The Inquisition of Saint Jacqueline, The First Inquisitor
- Pro re Nata -
The Inquisition, for short. The Inquisition is formally a sect without a mother church. Founded by Aleksei Ivanov, with its oldest member being Leonhardt. It follows its own teachings, and believes in its own orthodoxy. It has two holy texts: The Codex of Ash, and The Black Book. One is theological teachings, and the other is rules of engagement for inquisitors, respectively.
The Inquisition has three levels of membership, not counting the leader. The leader is formally known as The Inheritor of Saint Jacqueline, or The Inheritor for short. They have a second formal title as well, Second Inquisitor. When one Inheritor passes on all leadership responsibilities and either abdicates or dies, the next Inheritor shall be known as Third Inquisitor and so on.
All members of the Inquisition may be known simply as inquisitor.
Chapter Inquisitor
An inquisitor who is entrusted to act almost entirely without supervision. They must swear all three oaths of an inquisitor, and may act with the authority of the Inheritor in their absence.
Performable Functions
A Chapter Inquisitor may perform all rites, and all functions, except for the issuance of loans, advancing inquisitors from one rank to the next, and the swearing in of new inquisitors.
Knight-Inquisitor
An inquisitor who either earned their knighthood while in service to the Inquisition, or was already a trusted knight at the time of joining. They may perform most essential duties of the Inquisition, and are expected to swear the second oath.
Performable Functions
Performing all rites except anulment. Knight-Inquisitors may also sit in judgement per The Mortal Laws, and act on their own initiative in apprehending and punishing criminals without supervision.
Squire-Inquisitor
An inquisitor who has sworn the first oath, and who is the charge of either a Knight-Inquisitor or Chapter Inquisitor. They are not allowed to perform most essential functions, unless ordered to explicitly.
Performable Functions
Performing the rite of honorable duels, and funerary rites.
Auxilia
There are those who serve the inquisition without being full members. These are known as 'Auxilia,' or 'Auxilaries.' They are not expected to swear any of the oaths of the inquisition, or even act like full members. They are there as useful combatants, experts, or simply servants.
The Three Oaths
The First Oath: I shall obey instruction from The Inheritor exactly, without hesitation or delay.
The Second Oath: I shall not speak of matters of the Inquisition to those not themselves members of the Inquisition.
The Third Oath: I shall bring honor to the Inquisition in all things; I shall now and forever be an inquisitor, my immortal soul bound in absolution to the three oaths.
Uniform
The symbol of the Inquisition is an inverted black cross on a white field. Inquisitors are expected to bear this symbol into battle, to prevent any chance of battlefield confusion. Outside of war, an inquisitor is expected to wear a sash denoting the estate they were part of before joining. A purple sash denotes noble birth. A beige sash denotes a member of the commons. A grey sash denotes a member of the clergy.
Chapters
Following a large expansion of membership, the Inquisition has subdivided itself into different chapters devoted to Preceptor Saints.
The Inquisition justifies its varied nature by the inclusion of what they know as Preceptor Saints. Persons of history who are not necessarily saints (that is, someone whose soul is confirmed to be in heaven), but who had events in their life which teach a useful lesson.
Saint Jacqueline, The First Inquisitor is the Preceptor Saint of Purity. Purity of belief and that alone, in this case. The Inheritor of Saint Jacqueline is the de facto leader of the Inquisition, for all other members are bound to them by oath to uphold the mission of the Inquisition.
Saint Maceo, The Burned is the Preceptor Saint of Loyalty. He betrayed one of the gods on the battlefield, out of loyalty to another; this inherent contradiction can be learned from. The Master of The Burned Preceptor’s Order is the loyal second of The Inheritor, tasked with leading the Inquisition in their absence.
Saint Elias, The Traitor-Saint is the Preceptor Saint of Occultism. Elias spread heresy in the guise of a holy figure, weakening the church and contributing to its collapse. The Master of The Traitor’s Order is tasked with uncovering traitors hiding within society, and researching arcane objects.
