Cloud Knights

The Cloud Knights are the armed forces of the Xianzhou Alliance. Their main mission is to wipe out the Denizens of Abundance.

Description

Organization

Command and control

The Cloud Knights are led by the Seven Arbiter-Generals, the seven top generals and officers of the Cloud Knights within the Xianzhou Alliance known as the vanguards of The Hunt. Every Xianzhou ship operates individually, but the Cloud Knights are all commanded by the Marshal. Therefore, it's normal for Knights to transfer between ships.^[1] Appointments are assigned and sent out from the Marshal's Office.^[2]

Operating forces

Cloud Knights aboard each ship are generally organized into brigades known as fleets.^[3] On the Xianzhou Luofu, Cloud Knight officers not only learn the art of war and martial arts but also occasionally have to handle diplomatic disputes.^[4] The Luofu has at least four brigades of Cloud Knights, which included at least over 63,000 fighter starskiff and over 120,000 pilots.^[5][6] The Xianzhou Yaoqing, known for its military prowess, has long been standing at the forefront of the most intense combat missions. As the Yaoqing often sails through active war zones, military operations of the Xianzhou Yaoqing is mainly done by the expeditionary fleet as to not endanger the main ship.^[7]

Under the assault of the elite Verdant Knights of the Yaoqing — armed forces mainly comprised by foxians — the army of abominations made up of borisin continue to be routed, with their numbers now on the decline.^[8] The Yaoqing also employ Shadow Guards for reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, and wetwork.^[9] Vidyadhara cloudhymn magi of the Xianzhou Fanghu's Ebonpearl Fleet are adept in water and specialize in using cloudhymn magic in combat.^[10][11]

The Xianzhou Zhuming is known for it's artillery and Dawn Army deploy into battle with heliobi.^[12] During the Battle of Thalassa, the Xianzhou Yuque's Echojade Fleet laid out a defense in coordination with the Yaoqing's encirclement and eradication of abominations. ^[13] Although General Yao Guang is considered a non-martial general rarely seen in person within the Alliance and is constantly operating from the shadows and divining for the Marshal, she has been known to take clandestine action on the battlefield.^[14][15]

Cloud Knights may sometimes be deployed on secondment to the Ten-Lords Commission and even personnel not directly under their command must prioritize the orders of a Judge when commandeered on the field.^[16][17]

Martial Arts

There is a Cloud Knight saying; "A Cloud Knight must never let slip their weapon, nor let slacken their form."^[18] Luofu swordplay is all about swift and agile movements with an emphasis on footwork. Those with quick hands and a flexible body are a good fit to practice Luofu swordplay. Zhuming swordplay places and emphasis on strong, focused strikes, trying to take down targets with a single strike. Practicing Zhuming swordplay helps to develop strength.^[19] According to Luka, in terms of martial prowess, the average Cloud Knight appears to match even the most elite Silvermane squads.^[20]

Equipment

Weapons

Cloud Knights use various weapons, namely devastator glaives, and other armaments such as thunder crossbows, recurve bows, rifles, shields, spears, guillotine blades, and swords. Cloud Knights may also use their own personal weapons like Sushang's Xuanyuan Sword and Yunli's Old Mettle. General Feixiao uses both gun-blades and a battleaxe. Some Cloud Knights prefer to use flying swords connected into their spinal meridian from acupuncture points. They need only to think to move them around though they may be difficult to control. The Zhuming is known for it's use of artillery in combat, and have weapons of mass destruction like Zhuming Flames and Alchemical Arrows.^[21] Starskiffs can also fire alchemical arrows.^[22] During the High-Cloud Quintet era, Yingxing and Xianzhou military engineers who marched with the army adjusted and tested giant aurumatons that were hundreds of feet tall and were specialized weapons designed to counter borisin mechabeasts.^[23]

