The Palestone Knights

Following the Longest Year, many faithful servants of the Gods found themselves devoid of guidance and support. Those who had relied upon the mentorship of their deity found themselves bereft, with many feeling entirely abandoned and without purpose. In the case of some, such as Varghem Eremyr, this was a life-shattering experience.

As a paladin of Torm, Varghem felt abandoned and betrayed by his god. In twenty years service, Varghem had never once strayed from his duty. He could not conceive that Torm, for what Torm stood for, could somehow abandon his calling; that any of the Gods could so suddenly disappear, and yet see that everything still worked. That life still went on. That the world did not rot and wither. As if nothing he had done ever mattered, even as he still felt the burning of duty to others in his heart.
Five painful years passed, with Varghem wandering Faerûn aimlessly and trying to do good in a world that - in many places - had descended into mania and lawlessness. Then magic returned, slowly but surely leaking its way back into the world. But for Varghem, it did not return. Subconsciously, Varghem had disavowed Torm to follow his own path - he felt a fire that was no longer fuelled by zeal, but by an indignant rage when he heard and saw the catastrophic results of the Weave’s first manifestations.

Many civilians, many innocents died in that first year, due to the reckless excitement of those who practiced the Art. Particularly wizards, to whom the acquisition of power was the first priority above all. Varghem quickly grew to hate magic and all those who made use of it. After seeing a world that could function perfectly well without it, he no longer felt there was a need for it. Wherever he went, he spread the word of its evils and soon came to find like-minded people who flocked to his cause. In many cases, these were clerics, paladins and others who had similar feelings of abandonment and betrayal.
During his journey to gather more people, Varghem found himself travelling into the Dalelands with his magic-hating militia. The Dales had been well-noted for their prosperity during the absence of magic, and Varghem knew he could find many supporters in such a place. He did not, however, expect to come across a large grey crater just outside of Essembra. There was a strange smell, almost like chlorine but sickly-sweet that filled the air around it, and yet sound around the area seemed to be drawn into it and cancelled out like a void.
Though he knew not why, Varghem was drawn to the crater as if by instinct. In descending the slope that led to its deepest point, he felt a swell of confidence and comfort.

There, at the bottom, was the mangled corpse of a man in the unmistakable, ostentatious robes of one who practiced the Art. Upon the cadaver’s person were many accoutrements one might expect of such a vocation, though all were in some bizarre way warped or dismantled - stranger still, the grey rock seemed to pulse and churn uncomfortably beneath the dead body. Varghem knew that somehow the mage had been responsible for the crater, and yet by some ironic twist the world had responded violently in kind. He took it as a symbol, or calling. He had needed faith in something beyond the gods, and he had found the answer.

Varghem gathered up a handful of grey dust that formed a thick film across the colourless rock and drew his sword with the other hand, coating the blade with it. Though he had intended for it to be nothing more than a poignant gesture, he noticed that the dust quickly seeped into the metal, dulling the blade’s lustre. It was then that the former paladin realised that the rock beneath his feet had lost all its colour from the dust of whatever had caused the explosion. In this moment, he found the name that would serve as the banner for his crusade; he branded himself a Palestone Knight.
Varghem and his companions entirely coated their arms and armour in the pale dust, and emerged from the crater a grim and stoic bunch with colourless armour that no longer had glint or shine. These pallid warriors would come to strike fear into the hearts of magic practitioners everywhere. Divine or arcane, it mattered not, for any misuse that hurt the innocent or disrupted the natural world would be held accountable.
Then, in 1365 DR, a splintering happened. Many amidst Varghem’s crusade found him too restrained, others thought him too harsh. Disagreements arose, and many broke away in pursuit of their own philosophies. Some returned to their gods in some capacity, though still remaining true to Varghem’s code - to never use magic and to carefully monitor and bring to justice those who did.
This code, however, came in many forms. Some so extreme that they in turn became hunted by those upholding the law, others so tempered that they almost became a controlled force dispatched by governments, with many others inbetween. But everywhere, though relatively few in number still, the many fragments of the Palestone Knights grew. By 1368 DR, it was no longer strange to have heard of or seen at least one from the various orders.
However, due to the capricious nature of the various orders and often their extremism, the Palestone Knights are rarely looked upon with anything but apprehension. They are stern lawbringers at best and grim executioners at worst.

Each and every Palestone Knight adheres to the same code, and whilst the splintered groups each hold their own philosophies and principles, no Palestone Knight breaks from the code, nor do they directly engage in the use of magic. To do so is to become an enemy, hunted with fervor and hatred wherever and whenever discovered. First, each Knight must make the oath:


Palestone Knights are sworn to defend others - particularly the helpless - against the machinations of magic users who would bring them harm. They are also sworn to hold those who misuse magic accountable for any harm brought to Toril or its inhabitants, whether intentionally or accidentally.

