Due to its all-female membership, the Adepta Sororitas is often referred to as the Sisterhood, although some still call it by its original name, the Daughters of the Emperor. The Sisterhood is most commonly associated with the Battle Sisters of the Orders Militant, but this is not its only role in the Imperium. There are three other major Orders of the Adepta Sororitas and many others numbering perhaps only a hundred each.

All of the Orders of the Sisterhood are divided between the two principle worlds of Earth and Ophelia VII. The Adepta Sororitas have an extensive Convent on each of these planets which are home to members of all Orders. For most of the time, members of the Sisterhood will not be occupying their Convent but are dispatched across the Imperium in accordance with their various duties. However, the Convent still bustles with new recruits and organisational staff, even when most of its inhabitants are fighting a War of Faith or employed in some other major effort.

The head of each Convent is the Prioress, who is answerable only to the Ecclesiarch himself. The Prioress has a vast team of organisational staff at her disposal and between them they form the spiritual head of the Sisterhood, after the Ecclesiarch. The Prioresses are elected from the ranks of the various Orders, and have been known to accompany their followers as necessity dictates. It is rare but not unknown for a Prioress to accompany her Battle Sisters in a War of Faith, for example. The most important religious services and ceremonies are led by the Prioress and she is the principle guardian of her Sisters’ souls.

Each Order is run by a Canoness and her Sister Superiors. They look after the training of recruits, the performing of regular prayer sessions (usually several a day) and the maintenance of their own affairs. Part of the puritan lifestyle of the Sisterhood is its isolation and it is generally only the Canoness and her most experienced Sister Superiors who will have dealings with outsiders — even Sisters of another Order. The Sisters are utterly dedicated to one task or discipline and brook no distraction trom their studies.

The most widely known Orders of the Sisterhood are the Orders Militant. These Battle Sisters follow the original doctrines of the Daughters of the Emperor. They seek perfection of their martial skills in order to purify their minds and dedicate themselves to the Emperor. The Orders Militant arc further broken down into military units, with each squad led by a Sister Superior. The most senior Sister Superiors may have organisational control over several squads of Battle Sisters, but in conflict every squad is generally considered as an individual entity. The most skilled and experienced Battle Sisters receive further training and become inducted into the most ancient rites of the Order. These elites are known as Seraphim and the most trusted and spiritual of their number become the personal bodyguard of the Order’s Canoness.

When Sebastian Thor ascended to the position of Ecclesiarchy there were roughly 4,000 Daughters of the Emperor under his command. Upon founding the Adepta Sororitas these warriors were split between the Convents of Ophelia VII and Terra (the Convent Sanctorum and Convent Prioris respectively). With recruits passing through the hands of’ the Schola Progenium once again. The Adepta Sororitas’ ranks soon grew to over 10,000 fighters and the Ecclesiarch succeeding Thor (Ecclesiarch Alexis XXII) split each of the Convents into two Orders each, founding the Orders Militant of the Ebon Chalice, Valorous Heart, Fiery Heart and the Argent Shroud.

Two and a half thousand years later, two more Orders were created by Deacis VI ( the Orders of the Bloody Rose and Sacred Rose) and the Convent buildings were extended to accommodate almost 15,000 warriors each. In recent years, the number of the Militant Orders' members has declined slightly and each Order now number between 3,000 and 4,000 Battle Sisters, of which perhaps 500-750 will be trained as Seraphim.These warriors are spread throughout the galaxy in various battle zones and on extended tours of duty. The size of an Order waxes and wanes irregularly, depending on the quality of recruits availble and battle losses. On occasion an Order may number no more than a few hundred warriors, all fighting the enemies of the Emperor while at other times it may reach a peak of six or seven thousand warriors, with much of the Order fighting in distant wars but still leaving a reserve of several thousand Battle Sisters and Seraphim that can be despatched if needed.

The Orders Hospitaller accompany the Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy to provide nursing and medical support. They are highly dedicated to the preservation of life and many who would die without their attentions live to fight again. Not only do the Orders Hospitaller provide surgeons, physicians and nurses, they also provide other types of care and perform deeds of deep compassion.

