"Gilles the Unifier and his Companions may have fought here on horseback, but we cannot match their achievements. We must fight as we can, against the same foes, with the same courage."
Montfort, formally the Dukedom of Montfort, is a founding dukedom of Bretonnia that lies on the eastern borders of the kingdom, along the central spine of the Grey Mountains. Stretching from the Gisoreux Gap to the north and Axe Bite Pass to the south, the Dukedom of Montfort acts as the central buffer state between the lands of Bretonnia and those within the Empire of Man. Almost all of Montfort lies within the Grey Mountains, with what little arable land exists being devoted solely to agriculture.[1a]
As such, the communities living within Montfort are composed of seasoned mountaineers, used to the harsh environment and the constant threat of Greenskin raids all along its territory. This of course only makes the Montfortians a very tough people, but this toughness comes at the cost of an extreme degree of xenophobia. Mortfortians are very welcoming of Human outsiders, but anything that is less than Human, such as Dwarfs or Halflings, are eyed with extreme prejudice and hate. Montfort's current ruler is Duke Folcard.[1a]
Geography[]
"There’s more than one secret mine in Montfort. And most of them aren’t digging for something as mundane as gold."
- — Common rumour in taverns in Parravon, Gisoreux, and Montfort itself.[1a]
A map of Montfort
The Dukedom of Montfort lies almost entirely within the Grey Mountains, running from just south of the Gisoreux Gap to just south of Axe Bite Pass. To the north and west of the Grey Mountains, the border of the dukedom and of Bretonnia runs along the edge of the mountain range, whilst within Bretonnia a narrow strip of pastoral land forms part of the dukedom. There is little farmland within Montfort, and even that is not particularly fertile. The dukedom is barely self-sufficient in food in a good year and must import if there is any problem with the harvest. In a dukedom plagued by Goblins and Orcs, problems with the harvest are common.[1a]
Fortunately, the dukedom has two other sources of income. The first is the tolls on Axe Bite Pass. This is the main trade route between the Empire and Bretonnia, as merchant caravans come over from the Reikland and then take ship on the River Grismerie to Gisoreux. The pass lives up to its name. For most of its length, the road runs along the bottom of a steep, narrow V-shaped valley, with only a narrow strip of sky visible overhead. The road is wide enough for two merchant caravans to pass easily, but there is very little space off the road.[1a]
It normally takes several days to pass through, so there are inns placed along the route where the lie of the land permits. This has created “Ludwig’s Run” near the middle of the pass, where the gap between two inns is more than a day’s travel. If a caravan really pushes hard, it can make it, and most try to. Almost unique among isolated inns, those two (“Ludwig’s Nose” and “Ludwig’s Toes”) open the gates after dark if convinced that an arriving group is genuine.[1a]
The second is mining. The Grey Mountains in Montfort contain a number of rich veins of iron ore, as well as other metals. There is even a single gold mine, the location of which is kept secret. The mountains in Montfort are as sharp as the Grey Mountains in Gisoreux, but whilst the Gisorens do not try to live in them, the Montfortians have no choice. Flat land is for crops and livestock, not houses, so all mountain homes, including castles, are built on steep, rocky slopes.[1a]
Notable Locations[]
Axe Bite Pass[]
Montfort is known for the infamous Axe Bite Pass. Axe Bite Pass is the only road wide enough to allow armies in and out of Bretonnia, and so it is heavily guarded. An area of Axe Bite Pass, known as Ludwig's Nose, is famous for receiving sunlight for no more than an hour a day, and it is normally cloudy any way. Axe Bite Pass has also been the site of several intense battles throughout Bretonnian history. At either end of the sheer-sided valley stands a mighty fortress, spanning the gap. On the Bretonnian side is Castle Montfort; on the Empire side is Helmgart. Countless battles have been fought in the valley between the two castles, for the peace between Bretonnia and the Empire is a fractious thing, and there has been blood spilt on numerous occasions. Castle Montfort itself was famously besieged in what became known as the Battle of Montfort, surrounded by the grand army of Reikland and their Mercenary allies. To this day, the siege is regarded as the single bloodiest confrontation to occur between the Bretonnian crown and the Sigmarite Empire - one that the Imperial Court has refused to discuss.[1a]
