Ordo Sepulturum

The Ordo Sepulturum is an Ordo Minoris of the Inquisition. This Ordo is one of the smallest and newest of the Ordos Minoris, formed during the 13th Black Crusade. Their focus is the relatively new threat presented to the Imperium by the emergence of the Plague Zombies and the Nurgle-spawned Zombie Plague.

History
One of the smallest and most specialised organisations within the Inquisition, the Ordo Sepulturum operates around the Eye of Terror and is dedicated to investigating a specific threat - the Zombie Plague. Although occurrences of Plague Zombies have been recorded across the Imperium for many millennia, it is in the wake of the Plague Fleets of the Chaos Champion Typhus, the Herald of Nurgle, that they have grown in number to the point where they present a threat to the Imperium in their own right. Before Abaddon's 13th Black Crusade, the incidence of Zombie Plague around the Cadian System dramatically increased. This was noticed by several agents of the Inquisition who were soon in communication, and within a few years several more Thorians, most notably Inquisitor Aghastri, were investigating the Zombie Plague and the Ordo Sepulturum was formed.

As a combination of both a Chaos infection as well as a physical malaise, the Zombie Plague has always been on the agenda for Thorians to study, but its unpredictable nature and sporadic occurrences meant that it took luck or a tremendous amount of patience to capture Plague Zombies for investigation. With the advent of the Eye of Terror-related epidemic, Inquisitors that had previously been thwarted in their missions to achieve specimens were suddenly confronted with a plethora of test subjects.

The Zombie Plague physically degenerates those it infects - and infection can occur in many ways, including psychically - but maintains a portion of the life essence of the victim even after physical death occurs. The parallels between the Zombie Plague and the operation of the Golden Throne have not been overlooked. The increased study of the Zombie Plague has lead many Thorians believe that in its unaltered form it may well provide several clues to the nature of the Emperor's life-in-death, but all forms of the "faith virus" so far examined have undergone mutation.

Much more rare is the Obliterator virus, which again is a Chaos-born contagion that combines elements of physical corruption with mental disruption. Allowing the psychic manipulation of technology, the Obliterator virus allows for humans to interact and meld with machinery, not only on the physical plane but also on the psychic and spiritual level.

Notable Inquisitors

 * Inquisitor Aghastri - Aghastri was a Thorian Inquisitor who intently studied the the Zombie Plague. Before Abaddon launched his 13th Black Crusade there was a high incidence of Zombie Plague around the Cadian System. Noticed by several of his Thorian peers, Aghastri was instrumental in the formation of the Ordo Sepulturum for the express purpose of studying the Zombie Plague.