Order of the Bloody Rose
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The Order of the Bloody Rose is one of the six major Orders Militant of the Adepta Sororitas[1]
Contents
Overview
The Order is based on Ophelia VII within the Convent Sanctorum[1] and was founded along with the Order of the Sacred Rose by Ecclesiarch Deacis VI[2a] in honour of Sister Mina mid-M38[3a]. Their colours are blood red power armour and black cloaks with white linings. Their weapons are the same black as their cloaks.[2b]
The Order is well known as executioners and for their conviction to bring a swift end to their enemies similar to their patron saint. Consequently, Dominion Squads of the Bloody Rose are of particular renown, where their mission and the Order's convictions coalesce to make for ferocious assaults by these squads.[7]
From the moment a Sisters joins the Order, she is taught to foster and harness her most violent impulses. Litanies of heretical deeds are burned into the minds of recruits, filling them with hatred. Prayers that would be whispered in silence by other Orders are bellowed loudly by the Bloody Rose. In place of meditation, they learn to enrage themselves even when they are not faced with provocation. They are however also trained to focus their anger, for they are taught that to allow oneself to be overtaken by rage is as great a sin as notions of mercy.[15a]
On the battlefield the Bloody Rose advances with disciplined maneuvers, using weight of fire to gain an advantage over a fank or employing feints to draw their enemy into overcomitting. As soon as the foe is in range, they charge into their lines and engage in a bloody melee fueled by rage and hate.[15a]
Though the Order is committed a significant portion of its forces to war zones along the Great Rift, the majority of its forces are battling in the galactic south. These include Hive Fleets Leviathan and Hydra as well as harrowing battles against the Thousand Sons Cult of Duplicity.[15a]
Known Campaigns
- Saint Aspira, eighteenth Canoness of the Order, led them against the heretic Denescura and liberated almost a hundred worlds from his power with only a thousand warriors[3b]. The Cloak of St. Aspira, worn by the Canoness in life, remains as a holy relic of the order[2c].
- The entire Order participated in the Therrix Suppression in 085.M41, at the time numbering 12 Battle Sister squads, 6 Retributor squads, 4 Dominion squads, 3 Celestian squads, and 1 Repentia squad. Additional support during the suppression was provided to the Sisters by a delegation of the Adeptus Ministorum. The Sisters were instrumental in scouring the hive of all heretics.[4]
- In 424.M41 the battle sisters of the Order of the Bloody Rose were overrun on the Imperial shrine world of Idyll, by the Skullsworn. For doing so the Daemonkin summons a full Daemon cohort - it was the fifth cohort since the Heresy, they have brought forth of their chosen legion.[11]
- The order now operates a full preceptory at the Shrine of the Seventeen Martyrs near Malfi in response to brewing religious conflicts in the Drusus Marches.[5]
- 777.M41: The Order takes part in the Achilus Crusade
- The Order participated in the Vinculus Crusade of 833.M41[9] under the command of Canoness Jasmine, who was martyred while aiding High Marshal Ludoldus of the Black Templars in battle against daemon-possessed Inquisitor Vinculus.[10]
- A squad of Seraphim led by Seraphim Superior Amelda defended Dimmamar in 858.M41 from a sudden attack by Eldar of the Craftworld Ulthwé led by Farseer Kauerith. Amelda killed the Farseer personally with a Bolt Pistol round to the head, though many of her squad fell to a storm of psychic lightning. No reason for the attack has been determined.[6]
- ???.M41 — Battle against Tyranids on Yulzond Cross.
- About 999.M41 at the dawn of the 13th Black Crusade, Sister Julien, a retired Celestian who trained novitiate Sisters at the Schola Progenium on Perlia, fought alongside Ciaphas Cain against the forces of Chaos led by Warmaster Varan during the Second Siege of Perlia. She and most of her novitiates survive.[8]
- 999.M41: The 13th Black Crusade: The Order committed 6 Preceptories.[13]
- ???.M42 - Battle against Hive Fleet Ouroboros on Thresh. Only Sister Assumpta survives.
- ???.M42 — The War of Beasts on Vigilus. 7 preceptories are sent.
