The Hexblade Wars are a series of skirmishes that comprised a campaign commonly referred to as the Hexblade Wars. It started when Ezreal El sent the Dark Inquisition to secure all sentient items in Faerun. After Ezreal El defeated the Raven Queen he took her power, rendering all contracts signed with her void. Most prominent of these was the massive amount of contracts that Hexblade Warlocks had signed with sentient items in the Raven Queens name. The Dark Inquisition declared these hexblade warlocks, heretics.

In an effort to reign in these heretical warlocks, the Dark Inquisition decreed all such warlocks to turn themselves in to the Inquisition and resign a new contract with their new patron, Ezreal El. Naturally, many resisted and formed pockets of heretics.

The Dark Inquisition

Dogma

The Dark Inquisition was an organization established to stamp out the heresy of sentient magic items. They believed that sentient magic items cause chaos and destruction, usurping the minds of those that use them by bending their wielders minds to the sentient item’s will.

Only properly trained Inquisitors employed them with great caution. Inquisitors, while part of a hierarchy, were free to pursue the mission in the manor he or she believed most Appropriate. Bands of Inquisitors were also very common. Although the Dark Inquisition was extreme in its methods and utterly unforgiving in its persecutions it believed it had every cause and right to be.

The Role of the Dark Inquisition

The Dark Inquisition was immensely powerful, and the only individual that was exempt from its scrutiny is Ezreal El himself. If he had good cause, an Inquisitor may demand any service from any citizen, up to and including Nobles. While these demands often fell on deaf ears and were accompanied by smirks and dismissive hand waves, the Dark Inquisition none the less presses on undeterred.

Those of rank above Darkness of the Cult of Ezreal El were exempt from conscription, because their duty to Ezreal El was clear and unchanging. When it came to dealing with those of this rank, Dark Inquisitors often showed some discretion.

Inquisitors also had absolute power to judge and execute supposed heretics, with no appeal save the intervention of another Dark Inquisitor. Practically, all possible verdicts were death sentences, although the means by which they are achieved differ. This impunity granted to them by themselves, made the presence of a Dark Inquisitor often problematic for local magistrates. However, the Dark Inquisition often carried out a service that could or would not otherwise have been done within the means of the local Lord or Lady. Thus, it was often that the Dark Inquisition was able to carry out its mission, and operate on its own merit and magistrate.

Traitors, the worst grade of offenders, were considered irredeemable and would be quickly executed. Heretics could be redeemed, often after considerable amounts of torture, and may receive absolution through death in service to the Dark Inquisition. Certain traitors deemed useful to the Dark Inquisition may in extremely rare cases may have had their memories taken and replaced with those loyal to the Dark Inquisition.

Excommunication

A Dark Inquisitor had the power to declare an individual, or sometimes an organization, as Excommunicate. This declaration excommunicates the accused from society, and is an indication to other Dark Inquisitors that the excommunicate party should be hunted down and killed for the good of society.

Dark Inquisitorial conclaves were often the venue for declaring excommunications and, in extreme circumstances, even a fellow Dark Inquisitor could so be branded.

Excommunication is never done lightly, but was a principal weapon of the Inquisition and one of the ways its authority could be used to protect society.

Heresy

According to the Dark Inquisition, being in posession of, knowing the whereabouts of or otherwise interacting with sentient items was heretical. In addition, it was an act of heresy to be a hexblade warlock without a formal contract with Ezreal El. For those members of the Cult of Ezreal El an act of heresy was an opinion, act of promulgation of an ideological doctrine that contradicted the beliefs, theology and the commandments of the Cult.

Thus all enemies of the Cult of Ezreal El could also be deemed “Heretics.” Of course this was not always the case, but was more the norm than otherwise.

Dealing With Heresy

Laypeople often found themselves presented with the question of whether or not someone or something was heretical. However, by the time the agents of the Dark Inquisition had become involved, there was a good chance that something foul was afoot.

In any case, they must still try and identify the true Heretics from the simple malcontents. It was taught that there are three stages to the identification and eradication of heresy. These was suspicion, investigation and purging.

Suspicion

Often the only clue an Acolyte has has to the presence of heresy was through his or her instincts. The Dark Inquisition encouraged investigators to follow these feelings, believing it is the presence of Ezreal El guiding them to His enemies.

This, combined with the broad powers of the Dark Inquisition, means that few people were safe from scrutiny when it came to the rooting out of heretical behavior.

Acolytes were taught that no one and nothing should be above their suspicion, which could lead them to become extremely paranoid, another “virtue” encouraged by the Dark Inquisition.

Investigation

Once a target was identified, the next stop was to begin an investigation. In many cases, especially within the ranks of the Dark Inquisition, the gathering of evidence was secondary to identifying guilty parties. Such clues were more to help lead the investigator to their quarry rather than prove anything in particular once they get there.

Because it is vital the Heretics be uprooted, the most important aspect of many investigations became stealth. Quite often, even the hint of Acolytes nosing around sent people underground, vanishing into the general populace and becoming practically impossible to find.

As a result, the Dark Inquisition especially advocated striking against Heretics as soon as possible, even when there was only the most circumstantial of evidence. In the end, any number of innocent deaths is acceptable if it meant a true Heretic is found and destroyed, preventing the death, corruption or damnation of others.

Purging

Once the heresy had been unmasked the next step is to eradicate it. This could be harder than it seems, as, like weeds, many heretics could appear to be destroyed only to spring up once more. The teaching of the Dark Inquisition on this matter was clear: Ezreal El rewards thoroughness.

If there was the slightest suspicion of involvement in the heresy, they must be purged. Sometimes the heresy had consumed an entire group, and the Dark Inquisition could not be so discerning as to single out individuals.

At this point, the Dark Inquisition showed no mercy and offered no quarter, leading to the destruction of entire groups, cities or cults through military conflict, or subterfuge. Better a dead society than one that does not bow to the Dark Imperium – or worse, serves sentient items or the enemies of all Faerun.

Edicts of Heresy

Possession of, knowledge of the location of, safe guarding or otherwise interacting with sentient items other than to inform a Dark Inquisitor of such.
Hexblade Warlocks who have not signed an agreement with Ezreal El.
Slavery or unwilling subjugation and prostitution.
Cult of Ezrael El members: worshiping other deities besides Ezreal El.
Treason or rebellion against the rightful authority of the Dark Imperium