Justiciar

The Justicarius are a body of specialist officers found only within the Obsidian Wyrms Legion. They officially fit the role of Chaplain ever since the Edict proclaimed by Malcador in the waning years of the Great Crusade and fulfill many of the same roles, but as the IInd Legion is highly rationalist and does not suffer pseudo-religious demeanor, the way in which they do so is different. That being said, a Justiciar fights in battle with the same level of unwavering zeal and determination as any Chaplain driven by faith rather than duty. While they still see to the 'spiritual well-being' of Astartes, they do not do so in a priestly fashion, but rather in that of a medical professional of mental health, specialized in dealing with the horrors of war routinely encountered by Legionnaires and their Auxilias.

While the Justicarius keep as close an eye on every warrior as the average Chaplain, they do not do so in order to sniff out 'faithlessness' or insufficient adherence to the decrees of the Sigilite, but rather act as the most elite forces of The Watch, the IInd Legion's internal security agency which monitors every component of the Expeditionary Fleets for any sign of subversive activity, cult-like gatherings or even outright disloyalty.

## History

The Justicarius were originally a small unit of Obsidian Wyrms hand-picked for their unquestionable loyalty and outstanding personal combat skills, which is a rarity as the IInd Legion overall tends to greatly favor squad synergy over individual duelist talent. They were created shortly after the establishment of the Watch itself and were intended to serve as the most elite taskforce that the Watch could call upon when facing the most dangerous of targets: other Astartes. Though throughout the Crusade most people believed that it was impossible for a space marine to commit any form of treasonous action, the first Rangdan Xenocides taught the IInd's Primarch Elias that even the Emperor's Finest could be turned against their will by nefarious entities. Ever since the Rangdan, the possibility that other Xenos - or unknowable threats - could do this again somehow, albeit in a more discrete manner, loomed like a haunting nightmare.

As with the Watch itself, the initial cadre of Justicarius held their duty in secret, appearing like regular battle-brothers holding positions in various levels and subdivisions of the Legion, some of leadership and others not. This secrecy, though going in direct opposition with the mindset of general transparency and honesty prevalent throughout the legion, was seen as a necessary evil as to not rouse the suspicion of potential subversives, and therefore make them less vigilant and easier to detect. In the early years, the Justicarius were relatively few due to a mixture of high recruitment standards and the belief that only a small number should be needed to act as a strike force directed by the information gleamed by their mortal counterparts, but their number has steadily increased throughout the second half of the Great Crusade.

It was not until the Chaplain Edict decreed by Malcador the Sigilite in the wake of the Council of Nicae that the rank of Justicar stepped out of the shadows to become an official position within the Obsidian Wyrms. There was significant overlap between the Chaplains instated by the Sigilite and the already extant duties of a Justicar, namely keeping a close eye on the actions of other battle-brothers and watching out for any sign of disloyalty. Therefore it was rather easy for the IInd to simply officialize the position and use the existing cadre to fill the role of its new 'chaplains'. Their ties to the Watch however remained secret, and they continued their vigil while officially embracing their new tasks.

## Duties

In addition to keeping watch for any form of subversive or disloyal activity as described above, a Justicar has many official responsibilities, but above all else, they serve as an exemplar of the virtues promoted by the IInd. They display adamant fervor and fearless audacity in battle, inspiring others to achieve the same heights, but never at the cost of blatant recklessness or unnecessary sacrifice. They represent valor tempered by reason and untainted by blind rage or hatred.

Due to these same qualities, it goes naturally that Justicarius would oversee - and often directly be involved with - the process of recruiting new aspirants and neophytes. More specifically, it became commonplace in the later years of the Crusade for a Justiciar to be the chaperon accompanying aspirants through their trials on Corusco Parva, creating a stark contrast between the asphyxiating terrors of the Tainted Lands and the unwavering composure and presence of the Justiciar which would further inspire the aspirants. By inducting and teaching new neophytes, they are also in a prime position to ensure new Astartes will be thoroughly screened and properly guided.

As with other Legions' Chaplains, the Justicarius are tasked with ensuring the spiritual wellbeing of Astartes - and at time mortals too - which they do while dispensing with pseudo-religious methods entirely. Just as the heavily augmented and fortified body of a Legionnaire still needs to be mended by Apothecaries every now and then, their minds, equally strengthened yet just as regularly and mercilessly tested, can still require healing from time to time, no matter how one might want to believe Astartes to be above such things. A Justiciar is as well-versed in psychology than an Apothecary is in medicine, and this knowledge is equally useful whether extracting information from an unwilling target via interrogation as it is for providing more mundane therapy and counsel to the battle-weary.

Though not officially one of their duties, the impartiality, great knowledge and general respect commanded by the Justicarius often make them prime candidates for resolving disputes and arguments of various kinds between between Astartes, be they simple disagreements or more formal griefs regarding orders, deployments or resource allocations.

## Wargear

The most defining piece of wargear carried by a Justiciar is their banner. These are similar to Legion standards and vexilla and are essentially a more advanced type therein. A Banner of the Justicarius is a large vexillum bearing the heraldries of the IInd Legion made of highly resilient material. Its fabric is non-flammable and will not ignite even if directly exposed to prometheum jets while the adamantium haft is invulnerable to most melee weapons and personal arms fire. Outside of this standard, the wargear of individual Justiciar varies greatly as befits of their rank, but they will invariable wear either Artificer or Terminator armor, sometimes of their own make especially if they were Triarii before being nominated as Justiciar. The most fearsome of all Justicarius however are those who are capable of donning Pulsar-Pattern terminator armor, allowing them to bring their crusading zeal to these already highly formidable formations.

## Rules

**New Consul Type**

**Justiciar (40 points)**

*Wargear*:

* Artificer Armor
* Banner of the Justicarius (See below)
* The Consul may exchange their Artificer Armor and Chainsword for a Power Weapon and either Terminator Armor or Pulsar Armor for 30p

*Special Rules:*

* *Crusader*
* *Banner of the Justicarius:* Any unit with the Legiones Astartes (Obsidian Wyrms) Special Rule may re-roll any failed Wrath of the Fallen test
* *Agent of the Watch*:  For every instance of Sabotage invoked by the enemy, roll a D6, on a 3+ the Sabotage was prevented and does not take place.