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Adeptus Administratum - Notable Ranks and Titles of the Administratum: There are countless ranks and titles used within the Administratum; this system of nomenclature is also used within the Adeptus Terra as a whole. Some examples include:Master of the Administratum - The Master of the Administration is the titular head of the adepta, who sits on the Senatorum Imperialis as one of the High Lords of Terra.Adeptus (or Adept) - An Adept is the title of all members of the Adeptus Terra, from the highest-ranking to the most petty of functionaries.Prefectus (or Prefect) - Prefect is a title used by Administratum officers and senior officials.Master - Master is a title used by Administratum departmental heads.Ordinate - Ordinate is a title used by minor administrative officials.Curator - Curator is a title used by Administratum adepts who maintain the ancient records of the Imperium; the rank also requires associated historical and linguistic knowledge and is therefore considered somewhat prestigious.Scribe - Scribe is a title used by the lowly functionaries of the Administratum responsible for keeping records.Historitor - A historitor is an adept of the Administratum tasked with writing, maintaining, altering and sometimes deleting the historical records of the Imperium. Before the Era Indomitus historitors were primarily employed by the Administratum in its Historical Revision Unit. After his resurrection, Primarch Roboute Guilliman trained a new corps of historitors in proper, evidence-based historical methods following the creation of his new organisation focused on historical truth, the Logos Historica Verita. The historitors of the Logos Historica Verita work at direct cross-purposes to the traditional duties of the Historical Revision Unit, as they seek to tell only the true history of Humanity in the Age of the Imperium, not to obscure, revise or destroy it for political purposes as was long the practice of the Administratum and the Inquisition.Cipher - Cipher is a title used by a special form of Imperial messengers for information that cannot be trusted to astropaths; they memorise dictation with a single scan, repeating it verbatim when they reach their destination; they have no knowledge of the messages they carry.Menial - Menial is a title used by lowly, non-specialised but free workers recruited from the non-adept population of the Imperium, they serve essentially as the Administratum's janitors and mechanics in maintaing the adepta's day-to-day functions at its facilities across the galaxy.Subordinate - Subordinate is a title used by the hereditary slaves of the Adeptus Terra who serve as engineers and craftsmen, as well as in unskilled occupations as basic labourers, often aside servitors.
Adeptus Administratum - Adeptus Administratum and the Inquisition: The Administratum is by far the single largest organ of the Adeptus Terra. Untold billions of scribes, factors, bureaucrats and clerks manage the business of the Imperium at every level, upon every world.The Administratum has an interest in every aspect of the running of the Imperium, from the collection of planetary tithes to the proper distribution of resources. Therefore, it is only to be expected that an Inquisitor crosses paths with any one of these functionaries in the course of their duties.The main resource the Administratum controls, and which the Inquisition often requires access to, is information. It is said that nothing occurs in the Imperium that is not at some point recorded by an Administratum scribe, catalogued, filed, copied in quadruplet, processed in one of the Adeptus' vast datamills and, perhaps many standard centuries later, archived.Each phase in this process might take solar months, even standard years to accomplish, dependent upon the perceived relevance of the information. Unfortunately, the individuals that determine the relevance do so entirely according to their own set of values, often more concerned with the niceties of data-retrieval systems than with any external consideration. Thus, an incorrectly phrased request for military aid might be returned to its sender to be completed again, while that sender's entire world falls to alien invasion in the meantime.Despite the staggering inefficiencies of the Administratum, the Inquisition does have great use of its resources. The key to a successful investigation involving the Administratum is to bypass or cut through as much of the red tape as possible. This is supposedly what the Inquisitorial Rosette is intended to facilitate, although many officious scribes treat it more as an annoyance than the Sword of Damocles it truly represents should they stand in the way of the bearer's duties.Once they have access to the vast reservoirs of data the Administratum maintains, an Inquisitor can filter through millennia of information in the search for patterns indicating the actions of their enemies. Few Inquisitors have the ability or indeed the inclination to undertake such searches themselves however, and most utilise the skills of sages among their retinues of Acolytes to mine the data for the information they require.As with most other Imperial organisations, the Inquisition has had cause to investigate various bodies within the Administratum. At times, entire divisions have been accused of inefficiency on such a vast scale that a particularly Puritan Inquisitor has decided to execute many thousands of bureaucrats for their crimes against Humanity.At other times, the activities of a given bureau or department have become corrupted, concealing treachery and criminality. Corruption for personal gain, such as the diverting of resources to a local black market is perhaps the least of concerns, for the extent of the Administratum's control can lead to entire worlds being lost to the Imperium, falling instead into the hands of the Emperor's enemies without a single shot being fired.
