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This is reference to both Xeno Archaeology (which I see as being handled by the Inquisition Ordos Xenos branch for obvious reasons) But Human based Archaeology could go either way. I'm considering making an Archaeologist themed back story for an Inquisitor + retinue...

A mix.
AdMech might do the actual archeology but any xenos artifcats would be handed over (unless they were really good).
Though the Ordo Xenos may directly oversee a dig and sometimes the AdMech will be completly free of any other influence.

It might be possible but you have to remember it all has help the war effort, I don’t think the IoM gives a damn about bits of xeno pottery.

Looking for weapons (or *gasp* STC’s) amongst human remains would be firmly in the territory of the Admech.

Depends on who finds it first and who has the most guns in the area.


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Ma55ter_fett wrote:Looking for weapons (or *gasp* STC’s) amongst human remains would be firmly in the territory of the Admech.

Not true, the Inquisition is also interested in these things, as they are interested in all things that can help the Imperium gain an advantage over its enemies (for radicals, even things which belong to its enemies).

You'd be surprsised what someone will put on a piece of pottery...
Directions to the Black Library.
Porn.
Some kind of super weapon schematics.
More porn.
A weakness or secret rite a species has or needs.
More porn.
Actually pottery is a pretty limited medium come to think of it.

My thinking goes aong the lines that ancient Human & Xeno civilizations may have had interactions with the Ruinous Powers to where knowledge of what they did and how they did it (be it aiding Chaos or fighting against it) may be of direct aid to the Inquisition.

There is also the issue of finding and safe guarding or destroying Chaos artifacts before they fall into the wrong hands.

AdMech know not to mess with Chaos.
They have no actual way of knowing what ancient civilisations did worship Chaos, the 4 gods usually took a different form in those religions.
My belief is that the Inq. and the AdMech work together most of the time but if either think they can get away with it they go on an archeological free-for-all.

Remember, the Mechanicus does not always release STCs for use by the general public even if it would be useful in such an endeavor. If the Inquisition finds an STC, it has leverage to make sure it benefits humanity as a whole instead of merely the mechanicus.

And let's not forget that among the Ordo Hereticus' duties is to make the Mechanicus share its toys when it starts to get selfish. The adepts of Mars are often apt to forget their duties to humanity as a whole in favor of their duties to the Omnissiah.

Melissia wrote:Depends on who finds it first and who has the most guns in the area.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Ma55ter_fett wrote:Looking for weapons (or *gasp* STC’s) amongst human remains would be firmly in the territory of the Admech.

Not true, the Inquisition is also interested in these things, as they are interested in all things that can help the Imperium gain an advantage over its enemies (for radicals, even things which belong to its enemies).

I don't totally agree there. it is definitely true that the inq would be interested in those pieces of old tech, but I think the AdMech would be handling the search in the first places. AFAIK, the Inquisition never organised anything that could be compared to the AdMech's search quests for lost knowledge.

Hence, I think most archaelogical searches would be conducted by the AdMech, probably in the presence of an Inquisition observer though. If some piece of tech or any kind of old relic is thought to have a xenos or chaotic connection, then I guess the inquisition would move in and take control of the operations.

Again, that's not entirely true. Not all imperial scholars are Admech.

Actually no imperial scholar is Admech. They don't have true scholars like we think of them.

A gifted scholar can quite easily find his way into an Inquisitors employ, and as said, an Inquisitor is always searching for heresy and weapons to use against it, or xenos, and weapons to defeat them with, or daemons, and weapons to banish them with.

I like it when I can provoke a good conversation!

The thought of a camaign/scenario between two flavors of inquisition retinues (one Archeological Inqs, and the other representative of the Admech) fighting each other for possession of a site would be cool.

A reward system where an unknown or randomly determined artifact (weapon or something - maybe even a special ability or an item granting a psychic ability) could be instituted for the winner of the battles.

Melissia wrote:Again, that's not entirely true. Not all imperial scholars are Admech.

Actually no imperial scholar is Admech. They don't have true scholars like we think of them.

A gifted scholar can quite easily find his way into an Inquisitors employ, and as said, an Inquisitor is always searching for heresy and weapons to use against it, or xenos, and weapons to defeat them with, or daemons, and weapons to banish them with.

