Blood Knights

For similarly named articles, see Blood Knight.

"All that remains of my life, weighed against the darkness"

- The Blood Knights' oath^(src)

Blood Knights
Race	Humans with suppressed curse of vampirism
Leader	Fernam (formerly) The Annulet
Headquarters	Gea Kul
Type	Vigilante knightly order
Standing	Active
Appearances	Diablo Immortal Instincts Book of Lorath (mentioned only)

The Blood Knights is a group of people infected with vampirism, but had their curse suppressed before it could overcome them, that dedicated themselves to hunting vampires and other creatures of darkness.

Lore

"The Darkness has always been with us. And humanity is right to fear it. The Darkness wants to consume you and all you love. But my kind claim its power and wield it in defiance. Humanity is right to fear the Darkness. But I am a Blood Knight, and the Darkness fears me."

- A Blood Knight^(src)

The Blood Knights are headquartered in catacombs beneath Gea Kul, where they train. Their preferred weapon is the polearm, which they use in tandem with their supernatural strength, speed, and vampiric powers. While no weapon is beneath a Blood Knight, it is said that only the polearm is truly their equal.

Blood Knights prefer to operate in the shadows, given the widespread distrust of them due to their vampiric origins. They are ruled by a council, which maintain the lifeblood of their order and work tirelessly to stockpile magical artifacts.

The Blood Knights refuse to relegate Sanctuary to their own doomed fate—it is their home too, and they will fight till the bitter end for it. They must.

Abilities and Curse

"Like all in our order, we are cursed. And we hunt those responsible. Vampires. The darkness they forced upon us... we wield it against them."

- Mariki^(src)

A Blood Knight as an Abomination

Becoming a Blood Knight grants one increased strength, speed, night vision, and the ability to smell blood from miles away. All new Blood Knights must acclimatize to their new abilities, as their hearts pump faster to accommodate, and pushing their limits might cause it to burst. Of note, Blood Knights are able to turn into Abominations; monstrous forms that increase their speed and strength beyond even their natural form. They can shift in and out of their humanoid and Abomination form as circumstance allows. However, this can be done only for short periods at a time as they can get lost in the bloodlust of that form. Pain is a good means to center themselves.

Unfortunately, choosing to become a Blood Knight is still delaying the inevitable. While their physical transformation into a thrall is halted, all Blood Knights constant mental battle with their curse to stay human. Once they lose touch with their humanity, they succumb to their vampirism, and turn into an unholy Abomination. This can be caused by great emotional distress or the apathy and depression developed over long period in service. Before that happens, Blood Knights strive to do enough good to attain for the evil they will commit once they succumb.

Thanks to the curse, Blood Knights are functionally immortal, even if thralldom awaits them. The lifespan of a Blood Knight varies wildly, and some have even lived for centuries. However, there is no way for a Blood Knight to know how long their lifespan will be; every day could be their last.

In a bid to preserve their humanity — and prolong the end of the curse, Blood Knights carry an object with sentimental value from their time as mortals. This keepsake is preserved in a censer, which is attached to a chain wrapped around their arm. The keepsake is a memento of the last place where they were truly human. Every morning, noon, and night, a Blood Knight carries out an ablution with the keepsake, to hopefully keep the darkness inside them at bay. However, it has been indicated that this ritual is nothing but hearsay—a tradition passed down by the Blood Knights over centuries that may not actually have an effect.Older blood knights are at high risk of losing themselves. Some try to mitigate this with obsessive focus on a ward they protect. But even then, the fate of thralldom still awaits them. Blood Knights have various enchanted equipment that can warn a Blood Knight once their curse's end draws near, or to constrain a feral Blood Knight. Blood Knights will hunt down their own if they succumb to the curse, or otherwise falter in their oath.

A Blood Knight

Because of their curse, Blood Knights hunger for blood. This hunger must be controlled as feeding on innocents feeds the curse, which feeds on the Blood Knight in turn. Lizbeth Iparrine recommended that Blood Knights drink the blood of their foes, effectively solving two problems at once. This also imparts a Blood Knight with part of the vampire's power.

There are other downsides to the thrall's curse however—Blood Knights' eyes are blood-red, and veins pulse along their faces (as one would expect, this makes people uneasy around Blood Knights).

Every Blood Knight knows that their time in this world is limited, and will do all they can to aid the mortal realm in what time is allowed for them. For Blood Knights, this is a question of moral balance—can they do enough good in the time they have to make up for the horrors they will inflict as a thrall? However, the Blood Knights are willing to carry out monstrous acts if it suits their purposes. To ensure the human and vampiric sides of their mind remain in harmony, many Blood Knights enter the Crimson Plane.

Operation

"My chapter searches out gatherings of vampire thralls. And... deals with knights who succumb to madness in their blood."

