Sisters of Silence

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Anathema Psykana
(Sisters of Silence)
SoSSymbol.jpg
Sisters of Silence symbol
Parent Agency: Adeptus Astra Telepathica
Headquarters: Somnus Citadel, Luna
Leader: Sister-Commander Asurma[17a]
Established: M30

The Sisters of Silence, also known as the Anathema Psykana[13a] or Silent Sisterhood, are an ancient, anti-psychic militant order. They are the militant arm of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica and are internally referred to as the organisation's Departmento Investigates.[12] However, their affiliation with this body is largely symbolic, and in truth they are an autonomous military force answering directly to the Emperor and the Lord Commander of the Imperium.[16] Together with the Adeptus Custodes they represented the Talons of the Emperor, with the Sisters as the left hand of the Emperor.[14] Fragmenting after the Horus Heresy, they were brought back under Imperial control by Roboute Guilliman in M42.[12] Their ranks consist entirely of blanks.

Overview

A Vigilator of the Silent Sisterhood

The Sisters of Silence have a long history, originally operating from the Somnus Citadel on Luna. They are an all-female order in much the same way as the Adepta Sororitas; the major difference is that the Sisters are all blanks. Recruited from Untouchable stock[3], the Sisters are anathema to psykers. Their very presence disrupts psychic activity and they are presumed to have been immune to most forms of psychic assault. The main purpose of the Sisters of Silence is therefore to seek out and apprehend psykers. As warrior-investigators they were involved in all aspects of the capture and transportation of psychic individuals[1] and are still found among the crew of the Black Ships.[12]

While nominally part of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica, in truth the Sisters of Silence answer directly to the Emperor. This allows them to operate on worlds usually immune to the Imperial Tithe, such as those belonging to the Ecclesiarchy or Adeptus Mechanicus. They also are known to be deployed against large covens of rogue psykers or Chaos Space Marine sorcerers.[16]

History

The origins of the Sisters of Silence are shrouded in mystery. However, it is said that they first appeared during the early Great Crusade when the Primaris Psykers of the Astra Telepathica proved unable to properly control captured Psykers. A better solution was needed, and from this conundrum was born the Silent Sisterhood. An incident known as the Cataclysm of Pentacanaes may be tied to their formation. Others say that the origins of the Silent Sisterhood go back further to a lost agency of the Dark Age of Technology.[10b]

During the years of the Great Crusade, a cadre of Sisters were dispatched by the Emperor to aid the Death Guard in an attack on a Jorgall cylinder ship. Once there, they managed to wound a Jorgall mutant Psyker and capture it for transport to Terra.[2]

The major base of operations for the Sisterhood was the Somnus Citadel on Luna, which was maintained by the ancient Selenite Cults.[2][10b] The Sisterhood, while nominally under the control of the Astra Telepathica, quickly became a personal force associated with the Emperor himself. Along with the Custodes the Sisters of Silence were the only military force of the Imperium permitted to walk freely within the inner Imperial Palace, the sovereign domain of the Emperor.[10b]

The Sisters of Silence participated in some of the major actions of the Horus Heresy, including the defense of the Imperial Palace. They were perhaps most successful during the assault on Prospero, where a force of Sisters were deployed to provide specialised support for the attacking Space Wolves Legion. Due to their Untouchable nature, the Sisters were proof against the psychic attacks of the defending Thousand Sons Legion and provided a stable bulwark for the assault to be anchored upon. The Sisters of Silence were also vital in preventing Terra from being overrun by Daemons during the War Within the Webway.[1] The Sisters of Silence took part in the final defense of Terra, with Sister Commander Jenetia Krole falling to Khârn of the World Eaters.[18b]

Post-Heresy

The Sisters of Silence[1c]

After the Warmaster's rebellion was halted at Terra and the Emperor was interred upon his Golden Throne, the Sisters of Silence found themselves without direction. Many had been killed in combat, and many others had become stranded across a war-ravaged galaxy.[12] The Sisters who served as part of the Talons of the Emperor struggled to restore their numbers during the Great Scouring, increasingly becoming the target of mistrust or even hostility by the wider Imperium due to their nature as Blanks. Only the Adeptus Custodes still supported them, though even they could not stem the Sisterhood's marginalization.[35a][35b] Eventually, the Sisters of Silence were largely cast out of the Adeptus Terra.[13a] The exception was the Chamber Astra, which operated the Black Ships and continued to operate uninterrupted.[26] Sites associated with the order such as the Somnus Citadel fell into ruin, inhabited only by devolved remnant groups such as the Fellowship.[17a][17b]

