"I give my body, heart and soul, to the Lady whom I seek. No plea for help shall find me wanting. No obstacle will stand before me. No evil will taint the lands bequeathed unto me. When the clarion call is sounded, I will ride out and fight in the name of Liege and Lady. That which is sacrament, I shall preserve. That which is sublime, I will protect. That which threatens, I will destroy, for my holy wrath will know no bounds. Honour is all. Chivalry is all. Rejoice, for we, the Knights of Bretonnia... will be your shield."
- —The combined vows of the Knights of Bretonnia[7]
Bretonnia, formally the Kingdom of Bretonnia, also known more prosaically as the "Land of Chivalry," is a highly martial Human feudal kingdom of the Old World that lies between the lands of the Grey Mountains and the Great Ocean.[1a] Bretonnia is second only in size to that of the Empire among the realms of Men in the Old World, and is both the Empire's chief rival and closest ally, having a culture and society that revolves around the ideals of nobility, a strict social hierarchy based on aristocratic birthright, and the upholding of a strictly enforced code of chivalry.[2i]
Ruled by a monarch officially called the "royarch,"[3a] the realm of Bretonnia has been known throughout the kingdoms of Men for having the greatest knights in the entire Old World, even surpassing those of the Knightly Orders of the Empire. A proud and honourable kingdom, the armies of Bretonnia are comprised mostly of knights and nobles, who ride into battle with lance, horse, and sword, seeking glory and rooting out injustice wherever they go. The knights of Bretonnia are trained to fight from childhood, and even the lowliest Knights Errant are considered superior to ordinary warriors. Their skills are further enhanced through constant training, battles and tournaments. It is not only Bretonnia's knights who are famed, however, for the kingdom also boasts the finest Human sailors in the mortal world. With their great sails billowing in the wind, Bretonnia's mighty fleets are a majestic sight on the high seas. Due to this regime, the combined military might of Bretonnia has surpassed that of even the greatest armies in history.[9][11][13]
The religion that currently dominates this great feudal kingdom is the worship of a local elemental deity known to the Bretonnian people only as the Lady of the Lake.[2r] This mysterious goddess of purity, light and order is believed to have aided Gilles le Breton in unifying Bretonnia into a single kingdom, during a Greenskin invasion from the Southern Mountains in 978 IC.[2a] The Bretonnian calendar is offset from the Sigmarian Empire's by about 977 years, as the people of the Bretonni weren't fully united until King Gilles' reign as the first Bretonnian monarch.[1e]
Bretonnia is widely considered to be the fairest and most beautiful land in all the Old World. It is a green land of fertile farms, rolling hills, starkly beautiful mountains, and airy forests. Bretonnian chefs are famous for their culinary skills, and the wine produced in the vineyards of the country is renowned throughout the world. It is seen as a land of honour and virtue, where noble knights keep the domain safe as peasants till the fields, where chivalrous heroes slay monsters and rescue fair damsels. This is the image Bretonnians want to project, and it is not entirely false.[5][5]
However, while the loftiest ideals of personal bravery and strength can be found throughout the many knights of the land, there is a much grimmer existence for its vast peasant population. Generations of inbreeding mean that the peasants are, for the most part, ill-fed, downtrodden and little use as soldiers. For their part, the knights are far superior in physique and ability, and often fail to see the woeful conditions the peasantry must endure.[15]
Though such apathy has since darkened their reputation, it is still believed that there are no mortal men whose martial prowess can equal the Knights of Bretonnia, dedicated as they are, body and soul, to the pursuit of excellence in honour of the Lady of the Lake. These brave warriors form a bulwark against the growing evils of Chaos and the power of the Orcs, Goblins, Skaven and other monstrous creatures that threaten mankind's survival. They are protected by their honour and by their strength of arms, and whilst they endure the lands of men remain safe from destruction. If the Knights of Bretonnia were ever to fail in their sacred duties, then the whole of the human race would surely be doomed...[4a][9]
History
"Above all others, Bretonnia is the land of heroes..."
- —The Kingdom of Bretonnia.[4]
The Bretonnian calendar is offset from the Sigmarian Empire's by about 977 years, as the people of the Bretonni weren't fully united until King Gilles' reign as the first Bretonnian monarch in 977 IC. Bretonnian recorded history can vary greatly from duchy to duchy, being recorded and maintained such as it is, mostly by monks within the many Grail Monasteries dotting the land.[1e]
Common Mythology and Pre-History
The Land of Bretonnia did not in fact truly exist during the time of Sigmar and the earliest days of the Empire. Indeed, many centuries passed before a great and noble knight united the highly independent and prideful Bretonni tribes in the same way Sigmar had with the birth of the Empire.[1e][2c]
The earliest days of Bretonnian history are not well recorded, though it has been conjectured that as within the wider world, it may have once been ruled over by the cold-blooded Lizardmen at the dawn of the planet's creation. Long after their first great struggle to hold back the forces of Chaos during the First Chaos Incursion, the land that would later become Bretonnia was settled by the High Elves of Ulthuan, this being done during the reign of Phoenix King Bel Shanaar. Many elven colonies dotted the coast and larger rivers during the first years of their colonisation, of which the most famous was the city of Tor Alessi.[1e][2c]
These colonies survived the civil war with Malekith, and then the Sundering, relatively unscathed, but they were soon faced with the full wrath of the dwarfs in a time known as the War of the Beard. Bretonnia was the primary battleground of this war, which lasted for well over three centuries. The conflict finally ended with the death of Phoenix King Caledor II, and the subsequent capture of the Phoenix Crown by the Dwarfs. However, the war had so weakened the High Elves by this time that the next Phoenix King, Caradryel, ordered a withdrawal of all elves back to Ulthuan, leaving those colonies that stayed behind to fend for themselves. Those few elves who had refused his commands retreated into the enchanted glades of Athel Loren and over the centuries degenerated into the now feral Wood Elves.[1e][2c]
It was at this time that the first nomadic human settlers of Bretonnia appeared. Circa fifteen hundred years before the time of Sigmar, an agricultural tribe of people arrived on the western edge of Axe Bite Pass. These primitive tribes had little knowledge of metalwork or warfare, and relied heavily on agriculture and flint-crafted weapons to survive in the harsh wilderness. These groups of humans were known to have worshipped a primordial earth elemental goddess called Rhya, and erected many primitive stone circles in her honour. These stone circles were places of great natural power, and were marked with symbols that remain as a foundation of the druidic Old Faith to this day.[1e][2c]
Approximately five hundred years later, around one thousand years before the time of Sigmar, a second wave of human migration crossed over the Worlds Edge Mountains in tens of thousands, escaping the rampages of the greenskin threat. These new human tribes were warlike, strong and fierce, and they fought both greenskin and indigenous human populations alike. While most of these tribes settled within and eventually became the Empire, one far-ranging tribe crossed the Grey Mountains. This tribe, called the Bretonni, was to give its name to the land they found. Like their kin within the lands of the Empire, they displaced both the greenskins and human earth-worshippers, thus soon becoming the dominant culture west of the grey mountains.[1e][2c]
Contact with the Reman Empire (20 to 60 IC)
Some scholars believe that the southern Reman Empire, under the leadership of Myrmidia, the goddess of war and strategy born in Human form, played a significant role in the early history of southern Bretonnia, particularly during the Classical Age when it extended its reach across much of the Old World.[38a]
According to legend and the sacred texts of the Cult of Myrmidia, the Reman Empire stretched from Tilea and Estalia into what is now the Border Princes and southern Bretonnia. This expansion was driven by Myrmidia's mission to rid the world of injustice, and her armies sought to impose order and civilisation in these regions.[38a]
Whatever the truth, the Cult of Myrmidia, even at present, still shares a bond of respect with the Bretonnian patron goddess, the Lady of the Lake, though it has little influence in Bretonnia and avoids evangelising to Bretonnians.[38b]
The Dark Age of Bretonnia (900 to 977 IC)
"The Bretonnians? Aye, I know 'em. Arrogant lot, full of fancy ideas about valour and chivalry and what not. Yet they've no love for the grobi, mind you, so that makes 'em a firm friend to the Dawi!"
- —Darthon Ironbeard, Dwarflord of the Grey Mountains.[7]
When Sigmar founded the Empire, he extended an invitation unto all the Bretonni warlords to join him in his new confederation. Despite noble Sigmar's goal of pan-human unity, the cultural differences between the Bretonni and his people were apparently too large to overcome, thus his offer was quickly rebuffed, unable to accept a foreigner as their leader. While the Empire experienced many growing pains throughout the first millennium of its existence, the Bretonni would remain, as a whole, a fractured people. It would be foolish to say that they did not advance though.[1e][2c]
In time, trade and knowledge of masonry and metalworks was eventually gained by the nearby proximity of Dwarfs living within the Grey Mountains, which allowed the early sub-tribes of the Bretonni to resemble something closer towards their modern state. Among the tribes of the Bretonni it became the custom for the best and bravest young man in the village to be armed and ready at all times to fight off foes. Everyone else in the village toiled to provide for themselves, but also to feed and equip the warrior and his warhorse. The warrior lived off the fat of the land, ate the best meat and drank the best wine. This, together with constant training and practice at arms, set him apart from ordinary men. He was physically bigger, fitter, and more robust, standing head and shoulders above an ordinary peasant.[2c][10]
The chosen warrior took up residence in the village watchtower, a wooden structure which would in later times evolve into a stone Castle, and would take for his wife the fairest maiden in the village. In return for all this, the warrior was honour-bound to defend the village against any foe, no matter how terrible. If necessary he would take on even a horde of marauding orcs alone. These warriors became known as "knights", and as the centuries passed both knight and warhorse became exceptional examples of their kind. Although knights were known among other human tribes of the Old World as well, it was among the Bretonni tribe that the tradition of knighthood was perfected.[10]
Among the Bretonni each petty king or warlord soon began to rename themselves as a duke of their own small dukedom. By the year 770 IC, the lands of all Bretonnia had since been divided into sixteen realms, each ruled by their own duke.[1e]
The greenskins had lived within the lands alongside the Bretonni for many years, and as is normal for these foul creatures, their population eventually reached critical levels, and began to overrun the Bretonni lands in a seething green tide. By the year of 930 IC, a massive horde of orcs, led by the warlord Gragabad, poured out of the mountains of Massif Orcal and overran the lands of Cuileux. Faced with imminent destruction, the last of the remaining knights of Cuileux rode out in a last, desperate battle, and fought the greenskins on the open plains. Though the greenskins fell like wheat before the scythe, the last of the knights of Cuileux were killed to a man.[1e][2c]
In the wake of this disaster, the armies of Quenelles and Brionne rode forth and attacked the now weakened orc army. No sooner had the orcs began to route from the battlefield than the two Bretonnian armies faced each other for rulership over the charred-husk that was Cuileux. Fortunately, the two armies hadn't the stomach to face each other in open combat, and instead, the two dukes of each kingdom fought one another in an honourable duel. By duel's end, the Lord of Brionne was struck down, and Quenelles was expanded. It is said that the destruction of Cuileux marked the beginning of the wars that would culminate in the unification of the entire Kingdom.[1e][2c]
By 932 IC, Balduin, the newly stated young Duke of Brionne, led his armies to victory after defeating the hordes of Gragabad and slaying the warlord in single combat. In the battle, Gragabad's greataxe became lodged fast in Balduin's shield, and the lord fought the entire battle with the axe in place. Afterwards, the axe was adopted as the symbol of Brionne in memory of this event. This victory did not the stop the orcs, however, and around 948 IC, the northern lands of Bretonnia were engulfed by waves of enemy armies. Northern raiders from the frigid shores of Norsca burned the coastlines of Lyonesse and Couronne, while beastmen warherds poured forth in implacable numbers from the dark woodlands of Arden. Beset by three enemy invasions, the Bretonni of the northern lands were forced to relinquish all they once ruled, hiding behind their stout walls while the enemy roamed across their lands at will.[1e][2c]
At roughly the same time, the undead armies of Settra the Imperishable and his fleet of rotting warships and skeletal warriors appeared upon the western coast of Bretonnia. No sooner had the orc and goblin armies rampaged through the realms than the undead hordes swept across the lands and completed the desolation with silent impunity. To the south and east, restless goblin tribes came down from their homes within the Grey Mountains, pillaging and burning their way through the dukedoms of Quenelles and Bastonne. By 974 IC, orc tribes poured from the mountains and forests in numbers never before seen in Bretonnia's history. Cut off from aid, the once ancient dukedom of Glanborielle was utterly destroyed.[1e][2c]
In response, the Bretonnian knights rose up against the onslaught of the greenskins, charging headlong towards the many battlefields that were springing up all across their realms. However, the lords of each dukedom had not the time to properly gather their knights into a single unified force. Outnumbered and surrounded, these scattered bands of knights were soon overwhelmed by the superior numbers of the greenskin hordes. With the enemies of mankind amassing all around them, the remaining dukes had all but lost hope.[1e][2c]
One of the Bretonni Dukes, however, did not give way to despair and was determined to unite all of his people into a single nation. This ancient and legendary uniter was Duke Gilles le Breton, the newly crowned Duke of Bastonne, the famous knight who personally slew the red wyrm Smearghus, deep within the forest of Chalons. Gilles rallied first Duke Thierulf d'Lyonesse, and then his greatest and most loyal friend, Duke Landuin d'Mousillon under his crusading banner, but even these three men and their combined grand army found themselves outmatched and facing almost certain annihilation.[1e][2c]
This inexperienced and badly battered "Bretonni" army then encamped themselves beside a lake. Upon the morrow, they felt certain to face their doom upon the field of battle, with the war drums of the orc Waaagh! allowing them no rest or sleep. That morning, when all hope seemed lost for the Bretonni cause, a true miracle unfolded upon Gilles and his army of knights. As Gilles knelt before the lakeside to drink of its pure waters and pray for strength, an ethereal and heavenly beautiful woman arose from out of the mists, leaving the Bretonni army agasp and afraid. Gilles was the first to make a move, raising the bloodstained and tattered banner of Bastone high, inspired by some genius or desperate madness, he cried out: "Lady, wouldst thou bless mine banner!"[1e][2c]
He then dipped it into the lake at the Lady's feet. When he drew it forth and raised it high again so all could see, it was dry and fully restored, only now also emblazoned with the glowing icon of a golden grail. The other dukes and knights then scrambled to follow his example, asking the Lady to bless their sword, lance, or warhorse for the coming battle. Finally, the lady held forth a large gilded chalice overflowing with light, giving it first to Gilles and then to his companions to drink from and gain the strength needed to achieve victory. These three became the first Grail Knights, and, fighting under the banner of the Lady of the Lake, the Bretonni gained the courage needed to face the greenskins upon the plains.[1e][2c]
The dirt of the approaching enemy was gathering from all sides, fouling the air with their war cries and drumming. The knights hurriedly took up their weapons and mounted their warhorses. They gathered in a battle line around Gilles and the banner. The orc horde darkened the horizon ahead of the Bretonnian knights. Steadily and without flinching, they rode on as the arrows dropped around them. Then the moment came to charge and the knights plunged into the midst of the orc horde. The first ranks of the enemy crumbled before them. The entire horde reeled like some great beast pierced by the hunter's lance. The knights cleaved through wave after wave of the enemy and burst forth into the open plain beyond. All around them the enemy began to scatter in flight.[1e][2c]
