SISTERS OF SILENCE: ANATHEMA PSKYANA | Warhammer 40k Lore

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The Sisters of Silence are an all-female order of Imperial Witch Hunters tasked with hunting down rogue psykers and other psychic threats across the galaxy. They also help to enforce the Imperium's rigid laws on the use of psychic powers.
The Silent Sisterhood was most active during the time of the Great Crusade in the late 30th and early 31st Millennia. In the wake of the Horus Heresy they became far less active in Imperial affairs to such a degree that for most of the last 10,000 Terran years the order was wrongfully believed to have been disbanded.
Yet the Sisters of Silence have recently returned to prominence in the Imperium of Man following the birth of the Great Rift and the start of the Era Indomitus.

[@lord_kuma4439]

It's absolutlly canon for me that Sisters of Silence and Custodes hang out in the Imperial Palace, like every Friday night they have "Cohesion Day" and they do activities together to know each other better and create deeper bounds. Poor girls, the only people that can stand them beside themselves are Custodes, let them be friends

[@somerandom3257]

That’s board game night at the palace, it was originally organized by Malcador when the Emperor was away and he was left in charge and was bored

[@iambumbo7534]

both comments are now cannon. no exceptions.

[@ladywaffle2210]

Some Sisters of Silence, post-disbandment, settled down and had families. Therefore, I propose "Bring Your Kid to Work Day," but with the Sisters of Silence. You know the game tourists play with the guards of Buckingham Palace? The kids do that with the Custodians. Several children swear on the Emperor that they made Valerian look. Valerian denies these claims.

[@d-pod_L]

They can probably hang out with Culexos assassins as well

[@morgothastartes]

@@ladywaffle2210 To be fair, SoS would take less of my soul then my ex so I can see them having kids

[@wilhelmkubein9498]

During the Watcher of the throne series, you learn a lot about the sister of silence. Firstly, you learn they were banished from the Sol System by the High Lords sometimes between the Heresy and the indomitus era, except for the black ships crew. Also, even though the can't talk because of their oath, they have novitiates that act as translator between the order and everyone else. Finally, Custodians also know their sign language, the books show Valerian and Aleya chat only in sign language sometime.

[@doomguy9049]

Yeah translators and custodians being fluent in their sign language are protrayed in Master of Mankind too

[@cindermoth3421]

Weren't they only banished from Terra to Luna? I thought the Eclessiarchy was responsible for in essence bullying them away from Luna and out of the Sol system afterwards. But agreed, the Watchers of the Throne series is great.

[@wilhelmkubein9498]

@@cindermoth3421 you're probably right, it's been a while since i've read it.

[@Bluecho4]

Were they communicating in their proprietary sign language, tho? Or do the Sisters of Silence have a separate sign language they use when talking with Custodes?

[@wilhelmkubein9498]

@@Bluecho4 they were communicating in the normal sister sign. Aleya was surprised at first that Valerian knew it.

[@seeingseeer5282]

Rather than soulless, it's more appropriate to describe Blanks' souls as inverted, that if normal souls are like stars with 'heat' and 'light' that go outward, then Blanks' souls are like black holes that pull and eat said heat and light in.

[@davidthomas2870]

So does a blank dying behave like a black hole dying, where it just kinda slowly spits out the radiation left over from everything its crushed within its stygian depths until theres not enough left to hold itself together and vanishes in an explosion of power?

[@lonewanderer1328]

@@davidthomas2870 If an entity with a strong enough warp presence dies, there’s a psychic back lash. So that could be the case since it’s a vacuum effect, like Nilhilus. I’d rather be an Omega Null psyker than an Alpha psyker since Daemons literally won’t be able to perceive me anyway... So I’m a bit biased

[@camramaster]

And the destructive effects that their souls cause in the warp are like the accretion disks of said black holes.

[@TealWolf26]

This is how I imagined it. "Souls" are your warp essence or at least warp presence/reflection. Most human have a nominal presence. And because of diffusion, and the tendency of things to want to go from high to low concentration, normies feel "their soul being sucked out" in the presence of blanks. Well, it doesn't actually get pulled out, they just feel the discomfort of the magnetic-like pull.

[@gama343]

There's actually an Eldar Harlequin unit called The Solitaire that becomes a Blank by having Cegorach rip their soul out without killing them, so the soulless thing does make sense. There's also the Pariah Gene that the Necrons spliced into ancient humans at some point that probably accounts for most Blanks. You can also get fancy Blanks by doing Daemonic rituals to a normal Blank to get a daemon to somehow eat their anit-soul or some bullshit like that. Fucking Erebus. Fuck him. So yeah, Blanks can be weird mutations, truly soulless, or some wacky hybrid of both with some daemons mixed in. Also, it seems like there is a limit to how anti-warp a Blank can be (kind of like how cold can only go to -273C, but heat can easily reach millions of degrees), as strong enough psykers can be unbothered by Blanks (Malcador and Big Emps most notably). Malcador, at one point, had no trouble casually reading the minds of 80 Death Guard Space Marines while surrounded by Sisters of Silence, and Big E never had trouble emitting a glow or igniting his sword despite usually having some nearby. Additionally, the Primarchs never seemed particularly put-out by their presence, and even some high-ranking Thousand Sons could still use their powers to some degree around various Blanks.

[@lukedecker4932]

*Looks at Sisters of Silence* *Looks at Frank Herbert's Dune* "The Bene Gesserit have been at work here"

[@daverockefeller7486]

40K was heavily influenced by the Dune series.

[@lukedecker4932]

@@daverockefeller7486 definitely was. I remember reading Dune for the first time and drawing the similarities as I went.

