Latest posts for the thread "Sisters of battle novels?"

Sisters of battle novels?

xxmatt85 — GMT

Are there any Sisters of battle novels out there. Because I want to know more about them.

Re:Sisters of battle novols?

Nitros14 — GMT

There's a few Novels. Not so many Novols.

Try Faith and Fire.

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

Faith and Fire is the only one I actually recommend right now. A great deal of BL books bash Sisters quite a bit.

Sisters of battle novels?

steempunk — GMT

There was once a great graphic novel called 'Daemonifuge' about a Sister of Battle, but they canceled it for some reason (didn't even let the storyline finish). Not sure where you can get it legally...but there are torrents...

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

And I, personally, am glad they did.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

Kettu — GMT

Daemonifuge was finally done in four parts and for a while was released in a singular book. I was able to obtain a copy for rather cheap.
Daemonifuge starts off well but then they kill off a convent.
Grey Knights purge a Black Templar Battle Barge of everyone.
Eldar show up, dark eldar show up.
The prophetic opening lines are finally explained and rendered null and void in the total amount of about three pages in a scene that is far to over the top even for BL and then they just lose any direction they had and end it on a vague note that she may now be able to go to the Black Library, but no promises.

An entertaining read but lack of direction and sticking to fluff ruin it.

That and the writers admitted once when they were asked, they didn’t really stick to fluff as they should’ve for entertainment purposes.

Sisters of battle novels?

Necrosis — GMT

The thing is many BL authors don't fully stick to the fluff. Such as adding a twin primarch or making power weapons into normal weapons. Thus when ever reading BL always take it with a grain of salt.

But so far it just Faith and Fire. BL will be releasing an audio book which will be the prequel to Faith and Fire.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

thegrav — GMT

At one time I read a comic about a SoB that was captured by the DE and converted into a pit fighter, I think at the end she earned her freedom and became part of the DE. I am not sure what the point was other than it underlined the DE fluff that a DE can be anyone, as they enslave as many as they kill, and force the slaves into their ways.

SoB have always been kinda an army I don't really like..

Females in 40k is cool, I styled my IG army with a lot of the female metal models, just to get the mix, so it has little to do with the fact they are all chicks.. I think Catholic school nuns in the late 80s, early 90s way have just messed me up a tad..

Sisters of battle novels?

Emperors Faithful — GMT

I enjoyed Faith and Fire right up until the...

Spoiler:

I wouldn't mind a Sister of Battle book that went along the Caiphas Cain lines. A Sister of Battle who doesn't buy into all that faith stuff, but is surrounded by religious nuts and has to put up with it. That would be a good un'.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

B30 — GMT

thegrav wrote:At one time I read a comic about a SoB that was captured by the DE and converted into a pit fighter, I think at the end she earned her freedom and became part of the DE. I am not sure what the point was other than it underlined the DE fluff that a DE can be anyone, as they enslave as many as they kill, and force the slaves into their ways.

You described a part of Daemonifuge, in which the protagonist is indeed thrown in a DE arena. I don't remember that she become part of the Dark Eldar, however. IIRC, she becomes too popular as an arena fighter, and her masters send assassins to dispose of her.

I'm currently reading "Grey Knights". The sister heve just been mentionned for now, I hope later in the book we'll see them in action.

Sisters of battle novels?

Emperors Faithful — GMT

I read a fanfic about a Sister of Battle who discovered she liked the Fire (burning people) more than the Faith (praying) and joined a Khorne Warband. Basically, she gets it on with Kharn (who's not such a bad guy). Not incredibly canon, but definitely entertaining.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

karimabuseer — GMT

B30 wrote:
thegrav wrote:At one time I read a comic about a SoB that was captured by the DE and converted into a pit fighter, I think at the end she earned her freedom and became part of the DE. I am not sure what the point was other than it underlined the DE fluff that a DE can be anyone, as they enslave as many as they kill, and force the slaves into their ways.

You described a part of Daemonifuge, in which the protagonist is indeed thrown in a DE arena. I don't remember that she become part of the Dark Eldar, however. IIRC, she becomes too popular as an arena fighter, and her masters send assassins to dispose of her.

I'm currently reading "Grey Knights". The sister heve just been mentionned for now, I hope later in the book we'll see them in action.

You do. Major spoiler:

Spoiler:

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Emperors Faithful wrote:I enjoyed Faith and Fire right up until the...

Spoiler:

Gotcha.

? That was one of my favourite bits

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

Yes, and all of this is continued evidence of GW really seeming to despise the Sisters. Apparently they only like fluff involving musclebound old bald men.

Sisters of battle novels?

karimabuseer — GMT

Chaos fluff owns all though.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

Kroothawk — GMT

"Faith and Fire" is THE "Sororitas novel, as it tries to portray most aspects of this organisation. It's an okay novel, not the best but not bad either.

"Grey Knights" has also some coverage of a Sororitas army in battle. While the novel is one of my favorites, Sororitas are not the main theme of it, still a good and encouraging representation of them (with an army composition that many WH players use). BTW it also features a female Inquisitor as a main character (not related to the Sororitas army).

Sisters of battle novels?

Gwar! — GMT

Lets be honest, if GW wanted to make a Sororitas novel (that sold), it would end up as a bad fanficition AND YOU DAMN WELL KNOW IT!

Sisters of battle novels?

Necrosis — GMT

Gwar! wrote:Lets be honest, if GW wanted to make a Sororitas novel (that sold), it would end up as a bad fanficition AND YOU DAMN WELL KNOW IT!

If your not going to say anything useful then don't say anything that all. Hate how everyone keeps bashing them cause their females.

Sisters of battle novels?

Gwar! — GMT

Necrosis wrote:
Gwar! wrote:Lets be honest, if GW wanted to make a Sororitas novel (that sold), it would end up as a bad fanficition AND YOU DAMN WELL KNOW IT!
If your not going to say anything useful then don't say anything that all. Hate how everyone keeps bashing them cause their females.

I'm not bashing them. I am bashing GW.

A Sororitas novel that was well done and actually played to their strengths would be awesome. But GW is GW and they pander to 15 year olds, so it will just be an over the top silly fanfic involving high levels of promiscuity.

Sisters of battle novels?

Necrosis — GMT

Gwar! wrote:I'm not bashing them. I am bashing GW.

A Sororitas novel that was well done and actually played to their strengths would be awesome. But GW is GW and they pander to 15 year olds, so it will just be an over the top silly fanfic involving high levels of promiscuity.

Well you could have easily said that instead of what you said originally.

Sisters of battle novels?

Kroothawk — GMT

Necrosis wrote:Hate how everyone keeps bashing them cause their females.

Well, in every BL novel the heroes get an incredible bashing beyond hope but somehow win in the end, be it male or female.
The Sororitas army in "Grey Knights" fights quite successful BTW.

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

Kroothawk: For example, in Cain's Last Stand, an entire convent turns to chaos (supposedly anyway, IIRC they were mind-controlled, which isn't the same thing, but people always claim it is so for whatever reason)..

