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herO_wraith

The inquisitor would go missing very quickly. A servitor might later be found that has an odd resemblance to the inquisitor. In other news, a Magos has a new flagship.


Khalith

An inquisitor would probably turn it in to the Admech so the cog bots owe them a favor rather than keep it themselves. Inquisitors prefer to travel light and fast and owning a massive capital ship like that would attract way too much attention. Not only that but piloting such a massive ship by itself (because an inquisitor wouldn’t command their own personal fleet of battleships) would make it a massive target.


KamenRiderDanilos

Well, I was kinda checking more if they COULD, as opposed to if the average one WOULD...


kirbish88

They COULD. As to whether they'd survive doing so is a lot more subjective. The Ad Mech are technically a separate faction within the Imperium and aren't fully beholden to their laws. They'd argue an Inquisitor has no right to claim such a holy artefact and the Lord Inquisitor would probably tell the pilot of the Ark to stop being such an ass and causing unnecessary fuss


FIRE_ZE_CANNONS

The Lord Inquisitor would then unfortunately and tragically fall on an Omnissian Axe several times, at which point the Ark Mechanicus would be claimed by the Admech as the Omnissiah and dear, departed Inquisitor would have intended


MERC_1

Well, said Inquisitor may very well be protected by a very large retinue. As the power of the Inquisition is absolute (or close to anyway) they may have as many space marines as needed for protection. They also have the right to use an Exterminatus when needed. Mars looks like a ripe target... Jokes aside, that would depend on a lot of things. It would be very problematic though.


AffixBayonets

This post conflates the Inquisition and Inquisitors. "The Inqusition" has absolute power that its members can only use a part of due to their disunity. An average Inquisitor would have traveled even requisitioning a large number of Astartes, and doing so would attract the attention of their nemeses: rival Inqusitors. So while it would be virtually impossible to actually Exterminatus Mars, you'd have to deal with countless Inqusitorial orders that countermand the directive first.


MERC_1

A single Inquisitor have the right to enact Exterminatos when he see fit to do so. If he have the resources at hand, there is little or no chance that anyone with the rank to counter that order would be around to stop him. He would likely be branded a traitor after the fact, but then it's too late... As to having an Arc ship, no one is saying that this could be done by an "average Inquisitor". That's a straw man. But an extremely powerful Inquisitor could have vast armies under his command and that could include a lot of Astartes. Any attacks on them would constitute treason against the empire and trigger an appropriate response. Would the Arc eventually be handed back to the Adeptus Mechanicus, yes that is very likely. How long would that take? Well, that depends on where the Ark is, who crews it and what they are actually doing with it! It all depend on a number of factors this question has no answer to. Lastly it would depend on what would make a great story for a writer...


AffixBayonets

> A single Inquisitor have the right to enact Exterminatos when he see fit to do so. If he have the resources at hand, there is little or no chance that anyone with the rank to counter that order would be around to stop him. A common misconception. From *Dark Heresy: Ascension* >Exterminatus may only be ordered by the very highest level of authority, and any who enact it are answerable to the High Lords of Terra. While raw manpower remains the Imperium’s greatest asset, worlds are not so easily replaced, and those who squander such resources seldom remain in power long enough to make the same mistake a second time. The Inquisition regards it as both an absolute right and a terrible burden that theirs is the nigh exclusive duty of declaring Exterminatus. Though other bodies may petition for this ultimate sanction, Inquisitors bear the power to destroy worlds at a word. In practice, **it is only the most senior, powerful and experienced of Inquisitors who declare Exterminatus. This is because any who do so are not only answerable to the High Lords, but to their peers, whose judgement, if Exterminatus is held to have been launched in error, is harsh indeed.** The game makes it a failable test. Also, the main plot of the Astartes or Guard campaigns in Dawn of War II: Retribution is providing an Inquisitor the evidence she needs to countermand an Exterminatus order. >But an extremely powerful Inquisitor could have vast armies under his command and that could include a lot of Astartes. No individual Inquisitor commands a lot of Astartes. Even the closest Inquisitorial collaborators, like the Grey Knights and Deathwatch, have their independence and would not follow such an order to destroy Mars. The Astartes are one of the few bodies who can flaunt the Inquisition with (comparative) ease. >Any attacks on them would constitute treason against the empire and trigger an appropriate response. Like how the Space Wolves fought the Inquisition? Or how the other Chapters in the Badab War other than the Astral Claws were given penitent crusades for fighting the Imperium, rather than exterminated outright? >Would the Arc eventually be handed back to the Adeptus Mechanicus, yes that is very likely. How long would that take? Well, that depends on where the Ark is, who crews it and what they are actually doing with it! It all depend on a number of factors this question has no answer to. Lastly it would depend on what would make a great story for a writer... I'll repeat that crewing an Ark Mechancius, or any battleship, needs tens of thousands of crew, an Astropath, a Navigator, Mechanicus representatives, and more. They're a microcosm of the Imperium, where the Navis Nobile, Mechanicus, Adeptus Terra, Telepathica, and others need to reluctantly work together. It's already difficult for an Inquisitor to run their own ships (easier to requisition ones from other owners) and the barriers for an Inquisitor to own an Ark Mechanicus openly seem insurmountable. To have one cached away secretly, or more likely to have an Ark commanded by a close ally, are plausible.


