The Office of the Inquisition was the institution of the Church of God Awaiting responsible for upholding the teachings of the Archangel Schueler, and the Proscriptions of Jwo-jeng.
It was led by a specifically appointed vicar, the Grand Inquisitor. (OAR)
The Inquisition had always relied heavily on secular rulers to assist in the suppression of heresy. Not even the Church could produce sufficient manpower to police all of Safehold against such dangerous thoughts and movements, and the system had worked well over the centuries.
The Office of the Inquisition was also responsible for several clandestine organizations, such as the Sword of Schueler and Operation Rakurai.(HFAF)
Following Rhobair Duchairn's rise to the Grand Vicarate in the Year of God 899, the Inquisition was completely overhauled and stripped of most of its power. The office of Grand Inquisitor was abolished and replaced with the Court of Inquisition, composed of three vicars drawn from the Orders of Langhorne, Bédard, and Pasquale. The Schuelerites were specifically barred from the Court.
From then on, the Grand Vicar himself would formulate policy for the Inquisition, an appointed adjutant would administer it, and the Court would determine who had violated fundamental doctrine. Any conviction for heresy could be appealed to the Council of Vicars, and the Punishment of Schueler could only be inflicted after the sentence had been confirmed by a majority of the entire vicarate as well as the Grand Vicar. (AST)