Betrayal Before Corruption

Not every fallen Guardian is supernaturally corrupted. A Knight or Dame may violate vows, abuse authority, commit atrocities, or knowingly serve evil through entirely mortal choices. Such a person is fallen in the moral and institutional sense, but is not automatically transformed by Shadow.

Shadow Corruption

True Shadow Corruption is something more dangerous. It works upon the person rather than merely rewarding bad behavior, exploiting wounds, desires, convictions, and weaknesses until service to Shadow can be made to feel necessary, justified, or inevitable.

The Called are unusually resistant to this process because of their connection to the Light, but resistance is not immunity. A Called Guardian who is successfully corrupted represents a profound violation of what the Order believes the Calling to mean.

No Single Path

There is no single known ritual by which a Guardian becomes a Dark Templar. Some may choose Shadow knowingly. Others may be manipulated over years. Still others may believe until very late that their actions remain righteous. Public Guardian teaching emphasizes vigilance precisely because corruption does not always announce itself.