Verdicts and common punishments:

There are four types of verdicts: absolution, suspension, defamation and conviction.

Absolution: the accused is released, his goods returned after the payment of fees and declared innocent.

Suspension: the judgement is suspended provisionally and the accused is released for lack of evidence. His goods remain confiscated and he is still considered suspicious, so he can be arrested again in the future.
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Defamation: the accused is given a spiritual sentence just by sheer suspicion, even though there is lack of proof.
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Conviction: the accused is declared guilty and is given the subsequent punishment. As everywhere else the exigency of the punishments can vary a lot, not only from court to court but from accused to accused.

Some examples of punishments for different crimes and sins are described below.

Minor crimes (blasphemy, don't adhere to Verenan strictures, etc.): payment of a fine, wearing Sambenito (special costume, very flashy, it marks the person as inquisitorial culprit and invites derision).

Common crimes (heresy, casting petty magic, using Divination): lashes (usually 100), exile of the locality or province, jail for a specific amount of time in an ecclesiastic institution (usually a convent or monastery).

Major crimes (recidivist heretics, high level magic using (all above petty magic), Chaos and other dark gods worshipping, necromancy, witchcraft): exile of all the kingdoms where the Inquisition is found (any person who encounters them inside the limits has the duty, and a reward, to kill them), public burning. Just before an accused is burned, they are given the choice of repenting and therefore redemption. If they agree, they will be strangled before the bonfire is lit.

Autos de Fe

One of the most solemn events in rural Estalia are the Autos de Fe, which are performed periodically in the market square. Nobles and commoners assist in these events as if it were just another celebration. A foreigner will probably find it tragic, perhaps even cruel. The Auto de Fe is celebrated once the sentence is given. This ceremony is performed to reconcile the culprits with Verena.

Before the shops open and with the first masses, the Auto de Fe starts with a procession led by a standard bearer and followed by numerous Verenan symbols (Saints, owls, etc.). The standard bearers are nobles and important people dressed with austere black clothes. Behind them, walk the commoners, dressed in the same fashion, followed by the clergy. The barefooted culprits, guided by two familiares, wear the sambenito and follow the clergy. At the end of the retinue walk the members of the Inquisition (notaries, secretaries, fiscals, etc.) followed by the Bishop and the inquisitors.

The procession, softly singing Verenan verses (in Classic), walks to a chosen square. There a wooden flight of steps is set, at the top is which the culprit is seated, awaiting the sentence of death. Below this are seated those sentenced to galleys or hard labour and at the bottom sit those who will be lashed. With the exception of the Bishop and the inquisitors, who have special seats, the rest of the Inquisition's officers sit where they can. The quiet public watch the ceremony in the crowded square, assistance to the act is a must if you don't want to be prosecuted with heresy or Ormazd worshipping.

The Bishop or an inquisitor makes a speech to provoke fear of the inquisitorial punishment. When he finishes, one of the secretaries reads the name of a culprit, his crimes, his confession and the punishment he will receive. He has to listen standing on a chair with a candle in both hands. When the secretary finishes, the sentence is executed in situ. The death penalties come first, followed by the rest. Sometimes this ceremony lasts for a few days.

In some cases, the Auto de Fe is not done publicly and it's performed in the inquisitorial dependencies. This is only done in the most special or troublesome cases.

Relations with the Verenan Cult

Officially, the Cult and the Inquisition are one, the latter being a module of the former. So, in theory, the Inquisition depends on the Cult, but in practice that's not true. Actually, the Inquisition is independent from the Cult and controls it mainly via La Hermandad. Almost all the ranks of the Cult are filled with agents trying to promote the purposes of the Inqusition. This is done in various ways: blackmailing, persuasion, robbery, assassination (uncommon), etc. Of course not all of them are performed by the cult agents, the most criminal acts are done by agents from outside the Cult. The other tool used by the Inquisition to control and spread inquisitorial propaganda amongst the Cult is encouraging temporary incorporations of Verenan monks and priests in order to do short services in local and itinerant courts. This services are limited to a maximum of two years of service before they return to their former obligations.

For all the dirty dealings of the Inqusition, one could think that the Verenan priests fear for their lives. This is not so as all Hostile acts performed in a most covert fashion. There are rumours of abducted priests, but they are just that, rumours. This is true for the vast majority of low rank priests, but the higher members usually are aware of this covert tyranny. They have united themselves in a secret organization to stop it. Los Fieles (more or less The Faithful), is their name. They are few and still in a period of formation. Yet they are determined to "clean" the Cult. How? Nowadays they are discussing the methods they'll use. There are different opinions varying from covert war to open spreading of the truth within the Verenan clergy. Decrying the situation in public is not considered by them. If they'd clean the Cult of "rats", with the agreement of the different Crowns, they could dissolve the Inquisition, although not all of them would. Note that Los Fieles don't separate La Hermandad from the Inquisition. However, that is their vision, not the truth.

Relations of the Estalian Cult with foreign Verenan Cults

The foreign cults have different visions of the Estalian one. The relations with the Magrittans are, at best, bad. Not only due the enmity of their kingdoms, but due their different vision on Verena. They assume the "official face" of the Estalian Cult, so they consider its doctrine a recipe of heresy. In the meantime Los Fieles are thinking on meeting some Magrittan priests, but are not sure how they'll be welcomed. The Inquisition and the "official" Cult don't recognize the Magrittan priesthood, calling them heretics or schismatics.