Adeptus Arbites - Role: While every advanced Imperial planet has its own local planetary police forces colloquially known as Enforcers and its own local laws, the Arbites are responsible for enforcing the broader laws of the Imperium, the Lex Imperia, ensuring Imperial planetary governors do not plot against the Emperor's rule, and that all Imperial laws and decrees are followed.The enforcement of a planet's local laws is not the concern of the Adeptus Arbites. These are left to the local law enforcement agencies. The Adeptus Arbites also serves to keep planetary governors in check; if an Imperial governor decides to skip their Imperial Tithes for a standard year or ignore requests for troops from an embattled neighbour or the Administratum itself, one glance at the armoured fortress-precinct house of the Adeptus Arbites is usually more than enough to make him or her reconsider.
Adeptus Arbites - Duties and Powers: Although the adepta's headquarters is the Hall of Judgement on Terra, the Arbitrators are stationed on almost every advanced Imperial world in fortified fortress-precincts. Arbitrators are recruited from the Adeptus Ministorum's Schola Progenium facilities (the Ecclesiarchy's schools for the orphans of Imperial servants who have given their lives in the Emperor's service) across the Imperium.In the event of a planet-wide collapse of Imperial control, the Arbites can decree martial law and take control until a suitable military command can be established, generally under an Astra Militarum force. Even in circumstances that are not as extreme, Arbitrators have legal power over most of the people in the Imperium.They are authorized to arrest, interrogate, and execute planetary, sub-sector, or even sector governors should the occasion warrant it, and can do the same to officers of the Astra Militarum and the Imperial Navy (although custom dictates that they must seek permission from the Commissariat, the organisation responsible for enforcing military law in the Astra Militarum).Only the very highest-ranking individuals and Imperial institutions are above the dictates of Imperial Law (the Imperial Inquisition, the Adeptus Astartes, the Navis Nobilite, etc.), something that reflects powerfully on the mutual awe and terror in which the Arbitrators are held across the galaxy.Commanded by the Grand Provost Marshal of the Adeptus Arbites, who is one of the High Lords of Terra, the Arbites maintains an uncompromising attitude towards crime and hands out harsh sentences for violations, including summary execution, helping to make its officers in their dreaded black uniforms into symbols of fear across the Imperium.The Arbites is, for all intents and purposes, the practical militant arm of the Adeptus Terra. It presents a united legal front across the galaxy -- it is concerned only with citizens following Imperial Law, and remains separate from enforcing local (planetary) laws.Arbitrators go to great lengths to remain aloof and separate from the populations they police, often only appearing to patrol and drag some poor unfortunate back to their terrifying precinct-fortresses.
Adeptus Arbites - Precinct Fortresses: The Arbitrators operate out of massive precinct-fortresses, located within capital cities in close proximity to the planetary governor of major Imperial worlds. Sprawling hive cities may also have their own Courthouse Precinct to aid in large scale monitoring.Remote planets of little importance may have just a single fortified precinct house for the single Arbitrator stationed there. Whatever their number on a world, or relative size and importance, every precinct-fortress is broadly similar.They are severe, utilitarian buildings with black armoured walls as thick as a military bunker. Their towering shapes exude an air of menace, frowning down on the other buildings nearby and the citizens who hurry fearfully past.Though each precinct varies based on the needs and environment of the world it is built on, many include the same basic elements: billets for the Arbitrators, an extensive armoury to ensure they are well-equipped for the job at hand, secure cells in which to detain suspects ready for questioning or trial, and a court of judgement where guilt and punishment is determined.These resources can vary greatly, as a precinct with only a single Arbitrator may have limited ability to hold the guilty until the time of their punishment, and summary execution may be the Arbitrator's only viable course of action. Monitoring arrays allow the users to listen in on local communications and heavy calibre automated weapon turrets track passing vehicles.Larger precincts may contain additional facilities at the discretion of the High Marshal or Judge such as specialised interrogation rooms fitted out with all manner of devices for extracting information from those who find themselves strapped to the table, medicae centres containing automated equipment and surgeon-servitors to treat the wounds of injured agents, and Astropathica shrines where pleas for aid can be transmitted to other planets and incoming messages painstakingly decoded.Planetary governors often resent the Imperial oversight represented by the precinct-fortresses on their world. However, in the event of widespread civil unrest and rebellion, they can provide sanctuary from the raging mobs and form the base from which the uprising will be crushed.In the case of a hostile invasion, the Arbites may well be the only ones with the means to send for Imperial reinforcements, and their armoured fortresses often become a rallying point and central hub of the resistance.Assistance rarely arrives quickly enough to save the population, but behind their thick walls and heavy doors, it is the Arbitrators' duty to hold out for as long as possible, until the last scrap of food is gone and the last round of ammunition has been fired.