As the sun began to set the knights ceased their pursuit and rode back to the Sacred Lake. Here they gathered once more and rested as the rooks and ravens descended to feast on the orcish slain. All the dukes and knights gathered around Gilles and together they vowed to serve and honour the Lady of the Lake. They also vowed to stay together as an army and free Bretonnia from orcs and all her other foes. Gilles was proclaimed 'Leader of Battles', with the authority to command the army and the entire resources of all the dukedoms until Bretonnia was freed. This moment marked the origin of the Grail Knights and also the Kingdom of Bretonnia. In the years that followed, under the banner of the Lady of the Lake, Gilles led the Grail Knights from victory to victory throughout the length and breadth of Bretonnia.[1e][2c]
The Unification of Bretonnia (977 to 978 IC)
The morning after his encounter with the Lady of the Lake and his first grand victory over the Greenskins, Duke Gilles of Bastonne led his army against the Orcs besieging the Dukedom of Bordeleaux. The three Grail Companions did as much slaughter as the rest of their army combined, and the Greenskin hordes were driven into the ocean. Seeing a means to retake their lands from the Greenskins, Lord Marcus d'Bordeleaux and Lord Fredemund d'Aquitaine eagerly joined Gilles and his ever-growing army of knights. After the victory feast, the Lady of the Lake appeared in the private chamber where the Lords were gathered, where she bestowed Marcus and Fredemund the Holy Grail and thus become the fourth and fifth Grail Companions. Marcus turned that chamber within his castle into the first Grail Chapel, a site still of unparalleled sanctity today.[1e][2c][4a]
As the Companions rode south to the Dukedom of Brionne, they found their way blocked by the army of a bloated Orc by the name of Warlord Brogtar. Lord Fredemund summoned a great flock of falcons, which struck the flying beasts of the orc's armies from the sky. With the flying beast slain, the Grail Companions sounded the charge and fought their way deep into the heart of the enemy army, where Lord Landuin struck the warlord down with his own sword. With victory achieved, the Companions hurried their armies towards the besieged capital of Brionne.[1e][2c][4a]
Once they reached their destination, they found the castle under siege by a horde of greenskin warriors. The knights drove through the unsuspecting besiegers from the rear, shattering their resolve and breaking the siege. Lord Balduin d'Brionne sallied forth with his knights and met Gilles in the midst of the orcish army. As they clasped forearms as brothers, the Lady of the Lake appeared and gave Balduin a drink from the Holy Grail, thus becoming the sixth Grail Companion. Although the knights were outnumbered three-hundred to one, the Grail Companions were able to still drive them from the battlefield.[1e][2c][4a]
Urged on by the vision of the Lady, the army crossed the River Brienne and rode east through the ravaged dukedom of Carcassonne, towards the besieged dukedom of Quenelles. As they rode, Lord Lambard d'Carcassonne rallied to their banner and entered Quenelles. Upon their arrival, they found that the Forest of Loren was in flames, assaulted by another army of orcish warriors. Some of the knights were afraid to venture towards the burning forest, for fear of the dreaded Fay Enchantress that had made the forest her home.[1e][2c][4a]
Unafraid, Gilles urged them on, and upon entering the forest, the Knights were attacked by the orcs. In the heat of battle, the Fay Enchantress appeared from the shadows and lent her aid towards the Knights, with the very trees of the forest rising up to meet the Greenskin invaders. As the battle raged on, the Knights were met with the army of Rademund the Pure, Lord of Quenelles, and with the last orc slain, the Lady blessed both Rademund and Lambard for their bravery, thus becoming the seventh and eighth Grail Companion.[1e][2c][4a]
Riding north to the dukedom of Parravon, the Grail Companions found its beautiful capital lying in ruins. Rampaging giants rained boulders down upon the city walls from the mountains above, whilst a horde of goblins from the Severed Head Tribe looted the city streets. Lord Agilgar of Parravon, mounted upon Glorfinial, his faithful pegasus, took to the skies and aided Gilles in retaking the city.[1e][2c][4a]
Heading further north-west, the Companions, alongside Lord Agilgar, came to the aid of the dukedom of Montfort. Besieged and surrounded, Gilles ordered the charge against the greenskin invaders, but was struck low by a ballista bolt from one of the Greenskin war-machines. His companions rallied about him and fought their way towards the city, where they were met by Lord Martrud d'Montfort. As Lord Agilgar and Martrud watched over the body of Gilles, the Lady of the Lake appeared before them and healed Gilles of his injuries. For their dedication to Gilles, the Lady blessed Lord Agilgar and Martrud in becoming the ninth and tenth Grail Companion.[1e][2c][4a]
Arising from his sickbed, Gilles led the charge that broke the greenskin army. With the greenskins retreating, Gilles ordered a counterattack and plunged deep into the cavernous homes of the goblin kings. Illuminated by the holy light of the Grail Companions, the Lords of the Bretonni slaughtered the goblin kings and broke the unity that held their fractious tribes together. With their purpose achieved, they fought their way back to the surface covered with the black blood of their enemies.[1e][2c][4a]
Now with ten of the Bretonni Lords following his banner, Gilles turned west to face the greenskins despoiling the dukedom of Gisoreux. Joining forces with Duke Beren d'Gisoreux, Gilles faced a horde containing many of the orcs' deadliest shamans, who turned their foul magic upon the Bretonni. Protected by the Blessings of the Lady, the knights and the Grail Companions charged unharmed through the magical maelstrom and struck the enemy horde with great force, breaking their resolve.[1e][2c][4a]
The army continued west into the duchy of Mousillon, once the most beautiful and fairest land of the Bretonni people. Now wasted and burning, the knights walked through the wasteland and met Duke Folgar d'Artois within the city of Mousillon. Duke Folgar told the knights that an army of beastmen and undead warriors would march upon the city within a matter of hours, and so the knights took to the city's defences and stood resolute.[1e][2c][4a]
The Grail Companions each took out a Dark Champion of the army, with the battle ending when Duke Landuin struck down the sorcerer who was controlling the undead warriors, destroying nearly half the enemy army, forcing the beastmen to retreat. The Grail Companions pursued the fleeing beastmen army, and when Duke Beren and Duke Folgar returned, they shined with the light of the Lady, becoming now the eleventh and twelfth Grail Companion.[1e][2c][4a]
The victorious lords turned north, riding through the Forest of Arden until they reached the besieged port-city of L'Anguille. There, they found the great city under siege by an army of Norsemen marauders and Chaos warriors, attacking from both land and sea. Duke Corduin of L'Anguille cut a path through the besiegers and met up with Duke Gilles.[1e][2c][4a]
At length, Lord Marcus of Bordeleaux challenged the leader of the Norse, Svengar of the Skaelings, to single combat, with the conditions that the loser's forces would withdraw. Too proud to refuse, the giant warrior met Marcus upon a lighthouse tower and fought until the next day. As dawn broke, Lord Marcus found renewed strength and struck down the Norse chieftain. A savage but honourable race of warriors, the Norse kept to their words and returned to their ships and sailed home.[1e][2c][4a]
After but a night's rest, the Grail Companions rode eastward where they met up with Duke Carleond d'Couronne. There the duke joined the armies of Gilles and fought an orc horde at the River Sannez. With the aid of the combined armies, the knights drove the greenskins back, defeated them, and turned the waters of the river black with blood. With victory achieved, the knights rode with all haste to the city of Couronne.[1e][2c][4a]
Gathering within Couronne, the knights heard news of a massive host of beastmen, trolls, and nameless creatures of Chaos pouring from the Forest of Arden. As they prepared for the final battle, messengers brought word of an army of greenskins warriors, the largest they had ever seen, pouring out of the mountainous region known as the Pale Sisters. Worst yet, when the knights assembled outside the walls of the city, an army of Skaven rose up from the sewer networks and pillaged the city streets.[1e][2c][4a]
As the lords took counsel before the fight, the Lady of the Lake joined their numbers. There she had Lord Corduin and Carleond drank from the Holy Grai, thus being the last and final thirteenth and fourteenth members of the Grail Companions. Then she blessed the whole army and bade them fight in her name. With a ferocity not seen by their people for centuries, the knights of all the Bretonni people fought the three armies that assailed them.[1e][2c][4a]
The battle raged for weeks upon weeks, as foul creatures continued to pour from their lairs like a stormy tide and break upon the armies of the Bretonni as against a cliff. When at last the sounds of battle fell silent, the plains of Couronne were awash with the blood of the slain. This was the greatest victory ever achieved by the Bretonni people, and the battle had finally signalled an end to the fighting, and the birth of a new kingdom.[1e][2c][4a]
Founding of a Kingdom (978 to 1448 IC)
Thus with peace won, it was agreed that there would be an everlasting peace amongst the surviving twelve dukedoms. Gilles was dubbed "The Uniter", and, with a blessing from the Lady of the Lake's representative, the mystical Fay Enchantress, he thus became the first Royarch of Bretonnia. The first Royarch of Bretonnia battled dark forces all across the realms for many years until he finally fell in a mighty battle by a cowardly weapon shot from afar. With his dying breath, he asked to be laid before a small raft by a nearby lake where it is said in legend that the Lady took his body back to her domain, where his body remains to this very day.[1e][2c][4a][4d]
With the tragic death of Gilles in the year 17 (995 IC) by orcish ambushers, the kingdom of Bretonnia was left with a dilemma. There was much wailing, lamentation and gnashing of teeth throughout the lands, as all Bretonnia mourned the passing of their first king. Gilles' only recognised son, Louis , was crowned the next Duke of Bastonne. However, the question of whether he should also be proclaimed King of Bretonnia, as old tribal tradition allowed, was much debated. Many advocated that Duke Landuin should take the position, whilst others believed his rival, Duke Thierulf or the wise Duke Marcus, would make a more suitable heir to the throne.[1e][2c][4d]
The majority of dukes eventually agreed that Louis should take on the duty, but this then posed another greater problem. Louis had not drunk from the Holy Grail, as had his father and all other dukes at the time of the kingdom's founding. It had been decreed that no knight, no matter of birthright, could become lord over all Bretonnia without first having the blessings of both the Fay Enchantress and the Lady of the Lake. So it was that Louis left court, setting out immediately upon his quest to find the Lady, and thus prove his worth before her sight, towards earning himself the title as King, earning him the title of "The Rash". This event eventually led to the traditions of the Questing Knight.[1e][2c][4d]
For years, Louis the Rash travelled the length and breadth of Bretonnia, righting many wrongs and doing great deeds in service to the goddess. In his absence, Duke Thierulf acted as steward of all Bretonnia, much to the annoyance of Duke Landuin. Years later, Louis returned to his ancestral castle astride a mighty purebred charger, his golden hair was shining and his eyes were aglow with a divine noble presence. None could doubt that the Lady had blessed him, so thus his subjects fell to their knees before him, and pledged their loyalty to the new king.[1e][2c][4d]
So it was that Louis was crowned King of all Bretonnia, and presented with the golden crown, a gift given by the Fay Enchantress herself. All Bretonnia rejoiced in their new monarch, and made ready to do whatever he demanded. His first act as king was to formalise the code of honour and chivalry that his father and the Companions had lived by. These original vows of chivalric knighthood still exist within the halls of Bastonne, upon a crumbling parchment, decorated with an elaborate script, detailing all the duties and privileges of a knight, and those of all other ranks within noble society. All across Bretonnia, knights eagerly embraced these vows, and many noble warriors gave up all deed of land and title, castles and wealth, thus to embark upon the path of a Questing Knight. A wave of faith swept through Bretonnia, and the Lady of the Lake verily became the primary deity of the noble classes.[1e][2c][4d]
Louis also realised that as long as Athel Loren stood, it would be nearly impossible for enemies to invade Bretonnia from that direction. Furthermore, the Elves defended themselves and, unlike the Barons, looked for no favours from the King in return. He decided to forge an alliance with the Wood Elves, sending one of his most esteemed Questing Knights, Gaston de Galliard to brave the dangers of the forest. The brave knight reached Orion and Ariel and made them an offer of peace. No barons would be permitted by the King to transgress the ancient boundaries of the Wood elf realm if in return, the Wood Elves would ally with the Bretonnians against their common enemies. The King and Queen of the Wood accepted Louis' offer of friendship and the messenger soon returned with various strange and magical gifts.[12]
The dukes continued to push back all manner of evil from within their borders, and aided in the struggles of their neighbours to do likewise, which led to Bretonnia flourishing with wealth and power. The great port cities grew large and sprawling, prosperous with renewed trade. Grail Chapels were built in places of holy significance, and the Fay Enchantress guided the Dukes of Bretonnia in their worship of the Lady. For the next few hundred years, Bretonnia continued to grow in both strength and cultural influence. This was a golden age of chivalry, and when their lands were threatened, they crushed all foes that dared to face them. King Guillaume defeated the orc tribes of the Massif Orcal highlands, sparing none. Lord Lamorte smashed the skeletal fleets of the Tomb Kings at Savage Point. It is said that Bretonnia will never experience such a Golden Age ever again.[1e][2c][4d]
Ravola Conflict (1382 to 1425 IC)
Starting in 1382 IC, a series of indecisive conflicts arises between Bretonnian barons and mercenaries in the pay of the Prince of Miragliano began. The skirmishes mainly took place in the foothills of the Iranna Mountains, near the small town of Ravola which is famed for its vineyards. Bretonnian and Tilean knights fought over the rich vineyards of the border region.Anxious to make the arrogant Bretonnian dukes and barons respect the borders of his principality after their repeated incursions into Tilean territory, the Prince of Miragliano offered a truce to discuss the matter. The Bretonnians agreed to attend a peace conference, hoping to gain something without war by intimidating the prince with the sheer might of Bretonnian chivalry. The meeting place was the small town of Ravola, the first settlement on the Tilean side of the mountains and one which was coveted by the Bretonnians because of its fine vineyards, even though all the people were fiercely loyal to the Prince of Miragliano. The Bretonnian deputation consisted of many proud and splendid knights, accompanied by their retinues and many heralds versed in the feudal laws of their country. The prince, accompanied by an equally fine array of Tilean mercenaries, welcomed them.[27a]
There followed several days of banqueting and dancing before the serious talks began. Such was the overbearing pride and arrogance of the Bretonnians that one of them, the Baron du Bors, declared that the Bretonnians were better knights than the Tileans and so the Tileans should just hand over Ravola and be done with it! Hearing this, the knight who commanded the mercenary company called the Venators, Etto the Fierce, was enraged and challenged the Bretonnian to a joust.[27a]
The heralds explained the rules of the joust to the Tileans, who were not greatly versed in this Bretonnian custom. They made a point of forbidding the use of enchanted weapons of any kind. The next day the Bretonnians and Tileans stood opposite each other on the field of Ravola. Since there were hardly any Bretonnian ladies present, the pavilion was full of the fine ladies of Ravola and Miragliano who had come to watch the spectacle. Of course the Bretonnians were so arrogant and conceited that they insisted on asking for the ladies' favours!The contest was fought with blunted lances so all of the Bretonnians survived to endure their undying shame and embarrassment. One of the Bretonnian heralds took a look at the broken Tilean lances. Turning to the Venators, he angrily shouted out that the Tilean lances were longer than the Bretonnian ones, to which a Tilean lady replied from the pavilion, "Yes we know!" At then the entire field of Tilean spectators fell about laughing. The heralds could not argue that long lances were enchanted weapons, and there was nothing for the Bretonnians to do except pack their baggage and beat a hasty retreat from the scene of their humiliation. Since that time there have been no further claims by the Bretonnians to any lands in Tilea. [27a]
The Crusades against Araby (1448 to 1451 IC)
