Ordo Arcanum and Ordo Explorator WIP

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

So I have decided to go ahead and start some inquisition allies, And for now it's mostly limited to just the Inquisitors. I've decided to create my own ordo minoris, the Ordo Arcanum. 

 

For Inquisitors, they'll be combat focused, and using Ordo Malleus and Ordo Hereticus Inquisitors. I have some basic fluff and background in mind.

 

Ordo Arcanum:

 

They are an investigative ordo, keeping tabs on the Ordos Malleus and Hereticus, in order to keep the threat of corruption at bay. They are also responsible for studying and devising counters for the acrane powers of the warp. Only Inquisitors of the highest moral standing, and unwavering faith are chosen for this small and secretive ordo, as the powers they deal with on a daily basis are dark and tempting. Only one of their number has fallen to temptation in the seven millennia since their founding. They are almost all psykers, as a connection to the warp is required to study it's dark secrets. Even in study they put themselves at great risk to protect mankind. In order to preserve their purity and righteousness, they only employ the servants of man, and human henchmen. 

 

Given their relationship with the Ordo Malleus, they have access to the Astartes of the Grey Knights to do their work. Only those who display fortitude and compassion are drawn for the Arcanum's Chamber militant. Other Henchmen include Humans at the peak of physical condition, employed as Crusaders or as Assassins. 

 

The Ordo Arcanum disdains the alteration of the human form, they look upon servitors, and arco-flagellants as pitiable creatures. They believe in the strength of mankind, though they are often disappointed by it's repeated failings, yet they persevere, and when they find chaos, they do not rest until it's threat has been eliminated. They are loathe to use mind scrubbing and even more so to use an exterminatus. In keeping with their high standards, they do not employ daemonhosts in battle, instead only using them in the laboratory to study their enemy, and they only use the irredeemable as hosts for the creatures (Unrepentant Cultists most often). 

 

Such is their aversion to the daemonic, they have been known to exorcise a daemonhost from another inquisitor's retinue, and deal severely with the Inquisitor in question. They have also been known to euthanize arco-flagellants. They spare servitors, though with heavy hearts, as at least the servitor feels no pain in it's current existence. 

 

The Ordo Arcanum also has connections to the Adeptus Sororitas, and often draws from their ranks for their missions, requiring the same of the Grey Knights, fortitude and compassion. 

 

They are also only one of 2 Ordos of the Inquisition that can even travel to the world of Nieflhiem, the other being the Ordo Explorator (whom I will detail later), as the Nieflung do not trust the Inquisition, nor do they adhere to the Imperial cult, instead adhering to the preceding Imperial Truth (or a version of it). As the Ordo Arcanum and Ordo Explorator are not concerned with bending the people to the Imperial Cult, they are permitted to land on Nieflheim, and indeed even work with the Elite troops of that world.

 

That's a bit of what I had in mind for them. I'll post pictures when I get my other inquisitor finished (One came painted, and done pretty well, so I think I'll leave that one alone, as I planned to do the other one in a similar fashion). 

 

For models I used Grey Knight Terminators with Psycannons. One has a halberd, but it will be a counts as force sword. 

Edited June 12, 2015 by Ulrik_Ironfist

[Father Mehman]

I'm digging the fluff! It's refreshing to see a part of the Inquisition that doesn't view Mankind as pitiable insects. Keep up the great work !

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

You know, I'm not trying to go all noblebright, because let's face it, I'm a misanthropic , and I can be ruthless, vicious, and deceitful when I need to be. As are all the characters in my fluff, but keeping with the ideals the Imperium was founded upon seems like a nice change of pace. It can't be all grimdark all the time, you need someone to step up and be the shining exemplar of all that makes mankind great. I hate extremes, one direction you have the imperium, so much the oposite of chaos that it epitomizes it, and then you have chaos, which is pure evil on the other end of the spectrum. 

 

Heresy as it might be, My armies don't believe that Xenos are threat in general. Tyranids, definitely; Eldar are conceited and hoity toity, a threat but not on a grand scale, and can be helpful at times, no exterminatus; Tau are Naive, and they're generally ok, but the Ethereals need to be exterminatus'd, the rest can stay in their corner; The Necrons are a mixed bag, some are dangerous rampaging killbots, others are honorable, and some would even work with other races for mutual benefit, handle with care; Dark Eldar are kinky and a bit depraved, don't go near them unless you want things shoved in painful places, useful if you point them at something else; Orks, well, promise them a fight, point them in a direction and let them go, If we'd use this tactic, we'd lose less Guardsmen and Astartes and actually get stuff done.

