Oath of Conquest

 

The Oath of Conquest: Dragonborn Paladins of Noemis

  "Victory demands sacrifice. Victory demands will. Victory demands that the weak submit to the strong, lest chaos consume all."  

The blade serves not justice, but dominion. Let the meek inherit ash.

— Valdin the Ironscale, upon taking his sacred vows

  Among the scaled sons and daughters of dragons who walk the realm of Noemis, few paths command such terrible respect as the Oath of Conquest. These dragonborn paladins forsake the gentler virtues embraced by their divine brethren, instead wielding sacred power to impose order through strength, fear, and unbreakable will.  

The Sacred Doctrine of Dominion

  The Oath of Conquest emerged in the war-torn epochs following the Sundering of the Great Clutch, when dragonborn clans scattered across Noemis like scales torn from some primordial wyrm. Where other paladins sought to heal the fractured realm through mercy and protection, the Conquest-sworn understood a darker truth: only through absolute dominion could lasting peace be forged from the crucible of war.    

The Three Pillars of Victory

  Those who embrace this oath bind themselves to three fundamental principles:   Douse the Flame of Hope in Your Enemies: A foe without hope cannot rally, cannot inspire others to resist. The Conquest paladin must become a living manifestation of inevitable defeat.   Rule with an Iron Fist: Once victory is achieved, mercy becomes weakness. The conquered must understand their place in the new order, lest rebellion kindle in their hearts.   Strength Above All: Personal might, both martial and mystical, serves as the foundation upon which all conquest rests. To grow weak is to invite usurpation.  

The Draconic Path to Power

 

Manifesting the Oath

  When a dragonborn paladin reaches their third decade and has proven themselves in battle, they may undertake the Rite of Scaled Dominion. This sacred ceremony, conducted beneath the light of a blood moon, binds the petitioner to powers both divine and terrible.   Conquering Presence becomes the first manifestation of their oath. The paladin's draconic heritage amplifies their natural authority, allowing them to project an aura of such commanding terror that lesser mortals find themselves paralyzed by fear. Those within thirty paces who gaze upon the oath-sworn must steel their minds or be consumed by dread.   Guided Strike channels divine wrath through the paladin's weapon, ensuring that when victory hangs by a blade's edge, their blow shall not falter. The gods of conquest guide their hand with supernatural precision.  

The Aura of Subjugation

  By their seventh year of service, the paladin's very presence becomes a weapon. The Aura of Conquest extends from them like invisible chains, binding those already gripped by fear to helplessness. Enemies frozen by terror find themselves unable to flee, trapped within reach of the paladin's blade while psychic agony tears at their minds.   The dragonborn Valdin, known throughout the eastern provinces for his iron-scaled hide and merciless campaigns, has mastered this power to terrifying effect. Witnesses speak of entire enemy formations rendered motionless by his approach, their weapons trembling in paralyzed hands as his presence alone broke their will to fight.  

The Final Ascension

  Masters of the Oath eventually transcend mortal limitations through Scornful Rebuke and the ultimate manifestation: Invincible Conqueror. In this exalted state, the paladin becomes a force of pure dominion, their scales hardening against all harm while their blade strikes with the fury of ancient dragons.  

Sacred Armaments and Draconic Heritage

 

Weapons of Conquest

  Dragonborn paladins of conquest favor weapons that reflect both their martial prowess and draconic nature. The traditional armaments include:   Dragonforged Blades: Longswords and battleaxes crafted from scales and bone of ancient wyrms, their edges never dulling, their strikes carrying the echo of dragon roars.   Shields of Dominion: Tower shields bearing the heraldry of conquered realms, each dent and scratch a testament to victories claimed.   Breath-Touched Javelins: Ranged weapons infused with the paladin's own breath weapon, allowing them to project their draconic power across the battlefield.  