In the year 470 (1448 IC), the war-torn southern realm of Estalia was invaded by Sultan Jaffar and the armies of Araby. Diplomatic envoys pleaded with Bretonnia to send aid, and the king sent a call to war out to all of Bretonnia. Throughout all the dukedoms, this call to war was heard, and countless knights pledged their lance to their king's holy cause. In his noble wisdom, King Louis the Righteous gave permission for warriors of the Empire to cross Bretonnia on their journey to Estalia, for they too had pledged their aid, despite the lack of unification during the Age of Three Emperors. This military campaign has since been named the Great Crusade, in homage of the zeal of these warrior-knights.[1e][2c][4d]
Within time, the armies of Jaffar were pushed back by the more mobile and heavily armoured forces of the Crusading Knights, forcing him to relinquish his hold on most of Estalia. Retreating back to Araby, but leaving a token force of troops around the important city of Magritta, Jaffar's armies were hounded by the Bretonnians, who pursued them tirelessly. The Crusader army eventually reached the sandy beaches of Araby and invaded the major city and trade-port of Copher.[1e][2c][4d]
As the crusaders sailed with the aid of Estalian ports and Tilean warships, Jaffar and his men prepared for the coming invasion by fortifying most of the major sea-ports. When they finally arrived in the spice-trading city of Copher, it was heavily fortified and the defenders were well prepared for the coming battle. Yet they weren't prepared for the wrath of the northern kingdoms that Jaffar had brought upon them, and once the defenders first started faltering against the onslaught of knights and siege towers, a breach was made and soon the high spires of Copher were pulled to the ground and much of the population were put to the sword.[1e][2c][4d]
Not even the harsh desert conditions could perturb the knights, and their fervour very slowly took its toll on Jaffar's warriors as many desert tribes under Jaffar's control began growing tired of this war of attrition. Despite Jaffar having a vastly larger army than the crusaders, Jaffar's armies began to disband, for many of the tribes of Araby grew weary of the despot's incompetence. After frustrating months of minor skirmishes, the Bretonnians faced Jaffar at the Battle of El Haikk.[1e][2c][4d]
Elemental spirits of the deep deserts were summoned to fight alongside Jaffar's armies, and with their numerical superiority, they overwhelmed the outnumbered crusaders on all sides. Just when all hope seemed lost and the army was almost at the breaking point, a host of both Empire and Bretonnian knights charged furiously at the tightly packed army, mowing down the lightly armoured soldiers until finally the armies were scattered by the sudden death of Jaffar by a Bretonnian lance. Disliking the harsh, dry lands, for it proved too vast and hostile to be completely conquered, the Bretonnians sailed back home, with cargo-ships laden with exotic goods and treasures, whilst the Empire knights remained behind to hunt down the remnants of Jaffar's army for another century, which would eventually lead to the creation of several more knightly orders.[1e][2c][4d]
Formation of the Border Princes (1452 IC)
Meanwhile, a second great crusading force, led by Baron Tybalt du Bois de Balzac, left Bretonnia and was travelling the long road overland towards Araby. Hearing of the great victory, his force did not press on into the desert kingdom, feeling saddened at the loss of such a glorious campaign. Nevertheless, under Tybalt's leadership, they pushed into lands that had not yet been conquered by any civilised race.[2c]
The leaders could not decide whether to take the ship from Estalia or march over the mountains into Tilea.[2c]
There were several problems. Firstly, nearly all the ships in Estalian and Bretonnian ports had already sailed to Araby with the first army. Secondly, the nearest port of embarkation was Miragliano, but the mountain passes approaching it was infested with Skaven making the passage hazardous in the extreme. Furthermore, any large army passing in the vicinity of Skavenblight was certain to be decimated by plague. The third insurmountable problem was that the seas around the southern ports of Tilea were infested by pirates operating from Sartosa. Ultimately the deciding factor was the knights' great loathing of setting foot on the ship. They protested that this would tarnish their honour and upset the warhorses.[2c]
It was finally decided to attempt to reach Araby by the long and hazardous land route to the east. This bold but extremely perilous plan was the idea of Baron Tybalt, who was immediately elected commander of the expedition.[2c]
Seeking glory and honour, they sought out the armies of greenskins that plagued these lands, and many great victories were won. The hardy dwarfs that dwelled within the mountains around these lands rejoiced, for the Bretonnians had dealt a serious blow to their ancient enemy, and they bestowed much praise and honour upon the knights. Rare it was these days for the reclusive dwarfs to make contact with the other nations of men, other than the Empire. These victories eventually forged a bond between Bretonnia and the dwarfs of Karaz Ankor.[1e][2c][4d]
These lands later became known by most as the Border Princes. Indeed some knights remained, building great castles in the following decades, hoping to create their own kingdoms upon the frontiers of this new land. Despite these grand crusades beyond Bretonnia, the dukedoms themselves were not left undefended, for there were still intermittent threats within the borders of their kingdom that needed to be secured.[1e][2c][4d]
Of Pox and Rats (1786 to 1812)
One such threat coincided with the deadly Red Pox that swept through southern Bretonnia and decimated the populations of peasants living in the sinking slums and hovel villages. As if this were a trigger, foul rat-men creatures erupted from their tunnels and attacked the Bretonnian duchies. Using the same method used against the Empire, the Skaven unleashed the Red Pox upon the sewer networks of the city of Bordeleaux. The scourge was once more successful, and nearly a third of the populace was infected and killed, but Baron Giscard Du'ponte acted quickly and ordered the poor quarter of the city to be put to the torch, killing both innocent people and the vast majority of the infected populace. This act, for its deplorable lack of humanity, halted the contagion from further spreading. However, just a quarter of a century later, the full assault was launched by the Skaven and nearly all of Bretonnia and northern Tilea blossomed with a virulent outbreak of the Red Pox.[1e][2c][4d]
As the nightmare that unfolded within the Empire once more repeated itself, whole countrysides was lost, with the cities of Brionne and Quenelles soon fighting for their lives against the verminous hordes of the Skaven Empire. It seemed that this time, the Under-Empire should triumph, but fate has an ill-will towards the ratmen, and once more their glorious victory was taken away from them.[1e][2c][4d]
Duke Merovech of Mousillon and his black-armoured knights rode south where they slew thousands of the chaotic creatures, and lifted the siege of Brionne. The route his army took mirrored that road taken by the Grail Companions before him, as he then pushed towards the east, crossing Carcassonne. His dreams were filled with blood, death, and horror - in his delusions and hubris, he actually believed that he was Landuin reborn, and that he was the only one who could save Bretonnia from destruction.[1e][2c][4d]
Meeting up with the armies of Parravon and the fey folk of Athel Loren, a great victory was won, and the rat-creatures scattered before the martial might of Merovech and his most trusted knights. In the middle of the battle, Merovech was soaked in blood, revelling in the killing. Even after his foe lay unmoving, still he continued to hack at them with his gore-soaked blade. The virtuous and honourable knights of Parravon looked on in horror. After winning their great victory against the hordes of the Under-Empire, the once mighty Dukedom of Mousillon had since begun its decline from the jewel of Bretonnia after a heretical event took place that shook the very foundation of the kingdom to its core. In the wake of his victory, Merovech invited the dukes to his castle for a great victory feast. Many saw him as a saviour, for he had saved Brionne and Quenelles. Nevertheless, the banquet horrified the chivalrous dukes. Dinner was served by shambling servants, and the dukes were shocked to see spitted and impaled criminals arrayed about the hall.[1e][2c][4d]
Merovech could not understand their discomfort at all, and having already drained many goblets of fine Bordeleaux wine, he drunkenly claimed that his hospitality was being dishonoured. The king was repulsed by Merovech, and spoke against him and his court. In a rage, Merovech accused the king of jealousy, and plotting against Mousillon. The king formally challenged Merovech, though the other dukes begged to be the one allowed to punish the disgraceful knight. In the ensuing combat, Merovech fought like a daemon, and tore out the king's throat with his bare hands. Merovech raised his goblet and filled it with the blood of the king, which he then drank from.[1e][2c][4d]
The other dukes hastily left Mousillon to gather their armies, pursued by twisted creatures and malformed peasants. In the following months, Merovech was publicly denounced by the Fay Enchantress and the newly crowned king. Lyonesse led a massive invasion of Mousillon, and many of the knights of Mousillon gladly took up arms against their liege-lord, having no wish to be associated with their corrupted duke, and swore fealty to Lyonesse. Faced with the might of all of Bretonnia, Merovech was finally slain, though many brave warriors fell beneath his blade. The righteous anger of the Bretonnians against one they see as having tainted their own honour is truly to be feared.[1e][2c][4d]
The Wars of Errantry (2201 to 2422 IC)
"The realm and the King are one."
- —Ancient Bretonnian adage[31a]
Throughout the ages, other crusades have been waged by the proud Bretonnians, yet none of them so great as the next one. One such crusade was led into the deep deserts to the east of Araby, in the land of the Tomb Kings, and a great many battles were won in that year. Others saw Bretonnians fighting far from home, even as far across the oceans as the jungle lands of the New World. Some of these crusades were declared as Errantry Wars, a tradition that derives from the old custom of the Errands of Knighthood. Usually a young knight would be set a task by their lord, an errand that must be fulfilled before they can attain full knighthood.[1e][2c][4d]
Errands traditionally included such things as the recovery of a lost artifact, the slaying of a great beast terrorizing a rural village or successfully escorting a noble lady through dangerous lands. However, in times of war and peril, a king may declare an Errantry War. At such times, a young Knight Errant may earn the title of Knight of the Realm through brave deeds and daring exploits on the field of battle. When an Errantry War is declared, many young knights all over Bretonnia rally to the cause, eager to earn their full knighthood. These unseasoned knights throw themselves into the thick of battle, often fighting recklessly, trying their best to outdo their comrades and gain the attention of their superiors. As such, the king may declare an Errantry War when he has need to quickly gather a large, well-motivated, yet unseasoned army of knights.[1e][2c][4d]
In the year 1223 (2201 IC), King Louen Orc-Slayer amassed a grand army after declaring an Errantry War, with thousands of young knights joining the ranks of the more experienced retinues of the dukes. Together, this army smashed the growing orc and goblin tribes that had been amassing for many years on the borders of Bretonnia. The traditional frontiers of the dukedoms were expanded, and many Greenskin strongholds were conquered. New castles were built along these borders, and many of the young Knights Errant were granted these domains along with full knightly titles at the end of the war.[1e][2c][4d]
The longest Errantry War ever fought was launched by King Charlen in 1442 (2420 IC). The Border Princes were overrun by enemies and, despite bitter resistance, they were eventually overrun. Charlen responded instantly to their appeal for aid, declaring his intention to rid the Old World of the greenskin menace once and for all. Charlen was a brave and mighty warrior, but was never known for great wit and strategy, for everybody knows that the greenskin horde can never truly be defeated.[1e][2c][4d]
Nevertheless, many thousands of young knights embraced Charlen's vision passionately, and a great army set off across the mountains, with many knights perishing on the long and arduous journey. At first, victory followed victory and the greenskins were slaughtered on the banks of the Blood River. However, as the years rolled by and more young knights travelled to the war-zone to gain honour, Bretonnia grew weaker due to the lack of defenders within its border. For over sixty years the war continued, draining Bretonnia of its finances, leaders, and entire generations of knights. Eventually, in the year 1444 (2422 IC), retaliatory attacks from orc tribes had ravaged the undefended dukedom of Carcassonne whilst the knights that should've protected the realm joined the Errantry War.[1e][2c][4d]
Eventually, under King Phillippe V, the Errantry War was ended after a devastating defeat at Dread Pass, where an entire army of Bretonnian knights was slaughtered by the thousands, as the greenskins pulled these proud knights from their saddles and killed them wholesale. The Bretonnians, in their pride, did not cope well with defeat, and were it not for the wise king ending the wars, then countless more knights may well have thrown their lives away in an effort to regain the honour of their defeated brethren.[1e][2c][4d]
Affair of the False Grail (2297-2300 IC)
In 2297 IC, Duke Maldred of Mousillon secretly captured and imprisoned the Fay Enchantress. The dark reason he did this was to convince the entire kingdom that his grail was the one and only Holy Grail that the Lady of the Lake herself used. Maldred proclaimed a Tournament at which the false grail was displayed. Malfleur's convincing display of magic so impressed the knights gathered there, that many believed the grail was genuine. Soon rumours began to spread that the Lady had indeed favoured Maldred and that it was fitting for him to assume kingship. [1e]
During this dark time, not all Knights roaming the lands of Bretonnia followed the sacred codes of chivalry and honour. Some Knights perpetuated Duke Maldred's charade by preventing honourable knights from finding the true Grail or the Fay Enchantress. Other corrupt Paladins hunted down, captured, and imprisoned those Damsels of the Lady that knew too much or openly spoke out against the Duke of Mousillon and his desire to usurp the throne of Bretonnia. The Grail Knights and for that matter, La Belle Isoulde were incensed with rage. The Grail Knights knew that Maldred's grail was false. Honour forbade them from taking up arms against Maldred without the backing of the Enchantress, although many Grail Knights would have dearly loved to challenge him to mortal combat. Some set out to find the Fay Enchantress, but without success. She was secretly imprisoned within the Donjon of Dol. Without her backing, it was difficult for the Grail Knights to denounce Maldred for dishonour and declare war on him.[1e]
At this point fate, or perhaps the Lady of the Lake, played a hand in events. One of the knights on the quest for the Jabberwock, Gaston de Geste, discovered the Donjon of Dol, slew its monstrous jailer and rescued the Fay Enchantress from her prison. As a reward for his heroism, Gaston was allowed to sup from the true Grail, and became the new King of Bretonnia.As Maldred rode to Gisoreux to claim the crown, he was met by the army of the King. Maldred held aloft the grail, asking who dared to stand against its bearer. The release of the Fay Enchantress had sealed Maldred's fate however. Gaston had safely conducted the Fay Enchantress to the Grail Knights encamped not far from Mousillon. Maldred was forthwith declared a malefactor before the whole land and stripped of his honour and dukedom. War was to be declared against Maldred if he did not surrender and accept banishment.[1e]
Maldred answered with defiance, hoping the issue would remain confused as long as he had the false grail. All the knights of Bretonnia, however, put their faith in the Fay Enchantress and the Grail knights, who denounced him. Whilst the opposing army stood silent, the Green Knight emerged from the forest, and turned to challenge the Duke. At that moment, all saw the Lady of the Lake standing beside the King, the true Grail in her hand. The fake was revealed for the tawdry thing it was, and Maldred's followers deserted him en masse. The Duke fled back to his castle, but the King deprived him of both title and noble status. Soon a vast army was encamped around Mousillon. Unfortunately, Maldred was able to provide food supplies brought in by the sea. The siege continued for three years, creating conditions within the city favoured by the Red Pox which invariably struck. Maldred and Malfleur, despite shutting themselves up within their castle, shared the same fate as the majority of the wretched inhabitants of Mousillon and perished in the plague. The King declared the city and its environs a wasteland, to be redeemed by Errantry. Since that time, there has been no Duke of Mousillon.[1e]
Dark Elf Raids (2418 to 2468 IC)
Seeing that the Bretonnian dukes had begun to develop good relations with Ulthuan, Malekith, the Witch King of Naggaroth, had decided that the humans must be punished. The Dark Elves sent emissaries to the Beastmen in the Forest of Arden and the orcs of Massif Orcal to begin a massive series of raids in the Bretonnian interior. Malekith stirred up such carnage that King Charlen was forced to leave many coastal fortresses undefended to quell the tumult in his heartlands. With the armies of Bretonnia distracted, the Dark Elves rampaged across its northern coast. Towns and villages burn by the score, their defenders slaughtered, and their peasants shipped north to slave in Naggaroth. L'Anguille, greatest of Bretonnia's ports, is left in ruins, the mutilated dead splayed across its streets. This series of raids severely reduced Bretonnia's power and forced them to deny aid to other nations in their conflicts.[28a]
