This was a fun thread to read through because I had thought up a Paladin in my head just the other day. It's also interesting to see the variety in which people view Pallies. I've always thought of them as heavy armor wearing religious knights with big two-handed swords...kind of like Knights Templar meets fantasy (I made myself laugh considering how much fantasy surrounds the historical knights, but I digress, lol).
I would have gone with Steel Plate Armor, a two-handed sword (there are some options, in my mind), and Restoration would be important. Probably enchantment and smithing as well.
The real question, and this is where I stumbled, who would be the deity in which my crusade was in the name of? Meridia is an option, but she is a Daedric Lord. Stendarr has enough fanatics, they don't need one more. Ideas I came up with was Kynareth and basically go against anything or anyone harming nature or that was unnatural while roaming around protecting travelers from thieves, bandits, and just general bad people. The other idea I had, which probably doesn't float as well, is being a Knight of Talos who, during this time of strife, believed Talos came to him in a dream and now he goes around championing his name.
Of course, I'm sure the mer or beast races have other gods that you can work something out with. I just feel that the Paladin's chosen god, their motivation, is more important than some of the stuff you guys are kind of arguing about (iron mace vs whatever...doesn't really matter, I don't think).