Divine Champions through Sacred Oaths
Paladins in Eldara are among the few mortals who receive direct divine favor through their unwavering dedication to sacred oaths. Unlike clerics who draw power from The Aetheric Weave (Magic) through spiritual alignment, paladins forge binding compacts with divine forces, receiving power in exchange for absolute commitment to their chosen path. These sacred oaths create direct channels between the paladin and their deity, making them true champions of divine will.
Good-Aligned Paladins: Champions of Light
Divine Connection: Good paladins swear sacred oaths to serve The Alorama and receive direct divine power in return for their unwavering commitment to righteousness. Their magic manifests as radiant energy that purifies, heals, and destroys evil.
Common Oaths and Deities:
- Oath of Devotion to Belron, Defender of the Just - Classic champions of justice, courage, and honor
- Oath of the Ancients to Belron, Defender of the Just - Emphasizes the principles of good above any concerns of law or chaos.
- Oath of Vengeance to Belron, Defender of the Just - Pursuing justice against great evils and protecting the innocent
- Oath of Redemption to Ithara, Healer of Sorrows - Healing spiritual wounds and redeeming the fallen
- Oath of the Crown to Seliana, Guardian of Hearth, Belron, Defender of the Just, or a particular ruler/kingdom - Protecting civilization, community, and lawful order
- Oath of the Watchers to Belron, Defender of the Just - Defending the Material Plane from extraplanar threats
Practices: Serve as divine warriors, temple guardians, champions of the oppressed, and leaders of righteous crusades.
Evil-Aligned Paladins: Dark Champions
Divine Connection: Evil paladins serve The Nyx through twisted oaths that grant dark power in exchange for spreading corruption, fear, and domination. Their magic manifests as necrotic energy that withers, corrupts, and commands.
Common Oaths and Deities:
- Oath of Conquest to Goroth, Lord of Bloodlust - Dominating through superior force and reveling in battle
- Oath of Vengeance to Zoroth, the Hollow Prince himself - Embodies the resilience of the forces of darkness to the influence of light.
- Oathbreaker - Fallen paladins who serve various Nyx deities after abandoning their original sacred vows. Paladins who have broken their oath can no longer be championed by the Alorama. Those who wish to retain their connection to the weave are offered a chance to swear fealty to the Nyx in order to keep their connection.
Practices: Serve as dark champions, cult leaders, agents of corruption, and generals of evil armies.
Neutral Paladins: Oath-Keepers of Balance
Divine Connection: Neutral paladins swear oaths to principles that transcend simple good and evil, receiving power from deities or ideals that maintain cosmic balance and natural order.
Common Oaths and Deities:
- Oath of Glory to Goroth, Lord of Bloodlust, Belron, Defender of the Just - Pursuing legendary achievements through superior martial prowess and the glory of combat
- Oath of the Crown to Seliana, Guardian of Hearth - Loyalty to established authority and protection of communities and enforcing the order of the homeland.
- Oath of the Open Sea to Valora, Aevari of Water (indirectly) or to Threndil, God of the Hunt- Take refuge in the natural beauty of the sea. Embrace ever an changing nature that is reminiscent of the sea that shapes every aspect of their lives.
Practices: Serve as royal champions, guardians, enforcers of natural law, and protectors of balance.
The Nature of Sacred Oaths
Paladin oaths are binding spiritual contracts that create direct channels between the paladin and divine power. Breaking an oath results in immediate loss of divine abilities until the paladin either atones or becomes an Oathbreaker, potentially serving dark powers.
These oaths are sworn during elaborate ceremonies witnessed by divine representatives, other paladins, or at sacred sites blessed by their chosen deity.
Divine Magic and Direct Favor
Unlike other classes, paladins receive their magical abilities through direct divine intervention rather than learned techniques for accessing the weave. Their power flows directly from their patron deity as reward for absolute dedication to their sworn oath.
This direct connection makes paladins particularly sensitive to divine will but vulnerable to losing abilities if they stray from their path. The strength of a paladin’s power depends entirely on their unwavering adherence to their sacred oath.