Gurkhal said:

Just like the Deathwatch setting? It might save time to just use that.

Well the Jericho sector would be an alternative, but the problem is of course that its very much a war-zone. Hence I think that the Calixis sector would work better. Its a shame that I can't use the Tau but I think that I might perhaps use other races instead. The idea of stranded Eldar ruling over humans for example would probably allow similar possibilities.

Doesn't matter which Ordo you play. My party is supposedly Ordo Xenos and so far we've mostly been bashing cultists, witches and minor demons.

Witch, Demon, Cultist, Heretek, Xeno, vanilla Heretic, or frakken Tyrant Star, doesn't matter, Purge the Unclean, KILL 'EM ALL! ZAP ZAP ZAP.

p.s. calling yourself 'Lightbringer' is awfully suspicious buddy, we've played Call of Cthulu, so you should know that we're watching.

This has been my groups Modus Operandi for a while: "Kill'em all, the Emperor will recognise his own"

Needless to say, they're not making many friends...

Zakalwe: That's one way to look at it. But I was mostly thinking of staying away from the heretics and daemons as much as possible and focus my game on the threat of the Xenos. Now this can of course also include Xeno Cults or Alien technology from either Warp tainted races or Warp-driven tech, as well as Xenophilic hereteks - but likely the standard Chaos following cult and sorcerers will be missing, mostly.

Lightbringer said:

I think you've got some interesting ideas, and I can certainly see your reasoning. I personally take a slightly different approach, summarised below.

As I see it, the Ordo Xenos and the Ordo Malleus are the oldest of the Ordos Majoris - the alien and the daemon are the most natural of mankind's enemies, afterall - and consequently their presence in the wider Imperium is inherently well-established, thought seldom concerned with the Imperium itself (hence the relative lack of action by Inquisitors for or against Vandire during the Age of Apostasy - the Inquisition separated itself from Imperial politics to focus on the Enemies of Man). However, the concept of regional Conclaves, established local resources, etc, didn't really come into common use until M36, when the Ordo Hereticus was founded in the aftermath of the Age of Apostasy. Their difference in focus (concentrating on the Imperium itself, rather than its enemies), made it prudent to establish a regional infrastructure that the other Ordos are happy to make use of.

Beyond that, the notion of "frontier=Xenos threats" is far more muddled in my interpretation - the Imperium isn't a solid empire, but a spider's web of worlds and sectors interconnected by stable warp routes, with great dark gaps between them. Most Sectors are, by dint of this, "on the frontier", because somewhere beyond them in one direction or another is an unexplored or unconquered region potentially rife with threats.

N0-1_H3r3 said:

You're right, of course, "fringe" or "frontier" are misleading terms given the geography of the Imperium. I think I have overstated the geographical element of the evolution of the Inquisition into its current form at the expense of the historical narrative.

And yes, that narrative could be a fascinating one. So if I read you right, you're positing/brainstorming the idea of a decentralised/nomadic early inquisition, very much along the lines of the original 40k Rogue Trader "Roaming Inquisitor" concept, an inquisition very much focussed on combatting external threats? It's an interesting idea...

And it works nicely. And you're suggesting that the Age of Apostacy led to massive Inquisitorial reorganisation, with a greater focus upon monitoring the institutions of the Imperium...which also fits.

And I like the idea that this reorganisation led to a regional infrastructure. This ties into my (rather unfocussed) concept of the Ordo Hereticus being the Inquisitorial mainstream, with a larger bureuacracy and support network than the other Ordos. Hence the Abnett-style Inquisition, with training schools, a number of regional fortresses etc etc.

I am interested in the differences between the Ordos, how they regard each other, and all this feeds nicely into that model!

EDIT: Actually, I like the idea of the Ordo Hereticus sweeping in as "new brooms" into the Inquisition around M36, and that this could have given rise to some historical tension between the Ordos, whereby the "Old school" Inquisitors (who were perhaps all rounders and generalists?) resent both being pigeonholed into specialties and resent the interference with their old modes of operation.... This is all extrapolation rather than based on anything, though.

