Adepta Sororitas
From Lexicanum
The Adepta Sororitas (also "the Sisterhood" or "Daughters of the Emperor") is a religious group that was incorporated into the Imperial Cult millennia ago. It is a common misconception that the Adepta Sororitas is the same as the Sisters of Battle, but the latter term technically refers only to the Orders Militant, the best-known part of the organization.
The Adepta Sororitas are an all-woman subdivision of the religious organization known as the Ministorum or Ecclesiarchy. They share with the Inquisition a similar role, policing the divisions of the Adeptus Terra. While the Inquisition's jurisdiction is entirely broad and encompassing, the Sororitas' is confined to heresy and mutation. The Sisterhood is religious where the Inquisition is relatively secular. As the Sisterhood's power extends only over the Adeptus Terra, the self-governing Inquisition remains beyond the Sisterhood's vigilance.
The Sisterhood's Orders Militant are the mailed fist of the Ecclesiarchy, rooting out and mercilessly destroying corruption and heresy within humanity and every department of the Imperium. The Decree Passive rules that the Ecclesiarchy cannot maintain any men under arms. The Sisters, being all women, are exempt from this decree.
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Founding
The Adepta Sororitas date their founding from the 36th millenium, and more specifically from the later events of the Age of Apostasy. The majority of their initial influx was recruited from the pre-existing Brides of the Emperor, the all-female bodyguard force employed by Goge Vandire. Loyal to the Emperor, the Brides (initially called the Daughters of the Emperor, but renamed by Vandire) were misled by the insane Vandire into fulfilling his own designs. When the truth of the matter, and Vandire's corruption, was revealed, the leader of the Daughters executed Vandire in his own audience chamber. The Daughters of the Emperor were at a loss after this event, and so the Ecclesiarchy took the opportunity to recruit and indoctrinate them into the newly formed Adepta Sororitas, the Ecclesiarchy's all-female military, circumventing the Decree Passive's strictures against the Ecclesiarchy possessing an armed force.
The Adepta Sororitas has its origins on the world of San Leor. An order known as the Daughters of the Emperor, an all-female cult dedicated to worship of the Emperor, had been discovered there by members of the Ecclesiarchy. Goge Vandire, the High Lord of the Administratum (and also Ecclesiarch of the Adeptus Ministorum), decided to pay a visit to San Leor and recruit the Daughters into his own private army. The Daughters, at first, refused to accept his authority. Vandire decided to show them that he was blessed by the Emperor - he instructed a soldier in his entourage to shoot him, which after a brief hesitation, he did. However, thanks to the protective field generated by the Rosarius of the Ecclesiarch (which no one but Vandire himself was aware of), Vandire was not harmed. The Daughters took this to be a sign, and swore allegiance to Vandire virtually on the spot. They became the Brides of the Emperor, and were Vandire's most loyal followers.
During the Siege of the Ecclesiarchal Palace, the Adeptus Custodes, the praetorians of the Emperor himself, tried to approach the Brides and convince them of Vandire's treachery. In a last ditch effort to convince them, the Custodes took Alicia Dominica, leader of the Brides, and her chosen bodyguards deep into the Imperial Palace where they stood before the Emperor himself. What happened there remains unknown - Dominica and her companions were sworn to secrecy - but it became clear that the Brides, who reverted to the title of Daughters of the Emperor, had been awakened to the evil that Vandire represented. Marching into his audience chamber, Dominica paused only to condemn Vandire for his crimes before she beheaded the power-crazed dictator. Reportedly, Vandire's final words were "I don't have time to die - I'm too busy!"
After this episode, the Decree Passive was proclaimed by newly appointed Ecclesiarch Sebastian Thor. Under the literal interpretation of the decree however, the Adepta Sororitas were not obligated to disband because the decree made only explicit mention of "men under arms." Thor, recognizing the need for the Ecclesiarchy to have some kind of force and internal regulator, allowed them to remain, even if the spirit of the decree was rather blatantly disregarded.
Trained to the highest levels possible and possessed of a phenomenal belief in the Emperor, the Sisters would go on to engage in Wars of Faith, bringing the light of the Emperor to parts of the galaxy that had fallen into darkness.1
Orders
| High Lords of Terra | |
| Ecclesiarch | Ordo Hereticus |
| Abbess of the Adepta Sororitas (position currently unoccuied) | |
| Convent Sanctorum (Ophelia VII) | Convent Prioris (Terra) |
| Orders Militant | |
| Order of the Bloody Rose | Order of the Sacred Rose |
| Order of Our Martyred Lady | Order of the Ebon Chalice |
| Order of the Valorous Heart | Order of the Argent Shroud |
| Orders Hospitaller | |
| Order of the Eternal Candle | Order of the Cleansing Water |
| Order of Serenity | Order of the Torch |
| Orders Famulous | |
| Order of the Key | Order of the Holy Seal |
| Order of the Gate | Order of the Sacred Coin |
| Orders Dialogous | |
| Order of the Holy Word | Order of the Sacred Oath |
| Order of the Quill | Order of the Lexicon |
| Orders Minoris - Minor Orders | |
| Order of the Eternal Gate | |
| Order of the White Rose | |
In the 41st millennium, the Adepta Sororitas is a part of the Ecclesiarchy and is divided into two Convents. The Convent Sanctorum located on Terra, and the Convent Prioris based on Ophelia VII.
The overall commander of the entire Sisterhood is the Abbess, based in the Convent Sanctorum, and one of the potential High Lords of Terra1
Types of Orders
The Sisterhood is further organized among several Orders. The famous Orders Militant follow the ways of war. Other orders do not follow this way per se and rather follow the ways of Study.
