Codex Sisters of Battle (1997) Chaos Lore

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Since the birth of humanity in the prehistory of Earth, the Emperor has protected and guided mankind. Down through the long millennia he has striven to thwart the enemies of the human race and protect mankind from its own self destructive instincts. He has constantly guarded the mass of humanity against dangers and foes it was not even aware existed. When ancient philosophers first speculated on the nature of the universe, the Emperor already knew the answers. When humanity took its first Jew tentative steps into space, he was aware of the perils that awaited them. When the nature of the warp was first discovered, he had already roamed its immaterial realm. The Emperor is the bastion upon which the human race is founded. Even in a deathly state, held immobile in the life-giving energies of the Golden Throne, the Emperor continues his eternal vigilance. Vast armies sweep through the galaxy in his name and whole planets are razed for his cause. His strength allows the starships of mankind to forge their way across the galaxy, encountering new stars, new worlds and new peoples. By his very presence the total and eternal damnation of Chaos is held in abeyance. Without him there is nothing.

THE HORUS HERESY
Even before his internment in the Golden Throne, the Emperor was worshipped as a god by many members of the Imperium, especially on the more regressive planets rediscovered during the Great Crusade. Primitive peoples spoke of gods descending from the skies in chariots winged with fire, and of beings who could smite down a foe with a mere glance. Of course, such fanciful descriptions could apply to almost any Imperial servant landing on a planet in a dropship, but the Emperor’s unique powers and presence meant that he was venerated as a living god wherever he passed. Then the tortuous storm of the Horus Heresy tore at the fabric of the Imperium. As humanity was embroiled in an apocalyptic civil war, the fate and future of mankind hung in the balance. If Horus were to triumph, humanity would be swept into the power of the dark Chaos Gods. In the end, while the followers of Horus assaulted the Imperial palace on Terra, the traitor Warmaster and the Emperor faced each other on the rebel Warmaster’s battle-barge. Their titanic conflict reflected the Heresy as a whole — a battle fought in the mind as well as with physical weapons. After a bitter struggle, the Emperor destroyed Horus but was fatally wounded himself. The Space Marine Primarch Rogal Dern discovered the Emperor’s devastated body, held alive only by the enormous power of his will. The Emperor was placed in stasis and the Adeptus Mechanicus constructed the Golden Throne to sustain his shattered form. As the Emperor’s body was incarcerated into the Throne and its life-giving properties flowed through his carcass, the Emperor’s great mind soared into the warp.


DESCENT INTO ANARCHY
Fuelled by the growing demands of the Cardinals, Ecclesiarchy tithes were increased once more. Unfortunately, much of the populace was already stretched to breaking point and this further increase was seen by many as unnecessarily exorbitant. Across many worlds of the Imperium the populace openly rebelled against the Ecclesiarchy and refused to pay. Even Planetary Governors spoke out against the excesses of the Ministorum, but they went unheeded. The Ecclesiarchy responded with a vengeance, sending its armies to crush any sign of revolt and executing higher officials as heretics. Alexis XXI used the Officio Assassinorum to eliminate several Governors who redirected their tithes to pay for their own Planetary Defence Forces, and is quoted as saying, “They had forsworn the Emperor's protection for their own worldly gains.” The tithes were used to build ever larger temples, to line the highways of planets with statues of past Ecclesiarchs and to decorate the Ecclesiarchal palaces with the rarest metals and gems.

The unrest continued, massive uprisings spreading across the Imperium, only for the Frateris Templars of the Ecclesiarchy to arrive and quell any insurgencies. All those who defied the rights of the Heclesiarchy were decried as heretics and suitably punished. Some thought the Ecclesiarchy’s bloody methods of control were excessive, but it was nothing compared to what was to come. Even as the Imperium struggled to survive amidst bushfire wars and a lack of true leadership from Earth, further disasters befell humanity. In the early 36th millennium the incidence of warp storms started increasing. Travel between all but the closest stars became risky, and as the centuries passed the warp soon became a tumultuous mass of roiling tempests and storms. Navigation became difficult everywhere and hundreds of systems were totally isolated. With the resources of the Administratum and Ecclesiarchy turned towards their power struggle, much of the Imperium devolved into anarchy. In those few worlds still accessible by starships, the power of the Ecclesiarchy was brutally enforced by the Frateris Templars and any slight deviation from the holy decrees was marked as heretical, with the burnings and hangings which attend that crime.