Undaunted by the lack of guidance, many Sisters went abroad into the wider Imperium to continue their work. There amongst the stars they hunted savants and witches with unstinting fervour; some as part of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica, some as lone but loyal agents who eventually settled within the teeming hordes of Humanity. In some rare cases, these hunters learned to suppress their uncanny auras to some degree, and in living alongside others begot their own bloodlines. In this way, the genetic peculiarity of the Silent Sisterhood found its way further into the vast spread of the human race. None of these would-be settlers ever stayed in one place for long, for the Pariah gene is not named idly. Wherever the Sisters of Silence sought out new lives, they were hounded into exile once more by those that hated them for their intrinsic otherness.[12] Members of the spreading Imperial Cult decried the Sisters of Silence as witches, even blaming them for the entire Horus Heresy and inciting mobs to kill them as well as destroy memories of their service. Fanatics even broke into sections of the Imperial Palace, burning the corpses of Sisters who had been buried there despite repeated efforts of the Adeptus Custodes to stop these mobs.[35b] Over time, many believed the Sisters to have disbanded or gone extinct, though this was never the case.[16]

The Sisters of Silence banded together but rarely since their devolution at the end of the Horus Heresy.[13a] By M32, only a single force of fifty Sisters were known by Imperial authorities, dwelling on the world of Nadiries. These stated that the Imperium had discarded them out of mistrust following the Heresy. Despite being fiercely loyal to the Emperor and Primarchs, this last bastion of the Sisterhood expressed disdain for the modern Imperium, stating they would rather see it burn than be of aid. Nonetheless, Lord Commander of the Imperium Koorland was able to convince them to help against the Orks during the War of the Beast.[7] By the 41st Millennium the remaining Sisters were largely forgotten by the Imperium, their sparse and virtually unfunded Chambers operating from several Black Ships. They continued to serve in their role, but without recognition or resupply. Sister Atarine Hestia was vital in keeping the dying Sisterhood together.[13a]

Renaissance

The situation for the Sisterhood changed dramatically with the rebirth of Roboute Guilliman.[16] At the end of the 41st Millennium a surviving group of Sisters of Silence appeared on Luna during the last stage of the Terran Crusade. These Sisters were from their few remaining strongholds across the galaxy, called back to Terra due to the Thirteenth Black Crusade at the behest of the desperate High Lords.[13a] In truth however, they had been secretly gathered perhaps years in advance by Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes Trajann Valoris, who foresaw trouble.[13b] Alongside Custodes from Terra these Sisters proved vital in the defeat of Magnus in the battle.[11] After the return of Roboute Guilliman, he issued the Dispensatus Anathema, declaring that the remaining strongholds of the Sisters of Silence be gathered and expanded. He sent many emissaries across the galaxy, discovering lost Sisters strongholds and issuing his summons to Terra. He went on to re-garrison the Somnus Citadel on Luna.[17a] Despite the call, not all sisters were able to return and chose to remain in hiding.[34]

When the great muster at Terra was complete, 3,000 Sisters had assembled and were deployed as the Vigil Indomitus, taking part in Guilliman's new Indomitus Crusade. Since the Dispensatus Anathema the Sisterhood has been greatly expanded and new Vigils once thought lost have been rediscovered by Crusade forces.[16] The Sisters have returned to the frontlines, forming Orders and Vigils in every Segmentum and often operating in fleet-based forces for the Indomitus Crusade.[12]

The new Sisters of Silence fleets have used their null abilities in conjunction with the Navis Nobilite to penetrate the new fierce Warp Storms that ravaged the Imperium.[12]

Notable Battles

The Sisters of Silence[29]

Heresy-era

Post-Heresy era

Era Indomitus

Communication

Each Sister swears an oath of silence known as the Oath of Tranquility upon being nominated for Sisterhood; before this, when they are novices, they are allowed to converse normally. The oath of silence prevents them from speaking the terrible knowledge they learn to hunt their prey while also ensuring they never speak clemency for their foes.[25] Amongst their other duties, novices sometimes act as interpreters between senior Sisters and other agents of the Imperium. Full Sisters converse in their own sign language, but there is at least one example of them being conversant in other forms of sign-communication, such as Astartes battle-signage[2], voidsys, and graph-binarc.[25]

Sign Language

  • Main article: Thoughtmark
  • ThoughtMark - A symbolic sign-language that uses small gestures and conveys complex ideas and subtlety.[3]
  • BattleMark - A symbolic sign-language used in combat. Less flexible than ThoughtMark, it is also less ambiguous and its larger gestures can be seen from farther away.[3] This makes it a better choice for a command language on the field of battle.
  • Orsköde - A machine readable version of ThoughtMark.[3]

On occasions that a senior Sister needs to communicate in a complex manner with those outside their Order, they will use a Proloquor, an acolyte who has yet to take the vow of tranquility.[16]

