Forsaken Priest

“Any grace that was mine is gone. I am a priest of a church of bones and all my flock are grinning skulls and ashes. I am no longer a man: I am a thing made of bleak knowledge, squandered purity and regret.”
–Confessor Adso, Acolyte in the service of Antonina Mesmeron
A Forsaken Priest is faithful priest of the Ecclesiarchy who
has been drawn into the service of an Inquisitor of a Radical
creed and has sacrificed himself to the learning of dark
knowledge and the forbidden arts of sorcery. The knowledge
and use of sorcery are blasphemous acts that eat away at
those who acquire and wield such dark arts. Nevertheless,
the power of sorcery and daemon lore is a potent weapon
against the manifold threats faced by the Imperium, and so it
may be wielded by those who know that they are damning
themselves but are willing to sacrifice their souls in the
defense of humanity.
Forsaken Priests are rare, even in the ranks of
the radical factions of the Inquisition, and though
exceptions exist, they are almost exclusively found
among those who follow either the Xanthite or
Oblationist doctrine, often for very different
reasons.
The strength of character required to stand with one foot
in heaven and the other in hell is a rare thing indeed, and
the investiture of a Forsaken Priest is a process of learning
and dark transformation. With ritual care the once-pure priest
studies and practices the vile skills of warp craft and in so
doing is transformed from a priest of unsullied faith to a
hollow shell who has nothing left but sacrifice and service.
From this point on, a Forsaken Priest will be one of his
Inquisitor’s most trusted Acolytes, and may in time be raised
to the rank of Inquisitor to perpetuate the dark arts to another
generation of Inquisitors.
==Becoming a Forsaken Priest==
Becoming a Forsaken Priest is a profound change for a Cleric
Acolyte; he is crossing the line into undeniable Radicalism in
how he operates. This Alternative Rank also represents the
progression of trust that an Oblationist or Xanthite Inquisitor
(for example) has in the Acolyte and is an agreed and conscious
choice on the part of both servant and master. Given this, a
player should consult closely with his GM before taking this
career for his Cleric character.
Once a Cleric has set himself on the path of a Forsaken
Priest, he will undergo a period of purification, prayer and
fasting alongside his schooling in the malefic arts. At the
end of this period the cleric will lose any Pure Faith-based
Talents that they may have acquired. The
Cleric also gains 1d10 minus his Willpower
Bonus in Corruption Points.
Required Career: Cleric
Alternate Rank: Rank 5 or higher (3,000 XP)