Order of the Paladins

Order of the Paladins
Country	Shireroth
Founded	1717 AN
Headquarters	Novi Nigrad (Sathrati)
Leadership
Captain-General	Alaric Stern
Manpower
Active personnel	12

The Order of the Paladins, founded in 1717 AN, is a small but well resourced organisation within the Imperial Humanist Party of Shireroth tasked with defending the interests of the Humanist delegates elected to the Folksraad, the lower house of the Shirerithian Parliament. The Paladins are a group of twelve highly skilled individuals, each with unique abilities and skills that make them valuable assets to the organisation. To maintain the Humanist aesthetic, the uniforms, armament, and equipment provided to the Paladins is designed to be consistent with the wider Imperial Republic and the Raspur Pact.

By 1730 AN the Order of the Paladins had absented themselves from Shirekeep to Sathrati, joining forces with the autonomists and the Council of Sathrati.

Organisation

Membership

Current Membership of the Order of the Paladins

Portrait	Name	Rank	Age	Date of Appointment	House
	Alaric Stern	Captain-General National Sector Command Officer		4.XIV.1717 AN	Folksraad
	Baldur Falkenrath	Paladin National Cadre Leader		4.XIV.1717 AN	Adelsraad
	Conrad Steinmetz	Paladin National Cadre Leader		4.XIV.1717 AN	Adelsraad
	Dietrich Feuerbach	Paladin National Cadre Leader		4.XIV.1717 AN	Adelsraad
	Eberhard Nachtigall	Paladin National Cadre Leader		4.XIV.1717 AN	Adelsraad
	Franziskus Adlerauge	Paladin National Cadre Leader		4.XIV.1717 AN	Adelsraad
	Gerhard Schatz	Paladin National Cadre Leader		4.XIV.1717 AN	Adelsraad
	Heinrich Falkenstern	Paladin National Cadre Leader		4.XIV.1717 AN	Adelsraad
	Johann Goldfluss	Paladin National Cadre Leader		4.XIV.1717 AN	Adelsraad
	Karl Himmelsklang	Paladin National Cadre Leader		4.XIV.1717 AN	Adelsraad
	Leopold Silbermond	Paladin National Cadre Leader		4.XIV.1717 AN	Adelsraad
	Matthias Sonnentau	Paladin National Cadre Leader		4.XIV.1717 AN	Adelsraad

Armament

The primary weapon provided to each Paladin is a M1610 semi-automatic rifle rechambered in 7.62×67mmB. This weapon is highly effective at medium ranges and can be relied upon for delivering a constant rate of fire with well aimed shots. In addition, each Paladin is equipped with a M1690 machine pistol, a Benacian automatic pistol chambered in 9x19mm. This weapon is highly accurate and reliable, making it a valuable secondary weapon.

The Paladins additionally have access to a variety of grenades, including the M15 White Phosphorus Anti-Lich Grenade, M16 Mustard Gas Anti-Singer Grenade, and the Clinger Bomb - an adhesive anti-tank grenade that requires a certain level of basic courage to manually deploy against an armoured target.

Equipment

To ensure their safety and effectiveness in combat situations, each Paladin is equipped with a standard set of equipment. This includes a leather bandolier to hold rifle magazines, a leather cartridge belt for pistol ammunition, grenade pouches, and a leather canteen for hydration. In addition, each Paladin is equipped with a gas mask, necessary due to the widespread use of mustard gas during the great wars of the preceding century. The Paladins are also provided with a sturdy backpack, suitable for carrying any necessary supplies.

The Order received a powerful asset in the form of the "Vanguard-2", a Vanguard-class gun-cutter purchased from the Mishalan Arsenal by the Benacian Union in 1717 AN. This gravimetric air vehicle boasts impressive capabilities, including intercontinental travel and low orbit propulsion, to say nothing of its speed, endurance, armament, and defensive countermeasures making it a formidable addition to the Paladins' arsenal.

How the Paladins came to be entrusted with such a potent experimental vehicle is information that presently, as of 1717 AN, cannot be found within the public domain.

Uniform

When not in combat situations, the Paladins wear a distinctive uniform designed to reflect the era's gilded age aesthetic. This uniform consists of a black fez, a black uniform tunic with gold trim, grey jodhpur trousers, and brown riding boots. The black fez is adorned with a gold tassel and emblem of the Humanist Vanguard, while the black uniform tunic is decorated with gold epaulets and a gold Humanist Vanguard emblem on the breast pocket.

The Paladins also wear a black leather belt with a gold buckle and a leather sword frog, though the sword is purely ceremonial and not used in combat situations. The uniform is completed with white cotton gloves and a black cape with a gold clasp. The cape is made of a high-quality wool blend and is designed to provide protection against the elements.

In combat situations, the Paladins wear a more practical uniform designed for their safety and effectiveness. This includes a dark grey tactical vest with multiple pouches for ammunition and other necessary supplies, as well as a black tactical helmet with a gold emblem of the Humanist Vanguard. The vest and helmet are designed to provide protection against gunfire and shrapnel.