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So i know that inquisitors will not hesitate to eradicate a planet if heresy has taken root in it

however, does anyone know how far they would go? for example, if the high lords of terra displayed characteristics of heresy, would they destroy earth? also, would they destroy an adeptus mechanicus forge world?

also what level of provocation warrants the destruction of a planet, and at what point do they decide to do that, and when do they simply eradicate the problem.

thanks in advance!

Nobody is going to destroy earth.
It varies between Inqusitors. Some will blow a planet only when it's literally about to fall to Chaos or a rebellion some will blow it the second a rebellion starts.

i forgot to add another question in the same vein as my previous ones

what would the inquisition do after the events in "storm of iron"?

 NoOneExpectsAnInquisition wrote:
i forgot to add another question in the same vein as my previous ones

what would the inquisition do after the events in "storm of iron"?

Spoiler:

would they destroy hydra cordatus because it was tainted with warp energy and death? or would they simply track down the iron warriors and recover their gene-seed

Hydra Cordatus, if not claimed by the Iron Warriors or the warp energy died down, would probably be quarantined by most Inquisitors. The Iron Warriors and their gene-seed stocks would be too far gone to reclaim, and only the really zealous Inquisitors would consider bombing a useless planet.

Hydra Cordatus was useless to both factions after the war, and posed no more risk to the rest of the Imperium. Slap it in quarantine, and ignore it.

Again, you can't generalise Inquisitors. They can be zealous and prone to a bit of planet destroying. Others are more rational and humanitarian, using their power in a less destructive manner. Others would harness the warp energies themselves, to study and investigate.

 Sgt_Smudge wrote:

 NoOneExpectsAnInquisition wrote:
i forgot to add another question in the same vein as my previous ones

what would the inquisition do after the events in "storm of iron"?

Spoiler:

would they destroy hydra cordatus because it was tainted with warp energy and death? or would they simply track down the iron warriors and recover their gene-seed

Hydra Cordatus, if not claimed by the Iron Warriors or the warp energy died down, would probably be quarantined by most Inquisitors. The Iron Warriors and their gene-seed stocks would be too far gone to reclaim, and only the really zealous Inquisitors would consider bombing a useless planet.

Hydra Cordatus was useless to both factions after the war, and posed no more risk to the rest of the Imperium. Slap it in quarantine, and ignore it.

Again, you can't generalise Inquisitors. They can be zealous and prone to a bit of planet destroying. Others are more rational and humanitarian, using their power in a less destructive manner. Others would harness the warp energies themselves, to study and investigate.

Its only stated life was the citadel and the space port.
By the time the iron warriors left it had a population of one guardsmen, and a thunderhawk crew.
The citadel was erased off map and the planet worth nothing. A arid ruin of a world.

Hardly worth cost of extermitus....

pm713 wrote:
Some will blow it the second a rebellion starts.

Nah, a planet is a valuable resource - you don't blow one up just for laughs. An Inquisitor who doesn't try everything else first won't be an Inquisitor for very long. The IoM has endless amounts of men that can be sent to retake a world, men that are much cheaper than the Exterminatus munitions or a full rebuilding project. Exterminatus is a last ditch alternative reserved for a world that's not only been totally overrun but also poses a somewhat imminent threat, say Tyranids replenishing a decimated Hive Fleet. Impossible to dislodge and the world itself is being turned into "stuff" to use against the next in their path.

Spetulhu wrote:

pm713 wrote:
Some will blow it the second a rebellion starts.

Nah, a planet is a valuable resource - you don't blow one up just for laughs. An Inquisitor who doesn't try everything else first won't be an Inquisitor for very long. The IoM has endless amounts of men that can be sent to retake a world, men that are much cheaper than the Exterminatus munitions or a full rebuilding project. Exterminatus is a last ditch alternative reserved for a world that's not only been totally overrun but also poses a somewhat imminent threat, say Tyranids replenishing a decimated Hive Fleet. Impossible to dislodge and the world itself is being turned into "stuff" to use against the next in their path.

The planet lost its value when it rebelled. This teaches others to stay in line. - The logic of a lunatic.

If that were true then we wouldn't have Radicals would we?

Vraks is a chaos tainted, biochemical dead zone...probbly covered in rusting artillery, decaying milie upon mile if trenches and the tainted and blasted citidel.

Yet... Quarantined. Not destroyed

The other thing is, Inquisitors don't answer to anyone except for the High Lords of Terra and occasionally other Inquisitors. They basically use their discretion when it comes to how they react to the sorts of situations you proposed.

I'd imagine it's going to vary based on the productivity/value of the world involved.

High-production Forge World? Try to isolate and eradicate the problem, it's worth it!

