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((I have long felt that the Sisters of Battle had overtones of the Teutonic Knights and have taken some inspiration from that group in the creation of my Order's fluff. I intend to keep building this fluff, not least as my army grows (damned hard these days, thank you, GW) but for the moment I would welcome all insights and critiques.))
Here follows, as requested, the salient information concerning the Adepta Sororitas Order of Glory Undimmed.
++Thought for the day: A bullet may have a name on it, burning promethium is simply addressed 'to whom it may concern'.++
The Order of Glory Undimmed
Aucto Splendore Resurgo
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An Order Minoris of the convent Prioris of holy Terra. Founded in 777.M41 the Order's homeworld, Avaris almost immediately came under attack from remnants of the broken Hive Fleet Behemoth. The Order, badly under-equipped and inexperienced, suffered massive losses in the fighting. Indeed, Tyranid specimens recovered by the Magos Biologicos near the end of the war showed distinct gold flecks in their carapaces – speculated to be due to the volume of gold ceramite they had consumed. Nevertheless, faith prevailed, as it always must, and the Order learned how to fight the great devourer, aided somewhat be the acquisition of vehicles and heavy weaponry and the arrival of an Imperial Guard force on Avaris.
The Order took the lessons of their early years to heart and to this day when called to open battle, favour overwhelming weight of armour and fire-power. One might call it an unsubtle style of warfare, but then, the Order of Glory Undimmed is a purposefully unsubtle force. Deliberately created so – to be a visible reminder of the glory and majesty of Him on Earth. To this end the Sisters are clad in bright gold armour chased in platinum and adamantium. The armour and weapons of the Sisters Superior are set with precious stones and engraved with images of the Saints and prayers of hatred.
The Order are not so regimented or homogeneous as some. Due to their practices, especially the errantry of the Commandery Secundus the Sisters of the Order place great value in individuality and in the usefulness of bringing many differing mindsets to bare on a single issue. The Hierarchy certainly exists within the Order, and the word of the Canonness or her Sisters Superior is inviolate, but in reaching a decision, all input is welcome and all Sisters are expected to be self-sufficient and independent. All but the most junior of Sisters have some marks, trophies or icons on their armour telling of their individual deeds and triumphs. These grow in number until the most senior Sisters wear armour as ornamented as any Cathedral.
Currently the Order has a nominal strength of six-hundred Battle sisters divided into three equal Commanderies, and around the same number of novices, novitiates, priests, preachers and support staff.
Commandery Primus resides permanently on Avaris. Primus is, somewhat surprisingly, composed of the youngest and oldest sisters. All Sisters enter the Commandery Primus upon taking their vows and remain until deemed ready to undertake errantry. Whilst in the Commanndery Primus these young sisters are detached to the Ecclesiarchy's cathedrals and temples around Avaris. They serve as guards and as vergers. They may also be entrusted with other duties to prepare them for the years of errantry ahead. The rest of the Commandery Primus is made up of those sisters too old or injured to serve on the front lines. These reveered veterans continue the training of the novitiates where the schollas progenium left off.
Commandery Secundus still carries out the task for which the Order was founded. The Commandery is divided into dozens of Missions composed of one to a dozen sisters scattered across the southern part of Ultima Segmentum. The Missions move amongst the population guiding and guarding pilgrims, aiding those in need, preaching the Imperial Creed and seeking our heresy. This purpose is why the Order favour such showy, impressive aesthetics. Wherever these Missions of errantry go there is a potent reminder of the glory of old and a symbol of hope for the future. These years of errantry teach the Sisters self-reliance, courage and duty. Sisters of the Order of Glory Undimmed are well known along the major pilrimage routes and many worlds have a legend or two of the gold-clad angel who came with bolter and sword and did what none there could do.