- Orders Hospitaller: aid the poor, and heal the sick and the wounded in many hospitals and clinics of the Sisterhood. Some of their hospitals are part of Imperial crusades.
- Orders Dialogous: help to translate the innumerable dialects and slangs used throughout the Imperium. At the behest of the Inquisition and certain parties they also study Xeno languages1, also translating texts obtained from Xeno artifacts. Sisters Dialogous are often employed as Sages in Ordo Hereticus Inquisitors' retinues.2
- Orders Famulous: organize and maintain households of certain Imperial governors3 and Imperial nobles, serving as advisers and by their very presence reminding them of their higher loyalties. They oppose any disloyalty with the support of faithful followers from the inside of the household itself4.
Besides these famous major Orders there is also an unknown number of minor Orders whose functions are widely unknown. We know of the Order of the Eternal Gate5 whose responsibility is the retrieval of relics and artifacts for the Ecclesiarchy. Also known is the Order of the White Rose6 whose main task is unknown. This order split away from the Order of the Sacred Rose in the latter part of M39.
Structure
Each Order follows the same basic hierarchical structure7:
- Order: Led by the head Canoness called the Canoness Superior and runs the Entire Order.
- Preceptory: An organization of individual convents with up to 1,000 Sisters, equivalent to an Adeptus Astartes Chapter, lead by a Canoness Preceptor.
- Commandery: Normally smaller convents or detachments of militant Sisters with up to 200 Sisters, led by a Canoness Commander.
- Mission: The smallest organization of Sisters, consisting of a few units and can be lead by a Canoness or the lesser Palatine.
Members
Ranks
Individual members ranks can vary in requirement and duties, but they follow the same basic hierarchy:
- Abbess: commander of the Convent Sanctorum on Terra; also the overall spiritual leader of the Sisterhood. She is assisted by a Prioress.
- Prioress: two of them administrate the two convents.
- Canoness: who leads the individual order.
- Veteran Sister Superior: who commands a single sqaud of Sisters.
- Sister Superior: who leads a single squad of Battle Sisters.
- Seraphim: only the very best Battle Sisters are able to join this elite. Seraphim receive special training and equipment.
- Dominion: Standard battle sisters with special weapons
- Retributor: Standard battle sisters with heavy weapons
- Celestine: See Seraphim
- Battle Sister: the basic rank of Adepta Sororitas.
Equipment
The Adepta Sororitas make heavy use of Flame Weapons as they see them as a way to cleanse the soul before total death. Though they are not genetically enhanced like Space Marines, they also wear Power Armour and have the same general unit set-up, although they tend to prefer heat and flame based weapons, for the 'purifying' effect of fire. They also gain very strong faith-based powers to help them in their struggle against their foes. The also make use of Bolter and Melta class weapons.
Units
Famous members
Others
- Seraphim Ephrael Stern, current location unknown
- Saint Celestine, KIA
- Saint Praxedes, KIA
- Helena the Virtuous
- Saint Anais
- Sister Alicia Dominica, KIA
Current Status
The Inquisition and the Ecclesiarchy are totally different and separate organizations, and both exist outside the bureaucracy of the Imperium; The Inquisition's and the Sororitas' tasks however overlap, and some Orders have been seconded to the Inquisition's Ordo Hereticus.
Problems with Canon
The following statement comes from the Codex: Sisters of Battle 2 edition: "A sign of the Sisters strength is the fact that in their entire history only a single sister, Miriael Sabathiel, has fallen to the lure of Chaos. How Miriael fell is unknown, only that she was turned from the Emperor's light to Slaanesh worship, and now serves as one of the prince of chaos' greatest warriors."
However this is clearly contradicted by the Graphic novel Daemonifuge in which a Sister was seduced by a Navigator (who had been corrupted by a daemonic servant of Slaanesh) and several Sisters were completely corrupted by a Keeper of Secrets, a greater Daemon of Slaanesh. It is quite hard to believe that only a single Sister fell to the corruption of Chaos during all these thousands of years, but possible nevertheless.
References and Sources
- 1: Codex: Tau (3rd Edition), pages 56 and 57, thoughts on Tau language by Sister Verity, Order Dialogous
- 2: Codex: Necrons (3rd Edition), page 5, An Eldar tablet of regarding the C'tan translated by Sister Superior Meritia, Order Dialogus, page 146
- 3: Execution Hour (Novel), page 146
- 4: Crossfire (Novel), page 258
- 5: Legacy (Novel), page 203
- 6: Duty Calls (Novel), page 71
- 1: Codex: Witch Hunters (3rd Edition)
Related Articles
| Ordo Hereticus Army List | |
| HQ | Canoness • Palatine • Inquisitor Lord • Priest |
|---|---|
| Elites | Arco-flagellants • Callidus Assassin • Celestian Squad • Culexus Assassin Death Cult Assassin • Eversor Assassin • Inquisitor • Vindicare Assassin • Repentia |
| Troops | Battle Sister Squad • Inquisitorial Storm Troopers • Zealots Seconded Units: IG Armoured Fist Squad • IG Infantry Platoon • SM Tactical Squad • SM Scout Squad |
| Fast Attack | Dominion Squad • Seraphim Squad Seconded Units: IG Rough Rider • IG Sentinel Squadron • SM Assault Squad • SM Bike Squadron • SM Land Speeder Squadron |
| Heavy Support | Exorcist • Immolator • Penitent Engine • Orbital Strike • Retributor Squad Seconded Units: IG Leman Russ • SM Devastators • SM Dreadnought • SM Predator |
| Transport | Rhino • Chimera • Immolator |
