Adeptus Arbites

"We determine the guilty. We decide the punishment."

- Codex Imperialis

The Adeptus Arbites is the Imperial Adepta that serves as the galactic police force of the Imperium of Man, responsible for enforcing Imperial Law (Lex Imperialis) on all Imperial-controlled worlds. They have been granted the right by the High Lords of Terra to serve as judge, jury and executioner to any Imperial citizen they discover having broken Imperial law and the concept of due process is not one that generally applies in the Imperium. However, in those cases where Imperial law is unclear or the law breaker has committed a truly heinous deed or is of unusually high-ranking stature, the offended will be taken back to an Arbites Precinct house for judgement by an Arbites Judge, the sentence to be carried out immediately. Imperial justice is swift and sure, but not always just.

History
Throughout the millions of worlds of the Imperium, crime is rife. Not just the petty crimes of individuals for personal gain, but organised crime on a scale never even considered in humanity's past. Entire sub-sectors and planets have been in the thrall of illegal cartels and criminal organisations. There are even wayward Planetary Governors who shun the Imperium and treat the dominion as their own paltry fiefdom, claiming the planet's natural resources, labour and riches for their own. In these dire situations it falls to the Adeptus Arbites to defend the Imperium's rights and prevent whole sub-sectors going rogue for generations, or even permanently. The Adeptus Arbites is not a galactic police force; it has little interest in petty crimes such as theft, murder or tax evasion, for these fall under the responsibility of the local planetary forces. The Adeptus Arbites is there to keep order on a far greater scale, to root out corruption, maintain the Imperial tithe and to guard against witchery.

From the Adeptus Arbites come the fearsome Arbitrators. Also known as Judges, these men and women are stoic in their duty and unquestionably loyal to the Imperium. Inquisitors often go to the Adeptes Arbites when in need of a trustworthy Acolyte who is trained to think on their feet, combat-hardened and beyond reproach in their faith. Arbitrators are infamous for their prodigious stamina and zeal, and their ability to survive all manner of wounds and punishment in the quest to catch their quarry. Arbitrators are resolute and fearless. They demand utter obedience from the citizens they come into contact with. Where civil unrest and crime threaten the stability of a world, the Arbitrators are in the field: unflinching, ordering the local enforcers, and hunting down the rabble-rousers to restore law and order.

The Judges' methods are varied, not unlike the way Inquisitors go about their work. The means used can be different depending on their mentors, what Schola Progenium the individual attended and other such factors. However, unlike Inquisitors who have their own private agendas, all members of the Adeptes Arbites have the same goal and responsibility -- to uphold the Emperor's justice. Some Arbitrators openly investigate and make no secret who their quarry is, even if he is of noble birth or high rank. This can often lead to overt hostility between the Judge and his subject, although there is no question who off-world forces of the Imperium would side with should they be requested to attend. This is by no means the only mode of investigation; other officers of the Adeptes Arbites are quite methodical in their approach, meticulously sourcing evidence and questioning contacts and witnesses.

The relationship between the Inquisition and the Adeptes Arbites is often one of the more cordial within the Adeptus Terra. Arbitrators often see working with Inquisitors as a way of further enforcing justice. However, such arrangements have not always worked so well. It has been known for Judges to turn on the Inquisitors they have been seconded to serve if they perceive the Inquisitor to have broken sacrosanct Imperial laws. This means Inquisitors of the more Radical factions must be wary when recruiting members of the Adeptus Arbites to become their Acolytes.

Role
While every advanced Imperial planet has its own local planetary police forces 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 Imperial 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 his tithes for a 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 reconsider.

Duties and Powers
"You have been accused, in the Emperor's Name, of the crime of Piracy. You have the right to confess to your crime and seek absolution for your sins. Pleas for leniency will not be heard."

- Master Chastener Grigor Cardainn

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 command can be established, generally under an Imperial Guard 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 Imperial Guard and the Imperial Navy (although custom dictates that they must seek permission from the Commissariat, the organisation responsible for military law in the Imperial Guard). 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 fortress-precincts.

