Drawlloween 29

Today's prompt is White Knight.....

Among  the knights of Camelot, the white knights were considered the most  heroic and valiant of all knights. Their armor was adorned with hands  grasping hands, to show that they would aid all of mankind, linking  together, hand in hand, arm in arm, and protecting the rights of the  people, striving to destroy evil and protect the innocent. They were  also among the most religiously devote knights, worshiping the gods and  subjecting themselves in the utmost pious fealty. Because of this they  wielded a divine might, able to call fourth holy light and divine  lightning from their blades, or heal allies who had been struck down, or  even banish their foes into the depths of hell. However not all of the  white knights were as good natured as their reputation would lead one to  believe.

The white knights  were among the highest echelons of society in Camelot, making them  aristocrats, celebrities, and nobles, and though they worked hard to  achieve this goal, they also took part in much political subterfuge and  discourse as well as religious and political espionage and sabotage that  the public would likely never know about. Some white knights, usually  pushed as the face of their clan, were used as shining examples of all  of them, with their virtue, honor and self sacrifice showing through and  reflecting on the others, while in the shadows they would have enemies  assassinated and greatly aid in the slave and sex trades of Camelot.  Even some of their highest ranking members may have run ins with the law  or with citizens and they would be covered up by other members of the  order through violence or coercion. While women were accepted in the  ranks and their equality was toted as proof of the power of the round  table, they were badly treated, discriminated against and worse within  the order, though the ones who did push through tended to make it easier  on others who attempted to join. White Knights were seen as merciful,  however those who wouldn't join the church, or whom would reject the  culture of Camelot would be cut down and called savages. The White  knights dark secrets were well hidden, mostly through working with the  black knights, whom they hired to assassinate others for them and keep  things covered up, leading to a coalition of grey knights being formed  of members that were formerly white or black knights and used as a sort  of general work force to ally all knights, but mostly to spy on the  others. There were rumors on the true behavior of most of these knights,  as some of them had actually taken Unicorns from the fae to use as holy  mounts, as the creatures were seen as holy by most people, however many  times the unicorns were mistreated, or killed as they were in essence,  prisoners and slaves of war.

Whenever  the great cataclysm struck, the white knights were the first to  re-enter the castle and stand against the foes within, however some of  them that escaped were also the first to flee, or the first to turn  against their allies and give themselves up as puppets to the Fae. Their  capes became arms and their armor melted into their bodies. Hands and  fingers extending in strange locations along the knight's armor as it's  flesh takes on the pallid color of death. White knights are incredibly  quick, able to sprint across the battlefield and maneuver swiftly as if  they were wearing nothing at all. The arms that make up their cloak can  be sent out to grapple creatures, and they can summon various golden  lashes that launch out to bind enemies and drag them back to them. While  fighting the hands around their heads may clasp together and a halo may  appear, as their arms en-wreath around their bodies to protect them.  They can summon weapons made of solid divine light, and they have a  signature Exeo Lux Mamahyata technique in which they lunge forward  surrounded with holy light and swing their blade, decapitating everyone  they pass through, or firing a blade of light from their sword to slice  through their foes. Whenever they are slain, enemies often are turned  into pillars of salt or turned to ash. Their shields and swords are  enchanted with a holy light and the shields can redirect magic energy  and unleash flashes of light while the blades are tempered in divine  flames and can cut through spells and various magic attacks. Some of the  more powerful white knights can twist their capes into big angel like  wings to fly with a trail of light behind them.

Some  still have unicorns that they use as mounts, and some unicorns have  bonded with the white knights and now are in control as they had been of  the fairy folk that empowered the great calamity. Because of this white  knights may be led by or fight alongside unicorns or horrifying unicorn  beasts.

The White knights  are ruthless fighters as they were in life, and they still grant no  quarter regardless of the foe they fight. In some circumstances they may  be willing to back down or take part in a fair fight, though it's  unknown if it's because of the man they used to be or if they are  abiding by a code only in the presence of an audience.