The Orders Hospitaller aid the poor and under-privileged, founding hostels and shelters for the needy. By instilling their own spiritual faith and rigid discipline on others, they save many souls from the darkness and turn potential malcontents and criminals into hard-working Imperial citizens. The Orders Hospitaller work closely with the Missionarus Galaxia to provide clinics and hospitals on newly discovered worlds,bringing the wonders of their science and belief to the natives.

Speech and language is the speciality of the Orders Dialogus. Those with an aptitude for translation find their way into its ranks where they learn even more languages. While there are branches of the Adeptus Terra dedicated to the study of all languages. While there are branches of the Adeptus Terra dedicated to the study of all languages, the Orders Dialogus use their talents in a practical fashion. Though the Imperium has a single language, Imperial Gothic, there are thousands of dialects, slangs, sub- languages and command tongues within it. When a Missionary finds a new civilisation, a Sister from the Dialogus will be assigned to help him learn the native language and communicate with the newly discovered people. The Dialogus accompany the Navy and Imperial Guard, translating the orders of the high command into the patois and languages of the common soldiers. The Orders Dialogus are also skilled negotiators and often work within the Adeptus Terra to aid discussion between organisations and individuals.

The fourth major Order is the Order Famulous. Members of the Order Famulous are dedicated to the organisation of households. They serve the nobles and Imperial Commanders of the Imperium as advisors and chatelaines. They run the noble families' affairs and direct their businesses. In this way, the Ecclesiarchy maintains a fairly tight control over the most powerful individuals in the Imperium. The Famulous maintain their own strict lifestyle and strive to control the excesses of those they are assigned to. They arrange marriages and agreements brtween the noble families, quelling long-term feuds and disputes and settling matters that might otherwise jeopardise the stability of the area.

With members in every aspect of society, the Sisterhood can maintain a close eye on the affairs of the Imperium. The Orders Famulous report on the activities of the Noble Houses, the Orders Dialogus can inform their seniors of the deals and agreements binding the Imperium together and the Orders Hospitaller witness many things unseen outside their wards. All of this makes the Adepta Sororitas a useful political as well as social tool, and with the armed might of the Orders Militant, the Sisterhood has the protection and power it needs to operate successfully.

The Imperial Creed

The beliefs and teachings of the Ecclesiarchy are generally referred to as the Cult Imperialis, Imperial Cult or Imperial Creed. The Imperial Creed embodies the ideals of the Ecclesiarchy's founder, Fatidicus. Of course, the main theme of the Imperial Creed is the veneration of the Emperor but the Imperial Creed also has other implications. The Imperial Creed lauds the expansion of the Imperium, as the Emperor's domain.

It is the duty of every Imperial citizen to protect the Imperium from outside forces, and to fight against the wiles of Chaos and alien subversion. The Imperium must also be kept pure from within: heresies, unsanctioned cults and mutation must all be reported and promptly dealt with. The Imperial Creed also dictates a strong sense of hierarchy and structure within humanity. Everybody has a place and function to fulfil in the great scheme and they must be content to perform that function to the best of their ability. A respect for authority, with the ultimate authority being the Emperor himself, is the basis for this hierarchy.

The Imperial Creed, like any religion, is open to much interpretation, from the Ecclesiarch down to the parish preachers. Differing schools of thought exist within the passages from the Litanies of Faith and so on. Although these schools differ in opinion from each other, and often the Ecclesiarch, it is rare now for them to be declared heretic unless they are of exceptional deviancy.

Generally these different viewpoints all lead in a similar direction and it is a matter of detail that separates the various sects. For example, the Calendites, in the western regions of the Segmentum Solar, believe the Emperor has always been a living god while the Phanacian school of thought ( further west into the Segmentum Pacificus) believes the Emperor was only fully deified when he struck down Horus. Both of these sects believe in the Emperor's divinity and argue over the detail concerning when it was achieved. Matters of protocol, the layout of shrines and architectural styles are all matters of contention and often the Synod will rage for weeks with a debate concerning a matter the ordinary citizen would find trivial or, more likely, incomprehensible.

