Adeptus Terra

The Adeptus Terra, also known as the Priesthood of Earth, is the government of the Imperium of Man. When we say government, however, we use this in the loosest sense of the term. In theory, the Adeptus Terra is the umbrella organization that all branches of the Imperial government belong to, serving under the God-Emperor of Mankind. In practice, the Adeptus Terra is extremely disunited, with member branches extremely distrustful of each other.

Several organizations belong to the Adeptus Terra, though only in the loosest sense of the word:

• Adeptus Administratum
  • Officio Assassinorum
• Adeptus Custodes
• Adeptus Arbites
• Adeptus Astra Telepathica
  • League of Black Ships
  • Sisters of Silence
• Adeptus Astartes
• Adeptus Astronomicon
• Astra Militarum
  • Militarum Tempestus
• Navis Imperialis
• Senatorum Imperialis
• Questor Imperialis
• Adeptus Fidicius
• Logos Historica Verita

Though functionally independent, the Space Marines are officially part of the Adeptus Terra, as their loyalty is to the Emperor, who is the official head of the Adeptus Terra. Also, though allied to the Adeptus Terra, the Adeptus Mechanicus is a separate organization which only has nominal ties to the Adeptus Terra. Despite wielding enormous power within the Imperium, the Ecclesiarchy and the Inquisition are officially not part of the Adeptus Terra. Whilst the highest and mightiest consider the Adeptus Custodes a nominal part of Adeptus Terra, the Dread Guardians of the Ten Thousand do not consider themselves apart of the Imperium at all, as part of the Imperial Household (the royal retainers and servants of the monarch) they exist outside of the Imperial apparatus of power.