Adeptus Custodes - Custodian Ranks: There are many ranks within the Adeptus Custodes, the highest of which is that of the Captain-General. Following in the footsteps of historical titans such as Constantin Valdor, this lordly warrior is entrusted with an autonomy that eclipses that of even an Adeptus Astartes Chapter Master. Occasionally chosen to serve as one of the High Lords of Terra, the Captain-General has ruled over the Adeptus Custodes since the Order's inception, and is tasked with the solemn duty of safeguarding the Golden Throne and directing the gleaming warriors that guard it. Under his auspices are Supreme Castellans, Aquila Commanders, Shield-Captains and a dozen ranks besides.The Custodian Guard have always fought as champions rather than soldiers. They see unthinking loyalty, such as that of a dynasty or a conventional military structure, as a weakness ripe to be exploited -- after all, it was such a culture that saw the Legiones Astartes turned against their creator. Only those who win the respect of the Adeptus Custodes can hope to command them, but should such a leader unite them, their loyalty will never fade.Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes - The senior-most officer within the ranks of the Adeptus Custodes, the Captain-General is the Emperor's most trusted companion and guardian, a watchman of inviolable purpose and all but unmatched fighting skill. Due to the singular importance of the Adeptus Custodes, who stand the closest to the Emperor in eternal vigil, the Captain-General holds a position amongst the ruling High Lords of Terra on the Senatorum Imperialis.Custodian Tribune - During the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy, below the absolute authority of the Captain-General was the Custodian Tribunate; a senior cadre of perhaps ten in number, which formed the Legio Custodes' council of war. This body had the incomparable privilege of providing their services as counsel to the Emperor Himself should He so desire it, and in the matters of the security of the Imperial Palace's inner sanctums and the person of the Emperor, no higher authority existed. By the era of the 41st Millennium, sadly, there were only two such positions that were still maintained by the Adeptus Custodes, though the rest of the Custodian Tribunate of Shield-Captains still existed in its advisory capacity, as noted below. One of these two Tribunes, known as the "Tribune of the Stratarchis," served as the commander of all the cadres of Custodians operating off of Terra and spread across the wider galaxy, taking the fight to the myriad enemies of Mankind. The other served as the Tribune of the Hetaeron Guard -- the personal Companions of the Emperor -- who oversaw the security of the Sanctum Imperialis and the Golden Throne itself.Captain-Commander - "Captain-Commander" is a title given to those Adeptus Custodes Shield-Captains who command entire Shield Hosts in battle. Though it is more an honorific than an official rank within the order's formal hierarchy, those Shield-Captains who earn it richly deserve the accolade due to their demonstrated martial prowess and strategic mastery, an elite among the elite.Shield-Captain - The rank of "Shield-Captain" is a generalisation used when referring to one of the many senior ranks within the Adeptus Custodes who often command squads, Sodalities and Shield Companies of their fellow Custodians and sometimes larger formations such as Shield Hosts if they serve as captain-commanders, though the upper command hierarchy of this elite paramilitary organisation is far from transparent to outsiders -- perhaps deliberately so. Within the Adeptus Custodes such senior ranks range from "Prefect" to "Lictor," "Proconsul" to "Tribune," "Aquila Commander" to "Supreme Castellan," and follow the ancient patterns of Terra's lost history. Elevated both through the trust held among their peers for their judgement and skill, but first and foremost advanced by the direct approval and in some cases intervention of the Emperor Himself, these are warriors not only of consummate and superhuman ability, but also rare insight, acumen and knowledge. Afforded the rarest of and finest of the Imperium's arms, each of these legendary fighters command the formations of the Adeptus Custodes against all manner of threats against the Emperor, His works and His domains.Prefect - The honorific title of "Prefect" is accorded to a Custodes Shield-Captain as a reward for veterancy and a sign of favour in service to the Emperor.Blade Champion - A Blade Champion is a fearsome melee warrior-hero of the Adeptus Custodes. Each has been afforded one of the greatest honours amongst the Custodes, for after achieving many great deeds, their names are now etched within the Tome Eternal which sits in the Emperor's own Throne Room.Custodian - The lowest rank a Custodian can hold in the order, it is still a position that allows them to outrank almost any other officer of the Imperial military, including most Adeptus Astartes.