Witch Hunters

Witch Hunters are one of the playable armies in the tabletop miniature wargame, Warhammer 40,000. In terms of the fictional background of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, the army comprises several separate factions within the Imperium, but are characterised primarily by Inquisitors of the Ordo Hereticus (a branch of the Inquisition) and the Battle Sisters of the Adepta Sororitas. The goals of these two organisations, as well as any allied or inducted forces of other Imperial factions, is to root out corruption, mutation, heresy, unsanctioned (or rogue) psykers, and any other blasphemy or crime against the Emperor or the Imperium.

Ordo Hereticus
Foundation
The Ordo Hereticus (Order of the Witch) was founded much later than the Ordo Xenos and Ordo Malleus, created after the Age of Apostasy which occurred during the second century of the 36th millennium. The 'Plague of Unbelief', spread by the insane tyrant Lord Vandire, had severely destabilized the Imperium in a way not seen since the Horus Heresy, in which Warmaster Horus tried to bring down the Emperor of mankind.

The Ordo Hereticus was created within the Inquisition as a check on , ensuring that another man like Vandire could not gain the level of power and control he did. Although the Ecclesiarchy has its own internal regulatory bodies, the Inquisitors of the Ordo Hereticus act as another line of defence against corruption.

Role
Although primarily concerned with supervising the Ecclesiarchy and the Imperial Cult, the Ordo Hereticus has expanded its jurisdiction to encompass the internal threats to the Imperium: the witch, the mutant, the heretic, the traitor. Ordo Hereticus Inquisitors are considered to be the most sinister of the three Orders, as they must find their foes amongst the population of the Imperium's millions of inhabited worlds. The arrival of an Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor on a world is met with equal parts awe and trepidation, as none but the Inquisitor know where his attentions will fall.

The members of the Ordo Hereticus monitor the Wars of Faith inspired by the Ecclesiarchy, to ensure they remain within the objectives assigned by the Ecclesiarch. They ensure that the teachings preached by priests of the Imperial Cult remain true to the spirit of the Emperor's will. They regulate the wealth and territory claimed by members of the Ecclesiarchy, to prevent members of the institution from gaining power to a point that threatens the stability of the area they are responsible for.

The Ordo Hereticus is also called upon to monitor other Imperial organisations for internal threats, including the Adeptus Arbites, the Space Marines, and even the Inquisition itself. Anyone can fall under interrogation by an Inquisitor, ranging from the lowliest citizen to one of the High Lords of Terra; even another Inquisitor can fall under investigation if it is felt that Inquisitor has overstepped their bounds and/or accumulated too much power. Only the Emperor himself is exempt from inquisition, and it is a brave man indeed who crosses a member of the Ordo Hereticus. This is due in no small part to the fact that being investigated, even for the slightest transgression, is tantamount to a death sentence. Judgement and sentence are usually passed in secret, well before the verdict is reached, and inquisitions are best summed up in the infamous quote by Inquisitor Lord Karamazov, "There is no such thing as a plea of innocence in my court. A plea of innocence is guilty of wasting my time. Guilty."

The most well known Inquisitor of the Ordo Hereticus is Witch Hunter Tyrus, a staunchly monodominant man who makes extensive use of traditional judgement methods. However his nemesis is a Daemon called Kholoth the Excoriator who tortured him when he was six until Daemonhunter Covonis arrived with four Grey Knights and banished the Daemon back to the warp. Since then Witch Hunter Tyrus has claimed thousands of heretics and mutants in the name of the Emperor.

Adepta Sororitas (Sisters of Battle)

The Adepta Sororitas, also known as the Sisterhood or the Daughters of the Emperor, are a vast organization of priestesses devoted to the worship of the Emperor. Although there are many different Orders within the Sisterhood, the most well known are the Orders Militant, forming the military wing of the Ecclesiarchy.

After the Age of Apostasy, the Ecclesiarchy was forbidden from possessing any "men under arms" by the Decree Passive issued by Sebastian Thor. A loophole was exploited by refounding the Daughters of the Emperor as warrior-nuns after merging them into the greater Sisterhood, since they were technically exempt from disbanding in the first place because they were "women under arms". The Sisterhood is an internal regulator, along with being an external army, ordered to ensure that true faith is spread throughout the Imperium and the galaxy, and to ensure that the Age of Apostasy is never repeated..

The Sisters of Battle and the Ordo Hereticus have a common purpose; to protect the Imperium from internal threats, and to regulate the power amassed by the Ecclesiarchy. Recognizing this, the two organizations joined together in their efforts, a relationship formalized by the Convocation of Nephilim. Although the Sisters of Battle remained under the day-to-day command of the Ecclesiarchy, they would respond without question when an Inquisitor of the Ordo Hereticus called upon them.

The Ecclesiarchy and the Ordo Hereticus
History
The Age of Apostasy
During the Age of Apostasy, early M36, Lord Vandire was informed of a militant order comprised only of women on a distant planet within the Imperium, calling themselves the Daughters of the Emperor. Instead of flying into his usual furious rage upon hearing of that something was not under his control, Vandire decided to "pay them the honor of a visit". After deceiving them into believing that he held the Emperor's favor, Vandire adopted them as his personal bodyguards. He renamed them the Brides of the Emperor and his bloody reign continued.

