Inquisitor Creed

An Inquisitor sent to investigate Warden Krieg, you first learn about him from the various notes he drops throughtout Act 1. You first meet him in Homestead during the quest "The Inquisitor"

Lore
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Journal of Inquisitor Creed
l am currently en route to the village of Burrwitch in order to investigate a number of strange incidents that have been reported in this area. As dusk is drawing near and the swamps of this region are said to be hazardous to travel at night. I've reluctantly taken up lodging at a small squalid tavern in Lower Crossing. Perhaps I am weary from my hurried travels but I feel as if there is a strange pressure and electricity to the air. It is almost akin to the still before a thunderous summer gale but yet the sun shines and not a cloud is to be seen. Everything seems as it should, but in my gut I feel that something terrible will soon come to pass... - 1st Entry

As I was packing to resume my journey to Burrwitch, my assistance was urgently requested at a logging camp in the Old Grove west of Devil's Crossing, where strange animal attacks have left three lumbermen listless and pale. Upon arriving, I received a somber greeting from the foreman who informed me that the bitten workers had gone mad and fled the premises. They were reported to have spoken in an unknown tongue. The foreman showed me the remains of the animals. Two gray foxes and a hound, suffering some sort of horrific mange, lay in a hastily dug pit behind the outhouse. The foreman told me the animals suddenly died when confronted by the workers and a strange green vapor emanated from their remains. Shortly afterward, the three lumbermen fell ill and their mental state rapidly deteriorated. It appears that my presence in this region is most warranted. - 2nd Entry

I've finally arrived in Burrwitch after passing through the dismal area known as Wightmire. For years, tales of supernatural occurrences have circulated about Wightmire and indeed the name itself makes one uneasy. I hadn't put much stock in them but my recent experiences lend some credence to the old tales. Nevertheless, I have reached my destination and it seems the Warden of Devil's Crossing, who resides in Burrwitch, somehow anticipated my arrival. A footman greeted me as soon as I entered town and insisted I accept Krieg's invitation to be put up at his manor. I find this very peculiar but I have accepted the offer as it may be my best chance to investigate the manor itself. Going to make this entry short as I've just been summoned to join Krieg for supper in the dining hall. This should prove... illuminating. - 3rd Entry

I've been a guest to Warden Krieg at his manor for over a week now and my suspicions that something terrible is going on here grow with each day. Every day, I set out to some destination in or around Burrwitch to investigate yet another unusual crime or ominous rumor. Some are easily - dismissed as more mundane human crimes or merely fantastic tales, but many of my investigations have come to darker conclusion. I feel there is a pattern emerging here but I cannot yet put the pieces together. These are peripheral cases though and the main purpose of my involvement in them is to give pretense for my prolonged stay in Burrwitch. Krieg himself has become the focus of my primary investigation. Despite an overwhelming conviction that Krieg is not what he appears to be and is almost certainly involved in some sort of unnatural activity, I have found no irrefutable evidence of wrongdoing that could be used to open an official inquiry. Much of the manor itself is closed off to me. There are rooms upstairs from which Krieg and other visitors come and go but I am not permitted to enter. Stranger yet, I've awoken in the night to sounds like the creaking of wagons moving along a road but then looked out my window down upon the village and seen nothing. Where are these sounds coming from? The game of cat and mouse continues but, as of yet, I am not certain who is the cat and who is the mouse... - 4th Entry

Krieg has gotten the better of me and I am presently at his mercy, imprisoned beneath his manor. Seeing no other way to progress in my investigation, I forced my way into the locked portion of the manor and found myself in a veritable house of horrors. The unusual sorcery on the locks should have been my first clue that I was dealing with something more extraordinary than some rogue occultist. My search led me through a room filled with the rotting bodies of men and woman subjected to brutal torture or horrible experimentation, or perhaps some mix of the two. Behind the manor I found a door leading down into the earth beneath the estate, where I found myself quickly lost in an implausibly large dungeon. It wasn't long before I sensed things moving in the darkness all around me and they quickly closed in, surrounding me. As I prepared to fight for all I was worth, Krieg's massive form emerged from the shadows, his face expressionless. He spoke coolly as though nothing at all was out of the ordinary and invited me to tour his facility. While I had no doubt that something unpleasant was planned for me, it at least delayed my confrontation with the living horrors gathering in the dark. - 5th Entry

