Proddy

The razing of Sister Helena in Karosgrad, Haense

For centuries, darkspawn and creatures of the nocturnal have guise themselves as devout men and women, seeking to infiltrate the ranks of the Canonist Church and bend the faiths agenda in a direction suited to themselves and their own ilk. In times passed, they have gone unnoticed and unregulated, permitted to hide among us in plain sight without fear of repercussion or discovery.

These times are now at an ultimate end.

Earlier upon this Saints Day, the Holy Inquisition managed to uncover and detain a Frost Witch who was masquerading as a nun of the sisterhood, known to many by the alias of Sister Helena. As punishment for her treachery and wicked nature, she has been razed at the pyre, consumed by the righteous flames of GOD.

Let this be a warning, to all those other despicable beasts of darkness and chaos. We are ever watching, ever knowing. We stand vigilant and ready for any of those who come to invade our sanctified institution, even if you attempt to hide what you are. Should we find you, you shall be spared no quarter and clemency, and you shall all suffer the same fate.

"Lo! The virtuous dead are descending, and at their fore are the sons of spirit, and the sons of the first man and woman. And leading them is Horen renewed, and he ordains the estates of their armies.” -Scroll of Auspice, 2:5-6

The Holy Inquisition

Contents

I. History

II. Overview

III. Tenants

IV. Trials

VI. Patron Saints

History

"God is the author of victories, and in Heaven, there is no difference between but a few and a great many. For our courage is not in the multitude of the army, but strength cometh from Heaven. They come against us with an insolent multitude, and with pride, to destroy us, and our wives and children, and take our lands. But we will fight for our lives and our laws, and as for the enemy, we shall fear them not. We will trust Him.” -The Savoyard Prayer, Edgar de Saltpans

The aftermath of Saint Caius’s crusade was a devastating blow for the morale of Canondom. The darkspawn and palebeasts, eternal enemies of GOD, were able to utilize their inferior number by spreading out their masses and retreating into hiding, bringing the holy war against their existence to a sharp and abrupt close. One by one, bit by bit, the armies of Heaven began to lose spirit as warriors and soldiers of every Canonist realm abandoned the divine mission, seeing the enemy as unbeatable. In their reluctance to carry on the fight, the dominions of darkspawn and nephilim only grew larger. Humanity grew lax and oblivious to the demons and hellspawn that hide amongst them in plain sight, festering within society like a rotting and bulbous tumor. Monstrosities guised themselves as men, deceiving mortals just as Iblees the Betrayer, and tempted them into wickedness and sin. And the Holy Institution of the Canonist Church remained stalwart and firm, yet powerless to prevent the rapid scourge of devilish taint that had infiltrated the ranks of mankind.

It was Pontian IV, in his blessed wisdom and piety, that realized the Canonist faith once again required a strong militant arm to preserve and enforce the will of God. Though the Order of Saint Nicholas still remained in name, its power and authority had been broken as much of the old leadership either passed on or abandoned the faith entirely. Yet fate, in its twisted and elusive manner, would send a penitent to the High Pontiff by the name of Kazimir var Ruthern. 

Kazimir had been charged with the manslaughter of an elderly man by King Karl III of Hanseti-Ruska, and ordered to serve penance to the church for a period of no less than ten years. Kazimir did not feel himself destined, however, for the life of a monastic or a clergyman. Though god-fearing and devout for much of his life prior to his anointment to the church, Kazimir was a warrior at heart, having no love for little else beyond the heat of battle and the ring of his hammer as he battered it against unyielding foes. Kazimir also held a deep hatred and loathing for devil spawns and the demonic, having lost his arm a year prior to the Inferni during an attempted siege on an occupied fortress.

Pontian IV, noting this martial spirit within the young Ruthern and the spite he harbored toward unholy abominations, offered him an opportunity; for the duration of his penance or even far beyond, Kazimir would reforge the faith militant anew, and be granted full command of the new order. Kazimir and the Pontiff both equally expressed their concern over the arising amount of darkspawn that were masquerading amongst Humanity, and sought to establish a more permanent solution and response.

And it was from this discontentment, and a desire to change the course of ongoing fate, that The Holy Inquisition was born.
 

Overview

A man of the Inquisition.

