Inquisition

The Inquisition is a secret organization that exists outside the standard administrative hierarchy of the Empire. The Inquisition acts as the secret police force of the Empire, hunting down any and all of the myriad threats to the stability of the Emperor's realm, from the corruption caused by the Heretics, mutants and rebels, to assaults from vicious alien species. In the realm of man, the Inquisition is one of the most powerful organizations of the Empire's many branches. Its agents, the Inquisitors, command fear and respect in equal measure. They are creatures of myth as much of flesh and blood, relentless beings who descend from on high to pass judgement upon the mutant, the traitor and the heretic. It is a rare thing for a citizen who does not dread drawing an Inquisitor's steely gaze, who does not experience the starkest terror in his or her presence. Every Imperial citizen, from the poorest of scum to the highest and wealthiest of nobles, has heard the tales of death and destruction, of the all-seeing eye that condemns or absolves with impunity. Those who have crossed an Inquisitor's path and survived to tell of it are seldom eager to invite his attention again. Inquisitors are as varied in appearance and manner as the myriad threats they face. They range in age from fiery young zealots to hoary old veterans who have fought in the darkness for years. All inquisitors wear red armor trimmed in black. Inquisitors commonly carry a wide range of weapons and war gear, so as to be prepared for any threat they might face. Some Inquisitors use outlandish weaponry, taken from defeated foes: exotic hardware.

Inquisitors themselves care little for morality, and nothing at all for the Empire's many laws and procedures, except when they choose to make use of them. They are the Emperor's left hand as the Imperial Knights are his right, and stand in judgement over all the Empire's organizations. A Inquisitor is apart from the rest of Mankind in every way that matters. By tradition, there authority comes directly from the Emperor himself; there is a hierarchy to which he must answer, and he is beholden by his fellow inquisitors. More than this, a bearer of the Inquisitorial Seal can requisition any servant in the Empire to assist in his mission but this is rare, each inquisitor commands his/her own army of 1million clone soldiers and there own fleets. All clones that are under the command of the inquisition there armor is red. Only the inquisition commands the red legions.

Survival is the only goal for which Inquisitors strive; not personal survival, for they more than any, understand that one life is meaningless when set upon the galactic scale. An Inquisitor labors for nothing less than the endurance of Mankind. This is a cold-hearted pragmatism, so unyielding and fervid that it eclipses the faith of even the most devout of the religious group. The Inquisitor is an arbiter of absolute truth. In his or her eyes, tradition is irrelevant, decades of blameless existence count for nothing, and ignorance matters not one whit. The deeds of the hour are the Inquisitor's obsession, and the consequences spiraling from the most seemingly insignificant acts there burden. There are different fields a inquisitor and take some of which are.

Inquisitor Xenos - Also known as the (Alien Hunters), the Inquisitors Xenos are dedicated to investigating, cataloguing and identifying any Xenos threat. They actively seek out and eliminate alien influence and corruption within the Empire. Agents of the Xenos field are typically the most eccentric of their kind, for they spend years travelling in human and nonhuman space, learning everything they can that will facilitate the exploitation or elimination of the races they encounter. As a result, many Inquisitors Xenos speak a few nonhuman languages. Despite this, there is more blood on the hands of the Inquisitors Xenos than any other branch of the Inquisition. Formed long ago by accord between a conclave of Inquisitor Lords and an esteemed assemblage of Rodderian scientists, the Inquisitor Xenos can call on the Red Legion for help, its composed entirely of clone soldiers. They are trained and equipped to repel the alien tide that threatens to overwhelm Humanity, and are an invaluable tool for any Inquisitor seeking to vanquish the Xeno, Mutant, and Heretic threat.

## Role of the Inquisition

The Inquisition is immensely powerful, and the only individuals that are exempt from its scrutiny are the EMPEROR , Supreme Commander, and members of the royal family. If he has good cause, an Inquisitor may demand any service from any Imperial citizen, up to and including the High ranked military officers. The Imperial Knights who guard the Emperor's palace and person are exempt from conscription, because their duty to the Emperor is clear and unchanging. When it comes to the Royal Guards, Inquisitors often show some discretion, as Royal Guards are often willing to come to blood over any infringement on their Emperor-granted autonomy. However, not even a planets population is immune from the Inquisition's scrutiny and justice, and entire worlds have been destroyed in order to cleanse them if they were deemed traitorous. Inquisitors also have absolute power to judge and execute supposed heretics, mutants, unsanctioned human DNA splicing and the like, with no appeal save the intervention of another Inquisitor. Practically, all possible verdicts are death sentences, although the means by which they are achieved differ. Traitors, the worst grade of offenders, are considered irredeemable and will be quickly executed. Heretics may be redeemed, often after considerable amounts of torture, and may receive absolution through death in service to the Empire. Certain traitors deemed useful to the Inquisition may in extremely rare cases be saved their crimes forgiven and are made loyal to the Inquisition.

## **Recruitment**

As with all aspects of the Inquisition, the matter of recruitment is not centralised, and the power to invest others into its ranks lies with the Inquisitors. Some do not recruit at all, spending their years in the pursuit of their enemies and dedicating themselves to their duties within their own lifetime. Others feel it is one of their burdens to bring about the next generation of Inquisitors to carry forward the battle that they must wage. Inquisitors are left to their own judgement in all matters, subject only to scrutiny by their peers, and the same applies to recruiting new Inquisitors. Many Inquisitors leave such matters to chance or perhaps fate, picking a suitable candidate or candidates from amongst those individuals whose paths they cross. Other Inquisitors are more rigorous in their pursuit of apprentices. They will spend a proportion of their time seeking out suitable candidates. There is a criteria of age and a physical condition required to be suitable for investiture into the Inquisition. Proof of intelligence and loyalty are the key requisites, and often these aspects of a person's character cannot be properly judged until later in life. It may happen that extraordinary circumstances lead a Inquisitor to recruit a boy or girl between the ages of 5 and 6, if they show exceptional ability, but this is not common practice. On the whole, Inquisitors will take note of individuals that are free-thinking, possessed of will power and determination and unflinching principles. If they find a suitable person, they will become part of the Inquisitor's retinue, perhaps serving in a more minor capacity while the Inquisitor continues their evaluation. Those that prove their worth working with the Inquisitor will then be taken into their master's or mistress' greater confidence.

Over several years, the cadet will learn what they can of the Inquisitor's knowledge and in time will take on many duties. Some Inquisitors refer to these semi-qualified individuals as Interrogators, though they are also known as cadet Inquisitor. Such individuals may undertake missions on their own, or control operations in concert with the Inquisitor, but they are still subordinate until their master or mistress fully invests them. It normally requires the consent of three Inquisitors or an Inquisitor Lord to pass on the full powers of an Inquisitor and grant an Inquisitorial Seal, though there have been occasions when this has not been necessary, or the immediate situation has dictated that the cadet take on full Inquisitorial responsibilities immediately. This is likely if an Inquisitor is killed -- their cadet will inherit their Inquisitorial Seal and may fulfil the role of an Inquisitor subject to repeal by another Inquisitor.

Cadets may pass from one Inquisitor to another as fate and necessity dictates. It is in this period that the ideals of the Inquisitor are passed on and spread, and through this generational growth, the factions and institutions that make up the Inquisition are propagated across the years. As well as philosophy, the students will also learn what their tutor knows of the internal working of the Inquisition - or such facts as the Inquisitor feels is right and proper. It is an important tradition amongst Inquisitors that each of them earns the knowledge that is theirs, as well as the respect of their peers. Such wisdom cannot be freely given nor taken without effort, for it devalues the knowledge itself.