The Order: 1886

Story

The Order: 1886 is set in an alternate history of London, in which an ancient order of knights protects the entire world from half-bred monsters that are a combination of animal and human. In the history of the game, around the seventh or eighth century, a small number of humans took on bestial traits. The majority of people feared these half-breeds and a war broke out. Although the humans outnumbered the half-breeds, their animal strength gave them the upper hand in the centuries-long conflict. Centuries later, humanity finds new hope in King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. King Arthur and his like-minded knights take up the fight against the half-breeds, but Arthur soon realizes that it is a losing battle. Through a mysterious twist of fate, the knights discover Blackwater, a mystical liquid that greatly extends their lifespans and gives them remarkable healing abilities. Despite this new advantage, the half-breeds continue to win battle after battle until the Industrial Revolution turns the tide. Inventors are far ahead of their time, inventing technologies such as thermal imaging, zeppelins, and wireless communications. New weapons spew electricity, ignite clouds of molten metal over enemies, and serve dual functions as fragmentation grenades and proximity mines. In 1886, the war is still going on, but the people almost have martial law. A new threat emerges in the form of the lower classes, who rebel against the rich and the social order, with the knights supporting the wealthy upper classes and nobles. In the game, there are four main characters from the same group, each with a first name and the adopted name of one of the original knights. The eldest is Sebastian Mallory, the second, named Sir Percival, and the descendant of Thomas Mallory, who wrote Le Morte d'Arthur, the definitive Arthurian text, in 1400. He is a close friend of Grayson and one of the finest knights in the history of the Order. Grayson is the third knight to hold the title of Sir Galahad, and has been fighting the enemies of the Order for centuries. He considers Mallory a mentor, Lafayette a friend, and Isabeau a potential lover. Otherwise, little is known about him so far. Isabeau D'Argyll is one of the younger knights of the order, but is much older than she appears to be in her late twenties. Isabeau, the last Lady Igraine, was Grayson's apprentice and, if she had not pledged herself to the Order, his mistress. Marquis de Lafayette was a French officer who fought in the French and American Revolutions. His tactical knowledge brought him to the attention of the Order and Mallory persuaded him to join. Although he is the youngest in the group, his world travel has given him a whimsical outlook on life that grounds the group. As an apprentice, he does not yet bear the name of a knight.