The Scales of Authority

  Unlike other paladins who don humble mail, the Conquest-sworn array themselves in armor that speaks to their station. Dragonplate harnesses crafted from their own shed scales serve both as protection and symbol, while chainmail of submission forged from the weapons of defeated foes reminds all who look upon them of the consequences of defiance.  

The Mystic Arsenal

 

Spells of Dominion

  The divine magic granted to Conquest paladins reflects their harsh philosophy:   Armor of Agathys and Shield of Faith protect the paladin while promising retribution to those who dare strike them.   Command and Hold Person bend enemy wills to the paladin's design, forcing compliance through divine compulsion.   Fear and Bestow Curse break enemy morale and mark the unworthy for prolonged suffering.   Dominate Beast and Dominate Person represent the oath's ultimate expression: the complete subjugation of another's will.    

Divine Smites of Conquest   When enhanced by divine power, the dragonborn paladin's weapon strikes carry additional weight:   Thunderous Smite drives enemies back with the force of a dragon's roar.   Branding Smite marks foes with holy fire, ensuring they cannot hide from justice.   Banishing Smite sends the most dangerous enemies into temporary exile, removing them from the battlefield when victory hangs in the balance.  

Exemplars of the Oath

 

Valdin the Ironscale

  Perhaps no dragonborn better embodies the Oath of Conquest than Valdin, whose bronze scales have darkened to the color of old iron through years of battle and divine transformation. Rising from the ashes of his clan's destruction during the War of Broken Crowns, Valdin embraced the harsh truths of conquest rather than seeking empty vengeance.   His campaigns in the Thornlands established him as a master of psychological warfare, using his Conquering Presence to break enemy forces before steel ever met steel. The Siege of Gravenhold stands as testament to his methods: rather than assault the fortress walls, Valdin simply appeared each dawn at the gates, his terrible presence slowly draining the defenders' will until they opened the gates themselves, begging for the mercy of quick surrender.  

The Bronze Brotherhood

  Other notable practitioners include:   Kassara the Flameheart, whose red draconic heritage manifests in breath weapons that leave enemies marked with permanent fear.   Thorek Goldcrown, who unified the Merchant Cities through a campaign of economic conquest, proving that dominion extends beyond the battlefield.   Vyth the Shadowscale, whose mastery of fear magic has earned him the sobriquet "The Walking Nightmare" among enemy forces.  

Trials and Training

 

The Crucible of Will

  Prospective Conquest paladins undergo trials designed to forge unbreakable determination:   The Fasting of Pride: Forty days without food while maintaining constant combat readiness, proving the spirit's dominion over flesh.   The March of Sorrows: A pilgrimage through territories the candidate helped conquer, facing the accusations and hatred of the subjugated without wavering.   The Trial of Absolute Command: Leading a military campaign where failure means the deaths of those under their command, teaching the weight of leadership.  

Masters and Mentors

  Each sworn paladin serves under a Dragonlord of Conquest, typically an elder dragonborn who has proven their mastery through decades of successful campaigns. These mentors guide their students not through gentle instruction, but through harsh testing that mirrors the challenges they will face in service to their oath.  

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The Price of Victory

  The Oath of Conquest demands much from those who swear it. Many who walk this path find themselves isolated from former allies who cannot understand their methods. They bear the hatred of the conquered and the suspicion of those they protect. Yet they endure, knowing that their sacrifice prevents greater suffering by establishing lasting order.  

Let others be loved. I choose to be effective.

— Traditional saying among Conquest paladins

  In the realm of Noemis, where chaos eternally threatens to consume all that mortals have built, the dragonborn who embrace the Oath of Conquest stand as iron bulwarks against the storm. They are the necessary darkness that defines the light, the harsh winter that makes spring precious.   Their legacy is not written in songs of heroism or tales of noble sacrifice. Instead, it lives in the peaceful sleep of citizens who need not fear the night, in the prosperity of trade routes kept clear by force of arms, and in the bitter gratitude of those who survive because others had the strength to do what was necessary.