Imperial Inquisition

> "*No man is above suspicion.*"
> ― Inquisitorial Motto
>
>

The flag of the Imperial Inquisition is a golden circled cross on a black background. The circled cross is a prominent Elvetan symbol, the gold represents the power of the Gods and the light of Yacela, and the black represents the secrecy of the organisation.

### Defined Role

Law enforcement
Maintaining domestic security
Anti-corruption auditing
Hunting mutants, witches and demons
Persecuting demon cultists

### Current Members

Exact numbers unavailable, estimated 5000-10,000

### Motto(s)

"No man is above suspicion""Suffer not the evil to live" (Archaic, rarely used)

The **Imperial Inquisition**, archaically known as the **Holy Elvetan Inquisition**, is a secretive institution in the Nesarian Empire that has occupied diverse roles across its long history. Originally founded to uphold Elvetan orthodoxy by King Mathados I in 600BC, it rapidly took on a leading role in hunting mutants, witches and demons in Nesaria. Following the establishment of the Empire, the Inquistion quickly secularised, and by the 3rd century AD it had added domestic intelligence gathering and law enforcement to its list of duties. Its critics often label it as a secret police agency, to emphasise its unaccountable nature.

The roles of the Imperial Inquisition significantly overlap with some other branches of the state, most notably the police services, domestic security and counter-intelligence agencies, the judiciary and anti-corruption auditors. However, the Inquisition is superior in authority to all of these; it is beholden only to itself and to the Emperor, who himself has the authority to dismiss or even execute an Inquisitor at any time for any reason; Inquisitors must explicitly agree to such terms in order to join the agency.

The Inquisition has a limited ability to command other agencies of the state. Whilst it can do little to actively force a state agency to do something, there are several areas where the Inquisition can *prohibit* the actions of a state agency; for example, it cannot order a court to issue a warrant for a search or arrest (which would be redundant anyway; if the Inquisition wanted to search a property or arrest an individual, it does not require a warrant to do so), but can *prevent* the issuing of a warrant.

The Inquisition can also indirectly push for certain courses of action through what are essentially legal loopholes; for example, an Inquisitor cannot force the police to work alongside him, but he can make his intentions known (for example, that he is hunting a certain individual or gang), and is then able to prosecute anyone who gets in the way of his work (e.g. by withholding information or evidence) for the crime of obstructing Inquisitorial authority.

To handle the varied roles of the Inquisition, the institution is split into subdivisions known as Orders (Nesarian: *Dare*, singular *Dara*), which handle a specific duty or set of duties. The Orders only exist to make internal administration and organisation simpler and to make the process of reporting information to the Inquisition more efficient; they do not imply any difference in rank, status or authority between Inquisitors. Inquisitors are able to switch their Order fairly easily, and they are not recruited into a specific Order when they join the Inquisition; it instead reflects an individual Inquisitor's specialisations.

While the division into Orders is largely superficial, the distinction between the two types of Inquisitor is not. Inquisitors are either Open (also called Overt) or Secret (also called Covert); both types are necessary and specialise in different roles. Open Inquisitors make no secret of the fact that they are Inquisitors; though they do sometimes go undercover, their display of Inquisitorial authority is intentional, and they typically don the traditional Inquisitorial uniform. They are intended to strike fear into the hearts of criminals and evildoers through their presence, to make visible the supremacy of the Inquisition and the Emperor. When such horrors still existed in the world, it was these Inquisitors who were primarily tasked with hunting mutants, witches and demons.

Secret Inquisitors may not tell anyone about their employment in the Inquisition; they may not even tell their spouse without a thorough assessment of their spouse's character and a lengthy judgement as to how well they can keep it a secret. They are utilised in operations where secrecy is paramount; where intelligence needs to be gathered covertly, where it is vital that the target does not know they are being investigated or hunted by the Inquisition, where a necessary act is too unsavoury to the public to be associated with the state, or - perhaps - where the Inquisition feels it needs to act outside of the law. Such Inquisitors are also crucial in policing the Inquisition itself; since Open Inquisitors do not know who the Secret Inquisitors are (unless they reveal themselves and become Open), the Secret Inquisitors are able to watch them for incompetence or corruption, and connections cannot be established between the two groups.

