Ordinator (Morrowind)

The Ordinators are a highly trained group of soldier guardsmen who work throughout the fictional province of Morrowind, part of the continent of Tamriel within The Elder Scrolls universe. They are featured prominently in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and they play a decent role in the events that unfold in the game.

Characteristics


Ordinator ranks are strictly limited to Dunmer, and only those Dunmer who hail from within the province of Morrowind. Ordinators are easily recognizable by their unique Tribunal armor and shields which are gold in hue and heavily polished. The shoulder pieces possess large outward flourishes. Their masks are another unique trait, like the armor the Ordinator mask is gold in color and of a refined shape to resemble elven facial features. The mask is heavily plumed from the top of the skull to the back of the neck, the plume is also colored gold and seemingly also metallic. Ordinators consider their armor a sacred part of their dress and lifestyle, so much so that they will not hesitate to attack anyone they see wearing it, as a crime of dishonor towards the Tribunal. Ordinators prove a difficult challenge on the battlefield, as their training and experience ensure their status as a formidable foe. Despite this, a high-leveled player is quite able to dispatch one or more Ordinators at a time if willing to persevere tactically versus their mace weapons.

Ordinators can be found in two main areas of Vvardenfell, in Ghostgate, guarding the only entrance through the Ghostfence into Red Mountain, and also in Vivec, Vvardenfell's largest city. It is in Vivec that they are most numerous, guarding all of the cantons, internally and externally. They also have their own barracks near to Vivec's temple. They can also be seen guarding the Shrine of Vivec's Ash Mask in Gnisis, and few guarding the city of molag mar.

There are four orders of Ordinators. These are the Order of the Watch, the Order of War, the Order of the Inquisition, and the Order of Doctrine and Ordination. The Order of the Watch provides guards for temples and shrines. The Order of War fights the enemies of the Temple; most War Ordinators are stationed near Red Mountain. The Order of Doctrine and Ordination are militant scholars. The Order of the Inquisition identifies and suppresses heresy among priests and laymen. The chief ordinator of Vvardenfell is Grandmaster Berel Sala who has an office in the Hall of Justice. The four orders report to the Alma Rula in Almalexia.

High Ordinators


High Ordinators are the senior ranking Ordinators that guard Morrowind's capital Mournhold. Their armor, shield and masks are very similar to their lesser brethren, except for one characteristic; theirs is a mixture of purple and silver. They retain the same haughty nature of their subordinates, and are more lethal in battle.

The Hands of Almalexia have a similar design. It is, indeed, exactly the same, except that all the armor is enchanted, and therefore shimmers, or glows.

Mods
Many members of the Elder Scrolls fanbase, who enjoy the concept of the Ordinator and the style espoused via their attire, have created mods. These mods allow the player to play as an Ordinator or wear Ordinator armor without any reprisals from Ordinators themselves, who will normally kill any non-Ordinator who has worn Ordinator armor on sight-even if they're not wearing it presently. Other mods edit the Ordinator armor itself, among other things. One of these includes a total color conversion along with an open helm. Another adds the seemingly missing greaves to the usual ordinator attire. Another recent mod for Oblivion adds a version of the armor to Cyrodiil.