Iron Cavalry

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The Iron Cavalry was a group of genetically engineered warriors created by the Republic of Glamoth to fight against the Swarm. These soldiers were all Pathstriders of Propagation,^[2] but following the fall of Glamoth, most have perished.^[1]

Description

The Iron Cavalry consisted of short-lived genetically engineered humans who were created for the sole purpose of fighting the Swarm in armored suits called Strategic Assault Mechs (SAM). They were educated to believe that they were soldiers fighting to defend the "Welkin Empire of Glamoth" and its "empress" Titania, who was actually an entity that telepathically controlled the soldiers connected to her.^[3] As soon as they are removed from their incubation pods, the Iron Cavalry are taken by other older knights to meet the Empress where she connects with them telepathically, swearing their loyalty to her and Glamoth.^[4] In their short lives, they studied, fought, received the Empress' commands, fought the Swarm, and died. Because of this, they were unfamiliar with civilian paraphernalia such as spectacles or handheld cameras.^[5]

Iron Cavalry Abilities

They are said to possess superhuman perception, as seen when Firefly noticed Sparkle, disguised as Sampo, following the Trailblazer and determined his height, skillset and fighting style from visual observation alone, and was able to hear his footsteps despite them being barely audible.^[6][7] They've also been observed to have incredibly fast reflexes.^[8] Iron Cavalry are born without the ability to dream, which may be related to their telepathic connection with Titania, and need much less sleep than normal people.^[9]

Iron Cavalry knights all have distinctive silvery-blonde hair with a colored ombre and eyes a mix of deep ocean blue and sunset pink. When the Knights wield their suits regardless of the model, their voices will sound the same during communication. They also have non-combatant support personnel who remained in the rear like AR-4077, who primarily communicated through comms.^[5][10]

Entropy Loss Syndrome

The Iron Cavalry knights each carried a predetermined genetic defect that would accelerate their aging at a certain spot of their life, leading to their premature death; Entropy Loss Syndrome.^[11] This was implemented by the higher-ups of Glamoth to ensure that the Republic's most powerful "weapons" wouldn't fall into the wrong hands, never viewing them as regular independent humans to begin with.^[12] In truth, it is the result of the Path of Propagation. Just like when a Swarm King dies and the Swarm completely loses its vitality then falls into silence, the moment Iron Cavalry stray from the "hive", they too eventually die.^[1]

Those suffering from this condition will experience an irreversible chronic dissociation of their physical structure. They will slowly fade away, a process is barely noticeable to others. They are still able to move and talk as usual, and everything seems normal until they start doing everything slightly slower than others, until the lines between their body and the entire world become blurry.^[13] Occasionally, the piercing pain of entropy-induced numbness briefly surfaces on their bodies.^[14]

SAM Abilities

They have the ability to control fire, and utilize it in high-speed movement and combat, hence Sam's alias "Molten Knight."^[15] All the knights produce flames when they attack, move and transform, and while all knights appear to emit vermilion red flames, Firefly is able to produce reactor energy that appears teal and yellow while AR-1368 produces deep carmine red reactor energy.^[5] After Firefly defeated Harbinger of Death: Swarm Nightmare and absorbed its Stellaron, she is able to produce reactor energy that appears purple and command the Swarm.^[16]

The SAM armor is capable of releasing embers that set the entire battlefield ablaze. There are several rocket thrusters hidden within the suit, enabling the usage of flight and the ability to overheat the armor; making it far more dangerous. Their high-speed flight also allows them to break atmosphere and travel between planets. Despite this, they also warships for transportation.^[3] Their mechanical greaves combine destructive capacities with speed, allowing knights to leap high and concentrate their strength into a kick directed at a single point on the enemy.^[17]

Their armor also appears to be hermetically sealed as they are capable of flying through the vacuum of space. The SAM armor is shielded against extremely high radiation and is capable of withstanding several million times the normal air pressure.^[18]

Their helmet significantly enhances sensory signals, fusing the consciousness of the knight together with their armor. The Iron Cavalry are able to feel external sensations passed to them via the deep spinal cord signals. Real sensations outside the cockpit are tenfold more lively than the simulated signals however. The armor deeply synchronizes its sensory organs with that of the pilot. Though this would worsen the pain of entropy loss, the Iron Cavalry have no other choice if they wish to defeat the Swarm.^[14]