Crusade of Blood (2468 IC)
In the year VII, 168 (2468 IC), Crone Hellebron proclaimed a holy war of slaughter in Khaine's name. With Tullaris Dreadbringer as her champion, she set out from Har Ganeth at the head of a great host of Witch Elves and travelled through each of Naggaroth's chief cities. Murder followed in her wake and, with every day that passed, more Khaine-touched Elves flocked to her grim banner. When Hellebron returned to Har Ganeth and took ship to the primitive eastward lands, her army boasted thousands of warriors from all walks of Dark Elf society.[28a]
By the time the ships made landfall on the shores of Bretonnia, Hellebron's crusade had shrunk to near half its initial size. The voyage had been long and Khaine ever-thirsty, so each night, the weakest on each ship had been sacrificed to maintain the lord of Murder's favour. Undeterred, Hellebron drove her army southward, slaughtering all who stood in her path. At the Battle of Nouvionne, she crushed the army of Duke D'Bastalle, and that night, the Cauldrons of Blood were filled to the brim with the life essence of Damsels and Grail Knights. The bloodthirsty elves would eventually leave to other lands, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.[28a]
The Pirate Wars (2458-2478 IC)
Beginning in 2458 IC, the Cult of Manann in Marienburg declared a crusade against the piratical followers of the shark god Stromfels. Hundreds of devout followers sailed from ports around the Old World to engage with the enemy. An unsuccessful expedition even set sail to Sartosa to strike at the Pirate Princes themselves. The Pirate Wars did eliminate several notorious pirates, but there was no lasting decline in Old World piracy, as the adversary was not a unified navy that could be completely defeated -- new pirates always emerge to replace those who have fallen.[25b]
Despite being mostly waged at sea, there were also some land-based engagements during the conflict, as Marienburg's merchant fleets sought to put to the torch the pirate towns that clustered in the marshes and moors of the Westerland and Nordland. The Knights of the Blazing Sun took the vanguard in this effort, deploying armsmen and brother-knights alike. It was the only knightly order of the Empire to become involved in what was at the time considered to be Marienburg's problem alone.[26b]
Battle of the Tides
The pirates did not take into account the malice of the sea god Manann. A series of freak tides dragged some of the pirates close to the shore of Mousillon, and they found themselves trapped, with the coast on one side and a Bretonnian fleet on the other.[24b]
The Bretonnians closed and crushed the pirate fleet ship by ship, shattering them with cannon shot or letting them tear their hulls on the jagged rocks of the shore. The battle lasted a full day and night, during which the entire pirate fleet was destroyed. The next morning saw a prodigiously high spring tide, and it is said that some drowned corpses were deposited a full mile inland.[24b]
Pirates' Grave, off the coast north of Mousillon, is a bleak testament to the Battle of the Tides. The Bretonnian fleet, having just witnessed how deadly the Mousillon coast could be, had no wish to salvage the pirate ships that were lost. So the ships were left to rot where they had sunk or run aground, and most of them are still there. From the coast, it is possible to see the sun-bleached masts sticking up above the surface of the water, or the rotting, skeletal hulls rearing up onto the rocks. The high tide during the battle means that many ships settled almost entirely out of the water when the tide subsided, and several pirate ships lie, almost complete, on the rocks like beached whales. These ships have long since been picked clean of valuables, including the bones of the dead pirate sailors. Even so, every now and again a peasant on the coast near Pirates' Grave will plough up another set of bones or a couple of tarnished copper coins from some chest of treasure. The Pirates' Grave still holds great mystique, and adventurers or the curious often come to visit it, to clamber among the decaying timbers of the beached ships and gaze on the wrecks of those further out to sea. Many more ships lie beneath the surface, and a few hardy adventurers or racketeers from Mousillon have tried to recover valuables from them, but never with much success.[24b]
Despite several major naval victories, the Old World saw no long-term decline in piracy. The pirates were not a conventional force to be defeated, and new pirates simply emerged to replace the old.[24b]
The Dead Arisen (2491 to 2520 IC)
As the years went by, one of the most recent and major battles fought took place near and within La Maisontaal Abbey, located around the Grey Mountains. A joint undead-Skaven army lead by Lichmaster Heinrich Kemmler and a Wight Lord named Krell attacked and sacked the aforementioned sacred Abbey of the Lady. The battle was a fierce struggle between the noble knights and the rotting hordes of zombies and warriors Kemmler and Krell had summoned up to serve them. As the battle raged on, knights and undead warriors fought viciously within the sacred grounds. They were finally overcome by the heroic actions of the great Duke Tancred II d'Quenelles and his proud companion knights, who pushed the hordes back with a devastating charge and disrupted the sorcerous hold that held the army together.[1e][2c][4d]
Seeing imminent defeat, the Skaven army abandoned their allies as is their habit. The knights returned victorious and with much honour, for their victory was indeed glorious. However, it was a hollow victory, for the treasonous Skaven had merely used the foolish necromancer to gain hold of a mystical and powerful artifact kept within the Abbey. [4d]
It is believed by most that Heinrich died in that bloody battlefield. Nevertheless, the Lichmaster's body was never found, and Tancred has spent the remainder of his life pursuing the hated necromancer unto the ends of the World. Tancred's father, Tancred I, fell in battle against the surviving forces of the Lichmaster's minions at the Battle of Montfort Bridge. Just as the hordes of Heinrich were scattered, he fell before he could reach and kill a hooded figure he believed to be Heinrich re-risen. It is said that the Lichmaster is still biding his time to enact his revenge against the Bretonnians that defeated him.[2c][4d]
Geography
"Bretonnia is fair and peaceful because everyone knows their place. Yours is with the truffle hounds."
- —Lord Thederic of Maronz, to a captured outlaw.[1a]
Bretonnia is one of the greatest human realms of the Old World, almost rivalling the Empire in size, wealth, and power. It stretches from the Grey Mountains in the east to the Great Ocean in the west. In the south it is bordered by Estalia and Tilea and to the north its rocky coast is lashed by the stormy Sea of Claws. Unlike the Empire, Bretonnia has a kinder climate and is a more easily cultivated land. Its vast forests and wilderness regions are separated by great fertile plains and valleys where the nobility of Bretonnia have established their feudal domains. It is a rich, strong, chivalrous, and well-defended land.[1a][2a]
Short-term visitors to Bretonnia see a land of fertile farms, rolling hills, starkly beautiful mountains, and airy forests. The population consists of noble and courteous knights, fair ladies, and contented and deferential peasants.[1a]
Anyone travelling through Bretonnia, outside the blighted land of Mousillon, sees a country that looks fair and prosperous. The forbidding forests and frowning mountains of the Empire are nowhere to be seen. This does not mean Bretonnia is completely safe, however. Behind the facade, peril lurks. Bretonnia's landscape can be divided into six main types: arable land, where crops are grown; pastoral land, where animals are grazed; forests; mountains; the coast; and the great rivers.[1a]
The dominant arable crop in Bretonnia is wheat, though oats, barley, and green vegetables are also grown. Fields are very large and divided into strips. Peasant families are responsible for one strip each, and differences in treatment mean many fields look somewhat stripy. Fruit orchards and vineyards are common in the hills, on land that is too steep for easy farming. Sheep are often grazed under fruit trees.[1a]
It does, however, conceal problems. The mountains are home to Greenskins, the forests to foul creatures. Many peasants are starving, and knights who use courtesy to cloak brutality are found throughout the land. Even the superb flavours of the food often mask rotten ingredients. The cynical say Bretonnia wears a fair mask over deep corruption; the more generous lament the gap often found between its ideals and reality. No one who knows the country at all can ignore the contrast, however.[1a]
Highlands
Most of Bretonnia’s hills are devoted to pastoral farming, whilst the plains and valleys are arable. The grazing animals keep the grass short, and the view of green hills dotted with white sheep or typically Bretonnian russet cattle is a common one. The flocks and herds are tended by shepherds and herdsmen. Shepherdesses are common in the south of Bretonnia, where it is the only occupation that allows women to travel by themselves. In the north, the idea of letting women go into the hills alone is frowned upon.[1a]
Flocks of sheep are attractive to predators, starting from wolves and climbing through goblins, orcs, beastmen, and the like. As a result, the life of a shepherd is much more dangerous than it looks. Shepherdesses, in particular, have a reputation as tough and dangerous fighters and generally cannot find husbands. Most of them do not particularly care. Many shepherds carry the Bretonnian crook, a spear with a hook at the end of the handle, and are skilled in its use.[1a]
Forests
The outer edges of Bretonnia’s forests are thoroughly exploited by the people. Pigs forage in the leaf litter, trees are felled for building, and others are coppiced or pollarded. These are techniques that ensure a tree produces a lot of long, thin branches, useful for wattle and daub or for firewood. It involves cutting the branches back every year, almost to the ground in the case of a coppice, or further up the trunk for a pollard. In Bretonnia, pollards are more common, so that pigs and sheep cannot eat the shoots of new branches. As a result, the trees in these areas are spaced out for easy access, and there is little undergrowth.[1a]
Further in, however, the forests become as dark and tangled as anything in the Empire. There are no elves in the forests of Arden or Châlons (Athel-Loren is outside Bretonnia proper),[2a] and no humans live beyond the tamed borders. As a result, they are a haven for beastmen and similar foul creatures, or for cultists of the Ruinous Powers. Human outlaws often lair near the edge of forests, and provide an important defence for local communities, keeping worse creatures back in the depths of the woods. There are stories of whole cities of beastmen in the depths of the Arden, and whilst there is no evidence for this implausible idea, it is not impossible; no one knows enough about the forest interior to say the cities are not there.[1a]
- Bois Oelouere - A wood inhabited by Wood Elves.[39a]
- Forest of Charons - The Forest of Charons is a crag-filled oaks forest close to the Massif Orcal.[40]
Mountains
The mountains surrounding Bretonnia, and the Massif Orcal in its heart,[2a] are notable for their spectacular scenery. Soaring cliffs and thundering waterfalls mark the outer edges of mountain ranges, and on clear days, the peaks seem to shine from the snow on them. Farming and mining communities dot the edges of the mountain ranges, renowned for the extremely steep roofs of their houses, designed to shed snowfall quickly. Some of these communities are cut off from the rest of Bretonnia for months at a time in winter and have developed their own customs, in some cases involving the worship of the Dark Ones. Further in, orc and goblin tribes make their homes. When the snows melt in spring, at least one mountain community is found reduced to charred rubble. It has, however, been many years since these orcs dared to raid outside their mountain strongholds; some fear they have been building their strength.[1a]
- Massif Orcal - Massif Orcal also called Orcal Massif, is a mountain deep inside the territories of Bretonnia.[40]
Rivers
Trade in Bretonnia does not only take place through the Middle Sea and the Sea of Claws, there are many river towns that are enriched thanks to trade, the River Brienne and in particular the Sirthelle tributary was a link for the route between Quelles and Brionne, via nine major stops (Quenelles, Cixous, Brusse, then through the gorge to Laguiller, Aubenas, Muret, Ferignac, Sibourne and Brionne). This was to avoid Magritta's naval blockade which blocked the route towards the Southern Sea until recently.[19]
In fact, many traders preferred to move their activities to the Bretonnian hinterland thus avoiding the taxation of the Estalian kingdom.[19]
Government
Feudalism
"We have political systems like this in the Empire. We call them 'protection rackets'..."
Bretonnian society and culture is defined by feudalism, an outdated and archaic decentralised political and economic system that was widely used within the Old World, including the Empire of Man, many centuries ago. However, across much of that continent feudalism has since been replaced with more efficient systems of centralised, bureaucratic governance and the emergence of a "middle-class" of burghers and merchants in the towns and freeholding farmers in the countryside. For instance, the economy of the Empire is now dedicated to crafts, trade and agricultural production of cash crops for the market.[1f]
Bretonnia is now the only nation of Men in the Old World to still employ a rigid system of feudalism in its original form as its system of government and economy. The Bretonnian feudal system is based upon oaths of loyalty and military assistance sworn between aristocrats, usually members of the realm's hereditary military caste, within an overwhelmingly agrarian society in which there is little to no direct form of centralised government. The basic principle of the feudal system is that those lower on the social ladder among the peasantry are often serfs tied to their lands by law and custom that must provide the goods and services they produce as subsistence tenant farmers to those of higher status in the nobility in exchange for military protection and certain legal rights and privileges.
The subsistence peasantry of Bretonnia form the foundations of this feudal system and are required to serve and obey their nobility without question in exchange for their protection from the myriad threats of the Old World. As such, the vows of the peasants are those of servitude to their lord as serfs bound to work their lord's lands.[4f] Above the peasants are the Bretonnian lords, whose responsibility is the protection of their lands and subjects from the depredations of outside threats, and who in exchange for land and a title from their feudal superiors shall fight for the realm's king when called to war. Thus, the vows of the nobility are also ones of fealty to their own lord, either a higher-ranked noble or the king himself.[1f][4g]
At the very top of this social pyramid is the king or "royarch" as he is known in the Bretonnian tongue.[3a] The royarch's rule is sovereign and absolute, with no laws made within the kingdom having any hold upon the actions of the king. The royarch in theory has the legal right to do anything he pleases within his realm, and has the ability to create new laws or legislation at a whim should he wish it. However, to be King of Bretonnia requires one to become a Grail Knight, and to be a Grail Knight, one must possess the purest of all Humanity's hearts. Additionally, kings who ignore the desires of their most powerful nobles rarely find themselves to be effective rulers -- or to remain kings for very long.[1f]
As such, nearly all kings of Bretonnia are a shining beacon of chivalry, justice, and bravery. The kings of Bretonnia have been known to truly care for all of their people, constantly finding ways to better the lives of the subjects under their rule and root out injustice wherever it grows. Thus, the king's power serves as a check on the abuses and exploitation of the peasantry by the lesser nobility, which is a constant problem in a political system as autocratic as that of Bretonnia.[1f]
Below the king are the Bretonnian dukes. A Bretonnian duke has royal power within their dukedom, but is still subject to the commands of the king. That means a duke acting within his own dukedom can break the laws of the realm, unless he disobeys a direct order from the king himself.[1f]
Unlike royal power, the power of the dukes has been abused, most notably in Mousillon. All dukes hold their land directly from the king as a fief. The current Bretonnian king, Louen Leoncoeur, also rules the Dukedom of Couronne, and thus holds it as a fief granted from himself. Legally, King Louen is actually two different people, one who is the Royarch of Bretonnia and one who is the Duke of Couronne. In theory, the king can create as many other dukes as he wants, though the title is essentially meaningless without the royal grant of a fief of land to accompany it. In practice, only the fourteen great fiefs descended from Gilles le Breton and his original Companions are held to be worthy of this status.[1f]
Royal Court
"What is a knight without his steed? But what is the steed without his knight? Knight and steed, noble and peasant; on such relationship is Bretonnia built."