Precinct Fortresses
The Arbitrators operate out of massive Precinct Fortresses, located within capitol 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 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, a Precinct with only a single Arbitrator may have limited ability to hold the guilty to await punishment, and summary execution may be the Arbitrators 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.

The planetary governors often resent the oversight represented by the Precinct Fortresses. 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 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 has been fired.

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 can enforce, and to the letter, is formally known as the Dictates Imperialis, the laws of the Imperium as set by the Adeptus Terra or the Lex Imperialis (alluding more literally to the Book of Judgement); local laws are not their 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 local law. The Lex Imperialis, is a collection of laws, rules, precedents, and other legal protocols collected from the Emperor and the High Lords of Terra over the last ten millennia. An Arbitrator could spend 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 execution or conscription into a Penal Legion of the Imperial Guard. 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, death by burning in the case of certain heresies, and with the permission of the Ecclesiarchy, for crimes of heresy or crimes conducted by an Adeptus Ministorum priest who has abused his office, the sentence of Arco-flagellation.

The Lex Imperialis and the Book of Judgement
The Lex Imperialis, the code of Imperial law, is written down in the Book of Judgement kept by the Adeptus Arbites. The Book of Judgement has been painstakingly collated over millennia and embodies every decree ever passed by the High Lords of Terra. In fact, the Book of Judgement has long-since grown beyond the confines of a single tome, no matter how large, and comprises countless records, books, and legal decrees. The most ancient articles are written on crumbling parchments, enscribed in unknown tongues by the nameless functionaries of a forgotten age However, every day new volumes of parchment, data-records, and encoded holoscript are added to the Book of Judgement, and interred in the Hall of Judgement on Terra. Shelves of tomes rise hundreds of metres towards the vaulted ceilings above canyons of marble and iron. Over the ages, the Hall has been expanded and extended many times, so that it is now an entire complex covering many acres, with miles of corridors, levels, and rooms. Scholars, scribes, and law lords pace the time-worn marble floors, while above their heads, on the narrow gantries and ladders that cover the shelf stacks like a spider's web, crawl legal assistants and low-ranking functionaries, searching through the detritus of judgement for weeks and months at a time to find just a single reference.

Sectors ruled by the Imperium follow the precepts of the Lex Imperialis and the Book of Judgement. Over the centuries, of course, the interpretation of the Lex Imperialis by various Sector Lords and Judges became more and more bloated and unwieldy from numerous additions, amendments, exceptions, and clauses, the remnants of interpreting Imperial law to the needs of specific locales. There exists a veritable army of thousands of clerks, litigants, and barristers toiling away on a sector's capital world just to interpret its ever evolving decrees and dicta. Indeed, the most astute Rogue Traders, trade houses, and merchant interests keep their own teams of legal scholars in their employ, both to keep them abreast of the current state of law in a given sector where they do business as well as to give them protection and guidance should they become embroiled in legal proceedings. Rogue Traders often send one of their cargo vessels to a sector's capital world once a decade to obtain the most up-to-date records of the Lex Imperialis as interpreted by sector law.

Every Adeptus Arbites Judge, at some point in his career, attempts a pilgrimage to the Hall of Judgement, there to study the full intricacies of the law. Many spend long years there, for the most heinous, subtle, or far-reaching crimes often require a lengthy process of research to pass judgement. While the Dictates Imperialis are extensive, the huge volume of prior cases and sometimes contradictory rulings can make it difficult to determine the correct decision. In especially complex cases, it may take centuries to reach an outcome -- a Judge may spend his entire life deliberating, scrutinising, and trying to fathom out the issues, only to pass his work on, unfinished, for others to continue. Millennia later, though the accused are long dead, a ruling is finally made and justice must be meted out upon the distant descendants and those obscurely associated with the original transgressor.

