Planet: Virelath

Year of Foundation: 1st Age, Year 902 (by Covenant Calendar)

Founder: High Flame Kaedris Mournveil

Current Leader: Chancellor Faerin Voss, High Flame Supreme of the Order

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"Only the Pure Flame Endures."

That is the first tenet burned into the walls of every Inquisition fortress. Those who serve the Inquisition of the Divine Light believe themselves the sword and shield of Solan'Tar, the One True Flame, the supreme deity of the Luminar Covenant. To others-particularly those outside the borders of the Covenant-they are fanatics, racists, and theocratic oppressors, responsible for some of the most horrific atrocities in recorded history.

But they were not always so.

This document explores the full and unflinching truth of the Inquisition's origins, rise, corruption, doctrine, structure, wars, and cultural legacy across Virelath.

I. The Dawn of Fanaticism (1A 902-918)

The Luminar Covenant, a burgeoning nation of humans united under the worship of Solan'Tar, was still young when foreign gods began to creep into their lands. With increasing migration, trade, and exploration, came temples to strange deities-fey spirits from Velkaria, forge gods from the Ironclad Accord, primal spirits from the Zhakari Expanse.

These were not welcomed by the Covenant or the Inquisition. The clergy of Solan'Tar, unified in their doctrine of monotheistic supremacy, declared these deities as "False Embers", misguided manifestations born from mortal misunderstanding of the True Flame.

When riots in the multicultural city of Helios Crossing broke out over religious tensions, the Covenant saw an opportunity. They commissioned the Order of the Sanctified Flame, a militant arm designed to "protect the spiritual health of the faithful". But protection soon turned into prosecution and unlawful execution, murder and persecution.

II. The Ember Doctrine & The Rise of the Inquisition (1A 918-934)

Under the stewardship of Kaedris Mournveil, a retired general turned theologian, the Order became something far more dangerous. In 918, Mournveil authored the Ember Doctrine, a radical, incendiary document that redefined the spiritual landscape of the Covenant.

"There is one Flame. Others are flickers at best-corruptions at worst."
-The Ember Doctrine, 1st Passage

He proposed that all other gods were shattered pieces of Solan'Tar or malignant lies whispered by demons. Followed up by that non-human races were born from the lesser flame, spiritually impure by nature and needed to be removed from the land of the Covenant or simply killed. Magic not sanctioned by Solan'Tar was unstable, unnatural, and blasphemous.

The Order of the Sanctified Flame was rebranded into the Inquisition of the Divine Light, and Kaedris was crowned High Flame, the spiritual sword of Solan'Tar's will. Within two decades multifaith temples were dismantled brick-by-brick cause they worshipped other gods that wasn't Solan'Tar. Enraging the other empires due to the Orders disregard for honoring their territory and religion

Tieflings, elves, dragonborn, and dwarves were denied citizenship unless they converted or straight up executed for simply not being human, which happened most of the time. Clerics of other pantheons were hung, burned, or "cleansed" by ritual flame baptisms for worshipping heretical gods, an insult to Solan'Tar.

III. The Night of a Thousand Flames (2A 3)

One of the bloodiest nights in modern history. Over the course of a single night, coordinated Inquisition units attacked over forty cities and towns across the Luminar Covenant and its borderlands. To expand territory and to kill any heretics within their borders, cleansing the purity of the land and their peoples

Over 15,000 civilians were murdered, mainly non-humans but Humans had defended them but were killed alongside them. Temples to Velkarian moon gods, dwarven forge deities, and desert spirits were burned down, often with worshippers still inside. Archdruid Nymira of Palza, a peaceful Tabaxian diplomat, was immolated in the town square of Wyros while clerics chanted hymns to Solan'Tar.

High Flame Malrik Drayven, Kaedris's heir, declared to representatives form the other empires with no remorse or sympathy, in a dead cold voice:

"We have not killed. We have redeemed-by force, if necessary to make others see, Solan'Tar is the one true God."

Though condemned by other empires, the Covenant held no one accountable, protecting their political powers and honestly didn't care as they saw the Order doing their righteous work. Instead, Drayven was promoted to Flame Marshal and given command of the Covenant's entire western frontier, leading to more fear and bloodshed.

IV. The Bloodline Protocols (2A 112)

The Bloodline Protocols were introduced following a non-human military uprising led by a half-tiefling general named Eron Thalvos in the eastern provinces. Thus increasing the Covenants racial racism and paranoia that even Humans can rebel against them. So in response, the Inquisition declared a list of protocols to ensure this never happened again

• All individuals must submit to divine blood testing.
• Any non-humans, or those with "polluted ancestry," were registered and branded.
• Mixed-race children were forcibly taken to "Flame-Orphan Sanctuaries" for re-education.
• "Tainted families" were relocated to "Cleanse Zones," some of which became unmarked mass graves.

