to bear across the galaxy.Like the Order of the Bloody Rose, the Order of the Sacred Rose was not established during the existence of its patron saint -- Arabella. In her lifetime, Arabella earned the honorific of "Liberator" and many battle-sisters, especially Retributors, are known to pray to her spirit for liberation from doubt and rash action when a cool, logical head is required.Of all Dominica's bodyguards, Arabella was known as a particularly disciplined, even-tempered sister. However, behind her serenity lay the determination of a resolute warrior, and her symbol was thus a white rose, held aloft in a mailed gauntlet.The white-armoured Sisters of the Sacred Rose embody these same virtues, facing down alien hordes and Warp-spawned monsters with bolters calmly levelled where lesser warriors would panic and falter.
Order of the Sacred Rose - Era Indomitus: The order's ability to draw others to their cause has been of crucial value since the Great Rift tore open at the start of the Era Indomitus. The occluding mass of Warp Storms has plunged hundreds of thousands of worlds into perpetual darkness. Astropathic lines of communication have been severed by the psychic upheaval. Billions of distress calls have been lost in the screaming void.Cut off from the light of the Astronomican, Navigators are unable to guide voidships between distant stars, and so even those cries for help that are received can rarely be answered with action. The majority of the Sacred Rose's sanctuaries lie deep within the Imperium Nihilus, but few have succumbed to the nightmares unleashed across that half of the galaxy.The sisters of the Sacred Rose have remained a steadfast beacon of hope, and have fought the enemies of the faith with the same resoluteness of spirit that they have always possessed. Where many worlds were consumed by panic and fear, even before the servants of the Dark Gods fell upon them, those under the care of the order have become bastions of defiance.Sororitas patrols execute anyone who expresses doubt in the security of the Imperium. At the same time, Astra Militarum regiments are commandeered by the order, and soldiers showing the slightest hints of mutation are expunged.On each planet, the Sororitas lead defences against legions of daemons and Heretic Astartes. Yet it is not only their own worlds that they fight to protect. The Sisters of the Sacred Rose have miraculously appeared in multiple war zones across the Imperium Nihilus.Few question how the Sororitas were able to hear their calls for reinforcement, or how they managed to navigate amidst the darkness and horror. Those that do are told by the sisters that Saint Arabella always provides guidance, even when the Emperor's will is not clear.
Order of the Sacred Rose - Order Combat Doctrine: When the sisters of the Sacred Rose march to war, they do so in a state of holy grace. Scores of Sororitas advance in perfect tactical harmony, adapting fluidly to the shifting tides of battle. Squads unleash the firepower of the holy trinity with measured discipline. As they do so, they lift their voices, singing lilting hymns in praise of the Emperor.This symphony of choral worship and roaring weaponry quickly drowns out the screams of dying mutants and the wet tearing of heretical flesh. The sisters press the attack wherever their enemy shows weakness, sending Frag Grenades sailing into gaps in formations and blasting the exposed flanks of artillery with superheated melta beams.Where the foe shows strength, the Sororitas stand firm, locking ranks against assaults and cutting down onrushing attackers with deliberate and devastating salvoes. Yet it is their seamless pairing of faith with physical prowess that makes them a truly indomitable force.Miraculous bursts of speed are factored into redeployment manoeuvres, whilst the spontaneous combustion of nearby foes is relied upon as much as any Chainsword or Bolt Pistol. Assured of the Emperor's providence, the sisters of the Sacred Rose maintain their ineffable serenity as they slaughter all before them.The Order of the Sacred Rose are often accompanied to war by an inordinate number of Ecclesiarchal followers. Adeptus Ministorum Priests and their fanatical conclaves flock to the Sororitas, eager to witness the miracles that will unfold. As such, even small missions are rarely short of soldiers.A core of Sororitas may be supported by many devotees of the Imperial Cult, their prayers and cries of penance intermingling with the battle hymn of the Sacred Rose. Canonesses of the order welcome these faithful auxiliaries, and teach the sisters in their charge that the Emperor has the power to act through the least of His servants.Saint Arabella herself was known to gather the unwashed rabble to her banner in times of battle, and it is said that the power of her conviction transformed them into armies of indomitable warriors.
