Order of the Faithful Sword (image-intensive)

[Brother Tyler]

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!

[Brother Tyler]

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.

The Haurvat Crusade

The thirteen-year crusade to cleanse the Chonma Sector was named for its leader, Lord Marshal Haurvat. Though billions died during the crusade, including Lord Marshal Haurvat, the crusade was declared a victory in 844.M36.

Twenty-six worlds of the Chonma Sector were brought back into the Light of the Imperium as a result of the crusade. The worlds whose populations had been ravaged in the fighting were re-populated.

The Haurvat Crusade is known chiefly for the Martyrdom of Saint Sahiné and the creation of the Order of the Faithful Sword, a new militant order of the Adepta Sororitas.

Origins

When the Haurvat Crusade ended in 844.M36, the leader of the Order of the Argent Shround contingent, Canoness Commander Mabiné, returned to Doumah IV, the site of her sister’s martyrdom, and requested permission to establish a permanent garrison convent upon the site. Mabiné’s sister, Sahiné, had been declared a saint three years earlier for her miracles of healing during the early years of the Haurvat Crusade. The Canoness of the Order of the Argent Shroud approved Mabiné’s request; a year later Ecclesiarch Deacis III authorized the convent to separate from the Order of the Argent Shroud and form a new order. The new order was named the “Order of the Faithful Sword” and took a stylized version of her sword as its icon.

Early History

During the first decades of its existence, the Order of the Faithful Sword served primarily as a guard force, protecting the Shrine of Saint Sahiné and the Order’s convent, and providing bodyguards for Adeptus Ministorum dignitaries and Inquisitors of the Ordo Hereticus. The order was founded with just over three dozen Sisters within its ranks, growing to only about fifty Sisters during the early years. Primarily guarding the Shrine of Saint Sahiné, a site that contained the graves of both Sahiné and Mabiné, the Sisters of the Order were popularly known as the Weeping Sisters.

As recidivists, pirates, and xenos activity in the Chonma Sector began to threaten the pilgrim paths to Doumah IV, however, the Order of the Faithful Sword expanded its role to protecting the sector. Between 861 and 978.M36, the Order of the Faithful Sword established abbeys at over a dozen strategic points throughout the Chonma Sector and grew to around 700 Sisters. Regular aggressive patrols eventually restored stability to the sector. The Sisters of the Order also monitored the populaces of the sector’s planets, watching for any signs of heresy or mutation and crushing them ruthlessly. The vigilance of the Sisters ensured that the populace of the Chonma Sector remained faithful to the Imperial Cult.

The Sisters Kimbræn

Orphaned when their father, a naval armsman aboard the Lunar class cruiser , Headsman, was killed in action during the Haktaar Incident, the sisters Kimbrœn were sent to the Schola Progena at Terra.

Both sisters eventually took vows within the Adepta Sororitas - Mabiné, the elder, joined the Orders Militant while Sahiné, the younger joined the Orders Hospitaller.

Sahiné was martyred during the Haurvat Crusade upon Doumah IV, and was later canonized.

Mabiné survived the crusade and became Canoness Superior of a lesser militant order, dedicated to guarding the shrine of her sister. Mabiné was martyred in 850.M36.

The Ravaging of Doumah IV 236.M37

The tricentennial celebration of the Canonization of Saint Sahiné took place in 236.M37, with Cardinal Irnik of Holy Terra presiding over the ceremonies. Though over a third of the Adepta Sororitas were off-planet, the majority of the Order’s Sisters were on hand in the dual role of celebrants and guardians.

The main ceremonies were held within the Celebration Square that had been constructed for that purpose. The world’s population had nearly doubled over the last few months as pilgrims flocked to the world to take part in the celebrations.

At the height of the month-long celebration, disaster struck. A baroque vessel had appeared in the Doumah system without warning, crushing defensive patrols with ease. Though betraying the tell-tale signs of corruption from prolonged exposure to the Warp, the ship was recognized as a previously unidentified Desolator class battleship and was codified as the Soul Blight.

Upon reaching high orbit and destroying the orbital defenses, the Soul Blight discharged its deadly cargo, a score of Dreadclaw drop pods. Surface-based defenses succeeded in knocking a handful of the drop pods out of the sky, but over a dozen of the craft landed within the celebration square, killing hundreds of the faithful. The drop pod doors opened and grim Adeptus Astartes burst forth, bolt weapons discharging death into the crowds.

