The Wings of Verity
Seraphim is a canon role, detailed here on Lexicanum. This article provides additional fanon details and specifics about the position in the Daughters of Verity. This article refers to the spiritual-military role within the Order of the Crystal Lady; for information about the Serpent of Mag'ladroth see The Serpents, for information about the Crystal Lady, Six-Winged Seraph see Verity.
Within the Orders Militant of the Sisters of Battle, Seraphim and Zephyrim specialize in hit-and-run close-quarter attacks using jump packs, pistols and swords. However, they are more than simply jump infantry trained as CQB specialists - they are the most devoted of their Orders, marked by piety and zeal as much as martial prowess. Being a Seraphim or Zephyrim is a spiritual role, and one not all Sisters are called to. Such is the case particularly in the Order of Our Crystal Lady, whose Seraphim and Zephyrim (collectively known as the "Wings of Verity") are intimately connected with Verity the Seraph, the Crystal Lady herself.
While day-to-day organization, command, management and even spiritual leadership and guidance of the Order falls to the Canoness and her Palatine Council, the Crystal Lady takes a personal interest in the Sisters' well-being. It is rare that she leaves the The Crystal Caverns, freeing herself from the Vault beneath the Order's cloister-fortress to manifest in her war-form of the Six-Winged Serpent, but that does not mean she is silent. She reaches out to her daughters in dreams, visions, locutions and inspirations during prayer, as well as imbuing them with the unique gift of being unable to lie or be lied to. These communications are vague and mysterious, spiritual guidance rather than clear instructions, and must be interpreted through the lens of the Imperial Creed and the wishes of the Canoness and Ecclesiarch.
But there are some whom Verity touches more deeply. The first of these is the The Metatrix, the mouthpiece of the Crystal Lady, the prophetess of the Order, chosen by Verity to be her conduit of direct communication. The Metatrix is regarded with awe by her fellow Sisters - a strange, distant, otherworldly figure given to strange prophecies, visions and pronouncements. She heeds a call none of her Sisters can hear, spending hours or days in silent contemplation and emerging from her solitude with a message from Verity. The Metatrix may request an audience with the Canoness and the Palatine Council at any time; a request that is never refused. It is understood that when she speaks, she speaks with the voice of Verity that none may refuse to heed.
It is the Metatrix's duty to select the Wings of Verity; following instructions from Verity, she visits Sisters and gives them a crystal, taken - like hers - from the Crystal Vault. There are always 30 "Feathers" at any one time - new ones are only chosen on the death of a previous Seraphim - and they are organized into three pairs of "Wings", each consisting of five warriors. A wing can fight individually or a pair can combine into a single unit of ten warriors.
Once a Sister is selected as a Feather, she remains in that position for the rest of her life, carrying her crystal at all times and wearing it on the gorget of her armor in battle. Like the Metatrix, the Feathers are "touched" by Verity and display a portion of her otherworldly distance. They see the universe strangely and often say things their fellow Sisters do not fully understand. They are ascetic and even more detached from the material world than other Adepta Sororitas, seeing themselves and being seen by their sisters as the "wings of Verity" - the Crystal Lady's organs of influence in the universe. If the Order is split and a Palatine commanding an expeditionary force or garrison needs guidance, a Feather will speak with the voice of Verity in the absence of the Metatrix. Their fellow Sisters regard them with awe, meditating on their infrequent and confusing pronouncements, hoping to glean some measure of Verity's wisdom.
The Feathers hold no official position of rank in the Order - it is forbidden to elect them Palatine or Canoness, and if a Sister holds any rank when she is selected she renounces it as if dead. Although their advice is sought and valued, they may not issue orders in combat or out of it, and take no part in the day-to-day running of the Order.
They have no leaders - the Metatrix is considered first among equals, but each of them calls herself "a feather in a wing of Verity". Their crystals allow them a silent communion and they rarely speak, even to each other. In combat this can frustrate the battleplans of the Canoness and Palatines; while skilled, the Wings' acephalous structure and failure to use Principes' communications vambraces means it can be hard to integrate their efforts with that of the wider army. For this reason, it is common for the Canoness to assign one or two Palatines to a jump-infantry role; equipped with a jump-pack such officers are not Seraphim but fight alongside them. It is their duty to co-ordinate the efforts of the Wings with the rest of the force, ensuring the otherworldly prophetesses touched by Verity can function effectively. Such Palatines demonstrate an almost-supernatural level of patience and are known to be the most eager to imbibe on feast days.
Seraphim Habit & Battleplate
Type
Religious, Military
Related Organizations
