vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Imperial Military Technology - Terminator Armour: See Tactical Dreadnought ArmourTactical Dreadnought ('Terminator') Armour was developed for close-quarters fighting, where staying power was more important than maneuverability. The technology was originally developed to enable maintenance crews of space ships to operate in hard vacuum or in other adverse conditions. It was combined with power armour technology and brought about the invention of Terminator armour during the Great Crusade. It was hoped that it would replace power armour, but was relegated to its current role due to a lack of maneuverability.It is manufactured from a ceramite plasteel alloy as an exoskeleton with servo assisted interfaces with the users own neurological and muscular systems to enhance movement. It is the heaviest armour in any Imperial arsenal, is able to withstand tremendous punishment, and serves as a solid heavy-weapons platform in open-field combat. The First Company of most Space Marine Chapters uses Terminator Armour extensively, and only those Marines who earn the Crux Terminatus are permitted to wear it. It is also said that a piece of the Emperor's own armour that he wore during the final battle with Horus is built into the "Crux Terminatus" but if this is true, in order to put a piece of the relic into each suit of Terminator Armour ever made, only the tiniest slivers of the sacred artefact is put within. Less frequently, high ranking members of the Inquisition have been known to wear Terminator armour. Notably, members of the Ordo Malleus can be seen wearing such suits.
Imperial Military Technology - Auspex: An Auspex is a general term for handheld scanning devices used by squad leaders and officers in all Imperial fighting forces to survey friendly and enemy positions and to gain information on surrounding terrain and buildings. Generally they have a series of antennae and a small liquid crystal display screen, though some appear to have the ability to link with orbital sensory systems on space stations and Imperial Navy starships equipped with more powerful sensors.
Imperial Military Technology - Bionics: Bionics are mechanical replacements for injured or missing body parts. These can vary from subtle augmentations designed to replace damaged limbs or organs to radical alterations of the human body. Techpriests of the Adeptus Mechanicus often replace at least one of their organic limbs with bionic ones or augment their bodies with various entirely new cybernetic appendages like servo arms or Mechadendrites.
Imperial Military Technology - Cameleoline: Cameleoline is a special fabric often used in camouflage attire by special forces of the Imperium. It changes colour to their surroundings, helping the wearer to hide.
Imperial Military Technology - Frenzon: Frenzon is a collective term for a cocktail of psychoactive drugs injected into a recipient (willing or unwilling) in order to manipulate their psychological state. They are only used by a few Imperial units.
Imperial Military Technology - Jump Pack: Jump Packs are bulky, vectored thrust engines that can be worn by a single soldier, designed to be attached to the Space Marine's, Sisters of Battle's and Chaos Space Marine's existing powered backpack. They are used to make powered jumps across the battlefield, allowing the troopers wearing them to quickly engage their foes. Jump Packs are thus used by assault troops, primarily the Assault Marines of the Space Marine Chapters, and the Seraphim of the Sisters of Battle. Jump Pack-equipped infantry are often dropped from low-flying Thunderhawk Gunships and deep strike into combat, as the Jump Pack also functions as a makeshift anti-gravity parachute.
Imperial Military Technology - Med-pack: Varying from containing a simple first aid kit to a full diagnostic computer and a suite of sophisticated drugs and synthetic flesh, the med-pack generally helps a medic to heal wounded or ill troopers in a battlezone. Sometimes in particularly vicious and dangerous warzones, medics will have to scrounge for medical supplies and beg for the necessary drugs from aid stations and passing Munitorum cargo transports.The Narthecium is a med-kit/med-pack used by Space Marine Apothecaries and are fully automated units. They carry drugs and equipment that are geared to repairing the hardier constitution of a Space Marine, and thus can be dangerous to use on normal humans. A Narthecium also includes a Reductor, an instrument which allows the Apothecary to withdraw the precious gene-seed from a fallen Space Marine's progenoid glands so that the Astartes' gene-seed returns to his Chapter.Sisters of Battle Hospitallers have a scaled-down version of the Space Marine Narthecium, usable on normal human anatomy - and, in the service of the Inquisition, for torture. Many an Imperial servant has had reason to thank the gentle touch of the Hospitaller, and many an Imperial enemy has had bad experiences with this 'gentleness'.
Imperial Military Technology - Servo-arm: A servo-arm is a special tool used by members of the Adeptus Mechanicus to assist them in repairing mechanical equipment. They can also be used to great effect in close combat, being roughly as effective as a Power Fist.
Imperial Military Technology - Refractor Field: The refractor field is a common sight amongst Imperial Guard regimental officers and other less elite Imperial organisations. The refractor field confers reasonable protection against most attacks, though less than styles of conversion fields. When issued to Imperial Guard officers the circuitry for a refractor field is often enclosed in a gorget mounted below the officer's neckline.
