Rogue Trader
"The endless dark of the universe is yours, if you but reach out to take it. Yield nothing -- the void respects only strength."
— Serren Travius, Rogue Trader
Rogue Traders, originally called Rogue Traders Militant during the era of the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy, are unique and powerful human individuals who serve as a combination freelance explorer, conquistador and interstellar merchant for the Imperium of Man. They are hereditary Imperial servants and nobles, given a starship, a crew, and sometimes a contingent of Space Marines (in very rare cases) or troops of the Astra Militarum and carte blanche to roam those worlds of the galaxy that still lie beyond Imperial control or knowledge.
In their task of exploring and exploiting the still-uncharted regions of the galaxy for Mankind, Rogue Traders might come across worlds harbouring long-forgotten human civilisations which will be later incorporated into the Imperium by official Adeptus Mechanicus Explorator fleets and expeditions of the Imperial Navy and Astra Militarum. Other times they find empty or alien-dominated planets ripe for colonisation, conquest or exploitation by the Imperium -- and themselves.
The bearer of a sacred Warrant of Trade that empowers him to journey beyond the boundaries of the Imperium to trade, explore, and make war in the God-Emperor’s name, a Rogue Trader is a unique figure in the grim darkness of the Imperium. He may be a newly entitled power on the rise or hail from a long lineage of nobles and voidfarers, but all bear their titles with pride, striking out into the unknown in search of fortune and glory.
A Rogue Trader is a power unto himself in the dark voids, master of all he surveys―at least as far as his force of arms and sharpness of wits can press the claim. A Rogue Trader can be many things but whether standing as diplomat before a planetary ruler, cutting a shadowed deal in a station undercity, bellowing orders amidst an armed host set upon plunder, or striding the bridge of a mighty starship, they remain one thing above all -- free.
Often, Rogue Traders come from a dynasty of great leaders and visionary commanders, with a renowned (or darkly infamous) lineage stretching back millennia. Other times, they are from younger, more dynamic families, often coming from the ranks of the Adeptus Terra, the Imperial Navy, or the Astra Militarum. Whatever their origins, all Rogue Traders are first and foremost masters of their own fates, and upon their shoulders can rest the success or failure not only of their endeavours and their bloodlines, but of countless future generations and, often, the fortunes of entire worlds.
Despite the fact that the weight of such responsibility is his to bear alone, a Rogue Trader invariably surrounds himself with a coterie of allies and retainers. No Rogue Trader can undertake his mission alone, for no man or woman can be master of every single aspect of trade, exploration, exploitation, and war. As a result, all of the most successful Rogue Traders have the ingrained ability to recognise the value of others and their motivations and, as a leader, are able to utilise every weapon and ability in their human arsenal to their full potential.
Though he must rely on others for the most specialised of skills (not to mention certain needful resources), it falls to the Rogue Trader to know how and when to exercise his own judgement and how to delegate where needed. He may not steer the helm of his void cruiser, nor fire and aim every Macrocannon in person, but the Rogue Trader selects and commands those who do and it is his orders that are obeyed. Likewise he may know little of the arcane rites of the Augury and Auspex, but it is ultimately his decision whether or not to trust the word of the Explorator who claims it safe to breathe the air of a newly discovered world.
Rogue Traders must always look to their own abilities and protection, regardless of the power of their allies, for there will always be those envious of their power and station, and countless rivals to their goals. As a result, most have a penchant for the very finest personal weapons and equipment their fortunes can acquire -- for even friends can soon become enemies when a world's ransom is at stake. Some never leave their bridge without donning an ancient and revered suit of Artificer-wrought Power Armour, while others secret fiendishly cunning personal force field generators of alien manufacture beneath a gaudy uniform. None are ever unarmed, bearing, even aboard their own vessels, minute Digital Weapons and other implements of destruction. However they outwardly comport themselves, Rogue Traders must be supremely confident in their own abilities, and able to walk away from even the most desperate situation somehow having profited from their perilous adventure, even if that profit must be counted purely by survival.
— Serren Travius, Rogue Trader
Rogue Traders, originally called Rogue Traders Militant during the era of the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy, are unique and powerful human individuals who serve as a combination freelance explorer, conquistador and interstellar merchant for the Imperium of Man. They are hereditary Imperial servants and nobles, given a starship, a crew, and sometimes a contingent of Space Marines (in very rare cases) or troops of the Astra Militarum and carte blanche to roam those worlds of the galaxy that still lie beyond Imperial control or knowledge.
