The Paladin Code

aladins are by definition holy warriors of their faith and loyalty to Severan, their god. They are paragons and heroes of all that is good and right. Whoever is to join their ranks, has to know that he or she will be committed to a life of seeking, upholding and promoting truth, charity and above all, justice. Along with their allies, the priests of Severan and the members of the Order of Light, they are granted with the support of Severan's mighty hand in every good deed. Righteousness, benevolence and courage in defending good and punishing evil throughout the realms is greatly rewarded by their Lord. Severan will be with them when they are in need and when the prayers of the righteous knights seek for His help. Paladins are not only extremely religious, but also impecably moral. Refusing to stray from their path of honor and morality, these knights' rarely enjoy a moment of comfort in life. Duty is the knight's life, and often it is his death.

he Holy Knights of Severan are accomplished fighters, highly trained in the battlefield. They possess impressively destructive power when used effectively against their enemies. Their swords always ready to be drawn to be used in combat, their minds taught to seek jusice but mercy alike, their efforts to be good are never an easy task. Apart from being expert swordslingers though, they derive most of their powers from their blindly worshipped god Severan. He has given them defensive abilities, that will protect them in their quests among the evil of this world and help them ride fearless against their enemies, always with three ideals in their minds, Faith, Justice and Mercy.

he task of being a true Paladin is never easy, the greatest problem a knight faces is the judgment of honor. Every day, it is his/her lot in life to figure out what is honorable and what is not. For example, a Paladin is to uphold both Justice and Mercy. So say a man commits a crime, but the Paladin senses that the man is truly sorry for his actions. Should the Paladin forgive him? Questions such as these are never easy to answer, because there is no right answer to them. If the Paladin were to forgive the man and let him go, then the criminal would be free to commit other crimes, or even the same crime over again. On the other hand, if the Paladin had the man punished, then the criminal would be denied of the Paladin's duty to show mercy to any and all adversaries. In cases like this, the Paladin must choose the lesser of the two evils.

he whole point is, either way, a Paladin's actions can be looked at as dishonorable, because the true rules for the Paladin are so broad. A Paladin's honor comes from obeying the Lord's commands and from his own heart and conscience, to do what he/she knows is right.

In the years that the paladins lived in the realms, there are a few virtues that were proven to be the ones to characterize what is called a true Paladin...

ourage - Paladins must know when to choose the more difficult, and more personally expensive path. They must be ready to make personal sacrifices in order to serve the ideals and people that they cherish. It involves choosing to uphold truth at all costs, rather than allowing a lie to pass. Courage does not mean being stupidly arrogant, but having the will to do what is right.

efense - Paladins swear to defend their lords and ladies, their brothers, and the church. In defense of these ideals and individuals, there can be no compromise.

aith - Paladins hold strong faith in Severan giving them strong roots and hope against the evil tidings of the world.

ranchise - A Paladin must never forget himself. A paladin must remember his bearing and conduct himself as befits his station. Consistency is then the key to franchise.

umility - Humble paladins are the first to tell of another's deeds before their own, giving them the honor they deserve from their good deeds. They let others proclaim their own deeds. Paladinhood is glorified by the humility of its members.

ustice - In courageously seeking the truth, and the path of righteousness, paladins strive to escape their own bias or personal gain and instead be just. Justice untempered by mercy can bring grief, however. Valorous Paladins seek out justice without bending to temptation or expediency, and thus are men of renown.

argesse - Generosity is a chief characteristic of a paladin. In order to counter the weakness of gluttony, paladins are as generous as their resources would allow. A generous paladin is better able to walk the line between mercy and cold justice.

oyalty - Good paladins are unbending in their commitment to those they are sworn to defend: Their guild, their brothers, and the weak. Temptation could, therefore, hold no sway over their lives

obility - Nobility is the beginning of courtesy, and thus paladins are to be polite and equitable to all as they develop and maintain a noble character through the ideals of chivalry. A paladin is forever an example of what it is to serve righteousness.

rowess - Paladins seek to be masters of their minds and bodies, and thus seek excellence in matters mental and martial. From this prowess they seek to serve justice humbly.

The paladins have been following a certain code of honor with immense pride, courage and determination through the years of their glorious history. This code, stands unchanged today as shown below.

The triad code:

A Paladin serves by the grace of our god, Severan.
A Paladin lives to champion the cause of good.
A Paladin strives to be honorable at all times, but not at the cost of faith or goodness.

The amendments:

A Paladin only kills those proven to be evil, such as those spawned from the nether regions, or those who have committed evil,those who seek to kill or have killed for evil or unlawful purposes and those who desecrate or seek to desecrate our god, Severan.
A Paladin aids those of good if they need aid and protects those of good who need protection.
A Paladin may never knowingly tell a lie.

A Paladin honors his Lord Severan each day, he lives by his rules and strives for his glory.
A Paladin is always there to protect the weak, to defend the defensless.
A Paladin is the fortress for those who cannot fight and for those whose faith is too weak to strengthen their will against the forces of corruption.

A Paladin always shows gratitude to the church and to the believers.
A Paladin gives freely of his or her belongings to the poor and the church to further the goals of the Lord.

A Paladin is to always show bravery before the foe never leaving the side of his or her companions and brothers in times of need.
A Paladin however will not fight for the sake of fighting. If nothing can be won by a fight, he is to retreat.
A Paladin lives, fights and dies always with honor. Facing his or her opponent honourably, he does not hide in the shadows like a murderer or strikes from the back.
There is no honor in striking a fallen foe, a paladin always waits until he gains footing again.

A Paladin spreads the world of the Lord, strenthening the faith of those he or she protects, so that their faith will protect the brethren and the church.

The newly recruited knights of Severan will be asked to give the following oath of service to join the paladin guild. This is, in a way, everything a paladin stands for and it is what every knight should keep in mind in his every day life as well as in his battle for upholding justice in the realms. It is in this oath every paladin should find guidance when the task of righteousness becomes difficult or unbearable and it is through prayer to his Lord that the paladin should find hope and confidence to continue.

Oath of Service