The Holy Inquisition

Born of a dark time, when the Church was engaged in a long and bloody Holy War, the Inquisition was intended to identify and stamp out Evil, and purge the Church of heresy and those who would corrupt its sacred purity. The organization ended up being a vehicle for religious and social control and intimidation, a handy tool for eliminating enemies and acquiring power, and a home to sadists and butchers of all varieties. Over time it became less of a Church-controlled influence, and took on a life of its own, creating its own policy (through selective interpretation of scripture) and pursuing its own agenda. Feared by everyone above all else (often including the mainstream clergy and the Cardinal himself,) the Inquisition was the ultimate Boogeyman.

Although some members genuinely believed they were acting upon Cuthbert's Will, most were drawn by the lure of power and sanctioned cruelty. From bloodthirsty henchmen to petty, treacherous villains to full-blown serial killers and mass murderers, the Inquisition attracted the worst sorts. The Inquisitors themselves, many of them ordained Priests and Clerics, were paranoid zealots who saw the work of the Devil everywhere; Suspicious birthmarks and left-handedness, the mentally ill and birth defects, "Omens" of crows and wolves and crop failure, and in writings and conversations about anything which didn't fall exactly into line with authorized Church doctrine. It didn't take much to draw the attention of the Inquisition and be branded a heretic, often little more than an off-handed remark, an unsubstantiated accusation or simply an event which could not be immediately explained. And of course open revolt and defiance of the Church, such as during the time of the "Blessed Virgin Heretics," brought down the full force and unrestricted violence of this group. The atrocities committed in the name of "Purging Evil" included destruction of entire communities and their residents, sham court proceedings, confiscation of all wealth and property, burnings, beheadings, hangings and torture, imprisonment and even rape and enslavement. Faithful followers of Cuthbert were not immune to their predations, but "foreigners" of all types, races other than human and anyone who had been excommunicated were fair game without any excuse needed. A typical visitation by the Inquisition involved a brief "investigation" by the Inquisitor, followed by a "trial" of sorts, and then ultimately burnings and other executions. The Inquisitor would then proclaim victory over evil... for now... and they would depart, leaving broken victims and horrified witnesses in their wake. Often the mere threat of such a visit was enough to keep the clergy and the population in line.

One would think that such conduct by clergy and Clerics, so far against Cuthbert's teachings, would incur Holy Wrath and punishment, including denial of prayed-for spells, but such was not the case. For this reason (How could a loving and merciful Cuthbert continue to grant spells to such villains and apparently sanction their crimes?), the faith of many Florentians was badly shaken and in doubt, and they fell away from the Church in disillusion.

The Inquisitors were backed up by military muscle, legions of common soldiers under their immediate command, and by an elite group as well, the "Inquitorious." These fearsome fighters served as shock troops, bodyguards, torturers and executioners. Drawn from the strongest and most skilled of the ranks of fighters, those selected for this "honor" were also the cruelest and most depraved, and they served with absolute obedience, answering only to the Inquisitors themselves.

The Holy Inquisition enjoyed its "glory days" for 5 ½ centuries, until Equius IV put a stop to the persecution and bloodshed in IC 300, and scattered the organization, ending its reign of power... for a while. Something this powerful (and potentially useful) does not simply go away.

Today, the Inquisition is alive and well and enjoys full recognition of the Church, its most prominent members even holding high office within the Basillica and across the Empire. It is structured much as it was, and the Inquitorious still answer to their Inquisitors. Their objective remains the same - the destruction of Evil and watchfulness to ensure the Church remains "clean," and their methods (tried and true) likewise are unchanged. The organization simply keeps a lower profile, and much of its work is now done quietly or in secret in order to allow Church administrators to pretend they don't know what is going on. The power of individual Inquisitors is still significant, and the threat of their interest is as effective at ensuring compliance and obedience as it ever was.

Some of the favored tools and techniques used by the Inquisition to extract information and confessions include stretching (the Rack & the Wheel), boiling, hot pokers and wire, the Vice, tongs, thumbscrews, iron boots, spiked chairs & weights, and acids & poisons.