Paladin

An order of Jesenyan knights founded to fight serve as enforcers of bigoted power, notably to suppress immigration from Mahad. They served as elite bodyguards, agents who policed the nobility for the emperor, and weapons of the church. The original twelve were notoriously corrupt and violent, and most of them were killed at the hands of the people they oppressed. However, they went down in legend as heroes. Since then, the title "paladin" has been adopted by many empires to describe their elite holy knights. As most cultures who have paladins are patriarchal, most paladins are male.

Reputation

There is a great deal of propaganda about paladins in the empires where they serve that present them as servants of the people and protectors of the weak. In truth, they are infernal agents oppressing the people and killing as they please. If their reputation falls apart, they lose their powers.

Epics

The tales of a paladin's quests are often collected into epics, which usually include 12 adventures. These epics are presented as poetry, song, or stories that are shared by the local minstrels to spead the lies and distortions necessary to maintain power. These are a vital part of controlling the populace and gaining their powers. Paladins usually become beloved celebrities.

Vow or Contract

Every paladin makes a sacred vow to a patron deity, which varies by empire (see below). Some make deals with demons instead, via demonic contract, and some very few end up servitors of the Eldritch. These latter make a "vow" to the empire they serve.

Purity

It is paramount a paladin be of pure blood, of a nation, species, or "race" that is not considered "depleted" or "lesser". This varies by empire: kashirum in Srisia; specularo in Urayme; vinculgen in Furich Amol; cythreuliaid in Vesturia; and so on. In Agikaan, they must be of the Agikaani nation, and in Stolzen, they must be one of the "pure races" mentioned by their distorted doctrine.

Quests

The price for their powers is always the same: to go on a quest and commit atrocities ("acts of heroism") to create their weapons, armor, and other objects of power. They do not always create or gather every object; most focus on a single weapon, for instance. Quests are given them by those they made the vow to.

Click here for some examples of quests.

Targets

Paladins often hunt "criminals," which is anyone who displeases them or their masters. They use the white manacles to capture them, then bring them back to the keep, palace, or wherever they dwell, keeping them as slaves as "punishment". They often choose some to privately torment, which gives them great physical strength. They also sometimes make deals with locals who are in desperate need, making them sign a contract that allows them to control and drain them.

Inventory and Powers

Their quests usually generate special equipment or abilities for them.

Weapons and Armor

• Shining Blade: a sword covered in hellfire, which they claim is the light of punishment for those who sin. It is made from the soul of a murdered innocent.
• Mace of Mercy: a mace imbued with arnum, which they claim only harms the iniquitous, but which actually causes any they strike immense pain. It is made from the bones of a victim of torture.
• Slayer Bow: the name varies by place (dragonslayer, serpentslayer, lionslayer, wolfslayer, evilslayer, etc.), but they claim the bow defeats monsters. In truth, it fires arrows of rending that destroy anything. It is made from the aftermath of razing a village.
• Lash of Justice: a heavy whip etched with fusei, which they claim is the force of justice. They use it to "punish criminals". It is formed by hanging an innocent person and spreading tales of their guilt.
• Helm of Wisdom: a helmet imbued with ibbissu that disrupts headshots and gives them the ability to see weaknesses. They claim it gives them wisdom and insight. It is made from the violation of just law.
• Armor of Immortality: their armor is said to protect their souls, so that they might be protected from the evil they fight. In truth, it is imbued with msawhat that will raise them as undead knights. It is made from the corruption of a good knight.
• Great Shield: a huge kite shield coated in a clear film of void (though they claim it is empowered by their oaths). It nullifies esoteric attacks. It is made from the death of a witch.
• Jeweled Boots: beautiful boots inlaid with peridot, which all burn with misfortune. They tell others the boots guide them to their adventures, but in truth, so long as the boots are fed with the misfortunes of others, they protect the paladin from bad luck. They are made from the ruin of a good person.
• Gauntlets of Life: heavy metal-and-leather gauntlers imbued with sterisi. The paladin can drain nourishment from a body with their touch, if they so choose, without ever killing them. They tell others these are made with the stomach of those who starved to death.
• White Manacles: schwerstrum manacles used to capture their targets ("criminals" and "villains"), which enslave them. These are formed from the imprisonment of an worker, serf, slave, or peasant in an unescapable prison.