The 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 cultures in 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 workings of the Imperium as a whole.

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.

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 enquiries 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 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 elevation to the high rank of Judge. Of course, the Inquisitor will then expect the Judge to serve him as well as the Arbites, gaining by extension the Judge's sweeping power and authority of a level few other agents possess. In fact, given a Judge's great standing and responsibility, his relationship with an Inquisitor is often something close to an equal partnership. Facing such a combination, the enemies of the Imperium will surely fall.

Notable Actions

 * Ichar IV (ca.992.M41) - During the beginning of Hive Fleet Kraken's approach, rioting began to consume planets near the southeastern fringe of the Imperium. Inquisitor Agmar investigated these strange riots for signs of treasonous thoughts or heretical influence. On Ichar IV, a religious fundamentalist group called the Brotherhood was the cause of the rioting. Although they preached a faith like that of the Imperial Cult, they refused to obey Imperial commands or pay their tithe. Soon after this act of defiance they started instigating riots among the masses. While trying to break up one such riot, the Arbitrators of the planet were quickly surrounded by what seemed to be mobs organized from the complete population of the planet. When the local Planetary Defence Force Regiment was called to help, it was quickly made apparent that they, too, had sided with the rebel mobs. After the assassination of the Planetary Governor, the Brotherhood established itself as the sole controlling force on Ichar IV. Inquisitor Agmar arrived on Ichar a few weeks after the outbreak of rebellion and on the same day that the Arbites precinct fortress in the capital, Lomas, was finally overrun. The Arbitrators were not defeated and most of their number escaped along a secret tunnel and captured the city's four main power generators. Inquisitor Agmar led assaults on the capital, but he was unable to rescue the Arbitrators who were overrun just six days after his arrival. With their final act, they destroyed the city's power generators. Because of the destruction of the city's power grid, the Ultramarines (who arrived just 39 days later) were able to retake the planet. It was later revealed that the Brotherhood was controlled by Genestealers.
 * Pavonis (Unknown.M41) - During the workers' riots on Pavonis, the entire Adeptus Arbites force stationed at the Planetary Governor's palace was destroyed (save one who had been tasked by Inquisitor Ario Barzano with the personal protection of the governor), but only after holding out for several hours and fighting a rearguard action in the secret palace tunnels. They succeeded in destroying Pavonis' largest weaponry and munitions cache, denying its supplies to the traitorous planetary defense force legions.

Adepta Organisation
The overall leader of the Adeptus Arbites is the Grand Provost Marshal, who represents the Arbitrators on the Senatorum Imperialis as one of the High Lords of Terra. Below the Grand Provost Marshal are the senior Arbites officers known as the Marshals of the Court who oversee sector-spanning administrative jurisdictions that are called Precincts. Below the Marshals of the Court, the Arbites are internally divided into two primary divisions; the Judges, who deal with actual legal matters and the application of ten thousand Terran years of Imperial law to criminal and civil cases, and Arbitrators, the paramilitary law enforcement arm of the Arbites who perform the work necessary to apprehend and punish those who break the dictates of the Lex Imperia.

Arbitrators and Judges operate in parallel organisations within the Adeptus Arbites, though the two separate organisations joining at the highest ranks when senior Judges and Arbitrators are raised to become Marshals of the Court. Senior Arbites fulfill both roles, with Judges getting their hands dirty apprehending criminals in the field, and Arbitrators learning to preside over lengthy court trials.

