Cavaliers

Cavaliers are the wandering adventurers of the GearHead universe. The only things you need to join
their ranks are a mecha and a blatant disregard for your own personal safety. Being a cavalier is more
than simply being a pilot; it is a way of life, a statement of personal freedom, and quite often a cause of
long term unemployment. Those who excel at the job can look forward to riches and glory. The most
successful cavaliers are as famous as pop stars. In fact, some of them are pop stars.

Most cavaliers are fairly young. 16 is the youngest age for getting a mecha operating license in most
jurisdictions. By age 30 or so, most cavaliers have either earned enough to retire or have gotten into a
safer line of work. A small but growing number of cavaliers do things the opposite way, and take up
adventuring after they retire.

Cavaliers come from all walks of life. Among their ranks you can find soldiers, truckers, doctors, and
monks. For the downtrodden this job offers a chance to change the world, or at least their own personal
situation. For the wealthy and privileged it can be a chance to prove themselves. For the solidly middle
class, becoming a cavalier might be their one shot at an interesting life... or in the worst case scenario
an interesting death.

The first modern cavaliers appeared right after the Night of Fire. As civilization broke down, so too did
what was left of the military. Many units refused to acknowledge that the war was over and just kept on
fighting. Some built strongholds which would become the first fortress-cities, while others abandoned
their post altogether and became wandering marauders. The common people were left to the mercy of
whatever mecha-equipped thugs happened to be passing through their refugee camp on any given day.
Not all mecha pilots took advantage of the chaos to enrich themselves. The first cavaliers were those
who wandered the wastes, helping people and righting wrongs. They defended villages from
marauders, rebuilt homes and power plants, and helped establish communication between the
settlements. When a problem was solved they moved on to the next town.

Note that according to modern historians, there probably wasn't as much difference between the
cavaliers and the marauders as people would like to believe.

On Earth, cavalier culture is strongly associated with the Pro Duelist Association. In the 50s Cavalier
Style was introduced to the L5 region by the pop band Love Magnet. Even on Luna a small number of
cavaliers are allowed to operate, so long as they pass a test of ideological purity first.

The Rules

Obviously, when you have a large number of people walking around in colossal death machines, you're
going to need a few ground rules.

The Cavalier's Code is an honor system followed by cavaliers. It regulates many aspects of the job such
as combat and employment. There are several local variants, such as the Crihna Code and Neo Duello,
but they all have the same basic structure. A copy of the rules can be found at most cavalier clubs and
arenas.

Most of the rules deal with the use of deadly force. To minimize damage, there are several restrictions
placed on where and when cavaliers are allowed to fight. Attacking civilians is forbidden. Attacking a
cavalier who is not prepared for combat is also forbidden. Battles must begin with a formal challenge.
Note that the definitions of "prepared for combat" and "formal challenge" are pretty loose- if a cavalier
is awake and inside of a mecha, they're fair game. Also note that local laws may place further limits on
mecha combat; in general, it's illegal to challenge someone within city limits.

Next are the rules regarding contracts and employment. It's important that employers can trust
cavaliers, otherwise there'll be fewer jobs for everyone. Once you agree to a contract or a duel you
must honor your word. If you enter a long term contract, you may not refuse missions from your
employer. Renegotiation may be possible if the situation changes.

Cavaliers have a duty to protect those in need. Cities allow cavaliers to operate within their borders
knowing that in case of attack, those cavaliers can be rallied to defense. You are expected to aid those
who provide you with food, lodging, and repair. Failure to do so is not strictly forbidden, but will result
in great loss of face within the cavalier community.

Finally there are some philosophical ruminations on the nature of being a cavalier. By entering the
battlefield you are assenting to your own death. Your enemy today may be your ally tomorrow. Your
goal is to complete the mission, not to kill your opponent. Leave grudges on the battlefield. An
honorable death demands no reparations. This is the section people quote when they want to look all
wise and mysterious.

It should be noted that even pirate and outlaw pilots follow these rules. To follow the code is to be a
cavalier. A pilot who intentionally breaks the rules is no longer a true cavalier, and as such is no longer
entitled to the protections and benefits that cavaliers depend on.

Employment

All cavaliers are mecha pilots, but not all mecha pilots are cavaliers. The defining point of a cavalier is
that they don't have regular employment. While a regular commercial pilot just has to report to work
and do whatever the boss says, a cavalier must seek out their own opportunities.

This is not to say that all cavaliers are freelancers. Many cavaliers are employed by factions, where
they act as roving agents. Though subject to the faction's authority they have considerable freedom to
investigate and solve problems on their own. In some factions there is considerable friction between the
cavaliers and the salaried employees; in other factions there isn't much of a line drawn between the
two.