In Duty Calls, an entire convent of Sisters are wiped out after being tricked by a radical Inquisitor.

In Redemption Corps, once again an entire convent turns to chaos, and the Sisters in general are mischaracterized.

In the Armageddon fluff, practically an entire Order of Sisters are wiped out.

In the most recent IA fluff, an entire convent of Sisters is wiped out because of a radical Inquisitor wanting to cover their tracks.

There's a pattern here,... GW and BL are notoriously unkind to the Sisters of Battle. They rip them apart, they destroy them, they corrupt them, they let them fail time and time again, and almost seem to glorify the fact that Sisters cannot seem to actually FIGHT WORTH A DAMN, and then seem confused that the Sisters don't sell. There are a couple exceptions of course-- Faith and Fire issort of an exception, for example. Relic, of all people, have been the ones to give Sisters the most press, and the most respect. There's a lot of awesome rerfrences to Sisters in DoW2., for example...

Spoiler:

Not the only one, but the one that sticks out in my mind...

Sisters of battle novels?

Azezel — GMT

Necrosis wrote:
Gwar! wrote:I'm not bashing them. I am bashing GW.

A Sororitas novel that was well done and actually played to their strengths would be awesome. But GW is GW and they pander to 15 year olds, so it will just be an over the top silly fanfic involving high levels of promiscuity.

Well you could have easily said that instead of what you said originally.

He did say that. What he said originally implied that perfectly.

And he's right. As much as I dislike the way the Sisters are portrayed in most BL books, I dread to think what'd happen if BL tried to portray them positively.

Faith and Fire is a rather neutral tone. The sisters in it are often incompettant or just a bit pointless as characters, but they sort-of win in the end and the author is willing to allow that they at least try to do the right thing, even if they mostly fail.

To the OP - pick up a copy of the BL anthology 'Let the Galaxy Burn'. It's worth it for one story alone - 'Daemonblood'. The story of an arse-kicking, soul-searching faithful AND human Seraphim Superior as she spends a large portion of her life hunting down an Ultramarine who fell to Chaos.

Spoiler:

Yes, the best of the Black Library's efforts is a forgotten short story buried halfway through a not-very-good anthology.

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

Azezel wrote:And he's right. As much as I dislike the way the Sisters are portrayed in most BL books, I dread to think what'd happen if BL tried to portray them positively.

As opposed to when BL tries to portray Marines positively? Or Guard? Or... anything?

I'd take that over the faction constantly being trashed and abused any day.

Sisters of battle novels?

Emperors Faithful — GMT

Please, don't even get me started on Space Marine novels. Blegh.
I believe there was a mission of sisters involved in a Last Chancers novel against Tyranids weren't there? In all fairness they make a good account of themselves.

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

It's very possible to portray Sisters positively without being fanwank... it's just that we don't think BL would do it. But I personally would prefer a fanwank novel to the alternative... more of what we have.

Sisters of battle novels?

Emperors Faithful — GMT

Like I said, a sister with a more reasonable (Caiphas Cain) look at things surrounded by zealots could work I think. It would at times pay sisters out, but it could work.

Sisters of battle novels?

Manchu — GMT

Maybe what BL needs is a female author.

Sisters of battle novels?

Emperors Faithful — GMT

Manchu wrote:Maybe what BL needs is a female author.

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

Yeah, that's not likely to happen. GW needs to keep its sausage ratio up a bit higher than that.

Sisters of battle novels?

Manchu — GMT

It's not such an uphill battle, I think you'll find.

Sisters of battle novels?

thegrav — GMT

Melissia wrote:
Azezel wrote:And he's right. As much as I dislike the way the Sisters are portrayed in most BL books, I dread to think what'd happen if BL tried to portray them positively.
As opposed to when BL tries to portray Marines positively? Or Guard? Or... anything?

I'd take that over the faction constantly being trashed and abused any day.

Have you read any of the IG novels at all? I mean Right now on the dakka forum.. we are crying over the butchered, and devastated Tanith! BL authors are very very good at establishing the Grimdark and making everyone half-dead, at the start of their novels. SoB are not the only ham stringed army BL wise.

Sisters of battle novels?

Necrosis — GMT

thegrav wrote:

Have you read any of the IG novels at all? I mean Right now on the dakka forum.. we are crying over the butchered, and devastated Tanith! BL authors are very very good at establishing the Grimdark and making everyone half-dead, at the start of their novels. SoB are not the only ham stringed army BL wise.

Tell me can you name me a few battles that the guard have won in novels? You could probably tell me a few.
Now tell me a few battles the sisters have won? You will probably not be able to give me more then one if you can even give me one.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

thegrav — GMT

Actually I can tell you I have read several BL novels and I know that the 2-3 that they talk about the SoB in they are winning or doing good. Most of the Tanith novels, they win sure.. but their are like 200 left, and their home world is glassed.. No more.. game over. I have not read an SoB novel so I can't say how "bad" they are, but when they are mentioned in other books it is normally not in a negative context of "They are big dumb b****s!" It is more like "They did this over there and won."

I hear you guys I wanting more fluff stuff, I would love to see more good fluff on anything but the SM, but lets face it the SM and the CSM are the GW flagship armies.

Sisters of battle novels?

Kettu — GMT

Where are the Sisters in the Gaunt Ghost novels?
I'm currently up to Honour Guard and are yet to see Sisters mentioned once.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

thegrav — GMT

As far as I know they weren't mentioned there, I have read other guard novels. I believe there is a mention in Double Eagle.. Which is a very cool book ABOUT female PILOTS in the IG.

Sisters of battle novels?

Emperors Faithful — GMT

@Necrosis: In Faith and Fire the sisters do a decent job of obliterating a rebellious cities defenses. Later they tear down a secret mutant/psyker base thing.

In the fluff, I can only recall Convent 101, with the necrons, and Armageddon, where the Order of our Matryed Lady was devastated, as significant defeats for the Sisters. Other than that I really don't have much to go on.

Sisters of battle novels?

Azezel — GMT

Emperors Faithful wrote:

In the fluff, I can only recall Convent 101, with the necrons, and Armageddon, where the Order of our Matryed Lady was devastated, as significant defeats for the Sisters. Other than that I really don't have much to go on.

That's pretty much all there is in the fluff.

Personally, if there were a serries of Sisters novels that ripped off some other serries, instead of ripping of Cain (which in turn rips of personal favourite Flashman) - I'd want it to rip of Sharpe.

Tell me that couldn't work. Sharpe is a hard bastard with a powerful strength of will and an absolute willingness to do what has to be done, but still human enough to help those who need his help.

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

thegrav wrote:Have you read any of the IG novels at all? I mean Right now on the dakka forum.. we are crying over the butchered, and devastated Tanith! BL authors are very very good at establishing the Grimdark and making everyone half-dead, at the start of their novels. SoB are not the only ham stringed army BL wise.

Yes, actually. I am reading a series of six Guard novels right now. The Cain series has the Guard winning battles regularly, and they aren't the only books where this happens.

