After the breakup of our original group (due to real world concerns like shift working, couples splitting up, breakdowns in communication - you know, the usual...) and an almost year long hiatus where I ran a bunch of games from Marvel Superheroes to Castle Falkenstein, I'm going to start running Dark Heresy again as of next week.

For a bit of variety I'm going to base the concept of the campaign on a Ecclesiarchy Cell, which will in the fullness of time probably end up in the employ of, or at least allied to, an Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor. For now though I want to focus on the Ecclesiarchical aspects.

Also I'm starting the players off with 5000xp - allowing them the choice of a Rank 5 Dark Heresy or Rank 1 Rogue Trader character. To speed play the PCs are going to all be created before the start of the first game and barring incident it looks like the group will consist of:

A Hive World Cleric - very puritan (almost monodominant) in outlook, the de facto figurehead of the group
An Arch-militant - A devout mercenary, employed as the cleric's bodyguard
A pilgrim Adept/Frateris Militia - A very practical and down to earth "handyman" who serves as the cleric's batman/manservant/handyman/gopher/cleaner/adjutant (see, there is a point in having "Trade: Valet"...). Not your average Adept he's picked up a lot of "learnin'" in his travels and is quietly wise.
A Sister Hospitaller - A "subject matter expert" assigned to the group. We've used the Inquisitor's Handbook to create the character - but gave her the gear of a starting Hospitaller from Blood of Martyrs. Bit of a (pleasant) departure for the player here - he usually plays militant tech-priests and space wolves...But I'm reminded of the ruthless sisters in "Mercy Run" Steve Parker's short story in Black Library's "Planetkill" anthology....

To my mind the group seems really balanced and interesting and I'm really looking forward to seeing how they work together. It's particularly interesting that there seems to be such a synergy of characters when they players all came up with their concepts independently of each other.

The initial concept for the campaign (in my mind "Book one" in the novel adaptation of the series...) is that the cell will be sent to "negotiate" the recovery of a sacred relic - a saint's remains, which the Sister will need to verify the authenticity of.

There will be a couple of adventures en route (to my mind 40K travel should always be eventful unless the plot demands otherwise) allowing the players to get to grips with their characters, refresh (or in some cases learn) the way the rules work. Then upon arrival at the world where the holy relic is alleged to be (I'm thinking Sepheris Secundus) the group will have to negotiate with the nobleman who currently holds the reliquary to arrange for it to be purchased/handed over/taken by force.

I'm thinking (stealing a "Cadfael" plot here) that the remains will be discovered to be recent, revealing the fact that someone had used the reliquary to hide a body. Whose body and where is the original saint?

Any further ideas/suggestions?

Sounds like a very good group indeed! Good synergy, and interesting concepts.

As to the mission objective I admit I'd be a bit sceptical - Sainthood is a pretty big thing in the Imperium, and if the Ecclesiarchy would know about a Saint's remains they would likely send a seasoned Pontifex complete with personal staff including a Pronatus recovery team, Battle Sister bodyguard and some couple hundred Frateris Militia plus local PDF or so, rather than just four people to check it out. In this light, I would recommend toning down the "Saint's" importance a lot, either by making him an unconfirmed Saint who was only revered locally (in this case the Ecclesiarchy cell could be part of the investigation that may end up confirming the deceased's deeds, possibly making him a recognized Imperial Saint) or by just making him a "normal" hero who died enemies of the Creed (mutants/witches/xenos). In case of the latter, the bones might be wanted for servoskull-conversion or internment in some ecclesiarchal building, given how the Imperium loves adding real skulls to religious sites. Perhaps it could even be a figure of some meaning to one of the characters, such as an old schola/diocese acquaintance or even the mentor of your Cleric (perfect explanation for why he sets out on this mission), or a fellow Sister of the Hospitaller's own Order (though any Sister would be of some importance to another).

In that case you could even have a funny/weird/creepy "reunification" later on if, after some time, your players get to visit the Ecclesiarchal Cathedral on Scintilla ... and find out / get told that one of the servoskulls there is made of the remains they recovered. Which is a pretty big feat, given how important the Cathedral is - so in addition to the dead hero finally having found his/her place in one of the most holy sites of the Sector, your characters would have gained a lot of respect for allowing this to happen. Just a thought, of course.

