The Inquisitor’s Library

Every Arbitrator of every rank wears a mask. These masks are intended to symbolize the impersonal, implacable nature of Imperial Law, and also to protect the identity of those who devote their lives to dispensing the Emperor’s Justice. Arbitrators are expected to wear their mask whenever acting in an official capacity, and to keep their masks clean, polished and in good repair.

Low-ranking Arbitrators are issued their masks. These are simple things made of a bronze-like metal, generally featureless, and are a familiar sight on most worlds. They provide no additional protection to the wearer’s face or head, and are cheaply and easily replaced. As Arbitrators advance through the ranks, however, they are awarded better masks, which cover the head, doubling as flak helmets. Here, Arbitrators are permitted to customize their masks with useful devices, such as filtration plugs and re-breathers, though the expense of such outfitting must be borne by the individual. The masks worn by the uppermost echelons of the Adeptus Arbites are baroque, terrifying things: massive helms that engulf the head and neck, beautifully detailed and incorporating the rarest and most expensive technology.

Tags: arbitrators, background