Lord Captain Commander : Jahan Vandergrasp (NPC)
Lord Ajudicator : Seomon Bleakwater (NPC)
Prima Praefator : Floriana Caligo (NPC)
Warden of the Seal : Collette Stonewell (NPC)
Knight Commander (Tenebrosa) : Morgan Spector (NPC)
Knight Commander (Tharis) : Daimon Thorne (PLAYER)
The Order of Midnight is a knightly organization originating on the great mythal-powered city of Tenebrosa during its perilous trek through the Shadowfell. This order was key in protecting the city from the unceasing assaults by the denizens of the Shadowfell during that time and holds an honored tradition as its nation's protectors. Acting as officers and commanders of the Shadovar's armies, the Order of Midnight combines militant might, adherance to an honorable code, and ruthless execution of the will of the Princes of Tenebrosa.
The colors of the order draw from the darkest purples, blues, and black. Their crest is of an obsidian shield, rings by azure gems in the place of rivets. The image of silvery skull is emblazoned upon the shield, which seems aflame with dark energy. Two barbed chains are criss-crossed on the shield.
Although most Tenebrosans bear names drawn from their Zin'Charu heritage, those who have descended from generations of Knighthood have taken on more traditional knightly names. These tend to be names inspired by heroes of history from before Tenebrosa's trek through the Shadowfell. Thus the mere utterance of the knight's name makes it clear to all their heritage. Knights are referred to very explicitly by their rank, with any sort of shortening of that rank forbidden.
Darkness enshrouds everything in the Order of Midnight and they are fanatically loyal to Lord Shadow, who they see as the ultimate Lord of Darkness. Many of the tenets of the Order of Midnight mirror other knightly organizations in an almost dark parody. They are willing to do almost anything to further the aims of the Shadovar, but they also adhere to a strict code of conduct, known as the Seal. The Seal is a complex series of instructions on how a knight should live their lives, both publicly and personally. It outlines honorable conduct in battle and with which methods ones enemies should be crushed. The Seal is tended to and interpreted by a Lord Ajudicator, who does not render judgement so much as provides guidance on interpretations of the Seal.
As a fanatically loyal sect dedicated wholly to the worship of Lord Shadow, the Order of Midnight admires self-control, self-sacrifice, discipline and stoicism in the face of great danger and pain. As such, the adherent will often make spectacles of bravery or of inflicting self-harm by wearing barbed chains around their arms, legs, or head and performing self-flagellation rituals, often with a desire to outdo others of the faith. As such, members of the Order of Midnight often bear horrific scars that they wear with pride.
Knights of the Order of Midnight train ceaselessly to achieve perfection in the art of the swordsmanship, as swords are their primary weapons. Theya are also known to practice in many other weapons, to include flails, whips and mourningstar. They are the shock troops of the Tenebrosan military and ride Shadow Drakes into battle, exploiting weaknesses in their enemies' carefully laid out plans. They prefer to be in the thick of the fighting and typically wear heavy armor, desiring to meet their foes face to face.
The leader of the Order of Midnight is known as the Lord Captain Commander. Alongside the Lord Captain Commander are several specialists who act as advisors. These include the Lord Ajudicator (mentioned above) who is typically a powerful and renowned shade mage, the Prima Praefator, a Cleric of Lord Shadow who ensures his will is carried out, and The Warden of the Seal, who enforces the tenets of the Order. Each chapter of the Order of Midnight is commanded by a Knight Commander who oversees all aspects of his chapter and hold, aided by his Knight Lieutenants. The rank and file of the Order is composed of Knight Armigers (landed knights of noble descent), Knights, and Knight Aspirants.
It should be noted that even with this hierarchy, the Order of Midnight ultimately defers to the Church of Lord Shadow and powerful clerics within the church are largely followed or obeyed, so long as their orders do not violate the Seal.
The Order of Midnight is mainly composed of Tenebrosan citizens, as they are considered to be the purest of Zin'Charu blood and most have been tested by the ravages of the Shadowfell. However, in recent times, the Tenebrosan Chapter of the Order has begun recruiting more native mix-blooded peoples of the Prime Material in order to bolster their ranks. Such individuals often have to perform exceptionally to rise above the rank of Knight Aspirant. It is absolutely unheard of anyone rising above the rank of Knight Lieutenant without having been chosen by the Princes to undergo the sacred ritual of becoming a Shade. Shades are revered by the order as the epitome of dedication and sacrifice and such a badge of honor ensures paths to advancement.
Members of the Order are almost exclusively paladins, with the exception being the Prima Prafaetor who is always a high ranking cleric in the Church of Lord Shadow.
The Knights of the Order of Midnight are ruthless, brutal and completely driven by their desire to conquer for their god, Lord Shadow. With that said, they do have a certain measure of discernment with how they treat their enemies. For instance, they will often act quite honorably when fighting enemy knights or those they deem as worthy of testing their strength against. They are bound by their word and there have been stories of members even helping enemy knights or even surrendering to them based on honorable rules laid out before battle (if you can defeat me, I will do X, Y, or Z). They will, however, not treat at all with any enemy they deem unworthy of their honor and often ruthlessly murder them without a second thought. These Knights are titans amongst the ranks of mere mortals and as such, fight on a completely different level, indifferent to the carnage in their wake.