[@lordfelidae4505]

@@daverockefeller7486 40k ‘adapted’ its lore from dune blatantly and now is screaming about people doing the exact same with their IP.

[@thegloriouswizard5270]

@@lordfelidae4505 Ironic.

[@Lightscribe225]

@@lordfelidae4505 They've adapted lore from a lot of properties. That was a different GW. A GW that would actually tell you how to turn deodorant stick into a tank for the Imperium, and how you could turn ork boyz into flashgitz by gluing more guns together(back before flash gits had models). Shame they're gone now...

[@leroidespinguins]

funny fact, jenetia krole, during the siege of terra was thought to be an angel/goddess of victory by some guardsmen, cuz they couldnt see/aknowledge her unless they were under extreme stress (so during battle) so they only saw her killing demons/corrupted space marines and then disapearing...so she was a blank liked by some of the common people ! and they loved to see her (cuz it meant daemons get smoked).

[@bailmortem]

a yes, Mithros

[@humannomore7759]

Sounds like a cooler version of Saint Celestine. A ghost goddess that phases in and out of reality to kill demons

[@santaclauseking]

What book was this in!? I want to read it.

[@ngominh259]

Cool. For the longest time I thought the SoS would just appear disgusting & nasty to normal people, like Jurgen in the Cain novels. Smells bad, looks bad, and is generally undesired.

[@kingskelett6265]

@@santaclauseking Fourth book of the Siege of Terra series, called Saturnite I think. She has some sections for herself and they are even from the first person perspective so you get her thoughts, which is real neat. I liked those sections a lot. I also wanna hug them all because they sound like they need it.

[@prageon6035]

Regarding the vow of Tranquility; Aleya breaks her vow in the Watchers of the Throne. Thinking she is making her final stand alongside Valerian, she bellows the Custodians warcry. His will alone!

[@casperaaron5530]

That's super metal

[@draochvar9646]

That was such an amazing moment. The bond between Valerian and Aleya is so interesting to see.

[@airplanemaniacgaming7877]

The most honorable time and way to break such a vow..... Imagine some nutcase deciding to ship them. Couldn't be me.........

[@VoltairePrime]

I’m sad that Shy didn’t post the Meme of Magnus surrounded by the Sisters of silence

[@Shreddmaster-gy5th]

u have to show me that it sounds hilarious

[@cookie6996]

@@Shreddmaster-gy5th yeah I need to see it and google ain't showing any results

[@joshuaking9408]

Without seeing the image itself, I'm going to guess it a group of Sisters T-Posing around a crying Magnus curled up in the fetal position.

[@VoltairePrime]

@@joshuaking9408 I try posting the link but every time I look back at at the comment KZbin being the retarded fuck heads, erase the link. It’s basically TTS Magnus before getting his wings on the casting couch surrounded by images of the Sister of Silence.

[@Senor_Penor]

I still want the fat geralt edit of Horus punching Sanguinius

[@kkomrade7624]

about blanks being able to sire other blanks, apparently the blank gene is incredibly recessive, so yes, it is possible for them to have blank kids, but both parents would have to be blank gene carriers (eg. not necessarily blank), and even then it is not guaranteed

[@bubbasbigblast8563]

Yeah, the Emperor probably would have mass-produced them if their genetics was even remotely consistent, Lords of Terrra be damned.

[@ВикторАлексеенко-ы9щ]

@@bubbasbigblast8563 where do you think he got enough blanks for a whole organisation?

[@camramaster]

Wait- if it is recessive, then that means that each human has two potential alliels for that expression. Carriers of a recessive gene don't express it unless BOTH parents pass it down to the child, and that means that blanks have two copies of the recessive trait. if taken in the classical way of expression, not taking epigentics or multi-factor recession into account (which gets ridicolously complex FAST). IF THAT IS TRUE, then two blanks would ALWAYS have blank children. My parents are carriers of the O blood type gene, but it's recessive, and it expressed in me. As such, if I had kids with another O blood type person, they would ALL have the O blood type. All of them.

[@Ake-TL]

@@camramaster it would probably be multifactorial heredity if it wasn’t BS superpower

[@bubbasbigblast8563]

@@ВикторАлексеенко-ы9щ Roughly one out of a billion humans is a blank, and each hive world alone has 100-200 billion humans, so the Imperium could easily build an entire branch of the Guard out of natural born blanks, provided it could prevent the public from killing almost all of them.

[@nicholassulfaro1727]

“Now draw her getting an education DK!” Did Bricky just forget the Schola was a thing? “Her getting an education”wouldn’t be a good thing.

[@teal_m_101]

How to make a Sorceror of the Thousand Sons warp their pants: 1. Get a Sister of Silence 2. Get another Sister of Silence (optional) 3. Get a third Sister of Silence (if you're feeling extra cruel)

[@filwilliamson9149]

I play Custodes and my best friend plays Grey Knights, so I started collecting more Sisters of Silence.

[@Wolfbroa]

Maybe a 4th just in case

[@ellhann5340]

Since their are just Magical warp dust in an armor, are they basicaly collapse when a Sister of Silence come close ?

[@robbie_the_mastermind2176]

I Can’t Wait till they talk about the daemonculaba.

[@teal_m_101]

@@ellhann5340 I think sorcerors still have flesh. Rubricae are warp dust.

[@valjester8342]

If a sister of silence HAD to feed a chaos god when they die they would probably feed Malice since he is the anti-chaos chaos god

[@generalantilles2586]

He doesn't exist, shut up about it.

[@machomanrandysavage5879]

@@generalantilles2586 no that’s what the chaos gods wants us to think so he stops gaining power

[@alericantonelli4656]

@@generalantilles2586 take your assback to Star Wars, General! You're outside your jurisdiction!

