Inquisition (Warhammer 40,000) - Development of The Inquisition

Development of The Inquisition

In early editions of Warhammer 40,000, the Inquisition was a single, undivided organization, with a single inner order, the Ordo Malleus. The stated purpose of the Ordo was to police the Inquisition itself, but it also existed to combat the threat of the infinite hordes of Chaos. This massive war remains a secret hidden from most forces of the Imperium, including non-Malleus Inquisitors.

In later editions of Warhammer 40,000, the Inquisition is divided into three Ordos: Xenos, Malleus, and Hereticus, intended to combat threats to the Imperium from the activities of alien races, demons, and heretics, respectively. These Ordos act independently, and their agents sometimes come into conflict with each other.

The Ordo Xenos and Ordo Malleus both have specialized Space Marine chapters attached to them: the Deathwatch and the Grey Knights, respectively.

There are online rules for using the Deathwatch, the militant arm of the Ordo Xenos and one such Ordo Xenos Inquisitor has been released by Forge World. The Deathwatch and the thousands of sister organizations like the Retribution Sentinels have millions of cloned genetic-super troops just like the thousands of space marines taken every day from every chapter of the Space Marines. Following the end of the Inquisitor line, and the successful relaunch of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay by Black Industries, it was decided that the first roleplaying game to explore the Warhammer 40,000 universe would be Dark Heresy, a game in which the player characters are, by default, diverse agents of the Inquisition sent to investigate various mysteries and heresies on behalf of their Inquisitor.

It was hinted in the book "The Flight of the Eisenstein" written by James Swallow, that the Inquisition was created around the Horus Heresy on order of Malcador the Sigillite, the Emperor's right-hand man.

However, the more radical elements of the Inquisition also possess many forces of their own, such as the Radical Malleus' daemonhosts bound in Emperor blessed chains and seals or the trillions of pertinent and brainwashed former chaos or renegade marines that go to war with their armor devoid of any markings. The Ordo Xenos has radical elements as well like hidden android robotic armies from the Iron Men or the freed Necrons souls of the enslaved Void Dragon on Mars, a hope for the radicals that the Emperor can bind the corrupt xenos into his service.

There were originally only two Orders within the Inquisition(Ordo Malleus and Ordo Xenos), but a third (the Ordo Hereticus) was added after the events of the Age of Apostasy. A further fourth the Ordo Sicarius was formed following the Wars of Vindication. It is rumored that the Inquisition has thousands of independent ordos and cells for various goals and tasks, and the resources they pool together can rival those individually owned by Inquisitor Lords.

Within the narrative provided by source books and other media, a number of Inquisitors are considered to be famous. Those include Gideon Ravenor, Ario Barzano who is featured in the book Night Bringer by Graham McNeill, Gregor Eisenhorn the main character in the Eisenhorn series by Dan Abnett, and Jaq Draco, the main character in the Inquisition War series, written by Ian Watson. In the graphic novel Daemonifuge, by Kev Walker, the character Silas Hand features prominently.

The development of other characters alludes to important literature works. Fydor Karamazov, Fyodor is known as the Pyrophant Judge of Salem Proctor. This is a reference to Arthur Miller's The Crucible, Proctor being the name of one convicted, yet innocent, witch; and Salem being the puritan township he lived in. His name is a reference to Russian authors Fyodor Dostoevsky's book entitled The Brothers Karamazov whose main character is named Fyodor Karamazov and, included in the book, is a poem titled The Grand Inquisitor.