“From the dark into the light,
From the small unto the great,
From the valleys dark I ride
O’er the hills to conquer fate!”— “Horseman Springing,” Lilla Cabot Perry
The Ebon Guard:
This ancient order was first established for the sole purpose of hunting down and destroying powerful enemies of undeath, with the first Death knights Valindra tasked with wiping out those who opposed her followers. Members upon recruitment went through a hazardous, lengthy ritual called the
'Black Sacrament in which they completely gave themselves over to the Dark Mother for both power and the opportunity to cheat death itself. The Order in present day is now not so much an organization as it is a loose alliance of individuals.
The Black Sacrament- Those who desire the dark powers of a death knight in death must first perform this ritual. Discovering the right ritual to become a death knight can be extraordinarily hazardous. Good-intentioned individuals, some of whom may even follow Cryric, often destroy copies when they find them, and the most fanatical will kill those who seek its secrets rather than allow knowledge of the ritual to spread. False rituals abound—traps laid for the unwise and unwary by those who seek souls for other dark purposes.
Despite this, working versions of the ritual exist based on the first instructions handed down by the Dark mother herself, each with its own peculiar requirements. One ritual might simply demand that the performer sacrifice a loved one, while another might stipulate that the caster must die in battle at the hands of a foe while in a graveyard or tomb. The conditions can be as fickle as Orfai himself. Frequently, the supplicant must have spilled the blood of innocents with the weapon that will become the soul weapon. Though above all, the performer must vow to give their hearts mind and soul over to the Dark Mother.
The rarity of the true ritual drives many to seek it from a surer source, such as the cultists of Valindra. These vile men and women despise the gods and bow only to Valindra, who they believe will one day make eternal undead of them all. As worshipers of pestilence, demons, and undeath, cultists of Valindra can never be trusted...but they enjoy seeing destructive undead unleashed upon the world, and few undead can be as dangerous as a death knight. The demands made of supplicants for the honor of becoming a Death Knight are a mystery, but the rites are terrible enough that even most Valindra cultists avoid this particular fate, settling for Lichdom or vampirism instead. Perhaps they do not feel worthy, or maybe, like many, they simply fear death.
Fear of death is a luxury those seeking undead knighthood cannot afford. Instead, they must seek death out. They must hunger for it. They must embrace death to gain its power. Through death, they become death.
Those who choose the course to become a Death Knight of Valindra often follow a strict code handed down by the Dark Mother herself.
Death Knight Code:
The First Allegiance is to Death, The Dark Mother and not Life. The first allegiance demands that the Deathknight show no mercy in combat. He strikes to kill, always. The first allegiance also demands that the Deathknight take no special care to stave off the death of others. A fallen comrade is considered weak, thus useless to the group and party. Incidentally, these, together, make it very hard to take prisoners. Deathknights often will make a point of murdering those who they've "only" incapacitated, though this is not always a rule.
The Second Allegiance is to Undeath, and its Glory. The second allegiance demands that a deathknight further the cause of Undeath. If the Undead are rampaging, he takes command. Deathknights do not oppose the Undead without due reason (i.e. the Undead being itself is opposing death and undeath, or harming the cause of death and Undeath).
The Third Allegiance is to Honor, as it lasts for all of Eternity. The third allegiance demands that a deathknight be honorable. In this, his word is his bond, once sworn he shall uphold it so long as his trust is not broken, even against his convenience. After all, the Undead live forever. An additional ramification is that many deathknights contract themselves to limited durations, aware of the possibility of rising as Undead themselves and being still sworn to their bond. Deathknights also are very keen to exact vengeance for slights against them, or return favors for previous kindnesses. Honor demands it.
