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"Though they did flay her body with their blades, rend her bones to dust with their fists and consume her organs with their hungry maws, they possessed nothing that could touch her faith."

— Excerpt from the Blessed Suffering of Saint Elana
Solar Macharius-Angel of Fire

Saint Macharius, the Lord Commander Solar, at the outset of the Macharian Conquests.

An Imperial saint is one of the men and women who have given their lives for the glory of the Emperor and are now venerated as religious icons by the adherents of the Imperial Creed. Some are very minor, only revered in a single city or town, while some may be found wherever Imperial rule extends.

Large or small, saints form the Human face of the Adeptus Ministorum, giving worshippers something to relate to and aspire toward. Saints are also often associated with certain aspects and particular causes, such as star travel or guilt.

Some saints are even highly specialised, watching out for those that work with ill-tempered Grox, for example. This means, regardless of the situation, there is always a saint that watches over the faithful and over those to whom the faithful offer a prayer of intercession for the protection of the God-Emperor.

The truly devout take no chances and festoon themselves with the symbols and tokens of many Imperial saints. Saints also have a prominent place in Imperial culture beyond their religious connotations. Their names can be found on everything from worlds and voidcraft to streets and children.

Often something that is akin to a saint's cause bears their name, such as a warship called the Saint Drusus (of which there are one hundred and thirteen so named to date), so it might embody some of the fierceness of its namesake.

Taking all of this into account, saints form an important part of an Imperial citizen's life, as prolific and ever-present as the cult and church of the God-Emperor itself.

History[]

Saints are those mortals who, by formal pronouncement of the Ecclesiarchy, have been elevated by the Emperor's grace far above the bulk of Humanity. They are exceptionally holy individuals, and their words and deeds are held to be the direct work of the God-Emperor Himself. Throughout the ten thousand standard years of the Age of the Imperium, millions of men and women have been recognised as saints, in many cases long after their death and only after several Terran decades of consideration.

Most are known and venerated only within a specific region or sector of the galaxy, but some, such as Sebastian Thor himself, are known across the length and breadth of the Imperium. Men and women may be declared saints for all manner of deeds, but in most cases they will have performed some great service to the Imperium and the faith of the Imperial Creed.

In a galaxy riven by war, it should be no surprise that many were great warriors, often leaders of massive Imperial Crusades that conquered vast swathes of space, or liberators of Human worlds enslaved by aliens or recidivists. Many were Imperial generals or admirals, while others were simple foot soldiers who by doing their duty, turned the tide of battle and molded history.

Other saints were great teachers or orators, men and women who with a single word or missive could achieve what a million Imperial Guardsmen could not. The writers of the most learned of religious tracts are also often made saints, lending even greater weight to teachings preached across countless planets.

Furthermore, it is common practice for ecclesiarchs to be declared saints after death, although the "beatification" of less well-respected or beloved individuals may take solar decades or even centuries to come about. Many are regarded as intercessors, to whom prayers are addressed and offerings are made to aid the faithful. It is held that the saint, being human but also close to the God-Emperor, might be able to petition the Emperor and bring about some tangible effect.

Saints may come to be regarded as able to intercede on specific issues, such as to provide deliverance from oppressors, safe passage through the Warp, a successful annual crop or a warrior's true aim. Given that such a vast pantheon of saints exists, the matters on which they are said to be able to intercede are often extremely specialised. Some regiments of the Astra Militarum, for example, hold that there is a specific saint for every single one of the thousands of marks of standard-issue Lasgun.

Saint Worship[]

Just as the Imperial Cult allows cultures and peoples to integrate the superstitions of their local worlds and ways of life into the larger Imperial Creed, so too do saints offer the common citizen a focus for their devotion more personal and approachable than that of the God-Emperor alone. Saint worship is seen by the Imperial Church as an aspect of worship of the God-Emperor -- the reasoning being that all saints rise up to become one with Him. Therefore, to revere a saint is to revere the Emperor.

That being said, the Ministorum is meticulous in who or what is deemed a "saint" and even the entire support of a planet or star system is sometimes not enough for them to be considered legitimate. For example, within the Calixis Sector, there are at least a score or more of true saints, sanctioned by the Ecclesiarchy and recognised as high up as the Segmentum Obscurus Synod, while hundreds more lesser or unsanctioned saints are still worshiped on worlds all across the sector. Though they risk punitive measures from the Church, or in extreme cases the brand of heresy from the Holy Ordos of the Inquisition, those not truly approved continue to rise up from the notable deeds and legends of common (and not so common) men and women.