Hive World completely rebelling/Chaos corrupted, with few resources that could be salvaged from the ravaged husk that is the planet - oceans toxic beyond belief, no flora left, completely ruined etc? Exterminatus and call it a day.

Low-production agri-world or some poverty frontier settlement acting up? Just wipe them all out and salvage what you can from the ruins.

A strategic location that can't afford to be turned into a blasted wasteland, perhaps they would invest some time/effort into it.

Also one point.

A inquisitor has unlimited power...
That power is uselss if the resources are just not there...

Not every base will have access to extermitus weapons.

They might have to say qaurentine and go call back to destroy it.

 NoOneExpectsAnInquisition wrote:
So i know that inquisitors will not hesitate to eradicate a planet if heresy has taken root in it

however, does anyone know how far they would go? for example, if the high lords of terra displayed characteristics of heresy, would they destroy earth? also, would they destroy an adeptus mechanicus forge world?

also what level of provocation warrants the destruction of a planet, and at what point do they decide to do that, and when do they simply eradicate the problem.

thanks in advance!

Last time Terra got seriously infected was when Goge Vandire, master of the Administratum, did a heresy at some point.

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Goge_Vandire

Various factions were sent to Terra to purge the heretics propping up his reign.

The other thing is, Inquisitors don't answer to anyone except for the High Lords of Terra and occasionally other Inquisitors. They basically use their discretion when it comes to how they react to the sorts of situations you proposed.

Inquisitors don't answer to the HLOT, excepting through the one Inquisitor who sits on the Council of Terra. Their authority is second only to the Emperor.

they do answer to there own senior figures.

in various books there seen as part of sector organisations, or other support networks.

granted they may be totaly solo, but there seems ot be a internal systems of rank

Inquisitors will do whatever it takes to do their job, including stopping Chaos taking root. Some may be rash enough to take out a Forge World, a terrible idea if there's even a modicum chance of retaking it and cleansing it, but not even the most puritan, zealous Inquisitor, in a drug/orgy induced stupor and delirious on power, by the God-Emperor's left ass-cheek, is going to even consider Exterminatus on Holy Terra. In fact, this thread is so heretical I'm surprised you haven't got a visit from a real Inquisitor travelling 38000 years back in time with the express purpose of BLAMing the OP for Heresy.

 Deadshot wrote:
Inquisitors will do whatever it takes to do their job, including stopping Chaos taking root. Some may be rash enough to take out a Forge World, a terrible idea if there's even a modicum chance of retaking it and cleansing it, but not even the most puritan, zealous Inquisitor, in a drug/orgy induced stupor and delirious on power, by the God-Emperor's left ass-cheek, is going to even consider Exterminatus on Holy Terra. In fact, this thread is so heretical I'm surprised you haven't got a visit from a real Inquisitor travelling 38000 years back in time with the express purpose of BLAMing the OP for Heresy.

if you wipe out a forge world though

One you can guarantee the Admech will put you on a black list and provide as little support as they have and fob you off with junk etc.

two, you will be investigated by your own as even a inquisitor has to give reason for such actions.

 jhe90 wrote:

 Deadshot wrote:
Inquisitors will do whatever it takes to do their job, including stopping Chaos taking root. Some may be rash enough to take out a Forge World, a terrible idea if there's even a modicum chance of retaking it and cleansing it, but not even the most puritan, zealous Inquisitor, in a drug/orgy induced stupor and delirious on power, by the God-Emperor's left ass-cheek, is going to even consider Exterminatus on Holy Terra. In fact, this thread is so heretical I'm surprised you haven't got a visit from a real Inquisitor travelling 38000 years back in time with the express purpose of BLAMing the OP for Heresy.

if you wipe out a forge world though

One you can guarantee the Admech will put you on a black list and provide as little support as they have and fob you off with junk etc.

two, you will be investigated by your own as even a inquisitor has to give reason for such actions.

Which is why I said rash. You may be on the blacklist and under investigation, but if the Forge World was entirely lost to Chaos or Orks and manufacturing Titan and Starship gear, completely unassailable, then an Inquisitor might get away with it, under scrutiny and on the blacklist for the Admech. But the main point I was making was that destroying TERRA, the Holy cradle of humanity and the seat of the Emperor, is unfathomable. If would be like die-hard Christians nuking the Vatican or Bethlehem because its been invaded by ISIS.

