Paladin

The **paladin** is a class of warrior knight in Gilderas. The paladin is a holy fighter, crusading for the preservation of good and order.

Compared with other fighter classes, the paladin class has one of the most restrictive codes of conduct and paladin knights are expected to demonstrate and embody goodness. Failure to maintain sufficient levels of morality or adhere to the code of conduct causes paladins to lose their paladin status.

All paladins are strict adherents of the Faith. They live and fight in the name of the Paragon. The first and most important oath new paladins swear is to remain utterly loyal to the Faith and the White Tenets. The other vows which paladins swear under, known collectively as the Doctrine, are woven together with the Tenets and follow them closely in content and structure.

## The Process

Paladins refer to their class as "the order."

## Paladin oaths

All paladins swear a series of vows binding them to the paladin ethos and set of beliefs that guide their actions.

* **White Oath:** The first oath, promising complete and utter devotion to the Faith and Paragon. Upholds Paragon as the one true power of good in the world, and the Faith as the singular religion of humankind and the only pathway worth following.
* **Oath of Devotion:** This oath further upholds that the paladin must follow the Hand of Light as the ultimate authority above any other political or religious leader. The priests of Light and other leaders within the White Faith are to be followed above lords or other knights. The king is to be followed and the laws of the land obeyed only so long as they remain within the sphere of the Faith's morality. Should the king disobey aspects of the Faith or not show enough reverence to the Paragon and his holy Tenets, the paladin should turn from his authority and follow religious leaders absolutely.
* **Oath of Truth:** This oath designates the importance of telling the truth and upholding honesty in all aspects of being. The paladin must tell the truth to all members of their class, even those outside their order, and to all adherents and leaders of the Faith. They cannot tell lies to any others except when it is necessary to protect the innocent or to further the tenets of good and order. If a paladin deliberately lies to another of the class, they risk expulsion from their order and the stripping of their title and honor.

* **Oath of Reverence:** This oath emphasizes the importance of revering the Paragon and every aspect of the Faith and White Tenets above all other things. The paladin must publicly show their reverence and maintain their devotion to the Faith through all trial or hardship they may face. The necessary display of piety involves daily prayer, the use of specific greetings and words of parting, the use of various phrases relating to the Faith, and public praise of the Lord of Light as the only source of goodness and truth in the world.

* **Oath of Valor:** This oath denotes the necessity of courage and honor on the battlefield and in all other aspects of the paladin life. The paladin must act with bravery at all times, facing the enemy no matter how weakened or outnumbered. They must defend the weak, the innocent and poor. They must turn from the use of poison, subterfuge, and all other methods of dishonorably defeating their enemy. They avoid torture and all other acts of violence and war unless necessary for the preservation of good.
* **Covenant of Retribution:** This covenant outlines the importance of pursuing vengeance in the name of Paragon and the Faith. Acts of vengeance are a necessary part of the duty of the paladin and are justified beneath defense of the religion. The paladin sees the use of violence and torture upon heretics and the pursuit of all other divine punishment as moral. Those who do not follow the Faith are subject to torture and death beneath the hands of the paladin. Within the class, those who show insufficient devotion to the Faith or who act against the Tenets or Paragon's holy word are subject to the same punishment at the hands of their brothers. The unrighteous must be destroyed by any means necessary. Divinely sanctioned retribution is upheld above all as the second-most important pursuit of the paladin, as it is seen as the ultimate expression of goodness and the most direct path to a hallowed place within the afterlife.

## Code of Conduct

The paladin code of conduct is separate from the series of oaths these knights follow. However, the oaths allude to the code and support its principles.

