How to treat Heretics

It is inevitable that in our service to ALMSIVI and Their holy Temple we shall encounter souls which are not loyal to the Tribunal.  Whether these souls belong to the Sharmat, the House of Troubles, or any number of other perfidious sects it is our duty as Ordinators to protect the faithful from the danger which these people represent and while these souls are often irredeemable and must be purged with divine wrath, we must also attempt to emulate Almalexia, Mother of Mercy, and avoid unnecessary bloodshed.

Children 
Children will, admittedly, not be encountered frequently by those of the Order of War, Inquisition, or my own Order, but the Order of the Watch will regularly encounter them in the execution of their daily duties and must learn to interact with them.  Occasionally Ordinators will learn of heretical practices in town and, during their raids of homes and shrines, will encounter the sons and daughters of heretics.  Simply put, the young are not to blame for the blasphemous teachings their parents instill in them as they lack the maturity and experience to reject the falsehoods taught to them, which unfortunately leaves these young souls deluded.  I encourage Ordinators to try and be gentle and reassuring as these children can become valuable members of the faithful under the tutelage of the Temple and some of them may even grow up to execute the will of the Tribunal as Ordinators.  Remember, they may grow violent during your raids while you are arresting or executing their parents and while you are expected to protect yourself, do remember that as a trained warrior few of them can pose any significant threat to you.  Show mercy and they may one day be reborn in service to the one true faith.

The Misled and Ignorant 
Not all those who are misled young are so fortunate to be ripped away from their deceivers by the Temple and some grow up having been lied to their whole life.  Keep in mind that, according to Temple law, heresy is not heresy unless the nonbeliever refuses to be corrected and those who are unaware that they are rejecting the truth are not heretics nor are they guilty of any sin. Ordinators are encouraged to bring any non-violent heretics to the attention of the Temple, who will instruct you on how to act.  While usually a Temple scholar or priest will speak with and attempt to correct the nonbelievers, periodically Ordinators of Doctrine and Ordination will fulfill this role because you have the scholarly training to answer any question and assuage any doubts nonbelievers may reasonably have and are you are servants of the Triunes who are expected to serve as examples of faithfulness at all times.  I have personally seen, after lengthy discussions, nonbelievers renounce their corrupt beliefs and accept our Three Gods as their divine lords.

The Coerced 
The Order of War will frequently purge the dens of the worshippers of the House of Troubles, and when you do show no mercy for those cultists desire nothing less than the Temple’s complete destruction.  However they often have slaves who serve their masters solely out of fear of punishment and because these coerced servants live in pitiable conditions as slaves to evil incarnate you serve the Three and the Temple by breaking their chains and wrenching them from the wicked hands of the Four Corners.  Once freed from bondage these souls may see the truth and come to worship the Triunes.  Admittedly, it can be difficult to distinguish true, willing servants of the Four Corners from their coerced servants, and while you must prioritize the completion of your mission and the safety of you and your comrades, if you can save these helpless souls you should make every reasonable effort to do so.

The Doubters 
In a perfect world all Dunmer would remain faithful to the Triunes their whole life, but we live in an imperfect world; were it not so we Ordinators would not exist.  There will be times in most people’s lives in which doubt will creep in and while it is a contagion which can spread if left unchecked, most often the lapse in faith is momentary and can be corrected under supervision. Doubt usually takes hold of laity, although occasionally even members of the clergy will experience it, and while it is nefarious and even dangerous, a good Inquisitor will avoid violence and incarceration unless the doubt degrades into vile heresy and the doubter becomes fixed in their incorrectness.  Those of you who belong to the Order of the Inquisition are charged with extirpating doubt wherever it may be found but reeducation is always a better means of eliminating uncertainty than force; one moment of doubt does not warrant the death sentence or torture and incarceration.  Show mercy and lead the doubters back into the loving and merciful arms of ALMSIVI.

Violence is a fact of life for Ordinators but it is always better to redeem a heretic than to kill them.  This is a lesson which many jaded Ordinators lose sight of after many years of service, but it is something that I wish to instill into all of you.  Never let it stray far from your mind in the years to come.  Discharge your duties faithfully, you represent the Temple.