Paladin

**Paladins**, also known as **knights** and **oathsworn**, are oathbound warriors known for their martial prowess and utilization of divine magic. Paladins gain their powers by swearing to uphold a magical oath and, in some instances, swearing dedication to particular deities, though this is not always the case. It is said that paladins must stay true to the oath that they swear; otherwise, their powers will be extinguished.

## Culture

Adherence to a divine oath is the key characteristic that unites all of the disparate types of paladins from around the world together. Though oaths vary between orders and regions, each is able to grant a paladin the ability to wield divine magic.

### Osland

In Osland, paladins, more commonly referred to as knights, are strongly tied to various organizations, known as knightly orders, that exist throughout the nation. It is through these knightly orders that knights receive martial training and, ultimately, are given the oath by which they swear and receive their magical abilities. Though not all knights remain attached to any respective order, virtually all Oslandic knights receive their training and powers from a knightly order. It is said that only the Grandmasters of each order have the ability to bestow a knight with divine power and arbitrate their oath. Oslandic knights do not draw power from any particular deity, instead gaining their abilities through allegiance to their oath alone. Knights are not barred from serving a faith; however, it is possible for faith and oath to come into conflict.

Knights are seen as moral and ethical paragons by the Oslandic people, as it is common knowledge that they adhere to a strict code of conduct. Knights are viewed as servants of the Kingdom and as such are commonly sought after to arbitrate disputes or defend from the unholy.

##### Knightly Orders

* Bearers of the Holy Light
* Companions of the Wanderer
* Defender Order
* Knights of Daelanmor
* Order of Justice
* Order of Peace
* Order of Saints
* Order of the Red Dragon
* Watcher Order

#### Modla

Paladins are an uncommon sight in Modla and those that do hail from the region bear little resemblance to those born of other regions. Paladins are not easily recognized as such by the majority of Modlans, though those that bear the hallmarks of a paladin, bulky metal armor and accompanying sword and shield, are often assumed to be Oslandic knights, regardless of their actual origin. Those that do understand the nuances of the divine warriors often refer to them as oathsworn. The most significant number of Modlan oathsworn hail from Mirawa, where warriors of all kinds devote themselves to the city. Those paladin orders that do exist in Modla are dedicated to particular patron saints. Oaths are not kept secret or closely guarded, though it is said that only those that swear an oath in dedication to a patron saint receive the powers of an oathsworn.

Modlan oathsworn, like all Modlan warriors, are more distinctive in their armament from other humans. Oathsworn typically wear light armor and use bows and other dexterous weapons, given the relative rarity of metal armor in Modla. Those that do utilize these types of armaments are often mistaken as typical warriors.