My current FR campaign is set in the Bloodstone Lands (in 1378 DR); and I'm having some difficulties in understanding the ethics and morals of a paladin of Ilmater.
In reading all the lore I can find out there, its clear that Ilmater approves of violence under some circumstances... but the stipulations and justifications are so narrow as to be exceedingly rare. So rare, that what would be considered "standard" paladin behavior would probably be right out. I don't have a problem with this, I'm just wanting to understand where things stand, especially by the Ilmatari church in Damara.
Any time I've convinced myself that "just" violence in the name of the suffering or oppressed would be condoned, I re-read the info and I go right back. Sure, if the morality of the situation is crystal clear and you are only lessening suffering by it, it works; but add any kind of fuzziness to it, it falls apart quickly.
My campaign is set in a frontier town in Vaasa (much like a abandoned Deadwood); and situations therein are never clear. Everyone is a victim, everyone is a oppressor. Even the goblins and orcs are just scrapping by, everyone is just doing what they can to survive. If starving orcs attack the town; what does a paladin of Ilmater do? What if its starving brigands, or starving farmers from the next village over (when you barely have enough to feed your own people)?
Any advice would be much appreciated... thanks guys!
To talk a little about your starving_X attacking the village here is the three points I'd consider:
1. Taking things by force is wrong/evil/badwrongfun. Paladin must defend the helpless.
2. Paladin drives off starving_X and offer a truce when it was clear to the starving_X that they were defeated. He would assist in negotiations for trade between the two (or more) communities.
3. If the Paladin and his pals have killed all the starving_X, of course the Paladin must pay penitence and trek to the settlement where the raiders came from and offer their widows/orphans apologies and the same negotiation options result as 2.
Not everything is about nicey negotiation prior to combat; the Paladin only need make a combatitive example of one (group of) brigands/orcs/miners/starving farmers to show that he means business and what will happen if the attack(s) continue. The deaths on his hands are clean, quick ones. He leaves no opponent to suffer as that is the realm of Loviatar. He mourns their senseless loss afterwards. I would suggest reading David Gemmell's [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Knights-Dark-Renown-David-Gemmell/dp/034537908X"]Knights of Dark Renown[/ame] and you will see some good examples of honour in a harsh environment.
In terms of awarding XP, if the Paladin has only fought 10% and negotiated with 90% and those negotiaitons were successful, award the Paladin XP as though he defeated 100% of the raiders. Such ratios are a little extreme; I'd lean more in favour of 50/50 or even as high as 70/30 if you want a more combat-orientated session.
Ok, moving away from the Paladin and more onto Ilmater, prior digging out my old copy of
Throne of Bloodstone, I was struggling to remember the relationships of the pregen characters (specifically the cleric, the monk and the paladin) and their relationship to the god. I seem to remember Friar Dugald was a Cleric of Ilmater and Kane was from the Monastery of the Yellow Rose, I think, so he would have venerated St Sollers. Gareth Dragonsbane was a member of the Golden Cup and I don't know how that relates.
EDIT: Here it is. Friar Dugald was a Cleric of the Order of St Dionysus, a rough fellow who was given to drink and brawl. St Dionysus, like St Sollers the Twice-Martyred was a saint of Ilmater, though initially was much opposed to Ilmater's dogma as per this
website. Kane was a Monk by the truest sense of the word.
My point in bringing up Dugald and Kane was that even though they ultimately followed the same god, they had vastly different ways of going about doing so. Paradoxically, they were both Lawful Good.
I can see that this is also done on that site I linked above, though I am not too sure about all of the information presented as being canon, it does serve as a good basis of how diverse the Church of Ilmater
could be, thus allowing a Paladin to adopt the more traditional role you are used to. To list the Church Factions: The
Orthodox was about veneration of the Saints of Ilmater, while the
Traditionalists venerated the god above all and only gave a nod to the Saints. But that seems to be only the tip of the iceberg, there is also the
Issaquari and the
Trinitarians as well as a number of splinter groups as well. It even seems that some of the groups considers the others as heretics and will go to
lengths to convert others back to the fold.
Oh here we go: Afilliated Orders--
The Companions of the Noble Heart is an order of paladins that operates out of Cormyr, Sembia and the lands around the Dragonmere. The Companions use the red rose as their symbol to show their devotion. All their individual devices contain a red rose somewhere. The rose represents heart blood that the Companions are willing to shed for their beliefs. The order is more political than martial, but it does see action defending Ilmatari and their homelands.