I'm not sure I understand your point, so throw an axe in my face if I'm getting OT, but I don't understand why you are talking about scholars.

I guess pretty much all the important archaeological searches and studies in the IoM would be conducted by the AdMech, unless the Inquisition suspects that these searches might lead to some Xenos or Chaotic artefact. In this case, the Inquisition would surely move in very quickly, probably much to the AdMech's displeasure and frustration though.
But since the AdMech is in charge of the "quest for lost knowledge", it sounds logical that they're the ones conducting (major) archaeological studies. After all, this is how the IoM came to recover a good number of STC designs right? And, in most cases, this knowledge was recovered by the AdMech, not the Inquisition.

In all the short stories and fluff regarding archaeology that I've read,
its the admech explorators that do the digging and the Inquisition only starts taking an interest once things get strange.

Also the admech are inevitably shown to be foolish children playing with dark forces thy can't comprehend (usually Necron occasionally Chaos)
unleashing Cuthulu (or at least his GW trademarked counterpart) upon the unsuspecting galaxy.

*edited for incomprehensible gibberish

Archaeology is handeled jointly by the Ordo Xeno and the Ad Mech.


the Ordo Xeno is the only branch of the Inquisition that really takes a public face and has the bulk of their members in a non-combatant role.

most Ordo Xeno personel do Archaeology and excavation of Xeno ruins.



the Ad Mech is present to deal with any Technology that appears, Human or Xeno.



a Typical Imperial Exploration team would have a large force of Laborers, a small learned Leadership, and representitives from the Ad mech and Ordo Xeno to help if needed, and moniter the situation.


an Ad Mech team would be mostly, if not all, Ad Mech. the Ordo Xeno would only be present if the Ad Mech requested their assistance.

Occasionally local scholars and universities get mentioned in the background. The POV character of Prospero Burns is an archaeologist who organized an institute to research the histories of human worlds as they were reabsorbed into the Great Crusade. The Ecclesiarchy might organize expeditions to search for and recover relics, bodies of saints, and so on. Some Space Marine chapters do the same thing; Dark Angels have a somewhat scholarly bent, and Blood Ravens mount exploratory/historical missions through their librarium.

Obviously the Inquisition prefers to control research into certain areas of the past, and they probably are responsible for any serious xenoarchaeology. Rogue Traders might conduct some of their own, though it's usually with an eye for profit and often proves little better than informed tomb raiding. The Adeptus Mechanicus might quest after artifacts, but they are mostly after machine-knowledge; non-technological aspects of human cultures wouldn't interest them , and orthodox explorators would gather limited data on xenos.

Just my take on it.

I think it's a mix of both, you know, like the admech go out and dig up some old dusty artifacts, and if the artifacts grow tentacles and start strangling trowel-and-big-paintbrush-servitors they pass the buck onto the ordo malleus/hereticus. Or I suppose if the instructions are written in alien-ese, and it glows a colour that mankind does not have a noun for, then time to ring ordo xenos!

Let's not forget that the Inquisition is first and foremost an enforcement organization. As such they would only show an interest in archaeology if the artifacts in question were deemed heretical or could prove somehow beneficial to their cause. This doesn't even extend to all forms of heresy as tech-heresy often falls under the jurisdiction of the Mechanicum.

It's an enforcement organization, sure. But its also much, much more then that, at least for the Malleus and Xenos Ordos. (I guess you dont have to be that innovative when your jop is to be uber conservative, like the Ordo Hereticus).

The ordo Xenos in particular has had its hand in active research, like the notable incident of "The Anphelion Project" detailed in an Imperial Armor book. And knowledge of all the Demon lore has to come from somewhere on part of the Malleus (and enough chaso Shenanigans have been running around since before the heresy that even the Imperium knows that the human cultures of the long night and innumerable Xenos cultures have interacted with chaos - it stands to reason that the Malleus would be looking into these things in an active way. Im some inquisitors are willing to go as far as to use demon hosts, there must assuredly be some willing to get their hands dirty and conduct some research in digging up and researching long dead cultures.

Melissia wrote:Depends on who finds it first and who has the most guns in the area.

This - AdMech tends to do its own thing, if they think they can get away with it (meaning have more guns).