Vogelweide
| NPC | Trivia |
Vogelweide, referred to as the Old Knight in-game, is an NPC in Arknights. He is a major supporting character in the Kazimierz Major trilogy (Maria Nearl, Pinus Sylvestris, Near Light)
Background
Once known as Batbayar, Vogelweide came from a family of campaign knights whose ancestors possessesd the bloodline of the legendary Nightzmoras.[1] He served the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi Kazimierz, reaching Level 2 as of his retirement. He befriended members of the Nearl family, particularly Maria and Zofia, Marcin, and Kowal as well as training young Zofia in swordsmanship four years prior to her debut in the Major. As a conservative, Vogelweide detests the corruption that plagues the knights of Kazimierz and the Major from the country's untamed capitalism, which he saw as disrespecting the supposedly noble knighthood. Since his retirement, he has spent most of his spare time in Marcin's bar, often seen alongside Kowal.
Despite their friendship, Vogelweide and Kowal are often at odds with each other due to their differences, often ending up in a brawl that is mediated by Marcin by telling them to stop or fight outside.
Story
Maria Nearl
Vogelweide is first seen alongside Kowal when they were arguing over who was responsible for the car crash at the streets of Kawalerielki. Luckily, the two of them coincidentally met Maria who helped them repair the old vehicle. Kowal asked where was she going and all she replied was that she was on a personal business. Not asking for further questions, the two drove away. Suddenly, the car's engine broke again and Vogelweide couldn't stop it in time, leading to another crash.[2]
A few days later at Marcin's bar, the duo were watching Maria fixing the car again. Just then, Zofia entered the bar by force and scolded Maria hard. This was where Vogelweide learnt that the young lady was entering the Kazimierz Major secretly in order to save the Nearl family. Even though he knew that the arena might be tough and ruthless, the old knight still encouraged the brave girl to take part in the competition.[3] Indeed, Maria passed the preliminary in ease after defeating the Plastic Knight and the gang held a party in the bar to celebrate her first victory.[4]
However, as Maria kept winning the matches triumphantly, Vogelweide began to worry that the Knights Association and those mega-corporations, who cotrols the Major behind the scenes, would harrass her and eventually find ways to get rid of her. His presumption was right when Czarny, the speaker of the Kazimierz National Council, visited Marcin's bar while she was present. Czarny pointed out his past as a campaign knight which in turn angered the old knight. He despised the speaker for speaking blashphemy agaisnt the old glory of Kazimierz knighthood.[5] After Czarny left, Sonna the Flametail Knight suddenly rushed into the bar with her injured friend. Vogelwiede and Kowel quickly came out with their weapons to see if anyone following behind. When everything was clear, the two returned to help bandage Ashley.[5] Although the gang wanted to persuade Maria to give up, there was simply no way turning back.
During Maria's match with the Corrupted and Withered Knights, Kowal and him quickly dashed toward the stadium only to be stopped by Platinum and the assasins from the Armorless Union.[6] Before the two old men were ready to fight back, The three saw Mageret Nearl, the Radiant Knight, flying herself into the stadium to take down the Sarkaz brothers. In front of them, Shining and Nightingale passed by and requested to go into the stadium. Reluctantly, Platinum finally allowed the two Followers and the old men to enter.[7] With the duo reuniting with the Nearl sisters, the unfinshed duel between Platinum and them just ended abruptedly.
Near Light
Upon Margaret's return to her homeland, Vogelweide and his old friends cheered for her participation in the Major. He also comforted young Maria for her forfeit from the match since she realized she was not fit to become a competitive knight.[8] On the other hand, they were surpriesed to hear that Młynar was defeated by her in a duel, and Vogelweide chided that he should have Margeret discipline her uncle. He also learnt that Margert was allowed to take part in the Major only because she defeated him. When discussing about the potential harrassment by the Major's stakeholders, he was annoyed by the fact that the Knights' Association suddenly changed their tone and allowed the exiled Radiant Knight to join the match.[9]
However, the peace was broken when two mysterious visitors approached his bar. Firstly, there was Roy from the Union having his dinner leisurely. Marcin and his friend agreed that they must not disturb him even though he might be here to gain intel concerning the Nearl sisters, and Vogelweide refuted Kowal's nonsensical joke. But the surprising part was the arrival of Tola, the Nigntmare Knight and one of the surviving true Nightzmora, in his bar to search for Margeret. Vogelweide was shocked to see this surviving Nightzmora even knew his previous name, and Tola replied that it was his comrade who told him the old knight's presence. Nevertheless, his arrival was met with immediate hostility as the gang saw him more of a mental person who was seeking fight. Being dissuaded, Tola left the bar with disappointment but proclaimed that he would find the Radiant Knight somehow.[1]
Seeing that Tola had been wandering around the capital for a long time despite having an unofficial knighthood, Vogelweide quitely followed after him until the old knight decided to meet him face to face. It was from here Vogelweide learnt that the young Nightzmora was following his ancient tradition. When he asked his intention for staying in Kawalerielki, Tola replied that he was here to "conquer" the metal giant so that no only he could fulfil his tradition but also to walk up the spirits of the Kurantas.[10]
During Margaret's match with Viviana the Candle Knight, the Armorless Union had Maria kidnaped and broke into Marcin's bar in order to force Margeret surrender. Knowing their arrival from the very beginning, the three old men fought the assassins bravely. Vogelweide easily defeated them and mocked that they were simply not their challengers as an ex-campaign knight.[11]
Days later when Tola was forfeited to match with the Radiant Knight, he angrily approached the bar again and coincidentally met Maria. Vogelweide came to rescue the girl from the crazy warrior and tried to persude him to stop his fantasy. Tola refused, however, thinking that Vogelweide was too old to understand the Khesigs' glory. Seeing that persuasion was no use, Vogelweide and Maria decided to fight back. He also tried to remind the young Nightzmora that the era of the Khesigs was already over with a simple phrase: "Where is your Khagan?". The fight lasted until Tola decided to give up and leave after seeing Maria's determination as well as her Pegasian "golden blood." [12]
After Tola's defeat by the Blood Knight, Vogelweide was the one who brought him to the hospital to treat his injuries. While he chided Tola for being a penniless man, he also praised him for enduring the attack of the Blood Knight. When Tola suddenly decided to leave the place and the city and continue his tradition after being satisfied by his journey in Kawalerielki, he tried to have him stay back for rest, but Tola stubbornly refused. The old knight was puzzled by such determination, so he asked where he decided to end his endless journey. After knowing that his destination was in fact the unexplored Northland, Vogelweide started to worry for him, thinking that all his life time was just to seek his death.[13]
On the day of the Major's final, the three old men were invited by Maria and Zofia to the arena to watch Margeret's match with the Blood Knight and cheer for her. Upon Margeret's victory, however, the trio were furious to see that Mob announced the Radiant's secret as a non-Infected, fearing that such action would provoke the Infected community. From behind, the assissins of the Union lauched their attack onto the gang until Amiya and Shining, who just sat beside them somehow, warned them. As more and more assassins appeared to stop Margeret's march towards the Champion's Hall with Dikaiopolis, the old men volunteered to buy them some time in the arena by fending off the assassins' attack until they were safely guarded by the Silverlance Pegasi. They also protected the knights of Pinus Sylvestris from any harm by the Armorless Union while they were making their way for the Radiant and Blood Kinghts.[14]