The new order of Paladinus Muerti is extremely carefull not to be discovered and their new headquarter is a well kept secret. People seeking to join the Pal. Muerti are thoroughly interrogated before they are admitted and submited to a geasspell as they ascend into paladinhood. The geas is subtle and prevents any Paladin to accidentaly or intentionaly uncover the orders secrets. A Paladinus Muerti must be at least lvl 4 before he is admitted to go into the world on misions on his own. From 1t to 4th lvl a evil paldin is squired to a more experienced paladin usually lvl 8 or higher. This also is the prosedure for fighters that is not chosen to become paladins. These dark knights never can atain rank over captain but else has the same ranks as a paladin and serves in the same combat squads. When a paladin and a fighter with the same rank is present the paladin is highest ranking.
There is a new ranking system in the order. The Knights of the order only get ranks not titles.
lvl Title Rank
1 Squire soldier
3 Senior Squire Corporal
4 Paladin Squire
6 Paladin Sergeant
8 Slayer Leutenant
12 Master of Battle Captain
15 Master of War Colonel
18 Grand Slayer General
20 Godgraced Grand master
honorary titles over 20th lvl is yet to be developed.
Standard equipment for a knight is bastard sword, dagger, shield, close face helmet and chain mail.
Standard for Paladins is longsword, dagger, shield, greataxe and scale mail.
It is allowed to wear other weapons and armors of own choise but they are not sponsored by the order except for a half plate armour for Paladins/sergeants and full plate for Master of Battle/ Captain.
In addition to the standard for a paladin at his level he get the extra feat focus: greataxe. He does not get the remove dicease ability, but instead gains the extra turning feat for free at the appropriate lvl and a extra rebuke undead /day for each time he would have got an additional remove disease.
Prestige class for Muerti Paladin:
Minor Chosen
Minor chosen are picked by the best of the best among the Paladinus Muerti. They are the gods hands on earth and does not take comand from other evil paladins. The only ones standing over a chosen is a major chosen and only one such will exist. Paladins that feel the calling to be chosen goes into the temple and prays for it until they get accepted. Sometimes the acceptanse can take as long as a week were the candidate are to eat nothing and drink only unholy water. If by a week the paladin is not accepted the test is considered failed and the paladin must suffer the consequenses of failure. If accepted his full plate is enchanted by the god and turn black with silver ornaments and his axe is blessed.
requirements:
attb: +7
feats: cleave, great cleave, combat casting
skills: ride +5, religion +5, language: infernal
Special: posess full plate and batleaxe, be accepted by Muerti
lvl attb fort refl will special
1 +1 +2 +1 +1 +1 to armour and weapon, unruly hair
2 +2 +3 +2 +1 Fear 1/day
3 +3 +3 +2 +2 +1 to barding
4 +4 +4 +3 +2 whirlwind attack
5 +5 +4 +3 +3 dmg reduction 15/+1, whiplike hair
6 +6/+1 +5 +4 +3 permanent circle of protection from good
7 +7/+2 +5 +4 +4
8 +8/+3 +6 +5 +4 Inspire battle rage
9 +9/+4 +6 +5 +5 rage of Muerti
10 +10/+5 +7 +6 +5 +1 to armour and weapon, strangling hair
+1 to armour and weapon When accepted as chosen Muerti blesses his battle axe and full plate with an aditional +1 as long as they are caried by the chosen
Unruly hair. The hair seems to be living with a mind of its own. It can be commanded to not move.
Fear, as spell
+1 to barding, The paldins mount if wearing barding, the barding get a +1 to armour
whirlwind attack, gain this without required feats
Whiplike attack - the chosen can use his long hair as a whip with +1 bonus. Note that a penalty for off hand weapon is aplied if the chosen does not take the multi dexterity feat and multi weapon feat wich can be chosen at this time.
dmg reduction, The paladin is so blessed by his faith that it takes magical weapons to do him harm
Circle from good, as spell
Inspire battle rage, All friendly troops within sight is inspired by the chosen and gets +1 to saves and attacks as long as the chosen is within sight
Rage of muerti, The chosen becomes able to enter a rage similar to that of a barbarian 1/day
+1 to armour and weapon and aditional +1 to the already existing enchantments on the full plate and batle axe caried
Strangling hair - the hair of the paladin is now truly alive and can attack on its own once every second round as a whip. If it hits an opposed grapple check with the chosens bonuses is required. If failed the hair strangles for 1d6 points pr round until the victim gets free.
Iuris:
“This is the corpus iuris of the Paladinus Muerti to be obeyed at al times by al honored members of the great order of The Great Dark Lord of Death our God. Given by the God Himself to first Grand Master, the honored Nathorant Akmarkot,h in the hours of despair. Hail to the Lord rising again. Hail to the rebirth of the first and the seventh. Victorious he rises and again atands at the top of the Paladinus Muerti his children and wards. “ Prophecies of the God 1:3
§ 1. Always under any circumstances obey the laws of the order. Failure to do so leads to loss of paladinhood and life.
§ 2. Always obey your betters, even if it is against what you consider right. A formal protest can be claimed and will be noted and treated by the council.
§ 3. Honor is over al things except the law of the Paladinus Muerti. To lie when not in the cause of The Great Dark Lord of Death is honorless. A paladins honor is his life and without honor one is not paladin having lost status getting what is deserved for failures of the cause.
§ 4. The order praises the Great Dark Lord of Death – Muerti, price by His name. His word counts over all. The Grand Master of the Order is The Great Dark Lord’s voice on earth chosen by Him to be obeyed as is The Great Dark Lord of Death.
§ 5. Income over one’s own keeping, not counting savings to promote a keep to the honor of the God is to delivered to the order or one of his temples.
§ 6. The rewards for faithful serving of the God is power unimaginable when the Great One rises to power again. The God is to be god of both life and death and the Paladinus Muerti is to be his hands.
§ 7. The ax of the headsman that takes the life of the unworthy is the weapon of The Order. To use it in that way is not shameful but help bring the God more souls for his army.
§ 8. By all means, at all times, in every moment of life, do not under any circumstances let the Paladinus Cognitum get to know the meaning behind these words and never yourself utter them: Rathem arath Sathro et.