Quenelles is a minor Bretonnia faction in
Total War: Warhammer. It only appears in the Season of Revelation
mini-campaign, as in the Grand Campaigns it is combined with Parravon.
"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.
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
follow their annexation of Cuileux during a Greenskin invasion in 900 IC,
Qunelles is so massive that it surrounds the entire mountain range of Massif
Orcal. Lying at the very center of the Dukedom, the Greenskins living within
Massif Orcal have always been a bane to the existence of all those living near
the mountain.
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.
Geography
"They’ve got so much land. It’s not
like they’d really miss a bit."
—Sir Renart, a noble of Montfort.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Official Name: Dukedom of Quenelles
Ruler: Duke Tancred II d'Quenelles
Government: Feudal Government
Capital: Castle Quenelles
Chartered Towns: Viefin, Castle
Beaumarchais
Major Exports: Unknown
Type: Minor
Category: Bretonnian Kingdoms
Ruler: Arnaud Gagnier
Campaigns: The Season of Revelation
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