Yes to a repentia superior, I've been wanting one since the repentia were first released.
I'll see if I can write something up, I haven't really solidified much of it.
The Order of the Penitent Vow
This order hails from the formerly verdant world of Ekhaya, a planet once famous for its diverse and beautiful ecology. Home to a population of several billion and a strong agrarian tradition, Ekhaya had been a breadbasket for the sector, allowing other worlds to devote themselves to serving the Imperium with industry and manufacture. While not seen as a key world, it was nevertheless the lynchpin that allowed the Isacholo sector to surpass their materiel targets for millennia.
This devoted service came to an abrupt end in the centuries leading up the emergence of the Cicatrix Maledictum. Powerful warp storms arose that cut Ekhaya off from the rest of the Imperium, allowing no transport or messages to reach the planet. These warp storms were impassable, resembling the turmoil that surrounded the Great Eye or the Maelstrom, and ships' captains preferred to risk summary execution for refusing a direct order than to risk leading their ships into almost certain destruction and damnation. With a heavy heart the sector abandoned all attempts to reach Ekhaya, and the world was declared lost to the Imperium.
So it was with great shock that transmissions once more began to be heard from the planet after the fall of the Great Rift. A single voice was heard, singing soft benedictions for the Emperor, transmitted on all frequencies. An expedition was formed, supported by the Adepta Sororitas, ever vigilant for the cunning traps of the Great Enemy. A planet returned to the Imperial fold would be an excellent diversion to deliver some unspeakable scheme for the Dark Gods.
The small fleet arrived and found the warp storms had dissipated. Indeed, an almost eerie calmness surrounded the world of Ekhaya, allowing for a simple transit and easy access. Once in orbit, the fleet command was stunned to see the once lush green of the world had been replaced by desert and sand, in some places scoured to the bedrock itself. Water was almost non-existent, and what little vegetation that remained was scarred and stunted, but no less hardy for that. A delegation was formed and sent to the location of the vox-transmission, still singing its soft song of joy and purity.
The craft descended upon Ekhaya and landed by a single stone hut, the only standing building to be found across the planet, For where great cities and starports had once stood, only rubble and devastation remained. Great desolations stretched across the planet's surface and bioscans could see vast graveyards filled with the remains its inhabitants. Across the entire world, only this sole, solitary hut remained. Within a woman was found, aged beyond her years by the harshness of the environment, but unbowed. Khethiwe is what she named herself, chosen of her people. She stood before the assembled delegation, of sisters in full battle array, navy bondsmen with shock-assault gear, of planetary landers capable of turning her and her home into dust at a single instruction, and she stood proud before them. And she spoke to them there, in a quiet voice, though no less passionate for that.
Her tale began centuries ago, as the warp storms descended upon Ekhaya. At first the planet grew concerned as their world was cut off from the light of the Astronomicon. All attempts to reach the wider Imperium failed, all craft that tried to leave were lost to the warp. Ekhaya was alone. And troubled. Whispers could be heard each night, as darkness fell, whispers from loved ones long since passed, whispers promising great rewards or terrible tortures, whispers promising and tormenting and delighting. Riots began in the cities, riots which grew to internecine warfare. One by one the cities fell to anarchy, people attacking their neighbours for the sheer delight of conflict and brutality. Entire armies were raised to fight these degenerates, which quickly led to martial law being declared across the world. But it was never enough, as leader after leader fell to the conflict, or to their own innate vices. At this Khethiwe's voice grew hard, recalling the terrors that had befallen her world.
A movement grew across Ekhaya in answer to the cries of terror and pain that filled the airwaves day and night. Intomba appeared, women who seemed to glow with divine light, who raised their voices in prayer, in song, in benediction to the Emperor. Where these intomba appeared, hope returned once more and those that held the Emperor in their hearts were able to find strength to fight back, to defend their families from the corruption that had taken hold of their once beautiful world. A movement began, which became an army, which became a crusade. Those women who venerated the Emperor led the charge, casting down the blasphemous icons and fetishes raised by those lost to the voices in the darkness. War crossed the world for one hundred long years. The intomba found themselves at the forefront of a bitter conflict that ultimately destroyed their world, but they paid this price and willingly, for it would have damned all their souls to suffer the witch and the heretic to take their beautiful Ekhaya, and they would far rather see it humbled than given to the Great Enemy.
With these words, Khethiwe called out, and in the sands that surrounded the landing party many thousands of men and women cast off their cloaks, appearing as if by magic from the sands. They stood in silence and gazed at the party. When asked what they were waiting for, Khethiwe responded with a single word. 'Judgement'.
It was the Adepta Sororitas who stepped forwards, their armour grinding and whirring in the dusty air. At their head was Canoness Hilde, and it was she who would speak for the Imperium. She removed her helmet to breathe deep of the air of Ekhaya, breathe deep the dry and dusty air of the world, and to her joy she found no taint, no hint of the corruption that had sought to take this world for its own. She lowered herself to one knee, bowed her head, and offered her blade to Khethiwe, as did the hundreds of men and women behind her, recognition for the sacrifice faced by the Ekhayans,
Ekhaya was welcomed back to the Imperium's fold, a rare story of triumph in these dark times. The Adepta Sororitas were greatly interested in these intomba, and found them each to be women of extraordinary virtue and strength of character. A preceptory was founded to gather the finest candidates and train them in the methods of warfare known to the Sisters of Battle. A dour order, they feel keenly the betrayal of their fellows and seek to atone for their trangressions, taking upon themselves the sins of their former world. They seek absolution in conflict, and as such boast a higher than usual number of repentia and Mortifiers. These sisters are seen as particularly holy, trusting only to the protection of the Emperor as they charge into battle and destroy the enemies of the Imperium, with a special hatred reserved for those who serve the Dark Gods. Led by successive Khethiwe, they are a valuable ally in the unending wars that plague the Imperium.
Edited by Sanctimonius, 12 January 2021 - 05:19 PM.
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