Originally Posted by LurkytheDwarf
I'm sorta at a loss for Paladins because at first, this doesn't seem like a world which has many gods, or where the gods are very present.
I like how you’re approaching the setting overall, and I wouldn’t say that what you’ve described places any limitations on gods per se.

You mention city-states, which fits the Conan theme very well, and could serve as a parallel to ancient Mesopotamia, where dozens of city-states fought endlessly over borders and trade. Each of those city-states was organized around a temple (or two temples in some cases), which was not only the center of religious activity, but also the economic and administrative hub for the city and its surrounding territory.

If you incorporate this approach into your setting, then each city-state has its own patron god, with a dedicated priesthood in the city’s central temple. Paladins would thus be the divine agents of each city’s patron god, pursuing the god’s interests—which are by definition the city’s interests—both within the city walls, across the city’s territory and wherever else the city’s interests require intervention.