Judicium Imperator
The Judicium Imperator is an ancient method, and the last of a series of three tests (the others being the Ordeal of Inquisition and the Ordeal of the Holy Oils) used by the Grey Knights to determine the purity of a subject's soul. Because ordeals devised by Man can only tell so much, the Emperor himself must now be called upon to judge the strength of the subject's soul.[1]
The Grey Knight and the subject engage in hand-to-hand combat, both unarmed and unarmoured, before the proper planetary authority. If there is more than one subject, then they will both fight the Grey Knight at the same time. Such is the martial prowess of the Grey Knight and the protection the Emperor bestows upon him that it is believed that only a servant of Chaos will be able to defeat him. In the event that the Grey Knight is bested, the guards will immediately gun down the subject(s). If, however, the subjects fight well before being defeated, then they are determined to have passed the test.[1]
Known Instances
- Uriel Ventris and Pasanius Lysane of the Ultramarines were subjected to the Judicium Imperator by Leodegarius of the Grey Knights on Salinas. The witnessing Imperial authority was the current Governor, Leto Barbaden.[1]
Sources
- 1: The Killing Ground (Novel) by Graham McNeill, Chapter 17, pgs. 251-263 (hardcover)