Inquisition

Template:InqPortal The Holy Orders of the Emperor's Inquisition are a secretive and powerful organization that guards the undying souls of every citizen of the Imperium. The primary purpose of the Inquisition is to identify and destroy threats to the Emperor's realm.

Formation of the Inquisition

The actual founding of the Inquisition is shrouded in mystery and there are at least two different stories surrounding its formation.

The first is that in the twilight hours prior to His internment within the Golden Throne, while Terra lay besieged by the traitor forces of Warmaster Horus, the Emperor of Mankind commanded Malcador the Sigillite to seek out "men of character, skill, and determination" to be tested and trained so that an elite group of investigators might be tasked to discover the alien, mutant, and heretic. Immediately prior to his assasult on Horus's battlebarge, Malcador presents twelve individuals to the Emperor, eight Astartes and four humans who he has gathered in response to the Emperor's commands. The Astartes are described as having cast aside their allegiance to their Primarch and Legion who sided with Horus; Maclador goes on to say that they are blessed with paranormal skills which are most apt in combating the horrors that have recently emerged from the warp⁹. Although the identities of the twelve presented to the Emperor are never revealed, it is known that among those individuals recruited by Malcador were Captain Nathaniel Garro of the Death Guard, Captain Iacton Qruze of the Luna Wolves, and Sister of Silence Amendera Kendel¹.

The second story is that immediately after the Emperor was interred in his Golden Throne, four trusted servants of the Emperor gathered in secret to discuss what was to happen next. Their opinions were divided; two believed the Emperor could be returned to life, the other two believed it folly to interfere with the events that had unfolded. The two resurrectionists, known as Promeus and Moriana, left Terra to begin their quest to bring the Emperor back to life. The two that remained acted quickly to establish themselves with the Senatorum Imperialis and created an organisation to combat the efforts of Promeus and Moriana; and it was from this seed, the Inquisition was formed¹⁰.

It is entirely possible that both of these stories are 'true'. It is said that when the Senatorum Imperialis was convened on the first anniversary of the Emperor's Ascension a grim-faced man joined the council and identified himself as a representative of the Holy Orders of Emperor's Inquisitors¹¹. The fact that they called themselves 'Orders' plural could be taken to suggest that the early Inquisition was an amalgamation of several organisations.

Inquisitorial Ordos

Within the modern Inquisition of M41 there are three Ordos Majoris; Xenos, Malleus, and Hereticus, and an unknown number of Ordos Minoris. Each branch specialises in the combat and investigation of specific threats to the Imperial domain. While Inquisitors from any Ordo are trained to deal with all potential dangers, it is the role of the Ordos to produce agents who are particularly adept at understanding and destroying specific abominations. Membership of an Ordo is not mandatory, and there are those Inquisitiors who prefer not to join one.

• Ordo Malleus (The Threat Beyond): Destroys daemonic threats and investigates the nature of the Daemon. The Ordo came into being immediately after the Horus Heresy, and therefore has been a part of the Inquisition from the beginning.⁴
• Ordo Hereticus (The Threat Within): Roots out heresy against Imperial rule, rogue psykers, and polices the Ecclesiarchy. The Ordo Hereticus was founded following the events of the Age of Apostasy.⁵
• Ordo Xenos (The Threat Without): Investigates and eliminates alien influence and plots against the Imperium. It is not known when the Ordo Xenos was founded, however it is believed to be of a similar age to the Ordo Malleus

In addition to the three major Ordos, there are an unknown number of Ordos Minoris. To date, only two of the minor Ordos have been explored in detail, however rumours abound of Ordos created to police the workings of the Blackships, the Imperial military and others whose sole task is to purge the ranks of the Inquisition itself¹².

• Ordo Sepulturum: Researches current plagues afflicting the Imperium and determines how best to contain, destroy, and cure them. Created during to investigate a decrease in outbreaks of the Zombie Plague just before the 13th Black Crusade.⁶
• Ordo Sicarius: Founded to police the activities of the Officio Assassinorum following the events of the Wars of Vindication which resulted from the events of Vandire's Reign of Blood.⁷

Inquisitorial Conclaves, Cabals and Cells

As well as the Ordos, there are many types of Inquisitorial groupings that an Inquisitor may belong to, however as with the Ordos, membership of these is not mandatory.