Order of the Sacred Rose - Order Beliefs: More so than any other order, the Sacred Rose avow that they are not only devout servants of the God-Emperor -- they are the conduits of His divine will. Through them is His glory made manifest in the galaxy, for their words and actions are guided by His infallible wisdom.The order teaches that victory comes from faith and faith alone. If a warrior has enough faith, she can command the stars to consume her enemies, and the Emperor will make it so. The Sisters act on this belief in every battle, war and crusade they wage, trusting that the triumphal slaughter of their foes has been preordained.Even when one of their number falls, they know that this too is part of the Emperor's plan. A single martyr can spark a fire in a thousand souls, giving rise to an inferno of faith that can never be extinguished.These beliefs give the sisters of the Sacred Rose an air of devout serenity that approaches that held by their Matriarch, Arabella. She was renowned for her calm nature in the face of horror, and was known among Alicia Dominica's guard as being the most even-tempered.It is widely told that Arabella was instrumental in the negotiations between Dominica and the Custodian who led the Matriarchs before the Golden Throne. Arabella subsequently earned the honorific of "Liberator," for she sought to break the shackles of fear and doubt that bound the faithful, and strove to free Humanity from the evils of the faithless.Though a formidable combatant, her true strength sprang from the abundance of miracles that are said to have happened in her presence. There are stories of Heretics imploding into lumps of smouldering flesh as her gaze fell upon them, crushed by the weight of their own wickedness, or having their eyes melt from their face as they beheld her glory.
Order of the Sacred Rose - Notable Sisters of the Sacred Rose: Saint Arabella - Saint Arabella is the patron of the Order of the Sacred 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. She was the last of the surviving six Sisters to enter the Emperor's Throne Room when they were brought before him for a personal audience during the Reign of Blood in M36 by the Custodians. Arabella disappeared in late M36 shortly after the death of Sister Mina - her ultimate fate is unknown.Canoness Magda Grace - Magda Grace was a canoness of the Order of the Sacred Rose who had fought against the uncaring tides of the universe for eighty-three long years. From childhood she has held fast to the belief that the righteous have an inner strength, a core of iron within them that stands untarnished by the twisting tides of fate. Those near her find themselves unconsciously holding the same beliefs as Magda herself -- that the Emperor protects, and whatever terrors the universe visits upon them, the faithful will die content. During the Cryptus Campaign against Hive Fleet Leviathan in 998.M41, upon the night world of Dessecran, Canoness Grace battled ceaselessly to contain the vanguard swarms that had infested the planet. She rallied the Planetary Defence Force time and time again as they engaged in a series of desperate battles beneath the planet's capital city, hunting down the Genestealers infesting the sewers even as the beasts hunted them in turn. When Magda eventually emerged triumphant from the undercity, she bore a livid gash across her eye and down her cheek -- a parting gift from a Lictor that had hunted her night and day until she finally put a mass-reactive bolt into its bulbous head. Her order was next stationed on Lysios to hunt down and exterminate the pagan giant-worshippers of the crawler hulks. When the Tyranids invaded, however, they quickly turned from persecutors to saviours. Under the leadership of Canoness Grace, they gave their lives freely to ensure the citizens of the algae-slicked planet had a chance to escape. During the battle on Lysios, Magda Grace herself was cut down on the threshold of salvation by the Lictor that had hounded her since her first encounter with the Tyranids upon Desseran.Canoness Selena Agna - Selena Agna was a Canoness of the Order of the Sacred Rose. She personally led her order in the defence of the Kaurava System during the large incursion of xenos and Heretic forces that assaulted that system's worlds. Canoness Agna and her sisters also fought against various Imperial forces during that unfortunate conflict, including the Blood Ravens Space Marines Chapter and the 252nd Conservator Regiment of the IAstra Militarum, deeming the Imperial Guard regiment as a threat for refusing to cede to her authority over all Imperial forces, and the Blood Ravens as corrupted, somehow responsible for the massive Warp Storms that engulfed the entire system. The order's forces under Agna's command attempted to purge the system of all xenos threats as well as those deemed Heretics.
Order of the Sacred Rose - Relics of the Order: Light of Saint Agnaetha - Emanating from within an adamantium brazier inscribed with the deeds of the Matriarch of the Sacred Rose, Arabella, the Light of Saint Agnaetha is a blinding illumination against the shadows of the Great Rift. Laying bare the truth of evil, those who embody the foulness of the daemon are cowed. The touch of its actinic glare, when lifted high with serene grace, causes impure flesh to char and combust in a conflagration of holy fire.