I've lingered in this dank cell for one long unsettling day and a night of terrors. Krieg allowed me to witness the process by which they are preserving human bodies for what he calls the Glorious Dawn. I have gotten glimmerings of another consciousness within Krieg, which is joined with or possibly in control of him. From the way he spoke, it is clear that this is only some small part of a much greater conspiracy and I suspect many other persons in key positions have been possessed by things akin to that which now inhabits Krieg. I was arrogant in my initial handling of Krieg and seriously misjudged the power and scale of the threat we are faced with. Fortunately, Krieg's own arrogance has likewise led him to misjudge the resourcefulness of his prisoner. He has invited me to ascend beyond humanity by pledging myself to his cause or to join his inventory of embalmed corpses. I've been left to contemplate this decision but this cell, even magically warded, cannot hold the likes of me and I have no intention of being here when Krieg returns for my answer. - 6th Entry

Much time has passed since my last entry. Following my escape from Krieg's laboratory, I have raced against time and lost, passed through darkness and flame, and witnessed the ruin of the world as I knew it. Even as I assumed key figures in the capital were likely to be possessed by the entities we now call Aetherials, I reasoned that it was only with support from within capital that we could hope to thwart them. Any action that began outside the capital could be spun as a political rebellion and crushed with the empire's own forces before the truth could be exposed. Thus, I cast the dice and raced toward the heart of Erulan, trying to conceal myself as best I could. Upon my arrival, I proceeded cautiously, booking a room at a squalid inn near the west gates in an effort to keep my arrival secret. Initially I sought out old acquaintances, assuming if I could detect some change in personality or behavior, it might reveal possession. A few awkward reunions made it painfully obvious that years on the road carrying out my duties as an inquisitor had left me out of touch and unable to discern whether any changes were the result of possession, or just the passage of time and faded memories. The only gamble left then was to report back to the citadel of the Luminari and see what came of it. I never made it there. Waiting until the sunlight dwindled and crowds thinned in the streets below, I rose to leave but was quite startled to see that a shadowy figure had somehow silently breached my room, evading all of the wards set against intruders. This is how I came into cooperation with the First Blade. - 7th Entry

It was known that anyone of significance who fomented discontent or posed a real threat to the rule of the emperor might be visited by the First Blade. I had never stirred such controversy but I always imagined, if such an encounter took place, I could put up a respectable fight. I never got the chance. Taken unawares, I was disarmed before I even knew what was happening. Had he sought my death, I would not have even witnessed the killing stroke fall. However, he seemed more interested in answers instead and, in turn, provided me with an account of his own events that confirmed my worst fears. The First Blade revealed that, only days prior, he had been forced to turn his knives on the Emperor himself, by his own command. Despite the myriad safeguards protecting the Emperor, both mundane and arcane, he had become host to an Aetherial. Through strength of mind, he had usurped his possessor long enough to summon the First Blade, command his own execution and charge the assassin with ensuring that his son, the young prince, survive to reclaim the throne. His last commands issued, the Emperor's consciousness slipped once again under the control of the Aetherial and a desperate battle ensued. The First Blade reported that he believed the Emperor and the Aetherial within him slain but, given his inexperience with the entities, could not say anything for certain. He relayed that he had secretly taken the prince and put him into hiding but declined to elaborate. The First Blade said he intended to retire his imperial title and had chosen the name Ulgrim, which made me curious as to whether it was an intentional reference to the mythic character. A final troubling detail was that no proclamation of the Emperor's passing had been issued. Not only did this demonstrate the Aetherials had sufficient control of the palace to conceal the death but, given that they couldn't hope to hide the Emperor's absence for long, it suggested the next phase of their operation was imminent. I strategized with Ulgrim long into the night, formulating a plan to counter the Aetherials, but ultimately we agreed that we could not defeat their conspiracy in time. The only course left was gather whatever people and resources we could, go to ground and weather the coming storm; then find a way to counter the invaders. We agreed that the Black Legion would be our best hope in securing allies. As a conscripted army of criminals, debtors and political dissidents bound to service, it seemed unlikely that the Aetherials would have any reason to infiltrate them when they could control them indirectly through the military high command. The next step was to discretely make contact. - 8th Entry

