Inquisitor (DTD)

Inquisitors are an Agenda of the Unchained that focuses on the hoarding of information, not out of some altruistic sentiment, but out of paranoia, as they believe that anything they don't know is a variable that can be used against them by their enemy, the God-Machine and its Angels.

Overview[]

The Inquisitors know that all things happen for a specific reason, often drawing on their own experiences as servants of the God-Machine to assert that everything that happens could be the result of the wide-reaching plans of someone else, no matter how trivial it seems at first. Inquisitors have seen the gears of the Creator and know that the only way to escape his reach is to outsmart him by amassing as much information as possible. Inquisitors generally choose their Agenda because of an affinity for knowledge. They devoutly believe that knowledge is power; by that philosophy, they gather all the information they can while denying it to the God-Machine. Of course, the pursuit of knowledge is perhaps the most endless pursuit of all. The Watchers often try to narrow their scope one way or another; beyond their own self-interest and continuing survival, this usually means focusing their relentless curiosity on a single subject or perhaps a small group of closely related subjects.

The Inquisitors see the world in the terms of an intelligence agency. Everything is a risk or potential advantage, and usually both at once. They focus on scraps of rare information and take steps to ensure that they know about it, and nobody else. This ensures that paranoia runs deep even within their own groups. Inquisitors know the power of asking questions — not just what words you pick, either, but the way you present them. With the right word choices, tone of voice and inflection, a demon can do all sorts of things like manipulate a target’s emotions or state of mind, make them assume they know more or less than the character does, lead them to question previously held beliefs, and more.

Organization[]

There is no organization among the Paranoids. Instead, each is her own intelligence bureau, negotiating tenuously with the others, closely allied with a few. Communication happens via dead drop, pay-phone, and graffiti, in code. Even those who are firmly allied keep secrets from each other.

While a fair number of Inquisitors are happy to take on the role of mastermind, particularly those with more of a social inclination, it’s a bit more common to find Inquisitors in supporting roles, as they see the lack of authority as a fair trade for being able to focus on their areas of interest without the burden of command interfering.

Covers[]

Inquisitors prefer Covers that have access to stores of information. Some Inquisitors seek out more predictable sorts of Covers that deal extensively with large volumes of information — journalists, spies, detectives, hacktivists, researchers, and so on — but this Agenda is also wary of making the obvious choices. Some specialize in inconspicuous roles, like janitors or bodyguards, that nonetheless have access to all valuable information, while others place themselves as shadow rulers that exert their influence from behind.

Descent and Hell[]

Most Inquisitors Fell when they were faced with a something that shakes their previously absolute confidence in the God-Machine. Their descent is focused on amassing information that help them understand their place, that of the God-Machine and of Hell. While it can be a lonely task, most Inquisitors have a network of contacts and semi-trusted allies, built up through socialization and favors and even blackmail. Many are also conscious to make themselves valuable in order to make sure they are protected by their allies.

At their heart, the Inquisitors are a pessimistic bunch. No victory is a given against the God-Machine. One can only stall, and maybe gain an advantage and improve one’s situation every so often. So they play the long game, trying to delay the inevitable until they can find their enlightenment and descend to Hell. This requires constant vigilance. They can never truly relax — instead, they sleep with one eye open.

To the Inquisitors, Hell is a state of enlightenment, also referred to as the Second Fall. If being an angel means having no freedom and being a demon means having some, then Hell is the state of complete liberation. The Watchers readily agree that this is all conjecture, but to them, it seems logical that if an angel can have a sudden revelation and Fall to mortality, then a demon can have another epiphany and Fall again.

Hell has been interpreted by four great groups:

• The Internalists seek to find the right scrap of information that will trigger the Second Fall, elevating their mind to a state of total freedom
• The Shutdown Doctrine seeks to construct the off switch of the God-Machine to free themselves
• Theo-Separatism is a mindset that seeks to use paranormal means (Embeds and Exploits, but also other supernatural arts) to split reality in two, separating themselves in two from the reach of the God-Machine
• The Lost Cause Doctrine believes that Hell is fantasy and concern themselves with protecting themselves from the inevitable onslaught of the God-Machine

Condition: Prepared for Anything[]

Inquisitors undergo great pains to be prepared for any possible trend. They gain a Beat when they manage to make their Ring mates reconsider or change their course of action. Of course, the question posed by the Inquisitor has to change significant plans, force rethinking important decisions, force taking risky courses of action they’d planned on avoiding and similar important decisions.

References[]

• DTD: Demon: The Descent Rulebook, p.92-93