Closer inspection of the invaders revealed the signs of mutation and blasphemous sigils burning upon their armour. As the renegades surged forward, they drew vicious mêlée weapons and carved bloody paths through the faithful, advancing upon the reliquary in which Saint Sahiné’s remains were held.

The Sisters of the Order of the Faithful Sword responded rapidly, taking up defensive formations and counter-attacking. The Sisters were surprised, however, when dozens of pilgrims in the crowd revealed themselves to be cultists, drawing crude weapons and attacking the Adepta Sororitas and faithful pilgrims alike. The surprise attack by the cultists struck down Canoness Shafirel and Cardinal Irnik, though their bodyguards succeeded in killing the majority of cultists before they, too, were brought down.

By this time, the crowds had panicked and hundreds were killed in the resulting stampede as the faithful sought refuge from the bloody reavers. The reinforcing Adepta Sororitas Rhinos were forced to crush the crowd beneath their tracks in their efforts to reach the site of the battle. Only three of the five vehicles were able to pass the crowds, though these vehicles and their passengers were quickly destroyed by the heavy weapons of the renegades.

Meanwhile, the renegade Adeptus Astartes killed indiscriminately, the majority leveling their weapons upon the hapless crowd while a handful of renegades converged upon the reliquary of the saint. Throwing the bodies of Canoness Shafirel and Cardinal Irnik upon the reliquary, the renegades formed a circle around the tableau. The leader then stepped forward and placed an unholy object upon the pile. Moments later there was a blinding flash, then the reliquary and bodies had disappeared, a smoking crater remaining in their place.

Celestian Kartika

Celestian Cimbriel Kartika served with distinction for twenty-five years within the Order. She was recognized for prowess during the Jheraek Campaign and was awarded the Victrix Maxima. Several years later, she left the Sisterhood to become an Inquisitor. She was martyred during the
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When reinforcing Adepta Sororitas arrived in-system four days later, the hell-born vessel had disappeared. All of the battle-sisters that had been on Doumah IV had been massacred, their bodies savaged and displayed in grotesque mockeries of Imperial Cult parables. The Shrine of the Sisters and Abbey of the Order of the Faithful Sword had been torn down, the ruins profaned with heretical symbols. Millions of the planet’s inhabitants had also been slain and several large settlements, including all of those on the main continent, had been ravaged by the attackers. Thousands of citizens were missing, presumably taken as slaves by the renegade Adeptus Astartes. There was no sign of the renegades.

The Sisters of the Order were able to rebuild their Abbey, but the Shrine of the Sisters was abandoned since they lacked the remains of Saint Sahiné. In place of the Shrine, the Sisters of the Order of the Faithful Sword erected a memorial statue depicting the Kimbraen Sisters. This memorial remains a pilgrimage site, but is of nowhere near as much importance as the Shrine of the Sisters had been. As a result, the prominence of the Shrine World diminished greatly. More importantly, the Order of the Faithful Sword had lost two thirds of its strength and its purpose. The Order of the Faithful Sword was now a minor militant order in search of a new identity and mission.

The remaining Sisters of the Order of the Faithful Sword vowed vengeance and it was in this oath that the Order found new meaning. Henceforth, only a small contingent of its sisters would watch over the memorial to Saint Sahiné. The rest of the Order would purge the taint Chaos wherever they could find it, whether assigned to Ordo Hereticus strike forces, serving as bodyguards to missionaries, or serving in wars of faith. Though the identity of the renegade Adeptus Astartes warband was never revealed, the Order searches for the Soul Blight and intends to wreak vengeance should the vessel ever be found.

The Jheraek Campaign

At the close of the Oeres Punitive Expedition an entire Imperial battlegroup succumbed to the influence of the Warp. Giving in to their bloodlust, the renegade Astra Militarum regiments turned on their allies, slaughtering with blasphemous words upon their lips. Led by the mad Sword Marshal Jheraek, the battlegroup established a fortress within an abandoned hive city.

The Order of the Faithful Sword dispatched a contingent of battle-sisters under the command of Celestian Kartika to support the campaign to purge the renegades.

Celestian Kartika led the forlorn hope and, against the odds, survived to personally bring the Emperor’s Justice to Sword Marshal Jheraek.

The Alkimeus Crusade 314.M37

In the decades following the rebuilding of the order’s Abbey, the Order of the Faithful Sword regained strength, growing to about four hundred battle sisters. During this time, the order committed itself to its new mission, mercilessly purging any signs of heresy and mutation. Any deviation from orthodoxy brought swift punishment from the order’s battle-sisters.

