Duke Theodoric of Brionne.[2]
Theodoric was the fearsome Duke of Brionne, Bretonnia.
History[]
The Duke almost seems to be two different people. In battle, he is a terror, wielding his great battleaxe to deadly effect. He has faced down terrifying enemies, leaving their corpses on the ground. He always leads from the front and rarely returns unwounded. Among his knights, it is whispered that some war spirit comes upon him, for he seems to take great delight in slaughter.[1a]
Away from battle, the Duke is a patron and connoisseur of music and song. He is the greatest patron of minstrels in the whole of Bretonnia and listens to their stories of love with great attention. He is something of a minstrel himself, and his compositions are competent enough. Indeed, almost all artists can stand to praise them to the skies without feeling they are utterly sacrificing their integrity.[1a]
The Duke is also rumoured to be an enthusiastic practitioner of the adulterous love praised in the songs of minstrelsy. It is said that the noblewomen of Brionne hope this rumour is true, and the noblemen fear that it is.[1a]
End Times[]
After the Duke's many affairs and unchivalrous escapades finally caught up with him, he travelled to La Maisontaal to seek penance. Here he believed that by defeating the Undead hordes assailing it, he could regain his honour. Indeed, according to most, he had soon made up for his past mistakes.[2]
Awaiting the undead hordes, Theodoric roused his men with an inspiring speech, all around him his knights gave a great shout, and then thrust back their spurs and joined the battle, Theodoric at their head. The ground shook as the pride of Bretonnia hurtled towards their enemy, lances lowered. Theodoric bent forward over his charger's neck. He carried no lance, but instead wielded his axe. The weapon was the only reminder of who he had been, before his disgrace. He had carried it in glory and in folly, and would not be parted from it save in death. Its blade had been anointed in the holy font of La Maisontaal, and as it spun in his grip, it began to shine with the Lady's blessed light.[2]
The darkness retreated before him, and he could see the dead where they stumbled, mindless and remorseless. To him, in that moment, they were a sign of all that had afflicted Bretonnia. He raised his axe, roared out an oath and struck out as his steed smashed into the flanks of the dead and pierced them like a spear. His axe licked out, shining like a beacon, and took the head from a zombie. Then the rest of the knights struck home, and the twelfth and final Battle for La Maisontaal began in earnest...[2]
At the height of the battle, Theodoric sighted the legendary Arkhan the Black. The Duke bellowed as his horse bulled through Arkhan's bodyguard and drove the blade of his axe down through the Liches' ribcage. Before the latter could react, the blow lifted Arkhan from his feet and sent him to the ground in a heap. Despite being a mortal warrior, the Duke's axe was blessed by the Lady, an anathema to the Undead. Standing over the stricken Lich, devilish shapes and clouds of darkness surrounded Theodoric, only to be kept at bay by the light emanating from his axe.[2]
Before he could land a killing blow, however, the Duke was attacked by the Blood Knight, Anark von Carstein. The Grand Master of the Drakenhof Templars slew Theodoric, but not before receiving a grievous wound of his own...[2]
Miniature[]