There are numerous ranks and roles within each of the Arbites divisions, such as the squads of Verispex technicians who provide forensic evidence drawn from a crime scene to the Judges and Arbitrators, the Chaplains who provide the spiritual sustenance of the Imperial Cult to the Arbitrators and the Chasteners who are experts in the psychological and physical interrogation of prisoners. For their part, the Arbitrators are divided into many different functional roles, each trained and equipped accordingly. Patrol Groups of Arbitrators prowl the dangerous Underhives of hive cities, Shock Troops break up the vicious queue wars which often develop outside Imperial government buildings belonging to the bureaucrats of the Administratum, Execution Teams hound the guilty through barren wastes and labyrinthine tunnels, and Snatch Squads apprehend targets for interrogation by the Chasteners. Other kinds of Arbitrators include cyber-warfare specialists who apprehend cyber-criminals through the Cogitator matrices of the Administratum and specialists who carry out more long-term investigations who are known as Arbitrator Detectives. Senior Arbitrators are often awarded the rank of Proctor and placed in command of the different types of Arbitrator squad.

Arbites installations are maintained on almost every Imperial world and are known as precinct courthouses. Each precinct courthouse includes an armoured installation that serves as an armoury, training ground, barracks, prison and judgment hall. In order to remain fully aloof and separate from the populations they patrol, Precincts are as close to fully-enclosed and fortified cities as they can be, and include dungeons, barracks, firing ranges, scriptories, archives, warehouses, kitchens, gymnasia and garages. They include all possible resources that the Arbitrators require -- including their own Astropath facilities and access to orbital docks. These courthouses are intended to be self-sufficient and to support a complete Arbites army and they are equipped as such.

Amongst the most highly trained and disciplined individuals in the Imperium, Arbitrators may find themselves commissioned to join the retinue of an Inquisitor as an Inquisitorial Acolyte. The Arbites has strong ties with the Ordo Hereticus, and the two can often be found working towards common goals. Arbitrators in these retinues are often known as "Enforcers", having been released from their single-world jurisdiction, and free to punish law-breakers wherever they may be.

Recruitment & Promotion
Adeptus Arbites are recruited from exceptional members of the Schola Progenium from all over the Imperium. This organisation fosters the orphaned children of high-ranking Imperial servants (whether they are scholars, scribes, or soldiers) and grooms them for their own life of dedicated service. Those chosen for the Arbites are selected for a variety of reasons, they could be those who dominated their fellow progenia though force of will, or those who show an attention to detail and an analytical mind. Ultimately, any candidate must be exceptional if they are to serve within the Adeptus Arbites. It is ensured that new Arbitrators have no ties or connections whatsoever to the world on which they are to be stationed, so there is no weakness, for blackmail or coercion to exploit -- the Adeptus Arbites are famously incorruptible.

Though the term "Arbitrator," is often used to indicate the members of the Adeptus Arbites as a whole, there are in fact many ranks within a given sector that may be bestowed upon such individuals. These titles are selected for each world or sub-sector to instil fear in the local culture. In sector rife with heresy (such as the Calixis Sector) it is crucial that an Adeptus Arbites officer is instantly obeyed. Therefore, a Lord Marshal might allow individual precincts to title their officers as they best see fit, and these titles often deviate greatly from precinct to precinct. Furthermore, specialists found within a sector often fine their titles altered, even from one locale to another.

Once trained and deployed on-world, the lowest ranks are most commonly seen patrolling the streets in small squads, discouraging trouble by their menacing presence. This is especially true in many of the hives of a highly populated Hive World, which serve as a proving and burial ground for many fledgling Arbitrators. These novice Arbitrators who prove themselves may be promoted to the ranks of Investigator, a title chosen to strike fear into the nobles of an Imperial world, who have many secrets. Some may show themselves to be highly capable in the field, even in high pressure, life-threatening situations and be tasked with guiding field operations. Others are tireless at rooting out evidence and leads, as well as having an excellent command of Imperial Law and how to apply it, and they may be promoted to even higher ranks.

Many Lord Marshals value skill, tenacity, and faith, and to that end, higher and more specialised appointment are awarded to those officers with exceptional talents in particular areas. Those who truly excel in the detection of crime may become the ultimate spymasters, tacticians, and forensic experts. No wrongdoer is too well hidden to escape their notice or evade their cunningly laid traps. Those who specialise in trial and prosecution, who boast an encyclopaedic knowledge of the Lex Imperialis and a gift for oratory and incisive accusation, may be tasked with presiding over glorious show-trials and passing judgement upon those great individuals who have failed in their duties to the Emperor.

