Imperial Clearance System
The Imperium uses a Clearance System to determine the access level of certain information.[1] Clearance levels are often applied to encrypted messages by Cryptographers, with the highest colour-code being Vermillion.[2a]
Clearance Levels
There are two types of clearance level - an older colour-code system and a newer phrase system.[2b] The phrase system acts as a method of encryption,[5] and both are usually applied to clearance-restricted messages.[5][6a][6b]
Colour-code System
The highest level of clearance is Vermillion, often used for incredibly secret information by Inquisitors.[1] The lowest known level is Cyan, however there may be unmentioned lower clearance levels.[2b] More levels may also exist between Scarlet and Magenta.[2b]
Usually, battle-plans are rated at Magenta level.[2a] Generals of the Imperial Guard are given signet rings, allowing them to decode encrypted messages with clearance levels.[2b] Inquisition Procurators are given the magenta clearance level as well.[4]
Sepia and Emerald have been known to be used for ship audio logs.[3]
Phrase System
The phrase system is a method of encryption,[5] which is applied to messages alongside a colour level.[5][6a][6b]
Encryptions, such as Cryptox, have been known to have versions, e.g. Cryptox v2.6.[5]
Trivia
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- In First and Only (Novel), Dercius states "cyan, scarlet, it goes up, magenta, obsidian and vermilion". This implies that the order from highest to lowest is vermilion, obsidian, magenta, scarlet, and cyan. However, this does not account for the possibility that Dercius may not know about potential levels higher than vermilion, and the quote is vague as to whether there are levels in between magenta and scarlet.
- The existence of other levels, such as sepia, means that Dercius's list is not exhaustive.
- In Xenos (Novel), Eisenhorn is stated to have magenta-level clearance, due to his rank as a Procurator. However, he is later promoted to Inquisitor, and at the start of Malleus (Novel), he recieves a message that is obsidian-level. This also implies obsidian is above magenta, and that Eisenhorn could only access obsidian-level clearance after his promotion.
- The same message in Malleus (Novel) has both an obsidian clearance and a "Cryptox v2.6" encryption. As this matches the phrase "Cryptox" mentioned by Dercius in First and Only (Novel), it is likely that the colour system is for rank-based clearance, and the phrase system is for encryption method.
- In The Vincula Insurgency (Novel), documents are found, one with "obsidian (esculis)" level and one with "magenta (cryptox)". However, this does not mean that obsidian and esculis, or magenta and cryptox are the same thing - in Malleus (Novel), Eisenhorn recieves a message that is obsidian and cryptox v2.6.
Sources
- 1: White Dwarf November 2019, pg. 25 - Index Imperialis: Inquisition: Investigations Ongoing
- 2: First and Only (Novel):
- 3: White Dwarf 485, pgs. 105 & 120
- 4: Xenos (Novel), chapter 8
- 5: Malleus (Novel), prologue message
- 6: The Vincula Insurgency (Novel)