Organisation

At the time of the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy the Sisterhood was overseen by three general officers: the Sister Commander, the Mistress of the Black Fleet, and the Nemesis Praxia. Below these were four distinct groups. The first was the Chamber of Vigilance, the largest of all the Sisters orders which acted as garrisons and collectors of the Great Tithe. Second was Chamber of Oblivion which operated battlefield units led by Oblivion Knights and Knights-centura. Next was the Chamber of Judgement which fielded the dreaded silent judges of the Excruciatus.[10b] The fourth was the Chamber Astra, which captained and guarded the Black Ships. Unlike the rest of the Silent Sisterhood, the Chamber Astra never was scattered or abandoned after the Heresy.[26]

The largest primary operating unit of the Sisterhood is a Vigil, which contained approximately 1,000 sisters. The exact size of the Sisterhood at the end of Great Crusade is not known, though it numbered in the tens of thousands.[10b] Currently the Vigil Indomitus, the largest Vigil of the modern Sisterhood, consists of over 3,000 warriors.[16]

While each Vigil varies in identity, traditions, and history, they are all divided into a number of Cadres, and each cadre is given a unique designation before taking up the Vigil's historic hues. The Cadres are company level-bodies, though it is rare for them to ever fight as one. Instead they undertake specific duties, such as investigating non-compliance with the Great Tithe, hunting down rogue psykers, or cleansing a region of psykers.[16]

Ranks

Janetia Krole with Raptor Squad[1a]
  • Acolyte — Uninitiated trainees that came in three ranks[10b]
  • Novice-Sister — An aspirant, that has not taken the Vow of Tranquility.[3]
  • Null Maiden — A sister that has taken the Vow of Tranquility. They operated in three types of squads known as Seeker, Prosecutor, and Vigilator[10b]
  • Sister Superior — Squad Leader.[8]
  • Aquilai Astra — pilots and ship crews[10b]
  • Oblivion Knight — high ranking Sisters who lead the Witchseekers on their missions.[2] These are blanks that have developed their null-abilities to the point of making any use of psychic powers in their presence hazardous to the user. These warriors are not tasked with overseeing the Black Ships, but rather seek out and destroy powerful Psykers.[10b]
  • Knight-Centura — The most experienced and veteran Oblivion Knights who serve as battlefield commanders for the Silent Sisterhood.[10a]
  • Knight Abyssal — Higher rank. commands multiple squads of sisters.[7]
  • Knight-Excubiator - Rank of the Chamber Astra. The commanding security officer of a Black Ship.[26]
  • Witchseeker Pursuivant — High ranking sister (above that of Oblivion Knight).[3]
  • Nemesis Praxia — One of the three most senior ranks, overseeing the Sisterhood's acquired lore and training new recruits.[10b]
  • Mistress of the Black Fleet — One of the three most senior ranks, charged with commanding and overseeing the League of Black Ships.[10b]
  • Sister-Commander — One of the three most senior ranks. The general commander of the Sisters of Silence.[3][10b] Also referred to as Knight-Commander[10a] or Vigil-Commander.[18a]

Specialist Roles

Known Vigils

Main article: Sisters of Silence Vigils

Known Cadres

Recruitment and Training

The Sisterhood recruits blanks from a great many sources which vary from Vigil to Vigil. Some have ended up among the Imperial Tithe, their worlds eager to be rid of the pariahs. Others are handed over by the Inquisition or Rogue Traders. Rumours persist that the Sisterhood themselves maintain genetically stable bloodlines of pariahs, breeding new Sisters for recruitment.[16]

Once recruited, aspiring Sisters known as Proloquors begin grueling training and a range of lesser duties. Only once they have proven themselves worthy of the Sisterhood's high standards are they inducted fully. Upon becoming a full member they take the Vow of Tranquility, never speaking again.

Equipment

Main article: Sisters of Silence Armoury

Clad in their iconic Vratine armour, Sisters of Silence operate a variety of weaponry based around their mission of psyker hunting. Their primary melee weapon is the Executioner Greatblade or power axe[1a], while others carry bolters and flamers. They also frequently utilize psyk-out grenades.[8] For transportation, the Sisters of Silence have historically been known to ride into battle on grav-rhinos, Kharon pattern acquisitors, dividers, and jetbikes.[1] During the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy the sisterhood operated spaceship types like the Anathema Class Pinnace[10c] and the Optima-malifax Class Light Cruiser.[39]

In the Age of the Dark Imperium, much of the advanced weaponry and technology wielded by the Silent Sisterhood has since been lost through unclear means. This includes psi-negation and disruption technology, as well as anti-gravity vessels said to be fashioned by the Emperor himself. It is one of the primary goals of current Sister-Commander Asurma to reclaim this lost technology.[25]

Notable Sisters of Silence

Heresy-era

Horus Heresy-era Sisters of Silence Icon[30]

Post-Heresy

Related Videos

Images

Miniatures

Trivia

TriviaScrollTrans.png

The following information is not to be regarded as officially sanctioned and/ or is not written from an in-universe point of view. A detailed explanation of the term "Trivia" as used in the Lexicanum can be found here.

  • Orsköde is similar in function to real world Morse Code.

See also

Sources

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