Obsessed with Arthurian legend, King Edward III of England recreates the Knights of the Round Table to restore the virtues of chivalry. But in 1346, during the Battle of Crécy, his attitude toward noble warfare is abandoned. Instead, upon returning to England, he announces the Knights of Winchester will serve the crown and protect “without concern of God’s judgment.”
Having fallen out of favor throughout the years, the Knights continue to operate in secrecy under orders of the ruling monarch. While their numbers have never been clear, their ranks grow during World War I. Multiple accounts say they played vital roles in the Battle of the Somme and lead the way for the British Expeditionary Forces at the Battle of Amiens. Seeing the advantages of scientific warfare from the BEF, the Knights incorporate technological advances into their order. Despite their accolades during the war, they remain hidden from the public’s eye.
During World War II, King George VI calls upon of the Knights of Winchester to protect his family from German assassins. After bombs kill his wife and children, he restores the Knights as the Praetorian Guard answering only to the crown. When his daughter Isabelle ascends to the throne, she announces a new age for England and begins her rule as first queen of the British Empire. Relying on the technological might of the Knights, she silences protests and re-organizes the Empire’s forces to prepare for impending war. The Knights of Winchester become synonymous with ruthless.
Inheriting her mother’s reign, Victoria continues to amassing an army, putting neighboring countries on alert. As the Nostradamus Effect sweeps through the country, she relies on the Knights to gather any who show extraordinary abilities. In only a decade, the Knights of Winchester are entirely composed of those with powers. In order to maintain a growing superhuman army, Victoria decrees all Children either enlist within the order or be executed.
The Queen invests heavily in technology, believing it is the future of warfare. It is later used to misinform and shield their activities on foreign soil. The Knights develop their own science division, using it to enhance their abilities. The presence of augmented Knights begins the cultural shift toward biomechanical enhancements in the general populace.
Her son is killed, though how remains a mystery. With no heir to the throne, she clones her late son. Known as the “Bastard Child,” Oliver is given control of the British Empire’s military. To prove himself a capable ruler, he launches an offensive on France, determined to create a foothold in Europe. Despite his effectiveness as a military leader, the leader of the Knights believes him a soulless atrocity and turns his attentions to the growing threat of Children in America and Canada.
With rising tension in Scotland and the growing movement for independence, the Queen commands the Knights of Winchester to reinforce Oliver’s efforts. When the Knights foil an assassination attempt by a Child of Nostradamus, linked to the Free Republic of America, they set their eyes on Troy, New York. Split between the French invasion and Caledonian Freedom Fighters, Nexus infiltrates the Children’s Tower. The Queen’s only command, “Assimilate or destroy.”