Author Information
Written by Gav Thorpe, and can be found in the free download of the Thorian Sourcebook, made for Games Workshop's game "Inquisitor".
Hellfury
I think the premise for this Ordo is quite interesting and merits further research and development by the community at large. We may see future development from Gav Thorpe now that he is rumored to be a free lance writer for GW, but the likelihood is pretty small.
The Ordo Sepulturum
The Ordo studies the threat of the Zombie Plague
\ˈȯr-dō\ˈse-pəl-tu̇r-rŭm\
One of the smallest and most specialized organizations within the Inquisition, the Ordo Sepulturum operates around the Eye of Terror and is dedicated to investigating a specific threat - the Zombie Plague.
Before Abaddon's 13th Black Crusade, the incidence of Zombie Plague around the Cadian system dramatically increased. This was noticed by several agents of the Inquisition who were soon in communication, and within a few years several more Thorians, most notably Inquisitor Aghastri, were investigating the Zombie Plague and the Ordo Sepulturum was formed.
Plague Zombie
As a combination of both a Chaos infection as well as a physical malaise, the Zombie Plague has always been on the agenda for Thorians to study, but its unpredictable nature and sporadic occurrences meant that it took luck or a tremendous amount of patience to capture Plague Zombies for investigation. With the advent of the Eye of Terror-related epidemic, Inquisitors that had previously been thwarted in their missions to achieve specimens were suddenly confronted with a plethora of test subjects. The Zombie Plague physically degenerates those it infects and infection can occur in many ways, including psychically - but maintains a portion of the life essence of the victim even after physical death occurs. The parallels between the Zombie Plague and the operation of the Golden Throne have not been overlooked.
The increased study of the Zombie Plague has lead many Thorians to believe that in its unaltered form it may well provide several clues to the nature of the Emperor's life-indeath, but all forms of the 'faith virus' so far examined have undergone mutation. That the Plague Zombies still possess a Warp-reflection has been confirmed not only by psychic investigation but also by the fact that several psykers have been able to control these creatures - psychic manipulation is normally only possible through the Warp-ego of a creature. The possibility that the Plague Zombie infection is an offshoot of Golden Throne technologies is not widely supported and the common theory is that it was spawned by Dark Mechanicus within the Eye of Terror.
Much more rare is the Obliterator virus, which again is a Chaosborn contagion that combines elements of physical corruption with mental disruption. Allowing the psychic manipulation of technology, the Obliterator virus allows for humans to interact and meld with machinery, not only on the physical plane but also on the psychic and spiritual level. In combination with what has been gleaned from Eldar technology, the existence of the Obliterator virus lends hope to the idea that an augmented Divine Vessel could be artificially created, should a non-corruptible version of the virus ever be developed.
Thorian sub-factions within the Ordo Sepulturum
Hellfury I have listed below the most likely Thorian sub-faction to be found in the Ordo Sepulturum as a general example of the ideals of the Ordo.
Other sub-factions I am sure are present as well, in varying degrees.
Revivificators
In the midst of contagion
Unusual for a resurrectionist cult, the Revivicators have few ties
with the Ministorum. Their focus is directed towards the
transition of the soul to the Warp at the point of death. In
particular, they study the means by which this can be slowed,
halted and ultimately returned. This study takes them to
battlefields and plague areas, to conduct their investigations on
those close to the death. They are also frequenters of tombs and mausoleums, hence a certain amount of disrespect for the
practices of the Ecclesiarchy.
Known as ghouls or ravens for their somewhat morbid practices,
the Revivificators are also known to have learned much from the
capture of various Eldar over the centuries. In particular, they
find the principle of the Eldar spirit stone intriguing, and have on
numerous occasions attempted to replicate the practice of
capturing a departing soul. So far, such attempts have proved
wholly unsuccessful, for Mankind's psychic technology is far
inferior to the psychic-engineering properties of Eldar
Wraithbone.
There are also those that have read Van Hinkel's Treatise on the
Soultheft Methods of Eldar Pirates, penned by the Inquisitor
Lord in the late 39th millennium. This detailed manuscript
contains Van Hinkel's report on interrogations of captured Dark
Eldar, as well as collating information from many other sources
previously scattered in various libraries and data-files throughout
the Inquisition's fortresses and stations.
The least scrupulous Revivificators have attempted to repeat the
torturous practices of the Dark Eldar, usually on heretics and
other criminals, though not exclusively so. Few amongst the
Inquisition know of the grisly dungeons staffed by telepaths and
wired with arcane machinery for the detection and extraction of
psychic energy.
Ultimately, it is the goal of the Revivificators to study the Golden
Throne itself and perhaps alter its working so that the Emperor's
body might be restored. To this end, it is not only the passage of
the soul to the Warp that the Revivificators study, but also the
processes by which a corpse may be maintained in a state ready
for such a re-infusion of the soul. Access to this knowledge and
technologies means that Revivificators often live far longer than
even other Inquisitors, the oldest being Inquisitor Lord Verinath,
who was shot and killed whilst hale and hearty at the age of
seven hundred and sixty three.
Chamber Militant of the Ordo Sepulturum
Hellfury I have started a discussion regarding the name of the Ordo's Chamber Militant HERE. If you have any thoughts on the matter please contribute to the brainstorming in that thread. For instance,Yakface has postulated that the Ordo Sepulturum (since it is an Ordo Minoris) wouldn't have a dedicated Chamber Militant and would instead requisition from various other Chambers Militant that the Ordos Majoris utilize.
Reference
The Thorian Sourcebook these excerpts are taken from can be found at the Specialist Games site HERE.
(Note: Since Games Workshop has updated their website late 2008, the Specialist Games website is now defunct. A mirror of the source for the PDF above can be found through the Internet Archival Service HERE. )
Notes
Images found in this article are property of Games Workshop LTD, used without permission and their use is in no way meant to challenge Games Workshop's Intellectual Property rights. They originate from various 'Inquisitor' game resource manuals that are found (free to the public) on the (the now defunct) Specialist Games Website.