Lore:Ordinators

The Ordinators (sometimes called Temple Ordinators) are the holy guards and priest-soldiers of the  . They are divided into four distinct orders. The Order of the Watch provides guards for temples and shrines, and additionally act as town guards in Temple-owned settlements such as  . They are responsible for enforcing Temple law, along with Imperial law following the  . The Order of War (also known as the Militant Ordinators) fights the enemies of the Temple, with most War Ordinators traditionally stationed near   to combat the forces of the  . The Order of the Inquisition identifies and suppresses heresy among priests and laymen within the Temple. The Order of Doctrine and Ordination are militant scholars who oppose the Nerevarine Prophecies and other dissident teachings.   

The Ordinators were founded by Saint Olms the Just, the patron saint of  .  The ranks of the Ordinators are primarily drawn from House Indoril, whose influence can be seen in their distinctive style of armor. They are the rivals of the more light-hearted  . All four orders obey the commands of the Alma Rula, stationed in the city of Almalexia. The High Ordinators are the finest and most zealous of the Ordinators, chosen to serve as the protectors of   with the Ordinators on Vvardenfell being those unfit to serve in Mournhold, but still being fierce warriors.  They replaced the   and the Order of the Watch as the guards of Mournhold sometime after the  . 

The Indoril armor worn by the Ordinators is forbidden from use by non-Ordinators in certain parts of  , as they will be marked for death under Temple law.  Some, however, have been given the honor to don Ordinator gear, the Hands of Almalexia can be of any race.  Some participants of blood sports from the Circle of Champions, composed of the Pit Daemons, Fire Drakes, and Storm Lords teams, have been known to wear Ordinator armor styled after the Order of War, but dyed to their team's respective colors.   Furthermore, representatives of the teams have been known to sell the knowledge of crafting Ordinator armor to those that have earned the most honored of participants.  The armor is medium weight, highly protective, usually dark golden, and consists of a distinctive face mask which serves to identify those who wear it as guards.  The face mask depicts the true visage of Indoril Nerevar, a hero to the Dunmer.  The uniform worn by the High Ordinators is white and blue rather than gold-colored, and matches that worn by the Hands of Almalexia (although without the divine enchantments received by the Hands). When operating in dark conditions, Ordinators don black Night-Raid armor as camouflage. 

During the Imperial Interregnum, the Ordinators enforced a ban on any "heterodox religious practice" within the city limits of Vivec City, including veneration of the Eight Divines or Hist sap, bloodsport in the name of Malacath, and any Daedric or moon sugar rituals.  Citizens found guilty of any of these acts would be jailed and subjected to corporal reeducation, whilst non-citizens would be exiled or even executed. Any literature found relating to these acts would also be burnt in the Pyres of Purification.  All bardic songs also had to be first approved by the Ministry of Doctrine and Ordination, with any heretical work being burnt in the Pyres of Purification.  It is unknown what became of the Ordinators after the rise of the  . 

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