Finery

• Cape of Freedom: a glimmering cape that mesmerizies those who see it. It is said the cape is made from angelic silk, but in truth, it is woven of gossamer. They claim it empowers their fight for liberty, but in truth, it simply makes people easier to manipulate. it is made from someone they tricked into an act of violence.
• Tunic of Virtue: a fine tunic of cerise silk, which they claim is also angelic silk, that is said to keep them humble and that it gives them powers based on their virtues. In truth, it is a tunic made of peccatum, and it empowers them based on the major violations they commit. It is made from the heart of a victim of one of the major sins (murder, kidnapping, rape, enslavement, etc.).
• Ring of Truth: a fine white gold ring that they claim guides them to the truth, while it actually makes them skilled liars (and bolsters their deceptions. It is made from a False Name.
• Goblet of Hope: a silver goblet that contains a vapor that is said to uplift those who drink of it. In truth it is a goblet that contains pure mollesse and destroys those who drink from it... eventually. It is made from the tears of a victim of suicide.
• Lute of Chivalry: a lute upon which they are said to play songs that recite the chivalric code they allegedly follow. In truth, they never play it except to kill crowds of people, as its music is raw cacophony. It is made from the screams of the massacred.
• Velvet Mantle: a fine mantle of crushed velvet that makes them more charismatic, but requires that they mar the visage of another regularly (they tend to do this to their slaves). They tell others it is merely the symbol of their office. it is made from someone they kill in a jealous rage.
• Jewel of Bravery: a jewel of deep blood red hue, filled with uafas, that they can press to the flesh of another and "test their bravery" (fill them with horror). It is made from killing a child who has been hunted and terrorized.
• Ancient Vellum: a piece of human-skin parchment (though they claim it is deer) which may contain Eldritch name fragments that allows them to cast dooms. They tell no one this paper exists at all. They can only gain this by sacrificing someone to the Eldritch, then flaying them.

Steed

The steed of a paladin is bonded to them via an enforced soulbond, which forms after they capture the steed on a quest by sacrificing another, kinder animal to it. What kind of steed varies by paladin, their patron, their empire, etc. Some examples:

• Helhest: demonic steed, and the commonest one for those who make a demonic contract.
• Grey Beast: undead steed, can be any ridable animal turned undead. Usually for those with demonic contracts or powerful deceptive powers.
• Cheval Mallet: a nightmarish steed that is favored in Arunel and Tromlui.
• Kting Voar: a monstrous bovine found in Agikaan.
• Dire Wolf: massive wolves found in Tromlui.
• Vargr: massive nightmare wolves found in Arunel.
• Anomalocaris: horrors of the skies, Eldritch-bonded only.
• Wyvern: draconids found all over the world, but favored by followers of Sahmastu or Beadu Feriend.
• Peryton: evil winged, antlered amalgamation beasts, found in Deseria and Vesturia.
• Opinicus: a griffin that is a harbinger of disaster (though paladins claim they are normal griffins).
• Black Goat: void demons that only serve followers of their demonic Court or their Divine, Sun'ya.
• Kurran: demonic slave beasts who serve in Furich Amol and Urayme.
• Terrible Monster: only the most powerful paladins can ride one. Perhaps legendary.
• Fell Mosasaur: a flying mosasaur (mundane ones are aquatic), this is a monster borne of the Deeps.
• Bwystfil Drain: thorn-imbued beasts of any kind. Found only in Mwyr Aeld.
• Terror Wing: huge flying reptilians that are harbingers of despair.

Blood-Empowerment

Paladins gain strength by laying their hands on victims and draining power or will from them. To maintain this ability, they must also consume blood regularly. Any blood will work, but they prefer slaves, innocents, and/or children. They can also tap into the energies they draw into their blood by triggering a baleblood eruption of rage, turning them into an unstoppable combatant, but only if they have killed in rage before.

Healing

A paladin can attain the ability to influence disases by poisoning someone close to them and keeping them sick. They use this power to make it seem like they are healing people, but they often spread disease.