By ancient tradition, the King of Bretonnia must be a Grail Knight, selected by a conclave of as many Grail Knights as can attend the Grail Council of Bastonne immediately following the death of the previous Royarch. This unanimous choice is then legitimised by the Fay Enchantress, the holy representative of the Lady of the Lake. Once the election is finalised, the Fay Enchantress will then crown the new Royarch for life in a ceremony within the traditional Grail Cathedral of Bastonne.[1h]
Like any government ruled by a central figure, each King of Bretonnia houses a Royal Court from which he is able to govern and manage his realm with the aid of advisers and his fellow nobles. The current ruler, King Louen Leoncoeur,[2s][4c] holds court within the Duchy of Couronne during the winter months. In the summer months, the nobles within his court disperse to their fiefs.[1h]
By long custom the king speaks only to the highest nobles, and rarely speaks to those of less than baronial rank. Indeed, nearly all of the king's servants are barons, powerful in social ranking due their constant interactions with the king and being sworn in fealty to him alone, for only by the king's direct proclamation can a patent of barony be issued. The only time a peasant would ever speak to the king in person is when he raises one unto the ranks of nobility by knighting them, and this has occurred only five times in the kingdom's entire history.[1h]
Unlike most of the lesser Bretonnian nobility King Louen is deeply devoted to the people of his country, and has declared he is willing to hear of abuses and injustices committed by any of his subjects against their countrymen, no matter how powerful they may be. Peasants who can find a noble, no matter how lowly, to plead their case can appeal directly to the king. Still, the king has limited time and there are far more abuses than he could ever hear. As such, only the most grievous of abuses are heard. Fortunately if the king hears a grievous case, he always judges fairly with both a wisdom and conscience that most nobles often lack.[1h]
Code of Chivalry
"Every Bretonnian Lord knows that honour and chivalry come before everything."
- —The Chivalric Code.[7]
Another aspect of Bretonnia society that governs the actions of the nobility is the Codes of Chivalry, also known as the Chivalric Code. This code was first introduced upon the coronation of Gilles le Breton as the first Royarch, which grew out of the warrior traditions of the ancient Bretonni tribes that occupied the lands of Bretonnia before its establishment as a kingdom. Indeed, this Code of Chivalry is, in its own way, a system of laws which the Bretonnian nobility has to follow in order to regulate the way their dukedoms should be run.[2i]
It wasn't until the reign of King Louis the Rash that the Codes of Chivalry were formalised and established, with the king appointing many heralds to regulate the ranks and honours of knighthood throughout Bretonnia. The code of chivalry has since been almost unchanged to the present day.[2i]
Bretonnia is renowned as a land with a code of conduct that must be followed by all those with noble blood. The code is not just about a Knight’s behaviour – although that is also important – but also about the choices he makes during his exploits. Living for the moment, a Knight should always choose the most honourable course of action. To them, what matters is what they do now, not what they may or may not do in the future. It is often as simple as seeking battle as a way of securing personal honour and pride.[7]
The Seven Commandments
The Bretonnian code of chivalry requires that every knight must follow seven commandments. These commandments are an integral part of Bretonnian society and government, and are often used to dictate the actions of a Bretonnian noble.[2i]
- To serve the Lady of the Lake.[2i]
- To defend the domains entrusted to him.[2i]
- To protect the weak and fight for the right.[2i]
- Always to fight the enemies of virtue and order.[2i]
- Never to give up the fight until the foe be defeated.[2i]
- Never to break faith with a friend or ally.[2i]
- Always to display honour and courtesy.[2i]
Rules of Honour
Apart from the commandments of chivalry, there are certain traditional 'rules of honour' which are adhered to and respected by all knights. These rules are an important part of the code of chivalry. They date back to the very origins of knighthood in Bretonnia and mark out Bretonnian Knights as distinct from those of other realms. The most important rules are summarised below:[2l]
- A knight may only fight hand-to-hand, with sword or lance; he may not use a missile weapon.[2l]
- A knight shall always accept a challenge towards personal combat.[2l]
- A knight shall not draw sword against his fellow Bretonnian knights, except in trial by combat or within a tournament.[2l]
- A knight shall not allow himself to be captured alive.[2l]
- A knight shall not flee from the enemy, nor retreat without proper tactical cause.[2l]
Dukedoms of Bretonnia
- Carcassonne and the Grand-Duchy of Savoie
Lost and Former Dukedoms
Below are listed the former dukedoms of the Kingdom of Bretonnia and other regions of note:
- Mousillon - After the horrific event known as the Affair of the False Grail, Mousillon has since regressed into poverty, and with the death of Duke Maldred, no duke has since claimed its throne.[1e][2c]
- Cuileux - Cuileux was a Bretonni dukedom that was ravaged by war during the Dark Age of Bretonnia. Little is known about the dukedom, save that it was overrun by a horde of Greenskins and that its territory was contested by both Brionne and Quenelles. As the Bretonni armies had no stomach to war with each other at that time, their respective dukes agreed to duel over ownership of the land. The Duke of Quenelles was victorious, cutting down his opponent, and the Dukedom of Quenelles expanded northwards into the Massif Orcal. [1e][2c]
- Glanborielle - Glanborielle was a Bretonni dukedom that was ravaged by war during the Dark Age of Bretonnia. Little is known about the dukedom, save that it was overrun by a horde of Greenskins and later was absorbed by Carcassonne, becoming its eastern territory.[1e][2c]
Settlements of Bretonnia
Bretonnia is famous for its rural landscape, and it is greatly lacking in urban environments. However, some of the dukedoms' capitals are cities that were built either as trade-hubs or ports to the sea. Since each duke is also a knight in both duty and status, the capitals of each dukedom are often founded and built upon the remains of ancient castles that served as the duke's own estate.
- Aix Fronnard - Aix Fronnard is a little town famous for its saintly chapel-shrine.[36a]
- Antoch - A mighty fortress-city located on the Gulf of Medes in Araby, Antoch is the greatest of Bretonnia's settlements outside of its own lands.
- Aubenas - One of nine stops on the river section between Quenelles and Brionne.[19]
- Bregonne - A frontier settlement located on the coast of Lustria, near the island of Tlencan. Bregonne was founded by the renowned knightly explorer, Baron Marcel of Parravon.
- Brusse - One of nine stops on the river section between Quenelles and Brionne.[19]
- Castle L'Anguille - Castle L'Anguille is the ducal capital of L'Anguille, famous for its ports and bustling trade.
- Castle Aquitaine - Castle Aquitiane is the ducal capital of Aquitiane, famous for the Lace Tower, a tall spire built with so many windows that it looks as though it is made from stone lace.
- Castle Artois - Castle Artois is the ducal capital of Artois, famous for being the only ducal seat with no town outside its heavily fortified walls.
- Castle Bastonne - Castle Bastonne is the ducal capital of Bastonne, famous for being the original capital of Bretonnia and the seat of power of Gilles le Breton, first Royarch of Bretonnia.
- Castle Bordeleaux - Castle Bordeleaux is the ducal capital of Bordeleaux, famous for its port and the grand ring of defences that guards the city from sea-born invaders.
- Castle Brionne - Castle Brionne is the ducal capital of Brionne, famous for its archetypal beauty and a major cultural centre for arts, music, and poetry.
- Castle Carcassonne - Castle Carcassonne is the ducal capital of Carcassonne, famous for being a large mustering field to gather armies against greenskin invaders.
- Castle Couronne - Castle Couronne is the ducal capital of Couronne, famous for being the capital and seat of power of Louen Leoncoeur, current Royarch of Bretonnia.
- Castle Dubois - Castle Dubois is located on the banks of the River Brienne. Once a powerful force in Bretonnia, some say a curse was upon the House of Dubois. The brothers Morlan Dubois and Alain Dubois were the last two dubois in line. It was said that until the empty tomb in the crypt of the castle is filled by one of the family line then all the treasure gained during a historic crusade to the lands of Khemri is cursed.[34a] For this reason the two brother decided to reach Khemri by sea. They managed to break the curse but at the cost of Morlan's death. Now a new aura of prosperity pervades the castle.[35a]
- Castle Garamont - Castle Garamont is the seat of power for the Castellan of Bastonne, and is thus the main line of defence for the entire dukedom.
- Castle Gisoreux - Castle Gisoreux is the ducal capital of Gisoreux, famous for being a major trading hub and for having a wide variety of traders and travellers stopping in upon their way along the River Grismerie.
- Castle Lyonesse - Castle Lyonesse is the ducal capital of Lyonesse, known for being one of the smallest out of all the ducal capitals.
- Castle Montfort - Castle Montfort is the ducal capital of Montfort, famous for guarding the western approach of Axe Bite Pass, the main trade route between Bretonnia and the Empire.
- Castle Mousillon - Castle Mousillon is the ducal capital of Mousillon, famous for being one of the most cursed places within all of Bretonnia.
- Castle Parravon - Castle Parravon is the ducal capital of Parravon, famous for being carved directly from the rock of the mountain.
- Castle Quenelles - Castle Quenelles is the ducal capital of Quenelles, famous for being at the very borders of Athel Loren itself.
- Cavour - A village under the Grand-Duchy of Savoie, managed by Count Camil Bensò.[20a]
- Chambourt - Lying at the heart of Bretonnia, the Chambourt is a vast shelf nestling in the foothills of the Massif Orcal, thrusting high above the crag-filled oaks of the Forest of Charons. The castle is ruled by Baron Gregory de Chambourt and his his young wife, Lady Isobella. A pleasingly attractive princess of the Estalian nobility.[40]
- Chamburg - In 2518 IC, the Champion of Slaanesh, Prince Sigvald the Magnificent, has razed the township of Chamburg because the wine it produced was not to his taste.[33a]
- Chateau de Chegney - For a thousand years the House de Chegney has dwelled in this massive, brooding, stone fortress, guarding the narrow Iron Pass through the Grey Mountains that linked Bretonnia with the sprawling Empire.
- Château Lovarre - Château Lovarre is a Bretonnian castle located on the southern reach of the eastern Irranas, near the Tilean border.
- Cixous - Famous for its pate, is one of nine stops on the river section between Quenelles and Brionne.[19]
- Clouseau - A stop on the river section between Quenelles and the Vaults.[21a]
- D'Ason - A small village on the north coast of Lyonesse. The first Bretonnian Trebuchet is believed to have been constructed here. When the village was attacked by northern raiders, it was this construction that fended them off, firing massive chunks of masonry to sink the marauders' longships.[4h]
- Derrevin Libre - A village in eastern Aquitaine where the peasants hold power.
- Desroches - A settlement in the west of Aquitaine ruled by an Earl rival of his homolog of Fluvia in the north.[1q]
- Ferignac - One of nine stops on the river section between Quenelles and Brionne.[19]
- Fluvia - A settlement in the north of Aquitaine ruled by an Earl rival of his homolog of Desroches in the west.[1q]
- Gaudaron Keep - Gaudaron Keep is defended by the famed Sir Amalric, scourge of the undying and blessed champion of the Lady of the Lake.[37a]
- Grenouille Gate - A town made by a collection of fortified wooden buildings and boathouses, the gate exists to regulate and tax the trade that passes in and out of Mousillon.
- Laguiller - One of nine stops on the river section between Quenelles and Brionne.[19]
- La Maisontaal Abbey - An ancient fortress-monastery located in the Grey Mountains.[1e]
- Larret - Larret is a growing community almost as large as a city, famous for its innovation and acceptance of new ideals and technology.
- Marguilles - A stop on the river section between Quenelles and the Vaults.[21a]
- Muret - One of nine stops on the river section between Quenelles and Brionne.[19]
- Oisillon - A castle located one hundred miles north-west of Gisoreux. It is the site of the Great Palace of Oisillon.
- Ora Lamae - A very tiny city between L'Anguille and the ruins of once-great Mousillon.
- Paillole - A stop on the river section between Quenelles and the Vaults.[21a]
- Perrache - A settlement near Quenelles on the road to Merceauz-Descloux.[21a]
- Rondeau - A small town some miles to the south of the great city of Oisillon.[23]
- Salignac-La-Rouge - A settlement near the Loren Highway in the Vaults, located on the trade road to Kreutzhofen in Wissenland.[21a]
- Turín - A holy city located in Carcassonne, it is famed for containing the Shroud of Gilles le Breton, an artifact of great religious significance.[20a]
- Serrac - Home to about three hundred peasants who live in a few dozen hovels gathered around a rather muddy village green.
- Sibourne - One of nine stops on the river section between Quenelles and Brionne.[19]
- Sigmarsheim - A little outpost of the Empire in the Forest of Arden.
- Tharravil - A mountain village sitting on top of the richest goldmine in the world.
- Uesin - A forlorn Bretonnian settlement comprised entirely of mutants who have fled there from across the kingdom.
- Yremy - A town not far from Mousillon, where the Gods of Law are still worshipped.
Former Cities
- Marienburg - In 1597 IC Marienburg was seized by a large Bretonnian army under the Duke of L'Anguille. After five years of violent resistance from its inhabitants and with the Empire mustering its forces to aid the city, they were ultimately forced to retreat.
Religion
"That which is sacrosanct I shall preserve... That which is sublime I will protect... That which threatens, I will destroy... For my holy wrath will know no bounds!"
- —The Vow of the Grail Knight.[4g]
The religious spirit of Bretonnia is often as divided as the division between the nobility and peasantry. Within Bretonnian society, the worship of the Lady of the Lake is considered the main religious doctrine. Much of Bretonnian culture is shaped by the actions of the Cult of the Lady, making them a large political power amongst the nobility.[1l] However, unlike the worship of other cults, such as the Cult of Sigmar, where Imperial doctrine claims the allegiance of all the Empire's people, the Cult of the Lady is restricted to the nobility. Although the middle class of freemen commoners are allowed to worship at shrines and temples, they are required to pay a tithe unto the brotherhood maintaining such sites.[1] For the nobility, such tithing is entirely voluntary and the amount dependent upon the noble's generosity. Most tithings are thus made for show and to establish their social status and reputation amongst the peerage.[2r]
The Cult of the Lady is almost entirely restricted to the nobility. Instead, the peasantry often worship the gods of the Old World. The Cult of Ulric has very few followers and even fewer public shrines while the Cult of Myrmidia is growing substantially due to the presence of nearby Estalia. Being a martial god, it is a common theme for peasant soldiers and common militia to revere Myrmidia more than any other deity. The worship of Rhya and Taal is strong amongst farmers, where peasants regularly pray for good weather and a bountiful harvest, to feed their hungry families and to pay the exorbitant tithes and taxes imposed by their lords and masters.[1]
Whilst worship of the Lady is centred on the nobility, the peasants do not ignore her. It is true that most peasants give their primary devotion to other deities. A few peasants, however, are as devoted to the Lady of the Lake as any Grail Knight. As these peasants cannot become Grail Knights or Damsels themselves, they try to be as close as possible to those who have. Damsels of the Lady are more feared than loved by most peasants, and most would drive off any peasants who started following them around, so the vast majority of these peasants join the entourage of a Grail Knight. Such people are known as Grail Pilgrims.[1]
The Cult of Verena is strongest amongst the few scholars that occupy Bretonnian civic society, found exclusively within the ducal capitals and larger trade port towns. It is common knowledge that outlaw vigilante groups such as the Herrimaults, or more commonly known as the Merry Men, make her their patron goddess of justice. The Cult of Morr is especially strong within both the peasantry and nobility alike, for the recurring theme of the dead rising from the graves has ensured the creation of many Gardens of Morr, both to keep the spirits at rest and to contain the dead should they begin to stir. The cult is more feared by the peasantry than worshipped, yet supported as a vitally important and necessary service by the nobility.[1h]
Since the invasion of the kingdom by Heinrich Kemmler, the royal court has patronised and encouraged the formation of fortress Gardens and monasteries dedicated to the guarding of the dead. Amongst the nobility, the black monks and their protectors, the mighty Black Guards, are seen as special protectors of the kingdom, and so although they are mostly trained and sourced from the Cult's central temples within the lands of the Empire, the armoured warriors of these Gardens are given a special royal dispensation for the wearing of plate armour, baring martial arms, and the stone construction and castellation of their monasteries. The largest and strongest of these within Bretonnia can all be found within the lands that border disgraced Mousillon, aiding in the guarding and maintenance of the Sanitaire des Mousillon.[1h]
The Cult of Sigmar is practically non-existent within Bretonnia's heartland, although not discouraged "officially". A high level of noble prejudice and suspicion is attached to any that follows the Cult's teaching. Such worship can being found within small communities of displaced Empire citizens, now living within disputed border territories, and the passes of the Grey Mountains.[1h]
Cult of the Lady
"In the west of the Old World lies Bretonnia, a fabled land of honour and virtue, where noble Knights of the Realm keep their domains safe as their peasants till the fields, where Knights Errant strive to win their spurs in battle and where Questing Knights venture in search of the most holy of artefacts - The Grail. For it is said that to sup from this most holy chalice a knight will become more than just a hero, he will become a saint..."