Commandery Tertius is the main fighting force of the Order. Tertius holds the largest number of the Order's vehicles and heavy weapons and all Sisters Seraphim are part of the Third Commandery. Unusually, the Inquisition has placed a troopship, the All Creation, at the disposal of the Order (though not under the Order's direct command, for legal reasons). The wide ranging Commandery Secundus makes a powerful information gathering tool and the Order was granted use of the All Creation so that the Third Commandery could act instantly on any information uncovered by the Second.
All sisters of the Order begin in the Commandery Primus and almost all move on after a few years to the Commandery Secundus. Membership of the Second Commandery may last the rest of a Sister's life – often voluntarily. In other cases, a Sister who has completed at least two tours of errantry, often many more, moves on to the Commandery Tertius. Those Sisters too old or injured for errantry or combat return to the Commandery Primus, bringing with them a lifetime of wisdom and faith for the next generation.
All of the Sisters of the Third Commandery have served at least two Missions of the Second and are the best the Order has. The Sisters Superior of the Third Company are veterans of decades of campaigning, pilgrimage, preaching and questing. Many carry legendary weapons and impressive trophies gained during their adventures.
The Order of glory Undimmed is currently led by Canoness Sarasvati Luceo, a cold, frighteningly intelligent woman whose ascetic, frugal nature is at odds with the style of the Order she leads. She is known to weigh all things to a nicety and always has a plan B. She carries the Eviscerator 'Million Voices' and is an expert markswoman. She serves in the Commandery Tertius and is therefore de facto leader. If Canonness Sarasvati has a flaw, it's an inability to delegate.
“Everything is all we can give, and all that He asks.”
Sister Palatine Desdemona, the nominal leader of Commandery Tertius is noted for her fiery oratory and disturbingly scarred visage. She claims that the Emperor has a special task for her and until she knows what that is, she can never die. Like all Palatines of the Third Commandery before her, she bares the Blessed sword of St. Ruth the Merciless. Her personal retinue sometimes carries St. Ruth's skull into battle in its reliquary.
“Stand with me and be fearless, for I cannot die.”
The Sisters Superior of the Commandery Tertius comprise the most experienced and most faithful warriors at the Order's disposal.
Seraphim Superior Regina has few friends – she's thought of as an insufferable little-miss-perfect because, well, she is. Whatever people may think of her personally, it's taken as fact in the Order that if Regina sets out to do something, it gets done, no exceptions. Her Eviscerator 'Edax Omnium' has accounted for almost as many enemy vehicles as the rest of the Commanndery combined. Some believe Regina to be Canonness Sarasvati's inevitable replacement, but Regina herself will not hear of it.
“Consider it done.”
Seraphim Superior Aliz is the natural foil for Regina, and possibly her only actual friend. Aliz has an easy charisma, an infectiously genuine love of the Emperor and a legendary berserker rage on the battlefield. When Aliz calls herself or one of her Sisters a 'daughter of the Emperor' one gets the impression she means it almost literally. Perhaps it's this that drives her to such apoplexy when fighting those who don't share her faith. Whatever it is, she's been known to leave the battlefield with armour as red as her robes. She favours a plasma pistol because it burns as hot as her hatred. She calls it 'Faith' and strokes it without noticing.
“The Emperor really does protect.”
Sister Superior Nephthys was an underhive pickpocket who made one good mistake - trying to steal from (then) Sister Sarasvati. Sarasvati caught her, offered her a choice. 'Face the Arbites or come with me'. Sarasvati sent her to the Convent and Nephthys has served the Emperor, and Sarasvati, ever since. She is fiercely loyal, but still knows a few underhand tricks. When the Third Commandery are at the Convent, the novitiates are not allowed to talk to Nephthys. Not after last time. She owns an archeotech winged power sword of uncertain providence but seems unwilling to use it, preferring an Eviscerator named 'Witchbane'.
“If something's worth fighting for, it's worth fighting dirty for.”
