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This is a question about a FAQ thread that confused me:

Specifically: Can a fighter with a polearm and spiked gauntlets that has "combat reflexes" use both for AoOs on the same round? The mook makes it past the bardiche but instead of stopping to engage, tries to run past to hit the squishies. He gets a punch in the snoot for his trouble.

My understanding of the thread was that the designers said "no". You pick your weapon and that's your AoO for the round. If the Goblins get inside that polearm, they can dance around you like a maypole. My GM says that's silly: Taking a hand off your weapon is a free action so punch the little bastards to your heart's content. At worst, he says, maybe it costs you two AoOs to punch him.

I'm happy with his interpretation, but I just want to know if I misunderstood the thread. What is the official rule?
Thanks.

I've come to respect the cleverness and creativity of the people on these forums, so I'm asking for some of that creative input.
Although a veteran 2nd edition AD&D player (actually started before it was 'A'D&D), I'm relatively new to Pathfinder and most of my group is the same. I have access to the Core Rules, APG, UM, and UC, but can only claim "good" knowledge of the Core. There's a lot there.
I'm making a Paladin for Carrion Crown and this is his concept:

When Lamont Cranston was a child, he was in an Orc raid (as so many adventurers seem to be). While the family retainers that were escorting him were brutally murdered before his traumatized eyes, he was spared. He "smelled right". It was in the aftermath that he discovered he was actually half-orc. There was a strain in the family bloodline and it sometimes manifested. His orcish features were very muted, but they were there. He was horrified. All of his anger and fear turned into self-loathing. He was a monster and anyone who saw him would know it. He took to hiding and wearing a mask. He rarely spoke.
His parents became increasingly concerned as this behavior got no better through the next two years. In desperation, they sent him to the Temple school of Iomedae. There, the stern but kind teachers finally got through to him. They told him that he wouldn't hate the evil of orcs if there wasn't also good in his soul. He clung to that hope like a drowning man to a float. When he was old enough, he petitioned for Paladin training and became a Paladin of Iomedae. Though the training largely healed the scars in his mind, he still feels uncomfortable without his mask and knows that a knowledgeable person may spot the orc features in his glowering forehead and square jaw. It's a rare companion who has ever seen him without the mask.
Until the start of the adventure, he has preferred to operate at night in the poorest (and most crime-ridden) parts of town. Nightvision, a black cloak, and a long developed skill at hiding, means that often the first thing an evil-doer sees is a silver mask appearing in the night before his eyes. With Detect Evil at will and +6 sense motive, he really does know what evil lurks in the hearts of men.
So they call him, "The Shadow".

(Yeah, laugh it up. I love Old Time Radio. Sue me.)

What I need advice with is how to make up this character in a way that is fun to play and helpful to the party without either powergaming or crippling himself. It looks like we are going to be short on fighters. The only other stand up fighter is a bladebound magus. Not sure how that's going to work, but if he can get a decent AC and keep the pointy end of his sword toward the monsters, I'll be happy. As such, I think it best to stick with the traditional 2h weapon Paly. The DM is giving the chars a starting "item" and gave him mwk Full Plate as soon as I described him. DM OKed these traits:
Reduced Orcish Features. Looks more human. Someone who is knowledgeable about half-orcs could get a perception check to figure out his heritage, but most people would just think him a bit "funny looking".
Sneaky. You spent your childhood playing hide-and-seek and, as an adult, still like appearing unexpectedly. Get +1 to stealth checks and stealth is a class skill for you.
Stat rolls (Given by DM to all players): 18,17,16,15,14,13. Don't even try to figure out what that is in points - you'll sleep better. With all those bennies, I see no reason to min/max, powergame, or otherwise try to take advantage of the system. I just want to optimize him for fun roleplaying. So far, I'm thinking this for stats:

ST 18 +2 (I need to keep the bad guys focused on me and making sure that ignoring me is gonna get them gutted like a Sturgeon seems a reasonable way to do that. Perhaps a weapon with reach? I mean. I do +7.5 damage with the jawbone of an ass, does the base dam matter much? (Unless the ass is evil, I make sure it's dead first))
DX 13 (It's plate. Whatever.)
CON 16 (I'm waffling on this one and INT. I have so few skill points and so many useful skills, is 1 HP or 1 Skill point more useful. I put it here because I know I'm gonna get battered like a piñata, but I suspect the skills are more fun.)
INT 14 ( Two skills + INT? Really? What turnip truck did Paladins fall off of? No wonder people think we're stupid.)
WIS 15 (I'm not a primary spellcaster and I'm immune to half the will saves anyway.)
CHA 17 (Shades of Old school. Paly prom queens. At least it has a use now. It seems most of my spells and abilities are CHA based. And people like me. They really LIKE me...)

At this point, I'm stuck. Archetypes, feats: no clue. I hope I've given you an idea of my vision for the character and my sense of humor/fun.

Any ideas? BTW: This is my first Pathfinder char.

I need a sanity check from yall who are better versed in inner sea lore than I.

We are starting a new game in Golarion for the first time and I'm running my brand new RotRL Anniversary Edition. Yeah! One of the players is new to RP but very excited to get her inner geek on. She's also an artist. She spotted the picture of the Drow in the Core Rulebook and fell in love. There is nothing in my inner sea world guide that implies renegade drow exist in Golarion. They are evil. People will burn them. People will put out the witch, just so they can use the wood to burn the drow.

Without turning this into a wall of text; lets's just say the campaign (her and another character) to convince me to let them look that way began. Stats, they didn't care about. They just want to look that way. So I came up with this compromise:
They can be half-drow.
Drow feed such abominations to monsters, but occasionally the Svirfneblin may rescue one (or two) and smuggle them to the surface.
They will use the normal half-elf stats.
Human's haven't a clue about drow, but they all know that there are dark-skinned humans on the southern continent. They will just assume that they are normal half-elves whose human parent was black. There is no skin-color prejudices in Golarion, so there shouldn't be any reaction penalty from humans; half-elves are already exotic.
They are foundlings adopted by the shonti, so they are heavily tattooed and ritually scared. This will further hide their true nature. Especially usefull if they have to deal with elves.
Elves will be puzzled by them. If they figure out what they are, they are likely to attack first and use speak with dead to ask questions later. Elves hate drow more than Dwarves hate watered beer.

Does this sound plausable within the world? I'm only getting into this world, so I'm far from an expert. Opinions are appreciated.