Divisio Immoralis

“Sleep well tonight. Dream the sweetest of dreams and remember their careless touch. For it will be the last peaceful sleep you will ever have.”
— Address to newly inducted Wardens by Senior Arbiter Kae Drusil
Something festers in the fabric of the Calixis Sector,
something that eats away at is foundations, deceives
its people and gnaws at its sanctity. While some in high
authority scorn such melodramatic conclusions, there are
others who have the foresight and the will to confront this
parasite of heresy and rip it out of the body of the population.
This is a disease of deviant faith, a worship of false gods,
corrupt ideologies and moral bankruptcy. It is spawning an
epidemic of deluded citizens in its wake. It is these citizens
who are the malignant flesh of this disease and it is this flesh
that must be cut out. Such is the thesis of Senior Arbiter Kae Drusil. It was to combat this groundswell of recidivists,
cultists and degenerates that under the authority of the Lord Sector himself, the Divisio Immoralis was founded. To some,
Drusil’s force is just another brutal tool of oppression built
to placate the paranoia of Governor Hax and his inner circle,
but to Drusil and those who follow her, they see themselves
as nothing less than guardians of civilization and order in
the sector---although in practical terms the force is limited
largely to Hive Sibellus itself.
The Diviso is the child of Drusil’s vision and obsession,
and the task force of Adeptus Arbites all look to the greyhaired
veteran as their mentor and leader. Drusil believes
with total conviction that the rise in cult activity and the
numbers of those turning against the Creed and law in
recent years is no accident; somewhere behind the scenes a
dread purpose pulls the strings to propel the sector towards
some terrible dark future. Authorized and smiled on by the
Lord Marshal it might be, but the Divisio has its opponents,
and they are powerful.
Some Arbites within the sector see it as a needless
eccentricity at best and a product of the burnt out veteran’s
paranoia at worst. A few see it as a deliberate overstepping
of concerns that rightfully are the sole province of Ordo Hereticus and the Ministorum---just one more avenue by
which Hax hopes to consolidate his power. As a result, many
shield their most capable and talented officers from transfer
to the task force and Drusil must make do with what she
can get: eccentrics, burn-outs and the occasional promising
novice. The Inquisition for their part have indulged the
Diviso’s existence at least for now.
That the Divisio Immoralis is comparably small and its
senior is held in barely veiled contempt by the Adeptus
Arbites across the sector does not detract from their remit or
their fierce dedication to their appointed task. In the absence
of the best-trained staff, Drusil has selected those who share
her obsession. Though they may not be the toughest or
most promising arbitrators, most of her “wardens” fully
believe in their commander and are incredibly dedicated to
the task that has fallen to them. Many have also come to
believe some great and overarching moral threat seeks to
envelop the sector, and they have dedicated their efforts to
combating the rot they see festering at the heart of Hive
Sibellus in particular. They are undoubtedly dedicated, but
few are prepared for the things they must encounter, lacking
the esoteric learning or defenses the Inquisition enjoys.
In an echo of their mistress, many wardens are strained
and brittle men and women. Hard-drinking is a common, if
hidden, vice in the Divisio. Trauma-fatigue and psychological
burn-outs are not uncommon in those called to serve in this
specialized taskforce.
==The Work==
With authorisation to pursue their investigations
throughout the sector, the wardens operate alone
or in pairs beyond Hive Sibellus, and pursue their
own leads, sifted data and lines of enquiry. Such
autonomy is the cause for some contention within
the Adeptus Arbites, but it is not due to laxness on
Drusil’s part---as she has explained repeatedly and
at length to her contemporaries---but because with
so few wardens and a sector to guard, she cannot be
everywhere and sign every carta personally. Likewise,
their roving and ill-defined remit and poor reputation
is the cause of a frequent lack of cooperation by local
enforcers and even other members of the Adeptus
Arbites. They are often made painfully aware of the
limits of their authority. This friction can manifest
in ways ranging from a simple denial of resources or
by hamstringing the wardens with red tape, to the
unfortunate disappearance of several wardens looking
into the affairs of the Sollex Tech sect. Though they
may not be well-respected, they have been proved
right on several occasions; certainly their presence
has prevented several atrocities and revolts from
occurring in the past.
==Alternate Career Rank==
Deciding to become a Warden of the Divisio at character
creation may form an excellent explanation for your induction
into the Inquisition. Somewhat equipped with specialized
knowledge and a concern with subtle and subversive
activity, wardens make excellent Acolytes for Inquisitors
of all stripes, even if they have to be “disabused” of a few
of the fallacies the Divisio believes true first. If you opt to
join the Divisio later in your Career, it is undoubtedly with
the consent of your Inquisitor who values having a servant
embedded in the Divisio to see all that passes through the
taskforce’s cramped offices on Scintilla.
Upon becoming a Warden of the Divisio Immoralis, you
gain 1d5 Insanity points.
Required Career: Arbitrator
Alternate Rank: Rank 1 or higher (0 XP)
You may take this Alternate Rank during character creation. This does not affect your starting Skills and Talents. It only changes where you can invest your starting XP.