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Sponsors?

Started by Ynek, December 01, 2009, 09:42:13 PM

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Ynek

I was thinking more about where the Inquisition gains its wealth from, and I started thinking about Inquisitorial sponsors.

Basically, the idea that I had was of an inquisitor who was sponsored by a patron corporation or noble household. I thought that the idea of a corporate Inquisitor might be more interesting from a character perspective, though, as he might find himself under incredible pressure to find or even plant damning evidence on competing corporations. Additionally, they might insist that the Inquisitor and his staff wear the corporation's logo on their clothing as advertisment, and use their weapons/equipment/food as product placement. Perhaps they might even do a few holo-adverts for the corporation...

I just thought that a neo-capitalist system might be a good setting for games, and then I started wondering just what sort of an effect that might have on the Inquisitors who operate there.
"Somehow, Inquisitor, when you say 'with all due respect,' I don't think that you mean any respect at all."

"I disagree, governor. I think I am giving you all of the respect that you are due..."

DapperAnarchist

Well....

An Inquisitor shouldn't have a sponsor, any more than, say, Gordon Brown or Barack Obama should - or, more pertinently, an Absolute Monarch. They aren't agents of the law - they are absolute sovereigns of Imperial power (or thats how I see it...).

Then again, its not like it can't happen. Your Inquisitor could be sponsored in a particular sector by a Trade and Manufactory Syndicate. Through this he would have the power to influence and investigate a massive range of groups that might be otherwise closed to him (in practice, not theory) - the Mechanicus, for example. This syndicate may include many Governors - may be instrumental in making that sector incredibly productive - may work through private armies and its member-Governors to defend individual worlds from invasion - may police the local space lanes, combatting pirates on a level unobtainable by the Navy. For all of these reasons, the Inquisitor can justify his position as being sponsored.

However... There are cases where his sponsorship will work against him, in trust from other Inquisitors, having to perform negative actions as you mentioned, and being unable to fully prosecute investigations because they interfere with Syndicate actions. However... not sure about the advertisement or product placements. Certain, if this syndicate included the Pan-Trakanian Weapons Manufactorium, one would expect a healthy supply of Trakanian Mk XXI Frag Grenades and Mark XI "Slayer" Model Autopistols. But this would be more a provision than a placement. Think more like Duplicity than Booster Gold...
Questions are a burden to others, answers a burden to oneself.

The Keltani Subsector  My P&M Thread - Most recent, INQ28!

Myriad

Inquisitors are the highest level of the law, answerable to noone, and in theory able to commandeer whatever resources they require.  As such they have a certain image to maintain, which makes open sponsorship unlikely.

That said, the practicalities of getting hold of resources are always tricky, and a tacit arrangement whereby a trade consortium provides resources and intelligence, on the understanding that the inquisitor would use his influence to arrange contracts in their favour and possibly even taking action against the competition. 

As DapperAnarchist points out, depending on the degree of the arrangement, such inquisitors might be seen as compromised by the rest ofthe organisation, but since all inquisitors can be assumed to maintain their own networks of contacts, it wouldn't be a major issue unless their 'partners' were somehow suspect.

There's certainly a good setting for some games in their, since profit is one of the most frequent motivators for conflict, and the mercantile machinations of the imperium must turn nasty on occasion.
I had better point out, that some of the clubs I represent are of a military bent.

You know what you are?  A plywood shark!

Adlan

An Inquisitor Sponsored?

Maybe, but I'd see it more likely that it'd be family ties, rather than money, that clove an inquisitor to a company. AN Inquisitor can requisition anything he fancies (provided other inquisitors support him, there are practical limits, but theoretically... they can have anything.)

However, a Biased Inquisitor for a trading family makes a pretty interesting character. He wears the corporations Logo's because it is his familey symbol, he uses their weapons because of brand/clan loyalty, He truly belives his family's corporation is doing the best for the imperium, and their comptetitors really are evil scum loving heretics.

Zephon

In my DH game the Inquisition runs an trading company: the bosses are undercover Inquisitorial agents, with a few scattered around the rest of the structure. The Inquisition gets resources, intelligence and plausible cover for agents, but it means a major concern is protecting the company, as they can't have it collapse, get bought out or busted for smuggling. Presumably an easy way of setting something like this up would be to offer a company Inquisitorial protection from Imperial authorities.

The underlying question is how does an Inquisitor ensure he has access to the resources he needs without having to constantly reveal himself.

DapperAnarchist

An Inquisitor running a trading group makes great sense. I mean, so many real-world black ops and secretive groups are supposed to, even up to entire banks in the case of one Pakistani arms smuggling ring...
Questions are a burden to others, answers a burden to oneself.

The Keltani Subsector  My P&M Thread - Most recent, INQ28!

precinctomega

Sponsorship and patronage is more likely, in my opinion, to go the other way around.  An inquisitor agrees to be an unofficial patron to a trading organization in return for the use of their resources on demand.  He gives them a certain degree of protection from official interference at the planetary level in return for greater scrutiny at the Imperial level.  Alternatively, an inquisitor closer to the edge might use a body he knows to be heretical for his own ends with the threat of exposing them for present or past misdemeanours.

R.

GAZKUL

"You do not need to prove that you exist because soon you won't"

Kaled

Just so you know and don't make the same mistake in future - it's regarded as poor form (at the least) to resurrect a thread if you don't really have anything substantial to add...
I like to remember things my own way... Not necessarily the way they happened.

Inquisitor - Blood Bowl - Malifaux - Fairy Meat

GAZKUL

#9
i know but the forum's pretty dead and it was an interesting topic.
"You do not need to prove that you exist because soon you won't"

Kaled

I don't think most people would consider that to be a good reason for thread necromancy.  The 'Clave is a small community so does have quiet times - better to start a new thread if you want to stimulate some discussion.
I like to remember things my own way... Not necessarily the way they happened.

Inquisitor - Blood Bowl - Malifaux - Fairy Meat

GAZKUL

"You do not need to prove that you exist because soon you won't"