- ???.M42 - The Prosperan Rift War[16]
- ???.M42 - The War in the Pariah Nexus[17]
- ???.M42 - The battle of Vermidil as part of the war for the Scourge Stars.[18]
- ???.M42 - The Charadon Campaign[20]
- ???.M42 - The Octarius War[22]
- ???.M42 - The Nachmund Rift War. 11 preceptories[25]
- ???.M42 - The Battle of Bastior during the Fourth Tyrannic War[27]
- At an unknown date, the Sisters were dispatched to the Nephilim Sector to put down Slaaneshi pain cults that had transformed many Shrine Worlds into planet-spanning torture chambers. Hospitallers of the Order of Serenity and Dialogi of the Order of the Quill followed in the wake of the Bloody Rose, where they discovered that the Sisters had moved from planet to planet and mercilessly butchered all Cultists they encountered without stopping to free the imprisoned. The Canoness Superior of the campaign, Mari, was eventually canonized as a Saint.[15a]
Order Elements
Relics
- Armour of True Sacrifice[23]
- Beneficence
- Icon of the Crimson Martyr[24b]
- Mina's Wrath[24b]
- Petals of the Bloody Rose[15b]
Known Members
- Saint Aspira (deceased)[3b]
- Saint Mari (deceased)[15a]
- Charlotte — Canoness Superior during the 13th Black Crusade[26]
- Yene'sh Shu — Canoness Preceptor[28]
- Jasmine — Canoness (deceased)[10]
- Gertra Swinnlan — Canoness
- Corinn Hrethnar — Canoness[24b]
- Ceskina — Canoness[29]
- Danicia — Canoness[21]
- Augusta Santorus — Sister Superior[14]
- Laurelyn — Sister Superior[19]
- Amelda — Seraphim Superior[6]
- Assumpta — Sister
- Julien — Sister[8]
See also
- Order of Our Martyred Lady
- Order of the Argent Shroud
- Order of the Valorous Heart
- Order of the Sacred Rose
- Order of the Ebon Chalice
- Ecclesiarchy
Sources
- 1: The Inquisition, pg. 65
- 2: Codex: Sisters of Battle (2nd Edition):
- 3: Codex: Witch Hunters (3rd Edition):
- 4: Apocalypse, pg. 123
- 5: Dark Heresy: Blood of Martyrs, pg. 76
- 6: White Dwarf 379 (US), pg. 93
- 7: White Dwarf 382 (US), pg. 101
- 8: Cain's Last Stand (Novel), Chapter Nine
- 9: Codex: Adepta Sororitas (6th Edition), pg. 12
- 10: Blood and Fire (Novella), Chapter 4, pgs. 28–29
- 11: Codex: Khorne Daemonkin (7th Edition), Slaughter Without End
- 12: Imperium Nihilus: Vigilus Defiant, pg. 73
- 13: Codex: Eye of Terror (3rd Edition), pg. 16
- 14: Mercy (Short Story)
- 15: Codex: Adepta Sororitas (8th Edition):
- 16: Psychic Awakening: Ritual of the Damned, pg. 9
- 17: Psychic Awakening: Pariah, pg. 5
- 18: Codex: Death Guard (8th Edition), pgs. 137-138
- 19: The Warhammer Preview Online: Black Library (posted 12/5/2020) (last accessed 12/5/2020)
- 20: War Zone Charadon - Act I: The Book of Rust, pgs. 40-41
- 21: Codex: Black Templars (9th Edition), pgs. 24-25
- 22: War Zone Octarius - Book 1: Rising Tide, pgs. 30-31
- 23: Warhammer Community: The Order of the Bloody Rose Get Even More Fanatical and Ferocious in Their New Codex Supplement (Posted on 11/01/2022) (Last accessed on 11 January 2022)
- 24: War Zone Nachmund: Vigilus Alone:
- 25: War Zone Nachmund: Rift War, pg. 31
- 26: The 13th Black Crusade (Background Book), pg. 90
- 27: Leviathan (Box) Rulebook, pgs. 247-253
- 28: White Dwarf 483, pg. 93 - Flashpoint Nephilim: Armies of the Anomaly
- 29: Codex: Adepta Sororitas (9th Edition), pg. 88 - Crusade Army