Saints and Martyrs[]

There is a fine line between saints and martyrs, and in many cases those who achieve sainthood only do so through martyrdom. However the numbers of martyrs far outweigh the lists of the saints, though they are still honoured and remembered in their own way.

Martyrs are examples held up by the Imperial Church as a lesson in the ultimate expression of faith and the righteous conclusion of a life lived in the service of the God-Emperor.

The worlds of the Calixis Sector are riddled with martyrs, from the well-known ones, like the seventeen Holy Martyrs of Gallowglass, Sisters of Battle who gave their lives in a heroic last stand, to the nearly forgotten, like the "Lost Pilgrim," who represents those that stray from the trails of pilgrimage and disappear into the void.

Quite often an individual or group will be remembered for many standard years as a martyr or martyrs before their deeds are considered great enough to be raised to sainthood. Such an example is the Tranch War Saint, a nameless Imperial Guardsman said to have fallen in the Tranch War only to rise up and fight again at the side of his comrades no less than thirteen times despite terrible, mortal wounds.

From reports given by the Departmento Munitorum and numerous Commissars, there has been a movement to raise this nameless soldier up to sainthood for his martyrdom and he has been repeatedly put forward on the Festival of Saints for the consideration of the Calixis Sector Synod. To date, they have only deemed him a martyr of exceptional faith and not yet granted the mantle of sainthood.

Living Saints of the Adepta Sororitas[]

Saint Sabbat

An Imperial fresco of the Living Saint Sabbat.

Living Saints are those members of the Adepta Sororitas who are said to be so holy in mind, body and spirit that they somehow manifest something of the sacred power of the Emperor Himself.

Living Saints are not beatified after their death, but rather are spontaneous manifestations of the Emperor's grace. Living Saints literally glow with power, and even the least faithful will have no choice but to collapse to his knees in her presence. A Living Saint will usually, though not always, manifest from among the ranks of the Adepta Sororitas, all of whom are strictly female.

Typically, the manifestation of a Living Saint will presage some great endeavour, in which countless millions of the faithful take up arms in the name of the Emperor and truly extraordinary feats are performed. Sadly, the phenomenon is often short-lived, for it appears that the Living Saints are beacons of faith that burn blindingly bright, yet tragically brief. Before her death, however, a Living Saint will have changed the course of history for the better.

Living Saints are of great interest to the Thorian faction of the Inquisition, who regard them as vessels of the Emperor's power in the model of Sebastian Thor himself. This also makes them a target for the enemies of the faction, who have on several occasions sought to capture a Living Saint and dissect her in order to discover the source of her powers.

Festival of Saints[]

Most saints have their own holy days that are specific to them and their deeds (such as Saint Drusus). However, the Festival of Saints provides a day for all saints to be honoured, as well as a time when new saints may join their ranks.

This is especially important for very minor saints, such as Yorgic Thrice-Branded or Ewerft the Handless, who have small followings and little power within the Ecclesiarchy. During this time, stories are told and devout followers try and convert people by extolling the virtues and merits of their chosen saint.

As a result, it can be a dangerous (or at least frightening) time to go near to a shrine as citizens are accosted by frothing saint worshippers dressed in bizarre costumes and spouting proverbs. Causing an equally strong response is enough for the chance of being raised to sainthood.

While it is uncommon for anyone to be so bold as to try and claim that they themselves should be canonised (though there are a few that have tried -- some with surprisingly good cases), every voice seems to know of someone who died serving the Emperor and thus deserves the eternal recognition of the Ecclesiarchy.

As a result, the clerics and priests are subjected to long lines of supplicants and must listen to countless solar hours of prattle to then judge whether any are worthy of the greater attention of the Ecclesiarchy.

Notable Imperials Saints[]

