The Ashen Knight is a supplement for Vampire: The Dark Ages for creating and including Kindred knights in a Dark Ages campaign, as well as background information on the knightly orders that serve as allies and enemies of the Cainites.
Summary
From the White Wolf catalog:
- A Glimmer of Hope in a Darkened Soul...
- Mightiest of Dark Medieval warriors, knights on horseback have cut a swath of crusade and war across Europe. Lords of men and slayer of infidels, they attract the childer of Caine like maggots to dead flesh. Some vampires seek out knights solely as pawns in their power games, but others look to Chivalry as a way to stave off the Beast.
- And a Stream of Blood on a Drawn Blade?
- Across Europe and Outremer, vampiric knights fight in midnight tournaments and shadow crusades. Knightly orders of Cainites pursue goals both blessed and unholy and seek to avoid the attention of Templer devil-hunter and other chivalrous threats.
Contents
Introduction: The Knight's Finest Hour
Written by Richard E. Dansky. An explanation of the purpose of the book and how to use it (and how not to use it) in a Vampire: The Dark Ages campaign, as well as a list of extended reading and resources.
Chapter One: The Chivalrous World
Written by Robert Barrett and Bruce Baugh. Definitions for "knight" and "chivalry" (in the Dark Ages universe), a bit of history, and how various countries treat their knights and the art of chivalry. There are also examples of the different virtues of chivalry, and how they were interpreted, on the expenses of becoming and maintaining a knighthood, and on privilege and heraldry, as well as the role of women in chivalry.
Chapter Two: Cainite Knights
Written by Bruce Baugh. The vampiric version of chivalry and how and why Kindred both became knights and embraced and ghouled them into their ranks, as well as notes on how typical Kindred knight estates are run and daily events they might deal with, such as Court, tournaments, and Crusades. There is also a breakdown of Clans that tend toward chivalry and those who despise it.
Chapter Three: Knightly Orders
Written by Wendy L. Gash. The different types and orders of mortal knights that either hunted or became involved with the Kindred. Included are the Knights Templar and Knights Hospitaler, as well as many minor and questionable orders. Following this is information on the Cainite orders, including the White Company, the Fellowship of Our Lady, and the Order of Chanticleer.
Chapter Four: The Order of Bitter Ashes
Written by Bruce Baugh. Details on the Order of Bitter Ashes, a Cainite order dedicated to hunting down and preserving the true relics and proof of God's existence, as well as suggestions for using the Order of Bitter Ashes in campaigns, as a focus for players, a set of allies, or an enemy to battle against.
Chapter Five: Knightly Things
Written by Wendy L. Gash. Suggestions for creating a Cainite knight, including required Attributes, Abilities, and Backgrounds, ideas for character types, new Traits and Merits and Flaws, and notes on the Via Equitum, the Road of Chivalry (by Bruce Baugh).
Appendix: Ill-Made Knights
Written by Bruce Baugh and Robert Barrett. Character templates and well-known Cainite knights.
Background Information
(...)
Memorable Quotes
(...)
"Deus Vult" ascribed to every religious knight of the era
Characters
- Enguerrand - a Ventrue knight
Terminology
Fellowship of Our Lady, Knights Hospitaler, Knights Templar, Order of Bitter Ashes, Order of Chanticleer, Via Equitum, White Company
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