Arbitrators whose particular skills lie in the application of extreme brutality and military force or the command of men in battle, and who have proven time and again that they are nigh impossible to kill, may be promoted to the level of Proctor or Marshal. Proctors derive their name from ancient military traditions in the underhive of Gunmetal city, a term that carries with it an air of divine justice. They specialise in crushing riots and insurrection in the most hostile of districts deep within the Hive's steel and iron caverns. Arbites High Marshals are the commanders who control the deployment of resources across entire planets or even planetary systems. They serve at the direct appointment of the Lord Marshal, and there is no higher legal authority on a planet, unless an Inquisitor decides to "open a dialogue" on the subject. It is they who bear the heavy burden of allocating men and equipment, trusting to their own judgement and the Emperor's will that their forces will be in the right place at the right time. A few remarkable individuals may, after a long and illustrious career, be elevated to the rank of Judge. Judges are iron-willed lords of justice, who have far-reaching powers, mandate, and influence not far below that of an Inquisitor. They investigate and sit in judgement over those who commit the most heinous crimes, and will go to any lengths to pursue and capture or destroy a perpetrator.

All those of high rank will readily deliver their sentence personally, through the barrel of a gun, and have the power to deploy the uncompromising force of the Arbitrators when it is necessary. Should the need arise, perhaps if an entire planet has fallen to civil unrest, they even have the influence to request, and receive, the full might of the Imperial Guard to restore the Pax Imperialis (though in such cases, the population of the planet is often substantially reduced). It should be noted that while the Adeptus Arbites enforce galaxy-wide Imperial law, every world and system will have its own laws, inherited through tradition or imposed by autocratic ruling families and severe Planetary Governors. Each world's rulers will maintain their own policing force, recruited locally, and often outnumbering the Arbitrators a thousand to one -- these are commonly known as Enforcers, though they are each called by their own title on each world they serve. These native 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.

In practice, the Arbitrators are tasked to punish criminal activity, root out cultists and illegal gatherings, eliminate organised gangs, and are often unleashed en mass to quell riots. They must be as willing to dispense justice as they are to pronounce it. Often the punishment will be a swift bullet to the brain (or the perpetrator will have expired during the process of apprehension and interrogation). Other sentences, amongst the hundreds of thousands available, include flogging, limb amputation, exile to a prison world, condemnation to a Penal Legion, public execution, or conversion into a Servitor. They have the power to commandeer local enforcers and other resources such as ground vehicles or air transportation, the services of freelance bounty hunters if their own manpower is lacking, and in dire circumstances can summon military assistance. Their authority supersedes even that of the planetary governor, who will be closely scrutinized if there is any suspicion that his duties are not being undertaken with all diligence.

If the governor is late in the payment of tithes, is less than thorough in enforcing the population's proper worship of the Emperor, or is tempted to decline sending troops to the aid of an embattled neighbour, the Arbites will be watching. In times of crisis and conflict, it is possible that a planetary governor may be assassinated, deposed, incapacitated, or even implicated in one of the Arbites' investigations. If this should happen, then the highest ranking member of the Adeptus Arbites available has the authority to temporarily take over rulership of the world, until a suitable replacement can be put in place. This duty generally falls to a Judge or a Marshal, but where an isolated world has only a token Imperial presence, even the lowest ranked Arbitrators have, on rare occasion, stepped in to fill the breach.

