Knights

I've compiled a large number of sprites from Dominions 4 and 5 and their mods into sheets of characters and creatures for use with chivalric roleplaying games.

The default implied setting here is a dreamscape amalgam of times and themes from the fall of the Western Roman Empire up to the widespread proliferation of firearms: the heyday of the mounted warrior.

The true Lancer RPG.

Some of the ideas here are based on the Dominions games, while others are just representations of familiar historical groups.

The apparent size of these sheets varies based on their dimensions, but if you download them and open them in an image viewer or editor the characters and monsters will appear nice and crisp when you zoom in.

I've been compiling these sprites for long enough that I can't say for sure where each of them comes from; if there's any art from your mod here and you'd like to be credited or have it removed, please let me know.

A piece of news before we begin: Monster Eater, Chapter 3, is now live on Fierce Firelight. 

    Index

The Knights of Isle and Plain

    Advanced Knights of Isle and Plain

Chivalric Orders

    Knights Castellan

    Knights of the Rose

    Knights of the Forest Guard

    Knights Hermetic

    Arsenal Knights

    Knights Theurgic

    Knights of the Wild

    Knights of Apollo

    Knights of the Grail

    Minor Orders (Knights of the Pride, The Pack, The Sun, and The Claw)

Localized Cultures

    Men of the Dark Forest

    Men of the Boar

    Ice Giants

    The Dark Peninsula

    The Grand Arsenal

    Pythium

    The Knights of the Black Water

    Sauromatia

    Elk Knights

    Knights of the Whisker

    Knights of the March

    The People of the Empty Places

    The Empire of Immortal Fire

    The Empire of the Silver Dish

    The Tower City

    The Empire of the Third Cataract

    The People of the City-Sea

    The Knights Riparian

    The Thousand Fortresses

    The People of the Pillars

    The Lands of Lead

    The Knights of the High Road

    The Knights of Ivory

    The Floodborn

    The Knights of Spring and Autumn

    The Knights of the Golden Apple

    The Knights of the Chrysanthemum Throne

    The Lord of Hills and Isles

    Atlantis   

    The People of the Deep Expanse

    The Empire of the Great Bridge

    The Knights of the War Bonnet

Distributed Cultures

    The Last Villas

    Agartha

    Cynoscephalae

    The Empire of the Peaks

    The Empire of the Volcanoes

    The Knights of the Starry Plain

    Littoral Amphibians

    Ogres

    Svartálfar

    The Great Megaliths

    The Green Realm

    Vampire Knights

General Purpose

    Commoners and Sorcerers

    Bandits

    Foes

    Characters

    Outsiders

Emergent Factions

    The Royal Army

    The Army of the Republic

    Knights of the Flame

    Knights of the High Frontier

    Pirates

Imagery

    Royal and Divine Imagery

    Example Cutout Framework

Knights

Knights of Isle and Plain

The Knights of the Isle in the north and the Knights of the Plain in the south have warred for a generation and the Knights of the Isle hold fiefs in the Plain, but a period of peace has come and now the knights mutually turn their lances against threats to mankind, and other suitable prey. 

Knights of the Isle

Allies: Chivalric Orders

Enemies: Men of the Dark Forest, Ice Giants, The Great Megaliths, The Green Realm

Knights of the Plain

Allies: Chivalric Orders

Enemies: Men of the Boar, Ice Giants, The Dark Peninsula, Pythium, Vampire Knights, The People of the City-Sea

 

Advanced Knights of Isle and Plain

These character models are for established knights, and those who have acquired magical mounts.

Images hereafter are arranged hierarchically, with higher-status individuals and creatures higher-up on the image

 

Chivalric Orders

Knights Castellan
Fortification Armor

Knights of the Rose

International bounty hunters

Knights of the Forest Guard
Barbarians who have become knights to ameliorate the chaos in their realms

Knights Hermetic
Inventor-knights half-mad from tinctures and forbidden knowledge

Arsenal Knights
Weaponmasters. Chivalry is an afterthought

Knights Theurgic
Ars Magica

Knights of the Wild
At home among monsters

Knights of Apollo
The most adamant proponents of civilization. Severe, disciplined, and clean to the point of mysophobia

Knights of the Grail
Immortality in service of the highest ideals, and no longer

Minor Orders
Knights of the Pride, The Pack, The Sun, and the Claw

Supporting Troops
You need not fight alone

 

Localized Cultures

Once a PC has concluded a diplomatic marriage with a culture that permits them, new PCs can come from the allied family and thus from that culture, with access to their mounts, their equipment and their abilities.