 

Chaos is the threat, it's subversive, insidious, and downright evil. I mean if they deem your offering unworthy (is there a criteria?), they do unspeakable things to you. If they deem your offering worthy, they do unspeakable things to you. I don't get the appeal. Power? What good is power when you could turn into a mass of tentacles, because your chosen deity got bored. 

 

The Ordo Arcanum exists to protect people from the dangers of chaos. They're cultbreakers, daemonkillers, witchhunters, and archivists of arcane knowledge. Some of the Knowledge they catalog is dispersed after it is examined. They are also historians, working to uncover lost knowledge to help humanity. 

 

Which gives me an idea for how to fluff priests and mystics, they're not priests, they're professors. It is their job to gather and disseminate lost knowledge, and acolytes are their assistants. Just as Indiana Jones needed his pistol and bullwhip, priests and acolytes never go unarmed. 

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

I finished my Inquisitors. 

 

Pics:

 

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

So the Ordo Explorator, they are the ones that keep tabs on Mechanicus Explorator Fleets and Rogue Traders. They also keep an eye on the Ordo Xenos, making sure they don't get too friendly with the aliens they want to exploit. They organize and monitor all new explorations, as well as making (ideally, sometimes the Ecclesiarchy and Mechanicum do, which is often disastrous) first contact with rediscovered human populations. They try to make a good impression (i.e. the first thing they try to do is convince the planet that the imperium is in their best interests, not to exchange half their brain for a computer, or shoving the pseudo-religious crap down the people's throats...)

 

They have no chamber militant, and often times they'll use standard imperial guardsmen for their missions, as they often work covertly. Most often they use stormtroopers, as they are highly trained, but fit in better than a power armored astartes. They eschew acolytes and other imperial henchmen in favor of the Stormtroopers for the same reasons. The Ordo Explorator are generally unassuming and this is the way the want it, so that their wards do not recognize them.

 

They believe that Xenos, while many are threatening to imperial worlds, should be viewed as a resource to be exploited. They pursue technologies from all alien species, to aid mankind. They will get this technology however they can. They do however prefer peaceful means, as it is usually the least visible, which is how this secretive Ordo has avoided scrutiny for thousands of years. They also make extensive use of Vindicare assassins, when a target needs to be eliminated. 

[Father Mehman]

I need to see more ideas about this. For some reason, I can't think of anything to add. We'll be waiting, Brother.

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

I'm really going to be fleshing out the Ordo Explorator here. The Inquisitor is a side character, but integral none the less.

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

So, I'm coming back to this after almost 3 years, as I'm building 3 new inquisitors. Especially since Inquisitors are more useful to me in the new Edition. I'll be posting pictures as my conversions come along.

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

Sorry for the Threadomancy, but I've come back to this idea since I've been writing some fiction and wanted to include these Ordos so that I could make things interesting. I laid out most of my Ideas in the first few posts, but I figured that this would be an opportunity to flesh out the Ordo Arcanum a bit.

 

The Ordo Arcanum stands not only as a watchdog for the Ordo Malleus, and Ordo Hereticus, but they monitor all organizations which employ psykers. It is they who determine whther psykers within the Adeptus Astartes, Adeptus Astra Telepathica, Schola Progeneum, and Departmento Munitorum, have become dangerous. They monitor all use of the Arcane, to ensure that psykers are not delving into sorcery rather than using their innate psychic ability. It is the Ordo Arcanum which determines the line between psyker and sorcerer, and enforces the edict of the Council of Nikea to abolish sorcery.

 

The Ordo Arcanum primarily focuses it's attentions on the Ordo Malleus and the Ordo Hereticus, as the other sanctioned psykers are policed from within their organizations (Commissars having standing orders to eliminate out of control psykers, and Astartes being conditioned to despise sorcery and not to tolerate it).

 

I'm a bit unsure how I want to model my inquisitors, but I do want to make models for them.

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

Well, I bought a couple of old metal inquisitors to be my new Inquisitors. They will serve faithfully alongside my armies, ensuring that psykers do not get out of control. I do have a concern though, does including inquisitors lock out my space marines from their doctrines?

[Daynga-Zone]

Bringing an inquisitor in your detachment doesn’t break doctrines and it looks like we may be able to bring acolytes and other Inquisition stuff as well with war of the spider. No idea for 9th, but I assume that will hold true.