Arbitrator Ranks

 * 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.
 * Lord Marshal - As the Imperium is mighty so too is the Lord Marshal. His will is not blunted by the petty whims of circumstance. The cold rule of law is his only measure, and woe betide those that fall short. A Lord Marshal commands the Arbites presence of an entire Imperial sector.
 * Justicar - The Justicar 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 normally command the Arbites presence on an entire Imperial world.
 * Marshal - A lateral rank, comparable to a Magistrate, Marshals take the rule of law to the darkest dens of scum and depravity, dispensing justice in a bright arc of muzzle flare.
 * Magistrate - Magistrates rule upon intricate cases of heresy and sedition. By dispensing death, they keep the soul of the Imperium alive. Magistrates are often the highest-ranking Arbitrator in a given Precinct if there is more than one Arbites Precinct on a world. Magistrates hear and decide the most difficult of cases to combe before the Arbites.
 * Proctor - A lateral rank, comparable to an Intelligencer, Proctors lead Adeptes Arbites riot squads and suppression forces against highly armed, and highly foolish, criminals.
 * Intelligencer - Intelligencers are those Judges who serve as the Arbites' spymasters, tacticians and forensic experts. Their powerful intellect is matched only by their dedication to the Imperium.
 * 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 Judge an ordinary Imperial citizen will come into contact with, usually to his or her misfortune if they have broken the law.
 * Investigator - Investigators learn the arts of inquiry, using contacts, charm and dirty tactics to uncover the truth. Investigators are usually experienced Arbitrators who are the Imperial equivalent of real world police detectives.
 * Regulator - Regulators take the law to the underworld, holding their own against any who challenge the Emperor's law.
 * Enforcer - An Enforcer is taught how to keep order in the most desperate situations, standing shoulder to shoulder with his fellow Arbitrators.
 * Trooper - The most junior rank within the Adeptus Arbites hierarchy, a Trooper is drilled in combat and his duties to the Imperium. He is stout of heart and eager to enforce the Emperor's law.

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 teams.

Other Arbites Specialists

 * Arbitrator Detectives - Arbitrator Detectives 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.
 * Chasteners - A Chastener is a specialised Arbites agent found in the Calixian Precincts. The task of the Chastener is to interrogate prisoners in the Arbites Precinct House by any means they see as necessary, including 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.
 * 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.
 * Cyber-Mastiff Handler - Cyber-Mastiffs are the sniffer dogs of the Adeptus Arbites. These 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.
 * Enforcers - The 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 are there are planets in the Imperium). These native 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. 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 are involved, 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.
 * Judges - Arbites Judges are senior Arbitrators who 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 organisation.
 * Mortiurge - A Mortiurge is an Arbitrator that 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 his fellows by his differences in purpose and the blood on his 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, lest one day they be called on to slaughter a friend and ally.
 * Suffering Marshal - An Arbitrator rank found only on the harsh and brutal world of Iocanthos, 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 and to the locals. Called "Flags" by many, 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.
 * Verispex Adept - A Verispex Adept is an agent of the Adeptus Arbites on the world of Scintilla, trained by the Inquisition in a variety of detection arts. It is the Verispex who uses his 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 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 Judge's most capable retainers. Arbites Verispex Squads are the Imperium's equivalent to real world police forensic crime scene investigation teams.

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 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 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 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, though in such circumstances the Arbitrators are almost always required to call in true Imperial military forces like the Imperial Guard or the Space Marines.

