A War Divine

... [T]he paladin must, in all things, embody the ideals of the society that made them. After all, though it is righteous to care for all of the Light's creatures, one cannot call themselves a knight (and thus, not a paladin) if they cannot allow themselves to be bound to this mortal plane, its mortal laws, its mortal traditions. To be paladin, then, means to exemplify chivalry.
In all things, they must be dignified. Too often do I see the Northshire paladins, knighted not long after they first arrived to the abbey, hold their positions in so little regard. They believe that the Light is their strength, and thus they need not do any work! They sit in taverns, sloth about in the streets, waste their time with idle chatter. They're full of contradictions, and lazy ideas. The paladin must inspire! Their place on the battlefield is to be a reassuring beacon for all their soldiers in the heaviest maelstroms of the worst battles!
They cannot do this, if they are convinced that they are merely mortal. Though it is not pride in which I write this, it is fact that a paladin does get their power from the Immortal. Thus, they should act like it. Every moment a paladin spends idle is a moment they are weak. When they are not praying, they should be caring for their earthly forms in rest and martial practice. When they are not practicing, they should be devoting the remaining time to their obligations, be it their military ranks, or their positions in the kingdom. Time is a resource given by the Light, and it must be used wisely.
If you have idle time, you have done something wrong...
- Bishop Constantius the Grim, 'The War Cleric', excerpt from A War Divine volume 1 of 56.
Category:Diocese Arguments
Category:Documents