The Thorian faction of the Inquisition takes its name from Saint Sebastian Thor, the hero who overthrew Goge Vandire, the tyrannical High Lord of Terra who plunged the Imperium into the Age of Apostasy in the 36th Millennium. The Thorians believe that Thor was divinely inspired and that he moved with the Emperor's light burning within him. To many inquisitors of the day, it was obvious that Thor was imbued with a measure of the Emperor's will and charisma. They believed that it was not the first time that the Emperor had acted in such a way, citing such figures as St. Capilene and the hero Josmane as previous vessels of the Emperor walking amongst his people.

The Thorians believe that the Emperor's near-death at the hands of Horus allowed him to break the final bonds between the crude matter of corporeality and ascend to assume his true nature as a deity. His spirit wanders the void, travelling as a whisper in the warp, flitting from place to place and perhaps even through time. Thorian dogma tells that the Emperor has manifested his spirit through his chosen vessels many times when his people needed him, but that these bodies were able to contain only the barest fraction of his power and soon withered and died. They await the day that He shall be reborn and lead his people onwards in continuation of the Great Crusade.

To this end, the Thorians closely study the interaction of consciousness, energy and the warp, believing that if they can manipulate these energies correctly they can channel the Emperor's spirit into a suitable vessel and effectively resurrect the Master of Mankind. There have been many attempts to create a body suitable for such an important ritual, including the disastrous events on Incunabla, but so far none have succeeded. Followers of the Thorian philosophies constantly scour the galaxy for beings they term Avatars', individuals of such power that they may prove able to contain the Emperor's soul once more - or be turned to evil by the Ruinous Powers.

Many Thorian inquisitors are found within the Ordo Malleus, where their greater understanding of the Immaterium grants them an insight into how the rebirth of the Emperor could be achieved. Others may be found among the Ordo Hereticus, though there are few within the Ordo Xenos, save those who believe manipulation of alien psychic-engineering, such as that of the Eldar, may provide valuable insights. Inquisitors of all orders foster the growth of resurrectionist cults throughout the Imperium, as they provide useful foot-soldiers for an inquisitor when he must raise an army to achieve his ends.

Opponents of the Thorians claim that were the Emperor to be reborn it would cause a schism and civil war more deadly than that begun by Horus. Believers and unbelievers would fight to the death and the galaxy would be consumed in an apocalyptic holy war. They cite the Thorian's naivete, claiming that they cannot know what would come back, that the Emperor himself might be changed, altered by his long absence from the flesh. And, more importantly, what of the Astronomican? The Imperium would surely collapse without the Emperor's guiding light to steer ships through the Empyrean, The risks inherent in what the Thorians propose are too great for many to contemplate but, despite this, the Thorians are determined upon their course.

In the 33rd Millennium, Inquisitor Goldo penned his seminal text Monodomination - the Right of Man to rule the Galaxy in the Emperor's Holy Name'. This multi-volume epic drew upon the venerable inquisitor's vast experience of dealing with aliens and came to the conclusion that the only way that Mankind could rule would be if every alien race was exterminated, leaving humans as the sole inheritors of the galaxy. At the time it did not receive a great deal of support - its overly pessimistic view was seen as the last, bitter words of a devout, but ageing inquisitor. It was not until Inquisitor Jeriminus of Paelutia brought the work of Goldo to light, several centuries later, that the philosophy finally found a growing body of supporters among the new breed of young, hot-headed inquisitors.

The goal of the Monodominants is a simple one: the complete and total destruction of every alien, heretic, witch and non-believer in the galaxy. They have absolutely no tolerance for any form of aberrant behaviour and will resort to drastic military solutions in order to enforce their will. No other faction of inquisitors will resort to the use of Exterminatus so readily, destroying entire worlds in their quest for Human supremacy of the galaxy. As would be expected of such a militant group, the Monodominants are one of the few factions who are open with their beliefs, spreading xenophobia and intolerance before them, inciting whole populations to rise and purge themselves of their wickedness. Inquisitors who follow this path are ruthless and unforgiving and frequently leave untold devastation and slaughter in their wake.

Witch Hunter Tyrus is perhaps the best known among the Monodominants, having purged countless worlds in the name of the Emperor. By the time Tyrus had completed his investigations into the royal family of Epsilon Regalis, tens of thousands had been burned at the stake and many times that number imprisoned. Many within the Inquisition see the Monodominants as incredibly narrow-minded and frequently doing more harm than good, but it is a brave inquisitor who would openly voice such an opinion.

