Order of the Vermillion Tears

"When Saint Roselle saw that Sylvain was beyond salvation, she began to shed tears of grief under her helmet./For those she purged had been tempted by evil powers and the weakness of them drew her pity./And the Emperor on his throne saw the grief in the heart of his daughter and blessed her heart and soul./And such we were taught that above hate, we ought to pity those not strong enough to resist the vile powers tugging their souls into darkness./Understand and pity weakness, but do not forgive it."

- Catechism of Mercy, Arch-Confessor Constantin Paternoster

Based on Sylvain, a Shrine World in the Cinnabar Sector, the Order of the Vermillion Tears is young, but nonetheless experienced in combating the forces of Nurgle. Raised in the image of their patron Saint, they believe in the twin dogmata of pity and punishment.

The Redemption of Sylvain
Main Article -> Redemption of Sylvain

In the closing years of the 39th Millennium, the Hive World Sylvain suffered the outbreak of a massive, pandemic plague. Producing vast amounts of chemicals used for medical purposes all over the galaxy, the countless factories and refineries had polluted the environment and ground water beyond salvation. As a consequence, the planet's population of workers had gradually fallen irreversibly ill and turned to the worship of Nurgle for salvation. Their foul god answered their prayers, but now how his followers imagined. Bestowing his gifts of pestilence upon them, their pain was lifted in exchange for the corruption of their bodies and minds.

As the lack of tithes caught the suspicion of the Departmento Munitorum, the leaders of Sylvain sent out a plea for help which would be answered by Inquisitor Ainsley Maighread of the Ordo Hereticus and 500.000 Sisters of the Ebon Chalice. Upon discovering the hand of Nurgle looming over the planet, Maighread decided to purge Sylvain with Bolter and Promethium rather than the holy fires of an Exterminatus and the Sisters descended to the surface.

Hive after Hive, hab-block after hab-block was cleared, their fallen inhabitants put to the torch and their souls cleansed in the holy fires. The Sisters executed their duty without hesitation, knowing that the only forgiveness Sylvain could expect was through death.

Among them was one Sister however, named Roselle, struck with grief upon seeing so many of the Emperor's flock having to be delivered to the pyres. She began to shed tears of vermillion as she bestowed His peace upon the people of Sylvain. As her Sisters noticed, they brought her to the Hospitallers, fearing that Roselle had been touched by Nurgle's foul hand, too. Alas, her tears were a blessing of none other than the Emperor himself, able to cure the ailments and afflictions of those treated with them. Thanks to this blessing, 1/5th of Sylvain's population could be brought back to the light of the Emperor before being tried, judged and condemned guilty for their heresy.

Roselle was elevated to the rank of a Saint and named patron of Sylvain by the Ecclesiarchy, which was granted government over the planet. To honor her image, 50.000 Sisters were baptized as the Order of the Vermillion Tears, taking a new banner and tasked with standing guard over the planet and combating the forces of Nurgle wherever they would raise their plague-ridden hand.

The Scouring of Kadukus
Main Article -> Scouring of Kadukus

In 071.M42, the planet Kadukus was haunted by the forces of Chaos, among them the traitorous Word Bearers, the heretical Ecstasy of Fulmination and the loathsome agents of the Nurgle, the Guardians of the Soil. Infesting the Hive City Kadukus Prima, they reaped a bloody toll and corrupted countless citizens before they were driven off planet by the forces of the Imperium.

Among them were 1.400 Sisters of the Vermillion Tears, lead by Canoness Fiona Leroux. Along with the sons of Dorn, the Thorn Heralds, they descended into the madness filled corridors of the Hive, carrying Bolter and Flamer as their guiding light. Though ultimately victorious, the Hive was beyond salvation and subsequently purged from orbit.

Culture
Raised and trained in the image of their Saint, the cult of the Order of the Vermillion Tears rotates around the veneration of Roselle and the role she played in the past of Sylvain.

The Twin Dogmata of Saint Roselle
"Where prayers may fail to cure an illness, fire will not."

- Sister Dominion Florine DeGarmo

Sister Roselle had been blessed for her pity, her sympathy towards those too weak to recognize the damnation they would bring upon themselves and others. Knowing that they had forfeit the rest of their souls by the side of the Emperor, she had no choice but to shed tears in grief. As such, every Sister is taught to pity the weak and the heretic, for their actions are that of blind fools unable to grasp the gravity of their sins or the treacherous words of those leading them astray.