Saint's Name Era Summary
Agamemnon the Just Unknown A notable daemon-hunting Inquisitor who utilised a Daemonhammer when fighting the Neverborn in battle.
Anais M41 A Living Saint who defended the Order of the Sacred Rose's primary bastion in the Sama District, on Kaurava I. In battle she was imbued with the Inviolable Aura -- an aura of invincibility which rendered every Sister of Battle in her presence invincible.
Annard M39 Born Annard Nobelac, Saint Annard was canonised by the Calixian Synod nearly four standard centuries after his death during the Angevin Crusade. A high-ranking official of the Adeptus Arbites and a legal scholar, he was sent to the then-Calyx Expanse to oversee the formation of the first Imperial Penal Worlds therein. Both politically savvy and highly devout, Judge Nobelac felt that the combination of hard labour and intense, often brutal penance were the keys to salvation. His penal colonies were models of Imperial legal ideals, combining toil in mines and manufactoria with daily prayer, flagellation, and fasting, and he was lauded throughout the Imperium for his numerous writings on imprisonment, penance, and Imperial law. He was killed in a prisoner uprising near the end of the Angevin Crusade on a long-lost Penal World somewhere in the Josian Reach and his body was never recovered. Upon his canonisation, he was made the patron saint of penitents, prisoners, and slaves, and his teachings on law, penance, and imprisonment are still used today.
Arabella M36 Saint Arabella is the patron of the Order of the Sacred Rose. Although this long-dead martyr never led her Order in battle, it was founded in her name. She was one of five companions of Alicia Dominica the patron and founder of the Adepta Sororitas. She was the last of the surviving six Sisters to enter the Emperor's Throne Room when they were brought before Him for a personal audience during the Reign of Blood in the 36th Millennium by the Adeptus Custodes. Arabella disappeared in the late 36th Millennium shortly after the death of Sister Mina -- her ultimate fate is unknown.
Aret the Lethecant Unknown A saint of the Calixis Sector, Saint Aret the Lethecant, is sovereign guardian of that which should not be remembered. A forgotten vestibule deep within the bowels of the Deathwatch's Watch Fortress Erioch in the Jericho Reach has been associated with this saint, despite the fact that both time and vandalism have damaged the details and origins of the occupant's remains that lie within. The longer-serving Battle-Brothers on the fortress know that the shrine long pre-dates the beatification of Saint Aret. It is thought it most likely portrays a hero of the Ecclesiarchy long-forgotten by his fellow priests but still honoured by the Deathwatch for his works at their side.
Ariette, the Shining Saint Unknown Within the Jericho Reach, the legend of the Shining Saint, a hero figure to the virtuous, still manages to echo throughout the sector's diverse worlds. The particulars of the Shining Saint's origin and deeds vary widely, and some suspect her to be a composite of many local legends. Whether the Shining Saint was ever real or not, the Vermilion Synod locked onto her as a tool for reaching the lost citizens of the Reach.
Kalendra Asceline M39 Asceline is worshipped as a saint within the Calixis Sector. She is the local patron saint of explorers and those who crusade into the unknown. A notable Sister Palatine of the Order of the Opening Eye, one of the Orders Famulous, she was assigned to Rogue Trader Ephranin Toba during the Angevin Crusade. After Toba's flagship, the Stern Voice was crippled, and Toba and the ship's Navigator were killed, Kalendra Asceline bravely guided the vessel back to Imperial-held space through the Warp by means of divine provenance. She was rewarded with Toba's Warrant of Trade in recognition of her miraculous deed.
Aspira Unknown Canoness Saint Aspira led a force from the Order of the Bloody Rose in the liberation of almost a hundred worlds from the grip of the Heretic Denescura. It is said her magnificent fur and velvet cloak, known as the Cloak of St. Aspira, can miraculously ward away the blows of the enemy.
Avitohol Unknown A revered Imperial Saint of the Ecclesiarchy. Little else is known about Avitohol.
Basillius ca. 300.M37-112.M38 After the Ecclesiarchal Purges of 321.M37, the judgement of Saint Basillius finds thirty Space Marine Chapters wanting in faith. The guilty are given a choice between instant death or embarking upon the lamentable Abyssal Crusade into the Eye of Terror. All choose the latter mission. Almost 800 standard years after the Abyssal Crusade began, the remnants of some of The Judged Chapters returned from the Warp in 112.M38, having purged more than 400 worlds within the Eye of Terror. They could barely contain their fury when they were detained by agents of the Inquisition and tested for the taint of Chaos. As they passed every test, a horrible truth came to light. Saint Basillius still lived, and the testimony of Konvak Lann, Chapter Master of the Vorpal Swords Chapter, revealed him as a false idol, guilty of sending innocents into the jaws of damnation in the service of the Dark Gods. The Vorpal Swords led the other survivors, blazing with righteous anger, to penetrate the defences of Basillius' palace. They found the unaccountably ancient saint and finally revealed Basillius' true nature as an apostle of Chaos. In less than a year, every known sepulchre and shrine dedicated to the false saint was destroyed. After his execution by the Inquisition, an Edict of Obliteration was carried out. The Heretic Saint's bones, along with countless relics, books of doctrine and thousands of living worshippers were placed on a derelict bulk-freighter and launched directly into a nearby star, purging all taint of Basillius as if he had never existed.
