an organized religion often choose to follow the edicts of a mentor. A mentor can be any teacher, sage, or elderwhom the paladin respects; often, the mentor is the paladin's ethical role model or theperson who tutored him in philosophy. A group or organization can also qualify as amentor. Possible edicts: Take regularlyscheduled tests that measure intelligence or integrity. For instance, the mentor may engage the paladin in probing philosophicdiscussions on the nature of evil or the obligations of friendship. Care for thementor in his old age. Pass along thementor's ideas to a young acolyte of the mentor's choice. (In effect, the paladin becomes a mentor to someone else.)Culture Unless theycontradict the principles of his government or religion, a paladin may choose to follow edicts from his culture. Cultural edictsarise from the long-standing traditions of a particular tribe, region, or race, and assuch, they rarely change. Examples include: Marry by a certainage. Always bow fromthe waist or curtsy to strangers and elders. Hold the lives ofanimals to be equal to those of men. A paladin following this edict never eats meat, never hunts for sport or food, and onlykills an animal to protect himself or those he's sworn to defend.Family Family edictsderive from tradition, obligations to relatives, and the wishes of particularfamily members. Edicts may be issued by the paladin's parents or grandparents, or by a consensus of all living family members. Won't all paladinsautomatically choose to follow the edicts of their families? Not necessarily. A paladin's family may not be of goodalignment. The paladin may be an orphan and have no knowledge of his family. Sympatheticfamilies may not wish to burden the paladin with their problems. If a paladin has notvowed to follow the edicts of his family, his obligations to them are no different fromhis obligations to anyone else.Typical family edicts include: Visit the familyburial ground once per year on a designated day. Uphold a traditionnever to harm a particular animal. (For example, if a bear sacrificed itself to save the paladin's infant sister from adragon, the paladin may vow never to harm bears.) Donate a fixedpercentage of all income to the family. Cuiraecen dogma:The doctrines of Cuiraecens churches have certain similarities despite the lack of an overarchinghierarchy. Followers of Cuiraecen are prohibited from showing fear before anenemy and are forbidden to refuse a just battle.Furthermore, they must seek out those who oppress the weakand defenseless and offer them battle. Followers of the Stormlord traditionallywere expected to act as heralds of the church of Haelyn,but this particular requirement has fallen into disuse since the disintegrationof the Anuirean Empire. Certainly, followers disagree on what exactly constitutes a"just battle" or how oppression is defined, but each individual strives to obeyhis god's dictates.Virtues Virtues are traitsexemplifying the highest standards of morality, decency, and duty. They comprise the paladin's personal code. Although notspecifically detailed in the PH definition of a paladin, a paladin's virtues are implied byhis strictures as well as his outlook, role, and personality. Just as a paladin must obeyhis strictures, he must also remain true to his virtues. Though mostpaladins adhere