Inquisiton
The Inquisition of the Holy Solarian Empire is the most feared and secretive branch of the Church of the Radiant Flame, dedicated to rooting out heresy, suppressing dissent, and enforcing the purity of faith. Answering only to the High Cleric, they operate beyond the authority of the Emperor, wielding absolute power in matters of faith and doctrine.
They see themselves as the righteous fire of Solenara, purging corruption wherever it lurks. To the faithful, they are protectors of the Empire’s soul, guardians against Lunar corruption, and warriors against insidious heresies.
To their enemies—and even some within the Empire—they are zealots, torturers, and fanatics, willing to burn entire cities to preserve the Church’s control.
No one is beyond their reach. No secret is beyond their sight. And no heresy is beyond their fire.
The Inquisition & the Lunar Covenant
The Inquisition considers the Lunar Covenant their greatest enemy, believing that Lunarel’s influence is a disease that must be cut out.
- They see Lunar magic as inherently corrupt, a force that weakens the mind and soul.
- They believe dreamwalkers and mystics are deceived by Lunarel, twisting reality to lead mortals away from Solenara’s truth.
- The Crescent Blades, the Lunar Covenant’s warriors, are high-priority targets, as they directly oppose the Inquisition’s purges.
To the Lunar Covenant, the Inquisition is a monstrous force, a machine of blind obedience that burns without understanding.
To the common people, the Inquisition is both protector and terror, a force too powerful to oppose, too dangerous to question.
Methods & Tactics of the Inquisition
The Inquisition is not bound by Imperial law—only by faith and their own doctrine. They use fear as a weapon, ensuring that no one dares question the Church’s authority.
Public Trials & Burnings
- When a heretic is caught, they are paraded before the masses in a grand display of faith.
- The trial is a formality—the verdict is already decided.
- The execution is carried out by fire, ensuring that the soul is purified in Solenara’s light.
The "Whispered Confession"
- Some are taken in the dead of night, vanishing without a trace.
- They are never seen again—only whispers remain, warning others not to follow their path.
The Cleansing of Cities & Villages
- If a town is suspected of Lunar influence, the Inquisition does not hesitate to burn it to the ground.
- They see this as mercy—better for the innocent to die purified than to risk corruption spreading.
The Search for the Eclipse Cultists
- A secret faction within the Inquisition, known only to a few, is obsessed with hunting down those who believe Solenara and Lunarel were once united.
- They seek to erase all knowledge of the Eclipse, ensuring that the Empire’s version of history remains unchallenged.
Structure
The Inquisition is not a single organization, but a vast network of investigators, interrogators, and executioners, divided into specialized branches.
The Grand Inquisitor (The Hand of the High Cleric)
- The supreme leader of the Inquisition, answering only to the High Cleric.
- Wields more authority than most nobles, capable of ordering executions, trials, and purges without question.
- The current Grand Inquisitor, Luceria Vael, is a legend among the faithful and a nightmare to her enemies.
The Flamewardens (The Holy Hunters)
- The investigators and field agents of the Inquisition.
- Travel the Empire in disguise or openly, searching for hidden cults, forbidden texts, and Lunar sympathizers.
- They are the first to uncover heresy, but also the first to disappear when their work is done.
The Black Sepulchers (The Torturers & Executioners)
- Operate secret prisons and purification chambers, where suspected heretics are interrogated and purged.
- Known for their cold, methodical cruelty, believing that pain reveals the truth that words conceal.
- Some whisper that not all who enter the Black Sepulchers die—some emerge as hollow-eyed, broken souls, reshaped into loyal servants of the Church.
The Ashen Choir (The Keepers of Forbidden Knowledge)
- The archivists of the Inquisition, controlling all records of heresy, prophecy, and hidden history.
- They decide what truths are acceptable and what must be erased from the Empire’s past.
- Some say they possess lost texts detailing an ancient unity between Solenara and Lunarel—but none who have seen such writings live to speak of them.
The Purging Blades (The War Priests of the Inquisition)
- Unlike the Solari Templars, who fight on battlefields, the Purging Blades are assassins, executioners, and witch hunters.
- They strike in the night, eliminating enemies of the Church with precision and finality.
- Their members are often former heretics, broken and reforged into the Church’s deadliest weapons.
"Purge the darkness, whatever the cost."
Internal Division
Though united in purpose, the Inquisition is not without its own conflicts.
The Purists vs. The Pragmatists
- The Purists believe that any deviation from the faith must be destroyed immediately, no matter the cost.
- The Pragmatists believe that some knowledge is too dangerous to destroy—but useful if controlled.
- This tension leads to internal power struggles, as some seek to wield knowledge against their enemies, while others demand absolute purification.
The Secret Keepers vs. The Firebrands
- Some Inquisitors believe that secrecy is the true weapon of the Church—that heretics should be quietly removed, rather than made into martyrs.
- Others believe that public executions and grand displays of faith are necessary, ensuring that fear keeps the Empire obedient.
The Heretics Within
- Some Inquisitors have begun to question their purpose, uncovering forbidden knowledge that shakes their faith.
- Others hide their own heresies, using their position to protect secrets rather than destroy them.
- The Inquisition hunts its own members as ruthlessly as it does heretics, ensuring that only the truly faithful remain.
"Steel may break. Flesh may fail. But faith, when tempered in fire, endures forever."
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