Saint Jacqueline, The First Inquisitor is the Preceptor Saint of Purity. Purity of belief and that alone, in this case. The Inheritor of Saint Jacqueline is the de facto leader of the Inquisition, for all other members are bound to them by oath to uphold the mission of the Inquisition.
- Aleksei Ivanov, The Inheritor
Saint Maceo, The Burned is the Preceptor Saint of Loyalty. He betrayed one of the gods on the battlefield, out of loyalty to another; this inherent contradiction can be learned from. The Master of The Burned Preceptor’s Order is the loyal second of The Inheritor, tasked with leading the Inquisition in their absence.
- Leonhardt, Master of the Burning Chapter.
Saint Elias, The Traitor-Saint is the Preceptor Saint of Occultism. Elias spread heresy in the guise of a holy figure, weakening the church and contributing to its collapse. The Master of The Traitor’s Order is tasked with uncovering traitors hiding within society, and researching arcane objects.
- Nikolche Variclav, Master of the Betrayed Chapter
In the beginning, there was nothing. All that would be had yet to be made, until the Immortals made the world and made the sentient races in their likeness. All things were one, and were divided. Law and chaos are not separate forces, but a single spectrum of all things. So it is that there is no true divide between material and immaterial; between honesty and deceit; between man and beast. All things were made as one, as all the spheres and their orbits were made, as the greater and lesser suns were kindled, and man was taught by the Immortals how to tend to oneself and their essential nature.
Creation is ever intertwined with Corruption, its dark counterpart. It took untold time for it to reveal itself, but one of the Immortals took on this dread aspect and began to undo and remake creation. She of Dread would harness the latent force of creation, and wring it of all potential, of all purpose, of all meaning, and use it to fuel a war of all things.
In the time before this everlasting war, there were countless peoples across countless spheres, in the aspects of all Immortals. Each died in turn over the course of countless eons, until the sacrifice of the last of the Immortals to finally unmake the aspect of corruption.
Since those days, we have lived in a waning world. Without corruption, there can be no creation in the manner that the Immortals exacted. Men and gods alike are without their forebears who made the mantles of responsibility that we are now entrusted with. We are in a waning age, an age where the possibility of truly new creations is gone.
The Age of Ash is upon us, in this time of the Long Peace.
The Nine Tenets
Guidance from the Divine herself, which guide an Ignite and inform all later scripture.
I. Hear all true words of the Light, and obey all its directions.
II. Do not lie. Never break a vow once sworn.
III. Respect those who have wealth and power, for the Lodestar has led them to it.
IV. Pray with gratitude upon each sunrise, for the Lodestar has banished the dark.
V. Worship only the Light.
VI. Respect lawful and orderly inheritance.
VII. Bring persecution upon heresy, to preserve the order of the world.
VIII. Those who have murdered without cause forfet their lives and earthly possessions to the family of their victim.
IX. Burn the dead, so they do not rise as demons or worse.
Prescriptives and Prospcriptives
The Three Estates
There are three castes of man, divided into how they honor the divine. A man should hold true to his estate, once he knows what it is. A man cannot truly know his place until he has acted in the name of the divine for many years, and found himself and his true calling.
Those Who Fight. Nobility are responsible for the defence of the people.
The First Estate; Nobility; The State
Those Who Pray. Clergy are responsible for the souls of the people, and interpreting God’s will.
The Second Estate; Clergy; The Church
Those Who Labor. The commons are those who labor, so that all may perpetuate in wealth and plenty.
The Third Estate; Peasantry; The Commons
The Nine Lies
The ways in which one may lie and deceive others. A true ignite should aspire to none of these, and be wary of their insidious nature.
The Necessity of Inquisition
Without an inquisition, the faith is vulnerable. It is the place of a good and honest man to assume the good faith of those around them. That essential assumption is the undoing of much order in the world when abused. An inquisitor is never to assume, from anyone, the good faith of others. The inquisition receives special teachings that are separate from those that would lead to happy and simple living, for the ideal inquisitor is not expected to live happily and simply. The inquisition protects.