Adeptus Arbites - Imperial Law: Unlike the members of the Inquisition, the Arbitrators (also sometimes called Arbiters) of the Adeptus Arbites are unable to freely judge or sentence other Imperial citizens at will.The only mandate an Arbitrator is sworn to uphold and enforce to the letter is formally known as the Dictates Imperialis, the laws of the Imperium as set by the Adeptus Terra; local laws are not the Arbitrators' concern, nor do they fall under their jurisdiction, and those are left to be enforced by local law enforcement agencies.Likewise, they owe no allegiance to any local Imperial Commander or planetary governor and are themselves above any planetary law. The Lex Imperialis is a collection of laws, rules, precedents, and other legal protocols collected from the decrees of the Emperor of Mankind in ancient times and the High Lords of Terra over the last ten millennia. An Arbitrator could spend solar decades researching and studying the law for one case.The Imperial Law that the Arbites enforce is thousands of Terran years old and, in some cases, is potentially irrational and oppressive. It could be as much a crime to be kidnapped under certain circumstances as it is to kidnap an individual.Any crime which concerns the Arbites is already severe, and the usual punishment is death, either through immediate execution or the delayed death sentence of conscription into a Penal Legion of the Astra Militarum.The common Imperial citizen has no legal right to a trial beyond the judgment of an Arbitrator once the Arbites are called in to deal with a crime. Other punishments include public lashings, and death by burning in the case of certain religious heresies.With the permission of the Ecclesiarchy, for crimes of heresy or crimes conducted by an Adeptus Ministorum priest who has abused their office, the sentence is usually that of Arco-flagellation.
Adeptus Arbites - Lex Imperialis and the Calixis Sector: The codified Lex Imperialis is a labyrinth of laws and ordinances that govern the Imperium's scattered worlds. Imperial Law is, for the most part, brutal and unyielding, yet understanding every nuance of its breadth and scope is an impossible task.In addition, the Lex Imperialis can be interpreted with a myriad of minute differences across the galaxy, which are as many as the innumerable different Human cultures that comprise the Imperium itself.More importantly, the Lex Imperialis does not deal with the laws of specific planets. Instead, it deals with the rule of the Imperium: in other words, the Imperial Tithe and the legal workings of the Imperium as a whole, the law codes that bind the Human-settled galaxy together within a single, if feudal, interstellar government.Within the Calixis Sector, the Adeptus Arbites and other Imperial agents tend towards a fairly "average" interpretation of the Lex Imperialis, if such an interpretation can be said to exist. Of course, even then each Judge and Arbitrator has their own interpretation of the finer points of Imperial Law, and each one's view of the Lex Imperialis is different.
Adeptus Arbites - Corpus Presidium Calixis: While the mighty Dictates Imperialis contains the writ of the Emperor's holy word, the rulings of the High Lords of Terra, and the enumerable precedents and judgements of the great and the just among the Adeptus Arbites themselves, it is not the whole of the law. Indeed, it is far from it.The Corpus Presidium Calixis is the name given to the collected laws, enshrined rights, and traditions of the Calixis Sector itself. It holds sway over the lives of billions, forming the bedrock of the lord sector's rule.Much of it is a reiteration (or interpretation) of the tenets of the holy Dictates Imperialis and other strictures laid down in the ordinances of the Segmentum Obscurus of which the Calixis Sector is a part. However, a great part of the Dictates is individual and unique to the Calixis Sector.Of this latter portion, much was writ during the Angevin Crusade and its aftermath, either by Lord Militant Golgenna Angevin himself, his advisors, and most importantly, by the hand of Saint Drusus.These documents do much to enshrine the rule of law in the sector and establish the power and strength of the nobility, the rights of the great houses and the laws of dynastic succession, and to lay down the strictures in which the Combine Commercia, the corporations and commercial houses of the sector, operate.These ancient laws, given under a Warmaster's authority and ratified by an Imperial saint, have a provenance and weight that is difficult to overturn or ignore. Even the other Imperial adepta and the Ordos Calixis of the Inquisition must consider their import carefully before acting against them.
Adeptus Arbites - Investigations: In special cases, Arbitrators may be granted a considerable degree of independence and latitude in pursuing transgressors of the law. This may take them away from their regular duties for extended periods and even necessitate travel off-planet, if that is where the trail leads. It is hardly surprising then, if their inquiries bring them to the notice of an Inquisitor, who may request their ongoing services as an Acolyte.This is usually a harmonious relationship, as both are implacable servants of the Imperium and are dedicated to rooting out those that would see it fall, and many Inquisitors count Arbitrators among their most trusted servants.Of course, Inquisitors are invested with completely discretionary powers to determine a course of action and punishment, in stark contrast to the iron dictates of the law that the Arbitrators must follow.Any bending of the rules or leniency granted to wrongdoers by the Inquisition in return for information and favours may well cause friction. As such, members of the Adeptus Arbites are better suited as the Acolytes of Puritan Inquisitors. It is not unheard of for Arbitrator Acolytes to turn upon Radical Inquisitors if they perceive an unforgivable law has been broken.The sponsorship of an Inquisitor can provide a considerable boost to the career of an Arbitrator. The word of a senior member of the Holy Ordos goes a long way to improving the chances of an Arbitrator in being elevated to the high rank of Judge. Of course, the Inquisitor will then expect the Judge to serve them as well as the Arbites, gaining by extension the Judge's sweeping power and Imperial authority at a level few other Inquisitorial agents possess.In fact, given a Judge's great standing and responsibility, their relationship with an Inquisitor is often something close to an equal partnership. Facing such a combination, the enemies of the Imperium will surely fall.