[@adamhubert6298]

You are thinking of Malal from fantasy, Malice does exist as a minor or renegade warp entity.

[@valjester8342]

@@adamhubert6298 potato potaeto

[@cindermoth3421]

A couple things not mentioned though, but in my opinion worth mentioning: The sisters of silence, at least some of them, are in fact capable of controlling their aura of blankness to varying degrees. It isn't possible for them to turn it off completely but they can reduce the output so to speak. Which is mainly used to make allies around them, that haven't annoyed them, less uncomfortable, and on stealth missions. I believe they're also able to make their aura have a different sort of effect, less inspiring revulsion and more so making people actively ignore them, for stealth missions. Though I may be mistaken there. Anyway they share a lot of abilities with the Culexus Assassins. Their sign language actually appears to hold some form of power when performed by them, not to a particularly high degree, but they can infuse their hand signals with their own blank power which can have effects on others. Or it serves to concentrate and focus their aura on someone somehow in a particular way. They don't actually live only with sisters of silence, they tend to have a lot of regular people as servants, much like space marines have servants. And some of these servants are capable of conversing in the sister's sign language. And to an extend they can have quite good personal connections with their servants, even to the point of friendship. However, while it is definitely possible for a blank to have children and pass on their blankness, even for a sister of silence, no non-blank will ever want to have sex with one. However we don't actually know if the passing on of the blank gene is guaranteed or not, much like psyker powers, and the Navigator gene, not being guaranteed to pass on. Eisenhorn is a good example, absolutely loved Bequin, but due to her being a blank and him a psyker it simply couldn't go anywere. Physical contact with a blank even for a non-psyker would be uncomfortable in the extreme, if not actually painful. Also, blanks are incredibly rare, rarer than psykers, and this isn't helped by the fact that a lot of blanks are killed when they are young by their parents of people around them, some cases immediately after birth even. What being pregnant with a blank is like however is not something I have ever come across, so no clue there. Another thing for blanks is that they usually won't get to procreate with one another, since girls go to the Sisters of silence mostly, and boys to the Culexus temple. If somehow a blank doesn't go to either, they usually get picked up by the Ordo Maleus for anti-warp stuff. Course blanks may also show up in other places, much like psykers, but those are the main three. However, supposedly there is a planet with only blanks on it, where the main recruitment of sisters of silence comes from, not sure if that is still cannon though.

[@filwilliamson9149]

As a bit of speculation, it could be that the pariah gene is not only a gene but a mutation, so it could spontaneously appear when a child is conceived. That would explain how more pariahs are born despite normal people considering them abhorrent and the recruiting practices you mentioned.

[@ebros5758]

I have seen the theory that the blanks are upsetting because humans can pick up on the absence of soul. Like seeing a person with no light behind their eyes who is walking and talking and pretending to be a person, but empty inside. This void behind their eyes is the thing that frightens and scares people, but the absorbing power is what makes them immune to the warp, and they siphon away the innate “extra soul” that a psycher has. I assume this would feel like something between a lobotomy without anesthesia, and having your fingers pulled off.

[@jeambeam3173]

I don't think you ever met someone thirsty enough for that Sisters of Sussy

[@jumpstrart7]

Since blanks channel anti-warp energy, their might be a dimension separate from the warp and real space where anti-warp entities like the Watchers in the Dark dwell.

[@robrib2682]

I never thought of that, and that makes too much sense that an anti-warp dimension exists

[@jumpstrart7]

@@robrib2682 Where there's one there's more. That rule applies to cockroaches, telemarketers, and other dimensions. Another thing they have in common is they never go away no matter how many times I roll up a newspaper and start swinging!

[@mikecampos1193]

Don't the eldar hate the sisters of silence cuz they can also kick their ass.

[@robrib2682]

@@mikecampos1193 the elder hate them because they're all low-key psychers so it's the rough equivalent of having a clown try to stab you on a regular basis. Even if you're not afraid of clowns you probably are going to have a panic attack the 7th time

[@Aaron-io8vw]

Watchers are pyskers, they are just anti chaos. They Dark angels the watchers work closest with and appear the most besides the Supreme Grand Master are the Librarians.

[@bookybrony526]

Another fun fact about the Sisters of Silence, they know what the Emperor really looks like. Also, in a less metaphysical sense, what happens when a Sister of Silence dies, she is probably cremated and her ashes are put into a grenade specifically designed for fighting psykers and daemons, called 'Psyk-out Grenades.'

[@Yacovo]

Younger SoS: 'older sister, what happens when we die' Older SoS: 'we become ordinance to screw over psykers' Younger SoS: 'As in death, so in life.'

[@ladywaffle2210]

There's a passage in some book, the title of which I don't remember, that states that while Custodians and non-blanks see the Emperor's blinding radiance, the Sisters of Silence see a man in pain.

[@AidzWithAZ]

So that’s where those come from

[@airplanemaniacgaming7877]

@@ladywaffle2210 That is both telling of their ability, and sad as they only get to see their great leader suffer in front of their very eyes.

[@johnd3421]

Oh I hope they will talk about Tanau Aleya. Her interactions with Valerian are fun. Edit: After watching the vid, they have to read Watchers of the Throne series. The books give some nice background on the Sister's history and interactions with Terra and themselves.

[@Zakvadr1995]

Ah ,yes the Tsundere Sister and Moe Custodian couple! Love their books and can’t wait for the third installment!

[@johnd3421]

@@Zakvadr1995 Oh yes Aleya is a real tsundere! I am also excited for the next book in the Watchers of the Throne too

[@williambibens4508]

@@Zakvadr1995 I’m glad I’m not the only one who sees it.