Men of the Dark Forest

They were granted land on the Isle by a foolish king who wished to employ them as mercenaries, but now they come in droves, serving no chivalric master. Someday they will come for the Plain, as well.

Allies: Sauromatia

Enemies: Knights of the Isle, Pythium, Vampire Knights, Elk Knights, The Last Villas, Knights of the Whisker

Marriage Alliance?: No

 

Men of the Boar

The Men of the Boar have lived by far-flung coasts for generations. The receding suzerainty of the Western Empire marks the birth of a new tribal confederation, and the chance to put the taxmen and their enforcers into burning wicker. 

Allies: Empire of the Third Cataract (distantly), The People of the City-Sea

Enemies: Knights of the Plain, The Dark Peninsula, Pythium, The Last Villas

Marriage Alliance?: No

 

Ice Giants

Their raids carry them to the Isle, the Plain, the March, and even to the Dark Peninsula once upon a time.

Allies: N/A

Enemies: Knights of the Isle, Knights of the Plain, Elk Knights, Knights of the March

Marriage Alliance?: No

 

The Dark Peninsula

The former seat of the Western Empire. No one can say exactly what happened here, but the omnicidal hostility of the Empire has awakened again after generations of sleep. Fortunately, the collapse of the Western Empire has been so thorough that the dark figures of the peninsula have yet to march into neighboring lands.

Allies: Outsiders

Enemies: All peoples

Marriage Alliance?: No

 

The Grand Arsenal

A great city-state on the City-Sea, unbesiegable for being mired in marshes, the profiteers of sea-war as their arsenals turn out ships to guard their cargo armadas and equip foreign navies willing to pay through the nose. They are the scorpion, you are the frog; do not trust the Arsenal Dukes.

Allies: Pythium (for now), The Empire of the Silver Dish, The Thousand Fortresses

Enemies: Vampire Knights, The Dark Peninsula, Knights of the Black Water, The People of the City-Sea

Marriage Alliance?: No

 

Pythium

The surviving half of the former empire; while its sister has been ruined by dark spirits, Pythium has been seized by serpent-worship, and actual serpentmen have assumed a crowning role in the cult.

Allies: The Grand Arsenal, Knights of the March, Knights of the Whisker

Enemies: The Dark Peninsula, Sauromatia, The Knights of the Black Water, The People of The Empty Places, The Empire of Immortal Fire, The Empire of the Silver Dish, The Empire of the Third Cataract

Marriage Alliance?: Not while the Snake Cult rules

Particular Proficiencies: Cataphracted serpentry

 

The Knights of The Black Water

The women of a great island south of Sauromatia. They form political alliances with foreigners in lieu of conquering and integrating them in the manner of Sauromatia, and thus have maintained their isolation and their freedom from the problems of empire such as the androphagi hydra-cult in Sauromatia.

Allies: The Knights of the Whisker, Elk Knights

Enemies: The Grand Arsenal, Sauromatia, Pythium, The People of The Empty Places, The Empire of Immortal Fire

Marriage Alliance?: Yes
Particular Proficiencies: Mounted archery

 

Sauromatia

The women of the dark coasts have subjugated many tribes, integrating the men into the original male tribe of cannibal subjects while integrating the women as low-status handmaidens and squires. A byproduct of the conquest and expansion of the androphagi is the proliferation of their hydra-cult, and their lands are now overrun with many-headed snakes. Pythium looks with lust upon this realm.

