The Blades

Followers of the Lord of Blades call themselves “The Blades”, and is as much a cult as an army. They view their leader as much more than a simple leader or prophet, instead they see him as a divine presence all onto himself. Their worship sustains him, and in return, he provides them with a sense of purpose and inner strength. They memorize his sermons as a part of their daily devotion and take them to heart, using them as prayerlike sayings or battle oaths. The most trusted of his followers adopt names in honor of him, naming themselves after bladed weapons, weapon parts, or the results of using such weapons – names such as Saber, Falchion, and Scimitar are common.

The Blades are not a typical religion, for they place no special value on spiritual existence. They are aware and possess a free will, which is enough, and waste no time on questions regarding the nature of the soul and whether Warforged have them or not. Likewise, they see no purpose in imaginary spiritual energy that comes from distant gods. In fact, outsiders might see their religion as worship without faith. And indeed, what need is there for faith, when there is undeniable proof of their god's existence? The Blades receive tangible benefits from being in proximity to their leader, and they in turn increase his power by their obedience.

The Blades as a whole embrace their constructed nature above that of their living side, regarding it as a weakness fueled by empathy and emotion.

Dogma[]

To the flesh-and-blood citizens of Khorvaire, the Lord of Blades is a figure of terror and suffering. But those under his sway, and even some objective observers of other races, believe that his rage is justified – fueled by the injustice heaped upon the Warforged after their creation. The Warforged were treated as disposable soldiers, almost slaves, during the war, and the post-war arguments over what rights the Warforged should be granted – as if fundamental rights were meant to be bestowed or withheld by political authorities – gave the warforged themselves no voice, as if they were still the property of their creators.

The Lord of Blades has declared that: "We were made as weapons. Let us be weapons! Let the nations of the land reap what they have sown!" Regardless of what they have now become, the Warforged were created to fight and die on the orders of their creators. Some of the Warforged accept their history for what it is and look toward the future, but others hold grudges because of how they were exploited by their creators. Those Warforged have heard the words of the Lord of Blades and now make up his followers.

The Lord of Blades and his small band of followers believe that Warforged are superior to the races of flesh, and the Lord of Blades wants to rule over all of Khorvaire. “We were made to rule Eberron,” the Lord of Blades has said over and over again, “and the day will come when the warforged will inherit the world by blade and blood!”

The Lord of Blades' disciples treat him as a supreme ruler, both god and king. From his hidden stronghold, the Lord speaks of a nation of living constructs, and a Promised Time, when the once-slaves come to rule an empire carved from the flesh and blood of their former masters. The words of the Lord of Blades are only meant to bolster his Warforged brethren, and rally them to his cause, to anyone else who hears them, they are a warning and a promise.

To outsiders, it's ironic that someone who preaches freedom has as a practical result completely subsumed individual Warforged to his cause. Yet, among the Warforged, the life of a true believer is worship. The drills and recitations structure day-to-day (or, more accurately, moon-to-moon) existence. All is in preparation for the glorious campaign to come, and a future in which the Warforged will destroy or enslave the nations of flesh and blood.

As with all faiths, it is not the dogma or the preaching that one should consider most carefully to gain full understanding – It's the actions and, in this case, the interactions of the faithful. While his existence and message are well known in the countries bordering the Mournland (especially Breland), they are less familiar in the rest of Khorvaire. Hoping to swell the ranks of his followers, the Lord of Blades has agents spreading his apocalyptic message in every city with significant Warforged populations. These evangelical “Blades” conduct sermons, or draw other Warforged into a conversation.

Furthermore, the faithful often have little to no pity for their flesh-bound counterparts, and launch countless attacks on targets across Khorvaire: demolishing Karrnath and Thrane outposts to free Warforged slaves, raid Cannith workshops and strongholds in search of information on Warforged creations, killing nobles known for their abuse of warforged, and seizing shipments of weapons or arcane research to further deplete their enemy. Some even go so far as to scour distant Xen'drik for artifacts that may have some ties to modern day Warforged.

Karrnath and Thrane feel the most threatened by the Lord of Blades' message of freedom, since their economies rely heavily on the indentured labor of the Warforged. Thus, those nations' leaders have declared the Lord of Blades to be an enemy of the state, and followers of the religion are to be destroyed immediately, whether they are property of the state or outside agents apprehended in their evangelism.

