Paladins of Verol

The Paladins of Verol hold an interesting place in the Halori Empire. Many great nobles have been inducted into their ranks, and they organization could often be mistaken as a purely martial institution by outsiders.
However, the core of the Paladins of Verol is the veneration of Lord Palidar's life, including his deep connection to the Old Gods.
Because the sect does not worship New Gods, they are allowed to remain active within Halor despite their nominal opposition to the Church of the Unsung God. This is something of a sore spot among many, especially the most influential Flagellants who desire to become the main sect on the continent with increasing fervor in the time that Father Threllin has been directing them as a living god.
The Paladins of Verol, however, refuse to recognize any New God. Although not as heavily hostile to their worshipers as the Church of the Unsung God, it is not forgotten among their ranks that Lord Palidar spent much of his life fighting the savages on Iphelon that were followers of idols and foul occultists.
Primarily, however, the Paladins of Verol have become something of a social club, a gathering of who's-who among the nobility of Halor. Although not directly tied to the Imperial family, almost every major noble house has a scion who is a member of the Paladins. Despite this, anyone is welcome to join the Paladins, though there is a lengthy process that few have the resources to undertake independently.
The Paladins practice artifice as a primary form of magical expression, and will often show their devotion to lovers with enchanted knick-knacks that remind their holder of the Paladin who created them. Although this has become a popular image of them in ballads and folksong, it should not be forgotten that most Paladins do not live lives of courtly intrigue.
Rather, they are scholars and faithful servants of the Old Gods. In the frontiers, where they can be found, they are impartial arbiters of law and willing to openly defy the Church of the Unsung God. In more populated regions, they are more subdued, and more tame, but being a Paladin still requires the maintenance of arms and armor, and a significant amount of arcane and martial training.

Type

Religious, Sect

Alternative Names

Palidarites