Imperial Military Technology - Rosarius: The Rosarius is a powerful conversion field generator issued to Space Marine Chaplains and members of the Eccleisiarchy and Inquisition. A conversion field by its very nature provides much greater protection than a refractor field, and is thusly a much rarer sight. The most common users of a Rosiarus are Space Marine Chaplains, who are gifted one on a pendant (usually a skull-cross or Imperial Aquila) by the Eccleisiarchy to show the bond between the latter organisation and the Adeptus Astartes. Senior priests and Inquisitors can also sometimes be seen wearing one of these pendants.As an aside, it is notable that the Iron Fathers of the Iron Hands Space Marines - who embody a combined function of Chaplains and Techmarines - are gifted a Rosiarus not by the Eccleisiarchy but by the Adeptus Mechanicus, showing a stronger bond between the technologically-minded Marines with the latter organisation over the former.
Imperial Military Technology - Iron Halo: The Iron Halo is a Space Marine relic of which only one generally exists in a Chapter at any one time. It will usually be given to one of the senior Captains or other officers as a reward for exceptional service. Some chapters, like the Dark Angels, issue one to each of their captains. The Iron Halo incorporates a powerful conversion field similar to that used in a Rosiarus (it provides the same level of protection) and is often seen mounted on top of a Marine's backpack.
Imperial Military Technology - Storm Shield: The Storm Shield is a hand-held shield used by both Space Marines and members of the Inquisition and their Chambers Militant, most commonly seen carried by Terminator Assault Squads in conjunction with the Thunder Hammer. It contains a conversion field of lower strength and smaller size than those used in a Rosiarus or Iron Halo, only providing sufficient area and energy to absorb close-range attacks in melee. A Storm Shield is carried like a normal medium or heavy shield, tying up the bearer's hand and forgoing the use of a second hand weapon.
Imperial Military Technology - Combat Shield: The combat shield is a cut-down, buckler-style version of the Storm Shield, but it is unclear whether it uses a conversion or refractor field. It is used exclusivley by the Space Marines, and like the Storm Shield is only useful in melee situations. Unlike the Storm Shield however, it does not tie up the user's hand (being strapped to the forearm) and allows the use of a second hand weapon or firearm.
Imperial Military Technology - Targeter: A targeter is a device issued to some elite Imperial Guardsmen and Space Marines. It usually appears as a scope of some sort attached to a firearm.
Imperial Military Technology - Teleport homer: A device that produces a signal which can be locked onto by teleporting troops, thereby increasing their chances of arriving on-target, as well as the added benefit of increasing their chances of surviving.
Imperial Military Technology - Teleporter: An ancient technology dating back well before the Horus Heresy, teleporters are still used by the Imperium, but are considered rare and valuable devices. They are not fully trusted by even the most experienced Imperial commanders, as a malfunction could be fatal. They are used mostly by Space Marines to assist during certain types of assaults. Usually the devices are only present on battleships, as the transport of something even the as small as a human takes immense power. Use of teleporters is almost exclusively the province of Terminators, with a few exceptions given to specialised chapters such as the Grey Knights. One notable instance of teleportation gone horribly wrong was during the Siege of Haddrake Tor, when the ruinous powers of Chaos used sabotage to disrupt the teleport homers of the besieging Imperial Fists' Terminators and caused many of the First Company to be entombed in solid rock, including the Captain of the First Company, Kleitus.
Imperial Military Technology - Vox-caster: A communications array, similar to a radio, that can be as small as helmet mounted links to massive banks of equipment at the HQ. Usually a squad or platoon will have a link to HQ via one vox unit and vox-beads for trooper-to-trooper communications. Command units usually use more complex versions of vox casters -- known as master voxes. These can receive and transmit on multiple frequencies at once, making them ideal for coordinating many squads simultaneously. In absence of any vox communications, troopers are taught to sign to each other when in battle.Space Marines and Sisters of Battle (and high ranking members of the Inquisition and Adeptus Mechanicus) have miniature vox-casters built into their power armour (or cranium in the case of the Adeptus Mechanicus). Most of these are short ranged and used only for squad to squad communication.
Imperial Military Technology - The Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer: The Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer is a small book issued to all guardsmen in the Imperial Guard that is full of prayers and descriptions of basic tasks an infantryman must perform. Regulations and forms are also part of the book to ensure each trooper has his own book. Troopers are encouraged to read and memorize most of the primer, while disgruntled regiments may refer to these books as "toilet-paper" (and occasionally use them as such). The Primer was published by the Departmento Munitorum, yet some sections appear to be subtle satire against the Imperium itself from a Loyal, yet disgruntled Guardsman, for example the sections on Duty to Commissars.
Imperial Military Technology - Dozer blade: The dozer blade is, as its name suggests, a bulldozer shield attached to the front of an armoured vehicle to allow it to move through rough terrain easier. In Imperial Guard armies, they are referred to as rough terrain modification and can take other forms, such as chainsaws attached to hydraulic arms.
Imperial Military Technology - Electro hull: An electro hull is a special modification in Imperial vehicles designed to protect tanks from infantry assaulting it. Electro hulls were present during the second edition of the Warhammer 40,000 game, but were removed from the rules with the release of the third edition.