The knights also possess various weaponry, such as AR-214's shoulder cannon, Firefly's twin blades or the Type-IV's wrist thermal weapons.^[5][19] The Iron Cavalry gear is very interchangeable, including the weapons mounted onto their armor.^[20] Firefly also mentioned a recoilless rocket launcher weapon named Soaring Locust II.^[21] Their powerful wristguards can also crush insectoids of the Swarm, as they are sharp and light while being hard and sturdy.^[22] At its lowest efficiency level, the SAM armor is capable of using its thermal weapons to barbeque meat.^[18] An unnamed Fyrefly Type-IV pilot had his faceplate modified into a target designator for an orbital strike weapon during a scorched-earth operation against a Swarm Mother.^[19]

Glamoth's Military Regulations

• Article 1: Knights should feel honored to be born.^[5]
• Article 2: Remain on guard.^[5]
• Article 4: Leaving the cockpit is strictly prohibited.^[5]
• Article 8: Surviving Knights should immediately return to their units.^{[5][Note 1]}
• Article 22: Knights must give all they have to Her Majesty, the queen. Including their lives.^[19]
• Article 43: Any surviving Iron Cavalry members should voluntarily return to their regiment...^{[23][Note 1]}

History

The ruling council of Glamoth, looking for a way to turn the tide against the Swarm, decided to alter the essence of humanity in order to adapt to the war and create a weapon "born to fight." The result was Titania, the "empress" who held no power. She telepathically commanded the knights connected to her. On the other hand, the knights are taught to believe that the sole meaning of their existence was to defend their "empress" and her "empire." They lived short lives and fearlessly fought the Swarm until their deaths. The remnants of the mechas and insect limbs littered Glamoth's planetary system.^[24]

In their short lives, they studied, fought, received the Empress' commands, faced the enemy fearlessly, and died with honor. They were led to believe that the Republic of Glamoth was the Welkin Empire of Glamoth, and that it enjoyed a vast territory spanning tens of thousands of light-years, ambitiously setting its sight on the cosmos. At the height of the empire's power, Her Majesty Empress Titania built a magnificent fleet, vowing to bring the fruits of civilization to all the barbaric borders, allowing them a taste of the empire's benevolence in hopes of uniting them under one rule. However, the expedition was eventually halted by endless waves of insectoids coming from beyond the sky. Glamoth's armies fought and failed, again and again. Colonies were scattered, and the iron fleet fell one after another. Besieged by the Swarm, the Welkin Empire was shattered from then on. They believed this was why they were created.^[24]

Seeing several arcs of intense fire from the Iron Cavalry's thrusters streaking across the night sky, surpassing the horizon where dawn rises, heading toward different star sectors of Glamoth became a routine that the residents of the Republic were most familiar with and also most terrified of.^[14] New humans were continuously birthed from incubators and given numbers and missions, while old humans hid beneath steel barriers, anxiously enjoying the long-awaited peace they yearned for.^[17]

In the never-ending battle against their archenemy, the "empire" started becoming more and more like its adversary — more and more Iron Calvary flew high into the sky, blotting out the sky just as the Swarm did. The look people cast on the Empress and the cavalry turned to one of fear, a fear akin to what they felt toward the Swarm.^[3]

It is unclear when this falsehood of the "empire" was revealed, but there are three possibilities: when the Iron Cavalry began to outnumber the old humans of Glamoth, when the scientists began to realize that Titania was beginning to fight against her captivity, or when the Swarm's attacks dissipated after decades of fighting.

When the remnants of the Swarm no longer posed a threat and the leaders of the council rang the bell of peace, informing the citizens that they had dispelled the apocalypse that clouded the heavens and the republic would be ushered back into the light of day. The leaders of the council discussed the post-war situation, passing judgment on Titania, who had never wielded real power. It is because of her control over the Iron Cavalry, whose power rivaled that of the Swarm. She was considered the greatest threat to the Republic's continued survival. People rang the bells of peace, declaring to the populace that the Swarm had dispersed, and the azure sky would return to the hands of the Republic.^[22]