By the way, if you want to read about a less violent Hospitaller (or recommend this to your player/s), I recommend the novel "Faith & Fire" from James Swallow. The rather young and idealistic Sister Hospitaller Verity is one of the main characters there and pretty much serves as the contrast to the more militant Battle Sisters (but also making herself quite useful and going to show that, at times, brains is more important than brawn).

Lynata said:

Thanks

Lynata said:

Very valid point. I was thinking of the team being small because of the Baron they would be dealing with would be an unsavoury character that the church didn't want to seen to be dealing with. But I think it might stretch the suspension of disbelief a little too much. I like the idea of it being a "perspective" saint or hero though. Perhaps a famous crusader, thought forever lost on the field of battle?

I'm also thinking that the Bishop/Deacon/Hierophant who sends them out is planning to use the remains as some form of political boost and so teh mission may have "plausible deniability" - his/her (and I keep imagining a "Her" the more I ponder it) motives will be extremely selfish and manipulative - essentially long term I see her becoming an adversary to the group.

Lynata said:

I like that A LOT.

Lynata said:

We've had some minor revisions:

Nerd King said:

The Cleric and the Frateris Militia/Adept remain the same but the Arch-militant is going to be an Imperial World Assassin - same basic concept but the player wanted to focus on close combat, something which he felt was better supported by the Assassin options.

The Sister Hospitaller looks to be a lot of fun....as suspected the player wanted to give her a darker edge so presented me with two versions of the character - one created with a stanadrd Schola origin the other with teh "Blighted Schola" background from "The Radical's Handbook". Of *course* I'm letting him play the second...

A secret heretic/radical in the group? The dynamics and story potential just stepped up a notch.

Latest twists -

• due to illness the campaign start will be delayed but that's ok as it gives me more time to prepare.
• the cleric had picked up "Ciphers (Acolyte)" so I'm going to discuss with the player that he's actually still an agent for an Inquisitor, working within the ecclesiachy - I think it could balance nicely with the Hospitaller's secret
• The first adventure will involve the Navy vessel that is due to take the cell to the planet (Mosul) where martyr's remains are said to have been found. The thing is (taking from the Rogue Trader Shp complications here) the crew of the vessel are seceretly infested with a Death Cult - how the players deal with the revelation will possibly lead to them being abandoned "en route"...

Nerd King said:

Uh, I know it's likely too late to point that out, but despite the moniker, the Blighted Schola isn't in any way connected to the Sisterhood or the Ministorum - just something for the future ... unless you still want to rework that Hospitaller into something that is independent from the Sororitas, given that the Blighted Schola is intended solely for the recruitment of suitable Acolytes for a bunch of Radical Inquisitors.

(not that a Sister would need something like the Blighted Schola to have a "darker edge" - the singleminded zeal and fanatism of the Sororitas should suffice, especially given that Hospitallers in inquisitorial services tend to torture more than they heal)

Lynata said:

There's nothing "rule wise" preventing an adepta sororitas with the Schola Progenium origin from selecting the Blighted Schola background - plus, as far as the fair sister is concerned, she went to an orthodox and approved Schola.

I took it to be similar to the Schola in the Ravenor short story (can't recall the name) that gave Patience Kyss's back story - to all intents and purposes it appears to be an upright and correct establishment - records may even have been changed to preserve the false image - it's only behind closed doors that the truth is revealed.

I like the concept ("the twisted sister"), I saw no reason to overrule it from a rules perspective, and I can see a lot of story potential there - so I approved it.

Nerd King said:

In addition to being part of a network administrated by the Adeptus Ministorum, Scholae that recruit for the Adepta Sororitas always have a seasoned Sister Superior attached to them, as the training of potential novitiates already begins in the facility and it is up to the Superior to judge and select the most suitable candidates for transfer to the various Orders later on.

Furthermore, Sororitas are not trained in the Schola alone; this is merely the first part of their education, with the second being the novitiate in the Order they get assigned to. Apart from the high probability of exposure regarding any deviations of doctrine (triggering an unwanted investigation into the Schola), the veiled masters behind the Blighted Schola never intended for their progena to join any institution other than their own Acolyte cell, as this is the very reason behind the facility's existence.

In short, such a progena - whilst likely having received special training and all the knowledge necessary for her duties at the Schola itself - would have never completed her actual novitiate, nor would she have ever been assigned to one of the civilian Orders, nor would she be able to draw on resources of the Sisterhood (such as the signature carapace).