Imperial Military Technology - Extra armour: Some Imperial vehicles have additional armour plates bolted or welded onto their hulls. These are collectively referred to as extra armour, and minimize the damage and shockwaves suffered by the vehicle and its crew whenever it is hit. In-game, this is represented by minimizing the effect of any damage to the vehicle's crew, allowing it to function in light of potentially-paralyzing hits.
Imperial Military Technology - Improved comms: Found in Imperial Guard armies, improved comms is an upgrade to a vehicle representing improved communications equipment, such as that found in modern battlefield command vehicles.
Imperial Military Technology - Pintle mount: A pintle mount is an option to add an anti-personnel weapon to an Imperial vehicle. This weapon is used, either by the vehicle's commander/veteran guardsman or by remote control, to engage secondary targets and immediate threats while the gunner focuses the vehicle's main firepower against enemy armour or major objectives.Storm Bolters are the most common weapon used with a pintle mount, although heavy stubbers are also used by the Imperial Guard. The Black Templars deviate significantly from this usage, mounting multi-meltas to their Land Raider Crusaders. The Chaos Legions also use pintle-mounted weapons, usually a combi-bolter, although combi-flamers and combi-meltaguns are also used.
Imperial Military Technology - Searchlight: Searchlights are attachments found on various vehicles of the Imperium.
Imperial Military Technology - Smoke launchers: Smoke launchers are attachments found on various vehicles of the Imperium.
Imperial Military Technology - Void Shields: Void shields are devices usually employed by warships and Titans of Imperial manufacture (some vehicles now under the power of Chaos still maintain these devices). The void shield or field is a powerful defence system that can stop all but the most powerful weapons. A void shield appears as a shimmering curtain possibly akin to looking at something through a thin layer of water. The circuitry in void shield systems create a strong smell of ozone prior to being activated. Any object coming into contact with the shield once activated is not damaged but makes a sizzling sound. Void shields (on Warhammer 40k Tabletop Titans) currently have an armour value of 12.Any objects, unless fired at or striking the shield with phenomenal power simply bounce off or are halted in mid-air. Organic materials, liquids or simply energy with harmful potential (e.g. a laser) are stopped or dissipated. Explosive munitions will detonate on contact. Any object caught in the field when activated is simply sliced in half. For instance, a human body caught in the beam will be sliced in half as if viewed in cross-section and munitions caught in this way are destroyed explosively. This makes the void field deadly, if impractical in offense rather than defensive situations.Void shields are usually layered, meaning that a Titan or Starship isn't protected by just a single void shield but by several layers of individual shields. The front shield will absorb the incoming fire until it overloads and collapses, at which point the second layer shield becomes the front shield until it collapses, at which point the third shield becomes the front shield, etc. Meanwhile the tech adepts aboard the Titan or Ship would repair and restart the downed shields and so create a new layer. Theoretically, this means that Titans and Ships are invulnerable unless the enemy can sustain heavy enough firepower to collapse all void shields faster than they can be restarted.
Imperial Military Technology - Chaos Space Marines: It should also be noted that much of the weaponry and equipment used by the Chaos Space Marine Legions also come from this list - especially the equipment wielded by Space Marines. Since the Horus Heresy, the Imperium has made some advances in technology; thus much of the Chaos Marines' equipment is of older design, or the Chaos Marines simply have restricted or no access to some of the items listed above.For example, the Chaos Marines possess plasma weapons - however, their plasma cannons, being much older, are simply too large to be carried by a man; thus they are always vehicle-mounted. Rather than Stormbolters, which were designed around the time of the Heresy, the Chaos Marines possess older combi-bolters - which are essentially two normal bolters combined into a single gun, but the effect is not quite as effective as the Stormbolter. This has, however, given Chaos pintle-mounted combi-bolters a special utility unknown to Imperial vehicles: the weapon can be adapted to consist of a single bolter combined with a single-shot flamer or meltagun.Further still, the Chaos Marines have extremely limited access to jump packs (which were designed shortly prior to the Heresy), and no access to assault cannons, psycannons or the special ammunition types for bolters (except inferno bolts), as all of these were invented after the Heresy. Furthermore, the psycannon which was developed as an anti-daemonic weapon would be unsuitable for the Chaos Legions as it is anathema to the forces they serve.However, some equipment is replaced by similar daemonic gear. For example, some Chaos Marines can be seen with mutated wings, which act similar to jump packs. While Chaos Marines do not have Artificer Armour (a type of power armour which is well crafted so that it affords better protection), they can have their armour mutated by the powers of Chaos, creating Daemon Armour, which is similar to Artificer Armour. Lastly, the Iron Warriors Legion is known for salvaging Imperial siege equipment, such as the Space Marine Vindicator.