Allies: The Men of the Dark Forest, The Knights of the March, The Empire of Immortal Fire, The Tower City

Enemies: The Knights of the Black Water, The People of the Empty Places, Pythium, Elk Knights, The Knights of the Whisker

Marriage Alliance?: No

 

Elk Knights

The knights of the forest bogs have served as a tremendous roadblock to expansion by the People of the Empty Places and the Knights of the March, but at last an invasion into their backcountry by the Ice Giants has begun to darken their icy horizons.

Allies: Knights of the Whisker, Knights of the Black Water

Enemies: Men of the Dark Forest, Ice Giants, Sauromatia, The People of the Empty Places, Knights of the March

Marriage Alliance?: Yes

Particular Proficiencies: Ambush

 

Knights of the Whisker

The riotous forest nobles and steppe-people who give cavalry to the Knights of the Whisker have many neighbors prone to wandering and settling, and those who cannot be integrated by the charter are disintegrated by the lance charge.

Allies: Elk Knights, Pythium, The Knights of Black Water

Enemies: The People of the Empty Places, The Men of the Dark Forest, Knights of the March, Sauromatia

Marriage Alliance?: Yes

Particular Competencies: Ultra-fast lance charges

 

Knights of the March

The city-states of the Knights of the March are forged amidst the most terrible foes: the People of the Empty Places, the destroyers of settled states. 

Allies: Pythium, Sauromatia

Enemies: Ice Giants, The People of The Empty Places, The Knights of the Whisker, Elk Knights

Marriage Alliance?: Yes

Particular Competencies: Integration of carefully-placed foot archers into cavalry tactics

 

The People of the Empty Places

Every man a horse archer, a great tribe associated with the People of the Empty Places played a key role in the fall of the Western Empire, and now those even deeper in their windswept lands push out in every direction again, preparing to bring ruin to the cities and armies where men foolishly fight on foot.

Allies: N/A

Enemies: Pythium, The Knights of the Black Water, Sauromatia, Knights of the March, Knights of the Whisker, Elk Knights, The Empire of Immortal Fire, The Knights of the High Road, The Knights of Ivory, The Lands of Lead, The Knights of The March, The Knights of the Whisker, The Knights of Spring and Autumn, The Knights of the Golden Apple, The Knights of the Chrysanthemum Throne

Marriage Alliance?: Not unless they conquer vast regions and become sedentary

 

The Empire of Immortal Fire

Usurpers from the Empire of the Volcanoes invaded and seized the crown of the Empire of Immortal Fire, attracted by its central cult. The flower of its former chivalry went into exile as the Knights of the High Road, and wait for their chance to reclaim their highland empire.

Allies: The Empire of the Third Cataract, Sauromatia, The Tower City

Enemies: The Empire of the Silver Dish, Pythium, The Knights of Black Water, The People of the Empty Places, The Knights of the High Road, The Knights of Ivory

Marriage Alliance?: No, except for with the Empire of the Volcanoes

 

The Empire of the Silver Dish

The Empire is named for a great platter upon which subjects of the divine giants and their captives are served in hideous feasts.

Allies: The Grand Arsenal, The Thousand Fortresses, The People of the City-Sea
Enemies: The Empire of Immortal Fire, Pythium, The Empire of the Third Cataract, The Knights of the Black Water, The People of the Empty Places, The Tower City, The Lands of Lead, The People of the Pillars, The Knights of the High Road

Marriage Alliance?: No

 

The Tower City

A vast city-state that reaches up towards the heavens. The divine giants of the Silver Dish long to empty out the Tower City and send its populace down their gullets, but these powerful but paranoid people have resisted all comers with aid of a shifting web of strategic alliances.

Allies: Sauromatia, The Empire of Immortal Fire, The Empire of the Peaks

Enemies: The Empire of the Silver Dish, The People of the City-Sea

Marriage Alliance?: No

 

The Empire of the Third Cataract

Humans once ruled the Empire of the Third Cataract, but the waters of their great river proved so rich that they gave consciousness to the lizards that basked upon the banks. The lizards overthrew them and adopted their cult and government, and now the men of the empire find themselves in bondage, serving as warriors and laboring on titanic construction projects for the vanity and benefit of the lizardly priest-kings.