Sister Superior Tuesday dyes her hair coal black, she covers her face in white powder, her power sword, 'Darkheart', is black-bladed and coruscates with red lightning. She cultivates a disquieting, grim air around herself and, from time to time, makes dark cryptic references to her errantry, which she spent in the retinue of an unknown Inquisitor. She knows things that no-one else does and even the Inquisitors who sometimes visit the Order do not meet her eye. Amongst the novices and novitiates something of a personality cult has grown up around Tuesday and the rumours grow wilder as time goes on.
“Sometimes, child, when someone says 'you don't want to know', it's the truth.”
Sister Superior Nike is a spirited, impetuous woman. At 30, the youngest Sister Superior in the Order's history. She has a sardonic, quick-witted nature, a winning smile and the unshakable idea that she's a legend waiting to happen. She spent her errantry on feral worlds and the way she tells it, she already is a legend on those worlds. She's popular with the novices and novitiates but many of the more mature Sisters are exasperated by her wild stories and habit of lighting lho sticks with her plasma pistol. The only problem seems to be that she is everything she claims. With her Eviscerator 'Explicit Heresius' she once duelled and killed five rogue Astartes single-handed.
“Because I'm the best there's ever been!”
Sister Superior Justine & Sister Superior Juliette are identical twins. They've worked together their whole lives and their ability to co-ordinate is almost preternatural – indeed, they have both been subjected to testing to confirm that they are not witches. Both originally joined the Third Commandery as Dominion Immolator crew until Sister Desdemona decided they could be better employed. Ironically, the are most often deployed on far sides of the battlefield where their intuitive understanding can aid the coordination of the two wings. True to their Dominion roots, both carry Combi-Flamers.
“Nothing burns like a Heretic.”
Sister Superior Pandora is the most senior of the Order's Retributors. All of the Orders sisters have an institutional regard for the heavy stuff, but Pandora's regard for the Holy Bolter, Flamer and Melta are greater still. She has a pragmatic kind of realism – her faith in the Emperor is as strong as anyone's but she understands that a lot of the time a Heavy Bolter is quicker. She carries nothing but a standard Bolter, because it is the quintessential weapon of the Emperor's wrath. That and Canonness Sarasvati forbade her from carrying a Multimelta.
“Of course the Emperor loves me, he gave me this bolter.”
Here follows, as requested, the salient information concerning the Adepta Sororitas Order of Glory Undimmed.
++Thought for the day: A bullet may have a name on it, burning promethium is simply addressed 'to whom it may concern'.++
The Order of Glory Undimmed
Aucto Splendore Resurgo
An Order Minoris of the convent Prioris of holy Terra. Founded in 777.M41 the Order's homeworld, Avaris almost immediately came under attack from remnants of the broken Hive Fleet Behemoth. The Order, badly under-equipped and inexperienced, suffered massive losses in the fighting. Indeed, Tyranid specimens recovered by the Magos Biologicos near the end of the war showed distinct gold flecks in their carapaces – speculated to be due to the volume of gold ceramite they had consumed. Nevertheless, faith prevailed, as it always must, and the Order learned how to fight the great devourer, aided somewhat be the acquisition of vehicles and heavy weaponry and the arrival of an Imperial Guard force on Avaris.
The Order took the lessons of their early years to heart and to this day when called to open battle, favour overwhelming weight of armour and fire-power. One might call it an unsubtle style of warfare, but then, the Order of Glory Undimmed is a purposefully unsubtle force. Deliberately created so – to be a visible reminder of the glory and majesty of Him on Earth. To this end the Sisters are clad in bright gold armour chased in platinum and adamantium. The armour and weapons of the Sisters Superior are set with precious stones and engraved with images of the Saints and prayers of hatred.
The Order are not so regimented or homogeneous as some. Due to their practices, especially the errantry of the Commandery Secundus the Sisters of the Order place great value in individuality and in the usefulness of bringing many differing mindsets to bare on a single issue. The Hierarchy certainly exists within the Order, and the word of the Canonness or her Sisters Superior is inviolate, but in reaching a decision, all input is welcome and all Sisters are expected to be self-sufficient and independent. All but the most junior of Sisters have some marks, trophies or icons on their armour telling of their individual deeds and triumphs. These grow in number until the most senior Sisters wear armour as ornamented as any Cathedral.
