"The enemy is in the heart of our lands, like a cancer. We will not let it grow, and, Lady willing, we shall cut it out once and for all."
- —Duke Tancred II, raising another force to assault the Massif Orcal.[1]
The Dukedom of Quenelles is a founding Dukedom that lies upon the borders of Athel Loren, at the south-eastern corner of Bretonnia. Being one of the largest out of all the Bretonnian Dukedoms following their annexation of Cuileux during a Greenskin invasion in 900 IC, Quenelles is so massive that it surrounds the entire mountain range of Massif Orcal. Lying at the very centre of the Dukedom, the Greenskins living within Massif Orcal have always been a bane to the existence of all those living near the mountain.[1]
Unlike other ducal lands plagued by Greenskins however, the people of Quenelles has such unreserved hatred for these raiders and barbarians that seems to far outshadow all those living within Bretonnia. Some have said that when the Dukedom of Cuileux was destroyed by the Greenskins, the ghost of these people have put a curse upon Quenelles that would ensure that they shall continue the fight against them for the rest of time. Its current ruler is Duke Tancred II.[1]
History[]
Bretonnian Dark Age[]
The greenskins had lived within the lands alongside the Bretonni for many years, and as is normal for these foul creatures, their population eventually reached critical levels, and began to overrun the Bretonni lands in a seething green tide. By the year of 930 IC, a massive horde of orcs, led by the warlord Gragabad, poured out of the mountains of Massif Orcal and overran the lands of Cuileux. Faced with imminent destruction, the last of the remaining knights of Cuileux rode out in a last, desperate battle, and fought the greenskins on the open plains. Though the greenskins fell like wheat before the scythe, the last of the knights of Cuileux were killed to a man.[1b]
In the wake of this disaster, the armies of Quenelles and Brionne rode forth and attacked the now weakened orc army. No sooner had the orcs began to route from the battlefield than the two Bretonnian armies faced each other for rulership over the charred-husk that was Cuileux. Fortunately, the two armies hadn't the stomach to face each other in open combat, and instead, the two dukes of each kingdom fought one another in an honourable duel. By duel's end, the Lord of Brionne was struck down, and Quenelles was expanded. It is said that the destruction of Cuileux marked the beginning of the wars that would culminate in the unification of the entire Kingdom.[1b]
Unification (977 IC)[]
While the entire area of Bretonnia was under siege from innumerable foes, Gilles le Breton had managed to unite several of the dukedoms together in a massive force. After demolishing a Greenskin army attacking Brionne, Gilles and his army rode to Quenelles. Urged ever on by night-blessings and visions from the Lady of the Lake, the Grail Companions crossed the mighty River Brienne, and spurred their chargers a hundred-league through the shattered lowlands of Carcassonne towards the land of Quenelles. Grim lord Lambard of Carcassonne saw the banner of the Lady and came to join them, and as they raced through day and night the Companions clashed swords with Goblin Wolf Riders. The Companions resisted, and after several weary nights the shadow of great Quenelles fell upon them, but they could not rejoice, as they saw the borders of fair Athel Loren in flames. Though all of them were bone-weary and in sore need of succour, the divine power of the Lady flowed strong, and the Companions attacked the greenskins that were hacking and burning the ancient forests. In a night of blood and fire, the Companions fought tirelessly with skill unmatched and awesome majesty. The dark was lit by shining sword and eye ablaze, and the wrath of the goddess was such that her champions could not fall. Bough joined blade as the ancient forest came to the Companions' aid, to choke and bind, to smite flesh and break bone. The Wood Elves of that haunted forest flitted and glimmered beyond sight amongst the branches, striking down those that dared do harm to their realm. Thus did Gilles become friend to the Fay, and won his Fourth Great Battle.[1b]
Skaven Invasion (1786-1812 IC)[]
In the year 1786 IC, a massive outbreak of the virulent Red Pox exploded throughout Bretonnia. Hordes of Skaven emerged and began ransacking the country. As the nightmare that unfolded within the Empire once more repeated itself, whole countrysides was lost, with the cities of Brionne and Quenelles soon fighting for their lives against the verminous hordes of the Skaven Empire. It seemed that this time, the Under-Empire should triumph, but fate has an ill-will towards the ratmen, and once more their glorious victory was taken away from them.[1b]
