Cormyr and the Dalelands

I would like to ICly work on founding a chapter of the Auxiliary on the server. My hope is to build a universal Paladin faction.

That said, I'm curious who would be willing to take part in the project.

DMs: Would this be allowed, given the "new" Radiant Heart reform after the ToT.

You can certainly attempt such, yes. I'm not personally familiar with the difference between old and new versions of the faction, but it sounds like you just want to make a group of paladins that cooperate, similar to the Ordo Ulcesior Pietas (I probably spelled that wrong) that was around circa 2010-ish. That'd be fine, if you can find enough people interested in joining such an organization.

I love paladin stuff. If there's sufficient interest, I could maybe put together the occasional quest.

I am willing to help as an outsider

I have a non paladin with paladin like ideals that would be interested.

That is a very good point, Edge. The Ordo recruited non-paladins who were Lawful Good for their cause, including a LG sneak of mine. I kind of missed that roleplay for Cormyrean roleplay. And I hope anyone who participates have equally good experiences in the new/revived faction!

Best,
Arya

Some thoughts and details to flesh out my very short post.

The Companions of The Most Radiant Heart "The courage of one can change the fate of many"

My reasoning for putting this idea forward are both IC and OOC. I'll start with the OOC reasoning.
It's rather simple, a chapter would a paladin specific faction that enables its small member base to share a massive amount of information and resources. We don't have many Paladins on the server and the faction would work as a place for help/paladin meetings.

Icly its a bit different, Paladins are often viewed as warriors of their faith, but they are often diplomats, messengers, teachers, scouts, and even secret agents. The Order is a gathering of Paladins, for reasons of sharing intelligence, news, resources and fellowship. It would allow for a class specific role play as well. There are several server events that a variety of Paladins are involved in, The Order can become a outlet for the newest to oldest member to draw on. Not simply to get knights for a battle, but research, guards ((non event style)) and physical resources.

As for non paladin classes, they are not apart of faction strictly speaking, however it is and will be on this server a very public organization. Friends and contacts are where the strength of the order will lay, not with official powers of authority. So while only Paladins will have a vote, most everyone will have the chance to be involved with the faction.


Thoughts?

Honestly, I'm not sure I'd agree with the idea of a paladin as a secret agent, seeing as lying/espionage does not really fit in the with the idea of law and good. I believe lying is explicitly named as a chaotic act, so a paladin who frequently lies would eventually fall as their alignment shifts to Neutral Good.

Also, paladins are servants of their faith, as you said, and not all of those deities that have paladins will necessarily agree on sharing resources - those gods more open to redemption might balk at a more heavy-handed approach and not wish to share information that would lead to an undesired outcome. This is compounded with your statement that there are not many paladins on the server - few members means little information. Especially when your intention is to exclude like-minded individuals who could be of great help to a common cause. What reason would a non-paladin have to aid a faction that by its own bylaws would not let them have their voice, especially when a number of churches who would listen may have a more active playerbase? I speak as someone with a couple of pallies in my vault - should I involve myself playerside (which...probably won't, conflict of interest with my offer of topside help), my characters could vote...and it still feels very off to me.

Food for thought. You may need to adjust your scope on this if you want to have a truly inclusive faction that will have a great deal of resources and activity as a force for Law and Good. As written, it reads a bit cliquey.

The faction is a paladin exclusive, I didn't design it that way, it's one of the core concepts of the lore behind the group.

Edit: It also allows "Goodly clergy", however it seems to be a paladin led organization. 

So the question that needs to be answered is how much wiggle room do we want with this?

I'd say that'd be up to the players wanting to participate.

I'm highly in favor of allowing goodly "divine" characters to participate.  If you wish the group to be player-led, then really the decision is up to you and those who join.

Goodly clergy can include everything from clerics and druids to divine champions.

There's a few things to note about The Order of the Radiant Heart that will make it difficult to work with in CD's general environment:

1. It only allows paladins and LG clerics to join. Non-LG members are forbidden. 

2. It's a fraternal organization (no women allowed).

3. It's exclusive and hard to get into - even the Auxiliary branch. Non-human, or part-human members would probably be almost impossible to get in.