Brannicus the Thrice-Maimed Unknown A revered saint within the Calixis Sector, it is said that Saint Brannicus once beat three hundred sinners to death with his severed leg which remained miraculously intact. His remaining femur, known as the Righteous Femur of Saint Brannicus, is a revered holy artefact kept within the confines of the Ecclesiarchy Cathedral of Illumination on the Shrine World of Sacristy.
Capilene Unknown A revered Imperial saint of the Ecclesiarchy.
Casophili M41 Saint Casophili was a Missionary with the Missionarus Galaxia in the early 41st Millennium, spreading the teachings of the Ecclesiarchy to worlds in the southern Segmentum Pacificus. It was on the world of Alena III that he discovered minions of the Dark Gods at the heart of several of the feral societies on the world. With few resources to hand, Saint Casophili did what he could to counter this endemic threat and laid the foundations for a full Ecclesiarchy task force to continue his work. However, as he moved from settlement to settlement preaching the word of the God-Emperor, his foes began to take notice. Unable to bear such a threat to their power, the council of priests that ruled the world moved against him and had him captured and tortured, to recant his errant beliefs. The chronicles of Casophili tell of his arduous ordeal at the hands of the twisted priests, to the point at which he died from his wounds. Here the tale of Saint Casophili may have ended, unknown and unrecorded, another pious missionary whose life had ended in the pursuit of his calling. Though Casophili died at the hands of his tormentors, something remarkable happened. Five solar days after his death, the body of the missionary was to be burned upon a sacrificial pyre to the Dark Gods. As the flames took hold of the tarred wood, Casophili roused himself and jumped from the fires. Miraculously brought back from the dead, Casophili confronted his tormentors and the gathered crowd. The story of Saint Casophili's return spread quickly and he led the people of Alena III against the dark ruling priesthood.
Castor the Obviate Unknown The remover of obstacles and patron of truth. Legend has it that this Missionary endured all manner of undignified public punishments upon the Feudal World of Maccabeus Quintus, including five attempts to cut off his head. Each one failed until he pointed out an error with the guillotine's mechanism. According to the legend of his beatification, the people of Maccabeus Quintus were so impressed by his pious devotion that they rose up in support of the Imperial Creed, casting down their government to much rejoicing.
Celestine Unknown Saint Celestine is a revered Living Saint of the Adepta Sororitas' Order of Our Martyred Lady. She was believed slain during a campaign against the Renegade Warmaster of Forrax, but has returned at various times since to rescue Imperial forces in danger of being destroyed by the enemies of the God-Emperor.
Cognatius Unknown A revered saint worshipped in the Koronus Expanse, Saint Cognatius was a warrior-scholar who explored the boundaries of the Imperium and conquered countless worlds in the Emperor's name. Legends and evidence from rediscovered shrines indicate that he ventured into the Koronus Expanse millennia ago, long before anyone successfully mapped The Maw. In this era, good fortune for Rogue Traders and Missionaries within the region is often credited to his intercession.
Constantine of Alamar Unknown A revered Imperial saint of the Ecclesiarchy.
Corvus the Sabine Unknown A revered Imperial saint of the Ecclesiarchy.
Borgen Crassus Unknown A notable General of the Astra Militarum and one of the key commanders of the Macharian Crusade, he commanded Lord Solar Macharius' Fifth Army Group. During the Crusade, Crassus oversaw the campaign against Adrantis V. After the death of Macharius and the resulting dissolution of his conquests in the Macharian Heresy, Crassus would remain steadfastly loyal to the Imperium.
Decessio Unknown A revered Imperial saint of the Ecclesiarchy.
De Haan Unknown A notable Inquisitor of the Donorian Sector, De Haan rooted out heresy and corruption on over a thousand worlds. De Haan was finally martyred after over two standard centuries of service at the Battle of Kostiashak, where Chaos warriors captured him and nailed portions of his anatomy to the defiled cathedral of Trebian. De Haan's Acolytes recovered their master's remains, and many of these relics were stored in scented rosewood boxes on the worlds he cleansed. One known relic is a dagger into whose handle were woven shards of De Haan's armour.