Allies: The Men of the Boar, The Empire of Immortal Fire

Enemies: Pythium, The Empire of the Silver Dish, The People of the City-Sea, The Knights Riparian

Marriage Alliance?: No

 

The People of the City-Sea

Cities have been founded along the coasts by exodites from the Empire of the Silver Dish. Most remain cordial with the Empire but practice much more limited sacrifice, focusing on foreigners as objects of trade and profitable subjugation rather than as ornaments of the dining table.

Allies: The Empire of the Silver Dish, The Thousand Fortresses, The Men of the Boar

Enemies: Knights of the Plains, The Grand Arsenal, The Tower City, The Empire of the Third Cataract,  The Knights Riparian
Marriage Alliance?: No

 

The Knights Riparian

The men of the flooding grasslands find a variety of mounts more conducive to patrolling their vast herds than the horse, some patrolling the open mounted on lions, some making sorties into the vast forest by spiderback. Those with the means find that the elephant is conducive to crashing through both, but the lion remains the ultimate symbol of lordship.

Allies: The People of the Pillars

Enemies: The Thousand Fortresses, The People of the City-Sea, The Lands of Lead, the Empire of the Third Cataract

Marriage Alliance?: Yes

Particular Competencies: Men source, smelt and forge their own iron weapons and tools, and high-status individuals also work gold 

 

The Thousand Fortresses

The kings of this great empire operate coastal fortresses from which warbands sortie out to capture vulnerable polities for sale into slavery. This has, however, deprived them of nearby allies and presented a sympathetic hinterland as a possible conduit for attack by the Knights Riparian.

Allies: The People of the City-Sea, The Lands of Lead, The Empire of the Silver Dish, The Grand Arsenal

Enemies: The Knights Riparian

Marriage Alliance?: Only with the People of the City-Sea

 

The People of the Pillars

A rogue sect of Red Genies have descended on this secluded, secretive people and forced them into the their conflict with the genies of the Lands of Lead.

Allies: The Knights Riparian, The Knights of the High Road, The Knights of the Golden Apple

Enemies: The Lands of Lead, The Empire of the Silver Dish

Marriage Alliance?: Yes, once the genies have been expelled or homeostatically integrated

Particular Competencies: Extremely fast maneuvering while mounted

 

The Lands of Lead

The genies of the Lands of Lead hold their human subjects in bondage on the basis that it is better than being devoured in the Empire of the Silver Dish. That does not stop the genies from feeding their people into the fires of war.

Allies: The Thousand Fortresses

Enemies: The People of the Pillars, The Knights Riparian, The People of the Empty Places, The Empire of the Silver Dish

Marriage Alliance?: No

 

The Knights of the High Road

The heirs to the Empire of Immortal Fire, which was seized by usurpers from the Empire of the Volcanoes. They guard the ways around the Empire and stand watch over the roads to Spring and Autumn, waiting for the day in which they might overthrow the volcano-men.

Allies: The People of the Pillars, The Knights of the March, The Knights of Ivory, The Knights of Spring and Autumn

Enemies: The Empire of Immortal Fire, the Empire of the Silver Dish, The People of the Empty Places, The Floodborn

Marriage Alliance?: Yes

Particular Competencies: The ability to conjure flaming weapons as the true keepers of the faith of Immortal Fire, giant rams can batter through portcullises, reputation for clemency as rulers

 

The Knights of Ivory

The Princes of a land of a thousand great cities and fastnesses, the Knights of Ivory fight an immortal battle with the Floodborn using their traditional military triad of elephantry, chariots, and infantry. Men born to families of hereditary military leaders are expected to fight in all three modes. Invasions by the People of the Empty Places and by the Empire of Immortal Fire now present a time of troubles not matched since the ages of myth and legend.

Allies: The Knights of the High Road, The Knights of the Golden Apple

Enemies: The People of the Empty Places, The Floodborn, The Empire of Immortal Fire

Marriage Alliance?: Yes

Particular Competencies: Mounted as elephantry (and charioteers) by default, sacred ascendance into higher states

 

The Floodborn

The richness of the flooding waters here have granted an intelligence to creatures of the wood- some for good, most for evil. The Princes of Ivory have hitherto resisted being overthrown in the manner of the Empire of the Third Cataract, but the coming of the People of the Empty Places and of the Empire of Immortal Fire may change this.