Sisters of battle novels?

Emperors Faithful — GMT

Azezel wrote:

Personally, if there were a serries of Sisters novels that ripped off some other serries, instead of ripping of Cain (which in turn rips of personal favourite Flashman) - I'd want it to rip of Sharpe.

Tell me that couldn't work. Sharpe is a hard bastard with a powerful strength of will and an absolute willingness to do what has to be done, but still human enough to help those who need his help.

It is my ever great and lasting shame that I was unable to finish these books. I think I stopped halfway through the Winter Guard or some sort. The one where he's fleeing from Spain...or Portugal. It's all so hazy now. But anyway, we moved and I never found those books or started them again. However, while I loved them, I don't see how it would work for Sisters. I mean, it's probably just becuase I'm too much of a sexist to imagine Sharpe being female, but still...

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

Azezel wrote:That's pretty much all there is in the fluff.

There's also this time Canoness Praxedes (again, Order of Our Martyred Lady) martyred herself and a few hundred Sisters fighting off the Tyranids. And Saint Celestine martyred herself fighting a tyrant above a nuclear stockpile, which the tyrant detonated beneath their feat so that he wouldn't be captured and tortured by the Inquisition. And there was this story about Daemons I believe, though I don't recall the particulars.

I can't think of any victorious battles in GW's fluff aside from some half-sentence blurbs in C:WH... BL has a few, but even they are paltry. Once again, I'm struck by the fact that Relic has given the faction more respect than GW... (even going so far as to have the Blood Ravens apparently having particularly strong connections with the Sisters, being gifted with several relics from at least three different minor Orders).

Sisters of battle novels?

Azezel — GMT

Emperors Faithful wrote:However, while I loved them, I don't see how it would work for Sisters. I mean, it's probably just becuase I'm too much of a sexist to imagine Sharpe being female, but still...

Well... Perhaps the hypothetical Sister Accies (geddit?) should sleep with slightly fewer wenches than Sharpe and whatnot... Not a 1:1 relationship with the Sharpe character, more of an equivalancy.

Sharpe is distinguished by a powerful sense of honour which wouldn't completely work in the grimdark of the far etc. But would find it's equivalent in faith.

Ciaphas Cain isn't Flashman, but there is a direct path from one to the other, and I think the same path could turn Sharpe into a very readable Sister of Battle.

Or Black Library could call up Ben counter, appologise profusely and beg him to write a full length novel version of Daemonblood - and maybe half a dozen other novels about what Sister Aescarion was up to in between hunting down fallen Ultramarines.

Sisters of battle novels?

Manchu — GMT

what did BL do to Ben Counter?

Sisters of battle novels?

WARBOSS TZOO — GMT

Manchu wrote:Maybe what BL needs is a female author.

Given the quality of current BL authors what that would result in is slash.

Yes, I am saying that BL is at the level of professionally edited fanfiction.

Sisters of battle novels?

Azezel — GMT

Manchu wrote:What did BL do to Ben Counter?

They burried his story in Inferno! magazine.

I like your .sig, by the way.

Sisters of battle novels?

Kroothawk — GMT

Necrosis wrote:Now tell me a few battles the sisters have won? You will probably not be able to give me more then one if you can even give me one.

Emperors Faithful wrote:@Necrosis: In Faith and Fire the sisters do a decent job of obliterating a rebellious cities defenses. Later they tear down a secret mutant/psyker base thing.

I have read two novels with Sororitas participation.
In "Faith & Fire" they sort of win (see above).
In "Grey Knights" (by Ben Counter) they win as well. So 2 examples and 100% win ratio. Eldar on the other hand ...

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

Considering the entire Sororitas detachment just gets utterly wiped out, I wouldn't call that a win. But I've never liked Pyhrric victories.

Sisters of battle novels?

Manchu — GMT

You mean they buried Daemonblood in Inferno! magazine? But they also published it in Let The Galaxy Burn. It's actually one of my favorite pieces published by BL. And it has a single Sister Seraphim defeating a Chaos Lord.

Sisters of battle novels?

thegrav — GMT

Manchu wrote:You mean they buried Daemonblood in Inferno! magazine? But they also published it in Let The Galaxy Burn. It's actually one of my favorite pieces published by BL. And it has a single Sister Seraphim defeating a Chaos Lord.

HERSEY AGAINST THE RUINOUS POWERS!!!! Sorry had to let my Chaos flag fly..

You guys could always start to write something you think is acceptable, I am sure Dakka will give tons of feedback

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

It's okay, Abbadon was once bested by a single Battle Sister. Gotta love failed armor saves.

Sisters of battle novels?

thegrav — GMT

Melissia wrote:It's okay, Abbadon was once bested by a single Battle Sister. Gotta love failed armor saves.

Heh no doubt. In the 3rd Ed rules I had a single DE running around with a Darklance causing havoc after his squad was laid out, gotta love those lucky leadership tests!

Sisters of battle novels?

Azezel — GMT

Manchu wrote:You mean they buried Daemonblood in Inferno! magazine? But they also published it in Let The Galaxy Burn. It's actually one of my favorite pieces published by BL. And it has a single Sister Seraphim defeating a Chaos Lord.

Don't have to tell me, mate. Further up this thread I said that Daemonblood was worth the price of the book on its own. Which is saying something since most of Let the Galaxy Burn is, charitably, not very good. The only other worthwhile story in there is Words of Blood by... Well in fact, it's by Ben Counter - I never actually noticed that Counter wrote both of the good stories in that book. Anyway - In Words of Blood he actually manages to make the Black Templars seem interesting, which I wouldn't have considered possible before.

Damn - BL really do need to say sorry to Counter for publishing his work right next to Salvation and Acceptable Losses...

@thegrav - I would write my own, but I have a personal rule against writing things set in other peoples' universes, or using other peoples' characters.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

thegrav — GMT

@Azezel: Yeah I get you on that. It seems that the SoB gain a huge amount of controversy about them on the forums though so I tossed the idea out there.

Sisters of battle novels?

Neconilis — GMT

Necrosis wrote:
Gwar! wrote:Lets be honest, if GW wanted to make a Sororitas novel (that sold), it would end up as a bad fanficition AND YOU DAMN WELL KNOW IT!

If your not going to say anything useful then don't say anything that all. Hate how everyone keeps bashing them cause their females.

I'm not one to usually defends Gwar!, as he tends to deserve the crap that he gets from others most of the time. But he is far from the only one in this thread delivering one line sarcastic quips, and if it's okay for others to do it then it's okay for him to do it too.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

Azezel — GMT

thegrav wrote:@Azezel: Yeah I get you on that. It seems that the SoB gain a huge amount of controversy about them on the forums though so I tossed the idea out there.

there's a huge amount of controversy largely because the fluff is so tenuous and so disorganized.

There is little fluff and it's spread far and wide. Two vastly different Codices, a couple of short stories, one novel and cameos in a half dozen others and a comic book.