The Holy Warriors of Suffering are an active force in the North. These paladins often guard pilgrims and caravans traveling through the wild lands. They demand no recompense for their services beyond a bit of food and an audience for their tales of Ilmater's glory. The bitter winters stretch one's endurance and increase suffering that the Holy Warriors willingly embrace, as one of Ilmater's faith should. They have small chapter houses in every major town in the North where they can exchange information with their brethren and have their deeds and tales recorded for posterity. They use the purple crocus to symbolize the end of a winter of suffering and the hope of spring and beyond.
The Order of the Golden Cup is based in the Bloodstone Lands. These paladins are usually of noble birth and look upon their responsibilities to the commoners as sacred duties. It is this order from which King Gareth Dragonsbane of Damara and most Lords of Imphras II in Impiltur come. The yellow daffodil is a symbol representing a golden cup, but the order uses the golden cup in its heraldry, either as the only symbol or part of the family device.
The Order of the Lambent Rose has for its symbol its eponym. This order is very evangelical and, some Ilmatari think, mercenary. It offers service for just causes throughout Faerûn in exchange for various favors. The favor could be anything from simply supplying food and basic medicinal supplies, to building monasteries or even conversion. The order tends to operate in areas with little or no other Ilmatari presence.
The Disciples of St. Sollars the Twice-Martyred are headquartered in the Monastery of the Yellow Rose and strive to maintain separation from everyday life. They treat anyone who reaches their cloisters, but usually make no effort to leave their holds unless there is great need. Such sites include the Nether, the Alimir, the Cloudpeaks and the Spine of the World Mountains. There are also compounds on the Pirate Isles, the Korinn Archipelago and the Nelanther.
The Followers of the Unhindered Path are a loose confederation of wandering healers who treat any and all. They are well received in many hamlets and slums across Faerûn. They started out of the House of the Broken God in the Year of the Blood Rose (1100 DR), but have broken all official ties. They use a broken crutch and sunflowers as symbols. The broken crutch symbolizes their duty as traveling healers. Sunflowers are often associated with roadsides in many areas of Faerûn, and many villages grow them for the seeds and oil. The Followers of the Unhindered Path are welcome in any Ilmatari site, but they rarely stay longer than the time it takes to pass on medical lore and replenish medicines and supplies.
The Disciples of St. Morgan the Taciturn are considered by many mainstream Ilmatari to be slightly crazed, but admired. They look to die a martyr's death as their eponymous symbol did. St. Morgan wandered the Moonsea region 250 years ago. He demonstrated his faith by action, not words. He spent much of his life preaching against the Moonsea tyrants and helped free hundreds of indentured servants, slaves, and prisoners from Mulmaster, Zhentil Keep, and Melvaunt. St. Morgan died for his faith without ever uttering a word during his lengthy torture at the hands of priestesses of Loviatar in Mulmaster. This is another sore point between these two faiths. The Disciples tend to operate in lands and cities where goodly faiths are unwelcome and/or actively persecuted. While putting themselves in harm's way, they do not act rashly to bring about their own deaths. They do not, for instance, spit on Lord Orgauth of Zhentil Keep, just so he will have them killed.
Sisters of St. Jasper of the Rocks are a rarity in the Ilmatari religion. They are exclusively female. St. Jasper was a cleric that saved many women and babies from death during childbirth. Most of these women are descendants of those whom St. Jasper saved. They have formed a (mainly) hereditary sisterhood that concerns itself more with easing female suffering than general suffering. The Sisters believe that females share an even greater burden of the world's suffering since it is females who bring life into the world. A blue lily is used as the symbol of their sect.
The Order of the Golden Maple is a branch of the Ilmatari church that began growing out of the Order of the Lambent Rose in the Year of the Bright Blade (1347 DR). The order shares many of the goals of the Order of the Lambent Rose but focuses almost completely on providing services to armies that are fighting against oppression. The group was first active in the civil war in Tethyr, known as the 10 Days of Eleint, but most of the clerics and monks in the order fell in that war. The survivors fled Tethyr, claiming to have heard Ilmater's call to Damara, to aid in the front against Zhengyi the Witch King. Although relatively few in number, the clerics and monks of the Order of the Golden Maple won fame and praise in the war against Zhengyi and as a result, also a respectable number of followers. In the Year of the Turret (1360 DR), the order began buildings its first and only monastery on the outskirts of Dunfee on the border between Impiltur and Damara. Many members of the order serve as war clerics with the armies of the two countries. The order's symbol is an autumn maple leaf in shades of red, orange and yellow.
Of particular note is the Order of the Golden Cup, being the Order that Sir..er King Gareth Dragonsbane belongs to. As for the Paladin in your game, perhaps the
Holy Warriors of Suffering might be the most appropriate.
In any case, please check out that
site. I hope this helps inspire you in condoning the righteous destruction of evil.
