The Inquisition
Divisions
Like the Roman Church, the Society of Leopold is made up of a number of smaller divisions. The members of the Inquisition share a common goal — to deliver humanity from supernatural evil — but their interests and modus operandi vary (and even clash). The four official sub-orders within the Society are the Condotierri, Gladius Dei, the Office of the Censor, and the Order of Saint Joan. The remaining groups are merely viewed as sects.
The Condotierri
Founded in the 15th century, the Condotierri is a quasimilitary order more concerned with the safety of the Society than the actual completion of missions. A Condotierre- General (selected by the Inquisitor-General) commands the militaristic hierarchy. Condotierri do not have the autonomy of other Inquisitors, but are assigned to protect the larger and older Cenacula. Smaller Cenacula, which don’t always have the luxury of a permanent Condotierre, often request their presence for security or the completion of a particular mission.
Recently, Inquisitor-General Bauer initiated a more rigorous basic training regimen for the Condotierri Novitiate at the newly opened combat colleges in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert and in the Spanish Pyrenees. Training includes security measures and warfare techniques both ancient and cutting edge. The Condotierri are as wellarmed and technologically advanced as most national militaries, though lacking the larger ordnance.
Ranks within the Condotierri mirror those of the rest of the Society, but it retains its original, stricter hierarchy. When a Condotierre operates in conjunction with other Inquisitors, she generally cedes to the highest ranking Inquisitor, unless the Condotierre feels (and can justifiably prove) that the Society is put at unnecessary risk. Condotierri on duty in the Society’s headquarters in Rome, the Monasterio di San Michele, typically wear dark blue paramilitary uniforms, although on holy days and at formal gatherings, they frequently wear an elaborate Renaissance uniform similar to the clothing of the Swiss Guard. Condotierri on duty at other Cenacula dress as they feel most comfortable, typically in civilian garb.
In their earliest days, Condotierri worked in groups of three, called “lances.” A lance consisted of a mounted soldier, a squire, and a lancer. Although military tactics have changed, the Condotierri prefer to work in lances of three.