4. It's a nepotic organization. Members of certain noble families gain entrance far easier than others.

5. Anyone member who is a Paladin that Falls (even to another good alignment) is subject to being beheaded by the Order.

6. The structure of the organization assumes that members come from feudal monarchies (which is usually where paladins come from, anyway). If a member joins and comes from, say, Mistledale (which is a republic), they could never join the Most Noble Order - they would have to be in the Auxiliary their entire life.

All this said, I think it might serve you better to create your own group with its own rules and lore so it can be tailored to fit the server.

Yowch. That's far more restrictive than I expected. Yeah, that greatly reduces/limits the possible membership severely.

(Also I take heavy issue with a group that beheads Good-aligned characters and shows distinct, visible favoritism being considered Lawful Good, as well.)

This is something Ramus would take an interest in....but yeah I would say make your own group and lore. I would be willing to help you if you wanted some help?

Wiggle room wiggle room. After the ToT there are a few changes which is the only reason I considered the idea.

1. Race becomes a non factor
2. I can gladly scratch the entire male only bit.
3. Members joining the Auxiliary becomes much. .much easier.
4. The order created several functioning "houses" within the organization. (( Law/Healing/Crusaders))


As for beheading, it is referring to fallen Paladins or someone who is removed from the order for cause.


I was waiting for  this!. As pointed out it is exceeding difficult to join THE ORDER, most members never proceed past the auxiliary. I am not looking to make any paladin on this server a member of the core order. ((25 members world wide)). I am looking to starting a very liberal chapter on the server, which is why. I am asking for input, so we can try to make this inclusive. I would suggest very simple ranking structure of "One paladin/member, one vote", with the only official positions being logistics. Chairman for meetings, quarter master for equipment, ect . .

As for membership, this is where things become tricky.  Most Paladins are joined to other organizations and I don't want to force people to choose, that said I would prefer that there remain some or the lore basis to the structure so I propose the following.

Any "Member" is allowed to vote and any paladin member or otherwise present may have a vote when present for meetings. Membership I was thinking of opening up to any/clergy of the paladin faiths, with a exception for any non clergy on a guild vote basis. Voting for such things will take place on the forums, so it won't be a drawn out affair.

As for voting I have one concern and I'd like help in addressing it. It's likely that Paladins will be outnumbered within the faction at times, however it remains a "Paladin Order" So if a vote passes that the majority of Paladins disagree with, they will need some sort of veto contingency.  Or do you guys think I am wrong in that?

Just as a question I am assuming here by Fallen you mean 'No hope of making amends, go directly to jail, do not pass go' not just a Paladin who has to undergo an atonement quest, but one who does something really terrible?

The only reference I find is to a second edition source via the Complete Paladin's Handbook.  It isn't mentioned in any 3.5 source, especially not the Champions of Valor (which lists multiple 3.5 orders or associations).  So, I'm leaning toward the order either having broken up into other orders or not existing anymore.

You can always just invent a player order of your own on similar lines. Really, we're not straightjacketed by the setting to that degree (although if you want it to be part of some large existing Order, then yes, you do limit yourself in that sense).

I would think that there should be some open room to debate such a decision, an order be it Paladin or Priestly is a point where all members input is valued equally, if there is 30 priests and 20 paladins and 15 of the paladins say no, thats not a really good reason to give them a Veto, generally in D&D from my understanding, priests are generally seen as the word of the gods, speaking for them as needed as a form of guide (( While never truly knowing the gods will)), as to the Paladin who is the enforcer of said will and ideals. If the priests are saying one thing and the Paladins are saying no, perhaps there needs to be an examination as to why both sides are saying no, rehash out the issues, then revote again as well.

There could also be very good reasons for the difference that comes down to different goals, the Pally in many ways is the sword, their goals are not the same as the Clerics, and this is meant to be a Pally order, I could see some checks being put in so that every time the two disagree the pallys don't auto win, but having some method for extreme cases where the pallys in the pally order can over rule the others? Yeah I could see that making sense.

Maybe have it need a supra majority, or if you have rankings the highest ranked pally has to stand down and make room for another to take their place. Something that carried real weight as a consequence would limit the use of a Veto while acknowledging that in a Paladin order, the ways of Paladins will take precedence.

Still I have no real ducks in this fight not having a Pally and being unlikely to gen one up, so take what I have to say on it with a pinch or two of salt.

Depending what form this takes, might be interested with Valeria. She'd have been 100% excluded from the original order sounds like, heh

As would Bastion since he is not a "Paladin" class despite holding to ideals as strict if not stricter than theirs.