Knightmare Frame

Knightmare Frames are humanoid war machines developed by the Holy Britannian Empire. Unveiled during the invasion of Japan, Knightmare Frames are almost exclusively used in place, and sometimes on par with the practically obsolete main battle tanks. The name "Knightmare Frame" is a play on the word nightmare and a knight's mare. There also exists a derivative type of war machine based on the Knightmare Frames called Knight Giga Fortress.

Overview
Knightmare Frames often have a humanoid shape and are usually between four and five meters tall. In addition to the standard range of bipedal movement, Knightmare Frames are equipped with Landspinners, self-propelled roller skates attached to the ankles of the machines, which allow them to achieve high mobility and speeds on most terrain. Visual data is gathered through Factsphere sensors, which have thermographic capability and an array of other data-collection functions which are collated in real-time. Factspheres are commonly protected under a layer of armor which can be retracted to improve system sensitivity. Knightmare Frames are piloted from a cockpit set in the protruding 'hump back' in the unit. The cockpit is a self-contained control center which can be ejected in case of emergency.

Knightmare Frames are powered by the Yggdrasil Drive (ユグドラシルドライブ, Yugudorashiru Doraivu), a fictional energy source. Its centerpiece is a Sakuradite device called the Core Luminous (コアルミナス, Koaru Ruminasu), wherein a cube of unknown composition is weightlessly suspended. The cube revolves at high speeds during a state of drive activation known as Yggdrasil Resonance (ユグドラシル共鳴), apparently involved in the conduction of electricity. The technology is named after the Yggdrasil. The drive is recharged through a Sakuradite energy filler (エナジーフィラー, enajii firā).

Knightmare Frames are typically armed with rocket-propelled anchors called Slash Harkens (スラッシュハーケン, Surasshuhāken) and a number of other weapons. Mass-production models usually carry handheld rifles, which are able to fire micro ordinance as well, and a number of Chaos Mines, cylindrical air burst grenades that spray deadly shrapnel over a small area. Less common equipment, though more widespread as the series progresses, are Maser Vibration Swords (MVS), a form of vibroblade which oscillates at a high rate to cut through almost anything, and Hadron Cannons, powerful energy cannons which can obliterate almost anything in their path. Late in 2017, Float Systems (フロートシステム, Furōto Shisutemu), devices which allow Knighmares to fly, are introduced, and by 2018 also fall into common use.

History
The creation of Knightmare Frames is roughly divided in four Ages, which mark the birth of a new kind of weapon platform and its evolution into a full-fledged combat system.

First Age: Infancy
The beginnings of the Knightmare Frame came from the creation of 'emergency survival cockpits' for conventional vehicles. Equipped with rocket engines to fly the crew away from the wreck, the contraptions were soon equipped with artificial legs to allow greater mobility. Limited room inside said vehicles restricted the number of legs to two. Though not a weapon in any sense of the word, the 'walking cockpits' provided the base form for their successors.

Second Age: Turning Point
Several years later, the creation of several common Knightmare Frame technologies, such as the Factspheres and Landspinners, lead to the funding for Knightmare Frame prototypes. However, the new technologies performed erratically, and the research was outsourced to military-based robotics projects and social-oriented programs. The former was assigned to a Britannian Army Special Division, the 'Special Dispatch Guidance System Division', while the latter went in the hands of a private group, the Ashford Foundation. The foundation implemented technologies related to training and education, enabling the entire Knightmare Frame program to make progress fluidly.

The bipedal weapon was nicknamed 'Knightmare' by the Army but its non-offensive equipment was referred to as 'Frame' by civilians. The union of those two terms gave birth to the name 'Knightmare Frame'.

Third Age: Archetype
With the results gained from the two separate programs, Knightmare Frames were developed in combat-effective platforms. Use of Sakuradite became paramount in making the Knightmare Frames perform to expectations, resulting in the mineral's value increasing greatly, turning it into resource as important as fossil fuel in international politics.

The Third Age also marked the creation of the Ganymede prototype, manufactured and designed by the Ashford Foundation. Its test pilot, Marianne quickly became famous and was granted knighthood, before eventually getting married to the Britannian Emperor. However, the company suffered great loss when Marianne was assassinated. The Ashford Foundation eventually retired from its business and its employees were disbanded. The truth on the Empress' death was never truly elucidated but rumors suggest that her downfall was caused by a political feud meant to keep the rising Ashford Foundation in check.

Fourth Age: Implementation
The Fourth Age saw the introduction of the RPI-11 Glasgow, the first mass-production weapons platform. Its abilities allowed the Britannian Empire to easily dominate Japan during the invasion of 2010 A.T.B. The Glasgow moved on to become the baseline unit for the Britannian Army, though it is eventually made obsolete. Some Glasgow units are still used by the Knight Police for law enforcement, and other countries have used it as a base in the creation of their own Knightmare Frames.

Fifth Age: Evolution
Following the success of the Knightmare Frames against conventional weapons of war, attention was turned to creating Knightmare Frames intended to destroy similar weapons, including other Knightmare Frames. The Sutherland is the result of this. The Sutherland feature improvements to cockpit comfort and function, better mobility, and increased close-combat capabilities to emphasize its role as an anti-robot weapon. The Second Princess Cornelia and her bodyguards make use of the Gloucester, a Sutherland variant designed specifically to combat other Knightmare Frames, reflecting the Chinese Federation and the EU's development of their own Knightmare Frames.

Sixth Age and Seventh: Missing and Continuation
The sixth age features almost no improvements in Knightmare Frame technology, earning it the moniker "Missing Generation". The creation of the Seventh Generation Lancelot marked the first significant innovation. Sakuradite is not only used in the Yggdrasil Drive, but is also scattered throughout the frame, increasing performance dramatically in all areas. This allows the Lancelot to effectively employ the MVS (Maser Vibration Sword) and electromagnetic shielding. In addition to the frame, Sakuradite is also used in the VARIS (Variable Ammunition Repulsion Impact Spitfire), with the intent of giving it the strength to survive a direct hit. This kind of rapid development completely defies the notion of general purpose and mass production units, resulting in the Lancelot being a unique machine. The first mass-production seventh generation frame is the Vincent, which bears many similarities in design to the Lancelot. However, it lacks many of the Lancelot's experimental technologies.

Eighth and Ninth Age: Aspirations
The Eight and Ninth Ages are the current in-development units of Britannia, lead by Camelot heads Lloyd Asplund and Cécile Croomy. The latest development, considered part of the Ninth Age, is the Energy Wing system. Only two Ninth Age Knightmares are known: the Lancelot Albion and the Guren S.E.I.T.E.N. Eight Elements-Type.

Custom Models

 * Galahad
 * Gawain
 * Lancelot
 * Mordred
 * Percival
 * Tristan

Mass-production models

 * Gareth
 * Glasgow
 * Gloucester
 * Knight Police
 * Portman
 * Sutherland
 * Vincent
 * Vincent Ward

Mass-production models

 * Akatsuki
 * Akatsuki Jikisanshiyō
 * Burai
 * Burai Kai
 * Gekka
 * Gun-Ru
 * Raikou

Custom models

 * Guren
 * Shenhu
 * Shinkirō
 * Zangetsu

Miscellaneous

 * Bamides
 * Ganymede
 * MR-1
 * Panzer-Hummel

Manga and video game models

 * Alpha
 * Aquila
 * Equus
 * Gekka Pre-Production Test Type
 * Lancelot Club
 * Mark Nemo
 * Regalia