Despite their deceptively esoteric designs, the weapons of the Xianzhou are actually quite advanced. Their blades are high-frequency and monomolecular, their crossbows are electromagnetic and their recurve bows are thermal seeking.^[24][25] The arrows of Yukong's bow are self-guided auto-aim ones, and drawing the bow is just used to give a sense of antiquity. Usually, Xianzhou swordsmiths infuse a basic level of awareness into their swords to make them easier to wield, like Yanqing's flying sword.^[21][26] According to Howard, the Xianzhou Natives like using a few tricks to mask their strength, likely connected to their propensity for humility.^[27] The Xianzhou Zhuming's Artisanship Commission is responsible for providing sixty or seventy percent of all of the Cloud Knights' armaments.^[28]

Tools and Provisions

It was rumored that military rations aboard the Yaoqing include dried mineshrooms from Thalassa, though this hasn't been verified.^[29] When fighting the borisin, Cloud Knights either don breathing masks or take poison-proof pellets called Clear-Head Flowing-Meridian Infusion to resist the effects of Lupotoxin, suppressing the fear incited by the borisin's pheromones.^[30] Some of the Cloud Knights use pellets which contain trace amounts of Yabruh to block pain on the battlefield.^[31]

The Yaoqing briefly collaborated with the Intelligentsia Guild to create a medicinal pellet that could resist most of the Chiseltooth Pack's microbe weaponry. Soldiers are advised to bring at least two of these pellets or something similar before going to combat. The Yaoqing has also developed a tactic against the Sableclaw Pack's superior olfactory senses by deploying smell disruptors and counter pheromones. Before sent on deployment against borisin, it is recommended that Cloud Knights bring at least two units of counter-entrapment inhibitors known as "Perfume."^[32]

The Cloud Knights of the Zhuming's Dawn Army deploy into battle with heliobi. Even on the Zhuming, it's rare to see a soldier and a heliobus have a close symbiotic relationship. The connection between a person and a heliobus becomes unstable under immense pressure, and at times like this, military healers use incense to purge evil.^[12][33]

Starskiff

The Xianzhou Alliance fleet underwent two reforms, now with a vast mix of organic and mechanical vessels. The IPC has little intelligence on their main warships. Fighter starskiffs make up the bulk of the Cloud Knights air force. At least 500,000 fighter jets were deployed during the Third Abundance War. Large fighter starskiffs need to be operated in pairs. One pilot takes the helm, the other controls the turrets.^[5]

Similar to borisin mechabeast ships, starskiffs on the Yaoqing are bred and born with biotechnology instead of being grown from seeds. Using pilot genetic data as keys, the ship's performance and interface details perfectly match pilot habits, like a custom-made second body. At sufficient tonnage, these starskiffs can even replace pilots in judgment and action. The Intelligentsia Guild believes such vessels should be considered organisms — their relationship with pilots isn't just machines with operators, but hunters with hounds.^[34] Newly born starskiffs are described as "furry little creatures". They can even be named, and may join the battlefield after growing in a few short months, becoming loyal partners of the Verdant Knights, capable of eradicating abominations.^[7]

The Navis Astriger is a type of Cloud Knight troop carrier starskiff that can land and deploy Cloud Knights onto the surface of a planet.^[35] The Xianzhou Alliance also employs large military vessels like battleships that boast massive cannons.^[36]

Known Personnel

Arbiter-Generals

Icon	Name	Title	Xianzhou Flagship	Descriptor	Spiritus
	Hua	Marshal (Chinese: 元帅)	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
	Feixiao	The Merlin's Claw (Chinese: 天击将军)	The Yaoqing	Fierce and swift	Flying Aureus
	Huaiyan	The Flaming Heart (Chinese: 烛渊将军)	The Zhuming	Strong and righteous	Unknown
	Yao Guang	The Seer Strategist (Chinese: 戎韬将军)	The Yuque	Cautious and sophisticated	Kālacakra Skyplume
	Xuanquan	The Seiche Queller (Chinese: 伏波将军)	The Fanghu	Mighty and powerful	Unknown
	Youwu	The Patina Justice (Chinese: 尘冥将军)	The Xuling	Mysterious and fair	Unknown
	Jing Yuan	The Divine Foresight (Chinese: 神策将军)	The Luofu	Wise and brave	Lightning-Lord[37]