Dolan Chirosius M36 Confessor Dolan Chirosius of Chiros, known as the Great Confessor, is a Saint of the Imperial Cult. He was martyred by the Apostate Cardinal Bucharis during the Plague of Unbelief of the Age of Apostasy in the 36th Millennium. His actions helped bring an end to the Apostate Cardinal's Renegade pocket empire and has served as an example of the power of faith in the Emperor of Mankind for billions of Imperial citizens. He was tortured and martyred by Bucharis.
Alicia Dominica M36 Alicia Dominica, known as the "Patron Saint of the Sisterhood," "Bearer of the Grail of Ages," and "Founder of the Order of the Ebon Chalice," is revered throughout the Imperium of Man as both the founder and patron Imperial Saint of the Adepta Sororitas. She was canonised as a Saint of the Imperial Cult. Dominica was the Daughter of the Emperor who beheaded the tyrannical High Lord Goge Vandire and brought an end to the Age of Apostasy's Reign of Blood in the 36th Millennium. She became the first Canoness of the Order of the Ebon Chalice.
Drusus the Warrior M39 Without a doubt the greatest of all the saints within the Calixis Sector, Drusus stands at the right hand of the Emperor in the hearts and minds of most Calixian citizenry. From early childhood, millions are taught the tales of the great general Drusus and his relentless armies. They learn of how he brought the light of the Emperor back to the sector and swept away the vile masses of xenos who had taken root. It is because of his efforts that the Calixis Sector exists today. The Ministorum makes sure that no one forgets his deeds and, wherever temples and shrines to the Emperor are raised, so too are statues of this saint. Likewise, few saints can boast a cult as large or powerful as Drusus and none can deny the influence that the cult has over all Calixian affairs. Though a mighty and cunning warlord, Drusus is best remembered and revered as an honest and courageous warrior. It is this purity of faith in the Emperor and the Imperium that soldiers will pray to emulate before heading into battle. Within the cult Drusus is second only to the Emperor and comes even before the leaders of the Ecclesiarchy. Of equal importance to the grand shrine on Scintilla is Maccabeus Quintus, site of the near-death of Drusus during the Angevin Crusade. Then there is Sentinel, an obscure Shrine World, located in the Drusus Marches. Exactly why the world is holy to the saint is unclear; thousands make the pilgrimage there, often to die in the shadow of Drusus' monument.
Dufaux Unknown A revered Imperial saint of the Ecclesiarchy.
Elana the Unshaken Unknown A true martyr who was slain for trying to spread the Imperial Creed, Elana died without regret or complaint for her faith in the God-Emperor. She is worshipped within the Calixis Sector on many worlds by those who must endure great hardships in the name of the Emperor and keep their faith despite their woes, for the saint teaches them that it could always be worse.
Emilia Unknown An oft-quoted saint who is mentioned throughout Commissar Ciaphas Cain's common book.
Emiline M40 Emiline was a citizen of the Imperium who gave her life to recapture the world of Emiline's Hope from the Forces of Chaos. The planet was subsequently named in her honour when she was declared an Imperial Saint. Her bones are interred at the Order of the Bleeding Heart's abbey on the planet. Later on, the reclamation of Saint Emiline's bones became a central feat in the tale of the Celestine, Sister Martika, when the world fell to the Ork WAAAGH! of the Arch-Maniac of Calvera in 452.M41.
Eugenios the Incandescent Unknown A notable saint of the Calixis Sector, he wrote The Word of Saint Eugenios the Incandescent. So furious was the passion with which he penned his work that anyone reading aloud from it is liable to suffer terrible burns as the very words ignite in his mouth. Only the most pious or strong-willed can read from the Word without incurring injury.
Euphrica Unknown A revered saint of the Calixis Sector, Saint Euphrica was known for undertaking a standard century-long pilgrimage. Several pieces of parchment detail stories of her life during her journey. While Saint Euphrica's tale is not widely circulated outside of the Pilgrims, the tale is well-documented by Ecclesiarchal scholars.
Ezra M40 Martyred in 670.M40, Saint Ezra is the patron saint of undertaking and setting forth. Because Ezra had promised to "light a flame in the darkness to mark all those setting forth," his colour is flame yellow.
Galantin Unknown A revered Imperial saint of the Ecclesiarchy.
Gerstahl M31 Gerstahl was an Imperial Army officer who had fallen defending the Cadian Gate during the first centuries after the Horus Heresy. Entombed on the Shrine World named for him, under the world's alabaster capital, the saint was prophesied to rise again when the "Eye of Darkness opened for the last time" and stem the tide of the treacherous. During the 3rd Black Crusade, Abaddon launched an attack on Cadia, unleashing Daemon Prince Tallomin, the so-called "Prince of Princes," against the Cadian Gate, in order to distract the Imperium from the desecration of Gerstahl's tomb. Abaddon destroyed the remains of Saint Gerstahl and forestalled any chance of the prophecy's fulfillment and his return as a Living Saint.