- —The Kingdom of Bretonnia and its fabled Holy Grail.[5]
Revered throughout Bretonnia but almost unknown anywhere else, the Lady of the Lake is the Bretonnian patron goddess of purity, nobility, and courage in the face of danger. She is the romanticised ideal of womanhood, the one fair lady that every knight aspires to love and serve without any doubt or hesitation. Within the minds of many nobles the Lady, and the Cult of the Lady, represents the very heart and soul of Bretonnia, a mystical elemental incarnation of the land itself and a guardian of all people living within the kingdom. Sacred groves and pools of mystical healing power are her dwelling places, and the magnificent Grail Knights her protectors, devoting themselves to upholding her honour and purity. No base creatures or evildoers can be permitted to profane her sacred sites; this is a duty every knight within Bretonnia, not just Grail Knights, takes very seriously indeed.[1]
The Bretonnian Code of Chivalry is inextricably linked with the Lady of the Lake; as it is she who rewards all honour and virtue, it is the supreme sign of a knight's favour to receive her personal divine blessing, achieved only by drinking from the chalice she carries with her at all times, said to contain the pure and incorruptible life's blood of the Land itself. Throughout Bretonnia, there are many Grail Chapels built upon sites of holy significance, ranging from the most humble roadside shrine, up to the truly grand and beautifully ornate flying buttressed fortress-cathedrals, incorporated into a duke's castle estate.[2r]
It is the sacred duty of all Grail Knights to protect these shrines; often such holy paladins will devote the remainder of their lives to defending the Lady's sacred places. These mighty warriors are best known as "Hermit Knights," who willingly spend their remaining years defending the relics housed within such places, or standing vigil over magical items and tomes far too dangerous to be allowed out amongst common, frail-willed, and easily corrupted Men.[1l][2]
Over the centuries, some Grail Chapels have been enlarged as various nobles have rebuilt old chapels or embellished existing shrines. Such chapels, often called "Abbeys of the Grail," may contain so many valuable relics that they require defences similar to those of a castle and several Hermit Knights to guard them. In addition, the chapel may attract a small number of female recluses known as Damoiselles du Grail, who seek to devote themselves to the Lady of the Lake.[2]
Cult of Shallya
The largest and most important religious cult within Bretonnian society, after the Cult of the Lady of course, is the Cult of Shallya. The life of a Bretonnian peasant is extremely hard and the relief brought by the caring and ever merciful Shallya is a most welcoming sight within any village, town, or city. The religious doctrines of Shallya have been known to contradict those of the Lady at times, for while the Lady of the Lake promotes ideals of chivalry and honourable deeds in battle amongst the nobility, the goddess Shallya cares for all people equally and weeps crystal-white tears for the suffering they must endure, wishing only to ease their burden and provide a sense of comfort and relief in an otherwise cruel world. The symbol of the cult is a white dove in flight.[1n]
As many might expect, the Cult is extremely popular within the peasantry and commoners alike, to such an extent that no Bretonnian peasant would ever want to be more than a few hours walk from a shrine dedicated to Shallya. Such is the popularity of Shallya's teachings that even the nobility have taken to endowing small shrines near and even associated with Grail Chapels, in the form of Grail convents, a custom that is rapidly growing in popularity. In fact, the main temple for the Cult of Shallya is now located within Castle Couronne and has the official patronage of the entire royal court and the present king himself.[1n]
A common and growing heresy among peasants and some commoners, is the belief that both Shallya and Varena are merely aspects of the Lady, whom provide comfort for the peasantry and guide the nobility towards their protection. However, such beliefs are ruthlessly suppressed by all agents of the Lady. Despite many years of vigorous investigation, a repeated reappearance of this heresy is now believed to be a natural weakness of the mind formed within the common and simple folk.[1n]
Language
Society
The Nobility
"Those Knights who swear fealty to the Lady, and to the King, ride to defend what was and what will be again..."
- —Celeste Vérité, Damsel of the Lady.[7]
The lands of Bretonnia are a feudal, traditional society where peasants and commoners serve noble knights in return for protection, while the knights are bound militarily to serve their lords in return for certain rights, privileges, and landed titles. At the top of this feudal hierarchy is the king. Beneath the kings are the dukes. Beneath them are lesser ranks of nobility such as marquises, earls, viscounts, lords, and knights, all in descending order, the Barons having a special place within the courtly pecking order.
Each of the senior nobles are also master over a number of knights, whom are the lowest noble rank of society. Each knight, including the higher nobles, has a duty to raise his own full-time force of Men-at-Arms, chosen from the most physically able peasants within his domain. In return for serving his knightly lord, each peasant is given a small tract of land to farm for his family and can be expected to be called upon in times of war, to form a peasant militia of archers and pikes, commanded by the highest ranking nobleman present.
The Knights of Bretonnia are divided into four generalised ranking categories;
- Knights Errant - The young sons of noble families must prove themselves in battle to earn their spurs.
- Knights of the Realm - Should they survive to become fully honoured knights, they are granted their own small landed estate to govern, called a knight's fee or tithe, and are obligated to defend that estate and Bretonnia should they be called to muster.[2l]
- Questing Knights - These are brave individuals, revered as the land's most dedicated and selfless heroes. They willingly renounce all titles and worldly possessions, so to journey unto faraway lands, all in hopes of being deemed worthy by the Lady to become a blessed Grail Knight.[2m]
- Grail Knights - These are the most powerful and revered individuals in all of Bretonnia, if not the entire human world, second only to the Lady in influence. They are considered living saints who represent the fearsome might and power of Bretonnia and answer only to the Lady herself; the rightful king of the realm can only be chosen from within their holy order.[2m]
The Peasantry
"Son of the soil, thou art born to labour and to serve, protected by thy betters. Thou shalt give unto thine glorious liege the taxes that he requires. Thou shalt labour all but feast days. And no more than a tenth-share shall you keep for kith and kin. Rejoice! For a Knight of Bretonnia provides your shield."
- —Vows of the Peasants unto their Bretonnian Lord.[1f]
The kingdom is notorious for its oppression of both the commoners and peasants, which most agree is stricter and harsher than those of other Old World nations. This dark side of Bretonnian culture is placed unashamedly out in the open where all nobles and nobility are set high above the peasantry in all ways. Noblemen have all the say in most matters, and Bretonnian peasants often live in far worse conditions than those in the Empire, Tilea, Estalia and perhaps even brutal Kislev in some respects.[1d]
The nobility often disputes these claims, however, pointing to the religious inquisition of the Empire and the atrocities committed by the Witch Hunters. To them, the peasantry have homes to live in and food on their tables. They can marry whomever they want without the concern of politics, and they live under the protection of their lord. They work, they eat, they sleep and they rut. Indeed, this does not sound like a bad life to most Knights Errant who, while appearing brash and dismissive to the serfs, will soon learn to adopt a more solemn and honourable bearing, befitting their sacred role as protectors of the realm.[5][7]
Nonetheless, the peasants have very few, if any, rights at all, and are kept illiterate and uneducated by law. They are often considered the mere property of their feudal lord, and must surrender nine tenths of their crops each harvest. As a result, most remain extremely poor throughout their entire lives. They may not leave their home estate unless allowed; as a result, a certain degree of inbreeding is quite common. Many peasants are afflicted by clubfoot, extra fingers, lazy eyes, or similar minor defects and mutations. Bretonnian justice is extremely harsh and entirely ruled by superstition; any peasant who is caught stealing or poaching is usually hanged. Far harsher punishment is dealt to any peasant who attacks a noble. He and his entire family will be tortured and slowly dismembered (being drawn and quartered is the preferred method) while all his closest friends and acquaintances will be crippled. Such is the price of rebellion.[1d]
A small but growing middle class of commoners, also referred to as Freemen, make up both the professional trades and merchant class within Bretonnian society. Although literate for the most part they can be either self-taught or instructed by monks, as there are no public schools in Bretonnia. All education is thus done by private arrangement and comes from the many Grail Monasteries for a steep price. Artisans, craftsmen, and skilled semi-professionals live almost exclusively within the kingdom's few cities and numerous larger towns, situated mostly along the kingdom's coasts and rivers.[1i]
They remain socially segregated from the bonded peasants and give fealty unto a lord or landed knight but remain free to move, with permission from local authorities, if their skills are not considered too important to their current master and or community. Intellectuals such as scholars, doctors, and other similar professionals are well-respected for their duties but remain of a lower class than the nobles, usually having about the same rights as a well skilled commoner with money. The ownership of gold jewellery and the hoarding of gold is forbidden to all common classes, forcing merchants to deal almost exclusively in copper and silver. Gold is officially used only amongst the nobility, usually as tax and tithing unto the royal treasury. Any gold received in trade must be declared and handed over to a merchant's noble master, this being done each tithing day, and at an exchange rate that is considered criminal in nearly all other countries.[1i]
The Sumptuary Laws are most strictly applied to this class, with gold and certain gems forbidden to be worn publicly, as is cloth of purple, bright yellow, or green thread, or silk of any colour. Furs are restricted to rabbit, cat, and rat. The use of plate armour is strictly forbidden for the lower classes, as is the carrying of heavy swords or any weapon class above a rapier or light cavalry sabre. Foreign visitors are permitted the use of both armour and heavy weapons upon being issued a licence at the border for a steep price, usually in the form of a bribe to the local petty noble forced to command a frontier castle, either due to dishonourable behaviour or powerful rivals within his duke's court. Such duties are considered highly undesirable as it involves constant dealing with uncultured foreigners, whilst also living isolated from all centres of decent courtly civilisation. Papers must be carried at all times and adventurers can expect to be questioned and considered suspect by any local authorities when travelling beyond Bretonnia's port cities or border settlements.[1k]
Peasants are also encouraged to breed at an alarming rate. This ensures that there will always be hordes of lowborn warriors to throw at Bretonnia's enemies, and plenty of farmers and craftsmen to support the kingdom's infrastructure.[7]
Charity
"Rejoice, peasants! For a generous Knight of Bretonnia provides for you!"
- —The Charity of the Nobility.[7]
Naturally, in a feudal society such as Bretonnia, peasant handouts are extremely rare, so when they do occur, they have a profound effect. Knights typically never share their riches with the low-born, be it battle-loot or the profits of his peasants ceaseless labour.[7]
Status of Women
The divide between men and women is the second major societal division in Bretonnian society, for the two sexes are far from legally equal. Men are required to be polite to women at all times. Insulting a woman is a terrible breach of etiquette, and men who violently attack women are punished particularly severely. Men are expected to stand when a woman enters a room and should always let her go first, unless climbing stairs, in which case the man should go first. Women are served first at meals and given the more comfortable rooms in Bretonnian inns. The women, of course, get no say in this treatment: they will eat first and be honoured, whether they like it or not, and they most certainly will not be allowed to put themselves into danger.[1s][Note 1]
Of course, these requirements only apply within a particular order of Bretonnian society, where the gender divide intersects with Bretonnian society's extreme socioeconomic inequality. Noble men are not required to show this level of courtesy to peasant women, though some do and are well-regarded for it, as long as it doesn't get out of hand, which might lead the woman to believe she was equal to a noble of her gender.[1d]
On the other hand, Bretonnian women of all orders are not allowed to own property, to travel without a male escort, or to undertake most trades and professions. Despite the trappings of courtesy, men are firmly in charge of Bretonnian society. The Grail Damsels are the most obvious exception to this.[1d]
Most Bretonnian women learn to live with these constraints, and a significant number even believe that they are right. Some, however, decide they want to fight or own a shop. In order to do this, they must disguise themselves as men. No one knows how many disguised women there are in Bretonnia at any one time, but solely among the nobility, a knight is found on his death in battle to be a woman at least once per year.[1d]
Female adventurers and merchants from foreign countries are likely to become impatient with their treatment in Bretonnia. They benefit from the courtesy, but no one takes them seriously, usually accepting the men in their company are in charge. Some women who visit Bretonnia frequently pretend to be men whilst they are there in order to avoid the hassle.[1d]
However, during the reign of King Louen Orc-Slayer in the 23rd century IC, some female Bretonnian nobles were allowed to become fully-fledged knights and did not need to disguise themselves as men.[29][30][Note 2]
Sumptuary Laws
Bretonnia's sumptuary laws forbid the peasants from wearing certain things or using certain items. These rules are considered central to maintaining the order difference between nobles and peasants, and few Bretonnian nobles would wear something that was permitted to peasants if they had the choice. In addition, Bretonnian women are forbidden to wear men's clothing. Bretonnian men could wear dresses, but they do not.[1k]
Peasants are not permitted to wear armour at all, unless serving nobles in a feudal host. Full plate armour is forbidden to peasants under all circumstances, as are the weapons of chivalry: the lance and the sword. Gunpowder weapons are not covered by the sumptuary laws, as they are a recent invention.[1k]
Stone, as a building material, is limited to the Bretonnian nobility. In addition, only the nobility may use eating utensils made of silver. Wealthy merchants thus use gold and glass, which are even more expensive but legal for commoners such as themselves. Very few nobles eat off gold because it has become associated with mercantile activities.[1k]
The traditional Bretonnian house has a floor of packed earth, covered by rushes and reeds of various kinds. A few centuries ago, the sumptuary laws fixed that the best reeds and herbs for this could only be used by the nobility. Since then, wealthier peasants have discovered floorboards and carpets, which are not covered, but most nobles still scatter the prescribed reeds and herbs. In many cases, this is now purely symbolic, a handful of leaves being scattered on top of a carpet.[1k]
The main target of the Bretonnian sumptuary laws is clothing. White, red, and blue cloth or thread are limited to the nobility, as are the fur of the fox, ermine, and squirrel. The foot of a peasant's shoe must be no more than twelve inches long (peasants with big feet must wear sandals), and his breeches must reach from waist to ankle, be of un-dyed cloth, and carry no embroidery. A peasant's tunic must reach his knees, be close about the neck, and the sleeves can be no more than six inches across.[1k]
A peasant woman's dress must run from her neck to her ankles and may not be gathered at the waist. Only nobles may wear slashed cloaks, as they are associated with knighthood (thus peasants have to be very careful about repairing their cloaks).[1k]
Many nobles choose to emphasise their status by wearing clothes that would be highly illegal for peasants. Possibly the most absurd manifestation of this are the popular shoes, with extended toes reaching several feet from the heel. These are often curved back and tied to the wearer's leg around the knee to keep them out of the way. Apart from this, embroidered breeches are very common, as are short tunics with enormous sleeves. All noble clothing includes some red, white, or blue, and much is trimmed with fox, ermine, or squirrel fur.[1k]