Duke Merovech of Mousillon and his black-armoured knights rode south where they slew thousands of the chaotic creatures, and lifted the siege of Brionne and Quenelles. The route his army took mirrored that road taken by the Grail Companions before him, as he then pushed towards the east, crossing Carcassonne. His dreams were filled with blood, death, and horror - in his delusions and hubris, he actually believed that he was Landuin reborn, and that he was the only one who could save Bretonnia from destruction. Due to his bravery and martial skill, Quenelles was saved from an unrelenting siege.[1b]
The Wild Hunt(1674-1675 IC)[]
In the year 1674 IC, several Wood Elf emissaries emerged from the forest and made their way through Quenelles. However, the ignorant peasantry believed them to be demons, caught them, and burned them alive. One year later, The Wild Hunt smashed through the Dukedom. The Duke and his entire family were slain, and many peasants were slaughtered. The only survivor of the Duke's family, his daughter, was carried off into the woods by Dryads. [3a]
Madness of Orion(2286 IC)[]
The year was VI, 278. After a winter full of ill omens, Orion was reborn into madness. The King in the Woods had ever been given to a wild and wrathful manner, but his behaviour now seemed to be beyond all control — only Ariel considered herself safe in his company. No one could identify whether the cause of this madness was a flaw in the ritual that granted him new life, or some incipient mania of the Elf who was chosen to bear his mantle. Worse, Orion's insanity was contagious, and soon many of Athel Loren's Elves and spirits were at one another's throats. This year, the Wild Hunt was nearly four times its normal size, and wrought great damage even before it left the forest and brought its fury to the lands of Bretonnia. Great was the slaughter inflicted upon the domain of Quenelles that year, so great that Fredfar, the duke of that city, had no choice but to rouse a host of knights and bring Orion to battle. Other nobles of the realm counselled against such a course of action, but Duke Fredfar was a man in whom the virtues of chivalry blossomed true, and he refused to sit idly by whilst a great slaughter was wrought upon his peasantry.[2a]
Thus passed Fredfar, Duke of Quenelles, slain in battle with a force of nature that he never stood any chance of defeating. Many of the duke's finest knights perished alongside their master; so many, in fact, that the defences of Quenelles were left sorely weakened. As a result, when the Wild Hunt veered northward to the city itself, the throng of maddened Elves and spirits soon breached the walls and ran amok in the city. Blood ran through the streets as the Wild Hunt vented its fury, and neither the valour of knights nor the bristling spears of Men-at-Arms could check its ferocity.In the end, the glorious city was saved only when Orion's rampage carried him into the sacred grove at its very heart. No sooner had he stepped within those verdant bounds than a mist came down, and stillness overtook him for the first time since his rebirth. There are few accounts as to what happened next, for the skeins of mists cheated the eyes of almost all who watched. All agree that a slender figure appeared in the mists beside Orion, but none recount who that figure was, or what words were exchanged between them. At dawn the next day, Orion and the Wild Hunt left ravaged Quenelles behind and returned to Athel Loren. That year, the King in the Woods surrendered himself to the pyre many months earlier than in years past, though no explanation was forthcoming as to why.[2a]
The Lichemaster's Assault(2491 IC)[]
In 2491 IC, Kemmler attacked the Bretonnian fortress-shrine of La Maisontaal Abbe which was said to contain a powerful artifact coveted by the Skaven. In an effort to steal the artifact without being detected, a Grey Seer named Meek Gnawdoom used a spell that teleported Kemmler into the battle as a powerful ally. As the Undead and Bretonnians fought each other, Skaven infiltrators were able to steal the artifact without being seen. It was only thanks to the skill and heroism of Duke Tancred II of Quenelles that the Abbey was saved from total destruction from the Undead hordes assaulting its walls. Kemmler escaped and fled back to the Grey Mountains while the Skaven returned to Skavenblight with their prize. Tancred returned to Quenelles with much honour and renown.
Geography[]
"They’ve got so much land. It’s not like they’d really miss a bit."
- —Sir Renart, a noble of Montfort.[1]
A map of Quenelles.