Not one of these sources agrees on exactly what the sisters' deal is. and because the fluff is so spread around, most people will not have read all of it, and therefore can have very different ideas about the army.

If you've only read the 2e Codex (and I strongly advise you to read it, if you have not), then you're pretty sure that the sisters are the army of the Ecclesiarchy - conducting wars of faith, rooting out heresy, protecting pilgrims and shrines etc. Oh, and sometimes they aid the Inquisition.

If you've only read the 3e Codex witchhunters, you'll get almost the opposite idea - the sisters are Inquisition soldeirs who sometimes fight for the church.

If you've only read the Cain novels then the sisters are comical zealots genuinely too stupid to wear helmets.

And if, somehow, you've been living under a rock since the late eighties then the sisters of Battle are pretty much the Galaxy's ultimate badasses. The only force with the power and courage to take down a Space Marine chapter. Seriously, back in the day, that was their job - dealing with Marine chapters that went rogue.

Now that's the novel I want to read.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

thegrav — GMT

Heh, I have read both Codices, in fact SoB almost became my second army.

As far as the religious zealot bits, I think the bigger point may be the Fanaticism and Zealotry are bad. Not that women are stupid. Not saying you are arguing against that (that the authors are making women stupid) with your response, but I have got the feeling form a few other Dakka members in other SoB topics. I could be wrong of course.

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

I tend to focus on the professional, capable, and tactically competent side of the Sisters. IE, the Sisters of Battle, not the Sisters of Martyring Yourself Repeatedly.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

thegrav — GMT

But.. all of the Special Characters are Martyrs!?!?!?!?!?!

Plus Our gods are cooler! (5 yr old Chaos Flag flies again!)

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

Technically, all of your special characters are ***holes. Except for Kharn, of course, I wouldn't dare say anything unkind about that bastion of Khorne's will.

Sisters of battle novels?

Manchu — GMT

To be fair to C:WH, if you read it carefully you can figure out that the Sisters aren't just Inquisitorial thugs. But the confusion was intentional IMO.

Btw, whatabout Matthew Farrer's story "Snares and Delusions" in Let The Galaxy Burn? I'm looking forward to Enforcer coming out soon.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

thegrav — GMT

Nuh-UH! All my special characters can beat up your special characters! <--being 5 still.

So to change tack a bit, is GW planning to revamp the SoB anytime soon?

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

From what I can tell, Sisters will have a new codex sometime middle or late next year.

Something like this:

Dark Eldar (this fall?)
Grey Knights (dec/jan?)
Necrons (next spring?)
Sisters (next summer/fall?)

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

thegrav — GMT

Cool, if I have managed to finish my Eldar and Tau by then I may look into Sisters Seriously again.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

Azezel — GMT

thegrav wrote:Heh, I have read both Codices, in fact SoB almost became my second army.

As far as the religious zealot bits, I think the bigger point may be the Fanaticism and Zealotry are bad. Not that women are stupid. Not saying you are arguing against that (that the authors are making women stupid) with your response, but I have got the feeling form a few other Dakka members in other SoB topics. I could be wrong of course.

Hell no - I never meant (and don't think) that Mitchel or any other author has a problem with women. Mitchel clearly just plain doesn't like the Sisters of Battle - not because they're women, but because they're Sisters of Battle. He just as clearly loves the Necrons - fair play to him and all that, Necrons are cool.

Here's the rub: The sisters are fanatics and they are zealots. They've been indoctrinated to be so from the moment they entered the Schola. And these are, objectively speaking, character flaws - or at least, they would be in real people. In fictional people they aren't so much.

James Bond is a sociopath, a sadist and a racist, Sharpe is a fanatic and a misogynist, Harry Flashman is a complete monster, Aragorn is a zealot, Lyra Bellaqua is just a ghastly little girl. I wouldn't want to hang out with any of them - but I love their books.

I strongly believe it's possible to write a story about a character who is fanatical, and a zealot and intelligent, thoughtful and fun to read about, hell, even sympathetic.

Case in point: Daemonblood (am I starting to sound like a broken record? - I'll stop pluging this story after this post.) Sister Aescarion is all of those things. It's her fanaticism which drives her to hunt one man for so many years, and her zealous faith which drives the conclusion of the story.g

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

Also, there's many aspects of zealous faith . Sometimes it's firebrand faith, while other times, it's more of dutiful humility. Most people assume the former, but I prefer the latter.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

thegrav — GMT

I hear yah on all that. Although I think you were too kinda with good old James.. I would have added: alcoholic, womanizer, at the least!

Characters always will have flaws, and bad ones, so we can easily see them, this is kinda a rule in creative writing. In fact I chose the Word Bearers for this very reason, they are so damn Fanatical it is AWESOME! and I decided that before the HH books!! I also love the Eisenhorn novels, if there wasn't a bigger example of a Paladin on the edge of falling...

I was just offering the opinion that perhaps in our current world authors may be presenting the SoB and the SM has brash Fanatics and Zealots on purpose.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Melissia wrote:Also, there's many aspects of zealous faith . Sometimes it's firebrand faith, while other times, it's more of dutiful humility. Most people assume the former, but I prefer the latter.

Zealotry was originally a political movement in first century Judaism which sought to incite the people of Iudaea Province to rebel against the Roman Empire and expel it from the holy land by force of arms, most notably during the Great Jewish Revolt (66-70). Zealotry was described by Josephus as one of the "four sects" at this time.

We are talking about Religious Zealotry and Zealots, not being zealous in your religion..

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

Then I would argue not all Sisters are Religious Zealots. A Sister could easily be shown as having a quiet, contemplative, and pure faith rather than a loud, fiery, and hateful faith.

It'd be more interesting to read about at any rate.

Sisters of battle novels?

Manchu — GMT

I've always thought that the religious aspects of 40k are a
British attempt to deal with (in the psychological sense) "Dark Age" Christianity after 400 years of anti-Catholic propaganda. All the xenophobic, hateful, and violent things that Christians are currently lampooned as believing and thinking (and no doubt some actually believe and think) are present in 40k, dressed up in the Gothic fetishes of (especially) Victorian English romantics who misunderstood, hated, and ultimately reveled in their ambiguous, sensual, demanding medieval heritage. As Azazel just noted, these kinds of beliefs and thoughts can be easily derided and dismissed IRL but in 40k they are not only necessary but also laudable. In this respect, the Sisters are the ultimate expression of the morality of 40k.

Sisters of battle novels?

Azezel — GMT

I think you're right, Manchu. As much as I hate to speak for every Briton, I'm going to. we have a fairly messed up love/hate thing going on with religion in the country - have done for centuries and I do think that 40k draws directly from that mindset.

The same goes, as it happens for the gothic aesthetic. The sisters are far and away the most gothic of the armies - just look at the Exorcist... Jesus...

That's what first drew me to them, the glorious look and feel of them, combined with the zealous faith. two things which I would run a mile from in reality.

