NO ONE EXPECTS THE DAOS INQUISITION!

Actually, that is completely untrue. The Daos have been doing an Inquisition for so long that now most folks in An Tir expect one if the Daos are at the event.

History

The Daos Inquisition got it’s first inquisitor, back in about 1995, when Drake had a Cardinal Sin puppet, Michael thought it sounded cool, and took that as his Cardinal name. He then, as a newly minted Cardinal Sin, went around, inquisited people and very quickly discovered that in the SCA you can NEVER inquist people for being witches. That sort of thing gets you covered in Ameretto and forced to belly dance until they get bored with you.

Then Michael went off to Germany and the Daos Inquisition was no more since no one had any good ideas of how to run it without getting covered in sticky booze and being forced to perform sweet dance moves. Fast forward to 1999 when Eden first became Prophet and decided that initiations needed an exciting ending so that 1) the initiates knew they were done and 2) so the Daos knew when the initiates were done and everyone could get back to drinking. So Eden talked it over with Drake and he assured her that, as the owner of the original Cardinal Sin puppet, anyone could be an Inquisitor and no one had to wait for Michael to get back from Germany. And the Daos Inquisition was re-formed and it’s primary function was to hunt down Daos initiate Lepers and publicly inquisit them before allowing them to become members.

 

The Different Daos Inquisitions

 

In-Camp Inquisition

3 Inquisitors sit behind a table and ask the audience if anyone needs to be inquisited. Daos Guards bring forth any accused. The the Inqusition listens to the accusers tell why the accused was brought forth. Then the accused is given a chance to tell his or her side. Sometimes the inquisitors “check for the mark” (this can be whatever… a belly button is a sure sign of corruption), then they issue a sentence and the accused is taken off to perform the sentence.

Roving Inquisition

All the Daos Inquisitors, and any Daos members who want to watch, march to various camps where they will ask if the camp has anyone that needs inquisiting. The accusal format is much the same as the in-camp inquisition, with the Inquisitors leaving it up to the accused camp to make sure the sentence is carried out. Generally a roving inquisition works best when the Inquisitors work out who they will inquisit earlier in the day with the camp leaders.

Inquisition Skit

Similar in setup to the In-Camp Inquisition, this version uses the Inquisitors as MCs for a variety show that has been established before-hand. No one is actually inquisited and sentences are either frivolous or not provided.

 

Reasons for Inquisitions

Other than the perfectly reasonable answer of “because we wanted to”, there are a few official reasons to have a Daos Inquisition.

Penance – Sometimes a household member does a Very Bad Thing, such as play de’Gucci Tablero under the Big Top. If a Penance is sought, it then becomes a matter for the Daos Inquisition.

Apostles – Members who do lots of work for the household, and are promoted to Apostle, are officially “thanked” by being publicly inquisited during a In-Camp Daos Inquisition.

Initiates – Using the Roving Inquisition format, the Daos Inquisitors will hunt down Daos Initiates and publicly inquisit them before allowing the “unclean leper” to properly wash up and become a Daos.

 

Inquisitors

Any Daos household member can be an Inquisitor. They just need to come up with a good Inquisitor name. From the ranks of Inquisitors the Grand Inquisitor will typically choose 1 or 2 to join him or her on the Inquisition panel. Being someone who is witty and/or funny tends to make an inquisitor more likely to get chosen.

 

The “Carinal Rule” of Running an Inquisition

Never, ever, inquisit someone for a religious belief (or lack there of). Also off-limits are politics or anything of real consequence. Keep it silly or don’t do it. Ask “What would Monty Python do?” and stick to that.