Order of the Sacred Rose - Order Colours: The colours of the sisters of the Sacred Rose's vestments and power armour is white with contrasting black vestments.The linings of their cloaks are red, as are their weapons.
Order of the Sacred Rose - Order Badge: The badge of the Order of the Sacred Rose is a simple white rose.
Order of the Sacred Rose - Sources: Codex: Adepta Sororitas (6th Edition) (Digital Edition), pp. 13, 15, 17Codex: Adepta Sororitas (8th Edition), pp. 28-29, 38-39, 109Codex: Sisters of Battle (2nd Edition), pp. 19, 35Codex: Witch Hunters (3rd Edition), pp. 6-7Imperial Armour Volume Two (Second Edition) - War Machines of the Adeptus Astartes, pg. 22The Inquisition (Sourcebook), pg. 65Psychic Awakening: The Greater Good (8th Edition), pg. 6Shield of Baal: Leviathan (7th Edition), pp. 37, 52, 55, 57, 61-62, 67, 107, 212, 215, 224White Dwarf 293 (UK), "Liber Sororitas - Matriarchs of the Sisterhood," by Andy Hoare, pg. 56Dawn of War - Soulstorm (PC Game)
Order of the Thorn - Order of the Thorn: The Order of the Thorn is a minor Order Militant of the Adepta Sororitas.The Order of the Thorn is a rampaging force of battle-sisters that butchers its way to victory.Having adapted the martial practices of the Order of the Bloody Rose, Sisters of the Thorn enter prolonged states of combat fury, hacking and stabbing at foes until all are slaughtered before them, or until they themselves are made martyrs.In this way they seek to recreate the last moments of Saint Mina's life, transforming themselves into whirlwinds of death before which the faithless cannot hope to stand.By battle's end, the pale armour worn by these sisters is covered in crimson gore, while the skin of those placedto rest in the order's crypts is left permanently covered with the ichor of their hated foes.
Order of the Thorn - Notable Sisters of the Thorn: Canoness Briar (KIA) - Briar was a canoness of the Order of the Thorn who became a revered martyr of that order after her death in battle. She would be remembered within the Litany of Canoness Briar told by Order of the Thorn Imagifiers like Sister Tariana.Imagifier Tariana - Tariana was an Imagifier of the Order of the Thorn who was known to recite the Litany of Canoness Briar for her battle-sisters during combat.
Order of the Thorn - Order Colours: The battle-sisters of this order wear tan Power Armour covered by black vestments. The vestments have a red interior.The weapons of the Order of the Thorn are also often painted black.
Order of the Thorn - Order Badge: The badge of the Order of the Thorn is a thorny vine wrapping around the Adepta Sororitas' fleur-de-lis emblem. A scroll with the name of Saint Mina upon it is draped across the fleur-de-lis.
Order of the Thorn - Sources: Codex: Adeptus Sororitas (8th Edition), pp. 30, 51, 67
Order of the Valorous Heart - Order of the Valorous Heart: The Order of the Valorous Heart is one of the major Orders Militant of the Adepta Sororitas. The Order of the Valorous Heart was founded in honour of Saint Lucia by the Ecclesiarch Alexis XXII, the long-lived successor of the great reformer, Sebastian Thor, in the 36th Millennium.At the time of the order's founding, the Convent Sanctorum was split between the convents on Ophelia VII and Terra, which created the Orders Militant of the Ebon Chalice, Valorous Heart, Fiery Heart and the Argent Shroud.Sisters of the Order of the Valorous Heart are driven by the belief that they still must atone for the sisterhood's acts as an unwitting accomplice to the Renegade High Lord of Terra Goge Vandire during the Age of Apostasy's Reign of Blood in the 36th Millennium.Like their patron Saint Lucia, the order is highly penitent, always striving for atonement for even the slightest perceived sin. A disproportionate number of sisters in this order exile themselves to the Sisters Repentia compared to the other major Orders Militant of the Adepta Sororitas.Because they are constantly reminded of their part in the Reign of Blood, sisters of the Valorous Heart can be particularly suspicious of those who would call themselves prophets of the Emperor.The bulk of the Order of the Valorous Heart's sanctuaries lie deep in the Ultima Segmentum, with the vast majority having been established during hard-fought wars against xenos and Traitor forces. Sanctified fortresses stand amidst Death World swamps, jagged mountain ranges and barren wastelands that were scoured of life millennia ago. Relief sculptures and stained armaglass panes within these sanctuaries depict Sororitas obliterating hordes of Orks, driving Necrons back beneath the sands and roasting foul Heretics in cleansing flames.Many of these sanctuary planets were plunged into darkness when the Great Rift tore open at the start of the Era Indomitus, and were invaded by daemons or subjected to mass Drukhari raids. Yet the order has not wavered in its faith.Though many of its preceptories are cut off from the light of the Emperor, they believe He still sees their struggles. They refer to this time of great trial as the "Hour of Abacination," for the Imperium Nihilus has been blinded, just as Lucia was. But like their Matriarch, the Order of the Valorous Heart have steeled themselves to endure whatever torments are thrust upon them.