Rites and Prayers
On Death
A great pyre of birch should be erected in the nearest safe locale, the greater the person the greater the pyre. If birch is unavailable, lesser wood will do. The dead should be laid in the pyre and prayers to the Lodestar to guide the dead should be uttered by any clergy present. If no clergy are present, their friends will do; and, if no friends are present, whoever held authority over them in life should be made to say the prayers. After praying, allow the pyre to burn. Ensure that the body is reduced to ash before leaving it, if it is safe to do so.
“From ash they were, to ash they shall return; his soul taken from the beyond, now it returns home. May the Lady embrace this lost child, and may the memory of the Lodestar’s warmth give them comfort.”
Blessing of Marriage Rings
The rings of the wife and husband to be shall be placed into a brazier lit with birch wood. There, it shall be prayed over as it burns until the birch is reduced to ash. Whereupon the rings shall be allowed to cool in it, cleaned, and then returned to the prospective couple. For the marriage ceremony, a priest of Sallana should be found instead with a member of the Lodestar’s clergy in attendance.
“May the Bringer of Plenty acknowledge this pairing, and guide their house to fruitful prosperity.”
Annulment
The rings of the former husband and wife should be taken, and ground into powder. Once powderized, it should be mixed with ashes and spread around their home church while a prayer is spoken.
“We were mistaken; we are unworthy; we accept the blame of this wrongful pairing, please withhold the wrath of Fire; hold the tongue of Truth; and, turn away the eyes of Nobility. The marriage that we proclaimed had never been, should never have been, and is no more.”
Baptism
The child should be anointed with warm oil, and a prayer uttered in the presence of the child's future parish
“May this child thus be welcomed into the faith, and be protected by the fire of the Dawnbringer.”
Observed & Honorable Duels
There are two forms of duels that are acknowledged. A duel for Glory, and a duel for Order. A duel for Glory has no stakes, and is simply for the pleasure of the participants and those witnessing it. A duel for Order is a duel that has stakes, and is conducted in place of a war or other dispute, when words will not resolve the matter. A priest should be present for the latter, and as many witnesses as convenient. A member of the clergy should overlook and referee the duel, to ensure there is no outside interference and that both participants are abiding by any agreed upon conventions.
Creation is ever intertwined with Corruption, its dark counterpart. It took untold time for it to reveal itself, but one of the Immortals took on this dread aspect and began to undo and remake creation. She of Dread would harness the latent force of creation, and wring it of all potential, of all purpose, of all meaning, and use it to fuel a war of all things.
In the time before this everlasting war, there were countless peoples across countless spheres, in the aspects of all Immortals. Each died in turn over the course of countless eons, until the sacrifice of the last of the Immortals to finally unmake the aspect of corruption.
Since those days, we have lived in a waning world. Without corruption, there can be no creation in the manner that the Immortals exacted. Men and gods alike are without their forebears who made the mantles of responsibility that we are now entrusted with. We are in a waning age, an age where the possibility of truly new creations is gone.
The Age of Ash is upon us, in this time of the Long Peace.
The Nine Tenets
Guidance from the Divine herself, which guide an Ignite and inform all later scripture.
I. Hear all true words of the Light, and obey all its directions.
II. Do not lie. Never break a vow once sworn.
III. Respect those who have wealth and power, for the Lodestar has led them to it.
IV. Pray with gratitude upon each sunrise, for the Lodestar has banished the dark.
V. Worship only the Light.
VI. Respect lawful and orderly inheritance.
VII. Bring persecution upon heresy, to preserve the order of the world.
VIII. Those who have murdered without cause forfet their lives and earthly possessions to the family of their victim.
IX. Burn the dead, so they do not rise as demons or worse.
Prescriptives and Prospcriptives
The Three Estates
There are three castes of man, divided into how they honor the divine. A man should hold true to his estate, once he knows what it is. A man cannot truly know his place until he has acted in the name of the divine for many years, and found himself and his true calling.
Those Who Fight. Nobility are responsible for the defence of the people.