Sanctum

Paladins always have a sanctum, a place that is where they can be themselves, show their true evil. This is usually a secret chamber in their home castle, palace, or keep, though sometimes it is a cabin in a remote place or a basement in a city apartment. In this place, they practice their evil without pretense, often acknowlding the true nature of their gods, something almost no one else does. To make their sanctums safe, they always perform a ritual of desecration that taints it with brown aether, making it repulse people on a metaphysical, indetectible level.

Faith

All paladins have faith, though some are only doing so for appearances. They all worship and evil Divine or Eldritch, heavily masked. Some might worship demons, framing them as servants of Divines that they serve directly. But paladins, as defenders of the faith, gain up to three direct powers from their patron so long as they adhere to the tenets of the faith, which includes maintaining the lies of the faith. Those who serve The Pit often embrace blasphemy.

Duties

The duties of a paladin vary by patron, but at their core are some universals:

• To serve the emperor and enforce his laws.
• To uphold the divine order (i.e., slaves stay slaves, the rich stay rich).
• To advance the children of god (i.e., "pure" races or imperial leaders, etc.).
• To defend the faith (of their evil Divine).
• To administer justice and defeat evil (i.e., drive out rebels and holy beings).

Families

As nobles (usually), paladins are required to marry and have children in order to maintain their line. They use feiruan eugenics to ensure they have three sons (at least) and two daughters (at least). An ancient and secret tradition among paladins is to take their third son and vanish him into a solitary cell, using him as a source of power by torturing him. Many paladins are also Bluebeard- or Gilles de Rais-esque villains, gaining infernal powers from these arts. The eldest son will be trained to be a paladin. The second son will be expected to administer the estate, and possibly become a priest or other clergy. The elder daughter is married off to a higher ranking noble, to ensure a strong dowry, and the second daughter is sent to a convent (or equivalent) as a tribute to the church (or equivalent).

Cultural Variations

Each of the major empires and kingdoms has their own versions of a paladin. In practice, "paladin" is the generic term, and the cultural variations are local varieties. Not all variations are listed:

• Srisia: the quintessential paladin, often just called the Srisian Guard.
• Mwyr Aeld: usually, the elite warriors are thorn knights, but some rare paladins do exist. They are called marchog sanctaidd. They tend to replace many of their powers with those more focused on thorn energy.
• Baradin: where they are called "true knights". They are the most practiced at deception.
• Endruin: as protectors of the merchant class, they are sometimes just referred to as "fixers" or "bodyguards".
• Kael'Ras: some of the Knights of Kael'Ras are paladins, though not most.
• Agikaan: the shudchun, or pure knights, are always genetically modified warriors.
• Stolzen / Insieme: still called "paladins", but often more associated with purity doctrine and eugenicism.
• Urayme: the praetorians are the elite protectors of the emperor.
• Fuirch Amol: the palatini are like less refined versions of the praetorians.
• Deseria: completely devoted to the Serpent Mother. Called viperes.
• Vesturia: usually enders, always empowered by slaves, and always involved in pogroms.
• Dalurine: deep sea sha'anihhac. Worshipers of the Lord of the Deeps.
• Harkanheim: some of the knights of Harkanheim become paladins of The Pit.
• Tenzanai: the siegi no senshi are oni paladins.
• Dhun: based loosely on the Knights of the Round Table, simply called "paladins".
• Couronne Epee: the original paladins, corrupted and venal.
• Heligwald: paladins devoted to "holy" beings (demons or evil Divines).
• Danuo: many conquistadors are paladins.
• Tromlui: some of the royal guards of Nicnevin are paladins.
• Redwayn: all of Meuric's knights are paladins, considered the blueprint in the contemporary era.
• Qahati: paladins here are very different culturally, but their powers are much the same, if looking different. They are called muharib, like other warriors.
• Tzuk: though it is rare, sometimes members of TheBaleful are paladins, though they are usually just considered a powerful warrior of no special description.

Skills

Some common skills include but are not limited to

• Chivalry (twisted)
• Politics
• Riding
• Steed Care
• Hunting
• Fishing
• Trapping
• Warcraft
• Siegecraft
• Tactics
• Strategy
• Medicine/First Aid
• Poetry/Literature
• Languages
• Classic Education
• Poisons/Diseases

Stats

PRO +9
ATH +5
STR +6
AWA +5
WIL +8
STH +3
PRS +6