Tell me about your Lesser Orders Militant!

[Azekai]

Hello all, I would like to hear all about subsidiary convents and minor orders you have come up with.
Armor and robe colors (or pics!), important figures living or martyred, worlds defended or taken in the Emperor's name. I want to hear about foes vanquished, and the enemies your order hates most. 

I have a lot of fluff ideas bouncing around my head about my own order militant, but I would love to see and read what y'all have come up with!
 

[painting.for.my.sanity]

I've taken the Iron Veil from the codex, and expanded upon it as they get pretty minimal discussion there. I've come up with a simplified version of the codex art to use as a logo, a vehicle colour scheme as we only see one Sister, and also slightly changed the robes as I felt a black interior gave a better contrast with the rest of the model than white outside/cream inside as per the codex.

 

[sitnam]

My order is called the Order of His Amethyst Heart. I did a liber challenge with the order quite a few years ago, and developed a paint scheme and lore with them. It's been quite a long time since I wrote that lore, way before the lore updates with the current codex, so I'll probably get around to revising it one day.

The gist of it is that they were once a fairly large and powerful lesser order in their subsector, which had a heavy Ecclesiarchal presence, which often vied for influence in the area with a equally heavy Mechanicus presence. The order acted as heavy handed enforcers in the subsector, being used as a political tool by the priesthood. This led them into tense relations with the Dancing Scythes chapter (my DIY Iron Hands successors), who were closely aligned with the major Mechanicus forge-world in the sector. The Ecclesiarchy ended up losing much of its influence in the area due to a subsector wide rebellion that was led by apostates from within the Ministorum, who used much of their knowledge of the Order to decimate the Amethyst Heart. The few survivors rallied and (alongside their former rivals, the Dancing Scythes) put the rebels to the sword.

The end of the rebellion brought along an end to how the Amethyst Heart traditionally operated. Although they were loyal, their ties to the apostates tarnished their reputation, and the Inquisition curtailed much of the Eccleciarchies influence in the subsector. The order survives due their loyalty and ties established with both the Dancing Scythes and a Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor, with both using political influence to keep the order running. The Amethyst Heart now are on an eternal pentinent crusade, permanently operating under the Ordo Hereticus to hunt down enemies from within. Their base of operations is a Dancing Scythes frigate on permanent loan, and the Order numbers just over a hundred sisters.

Now they basically fly around acting as Inquisitorial shock troops. Due to their betrayal by apostates they have a distrust of most priests, and they relish hunting down traitors and "conscripting" them into their growing penitent legion. They don't have much in the way of heavy armor, acting primarily as shock infantry. I sorely hope GW gives us a aerial transport, as that would fit the theme I'm going for as a small, fast hitting strike force.

@SufficientAnonymity

Love the paitn scheme on those girls! That banner looks fantastic

[Evil Eye]

My Order (which will probably remain as a project for INQ28 and Kill Team, but you never know...) is the Order of the Ivory Musket.

Originally a descendent of the Order of the Sacred Rose, the Ivory Musket was a small Order largely relegated to rearguard duties, and as often employed for humanitarian aid as for battle. During the disastrous Katakles Campaign, which saw the Order of the Gleaming Spear almost (but not quite) completely wiped out and the Imperial forces pushed to breaking point, the Ivory Musket was forced to the front lines, where they proved their value and helped avoid the campaign becoming even more of a meat grinder than it already was (though by that point they were largely covering the retreat for the other forces and helping with the evacuation of the civilian population).

 

In recognition of their valour they were given a substantial increase in both active roles and material support, and have since become a major player in Segmentum Obscurus. They also absorbed the (scarcely in the double figures) survivors of the Gleaming Spear into their own numbers, and under the "Orphan's Salvation" protocol initiated by the Canoness, Candelora Tomoetta, they have since made it their mission to support and recover members of other devastated/near-extinct Orders, either helping to re-establish their Orders or if the damage is too great, accepting the survivors into their own ranks. Sisters recruited in this way are permitted to wear the colours of their original Order or to don the colours of the Ivory Musket, depending on their preference.