Like the Frateris clergy, the followers of the Imperial Creed also have their own interpretations and many sects, especially the more militant, choose a particular aspect of the doctrines to become their creed. Here are just three examples of the many hundreds of sects and denominations within the Imperium.

The Redemptionists

The Redemptionists are a good example of the most militant sects that can be found across the Imperium. Perhaps the most flourishing home of this cult can be found on the hive world of Necromunda, seen by much of the Ecclesiarchy as a world of lost souls. The Redemptionists believe that mankind has fallen from the path of righteousness decreed by the Emperor and that the sins of man will drown the race in filth and depravity. As long as mankind is unable to control its sinful nature it will not be able to unite and conquer the stars as the Emperor truly wishes them to. Sin must be purged from the race by fire, blood and faith. Most especially by fire...

Sin comes in many forms: drinking, gambling, lying, cheating, profanity, lechery, fornication ( especially thinking about fornication) and interfering with the good work of the Redemptionists. The worst sinners of all are mutants and witches, the spawn of evil, and the second worst are the heretics who tolerate sin and refuse to heed the word of Redemption. Nobody is innocent or exempt from the hard teachings of the Redemption. The lowliest worker can be a pinnacle of virtue ( though it's unlikely) while the highest aristocrat is likely to be a depraved sinner only one step from eternal damnation.

The Imperialists

Imperialism is a popular creed in the most frontier regions of the galaxy. It embodies a pioneering spirit to bring the light of the Emperor to everybody. Many of the Missionarus Galaxia were once Imperialists and their Frateris Militia are often from the ranks of this creed. The Imperialists have no one world, but are spread throughout the outskirts of the Imperium, especially on the Eastern Fringe far from Earth. In return for spiritual aid and trade goods, the Imperialists travel upon the huge exploration ships that forge through the warp in search of new worlds. Many Imperialists die before ever seeing another planet, but others find their prayers rewarded with the discovery of a new world. If the world is already populated the Imperialists consider it their duty to educate their newly contacted cousins in the true word of the Emperor. If the planet is suitable for human life but not yet inhabited, the Imperialists will found a colony on the world.

Imperialists have a great tradition for surviving in the hardest of conditions, turning desolate barren worlds into paradises over the course of their generations. The Imperialists believe that it is the duty of humanity to breed as prolifically as possible, spreading across the galaxy to claim their rightful domain. For this reason, even a few hundred Imperialists can populate a planet within only a few generations, erecting temples to the Emperor and then building towns and cities around their shrines.

Imperialists are extremely xenophobic and believe that the galaxy was created for mankind to rule over, and they are exceedingly zealous fighters if they encounter any intelligent alien species. They will not tolerate any race who might one day dispute mankind's claim over the stars. Occasionally the zealous activities of Imperialists will destroy months or years of hard work by the Missionarus Galaxia, leading to wars and conflicts that more flexible approach could have averted.

Brethren of the light

Inspired by an Inquisitorial Purge of their world, some of the people of Desedna took it upon themselves to root out the people of Desedna took it upon themselves to root out the heretic and unclean from society. Their ideals spread and a burgeoning sect now operates around their home system in the Segmentum Obscurus. They name themselves the Brethren of the Light because they delve into the dark, mysterious places of the Imperium and bring the light of the Emperor with them. They see themselves as an adjunct to the Inquisition, searching for secret creeds, mutant abominations and rogue psykers. Depending upon the members involved, they are seen by the Imperial forces as useful followers, harmless eccentrics, interfering amateurs or troublemakers.

There have been many scandals involving the Brethren of the Light invading the privacy of Imperial nobles, persecuting innocent citizens and generally concerning themselves with business that does not involve them. However, they have had their uses too. On more than one world the investigations of the Brethren of the Light uncovered the machinations of a Chaos or Genestealer Cult, and a few Imperial Governors have found themselves under close scrutiny of the Inquisition following revelations made by the Brethren.

