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Well my Adepta Sororitas had their first 2 games of 10th edition at 1,000 points vs my friend @Entropomancer. Unfortunately I lost both games. The dice were not on my side. Against the guard I could not save against his lasguns. Against the Votaan, we both could not make saves, and I eventually had to concede. I am still working on the list and my old way of thinking has to be updated. I need the armor support and I really want repentia in the list, just to have melee shock troops along with the Novitiates and Zephyrim. I need a way to deal with High toughness armor so Exorcists and Castigators are in order. Palatine and her Celestian Sacrresants need an a MM Immolator. Repentia will probably get rhinos and Hospitaller. I did pick up another Novitiates squad, so one will be shooty and other melee. Along with the 2 Inquisitorial Kill teams I had preordered.

So its been a crazy few months in my personal life. The end result has made me a better person and I am very happy the direction my life is going. But I did bust out the brush and dice getting the Adepta Sororitas out for some boarding action and resumed painting. Unfortunately I may have to repaint the less than 10 models completed to match the robe technique I'm using for the black robes.

So I really need to clean this thread up and make it less disorganized and stuff. So in here you will find: 40k Grey Knights Adepta Sororitas Inquistion Exorcists Chapter Deathwatch Militarum Tempestus Adeptus Mechanicus Imperial Knights Raptors......No longer have this army Thanks GW 30K Raven Guard Adeptus Custodes Sisters of Silence Necromunda Redemptionist Completed models/ squads HQ Terminator Librarian Reynald de Vichers Inquistor (Interigator) Abygayl Selene Brotherhood Champion Landry de Lauzon Techmarine Talus ELITES Venerable Dreadnought Draper TROOPS Strike Squad Tancrede de Hautville Strike Squad Gaiwan de Monglane Strike Squad Godfrey de Caux Termnator Squad Tibauld De Gaudin FAST ATTACK Interceptor Squad De Plessiez HEAVY SUPPORT Purgation Squad Des Barres FLYERS DEDICATED TRANSPORTS Razorback "Long Swords" Kill Team Octarius Hand of Titan Raptors Hqs 10th Co Chaplain Arthurus Phobos Libraian Hes Elites Chief Apothercary Chraddas and Apothecary La Rocha 5th Scout Squad led by Veteran Sgt Helios Troops Fast Attack Heavy Support Dedicated Transports Flyers Lord of War Terrain Other Project Back to Badab Kill Team- Raptors Team 7 909th "Hell Rain" Charlie Company (Inquistorial Strom Troopers) Hqs Ordo Malleus Termiantor Inqusitor Lord Martyn Odum Ordo Malleus Inquistor Lord MyKel Westen with his Alcolytes Commissar Lord Kiera Lynx Elites Troops Alpha Squad Fast Attack Heavy Support Dedicated Transports Flyers Lord of War Terrain Order of the Valorous Heart Hqs Elites Troops Fast Attack Heavy Support Dedciated Transports Flyers Lord of War Terrain Completed Grey Knight Group Shot (12/05/2021) Raptors Completed Group Photo (02/23/2021) Order of the Valorous Heart Completed Group photo (11/07/2021)

Updating my Blog of completed models Grey Knights HQ Terminator Librarian Reynald de Vichers Brotherhood Champion Landry de Lauzon Techmarine Talus ELITES Venerable Dreadnought Draper Servitor Squads Montessa and Calatrava TROOPS Strike Squad Tancrede de Hautville Strike Squad Gaiwan de Monglane Strike Squad Godfrey de Caux Termnator Squad Tibauld De Gaudin FAST ATTACK Interceptor Squad Philip De Plessiez HEAVY SUPPORT Purgation Squad Everand Des Barres FLYERS DEDICATED TRANSPORTS Razorback "Long Swords" Kill Team Octarius Hand of Titan

Greetings Worshippers of the God Emperor! I've been playing since 2nd Edition and my favorite army has always been Adepta Sororitas, Sisters of Battle. Over the years I amassed an army of at one point was 13,000 pts...when the vehicles were plastic, resin and pewter parts. In years past I played as Order of our Martyred Lady, Order of the Bloody Rose, Order of the Parthenon Custom order. This time around I am going with the Valorous Heart as I like the scheme Edit: With 1oth edition Codex in hands my Order that was once Valorous Heart has returned to being a Daughter of St. Katherine. Blessed be her name. 07/01/2024 WAR Edit: 03/21/2025 I have decided to not to do Order of the Martyred Lady stay with Order of the Valorous Heart Edit: 04/05/2025 Adding List of Projects Edit 02/03/2026 Added Updated Order Minoris- Order of the Parthenon Current Project list: Morvenn Vahl, Abbess Sanctorum of the Adepta Sororitas Celestine, the Living Saint, Geminae Superia Aestred Thurga, Reliquant at Arms Daemonifuge – Ephrael Stern & Kyganil Triumph of St. Katherine Canoness Veryidan Celestian Sacresant Aveline Sister Superior Amalia Novena Sister Superior Tariana Palos Order of the Valorous Heart: Canoness (FOMO)- Done Canoness Palatine- Done Imagifier- Done Hospitaller Celestian Sacresants x5 Battle Sister Squad x10 Cherub- Done Battle Sister Squad x10 Cherub Battle Sister Squad x10 Cherub Dominion Squad x10 Cherub Dominion Squad x10 Cherub Seraphim Squads x10 Seraphim Squads x10 Zephyrim Squad x5 Retributor Squad x5 Cherubs x2 Novitiate Squad x10 Repentia Squad x1 Rhino Rhino Immolator Immolator Exorcist Castigator Order of the Parthenon: Canoness Commander Helia Parnia, Order of the Parthenon, Reclamation Fleet Khymara Sub sector Palatine Ality Vissia, of the Order of the Parthenon, Reclamation Fleet, Khymara Sub Sector Imagifier Hospitaller Celestian Sacresants x5 Celestian Insidants x10 Battle Sister Squad x10 Cherub Battle Sister Squad x10 Cherub Battle Sister Squad x10 Cherub Dominion Squad x10 Cherub Paragon War Suits x3 Paragon War Suits x3 Seraphim Squads x10 Seraphim Squads x10 Zephyrim Squad x10 Retributors led by Sisters Superior Gellia Esti Rhino Rhino Rhino Rhino Rhino Immolator Immolator Castigator Castigator Castigator Missionary Galaxia Order of Parthenon Support Ministorum Priest Ministorum Priest Penitent Canoness Penitent Engines x2 Penitent Engines x2 Penitent Engines x2 Mortifier x2 Novitiate Squad x10 Repentia Squad x10 Arco Flagellants x10 Arco Flagellants x10 Sanctifiers Battle Sisters squads (9- Parts and bodies) You can follow along with my Adepta Sororitas blog "A Spiritu Dominatus, Domina, Libra Nos"

My husband got me the sororitas army box to build as an advent calendar since it's got 25 models, and of course since I'm me I'm instead going to build them as word bearers' fanatics. I'm a little behind, but got some time to work at it! Here's the first two so far:

It's Blog and Beginnings. Get it? ----- To avoid burying the lede, this blog will act as both a replacement for my two discussion threads (Order of the Penitent Saint: A Project Thread and toaae presents: WAAAAGH! Tortoof), as well as a general blog for my hobby thoughts. I was a big fan and user of the B&C's blogs the last time they were around, and with my hobby mojo reinvigorated by a new edition, it felt like the right time to get this rolling. But I had to have something to actually put some thought out for. And other than gross sentences like that (I very much blog in a "stream of consciousness" method), I didn't have anything that I thought was worth blogging about. Until now. bum-dum-DUM Nah, I'm just playin'. I played my first game of 10th this past weekend (a Fathers' Day miracle), and remembered to take some pictures! So, BOOM, we've got content. This game was at the excellent Gamers Guild in Tempe, Arizona. If you're ever in the Sonoran Desert, try to swing by and check out this excellent store. I have no stake, I just love the place and the people. Anyways, I arranged a game via the store discord, and got to play against World Eaters and Angron for the first time since the angry primarch stomped out of the Cicatrix Maledictum. 2,000 points, the Only War mission from the core rules. My list was: Ghazghkull Thraka (warlord) Warboss (power klaw, attack squig, ENHANCEMENT: Head Woppa's Killchoppa) Warboss (power klaw, ENHANCEMENT: Follow Me Ladz) Weirdboy Nob with WAAAGH! Banner Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun Mozrog Skragbad Deffkilla Wartrike (ENHANCEMENT: Supa-Cybork Body) Boyz (20 models, Power Klaw, 2x Big Shootas, 9x Slugga/Choppa, 8x Shoota) Boyz (20 models, Power Klaw, 2x Big Shootas, 9x Slugga/Choppa, 8x Shoota) Gretchin (11 models) Gretchin (11 models) Meganobz (6 models, 6x Kombi-weapon/Power Klaw) Killa Kans (3 models, 3x Skorcha) Megatrakk Scrapjet Mek Gunz (3 models, 3x Bubblechukka) Warbikers (3 models, Power Klaw, 2x Choppa) This list was basically "what stuff did I want to try?", 2k points. I wasn't trying to make a good list, per se, but just stick the units that most excited me from the index into a game. I know some people don't like that Ghazghkull is now an INFANTRY model, with only T6; in contrast, I'm so excited he's now able to join a unit. I've always been a big fan of Warbikers, and I really like my Deffkilla Wartrike, so I had to slam them in. I hope the SAG can have a solid role in fire-support, and I had to give the new Bubblechukka a swing. And on and on, with every unit I selected. Really, the only thing I didn't really want to include was the Gretchin, but I wanted more Command Points, and I get ansy whenever my Ork lists have less than 100 models (only got to 87, even with the grots). My opponents list was constructed much the same way, I think: Angron Lord Invocatus 2x6 Exalted Eightbound 10 Bloodletters some character (lord of executions?) Lord of Skulls Now I didn't take enough pictures to post a full battle-report, but here's what I did manage to collect. My deployment: My opponent's deployment: My opponent got the first turn, and between his World Eater rolls and scout moves, he was immediately into my lines: (a note, we realized the rules for FLY are different in this edition, and Angron was moved back) The Killa Kans were murdered, though they lasted longer than they probably should have in no small part to this roll: But otherwise, with the Lord of Skulls off-table and Angry Ron unable to make a charge, my boys were able to absorb some casualties before hitting back. In my turn, Ghaz stomped up to Angron and punched the Red Angel to death. The Prophet might be less tough, but he still punches like a true monster. In all, I got to kill Angron three times, with Ghaz personally taking his head twice. The daemon-primarch got him in the end, though Makari saved ol' Ghazghkull's life after Angron massacred all six meganobz in one round. Mozrog got the final kill. The Lord of Skulls was ineffective, though I did let it kill my Deffkilla, just cause I wanted to see how well that thing punched: In the end, it was a complete tabling, but who cares? Winning wasn't really the goal for either player. The things I took away were: Ghaz is still a heavy hitter, and the 435 points for the full Meganobz support may not be as high as I thought; giving the Prophet 18 ablative wounds seems worthwhile, without even talking about what they get from him (+1 to-hit and to-wound). Mozrog may be a solid staple in my lists, and there may also be space for the Beastboss on Squigosaur. Mozrog eats vehicles, is incredibly tanky, and despite not having Lone Operative, being a single model means he can hide fairly easily, but still has the movement speed to get out and pounce on the enemy. The Beastboss is less of a monster, but I don't hate his profile, cost, or abilities. I've long sat on a second box; I may have to get that guy up soon. I think the Big Mek and Mek Gunz may be something. Not necessarily the Bubblechukka, but also not-not the Bubblechukka. The random profile is hard to plan around, sure, but the fact that you get to determine the profile before selecting targets is a big boon. Warbosses are good, I think. At least satisfying. Next up, I plan to try my Gorkanaut and Morkanaut, meganobz with a big mek, and units in trukks. ----- "So you're excited about 10th?" I'm excited about a new edition. I'm super bummed by the switch to Power Level, which is what this is in all but name. They've changed the granularity of Power Level, but it's otherwise the same. This deserves its own post, but suffice to say, the rules themselves interest me less than the fact that a new edition is always a great start. I played a ton of 8th edition, and I miss those days of attending monthly tournaments, organizing narrative games, and just meeting tons of new people. 9th's launch during the pandemic, me moving back to Arizona (but a part I didn't know any of the stores in) and my complete dislike of the Ork codex meant I didn't play a fraction as much. I'm really hoping that despite my misgivings with 10th's ruleset so far, I'll be able to roll a bunch of dice and have a good time.