The First Estate; Nobility; The State
Those Who Pray. Clergy are responsible for the souls of the people, and interpreting God’s will.
The Second Estate; Clergy; The Church
Those Who Labor. The commons are those who labor, so that all may perpetuate in wealth and plenty.
The Third Estate; Peasantry; The Commons
The Nine Lies
The ways in which one may lie and deceive others. A true ignite should aspire to none of these, and be wary of their insidious nature.
- Lies of Contradiction. To speak in direct contradiction of the plain truth.
- Lies of Omission. To conceal any part of the truth in its telling.
- Lies of Authority. Concealing the truth by insisting they have the authority to conceal it.
- Lies of Expertise. Concealing the truth by insisting only they would understand it.
- Lies of Delusion. Being so mad as to be unable to articulate the truth clearly.
- Lies of Arrogance. Being so convinced of a mistaken truth that one utters it believing it to be true.
- Lies of Distortion. Speaking the truth in a manner that is deceitful.
- Lies of Misdirection. Speaking the truth in a manner that conceals deceit or falsehood.
- Lies of Ignorance. Speaking what one has been told the truth, but that is in fact a falsehood.
The Necessity of Inquisition
Without an inquisition, the faith is vulnerable. It is the place of a good and honest man to assume the good faith of those around them. That essential assumption is the undoing of much order in the world when abused. An inquisitor is never to assume, from anyone, the good faith of others. The inquisition receives special teachings that are separate from those that would lead to happy and simple living, for the ideal inquisitor is not expected to live happily and simply. The inquisition protects.
Rites and Prayers
On Death
A great pyre of birch should be erected in the nearest safe locale, the greater the person the greater the pyre. If birch is unavailable, lesser wood will do. The dead should be laid in the pyre and prayers to the Lodestar to guide the dead should be uttered by any clergy present. If no clergy are present, their friends will do; and, if no friends are present, whoever held authority over them in life should be made to say the prayers. After praying, allow the pyre to burn. Ensure that the body is reduced to ash before leaving it, if it is safe to do so.
“From ash they were, to ash they shall return; his soul taken from the beyond, now it returns home. May the Lady embrace this lost child, and may the memory of the Lodestar’s warmth give them comfort.”
Blessing of Marriage Rings
The rings of the wife and husband to be shall be placed into a brazier lit with birch wood. There, it shall be prayed over as it burns until the birch is reduced to ash. Whereupon the rings shall be allowed to cool in it, cleaned, and then returned to the prospective couple. For the marriage ceremony, a priest of Sallana should be found instead with a member of the Lodestar’s clergy in attendance.
“May the Bringer of Plenty acknowledge this pairing, and guide their house to fruitful prosperity.”
Annulment
The rings of the former husband and wife should be taken, and ground into powder. Once powderized, it should be mixed with ashes and spread around their home church while a prayer is spoken.
“We were mistaken; we are unworthy; we accept the blame of this wrongful pairing, please withhold the wrath of Fire; hold the tongue of Truth; and, turn away the eyes of Nobility. The marriage that we proclaimed had never been, should never have been, and is no more.”
Baptism
The child should be anointed with warm oil, and a prayer uttered in the presence of the child's future parish
“May this child thus be welcomed into the faith, and be protected by the fire of the Dawnbringer.”
Observed & Honorable Duels
There are two forms of duels that are acknowledged. A duel for Glory, and a duel for Order. A duel for Glory has no stakes, and is simply for the pleasure of the participants and those witnessing it. A duel for Order is a duel that has stakes, and is conducted in place of a war or other dispute, when words will not resolve the matter. A priest should be present for the latter, and as many witnesses as convenient. A member of the clergy should overlook and referee the duel, to ensure there is no outside interference and that both participants are abiding by any agreed upon conventions.
It is the duty of an inquisitor to ensure the orderliness of his society, and that those around him are not agents of disorder by choice or by negligence. An inquisitor cannot do this if he himself is compromised, or if his church is compromised. The highest burdens shall thus be placed on oneself, and on the leaders of the church who are in the highest positions of power.