Notable Arbitrators

 * Lord Marshal Luthir Veremonn Goreman - Arbitor Luthir Veremonn Goreman is the Lord Marshal of the Calixian Great Precinct, located in the Calixis Sector on the capital world of Scintilla. Borne into a family of butchers and flesh-thieves upon the world of Sinophia, he came into contact with a wandering Confessor who had once been a former Enforcer from Scintilla who had left her post following a religious awakening. Listening to her holy words, Luthir's soul was stirred to zealous conviction in the benevolent Emperor. Of all the expressions of the God-Emperor's will that she was able to teach him, her experience as an Enforcer was the one that resonated with him the most. Departing his world, he struck out on his own and became a part of the local enforcement militia of the Horst-Kosada hive city. Following a cull by the local Arbites, he had gone from being a suspect to being a recruit. His reputation was cemented over many long, dedicated years of service. His iron will, the force of his personality, and the constant, simmering anger that blunted his undeniable charisma marked him for Arbites command. Goreman's vigour for his job is not born out of a positive inspiration to bring order but by his smouldering hatred of those who disrupt it.
 * Kae Drusil - Senior Arbitrator Kae Drusil is Marshal-in-Chief of the Divisio Immoralis within the Calixis Sector. She was recruited into the Arbites following the assassination of her Great-Aunt and the rest of her noble household at the Universitariate she was attending at the age of fifteen. She remembered the Universitariate Enforcers and the interrogation by an unknown Judge. The Judge, whose name she never learned (and never sought), saw Kae's faith in the law, and her anger. He believed that these two traits would make her a fine recruit, and he was correct. As far as Kae Drusil could tell, the interrogation was her recruitment examination. Her belief in the incorruptibility of the Arbites and the inevitability of a future rule of perfect law had been demolished beyond repair by the things she was forced to do during a mission that was conducted under the auspices of the Inquisition. Approached by Lord Marshal Goreman, he had found the person to command the Divisio Immoralis, his new experiment in enforcement.
 * Naxander Durantis - A man with nearly two decades of experience, Arbitrator Primus Durantis is the commander of the voidship Intervention, a unique "Castigator" patrol cruiser. Now in his late fifties (and with limited access to rejuvenant drugs), Durantis views his rank with a mixture of honour and resentment, eager to bring justice to the stars but also struggling with the fact that he can no longer so readily lead his men in combat as he did earlier in his career. Unwilling to let all his old duties fall away in place of newer ones, Durantis still interrogates many suspects personally, his scarred visage serving to intimidate the weaker-willed of his captives. He is a shrewd interrogator, having learned a great deal working alongside many skilled Chasteners over the years, and his eye for detail is sharper than ever.
 * Citro Envedine - Judge Envendine is an ambitious and politically astute agent of the Calixian Arbites. The Precinct Astra is the brainchild of Judge Envendine as a means of prosecuting the habitual lawbreaking of several Rogue Trader Houses around the Calixian entrance to the Koronus Passage. He bought two salvaged voidships that had been pried from a Space Hulk's embrace. Utilising these two vessels, the Calixian Judges were able to prosecute the Emperor's laws, bringing renegade members of Rogue Trader houses and pirates to justice.
 * Orrik Von Darnus - Orrik Von Darnus was a very senior Judge of the Calixis Sector almost a millennia ago, and had turned to intellectual pursuits late in his career, devoting nearly a century to research and analysis of the Pax Imperialis and how it is implemented in the Calixis Sector. Though he wrote many books and treatises, his seminal work was The Promise of the Pax Imperialis, a volume so large that a printed copy requires two cargo-hauler servitors to move. Later scholars argue whether Von Darnus wrote The Promise in an attempt to simplify the application of Imperial Law in the Calixis Sector, or simply because the old man derived far too much pleasure worrying away at thorny issues of legal precedent. Von Darnus's primary arguments focused on the idea that the Calixian Arbites' attentions should focus on crimes of sedition, treason, and actions that undermined the Adeptus Terra, while leaving most "lesser" crimes to a planet's local Enforcers. He went on to say that as isolated as the Sector was from the rest of the Imperium, such crimes posed the greatest threat to Imperial rule, and should be prosecuted aggressively. Even now, a thousand years later, many senior Calixian Arbitrators regard Von Darnus's writings as something of an authority on the implementation of Imperial Law. Currently, Lord Marshal Goreman's opinions cemented the high regard with which many Calixian Arbites hold Von Darnus's works. The Lord Marshal has a habit of quoting The Promise of the Pax Imperialis when pronouncing rulings, and is said to keep a near-complete collection of Von Darnus's books in his personal offices.