As part of the Liber Unity Project, this thread exists so that the community can create a new Sisters of Battle Minor Order. We will need to consider why they were founded, what they're like and what separates them from their fellow Sisters. (Post to be updated) I look forward to your participation! Mol.

The Inquisitorial Guard are my custom Space Marine Chapter, featured in two videos from One Mind Syndicate on YouTube.. Unfortunately, the history and lore I've made for them is much too long (32 pages in notepad... lol) to post here without breaking it into multiple separate posts, so instead I'll post it in it's entirety on my profile in the 'files' section. I'm also currently working on a story for Family 192, whether it ends up being short or long, or even an epic, is still up for debate. However, if y'all would like to see it here as well, just let me know, and I'll post the story here as I work on it. Anyway, I appreciate any ideas for more lore, or just y'alls thoughts on it! Let me know, thanks! Edit: Well, until I figure out how to add Files to the File tab, I'll just post the Chapter info in separate posts here.

This is my submission for the Liber Challenge Part 1. [click the pages to see full-sized versions (two pages are side-by-side - they're formatted for landscape printing)] This article as seen in the Adepta Sororitas forum is the "finished" version while the topic here in Liber Astartes is for comments, critique, and revisions (I can see a few areas where I can tighten things up and I'm certain that other hobbyists will see things that I don't see). You can see a text version of this article below in case it's easier on your browsing style (whether you'd prefer text or you're on a mobile device that isn't very image-friendly). You can also see my design notes below in case that provides any insight into what I'm working towards with this article. Cheers!

The ceremony was an unusual one. It was serious for a start and way over due. There was many Orders to induct into The Apocrypha of Lourker and to merely enter them upon the pages in the manner of a common scribe was both mundane and demeaning. The book was old. It was known that Kurgan the Lurker himself had entered the first entries himself. The relic always seemed to be nearly full, but despite the Liber Moderati best attempts, none of them ever got the the last page. "And on the date of 441.M40 the Order of the Dauntless Spirit was created." Intoned Aquilanus, his voice sounding different than was typical. Olis and Conn looked at Ly warily. It was badly kept secret that their Brothers' mind was fractured. Some personalities of his were relatively easy to deal with. The one that was speaking now was usually full of fervour and barely contained holy rage. "It has been entered, Brot...Sister! Er, yes. Sister." Olis rolled his eyes at Conn's verbal slip. Aquilanus didn't seem to notice. "And on the date of..." Welcome to the first of many Liber Challenges! To mark this day, the Liber Mods have decided to start a challenge where by Forum members create armies appropriate to the B+C. Each month will mark the beginning of a different faction. To start with, the first challenge will be to create a DIY Adepta Soroitas Order. To enter, post your Oath and it will be entered in the post below. "I, [name], vow to create an Adepta Sororitas Order and post the results in the name of the martyred Sisters and to Him on Earth. Your will be done." To show your participation in this event, you can display this in your sig proudly: Once you have completed this challenge your reward is this: Courtesy of Grotsmasha! The finished article should include the following: Order name Home planet Name of its Founder Notable Sisters History Significant battles joined An example of its colours and heraldry markings. This can be done using models, the Sisters painter here, or a combination. The ultimate aim is to encourage members to be creative and have fun. That doesn't mean that friendly rivalry isn't excluded The first challenge ends on 17th April 2015 at 00:00 GMT. Good luck Sisters!

-= The Order of the Crimson Crescent =- "Few things better serve The Emperor than a keen eye and a steady hand." - Sister Felcia Rayeland -=Homeworld and Early History =- A Sister of the Order of the Crimson Crescent "Faith can remain pure, even when walls crumble and bodies falter." - Sister Auria Eribell In the year M40.204, A Decree was passed by the highly influential Cardinal Vesur as part of a long-term plan to reinforce the strength of the Imperial Faith in the distant reaches of the Ultima Segmentum. Vesur's plan involved the construction of great cathedrals and shrines, sweeping across three sectors. Entire regiments of Imperial Guard and fleets of Imperial Navy would receive formal blessings from the Ecclesiarchy, and pilgrimages to reclaim lost Holy relics or sites were put into motion. In the midst of this great triumph of the faithful, the Order of the Crimson Crescent was born. The Order takes it's name from the terracotta-hued moon orbiting their homeworld of Terremorn - viewed from within the planet's atmosphere, the moon appears a deep, vivid blood-red colour. On nights when it is particularly clear in the sky, it is said to be a clear sign of the Emperor's favour. Terremorn itself was once a shrine world, whose union with the Imperium dated back to the early days of M36. The planet was lost amidst the ceaseless turmoil of the following centuries, and was thought to have been completely overrun by hordes of traitors. But in fact, the population of Terremorn remained largely loyal and true to the Emperor. Though their shrines fell into disrepair, and then further lapsed into ruin, the people of the world continued to dedicate themselves to reconnecting with the Emperor. When the world was reclaimed in M39, the Ecclesiarchy were somewhat dismayed to note that what had once been a thriving shrine world was now much closer in nature to a hive world - teeming populations and vast structures covered the surface of Terremorn. However, they also saw that the once-proud temples, churches and icons of Imperial faith, though badly dilapidated, remained places of pilgrimage, and so quickly began working to strengthen the faith of the population once more. -= Canoness Isaudrea Fiorle =- "The Emperor protects most those who would protect themselves." - Isaudrea Fiorle, First Canoness of the Order of the Crimson Crescent At the time of the Order's founding, trials were held on a dozen shrine worlds to find women strong enough of body and soul to represent The Emperor's light in what was viewed as a dark corner of the galaxy. Out of the thousands selected to take part in these gruelling trials, over three hundred women succeeded. Amongst those first brave souls, one would truly become a legend to her new family: Sister Isaudrea Fiorle, best remembered as the First Canoness of the Order of the Crimson Crescent. Canoness Fiorle was a giftedly talented strategist, at her best when adapting plans even in the midst of battle. She also had a decided preference for marksmanship and precision over unrestrained agression, using small squads of highly-trained sisters to pick apart isolated or weakened targets without the need to engage them at close range. Even though she was slain in battle seventy-three years after her appointment to the role, to this day the Order of the Crimson Crescent pay honour to their First Canoness in their prayers to the Emperor, and her tomb is the centrepiece of the Order's headquarters. On Terremorn, if your firstborn is a daughter, it is considered good fortune to name her Isaudrea, and numerous petitions for Canoness Fiorle's posthumous recognition as a Saint have been made over the years. Isaudrea Fiorle was also known for her charisma, and her proudly outspoken views unarguably shaped the Order's perception of The Emperor even to this day. -= Beliefs and Doctrines =- "Through our Faith, we must become both a guiding light and a cleansing flame," - Sister Elsabet Mallor Rather than percieving The Emperor purely as a saviour and protector, the Order of the Crimson Crescent view Him as a Warrior-God. They worship The Emperor as a peerless, unimaginably lethal master of war who bestows his blessings only on those He considers strong enough to have earned them. In turn, those fortunate and powerful enough to recieve the blessings of the Emperor are charged with the sacred duty to use those blessings to protect those weaker than themselves. Sisters of this Order will routinely put themselves through trials of great endurance, in order to test their devotion and hopefully prove themselves worthy of the Emperor's blessings in times to come. Another quirk in the Order's system of beliefs is their view on Space Marines. Largely shunning the commonly held "angels of death" belief found across most of the Imperium, the Order of the Crimson Crescent view them as imperfect aspects of The Emperor, cast off and separated from The Emperor's divine magnificence, that he might become even greater. Though the Order's attitude towards Space Marines is largely neutral, the Sisters of the Order of the Crimson Crescent are rarely shy in voicing their views concerning the failings of Space Marines, which seldom earns them any friends amongst the Adeptus Astartes. -= Notable Conflicts =- "Victory in hard-fought battle is the truest way to praise Him." - Sister Melandra Vyne Since their inception on Terremorn, the Order of the Crimson Crescent has proven to be a stalwart force against all threats to the Faithful. Marching fearlessly into even the most fierce battles to bring the Emperor's strength to those in dire need, the Order has a storied history of conflict with xenos and heretics alike. -= The Breaking of Waaagh Toofpulla =- In the year M40.884, Warboss Toofpulla and his considerable horde of "Shootin'est Orkz" carved a bloody path through three lightly guarded systems in Segmentum Ultima, slaughtering Imperial citizens and regiments alike with wave after wave of powerful artillery attacks, striking with surprising co-ordination for greenskins. They would routinely destroy their targets before distress signals could even be sent out. When they crushed Hive Trebalth on the world of Aminast, however, they made the mistake of assuming the collapsing hive had killed everyone within. Sister Jemila and her squad had been tasked with protecting a Deacon of the Adeptus Ministorum on a hitherto routine visit to Aminast, and though the hive had largely been obliterated by the ork's ceaseless barrages of artillery, the basement of the local Church somehow survived intact, preserving not only the Deacon and three local Preachers, but Sister Jemila's squad, whose first action was to alert the rest of the Order to the presence of the orks. And so it was that when Waaagh Toofpulla threatened to engulf the world of Korbor, the Order of the Crimson Crescent, working with the planet's own military, caught the greenskins in a most devastating trap. Deploying their own Exorcist artillery, the Order crippled the xeno's own tightly-grouped, mortar-armed vehicles and their crude artillery batteries. The Sisters themselves were then able to ensnare the weakened greenskin formations with a pincer movement, their massed bolter fire and support from Seraphim squads and Immolator tanks on either side tearing through the greenskins with characteristic efficiency, burning away the aliens' remains until only ash remained. -= "Lord Colliver's Comet" =- Named by astronomers for the noble Lord Coliver, a planetary governor who famously struck down a heretic using a burning branch, this comet crashed into the Agri-world of Dewart's Gate in late M41. At the time it was thought a sign of the Emperor's judgement, until mechanical creatures of unknown origin or design climbed out and began attacking civilians, all the while reciting twisted chants of praise to the Dark Gods of Chaos. The Order of the Crimson Crescent were called in to purge the monstrosities. When the Sisters arrived, the world of Dewart's Gate had been badly scarred and burnt by the attacking creatures. They had raided settlements and destroyed farms. More terrifying still, the corpses of the slain marched alongside them, abominable metal contraptions buried into and across their backs. Their heads lolled awkwardly as they walked, their eyes staring sightlessly at nothing. They stumbled along slowly and made for easy targets, but their hands still gripped weapons firmly and they moved as though controlled by the vile, armoured machines that had been inside the comet, joining them in reciting their twisted sermons. The battle was fiercely fought. Though the enemy's tactics were poor, their puppet-hordes would continue to attack even if set aflame or suffering from lost limbs or gaping wounds - only by destroying the metal devices buried into the dead could they be halted. The leading machines themselves proved highly resistant to flames and most other small arms fire, but the Order's tanks, melta and power weapons were still able to dispatch them in short order when brought properly to bear. When the main body of the Order returned to the comet to destroy it once and for all, they discovered the controller of these gruesome machines - an injured Magos of the Dark Mechanicum. The 'comet' had turned out to be a large, malformed and withered escape pod of some kind from a heretic's vessel. The mechanised creatures within had either been his creations or his slaves. For his sins, the Dark Magos was burnt alive at the stake in the ruins of the largest surviving settlement on Dewart's Gate, hearing the Sisters and crowds of the faithful chant hymns of praise to The Emperor as he perished. -=-=-=-=-=-= EDIT: Updated for great zeal 10/4/2015Also, I changed the colours. Blue robes are cool, but didn't really suit the Order too well. All comments, thoughts, criticism, outright ridicule, insults, random quotes from old films, sage advice and other thoughts, suggestions or ideas are definitely more than welcome!