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

Bringing an inquisitor in your detachment doesn’t break doctrines and it looks like we may be able to bring acolytes and other Inquisition stuff as well with war of the spider. No idea for 9th, but I assume that will hold true.

That's awesome! I also have some Scions who I will be stripping and repainting and they will be pulling double duty as inquisitorial storm troopers and Chapter Militia for my StormCrows RG successor.

[Gamiel]

Do you have any thoughts about your Ordos relationships with the other =][= Ordos? Any friendships, rivalries or open hostilities?

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

Do you have any thoughts about your Ordos relationships with the other =][= Ordos? Any friendships, rivalries or open hostilities?

So the Ordo Arcanum is basically the internal affairs department, and so is not well liked by the rest of the inquisition, so their relationships are usually antagonistic. They are, however, well received by the people who dread an inquisitorial presence (usually due to Inquisitors making everything harder).

[ThePenitentOne]

I see Ordo Arcanum as also having an interest in the Astra Telepathica as well.

 

As for Explorators, I could see them working with the Missionaria Galactica arm of the Ecclesiarchy. It's a pretty sweet mixed crew/ Kill Team: You'd have a Missionary and at least one supporting Preacher; they'd have a Crusader Squad as a personal Body Guard (and maybe Gotfret de Montbard from BSF to really punch them up a notch), as well as a Death Cult Assassin or two as shadow ops, and a squad or two of Frateris Militia (Count as Guardsmen). You'd also have a Palatine with her Celestian bodyguards, and a Dialogus and Famulous to help you sow the seeds of the Imperial creed from the underground BEFORE the Imperials reveal themselves, like the Bene Gesserit from Dune. The Inquisitor is there to oversee and coordinate.

 

It's a hell of a team. Throw in a Hospitaller for good measure- very useful on a generation ship. Her rules are problematic though, because her healing abilities only work for Ministorum units. If the Frateris were Counts as Guard, neither they nor the Inquisitor would have the Keyword to benefit from her help. I wish that the Medical Servitor model from Urban Conquest had a profile instead of just being an objective- it's one of my favourite models in the game, and it would look beautiful in this mixed bag of Imperial Agents and forces. The Rejuvinant Adept from KT: Rogue Trader is cool too, but she has a nigh on insurmountable Keyword problem.

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

I see Ordo Arcanum as also having an interest in the Astra Telepathica as well.

 

Oh definitely. All organizations which employ Psykers, are the domain of the Ordo Arcanum. They are there to ensure that Psykers stay within the realm of Psychic power, and do not dabble in sorcery. They see the folk magic of the Vylka Fenrika as borderline, but they haven't seen true sorcery out of them, so they merely keep a watchful eye. The Grey Knights and their ties to the Ordo Malleus are of particular concern, as is the Ordo Malleus itself, as both deal so closely with Daemons and the Warp, and the Grey Knights have lost a Grand Master to the Warp. It is concerning to them that Kaldor Drago could survive the warp for so long, though he is apparently gone insane because of it. That makes them a either a beacon of hope, that humanity can be made to be incorruptable, or it is a sign of deep rooted corruption by the warp in the most insidious way.

 

 

 

As for Explorators, I could see them working with the Missionaria Galactica arm of the Ecclesiarchy. It's a pretty sweet mixed crew/ Kill Team: You'd have a Missionary and at least one supporting Preacher; they'd have a Crusader Squad as a personal Body Guard (and maybe Gotfret de Montbard from BSF to really punch them up a notch), as well as a Death Cult Assassin or two as shadow ops, and a squad or two of Frateris Militia (Count as Guardsmen). You'd also have a Palatine with her Celestian bodyguards, and a Dialogus and Famulous to help you sow the seeds of the Imperial creed from the underground BEFORE the Imperials reveal themselves, like the Bene Gesserit from Dune. The Inquisitor is there to oversee and coordinate.

 

It's a hell of a team. Throw in a Hospitaller for good measure- very useful on a generation ship. Her rules are problematic though, because her healing abilities only work for Ministorum units. If the Frateris were Counts as Guard, neither they nor the Inquisitor would have the Keyword to benefit from her help. I wish that the Medical Servitor model from Urban Conquest had a profile instead of just being an objective- it's one of my favourite models in the game, and it would look beautiful in this mixed bag of Imperial Agents and forces. The Rejuvinant Adept from KT: Rogue Trader is cool too, but she has a nigh on insurmountable Keyword problem.

That's an interesting Idea, and I'll need to explore that more fully. The Ordo Arcanum is more something I had in mind to explore right now, since they would be the more visible of the two Ordos I came up with.