Seeing the turmoil wracking the Imperium, Chaos. raiders poured forth from the Eye of Terror to attack and despoil their ancient foes. Ork Warlords rampaged across vast tracts of the galaxy and there was nobody who could halt them. On the planets cut off from Terra, Chaos and Genestealer cults rose in rebellion and overthrew their governments, damning entire worlds to slavery and slaughter. Those worlds not overrun by alien attackers strove to retain what they could. As time passed even the most advanced worlds were brought to their knees. As before, with no central guidance from the Adeptus Ministorum even the worship of the Emperor began to devolve into a series of cults and sects, and in the trying times of those centuries those who were once brothers under the light of the Emperor fought against each other to assert their religious ideals. Much of the Imperium was under the malaise of a preapocalyptic gloom. Crazed zealots denounced the Ecclesiarchy and claimed the Emperor was displeased with their greed and excesses — sending the warp storms as a test to judge the truly faithful and set them apart from heretics and sinners. Spurred on by these statements, citizens turned to flagellation and self-mutilation to prove their belief and faith. Whole populations became seething masses of despair-laden cults, each trying to outdo the other in their torturous devotion to the Emperor. Strange splinter groups grew in power, preaching extreme causes. Bloodthirsty pogroms eradicated many innocents as the populace tried to stem the wrath of the God-Emperor. In some communities any small deviation from what was deemed normal brought instant death to a child and its family. Whole populations were enslaved or slaughtered, deemed heathens for some real or suspected deviancy.

 

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SEBASTIAN THOR
The violent repression and wanton slaughter continued for seven decades after Vandire’s ascension to the Ecclesiarchal palace. The resources of the Adeptus Ministorum were directed towards bloodihirsty pogroms and the building of immense new monuments to the Emperor and Vandire. However, Vandire’s insanity was ever directed outwards, and though distant planets boasted mile-high spires and cathedrals, the Terran palace itself was allowed to fall into decay once more. Whole wings of the sprawling building collapsed from the weight of centuries, and the immense chandeliers and incense burners of the audience chamber were allowed to gutter and die. While the rest of the Imperium glowed with the radiance of gold and platinum and sparkled with the light of millions of rare gems, Vandire’s own domain became a dark lair of shadows and dank, chilling winds. Dust lay knee-deep in places, the ancient relics were tarnished and stained, tapestries became torn and mildewed and rats and other vermin left their trail across the priceless rugs and carpets. Occasionally just a single candle would be lit in the enormous expanse of the great hall, with only the odd footfall betraying the presence of the Brides of the Emperor in the darkness.

Even during the day, the patina of grime and filth on the stained glass windows let through only a trickle of sunlight. When sweeping rains cleaned the outside of the windows a shaft of brighter light might play about the floor of the great hall, but at these times Vandire would retire to his chambers and sit for days on end in complete silence. The High Lord fell into long, nightmare-ridden sleeps, crying out in hysterical screams. His ancient body was pumped full of drugs and elixirs to keep the inevitable diseases and depredations of age at bay, However, with the guns of the Brides of the Emperor always ready to obey his will, the crippled High Lord still commanded with an iron fist. In his more lucid moments, the ailing Vandire could be heard muttering about the light, and the writings of his scribes recorded that his fear of light seemed to grow with every passing day. It was with trepidation that a young agent appeared on Terra, coming back from the northern reaches of the galaxy, around the planet Dimmamar. His report was disturbing to the High Lord’s advisors and caused Vandire to break into a fit of apoplectic rage. Dimmamar had denounced the High Lord as a traitor of the Imperium and the ancient rites of the Confederation of Light were being reinstated throughout the diocese. The name of one man was heard again and again, all across the Segmentum Obscurus. His name was Sebastian Thor.