Currently the Order has a nominal strength of six-hundred Battle sisters divided into three equal Commanderies, and around the same number of novices, novitiates, priests, preachers and support staff.
Commandery Primus resides permanently on Avaris. Primus is, somewhat surprisingly, composed of the youngest and oldest sisters. All Sisters enter the Commandery Primus upon taking their vows and remain until deemed ready to undertake errantry. Whilst in the Commanndery Primus these young sisters are detached to the Ecclesiarchy's cathedrals and temples around Avaris. They serve as guards and as vergers. They may also be entrusted with other duties to prepare them for the years of errantry ahead. The rest of the Commandery Primus is made up of those sisters too old or injured to serve on the front lines. These reveered veterans continue the training of the novitiates where the schollas progenium left off.
Commandery Secundus still carries out the task for which the Order was founded. The Commandery is divided into dozens of Missions composed of one to a dozen sisters scattered across the southern part of Ultima Segmentum. The Missions move amongst the population guiding and guarding pilgrims, aiding those in need, preaching the Imperial Creed and seeking our heresy. This purpose is why the Order favour such showy, impressive aesthetics. Wherever these Missions of errantry go there is a potent reminder of the glory of old and a symbol of hope for the future. These years of errantry teach the Sisters self-reliance, courage and duty. Sisters of the Order of Glory Undimmed are well known along the major pilrimage routes and many worlds have a legend or two of the gold-clad angel who came with bolter and sword and did what none there could do.
Commandery Tertius is the main fighting force of the Order. Tertius holds the largest number of the Order's vehicles and heavy weapons and all Sisters Seraphim are part of the Third Commandery. Unusually, the Inquisition has placed a troopship, the All Creation, at the disposal of the Order (though not under the Order's direct command, for legal reasons). The wide ranging Commandery Secundus makes a powerful information gathering tool and the Order was granted use of the All Creation so that the Third Commandery could act instantly on any information uncovered by the Second.
All sisters of the Order begin in the Commandery Primus and almost all move on after a few years to the Commandery Secundus. Membership of the Second Commandery may last the rest of a Sister's life – often voluntarily. In other cases, a Sister who has completed at least two tours of errantry, often many more, moves on to the Commandery Tertius. Those Sisters too old or injured for errantry or combat return to the Commandery Primus, bringing with them a lifetime of wisdom and faith for the next generation.
All of the Sisters of the Third Commandery have served at least two Missions of the Second and are the best the Order has. The Sisters Superior of the Third Company are veterans of decades of campaigning, pilgrimage, preaching and questing. Many carry legendary weapons and impressive trophies gained during their adventures.
The Order of glory Undimmed is currently led by Canoness Sarasvati Luceo, a cold, frighteningly intelligent woman whose ascetic, frugal nature is at odds with the style of the Order she leads. She is known to weigh all things to a nicety and always has a plan B. She carries the Eviscerator 'Million Voices' and is an expert markswoman. She serves in the Commandery Tertius and is therefore de facto leader. If Canonness Sarasvati has a flaw, it's an inability to delegate.
“Everything is all we can give, and all that He asks.”
Sister Palatine Desdemona, the nominal leader of Commandery Tertius is noted for her fiery oratory and disturbingly scarred visage. She claims that the Emperor has a special task for her and until she knows what that is, she can never die. Like all Palatines of the Third Commandery before her, she bares the Blessed sword of St. Ruth the Merciless. Her personal retinue sometimes carries St. Ruth's skull into battle in its reliquary.
“Stand with me and be fearless, for I cannot die.”
The Sisters Superior of the Commandery Tertius comprise the most experienced and most faithful warriors at the Order's disposal.