 

They have gained a reputation for humility, grace and charity, and are one of the less fanatical Orders- even with their newfound role as frontline protectors they still will not shy away from their former role of helping to rebuild shattered Imperial worlds and provide help to Imperial citizens. This is not to say they are any less terrifying for the foes of the Imperium than any other Order, however- many of the Sisters hold deep burning grudges against those that destroyed their parent Orders, and are keen to avenge the fallen with zeal and righteous fury. In particular, the few survivors of the Order of the Virtuous Deed (who only escaped their Order's fate by virtue of being on a sabattical at the time to another shrine world) have a deep loathing towards the followers of Nurgle.

 

The Ivory Musket leans towards ranged combat, and makes extensive use of bolt weaponry. In addition, whilst far from the most well equipped Order, they do possess a few rare items in their inventory- most notably an incredibly rare Castra Ferrum-Ignea pattern Dreadnought (Venerable Sister Gaelle Valentina) and a Setheno Dominator heavy tank, "Tiro Finale".

 

...No prizes for guessing the inspiration for the naming and colour scheme.

[apologist]

The Order of Solar Ascendant are one of the numerous Ordos Minoris of the Adepta Sororitas that maintain a presence in Antona Australis (our gaming group's little corner of the galaxy).

 

Established during the Fourth Scallop Star Purges (M37.778–789), the Order venerates the Crone of Iocaste, an historical figure whose tale became conflated with a number of local folkloric sources. The Crone herself, Badam Kaur, was an eyeless and earless mutant; who nevertheless came to lead a minor Imperial Crusade against the forces of the Archenemy. Beatified in M39, the historical Crone – a divisive and thoroughly fascinating mass of contradictions – has become lost in the shifting sands of Imperial records; and is now venerated simply as Saint Iocanthe, a flawless beautiful and scrupulously virtuous being who was martyred during the end of the Hesiod Romantic Rebellion. The Order maintains a number of Missions, both in Antona Australis itself and the neighbouring Prodigium Os Sector, but its largest grouping is the Commandery based in the Sarum system.

 

The Order of Solar Ascendant clad their followers in a split scheme; half their armour black as night; the other half bathed in the light of Sol, which the Order venerates as a symbol of the God-Emperor's beneficence. Their surplice-cloaks are the blue of the night sky, marked with symbolic star-markings that denote the Emperor's watchful eye over all of his worlds.

 

+ Representatives: Callistus and Makemeet +

 

Sisters Callistus and Makemeet are typical Errant examples of the Order; trusted Battle Sisters that are deputised as bodyguards to important Ecclesiarchal representatives. They are tasked with ensuring the physical and spiritual safety of those under their aegis. Service as a Sororitas Errant-Solar is necessary to progress within the order; though outwardly seeking such promotion is regarded as sinful. An Ordinate of the Solar Ascendant must be nominated by her Superiors to such a task.

 

+ The symbol of the Order is a rising Solar disc, bathing the unworthy world in the light of the Emperor. This pict-capture shows the star-patterned cloaks well. +

 

+ Sister Callistus +

 

+ Sister Makemeet +

[march10k]

This is Mother Francess of the Order of the Mourning Rose [OMR]. OMR is based on the small shrine world of Desdemona III, which attracts little attention from the foul powers, although it was caught in the fringes of a Waaaagh some centuries ago. Most of the Order's limited forces are thus free to guard the short spur off of a main pilgrimage route, making visits to Desdemona a safe and attractive side trip for countless pious souls.

OMR's sacred standard:

The Exorcist 'Antiphon of Repugnance':

The first squad of Sisters I ever painted:

Robe colors are reversed on seraphim, and they're all blonde...because more angelic? I guess. I might not do it that way if starting today. Anyway, super proud of the "twin sisters of the two tulips (twinlinked inferno pistols)," acquiring those pistols and hacking up metal models to fit them was expensive and difficult for me fifteen years ago.

[Brother Tyler]

You can also learn about various members' DIYs by checking out the Tabula Sororitas (the link goes directly to the listing of the Orders Militant). My own Order of the Faithful Sword is listed there, but you can see the full article here.