Commissar Hellmark

A Death Korps Commissar is a commissar assigned to the Astra Militarum by the Officio Prefectus who serves as a political officer in the regiments of the Death Korps of Krieg that hail from the devastated, post-apocalytic Death World of Krieg in the Segmentum Tempestus. Like all Imperial Commissars, they are tasked with the maintenance of the morale of the Death Korps' troops during military campaigns, often in the face of staggering casualties. The Death Korps Commissar is empowered to use any means necessary to ensure the loyalty and moral purity of his or her charges, and is regarded with a mixture of fear and admiration by regular Guardsmen. Commissars are present in Death Korps regiments as mandated by Departmento Munitorum regulations, being the only non-Krieg natives to serve in the Death Korps. Due to the relatively low rates of infraction and morale problems among Death Korps regiments, these Commissars more often find themselves employed in reining in the Death Korps' often excessive zeal, and act as tactical advisors rather than enforcers of discipline. Commissars assigned to a Death Korps regiment are often well placed to become a voice of restraint for Death Korps officers, reinforcing the wider strategic goals of the campaign over the exigencies of short-term victories by preventing the expenditure of men and materiel that might be needed later. In theatres of war where Death Korps regiments must fight alongside other Imperial formations, Commissars attached to Death Korps regiments' command staff also find it prudent to act as a liaison between regimental commands where needed, as well as keeping a sharp eye on any acrimony between the Death Korps and other Imperial Guardsmen deployed to the same areas so that it does not become a problem. In order to prevent potential difficulties from arising, the individual Commissars assigned by the Commissariat to Death Korps regiments have a tendency to be more politically-minded or diplomatic than most.