As I've alluded to previously, I am putting together a sourcebook on the Xanthite faction of the Inquisition. Much like the Thorian, Recongregator, Istvaanian and Amalathian sourcebooks that have come before (all can be downloaded through Marco Skoll's archive), this piece will delve into the history of this much-maligned faction and give insights into how they operate within the Inquisition. Perhaps more than any other faction, the Xanthites find themselves at odds with their fellow Inquisitors due to the use of the weapons and tools of Chaos that forms their central philosophy. Xanthites wish to turn Chaos against itself, and will use any means necessary to achieve their goal. Utilising the strictly forbidden brings them into conflict with the overwhelming majority of the Inquisition that believe a line has been crossed. This fundamental difference leads to open war, which is exactly why they have such an important part to play in Inquisitor campaigns; they are fantastic anti-heroes and antagonists that have the weight of their terrible choices on their shoulders.
At
the heart of the book is the tale of Xanthus himself, a man who
challenged conventional thought within the Inquisition and tried to
show the puritan mainstream that there were other ways to combat the
Imperium's enemies. A tragic character, he started a war he had no
intention of fighting and died for his beliefs. His beliefs lived on
however, and some could point to him being the most important
Inquisitor to have borne the seal for how his actions changed the
outlook of the institution at the Emperor's left hand.
As
well as discussing the part Xanthites play within the Inquisition,
there will be a lengthy section on including Xanthites and their
unorthodox war bands in games of Inquisitor. One of the strengths of
the game is the ability to use just about any archetype one could
imagine, and some of the more unusual are most likely to be seen in
the retinue of a Radical Inquisitor like a Xanthite. The Exorcised,
the Host Bound and Daemonhosts themselves are looked at in depth.
I've taken it upon myself to strengthen the Daemonhost archetype by
including a new guide to creating the characters, where the type of
daemon and its God will have an effect on its strengths and
weaknesses, and to apply bonuses and penalties for how strongly bound
it is to its host. A once-bound daemon is a massively powerful
weapon, but is much more likely to escape its bindings than a
thrice-bound daemon whose powers have been diluted (but still potent
enough). I have also written a new approach for daemonhosts becoming
unbound. The original rules presented in Exterminatus magazine made
it far too easy for daemons to become unbound, and practically
required a roll every turn to see if the daemon escaped. I can't
think of any game where the GM has used these rules. I hope that mine
make more sense and are easier to apply to in-game situations.
I
have also had a lot of fun coming up with a range of new daemon
weapon abilities. The list in the rulebook was a good start, but
there is plenty room for more. I have divided the current and new
abilities up into five groups, 4 aligned with the Gods of Chaos, and
the final group unaligned. I think it's a bit more fitting that some
abilities be the preserve of certain Gods. From the original
abilities in the rulebook, I think that Deathlust reads like a
Khornate property, while Magical Force seems like a property of
Tzeentch. The destructive potential of some of the properties, such
as Brainleech, in comparison to abilities like Lashing has led me to
limit some of them to weapons bound with the essence of a Greater
Entity of Chaos (either a bound Daemon Prince or Greater Daemon), as
the power of these should be countered by being the preserve of a
daemon with high Willpower. If your character wants one of the most
deadly weapons, he will have to run the risk of the daemon
overpowering him and possessing his mortal form!
That's
it for the introductory look at the sourcebook. I'll be releasing
more details over the coming weeks and months before the big reveal
later this year. For now, I have a number of modelling projects for
illustrating the book with, not least the daemonhost that's under
construction in this thread on the Conclave.
If
anybody has any pictures or pieces of fiction they would like to
contribute then please let me know. I will also be looking for
proofreaders shortly.
The
Carthaxian Inquisitor
