Fyodor Karamazov
"There is no such thing as a plea of innocence in my court. A plea of innocence is guilty of wasting my time. Guilty."
 Fyodor Karamazov on his Throne of Judgement | |
|---|---|
| Title(s) | Pyrophant Judge of Salem Proctor |
| Active Period | c. 800s.M41 - Present[2] |
| Species | Human |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Affiliation(s) | |
Fyodor Karamazov, also known as the Pyrophant Judge of Salem Proctor, is an Inquisitor Lord of the Ordo Hereticus.[1]
Contents
Biography
A staunch Amalathian, Karamazov is bitterly opposed to the notion of change, believing that the Emperor's plan for His people must be left to unfold as He planned and without the arrogant intervention of those who believe that they understand His will. He is a harsh judge and brooks no pleas of innocence, once famously boasting that he has sent more witches and heretics to their deaths than Macharius.[1]
Karamazov has risen steadily in the Ordo Hereticus for nearly two centuries, acquiring many supporters within the more hard-line Puritan elements of the Inquisition for his unflinching determination to punish witchcraft and heresy without mercy. His deeds were repute with the rigid application of the Imperial Creed and, though some within the Inquisition criticised his inflexibility and claimed that he had sent thousands of innocents to their deaths, Karamazov would reply with Judge Traggat's famous maxim that "claims of innocence meant nothing; serving only to prove a foolish lack of caution." His purges have become infamous, particularly those carried out on Ultima Macharia, Bakka, and Cypra Mundi. After the Abraxan Purges of 930.M41 he was presented with his mighty Throne of Judgement, which was buried within the Crypts of Abraxras and which has since become a symbol of Karamazov's power and prestige.[2]
Karamazov's reputation as a ruthless, unforgiving Witch Hunter was already well known throughout Segmentum Solar when he famously clashed with Ecclesiarch Decius XXIII concerning Karamazov's excruciation and eventual immolation of a young preacher Icarael from the world of Salem Proctor in 945.M41. This world had broken faith with the Ecclesiarchy, its apostate cardinal turning the world's resources to his own ends and casting out all who defied him. Inquisitor Lord Karamazov led a fleet, together with two entire orders of the Adepta Sororitas, to depose the apostate cardinal, but upon its arrival, he found the world already in rebellion against its traitorous ruler. Although the leader of this rebellion, a young priest named Icarael, proved himself to be a fervent believer in the Emperor, Karamazov nevertheless doubted his faith, and after Icarael's imprisonment and torture, declared him a heretic and burned him, putting his burnt remains on display for all to see. The Ecclesiarchy's initial outraged reaction to this event was somewhat abated when it turned out that many of Icarael's followers were indeed servants of Chaos. However, despite this, the Ecclesiarchy's attitude towards Karamazov and his methods remains negative.[1]
In the Age of the Dark Imperium, Karamazov has launched a Crusade to purge the Avalonia Sub-Sector of the heretics that have risen up in the region due to the machinations of the Word Bearers.[4]
Images
Inquisitor Karamazov and his entourage
Inquisitor Karamazov miniature
Trivia
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- The name "Fyodor Karamazov" is an amalgamation of the novel The Brothers Karamazov and its author, Fyodor Dostoevsky. The book itself deals strongly with the issues of faith, free will, and morality.
- Salem Proctor may be a reference to the 1953 play The Crucible which occurs in the town of Salem, Massachusetts, Arthur Miller's version of the Salem Witch Trials). The protagonist of the play is named John Proctor.
- The Inquisitorial Fortress of Severvian and the Chamber of Truth and Penitence is likely a reference to Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun, the main character of which is Severian of the Guild of Torturers and Truth and Penitence.
See also
Sources
- 1: Codex: Witch Hunters (3rd Edition), pgs. 44–45
- 2: Codex: Grey Knights (5th Edition), pg. 46
- 3: Warhammer 40,000: Darktide - Item descriptions - Portrait frame: Blind Justice
- 4: Codex: Imperial Agents (10th Edition), pg. 34
