The Slaughter of Balmoth and The Paladin Purge

Disaster / Destruction

"For nearly 8 years my brothers and sisters were hunted by officials and bounty hunters alike. We were criminals in our own homes, for the crime of trying to serve our gods and people. All based on a lie." - Paladin Alain Thoran

In 761 2A The royal family of Balmoth was hosting a family reunion when a group of heavily armored soldiers entered their palace grounds and killed every single one of them. Not a single member of the royal family survived, not even children or bastards.   Worse still all evidence after the attack implicated the Paladin Order of being involved in the attack, as the Balmoth Royal Family had been vocal critics of the order and its power in Heldir.   Following the Slaughter in Balmoth, the newly placed Lord Regent of Balmoth spread the word far and wide of what had transpired in Balmoth. He placed all blame at the feet of the Paladin Order, and said it was part of a conspiracy against the ruling classes of the various Fallen Cities and Kingdoms. Though he was careful not to implicate the church.   Overnight the Paladin Order became Pariahs. With a few exceptions such as Embrel and Heldir, Paladins were named criminals and huge bounties were put on their head unless they surrendered to imprisonment immediately.   For about 8 years Paladins of all sub-orders were hunted by officials and bounty hunters alike.   It was only in 749 that a Paladin without name left evidence with the Torva'Asu of Embrel that the order had been framed. The Lord Regent of Balmoth had framed the Order to gain power for himself and take over the Fallen City. The Lord Regent was summarily overthrown, and the Paladin Order and its members forgiven. However, at this point the damage had been done, and so much of the order had been killed or starved in prison.