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Post by CELS on May 4, 2004 9:58:07 GMT -5
I have a question regarding Sistina. Yes, this should really be in the appropriate subsector forum, but let's face it, not everyone ventures there, and this is a question that may be relevant for other worlds. Here goes...
Sistina is a world that has pretty much been abandoned by the Imperium because of natural disasters that have left the world in ruins. Specifically, Sistinas star has gone funky and is creating massive temperature changes on the world, melting and freezing the poles, etc.
The world has been pretty much evacuated of important people, and the rest have been left on the miserable planet.
The world has no valuable minerals, and because of the chaotic climate, it has no value as an agri-world. It is now in the Adeptus Non class of tithes. Still, it's an Imperial world, and the Imperials maintain a small force of Adeptus Arbites in orbit (a space station of sorts), that monitor the planet for chaos or xenos activity. The world is of no value, but if a rogue psyker pops up and opens a gate that has daemons spilling out, that spells bad news.
My question is.... who would be the Imperial commander of this world? I would say that the Adeptus Arbites judge is in charge, but Kage has already voiced a dislike of single organisations of the Adeptus Terra being in total control of Imperial worlds, such as the Ministorum on Tryphon.
And before you ask; Yes!, there must be an Imperial Commander. All Imperial worlds have one. That's the rule.
Your thoughts?
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Post by Sikkukkut on May 4, 2004 10:41:31 GMT -5
Got some thoughts on this, but I just looked at the clock and realised I've got to get up for work in about six hours (and sooner than that if I want to catch the lunar eclipse  ) Watch this space - I'll be back tomorrow. |
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Post by Minister on May 4, 2004 10:51:26 GMT -5
There is a possibility that, with the evacuation of all Adepts, it ceases to be an Imperial world in any real sense, and will be under the nominal comkmand of the Administratum from the offices on Anargo.
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Post by Kage2020 on May 4, 2004 16:21:45 GMT -5
An Imperial Commander maintains their position from the Imperium. If the 'government' of the world is anarchistic, that just means that there is no direct way for the Imperial Commander to assert true control. Same with balkanisation et al.... An anarchistic 'world government' would be problematic to deal with if the adeptus terra remains, true. But that does not mean to say that an Imperial Commander take direct governance of the world. Erm, strictly speaking. You have the same situation with medieval worlds, feral worlds, etc... Kage |
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Post by Minister on May 5, 2004 6:17:08 GMT -5
Yes, but if the Imperial Governor has left the planet along with everyone else, with the permiossion of the aDMINISTRATUM SO IT IS NOT DESERTION, WOULD HE STILL RULE?
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Post by CELS on May 5, 2004 8:05:58 GMT -5
Exactly. But there is a chance that he is not allowed to evacuate, in a typical "the captain goes down with his ship" mentality. Perhaps the nobility of the world live on the space station, with the title of Commander as hereditary. There would be a lot of in-breeding, but that is quite typical for nobility, after all Of course, there is no sense in keeping this nobility around, since the Commander ultimately has no power over his world. But then no one ever claimed that the Imperium makes sense. Does this seem like the most likely option? I have no preference in the matter, so I'm just looking for what is likely to happen. PS: Deep breaths, Minister. Deep breaths  PPS: Looking forward to hearing your opinion, Sikk. |
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Post by Minister on May 5, 2004 8:47:49 GMT -5
Wha? Must have hit the caps lock and not noticed. Sorry. Can't be bothered changing it now. ;D
In the only precident I can think of, that of a world where the Planet Killer was approaching, the Imperial Commander left in the last wave, along with the Arbitrators and the last of the church. If the planet has been abandoned and declared devoid of the Imperium's help, then there need be no resident authority.
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Post by v0lsung on May 7, 2004 14:13:25 GMT -5
Although I can see the Imperium having a problem with the concept, I personally see no reason why the planet can't just be un-ruled. Certainly the planet/system would be considered under Imperial rule, but for all practical purposes it is just a grey area. End of story.
I would be willing to bet that there are many planets like that throughout the Imperium.
It's interesting, because in RT there's an insert about a planet that's caught in regular warp storms, and the Marines come in after every so many years to clean up, before leaving again before the storms hit. I thought it would make a great setting for role-playing or a 40k campaign. The artistic portrayal of said system was a bit 80s punk rawwk though...snicker....
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Post by Destecado on May 7, 2004 15:01:56 GMT -5
Would the Imperial commander only have juristiction over a given planet in the system or would he be responsible for the entire system. I conceed that a given world in the system might be ruled by a planetary governor, but who then oversees or coordinates the defense of the entire planetary system.
As a side note CELS the increased soalr radiation and ionic storms caused by the flaring of the sun make a satelite in orbit less than likely. If you wish there could perhaps be a moon that is tidally locked with the planet. This would mean that there would be a dark side to the moon that was not directly in the path of the stars flares.
It might provide a safe place for a base of operations. If not moon, then perhaps the base is circling around the systems gas giant. Even if they do not have a presence on the planet, I see not reason why it could not still be considered an imperial system.
Some of the feral worlds mentioned in the fluff have no real permanent imperial presence, but are still said to fall under imperial control. One such world was the former planet that the Relictors chapter drew potential space marine candidates from. The fortress is situated in orbit over the planet, but the have no presence on the surface.
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Post by Kage2020 on May 8, 2004 9:46:50 GMT -5
Would the Imperial commander only have juristiction over a given planet in the system or would he be responsible for the entire system. The ASP works on the general guideline that it is the system that is the 'fief' of an Imperial Commander, not just the world. The mainworld is, however, often but not exclusively the 'seat' of this fief. As yet no systems have been created which would justify multiple Imperial Commanders... Kage |
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Post by Brusilov on Jun 29, 2004 11:14:31 GMT -5
If you take the example of Pavonis as described in the novel Nightbringer and mentioned in the Necron Codex, it is not impossible for a world to be placed under the rule of the Adeptus Administratum should an uprising or another catastrophy befall the planet.
Often this would only be a temporary situation and as soon as everything is back under control the Imperial Commander is given his powers back.
However in that particular case, with no possible improvement in sight, it is probable that the nobility fled the planet and was relocated elsewhere (after all this happened in the novel Execution Hour).
Considering the current situation, I'd say there is no Imperial Commander and the only Imperial presence is probably the Arbites monitoring station with a small staff of Administratum personel to demonstrate that this is still Imperial territory.
I mean, does every system with an Imperial presence have an Imperial Commander? Would a system with only a research station with a couple hundreds personel at best have its own Imperial Commander, I seriously doubt it.
The same would apply here IMO
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Post by Kage2020 on Jun 29, 2004 11:20:26 GMT -5
Yep, that's a given... but in terms of an 'Imperial system' defined as a fief, the above would be true except under specific circumstances. But that's what you've already said and what was implied above... although obviously less lucidly!  |
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Post by Sojourner on Jun 29, 2004 20:54:23 GMT -5
There always must be someone in charge. Whether they're a certified-and-sanctioned Imperial Commander is another matter. Whoever's in charge of the majority of the population would probably be considered the de facto Governor by the Administratum.
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) Watch this space - I'll be back tomorrow.
