Lore question : penal worlds and sisters

[Isolia]

Hi all,

 

I've finally started to work on my sisters order's background. (Yay \o/)

 

Since I also own knights, am currently working on a penitent engine/imperial knight crossover (over in the wip section - advertisement off :)) and I own an imperial guard army that I theme kind of like a penal legion ,I was wondering the following :

 

Is there in the fluff / lore somewhere any mention of sisters based or stationed on penal worlds, and if so, which worlds / orders are involved ?

 

My scheme is based on the argent shroud colours with a twist, but I am also wondering if they could be having a minoris order for that purpose or if it conflicts with their core values ?

 

My goal is to have a world where I can synergistically merge my forces of penal legion, sisters (who provide spiritual guidance with flamers) and freeblade knights into a penal-penitent force that is employed for desperate or deniable missions (hey, they are a bunch of rogue criminals and fanatics, we didn't sanction this chapter of heret...marines to be purged !)

 

I can create a penal world from scratch but I'd like to have some starting point to see how they are explained of there are example of those with sisters on them. Haven't read the books yet .

 

My knowledge is limited, but I know many of us here are loremasters :)

 

Thanks in advance!

[WarriorFish]

I'm not aware of there being anything about Sisters and penal worlds. I'd imagine it'd be more something like a small company on the planet as part of some important role. This could be protecting a sacred site or relic - basically the Sisters wouldn't be there for any reason directly related to the penal colony.

 

Don't forget that as bas as the Imperium can be penal legions are not suicide troops, so desperate missions maybe but definitely not as an expendable resource. Life is the Emperor's currency after all ;) While Knights and Sisters may have no issue with death in duty they're certainly not going to throw their lives away either, so all the parts of the force need to make sense together in that regard too.

[Isolia]

Yes I got a bit carried away in my ideas of grimdarkness :)

 

The idea behind the question was more if a sisterhood would take part in penitentiary activity , but I gather they don't mingle much with the Guard of they can avoid it , they have their own duties.

 

I like the idea of a holy duty on the planet such as a shrine or relic, I'll try and figure out something along those lines.

I wanted to find some good excuse why each (sub)faction on the planet would ally with another to have someone of background for my CAD lists

 

Thanks for your input !

[MrFlutterPie]

The sisters could be stationed on the Penal world as to make sure the penal troops are truly repentant for their transgressions in disobeying the god emperors laws and degrees. 

 

They also could be a penal legion based on people who committed petty crimes against the church and so the Ecclesiarchy would like to over see their sentencing. 

[gideon stargreave]

love this idea. Do it

[Isolia]

Oh yeah, I like the idea too with the sisters oversight over ecclesiarchal prisoners ! Truly a good mission ! Thanks !

[Warsmith Aznable]

Maybe the warden is an Ecclesiarchy member, a Cardinal ir a Deacon, and the Sisters are his bodyguard/elite troops.

[Drider]

There is fluff to support Sisters having something to do with the penal system. 

 

The Sisterhood serve aboard the Black Ships as wardens (transporting psykers to feed to the Emperor).

 

it's not entirely unlikely that the ecclesiarchy would send people to a penal world to serve penance under the watchful gaze of the sisterhood.

[Jacinda]

Maybe the warden is an Ecclesiarchy member, a Cardinal ir a Deacon, and the Sisters are his bodyguard/elite troops.

Agree.

Wherever there is a cathedral, there are Adepta Sororitas. I do not recall seeing any lore relating to Sisters and penal forces specifically but I can easily see this as happening. I will say that Valorous Heart would be my pick for on Order involved with penitence and absolution through military service, tho. It's kind of their stchik. A penal world dedicated to harsh training and religious indoctrination is pretty grim-dark, unique and does not even stretch the fluff very far much less break it.

I wish I had thought of it first

[jeffersonian000]

Why does it have to be s penal world? Sure, use you Penal Legion army, but nothing stops them from being Frater Militia. Your over all armmy very easily fulfulls Sororitas and Freebladed escorting and defending pilgrims to and from shrine worlds, while the pilgrims themselves assist their guardians. Fits the narrative better, keeps to a theme, but frees you from conflicting intentions.

 

SJ

[Wolf_Lord_Hardrada]

Repentia Penal World? :P

[jeffersonian000]

Repentia aren't penal, they are an interal Sororitas program. While on the outside it may seem like a disciplinary action, many Sororitas envy the Repentia, and wonder if they would have courage and zeal to take that step. In one of the novals, Reprntia was used as a threat, yet even in that case a Sister volunteered with an expression of near rapture.

 

On the other hand, Frater Militia are self motivated and funded bands of civilians taking up arms to defend their church in the Emperor's name.

 

SJ

[Isolia]

Yes for repenting I'm up to date on that, my Knight Penitent is something looking like a penitent engine but the pilot Lady is willingly attached in it as a form of repentance inspired by repentia (still working on the details ). This is why her armor plating is removed. So it's really a Knight Repentant , or rather a Lady Repentant , and the double Reaper chainsword configuration is a reminder of that :)

 

For the general background, the penal world part is just because I like the ambiance of it. But I am leaning towards an ecchlesiarchy world where a penal legion is stationed both for inspiration/supervision by sisters in their sentence, and because the world requires some heavy protection should it come under attack by a large force because of what is hidden/protected there (also in progress )

[ValourousHeart]

I did something very similar with my sisters backstory.

 

A bit from the fluff that helped me was that the minor orders run the schools, orphanages, and hospitals.

 

And from one of the novels all sisters have basic combat training before being assigned to an order, where battle sisters go on and get more specialized combat training.

 

So my idea was that my order was a hospital order assigned to a penal planet in the Cadian sector.

Or at least they were prior to the 13th black crusade.

 

So the sisters are part of the prison guard, but there are other groups involved as well.

 

It gave the excuse to put medics in every squad, even if they don't have a game effect.

And it gave connective tissue between my different collections.

[DanforthLaertes]

It was mentioned above, but if the penal world was for criminals against the Ecclesiarchy, it would be the Sisters who would oversee them. Decree Passive, if harshly interpreted, means that the Ecclesiarchy can have no armed males. And on a Cardinal World (which this penal world could be) EVERYTHING is under the Ecclesiarchy. That means, legally, no-one but women can be armed.

[Isolia]

I will have to think this over then , I will probably not build a hundred-ish female imperial guards to please the high priests (who are male to the most part !) :)

[Warsmith Aznable]

I think a penal legion probably wouldn't counted as men at arms maintained for the Ecclesiarchy. They would not be a professional, standing force like Sisters or the regular Guard. They would be penitent rabble expected to die rather than go on to become full time enforcers of Ecclesiarchal will. They would be an ad hoc, untrained mass of poorly equipped humanity, one step below frateris militia (only because frateris militia WANT to be there and penal legionnaires DON'T.)

 

An Ordo Hereticus agent would surely take note, but I think only the most uptight Inquisitor paired with the most sketchy Cardinal would result in invoking violation of the Decree Passive.

[Isolia]

It could be a world where penal legions are sent as part of their reindoctrination, to be taught the Imperial creed again under sororitas supervision (both militant and non-militant orders) , and where they are stationed temporarily. The commissars would certainly love the idea of a boot camp with the threat of flamers for the mornin..err weekly shower :)

And the peace is kept between the branches of the bureaucracy .

[Jacinda]

I love the idea.  I don't see them as being part of the Ecclesiarchy at all, just being trained under the Ministorum's watchful eye.  They are still Imperial Guard but the roles of priests and commasars are being filled by Sororitas advisors.  As such the men are not fighting for the curch.  The church is making sure the men stay loyal to the Emperor.