Prior to the Imperial Civil War, only males could become Inquisitors (that is, in races with binary sexes; Limkas, Cisens and Vampires were all permitted to be Inquisitors despite not being male), but the pressing need to rapidly recruit large numbers of new Inquisitors meant that the institution opened its doors to women (which included both true females and hermaphrodites). Few actually joined the Inquisition, never making up more than approximately 1/5 of its members, but they proved to be just as capable, as the resurgence of magic and new developments in firearm technology rendered their natural strength disadvantage irrelevant.

## Funding

The Imperial Inquisition acquires funding through private donations, state subsidies and commercial enterprise. The Imperial state contributes funds, and noble families from across the Empire (but particularly in Nesaria) are expected to donate a portion of their income to the organisation. The Inquisition also sometimes receives anonymous donations from the public. The Inquisition prefers to take donations through cash, gold or secure cryptocurrencies, and may not always accept payments by card as they are too easily traced.

The Inquisition also partakes in commercial activities to acquire funds. The organisation owns property across the Empire, most of which is dedicated to serving the Inquisitors but some of which is rented out to acquire income. The Inquisition is also known to have shares in many businesses, and almost certainly trades stocks and currency.

Inquisitors are not given a salary, rather they are given a budget of how much they can spend each month, and anything left over goes back to the Inquisition. This means that any private commercial activities an Inquisitor may undertake ultimately end up funding the Inquisition. Inquisitors are not expected to live in poverty as the monastics do, but they are expected to only spend money on what they strictly need, and to not indulge in luxuries and frivolities.

Inquisitors are explicitly prohibited from charging the public for undertaking their normal duties. An Inquisitor found guilty of such an act is put to death. However, Inquisitors are not forbidden from accepting payment for performing side work when they have no other duties to attend to.

## In Ancient Times

In ancient Nesaria, before the Kingdom of Ascaria had unified the country, the Inquisition operated more as an international body, although it was headquartered in Ascaria. Any state, Elvetan or not, which welcomed the Inquisition and agreed to fund it received the services of the Inquisition. However, the majority of states - particularly the native pagan ones - only welcomed the Inquisition on the condition that any state official persecuted for corruption had to be delivered to the ruler for punishment, rather than the Inquisition taking the punishment into its own hands. This was not only because the rulers wanted to protect their aristocracy from being attacked by the Inquisition, but also because many suspected that the Kingdom of Ascaria would pay off the Inquisition to destroy the entire ruling class of a state so that it could be easily conquered. There is no evidence of such a thing happening, but there is evidence of Ascarian aristocracy considering the possibility of carrying out this act, and one recorded instance of a nobleman trying to convince King Mathados I to bribe the Inquisition to kill the hostile Cafanian aristocracy. The nobleman was turned over to the Inquisition by Mathados himself, who promptly hanged him.

When Nesaria became unified under Ascaria and later the Republic of Nesaria, the Inquisition was able to carry out its duties across the whole country with no restrictions on its authority.

## Uniform

Members of the Inquisition wear the same basic uniform, with details such as insignias displaying their rank. Their basic colour scheme of black, gold and some white has remained unchanged since their conception, and the current uniform design has changed little since the last major redesign in 1799. Since 1634, the uniforms have been produced exclusively by the Calesan Tailory, which was founded in Eshér but relocated to Onshitama in 1802, as the raw materials are more readily available there. The Calesan Tailory makes use of especially fine cotton fabric, and the higher ranks of the Inquisition may obtain silk garments upon request. While it is not a part of the Inquisition, the Tailory is jointly owned between the Calesan family and the Inquisition, and the Tailory has signed a permanent contract to only serve the Inquisition.

Inquisitors wear a white ruffled shirt below a black waistcoat, with the top few buttons left undone to reveal the ruffles. On top of that, they wear a smooth-fitting coat that stretches down to the knees, widening into a skirt below the hips, with pleats at the side-seams and a vent at the back to make sitting easier. The coat is usually left unbuttoned for casual wear, but in combat it is often buttoned or worn with a belt to stop it flapping about. In hotter weather it is often not worn at all, particularly while in combat.

