"Great was Duke Folgar of Artois' skill with a lance - none could unhorse him, save perhaps Landuin himself."
- —Folgar.[1]
Heraldry of Artois.
Folgar was the first Duke of Artois and the eleventh of the Grail Companions of Gilles le Breton during the Twelve Great Battles that freed and unified Bretonnia.[1a]
History[]
Folgar was the lord of the Bretonni of Castle Artois and the surrounding lands by 977 IC, when Gilles le Breton began his campaign to free the lands of Bretonnia.[1c]
Folgar joined the Grail Companions of Gilles right before the ninth of the Twelve Great Battles. On the morning after saving Parravon from the greenskins, the Companions made haste to the west. They entered upon the lands of Mousillon, pride of the realm of Landuin. Alas, hope proved false for poor Landuin, for in his absence his land had been turned to smouldering ruin. Cattle lay slaughtered in blackened wasteland, and the once pure river was dark with foulness. A bilious stench carried up from swampland where in times past virgin glade stood proud. The Companions rode in grim silence through the gates of Mousillon to join with the remnants of Landuin's family and Folgar, the neighbouring Lord of Artois. Together they defended Castle Mousillon against a great Undead host marching under full moon. Beset by beasts and living dead, the Companions fought as chatelains, one to each wall, there to hold out alone against the foe. The Companions found triumph when Landuin struck down the foul Vampire that had called the dead forth from their peace, and the beasts fled howling into the darkness of the forest.[1a]
After the securing of all the lands of the Bretonni tribes, a great meeting took place in the home of Folgar. Skilled as none other with the lance, be it at war or hunt, it was him who would host all the gatherings of the Companions. For the first one, Lord Folgar slew the dangerous boar Morthanok, and from then on he wore a white boar's head as heraldry.[1b] Here, the formal dukedoms were created, and the Bretonnian calendar was introduced - thus, year 979 of the Imperial Calendar is considered year 1 of the Bretonnian one. Each of the great lords of the Bretonni, the fourteen Grail Companions, including Gilles le Breton, were named Dukes. The Dukes swore oaths of allegiance, and Bretonnia was formed.[1c]