None on Terra knew where this man came from or what his ultimate purpose might be. The puppet High Lords raged with debate for over a month as to what course of action to take. After his initial outburst, Vandire withdrew into himself more than ever, and for most of the council meetings would be seen huddled in the velvet and ebony throne of the Ecclesiarch, surrounded by the ever vigilant Brides of the Emperor, his eyes staring at nothing. As more news came in of the revolt, it became clear that things would have to be stopped soon. Within three months another eighty systems had declared their loyalty to the Confederation of Light and only the weight of Ministorum armies and fleets in other sectors prevented similar occurrences all across the northern reaches. The most trusted and loyal of the Frateris Templars were dispatched to deal with the threat, and were ordered to raze Dimmamar and eradicate every living creature on the world. The war fleet was duly sent, but shortly after it jumped into warp space outside the Clax system it was smashed asunder by a warp storm of gigantic proportions. The last astropathic transmission reported white ares of energy tearing apart the hulls of the ships, the power of the storm literally twisting men and machines apart. turning soldiers inside out and disintegrating everything. The Clax system has been cut off ever since by the swirling tempest, and it is claimed that those who pass close by can still hear the screams of the dying and feel the panicked last thoughts of the Astropaths echoing through the whole region. It is an area of ill omen now known as the Storm of the Emperor's Wrath.

With this huge blow to the Ecclesiarchy’s military power, the whole of the Segmentum Obscurus erupted into rebellion. The Cardinal palaces were stormed by frenzied converts who tore down the hangings, burned the icons and smashed the ornate stained glass windows. Through all the madness, the name of Sebastian Thor still kept appearing. Who was this shadowy figure who seemed intent on the destruction of the Ecclesiarchy and with that, the Imperium itself? Perhaps he was some form of vessel for the gods of Chaos, another Horus attempting to enslave humanity once more. Or maybe some other alien influence controlled him, one of the many creatures of the warp or one of the immensely powerful elder races, hitherto undetected. As more information was relayed back by the Ministorum’s agents, the High Lords were stunned by the news. Ther was no daemonic entity intent on corrupting the Imperium, he was just a man, born in a Dimmamar Schola Progenium habitat. Interrogations of old companions revealed that he had been a devout, if somewhat introverted, follower in his early life. However, Thor recently claimed to have visions of the Emperor, and warned that disaster was befalling mankind. It was claimed that Thor had cast an old Preacher from the pulpit in the middle of a prayer session and denounced the ways of the Ecclesiarchy. With an eloquence and charisma the informants could not explain, Thor spoke to those present, reaching into their hearts and minds with his words.

News of the incident spread and soon thousands travelled to hear Thor’s sermons and went away with a new religious zeal burning in their souls, spreading the message even further. Members of the heretic Confederation of Light approached the young man in secret and in his next service he openly declared his loyalty to the sect. Thor was brought before the Imperial Commander, Gaius Welkonnen, and spoke of his visions and dreams, and of his ambition to rid the Imperium of Vandire’s tyranny. No one could explain what rare power was held in Thor's voice, but the Governor immediately swore his loyalty to Sebastian Thor and placed Dimmamar’s army at his disposal, as the adept had requested. As word spread, anarchy embroiled the Segmentum Obscurus, and desecration, looting and wanton destruction erupted. Although Vandire’s spies were exposed and driven out with startling efficiency, it became clear that Sebastian Thor’s ‘army’ had grown to over 5 million followers within the space of a year, and the huge entourage was slowly making its way through the Imperium towards Terra. Even some of the surviving Frateris Templars joined his forces.

Many legends sprang up around Thor and his long journey, and miraculous events were attributed to his presence. Some of this can be explained by the oratory skills of the young adept. such as the way the population of the planets he passed through would gather their resources to feed and house his immense following. Others remain true mysteries, like the Navigators’ tales of the utter calmness of the warp as they journeyed from system to system. Though the rest of the galaxy was still embroiled in the raging tempests that had engulfed the Imperium for many hundreds of years, the massive fleet of the Confederation of Light passed through the warp without hindrance. The Paternova of the Navigators dubbed him Abstracta Preomnis, Master of the Warp. News of Sebastian Thor spread from the Segmentum Obscurus to other parts of the Imperium. Distance exaggerated the message and soon Thor was being hailed as a god-like being. With much of its armed might destroyed at Clax, the Adeptus Ministorum could do little to stop system after system, diocese after diocese from swearing loyalty to the new wave of belief centred around Thor. Despite fierce opposition from many Cardinals and Confessors who saw their power, traditions and whole way of life being destroyed, Thor’s creed converted millions of followers. Co-operation and sacrifice became the doctrine of those who heard Thor’s impassioned speeches, delivered from different planets along the route to Terra. Although many opposed Thor, all across the Imperium the tide had changed against Vandire. The masses had been pushed too far, and this time they had a leader to unite behind.