For my part I have to believe that there are sisters running the whole spectrum of zealotry. Foaming-at-the-mouth firebrands all the way to fierce inner strength, calm surface. In fact, my Seraphim Superiors, to my mind, embody the polar opposites of that spectrum, and I like them both.

Oh, and it's 'Azezel' with an 'e' in the middle. Ancient Hebrew was written without vowels (well, more complicated than that, but basically) so I stuck an 'e' in my nick for reasons that seemed good when I was 15.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

thegrav — GMT

40k is way influenced by the Gothic movement of the 14th-15th centuries. And I can see the mentioned ties to Victorian era politics and high society as well. I find it interesting how different the Empire becomes in the 41st, considering according to booth old fluff and the HH Fluff the 31st was very much about science and reason.

It is as if the Empire is in a new Dark Age of Strife and refuses to admit it.

Sisters of battle novels?

Manchu — GMT

You chaps may get a kick out of this thread:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/262901.page#1073961

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

thegrav — GMT

Very nice! I dig.

Sisters of battle novels?

Emperors Faithful — GMT

Azezel wrote:
That's what first drew me to them, the glorious look and feel of them, combined with the zealous faith. two things which I would run a mile from in reality.

Exactly the same here.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

Kroothawk — GMT

Azezel wrote:Hell no - I never meant (and don't think) that Mitchel or any other author has a problem with women. Mitchel clearly just plain doesn't like the Sisters of Battle - not because they're women, but because they're Sisters of Battle.

Well, Goto has a problem with women, but he is/was too busy mistreating female Eldar main characters (his record so far: torturing an injured female Eldar Farseer for 180 pages before she is finally allowed to die ->"Tempest" ).

Mitchel or rather his main character Cain just doesn't like fanatics, so dogmatic Sisters are an easy and obvious target for his humour.

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

Which makes handing the prequel to Faith and Fire off to Mitchel... well, a WEIRD choice.

Sisters of battle novels?

WARBOSS TZOO — GMT

Can people who think that GW isn't presenting Sisters in a positive light please explain what presenting them in a positive light would look like? The impression I'm getting from this thread (reinforced by other, recent threads) is that it would be an organistion of Mary Sues who always win.

Fanwank, in short.

If that's not what it is that you want to see, then please elaborate on what it is that you actually want to see.

Sisters of battle novels?

xxmatt85 — GMT

WARBOSS TZOO wrote:Can people who think that GW isn't presenting Sisters in a positive light please explain what presenting them in a positive light would look like? The impression I'm getting from this thread (reinforced by other, recent threads) is that it would be an organistion of Mary Sues who always win.

Fanwank, in short.

If that's not what it is that you want to see, then please elaborate on what it is that you actually want to see.

Getting them a new codex with a set of books.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

WARBOSS TZOO — GMT

That's... not quite what I meant. More about what happens in fiction about them and less about whether or not they get books and a new codex released at all.

Sisters of battle novels?

Azezel — GMT

They don't always have to win.

I suppose what we want is something like this:

1) A series of novels.

That doesn't seem too much to ask. You can't move for Space marine and Guard multi-volume serials. The Grey Knights, Rogue Traders, Deathwatch, Inquisitors you name it. Every Imperial outfit but one has at least one series.

2) Said books should remain true to the unique characteristics of our army.

As I said before, they are fanatics and zealots. But they are not superhuman or centuries old. They are mortal hummans who have (so far as they are concenred) the greatest and most terrible responcibility in the galaxy - that of saving humanity's soul with nothing but a bolter and limitless faith.

3) Whilst we don't demand the Sisters always win - we'd like them maybe to win in their own books.

I'm looking at you, here, Faith and Fire. At best that's a neutral outcome. The sisters seriesly messed up to start with and then fixed it later, bringing them back to zero.

On a personal note I will say again that a novel where the sisters hunt down and purge a rogue chapter of Marines is a novel I want to read.

It'd be a perfect opertunity to explore the differences between the Sisters and those other yoyos with power armour and bolters.

Sisters of battle novels?

WARBOSS TZOO — GMT

Azezel wrote:3) Whilst we don't demand the Sisters always win - we'd like them maybe to win in their own books.

Just on this point specifically, ignoring fiction focusing on other organisations and species completely, do you want Sisters to win 100% of the time in their own books?

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

WARBOSS TZOO wrote:Can people who think that GW isn't presenting Sisters in a positive light please explain what presenting them in a positive light would look like?

How about having a story where large portions of Sisters don't get wiped out and/or turned to chaos?

Guard wins all the time in their books, at least the seven or so that I've read; they usually end up winning their battles, often quite conclusively and without overwhelming casualties.

Sisters of battle novels?

WARBOSS TZOO — GMT

Melissia wrote:
WARBOSS TZOO wrote:Can people who think that GW isn't presenting Sisters in a positive light please explain what presenting them in a positive light would look like?
How about having a story where large portions of Sisters don't get wiped out and/or turned to chaos?

I assume it also wouldn't involve having them drop into Taco Bell for the entirety of the story and have them trading quips for two hundred pages.

What do you actually want to see?

(Good to know that you've accepted that SoBs can fall to Chaos.)

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

WARBOSS TZOO wrote:[snip]

1: Maybe something about a group of Sisters as bodyguards to an ecclesiarchal official during a ceremony celebrating the ascension of a new sub-sector governor... only at the zenith of the governor's speech, an empty drop pod fitted with symbols of the four dark gods slams through the building and crushes the governor. The Sisters are forced to investigate the situation, looking into the corruption inherent in the noble spires and the governor's own sordid past, being attacked by heretic assassination squads just when they're about to find some crucial information every time. Eventually, near the climax of the book, it is found that the Ecclesiarchy official they were supposed to guard was the culprit, and was orchestrating things in order to weaken the world for an invasion by Chaos forces. They just barely manage to stop him before he ignites a war between two of the major noble houses, and the book ends with the Chaos fleet arriving, engaging the loyalist fleet, and the Sisters are left to help prepare the defenses-- motivating Guard, organizing the Guard and PDF regiments (the General having been killed by assassins), and readying themselves for a major invasion.

2: I never said they couldn't. I said it has only happened once in canon.

Sisters of battle novels?

WARBOSS TZOO — GMT

1. Would it end before the invasion?

2. >How about having a story where large portions of Sisters don't get wiped out and/or turned to chaos?

I seem to recall there being an entire convent or something going traitor?

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

1: The first book would.

2: Miriael Sabathiel was the only one that turned to chaos worship. BL books tended to ignore this, just as BL writers conveniently ignore other facts of the fluff whenever they believe it'll make a good story / whenever they forget / whenever it allows them to spank their characters more / whenever they can get away with it.

Sisters of battle novels?

WARBOSS TZOO — GMT

But Faith and Fire is a valid reference for what life is like in the Sisterhood.

Either Black Library is canon or it isn't.

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

Some books are better than others. Grouping them all together and saying "all or nothing" is something I don't buy.

Sisters of battle novels?