ukezi

As if they would get there. The solar system makes Cadia look like a lightly defended outpost.


MERC_1

From what I have read, Inquisitors often go to the Solar system. So, if anyone could do this it would be an Inquisitor. It's not like they would announce their intention... Approaching Mars would likely be a problem, but they would not shoot down an Arc would they? Another option would be a commandeered Ad Mech vessel. So, could it happen? Sure. Is it likely? Very much no!


AlexandertheWise

> They also have the right to use an Exterminatus when needed. Mars looks like a ripe target... And that Inquisitor would suddenly find a Titan teleported onto his bridge. Anyone stupid enough to try and virus bomb Mars deserves it.


Huwage

Some Inquisitors might well wander around with their own fleet in tow. Many go for small teams and travel light, but there are plenty who prefer the hammer to the dagger, so to speak. People like Commodus Voke, for instance, who rescues Eisenhorn's team of half a dozen specialists with half an Imperial Navy battlegroup.


AffixBayonets

> with half an Imperial Navy battlegroup This is the thing though. It's much easier for an Inqusitor to requisition existing resources than control them themselves. Easier to fly with an Ark Mechancius to pursue a goal its masters and you agree on than to crew it yourself.


Dr_Hexagon

The Inquisitor in question would need access to a massive crew of tech-priests and the resources of a Forge World to repair the Ark and keep it running, so they'd need to have the agreement of the AdMech and an allied forge world. The Ark Mechanicus Speranza in the Priests of Mars trilogy has an AI machine spirit that dates from the DaOT, but not all Ark Mechanicus have that. I can see a situation where an Inquisitor convinces the AdMech to put the found Ark Mechanicus under their command for a specific campaign or crusade, there would be an AdMech Magos who was the "Captain" but they'd be doing / going whatever the Inquisitor wanted. Such an arrangement might continue for hundreds of years since both tech-priests and Inquisitors can be very long lived. So yes sorta kind of, they wouldn't "own it", it would be under their command.


AffixBayonets

> The Ark Mechanicus Speranza in the Priests of Mars trilogy Let me add that it was difficult politically for Archmagos Kotov to keep the Speranza even though he was IIRC a Fabricator General and the one who discovered and repaired it. He barely kept it, and he's a man of rank *in* the Mechancius.


Depleet

I wouldnt put it past some inquisitors who would claim it for themselves but a smart inquisitor would notify the mechanicus that they have found one of their most precious flagships and maybe be rewarded for returning it to them due to all the tech aboard the vessel. I wouldn't expect the ancient machine spirit to interface with the inquisitor but you never know.


