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	Though I offer in this tome my own wisdom won through years of		Though I offer in this tome my own wisdom won through years of
	experience in the field, it is my duty to offer first a warning.		experience in the field, it is my duty to offer first a warning.
	For, you see, to be a paladin is not to seek power and mastery over		For, you see, to be a [[guild association is::paladin]] is not to seek power and mastery over
	others, but to submit to service and responsibility. With great sorrow		others, but to submit to service and responsibility. With great sorrow
	I have in recent years watched the rise of a new breed of paladin. Where		I have in recent years watched the rise of a new breed of paladin. Where

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	TABLE OF CONTENTS:		TABLE OF CONTENTS:
	INTRODUCTION: PAGE 2		INTRODUCTION: PAGE 2
	CH.1 Initial Training: PAGE 3		CH.1 Initial Training: PAGE 3
	CH.2 Equipping: PAGE 6		CH.2 Equipping: PAGE 6
	CH.3 Starting Out: PAGE 9		CH.3 Starting Out: PAGE 9
	CH.4 General Tips: PAGE 12		CH.4 General Tips: PAGE 12
	CH.5 Etiquette: PAGE 13		CH.5 Etiquette: PAGE 13
	</pre>		</pre>

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	:: ''-Sir Darian Sorrendal''		:: ''-Sir Darian Sorrendal''
	[[Category:Book]]		[[Category:Book]][[page type is::book\| ]]

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			[[page type is::book\| ]]
	==Sir Darian's Introduction to the Guild of Paladins==		==Sir Darian's Introduction to the Guild of Paladins==

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	==Sir Darian's Introduction to the Guild of Paladins==		==Sir Darian's Introduction to the Guild of Paladins==

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	what we can be, rather than what we are not.		what we can be, rather than what we are not.

	-Sir Darian Sorrendal		:: ''-Sir Darian Sorrendal''

	===CHAPTER 1: Initial Training===		===CHAPTER 1: Initial Training===
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	accomplished what I set out to do, and I sleep easier tonight.		accomplished what I set out to do, and I sleep easier tonight.

	-Sir Darian Sorrendal		:: ''-Sir Darian Sorrendal''
	[[Category:Book]]		[[Category:Book]]

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS:   INTRODUCTION:             PAGE 2   CH.1 Initial Training:    PAGE 3   CH.2 Equipping:           PAGE 6   C...

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New page: ==Sir Darian's Introduction to the Guild of Paladins== <pre> TABLE OF CONTENTS: INTRODUCTION: PAGE 2 CH.1 Initial Training: PAGE 3 CH.2 Equipping: PAGE 6 C...

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==Sir Darian's Introduction to the Guild of Paladins==
<pre>
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
INTRODUCTION: PAGE 2
CH.1 Initial Training: PAGE 3
CH.2 Equipping: PAGE 6
CH.3 Starting Out: PAGE 9
CH.4 General Tips: PAGE 12
CH.5 Etiquette: PAGE 13
</pre>

===INTRODUCTION:===

Though I offer in this tome my own wisdom won through years of
experience in the field, it is my duty to offer first a warning.
For, you see, to be a paladin is not to seek power and mastery over
others, but to submit to service and responsibility. With great sorrow
I have in recent years watched the rise of a new breed of paladin. Where
once a paladin spent much of his time among the common folk teaching and
giving aid where possible, many now spend almost every waking minute
consumed blindly with short-term goals of rank. Such activity will not
bring respect to you or our guild. There are more important considerations
than mere power. But forgive an old man his ramblings. Let us focus on
what we can be, rather than what we are not.

-Sir Darian Sorrendal

===CHAPTER 1: Initial Training===

Despite the decades that have passed since I took my oath, still
I recall the chaos that surrounded my first weeks as a squire. Before
a paladin takes to the field of combat, he must first build his strength
and enhance his mind. In retrospect, it is clear where my confusion lay.
For while training in other guilds was specialized (or so it seemed to the
naive boy that I was), a paladin was expected to be all things at once.
We needed to be immensely strong to carry the weight of our equipment, yet
have the self-discipline and intelligence to spend hours in study and prayer
without becoming distracted. We needed the endurance to fight for hours
if need be, while remaining quick on our feet to avoid the blows of our
enemy. It may be of little comfort, but the years have taught me that all
these things are true.

It may be tempting to spend all your time running and sparring,
building your strength to rival that of any man, but a paladin is a scholar
as well as a knight. A paladin with the strength of an ox is no asset if he
has the mind of an ox as well. The best advice I can give is to become
strong enough to feel comfortable in the heavy armor that is the mark of our
guild, and then immediately turn to other pursuits.