The first days of the 41st Millennium were days of optimism and promise, a time of great spiritual and physical rebuilding. It was decreed that there would be a conclave held at Mount Amalath on the world of Gathalamor, where military, religious and political dignitaries would gather to once again swear their oaths of loyalty to the Emperor. It is said that eight hundred Chapter Masters of the Adeptus Astartes journeyed from the far corners of the galaxy to join in this renewal of faith. After swearing his oath of loyalty, Lord Solar Macharius took it upon himself to launch a crusade in the Emperor's name, leading his forces into the galactic west and beginning the campaign that saw over a thousand worlds claimed for the Master of Mankind.

Within the ranks of the Inquisition there was a growing feeling that things were once again proceeding to the Emperor's plans, and that the pervading sense of doom that had spread through the Imperium during the Plague of Unbelief and Reign of Blood was over. Many inquisitors were swayed by the numerous impassioned speakers on Gathalamor, and vowed that none should threaten the strength which the Imperium was slowly regaining. This body of inquisitors became known as Amalathians and decreed that they would forever strive to maintain the current order and destroy those who would seek to destabilise the Imperium. Less concerned with the traditional heresies of witchcraft and mutation, except where they were being manipulated by their enemies, the Amalathians sought to keep infighting and politicking within Imperial organisations to a minimum, holding to the Inquisition's original mantra of strength through unity.

Throughout the Imperium, the Amalathians seek to calm volatile situations and prevent rapid change, should change even be necessary at all. They claim events are unfolding as the Emperor has foreseen and to force change in his name is a supreme arrogance. Who can truly claim to know the will of the Emperor? It is their sacred duty to protect the Imperium from those who seek to plunge it into anarchy, and allow the Emperor's sacred plan to unfold at its ordained time. To achieve their goals, the Amalathians must often work closely with agents from other organisations, and its members have good relations with bodies such as the Adeptus Arbites, Order Famulous and the Space Marines. On Pylades III in the eastern fringes, Inquisitor Barzano worked with no less than three precincts of the Adeptus Arbites, two orders of the Adeptus Sororitas and a Battle Company of Imperial Fists in his investigations and eventual destruction of the Cult of the Devoured.

Many vocal proponents of change within the Imperium accuse the Amalathians of burying their heads in the sand, trusting events to unfold as fate dictates rather than taking a proactive stance in the defence of the Imperium. However, the Amalathians know that the Emperor is infallible and to second guess his divine plan for Humanity is to know the will of a god. And what mortal would dare claim such knowledge?

The principles governing the Xanthite philosophy could be described as heretical in themselves, for they advocate the use of Chaos in furthering the goals of the Imperium. To know the enemy is valuable indeed, but the Xanthites believe in taking this one step further. Inquisitors from this faction use the powers of the warp whenever they can, fervently believing that although Chaos can never truly be beaten, it can be harnessed.

Xanthism was introduced to the Inquisitorial ranks long before some of the more puritan factions had begun to coalesce, and has the support of some of the most senior and powerful members of the Inquisition. For this reason, it is highly unusual for the militant factions that oppose them to try the Xanthites for heresy, though many would dearly like to do so. The most notable exception is InquisitorMaster Zaranchek Xanthus himself, the founder of the faction, who fiercely protested his innocence to a jury of fellow inquisitors before he was eventually burnt at the stake. Interestingly, one of his most talented pupils, Inquisitor Lethrai, famously withstood a six-week series of gruelling trials by his Monodominant interrogators without showing a single sign of guilt.

Xanthites by no means advocate the furthering of Chaos and its dark works, but see it as a tool that is already in use by the Imperium, not yet realised to its full potential. Warp travel, astropaths, sanctioned psykers, Navigators, Space Marine Librarians, abhumans in the ranks of the Imperial forces; all these bear the mark of Chaos, but nevertheless further the goals of the God-Emperor, himself one of the most powerful psykers to ever have existed. The Xanthites cite these as examples that there is no question as to whether Chaos can serve Humanity, it is just a matter of to what degree. As a result, inquisitors of this faction often use daemon-weapons, Chaos-tainted artefacts, psyker-retainers, daemonhosts and forbidden grimoires in their quest to understand and exploit the boundless power of the warp. Many have achieved mastery over the psychic discipline they have trained in, and it is unusual to find a Xanthite with no psychic ability whatsoever.

