Inquisition - Inquisitorial Conclaves: The solitary nature of an Inquisitor's work means that after leaving the company of their tutor, they might never meet another Inquisitor. This is not that uncommon, and in distant parts of the galaxy where the Imperium is spread thin, there are small offshoots of the Inquisition that have had no contact with Terra for years, centuries or even millennia.It is in these splinter groups that new philosophies may be born, or older factions maintained even though the greater Inquisition may have disregarded them. Dealing with a myriad threats that perhaps no other Inquisitor has encountered before, these isolated Inquisitors and cells might be viewed as dangerous or beneficial, and in the past have proven to be both.Over the generations, as with the Inquisition across the galaxy, the mission and purpose of Inquisitors may be perverted, either deliberately or simply through the progression of knowledge from individual to individual.There have been several occurrences when the Inquisition has openly conflicted with these groups, both sides ignorant of the true nature of their adversaries. Such wars do not usually end well, and so those who are most prominent in the Inquisition make great efforts to maintain contact with as many Inquisitors as possible to avoid such confrontations.Though some Inquisitors may endure a lonely vigil against the darkness that surrounds Humanity, most will at some point meet other Inquisitors, either during the course of their duties or at a specially convened conclave. Conclaves are formal gatherings of two or more Inquisitors, and are convened for a variety of reasons, which shall be discussed later.Most conclaves are called to discuss a single matter, and will last a few solar days at most and be attended by no more than a handful of Inquisitors. Some, known in some records as "High Conclaves," can last for several solar weeks and cover a multitude of related topics. The attendance for High Conclaves may number several dozen Inquisitors depending on the extent of the topic or topics being conferred upon.Any Inquisitor can, in theory at least, convene a conclave, although only an Inquisitor Lord will have the authority to call a High Conclave. In practice, it is the more experienced and connected Inquisitors that have the means and communication resources to gather such a group. Most conclaves will fall into one of two areas: Inquisitorial remit, or factional agenda.Those convened under the Inquisitorial remit may include Inquisitors from different factions, and High Conclaves fall exclusively within this category -- such a gathering of Inquisitors from their activities can only be necessitated by an urgent or important reason. On such occasions, the varying viewpoints proffered by Inquisitors with differing outlooks is not only desirable but almost essential if a proper consensus for action is to be agreed.Factional conclaves, on the other hand, will be called to discuss matters that fall within the beliefs of the faction members, and may have little pertinence or interest to Inquisitors outside the faction. The Thorians, for example, may well convene every few standard years to share information about possible Divine Vessels, new theories purporting to any of the multiple facets of Thorianism, or to share new knowledge.It is for the flow of information that the majority of conclaves are gathered -- to warn others of a new threat, to discuss recent events, to pass on news of success or failure. This information-sharing will be followed by debate, as the Inquisitors decide upon a course of action that they will each take.Consensus is not essential, as Inquisitors know full well that different approaches to the same problems will garner different results. However, being aware of the activities of other Inquisitors around a certain area or confronting a particular threat can avoid unfortunate confusion and even confrontation later.A conclave is gathered by one of two means, either through open invitation to any Inquisitors to attend, or by more selective invite. The first is the accepted course of action if a serious threat arises or is discovered, requiring that all Inquisitors in the neighbouring sectors be aware of it and, as is sometimes necessary, abandon their current missions to concentrate on this new menace.The second is more likely if the Inquisitor calling the conclave knows of others that will bring particular skills or knowledge to the meeting, and is perhaps after guidance or further information.Given the nature of communication and travel in the Imperium, gathering together even half a dozen specific individuals in a single place at a certain time requires that most conclaves are restricted in their sphere of influence to a few hundred light years, and must be planned in advance. High Conclaves, those that deal with the most grave matters brought to the attention of the Inquisition, can be convened on smaller timescales if required, as astropaths send out urgent missives to Inquisitors across a wider area.High Conclaves are sometimes an ongoing affair that may see several dozen Inquisitors answer the call all told, though perhaps less than half of them will be present on any given day as they arrive or depart as the tides of the Warp allow.With the exception of the High Conclaves, which must be held on one of the Inquisition fortress worlds placed strategically across the Imperium, conclaves can be convened just about anywhere. Secrecy necessitates that they be conducted somewhere that is secure and more experienced Inquisitors may well retain or acquire estates, libraries or bases where such conclaves can be held.One of the most dire reasons for a conclave to be convened is for the adjudication between two Inquisitors. An Inquisitor is above any judge but his peers, and thus it is required that for an Inquisitor to be brought to trial a fellow Inquisitor must act as prosecutor. In these situations, an Inquisitor Lord will convene the conclave, often with the accused in absentia, and a panel of three or more Inquisitors will hear the case to be answered.Such a conclave can find an Inquisitor negligent, incompetent, or worse. The greatest sentence handed down by these conclaves is the declaration of Excommunicate Traitoris -- the Inquisitor is found to be a Heretic and is to be hunted down at all costs. It has been known for Inquisitors to declare another Inquisitor Traitor without recourse to a conclave, as may be necessary to prevent a deviant from escaping, or when physical conflict is imminent.In such cases, a conclave of inquiry will be held after the events have unfolded. Sometimes such conclaves do not occur within the lifetime of the accused or the accuser, and they must make their judgement based on whatever evidence remains. Given the flexible mission of the Inquisition and the individuals that make up its ranks, such trial conclaves are limited in the punishments they can mete out on the guilty.One cannot simply stop being an Inquisitor, and so censures and other threats carry little weight. Most often, the guilty party may be subjected to further examination -- in itself, not a pleasant experience -- and this is usually enough to provide an Inquisitor with a new incentive to re-examine their priorities and agenda.