High Lords of Terra

Also known as: High Lord of Terra Senatorum Imperialis

The High Lords of Terra are the twelve most powerful individuals in the Imperium of Man, forming the Senatorum Imperialis — the ruling council that governs in the Emperor's name. Since the Emperor's internment upon the Golden Throne following the Horus Heresy, the High Lords have directed the Imperium's vast bureaucracy, military, and religious institutions.

The council includes representatives from the most influential Imperial organizations: the Master of the Administratum, the Fabricator-General of Mars, the Ecclesiarch of the Adeptus Ministorum, the Grand Master of Assassins, and others. The composition has varied over the millennia, with positions gained and lost through political maneuvering, assassination, and shifts in power.

Following the resurrection of the Primarch Roboute Guilliman in the 41st Millennium, the High Lords' authority was significantly curtailed as Guilliman assumed the role of Lord Commander of the Imperium, though the Senatorum continues to function as the administrative backbone of Imperial governance.