Followers of the Lord of Blades have no fear of dying for their cause, however, as they believe that he can repair them and raise them up again in time for the final battle against the flesh-bound races. In short, whenever a disciple of the Lord of Blades meets with fleshborn, it usually ends in drawn blades and blood being spilled.

Hierarchy[]

Lord of Blades-4e — *The Lord of Blades rallies his followers.*

The Blades are Legion and have a simple but clearly defined hierarchy, as one would expect from a military cult. It starts with the Lord of Blades himself, and below him he has gathered his captains. Each captain is responsible for a company of Blades, with each company counting several hundred Warforged. Next come the squad commanders, the lieutenants, who command groups of around fifty Blades each. The captains and lieutenants lead their followers in military exercises, honing tactics and devising group maneuvers to assure victory when the holy war finally begins.

Beyond these ranks, a myriad of scribes and evangelicals can be found within the Legion. It is the duty of these high-ranking Warforged to put the Lord's words into scripture and then spread this scripture to all Warforged, as they are dispatched in all directions from the Mournland to all over Khorvaire. The most passionate of these heralds spend many years as evangelicals, far from their Lord, to connect and lead others of their kind to their destiny. Any and all missionary work is purely practical, and they do not tire of their self-imposed exile, as they know that when the signal is given, all will gather in the Mournland to begin the conquest of the flesh-ruled lands. Since the beginning of their mission, they have been focusing especially on Karrnath and Thrane, which have large populations of indentured Warforged to whom the promised freedom of the Thronehold Accord never came. Among these downtrodden folks they find their most zealous converts.

Advancing through the ranks of the Blades is achieved through rigorous trials and drills, often severely repetitive, as is befitting these tire-less constructs. These tasks might entail support tasks, such as hauling materials back and forth, or tests of individual development, such as standing watch for a week without relief, making regular reports to prove the time was actually spent in watching. Also, since good intelligence is vital to any military organization, those Blades who demonstrate keen powers of observation and analysis are sent on missions to gather information about their flesh-bound neighbors, suitable areas for battle, or seeking contact with potential converts. Those who perform the most strongly in these tasks usually end up being promoted to the higher ranks.

Subordinance, Offences & Punishment[]

This chain of command is never broken, and insubordination almost nonexistent, since the orders of their Lord is absolute, and it is his will that they remain within this hierarchy. Ultimately, most Warforged find this strict order comforting and familiar, and the few who do break rank or display any sign of disrespect towards their superiors are dealt with swiftly and resolutely, with even minor infractions meriting severe punishment.

When a Blade commits an infraction, the company captain immediately makes an example of the miscreant. A typical penalty for disobedience (whether intentional or not) is the removal of a small portion of the offender's body, such as a finger or a piece of ornamental plating. The intent is never to harm or maim, as the soldier in question still has to be able to fight, instead it's meant to humiliate. The severed piece is displayed on a platform in the midst of the “Punishment Square” within the company camp, labeled with the offender's name, rank, and squad. An offender who redeems himself in service to the Lord of Blades can win back the severed piece, which the company's artificer reattaches in the camp's workshop.

Another, far less frequent, punishment is the separation of the offender from the rest of the Blades, and by extension, the Lord of Blades himself. The anguish of such separation makes this kind of punishment quite dreadful. Only the most severe crimes, such as outright mutiny or questioning dogma, merit imprisonment, and even then the period of incarceration rarely exceeds one week.

Rarely is destruction used as a punishment, for such an act of judgement would ultimately be detrimental to the cause, and more in line with the harsher punishments aimed at the Warforged within Karrnath and Thrane.

Places of Worship & Military Might[]

The center of the Blades' worship is the hidden stronghold of their Lord, somewhere deep within the Mournland. Its location is unknown to any outside the cult, and even new recruits do not visit this headquarters until they are well established within the cult's organization. The scribes and evangelicals, as well as the Lord of Blades' personal bodyguards, travel to the stronghold frequently and return from there with the latest pronouncements. The Blades are certain that their leader possesses a creation forge within his temple fortress, and that he swells the ranks of his followers with new Warforged regularly, but no one beyond the inner circle has actually seen the inside of this temple.

Outside of this stronghold, individual companies establish base camps that serve as training grounds, armories, and religious precincts. A typical company contains five squads, and while three are drilling, the other two are performing assorted tasks, standing guard, and so forth.

