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Adeptus Administratum

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Adeptus Administratum
Administratum Symbol.jpg
Parent Agency Adeptus Terra
Headquarters Imperial Palace, Terra
Leader Master of the Administratum Violeta Roskavler
Armed Forces Imperial Guard
Militarum Tempestus
Imperial Navy
Literati
Established M30

The Adeptus Administratum is the administrative and bureaucratic division of the Adeptus Terra, consisting of untold billions of clerks, scribes and administrative staff constantly working to manage the Imperium at every level, from assembling war fleets to levying taxes. It is the largest of the departments comprising the Adeptus Terra - the mere administration of the Imperial Palace is estimated to involve over ten billion adepts.[1a]

Overview

Adept of the Administratum[9a]

The Administratum was created as the Imperial Administration, and was under the control of Malcador, titled the Chief of the Imperial Administration.[Needs Citation]

Billions of Administratum officials on Terra and throughout the galaxy are constantly carrying out population censuses, working out tithes, recording and archiving information, and the million other things that are necessary for the running of the Imperium. Such is its immense size and complex bureaucracy that whole Administratum departments have been lost and forgotten. So dogmatically bureaucratic, whole departments of adepts continue to diligently but purposelessly carry out the role their department was founded for, even after the department has become long obsolete. Of all the Imperium's divisions, the Administratum is regarded as the least prestigious, but its high ranking members are among the most powerful men in the Imperium. Despite its massive inefficiency, the Administratum is so integral to the running of the Imperium, that without it, the whole Imperium would grind to a halt. As a result, the Master of the Administratum is the most powerful member of the High Lords of Terra. Many Administratum positions are hereditary; parents pass on their ranks and positions to their children, who continue the work that had occupied the lives of their ancestors. Typical Administratum adepts labour within gargantuan vaults, sitting at logic-engines and can be considered learned by Imperial standards.[Needs Citation]

Like other non-combatant servants of the Adeptus Terra, the members of the Administratum wear a monastic style of dress, their habits varying in colour according to rank and area of responsibility. The basic color for the lowliest scribe is black - higher-ranking members have increasingly lighter shades of grey, and eventually pure white.[2] While the Administratum as a whole is primarily responsible for all logistical operations relating to the civil aspects of the Imperium, one of its departments, the Departmento Munitorum is responsible for the logistics of the Imperial Guard, organising military tithes, troop movements and troop deployment.[Needs Citation]

Despite holding sway over untold trillions and managing a galactic bureaucracy, the Administratum's primary method of record keeping and distribution of information is Vellum. Parchment not only appeals to the dogmatic values and traditionalism of the Administratum, but is also considered a far more secure and cheaper a method of data collection than electronic counterparts such as Data-Slates or Cogitators while being far more durable than standard paper. Enormous amounts of Vellum is produced from the hides of Porcine bred on Agri-Worlds or artificially grown in bio-vats. Vellum is a prized resource in the Imperium, so much so that inter-agency wars have been fought over it and wealthy familial dynasties solely dedicated to the creation of parchment exist. Legions of Administratum scribes work tirelessly upon Vellum, consuming untold amounts of the parchment in their endless recording of data. It is said that Vellum is the 7th largest import to Terra in sheer weight due to the demands of the Imperial bureaucracy. The Administratum itself seems aware of the inefficiency of written record over more modern methods, but nonetheless does not change.[11]

Divisions of the Administratum

An adept of the Administratum[1a]

The Administratum is comprised of innumerable divisions and offices. Each office or department is involved in some specific aspect of administration, most of them are petty and of little interest.[1a] Known divisions are listed below:

Ranks and titles of the Administratum

There are countless ranks and titles used within the Administratum; the system is also used within the Adeptus Terra as a whole.[1a] Some examples include:

  • The Master of the Administratum - The titular head of the organization and one of the High Lords of Terra[1a]
  • The Master Logisticar - Senior position[6]
  • Adeptus (or Adept) - The title of all members of the Adeptus Terra, from the highest ranking to the most petty of functionaries[1a]
  • Prefectus (or Prefect) - Officers and officials[1a]
  • Masters - Departmental heads[1a]
  • Ordinates - Minor administrative officials[1a]
  • Curators - Maintains the ancient records of the Imperium; the rank also requires associated historical and linguistic knowledge[1b]
  • Scribes - Lowly functionaries responsible for keeping records[1a]
  • Ciphers - Special form of messengers; they memorize dictation with a single scan, repeating it verbatim when they reach their destination; they have no knowledge of the messages they carry[1b]
  • Menials - Lowly non-specialized workers recruited from the non-adept population[1b]
  • Subordinates - Hereditary slaves who serve as engineers, craftsmen, etc, as well as in unskilled occupations[1b]

Sources


Modern Imperial Organizations
Adeptus Terra Adeptus Administratum (Adeptus AstartesDepartmento MunitorumAstra MilitarumOrdo TempestusImperial FleetImperial NavyMerchant FleetPraeses MercaturaNavis NobiliteOfficio AssassinorumEstate ImperiumTemplars PsykologisOfficio SabatorumOfficio MedicaeOfficio AgricultaeOfficio LogisticarumDepartmento ExactaAstra CartographicaLogis StrategosDepartmento ColoniaDepartmento ProcessiumDepartmento of Final ConsiderationDepartmento ContagioDepartmento GradioQuestio LogisticusRogue TradersImperial Commanders) • Adeptus Astra Telepathica (Sisters of SilenceLeague of Black ShipsScholastica Psykana) • Adeptus AstronomicaAdeptus ArbitesAdeptus CustodesQuestor Imperialis (House Guard) • Adeptus FidiciusSynopticon
Adeptus Mechanicus Cult MechanicusCollegia TitanicaLegiones SkitariiQuestor Mechanicus (House Guard) • Centurio OrdinatusOrdo ReductorLegio CyberneticaAuxilia MyrmidonPrefecture MagisteriumBasilikon AstraDivisio LinguisticaExploratorSect Missionarius MechanicusCollegiate ExtremisAstynomia
Adeptus Ministorum Holy SynodAdepta Sororitas (Sisters of Battle) • Schola ProgeniumMissionarius GalaxiaCreed TemporalFrateris Militia
Inquisition Ordo MalleusOrdo HereticusOrdo XenosOrdo Minoris