Gherick the Confessor Unknown A revered Imperial saint of the Ecclesiarchy.
Rybel Gorth, the Watcher of the Dark Unknown An Imperial Saint worshipped in the Calixis Sector, Rybel Goth is an unusual saint in that he was a psyker. Rybel's selfless sacrifice to save sacred knowledge is a lesson that even in the most unlikely of vessels the God-Emperor's divine power can take root. Rybel's example makes a good story for those that feel they are unworthy of the Emperor's light, and proof that true faith comes only with sacrifice.
Harmon Unknown A revered Imperial saint of the Ecclesiarchy. A cathedral was named for him on the world of Corinthus V.
Jason of Huale Unknown A revered Imperial saint of the Ecclesiarchy, he bore the holy artefact known as the Axe of Chalcydon.
Jerome the Pure M33 In 888.M33, on the world of Tosak, Jerome the Pure sought to challenge the then-mortal Periclitor, and there along with his daemonic host, they ran him to ground. They put Jerome to death, but only after each of his followers in turn had been eviscerated before his very eyes.
Jerido Unknown A revered Imperial saint of the Ecclesiarchy.
Josina Unknown A revered Imperial saint of the Ecclesiarchy.
Josmane Unknown A revered Imperial saint of the Ecclesiarchy. St. Josmane's Hope, the ninth planet within the Cadian System, was named for her. This world served as an Imperial military prison within the Cadian Sector.
Kadmon Unknown A revered Imperial saint of the Ecclesiarchy.
Katherine M36 Saint Katherine is the patron saint of the Order of Our Martyred Lady of the Adepta Sororitas, which was originally known as the Order of the Fiery Heart. She was one of five companions of Alicia Dominica, the patron saint and founder of the Adepta Sororitas. Known as the "Shield Bearer," Katherine was regarded as Alicia Dominica's second-in-command and was the bearer of Dominica's Praesidium Protectiva -- a large shield said to contain a shard of the Emperor's own personal Power Armour, that was impervious to physical attacks. Katherine was well-known for her fiery determination and vengeful spirit, ever leading her Sisters at the forefront of innumerable battles and pursuing the prosecution of numerous Wars of Faith against Heretics in the name of the Emperor of Mankind. She was the founder of the Order of the Fiery Heart. Her Sisters came to reflect her vengeful and fiery nature. Leading her Order for many solar decades, she was declared a Living Saint within her lifetime for performing legendary acts. Eventually, Katherine met her end at the hands of evil men when she was murdered by the Witch-Cult of Mnestteus. So deeply did her Sisters mourn Katherine's loss that they renamed their Order the Order of Our Martyred Lady. Unknown to her Order, sometime before her untimely death, Saint Katherine visited the world of Sanctus Lys in the Palatine Sector. Beneath a shrine, in a hidden crypt, she interred her golden Power Armour and her legendary Power Sword, the Ardent Blade. These powerful artefacts were found centuries later and retrieved by the Living Saint Saint Celestine.
Euphrati Keeler M31 Euphrati Keeler was a Remembrancer during the Great Crusade, and more specifically an imagist (photographer). Keeler escaped the 63rd Expeditionary Fleet and Horus' slaughter of all the other Remembrancers present on the Battle Barge Vengeful Spirit with Mersadie Oliton and the Iterator Kyril Sindermann aboard the Imperial frigate Eisenstein that was commanded by the Loyalist Death Guard Battle Captain Nathaniel Garro during the Istvaan III Atrocity. Keeler and the others had only escaped the Vengeful Spirit with the help of the Luna Wolves Captain Iacton Qruze. Keeler became an avid proponent of the Lectitio Divinitatus, the forerunner to the Imperial Cult that held the Emperor of Mankind to be the God of Mankind. Her faith in the Emperor would prove to be so absolute that it would provide psychic protection against the powers of daemons summoned from the Warp, and Keeler would go on to become one of the earliest saints later formally recognised by the Imperial Creed.
Kozak Unknown A revered Imperial saint of the Ecclesiarchy.
Lacena Unknown A revered Imperial saint of the Ecclesiarchy.
Leonis the Blind M38 An Imperial Missionary, Leonis was martyred after having his eyes removed while spreading the word of the Emperor across the wilder star systems of the Scarus Sector.
Lucia M36 Saint Lucia was the youngest of the five companions of Alicia Dominica, the founder and patron saint of the Adepta Sororitas. Lucia went on to become the founder of the Order of the Valorous Heart. In the late 36th Millennium, Saint Lucia was captured by recidivists, who gouged out her eyes and forced her to endure the death screams of a thousand innocents, and the murder of a number of her own Sisters, who remained resolutely silent. Mere solar days after word of her death reached the Holy Synod, Lucia was canonised as an Imperial Saint.
