Yalma, the Blind Judge

"The man that passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you would take a man’s life you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. If you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die.”

—    George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

Alternate Names: Aequitas (gnome), Cyfamd (elf), Dema (halfling), Igazvedo (dwarf), Khagaal Yol (orc)

Expanded Domains: Glory, Good, Honor, Law, Leadership, Nobility, Protection, Resolve, Strength

Portfolio: honor, guardians, law, leadership, justice, protection

Knowledge (religion) DC 10:

The blind goddess Yalma, sometimes called the Shield Maiden, is the goddess of justice and the one that taught the rule of law to mortals. Twin to Moros; some say that the two have clashed on every battlefield in every war since the beginning of conflict, for war and justice tend to be at odds to one another.

     Knights dedicated to her can be found patrolling the Green Coast seeking those that have broken both local laws and those set by Yalma. These knights wield either two-handed swords or a sword paired with a shield depending if they are men or women, respectively.

     In art Yalma is most frequently depicted as a statuesque woman in navy blue court robes, her eyes covered by a cloth made red by the blood seeming from her eyes and in her hands a sword and set of scales. Churches to Yalma are painted in differing shades of blue, for the color is considered holy, and often serve as impartial courts.

Knowledge (religion) DC 15:

Despite stereotyped as sticks in the mud that follow the letter of the law and will cut down any that don’t follow their rigid interpretation, most knights of Yalma (called Justicars within the church) believe that the spirit of law trumps the word of law. The purpose of law is to protect and serve, and if the letter must sometimes be bent to achieve this then so be it. They will gladly give their coin purse to a man driven to theft to feed their family while directing them to the nearest soup kitchen.

     The primary requirement for advancement within the ranks of the church is to either serve during a given number of trials or a volunteer a given amount of time in one of the many soup kitchens funded by the church.

     A number of justicars spend the majority of their careers fighting in the Alliance forces against the hobgoblin empire, be it to defend their homes, rescue slaves, or bring justice to the hobgoblins. These justicars frequently form the backbone of small strike squads sent behind enemy lines as deniable agents.

Knowledge (religion) DC 20:

It is said in the holy book Yunsa Kal that Yalma always had a tense relationship with her twin Moros, but this relation became enmity when the latter cut out Yalma’s eyes. Yalma was investigating their brother Lyc for a cruel “prank” on Kyrnash. As Yalma arrived to judge Lyc, Moros arrived with Kyrnash, vengeance burning in their eyes.

     Yalma explained that she knew what Lyc had done, and he would be punished justly. Unable to tolerate the thought of not having vengeance on Lyc, Moros lashed out with her blade. Though the two did not get along, Yalma never expected her twin to attack her. Drawing her sword as she moved back, Yalma was unable to move fast enough to save her eyes.

     Though blinded, Yalma continued to perform her duties. Her injury from Moros has never healed, and turns any covering red from the blood seeping from her eyes.

Knowledge (religion) DC 25:

The oldest copies of Yunsa Kal contain scriptures and tales not present in later copies. One such tale speaks of her interacting with an antlered god. The antlered god is not named, and is not mentioned in any other scholarly text or holy book.

     In the tale, Yalma is pursuing a demon lord that destroyed a mortal city filled with her followers. When she manages to track down the demon lord, it is dead from nearly a dozen arrows and an antlered, cloven hoofed god is in the process removing the demon lord’s head from its body. Though the demon lord had committed terrible crimes, this defilement of the corpse was unacceptable.

     What followed was a game of cat and mouse that took the two gods from the Viridian Mere up along the breadth of the Green Coast and back nearly a dozen times. Repeatedly, Yalma was unsure if she was the hunter or the hunted, such was the other god’s skill. After nearly five full years of hunting the strange, unknown god, Yalma lost the trail of her antlered quarry. The scholars familiar with the tale argue whether it actually happened.

Organization: Kolhya

“I apologize for doing this in armor, but I didn’t have time to change after the tournament. Do you want the soup in a bowl or a round loaf?”

— Sir Admund Sunhair, paladin of Yalma

A loose network of soup kitchens and homeless shelters, the Kolhya provides food and shelter to people without one or both. Priests of Yalma frequently volunteer their services and aid those that require the Kolhya’s services in getting back on their feet. Many merchants, guardsmen, priests, and others have gained a second chance thanks to the priests volunteering at the Kolhya.

     While not the primary goal of doing so, few in the Kolhya or the clergy of Yalma will refuse discounts or aid given by those that got back on their feet thanks to the organization. Just as they have chosen to give their time and energy to helping the downtrodden, it is the choice of others to give discounts or how much they charge people.

    

Code of Conduct: Paladins of Yalma

“There are many roads to redemption. Mine is not peaceful.”

— Justicar-Conscript Gregor Kanshyr, former bandit

The following applies to those that would call themselves paladins of the faith, not just any follower of Yalma.

-          Be honest. Your word should be as good as a promise. This does not mean that you cannot keep secrets or are held to a promise made without all the information.

-          Be courageous, but do not mistake courage for stupidity.

-          Be compassionate, aid those in need and protect the weak. Though you should show mercy to foes this must be tempered with wisdom.

-          Take responsibility for your actions and their consequences. Actions taken with the greatest of intentions can have terrible results, and you must take responsibility for the results of your choices.

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