Order of the Valorous Heart - Order History: In both their battle tactics and acts of worship, the sisters of the Valorous Heart adhere to doctrines of stoicism and forbearance. Their practices stem from the teachings of their founder and matriarch, Lucia, who amongst Dominica's companions was said to be a paragon of constancy. She was the level-headed counterpoint to Katherine's burning passion.When the sisters of the Convent Sanctorum were split, Ecclesiarch Alexis XII wrote that Lucia's Order of the Valorous Heart was to be the immovable anvil to the Fiery Heart's crushing hammer. Yet from their inception the Valorous Heart were far from a purely defensive force.Led by their matriarch, they aggressively sought worlds upon which the roots of heresy had grown deep, where witchcraft and profane mutation ran rampant, and then set themselves to the task of systematically expunging all traces of faithlessness.The order willingly plunged itself into protracted battles amidst horrific conditions, laying siege to sorcerous cults on Death Worlds and storming xenos planets that were inimical to Human existence. Aside from being undeniably effective in grinding away the enemy, these tactics also served as a form of penance.In the oldest manuscript of Lucia's teachings, recorded during her first address to her order, she explained that the Adepta Sororitas would for evermore carry the burden of atonement for the actions that she and the Daughters of the Emperor had taken in supporting the pretender Goge Vandire.Lucia's martyrdom came at the hands of a recidivist sect. She was captured and tortured over long solar months, the Heretics attempting to break her spirit and make her recant her faith in the Emperor. Lucia's eyes were gouged out, and she was forced to listen to the screams of a thousand innocents as they themselves were tortured to death.Unknown to her, a group of her own sisters were amongst those killed in this way, but it is said that not one of them uttered a sound as they endured their torments, so as not to cause their Matriarch any more pain than she had already suffered. Lucia eventually died, and the recidivists claimed loudly that they had shattered her resolve.But over the following solar decade, the Order of the Valorous Heart tracked down and captured every last member of the sect, all of whom confessed to lying about the Matriarch's lapse of faith. What became of those Heretics is not known outside the order.What is known is that a contingent of Sisters Hospitaller from the Order of the Silent Vow has been seconded to the Valorous Heart ever since that time, and have been putting their knowledge of life extension and pain enhancement to use deep beneath the sanctuary of Lucia's Reprisal.
Order of the Valorous Heart - Order Combat Doctrine: The example set by Lucia in her life, as well as through her martyrdom, has led to the Order of the Valorous Heart employing methods of warfare that are unique among the Adepta Sororitas. At the outset of battle the sisters pray to the Emperor and their Matriarch for the strength to endure the horrors to come. They then launch offensives to cut off their foe's supply routes and lines of retreat.With the enemy locked in place, the order begins sabotaging any infrastructure in the area -- water supplies are drained, fuel reserves destroyed and pipelines transporting noxious substances are vented into the atmosphere. On Feral Worlds, anything that could provide the enemy with the least sustenance is incinerated.In short order, the battlefield is transformed into a harrowing desert, with a grinding war of attrition remaining as the only path to victory for either side.It is in these conditions that the sisters of the Valorous Heart excel. No hardship is too great to shake their resolve, no pain so severe that they waver in their duty. They press the attack with one measured advance after another, inexorably driving their way into hostile territory and paving a path before them with the corpses of their foes.The glacial press of power-armoured warriors moving forwards is enough to erode the morale of even the most dauntless enemies -- as is the sight of Sororitas who continue to stand and fight after enduring multiple grievous wounds.When the sisters find themselves on the defensive, their unmatched grit allows them to withstand punishment that would scatter a less faithful force.Their hymns ring loud as barrages are levelled against them, and should the frustrated foe resort to an all-out assault, the sisters sally forth with unfailing vigour.Due to the methods of combat they employ, the preceptories of the Valorous Heart typically boast greater numbers of Exorcists and Retributor Squads than those of other orders. They use their heavy weaponry to establish solid bases of long-range fire, raining death upon the enemy's position and punishing anyone foolish enough to advance towards them.Many amongst the order say that they can feel the beating of Lucia's noble heart in the lightning-fast thud of bolt shells. Others hear her cries of defiance resounding within the sky-tearing crack of Exorcist missiles.It is little wonder that they see miracles manifesting in the fires of their bombardments, and are so eager to charge into the infernos they have wrought.