++The Order of the Alabaster Tear++ ++ORIGINS++ In the early 140:M41 the reports of chaos activity inside the Gothic sector increased considerably. These omens of an imminent war put the Imperium war machine in motion. Forge-worlds increased weapons’ production while a considerable force gathered in the sector. The Adepta Sororitas deployed its forces. Minor orders were instituted, some to fight others to provide support. Among the latter an Order Hospitaller, the Alabaster Tear, was sent to provide medical support to the troops stationed in the proximity of the Avalon system. The order counted many novitiate and very few sisters with actual combat experience, as they planned to rely on the protection of a nearby astartes’ chapter: the Silver Feathers. Despite being a fleet based order, due to the scarce number of its members, the order of the Alabaster Tear was given only a single lunar-class cruiser: the “Piety” although it was equipped with cutting edge medical technology. Thus the Piety departed from Terra away to the fringes of the Gothic sector. ++ORIGINAL ORGANIZATION++ Selune was an old sister and veteran of countless war zones. During her time serving side by side with the guard, she met numerous soldiers and situations which tested her faith in the Emperor. She always emerged from these crisis with a renewed and stronger determination, soon she had become someone to look up to for the soldiers who struggled to see the true meaning of their sacrifice. This earned her a good reputation inside the Sororitas which rewarded her with the leadership of the Alabaster Tear. To ensure the safety of the order a combat squad was attached to it. This squad was composed by four sisters and one outsider who fought together with them countless times. Their leader, Miria, was supposed to take the leadership in case the order came under attack. Besides them very few sisters had actual combat experience as most of them were still novitiate. ++FIRST CONTACT++ The Piety exited warp-space near the Avalon system. Soon, the on-board sensor registered an unknown signal moving fast in their direction. Captain Ushar shouted orders to the crew and the escort vessels, three in total, assumed a defensive formation around the Cruiser. From the radio room they hailed the mysterious ship. The answer was an excruciating screech, followed by the alarms indicating that the Piety was under attack. A distress signal was immediately sent by the Astropath to Port Maw, the headquarters of the Navy in the sector. Meanwhile the ship’s nature became clear as the first images came up on the holo-screen: chaos marks were painted everywhere along Nurgle’s star. After an exchange of long-range torpedoes, the wretched ship went on full thrust, launching a barrage of boarding torpedoes. The ship crew armed itself, yet despite the sisters’ training they were medics not warriors. Miria, the leader of the combat squad, deployed the forces on board into patrols spread throughout the ship. With a harsh maneuver the Piety was able to evade most of the torpedoes while it kept on engaging the heretical ship. Shots, screams and prayers spread throughout the corridors of the ship as the boarding party gained more and more ground. Two of the escort vessels took severe damage crippling them, while the third rammed into the enemy at full throttle. Under Ushar’s terrified gaze the ship repaired itself before unleashing a broadside on the escort ripping the bridge open. Out of nowhere a storm of torpedoes and lasers forced the chaos’ ship to get on the defensive. From the darkness of space emerged a battleship escorted by two cruisers. On the black ship shined the imperial eagle beside silver letters which read:” Cathubodva”. Under the crossfire the heretic barge got quickly annihilated. A thunder-hawk launched from the Cathubodva holding a squad of astartes which, after landing inside the hangar, dispatched the plague marines still on the Piety. Thanks to Miria’s expert leadership the order managed to contain the casualties but the ship suffered heavy damages and was unable to travel the warp. Thunder-hawks shuttled back and forth between the escort vessels and the Piety bringing in the survivors and leaving them in the sisters’ care. A delegation of Astartes from the Cathubodva met with both Miria and Selune to discuss the actions to be taken. After a consultation with the sector’s headquarter they decided to split the order in two. Miria took the most experienced sister and half of the novitiate and boarded the Cathubodva heading for the front. Selune and the remaining sisters stood on board of the Piety and were escorted to Avalon VI where the ship could be repaired enough to allow warp travel. ++THE PLAGUE++ The order of the Alabaster Tear, upon arriving on Avalon(a feudal world), deployed a camp using it as temporary HQ. From there Selune gave the sisters various tasks like walking among the population to check for any sign of heresy or lending medical care to nearby villages. The word of these prodigious healers spread quickly among the locals and soon a large crowd gathered outside the order’s camp, many of them asking for true miracles. In some individuals the sisters had found an incubating virus which, after further studies, appeared to be of a similar strain as Nurgle’s plagues. Soon, they ordered a quarantine and conducted additional tests on the population to see how far had the infection spread. The chapter master of the Silver Feathers refused to send notice to the inquisition and vowed that his astartes would undoubtedly find the heretics responsible for this. With the order’s forces halved and the plague spreading, Selune couldn’t risk a conflict thus she agreed. Somehow the information on the nature of the contagion spread to the population and caused major disorders as many innocents were accused of spreading the disease and were burned on the stake. Some peasants even went as far as accusing the order and attacked its camp. Obviously the technological superiority assured a swift end to the incursion but plunged them even deeper into suspicion. At the zenith of this madness in 143:M41 the 12th black crusade properly started. A Chaos fleet attacked Avalon which defences were compromised by the revolts on the surface. Meanwhile the plague was infuriating, ripping victims in the million. The Feathers’ forces gathered again, bringing with them the other half of the order as well as two regiments of the guard. ++THE INVASION++ The forces of chaos landed first in the city of Asader, where a chaos cult had rose in rebellion taking the city, securing it as a bridgehead. From there their offensive was swift and merciless, the defenders fought with all their might and managed to stall them but not before a considerable part of the planet fell into their filthy hands. At some point the High Command proposed an exterminatus on Avalon to which both the chapter and the order strongly opposed. Sister Ophelia organized part of the still loyal population into a war-band and conducted a guerrilla behind the enemy lines, helped by the ever present mist. Local hunters reported a massive force of heretics converging on the camp. The Silver Feathers were engaged on many fronts and couldn’t come in their aid. Thus Selune and Miria joined in counsel and decided to evacuate immediately the camp, although many of the novitiate were among the wounded. Thiara, the youngest sister in Miria’s squad, decided to stand and fight, refusing to abandon her sisters and, symbolically, stood in the courtyard for the entire day. By dusk, when the heretical chorus could be heard, more than five-hundred warriors, both from the order and the guard, had joined her. Miria led them in a desperate stand to buy enough time for the novitiate and the wounded to evacuate. Ophelia joined midway into the fight with her guerilla squads, shortly afterwards Miria had fallen on the field. When the evacuation was almost complete, of the five-hundred defenders only Thiara, Ophelia and Morgaine who was one of the locals participating in the guerilla still stood. Encircled and with no way out, they were soon torn asunder by the swords and axes of the Enemy. Yet, just when the chaos astartes’ attention turned on the novitiate still inside the camp, dying screams lifted from the rearguard as the three women ripped through the astartes in waves of eldritch power. Each of them presented black wings, sprouting from their back, piercing through the tattered armours. When the novitiate found the heart to plunge into battle, by the time they got out of the camp, everything was over and there were no trace of their saviours other than their empty armours. ++CANONISATION OF SAINT THIARA++ Once the war was over, the word of what happened back then already spread throughout the entire order. The martyrdom of Thiara, who was disposed to fight even alone to protect her sisters, soon became symbolic to the order. Tales of her resurrection were narrated like those about the saints of the past. Many considered the resurrection of the three a miracle of the Emperor and petitioned the Ecclesiarchy for her canonisation. Thus in 154.M41 Thiara was decreed a saint of the Ecclesiarchy and patron of the order of the Alabaster Tear.

