Bretonnia is a vast land, upon which the mark of Chaos is less apparent than (for instance) the forests of The Empire. The foundations of the nation were laid over 1,500 years ago, when Gilles le Breton led an army from the burgeoning city of Gisoreux on a campaign of conquest which was only concluded some 70 years later by his grandson, Guillaume Barbenoire. With only the occasional dynastic crisis, Bretonnia has been ruled by a system of absolutist monarcy ever since. Lacking any obvious external threat, the Kings of Bretonnia have had little difficulty in maintaining their stranglehold on the nation, although decadence and complacency have combined to ensure that they could never entertain any serious thoughts of expanding its frontiers. Over the years, they have assisted the Burgomeisters of Marienburg in their gradual secession from The Empire, regarding the Wasteland as a potential buffer between them and any expansionist attempts from the east.
Geography[]
Bretonnia stretches from the coast of the Middle Sea in the north to the Irrana Mountains in the south and from the coast of The Great Ocean to the Grey Mountains in the east. The rolling hills and serene valleys of Bretonnia produce abundant crops and fine wines, whilst the forestlands provide solid timber and good hunting.
In the south of the country lies the Loren Forest, location of the major Wood Elf settlement, Athel-Loren, although this fact is disputed amongst Bretonnians and, since the Elven King and Queen go to considerable lengths to deter visitors, it is largely avoided by the prudent.
Noteable Geographic Elements[]
- The River Brienne
- The River Grismarie
- The River Morceaux
- The River Ois
- The River Sannez
- The Pale Sisters
Politics[]
The elected officials of Bretonnian cities are theoretically responsible to a royal governor, selected by the King from amongst the aristocracy. The position offers social prestige, but few governors live up to their duties. The King (Charles de la Tête d'Or III) is the least caring of an uncaring elite, living in his great palace at Oisillon, 100 miles northwest of Gisoreux, surrounded by favourites, sycophants, and countless servants. Small wonder that the maltreated urban poor of Bretonnia have a reputation as troublesome, politically-ambitious agitators and rogues.
The People[]
Perhaps the flippant attitude of Bretonnia's elite to the terrors that surround them may be explained by the relative calm and prosperity of their lands. It is more likely that this is itself a sign of the Chaos that has distorted the very soul of the Bretonnian people. The ruling classes of this land are ridden with corruption, willfully blind to the decay around them and sordidly decadent in every way. Painted fops parade their finery amongst the mud and dung of the streets, ladies sit like dolls in shining carriages, bedecked in glittering jewels and tall, white wigs, while hiding their ghastly pox-marks and worse disfigurements behind rouge and white powder. The taint of Chaos is less apparent in Bretonnia only because its citizens remain blind to it, unbelieving and unwilling to accept its dreadful implications, hiding their fear behind extravagance and tawdry display.
Language[]
The Bretonnian dialect of Old Worlder has many similarities with that of southwest Albion, although Bretonnians are notorious for their inability to pronounce "th", which usually becomes "z". The initial "h" is invariably dropped by native speakers, while "r" is always rolled at the back of the throat.
Cities[]
Bretonnia boasts a number of large cities. These are L'Anguille, with its famous lighthouse; the wine-trading centre of Bordeleaux; Brionne - the City of Thieves; the spa town of Couronne; the seething melting pot of Gisoreux; Moussillon - the City of the Damned; mysterious Parravon, where death stalks the night-time streets; and Quenelles, where the oppression of the poor by the aristocracy is infamous, even by Bretonnian standards.
In start contrast to the countryside, the cities are poorly administered - money raised for their up-keep is frequently embezzled by corrupt officials or squandered on frivoloties. Whole quarters lie in unattended ruins, fetid offal and rotting corpses block the narrow streets, whilst long-neglected sewers overflow, spilling their foul contents onto the already treacherous pavements. Careless of such filth, the rich, the powerful, and the aristocratic hold marvellous parties, glittering balls, and all sorts of widely extravagant social functions, dressing in the most expensive silks, drinking the most prized wines in the Old World, and exchanging hollow pleasantries whilst all around falls into decay.