Territorial Name:
Duchy of Gisoreux
Flag/Lord:
Held territory:
The Duchy of Gisoreux is divided into four geographical areas. The first, the Plains of Gisoreux, is actually mostly pastoral country and very hilly. This area includes the city of Gisoreux itself and lies between the River Grismerie, the Forest of Arden, the Pale Sisters, and the Grey Mountains. Just over half of the population of the duchy lives in this small area. The second area is North Gisoreux. This land, between the River Sannez and the Pale Sisters, is also mostly pastoral but has substantial arable portions along the course of the Sannez. The land here used to be part of the Forest of Arden but was cleared, over the course of a thousand years, by the family of the current ruler, Duke Thommas de Saulx. The process continues in the southwest of the region. North Gisoreux is home to about a quarter of the population.
The third region is the Forest of Arden. The areas south and east of the river are relatively civilized. The roads between the villages are patrolled by the local nobility or at least by their men-at-arms, and travel on the roads is no more dangerous than travel on most other roads of the Old World. The villages do have stockades but, in a good year, suffer no attacks. On the other hand, no one leaves the cleared areas of forest without a really good reason, and those who do rarely come back.
North of the river, where the forest runs up to the Pale Sisters, things are very different. No village founded here has ever survived more than a year. Recently, Bretonnian lords have even given up trying. The human inhabitants are all nomadic, and there are no roads larger than a trail. The trees in this region are particularly old, large, and fine, which prompts nobles to send occasional logging forays. These sometimes succeed in bringing out a tree or two; more often, the loggers simply vanish.
The final region of the duchy is covered by mountains, split between the Pale Sisters in the west and the Grey Mountains in the east. The two ranges are very distinct. The Pale Sisters are of white rock and tend to rounded peaks, steep cliffs, and lots of high valleys. Access to the valleys is limited, however, and often involves climbing a cliff. The Grey Mountains are of dark grey stone and are characterized by very sharp terrain. Their peaks and ridges are narrow, as are the are their many passes. As a result, more people live in the Pale Sisters than in the Grey Mountains.
Ruler:
Thommas de Saulx is the current Duke of Gisoreux and one of the most polarizing figures in Bretonnia. Born to a Noble father but a milkmaid mother, he was sent away to squire for a Knight Errant in the campaigns against the Tomb Kings. It was there, in the empty wastes and twisted lands of the Undead Pharaohs, that he would become a legend.
Massively strong with long blonde hair, a beard to match, and savage blue eyes, he is a handsome man who would turn any head. A vicious scar cuts across his face from left eyebrow to right cheek, a reminder of a close brush with a Necrosphinx.
He earned his golden spurs in battle and was knighted by the Lady of the Lake herself the day he returned to the shores of Bretonnia. Never has forgotten the savage treatment he suffered as a squire at the hands of those above him and he swore to the Lady he would protect the weak as much as the strong. In an effort to relocate this troublesome Knight, the leadership of Bretonnia sent him to the Pale Sisters in the hopes he might be slain by some wandering monsters.
The young Knight Errant was quick to disappoint his detractors and won renown as a master-of-arms and leader of the common man. His secret marriage to the daughter of duchys ruler, Earl Baldhelm of Harran, thrust him into forefront when the Earl and his only son were killed in a beastmen raid. Thommas avenged their deaths so ruthlessly that no one raised a public objection when he inherited the duchy, courtesy of his wifes birthright. The Lady herself dubbed him a Grail Knight on the day of his coronation and gave him a mighty Pegasus to ride.
The People and State of Gisoreux:
Just as the land of Gisoreux is divided, so are the people. The Plains of Gisoreux are the heart of the duchy, and these are the people most outsiders think of when they think of Gisoreux. Gisorens are friendly people; they greet even complete strangers politely, and many people offer casual acquaintances a meal. There are, however, strict limits to this generosity. After a single meal and one night’s accommodation, visitors are expected to earn any further friendliness by reciprocating. Clever and mobile rogues manage to sponge off the Gisorens' largesse for years, but far more are recognized and find themselves shunned.