Noble women often wear low-cut dresses pulled very tight at the waist. Short skirts are unheard of, as anything worn under a skirt would count as breeches and, thus, men's clothing. Very long skirts which trail on the ground behind the lady are popular.[1k]
Lords may issue peasants under their authority with specific exemptions from the sumptuary laws. This may be as minor as allowing a woman to have a red ribbon at the neck of her dress or as major as exempting a merchant from all restrictions on tunics. By long-standing custom, however, the sumptuary laws concerning a peasant man's breeches are the most strictly enforced, and no exemptions to those rules are ever granted.[1k]
Wealthy peasants and other commoners without exemptions often run as close to the line of the laws as they can. Merchants, for example, wear boots that reach their knees, a tunic embroidered in yellow, green, and black that reaches the top of the boots, and lots of jewellery. If they have an exception, they take as much advantage of it as they can, which occasionally results in tasteless merchants dressing in solid crimson. Indeed, some nobles grant exemptions that they know will make some pretentious commoner embarrass themselves.[1k]
Bretonnians at Sea
The Bretonnians have long claimed to be the greatest sailors in the Old World. Certainly, their fleet is something to behold, each magnificent galleon bristling with cannons and decorated with beautiful murals and sculptures. Most Bretonnian nobles have little interest in maritime matters, and as a result most naval vessels are crewed by commoners. A life at sea is one of the few ways a peasant can rise beyond the limitations of Bretonnia’s restrictive class system.[18a] The same can be said of foreigners, Tileans are often found among the crews of Bretonnian vessels and some have even risen to prominence as captains.[18c]
Most Bretonnian seafolk, of course, never serve aboard a warship. Instead, they brave the seas in humble fishing skiffs or merchant cogs. It is in such vulnerable vessels that the Bretonnian reputation for seamanship is earned. The coast of the Sea of Claws is harsh and unwelcoming, requiring skilled sailors to navigate safely. The Great Lighthouse beckons ships to L’Anguille, the only port of note on Bretonnia’s northern coast.[18a]
In Bretonnia, the Cult of Manann is a peasant’s religion, although in coastal cities such as L’Anguille and Bordeleaux, the nobility pay him respects.[18a]
Magical Practices
As soon as a child exhibits strange powers, before it is killed by superstitious peasants, the Fay Enchantress, representative of the divine Lady of the Lake, will pay it a midnight visit. At least that is the common explanation for the sudden disappearance of such prodigious children. They are thought to be spirited away to a mystical otherworld, and are mourned as dead by their relations. However, years later, girls thus taken often return as mysteriously as they left. Boys never come back.[16a]
These ‘damsels’ or ‘prophetesses’ never speak of their experiences, but their time away changes them irrevocably, and grants them powers which they use for the benefit of Bretonnia, healing the sick and needy, protecting valorous knights in battle, or commanding the earth and waters sacred to the Lady of the Lake to devastate those who seek to harm the land. Damsels are much sought after by dukes and barons for their wise counsel, as their wisdom belies their apparent youth, and they can detect falsehood lurking in a man’s heart, however sly he may be.[16a]
The common folk adore and worship the damsels as though they were the living embodiments of the Lady of the Lake. However, they are in terror of foreign men and women who openly display magical powers, believing that they are not humans but changelings, whose souls have been stolen at birth by malignant daemons.[16a]
This fear sometimes manifests as a hysterical lynch mob. Bretonnian peasants hold all elves in fearful awe as wizards of great power, and do all they can to placate them with ‘valuable’ offerings (usually curiously-shaped turnips or other worthless vegetables).[16a]
The nobility, or at least those among them who have some education, do not share these ridiculous beliefs, or at the very least pretend not to do so.[16a]
Foreign Relations
Bretonnia maintains borders with many of the other nations of the Old World, meaning it must find some way to live with them.[1r]
Great Crusades
Unfortunately, one Bretonnian reaction to its neighbours has been to wage crusades against them. Throughout the centuries, vast hosts of knights have crossed the mountains that border fair Bretonnia, into the Empire, Estalia, Tilea, the Border Princes and the Badlands. Others have embarked upon great galleons that have carried the warriors and their steeds into the faraway lands of Norsca, Araby, Albion and even the mysterious Land of the Dead. The purpose of such crusades is simple: to crush the enemies of Bretonnia before they can muster upon her border and threaten the humble existence of the peasant masses.[31a]
In the burning heat of the Nehekharan desert, gallant knights have done battle with the undying legions of the Tomb Kings, glorious formations of horsemen crashing through endless regiments of skeletal soldiers until the crusaders' bright liveries were entirely obscured by powdered bone and the dust of ages.[31a]
Entire Orc and Goblin tribes have been slaughtered by the crusading Bretonnians, without mercy, the crushing charges of galloping horse and heavy lance more than enough to slay the enemy elite before the rank and file is driven into the sea. Monumental Bretonnian fortresses have been built in these foreign lands in order to control remote provinces in the name of the royarch, but even the devout and ferocious knights of Bretonnia cannot be everywhere at once.[31a]
Athel Loren
The motif of a unicorn shown in paintings and incorporated into real Bretonnian weapons and armour is not a simple ornament, but a symbol among the Bretonnians that the knight in question is on good terms with the Wood Elves of the magical forest of Athel Loren. The insular Asrai are powerful allies yet dreadful, relentless enemies if provoked, so must be treated with reverence and respect around the diplomatic table.[7][17]
It is never wise to go against the Fey Folk of the forest, for they have long memories and their vengeance for even the most trivial of slights is total. In times past, Men have exploited the forests, harvesting the trees for their selfish ends and have felt the Wood Elves' wrath in return. As a result, Bretonnians mostly stay away from Wood Elven lands these days, so as not to tempt fate.[7]
For their part, the Wood Elves do not consider the lives of mortal "mayflies" like Humans to be worth their time, so generally keep themselves to themselves where possible. There have, however, been instances of co-operation between the two races -- for the good of the trees, of course. The Fourth Great Battle of Gilles le Breton saw a horde of filthy, ravening Greenskins putting the forest of Athel Loren to the flame and so the noble, courageous Grail Companions came to the Wood Elves' aid, stopping the disgusting green tide dead in its tracks.[7]
Border Princes
"My father’s father’s father was a Knight Errant of Bretonnia. Our family upholds the honour of true nobility, unlike some here."
- —Lord Bastond of Rushwater, Border Prince[1r]
Many of the Border Princes are descended from Bretonnian knights who fought in King Charlen's Errantry War against the Greenskins, a war that lasted 68 years and ended only 34 years ago. These knights did not leave in disgrace, and some still owe fealty to nobles back in Bretonnia, though given the barrier of The Vaults, this is almost purely notional.[1r]
The Bretonnian Border Princes tend to see themselves as still Bretonnian and as maintaining their honour, as opposed to the sheer opportunists who make up the other petty principalities of the region. This has made Bretonnians in general unpopular with all the other inhabitants of the region.[1r]
Empire of Man
"They eat live frogs, make beer that tastes as if it’s been drunk once already, and ponce about on horses rather than using guns. Still, the wine is good."
- —Thomas of Helmgart, mercenary[1r]
Bretonnia's relations with the Empire of Man to its east are the most important of its diplomatic contacts and currently better than they have been for decades. King Louen Leoncoeur declared an Errantry War to assist the Empire against the Chaos hordes of the north, and the emperor is still grateful. However, the two nations have very different political cultures, and the Empire's greater age leads it to look down on Bretonnia. In return, the Bretonnians can see little of nobility or chivalry in the Empire, even among those who claim to be nobles.
Estalia
"Look down on their lack of technique if you must, but a lance of Bretonnian knights is still a formidable force on the field of battle. Their matters of honour do get out of hand, though."
- —Diego Cortez y Maranda, Diestro[1r]
Though the neighbouring nation of Estalia enjoys largely good relations with Bretonnia – the two kingdoms periodically fighting border skirmishes – it is the Beastmen, Orcs and Undead who often raid from this direction and must be seen off by knightly armies.[31a]
Bretonnia's border with the Estalian kingdom of Bilbali is a mere river. The consequence is that there is almost as much traffic with Estalia as with the Empire, despite the Empire’s far greater size. Relations with Bilbali are good, and Bretonnian nobles recognise Bilbalian nobles as peers. As a result, relations with Magritta are generally bad, and most Bretonnians regard the southern kingdom as composed entirely of peasants. Bretonnian knights and Estalian duellists have very little understanding of one another’s fighting styles, and this incomprehension is responsible for much of the tension between the nations.[1r]
Tilea
"Puffed up snobs relying purely on the achievements of their fathers! What have they done? Nothing! And they call me a peasant!"
- —Ricardo of Trantio, merchant[1r]
The Tileans have remarkably few dealings with Bretonnia. Bretonnians never hire mercenaries (officially), and merchants have such low status in the country that Tileans prefer to trade with the Bretonnians who come to them. As a result, stereotypes and prejudice are rife. To the Tileans, Bretonnians are either stupid nobles who need to be told which end of their horse to face, or they’re peasants so blighted as to be barely Human. To the Bretonnians, Tileans are all either thieves posing as merchants or murderers selling their services to the highest bidder whilst claiming to be warriors.[1r]
The Wasteland
"Why swap an Emperor for a King?"
- —Marienburger saying[1r]
The Bretonnians would very much like to incorporate The Wasteland into their kingdom, as long as they can do so without offending the Empire. The boundary between the marches of Couronne and the Wasteland is ill defined, and Adalbert, Marquis of Couronne, would dearly like to add the great commercial city-state of Marienburg to his realm and petition the king for the status of a full dukedom.[1r]
Dukes Folcard of Montfort and Hagen of Gisoreux also cast acquisitive eyes northwards, though the Grey Mountains make any conquest harder for them. The Marienburgers are aware of these ambitions and normally play the Empire and Bretonnia against one another. The weakened state of the Empire has led them to strengthen their own forces, mainly by hiring Tilean mercenaries.[1r]
Military
"Does war visit fair Bretonnia this day? It is no longer enough for the Dukes to sit idle. It is time for the flower of Bretonnia to unfurl and reveal its thorns! Like the Grail Companions of old, the Dukedoms of Bretonnia will unite under the banner of their King. Let their enemies feel lance-tip and blessed sword. Now is the age of chivalry and greatness! Now is the age of blood and battle!"
- —The pinnacle of mortal chivalry.[7]
The Knights of Bretonnia are feared and respected throughout the known world. Men of valour and honour, they are exceptional warriors and guardians who protect a land founded upon the most heroic of ideals. In the name of the Lady of the Lake and for the glory of the dukes and king, they sweep aside evil on the field of battle, for none can stand against their glorious charge.[4a]
The Bretonnian military are a powerful army formed around a core of brave knights supported by scores of low-born peasants. They are a warlike and valiant people who willingly seek out battles as a way of securing personal honour and pride. Any who invade their domains face the fury of their powerful knights and few foes can match them on open ground. The knights range from the youngest Knights Errant, eager to prove their worth, through the Knights of the Realm, defenders of the land. Rarer still are the Questing Knights, wandering warriors engaged in a quest for the Grail. And then there are the legendary Grail Knights themselves, who have succeeded in their quest and sipped from their goddess's Grail, becoming imbued with fey power and longevity. Riding into war atop the finest steeds, from mighty Warhorses to soaring Pegasi and roaring Hippogryphs, the Knights of Bretonnia are warriors with few equals.[4a]
One important aspect that defines Bretonnian military is that, unlike the professional State Troops of the Empire, Bretonnia has no standing army. Instead, the Kingdom relies on the long and complicated feudal service of her knights. When a lord must go to war against the enemy, he appeals to the military assistance of his vassals. They in turn take the long process of summoning their own vassals to his banner, with most knights taking with them local peasants drilled in basic ranked pike combat or archery. These armies do not follow common military training and usually have no internal hierarchy, but their military tactics are simple and homogeneous enough to function smoothly in all circumstances, units being formed and reformed on the fly or at need during an extended campaign. Due to feudal law, the Bretonnian military is well known to shun advanced weaponry such as handguns, cannons, and most war machines, seeing them all as dishonourable weapons that go against the ideals of chivalry and the will of their patron, the Lady of the Lake.[4a][1h]
On the field of battle, the ultimate and most glorious goal of any Bretonnian army is to run down their foe with lance, sword, and the iron-shod hooves of their mighty knights. Such an approach to warfare has lead the Bretonnians to almost always follow a strategic tactic known simply as the "Hammer and Anvil". The peasants' role is to support the knights by peppering the foe with arrows and to crew the mighty trebuchets. Regiments of men-at-arms march into battle to protect and hold the line as the “Anvil”. Finally, it is the Knights who come charging through the field of battle, crushing their foes from the flank or rear as they essentially become the killing "Hammer". Protected by the Lady and her blessings, these Knights blaze through firestorms of lead and arrows and crush their foes, earning glory, honour, and most of all, to uphold the values of chivalry.[4a][4e]
The Unification of Bretonnia
"One people, one land – all shall know its glory and grandeur."
- —Bretonnia United.[7]
When the fourteen standards of Bretonnia come together, it is one of the most majestic displays of unity in the Old World. Gilles le Breton could not have achieved the unification of the Kingdom without the divine Blessing of the Lady and the other Companions, the first dukes of Bretonnia. When the greatest Knights across the fourteen Dukedoms come together to fight as one, as they did on the day of the final Great Battle, it is truly a sight to behold. It is an inspiring show of solidarity, earning respect of both men and Dwarfs alike.[7]
Bretonnian Infantry
- Peasant Mobs - The lowliest units in a Bretonnian army. To make their numbers count, peasants are ordered into huddled units on the battlefield, which makes up for their lack of training and skill.[7]
- Carcassonne Shepherds - These men and women are the first line of defence for Carcassonne's frontier with the Orcs of the mountains. Guarding their flocks of sheep with staffs, these peasants try to slow down and delay Orc raiders and are renowned for their strength and courage.
- Peasant Bowmen - Commoners that are not fit to join the men-at-arms companies are often press-ganged at need into military service as basic support units. As such, archers are a common and readily formed unit within most Bretonnian armies as all peasants and commoners within Bretonnia are required to maintain a proficiency with the bow. Their willingness is reinforced by the promised bounty of a single copper coin for any who survive the campaign, an exception from tithing and the right to loot the enemy fallen, which is to any peasant a potential princely fortune. Unfortunately, as with most Bretonnian infantry units, these men aren't very reliable soldiers.[2g]
- Herrimaults - These vigilante outlaws often fight against despotic local lords, fighting for the common man. Outside the law, they fight for justice, help the poor, and overthrow unpopular nobility. These men often use crossbows and longbows with deadly accuracy. [1k]
- Men-at-Arms - The basic front-line infantry that comprises most Bretonnian armies. These men have been chosen from a very young age to be trained and equipped with basic weaponry and gear and fight on the behalf of their lord. Wearing mostly chainmail armour, these reluctant but adequate soldiers are responsible for defending a noble master's castle, or holding the line against the enemy with shield and spear, whilst the knights upon their mighty warhorses attack from the flanks and bring victory.[2g]
- Grail Monks - Grail Monks are zealous holy-men who follow Bretonnia’s Men-at-Arms into battle.