Quenelles is the largest of the dukedoms of Bretonnia, stretching over most of the middle of the land. In the east, it has a long border with the Forest of Loren, and Quenellers have more direct dealings with the Fay than the inhabitants of any other dukedom. To the south, the dukedom faces Carcassonne across the River Brienne, and then, working clockwise, borders Brionne, Aquitaine, Bastonne, Montfort, and Parravon, divided from the last two by the River Grismerie.[1]
Broadly speaking, northern Quenelles is pastoral whilst the south is arable. The north of the country is dominated by the Massif Orcal, a range of mountains rising up in the middle of the land and the source of the River Gilleau. The mountains of the Massif are relatively low, rounded, and eroded into networks of caves. These caves are inhabited by large numbers of Greenskins who mount frequent raids on the surrounding settlements.[1]
Few Humans choose to live in the Massif, but the Dukes encourage a Human settlement in the hope of weakening the Orcs. Most villages are sacked within a few years, so ruined villages and castles are a common sight. However, a few have survived, and these are now very well fortified. The most notable is Viefin, which sits at the end of the road through Axe Bite Pass. Viefin is a small town, but the houses are dwarfed by the massive walls and watchtowers. All inhabitants of Viefin are trained to fight, and all but the very youngest or newest immigrants have experience of fighting attacking Orcs.[1]
Between the Massif Orcal and the River Gilleau is a part of the Forest of Châlons. This area seems almost completely free of monsters: one or two small groups of Beastmen or Orcs are seen in a year. Small groups of hunters, charcoal burners, or woodsmen can work in the forest unmolested. All attempts to establish villages have failed, ending in the complete destruction of the village. The village is replaced, overnight, by a bare depression in the soil, as if something had scooped up the entire settlement and taken it away. The Quenellers suspect something similar happens to large bands of Orcs or Beastmen. Nobody knows who or, more likely, what is responsible.[1]
The southwest of Quenelles was once, before the founding of Bretonnia, the land of Cuileux. The knights of Cuileux were wiped out by Goblinoids and their lands absorbed by Quenelles. However, the courage of the last stand of the Cuilen has made them legendary. A large area is known as the Grave of Cuileux and is not farmed. Stories say that anyone who tries to do so is killed by the ghosts of the knights of Cuileux, who believe that only an Orc would disturb their rest. The occasional discovery of Orc and Human bones in the area tends to suggest that this really is the site of the last ride of the Cuilen.[1]
The People[]
"I hear the Fay themselves walk the streets of Quenelles, working wonders. That would be something to see!"
- —Ignorant and credulous L’Anguille tavern keeper, talking to a Sea Elf Wizard.[1]
The people of Quenelles are most renowned for their unrelenting hatred of the Greenskins that constantly raid their lands. This is a little strange; it is certainly true the inhabitants of the Massif Orcal raid very frequently, but Greenskin raids have not had the same effect in other regions. Some people think that the dead of Cuileux have placed some sort of curse on the inheritors of their land, compelling them to continue the fight. Certainly, it is notable that every single Queneller festival involves burning a Goblin or Orc, in either effigy or a real one.[1]
A lot of Queneller adventurers left to take the fight to the Greenskins. Such folk often head into the Massif Orcal, but there are Goblins and Orcs in all mountain ranges, so others go further afield. They often ally with the Dwarfs, seeking to drive the Greenskins from the Dwarfholds. The politics of the dukedom are dominated by the succession question, as Duke Tancred is not the only one to have noticed that he is getting old. If Einhard returns, he is the clear heir, but most Questing Knights who are going to return have done so within ten years. There are about half a dozen nobles with a realistic claim to the dukedom, but two stand out.[1]
Earl Hincmar is the eldest son of the Duke’s elder sister. He is also lord of a large fief around the Massif Orcal and known for his great courage in the face of Orc raids. He is feared even by his own vassals, as he is famous for the arbitrary cruelty of his “justice.” Lord Therevault is the grandson of the Duke’s younger brother, and the next male in line if Einhard does not return. However, he is not yet twenty and became a Knight of the Realm prematurely on his father’s death in a hunting accident. The accident was clearly genuine, but Therevault is not ready to rule. A number of wilier nobles are thus backing him, hoping to have a pliable puppet. The final decision rests with the King, but Duke Tancred is not the only noble who really hopes that Einhard can be found. Earl Hincmar would really like Einhard to be found dead. Lord Therevault does not know what he thinks.[1]
Notable Locations[]
Barrows of Cuileux[]
The Barrows of Cuileux are where the Cuilen buried their dead. The barrows are scattered over a wide area north of the Gilleau, some in the Forest of Châlons and some in the mountains of the Massif Orcal. A typical barrow has about twenty burial chambers linked by tunnels, but some are far, far larger. Adventurers claim to have seen a barrow the size of a town within the forest but said that they were driven off by the Undead guarding it. Most of the barrows in the lowlands are now merely empty shells, long looted of grave goods by Orcs and Bretonnians alike. There are a few with Undead guardians, and these still survive intact.[1a]
Settlements[]
- Castle Quenelles - Castle Quenelles is a fortress city and the capital of Quenelles.
- Viefin - This heavily fortified settlement guards Axe Bite Pass against Orc marauders.
- Beaumarchais - This castle is the ancestral home of Jaques de Beaumarchais.
Notable Quenellers[]
- Duke Tancred II - The reigning Duke of Quenelles.
- Rademund - The first Duke of Quenelles and one of the fabled Grail Companions.
- Agravain de Beau Quest - A young hero, who as a Questing Knight led an army into Athel Loren, reclaiming a lost Grail Chapel.
- Tybalt - A knight whose heroic deeds have been guided by the holy spirit of a long-dead Duke of Mousillon.
- Jerrod of Asareux - Tancred's successor during the End Times and leader of the Companions of Quenelles.
- Guillaume de Grenouille - The historic Castellan of Quenelles, who was feared as a brutal warrior.