* Paladins must eat in silence
* Two meals may be eaten daily
* Paladins must take their meals together and eat in silence
* The Book of Light or any other of the holy texts officially sanctioned by the White Cathedral must be read during the taking of meals, if possible
* Paladins must not swear or speak against the Faith or Paragon
* Paladins must not get drunk, eat richly, or take excessive amounts of meat or sugar
* Paladins must pray upon waking, before sleeping, before and after each time they take food or drink, and at entering and leaving a cathedral or sanctum. Prayers must also be made before and after battle
* Paladins cannot take a wife or mistress; they are to abstain from all sexual relations with women
* Paladins father no children and take no children as their own
* Men must break off all connection and communication with all females in their lives before they enter the order. They must break their marriages and formally disown their children
* Paladins must keep their weapons and equipment in good condition and look after them with care and devotion
* Paladins must keep their possessions in order and maintain a clean and well ordered sleeping space wherever they take rest
* Paladins must be generous with their coin and give to beggars and poorhouses when able
* Paladins cannot turn from those who are being treated poorly or taken advantage of, but must step in to right the situation and defend the innocent
* Paladins must provide whatever food, clothing, coin, or other aid they are able to those who are sick, injured, ailing, or in trouble
* Paladins must speak against those who speak ill of the Faith or Paragon, and pursue divine retribution against them by any means necessary
* Paladins must use the hallowed greetings, words of parting, and other expressions denoted by the Oath of Reverence and frequently offer praise to Paragon in common conversation
* Paladins must not fraternize with or speak to those outside the Faith outside the sphere of divine retribution
* Paladins must not turn from any fight or conflict, but face it with determination and steadfast courage
* Paladins must not complain of fatigue, cold, hunger, or other elements which are unpleasant but welcome such trials as tests of their devotion to the Lord of Light
* Paladins must remain eternally loyal to the White Tenets, which they have memorized
* Paladins must dedicate part of their lives to the memorization of the holy texts of the Faith. They should transcribe all of them if possible
* Paladins must remain true to their organization and leaders within the order alongside their brothers, so long as those they follow adhere absolutely to the Faith and to Paragon
* Paladins must turn from and expose any corruption or lack of piety within their organizations and the larger order, denouncing participants as false and evil
* Paladins must not harbor or consort with members of the Faith who do not completely follow its Tenets or who act in ways which are not moral, as by stealing, lying, cursing, or pursuing other vices
* Paladins must hold themselves to standards of morality and goodness above the rest of those they encounter and remain steadfast to them through any hardship or trial
* Paladins must dedicate their lives to the pursuit of goodness, truth, and order above all
* Paladins must follow all oaths and every rule within the code of conduct, as well as any other orders or laws imposed by the leader of their organization, the Hand of Light, or any other sanctioned leader within the Faith

## Culture

Paladins take a knee upon entering and leaving a cathedral or sanctum. Upon encountering a statue of the Paragon or one of the Faith's holy figures, they will frequently kiss the first two fingers of their right hand and place them at the statue's feet.

Many paladins keep their hair short

### Words

There are many greetings, words of parting, and other phrases used within the paladin class in common conversation. The purpose of such words are to show the paladin devotion to the Faith and its holy figures, and their reverence for the Lord of Light. They are used outside of the class with all others the paladin encounters and are so frequently said they are memorized by all knights.

**Greetings**

* "May the Lord of Light illuminate your path." Reply: "That I may act with justice and mercy." or "That I may act with piety and truth."
* "The Light/The Lord bless you."

**Partings**

* "May the Lord of Light go with us/you." Reply: "May they show us the path to good and order."
* "The Light/The Lord bless you."

**Phrases**

* "Paragon/The Lord clears the way."
* "The Faith is the truth."

**Maxims** - short sayings or truths meant to provide courage or strength to the speaker and listener

* *Blessed Paragon, Holy Light, Bastion of Hope in Darkness*

* *Light Eternal/Eternal Light* (Also used as greeting)

**Epithets for the Paragon**

* The White
* White One
* Lord of Truth
* Holy Light
* White Light
* Lord of Light
* The Lord
* The Light
* The White Light
* The Star
* White Star
* Star of Light

### Prayers

The prayers of the paladin are so numerous that they are not all known to those outside the order. Paladins are expected to memorize all of the common prayers and hymns of the Faith along with the major holy texts.

Prayers for brothers and friends of the order

* *I pray your heart never strays from the Light*
* *I pray you remain on the path of Light*
* *I pray you remain good and loyal and true to the blessed Lord and Light*

Forgiveness prayers

* Blessed Paragon, eternal beacon of hope, I lost your Light and stepped into darkness. I acted in error and failed to uphold your holy Tenets. I [repetition of the mistake]. Forgive me my transgression and the flaws within my mortal soul and judgement. I will not fail you again. I await your conviction so I may continue to glorify your eternal Light and uphold it in your name.
* Lord of Truth, I have a confession to make, for I have sinned. I went astray, my anger led me to seek my own justice and act not in your name. I seek redemption and ask that I may walk again in Light. Pass judgement upon me so I may live once more in your glory and serve you more faithfully for the rest of the days I am given.
* My Lord, beacon in the dark, I strayed from your path of Light and good and stepped into darkness. I was tempted by the flesh of another. Forgive me for my flaws. Chasten me for my sins and lend me your healing retribution so I may feel your divine grace and power once more.

### Notable Paladins

Perhaps the best known paladin was , who later went on to become the