Given how the Blighted Schola trains its progena, I would also assume that it completely negates the Pure Faith talent, seeing that a "Sister" graduating there will have received a completely different kind of indoctrination.

In short, whilst there is no problem in a Blighted Schola producing a "dark medicae", such a character would not be a Hospitaller - at least not in the Sororitas way. The RAW allowing this is very likely a logical oversight, given that the entire idea behind this Origin is a Radical Inquisitor's corrupted servant, and not a member of the Puritan/Monodominant Ecclesiarchy, which is the very enemy of the aforementioned group.

In the end, however, it is your game, and if you and your players like the idea then roll with it - I just thought I should point out what I perceived as an unintentional mistake/misconception. No offence!

Lynata said:

Absolutely none taken!

I'm interested where you get your information from though as it flies in the face of the details provided in the Dark Heresy books.

Adepta Sororitas in the Inquisitor's Handbook can hail from Feral worlds, imperial worlds, nobility or Schola Progenii.

BoM Battle Sisters can be from Imperial worlds, shrine worlds, monastries or Schola

Orders Famulous (clerics) from all origins except Forge Worlds

Orders Dialogous & Hospitaller (adepts) from all except Hive, Ferl & mind cleansed origins

That coupled with the entry on Battle Sister Recruitment (BoM pg 77) would indicate that prospective sisters are brought to convents for admission as novices at some point after their "origin" education (i.e time in the schola, growing up in a noble house, etc.). Therefore it seems feasible that a corrupt, but on the surface upright and just, schola could send one of their young students forward to a convent for admission/infiltration.

On the issue of Corruption meaning that they would lose their faith abilities the Inquisitor's Handbook states (pg 50) that a sister can have up to 10 Corruption points before they lose the use of Faith powers.

Now the IH also says (pg 42) that Adepta Sororitas cannot start play with mutations or corruption points. I had missed that up until now but I feel that the character's story is so interesting and has such potential that I'll still let him play the character as written (until of course the other players find out her secret and she meets her eventual demise...)

Ah, I'm just using pretty much every piece of fluff I have accumulated over the years (prioritizing GW studio material) instead of just concentrating on the RPG books. Maybe I'm Doing It Wrong , but it simply feels more in line with the setting for me this way.

As far as Sororitas origins are concerned - they can come from pretty much everywhere (well, except Mechanicus-controlled worlds I'd presume), it's just that everything other than the Schola Progenium is a rare exception to the rule. I believe something like this is actually said somewhere in the RPG books, too, but all that matters for a player is that he or she has a good backstory ready to explain such an exception and remains in line with the existing fluff.

The problem with a Blighted Schola sending one of their progena to the Adepta Sororitas is that:
a) there's no reason for the Blighted Schola to do so, as they don't produce their graduates for the Ministorum
b) a corrupted Novice will attract attention pretty soon, simply because life in the convent is pretty "revealing"
and c) the convent will of course do a background check, and a Schola that's not part of the Ministorum's network is "odd", to say the least

I also feel it's time for a small fluff-quote:

"The lifestyle of the teachers and pupils is strict and puritan. During the Age of Apostasy, most of the Schola Progenium was corrupted and rife with slavery and depravity. Orphans were used as slave labour in factories and mines making goods for the Ecclesiarchy. Particularly promising individuals were sold to Imperial commanders as slaves and servants, and the most attractive became concubines for Imperial Nobles. The most physically adept were sent to be trained as Frateris Templars or Brides of the Emperor, swelling Vandire's armies with the best recruits. The habitats themselves became associated with licentious practices, and their money was put to questionable ends. In direct contrast, each habitat now maintains a strict separation between the two genders and contact between them is restricted purely to religious ceremonies. Only with this purity can the Progena hope to be elevated to a position within the Emperor's domain."
- Codex: Sisters of Battle, 2E

As you can see, it seems that the Scholae Progenium are under strict supervision - corruption simply does not seem likely, and any attempt to "impersonate" a sanctioned and registered Schola Progenium would be rather difficult. Not impossible, mind you, but I don't see why anyone would want to go to such lengths just to loose an operative to the Sisterhood (with a relatively large chance of never seeing her again!) when he can just as well have her learn everything she needs to know at the Blighted Schola itself.