[@probablythedm1669]

Moe? Tsundere? I do not speak weeb... what is the meaning of this?

[@williambibens4508]

@@probablythedm1669 Aleya acts like she’s angry with Valerian but she actually loves him

[@TheHappyReaper]

If there was a chaos god amassing blank souls in the warp it’s be Malal, if he was canon.

[@raycearcher5794]

(Malal surrounds itself with blanks, causing the warp entity horrible agony) Malal: "I'm having a terrible time, this is great." Son of Malice: "Lord Malal, it looks like you're suffering gravely, which is awesome, should I put you out of your misery as an act of spite?" Malal: "Yes my minion, then kill all your brothers, then take your own life for good measure." Son of Malice: "Oh wow, that's horrible, I can't wait!"

[@imperatornoinga3646]

He's there. You just have to look for him

[@WompaStompaCyn]

I want to know why they aren't just called Talons of the Emperor. They even already have the damn name. Everything in the lore pretty much states Sisters and Custodes are two peas in a pod. They're like the only people in 40k that seem to actually legitimately like, trust, and respect each other. A Sister takes up like a quarter of the new Custodes codex art while literally standing in front of all the actual custodians. And for some reason they're still treated as if they're separate things.

[@pinoarias8601]

Gw should stop being cowards and release more sister models already.

[@DAMIENDICE]

Me: Oooo, I wonder if they're going to talk about the mysterious sword Aleya got from Guilliman, or that Jenetia Krole is basically invisible because her null effect and weilds the god emperors old sword. Or maybe mention the Daemonic siege on the palace where they teamed up with grey knights and custodes. Or that they fucked up the Minotaurs at one point. Bricky: There's not much to say on them. Anyways I want a girl on girl giggity book lmao

[@mysteriousfletcher9838]

The blanks are the coolest. The sisters of silence Blank assassins Potentially watchers in the dark (can nullify the warp in the book “legacy of Russ”)

[@adastial2104]

My theory for the watchers is that they exist in real space but also not nor are they in the warp but outside the galaxy astraly projecting themselves or something like that and influencing those they see as beneficial to protect the galaxy

[@mysteriousfletcher9838]

@@adastial2104 I like that theory especially since that mean blanks and other humans are capable of doing something similar and that would be interesting.

[@adastial2104]

@@mysteriousfletcher9838 another theory for them that I like is that they are anti nids or a rogue hive mind

[@mysteriousfletcher9838]

@@adastial2104 the theories I am familiar is that they are a xeno race that has fought chaos for eons or they are immaterial entities (the warp is not entirely controlled by chaos) and are fighting to help the forces of order like the imperium.

[@serbianweatherman2385]

Dorn isnt a blank but his power to have the warp bend to his indomitable will and have it its pants is close enough ig

[@DRTisKING]

The Artist who did the Fem-Custodian genderbent all the Legions, I think that's why he did a Custodies

[@mikecampos1193]

It's not fucking Cannon said a very good custody by the name Kitten.

[@connorcmsmith4302]

Guilliman when he returned was appalled that the sisterhood had all but been destroyed as he saw and understood there value, right know there are sisters in the indomitable crusade who sit with the navigators to calm the warp that the navigator sees so they can travel safer.

[@connorhood89]

I'm not sure why but the longer this goes on the more I want Shy to either join in vocally in an episode or just speak a single word out of no where. I absolutely love you guys and love the stuff Shy posts in the little editors box.

[@YouCaughtCzars]

She's mute, which is why she has a text to speech program for her voice on her channel.

[@calebprice7103]

@@YouCaughtCzars wait is she actually

[@gunterthekaiser6190]

@@calebprice7103 yup

[@davidcendana2302]

She’s a sister of silence with TTS device

[@Sara3346]

I think she genuinely might not be able to speak.

[@weavelcow9596]

Great episode, but now I understand Shy's opinion on the community. Some of you need to go on the Black Ships.

[@xaga8794]

@@danielbob2628 I mean the gay Sex thing comes from tts. Custodes literally have orgy's every Wednesday and on the bloodhound they use the other kind of spear.

[@anungunrama9344]

GW not giving any attention to sisters of silence is lore accurate

[@TheAnimaAnimal]

They are accessories to the custodes and nowhere near the power of an Astartes. Disappointing

[@aethewulf7082]

@@TheAnimaAnimalthey can kill astertes tho

[@honestkyn718]

@@TheAnimaAnimal they are a vital part of the army lorewise. Game play wise they've an amazing option to take care of the factions psychic weakness. When Custodians think you're cool enough to fight with I think you have earned the badass title

[@Volgalist]

@@TheAnimaAnimal They are weaker because at the end of the day, Sisters of Silence are just a normal human... A normal human that could make powerful demon a puppy that they could easily snap their neck by sheer existance. A normal human that could make Astartes uncomfortable even just looking at them. A normal human that got the HIGHEST position of humankind, to protect the Emperror.

[@TheAnimaAnimal]

@@Volgalist They are not normal humans tho. They are like an army of Malenias.

[@KageRyuu6]

The Psyker and Pariah gene are fairly recessive if memory serves me, and where Psykers are like 1 in a Million and rising, Pariahs are 1 in a Billion maybe 1 in a Trillion. So on top of the whole being completely revolting to normal human beings, and thus likely to get smothered in their infancy, the probability of two Pariahs finding one another and them both having two pairs of the gene, is astronomical. But yes, just like the Navigators, if you got two Psykers or Pariahs they could potentially produce another of their kind. And all loyal Human souls feast at the Emperor's table clearly, Pariahs are no different in His eyes.

[@doxkowalski915]

Bricky asking DK to guess anything is the equivalent of Dora the Explorer asking the audience if they see the fox right next to her but they somehow can't.