Adeptus Arbites - Law in Dispute: The Adeptus Arbites are the chief enforcers of the Emperor's law. On the countless worlds of the Imperium, it is the steel gauntlet of the Arbites that ensures the inviolable law of the Emperor is followed.It is the Arbitrators who stand ready to enforce the law of the Imperium over the regulations and concerns of planetary rulers, and it is the Arbitrators who are the first line of defence against rebellion and anarchy.They are the rigid, unbreakable order of the Imperium personified. Yet just as rust can creep into the cracks of the toughest armour, so discord can fester in these protectors of Imperial rule.The written law of the great Book of Judgement, or the Dictates Imperialis as it is more properly known, is unforgiving, but neither is it simple nor brief. The law of the Imperium is vast and considered divinely-inspired, yet it is not so great in size that it covers every eventuality.In such cases where the law fails to give clear guidance, a case must be judged in line with any precedence set by previous judgements. Between the vagaries of interpretation and the weight of precedence fall many disputes and contradictions, some of which even an Arbites Judge cannot reconcile.Thus, an unbending approach to the Emperor's law can lend authority to the indiscriminate killer as easy as it can the guardian of order, and a judgement once made can create licence for all manner of actions normally beyond consideration until a greater judgement contradicts it.
Adeptus Arbites - Quality of Judgement: The Judges of the Adeptus Arbites are mighty lords, clad in the raiment and traditions of a long past age. They wield the absolute and unforgiving law of the Imperium with brutal and unyielding exaction, for it is given to them to stand guard against the treachery of those beneath them and the excesses and ambitions of those in power. Not least of all this includes the Imperial Commanders and their agents who directly govern the Imperium's many worlds.Each Judge may command their own armed forces of Arbitrators and may call upon the other resources of the Imperium if they require it. Trusting no one and nothing but the letter of the law, they are able to hold almost all within the Imperium to account.The power of the senior Judges and High Marshals of the Adeptus Arbites is almost equal to that of the Inquisition -- except they are bound entirely by the hierarchy of the Imperium and cannot step beyond the measure of the Dictates Imperialis.Given such power and responsibility, it is possible for the judgement of these men and women to stray and for them to find themselves following a path of conflict with other agencies of the Imperium. So it is that instances of heresy and strife relating to the Adeptus Arbites most often have their root in the Judges.While they may be inflexible in the execution of their duties, and unflinching in their authority, there are some threats against which neither the word of the law nor strength of arms offer any defence.
Adeptus Arbites - Crime of Abstraction: Although extremely rare, abstractionism is considered by some to be the oldest sin those empowered to enforce Imperial Law may commit. For all of the wisdom accumulated by venerable Judges, the shadow of abstraction clings to their office like a leech."Abstractionism" is a term applied to a condition of criminal deviancy in Arbitrators who come to see the letter of the law as inadequate to the task of executing their duties in an expedient manner. Instead, they come to rely on summary judgement over evidence and due process.The worst stray into vigilantism, meting out punishment and death for perceived or even potential crimes rather than real ones. This creed is considered a vile heresy, a breaking of the Arbites' oath, and a crime punishable by death if discovered.Of course those who fall into this heresy feel they are on the side of the righteous and that their own sense of the law and moral imperative are a guide to truth and judgement in an uncaring universe. In the worst of cases, such as the long-suppressed Cerpicia Precinct incident on the world of Hredrin, unauthorised and unmarked Arbites Kill-teams were sent to execute criminals at the behest of an illegal "star chamber" of judgement.Venerable Marshals used their subordinates to assassinate members of other Imperial agencies who they felt "must" be Heretics. In such rare and dangerous cases, the slide from persecuting the enemies of the Imperium to becoming one can be a swift journey indeed.Tragically, it is often the most intelligent, faithful, and dedicated among the Judges and Marshals that fall to the sin of abstractionism in their desire to do the Emperor's work. They doom themselves to a Traitor's death if they are discovered by their fellow Arbitrators, and worse should the Ordo Hereticus claim them.
Adeptus Arbites - Disputes of Jurisdiction: Conflicts between the Adeptus Arbites and other Imperial agencies most commonly occur as disputes over which has authority to enforce Imperial Law and which law applies in a given case. Many Judges see the letter of Imperial Law as not only absolutely unbending but without boundaries or limits.Zealous Arbitrators have been known to seize and execute agents of the Ministorum for executing Heretics without recourse to the law, or bullishly intervene on the discovery of some cult or secret agency only to later discover that they have jeopardised a covert Inquisitorial investigation.To some foolish or fanatic Judges, such distinctions as the sanctity of a Navigator's ancient privileges or an Imperial noble's rights and title are subservient to the requirements of the law. To them, the greater weight of the law outweighs other considerations in any and all cases.Most often such activities are reined in by the Arbitrator's high command before conflict can turn to violence or even open warfare. On rare occasions, a senior Marshal or Judge (knowing full well the risks of doing so), might start a secret investigation against an agency whose immunity from the law they cannot accept. Whether they are right or wrong in their suspicions, bloodshed is the often inevitable result.