 * Jeremiah Pavo - Judge Pavo gained his place among the Adeptus Arbites after revealing a plot to corrupt fellow members of his Schola Progenium on Avellorn. After containing the Bureau of Standard Measures Queue Wars and detaining over 10,000 participants, he was asked to join the retinue of Inquisitor Tannenburg of the Ordo Hereticus. He has proven to be a valuable asset to the Inquisition and an example of the skill and determination of all Arbitrators.
 * Captain Virgil Ortega - Wielding a Shock Maul and Combat Shotgun, Captain Virgil Ortega commanded the Adeptus Arbites on the planet of Pavonis during a time of great riots and disorder against the Planetary Governor and her cartel. When the situation led to the arrival of a company of Ultramarines and an Inquisitor's investigation, the Planetary Defence Force openly attacked the capital city, starting with the bombing of the precinct house. Ortega led his fellow Judges into battle, charging from the ruins into the city square, in front of a statue of the Emperor himself. The battle that followed was the stuff of legend, the few and faithful fighting against those who would betray the Emperor, however the sheer number of tanks and soldiers of the traitor Planetary Defence Force legions slowly began to whittle away at the Arbites' numbers. Holding his few remaining men together, Captain Ortega slowly fell back to the weapons cache located beneath the Precinct house. They were able to hold back their pursuers for a while there, having an almost limitless supply of heavy weapons and ammunition, but when it became apparent that they were fighting a losing battle, Captain Ortega and his loyal Arbites came to the decision that the precious store of weapons and ammunition could not fall into the hands of the enemy. Fighting back waves of planetary defense force troops, Captain Ortega and his remaining Arbites wired and readied all of the explosives in the cache. They came very close to failure as their position was nearly overrun, but with his remaining Judge, Sergeant Collix, covering his advance, he ran into enemy fire and as his life slipped away he detonated the munitions, dying with the rest of his men.
 * Sergeant Collix of Pavonis - Collix served on Pavonis fresh from the academy until the day of his death. When Pavonis could not produce tithe taxes to the Imperium, a force of Ultramarines led by Uriel Ventris traveled to the planet, accompanied by a young adept by the name of Ario Barzano, who in turn was actually a high ranking Inquisitor investigating heresy and the presence of Necrons on the world. The planet's separate factions rebelled against the governor and the Arbites, striking hard in the city square and the Arbites Precinct house. Some two hundred Judges survived the initial attack, and fought the renegade Planetary Defence Force troopers in a bloody battle. Together with his comrades, Sergeant Collix held a weapons cache and defended it to the last man. Never yielding in his faith, though mortally wounded, Sergeant Collix continued firing a Heavy Stubber into charging masses of traitors and heretics as he lay dying, buying time for Captain Ortega to detonate the munitions stores, leveling the cache, along with the entire renegade force in the city.
 * Judge Jenna Sharben of Pavonis - Jenna Sharben served alongside Captain Virgil Ortega and Sergeant Collix on Pavonis. She was kidnapped along with the planetary governor and an Inquisitor. She was the only member of the Adeptus Arbites team on Pavonis to survive after the rebellion. She was later killed in a Tau invasion of Pavonis.
 * Shira Calpurnia (Iax, Ultramar) - The lead character of her own Black Library novel series, Shira is an atypical Arbitrator, considering the behaviours and processes normally displayed by the members of this Adeptus.

Game History
Borrowing heavily from the British comic book Judge Dredd's imagery, the Adeptus Arbites were first mentioned in Rogue Trader, but were introduced as a playable force in the 2nd Edition of Warhammer 40,000, and have since appeared in the spin-off games Necromunda and Inquisitor. They appear as "play-as" equivalents to Inquisitorial Storm Troopers (although armed with Shotguns) in the Witch Hunters supplement. Also, the organization is the focus of three novels by Matthew Farrer, Cross Fire (Farrer, 2003) Legacy (Farrer, 2004) and Blind (Farrer, 2006).

Gallery
Adeptus Arbites [[Category:A]]