The Holy Inquisition was formed with a core objective in mind; the purging and eradication of darkspawn from human society entirely. Taking the passages of the Holy Scrolls that warn against creatures nocturnal to a literal and fanatical sense, the Inquisition will go to extremist means and methods to ensure their objectives are met. Random witch hunts and trials are not at all uncommon practice for the Inquisition. Inquisitors are also known to be incredibly cruel and callous when it comes to punishing proven witches and darkspawn; they often employ the execution method of pyre burnings, a practice that fell out of practice within Canonist society after the fall of the Johannian Empire.

Taking influence from both the Marked Men and the Lectorate of Owyn, the Inquisitors can be described as monastic warriors in their rigid discipline and adherence to faith. When an initiate begins upon their path to becoming an Inquisitor, they undergo up to years of rigorous training and education. Initiates of the Inquisition will be taught swordplay, archery, and how to effectively use alchemical concoctions to their advantage in combat situations. Initiates are also relentlessly ingrained with knowledge from bestiary tomes and records as to equip them with knowledge in identifying and combating their targets. As adherents and servants to the Canonist faith, Inquisitors partake in mass and various sacraments in order to boost their zeal and maintain their fervent belief in God.

Though an Inquisitor's primary charge is dealing with the supernatural and the paranormal, men of the Inquisition are sworn in service and protection of the Canonist Church. It is not uncommon, therefore, that the Inquisition will rush to the defense of the faith in times of crisis and challenge. The Inquisition will often involve themselves in wars against heathens and heretics, though they refuse to raise their swords in conflicts between competing Canonist nations and polities. As they see safeguarding the sanctity of the church as part of their sworn duty, the Inquisition will often accompany clergymen as bodyguards and protectors. The Inquisition do not answer to these clergymen directly, however, only liable to commands from the High Pontiff and his appointed Curia.

As the Holy Inquisition is less a military order and more a fraternity of devout witch hunters and monster slayers, they do not bear any recognizable standard or militant uniform. This is done, in part, to make them less recognizable as Inquisitors so that they might conduct their mission with more ease. Inquisitors are free to adorn garbs and armaments of their choosing, though it is common and even encouraged to possess some Canonist symbology upon their cloth, such as the Lorraine cross.
 

Tenants

Faithful initiates receiving the Rite of Armament

To begin upon their path to becoming an Inquisitor, aspiring initiates will be granted The Rite of Armament, a ceremony of baptism with the purpose of cleansing themself of sin before entry into the holy brotherhood. Before the rite of administered, initiates will swear to the tenants of the Inquisition, which can be recounted as follows:

I. To maintain passion and adoration for The Lord GOD in their hearts, for His is the shining light of this world.

II. To bear arms in the name of The Lord GOD, for his will and teachings must be sanctified.

III. To protect and safeguard the members of His flock, for they are our brothers and sisters in communion.

IV. To guide those led astray by wickedness back into His light, for they are not beyond salvation.

V. To purge and eradicate the irreconcilable, for they have neglected and betrayed the light of GOD.

VI. To reject the temptation of evil, for The Lord GOD is our only triumph.

VII. To be honest and truthful upon committing sin, for The Lord GOD is merciful upon the confessor.

Amongst the brotherhood of the Inquisition, these tenants are sacred and indomitable. An Inquisitor breaking one or several of these tenants can lead to a court martial amongst the Inquisition, where the Grand Inquisitor and his Knight-Inquisitors will gather and judge the accused. They will deliberate over whether the defendant is guilty of misconduct, and if condemned, the accused can be punished at a discretion accordant to the will of the Grand Inquisitor and his Knights. These punishments can include confession, flagellation, suspension or expulsion from the order, and for the most severe and irreparable cases of tenant-breaking, execution.

Trials

Initiates undertake the Trial of Saint Daniel

Near the end of their time as initiates, aspiring Inquisitors will be forced to undertake three trials to affirm their ascension as brothers or sisters of the Inquisition. They will be completed in order of listing.

The Trial of Saint Charles of Petrus

Named for the patron saint of Strength, Fortitude and Prisoners of War, initiates will undergo a period of fasting for a total of three Saints Days. During this period, they will only be permitted to break their fast with bread and water at night. Initiates will also be expected to practice a form of self-flagellation for the duration of this trial. How they wish to flagellate will be of their choosing, from lashing themselves to wearing a cilice upon one of their limbs. Initiates will be expected to pray each day, either being led by a clergyman or fellow devout, or by their own volition.

Upon completion of this trial, initiates will be permitted one night of feasting and drinking in celebration of their triumph.