Order of the Valorous Heart - Order Beliefs: Given the nightmarish conditions in which they choose to battle, it is no surprise that many sisters of the Valorous Heart bear gruesome scars. The stigmata of torn flesh is seen as a badge of honour amongst the order, for it is a reminder of the sufferings of Lucia.A sister who loses an eye in battle is considered truly blessed, for it allows her to better understand the pain endured by her Matriarch, and to see more clearly the path of faith before her.Sisters of the Valorous Heart rarely accept numbing agents or pain-reducing stimms when their wounds are being tended to, even where surgery or amputation is required. To avoid the experience of pain in this way would be to deny the power of faith to overcome all suffering.The training procedures and rites of worship of the Order of the Valorous Heart have also been adapted to pay homage to the trial of its founder. Upon induction, each battle-sister must memorise the hymnal known as the Passion of Saint Lucia, reciting all five hundred and fifty-five verses at specific points throughout the day.The sisters also submit themselves to various acts of excruciation. These serve as penance for the sins committed by their spiritual forebears. They pray for the Daughters of the Emperor with their hands held over open flames, and they ask for absolution whilst pressing the teeth of ceremonial chainswords into their flesh.
Order of the Valorous Heart - Order Colours: The Sisters of Battle of the Order of the Valorous Heart wear black power armour as well as black cloaks with white or sometimes red linings.Their order badge and Ecclesiarchy symbol is red.
Order of the Valorous Heart - Order Badge: The icon used by the order is a white Maltese cross with a red heart in the centre.The order's banner depicts Saint Lucia, a single drop of blood running down her cheek.Sometimes, she is represented with Goge Vandire's severed head, which the Daughters of the Emperor received after Alicia Dominica executed him. These depictions reinforce her image as an ideal battle-sister.
Order of the Valorous Heart - Sources: Champions, All (Short Story) by Marc CollinsCodex: Adepta Sororitas (8th Edition), pp. 20-21, 39Codex: Adepta Sororitas (6th Edition), pg. 13Codex: Sisters of Battle (2nd Edition), pp. 19, 35Codex: Witch Hunters (3rd Edition), pp. 6, 58Dark Heresy: Blood of Martyrs, pg. 76Imperial Armour Volume Two, Second Edition - War Machines of the Adeptus Astartes, pg. 18Imperial Armour Volume Ten - The Badab War, Part Two, pg. 126Imperial Armour Volume Twelve - The Fall of Orpheus, pp. 21-22The Inquisition (Background Book), pp. 5, 65White Dwarf 293 (UK), "Liber Sororitas - Matriarchs of the Sisterhood," by Andy Hoare, pg. 56
Order Vespila - Order Vespila: The Orders Vespila is one of the Orders Minoris of the Adepta Sororitas located in the Calixis Sector, an Imperial sector located in the Segmentum Obscurus on the northern edge of the known galaxy, near the Halo Stars and the Eye of Terror.The "dark sisters" of the Orders Vespila are tasked by Cardinal Kregory Hestor with the sanctification of the bodies of fallen kin, and are sometimes called upon to serve as forensic specialists when a Throne Agent has recourse to disinter a long-dead corpse.