• Conclaves: Inquisitorial Conclaves can take two forms. The first is a gatherings called by an Inquisitor (if called by an Inquisitor Lord it is termed a 'High Conclave') to discuss a particular subject ⁶. There are also more permanent regional Conclaves; these are federations of Inquisitors who watch over a particular area of Imperial space ¹². The larger of these regional Conclaves may have resources such as ships, armies, fortresses and libraries for the use of their members. Not all sectors of Imperial space are covered by a Conclave, and some areas are devoid of a permanent Inquisitorial presence. The head of each regional Conclave is normally an Inquisitor Lord, and is nominally appointed by the High Lords on Terra There are also Conclaves operating at the Segmentum level ⁸, again headed by an Inquisitor Lord.
• Cabals: A cabal is a rare body instituted by a Conclave and dedicated to investigating a particular matter. Generally they gather Inquisitors from varied backgrounds and philosophies to form a specialist task-force. Often, Cabals are despised by many who see them as secret societies within a Conclave¹².
• Cells: Similar to a Cabal, a Cell is an ad-hoc group of Inquisitors who share a common goal. Often they are factional in nature, or are formed to confront a particular problem. The principle difference between Cabals and Cells is that the latter are entirely informal and are transitive in nature.¹⁰

Role of the Inquisition

Above the jurisdiction of the Adeptus Terra, the Inquisition is immensely powerful. As the Inquisition was created by the Emperor, its members of answerable to Him alone. No one, beyond the Emperor Himself, is exempt from Inquisitorial scrutiny. This power is officially known as the Inquisitorial Remit or Inquisitorial Mandate.

The role of the ordinary Inquisitor is to investigate all potential threats. The Imperium of Mankind is besieged by a uncountable multitude of dangers on any given day - corruption and disloyalty amongst the ranks of Imperial organizations, unchecked psykers loose upon hapless worlds, intricate daemonic plots set to burn out the souls of faithful citizens, and mutation brought upon by twists within the human gene-pool.

For a just cause, Inquisitors may require the service and/or resources of any Imperial servant or organization. Not even a High Lord of Terra may refuse the order of an Inquisitor without good reason. This power extends across the Adeptus Astartes and the Adeptus Mechanicus, however learned Inquisitors show discretion and request the assistance of the Space Marines and attempt not to anger the Adepts of Mars. The only exception to this power concerns the Adeptus Custodes, as the purity of the Dread Guardians of the Holy Throne is beyond all doubt.

With such an immense task, it is neccessay for the Inquisition to operate beyond the petty bureaucracy common to most other Imperial departments. Because it is vital that the Inquisition itself does not become corrupt, its integrity is upheld by constant self-policing and scrutiny. The Inquisition does not have a formal organisation and is really only organised at the most fundamental level - the single Inquisitor. There is no system of ranks or command such as is found in the military or Adeptus Terra. Authority within the Inquisition is governed by two factors - reputation and influence. Seniority is in itself no indicator of authority, however most Inquisitors will take heed of the wisdom an older and more experienced peer.^{10 12}

As per the Inquisitorial Remit, Inquisitors hold the absolute power to judge all who fall beneath their gaze. The Inquisition holds countless paths to death that usually correspond to the level of guilt of the condemned. The horrors of arco-flagellation, Penal Legion conscription, or binding to a Penitent Engine are a small sample of unique forms of penitence and absolution that Inquisitors use on a regular basis.

As the Final Gatekeepers between the Imperium and Hell, Inquisitors may - in extreme and unredeemable situations - condemn an entire world to Exterminatus. A last resort to even the most radical of Inquisitors, Exterminatus ensures the obliteration of corruption and heresy by completely destroying the world on which such immense levels of darkness is found.

Inquisitorial Ranks

Although there is no formal system of ranks or command in the Inquisition, there are a number of positions that may be held by an Inquisitor. These positions do not bring any more authority (an Inquisitor's authority is already absolute), however the incumbent Inquisitor will have increased influence over his peers by virtue of his office.

• Inquisitorial Representative: The Inquisitorial Representative is the voice of the Inquisition on the High Lords of Terra. Although the role does not bring any additional authority above that of Inquisitor Lord, it does put the holder in a position of unrivalled power and authority due to the influence he has at the highest levels of power. The Inquisitorial Representative is nominated from amongst the Inquisitor Lords of the sectors surrounding Terra, and Inquisitors that have filled this role are referred to as an Inquisitor Lord Terran. It is not unusual for several Inquisitor Lords Terran to share the role of Inquisitorial Representative at the same time. The maximum term that an Inquisitor Lord Terran can serve on the Senatorum is five years, after which they must stand down.¹⁰
• Inquisitor Lord: Also known as Lord Inquisitors or High Inquisitors, Inquisitor Lords exist to help maintain the integrity of the organisation, and to watch over and guide its members. The title is a recognition of an Inquisitor's power and influence rather than an absolute rank, and is more a formalisation of a position enjoyed by the Inquisitor rather than an actual promotion. Promotion to the ranks of Inquisitor Lord is by invitation only; an Inquisitor must be nominated by an existing Lord and have his nomination approved by two others. It is an honour that is only extended to those that have proven their courage, ability, loyalty and integrity numerous times. Although the rank of Inquisitor Lord in itself brings no temporal authority, it is likely that such a respected and influential Inquisitor will have some measure of control over resources within the Inquisition or his Ordo and his control of those resources will give him some measure of authority over Inquisitors who wish to use them. For example a Lord Inquisitior may oversee the activities of all Inquisitors operating in the region covered by a regional Conclave; or he may orchestrate and monitor their activities of Inquisitors who are part of an Ordo or Cabal.^{8 10}
• Grandmaster: The title sometimes given to the Inquisitor Lord who runs a sector or sub-sector Conclave; the Inquisitorial authority for a specific sector of Imperial space.³
• Master: Where an Ordo has a strong presence in a sector or sub-sector, the senior Inquisitor Lord of each Ordo may be given the title 'Master'. Their role is to oversee and guide the activities of members of their Ordo and provide counsel to the Grenadmaster. Upon the death of a Grandmaster, a successor is chosen by secret ballot between the three Masters.³
• Inquisitor: The Inquisitor ordinary. The vast majority of the Inquisition is comprised of these individuals.

