"I give my body, heart and soul, to the Lady whom I seek.
No plea for help shall
find me wanting. No obstacle will stand before me. No evil will taint the lands
bequeathed unto me. When the clarion call is sounded, I will ride out and fight in
the name of Liege and Lady. That which is sacrament, I shall preserve. That which
is sublime, I will protect. That which threatens, I will destroy, for my holy wrath
will know no bounds. Honour is all. Chivalry is all. Rejoice, for we, the Knights
of Bretonnia... will be your shield."
—The combined vows of the Knights of Bretonnia[7]
Bretonnia
The coat of arms of Gilles le Breton, called "Gilles the Uniter," the first Royarch
of Bretonnia
Location
Western Old World
Climate
Temperate
Geographical
Regions
Massif Orcal
Constituent
States
Dukedoms:
L'Anguille
Aquitaine
Artois
Bastonne
Bordeleaux
Brionne
Carcassonne
Couronne
Gisoreux
Lyonesse
Montfort
Parravon
Quenelles
Grand-Duchy:
Savoie
Dominant
Races
Humans
Minor
Races
Dwarfs
High Elves
Wood Elves
Dryads
Treemen
Skaven
Greenskins
Beastmen
Bretonnia, formally the Kingdom of Bretonnia, also known more prosaically as the
"Land of Chivalry," is a highly martial Human feudal kingdom of the Old World that
lies between the lands of the Grey Mountains and the Great Ocean.[1a] Bretonnia is
second only in size to that of the Empire among the realms of Men in the Old World,
and is both the Empire's chief rival and closest ally, having a culture and society
that revolves around the ideals of nobility, a strict social hierarchy based on
aristocratic birthright, and the upholding of a strictly enforced code of chivalry.
[2i]
Ruled by a monarch officially called the "royarch,"[3a] the realm of Bretonnia has
been known throughout the kingdoms of Men for having the greatest knights in the
entire Old World, even surpassing those of the Knightly Orders of the Empire. A
proud and honourable kingdom, the armies of Bretonnia are comprised mostly of
knights and nobles, who ride into battle with lance, horse, and sword, seeking
glory and rooting out injustice wherever they go. The knights of Bretonnia are
trained to fight from childhood, and even the lowliest Knights Errant are
considered superior to ordinary warriors. Their skills are further enhanced through
constant training, battles and tournaments. It is not only Bretonnia's knights who
are famed, however, for the kingdom also boasts the finest Human sailors in the
mortal world. With their great sails billowing in the wind, Bretonnia's mighty
fleets are a majestic sight on the high seas. Due to this regime, the combined
military might of Bretonnia has surpassed that of even the greatest armies in
history.[9][11][13]
The religion that currently dominates this great feudal kingdom is the worship of a
local elemental deity known to the Bretonnian people only as the Lady of the Lake.
[2r] This mysterious goddess of purity, light and order is believed to have aided
Gilles le Breton in unifying Bretonnia into a single kingdom, during a Greenskin
invasion from the Southern Mountains in 978 IC.[2a] The Bretonnian calendar is
offset from the Sigmarian Empire's by about 977 years, as the people of the
Bretonni weren't fully united until King Gilles' reign as the first Bretonnian
monarch.[1e]
Bretonnia is widely considered to be the fairest and most beautiful land in all the
Old World. It is a green land of fertile farms, rolling hills, starkly beautiful
mountains, and airy forests. Bretonnian chefs are famous for their culinary skills,
and the wine produced in the vineyards of the country is renowned throughout the
world. It is seen as a land of honour and virtue, where noble knights keep the
domain safe as peasants till the fields, where chivalrous heroes slay monsters and
rescue fair damsels. This is the image Bretonnians want to project, and it is not
entirely false.[5][5]
However, while the loftiest ideals of personal bravery and strength can be found
throughout the many knights of the land, there is a much grimmer existence for its
vast peasant population. Generations of inbreeding mean that the peasants are, for
the most part, ill-fed, downtrodden and little use as soldiers. For their part, the
knights are far superior in physique and ability, and often fail to see the woeful
conditions the peasantry must endure.[15]
Though such apathy has since darkened their reputation, it is still believed that
there are no mortal men whose martial prowess can equal the Knights of Bretonnia,
dedicated as they are, body and soul, to the pursuit of excellence in honour of the
Lady of the Lake. These brave warriors form a bulwark against the growing evils of
Chaos and the power of the Orcs, Goblins, Skaven and other monstrous creatures that
threaten mankind's survival. They are protected by their honour and by their
strength of arms, and whilst they endure the lands of men remain safe from
destruction. If the Knights of Bretonnia were ever to fail in their sacred duties,
then the whole of the human race would surely be doomed...[4a][9]