View File The Order of the Faithful Sword The Battle Sisters of the Order of the Faithful Sword were a Lesser Order Militant that split from the Order of the Argent Shroud subsequent to the Haurvat Crusade. Born out of the depth of Sisterly love, the Order protected the Shrine of Saint Sahiné and the pilgrim route in the Doumah Sub-Sector of the Chonma Sector, from Indri’s Hope to the shrine world of Doumah IV. Later aligning with Saint Basillius the Elder, the Order’s fate was sealed when the survivors of the Abyssal Crusade returned seeking vengeance upon those that had betrayed them. The order is now a small cadre protecting a lonely memorial, a shadow of its former glory. This DIY Order of the Adepta Sororitas was originally created in 2015 for the Liber Challenge Part 1. You can see the original article here and the revised article here. The original format of this article was a series of images, which is presented here in this file. Unfortunately, most of the component images have been lost to time, though I've been able to recover some as screenshots or component captures from the file that I have, as well as images that I had uploaded to my gallery here (and I uploaded a few more for this latest version). Submitter Brother Tyler Submitted 04/14/25 Category Background (Lore)  

I was prompted to write this by the Liber Unity Project, but as it turned out to be basically a personal project I decided to post this in a new thread. More to come on events after the Fall of Cadia Here's a PDF form of the below, a bit nicer looking +++++ Order of the Weeping Heart All information current as of just prior to the Fall of Cadia, 999.M41 Home World: Azrithine, a Minor shrine world near Dimmamar Main Colours: Black, White, Red Order Type: Order Minoris split from Order of the Valorous Heart Specialty: Screening of Ministorum and other Imperium officials, execution of those judged heretical Battle Cry: “Remember your duty, remember your sin!” Current Strength: 97 sisters Traditional Full Strength: Around 140 sisters FELICAENE THE HALLOWED “Remember Canoness Felicaene, who righted our faith and led us from self-righteousness into penance and communion with the Blessed Emperor” Sister Felicaene of the Order of the Valorous Heart was promoted to the rank of Canoness Preceptor in 121.M38. At the time, her Canoness Superior, Ahena, cited her “tactical acumen and devotion to the principles of the Adepta.” The recent revelation of the false-saint Basillus’s heresy made Felicaene’s principled beliefs all the more valuable to the Order, and she served as a senior advisor to the Canoness Superior for over twenty years. Throughout her life, Felicaene placed great stock in the Sororitas’s role in maintaining the Ecclesiarchy and preventing the events of the Reign of Blood from repeating themselves. In her eyes, Basillus was the Sisterhood’s failing. If he had been revealed as a false prophet before his rise to power, tens of thousands of Astartes would have been saved. As a Canoness Preceptor she placed increasing emphasis on screening members of the Ecclesiarchy, using her influence within the Valorous Heart to have extensive, invasive background checks performed on priests assigned to the Dioceses of the Cardinals Astral Ministra. This eccentricity, as many saw it, was tolerated by the Sororitas and Ministorum at large, even though it seldom revealed anything of note. In 143.M38, Felicaene suffered a mortal wound during the eradication of a nascent Khornate cult. Her right arm was severed, and she spent several days in a coma as she received a cybernetic replacement. At first, she seemed unchanged, but as time passed her sermons became more critical of the Sororitas’s view of themselves as the unblemished paragons of human purity. She reminded her sisters of the mistakes of the Reign of Blood and placed the blame for the Abyssal Crusade squarely on the Adepta’s shoulders. In light of this, she felt it was necessary for the Sororitas to devote the larger part of their resources to screening Ministorum personnel. She believed that Daughters of the Emperor must not only life faithfully in the way all of the Imperium should but must also continually repent for the horror of Vandire’s reign. Felicane’s convictions caused a good deal of friction between her and her fellow Canonesses. They saw her as seeking forgiveness for that which was long forgiven. Some called her an overzealous nuisance, while others said she had gone insane. However, there were those within the Valorous Heart with whom her message resonated, and many such sisters requested to be assigned to Felicaene’s command. As unusual as this was, the Canoness Preceptor was able to accept most of these disciples since their former commanders had little desire to work with such extreme views. As she became more strident in extoling her beliefs, Felicaene’s efficiency as a commander suffered. She led her followers in ritual self-mortification and prayer, and often refused to work with military elements outside the Sororitas on the grounds that they had not been properly screened. Though her military acumen carried her to success most of the time, many of Felicaene’s peers felt her actions were unbefitting of her station and that she was wasting Adepta resources. ---------- Excerpt from Canoness Preceptor Felicaene’s Feast of Saint Lucia Sermon, 147.M38 The Sisterhood on San Leor was co-opted by a heretic and reveled in heresy and debasement; only the intervention of the God-Emperor Himself saw it returned to His light. As surely as this salvation condones the Adepta’s continued existence, so sure is it that this salvation is not, and can never be, a vindication. We, who called ourselves the Daughters of the Emperor, were blinded by our own hand, and ate from the palm of an apostate. Thus, all present and future Sisters of our Orders must dedicate their lives to penance for what is passed—that which can never be repaid—and vigilance so that it may never come to pass again. Yet within the last millennium the power of the Ecclesiarchy saw fully thirty Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes cast into the Eye of Terror by a warp-tainted demagogue to face certain doom and corruption. The power of the Adeptus Ministorum was once more wielded against the will of the Emperor, under the eye of the Sororitas. We must remember, lest our sight be again shrouded by hubris: we, among all the Emperor’s servants, have wounded Him most deeply. We, among all the Ministorum’s missionaries, were charged with looking for the rot within. For us, duty till death is insufficient. Only when we make our every service a bloody penance, every victory a mortal sacrifice, can we call ourselves fit to gaze up into His light. ---------- FOUNDATION IN REGRET “We beg the Emperor’s forgiveness in prayer and in deed, that we may be found worthy to serve him” These issues came to a head with Felicaene’s sermon on the Feast of Saint Lucia in 147.M38. Her public condemnation of the Sisterhood saw her brought before Canoness Superior Ahena of the Order of the Valorous Heart. The Canonesses of the Order called for her censure and the stripping of her rank. The Canoness Superior had not yet acted on Felicaene’s behavior because of her sizable following. In removing the Canoness Preceptor from her post she risked making an ideological martyr of her. In Ahena’s view, Felicaene was still an adequate Canoness with a sharp mind, and the stripping of her rank seemed likely to cause further disruptions within the Order. However, the pressure from her other Canonesses had become too great and she was forced to act. Seeking a higher authority, she brought the issue to the Prioress of the Convent Sanctorum. In doing so, Ahena sought to shift away from herself any ill will for the punishment handed down and minimize disorder within the Valorous Heart. The Prioress spoke to both Ahena and Felicaene behind closed doors. After a period of deliberation, she agreed that censoring the Canoness Preceptor and her followers was not a viable solution. She judged Felicaene’s beliefs to be more inconvenient than inadmissible, as the Adepta did have a mandate to keep watch for corruption within the Ecclesiarchy but agreed that her disruption of the Valorous Heart’s operations could not continue. To this end, she announced the creation of a new Order Minoris, to be led by Canoness Felicaene, and comprised of any Sister of the Order of the Valorous Heart that wished to be transferred to it. There was some disquiet among the Canonesses of the Valorous Heart that Felicaene’s punishment was not really a punishment at all, but no major incidents occurred. The Prioress, Ahena and Felicaene eventually agreed to call the new Order the Weeping Heart, and placed its convent on Azrithine, a minor shrine world in the galactic vicinity of Dimmimar. Being near the birthplace of the great Saint Thor, who played such a large role in ending the Reign of Blood, pleased Felicaene, and the Prioress was satisfied with sending her troublesome sisters to the other side of the galaxy. By the date of departure from the Ophelia system, 139 sisters had requested transfer to the Order of the Weeping Heart. They boarded a long-range troop transport, which followed Imperial Navy supply lines till it reached Azrithine. The construction of the Order’s convent began shortly after. RECRUITMENT “By His hand the Imperium was born, by our blood we purify His church” Unbeknownst to both Felicaene and Ahena, the Prioress planned to taper off the flow of new Sisters to the Weeping Heart over the coming years. The troublesome Felicaene and her followers and would fade to nothing, far from Ophelia VII. In not telling the Canonesses her plans, the Prioress ensured that Felicaene would take her leave quietly from the Convent Sanctorum. What she did not plan for, however, was her own death. Just 16 months after Felicane’s departure, the Prioress took ill. Her condition continued to worsen despite the best efforts of the Orders Hospitaller, and she passed away just weeks later, taking her plans for the Weeping Heart with her. A replacement was quickly selected, but she was oblivious to the circumstances of the new Order’s founding. Thinking that her predecessor had intended for the Weeping Heart to endure, the young Prioress assigned them recruits as she did any other Order Militant. However, she found that an unusual proportion of Sisters assigned to the Weeping Heart ended up executed in disciplinary actions. This was due to the Order’s unique tenants, draconian even by the Adepta’s standards, and their eschewing of the Oath of the Penitent. Sisters that would have otherwise been consigned to the Sisters Repentia, where they would at least serve once more on the battlefield before their death, were executed outright. The Prioress’s solution was to select Sisters who seemed predisposed to the Weeping Heart’s way of thinking to assign to them. This reduced the mortality rates among newly assigned Sisters. Since it’s founding, the Weeping Heart has received varying amounts of support from the Convent Prioress. During the tenures of Prioresses especially unfriendly to the Order’s cause, its numbers shrank as low as 50 Sisters, while at times of high recruitment within the Adepta, it swelled to almost 200. However, for most of its existence the Order has maintained roughly its original size. Some Prioresses have taken advantage of the Weeping Heart’s tough discipline to dispose of those Novices they deem disobedient, but not so much that they do not complete their Novitiate. Such Sisters cannot cause trouble for the more prominent Orders Militant while assigned to the Weeping Heart, where they will either adapt to the Order’s way of life or find their life forfeit. Of course, such matters are relative, the most disobedient Novices to complete their vows among the Adepta has the discipline of the Astra Militarum’s best, and faith to match. AZRITHINE “The worlds of the Imperium are beyond number, yet each looks to Terra and its light makes them holy” Geologically, Azrithine is similar to Terra before the Age of Strife. It is covered in large proportion by salt water seas and boasts a number of substantial continents. The climate is predominantly temperate, with arid and tropical patches. Perhaps this similarity was what prompted its use as a shrine world, although a minor one. Its location to the galactic southwest of Dimmamar also lends it some small amount of import within the Imperial Cult. During the Thorian Reformation, the planet was chosen as one of the numerous new Cardinal Worlds, overseeing a portion of space that used to lie within the Diocese of Dimmamar. While a shrine world in name, Dimmamar hosts many material production facilities under the purview of the Adeptus Munitorum. Complete kits are produced for Astra Militarum regiments in the galactic vicinity, all stamped with the mark of the shrine world. Of especial note is the massive complex of printing presses and book binders in the northern hemisphere that specializes in religious texts devotional icons, including the ubiquitous Imperial Infantryman’s Uplifting Primer. ORGANIZATION “Like moths to a flame we gather in the Emperor’s light, for only He can part the galaxy’s darkness” As is usual for Adepta Sororitas Orders, the Weeping Heart is lead by a Canoness Superior. As a small Order Minoris, it has no need for additional Canonesses, though usually one or more of its sisters hold the rank of Palatine. Since the Weeping Heart does not use the Oath of the Penitent as other Orders do, it lacks a Mistress of Repentance. Since the Order’s primary concern is the purification of the Ministorum and various other Imperium organizations, many of its military actions take place in confined spaces. As such, the true combat veterans of the Order are its Celestians, well equipped for urban, and even indoor, firefights. The Weeping Heart’s Seraphim, on the other hand, often find themselves of limited use in the Order’s Missions. Instead, the Seraphim are comprised of those Sisters who exemplify the Order’s values and serve as spiritual guides for their