Allies: Outsiders

Enemies: The Knights of Ivory, The Knights of the High Road, The Knights of the Golden Apple

Marriage Alliance?: No

 

The Knights of Spring and Autumn

The Knights of Spring and Autumn manage a vast and verdant land that is now threatened by raiders from the sea and invaders from the continent's cold interior. The trade connection they maintain with the Western lands is in danger of being co-opted or cut by the People of the Empty Places, who mass for a great invasion; only the Knights of the High Road allow for their connection with distant realms.

Allies: The Knights of the High Road

Enemies: The Lord of Hills and Isles, The People of the Empty Places, The Knights of the Golden Apple

Marriage Alliance?: Yes

Particular Competencies: Gunpowder, military command, and ascension to Living Ancestor-status via sacred alchemy

 

The Knights of the Golden Apple

The noble cavalry of a thalassocratic, archipelagic empire south of Spring and Autumn. They, too, are subject to invasion by the People of the Empty Places, but their combination of natural defensive territory and firearm use by the armored nobility present an unparalleled challenge to the warriors of the steppe.

Allies: The Knights of Ivory, The People of the Pillars

Enemies: The Lord of Hills and Isles, The Floodborn, The Knights of Spring and Autumn, The People of the Empty Places

Marriage Alliance?: Yes

Particular Competencies: Able to switch between horse-archery, foot gunnery, and stealth at the drop of a hat

 

The Knights of the Chrysanthemum Throne

The lands of the Chrysanthemum Throne are in chaos as the holy-blooded adolescent Emperor is held as an unwilling courtier by the demonic Lord of Hills and Isles. While nearby vassals scheme for the Emperor's release, those of the outlying territories remain content to wage private wars over their borderlands. It will take a great leader to weld the feudal lords into a common cause and overthrow the Lord of Hills and Isles.

Allies: N/A

Enemies: The Lord of Hills and Isles, The People of the Empty Places

Marriage Alliance?: Not while the Lord of Hills and Isles holds dominion

Particular Competencies: Horse-archery, foot dueling, ascension to sword-saint status

 

The Lord of Hills and Isles

The single greatest power in the islands, the Lord of Hills and Isles schemes to keep the feudal lords suppressed and divided, ravaging the lands of those who will not be cowed with armies of bandits and demons.

Allies: Outsiders

Enemies: The Knights of the Chrysanthemum Throne, The Knights of the Golden Apple, The Knights of Spring and Autumn

Marriage Alliance?: No

 

Atlantis

A great power beneath a distant sea collects foul and mad human sorcerers as seers while co-opting communities of littoral amphibians. Their ultimate purpose is inscrutable but involves the destruction of the world's great civilizations as stepping stones towards the final transformation.

Allies: Outsiders

Enemies: All other forms of life, but particularly Pythium

Marriage Alliance?: No

 

The People of the Deep Expanse

The People of the Deep Expanse have lived in peaceable isolation for many generations, but the coming of the Empire of the Great Bridge has forced a change in their methods and purposes. Reaching out across the steppe are the Knights of the War Bonnet to make common cause, but their communities are as yet too far-flung and distant to present a unified front against the portentous night-raids of Xibalba.

Allies: Knights of the War Bonnet

Enemies: The Empire of the Great Bridge

Marriage Alliance?: No

 

The Empire of the Great Bridge

Their blood sacrifices were intended for the gods but instead brought forth the bats of Xibalba, the vast cavern realms under the Empire. Now the bats rule, the sacrifices continue for sake of their delicious blood, and the dark lords plot to steal the sun for their underground realm.

Allies: N/A

Enemies: Agartha, The People of the Deep Expanse, The Knights of the War Bonnet, The Empire of the Peaks

Marriage Alliance?: No

 

The Knights of the War Bonnet

The infinite plains are shrinking as dark forces pour forth from the southern heat. Outlying herds are drained of their blood, as are outlying tribes; a confederation is forming, but too many peoples may be snuffed out by the tides of Xibalba before a cohesive front can be established.

