Inquisition

Inquisition Portal

The Holy Orders of the Emperor's Inquisition, more commonly known as the Inquisition, are a secretive and powerful organization of the Imperium responsible for guarding the souls of humanity. The purpose of the Inquisition is to identify and destroy the myriad of potential threats to the Imperium and humanity. The organization's members are agents known as Inquisitors.

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 assault 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 organization to combat the efforts of Promeus and Moriana; and it was from this seed, the Inquisition was formed¹⁰.

It is not known whether these two stories are simply a case of conflicting background, or whether both stories contain some element of truth. 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 the Emperor's Inquisition¹¹. The fact that they called themselves "Orders" plural could be taken to suggest that the early Inquisition was an amalgamation of several organizations.

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 specializes 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 Inquisitors 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) - Investigates and roots out heresy, mutation, and rogue psykers from humanity, 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 rumors 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 to investigate an increase 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 Often one or more of the Inquisitors in the Cell will work overtly through investigation while the rest proceed through infiltration¹³.

Role of the Inquisition

As a completely autonomous Imperial organization beyond the power of the Adeptus Terra, the Inquisition is immensely powerful. As the Inquisition's duties involve the scrutiny and policing of the other organizations of the Imperium, the Inquisition itself is answerable to no higher power except the Emperor. No one, except the Emperor himself, is beyond the scrutiny of the Inquisition. This power is officially known as the Inquisitorial Remit or Inquisitorial Mandate.

With the exception of the Ministorum (which, in any case is still under outside Imperial restrictions), the Inquisition is the only organization of Imperial government that is completely autonomous. Unlike other Imperial organizations, it is not a branch of the massive Adeptus Terra, but a self-contained organization answerable only to itself.

The role of the ordinary Inquisitor is to investigate and deal with all potential threats to mankind and the Imperium. In the eyes of the Inquisition, there are multitudes of such potential threats. The main threat is posed not by invading aliens, but from within, by corruption and disloyalty within the Imperial organizations, as well as by psykers. The other threat posed from within is that of mutation, the constant corruption of the human gene-pool. There are no bounds to the Inquisition's area of responsibility: alien plots, mutation, political corruption, and incompetence all come under their jurisdiction².

If required, Inquisitors may call on 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 role of the Inquisition requires proactivity and efficiency unbound by the dogmatic bureaucracy common to most other Imperial departments. Accordingly, there is little in the way of hierarchy or departmentalization within the Inquisition. 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}

Because the Inquisition are the watchdogs of the Imperium, answerable only to themselves, given almost absolute power, along with such broad jurisdiction, corruption is an ever present danger. Its integrity is therefore upheld by constant self-policing and scrutiny. In the earliest editions of the background, this was the stated role of the Ordo Malleus, which were the Inquisition's secretive Inner Order.

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.

Inquisitors have the authority to condemn an entire world to Exterminatus if it is deemed to be irredeemably corrupt. Exterminatus, the obliteration of a world, is only resorted to when the level of corruption a world bears is so monumental that it cannot be wiped out by any other means.

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 unrivaled 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 organization, 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 formalization 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 honor 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 Inquisitor 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 Grandmaster. 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 centralized, 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, 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 standardized 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 fulfill 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 - The conservative philosophy of Puritanism. It advocates unity between Imperial organizations 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 - 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 - 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.

Minor Puritan Factions

• 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

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 Radical Factions

• 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

• Horusians - 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

• Libricars- A faction founded in the Calaxian system, which adheres to an extension of Amalathian belief. The Libricars believe in the widespread purging of all Imperial institutions of all corruption and heresy, including the Inquisition, no matter how minor.¹⁴

• Oblationists - 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

• Ocularians- A faction devoted to predicting and divining the future.¹⁴

• Phaenonites – A Xanthite splinter faction particularly interested in the merging of the warp and technology. They have turned their back on the God-Emperor and believe in the rebirth of the Imperium under their own leadership, and as such are one of the only Inquisitorial Factions to be declared wholesale Excommunicate Traitoris.¹⁴

• 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
• 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 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.

See also

• Inquisitor
• List of Inquisitors
• Inquisition Quotes

Sources

• ¹: The 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 Rulebook
• ¹³: Codex Imperialis p. 31
• ¹⁴: Dark Heresy: The Radical’s Handbook