[@Alexbl100]

That Wendies cashier blinking MkUltra activation codes is kinda sus

[@dafroakie9984]

Pariahs! The concept GW thought of one day, wrote it on a sticky note, and forgot about entirely!

[@ahoyturtle]

Funnily enough, you know who actually LOVES Sisters of Silence? Szarekh the Silent King. He's been collecting Blanks since 5th edition, and they were also apparently part of the plan for the Pariah Nexus. And it's not like Necrons have any prejudice against people being "without souls"...

[@mobilegamersunite]

SOS is the only budget throw away unit custodes can get to bait out enemies at low risk. Also amazing anti smite ..and custodes really need that.

[@Cracker3011]

If I'm not mistaken, there was once a part of a novel where a Sister of Silence looked directly at the Emperor, and saw him in his true form. Not a 10 foot tall gigachad, not a demigod... But a guy. Just an extremely normal looking guy. And the whole thing of him being big is all a psychic glamour. And she doesn't say shit about it to anyone else, because that isn't her job.

[@Sorain1]

It would make sense, it's impractical to be that size and being able to just, go places, is really damn handy. But you know, public image and all that.

[@csgilmore3536]

Makes me wonder if there is a third dimension opposite the warp that hasn't really been explored in the lore currently, kind of like how heaven and hell are often portrayed as opposite dimensions with our world sandwiched in the middle.

[@Ashtor1337]

You mean like the web way?

[@damascus1111]

@@Ashtor1337 ehhh, the webway isn’t really a whole separate dimension necessarily.

[@csgilmore3536]

@@Ashtor1337 not exactly, the webway is more like a fortified tunnel through the warp but perfectly able to be breached by it, hence the whole issue with needing to keep demons from entering Terra after Magnus screwed up the emperor's webway project attempt. I'm thinking more a place that is more the opposite of the warp. Given the whole lack of soul thing and all, I'm guessing it would be hard to detect though, being most likely a void or absence in contrast to the warps being kind of an everything.

[@zacharysimmons4115]

I think there's at least one xenos race out in the Ghoul Stars that is expressly described as partially existing in another dimension that isn't the Warp, though I'm not sure whether it's meant in the same way you're talking about. Whatever they were they were creepy as hell.

[@jeambeam3173]

​@@csgilmore3536 thing is Magnus blew the whole so who's to say if daemons or a chaos god could or not

[@loganraethorne4360]

So in the books "Pariah" and "Penitent", it is shown that there is a way to snuff out a Blank's anathema effect by using a limiter, which is essentially a wrist mounted on/off switch for the Blank wearing it. It's effective enough that a skilled telepathic psyker can look through a Blank's memories if the limiter is online. Is it possible that a Sister of Silence could wear one of these limiters so they might be deployed with other Imperial forces without disrupting things by making Guardsmen uneasy, battle psykers unable to do anything, etc.? It's worth mentioning that the limiter in those books was supplied by a faction of essentially Chaos savants, who are really damn good at making and using exotic technology. I don't remember it saying the limiter is unique or extremely rare, but I think it's likely that's the case.

[@kallemort]

Also those limiters don't seem to exist outside of Abnett's books so I wouldn't apply it everywhere. He has a tendency to create an "Abnettverse" featuring stuff that never appears elsewhere, like Enuncia.

[@jakebailey1636]

I recall a metaphor being used that Psykers can visualise a soul like some form of a flame in a person- brighter the flame the brighter the soul. With blanks they simply cannot see it. That would to me suggest no soul, so once they're gone, they're deader than a Tau locked in a room with 5 Flesh Tearers.

[@lupus2079]

Funfact: There is someone who like to see one Sister of Silence. Garru a Space Marine is kind of a friend with one sister. They don't see the other often but are happy to see eachother. Because they fight together in some battel and saved the other. First was against a xenopsyhker second was on against a corruptet Astartes.

[@Lotan_]

To clear up a common misconception about the Dark Gods. The simple act of death or feeling emotion doesn't feed the Chaos Gods. There has to be specific conditions for it to mean anything to them, hence why they go out of their way to spread their influence and worship. If that wasn't the case, they wouldn't need to do that. The Great Crusade and the Emperor's plan wouldn't have made a difference to them one way or the other. Killing someone out of mercy, or in a state of cold indifference, isn't going to do much for Khorne for example. It's the nature of the emotion or act that is what matters. Only expressions that are chaotic in nature feed Chaos. This is why the Emperor himself, despite being a massive psykic presence who feels emotions, does not contribute to the Dark Gods. In fact he is actively poisonous to them, due to the Ordered state of his emotional expression/state. In terms of Blanks and Pariahs, they don't feed Chaos or the Warp at all. Unlike the Tau, who have a very small presence in the Warp but a presence nonetheless, Blanks don't have souls full stop. Thus they have no Warp presence. So anything they feel or do does not create any psykic energy. Daemons and psykers using the Warp to see/scry can't even perceive them. As a matter of fact, they are the direct opposite of pyskers; where a psyker exudes psykic power that is more intense and powerful the higher in level they are, a Blank *absorbs* Warp energy in the same way. For the lowest level ones this simply manifests as the individual being seen as a bit creepy or strange, only instead of giving off psykic energy, they cancel out these powers or entities, with their absorption capability being very low functioning. Mirroring the way psyker rankings work, the stronger the Blank is the more intense that aura of wrongness is and the stronger their nullification field becomes. In older lore, this continued until you got to the extremely rare Omega-minus level anti-pyskers, who are more or less blackholes of psykic energy, draining the life out of everything around them with a Warp presence and instilling feelings not of disgust or disturbance, but rather of utter terror in others. Only Alpha level pyskers and above are capable of withstanding these Blanks. Being older canon, I'm not sure if the Blank ranking system applies to modern lore, but I've not seen anything directly contradicting it or saying it doesn't so.

