Cardinal Paladins

Introduced in name only in "Chapter 9" of Ravel Quest, the Cardinal Paladins is a group composed mostly of humans who have joined together in the defense of the "world". They are led by "The Elder" who leads a council of "Ten Cardinal Paladins" who each develop their own territory and lead their own forces composed of those they recruit themselves. They were founded by said Elder hundreds of years ago, though the exact date is unknown, with their mission objective being to defeat the "ultimate evil" that exists in the world and to keep the world balanced.

The identities of most of the Ten Cardinal Paladins are unknown, however, some have stepped out of the shadows, announcing who they are. While some might believe they are simply saying this to gain recognition, certain individuals who have said this has disappeared over the organizations founding, with others speculating that if one were to claim they are part of the Ten, then they would disappear from the face of the planet, which makes those who claim that they are that do not vanish, special individuals that are actually part of the organization itself.

Logo
The logo of the Cardinal Paladins is a circle encapsulating two squares, with each point of the two squares touching a different "cardinal direction", that being of: north, south, east, west, north-west, north-east, south-west, and south-east. Inside of the square that is tilted, are eight eyes lining the sides with a ninth eye in the middle, being much larger than the other eyes.

The Elder is represented by the circle which surrounds the squares and eyes, while the smaller eyes are the Tenth through Second Seats of the Cardinals, with the large eye in the middle being the First Seat of the Cardinals.

The Emblem of the Ten Cardinal Paladins, on the other hand, is a badge of honor that they are given, with that being of a silver eagle. It is to show the members of the Cardinal Paladins that they are of the upper echelon. It is a badge showing off their power.

The Emblem of the Elder is four circles all of which are connected to a fifth circle that resides in the middle of them. One circle to its north, another to its south. One circle to its east, another to its west. The Emblem of the Elder sits upon his throne, signifying that only the Elder may sit upon it - and all else who attempt will earn the wrath of him and the Ten Cardinal Paladins.

Criteria
For those looking to join the Ten Cardinal Paladins, there are certain criteria they must make, though there are exceptions.

One part of the criteria is to be human or part-human - however, there have been those who have joined the Ten Cardinal Paladins that have been of a separate race in its entirety, not even a percent human. Though this is the exception, not the rule.

Those who join must be considered "good". To explain, the members of the upper echelon of the Cardinal Paladins, the ten chosen by the Elder himself, must be those who will absolutely protect the world in the time of a crisis. For those who would run away from the duties given to them - they would not be chosen no matter their strength.

They must contain a great deal of strength within their bodies, with the weakest of the Ten being compared to the "Ultimate-class" among Devils, Angels, and the Fallen, making them either just below the Devil Kings, Seraphim and the Cadre, equal to them or even surpassing them in strength. However, there have been exceptions in which a younger individual would be granted the status of one of the Ten Cardinal Paladins who has not yet made this requirement, but would do so in the future.

The Ten chosen to lead the Cardinal Paladins must also be able to work together, regardless of their personal feelings for one another. They must be able to lead those that fill their ranks and they must be able to see all as equals.

Rules
A list of known rules of the Cardinal Paladins:
 * 1) Thou shalt not betray.
 * 2) Thou shalt not heed the council of traitors.
 * 3) Thou shalt not misuse the rules of law.
 * 4) Thou shalt give thanks daily.
 * 5) Thou shalt give respect.
 * 6) Thou shalt not kill without order.
 * 7) Thou shalt not cheat another.
 * 8) Thou shalt not take what is not thou.
 * 9) Thou shalt not give false testimony.
 * 10) Thou shalt give equal standards to all.

Current Members
The Ten Cardinal Paladins possess ten seats for each of the Ten, however, there is an eleventh seat for the Elder, who presides over the Cardinal Paladins as their leader and advisor. The First Seat of the Cardinals possesses the most strength and influence while the Tenth Seat of the Cardinals possesses less strength and influence. The rankings of each member are checked through their seat numbers. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that the Tenth Seat will always lose to the first; in fact, if the Tenth Seat possesses a powerful counter, then they can win. It is simply a matter of strategy. The seating arrange of the Ten Cardinal Paladins places them next to those who are two up are two down from them and across from the person who is immediately above or below them. For example, the Third Seat of the Cardinals will sit to the right of the First Seat of the Cardinals and to the left of the Fifth Seat of the Cardinals, while also being across from the Fourth Seat of the Cardinals. The Elder: Ten Cardinal Paladins:

Retired Cardinals
In order to retire as one of the Ten Cardinal Paladins, there is an equivalent to a "ten-step" program that must be followed. Though there aren't ten steps, or even two, in order to resign from their post, one of the Ten must approach the Elder and give a time that they wish to retire - which must be ten years in the future at the very least, multiplied by their Seat Number. For example, the Tenth Seat must spend ten more years as one of the Cardinal Paladins before he can retire, while the First Seat must spend one-hundred more years.

Though it is unknown as to why this is set up this way, none who have put in their desire to retire have died before they could actually do so.

The list of known Retired Cardinals:
 * Vasco Strada
 * Uther Pendragon
 * TBA

Cardinal Candidates
There are those who have garnered the eye of the Elder, however, they have not joined the Cardinal Paladins, even if they express a desire to do so. Though the reason is unknown as to why they have not yet become a member of the Ten Cardinal Paladins, even when there is an open slot for one to join, it is believed that they simply aren't "ready" to dedicate themselves to their noble cause of protecting the world.

The list of Cardinal Candidates (this list will expand as the series progresses):
 * George Flamel
 * Da Vinci
 * Aroa Enfin
 * Myrddin
 * TBA

Trivia

 * The logo for the Cardinal Paladins is the symbol of the "Al-Thamen" from "Magi".
 * The Emblem of the Ten Cardinal Paladins is from "Black Clover" of the "Silver Eagle Magic Squad".
 * The Emblem of the Elder is the symbol of the "World Government" from "One Piece". His throne also comes from "One Piece".
 * The picture showing the Ten Cardinal Paladins in a meeting is from "Bleach" from the meeting of "Espada".
 * The rules of the Cardinal Paladins are based on the "Ten Commandments".
 * The Elder's appearance is from the "Black King" from "Drifters".