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See also: Inquisition (disambiguation)

The Inquisition is a sourcebook for Vampire: The Masquerade that reveals the secrets of the Society of Leopold, who continue the medieval Inquisition against the supernatural denizens of the modern world.

Summary[]

From the White Wolf catalog:

While young vampires may scoff at the mortals who hunt them, their elders remember a time when robed monks rode from haven to haven, using the twin weapons of fire and faith to destroy the undead.
But the Inquisition did not die in those dark ages. Its soldiers still roam the earth and the Damned fear it more than any other group of mortals. Begin your search for those elusive spirits known as the Restless Dead.
The Inquisition includes

Contents[]

Introduction[]

Notes on how to use this book, inspirational material, and a lexicon.

  • References and Inspirations
    • Dictionary of Christian Lore and Legend (J.C.J. Metford, ed.)
    • Edward Burman, Italian Dynasties
    • E.R. Chamberlin, The World of the Italian Renaissance
    • Will and Ariel Durant, The Age of Faith
    • Umberto Eco, The Name of the Rose (both the movie and the book)
    • David Hugh Farmer, The Oxford Dictionary of Saints
    • Francesco Guazzo, Compendium Maleficarum
    • John A. Hardon, S.J. Modern Catholic Dictionary
    • George Holmes, The Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval Europe
    • Henry Krämer and James Sprenger, Malleus Maleficarum
    • Henry Lea, The Inquisition of the Middle Ages
    • John H. Leith, ed. Creeds of the Churches: A Reader in Christian Doctrine from the Bible to the Present
    • John McManners, The Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity
    • J. Neuner, S.J. and J. Dupuis, S.J., eds. The Christian Faith in the Doctrinal Documents of the Catholic Church
    • John O'Brien, The Inquisition
    • Geoffrey Parrinder, ed. World Religions: from Ancient History to the Present
    • Jean Plaidy, The Spanish Inquisition
    • R.W. Southern, Western Society and the Church in the Middle Ages ( Volume 2 of the Pelican History of the Church, the entirety of which is recommended)
    • Lawrence Sullivan, ed. Hidden Truths: Magic, Alchemy and the Occult
    • Various articles: The New Catholic Encyclopedia, Encyclopaedia Brittanica, Collier's Encyclopedia, World Book Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia Americana
  • Parlance

Chapter One: The Way of the Martyr[]

The history of the Order of Leopold from the Middle Ages to the modern era. It ends with a summary of the Order of Leopold's presence in the world and a description of the Order of Leopold's headquarters, the Monasterio di San Michele, located a half hour drive from the Vatican.

Chapter Two: Catechism[]

The views that the Order of Leopold hold concerning the supernatural creatures of the world, and the views that the supernatural creatures hold of the Order of Leopold. Also contains descriptions of the various Orders, Subdivisions, and Sects of the Inquisition.

Chapter Three: Character Creation[]

Includes Merits and Flaws, new numina (Theurgy), Faith, and how these systems interact with most World of Darkness lines.  New Secondary Abilities are included.

  • New Secondary Abilities
    • Talents
      • Homiletics
    • Knowledges
      • Church History
      • Church Lore
      • Inquisition Lore
      • Rites
      • Scripture
      • Supernatural Lore
  • Merits & Flaws
    • Psychological
      • Anachronism (1 pt Flaw)
      • Isolated Upbringing (1 pt Flaw)
      • Religious Hysteria (3 pt Flaw)
    • Mental
      • Iron Will (4 pt Merit)
      • Weak Willed (3 pt Flaw)
    • Aptitudes
      • Natural Leader (1 pt Merit)
    • Supernatural
      • Innocent (1 pt Merit)
      • Ecstatic (2 pt Merit)
      • Ecumenist (4 pt Merit)
      • Holy Aura (2 pt Merit)
      • Soothing Voice (3 pt Merit)
      • Symbol Independence (3 pt Merit)
      • Prophetic Ability (4 pt Merit)
      • Sorcerous Awareness (4 pt Merit)
      • Fountain of Life (5 pt Merit)
      • Clear Sighted (6 pt Merit)
      • Fist of God (7 pt Merit)
      • Offensive to Animals (1 pt Flaw)
    • Society
      • Ecclesial Rank (1-3 pt Merit)
    • Inquisitor Society
      • Rebel (1-3 pt Flaw)
      • Supernatural Enemy (1-5 pt Flaw)
      • Dark Heritage (2 pt Flaw)
      • Disreputable Cenacle (2 pt Flaw)
      • Secret Friendship (2 pt Flaw)
    • Physical
      • Light Sleeper (1 pt Merit)
      • Aging (3 pt Merit)

