Monodominant

"You ask why we must cleanse the xenos. I will tell you. The filth of the alien and the witch must be exterminated to preserve the purity of the Human race, lest we degenerate in abomination."

- Witch Hunter Tyrus at the Conclave of Vena

Monodominants are a Puritan faction of the Inquisition that believes the only way the Imperium of Mankind may survive is if everything else is destroyed. To the Monodominant, there can be no tolerance of heresy, no matter its degree or kind, and the only possible punishment for heresy is death. Monodominant Inquisitors are utterly ruthless, unforgiving, and militant. They will meet any form of sin or deviation with swift and final judgement. It is a philosophy that allows for no margin of toleration and places Monodominants into dispute with any other Inquisitor who does not share their uncompromising view. Often, Monodominants come into direct conflict with any Inquisitor who is Radical in their outlook.

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 resort to drastic military solutions in order to enforce their will. No other faction of Inquisitors resorts 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.

Many within the Inquisition see the Monodominants as incredibly narrow-minded and frequently doing more harm than good. It is a brave Inquisitor however who openly voices such an opinion. Monodominants tend to be bombastic, zealous individuals, and they often surround themselves with equally direct characters. Companions with a background amongst the Adeptus Arbites are often found in their cadres, as these individuals may have seen so much criminality over the course of their careers that their hearts have become hardened to the galaxy. Hierophants too are often found accompanying such Inquisitors, their fiery sermons bolstering the cadre’s resolve to do that which must be done.

History
The Puritan Monodominants have their roots in an age now all but lost to the scholars of the 41st Millennium. 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 Monodominats and the Ecclesiarchy
There are those for whom such equivocation is anathema. Some within the Inquisition and the Ecclesiarchy believe wholeheartedly in the literal truth of the many teachings of the countless Imperial Saints, and brook no more liberal or adaptive interpretation. These are the Monodominants. For such extremists, the Adeptus Ministorum is the wellspring of truth and purity, and those who mock its teachings are little more than servants of the archenemy merely waiting to show their true colours. Monodominants believe that humanity has a sacred destiny ordained by the Emperor himself: to conquer the galaxy, immolating all who deny his divinity and right to rule. Monodominants dream of purging all threats, large or small, and have little time for the moralistic debates of Inquisitors who would contend that there are many shades of grey between innocence and corruption. These bombastic zealots know that to hesitate in the face of even the smallest their faith. are able to bring to bear. deviation from the true path is to invite eternal damnation. They cleanse and burn with abandon, loading their retinues with preachers, confessors, exorcists and mendicants, surrounding themselves with those who reflect and share their faith.

The Monodominant faction of the Inquisition is widely perceived to be one which lacks the subtle political skill of the Amalathian Puritan mainstream or the ruthless pragmatism of the myriad secretive radical factions. Yet the faction is vocal beyond its size and more influential than it realises. It acts in many ways as the gnawing conscience of the Inquisition, forcing radicals to rein in their worst excesses and obliging even senior Inquisitor Lords to attend to its sermons. Whilst the Monodominants may regard themselves as noble warriors standing alone against a sea of heresy, persecuted and ignored by their superiors, they in fact embody more than any other group the public face of the Inquisition. Their grandiloquent posturing, ruthlessness and indiscriminate methods genuinely strike fear into the heart of heretics across the galaxy, and more moderate Inquisitors happily use this reputation to their advantage whilst privately decrying the Monodominant’s tactics. For better or worse, then, the Monodominants are a powerful Inquisitorial faction, one with close ties to the Ecclesiarchy whose muddled teachings they slavishly adhere to. Unlike many of the self-righteous “liberal” Inquisitorial factions, they know that they are able to turn to the Adeptus Ministorum for political and financial support. Only a fool would deny the strength of the Monodominants’ convictions, and only a fool would ignore the powerful resources they are able to bring to bear.

Monodominant Domains
Wherever the shadow of the Inquisition falls, Monodominants can be found. More than any of the other major factions, they have a presence and a power that spans both the Conclave and the Holy Ordos. In many ways, they are the heart of the Inquisition’s beliefs and core structure and, as a result, can be found throughout the Calixis Sector where the Imperium’s presence is strong. Scintilla is often a meeting place for the faction simply because it is the sector’s seat of power. Monodominants also have a special interest in the Misericord, which they use as a convenient platform to monitor the core worlds of the sector. However, Monodominants can equally be found at the forefront of the Imperium’s struggle against its enemies, fighting aliens on the fringe or purging heresy from within.

Monodominant Operations
Monodominants are constantly engaged in purges of aliens, heretics, and mutants. In places where their power is without question, such as the world of Dreah, they openly exterminate local mutant populations. Few miss these mutants and fewer still would question the Inquisition’s right to eliminate them. In other places, such as the world of Sepheris Secundus, the mutant workforce forms a vital part of that world’s economy and therefore its ability to meet Imperial tithes, and is not so easily targeted. Of course, this does not stop the faction from working to slowly erode the mutants’ place within that society and sway the queen to do away with them once and for all.

Monodominant Inquisitors
It has been argued that eventually all Inquisitors are drawn to the beliefs of the Monodominant. Often the older an Inquisitor gets and the more he has seen, the more he comes to despise everything that is not human and, as a result, becomes more heavy handed in his dealings with his enemies. Mordant Crimson is such an Inquisitor, a harsh and remorseless member of the Ordo Hereticus. His actions on the world of Veran, where he became known as the Bloody Brand, certainly added to his infamy. It was on this world that after crushing a rebellion, he had the survivors of both sides branded so that they would not forget the treachery they had committed or had allowed to occur. Crimson, like most Monodominants, makes use of only those acolytes he deems pure enough for the Emperor’s service, scorning those who employ psykers or mutants.

It is also rumoured that Lord Inquisitor Caidin himself is a Monodominant, though he appears diplomatic enough not to let his suspected loyalty to this faction conflict with his loyalty to the Conclave.

Monodominant Secrets
Monodominants do not often keep secrets, using information as they find it and punishing guilt as soon as it is uncovered. That being said, Monodominants are said to keep extensive records on all of the important personages within the sector, above and beyond what the Inquisition would normally be concerned with. This truly impressive archive charts each person’s worth in the eyes of the Emperor, or more accurately the eyes of the Monodominants. This information is continually updated and assessed by an army of Administratum adepts in the faction’s employ who are constantly searching for even the merest hint of corruption or treachery. It is whispered among the Conclave that the Monodominants also keep a hidden archive especially for members of the Inquisition.