Azezel — GMT

GW state that there is no official cannon, but generally it goes something like:

Core book>Codex>Black Library - so when the Sisters' codex says only one has ever fallen, it trumps the Sandy Mitchel having an entire convent pall around with his Hitler expy.

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

Also, I was referring to books within a same group. Compare C.S.Goto's work with, say, Dan Abnett.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

thegrav — GMT

@Melissa: You are reading the Gaunt's Ghost books right? Cause if you are and you don't think that the Tanith are dieing in droves you need your head checked... You are a huge SoB fan so I can understand your needs and wants.. But BL wipes up blood in port-a-potty's with the IG ALL the time!

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

Emperors Faithful — GMT

thegrav wrote:@Melissa: You are reading the Gaunt's Ghost books right? Cause if you are and you don't think that the Tanith are dieing in droves you need your head checked... You are a huge SoB fan so I can understand your needs and wants.. But BL wipes up blood in port-a-potty's with the IG ALL the time!

Actually, the Tanith themselves seem to get off relatively lightly when compared to the much voiced "ZOMG's the Guardsmens are dyings!" in many codexes, all of which find it easiest to wail on the IG. The only time where the Tanith 1st seriously took a beating was the third book, Necropolis I think, and they were refreshed with new characters and Hiveworlders afterwards. Sure, the IG regiment to the right and left get's the crap beaten out of them, but the Tanith always seem to pull through with minimal casualties.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

thegrav — GMT

Except they lost their homeworld...

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

Actually it's the Cain books primarily.

Sisters of battle novels?

Emperors Faithful — GMT

...and?
By all account the ass-whooping they've handed out has more than made up for it.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

thegrav — GMT

Yeah but at the moment the Tanith are what

Spoiler:

Not good odds overall.. Slow Genocide is still genocide.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Melissia wrote:Actually it's the Cain books primarily.

Ah must be a bit more forgiving.. Abnett is not afraid of killing guard characters. Or anyone for that matter..

Sisters of battle novels?

Emperors Faithful — GMT

I don't mean to bag Dan Abnett or the Tanith 1st. It's just that Sisters involvement seems to only occur on a mediocre level, instead of anything major or critical.

In the Deamon Hunters Book. "We kicked traitor guard ass! Oh yeah, and the sisters helped."

Armageddon. IG and orks both kicked ass. Oh yeah, and the Sisters helped but got thier ass kicked.

Necrons. Sisters were the first to get their ass kicked.

Last Chancers. Sisters did well enough. But they've got power armour and crap so it don't count. (That actually what he says)

See where I'm going with this? Sisters involvement seems to be at the mediocre, ass end of the kicking, and only dishes it out against traitors and other guys that Space Marines apparently eat for breakfast. I would like to see a piece of fluff where it says "Sisters got hurt bad, BUT this time THEY kicked ass."

Automatically Appended Next Post:
@thegrav: Pure blood Tanith? Yeah, sure. But the Tanith Regiment (so to speak) is actually quite strong.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Spoiler:

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

thegrav — GMT

Eh, Like I said, if the new Codex kicks ass! I may look at them again seriously. It may be better to make noise at GW and BL about the SoB fluff, just saying.

Sisters of battle novels?

Emperors Faithful — GMT

A combined Inquistion Codex will kick ass. I expect the Sisters of Battle will help.

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

Emperors Faithful wrote:A combined Inquistion Codex will kick ass.

No, it woudl not. In fact, if GW did it, it would be a disaster that destroys all three factions involved.

The ONLY way for a combined codex to do three separate and widely different factions justice (four, in fact, if you include deathwatch, which themselves have a markedly different history) is if it was three times as large as the Space Marines codex-- a huge fluff section which itself could be the size of a normal codex, sixty to ninety units in the army list section, and a massive painting section that gives due focus to all of the factions.

If GW combined the factions, they would not do this.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

Kroothawk — GMT

Are you folks trying to highjack another Sororitas thread with an off topic flame war?

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

Wait, people are flaming in this thread?

Off-topic, yeah, but I don't see flaming..

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

thegrav — GMT

Mel, you get seriously heated really fast. Or at least that is the way it comes across.

So final word on this is?? The fluff that exists sucks, and there is nothing in the Grim haze of their future?

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

As if I'm the only one

There's a bit of stuff. For example, they saw models of a new Repentia Mistress, and a character who had two storm bolters.

Sisters of battle novels?

karimabuseer — GMT

LOL. Read the chaos books where they fight the imperium if you want some real ownage fluff
Storm of Iron is pretty cool on that count. Dark Creed was a bit of a let down. Three marines survived out of 5 white scars companies. They should've all died imo

Sisters of battle novels?

Emperors Faithful — GMT

Melissia wrote:
Emperors Faithful wrote:A combined Inquistion Codex will kick ass.
No, it woudl not. In fact, if GW did it, it would be a disaster that destroys all three factions involved.

The ONLY way for a combined codex to do three separate and widely different factions justice (four, in fact, if you include deathwatch, which themselves have a markedly different history) is if it was three times as large as the Space Marines codex-- a huge fluff section which itself could be the size of a normal codex, sixty to ninety units in the army list section, and a massive painting section that gives due focus to all of the factions.

If GW combined the factions, they would not do this.

Witch Hunters. Deamon Hunters. Xeno Hunters/DeathWatch. Counting only 3 so far. ()

I'm not going to claim that GW is going to give more attention to the Inquisition than Space Marines, but I don't think a Combined Codex would be any bigger than the current IG codex at most. That is, unless there was a severe makeover in how the armies were organised. Even so, a Combined Inquisition Codex would be wicked cool. IF (big if) GW doesn't screw it up.

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

Emperors Faithful wrote:Counting only 3 so far. ()

Sisters of Battle, Grey Knights, Inquisition, Deathwatch.

Four factions.

but I don't think a Combined Codex would be any bigger than the current IG codex at most.

And that's precisely why it would suck. Sisters/Ecclesiarchy alone already have eleven units. Grey Knights have eight, Inquisition (in total) has effectively seven. That's 24-26 units depending on how you count the Adepta Sororitas Heroine choices or Grey Knight Hero choices... and this does NOT count Deathwatch. Add in another five or six for Deathwatch, and that's as large as 5th edition C:IG

So basically they would add nothing to ANY of the factions. There would be no expansion, there would be only stagnation.

Sisters of battle novels?

Emperors Faithful — GMT

I would prefer a 'Super-Dex' with the choice to mix-and-match instead of 4 very specialised codexes with thier own locked-in combat method.

Ideally for me it would be the HQ choice that allows the army player to select the 'theme' of thier army. But this is a 3rd Generation SoB player talking, and I'm guessing you and Manchu have been around since 2nd ed.

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

Emperors Faithful wrote:I would prefer a 'Super-Dex' with the choice to mix-and-match instead of 4 very specialised codexes with thier own locked-in combat method.

And I would prefer four codices that don't suck to one codex that does.

