The Order of Desolation

Millennia ago[as of when?], the rulers of Hell created the Order of Desolation - knights sworn to serve Hell first, their patron archdevil second. Agents capable of acting independently across the Timescape.

Every illrigger, regardless of which archdevil they served, were comrades of each other. The order stood above the petty political squabbles dividing the Seven Cities.[1]

Members

Also known as Knights of Desecration, Desolates or Illriggers.

Diabolic Contracts

In order to be truly accepted into the Order of Desolation, an illrigger must swear an oath to a specific ruler of Hell, by signing a contract in blood. This contract binds the knight to the Order of Desolation, adding their name to the List of Hell.[4] Sometimes, ones archdevil patron could be identified through the observation of their strategy and general demeanor.

Architect of Ruin

Cool and calculating arcane knights who served Asmodeus. These illriggers were skillful spellblades on the battlefield, though some employed tactics such as research, infiltration, and propaganda to play mind games with their quarry. They were committed to destroying Asmodeus's enemies by commanding great magic, causing fear, and sowing distrust. [5]

Hellspeaker

Charismatic and manipulative Hellspeakers served Moloch. These knights were silver-tongued enchanters, lulling their foes to complacency with sorcery and subterfuge until they wake and find themselves under the command of the Order of Desolation.

Hellspeakers were masters of the Red Cant or Hell's Cant. By understanding their enemy and by weaving subtle sorceries into normal speech, they could make their foes feel, think, or do nearly anything in order to achieve victory.[6]

Painkiller

Serving under Dispater, painkillers were heavily armored death troopers. They were master strategists who lead from the front, inspiring terror and awe in their soldiers. These imperious soldiers were full of pride and hubris, and they often obsessed over their personal appearance. [7]

Sanguine Knight

Blood knights who served under Sutekh, the High Sanguinary, who rules from the Temple of Vitality. The Sanguine Knights all belonged to the cult Chalice of Vitality. Knights of the Chalice drank deeply of their enemies' essence, draining it to power their magics.

Others members of the Order of Desecration fear that the Sanguine Knights south more than Sutekh's ascension to the Throne of Hell; some whisper that the Chalice secretly schemed to make Sutekh a god. This would, of course, be treason. [8]

Shadowmaster

Assassins who served Belial, masters of stealth and disguise. They stroke from the shadows or used deception to earn high-ranking positions close to powerful rulers. Many Shadowmasters ran networks of spies and assassins who had no idea of their infernal leader. Shadowmasters were fanatic zealots, sworn to not reveal their true allegiance, ready to take their own lives in order to fulfill their oath. [9]

References

  1. Matthew Colville, et al. The Illrigger. (MCDM Productions), pp. 9.
  2. Matthew Colville, et al. The Illrigger. (MCDM Productions), pp. 6-8.
  3. Matthew Colville, et al. Strongholds & Followers. (MCDM Productions), pp. 96, 97.
  4. Matthew Colville, et al. The Illrigger. (MCDM Productions), pp. 15.
  5. Matthew Colville, et al. The Illrigger. (MCDM Productions), pp. 17-20.
  6. Matthew Colville, et al. The Illrigger. (MCDM Productions), pp. 22, 23.
  7. Matthew Colville, et al. The Illrigger. (MCDM Productions), pp. 23-25.
  8. Matthew Colville, et al. The Illrigger. (MCDM Productions), pp. 25-27.
  9. Matthew Colville, et al. The Illrigger. (MCDM Productions), pp. 27-29.