- 5 Hives - Factions and Patrons in Necromunda setting / Arbitrators and Law Enforcements

08 Dec, 2024

Arbitrators and Law Enforcement

The Adeptus Arbites and other law enforcement forces in Necromunda are the grim enforcers of Imperial law, keeping the hive’s chaotic population in check. Their presence is a double-edged sword—while they bring order, their harsh methods often alienate the very people they protect.

Overview of Arbitrators and Law Enforcement

• Description: The Adeptus Arbites represent Imperial authority, tasked with enforcing the Emperor’s law across Necromunda. Their ranks include judges, enforcers, and investigators. Local Enforcers, while not as prestigious, handle more mundane lawkeeping tasks in the hive.
• Reputation: Feared for their brutal efficiency and unwavering dedication to the law, Arbitrators are often distrusted by hive citizens, who view them as oppressive and unyielding.

Key Factions in Law Enforcement

Adeptus Arbites

• Description: The elite enforcers of Imperial justice, Arbites are focused on punishing rebellion, heresy, and large-scale crimes against the Imperium.
• Reputation: Viewed as incorruptible, but their rigid adherence to the Lex Imperialis often leads to collateral damage.
• Narrative Hooks:
  • Judgment Day
    • The gang is caught in a crackdown. An Arbites officer offers a deal: assist in capturing a major crime lord in exchange for amnesty.
  • Evidence Escort
    • Critical evidence must reach a secure location. The gang is secretly contracted to ensure its safe delivery amid ambushes.

Local Enforcers

• Description: Necromunda’s local police forces, tasked with maintaining order in the hive’s sprawling territories. They are often corrupt, underfunded, and overwhelmed.
• Reputation: Distrusted for their frequent alliances with noble houses and guilds, many Enforcers prioritize bribes over justice.
• Narrative Hooks:
  • Lawless Lands
    • A lawless zone threatens to expand. The gang is deputized to restore order, facing gangs that respect no authority.
  • Corrupt Command
    • The gang uncovers corruption within the Enforcers. They must decide to expose it, risking retribution, or exploit it.

Arbites Penal Legions

• Description: Consisting of convicted criminals pressed into service, penal legions are used for high-risk missions in the underhive.
• Reputation: Brutal and expendable, they are a desperate solution for the Arbites when dealing with overwhelming threats.
• Narrative Hooks:
  • Operation Redemption
    • The gang is coerced into a suicide mission as part of a penal legion, with the promise of freedom upon success.
  • Escape from Perdition
    • Penal legionnaires riot, attempting to escape. The gang can help them for a price or assist in quelling the rebellion.

Undercover Arbites

• Description: Operatives disguised as hive citizens, tasked with rooting out heresy, rebellion, and other large-scale crimes.
• Reputation: Masters of deception, they often manipulate gangs and factions into doing their dirty work.
• Narrative Hooks:
  • Deep Cover
    • An operative's identity is compromised. The gang must extract them without alerting the faction they infiltrated.
  • The Sting Operation
    • The gang is unwittingly used in an Arbites operation to lure out a larger criminal network.