What a shock the weight of your first suit of plate is! But with
training, the burden becomes less and less. Once you no longer feel as if
you are being crushed by the sheer weight of metal encasing your body, it
is paramount to learn to move and react quickly to any threat. If someone
had told me when my training began that I must move as if my armor were a
second skin, I should have believed them to be mad, but now I tell the same
to you. Sheer strength will make your blows mighty, but if they do not
land, your strength is useless. The time you spend learning to move as
lithely as a dancer will prove invaluable.

Having become strong and at least moderately quick, a paladin is
prepared for his first combat. But a knight can not be a dullard!
Though it may be inevitable that you will spend more time training your
body than your mind, do not neglect either. With regard to scholarly
pursuits, the discipline to bear hardship, the wit to understand the
most difficult of problems, and the wisdom to know right from wrong are
all equally important.

Lastly, as a paladin you must strive to be a leader of men. No one
will follow someone with the personality of a rock. Though it may
provide less tangible benefit, a charismatic leader will have an easier
time in the long run. It is wise to work on your charm about as often
the pursuits of your mind.

In summary, a paladin's goal in training is to remain as strong as
possible, to be able to move as quickly in attack as in defense, and to
spend about equal amount of time on each of the more scholarly pursuits
as on your charm. Maintaining a balance between mind and body is
perhaps the most difficult tasks facing a young paladin.

===CHAPTER 2: Equipping.===

No doubt by now you wish for nothing more than to charge into
battle, and enough with all this lecturing. I remember all too well
the brashness of youth. Rest assured, I will do my best to prepare you
for combat. Once you have completed your initial training, it is time
to equip. At first it will be impossible to afford more than the
bare essentials, but try to make sure that every part of your body is
covered by your armor. I've seen many a youngster carried into town,
his armor untouched, with a bloody hole where his eye used to be.

At the earliest opportunity you should purchase a chain shirt, or
a breastplate if you have not the funds. A visored helm will protect
your head and eyes, an aventail your neck. Vambraces and tassets cover
your arms and abdomen, respectively. Greaves cover your legs, and of
course gloves and gauntlets protect your hands. Some types of armor
are large enough to protect multiple locations, simply appraise the
piece in question to find out. In almost all cases, light or heavy plate
should be purchased as soon as it can be afforded. If you want to wear
light armor, you've joined the wrong guild. Armor is a paladin's
lifeblood, and no expense should be spared.

With regard to weapons, a simple broadsword provides an excellent
starting place. It is certainly not elegant, but it is fairly powerful
and serves any warrior well. If you are strong and inclined to close
quarters, blunt weapons such as a ball and chain are a fine choice.
Finally, a two-handed sword will strike fear into the heart of your foe,
but will also leave you open to attack. Perhaps the most popular choice
among paladins is carrying both one-handed and two-handed weapons to deal
with any situation. If you are strong enough to bear the weight of multiple
weapons, this approach lends itself to great versatility. It has always
been my opinion that you can never have too many blades at your disposal.
Always remember that a paladin's weapon becomes not a mere tool, but an
extension of his body, so choose one that suits you well.

If you have been hoping for advice regarding ranged weapons, I say
get yourself to the ranger guild where you belong! A paladin should be
at the front of the charge, standing shoulder to shoulder with his fellow
warriors, not at the back of the line, plinking away at the enemy like a
coward. Some knights have advocated slinging a crossbow over their
shoulders so that a single bolt can be loosed at the enemy while they
charge in. Though it sticks in my gut, I suppose it is acceptable as long
as it does not interfere with real combat.

===CHAPTER 3: Starting Out.===

Now we get to the heart of the matter! Savor your youth, for the
excitement of leading a band of your fellows against a superior foe for
the first time is incomparable. A young paladin on his first journey
into the wilds can not expect to fight like a hardened knight, however.
It is my hope that I can make the first months of your life a little
easier by preventing needless death. There are, I have found, three
basic strategies for a young paladin trying to make his way in the
world.

First, there are many paladins more experienced in the ways of the
world than you. Presenting yourself at the guild and asking them to
share their knowledge of arms with you is the safest course. A few
hours of learning to wield a sword under the tutelage of an older
paladin will increase your chances of surviving greatly. In fact,
I recommend learning anything that they are willing to teach you. Even
though you no doubt wish to rush to the enemy as quickly as your legs
will take you, in the long run the time spent in our guild simply
listening to your brethren share their knowledge will prove the more
useful.

