Help with DIY Sisters Order

[sitnam]

Hello all! I'm in the process on brainstorming some fluff for a DIY order of Sororitas as an ally for my DIY chapter, the Dancing Scythes. But before I get to far ahead, I wanted to ask some of the experts on the Sisters their opinion on a few parts of the Order.

 

The order is called the Order of His Amethyst Heart. Formerly they were rivals with the Dancing Scythes chapter in their subsector, both being notable defenders of the subsector. The DS are a Iron Hands successor that (suprise!) have close ties to the Mechanicum, they even draw recruits from a forge world and their fortress monastary is on moon of said world. Due to their  religious views the two forces had a deep mistrust for each other, though it never spilled into open conflict.

 

After a subsector wide rebellion the Amethysts Hearts nearly lost their homeworld to the uprising, and were nearly annihilated in putting down the rebellion. Shamed that they nearly lost a Shrine World to a rebellion from within, the survivors of the Amethyst Heart relinquished their duties to another order so they could launch a crusade to hunt down the forces of chaos and their dangerous cults hidden across the Imperium. During the rebellion the Dancing Scythes had taken notice of the orders skill and bravery. Despite their differences the two forces formed a bound forged in battle, their old rivalry behind them. Presently the Amethyst Heart are crusading on a frigate owned by the chapter. While it is still operated and owned by the chapter, with a tech marine acting as a liason to the order, it is effectively the sisters base of operations. Most times they hunt alone, but some times they fight alongside the Dancing Scythes and other Imperials.

 

Now as to my questions:

 

1) Is it believable that the Order (about ~100 sisters) would operate out of an Space Marine frigate? It's a comparatively small ship, so could there be logistical problems?

 

2)What about problems stemming from the unorthodox set-up of the alliance, with possibly the Inquisition or Ministorum mistrusting the alliance. I do plan to have an allied inquisitor with the ship as well, but only one inquisitor only has so much power.

 

3) What kind of space forces do SIsters typically use? The Imperial Navy? Their own fleets?

 

4) inspired by J3f's homebrew codex, would Aquila dropships be believable to give the order their own air assault, quick attack capabilities?

 

Thanks for all the help!

 

 

 

 

[Fibonacci]

One small correction real quick.   Adepta Sororitas do not have home worlds.   They do sort of have two worlds that could be considered similar to space marine homeworlds -- Terra and Ophelia VII -- but those aren't falling in the 40K timeline.

On the other hand, anywhere with a church presence it is possible to find a convent of various sizes.   So this Order would be based out of  a convent on a shrine world.  

1. If the Ecclesiarchy ordered it they would opperate out of a pub in Eldar space.   However this is an ally of convience sort of thing and they most likely could function from a space marine ship but only for a limited amount of time.

2. Tons of tension.   Either the Inquisitor would have to comendeer the ship (if he had that much clout) or the Sororitas would set down on the first Imperium world they found on request of both sides.

 

3. The Black Fleet is as close as it gets to Sisters of Battle having their own ships -- and those are only guarded by Sisters of Battle.    Low orbit shuttles, sure.    Interstellar craft, no.    They rely on the Imperial Navy and sometimes Inquisitorial fleets for transport.

 

4. I'm not familiar with home brew rules but if you go that route, why worry about the rest?    Roll your own and be happy.
That said, both the Aquila Lander and the Arvus Lighter from FW are available for Adepta Sororitas armies.

 

[edit]

 

I think I may have hopped over a point.
 

Allies of convience, tons of tension ... tension is great for stories.    
The Sisters of Battle will do what the Ecclesiarchy says and if they are told to work with the marines and GET THAT CONVENT BACK, they would.

[sitnam]

 

On the other hand, anywhere with a church presence it is possible to find a convent of various sizes.   So this Order would be based out of  a convent on a shrine world.  

 

Yeah that's more what I meant by home world. Not really a world controlled by the Sororitas, just a world in which they are based which is for all purposes their home.

 

 

1. If the Ecclesiarchy ordered it they would opperate out of a pub in Eldar space.   However this is an ally of convience sort of thing and they most likely could function from a space marine ship but only for a limited amount of time.

