Guillaume was the third King of Bretonnia and a Grail Knight, whose exploits were made into famous tales and songs.
History[]
Long is the Chanson of Guillaume, for in his youth he burned with an insatiable lust for adventure, and spent many years exploring the lands he would one day inherit, riding from the white cliffs of Lyonesse right across to the Grey Mountains, performing many heroic deeds. Indeed, the matter of which is the longest chanson, the Chanson of Guillaume or the Chanson of Gilles himself, has never been satisfactorily resolved. The debate is at its fiercest during the long winter evenings, when the families of Bretonnia huddle around the fire to hear of their great deeds.[1]
The 332nd verse of the chanson tells how Guillaume chanced upon a band of Orcs attacking the Wood Elves of Athel Loren, upon the hilly lands of the Massif Orcal.[1]
Without a thought for his own safety, the fearless young prince charged straight into the fray, skewering five Orcs upon his lance within the first attack alone. In the bloody struggle that followed, Guillaume and the Wood Elves eventually drove off the Greenskins. The elves were grateful to their rescuer, for one of their party was Eoth, a Prince of their kind. In thanks for his help, the Elves gifted Guillaume with a white colt to replace his Warhorse, which had been slain during the intense battle.[1]
Within a year, the white colt had grown into a magnificent stallion, bigger and more beautiful than any horse in Bretonnia. It was named Oriel, and in battle it was like a raging wind, so proud and furious that the King's enemies would run in terror at the mere sight of the massive horse and its fearsome mailed rider. Since then, the greatest White Stallions ridden by Bretonnian Kings can be traced back to Guillaume's own mighty steed.[1]
In the year 1142 IC, King Guillaume defeated a large Orc army at the Battle of Armandur and drove out the last of the greenskins from northern Bretonnia.[2]
Wargear[]
- The "Crown of Bretonnia" was blessed by the Lady before being set upon the brow of the first King of Bretonnia by the Fay Enchantress. It shone with a golden light, enhancing the character of its wearer and inspiring those near him.
- "Oriel" was a magnificent white stallion, renowned as the ancestor of the finest steeds in Bretonnia's royal stables.
Trivia[]
- While it has never been specifically stated, Guillaume’s status as the third Royarch and prior title of Prince implies that he was the son of Louis the Rash, and therefore the grandson of Gilles le Breton himself.