Book of Stone: Paladins

For April, Stone Soldiers.info is celebrating the A to Z Blog Challenge with daily letter-themed entries. A separate page with a list of all these entries, plus Character Profiles and Book Synopses will appear on the right hand side of the page in coming weeks, detailing the people, places and things of the Stone Soldiers universe.

PALADINS

First Appearance:  Spectral Ops

Description:  Anti-Preternatural Combat Arm of the French Armed Forces

Last Known Status: Active worldwide

Since their establishment in 1767 by Louis the XV, the Paladins have protected France from supernatural threats--human and otherwise. 

In the modern era, the Paladins are concealed within the French Military, a special forces unit headquartered in Paris, comprised of the most capable soldiers of all the branches of service of the country. 

Operationally, Paladins operate in teams of twelve, with a Captain, Lieutenant and ten enlisted men and women. Each member of a team is trained in counter-Preternatural operations, and are experts with modern and traditional weaponry. Able to deploy anywhere in the world within only hours, the Paladins effectively neutralize any threat without turning to preternatural means themselves, much like their English counterparts, the Templars. 

Behind the Scenes

Since the beginning of the series, readers have been introduced to supernatural soldiers of many other countries including China's Masters from the Temple of Perfection and England's Templars. While the Stone Soldiers fight fire with fire, employing magic and monsters in their dark war, not every other country combating supernatural threats do the same. 

For Spectral Ops, more international organizations and units will make appearances, as threats continue to appear around the globe.