Order Vespila - History: The Orders Vespila were created when Cardinal Kregory Hestory petitioned the Orders Hospitaller to populate this Order within the Calixis Sector. Tasked with the internment of bodies, the Order Vespila's grey-shrouded ceremonial robes are synonymous with the death of Adeptus Ministorum priests. The sisters of the Order Vespila have earned the name "dark sisters" because of their association with the death of beloved Ecclesiarchal clergy.It is unknown why Cardinal Hestor felt it so important to be certain that the bodies of the faithful were properly buried, but rumours abound that he has secret knowledge of a prophecy regarding a long-dead saint. When an Inquisitor needs the Sisters' macabre skills he calls upon the Ecclesiarchy to provide him with the graveyard guards of the Order Vespila.
Orders Dialogous - Orders Dialogous: The Orders Dialogous is one of the non-militant Order of the Adepta Sororitas. They are considered the most learned of scholars, especially in the field of both human and xenos linguistics. They are responsible for the translation of innumerable dialects utilised throughout the Imperium as well as assisting the Inquisition with the study of long dead alien languages, helping them to translate texts from recovered artefacts. Though theyspecialize in languages and processing information, Sisters Dialogous are just as martially trained and fanatically devoted to the Imperial Creed as any Battle Sister. Sisters Dialogous generally leave their datastacks only when their linguistic or cipher-breaking skills are needed. There have been occasions where a full Mission is sent to retrieve data, though this is rare because the risk involved in letting sisters with access to sacred and secret information out into the open is very high and has to be authorised by the Convent. This has led the Dialogous to be a much more cloistered and in some ways naïve Order than the others.
Orders Dialogous - Becoming a Sister Dialogous: Sisters Dialogous are talented at breaking ciphers and translating texts. They are also extremely diligent in caring for the records they are entrusted with and guarding the secrets of the Ecclesiarchy and the Sisterhood. They understand knowledge is useless if they don’t act on it. Any extended field assignment with either the Inquisition or the Ecclesiarchy grants them a unique opportunity to experience the Imperium first hand and to use their knowledge to actively hunt down heretics and pry their secrets from them. They also know that the information they seek and guard comes with the eternal threat of temptation. It has been drummed into them that they cannot fail in their duties, because when condemned knowledge falls into the hands of the unwary, catastrophe often follows.
Orders Dialogous - Dialogous in the Calixis Sector: As in other sectors of the Imperium, the Calixis Sector Sisters Dialogous have opted to stay out of the limelight, providing support and information to both the Ecclesiarchy and the Ordos. While the entire Sisterhood is far more active in the Calixis Sector than in other places, they still hold true to the principle that knowledge comes before action. When on active field duty with the Orders Militant or the Ordo Hereticus, they are generally used in a support role as a communications or scientific experts. Field agents are likely to hear them only at the other end of a comm-link as they provide detailed information on the enemy.The largest concentration of the Order Dialogous in Calixis is the Sanctum Dialogous on Solomon. It houses a full preceptory of Sisters Dialogous and is guarded by a thousand Battle Sisters and a squadron of Imperial Navy ships in orbit. While regular traffic is allowed to and from the planet, it is commonly believed that the Naval ships keep sensors locked on the small promontory where the Sanctum is located. No one has revealed the secrets held in its vaults (under penalty of death), though it has been thought to hold all manner of heretical and xenos texts which have been fully translated into High Gothic. In conjunction with their joint work with the Sisters Famulous, they also maintain the history and blood lineage of the founding nobles for the sector including the Sinos family, the Haarlocks, the Sabrehagens, and, of course, the Angevin. Whatever is actually in there, the information deep below the Sanctum rivals that are housed anywhere within the Ecclesiarchy's holdings.Another aspect of the Order Dialogous is that they are some of the best information gatherers in the Sisterhood. Respected for their translation skills, they often work in data repositories and thus have access to new sources of data. Both the Ecclesiarchy and the Inquisition use this detailed information on potential threats to the Creed and the Imperium. While the Sisterhood has frowned on the Inquisition's usage of Dialogous services, their efforts have led to the discovery and destruction of some of the larger cults in the sector. Prol IX and the Library of Knowing on Fenksworld each house a small contingent of Sisters Dialogous.