Chapter Four: Storyteller's Aids[]

Includes chronicle plot ideas, stereotype character profiles, Torture systems, Holy Ground systems, and Relics .

  • Stereotypes
    • Censor
    • Condotierre
    • Exorcist
    • Sanbenito
    • Gladius Dei Knight
    • Inquisitor Councillor
    • Mob Rowdy
    • Provincial

Chapter Five: Inquisitor Personalities[]

Includes 6 sample characters and short biographies of major figures in the Order of Leopold.

  • Christian Kabbalist
  • Condotierre Bodyguard
  • Gladius Dei Wannabe
  • Puritan
  • Quisling
  • Young Turk

Appendix: Cenaculum Construction[]

General rules for an Inquisitor group's base of operations and, of course, the character sheet.

Holy Trinity, Chicago - An example of a Cenaculum located in Wicker Park in Chicago .

Background Information[]

  • This was the Year of the Hunter book for Vampire: The Masquerade.
  • Word from the White Wolf Game Studio by Andrew Greenberg discusses his departure from White Wolf and the Vampire Game Line. His replacement is Jennifer Hartshorn as the Vampire Developer.

Memorable Quotes[]

And the angel spoke unto me, in a strong voice, crying, Many are the children of the Dragon, the Serpent, the great Satan, and they are among you now.  I well you, Servants of Christ, that the Parousia is near, that the Second Coming cometh soon.  Stronger still grow the children of the Dragon, and they multiply, and they are a wound unto the earth.  And we are the balm for this wound, we must cleanse it with fire, and purify it, and then the earth shall be ready for the Parousia, and we shall be judged worthy.
  — Leopold of MurnauThe Testament of Leopold
A dream is a scripture, and many scriptures are nothing but dreams.
  — Umberto Eco, The Name of the Rose
Faith is a matter of persuasion, not force.
  — Bernard of Clairvaux
And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought...  So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the Earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
  — Book of Revelations 12: 7, 9
S. Martin ascended from the military state to the clerical, for the army of the Church is higher in status than the army of the world; its warfare is a higher one, and its soldiers fight against spiritual enemies.
  — St. Thomas Aquinas
Roma, non basta una vita (Rome, one lifetime is not enough.)

- Roman proverb

The First Point. Imagine the leader of all the enemy in that great plain of Babylon. He is seated on a throne of fire and smoke, in aspect horrible and terrifying.

The Second Point. Consider how he summons uncountable devils, disperses some to one city and others to another, and thus reaches into the whole world, without missing any provinces, places, states, or individual persons.