fellows, though that is not to say they are not veteran combatants. Their skills are invaluable when the Weeping Heart takes to the field in open battle. A LIFE PENITENT “Brand your souls with the sins committed in Vandire’s Reign of Blood, for our Sisterhood shall never be forgiven” The Sisters of the Weeping Heart believe that, in addition to the normal, pious life expected of any Ministorum servant, the Sororitas must remain forever penitent for their actions in aiding the apostate Goge Vandire during his Reign of Blood. The Emperor, through Saint Thor I, allowed them to continue to serve His church, but this did not cleanse the Daughter of the Emperor of their crimes against Him. In seeking the Emperor’s continual mercy, the Sisters of the Weeping Heart scour the Imperium, especially the Ministorum, for those corrupted by greed, doubt, xeno influence or the taint of the Dark Gods. In addition, they fill their remaining hours with prayer and self-mortification, allowing themselves few indulgences even the strict standards of the Adepta. These traditions include the morning, mattin and vesper prayer services performed by all Orders. The sisters’ diet is minimal: enough to maintain their physical condition but uninteresting and unchanging. It consists mainly of breads made with nutrient-paste flour, with enriched water providing what the bread cannot. The Order’s robes are of rough make, produced on Azrithine itself, and the sisters practice ritual flagellation, which in rare cases has led to permeant physical impairment or death. The sisters’ bodies are often covered in scars from this practice, which they see as a reminder of the Sororitas’s eternal debt to the Emperor and a mark of their dedication to Him. Since the sisters of the Weeping Heart hold the Sororitas to be eternally guilty, they have a low view of the Oath of the Penitent. All sisters must be penitent at all times. In effect, they view all sisters as Sisters Repentia. Because of this, any sisters that are judged to have failed grievously in that which is expected of them are executed, rather than taking the Oath of the Penitent. The Oath is likewise never taken voluntarily, as such an act is seen as superfluous. The bodies of executed sisters are burned alongside those of heretics, and their equipment destroyed. True to their conviction, some sisters of other Orders have compared the sisters of the Weeping Heart to Repentia, their conduct in battle showing some of the same abandon in the face of death, though still tempered by proper discipline and strategy. Unlike the Convent Prioress, which is decorated in gold and stained glass like a cathedral unto itself, the Weeping Heart’s convent is sparingly appointed. The walls are made entirely of unadorned stone, and its narrow windows are filled with thick sheet of tinted glass. The convent’s chapel is the one exception, it is as richly decorated as any other, but only the upper half of the room. A large statue of the Emperor sits upon a high pedestal behind the altar, visible only if the viewer’s head is tipped upward. Statues of various Imperial Saints, including Saint Dominica and her companions, ring the room, likewise elevated. The sisters keep their eyes downcast during prayer services, for fear of seeing even the toes of the golden effigies. Only on the Feast of the Emperor’s Ascension or those of the Founding Saints do they look up in joy at their golden silhouettes. Doing so at any other time is a grave offense. Outside of the chapel, the convent contains many icons of the Emperor. In all cases, within the convent and without, these are treated as the Emperor’s personal presence. They are greeted reverently before anyone else and sisters of the Order will not speak with their back to them. Sisters have even been known to severely beat non-Sororitas who’s behavior they deem unfitting when in the Emperor’s presence. ---------- Exerpt from the Diary of Sister Mathei of the Order of the Cleansing Water Once, I treated a Sister of the Order of the Weeping Heart—they were aiding the Regiment I was attached to. Her sisters brought her into my tent with barely a word, though a few of them had holes in their armour too. She, the patient, was wounded badly. Some sort of energy weapon had pierced her gut and she was losing blood. I was able to stop the bleeding and sterilize the wound, fortunately it was mostly self-cauterizing. What truly shook me what I saw when I removed her armor: her skin was covered in welts, bruises and scars, some of which appeared to be decades old. I had seen flagellants before but nothing quite like this. Then I cut myself on her breastplate. At first, I thought I had missed an entry wound, but the inside of her armour was lined with a series of dull spines. I could see where they had abraded her skin as she fought. The patient made a full recovery and was returned to her sisters. She thanked me for saving her life, but when I asked about her scars she said, “I offer up my body to the Emperor so that my soul may be fit to fight in His name.” ---------- COMBAT DOCTRINE “We must know the vile and the obscene, for surely it knows us who walk in His light” Since they devote their resources to eliminating heresy and corruption within the Imperium, the Weeping Heart fights very few open engagements. Most military actions they take are pinpoint strikes or assassinations. The Canoness and her Sister Superiors do extensive intelligence gathering to identify targets and plan for their elimination. Because of this, the Order is most comfortable working with a carefully laid plan and the element of surprise. As these plans often lead to fighting in urban spaces or indoor complexes, Missions are usually made up of several small squads, often spearheaded by a unit of Celestians. The Order’s Dominions and Retributors seldom form dedicated units of their own, and its Seraphim are often found guarding points of egress or launching assaults through elevated windows. Traditionally, the Celestians of the Weeping Heart are the Order’s true combat veterans. They are selected for both their ability at range and in melee and serve as the weighted spear tip of the Order’s surgical strikes. Since the Seraphims’ combat roles are limited, they are selected for their fervor and dedication to the ideals laid out by Canoness Felicaene. Often, such sisters are among the most extreme in their daily practices when compared to sisters of the Orders Majoris. Souls beyond number fight and die for the Emperor and His Imperium each day. The sisters of the Weeping Heart view death in battle as simply their duty as a servant of the Emperor. However, since they constantly seek penance for the events of the Reign of Blood, simple duty is not enough. With the help of local craftsmen, they weld strips of metal spines to the inside of their armour. The number and arrangement of strips varies from sister to sister, though they are often added to or rearranged to mark significant events or achievements in a sister’s life. The spines are dulled to prevent severe injury, at least over the short term. When the armor is worn, they cause abrasions in the skin as the sister moves and fights. In addition to pain, this eventually leads to bleeding which exacerbates blood loss in a wounded sister. This makes simply wearing their armor a very real, very physical act of penance. Any loss of combat efficiency is a small price to pay to be worthy to fight in His name. The Immolator is perfectly suited to the Weeping Heart’s style of combat, and they use it extensively. Rhinos are used only when larger Missions are deployed, or when an oversized squad is deemed necessary. The Order does not possess an Exorcist, as such relics are assigned to Orders that participate in full-scale warfare. Although their operations usually require taking the target by surprise, the Weeping Heart’s vehicles are almost always fitted with Laud Hailers for use in clearing obstructive traffic in hives. STANDARD OPERATIONS “Even on hallowed ground we stand eternally vigilant, lest the Enemy hide in our own shadows” The sisters hold three prayer services daily, one after each meal. Meals, such as they are, are also taken together. This basic schedule is not much different than then that held by the Orders Majoris. Sisters away from the Convent maintain this basic schedule, often visiting local chapels, shrines or cathedrals for their prayers. In their time outside of prayers and meals, the Sisters perform their duties as watchers of the Ministorum, screening personal stationed in the galactic vicinity. From time to time they also investigate Imperial officials outside the Ministorum; this has included Adeptus Astartes chapters on rare occasions. The Weeping Heart also performs the more traditional duty of guarding Azrithine’s holy sites. The Order is far too small to station a sister at every such place on the shrine world, instead posting a single sister at each of the planet’s major cathedrals and significant or vulnerable shrines. Some members of the Ordo Hereticus find the Order’s investigative experience valuable, recruiting sisters for their cells. However, even self-proclaimed Puritans often find the sisters’ penchant for flagellation and tendency to scrutinize their masters perhaps too closely onerous. MAJOR EVENTS “Think not of the profundity of the present, but prosecute each Mission with the surety of His righteousness” 112.M38 Survivors of the Abyssal Crusade emerge from the Eye of Terror 121.M38 Sister Felicaene promoted to Canoness Preceptor in the Order of the Valorous Heart 143.M38 Canoness Preceptor Felicaene mortally wounded leading a purge of a nascent Khornate cult 146.M38 Felicaene refuses the assistance of a group of Dark Angels, arousing their suspicion and almost causing a firefight. 147.M38 Felicaene’s Feast of Saint Lucia Sermon 148.M38 The Order of the Weeping Heart officially founded 496.M38 The Order executes a priest at Denashin’s Redoubt, an asteroid-based penal colony for cult behavior outside the Imperial Cult. Three months later they execute his replacement on the same charge. This prompts an investigation by an Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor, who discovers a genestealer infestation among the convicts. In their first full-scale deployment, the Weeping Heart leads the purge of the colony, eradicating the Xenos threat. 551.M39 In a rare display of force, fully one-hundred Sisters of the Weeping Heart aid the Astra Militarum in putting down a rebellious planet, but the Order suffers significant losses during the campaign. After their transports were destroyed in a rebel raid, a Mission of thirty sisters was forced to march over fifty kilometers to another fortified position. Their armor’s internal spines caused significant bleeding during the extended march, and 13 of their number collapsed from blood loss and exhaustion before they reached their goal. 781.M39 Inquisitor Xelthene of the Ordo Hereticus recruits two Weeping Heart sisters to assist her in her work. Just months later they kill one of the Inqusitor’s psyker Acolytes. The exact circumstances of the killing are unknown, but both Sisters are executed by order of Inqusitor Xelthene, with whom the Order has had no subsequent contact. 300.M40 During the Aschen War, while the holy world of Dimmamar is in revolt, the Order of the Valorous Heart deploys to the region to defend the birthplace of Saint Thor. In an extreme exercise of authority, the Canoness Superior of the Valorous Heard claims direct command over almost half of the Order of the Weeping Heart, merging them with her forces for the duration of the campaign. This was technically within her power since the Weeping Heart had been formed from the Valorous Heart. By doing so the Canoness Superior pre-empted any friction between the two Order’s command structures, but generally alienated the remainder of the Weeping Heart’s forces. Because of their severely stunted numbers, those sisters not commandeered by the Valorous Heart remained on Azrithine, preparing the world for a possible invasion in the event that the Imperium’s forces failed to contain the cult on Dimmamar. A few minor Missions were launched from Azrithine to the rebellious Cardinal World, but the Order’s diminished strength prevented any major offensives. 840.M40 The Weeping Heart investigates and eventually eliminates the Cardinal of the Azrithine Diocese, on charges of impiety, greed and obstruction of the Emperor’s Will. This investigation was sparked when the Cardinal attempted to shield one of his subordinates from the Order’s interference. The killing of a Cardinal attracted scrutiny from the Prioress and the Ecclesiarch himself, but the Weeping Heart was able to present irrefutable evidence of heresy on the part of the Cardinal and sustained only a slap on the wrist, as well as a temporary drop off in new Sisters from the Convent Sanctorum. 727.M41 A major power plant explodes on Azrithine, causing widespread panic and mass blackouts. In the wake of the hysteria, the Weeping Heart interrogates and executes scores of workers and administrators involved with the plant, though some outside the Order believe the explosion to have been accidental. Azrithine’s power grid never fully recovers from this loss of archaeotech. 999.M41 Cadia falls, the Great Rift opens, and all contact with Terra and Ophelia VII is lost. FIGURES OF NOTE “Hold the Emperor’s martyr’s in your heart, for their souls stood strong though their bodies fell” Canoness Felicaene: Canoness Preceptor of the Order of the Valorous Heart. Her extreme ideology led to the Weeping Heart’s founding and guides its traditions after her death. Canoness Ahena: Canoness Superior of the Order of the Valorous Heart who promoted Felicaene to the rank of Canoness Preceptor and brought her before the Prioress of the Convent Sanctorum, leading to the Weeping Heart’s founding. Canoness Shrivien: Current Canoness of the Order of the Weeping Heart as of 999.M41 Bassilus: False prophet who’s scheming caused the Abyssal crusade. The return and eventual vindication of its survivors would influence Felicaene’s thinking.