Crooked Corridor[]
Another mountain pass, the Crooked Corridor is not as commonly used as Axe Bite Pass. Rather, it is more of a smuggling route used by merchants who wish to avoid the high tolls charged by both the Reikland and Montfort guards. Due to intense snowfall, it is completely unusable in the winter, only able to be travelled during the summer months. Until several decades ago, the Crooked Corridor was very obscure, known only to a few smugglers and goatherds. However, a series of Goblin invasions over the pass brought it to the attention of Emperor Mattheus II, who ordered a fortress be constructed to guard it. Today, the Crooked Corridor is overlooked by Blackstone Tower, which, because of Dwarf claims, has been ceded to Karak Ziflin, and is garrisoned by a mixed force of Dwarfs and Reiklanders.[2a]
Garban Hold[]
Garban Hold is an Orc warren, and the Duke of Montfort would love to know exactly where it is. Captured Orcs and Goblins have mentioned it under torture, and recent raids do seem to have been more coordinated. It is probably somewhere in the centre of Montfort, and there is likely to be an Orc Warboss in control. Beyond that, the Duke knows nothing, and he has offered substantial rewards for anyone who can provide reliable information.[1a]
Notable Settlements[]
The Montfortians[]
"High tolls? Yes, I used to think so. Then half a dozen knights with men-at-arms came to rescue us from an Orc raiding party. Now I pay happily.”"
- —Siegfried of Bogenhafen, Imperial Merchant, at Ludwig’s Nose.[1a]
Montfortians live in a hostile environment, and it shows. They live for the moment even more than most Bretonnians, working extremely hard and playing even harder when they have the chance. They live in isolated communities, which has two possible results. Either the community becomes extremely close, or it disintegrates under the pressure of internal rivalries and hatreds. Obviously, the communities that are still there are mainly of the first type. Few Montfortians are suspicious of human-looking outsiders, however. Every community has been rescued by knights sent from one of the mountain castles, and every mountain community relies on food brought by outside traders. Non-Human outsiders, including Dwarfs, Elves, and Halflings, are likely to get a hostile reception, as the residents assume they are some kind of Orc.[1a]
Some Montfortians leave because they get tired of looking at the same rocks every day, others because they do not get on with their neighbours. A considerable number of adventurers leave because they are among the few survivors of an attack on their village. Greenskin attacks are a fact of life in Montfort. Almost everyone has some experience of fighting the Orcs and Goblins, and villages are built to be able to withstand an assault long enough for help to arrive. Axe Bite Pass is the only route wide enough to allow an army to enter Bretonnia, and so it is heavily guarded. Montfort itself guards the Bretonnian end, whilst fiefs have been established along its length. Most of these nobles have encouraged inns in the protection of their castles and deprive their income mainly from taxes and tolls. A few have built castles overlooking the main routes into the pass from the mountains.[1a]
Each of these nobles normally controls a mine, which serves as the main source of income. The nobles of the foothills are constantly seeking to expand their holdings, across the River Grismerie and into Bastonne and Quenelles. None are willing to foreswear their Duke, however, so those who succeed are eventually driven back. When challenged by the other Dukes, Duke Folcard promises to do something about it when the Greenskins give him some time. Of course, they never do. Relations with the Empire are excellent. A large part of the Duke’s income relies on traders using Axe Bite Pass, so he is ruthless with nobles who might think that taking land from the Empire is a good idea. Nobles do occasionally push into the Wasteland, but the land there is not worth much, and Marienburg is more worried about Couronne. As long as Duke Folcard maintains official disapproval and does not allow it to get out of hand, the Marienburgers are willing to overlook small incursions.[1a]
Trivia[]
In the real world, the name Montfort refers to various noble houses and locations, mostly in France.