Unlike the torch-bearing fanatics of the Redemption, the Brethren of the Light prefer to work secretly and unseen. Their order is cloaked in mystery and initiates are carefully vetted for deviance and past misdeeds. The sect has its own unique language of hand signals and code-words and occasionally parts of the organisation have been misused by criminals and malcontents to further their own ends. It is suspected, but not proven, that the Inquisition itself has a few members within the sect, using the cover of the Brethren to mask their own shadowy activities.

Heresy

There is a fine line between enlightened, healthy debate and heresy, and throughout the Ecclesiarchy's long history there are individuals and sects that have crossed the line. Of course, there are the blatant heretics- for instance, deceived fools who worship the Chaos gods or are members of Genestealer Cults. The guilt of these people cannot be disputed and their execution is rightly justified. Their betrayal of humanity and the Emperor cannot go unpunished and if such cults were allowed to flourish the Imperium would be doomed. However, a heretic is not always so obvious in his treachery. Often those who stray from the ordained path do not do so in one leap, but in a series of small steps. The heretic may begin to doubt the teachings of the Ecclesiarchy, allowing his own self interest to overcome his duty of sacrifice to the Emperor and mankind. He may disagree with certain decrees of the Ecclesiarch. From this selfishness, the heretic may then start to work against the established hierarchy and organisation of the Imperium, twisting and corrupting the system for their own ends.

Most heretics are not minions of the Genestealers, or do not actually worship the Chaos gods. Their views simply differ from those of the Ecclesiarchy to such a degree that they represent a threat to the established order. There are a few individuals who do not believe in the divinity of the Emperor, which is one of the worst heresies. Others do not believe in contributing to the Adeptus Ministorum coffers with their tithes, thereby aiding the enemies of mankind by hindering the servants of the Emperor. Others are just anarchists, rebelling against all organisations and servants of the Imperium.

There can be no forgiveness for heretics, and execution is the only option. Depending upon the severity of the heresy, their death may be a quick, clean matter or a drawn out affair of agony and injury. Only through the vigilance of its loyal citizens can the Imperium survive. To think otherwise is to court anarchy and the destruction of mankind.

The Ecclesiarchy

The Organisation of the Ecclesiarchy

The vast Adeptus Ministorum can be roughly divided into two parts. Although the functions of these two departments necessarily overlap, their major role within the Ecclesiarchy is centred on different fields. The lesser part of the Ecclesiarchy is headed by the Arch-Deacons, who oversee the running of the Ministorum as an organisation. It is the servants of the Arch-Deacons who calculate the tithes and ensure they are collected, regulate the construction of new shrines and temples and deal with the physical requirements of the organisation.

Each diocese has its Arch-Deacon, and most parishes within the diocese have a Deacon in its main shrine. They process the money coming into and out of the parish: the spiritualities (money given to the Ecclesiarchy in return for services of a spiritual nature) and the temporalities (wealth and power associated with the land and properties owned by the Ecclesiarchy). Behind the scenes are many clerks and auditors who work to keep everything running as smoothly as possible.

The rest of the Ecclesiarchy is wholly devoted to the spiritual aspects of the Organisation. They are the Cardinals and Preachers, the Missionaries and Confessors, who conduct the worship of the Emperor and enforce the religious doctrines of the Ecclesiarch. There are several smaller organisations within the main body of the Ecclesiarchy, each with their own specific role.

Schola Progenium

The Schola Progenium is responsible for the care and education of orphans of Imperial Guard colonel to the children of a scribe posted to a distant world, the Schola Progenium cares for them all. Each diocese contains a number of Schola Progenium habitats where the orphans are gathered together. Headed by an Abbot, the Preachers of the habitat educate the young in a variety of studies, including religious education.