These customs even extend to the more civilized parts of the Forest of Arden, but there, new arrivals are expected to begin their visit with a bath, in which they are supervised constantly by armed villagers. The bath is, of course, a courtesy, and the guards are for the guests' protection, and the fact that it is impossible to hide most mutations whilst naked is pure coincidence. Attractive female visitors may find many, many men are eager to protect them. Women pretending to be men find that people in this region are generally good at overlooking such things.
The nomads of the forest make a living as hunters and trappers and trade regularly with the villages bordering on their areas. Most of them make a trip to the city of Gisoreux at least once every few years, since they have occasional contact with the isolated villages of Artois and do not want to become like them. They also keep an eye on the Beastmen and other monsters and send runners to warn villages at risk of attack. As a result, they are accepted without prejudice by virtually all other Gisorens.
In the valleys of the Pale Sisters, the people cluster together in small communities. Given the labyrinthine quality of this region accompanied by terrible winters, few people have the means or the interest to leave their small stone homes. Few have little knowledge of others who dwell in and beyond these mountains. As a result of their isolation, each community has its own strange customs and habits, though the threat of Orcs and Chaos force all villages to concentrate on defence.
There are Human inhabitants of the Grey Mountains, but in Gisoreux this range is too rugged and plagued by monsters to support any real communities. Most of those who live here are nomadic loners, though there are some family groups. They live by hunting and by guiding travellers through the mountains. A few nobles have lands in the Plains of Gisoreux and strongholds in the mountains, with the responsibility of defending them against monsters. In many places they can do little more than keep their fortress secure and supplied, but the nobles along the Gisoreux Gap pride themselves on keeping it as safe for traffic as any road anywhere.
Gisoreux, in common with all the duchies bordering on the cursed lands of Mousillon, would like to see it invaded and cleansed. However, relations with Bastonne are also strained. Nobles in the Plains of Gisoreux have repeatedly feuded with Bastonnian lords in an effort to extend their holdings across the river.
Active Service:
The Duchy of Gisoreux boasts a handsome number of full-time troops to maintain the trade routes that make their neighbours wealthy. Knights are a regular sight on Gisorean roads and the Duke himself has a substantial number of Questing Knights, and a few Grail Knights, in his service as there is no shortage of enemies to slay. Recently a small group of Pegasus Knights have journeyed to the region and sworn fealty to the young Duke.
Peasant levies are numerous and trained in a regular rotation to ensure that a rising threat can be dealt with swiftly and effectively. Thommas understand the value of speed and has moved to outfit many of his levy units with mounts, to be cared for by the rider, in order to ensure he can move swiftly from one location to another.
Gisoreux has little in the way of siege weapons as there has been no call for it recently.
Garrisons:
Like the rest of Bertonnia, Gisoreux is heavily castellated, with fortifications commanded by lesser lords and Knights at nearly every strategic point. Locations are chosen with the enemies of old and the rising threat of Skaven in mind. Most are large enough to shelter a regions populace and livestock long enough to reinforcements to arrive.
The City of Gisoreux, for which the region is named, is one of the finest fortresses in all of Bretonnia. Built to seal the Gap of Gisoreux during the wars with the Empire, it has since grown into a formidable fortress city. Recent defensive upgrades commissioned by the Duke, using Dwarven engineers, had included ravelins and other outer works that will serve to negate the devastating impact of most modern artillery. This is one of the few areas extensive artillery can be located as trebuchets have been mounted on the largest towers and can command a dominating space around the city.
Regiments of Renown:
The Sons of Gisoreux are a unit of Questing Knights, led by the Dukes younger brother, found throughout the region. These men are sworn to the Service of the Lady and will not rest until they have slaughtered an enemy worth singing songs about. They are well mounted, fearless, and devastating in their charge.
Foreign Policy:
Gisoreux has excellent trade relationships with most of its neighbours. Dwarf, Brettonnian, and Imperial traders come and go regularly, as do some Elves. Duke Thommas is largely uninterested in the petty feuds so many of his fellow Knights are famous for, though has been known to tilt his lance regularly when challenged.
