"I believe it is traditional for Bordelen men to sober up for their birthday, if their age ends in a zero and Mannslieb is full."
Bordeleaux, formally the Dukedom of Bordeleaux, is a founding dukedom of Bretonnia that lies on the western coast of that kingdom, just south of the cursed lands of Mousillon. Known as the largest exporter of wines within the entire Kingdom, Bordeleaux is a beautiful land filled with many farms and vineyards. Such is the Dukedom's reputation for wine that even peasants and nobles alike are given the luxury of drinking in on the fine liquor at a cost that is 1/3 its price in other lands.[1a]
Being one of the few coastal Dukedoms, Bordelaux has also a tradition of seafaring similar to their brethren within L'Anguille. This has resulted in fierce competition over the sea trade and sea routes that link the large port-cities together, such as Marienburg and Erengrad to the north and Barak Varr and the Tilea city-states to the south. Its current ruler is Duke Alberic.[1a]
Geography[]
"I spent three years in Duke Alberic’s household. Hated every single second of it. But you know, no opponent scares me now."
- —Sir Thopas, whilst fighting a horde of Beastmen.[1a]

A map of Bordeleaux
Bordeleaux is mostly arable land with some pastoral land near the coast. The cliffs of Bordeleaux are particularly high and spectacular, but whilst there are some offshore islands, there are very few of the concealed rocks and currents that make L'Anguille's coast so hazardous. Whilst the best port is at the city of Bordeleaux itself, there are over a dozen other substantial natural harbours and even more fishing villages, many cut into the towering cliffs. The southeast corner of Bordeleaux is covered by the Forest of Châlons. The western end of the Forest is less dangerous than the portion within Bastonne, and a number of villages seem to be flourishing within it.[1a]
Nevertheless, Beastmen raid the villages fairly frequently and the inhabitants of the woods are particularly self-reliant. In the north, Bordeleaux has a substantial border with the cursed land of Mousillon. At the mouth of the River Grismerie, this is a high escarpment where the coastal hills of Bordeleaux abut the low-lying swamp that is Mousillon. As you turn upstream, however, the Bordeleaux side falls whilst the Mousillon side rises, so that for over half of the border’s length the river is the only barrier between the dukedoms. It is not very effective as such, and things frequently come across. Undead are the most common problem, but bandits, Beastmen, and Chaos Spawn are also frequent menaces. The river itself is largely abandoned for fear of the things that live in it.[1a]
Castle Bordeleaux lies near the River Morceaux.
Notable Locations[]
Turris Vigilans[]
Turris Vigilans is a temple of Verena that stands on an isolated headland in the north of Bordeleaux. It serves as a lighthouse and has a reputation of one of the most reliable in the world. Its primary purpose, however, is to keep a watch on Mousillon. The priests of the temple are rumoured to use powerful magic, granted by their Goddess, to scry on the whole of the cursed dukedom. They refuse to say what they are looking for or what they will do if they find it. The priests are similarly insistent that they must not enter Mousillon personally.[1a]
Silent Isle[]
A couple of miles off the central coast of Bordeleaux there exists what is now called the Silent Isle. A century ago, it was the seat of a noble fief, and fishing and trading vessels departed from its harbour in large numbers. And then, one day, there were none. Overnight, all of the boats and islanders vanished. What is more, it now seems to be impossible to make any noise on the island. A few groups of adventurers have investigated and fell into two groups. Some were spooked by the silence within a few hours and came back with little information. Others never returned.[1a]
Notable Settlements[]
- Castle Bordeleaux - Castle Bordeleaux is a major maritime hub and the capital of the Dukedom.
The Bordelens[]
"You gets too sober, you sees them and goes mad. Poof!"
In stark contrast to their disciplined duke, the people of Bordeleaux, called Bordelens, are renowned for spending their entire lives tipsy, if not completely rat-arsed. This is, of course, not universally true. Bordeleaux is home to many experienced sailors, and the perpetually drunk do not reach that status. It is true that wine produced along the Bordelen coast is particularly fine, normally abundant, and mostly consumed locally. Bordelens even drink unwatered wine with some frequency. Local wine, of any quality, is half the normal price in Bordeleaux; wine from other regions is triple the price of the local produce.[1a]
A fair number of Bordelen adventurers do so to get away from the constant drinking, brawling, puking, and passing out. Many are thus deeply disappointed in their comrades. Others left because they had the misfortune to be born near the border of Mousillon and thought that a life of adventure sounded like a safer option. One notable feature of Bordelen life is the popularity of Manann along the coast. Whilst sailors everywhere pay tribute to the Sea God, the Bordelen are particularly fervent, and even the nobles pay more than lip service to him. Bordelen nobles tend to think that the domain of the Lady of the Lake ends where the water turns salt.[1a]
The maritime traditions of the dukedom have created a split between the nobles. Those living inland are much like nobles anywhere else in Bretonnia, primarily worshipping the Lady of the Lake and drawing their wealth from land. Those on the coast worship Manann before anyone else and hold little land, drawing their wealth from the sea, instead. These nobles are as likely to send their sons out on a ship as to send them on an errantry tour. There is no real hostility between the two groups, but there is a profound lack of understanding.[1a]
Bordeleaux has good relations with Bastonne and Aquitaine, but its only relations with Mousillon are expressed in knights given fiefs along the river with the responsibility for keeping monsters where they belong. There is, however, a strong rivalry between Bordeleaux and L'Anguille, born from commercial competition. L'Anguille is easily the stronger trading port, so the rivalry is felt much more strongly in Bordeleaux.[1a]
Notable Bordelens[]
- Duke Alberic - The reigning Duke of Bordeleaux.
- Marcus - The first Duke of Bordeleaux and one of the fabled Grail Companions.
- Tristan le Troubadour and Jules le Jongleur - A famed Questing Knight and his wiry jester.
- Gundehar of Raisol - A Questing Knight who was famed as the Victor of Albermale Fields.
- Fastric Ghoulslayer - A renowned Pegasus Knight and one of the Companions of Quenelles.
Trivia[]
Bordeleaux's name is derived from Bordeaux, the real-world port city located along the River Garonne in southwestern France.
Sources[]
- 1: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Knights of the Grail (RPG)
- 1a: pp. 58-59
- 2: Man O' War: Corsair (PC Game)
- 2a: Campaign map