- Mariki^(Unsourced)

Blood Knights operate from discreet chapterhouses, with their headquarters being the Gea Kul chapterhouse. Every Blood Knight is assigned to a chapterhouse, which can pertain to a chapter of the same name. Presumably, chapters' pledges are universal: searching out thralls and dealing with knights succumbed to their curse.

Whenever a knight quarters in their chapterhouse, they are given equipment; one of them, said to be "one of a kind", "graces" its owner with the farthest roaming assignments.

Apparently, there is a warning of some sort for a knight heading to an area occupied by another from a different chapter, but this has fallen out of practice.

Induction and Vows

"In my time I have presided over near a hundred rituals of induction. A handful of subjects have survived and become true knights of the fold — in Gea Kul and Thys and elsewhere. The failures outnumber the successes, as they always do with our ilk. Be cautious. Never perform the ritual alone unless you have no other choice."

- Mariki^(src)

Blood Knights use their powers to locate vampire bite victims and perform a ritual on them before they fully transform into a thrall, but the swiftness at which the curse takes hold often claims the life of the afflicted before the saving ritual can be performed. In keeping with sacred tradition, Blood Knights offer the afflicted a choice: take Fernam's pledge in blood—all that remains of my life, weighed against the darkness—or meet a merciful end by polearm. A number of individuals choose the first option, but may end up faltering later.

When possible, would-be Blood Knights are carried to the nearest chapterhouse for induction. However, the survival rate of the induction ritual is low, and some of the survivors are feral with hunger. At the Gea Kul chapterhouse, they are given a blessed mantle that is said to increase their chances of surviving the ritual. However, some Blood Knights believe it may accelerate the curse.

Survivors of the ritual are expected to sever almost all ties to their mortal lives and swear to the order, after which they are taken to the nearest chapterhouse to be taught to keep the curse at bay. Before that, they are permitted to say their final goodbyes to family, and to take a keepsake of sentimental value.

"Upon this memory I pledge myself. Let it strengthen me when I am beset by my enemies. Let it calm me when I am given over to my darkness. Let it steady me when the world is drowned in blood. Let it restore me when I am at my end. Until I am no more, I hold to my vows ."

- Bellon's creed^(src)

Before completing training, a Blood Knight vows on their blood — at least nine vows, in service to the order.

• First Vow: "All that remains of my life, vowed against the darkness."
• Third Vow: "I trust in deeds immortal. My boldest acts will be reborn, though I live but once."
• Ninth Vow: "Every journey is a ring. I end as I begin."

Most Blood Knights swear an oath to slay their accursed comrades should they turn.

History

"Cursed to live a future of infamy but blessed to control one's present. Atonement for future sins can only be built through blood."

- Blood Knight statue^(src)

A Blood Knight

According to tomes quilled by Sanctuary’s scribes centuries ago, the first Blood Knight was a man named Fernam. He was assigned to protect a lord in the city of Gea Kul who was infatuated with vampires and their immortality, and wished to find a cure for death. The experiments went on for years, but the lord's Mages and scholars failed to deliver. Eventually, the lord ordered a vampire captured and brought to the catacombs beneath his castle. The vampire broke free, slew the lord, and most of his guard. Fernam was gravely wounded during his escape, and was infected with vampirism.

Fortunately, the lord’s top Mage—a premier scholar on the subject of vampirism—had performed a ritual on Fernam to stop the spread before he was transformed into a feral, mindless thrall. The Mage was successful in keeping him alive, but instead of granting immortality, Fernam unexpectedly inherited some of the vampire's power.

The Mage had been mortally wounded in the scuffle, and with his dying breath, taught Fernam how to perform the ritual that saved his life. At any moment, Fernam could succumb to his newfound darkness and transform indefintely into a vampiric thrall. After cheating fate, Fernam took his lord’s wealth and moved into the catacombs below the keep. This would become the first training ground for future Blood Knights. He passed on knowledge of the curse-suspending ritual that saved his life along with the way of his preferred weapon, the polearm.

By the 13th century, the ranks of the Blood Knights had grown from solely Fernam, who had mysteriously disappeared, and been replaced by a council. At some point, the order was shown a series of visions by an artifact depicting the cataclysmic potential of the Worldstone. c. 1272, the Blood Knights fought against the forces of Hell, fighting in the open.

In-game

Diablo Immortal

The Blood Knight is a playable class in Diablo Immortal.

Diablo IV

Blood Knights will not be a playable class in Diablo IV. While Diablo IV has vampires as a monster family, this was a case of coincidental development.

Known Blood Knights

A Blood Knight

• Fernam (original leader, founder)
• Alodie
• Ailwin
• Ava Redsilk
• Bellon (fallen)
• Domrik the Defiant
• Eugwenie
• Haval
• Lianor
• Lizbeth Iparrine
• Mariki (fallen)
• Serkan Demir
• Tal Azai
• Volkath
• Zebediah