 

2. Tons of tension.   Either the Inquisitor would have to comendeer the ship (if he had that much clout) or the Sororitas would set down on the first Imperium world they found on request of both sides.

 

 

I'm really looking for the chapter and order to be close allies that often operate together; the marines lent the ship not because they were ordered to, but they were wishing too. Since the Ecclesiarchy pretty much controls sisters of battle, perhaps the cardinal of their former world ordered them on a crusade of pentinence? And the chapter is simply assisting their allies in this matter by allowing them to operate out of their frigate?

 

 

4. I'm not familiar with home brew rules but if you go that route, why worry about the rest?    Roll your own and be happy.

 

Oh I'm not really a 40k player, just a 40k hobbyist. I gained inspiration when I saw J3f had the Aquila as a available tranport for the Sisters of Battle in his home brew rules. I don't really intend to play them, just more for fluff/modeling

 

 

 

[J3f]

It sounds like you want a Space Marine Chapter with close ties to the Sisters of Battle. A few chapters come to mind: First and foremost are the Fire Angels which are pretty much the Space Marine lapdogs of the Ecclesiarchy, next is the Fire Hawks although they disappeared and are all now Legion of the Damned, Lamenters owe the Sisters for fixing their banner, there was that one time that Salamanders fought alongside Sisters of battle too I guess.

 

Everything else is conjecture. You could make a strong case for Black Templars working with the Sisters of Battle. You could also make a decent case for a lot of other chapters as well.

 

Good to see my Codex being mentioned.

[sitnam]

Actually the chapter I'm using is my own DIY chapter, i just wanted to make sure a long-standing alliance between the two would work

[Fibonacci]

 i just wanted to make sure a long-standing alliance between the two would work

Not really but it's your story so tell it like you want.

[WarriorFish]

Yeah, it's easy to make them friends if you want to. Both are warrior orders in service to the Emperor and bonds forged in blood are strong. Of course it'd be easier still if your Marines believed in the Emperor's divinity but don't get caught up too much in the fanatical aspect of the Sisters. Yes they are full of zeal and faith but they're not idiots either as is demonstrated by their strategic and tactical acumen. You can't win wars on faith alone after all (though it certainly helps) ;)

[thade]

Due to their religious views the two forces had a deep mistrust for each other, though it never spilled into open conflict....Despite their differences the two forces formed a bound forged in battle, their old rivalry behind them.

Don't just discard this! It's too good! There's a lot of room for theme and character development here, even if only in tiny, tiny chunks on the table top. "Sister HatesHeretics and Sergeant PunchesStupidXenos may hate one another, but they can still work together when they hate their mutual foe more." That's the key theme to the Imperium.

I'd keep this relationship at a simmer. Now I'm going to ramble about how (if it were me) how I'd view both sides here.

First, the marines. Remember that the Emperor's entire goal (right before it blew up in his face) was to eradicate religious worship in favor of science, and thus it's really bad (ironic/poetic/awkward) that the most fiercely loyal forces he has (the Sisters) religiously worship him. Marines don't often venerate the Emperor as a god (just as the greatest, most amazing, totally awesome hero that ever lived) but maybe this is one of those chapters that remembers the true purpose behind the Emperor's original crusade. This could be due to their own (necessarily interpolated over the millennia) chapter cult, their interpretation of the Codex, whatever. Maybe the rank'n'file marines find the Sisters disturbingly zealous, even if they appreciate that the Sisters are on the right side. It would likely be more complex for the SM Commander(s): they could be old enough (and connected enough) that they're aware of the complexities in the relationships between the Ecclesiarchy and Astartes; that the Eccelsiarchy's value is in hypnotic indoctrination of entire worlds (with the very thing the Emperor detested) keeping them loyal; that finding the right or the wrong here is maybe impossible, and certainly not as immediately important as protecting the Imperium from the ever encroaching threat of annihilation.

