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. 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.
Ruled by a monarch officially called the "royarch,"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.
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. 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. 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.
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.
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.
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, Beastmen, Tomb Kings 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...
