"Well-loved in Bretonnia was Sir Cecil Gastonne, for wherever he rode, evil fiends were laid low by his hand. And well respected was he also, for in any joust or tourney in which he competed -- and there were many -- he easily outmatched his opponents, unhorsing them with alacrity and compelling them to yield before him."
- —Chronicle of the exiled Wyrm Slayer[1]
A portrait of Sir Cecil Gastonne, the Wyrm Slayer[1]
Cecil Gastonne, famed as the "Wyrm Slayer," was an exiled Bretonnian lord and one of the Border Princes who was active during the reign of King Louen Orc-Slayer in ca. 2276 IC during the Anarchy in the Empire.
History[]
Amongst his many great deeds, the feat that secured Sir Cecil Gastonne's status as a champion of his lord, the Duke of Bastonne, was his epic battle with Norndrak the Tyrant, a great, black-scaled Dragon that terrorised the good people of Bastonne for a full season.[1a]
Gastonne swore an oath to slay Norndrak, his quest leading him to the Dragon's lair, where he challenged the beast in a voice filled with confidence and free of fear. Enraged, Norndrak emerged to face Cecil in a battle that would last for three days and three nights before, exhausted and outclassed, the wyrm exposed its neck and Gastonne severed the beast's head with a mighty swing of his axe.[1a]
The heraldry of Sir Cecil Gastonne, the Wyrm Slayer, a Border Prince during the Anarchy (2276 IC).[2]
With the Dragon slain, Cecil expected the Lady of the Lake, the patron deity of Bretonnia, to appear and bestow upon him the gift of a sip from the Holy Grail as reward for his valour, but to the victorious knight, no such vision presented itself. Even when the Duke of Bastonne had Norndrak's hide fashioned into a protective garment and presented it to Cecil, addressing him proudly as the "Wyrm Slayer," Gastonne accepted the gift and title with little grace.[1a]
Thus began the tragic fall of one of Bretonnia's favoured sons...[1a]
Bitter and embarrassed, Cecil brooded for many weeks, desperate to understand how he had failed to earn the Lady's divine favour. Even in prayer, Cecil was unable to find answers to his plight, which served only to replace his embarrassment with frustration. His anger boiled over during a banquet hosted by Duke Gastille of Brionne where, deep in his cups, Cecil challenged a visiting Grail Knight to a duel; hoping that besting a champion of the Lady of the Lake in single combat would finally see him become worthy of her favour.[1a]
Bound by the rules of honour, the knight begrudgingly accepted Cecil's drunken challenge and the two duelled in the packed hall. The fight was short and decisive, the Grail Knight disarming the wine-addled Cecil and commanding that he yield to avoid further embarrassment. Thinking the duel over, the victor turned his back upon Cecil who, in a fit of rage, retrieved his fallen weapon and swung for his opponent's back. Only through the intervention of Élisse Duchaard, the Prophetess of Brionne, whose magic stalled Cecil's blow, was the knight spared.[1a]
Apprehended by his fellow knights, Cecil Gastonne was brought before Duke Gastille, who was incensed at the violation of the Code Chivalric. The duke decreed that Cecil must seek penance by pledging himself to the Grail Knight he had injured until his honour had been restored, but Gastonne declared that he would rather face exile than suffer the embarrassment of penance; for though his actions had been foolish and rash, only the Lady of the Lake herself could pass judgement upon him.[1a]
Thus, with his attendants by his side, Cecil left Bretonnia to carve out a new home in the Border Princes, trusting that through hardship the Lady of the Lake would grant him an opportunity to become a virtuous knight once more.[1a]
Wargear[]
- Sorrow's End - This enchanted battleaxe has brought about the end of all manner of monsters, both man and beast alike.[1b]
- Dragonhide Cloak - After slaying the Dragon Norndrak the Tyrant, Sir Cecil had the creature's hide fashioned into a cloak, which is said to be near-impervious to mundane weapons and can even ward off intense flame.[1b]
Miniatures[]
