History Literature / InquisitionWar

'''Inquisition War''' is a trilogy of novels -- ''Inquisitor'' (later renamed ''Draco''), ''Harlequin'' and ''Chaos Child'' -- set in the TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 universe, written by Ian Watson. The novels were written and published in the 1990s, so they utilize older lore that has since fallen out of continuity. According to [[https://www.ianwatson.info/a-bundle-of-interviews/ an interview with Ian]], a fourth novel was planned but never got beyond the concept stage.

* BadassNormal: Unlike the other members of his Jaq's retinue, Grimm has no psychic powers, no special combat training, no mutant powers or arcane equipment, but can still hold his own in a fight. And he's the only member [[spoiler: of the retinue who survives the trilogy with his body and mind intact]].

* CoolStarship: Jaq's ship, the ''Tormentum Malorum'', is a special-purpose spacecraft capable of atmospheric operations, while it is also equipped with both a sub-light Plasma Drive and a Warp-Drive for deep space travel. The vessel is very fast, sleek and streamlined, and its Warp vanes were camouflaged as wings, so that onlookers would not realise that the vessel was actually an unusually small starship. The ship is difficult to detect, and is usually further shielded by Draco's psychic veiling. It is well-stocked with high-quality supplies and exotic weapons. [[spoiler:Sadly, Jaq is forced to abandon it to the Eldar in ''Harlequin'']]. [[spoiler:And then he dies.]]

** Imperial troops occasionally use Shuriken weapons, which are said to be reverse-engineered copies of Eldar weapons, built on Mars. According to more recent works, Shuriken weapons are not manufactured in the Imperium and are used almost exclusively by exceptional individuals such as Rogue Traders and Inquisitors. Similarly, Eldar are shown using Lasguns and Laspistols, which they no longer do in the current lore.

* SuicideAttack: At one point, a Harlequin crashes his/her jetbike into a Genestealer Patriarch, to stop it from reaching the Eldar Webway.

* TheTrickster: Zephro Carnelian is mischievous, manipulative heretic who copies (and perhaps parodies) the appearance and mannerisms of an Eldar Harlequin and has unusual powers, but ultimately thinks himself to be acting in favour of humanity.

* CoversAlwaysLie: The original cover of ''Inquisitor'' shows Jaq in Terminator Armour, apparently leading an army composed of various Imperial troops. This never happens in any of the novels. The only time he is seen wearing Terminator Armour is in a brief vision in ''Harlequin''. Also, he uses a Force Rod rather than the sword seen on the cover.

* FantasticRacism: As in any [=WH40K=] story, there's plenty of this. Aliens are treated as absolutely undeserving of life -- to the point that '''foetal aliens encased in crystal''' are considered an acceptable fashion accessory. As an abhuman, Grimm is mocked and scorned by the more mainstream humans around him -- of course, he returns the sentiment, as the Squats are powerful enough that they are more an allied race than a member race, and the Squats can thus freely look down on their techno-barbarian cousins, who have turned science into magic.

* DwindlingParty: In ''Harlequin'', the Space Marines, [[spoiler: followed by Meh'lindi, are picked off one by one by Jain Zar]].
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The trilogy was written when ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' was in its 1st and early 2nd editions, and so there are various bits of lore that are no longer canonical. Most prominently, the Squats, the Illuminati, the Sensei and the Star Child.
** There are at least two, possible three versions of the trilogy as a result. The first version, and a reprinted version that tries to make things a little more in-line with contemporary lore (mostly by replacing Grimm the Squat with a Techpriest named Grill). There's also possibly an UpdatedRerelease of the original version that simply expands the pre-prologue with notes that Jaq's story takes place over 1200 years before the Imperial "present day", and that the Squats are a now-extinct abhuman race.
** More specific examples include:
*** Meh'lindi, a Callidus Assassin, lacks her temple's signature Phase Sword and Neural Shredder.
*** The Thousand Sons in ''Chaos Child'' are simply Chaos Marines aligned to Tzeentch. The concept of the Rubic of Ahriman had yet to be invented.
*** At several points, "Robots" are stated to be used by various individuals. Recent works state that robots are the sole property of the Adeptus Mechanicus, and are extremely rare (particularly ones meant for combat).
*** The Ordo Malleus is a sort of InternalAffairs organization that, among other things, secretly monitors other Inquisitors. In the current background, it is an organization specialized in finding and exterminating Daemons.

* OneShotCharacter: Jain Zar appears as an antagonist near the end of ''Harlequin'' and is never seen again. She is not named, but is instantly recognizable by her weapons.

* SacrificialLamb: Fennix the Astropath is recruited by Jaq to replace Moma Parsheen, and has a fairly likeable personality. He gets killed by Eldar at Stalinvast not long after.