Ashes of Malmouth
With the help of the Taken, we've dealt a serious blow to the Cult of Ch'thon. I don't want to diminish the immensity of such a triumph, especially given the small force and limited resources we're working with but I fear it has come at great cost. While our attention was focused on denying the Loghorrean entrance to this world, the Aetherials were certainly not idle. Many in Devil's Crossing have paid the ultimate price but such is the way of war and it may sound callous to say but we traded well. Losing only a handful while preventing a monstrosity from escaping the void that could have heralded the end of the world as we know it is a win for humanity. What disturbs me though is the loss of Ulgrim to the void. Bourbon apparently does not share my concern and I think he sees it as ill-afforded sentiment on my part. Bourbon sees Ulgrim as merely a man but I am certain there is more to him. I believe he is an ascendant, a man who has become a demi-god. Ulgrim expertly plays the part of a jovial and unassuming character but his eyes say much more. he makes off-handed references to historical events with details and a familiarity of someone recalling a personal memory. For all his outward jocularity, there is gravity to him and it is clear he has witnessed much; I suspect more then one could experience in a single lifetime. Yet, for all that, and despite his obvious efforts to downplay it, Ulgrim possesses remarkable strength and energy for the middle-aged man he appears to be. He often carries himself in a relaxed, casual manner, moving languidly; but at rare moment, I have seen him react and move with impossible speed. I feel that he could do much more then he has, in fighting the enemies of man but I am not sure why he is holding back. Perhaps we will never know now. Maybe Bourbon is right, perhaps Ulgrim is lost to the void. Somehow though, I feel we will see him again and, if we do, it would go a long way toward confirming my suspicions. Then again, strange times are these, where a nameless wretch, cut down from the noose, has risen to become possibly the greatest hero of our time. It the Taken continues on this path and survives the war, I wonder if perhaps they too are on the path of ascendancy. - 9th Entry

The Taken has forged a path from Burrwitch, through the Gloomwald, and descended again into the very void itself to resurface with none other than Ulgrim. I find it impossible now to dismiss the idea that he is indeed the Ulgrim of legend and an immortal ascendant. As much as I am grateful to have such a powerful ally in this war, I cannot help but feel a little on edge when he is present. Between Ulgrim and the recent rumors of Mogdrogen, I am concerned that other divinities may also begin involving themselves in worldly affairs; as it is said they did more commonly in ancient times. This leads me back to the lingering mystery of Kymon. It is apparent that he and his followers are drawing power from some godlike force, but who or what? I am very doubtful of Kymon's claim that it is Empyrion that guides him, as he initially suggested. The power I sensed in Kymon's emissary to Homestead had a feeling of...malevolence to it. Kymon was once a brethren inquisitor, but he went rogue in the years before the grim dawn. He is clearly not Aetherial, but I fear he's entered into some manner of dark pact with an unknown power. Certainly if Empyrion, the high-god of legend, returned to Cairn, a power such as that would be felt on a larger scale than merely one raving fanatic leading a group of vagabonds. None the less, whatever entity is behind Kymon's Chosen, clearly it does possess significant power and I am troubled, not knowing its identity or motivations. - 10th Entry
 * }

Quotes

 * "How did you escape from Warden Krieg's lab?" - Player
 * As an inquisitor, I had access to many occult artifacts and relics that had come into the safekeeping of the Luminari. Some that were deemed more benign were occasionally lent out to veteran inquisitors and I have used them to great advantage. Krieg underestimated that. - Inquisitor Creed
 * "Could I have access to some of these?" - Player
 * These aren't toys we just hand out to everybody. They are powerful artifacts that have to be handled carefully. Besides that, they are now irreplaceable as the vault of the Luminari has fallen into the hands of our enemies. I can only hope that the Aetherials never discern the power of some of the more potent objects within the vaults or are at least wise enough not to use them. In any case, I'm afraid the answer is no.
 * "What does an Inquisitor do?" - Player
 * The inquisitors of the Luminari were responsible for investigating and eliminating any supernatural threats within the empire. That could mean anything from breaking up an occult coven to securing a dangerous artifact or even hunting down otherworldly creatures that occasionally cross the veil between realities. The Cult of Ch'thon was one of the greatest challenges because the root of it, the dying god, is beyond our reach or power to destroy. It has been with us since ancient times. Given their recent rise to power, it also seems to be one of our greatest failures.
 * "How do you know Ulgrim?" - Player
 * I've long known of Ulgrim by his previous title, the First Blade, although I was fortunate not to have met him in his working capacity back then. It was not until the days prior to the Grim Dawn that I met him in person. It was our mutual awareness of the Aetherial conspiracy and individual inability to counter it that brought us together. In the end, we realized the Aetherials already controlled too much of the government and could not be stopped. So we instead set out to gather resources and allies to weather the invasion and launch a resistance.
 * "The First Blade of the Emperor?" - Player
 * Yes, the emperor's spymaster and assassin. His name was stricken from all the records. His very identity erased so he could exist outside the boundaries of the law. This gave the emperor great freedom in handling matters some would deem objectionable to the throne. All knew it, none would dare bring it to light lest they have a meeting with the First Blade. He was truly unparalleled in his art; feared even by the nightblades of the noble houses, many of whom silently met their end at his hands. One might question the morality of his job but not the ruthless effectiveness of his performance.   I will say though, he did deliver a form of justice to many corrupt and vile men. He silenced many conflicts before they could grow into larger and bloodier ordeals.

Related Lore

 * Journal of Inquisitor Creed - (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th) Entry