  — St. Ignatius of Loyola , The Spiritual Exercises
No One can doubt but that all the arts and metamorphoses by which witches change men into beasts are deceptive illusions and opposed to all nature. I add that any one who holds the contrary opinion is in danger of Anathema... For a human soul cannot inform the body of a beast, any more than the soul of a lion can inhabit the body of a horse, or the soul of a horse the body of a man: because... the soul regulates the motions of the organic body.
  — Francesco Guazzo, Compendium Maleficarum
Therefore, take up the armor of God... Stand, therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of justice... in all things taking up the shield of faith, with which you may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the most wicked one. And take unto you the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, that is, the word of God
  — Ephesians 6: 13-17
When this child Jesus was five years old, he was playing at the ford of a stream. He made soft clay and modeled twelve sparrows from it. Jesus clapped his hands and cried to the sparrows, "Be gone." And the sparrows flew off chirping.
  — The Infancy Gospel of Thomas
The Saint made the Sign of the Cross toward [the fierce wolf of Gubbio]. And the power of God, proceeding as much from himself as from his companion, checked the wolf and made it slow down and close its cruel mouth.
  —  Brother Ugolino di Monte Santa Maria, The Little Flowers of Saint Francis
I enjoin you under penalty, Ancient Serpent! In the name of the Judge of the Living and the Dead! In the name of Our Creator! In the name of the creator of the world! In the name of him who has power to send you into Hell! Depart from this servant of God!
  —  Roman Ritual of Exorcism
These are the friends of God; they have discovered divine secrets; they guard them with devout silence.
  —  Hugh of Saint Victor, De Arrha Animae
Those who devoutly cling to God often perform wonders when the need arises, sometimes by prayer, sometimes by their own power
  —  Saint Gregory, The Dialogues, Book II: Saint Benedict
Our best, our easiest remedy is the name of Jesus. It drives the Devil flying from our sides and saves us from countless evils.
  —  The Wonders of the Holy Name
I did confess, but I confessed a lie. I confessed, that I might obtain absolution; but now that falsehood lies heavier at my heart than all my other sins. The God of Heaven forgive me! Ever since I was condemned, my confessor has besieged me; he threatened and menaced, until I almost began to think that I was the monster that he said I was. He threatened excommunication and hell fire in my last moment, if I continued obdurate. Dear lady, I had none to support me; all looked on me as a wretch doomed to ignominy and perdition. What could I do? In an evil hour I subscribed to a lie; and now only am I truly miserable
  —  Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
The day of a Saint is the Light shining from the Face of God.
  —  Peter Sherry, Platonist and Puritan

Characters[]

  • Ingrid "The Iron Maiden" Bauer - Ingrid is the Provincial for Austria.  She has held this post for the past 25 years.
  • Monseñor Amelio Carpaccio - Monsignor Amelio was the Inquisitor-General of the Society of Leopold in the late 1990s.  He was 57 at the time.
  • Marcel Dupuy - A Councillor in the New Orleans Cenaculum.  Dupuy was HIV+, homosexual, a Closet Theurgist, and an incipient Sanbenito .
  • Bernard Gui, O.P. - One of the most important leading figures of the Inquisition.
  • Leopold of Murnau , O.P - Founder of the Society of Leopold.
  • Damian - Dominican novice under Leopold's tutelage.
  • Balthazar Richter, S.J. - 18th Century Missionary sent by the Society of Jesus to China.  He disappeared after a decade in the area.  He has been seen through the years and is rumored to have fallen to the enemy and is now a Vampire.
  • Augustus Gracian - Spanish Franciscan, suggested that the Society to consider the acceptance of Theurgy
  • Peter Fisher - Itinerant Inquisitor
  • Peter Garraty - Franciscan theurgist and member of the New Orleans Cenaculum
  • Ludovico - Vampire
  • Niccolo Brizielli - O.P.
  • Pope Gregory IX - Historical Figure
  • Jeanne Roullet - Unofficial Saint of the Order of Saint Joan
  • Conrad of Marburg - Past Inquisitor
  • Jean Galad - Past Inquisitor
  • Brother William - Past Inquisitor, Franciscan
  • Tomas de Torquemada - Past Inquisitor, Dominican
  • Heinrich Kramer - Past Inquisitor, Dominican
  • James Sprenger - Past Inquisitor, Dominican
  • Pope Innocent VIII - Historical Figure
  • Matteo Severus, S.J. - First Inquisitor-General of the Society of Leopold
  • Raffaele Renzi - Past Inquisitor, Franciscan, Burned at the pyre
  • Marcus Deluca - Past Inquisitor-General, Society of Leopold
  • Pope Piux X - Historical Figure
  • Sullivan Dane - Ex-Jesuit
  • Alexandra of Palermo - Female Inquisitor
  • Peter Nicholson - Mid-Atlantic Provincial, Head of the entire society in the United States