You know ... I don't really want to impose on your campaign - but have you or the player in question considered to use a background package as an alternative to the Blighted Schola? I mean, simply having the Hospitaller gain that "darker edge" elsewhere? Just as an idea off the top of my head.

I do like a good discussion - thanks Lynata.

I would have to say that the general feel (much like retcons in comic books) is that "More recent material trumps older stuff". If you go back to the original Rogue Trader: Warhammer 40K rulebook the sisters role (based on thw text associated with the single image of a battle sister) appears to predominantly watching the Adepta Astartes for deviancy and heresy - a job they still fulfill to a degree but is no means their main role.

You might agrue that "closer to source" material trumps others i.e. on the tabletop GW material trumps Black Library (or even Forge World) - but in this case we are talking about teh RPG so "closest to source" would be FFG...

Therefore I'd have to take the presentation in the current Dark Heresy materials as priority over a 2nd ed codex. Is there a similar passgae in the most recent Witchunter codex? (I only have the stripped down "army list only" .pdf GW released).

Also I think you are underestimating the "authenticity" of the Blighted Scholas - there were multiple scholas which went unnoticed and undeteced by the inquisition for YEARS. No one is sure how many students are still out there or where they might be. Their students were well trained in hiding thier "deviancy" - in fact most probably don't realise that they are abnormal in any way - and could be anywhere that normal schola graduates could go. I see no issue with rationalising such a student being a novitiate sister - it's a case of not letting background semantics get in teh way of a good story.

Plus (and here's where I hope the phrase will catch on) HICOS (Huge Imperium Could Occur Somewhere) - the scale of the Imperium alone (even excluding borderlands like the Koronus Expanse and Josian Reach) is enormous. What we have in the collated, and often apparently contradictory materials is a sample world view - what's to say that in a slightly different area, frontier world, staid and inbred Imperial world etc the traditions and practices are somewhat different? The Ecclesiarchy and Administratum often have to adapt their methods to accomodate local differences - what's to say a convent doesn't do the same...a failing that allows heresy to enter. Look at the dialogous sisterhood in "Daemonifuge" - the codices have stated the Adepta Sororitas haven't fallen to Chaos - but there were more than one example of fallen/corrupted sisters in that series. I would say that the collated materials we have ofer a pool of data and reflect a small portion of the huge Imperium - we take from it what we want that fits with our setting/world view and ignore the rest as apocryphal, heresay or happening in other sectors or times.

Also please, for me - lets stop calling it "fluff" - I find it demeaning, especially to a rich and varied background like this - which I*know* you appreciate as much as me if not more.

Nerd King said:

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes... I've been arguing this for years to no avail.

To people who use "fluff" to denote background material... please, please find an alternate, less derogatory term... "fluff" just implies that it's there to fill page space and is inconsequential.

N0-1_H3r3 said:

Agreed - and if it's inconsequential why do we argue and discuss it so much?

So, 'Canon' is the better word then?

Braddoc said:

I 'm happy with "background" or "setting". Canon can be inflammatory as well - especially when you get varied views as to what constitutes "canonical" material.

Hmm, an interesting side discussion - I've merely adopted the term because it simply seems to be standard for Wh40k. I agree about the level of detail for the setting, yet it's just a word that stuck with the community (and I believe even GW uses it). Perhaps one should not read too much into it - I am using it completely interchangeably with all of the alternatives that have been mentioned in the last couple posts.

Whilst you are absolutely right in stating that the setting may have not deserved the actual meaning behind the term, I think it's much too late to change it now.

Nerd King said:

Just for the sake of clarification: You're taking the Blighted Schola to be a corrupted official Schola Progenium with all the contacts and belonging to the established Ministorum network? Because I'm really, really sure it's not intended that way. The moniker might be a bit misleading, but their description really sounds just like a secret training facility not in any way connected to the Ecclesiarchy, and surely not sending its student to places where normal progena would go. Keep in mind the Blighted Scholae exist solely to supply Radical Inquisitors with Acolytes - not the Imperium with capable agents.

And I'll take a look at the WH Codex if you want, though I don't think it covers anything like that. The 3rd Edition Codices were generally rather poor in terms of background details, being 50% numbercrunch and 25% colourful pictures of miniatures. Also, the WH Codex is about a decade old, so one could argue it might not be "up to date" anyways.
Fortunately, it seems that we'll just have to wait a few months more ... though I dearly hope the new book's author isn't the same one who wrote the Grey Knights 'dex.