Recruitment and Promotion

Recruitment within the Inquisition is not centralised, and an Inquisitor is free to recruit whoever he so chooses as an acolyte. There are many different names given to acolytes, Interrogator, Explicator, Neophyte, Novitiates, Neophytes, Approbators etc, but in themselves they carry no authority (only that which they are granted by their Inquisitor) . Although some Inquisitors may have their acolytes pass through various 'ranks' on their progression to Inquisitor, those ranks are not standardised across the Inquisition.⁸

For an acolyte to be raised to the rank of Inquisitor, the consent of three Inquisitors or an Inquisitor Lord is required. There have been cases where the situation has called for an acolyte to take on full Inquisitorial responsibilities immediately without the blessing of three Inquisitors or a Lord. For example if their Inquisitor is killed in action, their apprentice may inherit their Inquisitorial Seal and fulfil the role of an Inquisitor subject to repeal by another Inquisitor¹⁰.

Actions

An Action is how the Inquisition interrogates its prisoners. (see article for details)³

Philosophy

The Inquisition can be broadly divided into two differing schools of thought: Puritanism and Radicalism.

To the conservative Puritans, it is of the utmost importance that Inquisition doctrine be upheld, and are often found persecuting those Inquisitors who are deemed heretical.

The pragmatic Radical Inquisitors follow the Imperial doctrines in spirit, believing that the ends justify the means, and find little value in adhering to convention too closely. They often try to fight fire with fire, using Chaos or alien weaponry, employing Daemonhosts, or committing other acts that would be deemed heretical by their more conservative brethren.

Inquisitors of both sides are found in great number, and while often at odds with each other, are equally interested in the survival of the mankind and the defeat of its enemies. Puritans and Radicals are further divided into individual philosophies, leading to further friction:

Puritans

• Amalathianism - Amalathian. The conservative philosophy of Puritanism. It advocates unity between Imperial organisations and lack of tumultuous change. It was at the birth of this philosophy, on Gathalamor, at Mount Amalath, that Lord Commander Solar Macharius was spurred on to his grand conquest of nearly a thousand worlds.

• Monodominance - Monodominant. This philosophy holds that man can only survive in the Galaxy at the death of every other creature, be it alien, mutant, or even psyker (which would potentially harm the Imperium, seeing as all galactic communication and long-distance travel is psychic in nature). They are arguably the most extreme of the Puritans.

• Thorianism - Thorians. These members of the Inquisition believe that the Emperor will some day be reincarnated. This is the most 'radical' of the Puritan ideologies due to the possible upheaval that could result should the Thorians actually be able to summon the Emperor into a new form, as Believers and Unbelievers would turn upon each other. Named after Sebastian Thor, thought to be an avatar of the Emperor.

Radicals

• Istvaanism - To this ideology, conflict is desirable to further progress through strife. It holds that mankind has made its greatest achievements after periods of conflict, such as the Horus Heresy, or Age of Apostasy. It is the place of the Istvaanians to strengthen mankind through adversity, and so follow a 'survival of the fittest' doctrine. The philosophy is named after the Isstvan III virus-bombings that initiated the Horus Heresy.

• Recongregationism - According to this philosophy the Imperium, after millennia, has become decadent and corrupt. To remedy this, Recongregators consider that the Imperium should be rebuilt, lest it stagnate further and collapse under the pressure of countless threats from both without and within.

• Xanthism - The most obviously Radical grouping within the Inquisition, it advocates the use of warp-based weaponry, such as daemon possessed swords, daemonhosts, and generally turning the power of Chaos against itself. Named after Inquisitor-Master Zaranchek Xanthus, executed as a heretic in the 32nd millennium.

