Contra Hereticum Percute
The Contra Hereticum Percute (Old Aderic: 'Strike Against the Heretic'), more commonly known as Hereticum Percute is a treatise comprised of past verdicts, inquisitorial investigation reports, various manuscripts and decrees and original work. The collection was curated and written by Kairoz the Andorian, while he was the High Inquisitor of Navara. The book deals with heresy in general, regardless of its nature, and delves into many issues and verdicts relevant to every arm of the Andorian Inquisition.
Purpose
The book is intended to further improve on an inquisitor's training; it elaborates on methods of intelligence gathering, handling threats and setting targets, dealing with the occult, and more. The book garnered notoriety for its suggested means of interrogation and for advocating the practice of summary executions, a school of thought attributed to Kairoz and evident in his future actions.
Document Structure
Clauses
The treatise itself is comprised of four different volumes, each having a varying number of chapters and pages.
- Ad Exploranda (Reconnaissance) - The first volume deals with intelligence collection. recruiting agents, how to and not to ask questions, dealing with population and other social aspects in the role of the inquisitor.
- Perlustro (Scrutiny) - The second volume deals with reliability of information, drawing conclusions and identifying suspects and suspected sites.
- Confessio (Confession) - The third and most controversial volume. It deals with methods of interrogation, including physical and psychological torture. The volume has gone under scrutiny for suggesting noble and divine goals justify almost any means necessary. This volume has leaked outside of the Inquisition, causing much turmoil among the magical communities throughout the Second Empire of Ader.
- Exradico (Root Out) - The fourth and final volume was not released to the public and is only available to inquisitors and above. It serves as a general guide that deals with specific enemies of individual inquisitorial orders and is separated into four different tomes, accessible only with permission of an Inquirer Primus. This volume was mostly written by the Cardinal of the Inquisition at the time, Balaas the Just. The versions are called: Exradico Malificarum, Exradico Impius, Exradico Perdita and Exradico Malitiae.
References
Roughly a third of the treatise is from other sources; however, save a few exceptions, none of these sources were ever put together, making an inquisitor's work much more tedious than it already tended to be.
Publication Status
The first three volumes of the Hereticum Percute are accessible in large churches and at branches of the inquisition; some large libraries have them as well, with the Cathedral Archives in Ammand having all four.
Publication of the fourth volume, and its accessibility for secular research, was a source of friction between the Andorian Church and the Conclave of Magi. Following the Usurpation of Navara and House Befargreier losing its influence, the Conclave Liaison to the Church was forced to officially declare that the conclave recognizes the importance of keeping the fourth volume classified; the same declaration also included the conclave recognizing the Hereticum Percute's legitimacy as a whole.
Legal status
Initially the Hereticum Percute wasn't intended to serve as a rulebook as much as a general guideline; however, with the growing zeal within the inquisition's ranks, the treatise eventually became its unofficial doctrine. Sisters of the Orchid view the Hereticum Percute as scripture, in accordance to their veneration of Kairoz's wife, Invyre Half-Elven.
Contra Hereticum Percute
The complete treatise is hard to come by, let alone transcribe. The following are sample excerpts:
Chapter I, § I – Who are the Fit and Proper Judges in the Trial of Heretics?
The question is whether heretics, together with their patrons and protectors and defenders, retain the privilege of being judged by an impartial party. Regardless of one's self answer, the law of our empire decrees that with the exception of outright blatancy, imperial citizenry is to be brought before a judge of law and not of divine.
The peril that lies within this law is that judges possibly cannot comprehend the consequences of heresy. It is due to this that as per one's opinion inquisitors are of the authority to enact summary judgment. And it is argued that this is so. For we are told that 'The corrupt and wicked and evil shall find no plea' (Dogma, A, Verse B:C).
However, we are told that 'Thou shall be fair and just for to rule is to Divine' (Dogma, A:B:B as 's eyes and ears, we are blessed with judgment or justice or adjudication. We are thus given the power to enact retribution, the wisdom to use it and the knowledge of its necessity. We are to see judgment is served, and so it is our sacred duty to seize a confession. Such task is not an easy one, and by His grace we shall overcome.
Type
Text, Religious
Medium
Paper
Authors
Signatories (Organizations)
Comments