On the planet of Dimmamar, a freethinking cult, named the Confederation of Light, lead by Sebastian Thor began to rise in number, denouncing Vandire. An excellent speaker, Thor swayed millions to his cause, warrior and citizen alike, and with his followers, descended upon Terra, especially after a fortuitous warp storm destroyed a fleet Vandire himself had sent to crush the rebellion.

For months, the great fortress held. Finally, it was to be one of the Custodian Guard of the Emperor himself who would begin a short chain of events to overthrow Vandire. The leader of the Brides of the Emperor, Alicia Dominica, and her 5 most trusted and able Sisters were taken deep beneath the Imperial Palace. Exactly what happened is unknown, but it is believed that the 6 of them were taken before the Emperor himself. When Dominica emerged from the hallowed chamber, she accosted Vandire in one of his great halls. Alicia Dominica was filled with fury. She uttered her verdict:

"You have committed the ultimate heresy. Not only have you turned your back on the Emperor and stepped from His light, you have profaned His name and almost destroyed everything He has striven to build. You have perverted and twisted the path He has laid for Mankind to tread. As your own decrees have stated, there can be no mercy for such a crime, no pity for such a criminal. I renounce your lordship, you walk in the darkness and cannot be allowed to live. Your sentence has been long overdue and it is now time for you to die"

His outrageous and infamous reply of, "I don't have time to die - I'm too busy!" is well known.

Alicia then swung her sword in a great arc and cut Goge Vandire's head from his shoulders. The Age of Apostasy was over.

The Reformation
Rise of the Witch Hunters
Ordo Hereticus troops and weaponry
The forces of the Witch Hunters and the Sisters of Battle favour flamers and melta weaponry. It has been suggested that this is due to a belief in the power of fire to cleanse the souls of the damned. The Sisters of Battle are the primary military force of the Ordo Hereticus, but an Inquisitor may also requisition Imperial Guard forces and request the aid of the Space Marine Chapters; whether a Chapter assents to such a request can depend upon its current relations with the Inquisition.

Previously (before 4th Edition), Space Marines never serve under an Inquisitor when Sisters of the Battle are available - presumably because the Inquisition will not deign to request the assistance of the Adeptus Astartes unless absolutely necessary. This has now become untrue in 4th edition, because Sisters of Battle are allowed to ally with any Imperial Army along with any Daemonhunter army. Furthermore, a Witch Hunters army can have their own Space Marines (generic units without special rules) or join their standard Sisters of Battle, while having an HQ choice of an Inquisitor, to non-generic Space Marine units (with lesser amount of Witch Hunters choices allowed to join, of course). The Imperium is now a united force where Sisters of Battle, Inquisitors, Deathwatch, and Daemonhunters can all ally with either an Imperial Guard Army or a Space Marine Army (but not both) at any given time.

The forces of the Witch Hunters are among the most diverse available to players of Warhammer 40,000. The Sisters of Battle alone have as many unit types as most other single armies: when supplemented with the forces of the Ecclesiarchy, Officio Assassinorum, Ordo Hereticus, and their countless Imperial Allies the narrative and tactical possibilities are enormous.

A full list of weapons and equipment used by the Ordo Hereticus can be found at the Weapons and Equipment and Vehicles of the Imperium articles.

Notable Characters

Karamazov, Inquisitor Lord Fyodor
Karamazov is a character in the First Edition of the Witch Hunters Codex. Pyrophant Judge of Salem Proctor. A staunch , Karamazov habitually judges and does battle from his massive Throne of Judgement and is generally hated by the Ecclesiarchy and Inquisitors for his actions on Salem Proctor. Karamazov made the infamous quote that is used to sum up an inquisitorial investigation: "There is no such thing as a plea of innocence in my court. A plea of innocence is guilty of wasting my time. Guilty." On Salem Proctor, Karamazov arrested Icarael, a "pure" person that the wanted to investigate. This caused the Ecclesiarchy and the Thorians to hate Karamazov, but it was later revealed that Icarael was tainted by Chaos and worthy of death.

Karamazov enters into battle on his Throne of Judgement and carries the Sword of Justice (a master-crafted power sword). He commands from this Throne with the aid of his and attacks his enemies with the aid of his (a Gun Servitor that fires a multi-melta weapon). He is a character that has both an Iron Will and an Uncompromising personality, and he prefers to fight in Solitude and Judge the faithful and unfaithful from his Throne..

Karamazov's name is a play on The Brothers Karamazov, a novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. The novel features a parable centured around a Grand Inquisitor (of the Spanish Inquisition).

St. Celestine

St. Celestine is a character in the First Edition of the Witch Hunters Codex. She is an honored member of the Sisters of Battle. She represents the purity that comes from absolute faith in the Emperor and is blessed by many miracles. She, like other Sisters of Battle, is able to use her faith to gain power in battle. Besides her faith, she is also armed with the ability of flight, the Ardent Blade, and the Armour of Saint Katherine.

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See Also

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