The battle-sisters of the order preserved the memory of the ravaging of Doumah IV and the loss of the saint’s body. Moreover, the battle-sisters saw in the warrior cults of the Adeptus Astartes deviancy and the seeds of corruption. Ultimately, they saw little distinction between supposed loyalist and renegade Adeptus Astarts, and it was only the relative weakness of the order that prevented its battle-sisters from attacking the Adeptus Astartes it encountered. As it was, the battle-sisters of the Order of the Faithful Sword barely contained their contempt for the Adeptus Astartes and absolutely refused to fight alongside them.

When the Adeptus Ministorum declared a War of Faith on the recalcitrant Alkimeus sub-sector, the Order of the Faithful Sword sent a large contingent of battle-sisters. During the Battle of Phontaex, Palatine Ibraelle led a force of sisters and distinguished herself by slaying the enemy warlord in single combat. The performance of the order’s contingent throughout the Alkimeus Crusade was noteworthy and the order came to the attention of Saint Basillius the Elder. When Saint Basillius made overtures to the order, the battle-sisters found new purpose. Recognizing the value in the patronage of such an influential prelate, the leaders of the Order of the Faithful Sword eagerly accepted a role as enforcers of Basillius’ will.

The Order of the Faithful Sword served with zeal in their new mission; and they were highly visible reminders of the living saint’s power. The order’s sisters watched with no small degree of pleasure when Saint Basillius judged that thirty Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes must enter the Eye of Terror or face destruction. Once the Abyssal Crusade had commenced and the Judged had entered the Empyrean, Saint Basillius commanded the Order of the Faithful Sword to purge the homeworlds of several of the Judged Chapters. The battle-sisters enacted their judgment upon those worlds with fire and zeal, decimating the populations of two Adeptus Astartes homeworld and purging one, Heranius, the homeworld of the Sanctors of Terra Chapter, of its entire human population. Little did the battle-sisters realize the consequences they would call upon their order hundreds of years later.

The Weeping Sisters

Battle-sisters that have stood vigil over the Shrine of the Sisters or Sahinés Memorial often mark their helmets with a red tear drop.

Aftermath of the Abyssal Crusade

In the centuries that followed the Ecclesiarchal Purges of 321.M37 and the Abyssal Crusade, the Order of the Faithful Sword continued to distinguish itself in service to the Adeptus Ministorum and Saint Basillius. Most renowned of the battle-sisters was Celestian Kartika, whose strategic acumen served the order well in a score of campaigns. She later left the Sisterhood and joined the Holy Orders of the Emperor’s Inquisition, where she continued her service to the Imperium for decades before being martyred during the Dartha’atos Wars.

When word of the return of the Judged Chapters reached Saint Basillius, he immediately called the Order of the Faithful Sword to his side. For their part, the battle-sisters answered without hesitation, firmly convinced that the Judged Chapters were deviants regardless. Leaving only a small contingent upon Doumah IV, the Order of the Faithful Sword sent its full strength to defend the living saint.

The Judged Chapters, too, sought vengeance upon the Order of the Faithful Sword for the battle-sisters’ part in the destruction of the homeworld of the Sanctors of Terra as well as the damage wrought upon the homeworlds of the other Chapters. Only a handful of Sanctors of Terra Space Marines survived the ordeal of the Abyssal Crusade, and only one of these battle-brothers survived the battles against the Order of the Faithful Sword. It was to the last of the Sanctors of Terra that Konvak Lann, Chapter Master of the Vorpal Swords, granted the privilege of trial by combat. That battle-brother, Venerable Brother Mathos Bar’Akeus, slew Canoness Aknaya and avenged his lost Chapter and homeworld.

With their defeat at the hands of the Judged Chapters and the revelations about Basillius’ true nature, the Order of the Faithful Sword was severely chastened. Since that time, they have never numbered more than one hundred battle-sisters and they have primarily served as guardians of the memorial to Saint Sahiné and the pilgrim routes within the Chonma Sector, though squads are occasionally seconded to escort prelates and Inquisitors. Though humbled by the Adeptus Astartes, they have never relented in their disdain for the Space Marines and will never willingly serve alongside them.

The Redemption of Sister Docianna

A survivor of the failed expedition to the Boreas Reach, Sister Docianna sought penance for her weakness in the ranks of the Repentia. Taking up the Holy Eviscerator, she plunged into combat with the worst foes of Humanity, time and again emerging from the crucible of warfare.

