Paladins of Law, Temple of Mercurio

Mercurio being the god of law has both aspects as a law giver and keeper as well as a law breaker. This sect is dedicated to the aspect of Mercurio as a law giver and keeper of order. The paladins are first and foremost respective of the law. In cities and countries where the temple is granted no legal authority, they usually will join the local guard so that they can have the needed authority to pursue their orders goals. In many places their order is granted some or equal authority to the local guard. There are a few places that employ the temple adherents of law as the main body of their legal system, letting the clerics and paladins sworn to the aspect of law and order to run the guard and courts on behalf of the government.
The paladins of law are composed of many different people. While some are the expected armor wearing warriors who patrol roads for bandits and law breakers, others are scholars who look into the books and search for merchants and upper class criminals who cheat on their taxes or take more than their share from the common people. From what we would call detectives to the door kicking raiders of dens of illegal inequity, the order welcomes all who are dedicated to the belief that the law is the origin of civilization bettering itself.
The biggest downfall of the order to most of the public is that many little failings that inevitably become the biggest stories, theater plays, and songs. These tales are all about times when a person was doing something clearly wrong... but not illegal. When these things happen, the paladin order is powerless in their oaths to stop the person. They uphold and enforce the law, as it is written not as they would hope it to be. This has led to many 'corrupt' members living in lands where slavery is legal and the law is written to allow those in charge to have power over those 'beneath them' in social structure. These tales of the orders failing are the main reason for the order not being more accepted in most places.
The order tends to run like a guard station with paperwork being done. Pictures of notorious criminals are posted here and many bounty hunters will also stop by to look through the wanted posters. The paladin order usually has their own hall or set of rooms outside of the standard temple like so many other sects. From time to time a temple will be founded by a member of the order and the temple is then the local headquarters for the paladins and the local temple of worship. Because of the busy nature of the order and the comings and goings that come with so many investigations though, it's usually in a separate building.
The head of the local group is usually called a Captain with various paramilitary ranks being assigned to the rest of the paladins as they prove their competence and skill. Temple oracles sworn to the law will also be kept in service, their prophecies and predictions used to help guide the orders efforts. The oracles are not infallible and the prophesies like all predictions of the future are constantly in flux. Because of this the order goes about its duties in a pragmatic manner, keeping the knowledge of the oracles in mind while pursuing criminals with a pragmatic approach.
There are road patrols organized by the paladins to keep the roads safe, this is the more martial pledges starting point. The histories of murders and how they were solved is where the more scholarly begin with training branching out and overlapping from there. Paladins who patrol will be taught about woodcraft, tracking, small group tactics, and the local people. The scholarly branch are introduced to basic chemistry, accounting books, art (and how it can be faked), and tracking. After that the experiences of the individual paladin dictate what skills they pursue and acquire for their work. The real heart of the orders training though is The Book of Occam. This tome is very difficult to find outside of their order and the temple as a whole prefers it that way. The Book of Occam is a manual on deduction, finding things out of place, and observations on common sentient behavior.

Public Agenda

To uphold and enforce the law. To bring order from the chaos that civilization brings upon itself.

Sects

Paladins of the Law AKA Keepers of Justice

The law is how we learn to live better.

Founding Date

The lost Era

Type

Religious, Sect

Alternative Names

Keepers of Justice

Leader Title

Master of Order

Parent Organization

Temple of Murcurio

Deities

• Murcurio