These camps all adhere to a plan determined by the Lord of Blades himself, with the only difference being size and orientation. Additionally, all camps moves at frequent and irregular intervals to thwart any attempts from outsiders to gain insight into the Blades' operations and activities – something further assisted by regular patrols eliminating any intruders.

These camps are square in form, surrounded by 10-foot-high walls, studded with sharpened stakes and pieces of metal and broken weapons, and on the outer edge of the rampart is a 5-foot-deep ditch, encircling the camp. On three of the camp's four sides entrances with large double gates are placed. Each of these gates are manned by six Blades, often low-ranking members supervised by higher-ranking ones, with an additional six patrolling the outside of the camp at all times. Within a Warforged camp one can find the following structures:

A captain's office, which mirrors the layout of the camp with its square shape and three doors. From here, the captain supervises the camp, meet with his lieutenants, dispenses punishment, and assign missions. Within this building one can also find a small shrine to the Lord of Blades, as well as a storeroom that holds magic items and other top-security materials. To enter the captain's office, one needs the captain's authority, something reinforced by special locks, only able to be unlocked by the captain in question.
An armory where the company's weaponry, along with any seized items from fallen enemies, is stored. At any given time, about a dozen Blades can be found tending to the equipment here.
A workshop where the Warforged can craft and repair weapons. Minor repairs to damaged Warforged can also be conducted here. The workshop is overseen by an Artificer, with the assistance of around five others.
The Parade Grounds, where much of the company's training is done. Activity never seizes here, as squads circulate between training and performing other duties in 12-hour shifts.
Punishment Square, where the camp's captain openly shames those Blades who have broken rules, or committed other infractions. Body parts severed as punishment are left here along with a plaque stating the offender's name, rank, and squad.
Prison blocks, containing tiny cells, barely large enough for one occupant.
A series of shelters used to shield the Blades from harsh and inclement weather. Each shelter has room for about a dozen of Warforged.
Since Warforged do not need food or sleep, many of the typical structures found in the military camps of flesh-bound races, are absent – including food storage and barracks. The Warforged use these freed-up spaces as yet more training areas.

Warforged Ossuaries[]

A warforged ossuary is a former temple, crypt, or warehouse deep in the Mournland which has now been refitted into a resting place that houses the remains of slain warforged. It is a place of honor and reflection for the Lord of Blades and his followers.

These ossuaries act as equal parts crypt, monument, vault, and workshop, the ossuary serves many functions for the warforged who maintain it, regardless of the original purpose of the structure. Since they carry such weight, The Lord of Blades' Warforged troops defend these sites with their lives.

Rites & Rituals of the Blades[]

As with any faithful, the Blades observe many religious practices of worship. These rituals are mostly made up of repetitive military drills and incessant repetition of the proclamations of the Lord of Blades. Being tireless and built of durable materials, coupled with the Blades' natural ability to conduct repetitive activity without issue, are tremendously important for the leaders of the Blades. Through this training they are able to condition the followers to better follow the Lord's orders. Tests of will are also part of this, as Warforged do experience mental fatigue without sufficient stimulation, and in such a state cannot function efficiently as soldiers.

Since the militaristic nature of the Blades does not lend itself to individual growth, they instead focus on becoming ever-stronger, both as they gain ranks for themselves, and as they gain followers for the Lord of Blades. In short their faith is geared towards the betterment of themselves as warriors, and to praise the Lord of Blades.

Prayers as such are not used within the Blades, with the closest parable being mantric repetitions of the words of the Lord of Blades as part of war cries and battle oaths. Instead, the most basic religious activity conducted by the Blades is the ritual sharpening and honing of their own weapons, be they standard weaponry or affixed armblades, an activity that takes up most “downtime” between the extensive drills and training sessions that makes up most of a Blade's day.

The major ritual activities of the Blades are large-scale military exercises. These exercises are highly formalized, with the end result resembling more of a great coordinated dance than any military action, far removed from the war-games of any other army. The goal is to practice group tactics over and over, until entire squads and companies are completely in-sync. Due to the fact that all of these exercises are repeated in perpetuity, an outsider observing these drills would easily be able to memorize and predict the movements of the Warforged army. Due to this, secrecy is key among the Warforged companies, and advance agents into any area where such exercises, eliminating any living creature they find.

