Storhamster said:

'Defiling'? That implies a Catholic/Christian sensibility, which is certainly possible, but not necessarily the case with the Imperial Creed - I tend to think the Imperium might take a bit more of a Nazi view towards sexuality than strictly Catholic. The Imperium always needs more babies after all, humanity is raised to the level of the sacred and I can quite imagine 'pure' humans are encouraged to mate and procreate as much as possible. As original sin is certainly not a factor in the Imperial Creed I don't think sex is necessarily likely to be frowned on by the Imperium.

Adam France said:

True. But overindulgence may well be, as one would not want to begin to draw the attention of Slaanesh for even such basic debauchery. Whether a subject of the Imperium even knows any such thing exists.

-=Brother Praetus=-

Chaste or not, they cant resist the allure of Ciaphas Caine!

Ciaphas Caine == Slaanesh?

I have always thought the sororitas to be chaste since it would be in line with all that self denial and other oppressive training they go through. Wouldn´t make sense to allow them to feel pleasure.

Faith purifies the soul, Pain purifies the body.

Storhamster said:

Honestly even in our history Chasity was added to many positions of Christian clergy as a means to control them and the wealth, prevent dynasties and keep the power with the church and not with individual families.

The notion of purity/chasity/absence as a way of clearing the soul was created largely by esoteric monks in the 9th-13th century and with some of the more non-official Christian splinter sects, such as the Cathars.

In the Faith in the Emperor I would say reproduction an the act of reproducing would be seen as highly important. I would be more likely to accept that sisters are not allowed to procreate and enjoy sex while assigned to certain details (warzones, certain assignments of guadianship/protection) but see no reason why those sisters assigned to more passive assignments would be denied the right, as long as it did not interfer with their faith or duties.

You make a valid point peacekeeper

However, I believe it may compromise the unflinching loyalty to the emperor if a sister had to choose between her child and Him and the Creed since mothers normally form very strong bonds with their children. This is one reason I could see for the sororitas to be chaste, so that nothing is more important to them then Him on Earth.

Storhamster said:

Who says tehy ever get to see their children? If they are devout enough to get Pure Faith, they are devout enough to give up the child.

Peacekeeper_b said:

Likely a source of Scholo Progenium students to be raised in service to the Emperor of Man and His domain. They can't all always be war orphans of the nobility and such.

-=Brother Praetus=-

Brother Praetus said:

Indeed, in fact I was wondering whether the Orders Famulous deliberately try to get pregnant by their noble masters so the Ministorum can secretly possess and raise 'heirs', or at the least emergency replacement 'noble blood carriers' should the house's legal and acknowledged heirs either die ... or decide not to be adequately devout.

This could also mean the Sisters Famulous themselves are often noble blood daughters of such liasons ... helping the Ministorum's secret breeding programs.

I'm not sure about the Battle Sisters though, I tend to think they are celibate.

Adam France said:

Sounds resonable. Famulous can still perform their duty while pregnant, the militant cannot (as well anyway ).

Peacekeeper_b said:

The era between the 11th and 15th centuries of Church and Inquisition activity is required reading for anyone running a Hereticus based campaign where sects of worshippers find themselves exterminated for disagreeing with the mainstream church or, just pissed someone off that had the clout to wipe them out. It forces some fairly pressing issues of humanity, morality and belief onto PC's they should question in-game.

Least my copy should be arriving sometime next week, if I'm lucky

I do think AS could have sex, however my main question is , who with....

See in my mind Adeptus soritas are rather intimidating, even missionary and Diplomats, having an unshakable belief in the god empoerer can be raterh unsettling for most people, beside even though when not in active warzones , when would an Adeptus Soritas really get time to meet a man and actually have sex, at least in a pro creative way, Because I highly doubt they would have sex for pleasure

So yeah I think they can have sex, I just don't think it would happen often

This leads me to another point , are Clerics Chaste, and if they arn't would they be in the Sex only for procreation camp, If so then I think we have found a match made in heaven.

Tbh, I always just assumed Sororitas only had sex with each other.

Gee I never thought of it that way thanks for that Adam, I certainly know how I'm playing my next Sororitas character

I was just discussing this topic with a friend - the Imperial Creed's attitude toward sex generally, and would sex be seen as 'Chaotic' or 'Slaaneshi' - and he made the very good point that equating sex to Slaanesh is actually a bit prudish, afterall no-one assumes a human being violent is necessarily 'Khornic'. Astartes by that standard would be Khornic. Of course they're not, that's the point.

I think sometimes the prevalence of apparently celibate groups in 40K is more connected to GW's understandable wish not to tempt controversy with younger players parents by mentioning rumpy-pumpy rather than good in-game reasons.

joe07 said:

Heh, you can count on me to lower the tone.

Kidding aside, I do sort of see the militant sororitas as sort of like a female version of the Sacred Band of Thebes.

Fair point , I actually can see the Ecclisarchy to be a dynasty organisation, with several highranking Clerics being the sons and daughters of the higher ups in the Church. Sort of what many chatholic monestries became before the protestant Backlash

Storhamster said:

The real question, ofcourse, is whether Space Marines are chaste!

The Laughing God said:

Don't go there, man! That way lies madness!

Lightbringer said:

Like Chaos Space Marines serving Slaanesh?

Something like that. But more that if we go down that line this thread will degenerate into topics best left covered by plasteel and adamantium trunks!

Just to confirm - This book has nothing Ascension-level specific for Clerics and/or Sisters?

BYE

H.B.M.C. said:

There are nothing rule based for Ascension; the background stuff can be used at any levels. I'd say that the faith based abilities could be added to Ascension as well as main DH. Some of the equipment is of approaching Ascension level. The holy relics however are something that are Ascension level in how they work and who should get them...

Questions for everyone at large

It's not really clear and a typo on p95 makes it even worse...

Do Sister Dialogous use the Adept advance scheme after rank 1? (aka they are effectively Adepts with faith powers)

Also do Sister Famulous use the Cleric scheme after rank 1? (It says both Adept & Cleric on p95!)

I would say that Famulous is Cleric after rank one as pg 79 says that they are "treated as Adepts and Clerics for all purposes" implying that at least one of them is a Cleric and Famulous is the only one that suggests it might be. I was actually confused at that because I missed the Famulous line about them being clerics so I thought it was odd that they were all Adepts.

Kaihlik

From the preview that was out (Sister Hospitaller) I believe that is exactly how it works. They are rank 1 alternate ranks with the starting skills, talents and equipment also changing, but rank 2+ revert to normal.