Hand of Righteousness

In 3 VE, Pope Micah the Merciful declared the need for the Valencian's to claim their new found home away from the non-human inhabitants. It is recorded in The Merciful Words that he said, "'This land is in dire need of a righteous hand to wipe away the sin and decay that so easily takes our attention away from the worship of our Holy Triad.'"Inspired by his words, several Holy Kights rose up in support of Pope Micah's call for a "righteous hand," and formed the first Holy Order of Paladins: The Hightower Paladins. For the next 82 years, the Valencians began to aggressively exterminate Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, Giants, Faye, Ogres, Dryads, and any other non-humans they were able to find. While never an officially recognized as a war, this period is recognized by most historians under an umbrella term, "The Hand of Righteousness."

Formation of the Paladin Order
Beginning with Roland Hightower, different Orders of Paladin Knights were formed to combat the "sin and decay" of the continent.

Order of Hightower
The original Paladins of the Empire, the Order of Hightower (named after their founder, Roland Hightower) would become renown for their exploits.

Fall of Stheno
Stheno, the Beholder, was bothe revered and feared by the original inhabitants. After the Valencians arrived, Stheno's presence was well known in the Foothills of Euryale and beyond. For 12 years, the Valencian priests, warriors, and knight all tried and faile to fell the creature. Roland Hightower had made several atempts to destroy it, but lost dozens of Paladins in the process.