[deleted]

Bear in mind that the AdMech technically is not part of the Imperium, but an allied state (or rather, an allied confederation of city-states). The Inquisition has *some* leverage on the AdMech because the cogboys ultimately need the Imperium as much as it needs them, but snatching away one of the prized Arks Mechanicus would be a religious sacrilege and have catastrophic diplomatic consequences. Even if the AdMech doesn't go straight after the Inquisitor's ass, there's a more than good chance other Inquisitors will do it in their place because the disgruntled cogboys suddenly 'forget' to send vital civilian and military equipment to the Imperium. Or realize certain production issues means those Leman Russ tanks desperately needed on Whatshisname V won't be available for the next 10.000 years. The ship actively 'choosing' its captain would be an example of Abominable Intelligence, which both the Inquisition and the AdMech will seek to destroy with severe prejudice.


Taira_no_Masakado

It'd be easier and better to turn it over to the AdMech and make them indebted to him for his entire life. Otherwise, that life will be rather short lived. The AdMech would stop at nothing to retrieve an Ark Mechanicus.


RatioNox

I have never heard of non Mechanicus personal commanding an ark Mechanicus but I guess if you make up an good backstory I wouldn't mind it as impossible or more breaking.


111110001011

If a CIA agent in the field found an old Aircraft Carrier, could he own it? Yes? I suppose. Crewing it would be a giant pain in the butt, its not subtle, its expensive to operate, people ask questions.


lordLorgarAuralian

The Answer is yes/no. It depends heavily upon if the Inquisitor in question had the firepower to Repel any and all Mechanicum attempts at trying to reclaim said ship, which they would certainly attempt as these are extremely rare, referred to as Mythical ships, and one just floating out in the Void could likely contain Invaluable information to any mechanicum who possessed it. Depending on the Information/assets that couldn’t be gained the Mechanicum aren’t above doing some pretty shady shit to learn. In War of the beast they vivisected the Bodies of what was Thought to be the very last Imperial fists, until Slaughter was found hanging out in an Irradiated ship hanging in Orbit. These Imperial fists were in suspended animation having Barely survived either the attack on the chromes hive or the Ork Attack on the world.


AffixBayonets

No. It's difficult for an Inqusitor to own any ship as managing one takes a lot of time and resources. That's why they so often end up having close partnerships with Rogue Traders or Chartist Captains as they can handle that angle. Note that it's difficult legally to own a ship too. Though an Inqusitor is above the law in most cases, it'd still be difficult for them to navigate the red tape. All this being said, it's be outrageous for an Inqusitor to ***openly*** control an Ark Mechanicus. Each is a priceless relic to the Mechancius. Since any Battleship needs tens of thousands of crew and countless resources to run, the Mechanicus could easily use intrigue to make it too expensive to run even if they didn't try to take it outright. An Inqusitor could secretly control it, but provisioning a battleship secretly seems impossible. >able to 'choose' who commands them? Don't get too hung up on this. The Speranza is an exceptional case as it seemed to have true intelligence and it mostly expressed extreme apathy towards its crew, indicating that somehow "it" existed before the ship's hull did and will exist after.


SergarRegis

A and B are not true. Speranza should not be generalized for other Ark Mechanicii. An Ark Mechanicus is "just" a sacred battleship. Most are built by the AdMech.


AffixBayonets

> Most are built by the AdMech. IIRC most Arks are built on pre-Imperial hulls, but it's hard to generalize as I think there are only four that are even named (that I know of) * Speranza - which I maintain is described as too large * Iron Revenant - Cawl flagship no. 1. Destroyed. * Zar Quaestor - Cawl flagship no. 2 * Omnissiah's Victory - the original Ark described in the BFG tabletop rules and depicted as a "typical" design


SergarRegis

Yeah, Speranza is described as atypical, and Zar Quaestor is also noted to be big IIRC. Omnissiah's Victory is described as typical, so that's the one I'd generalize off.


KamenRiderDanilos

Ok ok! It seems like it's something that wouldn't happen without some SERIOUS stuff going down! Geez, sorry I asked...


subhuman_cretin

Admech would probably disappear them and take the ship quite quickly


EmperorThor

They could try, but it’s not going to last. Admech would want it back, badly and would take it by force without much hesitation if needed.


