My opinion meshes with a lot here, that trying to shoehorn FFXIV Paladins into the D&D mold... or even any previous Final Fantasy mold... is a mistake.
In MOST fantasy lore, Paladins are usually an already-ancient order, with well established traditions and a strong independence from any one nation or ruler. But in Eorzea, I think they are a more recent thing, a martial style created by the Sultansworn. This means they are a creation of Ul'Dah, and are still very much evolving.
Right now, the Paladins are in strife, because of an ideological split. You have the Sultansworn, who give their allegiance to the Sultana, and some who feel that their allegiance is to the greatest power in Ul'Dah, not necessarily the Sultana herself.
Then you have Solkzagyl, who is of the belief that being a Paladin is something greater than being a royal guard, that a true Paladin holds honor and his beliefs in what is right and true above allegiances to transient power. And he is opposed strongly.
There is no divine blessing or selection going on like with Cecil (Though that is certainly possible, it's not required). Paladins, unlike many of the other advanced classes, do not draw their power from a connection to a higher power. They're just incredibly, impossibly stubborn. And so you could legitimately rp a Paladin as whatever you want, though the bias is going to be towards honor and duty, since the ones who train in Paladin martial skills are biased towards that.
In MOST fantasy lore, Paladins are usually an already-ancient order, with well established traditions and a strong independence from any one nation or ruler. But in Eorzea, I think they are a more recent thing, a martial style created by the Sultansworn. This means they are a creation of Ul'Dah, and are still very much evolving.
Right now, the Paladins are in strife, because of an ideological split. You have the Sultansworn, who give their allegiance to the Sultana, and some who feel that their allegiance is to the greatest power in Ul'Dah, not necessarily the Sultana herself.
Then you have Solkzagyl, who is of the belief that being a Paladin is something greater than being a royal guard, that a true Paladin holds honor and his beliefs in what is right and true above allegiances to transient power. And he is opposed strongly.
There is no divine blessing or selection going on like with Cecil (Though that is certainly possible, it's not required). Paladins, unlike many of the other advanced classes, do not draw their power from a connection to a higher power. They're just incredibly, impossibly stubborn. And so you could legitimately rp a Paladin as whatever you want, though the bias is going to be towards honor and duty, since the ones who train in Paladin martial skills are biased towards that.
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