Knave

## The Knave

The Knave

The **Knave**, also known as the Treacherous Knave, is an NPC curio reskin for the Winemaker's Reserves made by Knave of Chalices and SPurple.

## Description

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> > The Treacherous Knave, a caterpillar-like Courtyard denizen who is all too happy to sneak behind the backs of his superiors to keep your infected heroes supplied with blood.
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The Knave is a caterpillar/leech-themed bloodsucker wearing a grey-black Manservant's outfit. He carries a small black serving tray with him, which he presumably uses to conceal the Blood he's smuggling to the infected heroes. The fact that the player still needs to venture into the Courtyard to retrieve the Blood from him suggests he's not very good at his job.

The Knave also kept a journal, the pages of which can be found around the Courtyard (it can be inferred that the pages were scattered when the Knave attempted to destroy his journal, a testament to either his stupidity or his clumsiness).

If his journal entries are to be believed, the Knave is capable of both regeneration and duplication, which explains the presence of multiple Knaves in the Courtyard. His apparent endgame of killing the Countess (or having the Countess killed) explains the absence of Gather the Blood quests following the completion of A Bewitching Predator.

Judging by the other mods which either reference or include the Knave, he has a taste for "eldritch vices" (such as the crack-like Shard Dust in the Farmstead and the opium-like Refined Amber in the Black Reliquary's Caverns). Given that the Blood may be analogous to wine, it possible that the Knave's infection occurred prior to his scheme to kill the Countess.

## Journal Entries

### A Page from Beau's Diary (01/?)

It is done. Although I fear this infection may be permanent, nor has it yielded the changes I'd hoped for - although I may be remade in the image of a caterpillar as I had intended, I am horridly devoid of those traits which I value so highly. Indeed, I am rather pitiful by comparison to what I would have wanted. I had hoped to be reborn as something more... cute, I suppose. In hindsight, I have no idea what I was expecting. I should be grateful I became like a caterpillar at all. At least my culinary skills seem to have remained in tact. They may serve me yet.

### A Page from Beau's Diary (02/?)

I arrived in that accursed and blood-soaked swamp today. I fear the stories and rumors did not do it justice - they could convey neither the scale nor the loathsomeness of this place. To say nothing of its inhabitants! I wish not to recount their horrid state, save to say they thankfully retained at least a superfluous shell of decorum when at their best. My resume was adequate, if not ample, to gain me access to the once-glorious mire, even without an invitation. Funny - were it pristine and untainted, I would have given my soul and right leg to live in such a place.

### A Page from Beau's Diary (03/?)

In spite of my morbid surroundings, I have been afforded every luxury I could desire to practice my craft - a magnificent and relatively clean kitchen, access to a store of meats and spices gathered from all corners of the globe, a staff of loyal and fastidious servants... and privacy. Above all, privacy. Privacy is paramount, if I am to accomplish my goals. I have my newest benefactor to thank; a gluttonous centaur of a nobleman, who delights in acts of coprophagia, cannibalism, and pica, yet is somehow able to taste a single leaf of basil in 40 quarts of stew. Fascinating.

### A Page from Beau's Diary (04/?)

The appetite of my benefactor knows no bounds, and I find myself without rest nor respite. He eats incessantly, the fat bastard. Three meals a day, three courses a meal, enough food to feed ten armies a course! And he cries out in his sleep for food, as if he hadn't eaten enough during the day, so can't catch a break even while he's slumbering! Even with my entire staff working themselves to death, I've not a moment to myself! I fear this gros baiseur will be the death of me... but I should be grateful he enjoys my cooking.

### A Page from Beau's Diary (05/?)

I'm going to die. He's bitten off my tail. Last words. Can't think. It hurts so

### A Page from Beau's Diary (06/?)

Well, it would seem that fortune has struck me at last! My tail has returned, regrown in the night after I had passed out either from the terror or the pain! I would call it a miracle, but I'm sure we both know this unholy disease is responsible. But my splendid revival is nothing but an amuse-bouche compared to what I discovered after my benefactor learned of my survival - with enough patience and the right seasoning, my severed flesh can grow an entire me! I fear a banquet of my old and new staff may be insufficient thanks to my benefactor, but it will have to suffice.

### A Page from Beau's Diary (07/?)

Now that I can be everywhere at once, I've had more than ample time to figure out how I will dispose of... her. I'd expected, given my pervasiveness about this pestiferous slough, that I could take her throne from her by force. But even with my strength multiplied as such, a thousand times zero is still zero. And poison is out of the question - that salope malade is far too cunning to fall for such an easy trick... I fear I must face facts. There's nothing I can do. Curse or no curse, I am useless.

### A Page from Beau's Diary (08/?)

I've heard whispers in the buzzing of this courtyard, that the uninfected are planning to infiltrate and purge this murky swamp. And I've heard rumors - vague and unfounded - that there may be others like me among them! This is my chance! But I must tread carefully... already, the denizens of this hellhole are turning on any they suspect of being traitors, slaughtering them on the spot. I must tread carefully - and perhaps destroy this book as well, so no prying eyes may glean my intentions...

### A Page from Beau's Diary (09/?)

It would seem a miraculous thing has happened. Those outsiders have become infected, as everyone here expected they would. But instead of succumbing to the curse and tearing each other apart, they have only become further resolved in their quest! The thing is, a certain, ahem, somebody has been spreading stories that the infected heroes are only pretending to be against us. Not everyone believes it, but enough do that I can operate without fear of losing my head. I've sent one of myself to their Hamlet with blueprints for a Sanguine Vintners, and am already working to supply blood to the infected heroes. Maybe I'm not so useless after all...