Terminology[]

Alexandria, Akritai, The Akritai, Amsterdam, Arcanum, Austria, Baltimore, Bastet, Benedictines: Order of Saint Benedict (O.S.B.); Black Furies, Book of Nod, Boston, Brethren of Albertus, Brujah, Cabal of Pure Thought, Cairo, Cathars, Changeling, Children of Lazarus, Cologne Synod (Germany Cenaculum), Corpus Maleficarum, Council of Toulouse, Demons, Dominicans: Order of Friars Preachers (O.P.); Dreamspeakers, Euthanatos, Exorcism, Exorcist, Fallow Ground, Fathers of the Good Death, Final Death, Fourth Lateran Council, France, Franciscans: Order of Friars Minor (O.F.M.), Order of Friars Minor Conventional, Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, Poor Clares, Third Order Secular, Third Order Regular; Garou, Germany, Get of Fenris, The Great Reliquary, Heavenly Choir/Celestial Choir, Holy Ground, Holy Sites: Fort Smith 1st Methodist Church (Montana), Mount Athos (Mountain, Greece), National Cathedral (Washington D.C.), Mont-Saint-Michel (France), Cathedral of Notre Dame (France), Society of Friends' Meeting House (Washington D.C.), Blue Mosque of Sultam Ahmet I (Istanbul, Turkey), Basilica of the Assumption (Baltimore, Maryland), Cathedral of Saint Joan the Divine (New York); 'Holy Trinity, Chicago' (Cenaculum), Inconnu, Infernal, Ikhwan al-Safa, Inquisition, Ireland, Italy, Jerusalem, Jesuits: Society of Jesus (S.J.); Judges, Kindred, Kithain, Lupine, Mage, Marauders, Masquerade, Mexico City, Miracles, Monasterio di San Michele, Monastery of St. Thomas at Avila (Spain Cenaculum), Mummy, Nephandi, New Orleans, Node, Numina, Office of the Censor, Order of Hermes, Order of Saint Joan, Order of St. Michael, Order of Saint Peter, Parlance: Abbé, Anathema, Apostsy, Apostolate, Aspergill, Auto-da-fé, Breviary, Canon, Catechism, Cenacle, Cenaculum (plural: Cenacula), Censor, Certiorari, Condotierri (singular: Condotierre), Council, Discommodation, Deus vult, Divine Office, Evangelism, Excommunication, Florentine Heresy, Gladius Dei, Holy Office, Holy See, Indulgence, Inquisitor, Inquisitor-General, Itinerant, Layperson, Loculus, Novice, Novitiate, Parousia, Pontiff, Province, Provincial, Relic, Reliquary, Sacerdotal, Sanbenito, Scapular, Tertiary, Testament of Leopold, Theurgy: Via Medicamenti, Via Ignis, Via Geniotum, Via Necromantiae, Via Oraculi; Thurible, Traditor; Philadelphia, Quebec, Rome, Scared Sites: The Wailing Wall (Jerusalem, Israel), St. Peter's Basilica (Italy), The Kaaba (Mecca, Saudi Arabia), Mount Calvary (Jerusalem), The Dome of the Rock (Jerusalem); Sect of Saint James, Silver, Sisterhood of Saint Claire, Society of Leopold, Society of Saint George, Sons of Tertullian, Spain, Technocracy, Traditions, True Faith: Blessed Items, Dominus Vobiscum, Faith Healing; Vampire, Ventrue, Verbena, Werewolf, Witch-Hunter, Wraith, Wyrm,

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