Adeptus Arbites
The Adeptus Arbites is a law enforcement agency that features in Warhammer 40,000.
Contents |
History
The Adeptus Arbites was an agency that operated as a law enforcement body within the Imperium of Man.
Following The Blackness, the Arbites struggled to contain the situation on Terra as Chaos Cults activated across the planet and billions more of starving and maddened citizens rioted. Ultimately, most of the Arbites stations were overrun as only the Imperial Palace complex remained secure. Order was eventually restored following the Battle of Lion's Gate and the arrival of Roboute Guilliman.
Overview
In appearance, Adeptus Arbites were the police force of the Adeptus Terra, devoted to enforcing Imperial law throughout the entire Imperium. Utterly dedicated and without mercy, the Arbites are feared throughout the galaxy, for they are the agents of a harsh law, where failure and incompetence are crimes, and the only punishment is death. Arbites are empowered to act as judge, jury and executioner – citizens have no rights, and only members of the Priesthood of Terra or the Inquisition could claim anything so elaborate as a trial.
As keepers of the Imperium's law, they operated as the watchdogs of the far-flung empire of humanity. The Imperium was rife with rebellion and defiance of the Imperial will with these being crimes against humanity. The Arbitrators acted as grim and uncompromising reminder of the Imperium's presence that no planetary governor could ignore. They cannot be bought or threatened or corrupted or negotiated. In fact, the Adeptus Arbites went to great lengths to ensure that those recruited into their ranks did not serve on their homeworlds nor anywhere within a dozen light years of their home. They do not communicate with the citizenry unless absolutely necessary and only leave their great fortress-precincts on official business. (White Dwarf #169 UK)
Judges were both a warrior elite and a law enforcement body with powers over all planetary governments and local police forces. In this role, they operated as troops of the priesthood where they acted as both soldier and police of the Adeptus Terra. (Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader) This meant that they were used to quell dissent among planetary populations. They were often equipped and trained for riot control duties rather than military operations. (Realm of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness)
The Arbites do not trouble themselves with murder, theft, abuse, or slavery unless those things are majorly affecting production quotas, system or subsector economies, or involve non-violent interactions with xenos. Instead they monitor the number of people being sent to serve in the Astra Militarum; how efficiently unsanctioned psykers and mutants are being rounded up; whether those who foment rebellion are being shut down before they can spread their message; and if dangerous narcotics are taking hold of the population of a world. Void ships belonging to merchants, and even Rogue traders can be boarded by Arbites with no notice - sometimes, just to instill fear into their hearts, but most times to genuinely search for forbidden cargo.
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.
Members
- Vorkas Zolowski :
- Shira Lucina Calpurnia :
- Traggat :
- Lucretia Bravus :
- Barbaretta :
Notes
- The Adeptus Arbites was created by Games Workshop where they featured in the setting of the Warhammer 40,000 universe.
In other media
Video games
Appearances
- Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader:
- Codex Imperialis:
External Links
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