The Trial of Saint Daniel of Al’Khazar

Named for the patron saint of Peace, Cities, Pilgrims and Travel, initiates will undergo a period of pilgrimage between the capitals of Canonist nations and settlements. They will be garbed in the humble robes of a monastic, their heads shaved and feet bared. They will be charged with bestowing charity upon the poor and destitute of society, as well as being ordered to meet with and seek tasks from the local Bishop of that area.

The initiates will remain in a town/city for a period of one Saint’s Day before moving onto the next, and will end their pilgrimage by traveling to the ruins of San Luciano. There, they will locate the ravaged cathedral, where they will pray for the litany of souls lost during the thanium explosion of the former Savoyard capital. Upon completion of this final task, they will return to the Inquisitorial Headquarters.

The Trial of Saint Peter of Gaekrin

The final trial, named for the patron saint of Military Orders, Victory in Battle and Plight against Heathens, will involve a witch hunt where all of the initiates will be expected to work together as a group. The initiates will be given a target, who has been confirmed as a darkspawn beyond all reasonable suspicion and doubt, and charged with either killing them or cleansing them of their affliction, dependent on the initiates own discernment. The initiates will be granted no aid or advice in dealing with their target, and will make use of their training in both tracking and combatting their charge.

Upon completion of this trial, and evidence that the target has either been destroyed or purified, the initiates will invited to return to the Inquisitorial Headquarters where they will receive their branding in a final initiation ceremony. This branding is a Holy Lorraine Cross, which is typically scorched onto an initiates palm, though can be imprinted elsewhere on the body if the initiate wishes. Then and there, they will be welcomed into the fraternity at the conclusion of their branding, and will become full-fledged Inquisitors.

Hierarchy

Grand Inquisitor Kazimir var Ruthern, Knight-General of the Holy Order of Saint Humbert

Though the Holy Inquisition is not a military order by technicality, they still practice a strict hierarchy in order to maintain discipline and respect amongst their ranks. The hierarchy begins foremostly with the Grand Inquisitor, then his Knight-Inquisitors, with the Inquisitors taking up the bulk of the order and Initiates standing at the very bottom.

The Grand Inquisitor

The chief-commander of the Holy Inquisition, the Grand Inquisitor, is directly under the authority of the High Pontiff and his Curia. Primarily responsible for the training of new initiates and organizing purges against known darkspawn, the Grand Inquisitor is the overseer of the entire order and serves as the ultimate authority of its machinations. By extension, the Grand Inquisitor is also the Knight-General of the Holy Order of Saint Humber. The current Grand Inquisitor is Kazimir Tuvya var Ruthern.

The Knight-Inquisitors

Elites and captains of the order who are proficient within their trade and have shown a dedicated length of servitude within the Inquisition, Knight-Inquisitors are the closest confidants and advisors of the Grand Inquisitor. They are charged with assisting in the training of initiates, leading bands of Inquisitors during witch purges, overseeing the Inquisitors and sitting upon the Inquisitorial Council. They are also, by extension, Knights of the Humbertine Chapter or Holy Order of Saint Humbert, whom act as the governing military body of the Inquisition.

The Inquisitors

Footmen who make up the bulk of the order, Inquisitors are those initiates who have proved their faith and devotion to the cause. They are charged with upholding the Inquisitorial tenants, and will often receive their targets from the Inquisitorial Council although they are also encouraged to seek out charges of their own.

The Initiates

Aspirants and dedicants of the Inquisition, they are the lowest tier amongst the order, still undergoing their training and trials.

Patron Saints

An artists rendition of Exalted Owyn, one of the patron saints of the Holy Inquisition.

Though the Holy Inquisition does not strictly adhere to one sect of Canonism in worship, and men of the Inquisition are permitted to freely pick which saints they revere, there are particular saints that the Holy Inquisition worship and revere more closely as they align with their ethics, mission and philosophy.

I. Exalted Owyn “The Purifier”

II. Saint Charles of Petrus

III. Saint Edmond of Lachsin

IV. Saint Emma of Woldzmir

V. Saint Everard of Al’Khazar

VI. Saint Humbert of Bar

VII. Saint Kristoff of Hanseti

VIII. Saint Lothar of Balian

IX. High Pontiff Saint Lucien I of Ulmsbottom

X. Saint Peter of Gaekrin

XI. Saint Thomas of Gaekrin

XII. Saint Wilfriche of Hanseti

XIII. High Pontiff Saint Everard II

XIV. Saint Harald of Vuiller