Role Play: Paladin roleplay in Legion

Paladins have always been warriors of the Holy Light. They’ve always fought for justice and good in the world. But in recent years, they’ve discovered far, far more about just what being a warrior of the Light entails, and about the Light itself. With the discovery of the Draenei and their naaru allies in Burning Crusade, the Paladins of Azeroth realized they were not alone in the universe. And they also realized they had a greater role to play in history than they’d ever imagined possible.

In Legion, Paladin roleplay takes another leap forward with several revelations about the Light and its Army.

Army of the Light

It was Prophet Velen and the naaru who first brought up the concept of the Army of the Light back in Burning Crusade. Back then, it was more of a conceptual thing – we didn’t have a real understanding of just what that army was all about. We did know that the Draenei and their naaru allies were firmly opposed to the Burning Legion – that’s what the army was for.

Of course that’s a cause worth fighting for. And as the years passed and we grew closer to these new allies, we learned more about that Army of Light and what it was meant to do. According to Velen’s visions, it was a gigantic force composed of all of Azeroth’s races, as well as the Draenei, and other survivors of worlds destroyed by the Burning Legion.

In Legion, we’ve discovered something astonishing – that Grand Army of the Light actually exists. It’s not just a vision in Velen’s head; it’s already formed and fighting the Burning Legion on Argus. Not only that, but the Army is currently lead by Turalyon – long thought lost somewhere in the Twisting Nether.

Unfortunately, the Army is fighting a losing battle.

Paladins of Azeroth

If your character is a Paladin of Azeroth, they’ve suddenly got a lot to think about, mostly tied in to the very nature of their existence. Maybe your character is a recent Paladin recruit who joined because they wanted to be a part of that Army of Light. Or maybe your character has been a Paladin for many years – and now they’re faced with the reality of just what being a Paladin is all about.

It’s a scary prospect. Being a Paladin isn’t just about fighting for what’s good anymore. It’s about rising up and taking down the might of the Burning Legion itself. And as seen in the Broken Shore scenario … the Light can’t protect you from everything. It couldn’t protect Highlord Tirion Fordring, and he was arguably one of the most devout Paladins the world had ever seen.

Does that shake your character’s faith? Did witnessing Fordring’s death frighten your character, or spur them to take action? Are they questioning whether they’ve chosen the right path? Or does the prospect of fighting the Legion first-hand excite them? Are they comfortable with the idea of dying for their faith? In a universe that is suddenly much, much larger than anyone could possibly comprehend, where does your character feel that they fit? Do they feel small? Or do they feel like they’ve at last found their true purpose, their meaning?

Draenei Paladins

For the Draenei, the situation is a little different – because the Draenei have been well aware of why they’re fighting. They were trained by the naaru themselves, instructed in the use of the Light. And unlike Azeroth’s natives, the Draenei have been preparing themselves for an eventual showdown with the Burning Legion practically since the moment they left Argus.

In other words, they know their purpose. They know what it means to sacrifice, and they’re prepared to lay down their own lives for that cause. The Draenei understand just what horror the Legion presents to the universe, and what happens when the Legion manages to take hold of a world. They’ve seen it happen to their own home.

Obviously a Draenei character is prepared for this possibility. They know what they signed up for, and they’re determined to strike the Legion down. Your character could be a stalwart, ancient defender, ready to fight tooth and nail against the Legion. Or maybe they’re tired. Maybe the cost of fighting this war against the Legion for thousands of years has taken its toll. They could be facing their own crisis of faith, too.

The Light’s purpose

For Paladin characters, Legion is all about the exploration of what being a warrior of the Light truly means. Azeroth isn’t Argus, no – but the Legion forces we’re currently fighting represent the largest Legion army we’ve ever seen. The events of Legion reveal that a Paladin’s purpose is far larger than simply fighting for good on the plains of Azeroth – it’s an interstellar battle against an enemy that almost appears as if it can never be defeated.

That is a lot for any character to take in. In the face of these kinds of revelations, how does your Paladin feel? Are they emboldened with new purpose, ready to charge into the fray? Are they in awe of the vast expanse of the universe, the scope of the battle in which they’ve yet to fully participate? Or are they humbled by their place in the universe, and the knowledge that in the grand scheme of things, they are very, very small?

Legion is all about defending and saving Azeroth – but that’s not where your Paladin’s story is going to end. It’s just the beginning. The very universe is at stake here, existence itself is in peril. Maybe not everyone on Azeroth understands that, because they don’t have that connection to the Light. They don’t see it in the same way that your character does.

In an expansion of explosive confrontation, your character has a lot to think about. If anything, the events of Legion have tested your Paladin immeasurably. Will the lessons they learn in this expansion send them scurrying for a safer vocation, or will they rise above it all, and embrace being a champion of good not just of this world, but the very universe itself?