The Sisters of Silence are the Imperium’s all-female, all-blank militant order, created to hunt and contain psykers. They’ve been the Emperor’s left hand since the Great Crusade, and they’re one of the few forces that can reliably shut down warpcraft.
What the Sisters of Silence actually do
They find, capture, and transport psykers. Their members are blanks, also called Untouchables, so their mere presence disrupts psychic activity and makes them immune to most psychic attacks. That makes them ideal for handling rogue witches, Chaos sorcerers, and the cargo of the Black Ships.
They’re nominally part of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica, but that’s mostly symbolic. In practice they answer directly to the Emperor, which lets them operate on worlds that normally dodge the Imperial Tithe, like Ecclesiarchy or Mechanicus holdings.
- All-female order, similar in structure to the Adepta Sororitas but made entirely of blanks.
- Recruited from Untouchable bloodlines.
- Deployed against large covens of rogue psykers and Chaos Space Marine sorcerers.
Origins and the Talons of the Emperor
They first appeared during the early Great Crusade, based at the Somnus Citadel on Luna. The story goes that the Astra Telepathica’s own psykers couldn’t safely control captured psykers, so the Silent Sisterhood was created as a better solution. An event called the Cataclysm of Pentacanaes may be tied to their formation, though the details are murky.
Alongside the Adeptus Custodes, they formed the Talons of the Emperor. The Custodes were the right hand, the Sisters the left. They fragmented after the Horus Heresy and spent millennia scattered, until Roboute Guilliman brought them back under Imperial control in M42.
How they’re organised
The Sisters use sign language to communicate, since their blank nature makes normal speech unsettling for others and they often operate in silence. Their leader is Sister-Commander Asurma, and their headquarters remains the Somnus Citadel on Luna.
On the tabletop, they’ve found an official home in the Adeptus Custodes codex, making it easier to run a full Talons of the Emperor army. The Knight-Centura leads cadres, and units like Prosecutors, Vigilators, and Witchseekers fill different battlefield roles.
| Unit | Battlefield role |
|---|---|
| Prosecutors | Troops |
| Vigilators | Elites |
| Witchseekers | Fast Attack |
| Knight-Centura | HQ / leader |
Why they matter in the lore
The Sisters are one of the Imperium’s few reliable counters to psychic threats. Without them, the Black Ships couldn’t function and rogue psykers would be far harder to contain. They also give the Imperium a tool that works outside the usual chain of command, which is rare in a bureaucracy as tangled as the Administratum.
Their return in M42, championed by Guilliman, signals a broader push to rebuild the Emperor’s original tools. If you’re reading about the Custodes, the Astra Telepathica, or the Black Ships, the Sisters are never far away.
Key facts
- The Sisters of Silence are an all-female, all-blank anti-psyker order founded during the Great Crusade.
- They operate from the Somnus Citadel on Luna and answer directly to the Emperor.
- Together with the Adeptus Custodes they form the Talons of the Emperor, with the Sisters as the left hand.
- They fragmented after the Horus Heresy and were restored by Roboute Guilliman in M42.
- Their current leader is Sister-Commander Asurma.
- On the tabletop they appear in the Adeptus Custodes codex, with units like Prosecutors, Vigilators, and Witchseekers.
FAQ
What are the Sisters of Silence?
They’re an all-female, all-blank militant order in Warhammer 40k, created to hunt and contain psykers. They’re also known as the Anathema Psykana or the Silent Sisterhood.
Why are they called blanks?
Because every member is a blank, or Untouchable, meaning they have no presence in the warp. That makes them immune to most psychic powers and lets them disrupt nearby warpcraft just by existing.
Are the Sisters of Silence part of the Adeptus Custodes?
In the lore they’re an autonomous force under the Emperor, but on the tabletop they’re included in the Adeptus Custodes codex so you can run a Talons of the Emperor army.
When did the Sisters of Silence return?
They fragmented after the Horus Heresy and were brought back under Imperial control by Roboute Guilliman in M42.