By the time a progena reaches early adolescence the will have displayed skills in a certain direction and their tutelage to the age of sixteen will focus on these talents and hone the pupil to a career in one of the Imperial organisations. Most of the Progena will end up in the Adeptus Terra as scribes,clerks or overseers. However, a few will be assigned to higher positions. Male Progena may become Commissars in the Imperial Guard, petty officers in the Imperial Navy or enter the priesthood itself and become a Preacher or Dean (a subordinate to a Deacon). Female Progena may well be entered into the Adepta Sororitas. Progena of both sexes may be recruited into the Inquisition or even the Officio Assassinorum. It is a great honour to pass through the Schola Progenium and those who do are well aware of their privilege.

The lifestyle of the teachers and pupils is strict and puritan. During the Age of Apostasy, most of the Schola Progenium was corrupted and rife with slavery and depravity. Orphans were used as slave labour in factories and mines making goods for the Ecclesiarchy. Particularly promising individuals were sold to Imperial commanders as slaves and servants, and the most attractive became concubines for Imperial Nobles. The most physically adept were sent to be trained as Frateris Templars or Brides of the Emperor, swelling Vandire's armies with the best recruits. The habitats themselves became associated with licentious practices, and their money was put to questionable ends. In direct contrast, each habitat now maintains a strict separation between the two genders and contact between them is restricted purely to religious ceremonies. Only with this purity can the Progena hope to be elevated to a position within the Emperor's domain.

Missionarus Galaxia

Although much of the galaxy is now the domain of the Emperor, there are still countless worlds yet to see his light. It is the goal of the Missionarus Galaxia to bring the Imperial Creed to these lost worlds, to spread the wisdom of the Emperor and expand the Adeptus Ministorum.

The Missionarus Galaxia works in a number of ways to meet these ends. At least one Missionary is sent with every exploratory vessel, in case evidence of human life is encountered. If the Missionary does come across a lost community, it becomes his job to learn as much about their culture and forms of worship as he can. As he does, the Missionary must also try to teach the doctrines of the Imperial Creed to the natives. This can be a very long process, involving the substitution of the Emperor for the settlers' own dominant deity and inserting Ministorum practices into the religious ceremonies of the natives. He must remove the more barbaric and less desirable aspects of the native creed (such as blood sacrifice) and is also responsible for identifying any other undesirable traits, like residual genetic mutation, Chaos worship or alien dominance.

In some cases it may take several generations of natives and Missionaries until the Missionarus Galaxia is satisfied with the state of the inhabitants' religion. Early Missionaries insert coded prophecies and prepared omens into their teachings, which can be exploited by later Missionaries to gain themselves more of a foothold. Of all the departments of the Ministorum, the Missionarus Galaxia is one of the most free and undisciplined, and the men within its ranks value initiative, courage, tolerance and intelligence above raw faith and inflexible dedication to the word of Ecclesiarchal lore.

Frateris Clergy

The bulk of the Ministorum consists of the Frateris clergy-the Preachers, Confessors and Cardinals who see to the spiritual needs of mankind. It is they who perform the services and masses, bless the warriors of the Imperium and save the hierarchy is the Ecclesiarch himself, reigning from the Ecclesiarchal palaces on Terra. He is the head of the Holy Synod and directs the debates and discussions of the Cardinals.

There are several thousand Cardinals, each one responsible for a separate diocese in the Imperium. Within the Holy Synod, there are three ranks of Cardinals. Although these ranks are mostly honorary and one Cardinal has little power over another diocese, the traditions and ceremonies of the Imperial Creed demand that every member know his rightful place in the works of the Emperor. Highest in rank are the five Cardinals Palatine, who serve within the enclaves of the Imperial Palace itself and have no formal diocese but assist the Ecclesiarch in his duties.

Below them are the Cardinals Terran who control dioceses on Earth. The lowest rank are the Cardinals Astral who are divided into further categories: the Astral and the Astral Ministra. The Astral Ministra serve on Ophelia VII and the nearby systems and make up the Synod Ministra founded by Ecclesiarch Thor I.

Beneath the Cardinals are the Confessors and Preachers, along with the Schola Progenium Abbots and members of the Missionarus Galaxia operating within their diocese. Many of these posts are aided by a host of subservient functionaries, such as Logistoras, Quire Masters, Reliquindus and so on.