Notable locations:
WIP
Duchy of Gisoreux
Flag/Lord:
Held territory:
The Duchy of Gisoreux is divided into four geographical areas. The first, the Plains of Gisoreux, is actually mostly pastoral country and very hilly. This area includes the city of Gisoreux itself and lies between the River Grismerie, the Forest of Arden, the Pale Sisters, and the Grey Mountains. Just over half of the population of the duchy lives in this small area. The second area is North Gisoreux. This land, between the River Sannez and the Pale Sisters, is also mostly pastoral but has substantial arable portions along the course of the Sannez. The land here used to be part of the Forest of Arden but was cleared, over the course of a thousand years, by the family of the current ruler, Duke Thommas de Saulx. The process continues in the southwest of the region. North Gisoreux is home to about a quarter of the population.
The third region is the Forest of Arden. The areas south and east of the river are relatively civilized. The roads between the villages are patrolled by the local nobility or at least by their men-at-arms, and travel on the roads is no more dangerous than travel on most other roads of the Old World. The villages do have stockades but, in a good year, suffer no attacks. On the other hand, no one leaves the cleared areas of forest without a really good reason, and those who do rarely come back.
North of the river, where the forest runs up to the Pale Sisters, things are very different. No village founded here has ever survived more than a year. Recently, Bretonnian lords have even given up trying. The human inhabitants are all nomadic, and there are no roads larger than a trail. The trees in this region are particularly old, large, and fine, which prompts nobles to send occasional logging forays. These sometimes succeed in bringing out a tree or two; more often, the loggers simply vanish.
The final region of the duchy is covered by mountains, split between the Pale Sisters in the west and the Grey Mountains in the east. The two ranges are very distinct. The Pale Sisters are of white rock and tend to rounded peaks, steep cliffs, and lots of high valleys. Access to the valleys is limited, however, and often involves climbing a cliff. The Grey Mountains are of dark grey stone and are characterized by very sharp terrain. Their peaks and ridges are narrow, as are the are their many passes. As a result, more people live in the Pale Sisters than in the Grey Mountains.
Ruler:
Thommas de Saulx is the current Duke of Gisoreux and one of the most polarizing figures in Bretonnia. Born to a Noble father but a milkmaid mother, he was sent away to squire for a Knight Errant in the campaigns against the Tomb Kings. It was there, in the empty wastes and twisted lands of the Undead Pharaohs, that he would become a legend.
Massively strong with long blonde hair, a beard to match, and savage blue eyes, he is a handsome man who would turn any head. A vicious scar cuts across his face from left eyebrow to right cheek, a reminder of a close brush with a Necrosphinx.
He earned his golden spurs in battle and was knighted by the Lady of the Lake herself the day he returned to the shores of Bretonnia. Never has forgotten the savage treatment he suffered as a squire at the hands of those above him and he swore to the Lady he would protect the weak as much as the strong. In an effort to relocate this troublesome Knight, the leadership of Bretonnia sent him to the Pale Sisters in the hopes he might be slain by some wandering monsters.
The young Knight Errant was quick to disappoint his detractors and won renown as a master-of-arms and leader of the common man. His secret marriage to the daughter of duchys ruler, Earl Baldhelm of Harran, thrust him into forefront when the Earl and his only son were killed in a beastmen raid. Thommas avenged their deaths so ruthlessly that no one raised a public objection when he inherited the duchy, courtesy of his wifes birthright. The Lady herself dubbed him a Grail Knight on the day of his coronation and gave him a mighty Pegasus to ride.
The People and State of Gisoreux:
Just as the land of Gisoreux is divided, so are the people. The Plains of Gisoreux are the heart of the duchy, and these are the people most outsiders think of when they think of Gisoreux. Gisorens are friendly people; they greet even complete strangers politely, and many people offer casual acquaintances a meal. There are, however, strict limits to this generosity. After a single meal and one night’s accommodation, visitors are expected to earn any further friendliness by reciprocating. Clever and mobile rogues manage to sponge off the Gisorens' largesse for years, but far more are recognized and find themselves shunned.