After five years of penitence, she was granted redemption and accepted back into the ranks of full sisterhood.

In time, she rose to the rank of Canoness Commander, leading a full contingent of battle-sisters in a score of campaigns.

Sister Docianna was martyred in 409.M37 purging traitors upon Landros VII. Her life serves as a lesson to all that redemption is always within one’s reach.

Convent World

Doumah IV was one of the earliest worlds brought back into compliance during the Haurvat Crusade, the fifth in what would become twenty-six worlds that had slipped from the Emperor’s Light during the Reign of Blood.

A large agricultural world with several settlements scattered across the three main continents, Doumah IV had become a haven for deviant and heretical cults. Recognizing the value of the world in providing food for the Imperium’s needs, the leaders of the Haurvat Crusade took great pains to preserve as much of the planet’s infrastructure as possible in the fighting to restore Imperial rule. Though the majority of the population died in the struggles of the Haurvat Crusade, the world remained relatively intact and re-population efforts ensured that the workforce necessary to plant and harvest vast quantities of agricultural products were present.

The Shrine to Saint Sahiné was established on the largest continent, Doumah Secundus, where she had been martyred during the Haurvat Crusade. It was near this shrine that the fledgling Order of the Faithful Sword erected its convent, a massive edifice adjacent to the humble chapel that housed the reliquary in which the saint’s remains were interred. When Canoness Mabine was martyred in 805.M36, her remains were interred with those of her sister, the shrine being renamed the Shrine of the Sisters.

Where Doumah Secundus had been sparsely populated previously, the presence of the Shrine to Saint Sahiné and the Convent House of the Order of the Faithful Sword resulted in an influx of pilgrims and the population required to support the Adepta Sororitas. This grew into what is now known as the City of the Sisters and is the largest population center upon Doumah IV.

In the aftermath of the attack on Doumah IV, the planet remains the terminal point of a pilgrimage, but it is a pilgrimage that few undertake since the loss of Saint Sahiné’s remains. The world’s agricultural production has regained its former levels, though many of the ruins have been left alone as they supported a population that no longer exists.

[Brother Tyler]

Designer's Notes

I've wanted to develop a lesser militant order of the Adepta Sororitas for a long time, but had never really put any effort into actually developing anything until I saw the Liber Challenge part 1. As everyone knows, I'm a closet Liberite, so I just had to participate.

Development started with the order's color scheme. I didn't have any preconceived notions, so my intent was merely to create something different from what I've seen before. In this, I avoided red and black. I went with a more neutral metallic color for the armour and then made the torso, shoulders, and helmet silver. I originally had orange robes, then decided for the split cream with brown facings (which took some work in Microsoft Paint and Photoshop, but it was well worth the effort). Later I added the silver. The last thing I did was have the alternating red and silver beads on the belt and the silver/red variations for the Ministorum symbol. Those also took some work in Microsoft Paint and Photoshop, but the variations give individuality to the sisters, and seemed like something that would reasonably have variation in "real life."

Color scheme done, I looked at the order's icon. I searched for the fleur de lis imagery on the internet and quickly found some old coins with combination cross/fleur de list imagery, so I abrogated those images. I then turned one of them into a more sword-like image, adopting that as the order's icon.

I then shifted to the background. The Warhammer 40,000 game universe isn't full of rainbows* and butterflies, so I decided that I wanted to develop an order that was a pale shadow of its former self. I then decided to tie the order into the Abyssal Crusade, just as I'm doing for the Nova Hawks Chapter that I'm working on. As with the Nova Hawks, I decided to make the Adepta Sororitas order part of Saint Basillius' Puritas Divisions, though I didn't specifically name them as such because the lore doesn't explicitly include the Adepta Sororitas in them. Once I'd hit upon the Abyssal Crusade idea, that locked the order into a specific time period, which drove their origin to the entirely made up Haurvat Crusade.

Admittedly, there is some risk in tying the order in to the Abyssal Crusade. If Games Workshop ever develops that event further, there is a good chance that what I've developed will be rendered obsolete. The way I see it, I can easily relegate the order to a minor role within that event while maintaining consistency with the official lore. If more information is ever revealed about the Judged Chapters, I can easily change the name of the homeworld(s) that the Orders of the Faithful Sword purged or the Chapter(s), if necessary.