It's been a while since I played or posted here. In previous editions with my metal army I ran something like: Celestine + Seraphim to create enemy backfield havoc Canoness warlord hidden in an Immolator with BSS to spend the entire game trying to dodge giving up a Slay the Warlord point to my opponent Dominion spam as my main combat force to overpower MEQ and TEQ saves Retributers with HB to lay down fields of fire to protect my lines and camp backfield objectives Occasionally a single giant blob BSS to tarpit and bolter spam the center pretty much all MSU in an extremely typical midfield run and gun style. I'm coming back to maybe playing again and I've got Morvenn Vahl and the Paragon warsuits and the models are so cool there is no way I cannot use them. How are people fielding them? How do they work on the table? What do they replace in a typical list and what usually supports them best? I know that's pretty broad, but I did a search and did not see a topic specifically about how people are using these two units.

I think this is a good place for this post. But if not, please I beg moderatii to move it in better place. This is not 100% Sisters of Battle art, but can be use as that. And is truly inspirational indeed. It can be perfectly a representation of a saint or martyr or the base an alternative Saint Celestine. Luna is an artist from Spain who made this illustration and many others. And the commissions are now open. You can see more illustrations and info, here: https://mobile.twitter.com/lunaevayg

Well, now that I've been bitten by the Sisters bug (but have no way of being able to scratch it, what with there being no proper Codex and no plastic Minis ), I've decided to delve into the background of my DIY Adepta Sororitas Order, The Order of the Dauntless Spirit. I will get around to carrying on my other stuff, but those who know me, know that I tend to rotate stuff around to stop them from getting boring (and subsequently abandoning them completely). Be also warned, there will be the usual references to Sci-fi etc....see if you can guess them all So, once again, here we go! Byzantium was a world of wonder. An orb of natural beauty that was rare in the Imperium. Untouched, undisturbed. The vigilance of the Sister of the Order or the Valorous Heart made sure it was so. No stone was unturned in their quest to seek out those who would corrupt, and would be ever unrelenting in the face of the Horrors of the Warp. A small Covent with no more than a few Hundred Sisters, their watchful eyes cast over the denizens of that world. It was a world known for it's trade in livestock. An irony, in the minds of some, that the Sheppard's of flocks are themselves watched. The Convent itself was relatively small, the Order encouraging their number to go forth, taking the word of the Emperor with them to the furthest reaches of the planet. From the lowest Valleys, to the highest peaks. Canoness, Lady Eliza Cho had risen with the dawn, like many, the routine of early mornings ground into her psyche at an early age. Having already made her morning dedication to both Saint Lucia and the Emperor of Mankind, she turned her attention to exercise regime of her new recruits. Fifty new recruits had arrived a season ago, and already most had attained enough competence to move to the next stage of training. It was true enough that the Schola Progenium had instilled discipline and fitness, but it wasn't enough. Not nearly enough. The training cadre had noticed her interest and knew that she would want them driven harder. One such trainer had caught her eye. The Canoness walked across the hall towards her. It was impossible to be discrete. Every recruit in the Covent stopped, gawping in awe at her Armour. A tall woman with Raven hair and bright Green eyes, standing at over 6 feet without her plate, she dominated the attention of everyone. The silence was almost unbearable, no one dared speak. To attract the attention of the Canoness, was to court trouble. And someone had. The trainer had taken the Canoness aside and was whispering animatedly. The tension was palpable by now. Still listening, to her subordinate, Cho turned and stared at the recruits, her eyes hunting for an individual. All trainees averted their eyes from her gaze. Except one. That individual stared back with an uncaring look on her features, her brown eyes so dark it made them look like orbs of obsidian. Her hair, like all recruits was close cut, but hers unlike everyone else's was red, flame like and matched her temper. It did not bode well. "Recruit Saffron Sera, front and centre." Serra paused. Even she was not so wilful that she would disobey the Canoness, but for a moment... "Front and Centre!" Reluctantly, Sera stepped forward. Standing in front of the Canoness, she willed her body not to tremble. She almost succeeded. "I have just been told of your tardiness. It is not the first time you have been found wanting. What say you?" "I have nothing to say," Sera answered knowing full well that there wasn't. Five minutes late for morning exercise had no excuse, but she had a reason for it. Her contrary nature would not allow her to explain, even if she was given an opportunity to do so. "So. As you have some issue with authority, it seems that I have little choice in punishing you. You will be put in solitary confinement for two weeks. When you are released you will report to me directly for further punishment." Cho studied her carefully. No reaction. "You and you," she continued pointing at two other recruits. Ensure she reports to Solitary immediately, or you yourselves will join her!" Hastily saluting the Canoness, the two helpless girls dragged Sera towards the punishment wing. Sera offered no resistance. The detention wing was located in the East tower. Overlooking a sheer cliff edge it was a visible deterrent against heresy. It was taller than the other wings, and was demoralising just to look at. The cold hard reality of Imperial justice. Thrown in a cell, by a Sororitas, Sera looked around the place she would call home for two weeks. Sighing, she knelt before a crudely made alter, the Double headed Eagle scratched into the stone wall, she began to pray. At days end, Eliza Cho had taken to her chambers. A simple room, decorated only with a bed and desk, an alter to the immortal Emperor in the corner of the room. On the desk was a cogitator, basic but functional. Entering her authentication, she entered a request for information. The cogitator stated that it would take approximately a week for the information to be brought forth. Grimly, she wondered what to do with Saffron Sera. A bright girl, one who had excelled in Imperial History, Dogma and in weapons training, but wilful and resentful of authority. The escort from the Schola Progenium had told her that she had always been that way, and indeed been the only student to have nearly been expelled on five separate occasions. Cho wondered about that. Either the Masters there were getting far too lenient, or there was a mitigating circumstance. For Sera's sake, it had better be something exceptional. Ten days later, the information Cho had requested had arrived. Reading, Cho had no doubt as to why Sera resented authority. Making her way to the detention wing, Cho hoped that it was still possible to get through to her. Sera had knelt before the Altar for hours. Her legs had lost all feeling, but she didn't care. The screams, for Mercy and that of blasphemy from the other cells were still as unnerving as they had been when she first arrived. Praying helped blot them out. She was currently reciting a benediction, over one hundred and fifty verses long. Spoken properly, it would take over and hour to recite, and Saffron Sera was particular that it was done correctly. So distracted by her devotional prayer that she hadn't noticed her cell door had opened ten minutes earlier. Coming to the end, Sera realised that she was not alone. "I have never heard that prayer before," Cho said quietly. The prayer had stirred pangs of emotion, of piety. Whilst long winded, it had a quiet, forcefulness quality. Cho was impressed. "Where does it come from?" Sera tried to rise and stand to attention, but her legs were completely numb. Seeing her attempt, Cho gently helped the recruit up. Sera herself was shaking, still startled by Cho's appearance in the room. "Be not afraid. I know what happened that caused you to be an Orphan and send you on your way to the Progenium. I merely ask, why do you persist in your waywardness?" Sera had managed to get some feeling in her legs, and stood to as near to attention as she could. Staring straight ahead, she said nothing. "Your parents were killed by a traitor, and you left for dead. As the heretic was in a position of authority, of trust. You, by extension of what he did now have a distrust of anyone with authority. Correct?" Cho looked at Sera directly. Her face showed no emotion at all. Nothing, but one tear. Cho sighed. Whilst the girl needed to shown that her behaviour was unacceptable, she could see so much potential in her. So much, especially after listening to the benediction. She hadn't even heard all of it, but knew it took a lot of dedication to he able to recite such a powerful prayer from memory. And from what the guards had told her, she had recited the prayer daily since she had been incarcerated. "And the reason for your persistent tardiness is your devotion to reciting this prayer every morning. I'm not surprised at that. "You still have 3 days left on your penance, but I feel that it will not be best spent here. Instead you will teach me this prayer. You will subsequently teach it to all members of this order so that all will benefit from it. In return, I will show you the way to exorcise the daemon that haunts you." "How will you do that?" Sera spoke hoarsely, Cho realising that the reason Sera hadn't spoken, was because she couldn't. "We are the Adepta Sororitas, girl. We can exorcise anything". Next part soon C+C welcome!

