Inquisition - Inquisition Operations: Like all Imperial organisations, the Inquisition is vast, covering the galaxy with untold numbers of agents. However, here the similarity ends, for the Inquisition is arranged in a way that is completely different to the galaxy-spanning bureaucracies of the Adeptus Terra.Its remit is open, its mandate simple: to protect the Emperor and Mankind against any threat, by whatever means are necessary. Such a mission requires the ultimate flexibility, and the scope of the threats ranged against the Inquisition vary from the individual mutant to system and sector spanning conspiracies and alien domination. In this section, we will explore the ways by which Inquisitors fulfil their mandates, and the resources at their disposal.The basic operational unit of the Inquisition is the Inquisitor. In an Imperium that groans under the weight of gargantuan organisations and an impossible interstellar bureaucracy, the Inquisition is unfettered by such considerations and is free to operate where and how it sees fit. With an open remit to combat threats to Mankind, the Inquisition operates outside of the other Imperial organisations, though has absolute authority over them.In practice, the Inquisition must be more political than its mandate allows. Though their power derives from the Emperor Himself, and even the High Lords of Terra are not above their scrutiny, the Inquisition must also rely on the other parts of the Imperium for resources. The Inquisition has tremendous amounts of power, and has access to troops, weaponry and archives beyond most other Imperial organisations, but it must still receive these from the Adeptus Astartes, the Astra Militarum, the Adeptus Mechanicus and others.In essence the Inquisition exists not as a force in its own right, but as a guiding hand that allows the Imperium to protect itself, after a fashion. Much of its work is dedicated to observing threats to Mankind and instigating an appropriate response. As well as the many Inquisitors, the Inquisition has millions, probably billions, of other agents and operatives across the Imperium and beyond, watching for signs of mutation, alien aggression, treachery, and incompetence.Each and every Inquisitor embodies the whole Inquisition and wields the power of the entire organisation. The word of an Inquisitor is absolute and beyond reproach -- except by other Inquisitors. Thus, as well as protecting the Imperium, the Inquisition is also responsible for its own self-policing.It is a testament to the courage and diligence of the Inquisitors that it has maintained its position for ten thousand standard years despite wars, pogroms, internecine conflict, and internal heresy. The men and women of the Inquisition are amongst the most vigorously tested, intensively trained, and motivated individuals from the whole of Humanity, and they need to be.An Inquisitor needs more than simple physical skills, and an armory that goes beyond mere weaponry. Their mind is their great strength, not only for intelligence but also strength of will. In a galaxy ruled by religious dogma and orthodoxy, an Inquisitor must cast aside superstition and faith and operate outside the established view of the galaxy.To be an Inquisitor is to understand the forces that work against the Emperor and Mankind in a way that no other individual in the Imperiun can -- not even those that sit on the Senatorum Imperialis. To be required to fight against ten thousand Terran years of received wisdom and established orthodoxy is no easy task, but if the Inquisition is to remain effective then it is essential that its Inquisitors can see the galaxy through eyes untainted by doctrine or assumption.To avoid the monolithic, slow processes that are the curse of other Imperial organisations, the Inquisition is organised on only the most fundamental level -- the single Inquisitor. From their original conception, the Inquisitor can call upon whatever local resources were required to deal with the threat, with no need for recourse to the Adeptus Terra. This has stood true for ten thousand years, and throughout that period the Inquisition has needed to maintain its position of absolute authority.To allow Inquisitors to operate as needed across the Imperium safely and without abuse of their immense and open-ended authority, the Inquisition gives each appointed Inquisitor an Inquisitorial seal. This is an Inquisitorial rosette, signet ring, or similar adornment bearing the Inquisitorial icon, and gives the bearer all the potent political powers of the Inquisition, including the authority to requisition Astra Militarum troops or Space Marines, call upon all three of the Chambers Militant of the Inquisition and more besides (usually claimed "by the authority of the Immortal Emperor of Mankind").The seal doubles as a decoder for encrypted Imperial documents up to the highest levels of security clearance and may have similar other perks