Imperial Navy Hierarchy - Imperial Navy Hierarchy: This page outlines the Rank Hierarchy of the Imperial Navy. The Navis Imperialis, or Imperial Navy as it is known in Low Gothic, utilises a rigid command structure, seemingly unified across this entire military branch of the Imperium of Man, unlike their Astra Militarum counterparts, who have no truly standard organisation below the high command level due to the enormous cultural differences between the worlds of the Imperium.The Imperial Navy is an institution with millennia of dusty tradition behind it and regulations so lengthy that they fill moon-sized scriptoria and data-vaults to bursting. Attempts to modernise the Imperial fleet and update its protocols have always been doomed by the sheer size and inertia of an organisation spread across 100,000 light years of space and potentially Terran centuries of time.On top of this, each Segmentae Majoris battlefleet is so riven with its own traditions and precedents that it is hard to be definitive about even something so fundamental as rank below the very highest echelons.In all cases, the constant risks attendant to fighting starships mean that the Imperial Navy chain of command has to be robust enough to survive shocking casualties in battle and still keep functioning. A great deal of ink has been spilled codifying responsibilities and duties such that each voidsman will know his or her place, although in practice these become guidelines at best, useless bureaucratic nonsense at worst.Incessant training still drums the same message into every voidsman's head -- keep doing your duty even when the world turns to flame and death and the frozen void yawns just millimetres away.What follows is a breakdown of commonly-held ranks and responsibilities within the Imperial Navy. Even within this broad structure many variations occur at the sector battlefleet level that are unique to the needs and necessities of that locale; commodores may command fleets, admirals may command squadrons and warrant officers may command starships according to necessity.
Imperial Navy Hierarchy - Flag Officers: Commissioned officers represent the highest ranks of the Imperial Navy's personnel and their commissions usually can only be granted by the battlefleet Administratum. In some Segmentae Majoris, a certain number of officers are generated by the "commissions" issued to planetary governors and Schola Progenium worlds each standard year to fulfill.Each commission is for a single child of "good character" to attend Port Wrath, there to become a midshipman in the Imperial Navy. Commissions issued to planetary governors are commonly sold to noble families or bestowed in a politically expedient fashion to reward a trusted noble or remove a troublesome sibling.A career in the Imperial Navy is viewed as a glorious, honourable and very probably fatal enterprise by noble houses, but a sacrifice that enhances the family's prestige immeasurably.The various Schola Progenium, on the other hand, send their best charges to serve, especially those with naval heritage. The rivalry between the arrogant offspring of Imperial nobility and the earnest young orphans of the Scholas among the officers of the Imperial Navy is legendary.A good portion of midshipmen join the Imperial Navy through a more informal system of patronage. It is not uncommon for an Imperial Navy captain to take on a noble's son or daughter as a midshipman at their family's request.This may be a favour to an old friend, or a means to repay an ancestral debt. However, even in this case, most noble children find the Navy a harsh and uncompromising environment, where most must excel on their merits, or likely perish.Presented below are the flag officer ranks within the Imperial Navy:
Imperial Navy Hierarchy - Lord High Admiral of the Navy: A lord high admiral (also referred to as a lord militant commander or lord commander) is the senior-most command rank within the Imperial Navy.The prior position held by most of these supreme naval commanders was lord high admiral of the Segmentum Solar.The lord high admiral of the Navy oversees the Imperial Navy's political interests on the Senatorum Imperialis on Terra, while the five segmentum lord high admirals manage the fleet affairs of their segmentum battlefleets.
Imperial Navy Hierarchy - Lord High Admirals: Also called a battlefleet commander, lord high admiral is the highest rank normally obtainable in the Imperial Navy. Only five of these august individuals exist, one for each of the Segmentae Majoris.Each is responsible for the Imperial Navy's fighting forces across thousands of sectors in their allotted portion of the galaxy, or in the case of the lord high admiral solar, the substantial volumes of space around Terra itself.Although all five lord high admirals hold equivalent rank, traditionally the commander of the Segmentum Solar is considered the most prestigious office of the five.The attention demanded by the dizzying array of plans, schedules and staffs under the auspices of a lord high admiral mean they are seldom seen outside their towering fleet headquarters at the Segmentum Fortress.
Imperial Navy Hierarchy - Lord Admirals: A lord admiral, or sector commander, is responsible for all naval operations in a given Imperial sector and has direct command of units of the segmentum warfleet allocated to that sector.Nominally a lord admiral is based at the Segmentum Fortress with other sector-level Administratum officials, but most choose to base themselves at the foremost naval facility of the sector under their charge.A lord admiral answers not only to his superiors in the fleet but to the Adeptus Terra as well. Deploying warships and voidsmen to patrols, permanent stations and reserve fleets in a way that satisfies both military and civilian needs is a headache most naval officers dread.
Imperial Navy Hierarchy - Solar Admiral: Solar admirals are often prospective sector commanders waiting for assignment to a sector. As such opportunities are rare, it is far more common for solar admirals to be despatched to warzones in command of a reinforcing fleet or kept busy on "special duties" with their own independent flotilla.
Imperial Navy Hierarchy - High Admiral: The rank of high admiral is granted to those admirals that command all Imperial Navy warships participating in an Imperial Crusade or vessels from several battlegroups drawn from different sectors.
