Amalathian

“Who are you to second-guess the will of the Emperor? His plans are for him and him alone to know. It is enough for us to know that his grand designs for the galaxy unfold as he has foreseen, and the colossal arrogance displayed by those who claim to act in his name is both dangerous and tantamount to heresy.”
–Inquisitor Barzano
The Amalathians believe that the Emperor’s will is unfolding
constantly across the Imperium and that He has a plan
known only to Him. A strict Puritan faction, they believe in
maintaining the laws and governance of the Imperium above all
considerations, convinced that in keeping the status quo they
are in fact fulfilling the Emperor’s great vision for His domain.
They are also counted among the oldest of the factions, their
tenets first being laid down millennia ago on the sacred slopes
of Mount Amalath---from which they take their name. The
Amalathians enjoy close ties with many Imperial organizations,
providing assistance, overt and otherwise, in order to maintain
their control. Thus they ensure a balance within the power of
the Adeptus and in the operational fabric of the Imperium. In
the Calixis Sector, the Amalathians enjoy a special relationship
with the Adeptus Arbites, routinely supporting them in
investigations and operations, whilst also providing access to
“hard to reach” information and informants.
== Amalathian Domains ==
All of the major worlds within the Calixis Sector lie beneath
the influence of the Amalathians. From the hives of Scintilla
to the mines of Sepheris Secundus and beyond, their
watchful eyes monitor the actions of the Emperor’s countless
organizations. Only as the light of the Emperor become faint
and the grasp of the Imperium weakens does their power
fade. Towards the rim, among the Halo Stars, and deep within
the empty reaches of the sector, there is little evidence of
the Amalathians and their work. After all, it is the Imperium
and its workings that are their chief concern---“better to have
power over the people than the stars,” as some would say.
== Amalathian Operations ==
Amalathians have a direct hand in the daily operation of
several of the Calixis Sector’s key Imperial organizations.
Certainly, many of the most powerful military leaders have
their operations in part directed by the faction. Whether they
know it or not, both the Imperial Navy and the Imperial Guard have (numerous times) been redirected to further
the ends of the Amalathians. Such shifts in manpower and
vessels are sometimes so subtle as to have gone unnoticed,
and certainly being told what to do is pretty much the norm
for those within the military.
Within the Adeptus Arbites, however, members of the
faction take a far more direct and visible hand. Acting as
advisors, they work to ensure the Emperor’s laws are being
enforced and guide the Imperium’s lawmen towards areas
most in need of their firm hand. This work is very important
to the Amalathians, as many of the faction’s Inquisitors
have an almost pathological belief in the rule of law. This
conviction could be attributed to the fact that many of them
believe that Imperial law is synonymous with the word of the
Emperor Himself.
== Amalathian Inquisitors ==
Inquisitor Thor-Malken is an old and grizzled Amalathian with an
unhealthy obsession with the law and its enforcement. Once
a High Marshal, he traded his Arbites’ badge for a rosette.
However, he still sees himself as a lawman---only now he has
the power to truly pass judgment as he sees fit. Thor-Malken
is also well known within the Conclave for his unflinching
adherence to doctrine and protocol, once executing his own
cadre of acolytes for following an illegal order and officially
reprimanding himself for issuing it. He has a distaste for
interrogation, which he views as wasteful and time consuming.
He prefers to make snap judgments about people and then
treat them accordingly. Unsurprisingly, many other Inquisitors
find his company uncomfortable, and those that have had to
work with him seldom do so again.
Worlds apart from Thor-Malken is Lady Purusha. While
still a devoted and loyal member of the faction, she works
to maintain the stability of the Imperium through the use of
subtle influence, pulling strings covertly in order to enact her
will. Still young enough to feel a connection to the mass of
humanity she is sworn to protect, she often poses as a skilful
and intelligent adept or advisor. She prefers to work her way
into the courts of planetary governors and the noble elite or
act as an adjutant to military commanders. Once Purusha is
well ensconced in such a place, she then works to set up a firm
network of informers and confidants, ensuring that when she
moves on she leaves a legacy of control in her wake. Over
time, she hopes to create a web of suggestion and influence
that she can use like the reins on a beast of burden to move
government policy where she pleases.
==Amalathian Secrets==
Like the Thorians, the Amalathians are one of the more visible
and well known factions. Certainly, within the Conclave their
actions and agents are easily recognized, and their ends are
apparent and accepted. This transparency of intent, however,
hides a significant secret. The Amalathians, being privy to vast
amounts of information gathered by the Imperium’s military
and law enforcement, have discerned a dark, deadly secret
about the Hereticus Tenebrae and what perhaps is its ultimate
meaning. This information, if it became known among the
Conclave, would most probably force radical changes among
the Inquisitiorial operations in the sector and, worse yet,
alter the Imperium’s very presence there. Thus, a small Cabal
within the faction has chosen to suppress the information and
its existence. To date, only a handful of Amalathians know
these facts, and even they are each entrusted with only a part
of the truth, perhaps not even guessing at the enormity of
the danger.