Adepta Sororitas

The Adepta Sororitas, also known as the Sisters of Battle and formerly known as the Daughters of the Emperor, are an all-female division of the Imperial Cult's ecclesiastical organization known as the Ecclesiarchy or, more formally, as the Adeptus Ministorum. The Sisterhood's Orders Militant serve as the Ecclesiarchy's fighting arm, mercilessly rooting out corruption and heresy within humanity and every organization of the Adeptus Terra. There is naturally some overlap between the duties of the Sisterhood and the Imperial Inquisition; for this reason, although the Inquisition and the Sisterhood remain entirely separate organizations, the Orders Militant of the Sisterhood also act as the Chamber Militant of the Inquisition's Ordo Hereticus. The Adepta Sororitas and the Sisters of Battle are commonly regarded as the same organisation, but the latter title technically refers only to the Orders Militant of the Adepta Sororitas, the best-known part of the organization. The Sisterhood serves as the Ministorum's only official military force because the Decree Passive laid down by the reformist Ecclesiarch Sebastian Thor held that in the wake of the Age of Apostasy of the 36th Millennium, the Ecclesiarchy cannot maintain any men under arms. This was supposed to limit the power of the Ecclesiarchy. However, the Ministorum were able to circumvent this decree by using the all-female force of the Sisterhood.

History
The Adepta Sororitas date their founding from the 36th Millennium, and more specifically from the later events of the Age of Apostasy's Reign of Blood. The majority of the Sisterhood's initial membership was recruited from the pre-existing Brides of the Emperor, the all-female bodyguard force employed by High Lord Goge Vandire. Loyal to the Emperor, the Brides (initially called the Daughters of the Emperor, but renamed by Vandire) were misled by the insane Vandire into fulfilling his own designs. When the truth of the matter, and Vandire's corruption, was revealed by the efforts of Sebastian Thor, the leader of the Daughters executed Vandire in his own audience chamber. The Daughters of the Emperor were at a loss after this event, and so the Ecclesiarchy took the opportunity to recruit and indoctrinate them into the newly formed Adepta Sororitas, the Ecclesiarchy's all-female military, circumventing the Decree Passive's strictures against the Ecclesiarchy possessing a force of "men under arms."

The Adepta Sororitas had its origins on the world of San Leor. A religious order known as the Daughters of the Emperor, an all-female cult dedicated to worship of the God-Emperor and the orthodox doctrines of the Imperial Creed, had been discovered there by members of the Ecclesiarchy. Goge Vandire, the High Lord of the Administratum as well as the reigning Ecclesiarch of the Adeptus Ministorum, decided to pay a visit to San Leor and recruit the Daughters into his own private army as he sought to cement his power over the Imperium as a de facto replacement for the Emperor. The Daughters at first refused to accept his authority. Vandire decided to show them that he was blessed by the Emperor - he instructed a soldier in his entourage to shoot him, which after a brief hesitation, he did. However, thanks to the protective force field generated by the Rosarius of the Ecclesiarch (which no one but Vandire himself was aware of), Vandire was not harmed. The Daughters took this invulnerability to be a sign from the Emperor, and swore allegiance to Vandire virtually on the spot. Vandire renamed the sisters the Brides of the Emperor, and they proved to be Vandire's most loyal followers.

During the Siege of the Ecclesiarchal Palace on Terra at the end of the Reign of Blood, the Adeptus Custodes, the defenders of the Emperor himself, tried to approach the Brides and convince them of Vandire's treachery and outright rejection of the Emperor's will in the pursuit of his own power and aggrandisement. In a last ditch effort to convince them that their master had betrayed the Emperor, the Custodes took Alicia Dominica, the leader of the Brides, and her chosen bodyguards deep into the Imperial Palace where they became some of the few human beings in the Imperium's history since the Horus Heresy to stand before the Emperor himself where he was interred within the mechanisms of the Golden Throne. What happened there remains unknown - Dominica and her companions were sworn to secrecy - but it became clear that the Brides, who reverted to their prvious title of Daughters of the Emperor, had been awakened to the evil that Vandire represented. Marching into his audience chamber, Dominica paused only to condemn Vandire for his crimes before she beheaded the power-crazed dictator with her Power Sword. Reportedly, Vandire's final words were "I don't have time to die - I'm too busy!"

After this episode, the Decree Passive was proclaimed by the newly-appointed Ecclesiarch Sebastian Thor. Under the literal interpretation of the decree however, the Adepta Sororitas were not obligated to disband because the decree made only explicit mention of "men under arms." Thor, recognizing the need for the Ecclesiarchy to have some kind of military force and internal regulator, allowed them to remain, even if the spirit of his own decree was rather blatantly disregarded.