However, since the first splintering of Knights from Varghem’s group - brought about itself by a differing of views - many have leaned into different philosophies. Such ideologies revolve around what is acceptable of a Palestone Knight. Some returned to worship of the gods, while others saw this as supporting divine magic. Others believe that, until magic is gone from the world, using magical equipment and tools are a means to an end; that to turn the tools of the enemy against them is justifiable. This has led to outright hostility between the Palestone Knights and, while their oath is shared, many oppose each other violently.

Below is a list of the most noted groups of Palestone Knights that exist in Faerûn. Please be aware that this is not an exhaustive list and that there are many Knights who work alone or otherwise attempt to establish orders based on their own interpretations of their oath.

• The Palestone Order
  • The original order, once known simply as the Palestone Knights before they were forced to distinguish themselves, belongs to and is led by Varghem Eremyr. It operates primarily around the Sea of Fallen Stars. After founding the order, Varghem returned to his native Impiltur and established himself there along with his Knights. The Palestone Order is as the Palestone Knights were initially intended; they forsake all use of magic, supporting it in no way, shape or form. Though the worship of gods is not prohibited by the Order, few if any of their number do so. They are - perhaps surprisingly - not a large faction, but many of their group are seasoned former paladins and clerics with decades of combat experience.
• The Blades of the Waning Gods
  • These faithless warriors see the time of the gods’ silence as proof that Toril can progress and even prosper without them. Notorious for their extremist ways, the Blades are a violent group that hunt down and execute mages and priests of all kinds, whether guilty or not of wrongdoing. They see themselves as doing a necessary work for the safety of the world. However, in most parts of Faerûn they are viewed as black-hearted murderers, outlawed and chased away from civil society, forcing them to disguise themselves in order to do trade. There is already one enclave of the Blades established, close to Cormyr.
• The Pale Judicators
  • The Judicators are well noted for being some of the most dour and serious of their kind. Perhaps the most strictly regimented and disciplined of the recognized orders, the Judicators tirelessly journey from region to region, recruiting more into their ranks and establishing bases wherever they can. Due to their strict adherence to local laws, the Judicators are often employed by various regional governments, corresponding with the nobility and working alongside local guards to bring magical miscreants to justice. The Judicators are one order noted for sanctioning magical aid in order to fulfill their duties, though they do so sparingly and generally in the face of great danger - such as battling extremely dangerous foes they know they cannot handle by might of arms.
• The Stewards of Eremyr
  • Though a splinter faction of the original Knights, the Stewards nonetheless adhere almost exactly to his original vision. The only difference being that the Stewards completely forsake the gods. Their name is derived from Varghem’s changed stance upon the worship of the gods, which initially he forbade: many view his mellowed stance as an affront to what the Knights stand for, and thus call themselves his stewards, believing that eventually he will see the error of his ways, at which point they will accept him once again as their rightful leader. They, like the Palestone Order, operate mostly around Impiltur.
• The Moonlight Chosen
  • All of the Chosen are worshippers of Selûne, undertaking an almost constant pilgrimage from one holy place to another. While on their journey, that often deviate to assist those in need who have been the victim of some magic-related incident. The Chosen are generally considered to be the most kindly of the Knights, and are one of the few orders that make it a priority of theirs to do battle with evil magical beasts and undead as much as they do spellcasters. Though known for their more affable nature, they are nonetheless still brutal combatants who brook no quarter with those they identify as foes.
• The Inquisitors of the Forsaken Art
  • Alongside the Judicators, the Inquisitors of the Forsaken Art are the most widespread splinter faction. However, they are also an order regarded with much disdain for their overzealous methods. Inquisitors are a particularly paranoid group, prone to using torture - generally with methods involving fire - when they feel like they aren’t getting the answers they are owed. Being led by a former Kelemvorite, the Inquisitors particularly loathe necromancy and the undead, another reason for their fondness of flame. They tend to kill those they deem guilty by burning them alive. Most know them immediately by the red fabric that adorns and offsets their dull, pallid armor.
• The Order of the Unblinking Eye
  • Another group that returned to worship of the gods, the Unblinking Eye worship Helm and operate almost exclusively within the city of Neverwinter, though some have decided to branch off into distant lands with the intention of spreading their beliefs. They are nigh utterly reviled by all of their fellow Palestone Knights, for the Unblinking Eye have chosen to embrace paladins and clerics under the banner of their name, so long as they swear eventual abandonment of all magic - the use of it by these divine figures is only seen as a means to an end, akin to fighting fire with fire. Technically, however, they have not broken their code as none of the Palestone Knights within the order use magic directly. These Knights are deeply embedded within Neverwinter, serving as part of its law enforcement despite not officially being recognised by Lord Nasher.