Don't forget though that membership to one of the three major Ordos is not required. There are many minor Ordos, many of which are likely to have a all-encompassing remit, but local in nature.

eg; a hypothetical Ordo Callaxis, which investigates *anything* in the Callaxis sector.

I don't see Inquisitors as particularly keeping to their remit. Given the rivalry between Inquisitors and Ordos, the secretive nature of the work, paranoia, probable lack of defined 'county lines' and areas of responsibility, I don't see a Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor as likely to investigate a bit of treason, discover it to be xenos in origin, and then hand it over to another member of the Inquisition.

Thus, you can throw anything at an Ordo Xenos team.

I don't think there is an "Ordo Calixis;" I think the term is "Ordos Calixis." My interpretation was always that when the term "Ordos Calixis" was used, it is intended to mean "the Ordos of the Calixis Sector," ie the disparate Ordos who operate within the Calixis Sector.

That said, I agree with your wider point completely, Siranui. Inquisitors will investigate whatever comes their way, irrespective of their Ordos affiliation. And there are also Inquisitors who are true wanderers, those who are no affiliated with any Ordo, or indeed Sector Ordos authorities.

Lightbringer said:

There isn't. I just made it up; hence the 'hypothetical'. However, I see it likely that many of the un-named minor Ordos are based on geographical lines (akin to local PD as opposed to Federal organisations), rather than by scope of crime (such as the three major Ordos).

Siranui said:

I sort of agree with you, but not completely. I have seen the term "Ordos Calixis" used in FFG material (don't ask me where, I don't have the books with me) and I believe I've also seen it for the "Ordos Scarus" as well. So there would appear to be a geographical element to Inquisitorial organisation, too, which supports your hypothesis.

However, as I read it, there is a distinction between an Ordo and Ordos, the latter being a plural of the former. The term "Ordos Calixis" is, in my view, a collective term for the collection of individual Ordo which operate in a given region. So to return to my hypothetical Drepana Sector, the "Ordos Drepana" would consist of 150 Ordo Xenos Inquisitors, 40 Ordo Hereticus Inquisitors and 10 Ordo Malleus Inquisitors." Each of those Inquisitors would be a member of their own Ordo, and also a member of the Ordos Drepana.

Basically, swap out the word "Ordo" for "Order." So you're left with Inquisitor Girgis Galt , member of the Order of the Alien, of the Drepanan Orders, aka an Ordo Xenos Inquisitor of the Ordos Drepana.

But I do sort of agree to you that there is a strong geographical element to the Inquisitorial structure; Abnett seems to suggest that the Ordos Scarus have a fairly structured hierarchy, with an Inquisitor Lord in charge of the Whole Ordos Scarus, then another Inquisitor Lord in charge of each individual Ordo, and then the individual Inquisitors of that Ordo below them.

I don't think all sectors have a structure that's so neatly defined, and there are clearly Inquisitors who disdain the idea of joining regional Ordos at all.

That's MY reading, anyway, and I accept it's a matter of interpretation.

Are you saying that 'Ordos Calixis' is basically being used as interchangable with 'The Calaxian Conclave'?

I'm sure that at least has a council of Lord Inquisitors if not actually a head for each of the major Ordo.

Face Eater said:

I suppose I am, sort of, yes... Though I see the term "Ordos Calixis" as being one that's more generic; a bit looser and less clearly defined than the Calixian Conclave. The equivalent might be the difference between the word "Government" and the word "Parliament" in the UK, or the word "Government" and the term "Senate" in the US. By which I mean that the Calixian Conclave is the more formal, correct term for the body which debates and enacts the will of the wider Ordos Calixis.

Again, only very much a personal interpretation/hypothesis, I'm not aware of any canon that supports this!