"The bravest of the brave, the noble Lords of Bretonnia will fight for the Lady until the bitter, bloody end."
- —Description of Bretonnian lords in Total War: Warhammer.[3]
A Bretonnian lord mounted atop a ferocious Hippogryph.
A Bretonnian lord is one of the elite warrior-generals of Bretonnia, usually a wealthy and high-ranking member of that Old World kingdom's feudal nobility.
Role
Bretonnian lords holding a war council.
The lords of Bretonnia are the replete heroes and most powerful landed nobles of that kingdom. Despite the exceedingly high standards these knights set for themselves, there are mighty individuals who live up to these goals and become legend. They are the heroes who have performed great deeds on the battlefield and defeated particularly dangerous foes. Their reputation precedes them, and their names and Heraldry are known throughout all the dukedoms. Whenever one of these mighty heroes enters a town, his presence will be known within minutes, news of his arrival spreading through the crowded streets like wildfire amongst the commoners, who will flock to get a glimpse of the heroic individual.[1a]
A Bretonnian lord on horseback.
Many of these mighty heroes are Grail Knights, having drunk from the Holy Grail and become the epitome of chivalric knighthood, magically infused beings of near-immortality from whom the radiance of the Lady of the Lake shines eternally. However, there are many other legendary individuals who have never attained the station of Grail Knight, but are in no way lesser heroes for that. Sometimes the responsibilities of governing may hold a knight back from embarking on his quest, though this would surely cause him much pain. The Dukes themselves are all-powerful and renowned warriors, for they could not retain their station were they not.[1a][4]
Birth in itself does not guarantee success, and the sons of the dukes must earn their honour and renown as any other knight. Indeed, a knight of any echelon of birth (though obviously never a peasant) can attain heroic status through great deeds and acts of bravery, rising rapidly through the ranks. The dukes of Bretonnia are the most powerful nobles in the land after the King himself. They owe their loyalty to the King and also have the task of defending their own domain against invaders. The Duke's army is made up of all the barons and knights within his dukedom plus his own retinue of knights, squires and men-at-arms from his castle and also bowmen raised from among the peasants on the barons' lands.[1a]
Unlike the lords of other armies, Bretonnian Lords have to be on horseback, as it is unseemly for the leader of an army to be down with the lower classes, fighting on foot only in the most dire circumstances. In battle, it is these mighty heroes who lead the knights from the front, inspirational leaders that take the fight to the very heart of the enemy. Many of them follow one of the Paths of Virtue, the fighting styles and traits passed down by the Grail Companions, they are both masterful warriors and noble leaders. They can sustain wounds that would kill a lesser man, and kill many foes with one sweep of a sword or thrust of a lance. Indeed, the Lords of Bretonnia will truly live on forever, for tales of their great deeds will be recounted long after they have passed from the world...[3]
Notable Bretonnian Lords
- Royarch Louen Leoncoeur - King of Bretonnia, Duke of Couronne and Grail Knight.
- Duchess Repanse de Lyonesse - Formerly a Paladin blessed by the Lady of the Lake herself, who later became the Duchess of Lyonesse.
- Duke Bohemond Beastslayer - Bohemond is a Grail Knight and a descendant of Gilles le Breton. He is the current Duke of Bastonne.
- Duke Alberic of Bordeleaux - The current Duke of Bordeleaux who is famed for his great courage and exacting standards.
- Duke Gastille of Brionne - A heroic Grail Knight who ruled over the dukedom of Brionne during the reign of King Louen Orc-Slayer in the late 23rd century IC.
- Lord Calard of Garamont - Lord of Garamont and Castellan of Bastonne
- Lord Balderin Beastslayer - Hero of the Siege of L'Anguille
- Baron Lucus of Brilloinne - Hero of Bretonnia who founded a famous Grail Chapel within his mighty castle.
- Guillaume de Grenouille - Castellan of Quenelles who was known for his brutality in battle.
- Baron Aloys de Montjoie - A Grail Knight and Baron of Quenelles.
- Baron Marcel of Parravon - A Bretonnian Lord who led a large expedition into Lustria.
- Jaques de Beaumarchais - Jaques was the Baron of Beaumarchais and one of the few Bretonnian peasants to have actually been granted knighthood.
Miniatures
.jpg "Bretonengeneral 5. Edi (1).jpg (11 KB)")
See Also
Sources
- 1: Warhammer Armies: Bretonnia (6th Edition)
- 1a: pg. 46
- 2: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Knights of the Grail (RPG)
- 2a: pg. 22
- 3: Total War: Warhammer (PC Game)
- 4: Warhammer: The Old World - Arcane Journal: Kingdom of Bretonnia (Specialist Game)
Gallery
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