First post, yay me! Between studying sociology and reading on shifts in the Paladin Guild, i got to thinking about the nature of the sanctified mortal soul every paladin wields. where did it come from? we know there's a ritual to join, but how does that exactly "sanctify" it? Historically, where did it pop up?
This will probably be a ramble and long-winded, so i apologize in advance.

-Where did the sanctification originally stem from?
Reading back through old posts and guild lore, every paladin knows (or should) about Syal and the "Bonding": an event culminating from an engagement with an entity known as The Hunger (patron of the Philosophers?) that led to the founding of the guild under the Baron of Therengia, and the Paladin Code as we know it today. In the Oane/Fenhalut/Darius event that happened too many years ago, it was eluded that paladins are more than we had previously thought. The details of the Bonding are unknown, supposedly written down in a journal that was kept with the body of Emile in the P5 guildhall, which only holds an empty coffin. This got me thinking: could this "Bonding" be the event that started the soul sanctification? Here's my train of thought

1.) Up until this encounter, Syal had been called into the service of the gods as a cleric, but rejected that path. Opting for more focus on armor and arms, he was essentially the first paladin, along with his companions. Does this previous connection to divinity, no matter how small, lay the groundwork for the spark in the mortal paladin soul?

2.) A "Bonding" could mean an convergence of energies...or literally to "bind" something through convergence. Was this event, combined with Syal's previous connection to the divine, the catalyst for his followers? My thought is that the "Bonding" was Syal manifesting his soul (with divine help) to entomb this Hunger, though the prison isn't perfect. Life (Syal's Soul) to counter the anti-thesis of life (The Hunger). How does that trickle down to today's paladins?

3.) In the visions preceding and following the Oane event, it's conjecture that the figure seen fighting back hordes of shadowy figures is Syal. Through this "Bonding" did Syal's mortal soul become immortal to keep this thing contained? I don't think a disembodied spirit would have the force necessary to accomplish this. This is where i believe modern paladins come into play: we are the extra bars on the prison, through our own sanctified souls.

4.) The "Bonding" may not have been just a merging of energies, but a linking of souls, predominately those present for the event. Syal's "manifestation" of his own soul prompted changes in his companions' souls. Not too sure (memory is fuzzy) if Sir Darius did the same, but the prayer that Lady Verika recites upon joining the guild could very well open up that lock on the mortal soul - not only allowing for the spark to ignite, but make the connection to syal's immortal soul. The Paladin Code may be a set of instructions to keep the soul pristine, in order to keep the prison strong. If all paladin souls are linked through that spark, then a darkened soul could be a means of escape for "The Hunger". (hence, the armor-clad figure screaming " I cannot do this alone! Does no one remember!?" makes a tad more sense).

5.) Why keep all this hush-hush? My guess is panic and hubris. The event with oane splintered the guild for a time, and the mindset of paladins today has shifted some. Discussions on the boards allude to as much, with a re-visiting on concepts of the paladin soul and it's implications on our actions (soul hits).

6.) Speaking of soul hits, aside from those outlined by the code, why do paladins get them? From my understanding, the gods could care less what we do in our daily lives, as long as its not a perversion of their domain. Did that joining prayer contain subliminal messages, so that a paladin would strive to keep a pristine soul? The penalties for not doing so is a dimming of the soul state and removal of abilities for a time. But why? Empath shock comes to mind: it goes against the nature of their amplified empathic connection. Could a darkened soul be a conduit for the hunger to escape? Are soul hits our own ingrained shame/guilt over our actions, delivered through subliminal chants upon acceptance of the Code?

Just a Paladin's musings on what makes us "us".