### A Page from Beau's Diary (10/?)

The other bloodsuckers in this twisted hellhole have given me a nickname - the "Knave". I'm not so frustrated that they gave me this silly title so much as I'm worried about their possible justifications for giving it to me... a nursery rhyme involving the Knave and Queen of Hearts. It could just be a coincidence. But then again... They might be on to me. I can't just leave, not until the Countess is dead. But as soon as her rotten heart stops beating, I'm getting out of here.

### A Page from Beau's Diary (11/?)

Well, it would seem that he's finally found me again. I'm not surprised that it took him so long, given how preoccupied he is with killing those who transformed me... Well, no matter. I'll be able to cure at least one of me as soon as the sorcière suceuse de sang is dead, and hopefully that will stop his murderous little temper tantrum. I still can't understand why he's trying to hunt me down. It's not like he could do anything to cure me, even if he did catch up to me...

## Party Combos

Aside from the Winemaker's Reserve reskin, and journal entries, the Knave mod also features party combos comprised of different Crimson Curse themed modded heroes.

### The Courtyardigans

Consists of the Hood, Duchess, Hive, and Revenant.

### Gatecrashers

Consists of the Hive, Bloodclot, Duchess, and Revenant.

### La Révolution

Consists of the Hood, Bloodclot, Revenant, and Hive.

### Dinner Party

Consists of the Hood, Bloodclot, Duchess, and Hive.

### Queen's Court

Consists of the Bloodclot, Hood, Revenant, and Duchess.

## The Farmstead

A second mod exists that features the Knave as a curio which can be found in the Farmstead endless waves. He will always pay out with either six, nine, or twelve bottles of the Blood. The Knave will pay out with more Blood if he is given a Shard, with a very rare trinket if given Shard Dust, and with a Crimson Court trinket if given a Memory.

Shard: "Blood for shards!"

Shard Dust: "The knave gifts you with treasure!"

Memory: "He seems... conflicted."

## The Black Reliquary

Yet another mod features the Knave as a vendor that appears in the Black Reliquary's Cavern region. He will accept items that are related to Amber, and pay out in various amounts of Blood-themed consumables, depending on the item given:

Amber: "Blood for amber!"

Refined Amber: "He thanks you enthusiastically."

Reflex Serum: "He is hesitant, but accepts the Serum."

Amber Residue: "You get what you pay for."

Dune Lily: "It seems to remind him of something..."

Encased Troglodyte: "His silence speaks volumes."

Amber Extraction Kit: "He swipes it before you can stop him!"

The amount of each consumable given is not constant, but is on average higher when a rarer item given, with Amber Residue paying out the least and the Amber Extraction Kit and Encased Troglodyte paying out with the most.

## Sleeper's Chalice

Sleeper's Chalice

The Farmstead Knave mod features a Crystalline trinket called the "Sleeper's Chalice". It prevents heroes infected with the Crimson Curse from reaching the Craving stage, and increases the number of shards collected for Crimson Curse infected heroes by 100%.

The Black Reliquary Knave mod features a Reliquary Spoils trinket called "Vril's Chalice". It gives +12 DODGE, +20% PROT, and -15% stress received vs Troglodyte. It has a 100% chance to be received from the Knave when you give him an Encased Troglodyte.

## Consumables

The Black Reliquary Knave mod's consumables are each themed around the Crimson Curse, and reuse assets related to the Blood in DD2 and DD1.

The Blood: "The call is unyielding, even here." +4 SPD, +7 DODGE

The Vintage: "Sacramental wine, aged to perfection." +10% Stun, Blight, and Bleed resist

## Vril's Chalice

Vril's Chalice

The Wine: "A classic vice, enjoyed by many." -6 Stress

The Curse: "A defiled and perverted tincture." Gain The Curse

## Trivia

* The Knave's sprites were originally intended to be used as a conditional curio encountered while adventuring with at least one Duchess in the player's party. The idea was scrapped due to the difficulty of implementing such a feature.
* Despite their presence in game, the Knave's Steam workshop page does not mention his journal entries or party combos.
* The sound that plays when the Knave is interacted with is a combination of the Refined Palate sound, the Hooded / Elder Shrew sound, and bloodsucker chittering.
* The term "Knave" originally referred to a boy or young man, or a male servant without a specific role or skill. Later on it became a derogatory word for a tricky and deceitful fellow, since royal households had so many of these young men who went swaggering around the streets picking fights, molesting girls, and generally making nuisances of themselves.
* The Knave's canon name appears to be Beau.
	+ Beau is a name of French origin that means "handsome", although it also refers to a male lover or sweetheart. It is potentially a shortening of the similarly French name Beauregard, which means "beautiful gaze".
	+ The Knave's canon name has changed throughout its existence, originally being "Alison L'Asticot" before changing to "von Lepidop", "von Schmetterling", and finally simply "Beau".
* When first published to the Steam workshop, the Knave used the same skel and atlas files as the original Winemaker's Reserves, causing him to appear very small. Along with screenshots of the Knave in game, the workshop page featured a screenshot from the Spongebob Squarepants episode "Walking Small", with the Knave's sprite photoshopped over Sheldon J. Plankton saying "I am small".
* The Knave is referenced in The Dread Hook mod: the boss drops a gem-like item called "Knave's Invitation".
* In the Knave mod's files, there is a hidden NSFW version of the Knave sprite featuring oversized male genitalia. Presumably, this was created as a joke, or as a satirical reference to female Darkest Dungeon mods with explicit NSFW edits similarly stored in their mod files.
* The Sleeper's Chalice and Vril's Chalice are likely references to the mod's creator, Knave of Chalices.
	+ The Sleeper's Chalice has the same symbol engraved on the side as the Celestial Cornerstone from the Color of Madness.
	+ Vril's Chalice has Persian Cuneiform symbols on the side. When translated, they read as "peT".