"You must face the truth squarely and without flinching from duty. Our enemies are mortal no longer. Mercy for such as they is a chimera, self-deception is its only ally. Dedicate this weapon, given unto your hand at the behest of the Emperor, to their destruction. Regard its function as your only duty: you live only to bring cleansing fire. Take up your rod and staff, your armor and psycannon, and go forth."
–Lectures to the Ordo, Inquisitor-Historical Galbus Heer
What others of the Inquisition do through stealth and guile, the Pyroclast does through the cleansing flame of righteousness. Originally created as a group by Inquisitor Malachai Heritor in 643.M40, the Pyroclasts were intended to be sent in when the only hope of ending a xenos infestation was through the application of holy fire. The success of the Ordo Xenos Pyroclast squads led the Ordo Malleus to apply the same principles to Daemon hunting.
Original records of which Inquisitor first attempted this have been lost to time, but the results cannot be overstated. The first recorded use of Pyroclasts happened on the Agri-world of Dreah. Grain that had been tainted by Chaos was planted in the fields of many unsuspecting farmers.
During the harvest, the stalks of this grain poisoned the tithe of Dreah. Learning of this tragedy, Inquisitor Helden Karros equipped three full regiments of Imperial Guard to combat this menace. Within a single month, the entire crop of questionable grain had been incinerated under the relentless onslaught of the flamers of the Pyroclasts. To be sure that the taint had been rooted out sufficiently, Inquisitor Karros ordered a cleansing of all vegetation with a thousand kilometer radius of the original planting site.
With the Cleansing of Dreah complete, the Calixian Ordo Malleus created a training bastion on the Shrine World of Reshia for Inquisitorial agents specializing in the use of Incinerators. Within this bastion recruits are schooled in the nature of flame and the cleansing power that it holds. Other Inquisitors are known to maintain elite groups of such Guardsmen, either privately trained or sent to Reshia for instruction.
Alternate Career Rank[]
Pyroclasts are mostly recruited from experienced Guardsmen. Those chosen must already have an instinctive understanding of the nature of fire. During Pyroclast training, this grows into an almost religious love and faith. Once selected, the majority of Pyroclasts are sent to Reshia for a period of six months for indoctrination and training, and then returned to their Inquisitor with the skills necessary to illuminate the dark shadows of corruption with the light of the Incinerator.
Required Career: Guardsman
Alternate Rank: Rank 5 or higher
Other Requirements: Basic Weapon Training (Flame)