Minor and Splinter Philosophies

• Anomolian Beholders - A conservative faction who see it as their job to observe Humanity and await the arrival of the Emperor Incarnate.⁶

• Ardentities - The Ardentities believe that the Emperor Incarnate will manifest through a group of people, or more likely the entirety of Mankind.⁶

• Casophilians - Following the writings of Saint Casophili, the Casophilians dedicate their study to the transition of a human soul to the Warp. They seek to devise a way to bring forth the soul of a deceased man or woman in order to create the means by which the Emperor's soul can be invested into a suitable mortal form.⁶

• Hourusians - A resurrectionist faction like the Thorians, but of a much more radical bent. They believe that the powers of Chaos that manifested themselves in Horus might be harnessed for the creation of a Divine Avatar.⁶

• Oblationist - Oblationists believe that the warp, the xenos and the unclean are utterly damning and those who utilize them must face the ultimate sanction. Yet they also believe their use is necessary to overcome mankind's enemies. Therefore the righteous must sacrifice themselves and embrace damnation in order for humanity to survive.⁸

• Polypsykana - An offshoot of the Xanthites, they believe that humanity is destined to evolve into a fully psychic race, and seek to hasten and support the occurrence of psykers throughout the Imperium.⁸

• Revivificators - The Revivicators study the transition of the soul to the Warp at the point of death. In particular, they study the means by which this can be slowed, halted and, ultimately, returned. They also study the Golden Throne hoping to alter its working so that the Emperor's body might be restored. To this end, they study the processes by which a corpse may be maintained in a state ready for such a reinfusion of the soul.⁶

• Seculos Attendous - A faction that sees the Ecclesiarchy as hampering and holding back mankind, and look to reduce its power and influence where possible.⁸

• Xeno Hybris - Xeno Hybris followers believe that there is much to be learned from alien technology, and only through co-operation with Xenos species will humanity ever prevail.⁸

History

Inquisitors were not well known in the Warhammer 40,000 universe until the release of the 54mm miniatures game Inquisitor, which is a narrative game, based around warbands which often comprise of an Inquisitor and his henchmen. The creation of Inquisitor was followed by a great deal of information about the Inquisition, and the organization attracted the interest of fans. This led to the creation of Codex: Daemonhunters and Codex: Witch Hunters, both based around armies led by Inquisitors (of the Ordo Malleus and the Ordo Hereticus, respectively).

Famous Inquisitors

• Inquisitor Lord Torquemada Coteaz - Ordo Malleus, High Protector of the Formosa Sector, infamous adversary and destroyer of Daemons; his name is a homage to Tomás de Torquemada
• Lord Inquisitor Gressil d'Angelus - current Lord Inquisitor Obscurus. ^{[Needs Citation]}
• Inquisitor Obiwan Sherlock Clousseau- a tireless exposer of psychic misdeeds and genetic deviance²
• Inquisitor Czevak - one of the few non-Eldar to be allowed access to the infamous Black Library of Chaos
• Inquisitor Jaq Draco - Renegade Inquisitor of the Ordo Malleus, raided the Black Library and stole the Book of the Rhana Dandra.
• Inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn - Ordo Xenos
• Inquisitor Silas Hand - hero of the Daemonifuge graphic novel
• Inquisitor Kalypsia- Inquisitor in charge of Deathwatch Kill Team in the Warrior brood novel
• Inquisitor Lord Fyodor Karamazov - Ordo Hereticus, Pyrophant Judge of Salem Proctor
• Inquisitor Kryptman - Tyranid expert of the Ordo Xenos
• Inquisitor Georgius Matejus - Ordo Malleus radical hunter - Accompanied with Brother-Captain Karl Ruben of the Grey Knights Chapter. ^{[Needs Citation]}
• Inquisitor Quixos - Ordo Malleus radical that was eventually slain by Inquisitor Eisenhorn
• Inquisitor Gideon Ravenor - previous acolyte to Gregor Eisenhorn
• Inquisitor Mordecai Toth - Ordo Malleus, sent to investigate daemonic presence on the planet Tartarus
• Inquisitor Lord Hector Rex - Ordo Malleus, Leading Commander on Vraks Siege.

Related Articles

• Inquisitor
• List of Inquisitors
• Inquisition Quotes

Sources

• ¹: Flight of the Eisenstein by James Swallow.
• ²: Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader
• ³: Malleus by Dan Abnett
• ⁴: Codex: Daemonhunters (3rd Edition)
• ⁵: Codex: Witch Hunters (3rd Edition)
• ⁶: Thorian Sourcebook
• ⁷: Codex Assassins (2nd edition)
• ⁸: Dark Heresy: Disciples of the Dark Gods
• ⁹: The Horus Heresy Vol. IV: Visions of Death by Alan Merrett
• ¹⁰: The Thorians: Faction Sourcebook Retrieved on 2006-03-28.
• ¹¹: Inquisitor, 1st Edition ISBN 1-84154-077-3.
• ¹²: Dark Heresy Core Rulebook