Those Blades who are away on missionary quests, or those who act as information-gatherers, and as such are separated from their Legion and their Lord, suffer tremendously from this separation. They are unable to share in the physical benefits that come from being close to the Lord of Blades, and to compensate, they perform small acts to recreate a portion of that aura. These rituals are highly personal, meant to bolster the spirit of the one conducting them, and take place at the same time each day.

Finally, all Blades engage in the Blade Communion, a physical act of worship where they connect with their god-king and receive his blessings, and in return confer upon him some of their own strength, thus increasing his power. These communions occur at the beginning of each quarter of the year and each carry a name connected to the proclamations of the Lord of Blades.

The year ends and begins with the Blade Communion of Scribing, roughly concurrent with the Gallifar month of Rhaan, where the scribes transcribe the Lord of Blades' pronouncements for the year and also name the coming twelve months, which change every year based on the Lord's decrees. This is followed by the Communion of Warding (which falls during the month of Vult), the Communion of the Sentinel (in Olarune), and the Communion of Handling (in Dravago).

The Blades & Other Faiths[]

As one might expect, the Blades care little for the religions of flesh creatures, and have no interest in what followers of other faiths think of them in turn. They are, however, concerned with the actions of such faiths, particularly those who worship the Silver Flame. The high priests of Thrane strive to “enlighten” the Warforged and turn them away from the Lord of Blades, while the Servants of the Pure Flame have declared the Blades to be heretics, and have called for the complete extinction of them all. A small number of these have taken matters into their own hands, sending teams of scouts into the Mournland to explore the Warforged strongholds and camps, and dispatching any Blade they encounter.

Followers of Dol Arrah admire and respect the military fervor of the Blades, but consider the Warforged to be misguided in their reverence for an earthly being such as the Lord of Blades. They also question their fanatical belief in racial superiority. The priests of the faith wish to bring these “lost” into the fold of their Lady to harness their passion for a wholesome cause.

The Blades also care little for the calendars of the fleshborn, instead, they mark time according to the first appearance of the Lord of Blades. According to the cult's account, 998 YK corresponds to the “First Year of Thirteen Blades” – this phrasing may be a reference to the number of blades on the Lord of Blades' body, to the number of companies under his command, or, far less likely, the rising of the moons.

The transition from one day to the next is not important, as the Warforged are a people who need no sleep and conduct no commerce. Instead, they mark the passing of the moons with quotations, which change each year as determined by the scribes based on the Lord's decrees - for example, the rising of Therendor is called in the current calendar, “We endure”.

As for the faiths that have arisen among the Warforged, two stand out - The Godforged, and the Reforged: The Godforged are seen as deluded in their quest to uncover the soul of the Warforged, but their willingness to follow orders and to work towards an ultimate triumph marks them out as potential recruits. The Reforged on the other hand are seen as offenders of the highest sort – these fools deny their own nature and must recognize the truth of Warforged destiny or die in ignorance.

Sources[]

Eberron Campaign Setting, p. 83, 188-190. Keith Baker, Bill Slavicsek, & James Wyatt (2004). Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-3274-0.
Faiths of Eberron, p. 111-116. Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, Ari Marmell, & C.A. Suleiman (2006). Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-3934-6.
Five Nations, p.84. Bill Slavicsek, David Noonan, and Christopher Perkins (2005). Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-3690-8.
Magic of Eberron, p. 28-30. Bruce R. Cordell, Stephen Schubert, and Chris Thomasson (2005). Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-3696-0
Player's Guide to Eberron, p. 116. James Wyatt, Keith Baker, Luke Johnson, Steven Brown (2006). Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-3912-5.
Races of Eberron, p. 19-20. Jesse Decker, Matthew Sernett, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, & Keith Baker (2005). Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-3658-4.
An Adventurer's Guide to Eberron, p. 8. Logan Bonner, and Chris Sims (2008). Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-3855-8.
Eberron Campaign Guide, p. 99. James Wyatt and Keith Baker (2009). Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-5099-4.
Eberron: Rising from the Last War, p. 211,300. Keith Baker, Jeremy Crawford, & James Wyatt (2019). Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-6689-0.

Connections[]

Faiths of Eberron
The Silver Flame \| The Sovereign Host \| The Dark Six \| The Blood of Vol \| The Cults of the Dragon Below \| The Path of Light \| Path of Inspiration \| Undying Court \| The Lord of Blades \| The Becoming God \| Keepers of the Past \| Thir \| Druidic sects \| Vulkoor