They also wear black knee-length breeches atop white stockings (sometimes substituted for modern-style trousers in current times), black leather boots that come up to just below the knee, and a black tricorn hat embroidered with golden thread. The hat comes with a strap (obviously also black) that keeps it on during combat, but the strap is usually left undone and tucked away for casual wear. Inquisitors often wear black gloves, but this is not an official part of the uniform.

The waistcoat, coat, breeches and boots of an Inquisitor are all fairly tight-fitting for the purpose of practicality in combat situations, and it also helps to reduce creases. This caused some controversy when women were first admitted into the Inquisition, but the matter soon faded into irrelevance. Another, much stronger controversy with female uniforms occurred when a few women began wearing improperly short skirts (knee-length - scandalous!) instead of breeches, which was quickly stamped out.

Their uniform is decorated with golden trim throughout, and they use silver buckles and buttons rather than the brass reserved for military uniforms. Inquisitors almost always wear their hair in the warrior's ponytail, although this is not a requirement - however it is a requirement that ponytails must be tied back with a thin black ribbon.

Inquisitors always carry a sword, and when on duty most also carry a handgun. On larger operations they often carry assault rifles, shotguns and other military-grade firearms, and may wear body armour. However, despite the obvious safety benefit, the vast majority of Inquisitors refuse to wear a combat helmet, instead wearing some kind of metal or kevlar cap beneath their traditional tricorne hat. The swords are procured from the Imperial Armoury which also supplies the Imperial Order of Knights, whereas the firearms and armour are bought from commercial outlets.

Although the uniform is sometimes denounced as impractical, the Inquisiton has consistently defended its use of the traditional uniform, as Inquisitors should be "sufficiently intimidating". Indeed, the image of the Inquisitor in their traditional dress is burned into the public consciousness and inspires obedience, fear and admiration. It is also the simple truth that the Inquisitors like dressing that way, and take pride in their traditional uniform.

## Orders

The Inquisitors sort themselves into different Orders (*Dare*) which have different responsibilities, and although Inquisitors are discouraged from switching, they are not bound to any of them and can switch at will. The Orders provide a concentrated pool of expertise and make it simpler for others outside the Inquisition to contact specific Inquisitors that they need.

### Dara Lessa

*Dara Lessa* loosely translates as "Order of Work". The Dara Lessa is the least glamorous but possibly the most essential of the Orders, as it carries out the administrative duties of the Inquisition, managing funds and equipment, and receiving calls for aid and passing them on to available Inquisitors. The Dara Lessa also manages the Inquisition's relations with the state, religious institutions and the general public, and the tricky business of negotiating access to foreign countries where Inquisitors are needed but usually not welcomed. The administrative side of the Dara Lessa is almost entirely populated by Cisens due to their exceptional ability to crunch numbers, but the diplomatic side is made up primarily of Humans.

### Dara Vada

*Dara Vada* loosely translates as "Order against Heretics". The Dara Vada's official mission is to root out "heresy, treason and immorality", but their actual practices are more moderate than their mission statement would suggest.

Although in the ancient times of the Kingdom of Ascaria, the Order was charged with rooting out Elvetan heresies that were believed to corrupt the faith, ever since around the turn of the 1st century BC the definition of "heresy" shifted to the worship of Dread Titans - and throughout Inecuria, this is what the term "heresy" is understood to mean, with "heretics" being those who formed cults to worship the Dread.

The Dara Vada's task of rooting out treason refers not only to conspiracies against the state, the Emperor or the Imperial family (that is, political treason), but also conspiracies against "the mortal realms" - that is, conspiring with demons and Dread Titans. The process of defeating treason against the mortal realms usually involved co-operation with the Dara Morca, since those who conspired with demons were often Witches, which were the Dara Morca's specialty.

The Dara Vada cannot, according to its own laws, punish an individual for having immoral habits, but they are tasked with admonishing and silencing those who *promote* immorality. This practice has been harshly criticised by human rights groups in modern times, who view the Dara Vada's actions as restricting the free speech of marginalised people - most notably the LGBT community - and punishing them for celebrating their identity. The Dara Vada has been known to use moderate violence to dispel pride parades and protests that support behaviours that they consider immoral, or to use threats of violence to prevent them from occurring.

