Meta: Thoughts on Paladins

Paladins are really cool. A lot of people dislike them because they're seen as being "moral police" for the rest of the party. And to an extent, the rules are written to support that. Paladins have to be Lawful Good. They must always act in the best interests of their deity. They are held accountable not just for their actions, but even for the actions of the rest of the party. And quite frankly, most people find that to be pretty dumb. And I don't really blame them.
But there's another way to look at paladins. They always have to abide by the higher power of their deity - but why does that always have to be Lawful Good? I always envision paladins as being above the law, and meting out justice and serving the world in their own way. If there's an evildoer, the Paladin doesn't want to spend their time going through the legal channels and battling them in court. The Paladin wants to cut them in half with their sword. And if they don't lose their powers for doing so, that's all the evidence anybody in the world needs to support their decision.
Paladins are sometimes described as having the "Stick Up Their Own Ass" class feature. And yes, it sometimes does seem that way. They have to be uptight about everything or else they lose all their own class features. But personally I find that silly. If the Paladin has their own way of dealing with evil, then they should be encouraged to do so. Their deity empowered them for a reason. It was specifically to let them do that which nobody else in the world ever could. If they're bound by transient laws, then the entire purpose is ruined. Paladins cease to be anything other than a bureaucracy.
What I find most fascinating is how a Paladin becomes what they are. Typically, I treat them as being trained from a very young age in an isolated monastery to become living embodiments of their deity. But just recently, a player in a new campaign I started on Sunday suggested the idea of a "Paladin Training Camp" where they are trained as adults after proving themselves as warriors. I rather like the idea, since it allows paladins to be actual people rather than automatons that always play by the rules. He actually said that his character flunked out of paladin training camp, and has a hatred of authority because of it.

Minor NPC: The Blackguard

Another minor NPC, though this one would likely be a recurring villain. I feel like sometimes I do a little too much backstory for things that should be rather basic. This one is the opposite end of the spectrum. Image is courtesy of Reddit user De_Vermis_Mysteriis.


Name: The Blackguard
Race: Human
Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Description: 
The air is cold and still around this figure. He steps forward with an unnatural grace even though he should be laden by his heavy armor. Blood drips down his blade in a constant trickle, and his eyes fixate on you unwaveringly.

Profile:
The Blackguard is a human that once was a paladin. He fell from his powers and made a pact with a triad of demon lords to gain new horrific powers, and now works as their pawn in Fomor. His name has been stricken from history, and his existence proves only to tarnish the reputation of all paladin orders. He is the first of his kind, to not only survive the judgement of paladins after falling to evil, but to prove himself worthy of becoming the servant of such masters.
In combat, The Blackguard is a purely melee combattant. He closes in with whomever he can reach and duels until they die. He no longer places any value on his own life, and will not stop until his target is destroyed. His evil magic serves to give him the ability to drain life from his opponents, and also buffs himself physically. He normally only fights alone.
The purpose of this character is to be mysterious without being too intricate. His past is a secret, since none of the paladin orders are willing to admit where he came from, lest they be seen as corruptible. He himself no longer views himself as human, and now blindly obeys his masters. He can be a recurring villain for the party to face, as he serves these enigmatic beings that may have nonsensical goals to mortals.

Location: The Shore

And now for a plot-centric location! This is one that won't appear for some time in the Fomor campaign, but I want it to be well-defined and fleshed-out area for when they arrive. For now it's a very short post just to get the idea out there, but this one will definitely be revisited in the future. Picture is by René Aigner.


Description: 
The waves slowly lap at the sand. The air is salty, and smells of ozone. You can see a large figure moving beneath the water, but it seems more amorphous than well-defined. No signs of life can be seen for miles.

Info:
This is the place that Garath saw his water dragon during his dream-state. It is located on the western edge of the continent of Fomor. This is the resting place of one of the last dragons - a massive Bronze dragon that slumbers beneath the waves. It can instill great power into any of its blood line, which consists of Garath and several hundred others whose potential was not as great. Its presence has driven off every other living creature, whether or not they are even aware of its existence.
The dragon is highly intelligent and nearly omnipotent. It is so ancient and entwined with Fomor's own existence that it can view the entire continent simultaneously. As such, it knows of the party's journeys but will not intervene in any way. Its purpose in life was satisfied millenia ago when it helped to purge the Formians. Now it only persists to bestow knowledge into another that it deems worthy. Which is Garath.
As far as an adventure goes, I haven't quite decided yet. In a sense, this would be a plot-heavy RP-centric session focused on Garath. But the dragon could also have some task for the party to complete before it fully makes its judgement. The journey to the dragon, however, would be fraught with danger. The party would have to move through ancient Formian hive-cities, and vast stretches of desert. 

Minor Location: The Ruined Temple

So I'm really bad at updating all of a sudden. Yesterday was Labor Day and that was my excuse. Anywho, this image is by Trung Nguyen.


Description:
Mist weaves through the mountaintops. The structures are collapsing, and their colors have been washed away by the winds. Vines creep all around where civilization used to stand.

Info:
The Ruined Temple was home to an order of monks several decades ago. however, they have since been completely driven off. The monastery remains, though it is now decrepit and falling into disrepair. The powers of nature are now taking over the formerly orderly place.
The monks that lived here dedicated their lives to order. Their discipline and mental powers shaped the reality around this area, making it unnaturally orderly. For the most part this has no apparent effect, but especially chaotic creatures experience pain and discomfort. Especially chaotic creatures, such as demons, find that they are unable to exist in this area. However, with their new absence, the neutrality of the Material Plane is reclaiming it as its own.
Several supernatural creatures have come to call this place home. Spirits of monks seek to keep the Ruined Temple as orderly as possible in a magical sense. They are opposed by nature spirits in the area. There is a perpetual conflict between the two factions, though neither can ever actually win. As such, the area shifts back and forth between its dilapidated state and pristine condition.
In gameplay, this area would be used mostly as a surreal one-off adventure. The spirits would coerce the party into acting one way or another to shift the balance towards order or chaos, which they would then have to choose. They could of course choose neither and destroy or ignore either or both sides. This poses a way to challenge the party cohesion, to either let nature run its course or allow the spirits to have their way with their home in life.