Allies: The People of the Deep Expanse

Enemies: The Empire of the Great Bridge

Marriage Alliance?: Yes

Particular Competencies: Tracking, precision lancing, rapidly mounting and dismounting in combat

 

Distributed Cultures

The Last Villas

Distribution: The Former Empire

Disposition: Survivalist

Modus Operandi: Operate isolated latifundia centered around a former magistrate and his cadre of garrison troops

 

Agartha

Distribution: Underneath the entire earth

Disposition: Crush the surface cities so as to weaken and control the surface dwellers, commanding their resources without having to invade their sunlit realms.

Modus Operandi: Tunnel under cities and then collapse them

 

Cynoscephalae

Distribution: These maneating jackal-headed people ravage the Pythian backcountry and range out from the Dark Peninsula, but can be found in isolated pockets throughout the earth. Even goodhearted cynoscephalae are plagued by a bottomless bloodlust.

Disposition: Ravenous

Modus Operandi: Sniff out underdefended settlements, herds, and processions before falling upon and devouring them. 

 

The Empire of the Peaks

Distribution: Many of the highest peaks in the world.

Disposition: Imperial

Modus Operandi: Settle new peaks and demand tribute from low-lying settlements; raid recalcitrant peoples in their backcountry, declining battle wherever the enemy gathers in favor of attacking weakly-defended settlements.

 

Empire of the Volcanoes

Distribution: The world's volcanoes.

Disposition: Imperial

Modus Operandi: Forge new weapons and species in the living, umbilical fire of volcanoes, covertly settle inactive volcanoes and charge them until they erupt, ruining nearby settlements and creating new sacred calderas

 

Knights of the Starry Plain

Distribution: Plains, prairies, and seas here and there across the world

Disposition: Beneficent 

Modus Operandi: Range the open lands and waters, hunting and periodically cultivating vineyards. Assist more centralized institutions in their endeavors.

 

Littoral Amphibians

Distribution: The world's remotest coasts, and some of the largest rivers

Disposition: Revanchist

Modus Operandi: Theocratically subjugate isolated communities closer and closer to the world's largest port cities in hopes of someday reclaiming the most verdant coasts and rivers.

 

Ogres

Distribution: Remote hills and caves

Disposition: Ravenous

Modus Operandi: Acquire and devour flesh.

 

Svartálfar

Distribution: Caverns here and there beneath the earth

Disposition: Covetous (surfacers) and genocidal (Agartha)

Modus Operandi: Slave raiding against surface communities

 

The Great Megaliths

Distribution: These rabbitfolk can be found residing on giant stone structures throughout the world but particularly on the isle of Lugaru, which lies northwest of the Knights of the Isle and northeast of the Knights of the War Bonnet. One of their largest megastructures in human lands rises in the realm of the Knights of the Isle, though this was almost fully depopulated by incessant warring with the Western Empire. Others can be found in the Dark Forest, in the Empire of the Silver Dish (where they are a prized delicacy), in Spring and Autumn, in the riverlands north of the Knights Riparian, amidst the Knights of the Golden Apple, and in the Lands of Lead, to name a few.

Disposition: The rabbitfolk are prone to evil governance, which is resisted by individual heroic warriors. While these heroes are extraordinarily effective, these megalithic societies are so prone to internecine fighting that they have never been able to subjugate outsiders, though sorties have been sent against the Knights of the War Bonnet and the People of the City-Sea.

Modus Operandi: The rabbitfolk are skilled with traditional weapons, but are also capable of launching running kick attacks capable of killing horses or sending armored warriors flying. In this age they rarely establish new megalithic sky-structures, which are accessible mainly via massive jumps

 

The Green Realm

Distribution: It can manifest anywhere that vegetation that feeds on decay overcomes ruins or healthy biomes

Disposition: All-consuming

Modus Operandi: Manifest, skulk, terrorize, capture, and sacrifice

 

Vampire Knights

Distribution: Here and there throughout the realms of chivalry, but most archetypally in the lands between the Knights of the Plain and the Men of the Dark Forest, and between Pythium and Sauromatia.