Adeptus Arbites - Enforcer Cadres: Many worlds have their own cadres of Enforcers, local law enforcement agencies provided by the Imperial Commander to enforce their will and the common law of their world. Unlike the mighty Arbitrators, most Enforcers, or whatever other local title they use, hold little loyalty to the law itself or to the tradition of service (although there are notable exceptions to this).Instead they function as the iron hand of the planetary governor's rule at best, and are at worst little more than hired thugs with some degree of official sanction -- loyal only to their paymaster and eminently venial and corruptible.Within the Calixis Sector, the role and nature of Enforcer cadres vary widely. Perhaps the most well-organised and numerous force is the Magistratum of Scintilla, a paramilitary force that serves as the direct agency of the office of the lord governor.The Magistratum numbers tens of thousands of armed men and women, nearly as well resourced as the Adeptus Arbites. At the other end of the scale, worlds such as Luggnum, whose communities are scattered across numerous mining camps and shanty towns, make do with Regulators and Rail Agents to maintain order and dispense rough justice. Many of these are little better than bandits and extortionists themselves.Some worlds, either through culture or simple lack of technology, do without Enforcer cadres at all, the ruling classes and their private armies being in sole charge.Although this arrangement is most common on Feudal and Feral Worlds, it is not exclusive to them, and indeed Malfi, a sub-sector capital and a Hive World second only to Scintilla in the Calixis Sector, is largely governed and civil order maintained by the armsmen of its Great Houses. Its small Enforcer cadres are little more than over-armed door wardens and palace guards.In most cases, the Adeptus Arbites and the Inquisition view Enforcer cadres with some suspicion, if not outright distrust, concerning their competence, loyalty and professionalism, often with good reason.
Adeptus Arbites - Arbitrator Ranks: Arbitrator ranks, from relatively highest to lowest, are described below.
Adeptus Arbites - Grand Provost Marshal: The Grand Provost Marshal is the leader of the Adeptus Arbites and sets its overall policy from the Hall of Judgement on Terra. The Grand Provost Marshal also is considered a High Lord of Terra and sits on the Senatorum Imperialis, the collective ruling body of the Imperium.
Adeptus Arbites - Lord Marshal: As the Imperium is mighty so too is the Lord Marshal. Their will is not blunted by the petty whims of circumstance. The cold rule of law is their only measure, and woe betide those that fall short. A Lord Marshal commands the Arbites presence within an entire Imperial sector.
Adeptus Arbites - Justicar: The Justicar is a senior and highly decorated Marshal who brings the light of the Emperor's judgement to decadent nobles, corrupt officials of the Adeptus Terra and local planetary administrations and worlds brought low by dark worship.Justicars are rare individuals within the Arbites hierarchy, but where they can be found they normally command the Arbites presence on an entire Imperial world or across several star systems.Justicars are powerful officials within the Arbites hierarchy who may be tasked by their Lord Marshal or even the Grand Provost Marshal with troubleshooting duties spanning an entire sector or even several regions of the Imperium where the Emperor's justice has dimmed.
Adeptus Arbites - Marshal: A high administrative rank, comparable to a Magistrate but with increased seniority, Marshals take the rule of law to the darkest dens of scum and depravity, dispensing Imperial justice in a bright arc of muzzle flare.Marshals normally command the Arbites presence on an entire Imperial world or even several star systems.
Adeptus Arbites - Magistrate: A Magistrate is a senior and highly experienced Judge who rules upon intricate cases of heresy and sedition. By dispensing death, they keep the soul of the Imperium alive. Magistrates hear and decide the most difficult of cases to come before the Arbites.
Adeptus Arbites - Judge: A Judge is a senior Arbitrator whose experience and knowledge of the law has given them the right to hear the more difficult cases that come before the Arbites and to command their fellow Arbitrators in the field and in the Precinct House. Judges are often the highest-ranking Arbitrator in a given Precinct if there is more than one Arbites Precinct on a world.Judges often work closely with the Arbites' Chasteners and pronounce sentences over any prisoners held within their Precinct courthouse, though any Arbitrator also has the authority to proclaim sentences and execute those sentences in the field.Most Judges deal with crimes of a more high-profile nature or where the correct sentence under Imperial Law is unclear to the arresting Arbitrator. Most Judges were originally Arbitrators themselves who were promoted upwards in the adepta.
Adeptus Arbites - Proctor: A lateral rank, comparable to an Intelligencer, Proctors are Arbitrators who lead Adeptus Arbites riot squads and suppression forces in the field against highly armed, and highly foolish, criminals.