 Deadshot wrote:

 jhe90 wrote:

 Deadshot wrote:
Inquisitors will do whatever it takes to do their job, including stopping Chaos taking root. Some may be rash enough to take out a Forge World, a terrible idea if there's even a modicum chance of retaking it and cleansing it, but not even the most puritan, zealous Inquisitor, in a drug/orgy induced stupor and delirious on power, by the God-Emperor's left ass-cheek, is going to even consider Exterminatus on Holy Terra. In fact, this thread is so heretical I'm surprised you haven't got a visit from a real Inquisitor travelling 38000 years back in time with the express purpose of BLAMing the OP for Heresy.

if you wipe out a forge world though

One you can guarantee the Admech will put you on a black list and provide as little support as they have and fob you off with junk etc.

two, you will be investigated by your own as even a inquisitor has to give reason for such actions.

Which is why I said rash. You may be on the blacklist and under investigation, but if the Forge World was entirely lost to Chaos or Orks and manufacturing Titan and Starship gear, completely unassailable, then an Inquisitor might get away with it, under scrutiny and on the blacklist for the Admech. But the main point I was making was that destroying TERRA, the Holy cradle of humanity and the seat of the Emperor, is unfathomable. If would be like die-hard Christians nuking the Vatican or Bethlehem because its been invaded by ISIS.

Getting on peoples black lists is what Inquisitors do. Whenever there's an Inquisitor that purges an astartes chapter, a rival inquisitors base of operations, a forge world, a knight world or an sororitas sanctuary you can bet there's gonna be assasination attempts and a myriad forces wanting to see said Inquisitor dead.

they do answer to there own senior figures.

in various books there seen as part of sector organisations, or other support networks.

granted they may be totaly solo, but there seems ot be a internal systems of rank

Yes and no. It's 'sort-of-formal', and all largely a case of politics and personal relationships. Theoretically, every Inquisitor has unlimited legal authority; so (knowing that one of the most destructive problems you can have is a war between two factions of inquisitors) most sectors have a 'conclave' to debate matters. The level of formal authority this has over any inquisitor within the sector is largely by mutual agreement - but where this provides a 'visible' formal body for the ordos, it tends to undercut the whole 'unlimited authority' thing, because other Adeptus who like dealing with hierarchies will get used to receiving major orders* from the nominated head of the ordos - and when receiving them from unexpected sources, are likely to 'check back' with the sector's Inquisitorial headquarters for confirmation, giving the assembled body of Inquisitor's a chance to respond "he's doing whaaaat? Has he been at the brass polish again?"


* Like "muster 46 regiments of Imperial Guard for immediate deployment", "Lord Hax is no longer the Lord Governor Sector", or "Ensure the Chalice Imperialis is outfitted with Exterminatus weaponry and deployed to this system".

Indeed. All Inquisitors are, officially, of the same rank (that is, they are all, each and every one, second only to the God-Emperor, Himself)... internal to the organization, however, there's an extremely complicated system of prestige, influence, reputation, power and experience that determines who's word carries the most weight.

That is not completely true, the most senior and respected are named inquisitor lords and have some more authority when it comes to operations and when one of their own is under trial.

It also depends on which faction the Inquisitor belongs to, some would quarantine and save the civilians, another would leave them to their fate, or use exterminatos, other would let the chaos feser until the demon responsible appears, or do nothing and let it turn into a full blown war.

Inquisitors are a weird bunch. Some of them are clinicaly insane, others are more professional and composed. I'm sure that the Imperium isn't sleeping on Cyclonic torpedoes and Nucleonic ordnance, so an Exterminatus would have to be really, really well justified in any case. What matters is that they are not dumb people - even if an Inquisitor does something horrible, it is usually required, because there is no other way.

 jhe90 wrote:
Vraks is a chaos tainted, biochemical dead zone...probbly covered in rusting artillery, decaying milie upon mile if trenches and the tainted and blasted citidel.

Yet... Quarantined. Not destroyed

Thats because Vraks was an Armoury world, that was to suppy several IG armies, when the planet fell to chaos (as it was going to be used to supply chaos with STUPID ammounts of ammunition, tanks, guns, whatever) the HLoT decided that Exterminatus wasnt a tactical choice (due to the supplies) so they decided "If we cant have them, then chaos will not have them as well!" (Because if they attempted to get it via breach and hold, it would take 500 YEARS) so they ordered that the world was to be laid siege

 Jehan-reznor wrote:
That is not completely true, the most senior and respected are named inquisitor lords and have some more authority when it comes to operations and when one of their own is under trial.

It also depends on which faction the Inquisitor belongs to, some would quarantine and save the civilians, another would leave them to their fate, or use exterminatos, other would let the chaos feser until the demon responsible appears, or do nothing and let it turn into a full blown war.

They are "Lord Inquisitors" because three other Inquisitors of longer time-in-service invite them to take the title. There's nothing more to it than that.