.gif)
Sisters of Battle (Warhammer 40,000)
Encyclopedia
In the fictional universe
of Warhammer 40,000
, the Sisters of Battle, also known as the Adepta Sororitas, are female warriors belonging to the "Ecclesiarchy", the religious arm of the Imperial
government. The Sisters devotedly serve the Emperor of Mankind. They enforce the Imperial religion, seeking out and destroying heretics that defy the Emperor's Will.
, "Witch Hunters", which is tasked with hunting down and destroying heretics and unsanctioned psychics (commonly known as "rogue psykers
" or "witches"). However, as of the 5th edition rules, the Sisters of Battle have been separated from the Inquisition once again, standing alone as the Chamber Militant of the Eccelsiarchy, while the Ordo Hereticus utilise Grey Knights.
Also they guard all of the shrines of the Imperium and are based on billions of additional sacred or shrine worlds, counted separately from the regular Imperial empire due to their forbidden status and the limitless number of saints and divine angels of past warriors and mammoth cathedral-castellum war vehicles ready to be unleashed via the activation of holy relics. The shrine and sacred worlds also provide much of the blessed vehicles and weaponry used by the Inquisition and the Ecclesiarchy in planet wide temple-depots responsible for production, consecration, and storage. and As such, the Sisters are found within the army book Codex
: Witch Hunters.
The Sisters of Battle are also a playable race in the Dawn of War real-time strategy game, as part of the Soulstorm expansion.
Though not the same as the Space Marines
, they do wear similar power armor and have the same general unit set-up. Their weapons tend to be heat- and flame-based, because of the 'purifying' effect of fire, inspired mainly by the popular portrayal of the Emperor as a cleansing fire. This creates an interesting situation as the Sororitas lean towards two extremes of weapon types: melta weapons for anti-tank and flame weapons for anti-infantry, both being heat based weapons.
They wear markings determined by their designation, which are Orders instead of Chapters.
Not relying on the biological or technological upgrades that turn an ordinary human male into a superhuman Space Marine, they are not the same "supersoldier" in terms of combat ability and endurance. However, they do get armour and weapons which are well beyond those issued to the average human, such as the Imperial Guard. They also gain powerful faith-based abilities to help them combat their foes, such as guiding their weapons fire, increasing their chances to score a lethal blow, or restoring their morale.
(especially in Martyrdom and Sainthood). Being an elite army of female zealots, they also bear some resemblance to the Fish Speakers from Frank Herbert
's Dune universe
The design of the models themselves have a strong fire motif. They also take the Gothic appearance of the Imperium to the extreme: the Exorcist tank is shaped like a pipe-organ on treads. Forge World
produces alternate versions of their tanks, which have a more "military" and less gothic look.
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
of Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop, set in a dystopian science fantasy universe. Warhammer 40,000 was created by Rick Priestley in 1987 as the futuristic companion to Warhammer Fantasy Battle, sharing many game mechanics...
, the Sisters of Battle, also known as the Adepta Sororitas, are female warriors belonging to the "Ecclesiarchy", the religious arm of the Imperial
Imperium (Warhammer 40,000)
The Imperium of Man is a fictional galactic empire of over a million planets that contains the vast majority of humans in the forty-first millennium, set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe created by Games Workshop....
government. The Sisters devotedly serve the Emperor of Mankind. They enforce the Imperial religion, seeking out and destroying heretics that defy the Emperor's Will.
Fictional history
They were officially founded in 36th Millennium by the Ecclesiarch Alexis XXII as Ordes Militant. In the 2nd edition of the game they were a standalone army, but, like the Grey Knights, the 3rd edition codices saw them joined to an Inquisitorial force. They now comprise the billion strong Chamber Militant of the Ordo HereticusInquisition (Warhammer 40,000)
The Inquisition is an organisation in the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe. They act as the secret police of the Imperium, hunting down any and all threats to the stability of the God-Emperor's realm. In fiction relating to the games, Inquisitors are usually represented by extremely powerful,...
, "Witch Hunters", which is tasked with hunting down and destroying heretics and unsanctioned psychics (commonly known as "rogue psykers
Psyker
Psykers are individuals with psychic abilities in the Warhammer 40,000 fictional universe. Psykers draw their powers from the Warp, an immaterial dimension with huge potential energy, but one that is also full of peril, and hence they are often in danger of daemonic possession and insanity.-...
" or "witches"). However, as of the 5th edition rules, the Sisters of Battle have been separated from the Inquisition once again, standing alone as the Chamber Militant of the Eccelsiarchy, while the Ordo Hereticus utilise Grey Knights.
Also they guard all of the shrines of the Imperium and are based on billions of additional sacred or shrine worlds, counted separately from the regular Imperial empire due to their forbidden status and the limitless number of saints and divine angels of past warriors and mammoth cathedral-castellum war vehicles ready to be unleashed via the activation of holy relics. The shrine and sacred worlds also provide much of the blessed vehicles and weaponry used by the Inquisition and the Ecclesiarchy in planet wide temple-depots responsible for production, consecration, and storage. and As such, the Sisters are found within the army book Codex
Codex (Warhammer 40,000)
A codex , in the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop wargame, is a rules supplement containing information concerning a particular army, environment, or worldwide campaign....
: Witch Hunters.
The Sisters of Battle are also a playable race in the Dawn of War real-time strategy game, as part of the Soulstorm expansion.
Space Marines (Warhammer 40,000)
In the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000 setting created by Games Workshop, Space Marines are genetically modified "super human" soldiers created by the Emperor to conquer the galaxy and defend mankind. According to Games Workshop, there are over a thousand recorded chapters of Space Marines,...
, they do wear similar power armor and have the same general unit set-up. Their weapons tend to be heat- and flame-based, because of the 'purifying' effect of fire, inspired mainly by the popular portrayal of the Emperor as a cleansing fire. This creates an interesting situation as the Sororitas lean towards two extremes of weapon types: melta weapons for anti-tank and flame weapons for anti-infantry, both being heat based weapons.
They wear markings determined by their designation, which are Orders instead of Chapters.
Not relying on the biological or technological upgrades that turn an ordinary human male into a superhuman Space Marine, they are not the same "supersoldier" in terms of combat ability and endurance. However, they do get armour and weapons which are well beyond those issued to the average human, such as the Imperial Guard. They also gain powerful faith-based abilities to help them combat their foes, such as guiding their weapons fire, increasing their chances to score a lethal blow, or restoring their morale.
Inspiration
The Sisters bear a resemblance to several knightly orders from Medieval Europe, and have a strong Gothic feel. Many of their heroines have the personae and attitude of Joan of ArcJoan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
(especially in Martyrdom and Sainthood). Being an elite army of female zealots, they also bear some resemblance to the Fish Speakers from Frank Herbert
Frank Herbert
Franklin Patrick Herbert, Jr. was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful American science fiction author. Although a short story author, he is best known for his novels, most notably Dune and its five sequels...
's Dune universe
Dune universe
Dune is a science fiction franchise which originated with the 1965 novel Dune by Frank Herbert. Considered by many to be the greatest science fiction novel of all time, Dune is frequently cited as the best-selling science fiction novel in history...
The design of the models themselves have a strong fire motif. They also take the Gothic appearance of the Imperium to the extreme: the Exorcist tank is shaped like a pipe-organ on treads. Forge World
Forge World
Forge World is the name of a subsidiary company of Games Workshop run by Tony Cottrell, which designs, moulds, and sells resin models for various Games Workshop games....
produces alternate versions of their tanks, which have a more "military" and less gothic look.