Order of the Golden Cup

*This magic I work is solely a binding spell that would enforce our will. Hereafter, none shall raise a hand against a servant of the Crying God save if the servant attacks first. Harming a true Ilmatari, one of the Adorned of the god, will see such harm visited a hundredfold upon thee and thine. This curse, as some of you already believe it, is but an enforcement of our will: Ilmater's children shall be safe, as he and his made mine. - Saint Amahl Shoon V*

The **Order of the Golden Cup** is a knightly order of paladins within the faith of Ilmater.

Members of the Order of the Golden Cup serve Ilmater and have dedicated themselves to healing the sick and weak and protecting the innocent. Serving as faithful guardians of the Adorned Sufferers, these knights errant swear to many of the same vows as the Healers, though with some differences. They carry enough gold to keep arms and armor, as well as other relevant equipment. They will provide food and supplies if needs be, but beyond this do not keep gold or wealth.

Certain Sanctars have apparently received personal direction from Ilmater - or believe they have, and have not suffered any rebuke to disabuse them of this belief - that suffering would be “shared more broadly, but lessened in its worst excesses” if wealth were redistributed from the very wealthy to the poorest. These few are at work in Athkatla, Waterdeep, the cities of Sembia, and elsewhere to steal or manipulate any coins, trade goods, and property they can get from the rich and successful. These spoils they then pass on to the needy.

They also work to equalize taxation, to pressure governments into providing for their poorest citizens, and to ensure that courtiers and other officials found guilty of corruption are heavily fined rather than merely jailed or dismissed from their posts. Some Knights work tirelessly to find and expose such corruption - particularly when it involves the misuse of public funds that would otherwise have benefited the wider populace.

## Organisation

The three perfect councils of the Church of Ilmater are purity, poverty (perfect charity), and peace. These professed devotions mean that the faithful depend on the Order of the Golden Cup to protect them in times of danger.

The vows of the Order are chastity, poverty, and obedience. The supersedure of the council of peace is a heavy responsibility: every blow is a blow against Ilmater, as he shares suffering with all mortals. In professing obedience, Paladins offer the full surrender of their own will as a sacrifice of themselves to Ilmater and are so united permanently and securely to Ilmater's salvific will.

Members of the Order of the Golden Cup are divided into the following classes

* **Associate Member** - While not an official class of membership, the Order is patronized by a number of Nobles who make donations in return for salvation. This class of membership also includes attending Healers bound by the vow of peace.
* **Novitiate (*Knight admitted to the ...*)** - The novitiate, through which life in the Order is begun, is arranged so that the novices better understand their divine vocation, and indeed one which is proper to the Order, experience the manner of living of the Order, and form their mind and heart in its spirit, and so that their intention and suitability are tested.
* **Knight (*... in Obedience*)** - Members of the second class make a promise of obedience by which they oblige themselves to strive for the perfection of Ilmatari life in conformity with the obligation of their Lord, in the spirit of the Order.
* **Sanctar (*Knight of Justice*)** - The first of the three classes of members of the Order of the Golden Cup. These most devout knights make the tripple vow of poverty, purity, and obedience. Sanctars are the highest and most secretive clergy of Ilmater; they are the judges of other Adorned, internal investigators of the faith, and the enforcers who fight to protect fellow Adorned and their work. By ecclesiastical law Sanctars are entitled to wear the blood-red skullcap of the senior clergy.

## Vows

* **Purity** is a vow of chasity which is taken to uphold what the Adorned call “Unbiased Love”. In refusing to love one above others, healers of Ilmater Keep their minds clear so that they can be ready to do good where it is most needed, rather than putting a loved one above the needs of strangers.
* **Poverty** is a vow that prevents the Adorned from keeping coin or wealth. Excess and luxury are sworn off to better let these faithful understand those they mean to help. This vow also keeps Ilmateri (who are often pacifists) safe from criminals who might harm them for the coin in their pockets. Lastly, because the Healers can only get the supplies they use to help others by donation, in order for them to help others, it requires others to show them kindness by donating first. In this way kindness is spread.
* **Obedience**, a vow undertaken in a spirit of faith and love in the following of Ilmater, requires a submission of the will to legitimate superiors, who stand in the place of the Crying God when they command according to the proper constitutions of the Order.

## Oath Spells

Knights of the Order are favoured with oath spells at the paladin level listed. Once a member gains access to an oath spell they always have it prepared. Oath spells do not count against the number of spells that can be prepared each day. If you gain an oath spell that isn’t on the paladin spell list, the spell becomes a paladin spell for you. Spells designated with an asterisk are sacred mysteries of Ilmater *(DM: this means non-phb)*.

* **3rd** protection from evil and good, sanctuary
* **5th** lesser restoration, shield other\*
* **9th** favour of Ilmater\*, dispel magic
* **13th** endurance of Ilmater\*, freedom of movement
* **17th** commune, greater restoration

## Warrior of Peace

Knights who have taken the vow of obedience (3rd level) can, while wielding a simple weapon that deals bludgeoning damage, gain a special benefit when reducing a creature to 0 hit points with that weapon in order to spare the creature’s life. Instead of falling unconscious, the creature is charmed by you for 1 minute. During that time, the charmed creature is peaceful and docile, refusing to move or to take actions or reactions, unless you command it to. You can’t order the creature to attack, force someone to make a saving throw, or cause damage to itself or others. This charmed effect ends early if you are incapacitated or if you or your companions attack the creature, deal damage to it, or force it to make a saving throw. When the effect ends, the creature falls unconscious if it still has 0 hit points.

## Hands of Ilmater

The blessed touch (Lay on Hands) of a Knight in Obedience (3rd level) temporarily suppresses the suffering of the sick, such as nausea and some supernatural sicknesses.

## Channel Divinity

Professed members of the order gain the following two Channel Divinity options.

* **Emissary of Peace**. You can use your Channel Divinity to augment your presence with divine power. As a bonus action, you grant yourself a +5 bonus to the next Charisma (Persuasion) check you make within the next minute.
* **Rebuke the Violent**. You can use your Channel Divinity to rebuke those who use violence. As a reaction when an enemy within 10 feet of you deals damage with a melee attack against one creature other than you, the attacker takes radiant damage equal to the damage it just dealt.

## Aura of Purity

Knights who have taken the triple vow (7th level) gain an *aura of purity*, the knights and friendly creatures within 10 feet of them can't be charmed while the knight is conscious. At 18th leveI, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.

## Dress

For ceremonial occasions members wear plain, solid gray vestments of tunics, trousers, and tabard, or robes. They also wore skullcaps, which were gray for members, blood-red for Sanctars and other senior clergy, while unadorned novices wore none. The holy symbol of Ilmater was worn on a chain around the neck or as a badge pinned over the heart. Some older members of the clergy had a gray teardrop tattooed beside one eye.

When out in the field or on missions, members wear whatever is appropriate to the activity and the environment. However, over their clothes or armor, they often wear gray surcoats with the holy symbol stitched over the chest by the left shoulder.