- Grail Pilgrims - Though not considered an official part of Bretonnian armies, these "pilgrims" are either feral peasants or fanatic and pious followers of the Grail Brotherhoods, all of whom believe zealously in the holiness of their chosen Grail Knight. They will flock in their dozens to join and bask in their master's reflected glory. Equipped with the discarded weapons and armour of the Grail Knight, and whatever handmade items they can craft for themselves, these units provide a Bretonnian army with a much more reliable source of stalwart, near unbreakable shock infantry, and sacrificial arrow fodder.[2]
- Battle Pilgrims - As a result of their long service, Battle Pilgrims have become competent fighters. In most cases, they have also become even more fervent admirers of their Grail Knight and worshippers of the Lady of the Lake, having seen what the flower of Bretonnian chivalry is truly capable of.[1]
- Foot Squires - The peasant-elite, selected from the youngest and fittest of Bretonnia's lowborn. Foot Squires are equipped to the highest standards and trained to act as personal retainers for their lords. Many are also bastards, illegitimate sons born of both noble and peasant blood.[7]
- Foot Knights - Among the best infantry Bretonnia can bring to bear. On the battlefield, there is one thing more than the presence of the Yeoman that makes Men-at-Arms swell with pride and push their fear deep within, and that is when the noble Knights of the Realm are standing alongside them. It is an honour, and they cannot fail in their duty, for it would be a fate worse than death to quake in fear in front of such brave warriors. Surely, as long as the regal Knights stand against their foes, they will hold.[5]
- Hermit Knights - Grail Knights can seem almost immortal, but they will eventually start to age and die. Those who are nearing the end of their lives often become Hermit Knights, guarding Grail Chapels and the powerful relics housed within. It is the Hermit Knights who allow the ancient weapons of their Chapels to be taken up in times of need, and they who offer advice and wisdom to those knights who still seek the Grail. Some Hermit Knights are served by a retinue of lesser knights and Paladins, who assist them in defending their sacred charge.[12][13][14]
Bretonnian Cavalry
- Yeoman - These experienced soldiers provide the Bretonnian army with dedicated skirmishers or fast light cavalry and scouts. Grizzled veterans, they have fought and survived many battles with only their skill in arms and unwavering bravery. Such is their combat experience that yeomen are almost as skilled as any Knight of the Realm, but such a boast is often ignored and even suppressed by the nobility. When promoted to the rank of a yeomen, these men are often divided between mounted scout yeomanry or becoming serjeants within a men-at-arms company.
- Knights Errant - These young nobles are the lowest ranking members of most Bretonnian cavalry squadrons as well as being within the hierarchy of Bretonnian nobility. In the prime of youth, these ill-experienced but highly enthusiastic warriors comprise a significant portion of many armies on the field of battle. Fighting on horseback, these knights often engage the best enemy regiments in their eagerness to earn the title of a Knight of the Realm.[2e]
- Knights of the Realm - These knights are the backbone of nearly all Bretonnian armies and as such, they are the most common members of the ruling elite. They have distinguished themselves in errantry and have thus received a fief or a position of power within noble society. They are expected to honour and defend their lords and kingdom from the depredation of all those that seek to destroy it, fighting on horseback, with lance in hand and their unwavering faith in the Lady of the Lake.[2l][2f]
- Pegasus Knights - Unlike traditional mounted warriors, those knights that can tame and ride the mighty pegasus into battle are warriors without equal. Flying across the battlefield with wings of angelic appearance, Pegasus Knights take to the sky and fight the flying monstrosities the enemy has unleashed upon them with lance and sword.
- Questing Knights - These knights are those nobles who are seeking the attention of their patron goddess, the Lady of the Lake, in hopes of acquiring her blessing as a means to obtain the status of a Grail Knight. Living a solitary existence, these men strive to prove themselves to the Lady, performing good deeds, slaying foul beasts, and aiding the armies of Bretonnia when in times of peril.[2h][2h]
- Lost Sons - These mysterious knights act as the Lady's personal courtiers and servants. They were once young male nobles, taken from their parents as children for exhibiting magical abilities.[6]
- Grail Knights - These mighty knights represent the very pinnacle of Bretonnian chivalry, honour, and bravery. Those Questing Knights who have drunk from the Holy Grail are blessed with the powers of the Lady and have thus been proven worthy to become Grail Knights. To obtain the position of a Grail Knight is the ultimate goal for all knights, and to become one is to be the very embodiment of a holy warrior. It is said that the Grail Knights are the greatest of mankind's warriors to walk the earth.[2h][2i]
- Grail Guardians - The Fay Enchantress is one of the most revered and respected figures in all of Bretonnia. As is fitting of someone who speaks with the voice of the Lady, she is accompanied at all times by a retinue of Knights who defend her to the death. These men, selected from among the very best of the Grail Knights, are warriors par excellence, striking down the enemies of Bretonnia with shining blades of justice. Though rumours abound that the Fay Enchantress is none other than the Lady herself, and therefore requiring no earthly protectors, the Grail Guardians care not and defend their charge all the same.[1]
- Royal Pegasus Knights - Greater than regular Pegasus Knights in every way, these are Grail Knights who bear the King's Royal Insignia, entrusting them with powerful Royal Pegasi. The rarest of all steeds, only the most noble of Bretonnians can ride these dignified, sophisticated creatures into battle, acting as devastating aerial fighters who bring holy wrath from above.[1]
- Royal Hippogryph Knights - Bearing the King's Royal Insignia, these are Grail Knights who have captured and tamed ferocious Hippogryphs. Riding into war atop these mighty creatures, they are an all but unstoppable force. Combining superhuman skill with bestial fury, they destroy their enemies with giant talon and blessed lance, causing fear and panic in their wake.[1]
Bretonnian War Beasts
- Bretonnian Truffle Hound - Truffle Hounds are notoriously ugly dogs with faces that look as though they have been dropped and put back together by a clumsy five-year-old. Only peasants with a license from a noble are allowed to own them, and they must be kept under close control at all times to stop them running into the forest and eating all the truffles.
Bretonnian Artillery
- Trebuchet - Immense siege engines used to lob large projectiles at enemy formations from a safe distance. The machine itself can vary greatly in design, and the projectiles thrown can range in weight from a cannonball-sized rock up to something as large as a peasant's hovel. Due to its reputation as a dishonourable weapon and the lack of any proper education amongst the common people, only a handful of craftsmen have the skills and knowledge to build such expensive and time-consuming devices. Thus with only a finite number of engineers available for hire and no consistent quality or qualifications amongst them, trebuchets are usually scratch-built onsite using whatever materials lay at hand, and are then stripped down again for scrap with only the valuable iron-forged parts travelling from siege to siege along with the hired engineer that forged them.
- Blessed Trebuchet - These trebuchets are made at dedicated facilities, where Bretonnia's master carpenters work to bring these devastating machines to war. They are crafted from the holy ruins of Grail Chapels, and hurl thrice-blessed stones at the enemy, crushing them with devout fury.
Bretonnian Lords
- Bretonnian Lord - These are powerful knights whose deeds are recounted throughout the lands, warriors unparalleled in combat and stout followers of the Codes of Chivalry. The ranks of the Bretonnian Lords include mighty Earls, Barons, and even the Dukes that occupy much of the higher nobility. Proud and powerful warriors all, Bretonnian Lords are excellent warrior-generals.
- Prophetess of the Lady - The most favoured devotees of the Lady are those whom have served their divine mistress faithfully for much of their lives. They are highly potent spellcasters and their magic can dramatically affect the outcome of any battle. Their magic is elemental in nature, controlling air and water, plants and animals, calling down raging storms, thick cloaking mists, and mighty bolts of lightning.
Bretonnian Heroes
- Sergeant-at-Arms - Amongst the ranks of the peasantry that fight in the armies of Bretonnia, there are, invariably, men and women that display a natural aptitude for leadership and a degree of warrior prowess not normally associated with their station. Of course, such individuals cannot join the ranks of the knighthood, but the lords they serve invariably feel it only right and proper to reward and recognise the effort it must have taken for that peasant to elevate themselves above the level of their peers.
- Grail Damsel - Lesser servants of the Lady not as long in service as a Prophetess. They specialise in protective wardings, purifications, healing, and the dispelling of hostile magic, coming to the aid of armies and questing knights at need. Moving always from place to place at the Lady's will so as to root out evil and corruption, whilst hunting down potentially gifted children and guiding heroes to holy sites in need of protection.
- Paladin - Powerful warriors renowned throughout Bretonnia for their chivalry and feats of arms in combat against all evil, as respected and noble as a knight can become without the Grail's blessing. Many of them are highly ranked nobles, holding titles such as Earl or Baron, while others hold warrior titles such as Knight Marshal or Knight Warden. They are legendary heroic fighters as well as natural leaders for any army.
- Faceless - These principled men lead groups of Herrimaults, often disguising themselves with long hoods and cloaks. Some are even rumoured to be lesser nobles that seek the pursue justice anonymously.
Notable Characters
- The Green Knight - Legend states that this may be Gilles le Breton himself, eternally serving his Lady and awaiting the time he may be needed to defend the kingdom again. He appears only in times of the greatest need so as to aid the king or a fellow Grail Knight in battle. His primary duty seems to be offering the final test of worthiness unto a questing knight: he will appear and challenge a knight when the Lady deems him ready. If the knight then defeats him in single combat or simply passes a test of either courage or chivalry, the Lady will then manifest and grant her new hero a blessing from the Holy Grail itself.
- The Fay Enchantress - This individual is the living voice of the Lady of the Lake, the mightiest sorceress within the kingdom. Often seen within the company of the mystical Green Knight, she travels the land aiding questing knights and giving spiritual and magical aid and advice to the king and varied dukes. Her primary duty is to select and proclaim the next rightful King of Bretonnia from amongst the brotherhood order of Grail Knights. It is uncertain whether she is an immortal as all the legends claim or is simply replaced by the next most powerful prophetess when her time is done.
- Louen Leoncoeur - "The Lionhearted" is the Duke of Couronne, one of the mighty Grail Knights and the penultimate warrior King of Bretonnia. Louen took the Questing Vow when he was a young prince. He travelled across the realm of Bretonnia and into lands beyond, displaying such courage and honour that he earned the epithet Leoncoeur or "lion-hearted." Louen travelled for years, searching for the Grail. He had met with prophets and ghosts alike on his travels, survived battles against dragons and daemons in his attempts to win the Lady's favour, even fighting alongside the Green Knight at one point.
- Calard of Garamont - A mighty Grail Knight who rules as both Lord of Garamont and Castellan of Bastonne. Calard became renowned after saving Bretonnia from an army of undead, slaying the Vampire Duke of Mousillon, Merovech the Butcher. Over half a century since that fateful day, Calard's many heroic deeds are now recounted across the length and breadth of Bretonnia.
- Alberic of Bordeleaux - The current Duke of Bordeleaux. He is renowned for his personal courage and astounding self-discipline. He is also notorious for expecting all of his household knights to reach the same standard and for dismissing those who do not. As a result, he has the smallest household of any of the dukes, but the knights there are some of the greatest in the realm.
- Bohemond Beastslayer - The current Duke of Bastonne, Bohemond is a mighty Grail Knight and a direct descendant of Gilles le Breton himself. He is renowned for fighting monsters, to the point that he is known as the “Beastslayer.” He is also famous for refusing to fight inferior opponents; even if they attack him, he merely stuns them so that he can turn his attention elsewhere. As his prowess has grown, the search for worthy foes has taken him to many places within Bretonnia and beyond.
- Amalric of Gaudaron - Renowned as the "Bane of the Undead," Sir Amalric of Gaudaron Keep is one of the Lady's most favoured champions. A member of King Louen's royal court in Couronne, he famously assisted the Wood Elves of Athel Loren in repelling the undead hordes of Heinrich Kemmler.[37a]
- Repanse de Lyonesse - Originally a humble and devoutly religious shepherdess, Repanse would go on to become one of the most renowned heroes in Bretonnian history. Taking up the arms and armour of a fallen knight, and with the divine blessing of the Lady, Repanse rallied the armies of Lyonesse into defeating a massive Chaos invasion.
- The Red Duke - Known as the "Scourge of Aquitaine," the Red Duke is the former Duke of Aquitaine. Having been assassinated in a dramatic betrayal by other nobles during the Crusades, the Red Duke arose as a powerful blood knight after accepting the Blood Kiss from Abhorash.
- Bertrand the Brigand - Bertrand leads the famed "Bowmen of Bergerac," which includes Hugo le Petit and Gui le Gros. He was originally an upstart ploughman who challenged the taxes levied onto him by a corrupt noble. After saving his village from the predation of Orcs, Bertrand took to living by his wits in the woods along with his band of merry longbowmen. Amongst the nobility of Bretonnia, roughly half of them think that Bertrand is a hero, the rest think that he is a scoundrel and outlaw.
- Reolus - Reolus was a legendary Grail Knight, a veteran of countless battles whose skill with a blade bordered on the sublime. Considered virtually invincible by his comrades, he was idolised throughout Bretonnia, with young Knights Errant being brought up on tales of his exploits, hoping that they too could one day achieve such renown.
- The Hermit Knight of Malmont - The lone Hermit of Malmont is perhaps the greatest of Bretonnia's Hermit Knights - mighty Grail Knights who are nearing the end of their long lives, spending their final years guarding sacred chapels.
- Élisse Duchaard - Lady Élisse was the mystical "Prophetess of Brionne" who served during the reign of King Louen Orc-Slayer in the late 23rd century IC. A trusted advisor of Duke Gastille, she aided Bretonnia in its defence against the Tomb Kings.
- Hooded Blade - The “Hooded Blade” is a Faceless known and feared throughout the forests of Bretonnia. Many say the Hooded Blade is not human at all, but some sort of dread wraith, a powerful spirit charged with a fearsome task and unable to rest until it has been discharged.
Canon Conflict
The lore of Bretonnia changed dramatically with the release of the 4th Edition of Warhammer Fantasy Battle, establishing it in its present state. Bretonnia's original king, Charles de la Tête d'Or III, was replaced with King Louen Leoncoeur and the Bretonnian capital was moved from Oisillon to Castle Brionne.
Bretonnian society in that alternate timeline was far darker and falling into ruin, as a national apathy had set in and given rise to rampant corruption, economic inefficiency, and moral decay. The aristocracy looked only to its own pleasures while the unruly mob of the peasantry starved amidst the worst squalor in the Old World.
Notes
- Note 1: Women in Bretonnia are second-class citizens, and they can access many careers only if they pretend to be men. This is not a feature of Bretonnian society of which the author or Games Workshop approves, but women pretending to be men make interesting characters in a roleplaying game. If the sexism of Bretonnia makes those who use the faction in the tabletop wargame or the roleplaying game uncomfortable, feel free to ignore it and allow a more equitable relationship between the genders in Bretonnian warfare.[1t]
- Note 2: While hosting a Q&A session for the novel Lords of the Lance, set during the time period of the Age of Three Emperors in ca. 2276 IC as part of the new line of novels for Warhammer: The Old World, Graham McNeill was asked "Is the "character" of Bretonnia different, a few hundred years in the past?" He responded, "Very little of this book is set in Bretonnia, but the attitudes of the lords and knights to the peasant host will be very familiar to fans of that realm. In many ways, it's a 'the more things change, the more they stay the same' situation, but there are a number of differences the readers will spot very early on in terms of who can be a knight and how some of the characters feel their land could or should be, as opposed to how it actually is."[30]
Trivia
The culture of the Kingdom of Bretonnia is heavily influenced by the real world mythology of medieval France and England, the most obvious analogue being the similarities between Bretonnian knights and the sense of chivalry displayed by King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table in the Matter of Britain cycle of tales dating to the High and Late Middle Ages. The repressive relationship between Bretonnian lords and their peasants is clearly drawn from the actual practice of feudalism in medieval Europe.
The annexation of the southern territories of Bretonnia into the Reman Empire is a reference to the conquest made by Julius Caesar in Gaul during the 1st century BCE, where Roman forces subdued the Gallic tribes, extending Roman influence and territory into what is now modern-day France.
Videos
Sources
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