[@vegladex]

Just finished a book involving an Omega Minus, "Atlas Infernal", about Inquisitor Czevak. It's pretty insane, he gets hold of a little casket from an Inquisitorial Vault holding an engineered Omega Minus *fetus* and by opening a hatch to reveal it he basically makes an entire room of elite guards (and I think some astartes) haemorrhage themselves to death in seconds. "First Published in 2011", so old, but not *that* old. I'd expect it to still be of viable canonicity.

[@Lotan_]

@@vegladex Classic fucked up Imperium technology.

[@alejandrorivas4585]

@@vegladex if the early cain books and heresy novels are still good lore, 2011 should be good.

[@johnaxios6335]

One thing I hope they do an episode on Malcador the Sigillite. He is such an important and interesting character cause while the Emperor might have been the leader of the Imperium, Malcador was the one who built it.

[@frankwoods7140]

“As long as it’s tasteful” thank gods the author that will not be named is gone.

[@Zakvadr1995]

*Ian Watson*

[@frankwoods7140]

Oh no another person I gotta search

[@evinbraley]

Ah yes, the sewer goblin

[@zecapaugordinho6975]

Gussssssy

[@yormhammerson530]

@@zecapaugordinho6975 NOOOOOO!

[@bartzoz]

Maybe someone will make a manga where the Primarchs are high school students, live with the Emperor and their mother in a normal (only proportionally larger) house at the back of the palace and have to put up with each other? For example, the whole family is eating dinner, and Horus asks Guilliman: - I heard you got a girlfriend. Is it true? The Emperor, while sipping his coffee and reading "The Imperial Truth" newspaper (with the Emperor's face on the front page and the words "Man of the Year"), asks: - What world is she from? Guilliman said: - Craftworld. The pissed off Emperor spits out the coffee he was drinking and says: - What was I saying about Xenos?! - "F*ck them all" and "Humanity should dominate them." I remember, Dad. Don't worry, I'll be on top.

[@vegladex]

"Manga where the Primarchs are high school students" definitely already exists.

[@Become-Eggplant]

I just like the idea Big E has a safe filled with Eldar porn he hides from his children. After all, he tried to build a web way to get them eldar booty. Sorry not web way, high way road to the nearest strip club.

[@bobbysalkeld2634]

@@vegladex Please point me in the correct direction...

[@Sorain1]

@@bobbysalkeld2634 A starting point would be 1d4chan. From there, you will have to make your own way...

[@lavellelee5734]

Omg 😂

[@xanderlee51]

Do not simp for the attractive women in armor. Be strong. Go collect Demons of Slaanesh or something.

[@requiemlul3140]

COLLECT DAEMONS!? THERES ONLY TWO KINDS OF PEOPLE WHO DO THAT. NECRONS AND POWERFUL HERETICS. ARE YOU ADVERTISING HERESY!?

[@prageon6035]

All I want is beefy dudes and dudettes bullying the lesser armies, is that so wrong?

[@heavystalin2419]

@@prageon6035 Not against the T'au

[@Ashtor1337]

At least demons fuck

[@icholi88]

The biggest problem is that when you say soul-less, we already have preconceptions of what that means. In 40k a soul is literally a living creatures reflection in the warp, its a tangible thing. Objectively, they dont have a soul, but they still think and process feelings (its just much duller). Bequin is a good story about a blank as a character and she has as many hopes and dreams as a person with a soul. Which also makes it tragic because people will always hate or fear you from the nature of being a blank.

[@bruhbeukes5145]

My favorite bit from the SoS is that their leader was accidentally killed by Kharn lol. Essentially during the Siege of Terra she was using her abilities to become invisible and in a flurry of rage, kharn was swinging his axe viscously and accidentally hit her, killing her. Even Kharn was like" Wut the fuck?

[@Mr_Feyshade]

Erebus dropped his whole box of "Emperor's Witness" flyers, before he could forcefully hand them out at the "Hive Mall". Erebus was not aware that the latest graduating class of Sisters of Silence Acolytes were having a field trip there. They had just finished being fitted at "Bucklers, Bardiches, & Beyond" for armor, when they saw him. He had his arms overloaded with boxes of "Have you heard about the Emperor?" flyers fresh from the printer's, ready for distribution. Knowing that their fresh facial tattoos were clearly superior to his, they carefully surround Erebus, to taunt him, as they haven't taken their oath of silence yet. The closer they get, the young sisters notice that there is more wrong with their victim than just his fashion choices, I mean who wears a bow tie with power armor? Both parties feel each other's presence at the same time. Erebus drops the boxes, and turns to run. He is surrounded. The angry eyes below foreheads covered by tattoo parlor bandages, let him know that he has made a horrible mistake. As he backs away, he slips and falls in the "Daily Rations" booklets emblazoned with pastel artwork of the Emperor of Mankind surrounded by children in a pasture. At least, that's how I picture the situation in my head. Have fun getting that out of yours. Thank you, Shy, for all the hard work you put into each and every episode, (and I guess Bricky and DK as well).

[@Mister-Chief]

An episode all about and for Shy, we love to see it

[@Hellacious-Blue-Liquid]

My idea for a Sisters book is one of the retired eyes of the emperor custodians calls upon the sisters to help deal with weird Tau demon fuckery with Vashtor. Sisters acting as witch hunters to a people who know nothing about witches + wouldn't hate them on sight

[@voxlknight2155]

Thing is, the reaction to Blanks is completely instinctual, and you can easily get over it if you either get to meet a Blank or know how they work. So it's not much of a stretch to think that the same could happen to Pariahs.

