Fluff on The Order of the Velvet Hammer by David Jackson

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I can not take credit for the name. This site was named by Aaron Cains.

Below is the fluff for my own home-grown Order. A codex, with the
permission of the Confessor, will soon follow.

Codex: Order of the Velvet Hammer

Many years ago, a transport carrying an expeditionary force of the Order of
the Ebon Chalice was lost in a warp storm, and reappeared many, many light
years away from their home. Cut off from the rest of the galaxy by the warp
storm, they crash landed on the planet Antares IX. As it happens, Antares
IX was a Squat forgeworld, which did extensive trading with an Eldar
craftworld.

Cut off from the church, but fervent in their beliefs, Canoness Xavier led
the Order to establishing a missionary effort. They were only marginally
successful in converting the Squats to their beliefs, but became massively
successful with the human traders that sometimes did business with the
Squats.
Soon, they had a large contingent of these traders who had come to the
Emperor's Light.

Canoness Xavier saw her opportunity - the greatest evangelical effort ever.
After a period of training, she ordained these traders as Ministers of the
Emperor, and sent them forth in the guise of doing trade with other nearby
worlds, with the hopes that they would convert others, and the Light of the
Emperor would begin to shine in every nook and cranny of this remote
location.

Her efforts were repaid tenfold, but not completely in the manner that she
expected. Followers were pouring in by the dozens, and the trading efforts
were wildly successful. The coffers began to bulge with the tithes of the
faithful, as well as the profits. Her shrine on Antares IX had grown into a
church, and finally, a massive cathedral. They were able to commission the
Squats to copy the power armor that had come with them, and had survived
intact over the years. Additionally, the Rhino and the Immolator that was
part
of the Expeditionary force was copied, and additional units were
constructed.

With continued efforts to contact the Imperium resulting in failure, Canoness Xavier
realized that the Order of the Ebon Chalice would continue without her. She would have
to establish a new order, and thus the Order of the Velvet Hammer was born. With
her outreach programs becoming more and more successful, and shrines being
established on more and more nearby worlds, there came a need for a protectorate
force to defend the faithful. The militant nature of the Order emerged, and hardcore
training began. New inititates were taken from the new converts, and a whole new
generation of sisters began.

The lifestyle of the new order was significantly different than the orders nearer to Terra.
The wealth of the order provided the Sisters with relatively comfortable living conditions,
as much as the devout Sisters would allow themselves. There was no need or want,
and in the regards to arms and armor, they were well stocked and equipped. The
training was tight, and there were never more Sisters inducted at a time than were veteran
Sisters available to instruct them one-on-one. The resulting Novice was of a high quality,
only lacking the battle-hardness of the veterans. The fire of the Emperor's light burned
brightly.

And, then, the darkness came.

It came first to a nearby Squat forgeworld. A monstrosity of the warp, some unholy spiritual enemy,
the reports were mixed and distorted. All that was sure was whatever it was, the grim courage
of the Squats had been fiercely tested, and they had been driven even further beneath the surface
as the dark enemy destroyed whatever remained on the surface. Forward observers reported that
the transports of the strange, unearthly enemy was now moving towards Antares IX.

Canoness Xavier immediately met with the military leaders of the Squats, and a hurried defense was
formed. As the force landed, Canoness Xavier discovered, to her horror, that the forces look very
familiar, but strangely, horribly different. They were amalgams of the living and the dead, strange
creatures formed from the corpses of former warriors. These necrotic horrors were led by a single,
dark necromancer.

The battle that raged over the next four weeks was dire and savage. The Squats fought side by side
with the Sisters, raining a shower of shells in their foe, who seemed to unflinchingly shamble forward
in an unstoppable tide of death. A small detachment, led by Canoness Xavier, stormed a ragged flank,
intent on reaching their leader. The Emperor was present on the battlefield that day, as Canoness Xavier
ripped and tore her way through the rotting flesh, finally finding herself standing before a creature she
would soon know to be Amon-Set. Her retinue was not present, having found their way to the Emperor's
arms during the blood-stained charge.

The bitter fight that ensued was witnessed by only a few, who would later say that not since the fight between
Horus and the Emperor had such skill and savagery been displayed. They fought for hours, until finally, Canoness
Xavier, badly wounded, weak, blood gushing from a wicked slice to her stomach, pulled a blessed knife
from her boot and plunged it into the neck of Amon-Set. She fell into unconsciousness, and when she woke
again, Amon-Set was gone, as was the dark army that he had brought with him. She fell unconscious again,
and was quickly rushed to a field hospital.

The Order continues to grow, but the militant nature of the Order has become more active. They have gained
the trust of the Squats, whom they now consider brothers, even if they are heathens. Their remote shrines are
monitored and guarded. Canoness Xavier knows that Amon-Set has somehow managed to survive what
would seem to be a mortal wound. She knows, and she waits, for the day that he would return, and their
fight would continue.