A Planetary Governor is the supreme Imperial authority upon a single world, charged by the Adeptus Terra with maintaining order, delivering the tithe, and upholding the Imperial Creed among the teeming masses. Known by a thousand titles across the galaxy, from Planetary Lord to Imperial Commander, a Governor wields near-absolute power over the population, lands, and armies of the world in their keeping.
Governorships are held by many means: some are hereditary dynasties stretching back millennia, others are appointed from the ranks of victorious military commanders, and still others are seized through intrigue and murder. Whatever their origin, a Governor is bound by iron law to render the tithe on time and in full, and to raise regiments of the Astra Militarum when the Imperium demands.
So long as these duties are met, a Governor may rule as tyrant or benefactor as they please, for Holy Terra concerns itself little with the suffering of individual subjects. Yet failure, heresy, or rebellion invites the swift and merciless attention of the Inquisition.