It is implied that the Iron Cavalry played some part in Glamoth's destruction, which occurred after the threat of the Swarm was dispelled. After decades of fighting, the remains of the Swarm corpses, warships and the mechas became dense debris strewn throughout Glamoth's planetary system, connecting to form a river of residua.^[24] Before the Empire fell, the Iron Cavalry Knight AR-214 deserted the army, as she did not want to die in battle.^[2] She wound up in Penacony, where her nature as a Pathstrider of Propagation caused a memetic version of the Swarm to appear, and despite her efforts she was unable to qwell the Swarm. The Dreammaster, Gopher Wood solved the crisis by taking AR-214's life.^[25] This encounter went on to inspire Gopher Wood's plan to bring back Ena, using a Stellaron and Iron Calvary Knight to bring back the Swarm Disaster.^[26]

Sometime after Glamoth's fall, remnants of the Iron Cavalry initiated a scorched-earth operation against the Swarm at a location known as Rift Valley an unknown planet or moon. The operation was successful, though the entire group, apart from Firefly, died in battle. At some point, she would later be found by Kafka who came upon her in the planet's debris and recruited her into the Stellaron Hunters.^[19]

Several Iron Cavalry had survived the fall of Glamoth, though it is unknown what has become of them.^[27] SAM, an alias used by Firefly based on the armor's acronym, became known as an infamous Stellaron Hunter and accrued a bounty of 9.723 billion credits.^[28]

Species Mentions

Character Stories

Character	Stories
Firefly	Character Story: Part II Character Story: Part III

Readables

• The Darkflame Knight Rises Premiere Interview

Relics

• Glamoth's Iron Cavalry Regiment
• Glamoth's Silent Tombstone
• Iron Cavalry's Crushing Wristguard
• Iron Cavalry's Homing Helm
• Iron Cavalry's Silvery Armor
• Iron Cavalry's Skywalk Greaves

Equations

• Molten Knight

Known Members

Playable Characters

1 Character matches the category selection:

Character	Rarity	Path	Combat Type
Firefly		Destruction	Fire

Other Characters

• AR-1368
• AR-214
• AR-53935
• SAM

• AR-4077^[10]
• AR-26702^[29]

Known Models

• Strategic Assault Mech (S.A.M.)
  • Fyrefly Type-IV (Tactical Heavy Assault Mech)^[30]
  • Fyrefly Type-V (Personal Escort Model)^{[5][Note 2]}

Notes

Gallery

Personnel

Iron Cavalry Knights profile.

Iron Cavalry Knights in their cloning vats.

Iron Cavalry Knights falling in.

Iron Cavalry Knights pledging their allegiance to Glamoth and Empress Titania.

Deceased Iron Cavalry Knights after a scorched-earth operation at the end of the war.

An unnamed Iron Cavalry Knight who perished in a scorched-earth operation.

Suits

Fyrefly Type-IV

Firefly's suit

Unnamed Type-IV fighting alongside Firefly.

Type-IV with their wrist gunport visible.

Type-IVs beginning their final charge.

Type-IVs charging towards the Swarm Mother.

Type-IV with exposed faceplate circuitry.

Fyrefly Type-V

AR-1368's suit

Unknown

AR-53935's suit

AR-214's suit

AR-214's damaged suit, her distinctive shoulder cannon missing

Unknown model from Iron Cavalry Against the Scourge

Videos

Myriad Celestia Trailer — "Presently, Beneath a Shared Sky of Stars" - Honkai- Star Rail

Animated Short- The Embers of Glamoth - Honkai- Star Rail

Trivia

• It's possible that the Iron Cavalry were genetically-engineered based on the Swarm, as multiple colossal insectoid carcasses were located within the vicinity of numerous Iron Cavalry incubation pods.^[4]
• The unnamed Fyrefly Type-IV Iron Cavalry Knight who threw the target designator at the Swarm Mother in Animated Short: The Embers of Glamoth is voiced by Boothill's English voice actor, Andrew Russell (uncredited).^[31]
• In an animated commercial of "Mechsoul Alloy Mechatron" during the Version 4.0 Special Program, a white mech wielding a red lightsaber fights a black mech wielding a green lightsaber and a green shield. The black mech heavily resembles the Iron Cavalry.
  • The battle between these two mechs and the furbo's quote "There's no need to fight anymore!" are references to the final battle in the animated movie Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket.

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References

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