Canoness

Adepta Sororitas Canoness

A Canoness is a commander of one of the Orders Militant of the Adepta Sororitas, a shining example of purity and dedication of purpose. This senior officer rank is above the grade of Palatine and below the rank of Prioress. There exists a hierarchy of sorts amongst these leaders, though to outsiders it is highly arcane and ritualistic and based on a system of precedence. Orders of the Adepta Sororitas that were established by "Ecclesiarchy Writ" are ranked higher in the order of precedence than those that were formed by a group splitting off from a preexistent order. This is especially true of the six Orders Militant, each of which has spawned dozens of far smaller Lesser Orders Militant, the Canonesses of which rank lower in the order of precedence than those of their parent Order.

A Canoness is a veteran warrior of many hundreds of battles who has risen to her position through a combination of strong leadership, shrewd tactical genius, obedience and compliance with the Ecclesiarchy and above all, her sheer overarching faith in the God-Emperor. When the Ecclesiarchy sounds the call to arms for a War of Faith, it is the Canoness who boldly leads her warriors into the fray, refusing to take one step backwards whilst her enemies still draw breath. Under the command of a Canoness, the Sisters of Battle have crushed the foes of the God-Emperor across the galaxy.

Though a Canoness is ostensibly answerable only to the Prioress of her Convent, her superior knowledge of warfare inevitably holds sway concerning matters military. The Canonesses are aided in their duties by their order's Palatines. Palatines are highly experienced and capable officers, from whose ranks the next Canoness will be drawn. As a guardian of her Battle-Sisters' souls, a Canoness is also responsible for the spiritual well-being of those under her command. A Canoness' non-military duties include leading the Order in its prayer services, performing rites of initiation and overseeing the running of the Order. As a result, a Canoness inspires intense devotion in her Battle-Sisters, leading them from the fore whilst reciting the great hymns of the Adeptus Ministorum.

Members of the Adepta Sororitas can and do transfer from one Order to another, depending on their own unique skills and experience. In particular, a sister of an Order Militant may eventually transfer to a non-militant order in so that she can carry on the Emperor's work should age or injury render her a less effective warrior. Furthermore, it is not unheard of for a senior member of the Sisterhood to transfer to another Imperial organisation entirely; several Canonesses are known to have become Inquisitors, one become a Cardinal Palatine and one even became a Rogue Trader!

Notable Canoness Rank Structure Variations

A Canoness of the Orders Militant of the Adepta Sororitas armed with a Power Sword and an Inferno Pistol

While the Lesser Orders Militant may only have a single Canoness to lead the entire order, the Greater Orders, which often number in the thousands of Battle-Sisters, break this rank down further for organizational purposes:

• Canoness Preceptor - Some Orders, notably the Greater Orders, maintain subsidiary convents, the largest of which are referred to as Preceptories. The term is also used to define the largest organisational unit an Order is ever likely to field, numbering up to 1,000 Battle-Sisters, cloistered together at one location. The Canoness who commands a Preceptory has the title Canoness Preceptor.
• Canoness Commander - The term Canoness Commander is used to describe the officer who leads a smaller convent known as a Commandery, perhaps little more than a shrine and a garrison of Battle-Sisters cloistered together to defend it. A Commandery will be junior to a Preceptory, and the term is also used as a company level subdivision of a Preceptory, consisting of up to 200 Battle Sisters. A Canoness leading a Commandery is referred to as a Canoness Commander.
• Canoness Superior - A Mission is the smallest organisational unit of the Adepta Sororitas, and normally consists of a number of squads of Battle-Sisters assembled to achieve a specified objective. A Mission may be led by a Palatine, or by a more senior Canoness known as a Canoness Superior, depending upon the importance of the objective.

This hierarchy is also applicable to the non-militant Orders Dialogous, Orders Hospitaller, Orders Famulous, etc. These Orders generally operate at the lower levels of organisation, mainly the Mission and Commandery, with a Preceptory of these Orders being a largely organisational tier. For example, a Mission from an Order Famulous may consist of only a handful of Sisters engaged in an inter-house trade delegation while a Canoness Commander from an Order Hospitaller may lead a staff of Sisters working in a field hospital or refugee camp.

Notable Canonesses

Saint Praxedes of Ophelia VII

• Selena Agna - Canoness of the Order of the Sacred Rose, sent to purge the Kaurava System of the God-Emperor's enemies during the events of Dawn of War - Soulstorm.
• Aspira - Canoness and Saint of the Order of the Bloody Rose who liberated a hundred worlds.
• Galatea - Canoness of the Order of Our Martyred Lady in Neva.
• Saint Praxedes - Saint Praxedes of Ophelia VII was a Canoness of the Order of Our Martyred Lady and renowned hero of the Imperium of Man's Ultima Segmentum during the Second Tyrannic War when she martyred herself to allow others to escape the Tyranids.

Wargear

Canonesses of the Orders Militant normally carry the following items of wargear:

• Sororitas Power Armour(Adapted for normal human female anatomy)
• Godwyn-De'az Boltgun (Adapted for normal human anatomy)
• Bolt Pistol (Adapted for normal human anatomy)
• Frag Grenades
• Krak Grenades

The Bolter or Bolt Pistol can be replaced with:

• Chainsword
• Godwyn-De'az Pattern Storm Bolter
• Power Sword
• Combi-flamer, Combi-melta, Combi-plasma gun
• Condemnor Pattern Bolter
• Plasma Pistol
• Inferno Pistol
• Eviscerator

Some veteran Canonesses will also carry:

• Rosarius
• Melta Bombs

Sources

• Codex: With Hunters (4th Edition), pp. 7, 11
• Dark Heresy: Blood of Martyrs (RPG), p. 23
• White Dwarf 380 (UK), "Sisters of Battle (5th Edition)" p. 95
• Faith and Fire (Novel) by James Swallow
• Dawn of War - Soulstorm (PC Game)