Orders Dialogous - Known Orders: Order of the Holy WordOrder of the LexiconOrder PronatusOrder of the QuillOrder of the Sacred Oath
Orders Dialogous - Wargear: Shield Robes - When not clad in their well-known power armour, the Adepta Sororitas will often wear their armoured robes. These are consecrated mesh robes designed for both devotional study and martial training. Traditionally worn by the Orders Non-militant in their support roles and by novitiates as they are being instructed in the ways of the Sisterhood, they act as secondary clothing for a Battle Sister while their power armour is being maintained or when they return to their Convent. Eschewing regular clothing, the robes and the power armour are typically all a Battle Sister will wear. Shield Robes are not limited to the Adepta Sororitas. Clerics who find themselves in combat or who bring faith and fire to the enemies will also wear them. Often these robes are stylized and detailed with images from the lives of Saints or with iconography meaningful to a single cult.Dialogous Staff - Many sisters of the Ordo Dialogous choose to carry the Dialogous staff. These hardy staffs are fitted with a Laud Hailer and an audio recording device and can be used in combat if necessary.Chaplet-Ecclesiasticus - With each bead on the string representative of an act of penance performed by a Sister, the Chaplet Ecclesiasticus is often worn around the neck or waist depending on its length and preference of the wearer. In some cases each bead represents ten or even more acts of penance going as high as a thousand acts per bead. The Chaplet is combat ready, each bead made of adamantium.Ring of Suffrage - Designed to cause minor discomfort when twisted, a Ring of Suffrage is utilised as a form of corporal mortification, to remind the individual of the burdens they bear as a citizen of the Imperium, as well as the trials and tribulations endured by the Saints and the God-Emperor Himself.Stub Revolver with Two Reloads
Orders Famulous - Orders Famulous: The Orders Famulous is one of the non-militant Order of the Adepta Sororitas whose responsibility is to serve amongst the households of the Imperium's noble families acting as consuls and  chamberlains. They are responsible for brokering alliances, deals and marriages between the various nobility as well as utilising their formidable skills of diplomacy to ensure the peace between rival households.
Orders Famulous - Becoming a Sister Famulous: To be a Sister Famulous is to be exposed to the licentious ways of the Imperial nobility. Though the Sisters rarely step outside of their official duties, they still find it difficult to avoid noticing the depravity that often serves as entertainment amongst the upper social echelons. They know that they have been deemed strong enough to withstand the pressures of this duty and have studied how to help those in need of their services. Unlike other Orders, they are likely to ask questions and listen first before smiting the unbeliever immediately. They typically wear the armoured robes of the non-militant Orders, though these are often tailored to reflect local clothing styles as befitting their station and duty.
Orders Famulous - Famulous in the Calixis Sector: Every noble in the Calixis Sector has servants, advisors, sisters, or sages to guide his decisions. Lesser nobles may hire scholars or sages, but the elite trust their business dealings to no one else other than sisters of the Orders Famulous. Canoness Goneril has offered the services of her Order to every major noble family in the sector as well as many other lesser nobles and mercantile houses. Very few have refused their services when offered, as it is a sign of future prosperity. One notable exception is the recent decline in numbers at the Lucid Palace. Within the last thirty years, the number of advisors from the Sisterhood serving Sector Governor Marius Hax and his immediate subordinates has dropped by a third. While her sisters have always been politely refused, Goneril has found the emerging trend very disturbing.What is not commonly known is that the Orders Famulous serve the Imperium in another way. They keep extensive records of the bloodlines and mercantile dealings of virtually every noble family in the Calixis sector. Combined with the records of the Orders Hospitaller and Dialogous, Sisters Famulous have access to an exhaustive history of the noble families in this area of space. Their knowledge has made them very valuable to Ordo Hereticus Inquisitors, particularly those of a Thorian persuasion, as tracing the bloodlines of well-known heretics has often uncovered leads on much larger conspiracies.While the Sisters Famulous try to stay above the machinations of the political arenas, they have been occasionally known to mediate disputes and moderate councils. Legatine Christal, from the Abbey of the Dawn, is often away from her Iocanthos fortress and has been spotted in recent years re-establishing a mission on Malfi and arranging a marriage between Friedrich Krin of House Krin and Josi Cestelle of the Cestelle Alliance on Scintilla. It is rumoured that the Legatine even officiated at the actual ceremony and blessed the union on behalf of the Order.
Orders Famulous - Known Orders: Order of the GateOrder of the Holy SealOrder of the KeyOrder SabineOrder of the Sacred CoinOrder of the Veiled Mantle