[@enixraghunath703]

There are TWO different languages. Thoughtmark is for normal conversations, and Battlesign is specifically for relaying combat orders and the like.

[@Jarvo-ed6pj]

I want it to be cannon that at some point a sister of silence stubbed her toe and shouted “FUCK”

[@syrakul9493]

IF the pariah gene was able to be passed down, it would mean that the sisters would be likely to have a breeding stock of male blanks locked up somewhere.

[@BigBex]

Hmmmmmmmmmm

[@Sorain1]

It can be passed down (it's recessive) and I'd imagine they either do that or just use tech assistance to conceve using stocked material. We've got the tech to do that right now, the Imperium (especially a group with their kind of clout) can easily get it done.

[@vacuousvulpes]

Wait, does that make shy a sister of silence?

[@_dire__]

Dark Mechanicus when, Bricky.

[@TehKang]

I would say Slaanesh would enjoy taking a Sister of Silence's soul and corrupting them into a female version of a noise marine. Think about the joy Slaanesh would get taking this stoic, silent beacon of the Emperor's light and justice and turning her into a super loud and boisterous destroyer of everything she had been sworn to protect.

[@xenoblad]

I'm pretty sure that the Custodes are aware of the SoS's sign language

[@geraldtheoctopus1594]

28:00 "Now say your last word" "LIGMA!"

[@hyhena-gaming9986]

I feel like the sisters sign language would be one handed, have to communicate without sheathing your weapon after all

[@PeteofHartainia]

Custodies are good at conversation, I'd think they'd be BFF with the sisters.

[@decency2824]

Our faith is rewarded, they announced there will be several new units

[@aaronm3795]

Blood angels have feet sculpting in their armour. Even Dante...

[@ObakeOnna]

Bricky: They're very, very good friends. Every lesbian: I see. He's being a historian.

[@str_brst8979]

Finally talons of the emperor are fully covered(custodes and sisters). this better have Aleya

[@DWIMoonturtle]

I just realised during this episode that the sisters of battle power armour looks like it's based on a corset and now I can't unsee it. Like there are designs that actually seem to be based on real armour but they seem to be mostly fan made? I saw a fan art that was based on medieval french plate which was so fitting and so dope, but for the most part they're just in like. Power Corsets. Power Corsetry in the 41st millenia, doge vandire's influence remains strong.

[@tubalord3693]

Honestly of all people to hang out with custodians are probably the best they were around before everything went to crap and they tend to be kind of chill and relaxed that have hobbies like art and music honestly they’re kind of wholesome by 40K standards

[@ebros5758]

I feel like it would eventually suck. Talking to objectively superior people all day. Nothing you could possibly do could compare to them, and they could predict anything you will ever say or do

[@Lightscribe225]

Gonna assume all Sister's souls go the same place as all humans: the soul tunnel mentioned in Shadowbreaker. The one where an Inquisitor is about to go down to find the afterlife built for humans until a Space Marine jumps in and grabs her sayin "get over here!" You know, that one.

[@glueboy]

Something super fun I learned in the Carrion Throne book is that apparently the average Imperial citizen (and some Inquisitors) believe Custodians to be a myth. Mainly because nobody has seen them for like 10,000 years. Now they're either stories to scare children or just heros of legend

[@glueboy]

Also a really fun detail in the same book is that Imperial citizens are taught that The Emperor created 9 loyal primarchs to combat the 9 evil children of the dark gods. Good ol Imperium propaganda

[@trollpazzo]

38:25 is DK suggesting we need more lore to fill in the blanks? O.O

[@marconator360]

*Space wolves arrive on Prospero* : Thousand Sons, we're here to kick your asses! *Thousand Sons* : Oh yeah? You and what army? *Sisters of Silence arrive in their black ships* *Thousand Sons* : Why did i asked? *Space Wolves for the next Episode!*

[@Nebulaeous1]

42:41 to answer the question with my headcannon I’d imagine Khorne would love them.

[@gryphon9507]

25:45 Love this illustration particularly Big E and the Custodies are golden and the sisters have a kind of silver armor and nice contrast.

[@schneiderdark9132]

i love in the books that Aleya uses the Great sword as a pole to vault slash demons! its the best proof of how they make such a cumbersome blade not impede their quick movement.

[@jbblades2835]

They don't hit each other with pillows. They hit each other with practice rounds and swords. Gotta keep those skills sharp

[@csgilmore3536]

Makes me wonder what level of blank jurgen is? He has all the skin issues and smell that make people avoid him already so it is really hard to say. Also makes you wonder if you can get used to them given how Cain works with him so closely.

[@Fourtytwo4242]

There is most likely no smell, the "smell" is most likely his blank power, it just how our brains are reacting to him making sense of something that has no sane reason to it. But has long has your not a psyker you should be fine, it more so you find them to be super disgusting, but you can easily get over it and work with blanks. That how custodies work, they don't really care why sisters are so repulsive, they enjoy working with them and see them has true equals.

[@jackkurtz2091]

@@Fourtytwo4242 alternatively, he does smell, but nowhere near as badly as their minds think.

[@csgilmore3536]

I think there must be some smell from his skin condition since it is always worse in areas with no air flow, like a vehicle, but not as bad when he gets as close to serve Tanna. Though I agree the blank feeling probably amplifies the response to it and the smell is what most Mark as the reason.

[@thefeatherbird_]

The smell and his behavior in general is because he stopped caring about his appearance when he was young cause nobody liked him anyways

[@fumarc4501]

With enough prolonged exposure, even a psyker can get used to the presences of a blank, but results may very.