Lucius of Agathea Unknwon A famed Confessor, Saint Lucius of Agathea is a notable saint of the Ecclesiarchy. It is said that those who read from the holy artefact known as the Book of St. Lucius can inspire those around them to great deeds.
Lord Solar Macharius M41 Macharius was the Lord Commander Solar, the chief military commander of the Imperium's Segmentum Solar and one of the High Lords of Terra who is also perhaps the most famous commander of the Astra Militarum. Granted the rank of Imperial Warmaster by the Senatorum Imperialis, he undertook the Macharian Conquests, also called the Macharian Crusade, of 392-399.M41, which in only seven standard years he added nearly 1,000 new worlds to the Imperium at the very edge of the Milky Way Galaxy in the Segmentum Pacificus. Following his death, he was later canonised as a saint of the Imperial Cult by the Ecclesiarchy.
Marduk M39 An Imperial Arch-Confessor, Marduk declared a War of Faith in response to the Orpheus Revolt to reclaim the Orpheus Sector in the Emperor's name. Marduk claimed that the God-Emperor Himself warned him of a great and terrible threat to all Mankind "rising where the light of Orpheus falls forever into shadow." Gathering hundreds of thousands of followers, the Arch-Confessor proved to be a figurehead and rallying point for the Orphean Campaign and helped stem the tide of heresy. Later, while leading an attack on the final Chaos stronghold of Colkasth, Marduk and his army disappeared after encountering an unknown xenos threat which reduced both Imperial and Renegade forces on the world to radioactive waste (this force was later determined to be a dynasty of the Necrons). The Holy Synod later declared him a martyr and elevated him to sainthood, renaming Colkasth as Saint Marduk's Bane.
Menazzer Unknown A revered Imperial saint of the Ecclesiarchy.
Mina M36 Saint Mina was one of the five companions of Alicia Dominica, the founder and patron saint of the Adepta Sororitas. Mina is the patron saint of the Order of the Bloody Rose. Although this long-dead martyr never led her Order in battle, it was founded in her name. In the late 36th Millennium, Saint Mina was martyred by a sanguinary Chaos Cult whilst at prayer in a shrine on Hydraphur. When her body was found within the shrine, she was surrounded by the corpses of twenty of her attackers -- her body covered in their blood. Her personal symbol, the red rose, represents her strong character and her final death.
Quivvar Nog of Fedris Unknown Within the Calixis Sector it is believed that Quivvar Nog is proof that even the most primitive of men can find glory in the light of the God-Emperor. Quivvar is an example of the strength of faith and the inevitable march of the Imperial Creed across the stars. Missionaries especially like to teach the tale of Quivvar to primitive and feral cultures that they may rise above their origins and find faith in the Master of Mankind.
Numeri IV Unknown A minor Imperial saint of the Ecclesiarchy.
Olion Unknown A revered Imperial saint of the Ecclesiarchy.
Orlanda Unknown A revered Imperial saint of the Ecclesiarchy.
Phistinius Unknown A revered Imperial saint of the Ecclisiarchy. A common Imperial proverb is associated with Phistinius. "And Saint Phistinius went unto the enemy unarmed and unarmoured."
Ollanius Pius M31 Ollanius Pius is a mythological figure of the Imperial Creed, and is likely a reference to a mysterious individual named Ollanius Persson, an immortal Perpetual, who played a role during the Horus Heresy that has yet to be fully documented. According to legend, it was Ollanius Pius who sacrificed himself to save the life of the Emperor during the final confrontation with Horus aboard his flagship, the Vengeful Spirit during the epic Battle of Terra.
Praxedes of Ophelia VII M41 Saint Praxedes of Ophelia VII was the Canoness of the Order of Our Martyred Lady at the start of the Second Tyrannic War. With a force of Battle-Sisters from her Order she reinforced the Caladenian Regiments of the Astra Militarum on the Cardinal World of Okassis. As the Tyranids assaulted the Cardinal Palace, she led her Battle-Sisters and a company of Guardsmen in a gallant counterattack. Leading from the front, she bested a Hive Tyrant and broke the Tyranid attack, buying the thousands of refugees fleeing from the conflict the time needed to evacuate the planet. Not content with this success, the Canoness pressed deep into the heart of the Tyranid swarms, leading her small army in a guerrilla war against the armies of the Hive Mind. The disruption and havoc she wreaked seriously weakened the Tyranid attack on the main spaceport of Okassis, saving even more lives. As the last of the shuttles soared into orbit and safety, all contact was lost with her army. She was the first Imperial martyr to the attack of Hive Fleet Kraken and her name is revered all across the Segmentum Ultima. Some claim that she yet lives, fighting on against the dreaded hordes of the Tyranids from within their swarm.
Praxides Unknown A revered warrior-saint of the Ecclesiarchy.