Others

Former Personnel

Icon	Name	Title	Xianzhou Flagship	Descriptor	Spiritus
	Teng Xiao	Unknown	The Luofu	Blunt and straightforward	Lightning-Lord[37]
	Yueyu ††Character is deceased.	Unknown	The Yaoqing	Selfless and resolute	Flying Aureus

Cloud Knight Units

• High-Cloud Quintet (disbanded)

The Xianzhou Luofu

• Rainbowfall Fleet
• Vernalbolt Fleet
• Pyrocrane Fleet
• Starlance Fleet

The Xianzhou Yaoqing

• Verdantia Fleet
• Heroncrest Fleet
• Red Ballad Fleet

The Xianzhou Yuque

• Echojade Fleet

The Xianzhou Fanghu

• Ebonpearl Fleet

The Xianzhou Zhuming

• Flamewheel Octet
• Goldencrow Fleet
• Dawn Army

Faction Mentions

Character Stories

Character	Stories
Feixiao	Character Story: Part II
Fu Xuan	Character Story: Part IV
Guinaifen	Character Story: Part III Character Story: Part IV
Hanya	Character Story: Part I
Jing Yuan	Character Story: Part III
Jingliu	Character Details Character Story: Part II Character Story: Part III
Kafka	Character Story: Part II
Sushang	Character Story: Part II
Yanqing	Character Story: Part I Character Story: Part III

Readables

• Advocate legal and reasonable care for animals, strictly prohibit illegal wildlife trade for "releases"
• An Evening Journey Through Exalting Sanctum
• Annotations from "Ode to Reignbow Path"
• Compendium of Remedies
• Correspondence From Realm-Keeping Commissioner
• Dan Shu's Diary
• Disciples of Sanctus Medicus: Collection of Exhibits
• Divination Report
• Exalting Sanctum Chancery Report to the General Affairs Office
• Glimpses into the Beyond
• History of the Xianzhou: Errata
• Letters to the Detective
• List of Archenemies
• List of Ten-Lords Commission Criminals Transferral by Cloud Knights
• Memorial to the Illustrious Officials Xiao and Hong
• Official Announcement on the Origins of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus
• Record of Reignbow's Road
• Report: A Rare Plant Specimen
• Surveillance Report from the Xianzhou Yuque
• Sword Hunt Journal: Crimson Thorn
• The Luofu Cauldron Master's Report to the Six Charioteers
• Travelogue on Xianzhou
• Undestroyed Notes
• Views of the Universe from a Starskiff: The Xianzhou Zhuming
• Yancui Interrogation Transcript

Occurrences

• Life is Like a Vegetable (I)
• Life is Like a Vegetable (II)
• Life is Like a Vegetable (III)

Items

• Jade Abacus of Allying Oath

Consumables

• Longevity Pill of Cruelty
• Tasty Field Nutrient Bar

Relics

• Forge's Lotus Lantern Wick
• Valorous Greaves of Pursuing Hunt

HoYoLAB Articles

• Pom-Pom's Intel｜Commission Preview
• Pom-Pom's Intel｜Unveiling the "Starforge" Xianzhou Zhuming

Other Languages

Language	Official Name
English	Cloud Knights
Chinese (Simplified)	云骑军
Chinese (Traditional)	雲騎軍
Japanese	雲騎軍
Korean	운기군
Spanish	Nimbocaballeros
French	Chevaliers des nuages
Russian	Облачные Рыцари
Thai	Cloud Knight
Vietnamese	Vân Kỵ Quân
German	Wolkenritter
Indonesian	Cloud Knight
Portuguese	Cavaleiros das Nuvens

References

Navigation

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