### Dara Misca

*Dara Misca* loosely translates as "Order against Corruption". The Dara Misca's responsibility is to find corrupt state officials and punish them, and it also hunts out corrupt religious officials, although in this case the guilty one is usually reported to higher authorities rather than dealt with by the Inquisition. The Dara Misca also hunts out corrupt Inquisitors. The Dara Misca's work is the most intensive on the side of the actual detecting, with much of their work happening in offices and libraries. Much like the Dara Lessa, the Dara Misca has a high concentration of Cisens due to their analytical minds.

### Dara Mossa

*Dara Mossa* loosely translates as "Order against Evil". The Dara Mossa's responsibility is to find and punish the worst criminals that the police are for whatever reason unable to act against; it is often the case that the activities of a criminal organisation are known but the police have insufficient evidence to prosecute them, a shortcoming that does not restrain the Inquisition.

The chief crime that the Dara Mossa has always been concerned with is slavery, especially sexual slavery, but in modern times they are also known for attacking gangs of drug dealers. The attitude of the Dara Mossa towards drug gangs is somewhat mixed; they have been accused of both undue brutality and leniency, sometimes massacring a gang headquarters with no survivors and sometimes letting the majority walk free.

It is theorised that the Dara Mossa is more lenient towards the so-called "clean" gangs - that is, those who avoid violence where possible and who use relatively clean methods of killing when they must fight - and unleashes extreme violence upon the "dirty" gangs in some kind of attempt to regulate organised crime. The theory goes that the Dara Mossa believes that eliminating organised crime is impossible, so their focus is instead upon ensuring that organised crime causes as little harm as possible. The actual effectiveness of this method remains contested.

### Dara Morca

*Dara Morca* loosely translates as "Order against Dread". It is now redundant, but not technically disbanded. The Dara Morca's responsibility is to find and kill "abominations that threaten all good folk", most prominently the creatures from the Dreadlands and the mutants born of demonic corruption. When the Order was still active, it had by far the most dangerous and respected line of work. The Dara Morca had the highest concentration of Elfkin out of any other Order, as their magical ability was particularly useful in the field of slaying mutants and demons.

The Dara Morca is the most diverse of the Orders, encompassing a wide range of skillsets and purposes. Not only were its members tasked with destroying threats from the Dreadlands, but also monitoring the activity of potential threats, learning more about the threats (often by venturing into the Dreadlands), and - somewhat controversially - undertaking diplomacy with the more moderate and less murderous creatures of the Dreadlands and protecting Dreadfolk who became their allies. The Dara Morca also had a large contingent of doctors, who were responsible for treating diseases of demonic origin. The doctors of the Dara Morca made a great many attempts to find a cure for demonic corruption and mutation by performing a wide variety of experiments upon them, but no cure was ever found.

Due to the intense secrecy the Inquisition maintains about its activities, and the subsequent mystery surrounding the organisation, many theorise that the Dara Morca is in fact still active and still fighting off supernatural threats, but it goes to great lengths to conceal the fact that this is happening in the interest of keeping public order.

## Alleged International Operations

The Imperial Inquisition only has the legal authority to operate within the boundaries of the Empire, but it does maintain international links in order to deal with targets who attempt to seek refuge abroad. No country explicitly gives permission for the Inquisition to operate within their borders, but many have a record of co-operating with the Inquisition, using their police services to track down targets and then handing them over to the Inquisition for judgement. Some countries explicitly deny the Inquisition access to their territory, such as the USA, Israel and the People's Republic of China.

There are plenty of rumours that the Inquisition goes a step further than this, maintaining formal chapters of Inquisitors in other countries to carry out much the same functions as those at home, with varying levels of co-operation from the state. The conspiracy theorists who believe magic is still at large propose that the Inquisition actually has a strong worldwide presence which fights supernatural threats across the globe. The Inquisition says such claims are "fanciful tales from a long-gone age", but interestingly enough has never explicitly and clearly rejected them.

## Famous Inquisitors

This includes Inquisitors famous for their achievements as well as Inquisitors infamous for their brutality.

* Stio Malos, "the man who loved a demon", served 1821-1867, and Vesha Malos, served 1832-????
* Qahem Sahrad, "Cleanser of Sekoshi", served 1831-1869
* Cavitor (the Annihilator), served 1842-????