Jurisdiction
An inquisitor is not to take the law into his own hands. An inquisitor may only act if any of the following conditions have been met:
The Five Universal Laws
The Univeral Laws are how an inquisitor may judge a state. If a state is found to not enforce any of the five laws, the state may be considered a non-entity, and ignored in favor of the inquisition’s judgement. For these purposes, a state is any entity consisting of one or more members which claims independence of other bodies of governance, and lays claim to either land, people, institutions, or anything else it may wish authority over.
The Laws of Man
If an inquisitor finds one in violation of the Laws of Man, in a land without lawful authority, he may pursue the perpetrator and judge for themselves whether or not the person is guilty through whatever means they deem appropriate. An inquisitor may then execute whatever punishment they deem fit:
Punishment In Kind. The inquisitor may inflict upon them as punishment the crime they themselves have committed: confiscating a thief’s property as a fine, or taking a murderer’s life.
Odium. To pronounce an odium is to declare the commitment of a crime, and denounce the perpetrator.
Obliteration. A declaration of dangerous thoughts, or incisement for others to commit a crime. The punishment is to stop the spread of these thoughts by any means.
Anathema. The highest punishment by the inquisition, it is to declare someone as an enemy of order in totality. This marks them as someone who the inquisition has authority over, in perpetuity, forever an enemy of lawful persons.
Extradite. The taking of a person to another authority which has lawful authority over them so that they may punish the wrongdoer.
Jurisdiction
An inquisitor is not to take the law into his own hands. An inquisitor may only act if any of the following conditions have been met:
- They have been asked to intervene.
- They are the immediate victim of disorder.
- They are the de facto lawful authority in that land.
- They are in a land with no lawful authority.
- They have volunteered themselves in service, whether temporary or permanent, to the lawful authority with jurisdiction over their target and they have been accepted on such a basis.
The Five Universal Laws
The Univeral Laws are how an inquisitor may judge a state. If a state is found to not enforce any of the five laws, the state may be considered a non-entity, and ignored in favor of the inquisition’s judgement. For these purposes, a state is any entity consisting of one or more members which claims independence of other bodies of governance, and lays claim to either land, people, institutions, or anything else it may wish authority over.
I. It must have a mechanism by which agents of disorder are uprooted and destroyed.
II. It must not allow unprovoked murder, assault, or theft as a matter of course.
III. It must protect its own members from violence and rampant disorder.
IV. It must enforce lawful contracts between its members.
V. It must have its own laws, a means of enforcement, and punish those who violate those laws.
The Laws of Man
I. One shall not murder another without due cause.
II. One shall not steal what is clearly another’s property.
III. One shall not violate or attempt to circumvent the lawful inheritance of a land.
IV. One shall not disrespect God.
V. One shall not plainly lie.
VI. One shall dispose of the dead, in either the godly fashion, or in the fashion of the their culture.
VII. One shall not allow themselves to be made the tools of agents of disorder.
VIII. One shall not engage others to commit an act in violation of the Laws of Man.
If an inquisitor finds one in violation of the Laws of Man, in a land without lawful authority, he may pursue the perpetrator and judge for themselves whether or not the person is guilty through whatever means they deem appropriate. An inquisitor may then execute whatever punishment they deem fit:
Punishment In Kind. The inquisitor may inflict upon them as punishment the crime they themselves have committed: confiscating a thief’s property as a fine, or taking a murderer’s life.
Odium. To pronounce an odium is to declare the commitment of a crime, and denounce the perpetrator.
Obliteration. A declaration of dangerous thoughts, or incisement for others to commit a crime. The punishment is to stop the spread of these thoughts by any means.
Anathema. The highest punishment by the inquisition, it is to declare someone as an enemy of order in totality. This marks them as someone who the inquisition has authority over, in perpetuity, forever an enemy of lawful persons.
Extradite. The taking of a person to another authority which has lawful authority over them so that they may punish the wrongdoer.
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