 

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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.


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 organisation of the Ministorum concerning certain strictures, 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 Holy Syned 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.


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 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 mis-used 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 Eeclesiarchy 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.


Tears of the Emperor
There are many stories of statues of the Emperor and other icons of the faith weeping blood-like tears. These tears are collected in ornate crystal bottles, and they are a potent weapon against the forces of Chaos. The phial can be thrown just like a grenade.


MISSIONARY:
There are many types of Missionary: from the young, fervent hopefuls who spread the word of the Imperial Creed with little guidance and support from the Adeptus Ministorum, to the ancient, wise and toughened members of the Missionarus Galaxia. These individuals are at the forefront of the Imperium’s expansion, accompanying the crusading armies as they discover new worlds, contact lost civilisations and push back the frontiers of the Emperor’s holy domain. The oldest Missionaries are instinctive survivors. They have fought in battles against heathen and godless savages, and thwarted the designs of Chaos and Genestealer cults. A Missionary must survive the rigours of many years of warp travel and exploration across death worlds, desert planets, prehistoric feral worlds and the freezing permafrost of ice worlds.

 

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CONFESSOR
Confessors are fiery individuals whose powerful oratories can stir a populace to rebel against a heretic lord or persuade an army to lay down its arms and surrender to the mercy of the Emperor (which is short and bloody). They can be found almost everywhere, berating those they believe to be faithless, imploring the citizens of the Imperium to denounce heretics and sinners. But it is not just amongst the seething masses that they operate. Confessors act as advisors to Imperial Guard colonels, Planetary Governors and sometimes, with special Eeclesiarchal dispensation, they even lead Wars of Faith against the sworn foes of the Emperor’s light. Each Confessor has his own style and techniques. Some prefer fiery speeches and rabble-rousing to incite the population into religious fanaticism, while others are more subtle, manipulating the leaders of guilds and other organisations to form coalitions against the enemy. They whisper into the ears of commanders, guiding them from behind the scenes, swaying their decisions down paths approved by the Ministorum.

PREACHER
Preachers make up the bulk of the Frateris clergy. They tend to the day-to-day running of the shrines and chapels, and see to the religious needs of their congregation. Preachers are also sent with the Imperial Guard to administer to the spiritual needs of the soldiers and they can often be seen in the thick of the fighting, smiting the Emperor’s foes and leading their followers by example. Preachers are sometimes known as Defenders of the Faith as they and their Militia often form the first line of defence against insidious Chaos and Genestealer cults or other heretical sects. When a planet is subjected to an alien invasion, it is the Preachers who mobilise the population into defending their homes from the godless heathens who attack them. Preachers frequently aid the Judges and their Adeptus Arbites in local purges and their familiarity with the citizenry makes them useful for intelligence gathering by higher officials and the Inquisition.


CARDINAL ARMANDUS HELFIRE
Cardinal Armandus presides over the Diocese of Avignor. Avignor is situated close to the Eye of Terror and Ministorum forces in the area must keep a constant guard against the attacks of Chaos. Armandus himself often leads a War of Faith against these invaders, and has never lost to them yet. He is a huge man, with a powerfully muscled body and a deep, booming voice. In the Holy Synod he is known for his staunch conservatism and loudly resists even minor changes to the Ecclesiarchy. He is a hard but fair man, who sees himself as an example of the perfect follower, a mould which every other man should fit into. Although many disagree with his views (usually in private), none can doubt his faith, courage and honour. Born of a low background, Armandus is seen as a working man doing a new job. His commands are typified by a high morale and he often is the source of the camaraderie between his troops. With his startlingly incisive wit and ready laugh, he can turn a rag-tag bunch of men into a fighting force, the equal of the best Imperial Guard regiments.