Chapter 1- Shadows of the war High towers pierced a haze filled skyline. Scaffolding stretched to the edge of view, work on hive spire Infernus continued to this day. The great Third war for Armageddon had left no hive unmolested. Down in the smog-choked streets the masses ebbed and flowed in their usual dutiful nature, the work of the Imperium never resting. Among the teeming crowds a woman walked, her ashen skin and ivory robes causing her to stand out among the muted colors and filth. To her flank lining the sides of the street are the downtrodden, the battered poor too worn by the last war to contribute to society. They held their hands skyward in alms, praying for any small mercy. The woman walked among them tracing her fingers along their up turned palms and whispered small prayers. While thrones would serve to fill their empty stomachs, she had none, nor did they care — for only she could provide them with the Emperor's salvation. Walking among these sad souls the woman's attention is grabbed by a peculiar individual. This dirty scarred man wore a worn cloth over his eyes and attached to the side of his head are a perilous looking bundle of cords connected to a hovering servo-skull. He doesn't hold his hands out in alms, but instead outward to invite her forward. "Alloh, mum, wouldn'yah in be interested in 'ere'n the Emperor's way?" The man chortled as he gestured toward a set of cards. The woman recognized them as the Emperor's Tarot, a crude divining of the Emperor's will that was both immensely popular and not entirely sanctioned by the Ecclesiarchy. "Citizen, what is your name?" Her eyes drifted toward the servo-skull, "And how did you come by such an immaculate piece of technology?" Her questions were of an authoritative nature, but her expression was soft. "Alvis, mum, and this is my boy Tobias." The man said with a smile, and as he did so the cadence in his voice changed as if a veil had been lifted. "You must wonder how an old beggar might come by a piece such as this? A fair question." He leaned forward toward the woman and lifted his hand to conceal his words to her ear, "I was an Administrator of the Historium Imperialis in hive Helsreach, good pay you know? Well, in the great war I took my family to shelter in the Historium's sanctorum. Eventually the Green Bastards breached their way in, I thought all was lost when suddenly a battle broke out! Emperor save, Astartes clad in black armor had come to save us! However, in the resulting melee an explosion went off near my family. The flash blinded me, and mortally wounded my son. In his dying breath he lamented not being able to serve the Emperor as I had. I was so distraught that I did the only thing I could think of, I gathered all my wealth and took him to the holy Mechanicum here in Infernus to grant him his dying wish... So now together we spread the word and light of the Emperor." The man smiled to the woman wearily, it was clear reliving those sad few moment weighed heavily on him. She gazed somberly at the Servo-Skull as it's mechanized eyes focused on her face. "He says you look like one of the Emperor's angels mum.." Alvis says breaking the short silence. Smiling she brushes the cheek of the skull in a reassuring manner. "I am merely his daughter Tobias, as you are his son, we are all his children. But I know truly his smile is upon you." "Sister Octavia." A stern female voice interrupts. Recognizing the voice Octavia turns her head to acknowledge it. Standing before her are two women clad in gleaming silver power armor, Battle Sisters of the Argent Shroud. "The Canoness is recalling the Superiors for council, we're here to escort you." The Battle Sister continues, then turns to confirm contact over vox. Sister Octavia glanced back to the old man one last time, "Go in the Emperor's light." She said before turning to follow the Battle Sisters. The teeming masses part, like flowing water around stones, as the entourage made their way back to the transport. The trip took several hours, as the ruined infrastructure of the hive left little option for tracks back to the Astroport. Upon arrival to the port, Octavia was greeted by the sight of several of her fellow Sisters. Many had been deployed to the nearby Hive spires to provide spiritual and medical support to the suffering. Many more had been called in to assist the greatly diminished Arbiter force to reassert order. Within moments they were boarded on the transports and heading toward their base of operation, the Grand Cruiser 'The Pyres of Jubilation'. The ancient voidship had been gifted to the Argent Shroud by the Mechanicus and featured a massive Cathedral which housed it's main gun battery. All around the Cruiser swarmed throngs of support craft and pilgrimage ships, making the trip all the more perilous. Once they had boarded the Jubilation, the Superiors were met by the escort that would lead them to the meeting space. Corridors were filled with chanting and prayer, the air choked with incense, great halls expanded into the distance with filled pews of wailing faithful. This did little to distract the Sisters as they made their way to the command hall. They arrived to the space where none save them could enter, the escort left behind as guard. Entering the command hall, a large room surrounded by monitors and with a large steel table in the center, they found Canoness Carmina with two others by her side. First was Sister Superior Moira Tanneric, a Seraphim, and a legend amongst her peers. Her martial prowess was unmatched among her sisters, and when not on the front lines she could be found by the Canoness's side. The Other was a man, well dressed and highly decorated, he was clearly a member of the Adeptus Arbites. "Sisters, please sit." Canoness Carmina gestured with a hand, her expression one of grim resolve. "This is Arbitrator Lord Griffith, it is an honor to receive him, but he comes bearing ill tidings." Griffith stepped forward and laid a data-slate he had in hand on the table. "Ladies, this is the situation." He flicks his fingers across the data-slate and the monitors machine spirits crackle to life within the room. The screens filled profile photos of dozens maybe even hundreds of missing persons reports. "Two years before Ghazghkull's return we were investigating a sudden influx of missing persons, predominantly from the manufactorum, refinery, and mines beneath the hive. At first we'd considered ganger activity, it's not uncommon for groups to impress heavy industry workers into their ranks, but investigation revealed that the underhive gangers too were suffering from missing members." Griffith thumbs through to a particular profile then continues, "Six months into the investigation one of our own decided to go deep under cover, undergoing extensive cosmetic surgery, in order to blend in and ultimately get abducted." The profile pic shifts from the nondescript miner into the Arbite investigator's dossier. "Within six months he'd uncovered the answer to our mystery... A perverse and massive cult, dedicated to the Emperor, had sprung up in the bowels of the hive. He reported that several of the people we'd interviewed had been involved and had concealed its existence. We'd determined that a purge was the next logical step but our Investigator interjected." Griffith rubs the bridge of his brow in frustration. "He assured us a purge would be insufficient; they were well organized, mobile, and we hadn't located their leadership. So we relented and focused on getting him deeper, once we located the head of command we would make our move." Griffith then removed the smattering of photos and brought up a single image of a handwritten letter. "Six month before the initial invasions our Investigator made contact with us again finally, this letter... In it he details his infiltration of the cult. It's the last communication we had with him before the war began. In fact, after receiving this, related cult activity goes dark. In the letter the Investigator mentions a great tide washing over the Galaxy." Griffith closes the file and the vid screens go dark. "I'm telling you this because 48 solar hours ago reclamation crews returning to the mines uncovered this..." Pulling from a pack on his hip Griffith reveals a poster size swatch of tattered cloth. As he unfurls it, scrawled on its surface is a crudely drawn figure of the Emperor but bearing four arms and a hideously misshapen head. Just as Griffith had unfurled the image, Moira's adamantite combat knife came slamming down into it. "Heresy!" Her voice boomed with rage, and it sent her fellow Sisters into a similar moment of fury. Carmina silently stood by, watching them, until her gaze fell onto Octavia. For her part Octavia sat staring at the blasphemous image with studied examination, interested Carmina lifted a fist to command silence. Even incited with righteous fury, the disciplined Sisters silenced themselves for the Canoness to speak. "Sister Octavia, what seems to be on your mind?" Carmina questioned, her measured tone tempered with some suspicion. "I believe I have seen this Icon before mother, or at least something like it." Judgemental glaces crept across the table toward Octavia as she answered, but not from the Canoness. "Allow me some time to gather research, and I will provide more answers." Carmina noded to Octavio's request, "Make haste." She replied, and Octavia raised from her seat and made her way out. "Please continue sir." Carmina gestured with a hand toward Arbitrator Griffith, He nodded and turned his attention back to the table. "The reclamation crew was attacked after finding the icon, the few survivors that made it back gave descriptions of hideously deformed men and women that appeared from the shadows and struck with murderous fury." The Arbite adjusts uneasy as he continues, "Afterward we mustered a strike force to conduct a purge, 25 men and our last intact Repressor, and began scouring the area where the assault happened. No bodies remained, only bloody streaks and flash marks of las fire." Griffith's expression grows grim as he picks up the data-slate and engages an audio recording file. What followed is the audio of the Arbite strike force, the low hum of the Repressor the only ambient sound. A voice calls out from a distance, "Sir, come have a look, they're stock piling materials." Vox chatter followed and another voice is heard, "Roll out." The sound of the heavy vehicle dominates for several seconds, only barely can one detect the boot falls of the Arbites. The vehicle halts and the strike force can be heard patrolling forward to investigate. "By the Emperor... They've gathered enough materials, the bastards!, we sorely needed those for the war effort!" A gruff voice sounds out, then there is a shout from another direction. Surprise and reactionary fire follow, then the audio erupts into full blown chaos. Shouting, gunfire, and inhuman wailing can be heard and this goes on for several tense minutes. Through the calamity broken vox-chatter can be heard: "A..bush kzz kzzz ..ght, like demons! Kzzz. Kzz... end reinforcements!" Then clear as day, "Emperor rest our souls." An explosion cuts off the rest of the recording, then static. Griffith ends the recording and turns to face Carmina. "Canoness Carmina of the Order of the Argent Shroud, I, Lord Arbitrator Griffith, do formally and before audience request the assistance of the Adepta Sororitas in the matters of purging this malign cult from our sacred Imperium... And further for the retribution for those fallen in the service of our exalted Emperor." He stands rigid, formal, with the dignity of a man of his station but Carmina could peer past the professional guise to the barely contained rage. Her gaze swept then to the room filled with her seated sisters, then to Moira, a silent vote that was unanimous. "Lord Arbitrator, ready your men, you have our support." Carmina nods to Griffith. He returns the nod and excuses himself to leave. Once gone the Sisters set to work, preparing for