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Harriticus wrote:Best High Lord is the Master of the Officio Assassinorum. You know that guy could just rip apart every other High Lord at once with his bare hands if he wanted.

In Codex: Assassins it was made clear the High Lord is quite adept at combat.

Ahem, the Captain-General respectfully disagrees.

Harriticus wrote:Best High Lord is the Master of the Officio Assassinorum. You know that guy could just rip apart every other High Lord at once with his bare hands if he wanted.

In Codex: Assassins it was made clear the High Lord is quite adept at combat.

Of course he is. But the Fabricator General of the Adeptus Mechanicus is not so fragile as a weak human...

Brother Coa wrote:Is there any case of someone not applying to their orders?

And it is a little hard to imagine that only 12 guys can solve problems for several million worlds.

The IoM is made of roughly a million self governing worlds, each world goverment follows a framework of what they have to do (tithe, worship) the rest is up to the governor.

The High Lords are not just '12 guys', they represent massive bodies that effect the entire IoM , however most of their work is based on the grand scheme of things.

Anyone that goes against the High Lords will end up with alot of guns aimed at them.

Miraclefish wrote:

Harriticus wrote:Best High Lord is the Master of the Officio Assassinorum. You know that guy could just rip apart every other High Lord at once with his bare hands if he wanted.

In Codex: Assassins it was made clear the High Lord is quite adept at combat.

Of course he is. But the Fabricator General of the Adeptus Mechanicus is not so fragile as a weak human...

And he can probable strangle/electrocute anyone with some mindcontrolled power cables grafted to his body.

Pyriel- wrote:

The Custodes do not have authority over the High Lords. No one but the Emperor does.

Oh but they are the ones who allow the high lords (or dissalow) an audience with the emperor and thereby to do what they are being ordered to.
If they say nope, cant see the boss they cant. If they see, boss wants to see you you are either dragged to him or go on your own accord.

See if a high lord does something "wrong" all the Custodes need to do is order him "home" for an audience and correct his behavior.

You cant have ultimate power while another faction can order you to come and answer your actions, sorry but the high lords do not rule with absolute impunity.

While I agree with the last paragraph a lot, to believe that there is some kinda antagonistic rivalry between the High Lords and the Custodes just comes off as some fantasy to further the whole Custodes 'embody the rule-of-cool, so they must be obeyed or they will kick your cuss' thing. The fact is that both organisations must share a very close, near symbiotic relationship. After the 'Age of Apostasy' the Imperium went to great lengths to ensure the potential of abuse from the Lords was minimised. It helps that one of their council is often the Captain-General of the Custodes himself, who would be able to relay mandates from the Emperor to the Council. Even when he does not occupy a position here I imagine close-contact is kept as it is the High Lords foremost role to react to the latests edicts. It is their role to then interpret the Emperors will and see it realised. At the end of the day, Custodes just become messengers in between both parties.

Talking of the Age of Apostasy, Vandire's story highlights the potential importance of specific departments, by attaining both ranks as the head of the Administratum and the Eccelasiarchy. While it's likely the attainment of both positions that provided his unopposed position on the Council it shows that neither departments can be disqualified from the OP's question. That his bodyguard was able to hold off the Adeptus Mechanicus assault against their stronghold on Terra shows that the Eccelasiarchy's power isn't to be underestimated by comparison.

As such, I'm of the belief that while the power shared between the positions isn't completely equal that it's not like any one department has overwhelming influence over any other. They all hold much importance and power, and if any one crumbles then without any quick replacement it will most likely cause some amount of anarchy.

iproxtaco wrote:

Harriticus wrote:Best High Lord is the Master of the Officio Assassinorum. You know that guy could just rip apart every other High Lord at once with his bare hands if he wanted.

In Codex: Assassins it was made clear the High Lord is quite adept at combat.

Ahem, the Captain-General respectfully disagrees.

I admit I forgot about this guy

As for the General-Fabricator, Tech-Priests are Administrators first and warriors second. Imperial Assassins, nevermind the master assassin, are in an entire different league.

Read Titanicus.
Tech-priests can be very badass if you piss them off, let alone the one with access to all of their shiny weaponry...

Harriticus wrote:As for the General-Fabricator, Tech-Priests are Administrators first and warriors second.

And humans a distant, distant third. Tech-Priests can have some outrageous technology built into it, especially if they are initiated in the highest of secrets.

Does anyone know what the rotation period is like for the non-obligatory positions? For life or for a limited period?

Pyriel- wrote:

The Custodes do not have authority over the High Lords. No one but the Emperor does.

Oh but they are the ones who allow the high lords (or dissalow) an audience with the emperor and thereby to do what they are being ordered to.
If they say nope, cant see the boss they cant. If they see, boss wants to see you you are either dragged to him or go on your own accord.

See if a high lord does something "wrong" all the Custodes need to do is order him "home" for an audience and correct his behavior.

You cant have ultimate power while another faction can order you to come and answer your actions, sorry but the high lords do not rule with absolute impunity.

I thought the Emperor was in a catatonic state and was completely focusing his remaining powers into the astronomicon and that the costodes where there to be his personal and eternal bodyguards and nothing more, and that also the high lords are interpreting the Emperors will as best as they could. If the Emperor was still handing out orders wouldn't the Imperium be in a little better shape than it is now?

Malivon wrote:
I thought the Emperor was in a catatonic state and was completely focusing his remaining powers into the astronomicon and that the costodes where there to be his personal and eternal bodyguards and nothing more, and that also the high lords are interpreting the Emperors will as best as they could. If the Emperor was still handing out orders wouldn't the Imperium be in a little better shape than it is now?

I think the Emperor has the ability to speak to Imperial servants when necessary. The leader of the Brides of the Emperor was certainly convinced of Vandire's wrongdoing when she entered the throneroom. Jaq Draco had an audience with him (although that might not be canon anymore). He doesn't give orders for the day to day stuff, but there's some evidence that at important times he can communicate with his servants (through the Tarot, for instance, and possibly through Living Saints).

I think the point he was trying to get across was that while Captain-General won't often use his powers (legal or not) to force his own way, as long as he only does rarely and when necessary, the High Lords will go along with because of what he is privy. The High Lords are likely to believe in the Emperors divinity as well (bar maybe the Fabricator-General), so I doubt they'd refuse the one closest to the Emperor and entrusts with His personal security unless he absolutely abuses his power.

As said, The High Lords are there to interpret the will of the Emperor. Part of the duty of the Captain-General of the Custodes is to act as the messenger between the throne and the Council, if on the rare occasion there is news. I imagine this is his primary reason for gaining rights to a seat on the council, if chosen. In turn the Council itself congregate to interpret these messages and then carry them out. While they do have their own agendas it is next to impossible that they would go against any edicts directly. The notion that they'd be brought in front of the Throne for a 'telling off' is silly. After the age of Apostasy, much was done to insure power-hungry, dictators/maniacs could never claim sole control of the Imperium again. Simple.

Direct communion with the Emperor is rare but it can happen. To add to the list above, as of lately Inquisitor Lord Hector Rex has received this honour too.

DarknessEternal wrote:

HiddenPower wrote:Does anybody know if their is a single representative for the Astartes?

Not since Guilliman. The Astartes have withdrawn from operation the Imperium since and stick to only protecting it.

The BRB picture, which has the Lords depicted, shows someone looking awfully Ultramarine-ish.

Emperors Faithful wrote:
The BRB picture, which has the Lords depicted, shows someone looking awfully Ultramarine-ish.

Which picture are you talking about? The one that has the 4 Imperial heroes walking in a line?