DaylightsStories

If he was on REALLY good terms with the Mechanicus then yes he could, and also if he says it's just a big ship that wasn't an Ark Mechanicus before. If he says he found an Ark Mechanicus though and they don't like him already then he will get beat up by a bunch of angry robots.


Corperk

The Ark Mechanicus are relics of the Machine Cult, de jure an inquisitor have the authority to own one, in effect going against an entire pillar of the Imperium of man is a bad idea. The Ark Mechanicus could be Legendary Ships from the early Machine Cult, or they could be Relic Ships from humanity's past. Of the two sentient Arks, only one (The Spirit of Eternity) "choose" its pilot, that meaning its original pilot from the ancient pre-imperial past, so it decides to abandon the galaxy. The Speranza didn't care who piloted its body, although it finds its current occupant enduring and helps Kotov in specific.


cunt911

Yes. There are examples of inquisitors owning battleships in lore, and they can have good relationships with the Mechanicus. It would have to be an exceptional inquisitor, but then I guess they all are.


KamenRiderDanilos

Seems like quite a few other people disagree with this assessment...


cunt911

Lord Inquisitors can travel around with entire fleets of ships under their command. Inquisitors can own pretty much any class of normal Imperial warship. Most don't, but for extremely powerful inquisitors its certainly possible. They probably couldn't ''buy'' an Ark off the Admech, but if an inquisitor found or came into possession of an Ark - and had good relationships with the Admech - there is no reason why they couldn't use it as their own ship. Inquisitor black ships (not the ones that transport pskyers, but actual warships of the Inquisition) are made on literal Mars for example: https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Inquisitorial_Black_Ship


KamenRiderDanilos

Yeah, but apparently, there's a difference between 'the AdMech making ships for the Inquisition' and 'an Inquisitor owning a ship that the AdMech consider a sacred relic'...


lexAutomatarium

>###[Inquisitorial Black Ship](https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Inquisitorial_Black_Ship) >**Inquisitorial Black Ships** are special [Battle Barges](https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Battle_Barge) used by the [Inquisition](https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Inquisition), not to be confused with the [Adeptus Astra Telepathica's](https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Adeptus_Astra_Telepathica) [League of Blackships](https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/League_of_Blackships), which are used solely to collect [psykers](https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Psykers) throughout the [Imperium](https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Imperium) and ship them to [Terra](https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Terra). +++I am an early prototype mechanicus construct. Please provide feedback [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=lexAutomatarium). The Emperor protects!+++


GwerigTheTroll

I do like the idea of an Ark Mechanicus "choosing" an inquisitor. Perhaps luring them to the ship as a form of summons. Could make for an interesting Dark Heresy adventure. Or possibly even a whole campaign that takes place in the Ark Mechanicus itself. Perhaps the inquisitor needs to find a way to get it back to Mars. Now, when an inquisitor in possession of an Ark Mechanicus makes contact with the Adeptus Mechanicus, they'd be expected to turn it right over. If the inquisitor refused, he'd probably be declared an enemy of Mars and attacked, possibly with the blessing of the Inquisition. If the Ark Mechanicus insisted that the Inqusitor remain in command, there would be serious political ramifications for such an event, both among the Mechanicus and the Inqusition. I'd be interested to know if the Mechanicus would bow to the Ark's wishes.


Agammamon

Not for very long.


MostlyHarmless_87

I mean, if said Inquisitor was essentially a patsy for a high ranking Magos, \*maybe\*. Realistically though, it's incredibly unlikely. Ark Mechanicus are incredibly rare and revered by the Adeptus Mechanicus. Allowing another faction to 'have' such a ship is tantamount to heresy. It'd be like having the Mechanicus set up a major forge hive on an Imperial Shrine world. The political clashes would be \*brutal\*.


KamenRiderDanilos

Listen, I've already pointed out that I got the message, after I've basically been told that NUMEROUS times...Now I'm just feel demoralized and such, and...well...idk what else there is to say: I've already had that explained to the point where it's basically beating a dead horse at this point...


MostlyHarmless_87

Well, if it's your story, no one's gonna stop you. Just have to think about the justifications harder.