the purge. Carmina set Moira to the task, having herself further responsibilities. The Canoness was obligated to make contact with members of the Inquisition to give her full report of the incident with the Flesh Tearers Astartes chapter. As the Order itself was critically undermanned, the battle at Helsreach being a considerable loss in particular, Moira gathered the Sisters into four squads: Two battle squads, the heavy support Retributions, and her personal Seraphim squad. Transport would be requisitioned from the local PDF and they would meet with the remaining Arbite forces to coordinate the assault and purge... Meanwhile in the Librarium of the great cathedral, a vast chamber of ten meter high shelves walls filled with seemingly endless books, hunched acolytes and floating Servo-Skulls diligently chronicle and sort the boundless literature held within. This place of scrolls, books, and holo-vids was administered by keepers from the Ordo Dialogus. The Dialogus was in charge of all lore keeping, and was mostly populated by the most keen minded and faithful of the Sisters, as well as those too infirm or injured from battle. It was here that Octavia had gotten her start in the Sisterhood, a religious pilgrim and researcher in a previous life. Octavia's finger roved pages from ancient texts, as she scoured shelves and tomes all seemingly at random, a floating Servo-Skull flittered from some great height bearing a large tome bound and chained as if to keep some evil from escaping. "Well done child." Octavia grinned, taking the tome in hand. With haste she approaches the Chamber Matron, Sister Astinus the senior most member of the Dialogus, and placed the tome before her. Octavia bowed her head low and spoke a small prayer before she continued, "Matron Astinus, I have need of this tome! It is of great importance to the security of the Order. Please, give me leave to take it and provide me the key to unbind it." Sister Astinus's gaze was stern and penetrating, judging the soul of Octavia. With a grimace she nodded slowly, "Take the book, but not from my blessing... It is a terrible thing, one that you will serve penance for, for it hides blasphemy in its pages." With a sneer and scolding look Astinus summoned a thrall to her and it gathered the key and litanies of unbinding. Handing it over to Octavia, Astinus had one last peace to say, "Emperor's Light shield your soul." Octavia bowed respectfully again and made her way out of the Librarium. Heading toward the command hall she noticed the vacating Sisters, lead by Moira, toward some dutiful purpose. The two met eyes only briefly, Moira's expression told Octavia all she needed to know - that she might be too late. Entering the hall Octavia found the Canoness silently staring down at Armageddon. "What have you brought me?" Carmina said without moving. "Canoness! I have reason to believe the blasphemous cult we are about to engage is of alien origin, and wholly more malign than simpler ruinous ones." Octavia said placing the tome on the table. "All cults which pervert the teachings of the Emperor are wholly alien child, what makes this one any different?" Carmina responded, turning toward Octavia. Her eyes fell upon the book then back to Octavia, the expectation clear. Octavia then recited the litanies of unbinding and unsealed the book with the key, the ancient mechanism groaned and creaked from a century of non-use. She turned the heavy pages of the book in search of her quarry, while she had never actually read the tome itself before she had read several treaties based on it. At last she came to the page, an archaic illustration dominated one whole side, it showed a great four clawed beast with a bulbous head commanding over lesser men who grovelled at it's feet. "I believe they belong to the cult of the Genestealer, Canoness." Octavia said, sliding the tome to Carmina. Stepping toward the book, a stern but hesitant expression on her face, Carmina slid the book in front of herself to look. "The Malitiea Cultum Incarnum." She whispers, then turns a glance to Octavia. "Such evil you bring Sister... What am I to learn from this?" Carmina's words were tense. Octavia stepped beside Carmina and points into the book, "Read not the words Canoness, that is my burden, but here the Heretic's addled mind goes into great detail on their appreciation for the effectiveness of the Genestealer's cult structure. There are notes on which tactics may be co-opted." Sensing Carmina's unease, Octavia quickly closed the book and locked it. Carmina stared hard at Octavia, she knew full well the nightmares of the Genestealer and of the Tyranid host, having herself faced this terrible foe. Indeed it was this experience which gave Carmina pause to consider what Sister Octavia was proposing. Carmina walked to the door in silence, instilling some sense of dread into Octavia. Leaning out, the Canoness bade the door attendants to recall Sister Moira for council. Octavia stood firm, resolute in her decision to bring this to the Canoness, as Carmina returned and stood across from her at the table. "We shall wait for Moira..." Carmina said with a sneer looking at the book, then to Octavia. The two waited patiently nearly an hour for Sister Moira to return. Stepping in she was now properly equipped in full battle regalia, her fiery hair and gleaming silver armor invoked the true image of avenging angel. "You summoned me your grace?" Moira said as she knelt before Carmina. "Rise.." the Canoness replied with a wave, "Sister Octavia has returned, she suggested unsettling news... She believes there is sufficient evidence that the cult is of Xenos origin, Genestealer." As Moira listened her eyes drifted toward Octavia with a petulant glare. She grimaced in disgust at the notion of the Xenos and looked back at the Canoness. "If the Sister spent less time with her mind between the covers of a book and put her heart into the work of the Emperor, we'd already be planet side purging this cult." Moira responded with a sneer. "Then again, what are we to expect from a Promethium convert papersmith?" Her tone is biting, but before Octavia had time to even lift a finger in retort, Carmina slammed the table. Both the Sisters went rigid before the Canoness, who stepped up to the power armored Moira. Even though towered by the Sister, the Canoness's presence shrank the woman before her. "Moira... What is your tactical assessment if Octavia's hypothesis tests true?" Carmina speaks calmly and controlled, chillingly so. "A cult against the Emperor cannot be suffered within his domain, Xenos or not... Canoness." Moira responded, not making eye contact with Carmina. The Canoness turned then to Octavia. "Octavia, what options do you suggest as an alternative?" Octavia swallowed hard, collecting herself, and looked to Carmina. "Canoness, we should contact the Ordo Xenos. They will have the proper tools for rooting out this enemy." "The proper tools!?" Moira blurted out in dismay, "What tool beyond your faith is needed to cleanse this blasphemy?" She snarled. "Faith alone does not drive these humans! The perversion of the Xenos takes many forms and absolution by flame may be ineffectual at best and presumptuous at worst!" Octavia retorted and stepped aggressively toward Moira. "Daughters of the Emperor!" Carmina interjected. Looking to Octavia and pushing the book back. "You would have us step down from this task that I have promised the Arbites? Wait for the Holy Ordos to get involved?" Octavia's expression sank, but she mustered her resolve. "Canoness... I mean only to suggest that we inadequately know our enemy, We should seek a strategy of containment while appropriate forces come to cleanse the infestation. One does not suture wounds with a sword." Moira's brow raised as she saw Carmina's demeanor shift. "May I ask a question to Sister Octavia your grace?" Carmina noded quietly, contemplating carefully the situation. "Sister, what force would be required if the Sisterhood is insufficient?..... Who serves the Ordo Xenos?" Moira asked, leaning forward and resting her knuckles on the table lip. Octavia looked toward Moira uncertain, "The Deathwatch of course Sister, but surely...." She halted and became rigid. Confidently Moira cut in, "More Astartes? We know your love for them Lizard daughter, I wonder if by the time they have arrived our report will have made it to the Inquisition? Will word have spread to their kin of our formal request for the righteous destruction of one of their chapters? Perhaps Flesh Tearers will be among the Deathwatch that arrive." Her words were sharp, and cut Octavia, but weren't meant for her. "Enough..." Carmina said, her tone low and purposeful. "There will be no more Astartes with which trust cannot be assured. It will be we few Sisters with the Light of him, which shall purge this menace. Moira, prepare the sisters to depart." Moira nodded then turned to leave, turning a contemptuous glance at Octavia. "Before you go..." Carmina continued, causing Moira to halt. "...Octavia will accompany you, as Consult, she will be acting on my behalf. You will command the strike force, but will take her council into account." Moira turned to face Carmina in shock. Had it been any other person she would have crush them where they stood, instead she stood jaw agape silently. A moment later her composure returned to her and she bowed her head, "Of course your Grace." She replied flatly. "You are dismissed.." Carmina responded, turning her attention to Octavia who also bore a shocked expression. Moira turned and left the room, the heavy footfalls heard disappearing into the distance. "Octavia, I want to teach you a very important lesson." Carmina walked around the table to her. She Lifted her finger and pointed to Octavia's Heart. "Faith is born here, in the furnace of your soul. But, it is refined up here, like the warrior's blade." She continued, lifting the finger to Octavia's brow. "Right now Moira is the Heart, be the Mind. I have tasked her with the care of the battle sisters, I task you with her care... Do not disappoint me." Carmina's stare would have buckled a lesser individual, but tests like this were common to the Sororitas. Octavia bowed her head, "Of course your Grace." Carmina motioned for Octavia to depart, which she did with jubilation. Octavia felt the exhilaration of purpose and the chance to prove herself that she had been yearning for. She would not squander this opportunity nor fail the Canoness. End of chapter 1, more to come

Before I go any further, INP, thade if this topic is inappropriate please let me know, or lock it as applicable. Okay, as some may know, I write a few stories in the Librarium's Short stories section and would like some feedback from the members of this sub forum if possible on an SoB story. I'm currently writing a story that covers the origins of my DIY Order, The order of the Dauntless Spirit, and would like to know if it conveys in any accuracy, a Convent and it's Sisters accurately. The story itself is mainly about one Sister Saffron Sera who eventually becomes the Founder and first Canoness of this order. The Convent in question is a small branch of the main order, the Order of the Valorous Heart. Whilst I have read as much as I can about the various Orders of Sisters and know that there are a few Black Library stories with Sisters in (I've only read Daemonifuge), I'd like to know whether what I'm writing is any good. I have had feedback from other members of the board (although I haven't had any for a while ), but who else better than to ask those who are true aficionado's? I'd appreciate any opinions that you might have. I don't have a problem with critical comments, after all, how else is one to improve otherwise? For those who are interested the link for the story is here: A Valorous Heart, a Dauntless Spirit Thank you in advance

https://www.blacklibrary.com/new-titles/featured/mercy-eshort.html Nice to see a new story about Sisters, and from what it looks like, a new author too! ^_^