Originally, I'd named my order the Order of the Faithful Blade, but then I saw that a number of the other orders being developed as part of the project used the word "blade" in their names, so I switched to "sword." I wanted to tie the order's name to the icon, and I really liked the sword icon I'd done, so I was fairly limited.

The concept of the Sisters Kimbræn struck me while I was conceptualizing the order's origins. Originally, the saint and the first canoness weren't related. I merely theorized a high level devotion to a missionary on the part of the first canoness. Gender of the missionary wasn't finalized, so I briefly considered the devotion to be a love interest. Neither option there seemed like a good idea, so I switched to the sister relationship.

The last thing to be added was the ravaging of Doumah IV. I realized that the order's basic mission of protecting the Shrine of the Sisters wasn't compatible with a later alliance with Saint Basillius, so I had to create a reason for the Order of the Faithful Sword to have that alignment. Losing their original mission was the best way to justify them getting a dramatically new mission later. This also provided a good basis for the order's dislike for the Adeptus Astartes. Another thing I included in the event was not identifying the Chaos Space Marine warband that perpetrated the act, leaving me room to develop a warband should a later Liber Challenge require.

I didn't see a need to develop either a combat doctrine or beliefs. The official lore maintains that the orders militant of the Adepta Sororitas are largely homogenous, with differences largely being of attitude and appearance. There are small differences, and I've included those in the background. Largely speaking, however, the Order of the Faithful Sword is a bog-standard Adepta Sororitas order when it comes to their combat doctrine. Their attitude is that of being highly zealous, like a female version of the Black Templars or Dark Angels (with regard to the latter's view of purity). The Order of the Faithful Sword is rabidly "humanist" (i.e., human-centric) - automatically attacking anything non-human or deviating from normal humanity. This extends to their attitude towards the Adeptus Astartes, who are no longer human.

With the Order of the Faithful Sword, I was really looking at hubris. There have been small bits of lore where some Adepta Sororitas feel that their organizations are the equal of the Adeptus Astartes, so I wanted to run with that concept. In "reality" the Adepta Sororitas can't hope to equal the Adeptus Astartes, except on certain terms. The battle sisters simply lack the physicality of the Space Marines, and they similarly lack the longevity. While the Adepta Sororitas are one of the elite fighting organizations of the Imperium, they are not the equal of the Adeptus Astartes. So I wanted the Order of the Faithful Sword to hate the Space Marines for their genetic and religious deviancy, while being impotent to do anything about it because they know deep down that they can't really compete under normal circumstances. They watch with glee as Space Marines are taken down a peg in the Abyssal Crusade, and gladly crush their recruiting worlds when they are gone, but then get spanked when the Space Marines come back. This builds upon intolerance and bullying (though there are definitely good aspects to the order).

Something else I did was categorically reject the notion of a pure caucasian order. While I "get" that the majority of lore and artwork comes from the UK, humanity of the future is probably much more diverse than the artwork would suggest. So I created images with diverse sisters, using one of those as an example of a famous member of the order (she just happens to have the right style of hair, too). I have to admit that I'm not totally satisfied with my Photoshop filter skills as the face is obviously from a photograph, but I'll see if I can fix that later. I also drew upon names from a variety of nations and cultures in providing names for my sisters (and the events and other characters), though I changed a few of them in small ways so that they wouldn't be too obvious.

With regard to the article format, I opted for the "Liber Sororitas" title because that was the title used in White Dwarf (rather than "Index Sororitas"). The article itself is a combination of the Index Astartes format and the format used by Forge World in the Imperial Armour Badab War campaign books.

While working on the article, I avoided reading the articles being presented by other members. First, I didn't want to inadvertently "borrow" any ideas. Second, I didn't want to see someone developing something similar to me, forcing me to change my idea. Those are kind of mutually exclusive, I know, so I expect that there are probably some ideas I've explored that are being similarly explored by other members (though likely with different outcomes).

Something I developed, but didn't include, was blessed banners. I have two images that you don't see in the current article. Neither of which was created by me - I took images found on the internet and then modified them (which is why I don't feel too bad about not including them). If I expand the article later, I'll probably add these banners and one or more exemplary battles (which borrows from the Horus Heresy formats for the legions). Beyond that, the only thing I really need to do is paint up an army (or at least a kill-team) of battle sisters from the Order of the Faithful Sword.

If you see anything that I need to fix (i.e., poor spelling and grammar) or things where you think I can either clarify or tighten things up, please let me know. While "completed" for the purpose of the Liber Challenge part 1, the Order of the Faithful Sword will always be a work in progress.