In their task of exploring and exploiting the still-uncharted regions of the galaxy for Mankind, Rogue Traders might come across worlds harbouring long-forgotten human civilisations which will be later incorporated into the Imperium by official Adeptus Mechanicus Explorator fleets and expeditions of the Imperial Navy and Astra Militarum. Other times they find empty or alien-dominated planets ripe for colonisation, conquest or exploitation by the Imperium -- and themselves.
The bearer of a sacred Warrant of Trade that empowers him to journey beyond the boundaries of the Imperium to trade, explore, and make war in the God-Emperor’s name, a Rogue Trader is a unique figure in the grim darkness of the Imperium. He may be a newly entitled power on the rise or hail from a long lineage of nobles and voidfarers, but all bear their titles with pride, striking out into the unknown in search of fortune and glory.
A Rogue Trader is a power unto himself in the dark voids, master of all he surveys―at least as far as his force of arms and sharpness of wits can press the claim. A Rogue Trader can be many things but whether standing as diplomat before a planetary ruler, cutting a shadowed deal in a station undercity, bellowing orders amidst an armed host set upon plunder, or striding the bridge of a mighty starship, they remain one thing above all -- free.
Often, Rogue Traders come from a dynasty of great leaders and visionary commanders, with a renowned (or darkly infamous) lineage stretching back millennia. Other times, they are from younger, more dynamic families, often coming from the ranks of the Adeptus Terra, the Imperial Navy, or the Astra Militarum. Whatever their origins, all Rogue Traders are first and foremost masters of their own fates, and upon their shoulders can rest the success or failure not only of their endeavours and their bloodlines, but of countless future generations and, often, the fortunes of entire worlds.
Despite the fact that the weight of such responsibility is his to bear alone, a Rogue Trader invariably surrounds himself with a coterie of allies and retainers. No Rogue Trader can undertake his mission alone, for no man or woman can be master of every single aspect of trade, exploration, exploitation, and war. As a result, all of the most successful Rogue Traders have the ingrained ability to recognise the value of others and their motivations and, as a leader, are able to utilise every weapon and ability in their human arsenal to their full potential.
Though he must rely on others for the most specialised of skills (not to mention certain needful resources), it falls to the Rogue Trader to know how and when to exercise his own judgement and how to delegate where needed. He may not steer the helm of his void cruiser, nor fire and aim every Macrocannon in person, but the Rogue Trader selects and commands those who do and it is his orders that are obeyed. Likewise he may know little of the arcane rites of the Augury and Auspex, but it is ultimately his decision whether or not to trust the word of the Explorator who claims it safe to breathe the air of a newly discovered world.
Rogue Traders must always look to their own abilities and protection, regardless of the power of their allies, for there will always be those envious of their power and station, and countless rivals to their goals. As a result, most have a penchant for the very finest personal weapons and equipment their fortunes can acquire -- for even friends can soon become enemies when a world's ransom is at stake. Some never leave their bridge without donning an ancient and revered suit of Artificer-wrought Power Armour, while others secret fiendishly cunning personal force field generators of alien manufacture beneath a gaudy uniform. None are ever unarmed, bearing, even aboard their own vessels, minute Digital Weapons and other implements of destruction. However they outwardly comport themselves, Rogue Traders must be supremely confident in their own abilities, and able to walk away from even the most desperate situation somehow having profited from their perilous adventure, even if that profit must be counted purely by survival.
Duties
Discover untapped resources, bring more humans lost among the stars into the fold of the imperium and maintain a family lineage to pass the Writ of Trade onto.
Responsibilities
Captain of a crew numbering anywhere from the low thousands to a fleet or even entire sectors containing millions of souls. Keep the trains running, the spice flowing and the crewmen alive.
Benefits
Near limitless authority when actively extending the borders of the imperium, seeking out xeno artifacts beyond the light of the astronomicon or brining a rebelious world to heel.
Accoutrements & Equipment
Voidship(s)
Grounds for Removal/Dismissal
Death or falling to corruption but then a family member steps in if available. Writs of Trade can be stripped by the High Lords of Terra if they deem and action to be too heinous to be ignored.
Type
Nobility, Household
Form of Address
Captain
Alternative Naming
Lord or Lady
Source of Authority
A Writ of Trade from the High Lords of Terra
Length of Term
Family title
Related Organizations
Comments