Since Spiral Knights: Project R is intended to be the third installment of my series, I figured it’d be helpful to add a bit of context for who the main cast is, what they look like, and what each of their individual and combined story is so far. I've opted to focus solely on the main group, as the NPCs from the original game are already established in some fashion, and I haven’t deviated from their original game counterparts much (yet!). There are plenty of other original characters, all based loosely on my memories of players from when I regularly played Spiral Knights, but since they have less page-presence than Blast and Co., I’ve opted to save them for another time. 

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Originating from the world of Isora, Spiral Knights are Isorans who were on the failing side of the Morai War. In the hope of finding some way to save their world, the Spiral Order issued a massive exploratory force to take a ship, The Skylark, and scour the universe for a source of power that could turn the tide of the war. After only a few months of searching, the crew of The Skylark managed to find an unrecognizable source of energy, and traced it to an artificial planet, later dubbed Cradle. Alas, during the ship’s initial scan of the planet, immense firepower tore into the side of The Skylark, sending it hurtling to the planet’s surface. The attack destroyed its Tearium core and rendered it inoperable by the survivors of the crash, but efforts continue even now to get it functioning again.

In the meantime, the Spiral Knights have found a new home in Haven, a rather small city-state dedicated to mercantilism. Strangers, the primary inhabitants of Haven, struck a deal with the Spiral Knights: a warm and continued welcome in exchange for protection and the collection of materials from the planet’s inner workings, named The Clockworks. Since then, the Spiral Knights have been working in conjunction with the people of Haven, partially using their old military companies and divisions directed by Spiral HQ, but also incorporating new systems, like guilds. In exchange for recognition by Spiral HQ, moderate funding, and their own place to call home in the ever expansive Guilds’ Hall, these guilds must volunteer a number of four-man squads proportional to the number of members across the whole guild and work in tandem with Spiral HQ’s more direct operatives.

In the case of Wolver Masters, the guild of seven only has one fully operational squad. This Wolver Squad has always consisted of Blast, Zimthose, and Silver, plus one rotating member. However, after what was determined to be a coordinated terror attack by Gremlin competitors in King Krogmo’s Lockdown Tournament, Silver and a number of other Spiral Knights have been designated M.I.A., and their current whereabouts and status unknown, but likely not positive.

Currently, Wolver Squad now consists of Blast, Zimthose, Lance, and Balldrick. The other two members of the guild include Hunter, the Guild Master, who stays behind to deal with the logistics of running the guild, and the lone wolf Val, who opts to join other solo operating knights to complete miscellaneous missions on behalf of Spiral HQ. But those two are for another time.

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Zimthose:

Role: Frontline, Striker

Rank as of now: Knight Elite

Armor and shield Loadout: Angelic Helm and Dusker Coat, with a Swiftstrike Buckler.

Weapon Loadout: Silent Nightblade, Striker sword, and a sawed-off, double-barreled shotgun.

Utilities: None.

Ambitious, self-centered, and righteous by nature, Zimthose is the sword of Wolver Squad. Despite his hot temper and act-first-think-later attitude, he’s also the heart of Wolver Squad, keeping everyone moving forward by pulling them along or giving a supportive shove from behind. He relies on his squadmates quite often outside of combat, but when it comes time to face down the enemy, he has no qualms about stepping in to take any adversary down with whatever weapon he has on hand.

When the Skylark crashed on Cradle, most everyone was uncertain about what to do next. A hostile, alien planet with no hope of getting off spelt despair for most Spiral Knights. In the midst of this, Zimthose saw an opportunity: he would become the best Striker in the Spiral Order. He decided that he would forge a path through the mysterious Clockworks, battling anyone and anything that stood in his way to reach his goal of being on top. Of course, with his minimal field experience and low rank, that was easier said than done.

With the help of his older brother Blast and their newfound companion Silver, Zimthose has been able to survive many encounters that would have gotten him killed otherwise. It’s not been an easy journey, by any stretch of the imagination; even so, he carries onward, not for any grand loyalty to the Spiral Order or to get back home, but out of sheer stubbornness to throw in others’ faces that he will be number one, all odds be damned.

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Lance:

Role: Backline, Technician Knight

Rank as of now: Knight Elite

Armor and shield Loadout: Elemental Hood and Cloak, with a Horned Owlite Shield.

Weapon Loadout: Spur, Prismatech Alchemer Mk. II, and Slumber Squall.

Utilities: Bandolier for bombs and a Supply Backpack.

Lance was never the strongest or fastest knight. He knew he could never hold a candle to the champions of renown that people loved to talk about, but he never paid attention to those folk anyways. He always looked to the people behind the champions, the ones who supported them and got them to the status of legend in the first place. Intelligence, Research, and Technician Knights have all had vital roles to play in the Spiral Order, and he always lamented how it was only ever the Guardians, Strikers, or Gunslinging Knights who became so popular and well known across Isora, by friend and foe alike. Why was it that the pillars of their success hardly ever had their praises sung?

Hoping to find a way to break this tradition, Lance aimed to become a capable supporting knight, and fell into the role of Technician, where he studied the mechanics and physics of any and all kinds of technology and machinery. After the Skylark crashed on Cradle, Lance quickly took an interest in the hostile constructs that attacked the Rescue Camp and worked to find the best means of dealing with them, and eventually he found himself spending time learning the ways of Gremlins and Strangers. He immersed himself in their culture to try to build a bridge between Spiral Knights and Cradle’s natural inhabitants, but Lance found he was losing sight of what he had originally set out to do.