One of the more notorious contemporary advocates of the Xanthian philosophy, Inquisitor Lichtenstein, has incurred the wrath of none other than Witch Hunter Tyrus in his obsessive search for a hidden library of arcane grimoires that can only be reached through the warp. The enmity between these two inquisitors exemplifies the relationship between the Xanthites and the Monodominants. However, an interesting exception exists to the Radical/puritan divide. The Horusians, a sub-sect of the Xanthites, wish to create a new leader for Humanity much like the puritan Thorians. Both factions strive for a powerful, god-like figurehead to lead the Imperium into a new age. But these extreme radicals view the might of Horus as a wasted opportunity; believing that should the limitless power of Chaos be harnessed and bound into a great leader of men, Humanity could once more become united and crush all before it. Needless to say, even open-minded members of the Inquisition view the Horusians as dangerous in the extreme.

To the Recongregators, the Imperium is a waning, decaying thing, riddled with corruption, and many of its galaxyspanning organisations are rotten to the core. Inquisitors of this faction believe that for the Imperium to return to its former glory the shackles of the present must be broken apart. Once they lie in pieces, the Imperium can be forged anew, stronger and purer than ever before.

Bureaucracy, politicking and stagnation are the enemies these inquisitors aim to fight, pulling down established governments and replacing them with free-thinking radicals.

Although wary of causing too much unnecessary destruction, the Recongregators' methods have led them to sponsoring uprisings, stirring up civil unrest, sowing anarchy, causing riots and advocating political upheaval wherever they go. It is believed that Recongregator inquisitors had a hand in the Gobi Insurrections, the deposition of Arch-Cardinal Greig on Hisiros VI, the Sol Ridge Rebellions and even the assassination of Luthus Dareo, Tetrarch of Syllanis, whose stable and moderate rule had lasted for five generations. Although preferring to remain anonymous and manipulate events from the shadows, the Recongregators are not above extreme action and will involve themselves in covert operations should the necessity arise.

Recongregators are often found in the ranks of the Ordo Hereticus, though rather than seeking to unmask and destroy underground leaders, these inquisitors actively aid these individuals for their own ends. They work to depose corrupt or conservative figures and replace them with those dynamic and open-minded leaders capable of departing from the status quo. Obviously, this is in direct conflict with the Amalathian faction, who consider some Recongregators no better than the demagogues of the Alpha Legion. Unbeknownst to those incumbent upon their thrones, many a dynasty has been upheld by an Amalathian whilst a Recongregator works to tear it down.

The Istvaanians see Humanity's evolution as having slowed to a crawl, degenerating and growing soft, and they fear that it will ultimately fall to its innumerable enemies. As a result, they spread strife, hatred and confrontation wherever they go. They believe the Imperium will become stronger through conflict, with only the toughest and most worthy surviving.

The Istvaanians take their name from the massacre which began the most terrible conflict to have engulfed Humanity, the Horus Heresy, initiated by the traitor Warmaster's virus bombing of Istvaan III. What most Imperial historians view as the worst disaster to ever befall the Imperium, the Istvaanians champion as the catalyst for many of its greatest accomplishments. Despite their extreme stance and drastic methods, history seems to vindicate their beliefs, as from the greatest periods of upheaval have stemmed the most profound developments within the Imperium. With an objectivity borne of hindsight, they claim that the Heresy weeded out the weak-willed and traitorous from the ranks of the Adeptus Astartes, and ultimately caused the Emperor's ascension, allowing the Master of Mankind to ascend to godhood. They point to the Age of Apostasy, when the Imperium was devoured by a fever of blasphemy, as the cause of the Ecclesiarchy's reformation and the coming of Sebastian Thor. Great advances and leaps of faith are undeniably possible when Humanity is tested to its limit, and it is for this reason that the Istvaanians actively cultivate war.

The modus operandi of the warmongering Istvaanians is sometimes so extreme that many of its most militant exponents have surpassed even the uncompromising Monodominants. For instance, the discovery of a hereditary blemish on the princess of Moia, a oncebeautiful planet that had previously enjoyed six centuries without conflict, was enough for Inquisitor Vechorte to incite a pogrom of world-wide witchhunts that eventually erupted into a vengeful crusade. In defence of the Istvaanians' methods, however, the Moian 3rd have since gone on to garner a fearsome reputation in the Imperial Guard.

Interestingly, several well-respected members of the Inquisition have recently come out in favour of the Kiniel Proposal, a motion proposed by the infamous Istvaanian Inquisitor Gastus Kiniel. The proposal seeks to enforce military service upon all members of Imperial society fit for conscription. Given the current abundance of threats to the Imperium's future, this may well be considered by the High Lords of Terra, and has already gained considerable support within the ranks of the Inquisition. It is a testament to the manipulative skills of Kiniel that he has secured the support of a great many Monodominant inquisitors with the fire and passion of his xenophobic sentiments. Needless to say, this militarisation of untold billions of Imperial citizens would be a great victory for the Istvaanians, and possibly even Humanity as a whole.