Istvaanians
One man can start a landslide with the casting of a single pebble
- Attributed to Sebastian Thor
The greatest conflict to engulf humanity was the Great Heresy which began
with the Primarch Horus’ virus-bombing of Istvaan III. Although the Horus Heresy
saw the destruction of entire worlds and devastation on an unprecedented and
unrepeated scale, there are some Inquisitors who see it as one of the moments
during which the Imperium and Mankind’s future was forged. From the Horus Heresy
came the great military changes that saw the break up of the Space Marine
Legions and the division of Navy and Guard, the Emperor’s Ascension and the
creation of the Ministorum and many other events which shaped the Imperium of
the present.
It is the goal of the Istvaanians to strengthen humanity through adversity,
believing that humanity is at its strongest in times of turmoil and conflict.
From periods of greatest upheaval have come the greatest leaps forward in
technology, faith and galactic dominance. Did not the Horus Heresy weed out
those Marines disloyal to the Emperor? Did not the Age of Apostasy herald the
coming of Sebastian Thor and the reformation of the Ecclesiarchy? Did not the
great battles fought by Macharius’ armies shine like a great torch in the dark
times of the early 41st millennium! These are the arguments they put forward.
The Istvaanians claim that only when it is hardest tested does Mankind show the
true strength that lies within it. To this end, the Istvaanians endeavor to
propagate strife and conflict for Mankind’s own greater future. Istvaanians fan
the fires of war and hatred so that Mankind will stay vigilant, that its
warriors will be skilled and ready, and so none will believe that they have done
all they can. They are a bombastic and obvious creed, flaunting their
warmongering ways, instilling those nearby with fiery zeal to fight for
themselves and the rest of Mankind. They pit faction against faction, world
against world, so that the survivors will be the stronger for it.
Istvaanians will stir up trouble wherever they go, working on the phobias and
prejudices of Imperial commanders, military officers and the general populace to
breed superstition, suspicion and violence. They work well with destabilization
and terrorist cults and foster relationships with violent pro-Imperial cults.
Quite often they will build up the power of these secret societies and sects,
only to reveal the threat that they pose to the authorities, urging the faithful
to bring torch and sword to purge the corruption within. Istvaanians are found
in all Ordos of the Inquisition, each extolling the terrors and dangers posed by
the forces they face.
Other members of the Inquisition do not trust Istvaanians, always questioning
their motives and agendas. Opposing Inquisitors argue that, rather than
strengthening Mankind, the Istvaanians’ destructive activities weaken and
destabilize the Imperium, threatening the bastion on which Mankind’s survival is
based. All too often, an Inquisitor may be investigating a heretical cult or
individual who is bent on opposing or destroying the Imperium, only to find they
are sponsored or led by an Istvaanian who has fostered such rebellion for their
own ends. Many such encounters end in physical conflict, as Istvaanians are
nothing if not callous and bloodthirsty.
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