Lynata said:

Last I heard, the term was banned in the GW Design Studio. However, the designers at Wizards of the Coast use it, and its counterpart Crunch, with reckless abandon.

Canon, as has been noted, is too inflammatory, and IMO is far too weighty (having been adopted from the religious concept of Canon, it can strongly imply an absolute truth-from-on-high).

Background and Lore are my two preferred terms, personally speaking.

Only in a thread about the Ecclesiarchy can we argue about what's the better term/word/expression.

Next thing you know, we'll have debates to know if the Emperor sported a Mustache à la Castor, or had a popped collar on his Power Armour like he was the King of douchebags.

Braddoc said:

Hi Nerd King.

I love the Blighted Schola Sister concept. I don't think you have any issues with... ahem, 'background' going on there because if you're anything like me, you haven't played the TT and haven't read any of the books, and there are many many Sisters, and many many Shcolas in the Imperium.

I say this because it is your game, and let's face it, there are as many Sisters personalities as there are Sisters. And just because the Sisters stand gaurd against corruption in the Imperium doesn't mean that they cannot become corrupt themselves. A well known analogy that springs to mind is Dr Yueh from Dune, who despite having recieved Imperial Conditioning is corrupted by contingent factors beyond the control of the conditioning (obviiously not a Sister but an appropriate analogy nevertheless).

Are the Sisters all the same? Do you know anyone in the military? Are they a super-indoctrinated robot? No, most aren't, and I know because I've been there. In a situation like that your identity as an individual is important because there is little else to tell youselves apart. And that my friend is what is generally know as a great roleplaying opportunity and that is more valuable to your group than adhereance to background. Honestly, if they had known too much about me when I enlisted, I probably wouldn't have got in in the first place. A little bit of a stretch from 21st century professional volunteer military to 40K but I think you follow where I'm going.

On another note, now that we're down on fluff and up with background, does this mean we can call peeps who are into fluff 'fluffers'?!? Will we need to distinguish between different editions of fluffers?

"Hi I'm a second edition fluffer"

"Don't care what edition so long as you're a fluffer, here's my number..."

Love the corrupted Sister.

Well, Sisters are space-nuns who live a monastic life of hardship, penance and deprivation. They are super-indoctrinated, that's what makes them special.

Note that this does not mean that true Sororitas characters are uncorruptable.

May I present:

Miriael Sabathiel , Champion of Slaanesh

She has her own Chaos warband including a bunch of CSMs and Chaos Terminators of the Emperor's Children, an army of cultists and her own warship, an Inferno-class Battlecruiser. As her forces continue to grow, she is dreaming of some day leading the cruel mockery of an Imperial Crusade through Imperial space, sacrificing millions of unbelievers to the Dark Prince. Easily one of the most interesting characters of the old days, though sadly forgotten later on. Dan Abnett also wrote the short story "The Invitation" about her, though. Recommendable.

Given that the Non-Militant Orders are far more numerous than the comparatively rare Sisters of Battle they have a few more examples for corruption as well. In fact, on Parnis, an entire hidden convent of the Orders Pronatus fell to an imprisoned Keeper of Secrets they were studying. The majority of the Sisters there killed each other in an orgy of violence, but the survivors became Fallen Sisters, a terrible daemonic abomination of their former selves.

It should be pointed out that this is still an extremely rare thing, though. There are much, much, much less Chaos Sisters than there are Chaos Space Marines. They are quite simply the usual "exception to the rule".

Oh and Lol @ "fluffers"

Based on the description of the Blighted Schola, I don't think they would be barred from being in the sororitas, It says the Blighted Progenia where given elaborate cover stories and they manipulated the administratum records. I don't see why it would be impossible, and just as likely as being a blighted progenia (which sounds pretty rare).

It also says in the Blood of Martyrs that Hospitallers don't typically interrogate people as heretics tend to die by the faithful hospitaller before they reveal anything of use. But a Blighted Hospitaller who has a different view of the imperium might be inclined for something like that...

You know, I've digged out the book and read the description again and have to correct an earlier statement I made. Indeed it does seem possible that a Blighted Schola could be "inserted" into the normal network of the Scholae Progena, like some sort of parasite institution drawing on the blood of its host.

