Black Ring
The Black Ring is a faction of cultists, dark mages, and warriors who serve the God King. Once followers of 
Damian, they turned toward the God King after Damian's imprisonment in Nemesis and now operate as his mortal agents across Rivellon.
“The God King... he's a powerful drug, and the Black Ring is no more than a band of junkies.„
Background
[edit | edit source]Origins
[edit | edit source]The Black Ring was founded by Lucian's adopted son, Damian, who turned against his father after Lucian executed Ygerna – Damian's lover and a Black Ring operative. According to Cranley Huwbert, Damian's banner attracted a cabal of outcasts, deviants, dark wizards and various other tainted and tarnished individuals and the cabal became an army, fighting for the Void.[1]
The Chaos War
[edit | edit source]In 1233 AD, the conflict between the Divine Order and the Black Ring erupted into the Chaos War. The Black Ring forces heavily outnumbered those of the Order and were marching to destroy the elven lands. In response, Lucian and his council authorised the use of deathfog to halt their advance. Ifan ben-Mezd was sent to evacuate the elves before the deathfog was released, but the device was activated prematurely – killing both the elves and the Black Ring army.[2] The destruction of the elves weakened Tir-Cendelius, tearing a hole in the Veil and allowing the Voidwoken to enter Rivellon.
Ifan's bitterness toward the Divine Order runs deep. He once declared he would join the Black Ring over wearing the mark of the Divine Order again.[3]
Alliance with the God King
[edit | edit source]After the Chaos War obliterated much of their force, the Black Ring turned away from the imprisoned Damian and toward the God King, who contacted them through the weakened Veil.[4] The God King offered his followers the Covenant: power and the promise of immortality in exchange for eternal servitude. Those who accept are known as the Sworn.
Involvement
[edit | edit source]By 1242 AD, Black Ring activity is subdued but persistent across several regions.
Blackpits
[edit | edit source]On the Reaper's Coast, The Magisters were suspected of colluding with the Black Ring at the Blackpits Mines. This collusion eventually prompted the Paladins to attack the Magister headquarters in Arx, possibly marking the end of the Magister division within the Divine Order.[5]
Bloodmoon Island
[edit | edit source]The Sallow Man directed Black Ring forces to Bloodmoon Island to seize its secrets from the elven priests. His instructions warned that demons had warded the island with deathfog, and that Undead members should lead the assault.[6]
The Nameless Isle
[edit | edit source]The Black Ring established a major encampment on The Nameless Isle, commanded by the Sallow Man with his lieutenant 
Wordless. Their mission: conquer the isle in the God King's name and destroy the temples of the Seven Gods.[7]
“How does that damned Sallow Man expect us to please the God King if we aren't given a chance to wet our blades with Divine Order blood?„
The Black Ring Encampment sits within the isle's volcano, overlooking the Temple of Zorl-Stissa. Their forces include Reavers, Fearmaidens, Defilers, Painweavers, and an Alchemist who supplies the camp.
Arx
[edit | edit source]In Arx, the Black Ring operates through high-ranking infiltrators rather than open force. Lord Linder Kemm, the leader of the Paladins, is secretly Sworn to the God King. Isbeil, advisor to Queen Justinia, is another Sworn operative working from the sewers beneath the city. Lord Arhu was abducted by Kemm and tortured by Black Ring cultists in Kemm's Vault.[8]
Windego, if encountered in Arx, can describe the Black Ring's infiltration: Isbeil is in the sewers, and Kemm is Sworn – though she notes that Isbeil has an affinity for rot and decay, even more than your everyday Black Ring crony.[9]
Beliefs and practices
[edit | edit source]The Black Ring's core belief centres on the God King's promise of immortality. Members who swear through the Covenant gain power but forfeit their mortal souls. The God King promises to resurrect all Sworn when he himself is reborn into the mortal world.
“Our Lord will resurrect the faithful when he himself is reborn. For us, death is a temporary inconvenience.„
Suicide is forbidden – a member found with his own hand on the blade would have their right to eternity revoked. The God King prefers his servants to be useful to the end.[10]
The Black Ring also conducts experiments on captured prisoners. 
Warden Yona reveals that more than five hundred prisoners went missing from the Magisters and ended up in the hands of the Black Ring. For experimentation.[11]
Characters
[edit | edit source]Leaders and key figures
[edit | edit source]- Sallow Man – Commander of the Black Ring on The Nameless Isle
Wordless – Black Ring captain; the Sallow Man's right hand- Windego – Sworn sourcerer; initially an antagonist, can be redeemed
- Linder Kemm – Paladin leader secretly Sworn to the God King
- Isbeil – Queen Justinia's advisor; Sworn operative
Roost Anlon – Lone Wolf assassin working for the Black Ring
Troops
[edit | edit source]
Locations
[edit | edit source]- Black Ring Encampment – Main camp on The Nameless Isle
- Kemm's Vault – Beneath Lord Kemm's estate in Arx
Related items
[edit | edit source]
Golden Black Ring Shield – A shield marked by both Black Ring symbolism and Divine Order arrows, a relic of the Chaos War
Ancient Black Ring Shield- Black Ring Mirror
Related quests
[edit | edit source]Related literature
[edit | edit source]
Huwbert's Encyclopedia Vol. 4: Lucian & The Black Ring- Black Ring Diary
Black Ring Orders
Black Ring Instructions
Magister Ridder's logbook
Notes
[edit | edit source]- Despite their alliance with the God King, the Black Ring is at odds with the demons – the two are enemies.
- The Black Ring is at constant war with the Divine Order.
- ↑ Huwbert's Encyclopedia Vol. 4: Lucian & The Black Ring
- ↑ Divinity: Original Sin 2 Godwoken: pages 8–37; Modern Chronicles of Reapers' Coast, pages 8–9
- ↑ Divinity: Original Sin 2 Godwoken, page 38
- ↑ In-game lore: God King
- ↑ In-game quest: Dark Dealings in the Blackpits; dialogue with Linder Kemm
- ↑ Black Ring Instructions, in-game book
- ↑ Black Ring Orders: ..."you will eliminate the remaining Magisters where they landed, then gather at the Temple of Rhalic to proceed with its destruction..."
- ↑ In-game quests: A Generous Offer; dialogue with Lord Arhu
- ↑ In-game dialogue: Windego, Arx
- ↑ In-game dialogue: Black Ring Painweaver, The Nameless Isle
- ↑ In-game dialogue: Warden Yona, Arx