Banisher

"To defeat the Daemon, you must hate the Daemon. To hate the Daemon, you must know the Daemon. To know the Daemon is to know madness."

- Banisher Proverb

A Banisher is a specialised holy warrior that was formed by the Calixian Ordo Malleus, who are equally skilled at researching and eradicating Daemonic forces. Chosen at a young age from the most pious of children, their training takes a great deal of time and effort as they are provided the necessary faith to fortify their souls against the information they mighty uncover during their researches as they uncover forbidden knowledge. As a result, many Banishers are relatively advanced in age by the time they become Acolytes. The intensity of their training often leaves them with scars and augmetic replacements. Their bodies show the sacrifices they have made for their purity.

History
In the eternal battle against the Enemy Beyond, faith and knowledge are weapons. Few Acolytes wield these weapons with greater prowess than the Banisher. Whether stalking the darkest halls of a hive librarium in search of omens or enacting the Rites of Dispossession in the fields of battle, Daemonic lore is vitally important to the servants of the Collegia Exterminatus. Banishers in the Calixis Sector are a relatively new phenomenon. In 335.M41, a small cabal of Ordo Malleus Inquisitors came to the Calixis Sector on the trail of a prophecy regarding a greater Daemon. Lord Inquisitor Caidan found himself most impressed with their retinue of scholar-priests, who studied a rare copy of a book called the Liber Daemonica to learn their enemy’s tricks. Although the Inquisitors and their tome soon moved on, Caidan's interest in the scholar-priests only grew. The Calixian Conclave decreed that Ecclesiarchal resources could not be adequately spared for the task of researching Daemonic threats in the vast quantities required, while Adepts did not typically have the faith necessary to fortify themselves against the information they might uncover. Thus, the Calixian Ordo Malleus began to formalize the training of the Banishers, a type of holy warrior who would be equally skilled at researching and eradicating Daemonic forces. An Inquisitor would be wise to have several of these individuals among his immediate companions, with many more acting behind the scenes to uncover a Daemons’ dark secrets.

Though most Banishers are chosen at a young age to be trained by the Ecclesiarchy, not all Banishers are trained by the Ministorum. On many Calixis Feudal Worlds or Feral Worlds, wise men steel themselves to study that which dwells in the dark, seeking wisdom to help them vanquish Warp-spawned entities. While these elders are not usually steeped in the tutelage of the Ecclesiarchy, they are no less devout to the Imperial Creed, and can be quite useful in rooting out long forgotten omens and ancient secrets in Imperial archives. Many Inquisitors have also been known to train Banishers to combat specific daemons. Banishers hold a delicate position in an Acolytes Cell. Experienced Acolytes revere them for their wisdom and temperance in the face of terrible secrets, and often owe their survival and success to the madness the Banisher has interpreted for them. Yet these same Acolytes know that no mind can understand the unknowable and walk away unscathed. Therefore Banishers are seen with a distant respect and watched closely for fear that they may suddenly snap under the weight of their dark knowledge.

Though occasionally found within other Ordos, Banishers are usually under the employ and oversight of the Ordo Malleus. A Malleus Inquisitor may employ dozens, or hundreds of Banishers all working diligently to uncover the details of a Daemonic incursion into the materium. Many Banishers work in groups, though not for the sake of effi ciency. There have been cases of Banishers using their knowledge to gain personal power or to traffic with daemons. Thanks to their training, however, these instances have been few, and placing them in a larger group allows other Acolytes to keep an eye on them as needed.

Becoming a Banisher
To be a Banisher is to seek out knowledge many believe is best left buried. They combine lore with faith, without failing to bring a fl amer to bear should it be necessary. Their will is fortified against the madness which accompanies such endeavours, for they must go where few dare. They must be prepared to face many horrors in their search for manuscripts, ancient legends, and even the true name of a powerful Daemon.