Then the Sisters. The God-Emperor is the very embodiment of strength, wisdom, and salvation; the job of the Sisters (and their favorite past-time) is to straight up murder heretics, where a heretic is anyone that denies what they believe the Emperor to be...and Space Marines nearly fit that definition. They often remove the "God-" part of the Big E's name there, and seldom spend any time praying to him; what's worse is that each marine chapter has its own barbaric cult practices which, if they were any other kind of Imperium element, the Sisters would be honorbound to straight up murder them. At the end of the day, the only thing staying the Sister's hands are the pacts between the Ecclesiarchy and Astartes. Well, that and the simple fact that Space Marines are tremendously valuable assets for what is certainly a more pressing matter: protecting the Imperium from the ever encroaching threat of annihilation. It will be more complex for the Sister's on-site Commander: she may be old and experienced enough that she deeply understands the true necessity of those pacts; just how close the Imperium is to collapse and just how invaluable the Astartes are at keeping it alive. Maybe her extra-zealous faith took a hit when her Order failed to hold their world; or maybe she sees walking this path with His Angels of Death as her shot at salvation or redemption. Maybe she even thinks she can lead these Marines to the light. Perhaps she will convince one or two that the Emperor is so much more than just a man.

Questions. How often will one witness or question the cult rituals of the other group? What will the marine captain, chaplains, librarians make of it if one or two of his marines seem lured by a Canoness's anti-heresy? There could be some really cool (if strained) friendships coming out of this ill-formed union. What brought them together if not convenient and sudden mutual respect? Perhaps just the common foe was all that mattered; a bit of kismet in repeated common destinations. Maybe there is some mutual respect between the commanders of each element, but not the rank'n'file...yet.

There is so much room for play here!

++EDIT. Clarification. t++

[thade]

It further occurred to me that, should the Marines witness anything that the Sisters would dub a "miracle", that some of the marines might think it to be just the long reach of the Emperor, but others might question how that reach could be so great.

 

I'm talking anti-heresy here. How would the Chaplains address marines that started nodding their heads when Sisters cheered at a miracle? There's a lot you can do with your idea here, haha.

[WarriorFish]

Hey, no stealing my army back stories thade! :lol:;)

[vonny]

What I took out of the original poster's words was not per se the strained relationship between sisters, who venerate the God-Emperor and general marines, who venerate the _Emperor. Rather I saw Sisters, who venerate the God-Emperor, and marines-with-close-ties-to-the-mechanicum who might not so much look at the Emperor alone, but also at the Omnissiah. The Machine cult and the Ecclessiarchy are much further apart than the run-of-the-mill marines and sisters as described before, and much more conflict could arise from that.

 

Will they learn to 'tolerate' eachother's worship, because of their proven dedication to the Imperium as a whole and the bonds forged in battle, or will the difference of oppinion create a shism once more?

 

Anyway, onto the more direct questions:

1: I believe a marine company (about 100 marines plus their support vehicles) operates from a strike cruiser, with up to three companies on a battle barge. I don't imagine 100 sisters taking up much less room on a ship. Yes, they're smaller size than the marines, but that doesn't seem like a significant factor in this case. Depending on how much vehicular support they have, the 100 sisters might be overcrowding the frigate quite a bit, as I believe a frigate is most often depicted flying at max 30 marines and their rhinos and a command group.

 

2: Tons of tension indeed, as I've written above. And inquisitor could try and mediate between the two forces, only to quickly realize neither the sororitas nor the marines feel a great need to listen to him - both their differences and their already forged bonds are stronger than the inquisitor's words (depending on how much pull this particular inquisitor actually has. Someone like Eisenhorn would probably be listened to :P)

 

3: Imperial Navy, I'd wager. But more than that; while I imagine they may have some problems commandeering vessels from the very secluded and not quite same-thinking mechanicum, the ecclessiarchy has a LOT of pull. They can 'request' imperial navy vessels, vessels from large trade organisations, even have outstanding favors to Rogue traders. Inquisition members might owe them a debt, some marine chapters are more than willing to cooperate... you name it. One of the most spread-out and important organisations of the Imperium is the Ecclessiarchy, and it can have a lot of strings out at once, can pull a lot of weight, and have a hand in everything. And since the Sisters are theirs, when they want something for the sisters, they'll get it done. I won't be surprised if some ecclesiarchal figures or planets indeed have their own space-worthy fleets... perhaps in all but name.