Imperial Navy Hierarchy - Admiral: An admiral is allocated command of a portion of a sector's battlefleet and responsibility for the security of a handful of star systems and the vast tracts of Wilderness Space that lies in-between.It's rare for an admiral to amass their starships in one place as they are generally busy patrolling Imperial worlds and trade routes light years apart.Perhaps twice in a standard century the entire sector battlefleet might be mustered for a punitive strike or to defend against a sector-wide incursion.
Imperial Navy Hierarchy - Vice-Admiral: By long tradition, a vice-admiral commands the leading division of a fleet, the part that would equate to the vanguard of a terrestrial force.In later times this has come to mean commanding a force of light cruisers and destroyers charged with scouting for the enemy, charting navigational hazards and long-range patrolling.It is common for a vice admiral to choose a light cruiser as their flagship to better keep pace with their far-flung squadrons.
Imperial Navy Hierarchy - Rear Admiral: In ancient times when an entire battlefleet might be massed together, the thousands of starships present would be divided into three commands, each under the command of their own admiral.The rear admiral was the youngest and least experienced flag officer in the fleet and so would be given charge of the rearmost division as the one least likely to see combat.Over time this flag rank has evolved into a largely administrative post charged with coordinating repair facilities, refuelling voidships, forming convoys and other rear echelon activities.Time spent as a rear admiral is seen as essential for a flag officer who aspires to higher ranks to demonstrate their facility with logistics and high-level strategic planning.
Imperial Navy Hierarchy - Commodore: Also sometimes called a group commander, the rank of commodore was originally only a temporary one given to a senior captain placed in charge of a squadron of Imperial starships.Over time the rank of commodore has found its way into permanent usage as what were once temporary squadrons stabilised into regular patrol routes and areas of responsibility.On rare and terrible occasions when capital ships join together in squadrons, the senior captain is still promoted to the temporary rank of commodore for the duration of the engagement.
Imperial Navy Hierarchy - Lord High Captain: A lord high captain is an intermediary rank sometimes granted between lord captain and commodore.
Imperial Navy Hierarchy - Lord Captain: Sometimes also referred to as flag captain, lord captain is an honourific rank normally applied to captains who command vessels on detached duty. A lord captain speaks backed by the full authority of the segmentum or sector battlefleet.This is an important distinction when dealing with arrogant planetary governors or petty Administratum officials that might be inclined to dismiss the words of a "mere" Navy captain. For this very reason, many Rogue Traders have adopted the title of "lord captain."The lord captain is the ultimate decision-maker on matters of strategy, void-law, and negotiation, responsible for the lives and souls of all who pledge to their banner.The fate of thousands hangs upon their decisions, though a wise lord captain takes council with their advisors and bridge crew, and listens well to their wisdom before giving their orders.
Imperial Navy Hierarchy - Captain: Imperial Navy captains are the masters of all that they survey. The Emperor is the Master of Mankind, but aboard an Imperial Navy voidship the captain's very word is His law.Aloof and uncompromising, these figures are unbowed by the awesome responsibility entrusted to them. They may be a tyrant, martinet, swashbuckler, strategist or saint but a captain will always be an exceptional individual to have earned full command of an Imperial Navy warship and all the souls that reside within it.
Imperial Navy Hierarchy - Commander: A commander is a subordinate commissioned officer rank who is in charge of individual escort-class vessels, with a captain or commodore holding overall command of an escort squadron.However, an officer with the rank of commander might also be found as the commanding officer of a squadron of system vessels, wing commander of the attack craft onboard a carrier ship, or placed in charge of an orbital station.Many Navy officers aspire to nothing more than attaining this rank and becoming the captain of a frigate with its frequent opportunities for action and glory.
Imperial Navy Hierarchy - Lieutenant Commander: Lieutenant commanders represent the lowest rank of senior commissioned officers who usually hold administrative responsibility over some specialty department in the crew of an Imperial warship.Lieutenant commanders often serve as senior bridge officers in their area of specialisation, but rarely as first officer. If they perform well, they are in line to eventual promotion to the rank of commander and their own command over a voidship.
Imperial Navy Hierarchy - Flag Lieutenant or Lord Lieutenant: In some segmentae, a flag lieutenant (or lord lieutenant) serves as an executive officer aboard a ship-of-the-line. Those first lieutenants who show their resourcefulness may eventually rise to the rank of flag or lord lieutenant, the second-in-command aboard a capital ship.Though a lord captain's power is absolute, their time and energy are finite. Someone must stand at their right hand, acting as their voice and serving as an instrument of their will. The first officer speaks and acts with the full authority of their lord captain, ever prepared to assume the mantle of leadership should their lord become indisposed.If a flag lieutenant can prove themselves to be a resourceful and competent officer, they may eventually be promoted to the rank of commander, and given the chance to take command of their own vessel.
Imperial Navy Hierarchy - Lieutenant (First, Second or Third): A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer who is usually placed in direct command of system defence ships and monitors. Many officers in the Navy rise no higher than lieutenant.It is more common for them to be found acting as second-in-command aboard escort-class voidships, as part of the vast bridge crew found on a capital vessel, or in an attack craft squadron acting as flight leader.A lieutenant is regarded as having true potential and the opportunity for eventual greatness. Some of the most renowned lord captains first began to forge their reputation by taking over the helm of the ship when their commander was killed or injured.If they succeed, a lieutenant can expect to advance through the ranks as a third, second, and finally first lieutenant, steadily gaining more responsibilities as he does so. However, many lieutenants never make that leap, and spend their days serving as valued junior officers on a voidship's bridge.