Yes, you are right. I very, VERY firmly believe that the Inquisition should not have been stuffed in my third edition Sisters of Battle codex.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

KamikazeCanuck — GMT

Emperors Faithful wrote:
thegrav wrote:@Melissa: You are reading the Gaunt's Ghost books right? Cause if you are and you don't think that the Tanith are dieing in droves you need your head checked... You are a huge SoB fan so I can understand your needs and wants.. But BL wipes up blood in port-a-potty's with the IG ALL the time!

Actually, the Tanith themselves seem to get off relatively lightly when compared to the much voiced "ZOMG's the Guardsmens are dyings!" in many codexes, all of which find it easiest to wail on the IG. The only time where the Tanith 1st seriously took a beating was the third book, Necropolis I think, and they were refreshed with new characters and Hiveworlders afterwards. Sure, the IG regiment to the right and left get's the crap beaten out of them, but the Tanith always seem to pull through with minimal casualties.

*Spoiler*

The Regiment took 50% fatalaties in Blood Pact. And they take over 50% Losses again in Necropolis and Ghostmaker. All while not be able to get replacements from their homeworld No author is as unkind to his characters than Dan Abnett to the Tanith.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

thegrav — GMT

I love you, cold unfeeling Canadian helper guy!

Sisters of battle novels?

Emperors Faithful — GMT

You do realise that these casualties are more often than not the nameless/quickly named grunts? These are ussually quickly replaced by reinforcements. It rarely kills off anyone with sergeant status or higher.

Spoiler:

That said, I am most definitely not bagging the work of Dan Abnett.

@Melissia: Like I said, I would prefer one decent codex to four silly little ones. A sisters codex would be even smaller than the current WH codex (if the fluff level remained about the same give or take a page or two). And if anything we are seeing an increase in codex size, not a reduction. The GK codex would be even smaller. I'm hoping for a Super Inquisition codex, but I realise it's not the most likely thing to happen. What is even less likely is that Sisters will be seperated again, it's more probable that the WH codex will remain exactly that, the WH codex.

Sisters of battle novels?

Manchu — GMT

EF, what evidence or logic is your "most likely remain WH" statement based on? I see you making this claim over and over but it doesn't seem to have any basis in reality other than there currently being a C:WH. The inertia of GW may itself be an argument but I'd say it's a rather weak one. AFAIK, there are no rumors to support a stand-alone SoB dex, a combined Inq dex, or C:WH v.2--although rumors of a coming GK update would indicate that the second option is least viable (but the rumor mill has been pretty gak since BA came out, keep in mind). Going on logic alone, I have argued many times that a stand-alone (read: Sisters-focused) dex would be the best possible product and I've yet to come across a convincing counterargument. That certainly isn't the same thing as saying it is most likely, however.

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

Emperors Faithful wrote:@Melissia: Like I said, I would prefer one decent codex to four silly little ones. A sisters codex would be even smaller than the current WH codex (if the fluff level remained about the same give or take a page or two).

A combined codex will not be decent, because it would not add anything to the factions being crammed into such a craptactular book. Just adding in the 11 Sisters/Ecclesiarchy units, the 7 Grey Knights units, the 7 Inquisition units, and say 6 Deathwatch units would come up to 31 units total, basically making for a fifth edition codex. If GW received a collective head injury and decided to go this horrible route, they would basically end up just jamming WH and DH into one codex, adding deathwatch, and doing NOTHING else, basically letting the factions stagnate because iif they did anything else the codex would end up being larger than C:SM, which you, yourself said is not likely to happen.

The disastrously bad combined codex idea was rather dismissively called "pure fanwank" (although any real fan wouldn't actually want it if they think about it at all) by Jervis Johnson. He's gone on record numerous times, consistently over the past year, saying there will be two codices, one which focuses on the Grey Knights, one which focuses on the Sisters.

Sisters of battle novels?

Kilkrazy — GMT

You codex ideas are interesting, however they are off topic as this thread is about books.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

loranafaeriequeen — GMT

I think there hasn't been much focus on Sisters because of the largely male audience of the game and the novels.

I showed a friend of mine a picture of Saint Celestine because I'm thinking about doing a sisters army next, and she's one of the prettiest models I've seen. My friend says "She's all right but she's not sexy enough. I don't want to do her." He then proceeds to show me pics of models from other games that have more cleavage.

Sisters of battle novels?

Melissia — GMT

Your friend is douchey.

So anyway, back on topic... supposedly there's a prequel to Faith and Fire coming out, but I've heard conflicting reports as to who actually is writing it... I think Sandy Mitchel, but I hope not as he tends to hate Sisters.

Sisters of battle novels?

karimabuseer — GMT

You need a chaos writer to do it. The sisters will kill everyone. There's a nice bit in Dark Apostle where the word bearers nail Sisters and clergy to a statue. And they leave them there alive

Sisters of battle novels?

Manchu — GMT

This doesn't need to be hard. BL could put out a "Battles of the Space Marines" style book about Sisters dealing with a war of faith. Have Ben Counter or Matt Farrer write it--and not Sandy Mitchell. That would do the job.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

KamikazeCanuck — GMT

thegrav wrote:I love you, cold unfeeling Canadian helper guy!

Thanks!

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Emperors Faithful wrote:You do realise that these casualties are more often than not the nameless/quickly named grunts? These are ussually quickly replaced by reinforcements. It rarely kills off anyone with sergeant status or higher.

Spoiler:

Hence my utter surpise and manly bawl at Corbec's death in Sabbat Matyr

.

Yes, but those replacements aren't Tanith. Whenever there's a huge battlescene with lots of ghost Causalties I always hope its Belladon guys (which it is because they're not as Hardened as the Tanith). Don't get me wrong the Belladon are good guys but they aren't as cool and not on the verge of extinction like the Tanith.

Once again they are no "quick rienforcements." The 1st has been reinforced majorly twice. After vervunhive and then with the Belladon. All other reinforcements include in totality: 2 commisars, 1 priest and a kid named Dalin Creed!

Sisters of battle novels?

Emperors Faithful — GMT

But the thing is, they are reinforced, hence when you hear that the Tanith suffered over 1000+ casualties in a battle, you assume that they were mostly Belladon guys. It's not as much of a punch to the gut as it used to be.

@Mellissia and Manchu: I'd be happy to continue this conversation and get lamblasted by the both of you, but it should be in a seperate thread and I don't want to drag this off topic. I'll start one up (again ) when I get back, or you can start one now.

Sisters of battle novels?

Manchu — GMT

No, there is really no need for another of those threads. Just be careful about starting rumors when you're really just stating an opinion.

Sisters of battle novels?

Emperors Faithful — GMT

But I didn't....hey, that was Melissia not me. (I feel like a two year old say 'she started it')
Anyway, I don't think there's any strong evidence to suggest a Combined or 'Pure' codex either way. If a 'Pure' GK army comes out, I may change my mind.

In regard to an SoB novel, does anyone think it should follow a particular Convent (like the Tanith Equivalent) or particular characters on smaller missions?

Sisters of battle novels?