Seraphim Superior Regina has few friends – she's thought of as an insufferable little-miss-perfect because, well, she is. Whatever people may think of her personally, it's taken as fact in the Order that if Regina sets out to do something, it gets done, no exceptions. Her Eviscerator 'Edax Omnium' has accounted for almost as many enemy vehicles as the rest of the Commanndery combined. Some believe Regina to be Canonness Sarasvati's inevitable replacement, but Regina herself will not hear of it.
“Consider it done.”
Seraphim Superior Aliz is the natural foil for Regina, and possibly her only actual friend. Aliz has an easy charisma, an infectiously genuine love of the Emperor and a legendary berserker rage on the battlefield. When Aliz calls herself or one of her Sisters a 'daughter of the Emperor' one gets the impression she means it almost literally. Perhaps it's this that drives her to such apoplexy when fighting those who don't share her faith. Whatever it is, she's been known to leave the battlefield with armour as red as her robes. She favours a plasma pistol because it burns as hot as her hatred. She calls it 'Faith' and strokes it without noticing.
“The Emperor really does protect.”
Sister Superior Nephthys was an underhive pickpocket who made one good mistake - trying to steal from (then) Sister Sarasvati. Sarasvati caught her, offered her a choice. 'Face the Arbites or come with me'. Sarasvati sent her to the Convent and Nephthys has served the Emperor, and Sarasvati, ever since. She is fiercely loyal, but still knows a few underhand tricks. When the Third Commandery are at the Convent, the novitiates are not allowed to talk to Nephthys. Not after last time. She owns an archeotech winged power sword of uncertain providence but seems unwilling to use it, preferring an Eviscerator named 'Witchbane'.
“If something's worth fighting for, it's worth fighting dirty for.”
Sister Superior Tuesday dyes her hair coal black, she covers her face in white powder, her power sword, 'Darkheart', is black-bladed and coruscates with red lightning. She cultivates a disquieting, grim air around herself and, from time to time, makes dark cryptic references to her errantry, which she spent in the retinue of an unknown Inquisitor. She knows things that no-one else does and even the Inquisitors who sometimes visit the Order do not meet her eye. Amongst the novices and novitiates something of a personality cult has grown up around Tuesday and the rumours grow wilder as time goes on.
“Sometimes, child, when someone says 'you don't want to know', it's the truth.”
Sister Superior Nike is a spirited, impetuous woman. At 30, the youngest Sister Superior in the Order's history. She has a sardonic, quick-witted nature, a winning smile and the unshakable idea that she's a legend waiting to happen. She spent her errantry on feral worlds and the way she tells it, she already is a legend on those worlds. She's popular with the novices and novitiates but many of the more mature Sisters are exasperated by her wild stories and habit of lighting lho sticks with her plasma pistol. The only problem seems to be that she is everything she claims. With her Eviscerator 'Explicit Heresius' she once duelled and killed five rogue Astartes single-handed.
“Because I'm the best there's ever been!”
Sister Superior Justine & Sister Superior Juliette are identical twins. They've worked together their whole lives and their ability to co-ordinate is almost preternatural – indeed, they have both been subjected to testing to confirm that they are not witches. Both originally joined the Third Commandery as Dominion Immolator crew until Sister Desdemona decided they could be better employed. Ironically, the are most often deployed on far sides of the battlefield where their intuitive understanding can aid the coordination of the two wings. True to their Dominion roots, both carry Combi-Flamers.
“Nothing burns like a Heretic.”
Sister Superior Pandora is the most senior of the Order's Retributors. All of the Orders sisters have an institutional regard for the heavy stuff, but Pandora's regard for the Holy Bolter, Flamer and Melta are greater still. She has a pragmatic kind of realism – her faith in the Emperor is as strong as anyone's but she understands that a lot of the time a Heavy Bolter is quicker. She carries nothing but a standard Bolter, because it is the quintessential weapon of the Emperor's wrath. That and Canonness Sarasvati forbade her from carrying a Multimelta.
“Of course the Emperor loves me, he gave me this bolter.”