Imperial Navy Hierarchy - Sub-Lieutenant or Ensign: These are junior-grade lieutenants who have recently been promoted from midshipman. An ensign is often given minor responsibilities such as commanding small craft, boarding parties, or press gangs.They are often paired with a senior warrant officer to provide valuable guidance, and in the eyes of their superiors and the crew they're treated with respect for their rank, and caution due to their lack of skill and experience.
Imperial Navy Hierarchy - Midshipman: A midshipman is the junior-most officer rank in the Imperial Navy. Midshipmen are actually better described as students with an officer's rank. Technically afforded an officer's respect, they are nevertheless still in demanding training to become true officers, and many of their duties are "hands-on" opportunities to learn.Midshipmen are so-called because they traditionally have quarters somewhere in a warship's midsection, far from the command bridge. Not quite trusted with true responsibility, they remain under constant scrutiny as they complete their training.Should they prove successful, Segmentae Command often adheres to the tradition of requiring them to pass difficult examinations to become Lieutenants, though some have been known to receive "void promotions" for particularly impressive actions under duress.
Imperial Navy Hierarchy - Warrant Officers: Warrant officers (also known in some quarters by the archaic term "petty officers") act as the equivalent of non-commissioned officers like sergeants and corporals in planet-bound Astra Militarum regiments. They disseminate orders from higher authority, ensure that those orders are carried out by the rank and file of enlisted ratings and maintain discipline with regular floggings.They are called warrant officers because their rank is created through the issue of a written warrant from either fleet administration or the captain of their warship. Warrant Officers occupy positions of trust on the voidship and a captain with even the most mutinous of crews can keep the ship running as long as he can rely on his Warrant Officers.It is common practice in the Imperial Navy to promote warrant officers from among the ratings already on board a warship, but large numbers of warrants are also issued to Civilised Worlds as part of their Imperial tithe of experienced personnel for the Emperor's military, often with a promise of reward to entice skilled individuals.Ship's Master - The ship's master is generally the senior-most Warrant Officer and most experienced voidsman on board a given starship. Often the master is tasked with critical responsibilities, such as stellar navigation and the keeping of the starship's log. In addition, he or she might oversee the keeping of the ship's attitude jets, hangar decks, and stores and supplies.Gun Captain - A gun captain is a highly respected non-commissioned officer who has the great responsibility of commanding a single gun crew on an Imperial warship. The gun captain is the foremost expert on performing all the duties of the subordinate ratings in his or her command and often achieves the post only after solar decades of working his or her way up through all the different enlisted ratings.
Imperial Navy Hierarchy - Non-Commissioned Officers: Master Chief Petty OfficerSenior Chief Petty OfficerChief Petty OfficerSergeant-at-Arms or Senior Armsman - A sergeant-at-arms is placed in charge of a squad of Armsmen anywhere between six and twenty-strong with responsibility for close action in naval combat (such as hit-and-run attacks and boarding actions). A sergeant-at-arms' greatest responsibility is the keys entrusted to him for the weapons lockers found on every deck of a warship. When battle commences the master-at-arms signals the sergeants to clear the decks and prepare for action, indicating at that time whether to arm the crew. Sergeants-at-arms are often recruited via warrant or planets from among former Imperial Guardsmen to ensure they do not have prior associations with the current crew of their warship.Bosun (Boatswain) - A starship's bosuns are disciplinarians and taskmasters in a crew, assigned to oversee the common enlisted ratings and indentured workers, determine their duties and ensure that they are carried out efficiently. Voidfarers are often trained from birth in the tasks they will be expected to perform aboard ship, and this training does not end when a position is secured. To keep skills sharp, all crew are expected to participate in regular drills and practice sessions. A steady regimen of drills makes for an efficient crew. This often means that Bosuns are responsible for enforcing discipline on recalcitrant crewmembers, and are likely to handle that task personally. This makes them unpopular figures, and aboard many warships they find themselves naturally allied with a ship's sergeant-at-arms, as their duties are similar.Crewboss - A crewboss is a veteran rating who has been given authority over a small group of his fellow voidsmen in a given functional specialty or task.