These customs even extend to the more civilized parts of the Forest of Arden, but there, new arrivals are expected to begin their visit with a bath, in which they are supervised constantly by armed villagers. The bath is, of course, a courtesy, and the guards are for the guests' protection, and the fact that it is impossible to hide most mutations whilst naked is pure coincidence. Attractive female visitors may find many, many men are eager to protect them. Women pretending to be men find that people in this region are generally good at overlooking such things.
The nomads of the forest make a living as hunters and trappers and trade regularly with the villages bordering on their areas. Most of them make a trip to the city of Gisoreux at least once every few years, since they have occasional contact with the isolated villages of Artois and do not want to become like them. They also keep an eye on the Beastmen and other monsters and send runners to warn villages at risk of attack. As a result, they are accepted without prejudice by virtually all other Gisorens.
In the valleys of the Pale Sisters, the people cluster together in small communities. Given the labyrinthine quality of this region accompanied by terrible winters, few people have the means or the interest to leave their small stone homes. Few have little knowledge of others who dwell in and beyond these mountains. As a result of their isolation, each community has its own strange customs and habits, though the threat of Orcs and Chaos force all villages to concentrate on defence.
There are Human inhabitants of the Grey Mountains, but in Gisoreux this range is too rugged and plagued by monsters to support any real communities. Most of those who live here are nomadic loners, though there are some family groups. They live by hunting and by guiding travellers through the mountains. A few nobles have lands in the Plains of Gisoreux and strongholds in the mountains, with the responsibility of defending them against monsters. In many places they can do little more than keep their fortress secure and supplied, but the nobles along the Gisoreux Gap pride themselves on keeping it as safe for traffic as any road anywhere.
Gisoreux, in common with all the duchies bordering on the cursed lands of Mousillon, would like to see it invaded and cleansed. However, relations with Bastonne are also strained. Nobles in the Plains of Gisoreux have repeatedly feuded with Bastonnian lords in an effort to extend their holdings across the river.
Active Service:
The Duchy of Gisoreux boasts a handsome number of full-time troops to maintain the trade routes that make their neighbours wealthy. Knights are a regular sight on Gisorean roads and the Duke himself has a substantial number of Questing Knights, and a few Grail Knights, in his service as there is no shortage of enemies to slay. Recently a small group of Pegasus Knights have journeyed to the region and sworn fealty to the young Duke.
Peasant levies are numerous and trained in a regular rotation to ensure that a rising threat can be dealt with swiftly and effectively. Thommas understand the value of speed and has moved to outfit many of his levy units with mounts, to be cared for by the rider, in order to ensure he can move swiftly from one location to another.
Gisoreux has little in the way of siege weapons as there has been no call for it recently.
Garrisons:
Like the rest of Bertonnia, Gisoreux is heavily castellated, with fortifications commanded by lesser lords and Knights at nearly every strategic point. Locations are chosen with the enemies of old and the rising threat of Skaven in mind. Most are large enough to shelter a regions populace and livestock long enough to reinforcements to arrive.
The City of Gisoreux, for which the region is named, is one of the finest fortresses in all of Bretonnia. Built to seal the Gap of Gisoreux during the wars with the Empire, it has since grown into a formidable fortress city. Recent defensive upgrades commissioned by the Duke, using Dwarven engineers, had included ravelins and other outer works that will serve to negate the devastating impact of most modern artillery. This is one of the few areas extensive artillery can be located as trebuchets have been mounted on the largest towers and can command a dominating space around the city.
Regiments of Renown:
The Sons of Gisoreux are a unit of Questing Knights, led by the Dukes younger brother, found throughout the region. These men are sworn to the Service of the Lady and will not rest until they have slaughtered an enemy worth singing songs about. They are well mounted, fearless, and devastating in their charge.
Foreign Policy:
Gisoreux has excellent trade relationships with most of its neighbours. Dwarf, Brettonnian, and Imperial traders come and go regularly, as do some Elves. Duke Thommas is largely uninterested in the petty feuds so many of his fellow Knights are famous for, though has been known to tilt his lance regularly when challenged.
Notable locations:
WIP
