The Red Knight
He who gets excited in fighting is sure to make mistakes.
| Real Name: | Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen | Height: | 5’10” |
| Archetype: | Avenging Spirit | Weight: | N/A |
| Affiliation: | German Empire | Eyes: | Red |
| Occupation: | WWI Fighter Pilot | Hair: | Brown |
| Base: | Morlancourt Ridge, France | Race: | Human (Before Death) |
| First Appearance: | The Eastern Front, WWI | ||
Tattered fabric flutters from the three wings of an old German triplane. The faded red fuselage has seen better days and as the airplane swoops down into a silent dive you realize it’s translucent. All that can be seen of the pilot are two blazing red eyes as he fires the plane’s twin machine guns.
POWERS
The Red Knight of Germany is usually seen in his spectral WWI triplane, a Fokker Dr. I. The aircraft’s outdated appearance belies its speed and maneuverability, as the Red Knight’s Fokker has reportedly kept pace with the rocket propelled Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet. The Red Knight may turn himself and his plane incorporeal and it has twin machine guns that fire ghostlight.
The Red Knight can also summon the Flying Circus, a ghost squadron of five fighters resembling his former unit, Jagdgeschwader 1.
WEAKNESSES
The Red Knight is anchored to the Morlancourt Ridge area. This has led to the Luftwaffe to declare the area a no fly zone for its pilots. This has done nothing but enrage the ghostly fighter ace. It is also rumored that the Red Knight can be destroyed if whatever binds him to this plane of existence, and the Morlancourt Ridge, is burned.
Fokker Dr I via Wikipedia
TACTICS & STRATEGY
The Red Knight usually lies in wait and ambushes German fighters and bombers as they cross over northern France. The ruthless fighter pilot has been known to actually fly out of the Somme River in order to surprise his enemies. Once in a position to attack, the Red Knight will summon his Flying Circus and begin to paint the skies with blood.
The Red Knight prefers to operate at night in order to take advantage of the translucent properties of his aircraft. To date, the only opposition that has been effective against the Red Knight have been Foo Fighters.
HISTORY
Manfred Richthofen was known as the Red Baron to the rest of the world during World War I. The German flying ace was shot in the heart by a .303 bullet in 1918 while pursuing a Sopwith Camel and managed to safely land his triplane before succumbing to his wounds. His spectre now haunts the skies over France and Germany flying a ghostly Fokker Dr. I Dreidecker.
Sightings of Rittmeister Richthofen are often from pilots who see him engaging alien Foo Fighters. His aircraft is faster and much more maneuverable than any Fokker Dr. I ever was. He has yet to engage any Allied pilots in combat, but that does keep Allied pilots from wetting themselves when they see the spectral flying ace.
AFFILIATIONS
At the moment, the Red Knight’s allegiance appears to be only to his own cause. He is clearly an enemy of Nazi Germany, but it is highly advised to avoid Manfred’s ghost at all costs. His spirit is vengeful and may misjudge any Allied presence as a threat.
This article contains content for Schattenkrieg, Nevermet Press’ alternate World War II pulp setting. Our content is community driven so we want feedback from you. Please leave a comment here, write about it on your own blog, or contact the Lead Designer, Michael Brewer, if you would like to contribute directly.