 

4: yes, aquila landers and arvus lighters were both to be used with AS too, if I remember my forgeworld.

[Willy Pete]

One small point.  Waaaaaay back in 2nd edition, (yes, I'm that old:)) in the Codex Imperialis, they had a one line statement that read 'Each Convent has its own fleets and runs its own affairs in much the same way as Space Marine Chapters.'

 

I think that refers to the two main convents on Earth and Ophelia, so other convents and battle formations might not have their own ships, especially if they consist of only a handful of Sisters. And of course, if they needed a ship, they could easily requisition one from Naval or civilian fleets.  After all, would you want to be the one to tell them they couldn't have a ship?  Just remember, the Sisters search out and destroy Heresy wherever they can find it, and refusing them aid sure sounds like heresy to me!  (Cue the igniting of flamethrowers and activation of melta weapons, as well as bolters being cocked.)

 

 On the other hand, I can also easily see a mobile strike force of Sisters in their own fleet of ships traveling from system to system enforcing Ecclesiarchy law wherever needed.

 

The above was a few years back of course, and may be retconned or ignored by now, this being GW and all.

[Fibonacci]

"The Sisterhood is divided into two militant Convents: the Sanctonim and the Prioris. The Convent Sanctorum is based within the Ecclesiarchal  palace on Earth, and the Convent Prioris is based on Ophelia IV near the Eastcrn Fringe. Each Convent has its own fleets and runs its own affairs in much the same way as the Space Marine Chapters." from Codex: Imperialis, 1993. 

 

I would say I forgot that bit but honestly I don't remember much of anything from those years.

[thade]

I would say I forgot that bit but honestly I don't remember much of anything from those years.

And yet some find it strange that so much can be forgotten in ten thousand years. :)

 

My comments above were a "If it were me" post just to get the juices going for others; adding the Ad Mech cult and Omnissiah philosophy would make things even more fun, but mechanically the same (i.e. the Ad Mech is arguably more valuable to the Imperium than Astartes, each group would necessarily find the ideas of the other group either revolting or hokey, etc.) so you may still find something valuable in there. :)

[sitnam]

 

1: I believe a marine company (about 100 marines plus their support vehicles) operates from a strike cruiser, with up to three companies on a battle barge. I don't imagine 100 sisters taking up much less room on a ship. Yes, they're smaller size than the marines, but that doesn't seem like a significant factor in this case. Depending on how much vehicular support they have, the 100 sisters might be overcrowding the frigate quite a bit, as I believe a frigate is most often depicted flying at max 30 marines and their rhinos and a command group.

 

Yeah that was my big worry with the whole concept. I wanted basically a small strike force of sisters crusading around, with ties to my chapter. I liked the idea of them flying around on a frigate as it would probably raise far feweer questions then a strike cruiser, but they usually hold a much smaller number of marines then the bigger ships. However 40k frigates are still 1km+ sized behemoths, so i'd think the physical space is there for the sisters themselves, but maybe no heavy equipment?

 

Thanks for all the other responses, it has given me much to mull over. It'll be a while before I have much written down but i'll make sure to keep yall updated

[vonny]

Keep in mind that that 1.5 km also needs to house the engines, the weapon systems, waste processing, the menial crew, and enough food and water supplies for that menial crew to keep alive for extended periods of time.

Now figure in 100 extra sisters, their transports, their supplies (both war-time supplies such as munitions and fuel and normal supplies such as food and water)... suddenly it gets to feel very cramped :)

 

you could possibly do the following: have 2 frigates which the sisters are divided across, instead of one. Have a small marine presence on each vessel (as they're still 'their' vessels). This allows for more tension between the sisters and their shipmasters, but also more tension because conditions on both ships would still be cramped, but may otherwise be wholly different between the two vessels. Maybe one has a more lenient shipmaster. Maybe the life support works better on one of the ships, making the air fresh and clean instead of dirty and smelly. Maybe the sisters on one ship get jealous of those who get to pray alongside their canoness' each day on the other ship.