Lance had met Blast, Zimthose, and Silver at the Rescue Camp, and helped them forge a path through the chasm to reach Haven. After hearing of their victory over the Snarbolax, Lance found his way to Wolver Masters in the hopes that the small squad of misfits would have room for a Technician Knight to share in their glory. And share in it he did, using his understanding of Cradle and its inhabitants to help Wolver Squad breach one of the Clockwork’s secret vaults, explore the Scarlet Fortress, and take down the Royal Jelly Palace, among other feats. Yet his goal of earning glory for the supporting role has only just begun, and he’ll be damned before he lets any of his guild members, especially a Striker, hog too much glory.

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Balldrick:

Role: Backline, Gunslinger

Rank as of now: Defender

Armor and shield Loadout: Plated Sentinel Helm and Armor, with a Heavy Plate Shield

Weapon Loadout: Two Antiguas, a Tundrus, and a Parrying Blade.

Utility: Canteen and a Munitions Pouch/Backpack.

While an average knight takes pride in wielding their trusty sword and shield, a true Spiral Knight knows there’s more to their arsenal than tradition. Firearms and bombs have been a staple of the Spiral Order for generations now, so Gunslingers and Bombers have come to serve a prominent role in any squad. Balldrick saw firsthand just how devastating these kinds of weapons could be during the Morai War, when he was but a recruit on the frontlines. Knights of higher ranks wielded weapons capable of putting more bullets down range in a minute than an average knight could swing a sword in ten. It was no question to him then that one of the best methods of fighting was to strike an opponent from a distance greater than they could notice you or fight back from, and so he trained to be able to work any firearm he came across.

By the time the Skylark departed Isora, Balldrick was one of the few pessimists who saw no hope for the war. Certain that there was no future left on the Spiral Knight homeworld, Balldrick joined the Skylark crew to see the universe and hoped to find somewhere new to call home. At the rank of Knight, there was not a whole lot he could contribute during the Skylark’s travels, but once the ship was shot down and the survivors began regrouping, Balldrick found his coolheadedness and keen vision paramount for surviving in unfamiliar, hostile territories. Yet, he could never find himself able to take the lead of a squad himself, and his blunt way of talking usually invited the misunderstanding that he was just plain rude to everyone. Thankfully, he always felt more comfortable giving supporting fire from the backlines, rather than being in the frontlines or getting close to other knights. As such, he earned a reputation as the Cold Marksman, but that didn’t dissuade the likes of Blast, Zimthose, and Silver from recruiting him to the Wolver Masters.

Now, Balldrick finds himself in the last place he wanted to be. With Silver missing, a power vacuum has formed within Wolver Squad, and nobody seems truly capable of taking his place as Squad Leader. Blast was entrusted with the position, but his lack of experience clearly shows in the heat of battle. It beats having the hot-headed Zimthose or indecisive Lance take the helm, and the last thing Balldrick wants is to be responsible for a whole squad, but at the rate things are going, he’s worried about needing to step up or step in more often.

* * *

Blast:

Role: Frontline, Guardian

Rank as of now: Knight Elite

Armor and shield Loadout: Solid Cobalt Helm and Flak Jacket, with a Great Defender

Weapon Loadout: Tempered Calibur, Super Blaster, and Silver’s Side Blade.

Utilities: An Intel Tube and a Helm Mounted Com Unit. 

Despite all available hands being recruited and deployed in service, still the Spiral Knights ended up having to leave their homeworld of Isora in search of a power to turn the tides of war, or to find a new home altogether. When he learned Zimthose had volunteered to join the Skylark expedition force, he felt obligated to join as well; there was nothing left for him on Isora, and with how much he struggled with finding his own purpose, he hoped the Skylark would help him find who he was meant to be. Luckily for Blast, he found a path to call his own: becoming a true knight.

But it takes more than armor or rank to make a real knight. Someone willing to put their life on the line to protect others who cannot fend for themselves; someone willing to take up arms to fight for their own ideals, or to make their dreams a reality. To have the courage and skill to take an enemy head on, even if victory is unassured or, in a worst case scenario, defeat is all but guaranteed. 

After joining the Skylark’s crew, becoming such a knight has been the very reason for Blast’s being. Unfortunately, he lacks talent with any weapon, possesses no natural gifts to give him an edge in battle, and learns best not from others, but from his own mistakes and failures. At times, he wonders why he even bothers to keep fighting as a knight when all he does is struggle to barely get by. It was not his choice to become a soldier in the first place; there was a war going on, after all. Time and again, his suffering makes him wonder what could be worthwhile, what could be worth the pains of life. And each time, he vividly recalls why he continues onward: the hearty meal shared with found family, the smiles of friends and strangers alike, the unforgettable, treasured moments brought upon by fate. Each time he wonders why he perseveres in life, he remembers it’s because life is not just worth living, but is at its best when it’s shared with others.

* * *

By the time the mission to stop Project R is underway, Wolver Squad will have been through tons of adventures, mishaps, and perils, many of which I already have in mind or am currently detailing out, and will publish sometime in the future. They’ve gone through the ranks, from Recruit, Apprentice, Squire, Knight, now to Knight Elite; if you’ve played Spiral Knights, you’ll have an idea of what may have occurred in the interim, but as for the how and why, as well as the twists and turns I’ve got planned… Well, knowing the game won’t make you an omniscient reader, I can promise that much.

After this book is over, I’ll be going back to the beginning, reshaping what I started with Spiral Knights: A New Home, and making it much more grander than before. But this is by no means going to be a short series; heck, this book alone has reached 137 pages, and it’s not even nearing the halfway mark! That said, I’ll need time to plan and shape the story better going forward, so I’ll be taking some time off from my weekly uploads. If you’ve enjoyed what I’ve done so far, just a simple like or comment does wonders. If you want to be super generous and donate, or commission me for some writing or editing, I have a Ko-fi link in my bio as well.

Thank you so much for reading. See you all next year!