Adeptus Arbites - Intelligencer: Intelligencers are those Arbitrators who serve as the Arbites' spymasters, tacticians and forensic experts. Their powerful intellect is matched only by their dedication to the Imperium.
Adeptus Arbites - Investigator: Investigators are skilled and experienced Arbitrators who learn the arts of inquiry, using contacts, charm and dirty tactics to uncover the truth. Investigators are usually veteran Arbitrators who are the Imperial equivalent of real world police detectives.
Adeptus Arbites - Arbitrator: Arbitrators are guardians of order and the rule of law within the Imperium. Implacable, unrelenting, and nigh-on impossible to kill; they are the Emperor's justice manifest.They are the most common rank of Arbitrator an ordinary Imperial citizen will come into contact with, usually to their misfortune if they have broken the law.
Adeptus Arbites - Regulator: Regulators are Arbitrators who specifically take the law to the known criminal underworld of a city or world, specially trained to hold their own against any who challenge the Emperor's law.
Adeptus Arbites - Enforcer: An Enforcer is an Arbitrator who is taught how to keep order in the most desperate situations like riots and other civil disturbances, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with their fellow Arbitrators. They should not be confused with the local planetary law enforcement officers who are called by the general term "Enforcers."
Adeptus Arbites - Trooper: The most junior rank within the Adeptus Arbites hierarchy, a Trooper is drilled in combat and their legal and law enforcement duties to the Imperium. They are stout of heart and eager to enforce the Emperor's law.
Adeptus Arbites - Other Arbites Specialists: Specialists are those Arbitrators of various rank who have been trained in the functional methods and skills of particular specialised disciplines that enhance the mission of the Adeptus Arbites.
Adeptus Arbites - Arbitrator Detectives: Arbitrator Detectives, often bearing the rank of Investigator, spend the most time in the field of any of the Arbites, usually under deep cover as they seek to root out particularly egregious criminal conspiracies or even heretical taint.A rare few Detectives may be psykers.
Adeptus Arbites - Chasteners: A Chastener is a specialised Arbites agent found in the Precincts of worlds in the Calixis Sector. The task of the Chastener is to interrogate prisoners in the Arbites Precinct House by any means they see as necessary, including artful forms of mental and physical torture.Treatment at the hands of these men and women usually ends in death, although a death in which one is absolved of one's sins against the God-Emperor, provided one confesses.Chasteners are often trained in the interrogative arts by the senior Inquisition agents known as Interrogators.
Adeptus Arbites - Chaplains: The Chaplains of the Arbites are the spiritual overseers of the Adeptus Arbites who are also considered members of the Ecclesiarchy as well as the Arbites, like other clergy of the Imperial Cult.A number of Chaplains are always to be found in Arbites installations.
Adeptus Arbites - Cyber-mastiff Handler: Cyber-Mastiffs are the sniffer dogs of the Adeptus Arbites. These cybernetic animals form their own squads, consisting of a paired Cyber-Mastiff and its handler, but there are no specifics as to how many pairs form a squad.Cyber-Mastiffs are often employed to sniff out any hostiles that might have hidden themselves in the wake of an Arbites advance, but are still fully capable of defending themselves and their handlers. They are controlled by verbal commands from whoever is paired up with them, and are keyed to their owners' voices/smells to prevent enemies from giving them counter-acting commands.Cyber-Mastiffs can be biological animals or purely mechanical creations, though many are actually normal canines who have received some form of cybernetic upgrade from the Adeptus Mechanicus.
Adeptus Arbites - Planetary Enforcers: Arbitrators are not, typically, concerned with everyday crimes, such as murder or theft. These are the purview of the colloquially named Enforcers (known locally by as many names as there are planets in the Imperium).These native planetary Enforcers often mimic the Arbites in appearance, but their local ties and often less rigorous standards mean that they are far more susceptible to corruption. The objectives of local Enforcers and Imperial Arbitrators often overlap, and the two work in conjunction when it is mutually beneficial.However, there are also occasions when they come into direct conflict. While the effort put into maintaining this justice varies greatly between one planet and another, the individual planetary governors are charged with keeping the peace on their world.The justice (or lack thereof) on a planet falls to the Enforcers of that planet's law, who may find themselves working under the Arbitrators during an investigation, or indeed being trained by them.Of course, these lines occasionally blur. When powerful men and women, such as Ecclesiarchical leaders, Inquisitors, or even Rogue Traders, pull strings or demand the services of particularly skilled Arbitrators or Enforcers, the distinction can become hazy or non-existent.
Adeptus Arbites - Mortiurge: A Mortiurge is an Arbitrator who takes on the role of a sanctioned killer rather than a servant of the law, but their presence within the Adeptus Arbites is considered by most a necessary evil.These specialised agents stand out from the ranks of the cold-blooded killers of the feared Arbites Castigation Detachments due to their particular skill and callous dedication to their lethal duty. These individuals are specially trained to operate independently both as snipers and close-quarter gunfighters.A Mortiurge operates alone, singled out from their fellows by their differences in purpose and the blood on their hands. In truth little more than judicially-recognised assassins, Mortiurges are often also employed to keep other law-enforcers in check when the need arises.As such, these singular killers are often shunned by their colleagues and quickly learn to keep their distance from other Arbitrators, lest one day they be called on to slaughter a friend and ally.
