Ramedar

Saint Ramedar was a priest of Ilmater in Tethyr in the 13 century DR. He was a vocal proponent of using prisons as institutions for rehabilitation and education rather than punishment or retribution. He was elevated to sainthood after being executed for treason by the Duke of Ankramir.

History
In the, a vine-blight ravaged the grape harvest across large portions of Faerûn, and the Purple Hills were no exception. The Duke of Ankramir was either unaware or unsympathetic and demanded the usual number of casks from the peasants. The vintners and farmers refused to pay the levy and tried to sell their meager harvest in the North, where demand and prices where high, in an attempt to recoup some of their losses. The duke sent soldiers to confiscate the wine, only to see the casks broken and tossed into the Sea of Swords in what later became known as the Battle of the Broken Vats.

The duke held the farmers and vintners responsible and rounded up all the heads-of-household and quickly brought them before an ad hoc judicial council to face charges of treason. Brother Ramedar spoke for the defendants with passion and eloquence, and ultimately convinced the council to have mercy and allow the church of Ilmater to take them into custody rather than be executed. The duke was enraged at this verdict and charged Brother Ramedar with treason, then summarily executed him on a rack. For saving hundreds of peasant farmers from certain death at the cost of his own life, Brother Ramedar was elevated to sainthood among the Adorned. In the, a monastic order called the Ramedaran Brotherhood was formed to put Saint Ramedar's ideals of using incarceration for rehabilitation and education into practice.