[@fablion6324]

Read watchers of the throne. Fleshes em out a bit and the relationship with the custo is cute

[@Eleven217]

I legit thought Bricky was just gonna be like: Bricky: "Ok DK I got a quote for ya, let's see if you can guess who we're gonna talk about today" DK: ok... Bricky: *AHEM* .... DK: Bricky: DK: What's the quote?

[@erike5865]

For a moment I thought the "quote" was just gonna be Bricky saying nothing.

[@HauntedCorpseGaming]

Great episode, found an STL for a Sisters of Silence version of a Contemptor on Cults 3D which is pretty badass.

[@twilightgryphon]

Waited a day to watch this because I had to go to the dentist today to have some work done on my mouth that required them to numb me up with novocaine, so I knew I'd be miserable tonight and I was counting on you guys to cheer me up once the numbness went away and you guys didn't disappoint. Great episode A.R. crew :)

[@captain_torket3254]

Nice work, gentlemen ! For another video concept, you could invite an author of 40k novels and interview him on how he builds his stories, creates his lore, his inspirations, personnal preferences, etc That could be super interesting.

[@Husster72]

Lets assume that the soul of a Blank goes to the Warp after death, if they have a soul that is. Most souls are not powerful enough to maintain awareness after death, the exceptions are Eldar and very strong psykers. If we take into account how Eldar souls worked before the Immeterium got fucked up, they wandered around until the soul reincarnates into a new body. This might be how other species souls would work but lore on how souls actually work is lacking. With the current state of the Warp, most souls will end up as demon food. This will not be a problem for Blanks. Using this information, my theory is that the soul of a Sister of Silence, which may or may not be aware, would wander around weakening warp storms and destroying any demon dumb enough to try feeding on it.

[@triggerhappynumskull]

There was an absolute heartbreaking story about a silent sister in Saturnine. They even got a female reader in the audiobook version exclusively for her lines to give her extra impact

[@Ghostof17War]

Sisters of Silence (and to an extent, Sisters of Battle) are the main reason I think female Space Marines are not necessary, for represential (is that a word...?) reasons.

[@motherreaper7287]

I'm sure the Sisters of the Argent Shroud and Ebon Chalice would get along with these ladies just fine.

[@Shooter762]

Jenetia Krole is one of the greatest heroes of the Emperium. She’s honestly such a fucking savage. The epitome of no better friend and no worse enemy.

[@surriad1140]

Iirc, blanks don’t just have a warp presence of 0, but rather a negative one

[@MyKingoflol]

I’ve finally made it. Been listening for 6 day and I’m finally caught up and watched every episode. Now I need to get caught up on the book club list.

[@vegladex]

"Bricky, wrong Fandom Bricky! Buddy, this isn't anime, dude. I could see that happen in some freaky anime, but not in 40K." HOOOOOO BUDDY, are you showing your greenhorn credentials here. 40K has *Slaanesh, anything can happen.*

[@rowanash5378]

In regards to which Chaos God would like Sisters of Silence the most, I'm thinking Khorne. Both for the fact he hates psychic magic, and the fact that they are quite competent fighters.

[@khylerbane4523]

I was thinking Malaal maybe.

[@bladestormviking]

Amandera Kendal, the sister who quit her order to work for Malcador, used her blank status to raise no end of hell on Proxima Centauri. decided to camp out at the astropathic offices until one of them finally came clean about what was going on there.

[@wanna877]

Imagine a story where a bunch of sisters of silence get attached to a psycker (maybe an inquisitor or something), because the psycker had to be nice to them once, and now the poor guy can't shake them off.....

[@antuanyammine1537]

I don't really know how the current state of the Palace Guard lore and rules is doing, but I would kill for GW to include the Sisters of Silence and Lucifer Blacks to the Custodian army.

[@kilianstarzengruber6835]

37:40 Genderbent Custodes, now CANON Custodes B)

[@tonytony7756]

The sister on the front cover has a shield so Wow new models

[@johncooney3940]

2:11 I legit spit out my water at that one I need to write that one down.

[@JordonVirtue]

"...they Don't Speak." Is my boomer showing that I was expecting someone to acknowledge that as a No Doubt reference?

[@hshydroservice254]

Gw makes Sister of Silence book and keeps in lore accurate so it will be written in Braille

[@megan00b8]

I think if one of the chaos gods has a thing for null souls it would be Malal. (He's still canon, they just renamed his ass). For those who don't know Malal is a lesser chaos god and his whole thing is hating and trying to destroy chaos so souls that literally dimm out the immaterium would be like jalapenos for Malal - they hurt him too, but he'd like em because they hurt those other assholes more.

[@ryankyle2467]

14:51- Lmao “soul points” I’m dying!!!

[@iantabor2536]

I'd love to see how the Sisters of Silence and the Custodes interact in a day to day scenario just casually interacting.

[@piwobrody4188]

I remember that in the crusade era it was mentioned somewhere that normal women that were chosen or something could undergo a Ritual or something that would make them soulless so they could become a silent sister.

[@daedalus6796]

Not mentioned in the podcast, but the sisters of silence veterans are all called Oblivion Knights, and Jenetia Krole's sword is called the Oblivion blade, and if that doesn't make them the most badass faction in 40k then I don't know anything anymore

[@alchemicpink2392]

As far as chaos gods who'd enjoy their souls go, blanks are the forbidden mexican chili, culexus assassins (because gear isn't part of the soul) the forboding jalapeno whereas the sisters of silence are the ghost pepper at sun surface temperature. Or in other words, they'll still eat'em, cuz life needs spice. That or Malice gets them because eating them would necessarily be a decisive action rather than a passive slurping.