Trained to the highest levels possible for normal humans and possessed of a phenomenal faith in the God-Emperor of Mankind, the Sisters would go on to engage in Wars of Faith, bringing the light of the Emperor to parts of the galaxy that had fallen into darkness.1

Organisation
In the 41st Millennium, the Adepta Sororitas is part of the Ecclesiarchy and is divided into two Convents. The Convent Prioris is located on Terra, and the Convent Sanctorum is based on the Shrine World of Ophelia VII. The overall commander and spiritual leader of the entire Sisterhood and all its myriad Orders is the Abbess Sanctorum, the leader of the Convent Prioris on Terra. As the recognised leader of the Adepta Sororitas, the Abbess Sanctorum is sometimes elected to join the ranks of the High Lords of Terra2a, while other times she is subservient to the commands of the Ecclesiarch.

The Convents of the Sisterhood are organized into several Orders. Each Order follows the same basic hierarchical structure7:
 * Order: Led by the most senior Canoness, called the Canoness Superior, who runs the entire Order. Each Canoness Superior is subservient only to the will of the Abbess Sanctorum.
 * Preceptory: A Preceptory contains a single Convent with up to 1,000 Sisters, so an Adepta Sororitas Preceptory is equivalent in size to a Space Marine Chapter and is lead by a Canoness Preceptor or Prioress.
 * Commandery: A Commandery normally comprises several smaller Convents or detachments of militant Sisters from a single Convent with up to 200 Sisters of Battle, led by a Canoness Commander. A Commandery is more or less equal in size to a Space Marine company.
 * Mission: The smallest organisation of the Sisters, a Mission consists of a few Sororitas units and can be lead by a Canoness or the lesser rank of Palatine.

Orders of the Adepta Sororitas
Other Sororitas Orders are not combat-oriented per se and pursue less violent activities such as the copying, studying of and commentary upon the Imperial Creed's scriptures, preaching, tending to the sick and injured, educating the young and maintaining the spiritual loyalty and health of the Imperium's various noble families. Besides these famous major Orders there is also an unknown number of Minor Orders whose functions are widely unknown. We know of the Order of the Eternal Gate5 whose responsibility is the retrieval of ancient or dangerous relics and artefacts for the Ecclesiarchy. Also known to exist is the Order of the White Rose6 whose actual function remains a mystery. This order split away from the Order of the Sacred Rose in the latter part of the 39th Millennium.
 * The famed Orders Militant or Sisters of Battle of the Adepta Sororitas pursue the ways of war to spread the Emperor's light. The Orders Militant are often tasked by the Ecclesiarchy with defending its shrine and cardinal worlds or retaking such planets from heretics, xenos or the blasphemous forces of Chaos. There are literally dozens of different Orders Militant, with their convents scattered across the galaxy. The Sisters of Battle are also often attached to the Ordo Hereticus of the Imperial Inqusition and indeed serve the Witch Hunters as their Chamber Militant. Battle Sisters are recruited solely from the female progena of the Schola Progenium facilities spread across the galaxy. They are orphans of those Imperial servants who have given their lives in the service of the Imperium, either in the Imperial Guard or some other Imperial organization. While being raised within the Schola they receive a strong Ecclesiarchy upbringing and education, coming to regard the Emperor as their spiritual father. Progena recruited into the Sisterhood are indoctrinated even further into the Imperial Creed, becoming even more fiercely devoted to the Emperor and the Imperial cause. Their duty as part of the Sisterhood is to ensure and enforce the physical and spiritual purity of humanity and the departments of the Adeptus Terra. As they share in much the same role as the Ordo Hereticus, Battle Sisters often form a major part of Ordo Hereticus military forces when a Witch Hunter does not wish to use the forces of the Imperial Guard to carry out a military objective. There are six major Orders Militant in the Adepta Sororitas:
 * Order of the Bloody Rose
 * Order of the Sacred Rose
 * Order of Our Martyred Lady
 * Order of the Ebon Chalice
 * Order of the Valorous Heart
 * Order of the Argent Shroud
 * Orders Hospitaller: The Sisters of the Orders Hospitaller aid the poor and heal the sick and the wounded in the many hospitals and clinics across the Imperium operated as charities by the Sisterhood. Some of their hospitals are part of Imperial Crusades and the Sisters serve as medics for the Imperial Guard Regiments serving in those conflicts. Several of the more well-known Orders Hospitaller include:
 * Order of the Eternal Candle
 * Order of Serenity
 * Order of the Cleansing Water
 * Order of the Torch
 * Orders Dialogous: The Sisters of the Order Dialogous help to translate the innumerable dialects and slangs of Low Gothic used throughout the Imperium. At the behest of the Inquisition and certain other parties in the Imperial hierarchy they also study Xenos languages1, and translate texts obtained from Xenos artefacts. Sisters Dialogous are often employed as Sage Acolytes in Ordo Hereticus Inquisitors' retinues. The better-known Orders Dialogous include:
 * Order of the Holy Word
 * Order of the Quill
 * Order of the Sacred Oath
 * Order of the Lexicon
 * Orders Famulous: The Sisters of the Orders Famulous organise, educate and maintain the households of certain Imperial Planetary Governors and Imperial nobles, serving as advisers and by their very presence reminding them of their higher loyalties to the Emperor of Mankind. They oppose any disloyalty with the support of faithful followers from the inside of the noble household itself.The Orders Famulous also maintain and update extensive genetic and genealogical records for all the important noble families of the Imperium and can conduct genetic testing at the request of the Inquisition when rampant mutation or heresy on the part of Imperial nobles is suspected. Across the galaxy, the most well-known of the Orders Famoulous include:
 * Order of the Key
 * Order of the Gate
 * Order of the Holy Seal
 * Order of the Sacred Coin