* SoleSurvivor: [[spoiler:Grimm is the only surviving, sane character of Jaq's original group at the end of ''Chaos Child'']].
** Also, [[spoiler:Lex]] is the only survivor of his squad by the end of ''Harlequin''.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The trilogy was written when ''TabletopGame/Warhamme40000'' was in its 1st and early 2nd editions, and so there are various bits of lore that are no longer canonical. Most prominently, the Squats, the Illuminati, the Sensei and the Star Child.

'''Inquisition War''' is a trilogy of novels -- ''Inquisitor'' (later renamed ''Draco''), ''Harlequin'' and ''Chaos Child'' -- set in the TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} universe, written by Ian Watson. The novels were written and published in the 1990s, so they utilize older lore that has since fallen out of continuity. According to [[https://www.ianwatson.info/a-bundle-of-interviews/ an interview with Ian]], a fourth novel was planned but never got beyond the concept stage.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The trilogy was written when ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' was in its 2nd edition, and so there are various bits of lore that are no longer canonical. Most prominently, the Squats, the Illuminati, the Sensei and the Star Child.

* TheTrickster: Zephro Carnelian is mischievous, manipulative heretic who combines who copies (and perhaps parodies) the appearance and mannerisms of an Eldar Harlequin and has unusual powers, but ultimately thinks himself to be acting in favour of humanity.

* TheMole: [[spoiler:Zephro Carnelian]] infiltrates the Ordo Hydra on behalf of the [[Illuminati and the Eldar]].

* DwindlingParty: In ''Harlequin'', the Space Marines, [[spoiler: followed by Meh'lindi are picked off one by one by Jain Zar]].

* HeKnowsTooMuch: Ordinary humans who learn too much about Chaos are liable to get summarily executed by the Inquisition, as Jaq demonstrates a couple of times. Merely[[knowing the name of a Chaos power SpeakOfTheDevil]] can quality as "too much".

* DownerEnding: In true ''Warhammer'' fashion, the ending is extremely bleak. [[spoiler:Jaq revives his lover, Meh'lindi, by calling her soul back from the Warp and causing it to possess the body of Rakel, a female thief he had basically kidnapped and forcibly remolded into her physical likeness. Her death has driven Meh'lindi mad, though, so she cripples Jaq and then flees into the Webway to an uncertain fate. Driven mad with grief, Jaq spews blasphemies to the Space Marine, Lex, and is fatally shot. Afterwards, Grimm points out that Jaq had faked being possessed to get Lex to kill him, rather than live on without Meh'lindi. And then it turns out that dying at this spot has bound Jaq's soul to the Webway, so he will exist here forever... but never again be able to physically interact with the material world.]]

* SuicideByCop: A variation. [[spoiler:After his plan to revive Meh'lindi fails by bringing her back as a raving lunatic, Jaq feigns that he has been possessed and spews blasphemy so that Lex the SpaceMarine will shoot him dead, sparing him the pain of living with all that he has done.]]

'''Inquisition War''' is a trilogy of novels -- ''Inquisitor'' (later renamed ''Draco''), ''Harlequin'' and ''Chaos Child'' -- set in the TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} universe, written by Ian Watson. The novels were written and published in the 1990s, so they utilize older lore that has since fallen out of continuity.

The trilogy revolves around Inquisitor Jaq Draco of the Ordo Malleus, and his band of acolytes, the most prominent two being Grimm the Squat and Meh'Lindi, an Assassin of the Callidus Temple -- both characters had previously appeared in short stories written by Ian Watson (Grimm as a side-character in the story "Warped Stars" and Meh'lindi as the protagonist of "The Alien Beast Within"), both of which appeared in the anthology book "Deathwing". The series focuses on their adventures as they become caught up in a great conspiracy, one that seems to threaten the entirety of the Imperium itself.

* BodyHorror: The Slaanesh-worshipping renegades are described in a manner that makes it clear how simultaneously erotic and yet disgusting they are, including a faux-Daemonette, a hermaphrodite with one crab-like pincer, a humanoid goat, and a woman with the head of a fly and a distended, ovipositor-like vagina.

* FantasticRacism: As in any [=WH40K=] story, there's plenty of this. Aliens are treated as absolutely underserving of life -- to the point that '''foetal aliens encased in crystal''' are considered an acceptable fashion accessory. As an abhuman, Grimm is mocked and scorned by the more mainstream humans around him -- of course, he returns the sentiment, as the Squats are powerful enough that they are more an allied race than a member race, and the Squats can thus freely look down on their techno-barbarian cousins, who have turned science into magic.

* Purple Prose: To call Ian Watson's writing style "florid" is an understatement. Even by the standards of [=WH40K=] literature, it tends to be excessive.

** Lamia has powerful PsychicAbilities that make her ThePornomancer, as she can project erotic visions and raw lust into the minds of others, but she herself is blind and physically incapable of conventional intercourse. Jaq even notes to himself that she must be boiling with pent-up libido.