Imperial Navy Hierarchy - Ratings: Ratings are the basic enlisted voidsmen aboard an Imperial warship who take care of the menial tasks: hauling shells and missiles, re-routing cables, clearing debris and conducting basic maintenance.Men and women in this class typically have a myriad of sub-classifications ("ratings") that specify their role further, e.g. gun-layer third class, fuse-changer second class and so on.Ratings make up the great bulk of a starship's crew and will be the ones doing most of the fighting during boarding actions. Contrary to popular belief, many Imperial Navy ratings are volunteers, for the pay is good and the conditions are better than those on many Imperial worlds.If there are not enough volunteers to fulfill a captain's requirements he or she always has the right to send press gangs to tithe more crew directly from any planet along the warship's course, which may include penal colonies or hab-blocks.In practice, this is often achieved through collusion with the local planetary governor, but an Imperial Navy captain does not need civilian permission to take crew from any world.As stated previously, there are multitudes of different types of ratings, but they can often be divided into two broad classifications, armsmen and voidsmen.Armsman - Armsmen are crewmembers trusted to carry weapons at all times on board the warship and maintain the contents of the weapons lockers. They keep discipline among the lower ranks and protect the crew as needed. Unlike most ratings, armsmen get to move around different decks of the warship in the course of their duties and their loyalties are carefully scrutinised. Armsmen are essentially the Imperial Navy's equivalent of marines in the most ancient sense of that term.Trusted Crewman, Voidsman or Shipman (Archaic) - Voidsmen (also referred to by the more archaic "shipmen" on some Imperial Navy vessels) are a warship's enlisted crewmen who possess some training and skill, and are the ratings most likely to be entrusted with tasks such as conduit-maintenance, bulwark repairs, cog polishing, or other menial jobs that might require some skill and autonomy. Hive Worlders are favoured as voidsmen due to their familiarity with advanced technology and the fact that they are inured to the worst of the noise and claustrophobic conditions found on Imperial warships.
Imperial Navy Hierarchy - Indentured Workers: Indentured or slave workers are those unfortunate individuals who rank even below enlisted personnel on an Imperial warship and are press-ganged from a world's slums or taken en masse from penal colonies for their ability to perform unskilled hard labour.They are given duties such as hauling guns into position, turning flywheels, and carrying supplies, heavy equipment, and Macrocannon shells. Most warships must replenish their crews of indentured workers every so often, as a steady stream die due to malnutrition, accidents and disciplinary actions.
Imperial Navy Hierarchy - Attack Craft Ranks: Wing Commander or Wing Captain - A wing commander, also sometimes called a wing captain, is the Imperial Navy officer who commands all of the squadrons of Aeronautica Imperialis or spaceborne attack craft assigned to an Imperial warship. These officers often bear the formal commissioned rank of commander.Squadron Commander - A squadron commander is the Imperial Navy officer assigned to command one of the squadrons of attack craft assigned to an Imperial warship.Flight Marshal - A flight marshal is an elite pilot who is a breed apart from their fellows and commands a flight within a squadron of other pilots. Within the squadrons of the Imperial Navy's powerful aerospace craft and among a company of other talented flyers, the true warriors emerge -- those who can not only out-fly but out-think their opponent while issuing commands and protecting their comrades. A flight marshal possesses not only the flying skills to humble their charges, but also the leadership skills to transform a group of daredevil individuals into a cohesive combat force. Whether in the cockpit, the briefing room, or the tavern, they have to be better than the best to ensure the continued loyalty and respect of their pilots. That continued drive for constant excellence sets the flight marshal apart. Often, the pilots under a flight marshal's command constantly seek to challenge them. Their leader may not be the finest technical pilot, but must be smarter and sharper, using superior experience and knowledge to demonstrate they can still out-fly anyone. They must also be as inspirational as any Adeptus Ministorum Missionary, motivating their pilots with fiery speeches of death and glory. Knowing what will maintain esprit de corps and keep their flyers the deadliest group in the void is another of the arts a flight marshal must learn in order to lead effectively.
Imperial Palace - Imperial Palace: The Imperial Palace is the seat of the Adeptus Terra and the centre of Imperial power and administrative authority on its Throneworld of Terra.It spreads across the whole of what used to be the Himalayan Mountains (now called the Himalazians) of Old Earth and is primarily defended by the Adeptus Custodes, although Space Marine, Collegia Titanica, and Adepta Sororitas forces are also known to protect the massive, city-like complex.The heart of the Inner Palace contains the Sanctum Imperialis, the Hall of the Golden Throne, deep within the Inner Palace past the Eternity Gate where the Emperor of Mankind Himself resides, His dying and decaying body interred within the arcane mechanism of the Golden Throne in stasis.Only the members of the Adeptus Custodes and a few select Imperial servants are allowed to pass through the Sanctum Imperialis' Eternity Gate and enter the presence of the Emperor.Although billions of people work in the Palace complex, very few have ever made it inside the Hall of the Golden Throne, among that select number being the Inquisitor Jaq Draco and the resurrected Primarch Roboute Guilliman.