Ranks of the Adepta Sororitas

 * Abbess Sanctorum: The Abbess Sanctorum is the leader of the Convent Prioris on Terra; she is also the overall spiritual leader of the Sisterhood. In military matters she is assisted by the Prioress of the Convent Sanctorum. Presently the position is vacant.
 * Canoness Superior: A Canoness Superior serves as the overall leader of an entire Order.
 * Prioress: A Prioress is the overall leader of a single Convent of her Order.

Orders Militant Ranks

 * Battle-Sister: The Battle-Sister is the basic rank of the Sisters of Battle after a woman has completed her training and taken her vows to the Emperor.
 * Sister Superior: A Sister Superior leads a single squad of Battle Sisters, and is thus equivalent to a Space Marine sergeant.
 * Seraphim: Only the very best Battle Sisters are able to join the ranks of the Seraphim, the elite warriors of the Orders Militant. Seraphim receive special training and equipment and are the equivalent of Assault Space Marines. A Seraphim Squad is comprised of Sisters of Battle who are trained in using jump packs. They have the ability to fire two Bolt Pistols simultaneously, making them experts at close combat. Seraphim Squads are deployed as a fast attack squad with the Sisters of Battle. The squad can be accompanied by a Sister Superior. Occasionally Seraphim carry a pair of Hand Flamers (a hand-held version of the regular Flamer) or Inferno Pistols.
 * Dominion: A Dominion is a standard Battle Sister who is outfitted with special weapons such as Flamers, Storm Bolters and Meltaguns. Each Adepta Sororitas Order Militant maintains several units of Dominions.
 * Retributor: A Retributor is a standard Battle Sisters who is outfitted with heavy weapons. A Retributor squad consists of between 4 to 9 Retributor Sisters armed with Boltguns and one Sister Superior armed with a Boltgun which may be upgraded to a Bolt Pistol and close combat weapon. The Sister Superior may be upgraded to a Veteran Sister Superior who has access to the Witch Hunters Armoury and one Sister may be upgraded to an Imagifier. Up to four Sisters may be upgraded with heavy weapons, chosing either Heavy Bolters or Multi-meltas.
 * Celestine: Celestines are Battle Sisters who have proven themselves above and beyond the call of duty in their devotion to the Emperor during battle. The senior Celestians in an Order are called Celestians Superior and they aid the Canoness with the day-to-day running of the Order. They specifically act as administrative liaisons between the Sisters Superior and the Canoness, and may even lead Battle Sisters into combat when the Canoness is otherwise engaged.

Equipment
The primary individual weapon of the Adepta Sororitas is the boltgun. Weapon specialists like Dominions and Retributors tend to use flame and heat-based weapons such as flamers and multi-meltas, and other weapons with a purifying spiritual effect.

Battle Sisters use a form of Power Armour in battle - although since they lack the black carapace implant of the Space Marines, they cannot interface with the armour to the same degree as Space Marines and thus are somewhat less mobile in combat.

The Sisters of Battle also make use of very strong faith-based powers in battle, which may or may not be related to the psychic powers of the Warp.

Famous Members of the Sisters of Battle

 * Saint Arabella, KIA
 * Saint Celestine, KIA
 * Saint Alicia Dominica, KIA
 * Saint Katherine, KIA
 * Saint Silvana, KIA
 * Seraphim Ephrael Stern, current location unknown
 * Saint Lucia, KIA
 * Saint Mina, KIA
 * Saint Praxedes, KIA
 * Helena the Virtuous
 * Saint Anais7

Problems with canon
Until the release of Warhammer 40,000 Second Edition's Sisters of Battle codex, the Convent Sanctorum was described as being on Terra, with the Convent Prioris on Ophelia IV. In the codex, Gav Thorpe reverses the locations of the Convents; he also changes the name of Ophelia IV to Ophelia VII.

The following statement comes from the Codex: Sisters of Battle 2nd Edition: "A sign of the Sisters' strength is the fact that in their entire history only a single Sister, Miriael Sabathiel, has fallen to the lure of Chaos. How Miriael fell is unknown, only that she was turned from the Emperor's light to Slaanesh worship, and now serves as one of the Prince of Chaos' greatest warriors."

However this is clearly contradicted by the graphic novel Daemonifuge in which a Sister was seduced by a Navigator (who had been corrupted by a daemonic servant of Slaanesh) and several Sisters were completely corrupted by a Keeper of Secrets, a Greater Daemon of Slaanesh. In the novel Cain's Last Stand, it is also stated that an entire Mission of Sisters were seen engaging Imperial forces alongside Chaos Cultists and Cain is also confronted by two Sisters under daemonic influence.