The Order of the Eclipse

A monastic organization originating in the Wildlands, the Order of the Eclipse is dedicated to the promulgation of law and the abolition of chaos. To this end they see the practices and activities of the Nine Hells as something to emulate. The Order is often seeking ancient tomes and rituals to draw power from the Nine Hells, and to summon its denizens. They are not concerned with the morality of their methods, only the end result. The monks of the Order operate as the spiritual leadership, while a contingent of hellknights works alongside them to enact the Order's will.

Philosophy

Though not inherently evil as a group, the severity of their belief in order above chaos leads to many of the members being of evil alignment. The Order originated among the Senzukoan, but all manner of human ethnicities are accepted so long as they show promise. Nonhuman members are unheard of, and half-breeds such as half-elves, genasi, or tieflings of demonic origin are regarded akin to chaos in physical form. Adherence to law and the aspiration to denounce chaos is held in greater esteem than freedom of any sort. They see the study of the Nine Hell's tenets and even the summoning of devils as tools meant to intimidate and strengthen the individual resolve of the Order's members, and are taught to replace emotion with steely discipline. Membership is permanent, and any who seek to leave of their own volition or are revealed to fall short of lawful expectations are cut down with indignant aggression.

Training

They train with summoned devils, the signifers of their orders coaxing the ingenuity of diabolical tactics from infernal tongues, while the rank and file members spar against the very denizens of Hell - making nearly any future conflict a far less daunting prospect. They learn that sacrifices must often be made for the greater good, obey draconian regimens of military conduct, commit to encyclopaedic memorization of the laws of their orders and local governing bodies, and undergo constant drills to train their bodies and minds.

Organization

The master of the Order is known as the Vicarius. Beneath them are the Master or Mistress of Blades as the field commander of the hellknights, and the Paravicar as the representative of the monastic acolytes. Hellknight officers are denoted as Lictors, and hellknights in training are known as Armigers. Monks who have advanced their arcane or ritualistic knowledge are known as Signifers, while those still in training are called Acolytes. In general, the monastic body will answer to the hellknight, and all bend to the will of the Vicarius.

The symbol of the Order is a white halo over a black starburst. Common attire for members are black robes or tunics with a white cape or cloak, and the stylized eclipse is often embossed on the back. Acolytes who have advanced to the rank of Signifer add a red or crimson border to their cuffs and the trim of their capes or cloaks, representative of the blood so often used in their rituals. Hellknights are only permitted to wear unadorned armor until they have slain an agent of chaos. Often, this is a demon summoned in an advancement ceremony, though some consider it a personal quest to seek out such a foe in the wilds. Once a hellknight has proven themselves, they don a dark gray armor with the eclipse adorning the breastplate. Spikes are often added to the helm and pauldrons to promote an intimidating appearance.

Schism

While a branch of the organization was established in Tharis, their views splintered from the accepted doctrine. They welcomed beasts and abandoned their human-centric philosophy, growing into just another arm of the Tharis military. While they maintain use of the name, they are considered anathema to the true Order of the Eclipse.