The second method for learning the ways of combat involves a rather
inelegant task. The dockyards in any town are often infested with large
rats. Though they may not be the most imposing of foes, a paladin can
learn much about combat by practicing on nothing more than such vermin.
Because they are weak foes, training in this way is relatively safe and
can be done alone. Fighting by yourself can quickly become tiresome,
but you may find it to be occasionally desirable.

Perhaps more popular (with good reason) than practicing on rats
is an expedition to combat the goblins who raid the countryside. Goblins
can be a cunning foe for a young paladin, so find a partner to hunt with.
You will find that hunting with others is always safer and often more
rewarding than hunting by yourself. Hunting goblins brings more tangible
benefits as well, as they often carry coins they have stolen from peaceful
countryfolk. Wealth is not evil, as long as it does not become your
focus. In fact, the maintenance of your armor and weapons will require
at least some money, so finding a partner and hunting goblins will be
necessary at some point.

Hunting rats and goblins will help you to increase your skill, but
they are not pursuits for a hardened knight. Eventually, you will wish
to seek a more challenging foe. Be extremely careful about venturing
against a tougher enemy, and always fight in pairs or groups until you
are comfortable. Wood trolls, rock trolls, and faenrae reavers all are
extremely dangerous for the over-zealous paladin.

===CHAPTER 4: General Tips===

The bane of a paladin's existence is the requirement to become ever
more able to maneuver in heavy armor. If this proves to be the case for
you as well, you may find that the faenrae reavers provide the best foe
to train against. Though agile and quick, most reavers fight with only
a small falcata, unable to often penetrate the heaviest armors. Training
in reavers can prevent many interruptions involving unpleasant things like
bleeding and death.

When you have progressed far enough to being to learn the ways of
holy magic, perhaps the best place to being is with the Courage spell.
The Courage spell can be practiced on yourself, to improve your aptitude
for magic. Being able to practice on yourself is invaluable at times!

It is inevitable that you will eventually be struck down by a stronger
or just luckier foe. Make sure to have gained favor with your god at
least twice at all times! If you do not see why this is important, a
trip to the cemetery will provide many interesting examples of people
who didn't believe my advice.

Lastly, always be generous with healers! This seems obvious to me, but
I am often amazed at how many people take the services of empaths for
granted. Be as giving as you can afford at all times. Empaths have saved
the lives of countless paladins, and we owe them a debt we can never
fully repay.

===CHAPTER 5: Etiquette===

An old knight like me can get away with a little surliness through
privilege of age, but for an initiate in the order the most important
(and most often overlooked) thing is courtesy! Always, always try to
be courteous to others, both in our guild and outside it. There may be
times when someone makes it impossible to be polite, but always, always
be as courteous as possible for as long as possible.

One of the most useful and abused tools at our disposal is a
gwethdesuan. These 'far-speakers' are often used for such inane and
useless drivel as to make an old man sick. One aspect of courtesy is
respecting other's peace of mind! Overuse of a gwethdesuan is one of
the most common breaches of protocol for young people. Try to avoid
that trap at all times!

When you encounter someone in the wilds in combat with an enemy,
always ask for permission if you want to engage. Simply advancing on
an enemy that a fellow citizen is fighting shows ignorance and a lack of
respect. The exception being if someone appears to be in grave danger,
for example if they are stunned or bleeding. It is better to appear
a little over-eager than allow someone to die.

Likewise, simply setting up camp in an area and claiming every
enemy that appears is boorish behavior. It is sometimes necessary to
face more than one opponent for a length of time, but never let it
become excessive. When you see one person with a dozen foes around them,
feel free to cut down their numbers a bit. Only a buffoon tries to
claim that many foes as his own!

If you act with courtesy and respect for others, you are fulfilling
your oath as a paladin. As I have said, too many people today focus on
the trivialities. It is not our strength or our magic that sets us apart,
it is our compassion. If you remember nothing but that one fact, I have
accomplished what I set out to do, and I sleep easier tonight.

-Sir Darian Sorrendal
[[Category:Book]]

Introduction to the Guild of Paladins (book) - Revision history

CARAAMON at 04:30, 25 September 2008

CARAAMON at 03:54, 17 August 2008

CARAAMON at 03:49, 6 July 2008

Maintenance script at 22:25, 10 November 2007

Maintenance script: Book:IdsPG moved to Introduction to the Guild of Paladins (book)

Maintenance script: New page: ==Sir Darian's Introduction to the Guild of Paladins==
TABLE OF CONTENTS: INTRODUCTION: PAGE 2 CH.1 Initial Training: PAGE 3 CH.2 Equipping: PAGE 6 C...