depending upon the individual Inquisitor's record of accomplishment. The crime of forging an Inquisitorial seal carries some of the worst punishments the Inquisition can call down on transgressors, which is saying something.Occasionally a matter will surface that requires more lengthy study and debate than a normal Inquisitorial case. In such cases, Inquisitors may hold Apotropaic Studies. These studies usually gather between two or three Inquisitors. Larger meetings known as Apotropaic Councils or Conclaves will gather at least eleven Inquisitors for debate and study of an important issue, or they may be called to ensure communication within the members of a faction or philosophical grouping of the Inquisition.Quite rarely, a so-called "High Conclave" or Apotropaic Congress may be convened, but only by an Inquisitor Lord. These will often gather dozens of Inquisitors for solar weeks of debate on many related topics. Usually, it is at conclaves and meetings of this sort that new Inquisitors will be appointed. It is also during such meetings that the Inquisition polices its own ranks, as no other organisation in the Imperium has the authority to do so.Many threats that arise can be dealt with by the Inquisitor and their retinue without outside assistance. Cults in their infancy, Renegade commanders, small scale alien influence and the other menaces that the Inquisition must battle every day are swiftly dealt with, either by the simple expedient of removing the individual at the centre of the threat, or by elimination of the core of the enemy group.On occasion a threat will be of such an extent that the Inquisitor must also call upon local resources, most notably the Adeptus Arbites and planetary warriors. They may require intra-system spacecraft to bring their foes to justice, or simply need more firepower against established sects or powerful individuals.In such circumstances an Inquisitor can continue in one of two ways. They may openly reveal their presence to local military commanders and thus garner the resources they need. Alternatively, they may wish to keep their presence unknown. This is particularly true if corruption is believed to be more endemic amongst local forces.By passing on information through other channels, the Inquisitor is able to bring the problem to the attention of the Imperial Commander or other individuals and then assess their response. Failure to act appropriately to this information may well incur the wrath of the Inquisition and a greater, more widespread purge will be required.Part of the nature of the Inquisition's work requires numerous undercover operations (depending on the individual Inquisitor, of course). Particularly dangerous or sensitive missions may require the Inquisitor and his crew of Acolytes to operate without even the remit or knowledge of local planetary authorities; in some cases, the Inquisitor may fake the deaths of themselves and their Acolytes in order to move their mission forward invisibly.At times like this, Inquisitors operate under a mandate known as "Special Condition," which means that the Inquisitorial team, to all intents and purposes, no longer exists.The normal Inquisitorial symbol of office is replaced with a somewhat altered symbol during Special Condition missions that has a dagger-like point at the end and is colored a distinct blue shade, with a winged skull prominent near the top of the sigil; it is presented only when recruiting members to the team who can be trusted not to jeopardize the secrecy of the mission.Gregor Eisenhorn and Gideon Ravenor are two of the most famous Inquisitors to have gone on Special Condition.In some situations, local forces are not a viable option. This may be because they lack sufficient strength to deal with the threat, or perhaps because they are linked to the threat in some fashion. In such a scenario, the Inquisitor will need to draw on forces from further away.Such a situation can be difficult for the Inquisitor, as the Imperium is not swift to respond and a threat that might be easily countered within solar weeks may grow progressively in strength before sufficient force can be brought to bear. It is the great expanse of the galaxy and the time delays involved in moving large bodies of troops even relatively small distances that provide the greatest obstacle to an Inquisitor in confronting a large threat to a world or star system.By the time suitable forces arrive, the problem may have grown beyond their capacity to deal with it. It is therefore in the role of instigators that Inquisitors must often operate. If a world has succumbed to alien domination, Chaos influence or some other major corruption, it is the duty of the Inquisitor to set the military wheels of the Imperium in motion and oversee their response.The admirals and colonels that are brought to the growing war zone may never even know that the Inquisition initiated the course of events that summoned them.