Adeptus Arbites - Suffering Marshal: An Arbitrator rank found only on the harsh and brutal world of Iocanthos in the Calixis Sector, a Suffering Marshal is a stalwart and resourceful agent of the Arbites assigned to track down skilled fugitives who flee to Iocanthos to escape Imperial Law.These lone operatives must remain resolute in their duties, whose dedication to the Imperium and its laws drive them on, alone, for as long as it takes to catch those who would jeopardise the planet's chief export of Ghostfire, a crop used to make combat drugs.Suffering Marshals are given a great deal of personal discretion in so far as how they go about their duties, a necessity of their work, but one that many more traditional Arbites consider to be dangerous. While each Marshal is called upon sooner or later to track down specific fugitives and deliver righteous punishment, it is also their duty to know intimately the frontiers in which these criminals will eventually try to hide.They are free to travel the planet, with massive banners to signal their position to the locals. Called "Flags" by many because of their identifying banners, local settlements and tribes will flock to the Marshal for judgement in tribal affairs.In this way, these solitary agents of the Adeptus Arbites become experts on the customs, environments, and populations of dozens of frontier outposts and locales, and are adept at learning new mores and cultures quickly.
Adeptus Arbites - Verispex Adept: A Verispex Adept is an agent of the Adeptus Arbites on the world of Scintilla in the Calixis Sector, trained by the Inquisition in a variety of detection arts. It is the Verispex who uses their own immense knowledge, both learned and implanted, to follow the minute traces of physical evidence left by even the most careful suspect who has transgressed Imperial Law.Due to the extreme investment the Adeptus Arbites and the Ordos of the Inquisition must make in order to train a single Verispex, these scholarly agents are highly valued and often kept far from the front line of Imperial law-keeping. This is, however, not always a possibility.Whenever a Verispex Adept is sent into the field, they are accompanied by an Inquisitor or a Judge's most capable retainers. Arbites Verispex Squads are the Imperium's equivalent to real world police forensic crime scene investigation teams.
Adeptus Arbites - Arbitrator Squads: A standard Arbites Patrol Group or Squad will either consist of five, ten, fifteen or twenty Arbitrators, led by a squad leader (included in the number of the squad, and usually called a "Proctor") and armed with Shotguns, Suppression Shields and Power Mauls, as well as an array of grenades (Frag, Krak, Smoke, Blind, and several other types, depending on the situation).Arbitrators are trained to intermingle with other squads in the event of casualties, meaning that even if one squad loses several members, it can easily disperse to fill the gaps in nearby units, or fall back for reinforcements and resupply before plunging back into the fighting once more.Traditionally, larger squads of fifteen to twenty Arbitrators are only used in extended combat actions; where greater numbers are needed for tougher jobs such as storming a gatehouse or defending a vital area. In serious attacks, Shock Troop Squads (Arbitrators trained in paramilitary techniques to break enemy positions), organised into units of ten, will lead the way.Although these grim-faced men and women are equipped in exactly the same way as the standard Arbites Patrol Squads (albeit with larger grenade and ammunition stores, since they cannot be expected to fall back and restock as frequently as their more mundane counterparts) they probably receive extra training, as they are considered the elite troops of an Arbites Precinct, similar to real-world SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) teams.Accordingly, both the Adeptus Arbites and many local planetary Enforcer cadres have need of hardened men and women whose talent lies in dealing death and summary execution rather than upholding the law or maintaining order.These troopers make up the infamous Kill Squads under the direct jurisdiction of the local Imperial Commander and are used to guarantee their power; they also form the feared Arbites Castigation Detachments tasked to deliver the Emperor's wrath on the recidivist and those who would contravene high Imperial Law without fear or favour.
