I was wondering about bone knights and their place in Karrnath. Are they still a component of Karrnathi culture and society after the war? Were they created specifically for the Last War or did Karrnath have a longer history with these more military necromancers? Is Kaius opposed to the Blood of Vol generally or the Emerald Claw specifically, and if the former is the Bone Knight thing something he wants gone from Karrnath?
So, looking to the questions specifically: In my opinion, the Bone Knight is an old Seeker tradition, but one that was very uncommon before the Last War because the Seekers weren’t part of the Karrnathi military tradition; their numbers increased during the Last War in order to manage the undead forces. Kaius is publicly using the Blood of Vol as a useful scapegoat. He doesn’t NEED very many Bone Knights since he’s retired most of the undead; he’s dismissed most and allowed some to be persecuted as war criminals. However, regardless of this public image he’s not personally opposed to the Seekers. He’s maintained Fort Bones and Fort Zombie, and has a small cadre of Bone Knights and necromancers whose loyalty to the nation outweighs their anger at the treatment of their brethren.
Are Bone Knights mostly Seekers or would one devoted to the Dark Six or the Sovereign Host be capable of getting far?
There’s a number of factors. They’re mostly Seekers because it’s an ancient Seeker tradition, tied to their long-standing use of practical necromancy. Theoretically someone who follows another faith could fill that role, but it requires deep devotion to the necromantic arts. If you revere the Sovereign Host—honoring Dol Arrah and Aureon—how do you embrace this dark path? The Shadow and the Keeper are the Sovereigns who would guide you on this road, and that’s a viable path, but not exactly one that Karrnath would celebrate and encourage. So sure; I think someone devoted to the Dark Six could become an accomplished Bone Knight, but that faith won’t make them any more acceptable to the general public than the Seekers… and might even result in greater distrust and suspicion.
Source: Q&A 5/18/18: Undead, Sarlona, and More!
Does Bone knight creation pre-date the last war? What were early bone knights like? Has the Bone knight process improved since the war ?
Bone Knights were first seen on a wide scale during the Last War. As called out in Five Nations (where they first appear), it was during the Last War that a new sort of champion was required to lead the mass-produced undead troops. Thus, it was the Last War in which the BONE KNIGHT became a clear military role. They were never widespread, but it was at this point that you had an ORDER of Bone Knights.
But was this the first and only time Bone Knights appeared? Consider the legend of the Silent Knight, the first death knight of the Seekers of the Divinity Within. In my opinion there were at least two Bone Knights known to the history of the Blood of Vol. The PRINCE OF SKULLS was the first in Seeker history; he was an early warlord who bonded his body and spirit to his armor in an attempt to overcome death and obtain the Divinity Within, but he was eventually destroyed by a group of Knights of Dol Arrah. LADY IVORY came a few centuries after the death of the Prince of Skulls; she led her people in an uprising against a local tyrant, and when her people were killed and she herself was grievously wounded, she bound her body to both her armor and to the bones of her family to sustain herself, and raised the bones of her people to bring down the warlord. But the point is that these were INDIVIDUALS known through folk tale who stumbled on this path on their own. During the Last War, the Ministry of the Dead said "We need to create an order of knights like the myth of Lady Ivory; how can we do it" and this led to the creation of the modern Bone Knight.
Meanwhile, as always, keep in mind that Bone Knight is a set of mechanics, just like Warlock or Bard. As such, there's no need to limit those MECHANICS to a single fictional path. Lady Ivory, the Prince of Skulls, and the modern Bone Knights of Karrnath are all one interpretation of these mechanics. But champions with similar abilities could be found with completely different origins. THE HARVESTER OF BONES is a champion of Katashka the Gatekeeper, trapped within his rusting armor and always looking for new bones to bind to it. Meanwhile, consider the Jhorash'tar orcs. From Exploring Eberron, "The Jhorash’tar don’t work metal, though some are willing to use metal weapons and armor acquired from the Mror. Bonecaster rituals allow them to shape and harden bone, and they often incorporate bones in weapons and armor. While they often use the bones of large creatures, it’s also common for one of the bonesworn to carry a weapon or token that incorporates an ancestor’s bone. The Jhorash’tar also work with other natural materials, including wood and stone. They have no equivalent to heavy armor, but can combine bone and leather to create armor that offers similar protection to a breastplate or scale mail." While the Jhorash'tar don't generally animate dead, it's a path one of the bonesworn could take—let's call them the GRAVE WALKER, who is bound to their armor and who raises the bones of their fallen enemies to march in their retinue. And I could absolutely see a Tolashcara halfling—the GRIM RIDER—as a bone knight whose armor is made from the hide and bones of fallen dinosaurs and who rides a skeletal clawfoot.
So, the BONE KNIGHT AS IT IS KNOWN IN THE LAST WAR was developed in the Last War. To address the original question, the Last War was when the "TECHNIQUE" of creating bone knights was developed. But it's not the first or only time characters with these abilities have been seen.
Source: Keith on Discord 3/20/24