This initiative was led by Arch-Seer Valenna Iros, a Truthseer renowned for her ability to detect "soul corruption". She is credited with identifying and eliminating over 3,000 half-blooded heretics in a five-year span.

V. The Silent Fire (2A 35-51)

As the Inquisition's brutality became harder to conceal, foreign powers such as Velkaria and the Ironclad Accord imposed heavy sanctions and political pressure. The Luminar Covenant was forced to sign the Pact of Reason, promising tolerance and demilitarization of the Inquisition. In truth, this era birthed the Ash Wardens, the Inquisition's secret police and spy network.

Ash Wardens infiltrated enemy cities, spreading false miracles and staging "divine revelations", which were forced to make people, convert to their religion. Sacred texts of other religions mysteriously vanished or were replaced with Inquisition-approved edits, to spread their holy words by force. This angered many cities as they knew the Inquisition was trying to sideline their sovereignty to force their own ways onto them

Clerics of rival gods were accused of crimes and vanished without trial, enacting a series of paranoia and accusations. The legendary Dove of Ashes, Veyra Halstrom, orchestrated six covert mass executions and burned the spiritual libraries of Zhakari oases under cover of illusion.

VI. The Heretic Kingdoms War (2A 143-147)

When the Grand Palza Isles united under a multi-pantheon council, the Inquisition saw this as an existential threat to their beliefs.High Flame Dalric Velmoor, a former war-priest and devout fanatic, launched a full-scale holy war against the Isles, who just wanted peace and to worship who they wish. But to the Inquisition, this was a spit to their face and their delusional state that they owned the Isles

Cities were bombarded from skyships blessed by Solan'Taran rites and holy fire. Clerics were bound and drowned with divine water as a "mercy", to cleanse them of their sins for worshipping heretical gods and speaking blasphemy. The Sea-Blessed Court-a peaceful coalition of druids, bards, and storm priests-was publicly executed via divine smiting on floating barges.

Over 12,000 died, including thousands of children and civilians, leaving the Isles scared by the war and the destruction of their homes just cause they worshipped their own Gods. The Inquisition deemed it a glorious cleansing, while the rest of the world mourned the cultural genocide. This caused future generations of Isles inhabitants to harbor great range towards the Inquisition and Covenant

To this day, many pirates, murders and even some peaceful inhabitants who see Inquisition forces or lone Inquisitor clerics or soldiers, to kidnap them. Their bodies found days after, butchers, gutted or lite aflame and branded with their sigils of their Gods.

And no one in the Isles has weeped one single tear for them

VII. The Reformation Deception (2A 203-Present)

In modern times, the Inquisition has softened its face, though not its methods, not even a little. Now led by Chancellor Faerin Voss, a calm, grandfatherly man known as the Kind Hand of Judgment, the Inquisition presents itself as a charitable institution, though many saw the bullshit

Clerics of the True Flame run orphanages, clinics, and food halls in foreign lands. Truthseer Orators perform "divine songs" that enchant crowds into emotional spiritual conversion. Ash Wardens stage miracles to make Solan'Tar seem omnipresent, wowing the people.

Beneath this golden veil, the truth was uglier when the truth came out. Flame-Orphan Sanctuaries are breeding loyal child agents, to make them spy's to infiltrate their kingdoms to give information to them. The "Harmony Colonies" in mixed-faith regions often result in the disappearance of local cultures or communities.
Inquisition safehouses stockpile weapons and cursed relics for future use of Holy Wars.

VIII. MODERN STRUCTURE

High Flame Supreme - Chancellor Faerin Voss

The current leader. Beloved in public, feared in private. Said to have memorized every passage of the Ember Doctrine and speaks only in soft tones. His favorite phrase:

"The light does not scream. It simply reveals."

Purifiers: The holy sword-arm. Heavy armored, radiant-blessed, and trained from youth. They are Solan'Tar's knights, enforcing dogma with divine might and ruthless efficiency.

Truthseers: Spiritual judges and psychic interrogators. Use truth magic, divine insight, and often divine punishment rituals to break heretics' minds to make them give intelligence or covert them against their will.

Ash Wardens: The whisper in the crowd. Masters of illusion, disguise, blackmail, and stagecraft. No borders can hold them. No secrets are safe from them, they will get them if it means murder.

Clerics of the True Flames: Public servants. Charitable, well-dressed, and trained in emotional manipulation and theology. Some are sincere. Most are fanatics.

They say the Inquisition is preparing for a new Holy War, one that will consume the entire continent of Azara, to destroy the pantheons and to enforce the will and holy text of their God Solan'Tar, who is the One True God.