Disposition: Acquisitive

Modus Operandi: Win lands through traditional feudal means, then reduce the peasantry and burghers to absolute immobility through terror and surveillance before treating them like herd animals.

 

General Purpose

Commoners and Sorcerers

 

Bandits

 

Foes

 

Characters

 

Outsiders

 

Emergent Factions

The Royal Army

Conditions of Emergence:

-A Player Character of the Knights of the Isle or the Knights of the Plain forms a marriage alliance established with a prominent family of Spring & Autumn or the Knights of the Golden Apple, so as to acquire a competency in gunpowder affairs

-The Royal Army is formed by decree of the King of the Isle, the King of the Plain, or the joint Emperor of Isle and Plain if such a political structure exists.

-If being formed by the Knights of the Isle, the Men of the Dark Wood must no longer present an existential threat

-If being formed by the Knights of the Plain, the Men of the Boar must no longer present an existential threat

-If being formed by a joint Empire of Isle and Plain, there will be a revolution by vassals and commoners of either Isle or Plain, depending on where the capital is to be or which group of Knights is regarded as being preeminent in the Empire. The purpose of the revolution is to resist being permanently centralized into an empire with a gunpowder army led by the other set of Knights and their King.

 

Army of the Republic

Conditions of Emergence along the sea-coast north of the Dark Wood:

-The Royal Army has formed

-The Men of the Dark Wood no longer present an existential threat to anybody

OR

-The Men of the Dark Wood no longer present an existential threat to anybody

-A PC from the Knights of the Isle, the Knights of the Plain, the Elk Knights, or Pythium has established a marriage alliance with the Knights of the Golden Apple or the Knights of Spring and Autumn.

Developments:

-The Republic will be good friends to the players if they had any hand in their independence, but will also rapaciously invade the empire of the Knights of the Golden Apple. 

-In turn, the Knights of the Flame will be the interminable enemy of the Republic should the Knights form.

 

Knights of the Flame

Conditions of Emergence southwest of the Knights of the Plain:

-PCs have encountered the Knights of Spring and Autumn or the Knights of the Golden Apple.

-PCs have encountered the Empire of the Great Bridge.

Developments:

-The Knights of the Flame will assemble to invade the Empire of the Great Bridge before they can steal the sun for Xibalba, and to seize the Empire's great wealth. In doing so, they will also indiscriminately wage war against the People of the Deep Expanse and eventually the Knights of the War Bonnet.

-Domestically, they will kick off a religious purity spiral, assailing knights and populations they regard as impious, and will particularly attempt to subjugate the Republic should it form, due to the sectarian and ultra-monarchist ideology of the Knights.

 

Knights of the High Frontier

Conditions of Emergence out of the Knights of the March and the Knights of the Whisker:

-PCs have encountered the Knights of Spring and Autumn or the Knights of the Golden Apple.

-The Knights of the March have not been eradicated by the People of the Empty Places

-Occurs very quickly if a PC who is a Knight of the March or a Knight of the Whisker forms a marriage alliance with the Knights of Spring and Autumn or the Knights of the Golden Apple.

Developments:

-The threat of the People of the Empty Plain is such that the Knights of the March acquire firearms and reform their armies of foot archers into arquebus-wielding hereditary troops and militia.

-By default, or if a PC who is a Knight of the March kicked off this process, the Knights of the March will force the integration of the Knights of the Whisker into their burgeoning Empire.

-If the PC who begins the process is a Knight of the Whisker, the Knights of the Whisker form the Most Serene Confederation and are capable of standing off the Knights of the March, who more gradually acquire firearms; thereafter, Knights of the Whisker fight as temporary allies of the Knights of the High Frontier during expeditions against mutual enemies.

 

Pirates

Conditions of Emergence:

-The Knights of the Flame succeed in establishing a permanent presence in the Empire of the Great Bridge and carry off great wealth in the process.

Developments:

-Pirates will raid sea-traffic between the Lands of Flame and the Great Bridge, and piracy will gradually spread as a gunpowder phenomenon throughout the world.

 

Imagery

Royal and Divine Imagery

 

Example Cutout Framework