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Attention, Empire Citizens!
This article or this section of the article contains information regarding the Storm of Chaos campaign and its aftermath, which is now considered a non-canon, alternate timeline.
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"The Lady had indeed told him what was left to him and he nodded, dropping to one knee and pulling Helene's favour from his gauntlet. He wrapped the blue silk scarf around his hands as he recited a vow he had learned from childhood and had hoped always to some day pledge..."
- —Leofric takes on the Grail Quest.[1]
Leofric Carrard.[1]
A descendant of Baron Cyricus Carrard[2], Leofric Carrard was a Knight of Bretonnia and a famed hero of Quenelles, later joining the hallowed ranks of the Grail Knights.
History[]
Leofric first rose to prominence when still only a Knight Errant, unhorsing the fearsome Duke Chilfroy at the Tourney of Couronne, a feat none of the gathered knights and dukes ever expected to see in their lifetimes. The young knight went on to defeat every other opponent at the tourney, earning not only renown but the favour of the beautiful Lady Helene, whom he soon married and had a child with.[1]
Still a boisterous Knight Errant, Leofric was called to duty by Louen Leoncoeur, fighting in the Errantry Wars against Archaon and the defence of the Empire. It was at Middenheim that King Louen led a hundred Knights Errant in a charge which faced Archaon and his legendary Swords of Chaos. Leofric rode in that charge, and although the young nobles fought bravely, they were no match for the greatest warband of Chaos Knights. He and the King would be among the only survivors of that skirmish, though the battle was eventually won and the forces of Chaos driven off. For his bravery, Leofric was gifted with a mighty warhorse called Taschen, a reward from King Louen himself, and christened a full Knight of the Realm.[1]
Returning from the horrors of the North, Leofric was no longer the energetic young knight he once was, but a solemn and dutiful warrior of Bretonnia. He rode alongside his wife and child throughout Quenelles, visiting other lords and competing in great tourneys. It was one fateful night, however, when his wife disappeared at the border to Athel Loren, stolen by the Fay. The incensed noble set off into the forest to save his wife, only to be caught up in a war between the Wood Elves and the vile Beastmen of Chaos.[1]
Striking an alliance with the Elves, Leothric would help save Athel Loren, fighting alongside Highborn and Forest Dragons to stem the tide of chaos. Eventually, he received a vision from the Lady herself. She alone knew how Leofric could be reunited with his wife, but he needed to prove himself pure to save her.[1]
Leofric set off on the Grail Quest. He travelled far and wide, journeying to lost lands and encountering many strange and wonderful things. In distant Cathay he slew the Jade Dragon of the Emerald River and saved the wives of Dragon Emperor Zhang-Jimou from decapitation by the Executioner Cult of the Jade Pearl. The mysteries of far off Ind were laid before him as he quested for the Grail in the Caves of Fire and learned the secrets of the ancient beings who dwelt there. His quest drove him ever onwards until, at last, in the darkest place of the world, Leofric discovered the Grail and supped from its radiant waters as a hunter's moon rose over the forest of the Asrai.[1]
Leofric would return to Athel Loren many times over the years, travelling its secret paths, knowing that one day he would be reunited with his beloved...[1]
Heraldry[]
While a mortal man, Leofric bore the Heraldry of a red Unicorn upon a field of white. Upon drinking from the Grail, however, he took on the symbol of a Dragon of pale jade, set atop the image of a flowering oak.[1]
Trivia[]
Given the old age of the novel from which the story of Leofric Carrard is described, it is possible that his events turn out to be a canon-conflict with modern Cathay lore. However, it is also revealed in Guardians of the Forest that the mystical paths of Athel Loren allow him to time-travel. Leofric even encounters his past self while searching for his wife as a Grail Knight.
Sources[]
- 1: Guardians of the Forest (Novel) by Graham McNeill
- 2: Warhammer Community - Lords of the Lance Is the First New Novel for the World of Legend