Imperial Palace - Sanctum Imperialis: The Inner Palace complex contains the headquarters of the most important Imperial institutions, such as the Astronomican, the Senatorum Imperialis and the Sanctum Imperialis, the complex which is home to the Throne Room of the Emperor of Mankind Himself.The entrance to the Sanctum Imperialis is protected by the Eternity Gate. Two Battle Titans of the Legio Ignatum stand guard at each side of the massive portal, sharing their eternal vigil with the 10,000 members of the Adeptus Custodes.The grand hallway of the Inner Palace that leads to the Eternity Gate, called the Hall of Heroes, is filled with the banners of every Astra Militarum regiment and Space Marine Chapter that has ever loyally served the Emperor.At the end of the Hall of Heroes lies the Eternity Gate itself, forged of adamantium that has been heavily layered with ceramite to provide extra protection from weapons fire.The outer layer of the gate is covered in beaten gold that has been sculpted by some of the greatest artists of the Imperium into an heroic icon of the Emperor in the days of the Great Crusade, standing triumphant over all the foes of Mankind.An elite cadre of the Adeptus Custodes called the Companions, 300 of the most skilled and highly trained warriors in the Imperium, guard the Sanctum Imperialis while their brethren are responsible for the overall security of the entire Palace complex.During the Siege of Terra, the forces of Chaos managed to penetrate the defences of the Outer Palace and make their way to the Eternity Gate, which was successfully defended by the Primarch Sanguinius while the Emperor remained seated on the Golden Throne within.Following the successful defence of the Gate, the Emperor would teleport to the battle barge Vengeful Spirit of the Warmaster Horus in orbit of Terra to bring the Horus Heresy to its climax.Deep within the Sanctum Imperialis, protected at all costs by the Adeptus Custodes, lies the arcane mechanism of the Golden Throne, within which is interred the decaying form of the Emperor.The Master of Mankind's shattered body is kept barely alive by the life support mechanisms of the throne so that His mind might have the necessary anchor in the physical realm so that it can remain active in the Warp, where for 10,000 years the Emperor has guided the psychic beacon of the Astronomican and defended Mankind from the machinations of Chaos.Hordes of tech-priests from the Adeptus Mechanicus scurry about the Sanctum Imperialis, performing the myriad tasks that they do not understand, but are required to keep the Golden Throne's ancient mechanisms functioning.In a large arena constructed in front of the Golden Throne, psykers brought by the Imperium's infamous Black Ships from across the galaxy are soul-bound to the Emperor so that they may enter the service of His Imperium as Sanctioned Psykers.
Imperial Paladins - Imperial Paladins: The Imperial Paladins is a Loyalist Codex Astartes-compliant Space Marine Chapter of unknown origin and Founding, although its Astartes are believed to be of the Ultramarines' lineage. Unfortunately, little else is currently known about the Imperial Paladins in Imperial records.
Imperial Paladins - Notable Campaigns: Suppression of the Macharian Heresy (ca. 400.M41-425.M41) - The Suppression of the Macharian Heresy was a notable Imperial military campaign conducted by the notoriously savage Minotaurs Space Marine Chapter following the death of Lord Commander Solar Macharius in 400.M41. After the death of Macharius, those great demesnes that he had conquered for the Imperium of Man during the Macharian Crusade fell into open civil war and anarchy between his seven Army Group generals throughout the newly-conquered territories. These contested territories splintered into petty star empires, each lorded over by one of Macharius' old generals who had repudiated their oaths of loyalty to the Imperium, opposing each other as well as the authority of the Adeptus Terra, and with Space Marine Chapters now drawing sword upon each other in dispute and anger, the High Lords of Terra were forced to act decisively. This they did by calling in several waves of fresh Space Marine Chapters to bring the civil conflict to an end by exterminating heretical forces and bringing order to the region. One such Chapter operating under the High Lords' writ was the Minotaurs Chapter, then all but unseen for millennia. They were a Chapter both familiar through their fell reputation and profoundly changed. A fleet-based Chapter, operating fully equipped and at peak strength, the Minotaurs fought as a single cohesive force that struck like a series of brutal axe blows at sources of schism and disorder, quickly earning themselves a bloody reputation by carrying out the orders of the High Lords without question or falter. During the suppression, while on the Ocean World of Nereus, the Minotaurs hunted down and obliterated the remnants of the Imperial Paladins Chapter's 4th Company that had been possessed by unknown xenos during the Macharian Crusade and taken refuge in the mazes of the sub-surface cavern cities, poisoning the seas of that once vital Agri-world.
Imperial Paladins - Chapter Colours: The Imperial Paladins primarily wear dark blue Power Armour. The Aquila or Imperialis on the chest guard is golden. The white squad specialty symbol (Tactical, Assault, Devastator or Veteran) is designated on the right shoulder plate. A black Roman numeral centred on the squad specialty symbol designates squad number. The colour of the shoulder guard trim indicates company number in accordance with the Codex Astartes -- i.e. White (1st Company), Yellow (2nd Company), Red (3rd Company), Green (4th Company), etc. Sergeants are identified by their red helms, and Veteran Sergeants are recognised with the addition of a white helm stripe.
Imperial Paladins - Chapter Badge: The Imperial Paladins' Chapter badge is a golden maltese cross with a large white skull centred on it, on a field of dark blue.
Imperial Paladins - Sources: Adeptus Astartes: Successor Chapters (Limited Release Booklet)How to Paint Space Marines, pg. 89Insignium Astartes: The Uniforms and Regalia of the Space Marines, pg. 54Imperial Armour Volume Ten - The Badab War - Part Two, pp. 107, 109