This post will adress three things... Forgings, the Paladin novice
system and general information for those wishing to join the Paladins.

Forgings- We currently have two transcendent ranked and one skilled
ranked forger within the guild with perhaps more to follow. If you wish
to negotiate possible forging treaties, perhaps in return for goods that
your own people may be able to provide, then contact Kage, Dervin,
Kaahl, Ahel or myself.

The Paladin Novice System
There are six steps in the Paladin Novice system which must all be
completed in order to be promoted out of novicehood.

1) Being the Squire of an established Knight. Established Knights are
anyone who is not a novice or under probation themselves. As said
Knight's Squire, he is your mentor and you are his student, he is your
master and you are his servant. You are expected to die for him if need
be and help him with various tasks that may not otherwise be worth his
attention. If you cannot handle this, then of course you shouldn't be
here.

2) Group RR (Rat-Raising). Being a Paladins novice is without a doubt
the most challenging path to take. Your sword will most likely be less
effective than your fists and feet at this point. Because of this you
will have to rat and bash via kicking. This activity is meant to
increase teamwork, as you will have to group up with at least one other
person and elect a leader amongst yourselves to follow. As a novice the
feeble attacks of the rats will also add up- you will have to stop to
rest at certain points and perhaps pass a health vial one of you may
have managed to aquire around.
About 25% of the gold made on this RR should be donated to the guild,
and you should keep at it for at least a half hour.

3) Equiping yourself. You must by the time you graduate have a full set
of clothing (We are Paladins, not paupers!), a longsword, a backpack, a
falconry glove, an elixir of health and a pocketbelt with a bloodroot
leaf in it.

4) Gold donation. As well as the 25% from the RR, you must donate 500
gold to the guild. While most guilds tend to ask for more than this, we
believe that we are strong if our members are strong and we realize how
hard it can be as a novice Paladin to make gold.

5) Be interviewed by the Drill Inspector (head of novices) or one of his
aides. If he feels that you've passed, then there is only one step left.

6) Your Mentor must also feel that you are ready. You cannot pass out of
novicehood without your Mentor's agreance.

Though we realize that some people have connections and can accomplish
these goals more quickly than others because of them, it is required
that all novices remain novices for at least three aetolian months.

The Paladins of Shallam
We are the Paladins of Shallam, a guild of Knights patroned by Lord
Haern who support and when necessary fight for the greater good of the
mortal races of Aetolia. Our ideals are very much in line with His and
we view vampires as the most obvious source of evil in this world. First
here are the Ideals of the Paladins, the Teachings of Lord Haern and how
they coincide and compliment each other. To some understanding of this
concepts is inherent, for others they are explained later on in this
posting.

Paladins Lord Haern
Humility Defiance
Strength Destruction
Honor Severity

A Paladin is expected to be both humble and strong, like an iron hand in
a velvet glove. Though what you do with your friends is mostly your own
buisness, when in the public eye remember that you are a Paladin and act
with maturity, tact, humility and when the time calls for it courage and
strength.
-
This is in line with the teaching of Defiance. Why? Because, in this
corrupt and some say dying world, it takes far more strength to do what
is right than it does to purchase the packaged rebellion and join the
ranks of the cannibals. In a world where people foolishly sell their
souls for the right to live off of the blood of their fellows, the
righteous must show their true strength in defiance of chaos. Be strong
enough to admit when you are wrong, behave with respect for those who
deserve it rather than those who stole it and work for the greater good
rather than for yourself.

Once again, be both humble and strong. Those who flaunt their power do
so most often because they are insecure of it. Keep an open mind, but
remember that if possible violence should be the last resort, for what
goes around comes around.
-
The teaching of Destruction applies to the application of strength. Some
creatures, such as vampires, are most often best dealt with by giving
them destruction. Though it is often hard you must not be afraid to do
what is right, for the time may come when everyone and everything is
counting on you.

Honor is quite self-explanatory really. We do not have an extremely
complex honor code... quite simply, if you can behave honourably, then
more power to you. If you cannot, then do not be a Paladin. The
battlefield is rarely the place for honor; this is often a lesson
learned very painfully. As a Paladin, many in the past have learned it
for you. Part of the teachings of Destruction, Defiance, Strength and
even Humility are that you do what you must. Do not let the concept of
honor cloud your mind... if you have to poison your sword to slash the
beast, then do so. If you have to throw mud in it's eyes, then do so.
Some will call this sort of thing dishonourable. Ignore them.
We do have a few basic rules however, and may add more in the future-
Do not kill the Pixie Queen or Imp Lord. This is very rude to other
novices.
Do not abuse skills, such as deliverance, in ways that they were not
intended to be used. For example, do not deliver someone in order to
kill them. At this point using deliverance in order to flee from battle
is also forbidden, though this may be changed in the future.

All rules of the honor code are suspended as far as vampires are
concerned.
-
Severity, perhaps the most important lesson of all. Do not listen to the
honeyed words of the vampire or the heretic. All arguments of philosophy
can really boil down to our perceptions- they are either for or against
the greater good. Do not waver in your faith that we CAN make this world
a better place, for to do so puts us all at risk.

Strung

Penned by my hand on the 15th of Midsummer, in the year 53 MA.