"We can also take comfort in the presence of Duke Galand's tomb. Galand drank from the grail and the divine power of the Lady still endows his grave with tremendous power."
- —A Prophetess on Galand's remaining power.[1a]
Heraldry of Aquitaine.
Galand was a renowned Bretonnian Grail Knight, Duke of Aquitaine and son of the legendary Red Duke.[1]
History[]
After the Red Duke's transformation into a vampire, his wife, Duchess Martinga of Aquitaine, threw herself from atop the tallest tower of their castle. King Louis the Righteous, still mourning his fallen brother, discovered that the Duchess had given birth to a son before her death. Louis saw this as a chance to atone for the mistakes his brother had made as a monster. The young noble was named "Galand" and was raised to become a good and noble knight.[1c]
After many heroic feats, Galand encountered the Lady on the banks of Lake Tranquil, and was finally allowed to sup from the Grail, making him a fearsome Grail Knight. With this final proof of Galand's purity, King Louis consented to his marriage to his daughter, thereby restoring his brother's bloodline and rule over Aquitaine. The new Duke would become renowned as a noble and powerful warrior, revered as one of Bretonnia's greatest heroes.[1c]
Eventually, when Galand's extended lifespan came to an end, he was buried in a magnificent tomb on Ceren Field, near the monument that held the remains of the Red Duke.[1c] Even in death Galand still protected those lands, for he was a Grail Knight and thus his tomb shone with a nimbus of holy energy. When Galand's vampiric father returned centuries later, he would discover the tomb to be his undoing. The power of Galand's aura sent out a blast that decimated most of the Duke's Undead host, while crippling his lieutenant, the Dark Knight.[1b]
Enraged, the Red Duke stormed into the now still tomb and discovered a Prophetess within. Iselda mockingly told him of his folly, that Galand was his own son and heir. The vampire murdered the woman in a fit of rage and then attempted to call out to Galand's holy spirit. Galand's response sent the Blood Knight fleeing from the tomb, howling with despair.[1c]