November 21st, 2022
In Arcturus, there are two opposing avenues of faith that commonly intersect in religious columns all over the globe. One secular group believes that through faith in others, their beliefs will prevail. Should they convert enough to follow ideals instilled into themselves, the world fits their faith's image. More commonly known as Clerics. On the other side of the coin lies Paladins, groups of believers who instill wrought-iron views into themselves. They believe, that through their own self-reliance, deeds, and vows, they can change the world around them. Neither side of this coin is faulted, instead the face takes on a more passive role, whilst the tail takes on a more active role.
Faith in this world is an odd concept, for belief in a cause can empower it beyond normal means. For Paladins, they must be steadfast and stalwart enough for their own faith in themselves and their actions to elevate them. The journey to becoming a Paladin is an arduous one, full of trials and moral quandaries. On this journey, known as an Odyssey, and even beyond it, they will find many a situation where their faith in themselves may falter. Throughout this journey of duty and self-discovery, Paladins are forged, not borne. Upon the completion of their journey, they swear themselves to an Oath, which forever changes a Paladin and cements their presence in the archives of the Cabal, should they join one.
The Odyssey & The Oath
The Odyssey was a term coined by the First Templar, the first known being that took it upon themselves to become a Paladin. It was through this anonymous entity's written record of their journey, that all other Paladins sought to emulate in one way or another. Although the contents of each Paladin's Odyssey are different, they each follow three different precepts that must be fulfilled before one may successfully swear themselves to an Oath.
The First Precept: Discovery. You must first discover who you are, before you become who you are meant to become.
The Second Precept: Molting. You must shed your past and burn it away so you may mold the ashes into your future.
The Third Precept: Ascendance. You must solidify your beliefs of the future and hurtle it into the present.
Among achieving these three precepts, which all must be obtained through the soon-to-be Paladin believing they had achieved them, do they gain enough spiritual strength to swear themselves to an Oath. What has been lost in interpretation over centuries of the First Templar's account, is that this journey must be accepted spiritually by the person making it. Instead, groups use this account and pervert it to their needs in an attempt to sway would-be Paladins to their cause.
These groups of Paladins, called Cabals, are a collective of zealous warriors and scholars who aim to further the goals of their secular faith by taking direct action. Cabals attempt to control the flow of information with hopes to sway Paladins to their side. Not all Cabals partake in this behavior, but the majority far outweighs the minority. Cabals offer a place of sanctity and respite for a wayward Paladin, in exchange for their belief. They can effectively be viewed as one part church, and one part militia. Although all Cabals have a set of goals in mind, Paladins of differing Oaths may fall under the same Cabal, should their vows overlay with one another.
Oaths, once taken, can never be revoked without serious consequences. The buildup and process of swearing oneself to an Oath is a process that marks a soul forever. A falter in a Paladin's belief in their cause can cause physical and spiritual damage. On top of that, breaking an Oath can cause a Paladin to lose some of their supernatural powers. For a Paladin to truly break their Oath, they must be able to survive the ethereal whiplash of breaking and piecing their soul back together.
Damaged, these Paladins become Oathbreakers. To walk the path of an Oathbreaker is to be scorned by most other Paladins, even if only temporary. This fragmentation of one's soul can only be truly repaired by a master in Pneumamancy, if a Paladin truly accepts their newly broken Oath, or if they go through the process of swearing themselves to another Oath, taking the Odyssey again. As evidenced, these Oaths form the foundations for the actions a Paladin will take throughout the course of their life.
After a Paladin passes on, their soul, instead of traveling to one of the planes of the afterlife, they join the ranks of Aphaeleon and his angelic cohorts, becoming an angel that is the spiritual embodiment of their Oath. Angels in Arcturus are far from other common depictions, but that is a topic for another day.
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As a Paladin is entombed within the crypts of their Cabal, they begin their eternal vigilance. |