Sabbat ca. 500-650.M35 The saint of the Imperial Cult known as Saint Sabbat is described as a small but beautiful green-eyed girl with short black hair. She was born Sabbat Beati around the year 500.M35 on the pastoral world of Hagia, in the sector of the Segmentum Pacificus that afterwards became known as the Sabbat Worlds. Little detail of Saint Sabbat's history remains, but what is known is that in her early life she was inspired by a vision of the Emperor to rally humanity and liberate the entire region in a great Imperial Crusade against the Ruinous Powers. Her achievements overshadow those of many a Lord General Militant of the Astra Militarum, while her teachings lead all Imperial citizens to a simplicity and wisdom that belie her humble origins.
Scythus Unknown A revered Imperial Saint of the Ecclesiarchy, the Imperial Navy Battleship Saint Scythus was named after this saint.
Silvana M36 Saint Silvana is the patron saint and founder of the Order of the Argent Shroud. She was one of five companions of Alicia Dominica, the patron saint and founder of the Adepta Sororitas. She was one of the first Sisters to lead Imperial Crusades in the name of the Emperor of Mankind. In the late 36th Millennium, Silvana met her fate at the hands of a Death Cult Assassin. Her remains disappeared whilst lying in state at the Convent Prioris. She was declared an Imperial Saint by the unanimous vote of the Holy Synod of the Ecclesiarchy.
Sebastian Thor M36 Sebastian Thor openly opposed the Apostate High Lord Goge Vandire during the Age of Apostasy in the 36th Millennium. Following Vandire's death at the hands of his own female bodyguards, the Brides of the Emperor, Thor was duly elected as 292nd Ecclesiarch of the Adeptus Ministorum. Through his tireless efforts, he reformed the Ministorum, the Imperial Creed and with it the shattered Imperium. Of all the saints venerated across the Imperium, it is Sebastian Thor who has become most adored. There can scarcely be a single man, woman or child across the millions of worlds of the Imperium who does not know his name. As such, dedication to Saint Thor has become something of a sub-stratum of the Imperial Creed, with countless sects venerating him in different ways.
Tomasi Unknown A revered Imperial Saint of the Ecclesiarchy.
Ultantix Unknown A revered Imperial Saint of the Ecclesiarchy.
Uther the Cataplast Unknown A revered Imperial Saint of the Calixis Sector who was said to have suffered numerous wounds during his lifetime, before suffering the ninety-ninth wound which finally killed him.
Valerius Unknown Saint Valerius is a much-venerated figure within the Askellon Sector, his gaunt, stern likeness carved into a thousand stone edifices and rendered in faded stained glass the length and breadth of the region. The saint is regarded as the saviour of Askellon, an intercessory figure said to watch over its people and its masters and to provide protection in time of need. Numerous legends relate a wide array of tales regarding the early life and miracles of Saint Valerius, and while most vary widely in events, dates, and scope, all describe the saint rallying the people of Askellon against some overwhelming outside force. In some versions, the invaders are ravening xenos from the voids beyond the sector's trailing margins, at other times hideous creatures coalesced from the raw stuff of the Pandaemonium itself. One variation holds that the saint was originally a great Imperial general who served in the wars of the opening years of the Age of the Imperium, returning to Askellon to find it overrun by those who had renounced their oaths to humanity and sought to enslave the sector's worlds.
Verevya Unknown A revered Imperial Saint of the Ecclesiarchy.
Vindicus the Forlorn Unknown An Imperial Saint worshipped in the Calixis Sector, Vindicus was a warrior Confessor who died in battle against the savage Orks. Vidicus became the instrument for the Emperor's glory to shine upon his followers and drive them on a holy crusade against the enemies of Mankind. Vidicus, like Drusus, is a warrior saint and favoured by soldiers and Imperial Guardsmen (especially those facing xenos) and is often called upon to bolster their courage in the face of overwhelming opposition.
Yamalla Unknown A revered Imperial Saint of the Ecclesiarchy.
Yuri the Shepherd Unknown Saint Yuri the Shepherd was an ancient voidman canonised by the Calixian Synod of the Ecclesiarchy who is considered to be the Patron Saint of Voidsmen in the Calixis Sector. There are many paintings bearing the saint's image present across the sector which were painted by a very respected artificer in the distant past.

Source[]

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  • Dark Heresy: Church of the Damned, pp. 16-17, 61
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  • Horus Rising (Novel) by Dan Abnett
  • Altar of Cyrene (Short Story) by Lucien Soulban
  • Angel of Fire (Novel) by William King
  • Fist of Demetrius (Novel) by William King
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  • Last Chancers (Novel) by Gav Thorpe
  • Malleus (Novel) by Dan Abnett
  • Xenos (Novel) by Dan Abnett
  • For the Emperor (Novel) by Sandy Mitchell
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