The Sisters of Silence are the Imperium’s anti-psyker task force, an all-female order of blanks who hunt, capture, and contain rogue psykers. They’re the Emperor’s left hand, paired with the Custodes as the Talons of the Emperor, and they answer directly to him rather than to the usual Imperial chain of command.
What the Sisters of Silence actually do
Their core job is dealing with psykers. Every Sister is a blank, also called an Untouchable, which means her presence disrupts psychic activity and makes her anathema to anyone who draws on the warp. That makes them the ideal people to track down, subdue, and transport psychic individuals.
They act as warrior-investigators rather than a conventional army. You’ll find them aboard the Black Ships, the vessels that collect psykers for the Adeptus Astra Telepathica, and they’re also deployed against large covens of rogue psykers or Chaos Space Marine sorcerers when a normal force would be torn apart.
- Recruited from Untouchable stock, so blankness is a requirement, not a choice
- Immune to most forms of psychic assault
- Serve as the militant arm of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica, though that link is mostly symbolic
- Answer directly to the Emperor and, later, the Lord Commander of the Imperium
The Emperor’s left hand
Alongside the Adeptus Custodes, the Sisters formed the Talons of the Emperor. The Custodes were the right hand, the Sisters the left, and together they were the Emperor’s personal military instruments rather than part of the wider Imperial war machine.
That status gave them unusual reach. Because they answered to the Emperor directly, they could operate on worlds normally exempt from the Imperial Tithe, including holdings of the Ecclesiarchy and the Adeptus Mechanicus. Not many Imperial organisations can walk into those places uninvited.
Origins and the long silence
The order was established around M30, during the early Great Crusade, and operated from the Somnus Citadel on Luna. The story goes that the Astra Telepathica’s own psykers couldn’t reliably control the psykers they captured, so a better solution was needed. An incident called the Cataclysm of Pentacanaes may be tied to their formation, though the details are murky.
After the Horus Heresy they fragmented. For thousands of years they existed in scattered remnants rather than as a unified force. Roboute Guilliman brought them back under Imperial control in M42, during the Era Indomitus, restoring them as a functioning order.
How they’re organised and how they talk
The Sisters communicate through a developed sign language, which makes sense for an order of blanks who unsettle everyone around them and often need to coordinate silently in the field. Their leader is a Sister-Commander, currently Asurma.
They’re structured into vigils and cadres, with specialist roles sitting alongside the standard ranks. Recruitment draws on Untouchable bloodlines, and training turns those recruits into the disciplined, silent operators the Imperium relies on when psychic threats get out of hand.
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Anathema Psykana, Silent Sisterhood |
| Founded | M30 |
| Headquarters | Somnus Citadel, Luna |
| Leader | Sister-Commander Asurma |
| Parent bodies | Adeptus Astra Telepathica, Talons of the Emperor |
Key facts
- The Sisters of Silence are an all-female order of blanks, also called the Anathema Psykana or Silent Sisterhood
- They hunt, capture, and transport psykers, and serve aboard the Black Ships
- Together with the Adeptus Custodes they formed the Talons of the Emperor, with the Sisters as the left hand
- Founded around M30, based at the Somnus Citadel on Luna, led by Sister-Commander Asurma
- They fragmented after the Horus Heresy and were restored by Roboute Guilliman in M42
- They answer directly to the Emperor, letting them operate on worlds exempt from the Imperial Tithe
FAQ
Why are the Sisters of Silence all blanks?
Their blankness is the whole point. A blank’s presence disrupts psychic activity and blocks most psychic attacks, which makes them uniquely suited to capturing and containing psykers that ordinary troops can’t safely approach.
Are the Sisters of Silence part of the Adeptus Sororitas?
No, they’re a separate order. Both are all-female, but the Sororitas serve the Ecclesiarchy while the Sisters of Silence are blanks who answer to the Emperor and the Lord Commander of the Imperium.
What happened to the Sisters of Silence after the Horus Heresy?
They fragmented into scattered remnants for thousands of years. Roboute Guilliman restored them as a unified force in M42 during the Era Indomitus.