[quote=Nevis]
For the record, paladin is a term that is [b][u]slightly[/u][/b] misused among fantasy settings in modern times; 'paladin' refers to the knights following Charlemagne, not 'holy knights' in general. Use it as you will, though.Here's to hoping the Divine Comedy (Dante's pieces including Inferno) isn't one of you major sources/inspirations (I do NOT like Dante's work).
[/quote]

Note that I said [i]slightly[/i] misused. Using it does make some sense; it's just not correct. That said, I have little regard for the bastardization of language just because it's become accepted. Saying 'paladin' isn't necessarily the most 'accurate', though, just likely the fastest. There are multiple ways of doing paladins, after all-and multiple ways of fitting exactly that description without being one, even by modern conventional terms.

D&D especially has issues with that, though. The 'barbarian' class is actually an insult; the term 'barbarian' was a roman term for 'foreigner'. It referred to the Greek and Roman view that all of the other languages were garbled nonsense that sounded like 'bar-bar', hence the term 'barbarian'. The word is in its very origins and meaning outright bigoted; the 'N word' in modern America is actually [i[less[/i] bigoted, as the 'N word' at least used to be just a literal observation (it comes from negro, coming from latin niger-literally the word for black) that acquired a demeaning attachment over time, rather than an insult in it's literal meaning and origins.

Anyways-awesome! Out with Alligeri.

For some reason, I am imagining the island and society this starts in as similar to Malta and the Hospitaliers. Maybe because of the whole 'militarized Christian-ish island of Knights' part.