However, to pity the weak does not mean to forgive them. To betray the Emperor is an irredeemable crime in the eyes of the Sisters, punishable by death or worse. Under their eyes, no one involved in the act of Heresy may live, not even if they have been brought to recognize and regret the falseness of their ways.

The Awakening Saint
"My tears, crimson like blood shed in Emperor's name, are proof that He watches over all of us. On His Golden Throne, His eyes are eternally watchful, ready to reward the faithful and punish the heretic. All of you, as you stand before me, are blessed by Him, your souls eternal and undying as long as you recognize Him as your savior. Truly, the Emperor protects."

- Saint Roselle, the 26th awakening

In the Convent's inner yard stands a statue of Saint Roselle, crafted from gold, marble and ebony, depicted hunched over in grief. In the statue's marble plinth, behind a screen fashioned from a single translucent crystal, bedded on flowers grown in the Convent's garden lies Saint Roselle, clad in ceremonial armor of gold and Adamantium and preserved eternally by the wonders of Stasis. After the Redemption of Sylvain, Saint Roselle feared that her blessing would be lost with her death and thus took it on herself to sleep eternally, only to be woken every 25 years on the day the purge ended to have her tears caught anew.

Her wishes were met and every time she awakens, millions of pilgrims voyage to the Convent in order to catch sight of the Saint. During this occasion, every bell in every cathedral, church and chapel on Sylvain rings as countless Sisters sing hymns to praise Saint Roselle as she rises from her sacred bed and strides through the Convent's golden gates to address the myriad of believers. Many are struck in such awe by her sight that they join the ranks of the Ecclesiarchy right away and ranks of the Adepta Sororitas and Adeptus Ministorum swell with faithful recruits every 25 years.

Doctrine
"To overwhelm, to utterly destroy, to choke them in their crib. That is how we destroy the agents of plague and disease."

- Sister Seraphim Suzette Forestier

Once the Order has been convinced that their target is truly beyond salvation, they will stop at nothing to destroy it. Valuing flame weapons even more than other Orders, there is no squad of the Vermillion Tears not equipped with a flamer.

Their force will advance as combination of infantry supported by Immolators and Repressors, slowly and thoroughly annihilating enemy positions. On the defense, they raze any cover the enemy might use to its advantage and employ the 'scorched earth' doctrine.

Relics
"Lo! Sacrificing her time of life, Saint Roselle still blesses us with the gift of Her tears! Truly, the Emperor has blessed this daughter of His and us through Her!"

- Deacon Bastien Masson retelling the 2nd miracle of Saint Roselle

The Tears of Saint Roselle
Following her own wishes to be interred in Stasis, she is woken from her slumber every 25 years to bless the Order anew with the gift of her sacred tears. Each time, a vial is filled, blessed and brought to the inner sanctum, preserved until its use is justified.

The tears of Saint Roselle are of vermillion color like the purest blood and said to be able to cure any ailment. Many pilgrim to the Convent in order to beg for a single tear to save their loved ones or relatives, but only the purest of heart may be granted such a miracle.

Allies

 * Thorn Heralds: Unlike many other Astartes, the Thorn Heralds venerate the Emperor as a God and during the Scouring of Kadukus, they have forged a fresh but strong bond with the Daughters of the Emperor. The two forces have exchanged oaths and tokens of aide.
 * Orders Hospitaller: Regarding the father of diseases as their arch-enemy, the Sister of the Vermillion Tears frequently deploy alongside Orders Hospitaller. Usually a protective force keen to enable their fellow Sisters to conduct their work in piece, they are ready to purge those attempting to spread corruption under the pretense of seeking help.
 * Ordo Malleus: Tasked with concealing the true nature of the Chaos Gods, the Ordo Malleus keeps a wary eye on the Order, with some of its members calling for its destruction. Others point out that the unconditional faith of the Sisters poses a strong ward against corruption and that their zeal in fighting the forces of Nurgle is indisputable.

Enemies

 * Nurgle: The Plague Father and his minions are a constant thorn in the side of the Order and they will stop at nothing to destroy his agents.