I still do not believe it would work for a Sister, though. Aside from the RAW issue Nerd King pointed out (the corruption points, although BoM curiously does forego any restrictions of this sort), there is still the "problem" that an Adepta Sororitas character would ultimately have to go to a convent. Aside from the small inconvenience of requiring a veteran Sister Superior at the Schola (this might be faked, though modifying AS records is much more difficult than Adeptus Terra ones) and a high risk that any deviation from approved education methods would be detected during the novitiate, this would also remove the progena from their Radical Master's reach - rendering the entire effort for naught.

Sure, an Inquisitor might try to specifically request that one Sister by name assigned to him, and maybe even succeed in his demands, but do you really think such an approach would not raise a lot of brows and lead to an investigation that would ultimately unmask both the false Schola as well as the Radical Inquisitor, possibly leading to Excommunication and execution? And for what? Does it not seem far easier (read, logical) to train the progena at the Blighted Schola completely without the dangerous move of bringing the Sisterhood into the scheme?

I'm also not sure that a character conditioned in this way should be susceptible to Pure Faith, given that the Blighted Schola's teachings and the path of the Radical Inquisitor are the very contrast to the Imperial Creed, or faith in general. A progena of such origin is a tool , not a believer.

Again, this is not about that one game, I am merely posting this here in case other players are following the discussion.

As for the comment on Hospitallers, I found that part a bit confusing. The Adepta Sororitas are known to employ torture to gain information (or simply to punish), and the Codex does mention that Sisters Hospitallers are utilized in this capacity as well, "keeping a subject alive despite the most grievous of injuries". Even this RPGs Inquisitor's Handbook still included hints on that by mentioning that its Hospitaller career tree included the task of "putting their extensive skills and knowledge to darker ends in service of the Imperium". Mhmm.

Let's say this kid gets out of Blighted High School and goes to a convent. What's going to happen?

As a Blighted Schola alumnus, she's probably going to be targeted for autoflagellant status at best if found out. She's going to be surrounded by Sisters and other members of the Ecclesiarchs in a closed environment, not to mention constantly besieged by propaganda to confess. Her life expectancy is probably going to be short -- and if I were an alumnus of BH, that is the last place I would want to be.

Also I don't think her faith powers would work. If she's not faithful and is a closet heretic, they won't work. If she is faithful, she's going to confess and end up as an arcoflagellant or dead.

Inquisitor sapiens potensque said:

Ok - faith powers work with up to 10 Corruption - as established in the Inquisitor's Handbook. The sisters should be able to tolerate a *little* corruption before losing their gifts - otherwise there'd be a lot more Repentia.

Also two points - 1 - it's inferred (if not directly stated) that the Blighted progeni are trained to hide their taint - they know others wouldn't understand their "gifts" and so keep them hidden. Plus why confess? As far as they are taught they aren't bad? They are specially chosen and trained - given "secret knowledge" to better serve the Imperium. I can see that nothing that they would be exposed to in a convent would go against what they were taught - they believe it all - but they are also gifted with "more" - they think they are "special" and that knowledge, along with the previous indoctrination they have had will prevent their disclosure. They can happily pass as "normal" - which is part of the Inquisition's issue with the Blighted Schola's and the problem they pose.

Secondly - if there are exceptions to the rules why shouldn't a player character be the exception? Players (in my 30 or so years of experience running and playing rpgs) don't want to play "Villager number 3" or "Castle Man-at-arms". Where's the fun in that? Player characters, even in DH where their stats might not be fantastic, their stories, backgrounds and experiences should be extraordinary. These are the focal characters in our "novels", "movies" or "ongoing series" - they are not the faceless scene dressings. Out of all the denizens of the Imperium (and beyond) *these* are the people my group are telling tales about - shouldn't they be out of the ordinary, unique and memorable?

Plus (third point just occured) as a GM look at the scope for stories it provides. Yes, perhaps she should have been strung up and burnt as a witch - she wasn't so why? Look at the narrative fuel that gives me - does she have a powerful secret advocate protecting her? If so are they part of the Ecclesiarchy? A sister even? What if it's a more malign influence? Novices who started to suspect had a habit of meeting with "accidents"...perhaps the day she left the convent burnt to the ground or the Abbess commited suicide...there's huge potential here for lots of plot. Why is the Cleric (a secret Inquisition agent) attached to this specific cell? Does his master suspect the Sister already?