Adeptus Arbites - Wargear: The closest real life equivalent of the Adeptus Arbites -- disregarding the Arbitrator's right in Imperial Law to suspend habeas corpus and serve as judge, jury and executioner -- is an American police SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) team or a national paramilitary force such as the Spanish GEO or French GIGN, and their equipment reflects this homage.Often operating in dense urban environments, Arbites are equipped with combat shotguns and bolters with Executioner rounds; this is a type of special bolt ammunition with homing capabilities.They are also generally armed with Shock Mauls for melee combat, Electro-Net launchers and pulse-charged bolas for capturing perpetrators alive, grapplehooks and stingers, and escorted by cybernetically-enhanced Cyber-Mastiffs for hunting hidden lawbreakers.For protection, Arbitrators wear black Carapace Armour with their signature jaw-exposing helmets. Arbites make use of Combat Bikes for patrols and Repressor armoured personnel carriers, a variant of the Space Marines' Rhino, for riot response and patrols in violent urban areas, as well as heavier tanks such as the Leman Russ in true combat situations such as a rebellion or uprising.However, in such extreme circumstances the Arbitrators are almost always required to call in true Imperial military forces like the Astra Militarum or the Space Marines.Commonly utilised wargear for the Adeptus Arbites includes the following:
Adeptus Arbites - Shotguns: The Shotgun is an ancient Imperial weapon, much the same as the Heavy Stubber, which fires solid slugs that burst into submunitions to spread out over a wider area.The Adeptus Arbites utilise the shotgun for crowd control and urban conditions and have developed special "Executioner" shells for them:Vox Legi-Pattern Arbites Combat Shotgun - The primary weapon of the Adeptus Arbites is the Combat Shotgun. It is valued for its stopping power, simplicity, reliability, and for its ability to intimidate. Even the most dusty, ancient Judge haunting the Halls of Judgement on Terra will have cut his teeth on the brutally effective shotgun drills which form the foundation of all Arbites combat training. A large variety of different shotgun patterns are used in different Arbites Precinct Fortresses across the galaxy, depending upon the proximity of the local Forge Worlds. The Vox Legi-Pattern is particularly widespread amongst the Arbitrators of the Periphery Sub-sector, and is broadly typical of the weapons favoured by the Arbitrators of the Calixis Sector. Effectively a large-bore, locally manufactured version of the Shotgun designs used by many planetary Enforcers, the Vox Legi is a devastating and adaptable weapon that fires shotgun shells nearly the size of those employed by the Adeptus Astartes. The increased size of the weapon reduces its ammunition capacity compared to that of other shotguns, but it still remains more powerful and adaptable than a standard shotgun. Most patrolling Arbitrators take advantage of this flexibility by carrying a variety of shotgun shell types so that they can employ different tactical options. Over-engineered by a considerable margin, the weapon is also perfectly capable of being used as a large club -- indeed, it is expressly designed with this secondary purpose in mind. It is also designed for maximum psychological impact, with a very audible pump action (standard Arbites riot training makes use of this). The sound of a hundred Arbitrators simultaneously chambering their weapons has ended countless riots in a single instant over the millennia.Executioner Shotgun Shells - These rare and specialised shells (whose use is often limited to the upper echelons such as Judges and important  Castigators and Mortiurges of the Adeptus Arbites) contain miniaturised propulsion and stabilisation systems allowing the shell to lock on and track its target. The mechanisms that achieve this are little understood and extremely hard to replicate, and so remain within the purview of those Magos-Munitorium that provide the Arbites with their sanctioned and ordained arms.
Adeptus Arbites - Ranged Weapons: The Adeptus Arbites are a paramilitary force, and as such employ a vast variety of ranged weapons. The amount of military grade equipment they possess is infamous, and a constant warning to any rebellious planetary governor. The armouries of most hive city Precincts are capable of equipping an army ten times the size of the actual Arbites complement within their walls, or of sustaining a siege for solar months on end.Bulldog Heavy Stubber - Although mistakenly regarded by many as a pure police force, it is far from unknown for the Arbites to engage in suppressing what are, in effect, full blown wars between opposing national, or even planetary, forces. As such, they have access to powerful heavy weapons to ensure that they are able to fulfil their divine mandate. The Arbites value reliability, tactical flexibility, and a menacing appearance in their weapons, and these qualities are expressed fully in the Bulldog Heavy Stubber. The Bulldog is regarded with great affection by its proponents, whom it has served faithfully since the time of the Angevin Crusade in the Calixis Sector. The weapon can be switched between belt or magazine feed easily, can accept a variety of exotic ammunition types without complaint, and can be carried at the hip in a gyro-mount or mounted on an Arbites Rhino.Ius Automatic Pistol - Normally used as a backup weapon alongside the Arbites shotgun, the Ius is ubiquitous amongst both the Calixian Arbites and planetary enforcers of Scintilla. This weapon is a solid and unspectacular yet utterly reliable Autopistol, crafted by the gunsmiths of Gunmetal City on the world of Scintilla, the capital of the Calixis Sector, to be as sturdy as possible. Typically issued to junior ranks within both organisations, this weapon is designed to be foolproof and to withstand punishment that would damage other firearms. Many of these humble weapons are thousands of standard years old, having served generations of lawmen and women in some of the toughest hive cities in the galaxy.Raffir Ringleader Pistol - Gifted to the Arbites as part of the planetary tithe by the Raffir clan manufactory smithmasters of Hive Subrique, these beautiful Autopistols are produced under licence using ancient Adeptus Mechanicus archprints. The pistols produced are huge, intimidating shock-and-terror weapons, designed for the execution of high profile targets at the height of anti-Imperial riots. These weapons are issued to senior Arbites officers, not so much for their accuracy or utility in a firefight, but for the damage they inflict on both the person of rabble rousers and on the morale of their followers.