Tithe Grade - Raising the Tithe: Every world within the Imperium is ruled over by a planetary governor. Whether such men and women inherit their title by blood or are awarded it for some great service in the Emperor's name, their responsibilities are the same. These governors are afforded absolute authority to rule their realm precisely as they see fit. In return, however, each governor is beholden to the wider Imperium, expected to ensure that a set of key responsibilities are fulfilled without fail.Each governor is responsible for the day-to-day defence of his or her own realm, for the Astra Militarum cannot be deployed to handle every brush-fire war, piratical raid and minor incursion. To combat such threats, governors are expected to raise, train and equip their own Planetary Defence Forces and cadre of local Enforcers to safeguard their holdings.Fortifications must be raised, manned and maintained, the skies must be watched, and the populace must be carefully monitored lest the outer dark creep into the hearts and minds of loyal Imperial citizens.Perhaps most importantly, there is the Imperial Tithe. Based upon archaic criteria assessed by Administratum and Departmento Munitorum officials, each world capable of doing so must provide one tenth of its total military force to fight for the Astra Militarum. It is an offence punishable by death for a governor to supply substandard soldiery when the tithe is exacted, or to provide insufficient numbers. Furthermore, it is a capital offence should these soldiers lack proper uniforms, sufficient training, or appropriate levels of genetic purity.For these reasons, though some worlds recruit by caste, population density, geography or even lottery, most governors are given to pouring their best troops into such regimental foundings. This is less out of a sense of altruism or duty than it is an ongoing effort of self-preservation.Nonetheless, on many worlds it is a matter of some honour to be chosen for this duty. Indeed, it is not uncommon for lives to be lost in the fierce competitions that the tithe often spurs. In a few rare cases, such as the Bardellan Wars of Proving or the Charon's Cluster Schism, localised wars can even be triggered in the lead-up to the month of tithing.Planetary authorities are normally quick to crush such counter-productive disputes, fearful of the concurrent waste of tithe-grade manpower and the apparent loss of political control in front of Munitorum officials.In times of great peril, the Departmento Munitorum is permitted to call upon governors to raise quantities of forces substantially above their normal tithe. Such measures can see entire cities or continents all but emptied, or key societal strata removed en masse.When the Imperium demands its pound of flesh it is not within a governor's rights to refuse, and each knows that next time it could so easily be his world that requires the protection of the wider Imperium. Only through compliance with the tithe can such security be guaranteed, for only worlds of proven loyalty may rely upon receiving Imperial aid when their own defences prove insufficient.Isolated worlds will not long survive alone in a harsh galaxy, and the Munitorum's most economical recourse to punish rebellion is often simply to cut a world loose from the Emperor's protection.