The Imperial Inquisition

The Imperial Inquisition is the largest religious institution in the Tosgiv Empire after the main clergy. Rather than working alongside the clergy and the military, the Inquisition answers to no one but the Emperor himself, causing quite some friction and internal power struggles between the three groups. The official aim of the Inquisition is to seek out heresy and bring its practitioners to justice, but true justice is hardly ever served. Instead, the Inquisition is used as a tool to silence and persecute people across the Empire. Unlike similar institutions in other cultures, the Imperial Inquisition does not inherently seek out magic users.

Methods
Inquisitors typically travel in small groups of two to four, but have been known to operate alone or in larger groups when the situation calls for it. They go wherever reports of blasphemy, heresy, or pagan religions take them, making the life of an Inquisitor one of frequent travel. Food, shelter, and a fat paycheck are all provided by the Empire, making the Imperial Inquisition a desirable job for any Tosgivite with wanderlust.

In recent times, the Inquisition has been spending most of its manpower on quelling the resistance elements in the far reaches of the Feroz archipelago, backed up by the Imperial Navy and its soldiers that excel at amphibious assaults. Nevertheless, the Empire has failed to make much headway against the heretical Ferozi rebels, who fight relentlessly using guerilla tactics despite numerous deaths and even more plentiful arrests of many of their kin. This focus has weakened the Inquisition outside the main cities, and has allowed influence from Artesian and Zattarian polytheism to spread into Belar’s Border Zone unchecked.

Trials and punishments
When a target is located, the Inquisitors will pursue relentlessly to arrest them. This can lead to anything from a lengthy chase through the jungles of Feroz to forcibly entering someone’s home and dragging them out. Those taken by the Inquisition are shipped off to the nearest large population center, and put on trial. Many of them never return home, because no matter what the charges are, the victim finds themselves charged guilty in an overwhelming majority of the cases. Common punishments include being whipped through the streets and getting a jail sentence, forced slavery, and an array of medieval ways to die almost as colorful as the fabrics decorating the cities.

Artifacts
While the main task of the Inquisition is apprehending people and putting them on trial for their transgressions against mainstream religion, an unwritten rule is to confiscate any magical artifacts a person may have on them or in their home. Such artifacts are usually falsely used as evidence in trials and made out to be religious idols or symbols of ancient Ferozi ancestor worship. Once the trial is over and a person has been consigned to a life of slavery, prison, or had it cut short entirely, the artifacts are discreetly sold to the Cabal, the Empire’s main authority on magical matters, making the Inquisitor General and any cronies they may have very rich indeed.

Internal structure and appearance
The rank structure of the Imperial Inquisition is a simple one that emphasizes central leadership. At the top stands the Inquisitor General, who takes orders only from the Emperor himself. Under that stand two appointed officials called La Mano Izquierda y La Mano Derecha, the left and right hand. La Mano Izquierda controls the Inquisition’s treasury, intelligence, and logistics for the Inquisitor General, while La Mano Derecha serves as a field commander, allowing the Inquisitor General to remain on the mainland, if not the capital, at all times.

Everyone below this triad of officials is technically considered an Inquisitor of equal rank, though those who have been with the religious organization for a long time are granted extra privileges such as command assignments or serving as a judge during a trial. On most missions, a Senior Inquisitor is not present, and straws are drawn to see which Inquisitor will take the lead, and the blame if something goes wrong, making leadership a double-edged sword.

Every recruit immediately attains the rank of Inquisitor once they’ve been inducted into the order and given their uniform and weaponry. Uniforms are light and easy to wear, featuring lots of leather. They are made to provide a token degree of protection in close quarters combat, allow extensive chases through the rough terrain without slowing the wearer down much, durability, and comfort on long travels. Interestingly, both Senior Inquisitors and the upper echelon wear the same armor as those below them, albeit with some additions to signify their rank. Common weapons in the Inquisition are the crossbow, the whip, and daggers.

In list order:
 * Inquisitor General
 * La Mano Izquierda y La Mano Derecha
 * Senior Inquisitors
 * Inquisitors