Outside Estalia, the Inquisition and the Estalian Cult have little, if any, relations with other Verenan priests. The extremist vision of the Inquisition is considered close to heresy and some decades ago provoked a schism. The Estalian "official" Cult disregards them as soft and heretic, corrupted by their contact with and their dependence on other races and religions. Nowadays, Los Fieles are trying to establish some kind of contact with foreign cults, but with little success yet.

Relations of the "official" Cult with Magritta

The relationship with the city of Magritta is especially bad. The Inquisition has no jurisdiction in the city or the surrounding area, but Magritta is too liberal for their taste. There are no extreme racist laws (apart from Arabs being disallowed public office), Ormazd worshiping is not banned, though they can't build new mosques and usury is allowed. Officially, there is no relationship with Magritta, but behind the scenes a lot of secret messages are sent to those agents of La Hermandad working there. Some of these agents are high standing members in Magrittan society.

Magritta, in turn, doesn't recognize the existence of the Inquisition, so no direct relationship can exist between them. But they also use their spies to obtain information, rescue prisoners or perpetrate sabotage. In fact, one can say that an intense covert war exists between Magritta and the Inquisition.

Relations of the Inquisition with Bilbali

The relationship with Bilbali is good. In the beginning Bilbali opposed the inception of a religious court, although they shared similar laws with the Inqusition. This was a decision motivated by the political situation, one that involved the rebuilding of a entire kingdom. During the campaign against Bretonnia, the Queen María de las Mercedes, also known as la Piadosa (or in Reikspeil, the Pious), who was a faithful Verenan worshipper, decided to introduce the Inquisition in Bilbali. This idea came from her confessor, Fray Luis Carrasco, a devout Verenan priest and also a member of La Hermandad. After a number of meetings between Carrasco and the Queen's advisors, the Inquisition was slowly introduced in Bilbali and the surrounding area. The main aspect that excited the Queen's advisors was the opportunity of recruiting numerous soldiers from the inquisitorial culprits. A number that could be increased if the Inquisition agreed to change penances and promoting Edictos stating that anyone who fought in the war would be absolved of his sins and crimes. This led to the rise of the Inquisition in Bilbali, establishing new courts across the city and its estates.

Nowadays the situation is quite balanced. The Inquisition has some power, similar to that owned by some influential nobles. The join the nobles in plotting against each other trying to diminish each others influence but without great success. Lately it seems that the Inquisition is starting a new covert campaign, although the details are unknown by the Inquisition itself. Surely somebody knows what's going on, but who? This is the question that turns in the minds of those people involved in such affairs.

Relations of the Inquisition with the Irrana Mountains people

There is no relationship between the Inquisition and the Irrana Mountain poeple. Although they have no court here, the inquisitors still consider the Irrana Mountains within their jurisdiction. Of course the Irrana people don't think so, avoiding any inquisitor who enters their territory. The Inquisition has made no real attempt to force the issue of their "jurisdiction" yet. Mostly because the mountain people are fierce warriors and followers of the Old Faith and Ecaté, although sparse followers of Ulric and Taal exist. So "the Inquisition has nothing to do here" is the common belief amongst these people.

This doesn't stop the Inquisition from making claims in its propaganda that the mountain people are primitive barbarians who commune with warlocks, witches, daemons and represent an actual danger for the morality of Estalian societies. Periodically the Inquisition tries to fund an alliance between the different kingdoms to cleanse the mountains. Given the difficulty of an invasion and the petty rivalries between the soldiers and officers from different kingdoms, these expeditions have been limited to raids against isolated towns, much to the frustration of the Inquisition.

Relations with other Southern cults

The relations with the Southern cults are usually good. The cult of Mórr is, more or less, involved in the Inquisition, especially those cases involving necromancy, tomb robbing and ghouls among others. Those unrepentant sinners sentenced to death by the Inquisition are not buried by Mórr priests, denying them Mórr's Realm of Dead and falling in the hands of Khaine. They only perform rituals to prevent their return as undead. This is considered a harsh punishment.

Relations with the cult of Myrmidia are quite strange and complex. The relations with the Magrittan base of the Myrimidian cult are cold, but better than those with the Verenan cult. Relations with the cults of Myrmidia within the Inqusitions own dominion are much warmer. Here the Myrmidians usually work for the Inquisition or at least don't disturb it. Sometimes this behaviour has provoked tensions between the local cults and the Magrittan Temple.
"Shallya es harina de otro costal" (Shallya, more or less) is an Estalian sentence that, although quite difficult to translate to Reikspeil, accurately represents the situation. The relations with Shallya are cold, extremely cold. The Inquisition tries to establish good relations with them but the Shallyans don't want any part of the Inqusitions brutal domain. They are simply horrified by the cruel methods of the Inquisition. In spite of their disdain, the Inquisition treat Shallyans with respect and extreme care.

Unbeknown to the Inquisition there is a Shallyan secret organization, called Caridad (Mercy), which helps those people pursued by them. Recently and surprisingly these people have made use of a traditional right of the Shallyan clergy which permits the access to an inquisitorial court to act as an honorific observer. Here they try to mitigate the suffering of the culprits, although with little success since they have no powers. One of their more daring plans is the promotion of a religious test called the Hand of Verena. In this test the culprit holds a red-hot iron bar with a hand and then the hand is muffled with a sack during three days. If after this time the hand appears healed, the culprit is innocent; if not it's another evidence of their guilt. During these three days the Shallyans pray to their Goddess for her compassion and more than once the observer and his companions try more direct solutions like secretly casting healing spells on the culprit's hand. So far this practice has not been discovered, but if it is the consequences for the Cult of Shallya will be serious.