Kroothawk — GMT

Emperors Faithful wrote:@Mellissia and Manchu: I'd be happy to continue this conversation and get lamblasted by the both of you, but it should be in a seperate thread and I don't want to drag this off topic. I'll start one up (again ) when I get back, or you can start one now.

Don't forget to tag the thread as NSFW

Sisters of battle novels?

Emperors Faithful — GMT

Sisters of battle novels?

Croakamancer — GMT

Back on some sort of topic like.... thing, it's not a novel, but after reading this thread, I feel compelled to step up when writing the Sisters in my current fluff piece. And that's coming from a Chaos player.

So, no routing, no turning, most certainly no easy victory... instead, when I use the Sisters, they will be magnificent and mighty foes. My thanks for this thread; it's made me think quite a bit.

Sisters of battle novels?

thegrav — GMT

Croakamancer wrote:Back on some sort of topic like.... thing, it's not a novel, but after reading this thread, I feel compelled to step up when writing the Sisters in my current fluff piece. And that's coming from a Chaos player.

So, no routing, no turning, most certainly no easy victory... instead, when I use the Sisters, they will be magnificent and mighty foes. My thanks for this thread; it's made me think quite a bit.

You left out unstoppable, capable of everything, and way better than Space Marines..

Sisters of battle novels?

Croakamancer — GMT

Why do you think my CSM will be fighting sneaky?

Slightly more seriously; the scene isn't planed for a little while yet, but I do have the outline quite firmly in my head. As one point that should be of some encouragement, it should feature a Canoness going toe to toe with the Chaos Lord protagonist, and making it a more or less even fight.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

thegrav — GMT

But... Chaos is Better.... est...

Sisters of battle novels?

Croakamancer — GMT

Patience. If you like both SoB and Chaos, you should like that story, all in all.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

thegrav — GMT

I have some old dusty DE vs IG fan-fic laying around I should Heavily edit it (yay 2 years of creative writing!!) and make it less High School and post!

Sisters of battle novels?

Necroman — GMT

Croakamancer wrote: Why do you think my CSM will be fighting sneaky?

Slightly more seriously; the scene isn't planed for a little while yet, but I do have the outline quite firmly in my head. As one point that should be of some encouragement, it should feature a Canoness going toe to toe with the Chaos Lord protagonist, and making it a more or less even fight.

Make sure the Chaos Lord wins through guile, trickery, and cheating. Can't have Chaos without those things, now, can we?

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

Croakamancer — GMT

*bows* Indeed. Thankfully, guile is what my Lord prides himself on (that, logic, and being better spoken and educated than those... yahoos that call themselves the Inquisition )

Sisters of battle novels?

Emperors Faithful — GMT

Cheating? I say foul play, sir, foul play. Why not a friendly immolation of heretic scum at the end?

Sisters of battle novels?

Croakamancer — GMT

That generally only happens when the Sisters win, no?

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

thegrav — GMT

I believe the SoB should be possessed and become a daemon.. Of course Chaos is betterest!

Sisters of battle novels?

Croakamancer — GMT

*shakes head* That's 'disrespectful portrayal of sisters'. :p Yes, possible, but not something I'm going to write.

Sisters of battle novels?

Emperors Faithful — GMT

Croakamancer wrote:That generally only happens when the Sisters win, no?

Which is what I fully expect you to write at the end of your storyline.

Sisters of battle novels?

Croakamancer — GMT

Well, that'll be a while.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

thegrav — GMT

Thats cause chaos say: "OWNED!" to the Inquisition.

Re:Sisters of battle novels?

Croakamancer — GMT

Well, it's still off topic, but as I don't play the army, I'd like to check with you guys, to see if this is a good starting point. This is the Order I intend to write about. Have I got them about right, would you say?

Order of the Vigilant Blade

The Vigilant Blade have been founded comparatively recently; Palatine Sariah and several of her closest sisters approached the Abbess Sanctorum herself with their proposition. They had served in the Order of the Ebon Chalice long and faithfully, travelling between Shrine Worlds, and Cardinal Worlds honouring the Emperor in ceremony after ceremony. But they had also known their share of battle, fighting Orks, heretics and all kinds of blasphemers against the Emperor's Light. And in many cases, they stood almost alone. So few Orders existed, there were many places in the darker side of the galaxy where heretics remained safe from the Sisters of Battle. This small band knew that they could not change this alone, but asked the Abbess to grant them permission to form a new Order, to train others in the arts of Faith and Fire, and begin the slow process of building yet another holy group of warriors ready to fight and defend Emperor, Imperium and Ecclesiarchy..

The Abbess worried a little at this show of what could be seen as defiance against the Sisters' Canoness. Yet, after much deliberation, she saw the holy light of the Emperor in the eyes of this small group of servants of the Emperor, and granted their request. She named Sariah as Canoness of this new order, and at her command, a formal charter was issued to the band of five, along with resources and the appropriate contracts to ensure supply of armour and weaponry. With much rejoicing, the newly created Order left Terra to find a place to found their Order's beginnings. Priests of the Ministorum travelled with them, ready to help the Sisters build their fortress-monastery when they found their new home world, and sanctify it in the Emperor's Name. The newly created Order travelled the stars to find their new home and training ground.

It took them a year, but in the end, they found it in the agri-world of Deranhal. Isolated from the Imperium at large, it was a peaceful place, one removed from the civilization most of the Imperium knew well. And yet, it was not so far removed from the threat of the Green Tide as to be totally secure. This little world could well need the new Order and their help before too long. The small band of Sisters found a mountaintop that none of the Imperial settlers had ever laid claim to. It was there that the Order of the Vigilant Blade built their first Monastery, and from there, they begun the path that they continue to this day, growing, building, and preparing to bring Holy War to the stars; and Death to the Emperor's foes.

They are a small Order Militant to this day, still growing. Currently, they number mere one hundred and fifty fully battle ready sisters, with another hundred novices in training, all located in their mountaintop fortress-monastery on Deranhal. In terms of pure size, they are more a Commandery than a true Order, recruiting those they could from the local population, setting up links with the Schola Progenium, and sending a few Sisters to roam across the subsector on Charrist ships to find more potential members.. But they should under no account be underestimated. Their Convent was built here in case Deranhal ever came under attack. The world is isolated, and the Munitorium would find it hard indeed to provide major re-enforcements, given the current Ork threat throughout the Sector. Thus, if it ever comes to war, it shall be Deranhal's PDF that stands alone against whatever horrors of the Galaxy come to ensnare them.

Yet they shall know precious little fear. For at their front, should that day come, will stand the Order of the Vigilant Blade, resplendent in the armour of their faith and station. Their holy flamers shall click but once to ignite the Promethium they carry into jets of blessed flame. Their bolters shall gleam in the midday son as they rain death upon the foes of the Emperor and the loudspeakers of the Order's sacred battle-tanks will roar out the war prayers of the Adepta Sororitas as the guardians of the Imperium's soul show their opponents just what faith, loyalty and belief truly mean.