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Teutonic Order of Bretonnia |
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Written by Lord David
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Saturday, 24 May 2008 |
The Teutonic Order of Bretonnians was founded during the crusades against
Araby, where it fought to control all the important ports that would supply the
crusading armies. Soon after the order was founded, the crusades began to fail,
and so the order withdrew to Estalia nad the border princes and remained for a
period of 18 years. During this time, Grand Duke Boris of Kislev approached
them to ask for support against the norsemen who consistently attacked his
borders, to destroy orcoid infestations (commonly known as the ‘Orcdom of
Lithuaniorc’) and convert the people of the north to the true faith.
The order was invited into an area of Kislev and given land by Grand Duke
Boris, the order is strange in the eyes of normal Bretonnians, due to the fact
that because its territories lie so close to the borders of the Empire, on occasion
it has been known for the peasants serving in the order to use newer imperial
weapons such as cannon and crossbows, but this is frowned upon by the knights,
or 'Ritterbruder' of the order. The order HQ is in a relatively new city
on the borders of the northern wastes, the city of Konigsburg, 'King's
Mountain' due to the fact that it is situated on a hill and long awaits for the
King to bring his army and finally convert the tribesmen of the north. A close
network of towns and castles help control the unruly norse population, some of
whom still worship the Chaos Gods, and who are often hunted down by the order.
The organisation of the order differs to that of any
Bretonnian Duchy, as its structure follows a more religious feel. Turing the
first twenty years of its existence, the institutional structure of the Order
developed and stabilized. The Teutonic Order followed the lead of the Templars
and Hospitallers (knightly orders who also fought in the crusades against Araby)
by creating a system of provinces. Unlike monastic orders composed of
independent abbeys, the Teutonic Knights had a hierarchical chain of command
with commanderies (house, Kommende) at the lowest level. Provinces or
bailiwicks (Ballei, Komturei) were parts of "countries" that
composed the Order as a whole.
The
officials governing the Teutonic Order at the various levels were commander (Komtur,
preceptor (the replacement for Baron)) at the local level, province
commander (Landkomtur), national commander (Landmeister), and
grand master (Hochmeister, magister(the replacement for Duke). The
highest leadership positions (including grand master, grand commander [Grosskomtur],
marshal [Ordensmarschall], draper or quartermaster [Trapier],
hospitaller [Spittler], and treasurer [Tressler]) were elected by
the general chapter.
Membership
of this order was composed of various, distinct classes: knights, priests, and
other brothers (lay brothers, sisters, and "familiars"). There were a
large number of people who supported the professed members of the Order,
ranging from auxiliary knights (halbruders) to slaves. The highest ranking were
Ritterbruder, serving for free. There were attendants called squires (knechte),
and sergeants-at-arms. Foot soldiers were usually coerced from the local
peasantry and the converted Norsemen. Sister-aids (halpswesteren) were
employed as domestics as were halpbrüderen; they took religious vows.
Married and single lay domestics also were employed by the Order. Artisans and labourers
(e.g., gardeners, carpenters, masons) worked for charity or wages. Many serfs
and slaves were owned by the Order.
The army of the order differs very little, except for the odd gunpowder
weapon and some archers are equipped with imperial crossbows. Many of the peasants
are converted Norsemen, especially the archers, who due to their sudden change
of faith feel the need to prove themselves to the order, the same goes for the
Halbruder (half-brothers, whose only equivalent is the Knights Errant), men who
feel the need to prove themselves in order to be accepted. Another difference
to the armies of the order is the inclusion of priests as well as damsels.
Priests spur the men on, and whilst many are seen amongst the ranks of the
peasants, it is not uncommon for a unit of knights to be led by a Bishop, who
has taken the knightly oath, and is equipped almost exactly the same as a
knight, but continues to convert the local populations and ensures the high
piousness of the men of the order. Priest differ to other men of the order, due
to that they are forbidden to cut their enemies by order of the Lady herself,
who came to the early priests in a vision, so instead of swords and lances,
these priests use maces to bludgeon to death the enemies of the Lady.
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 25 May 2008 )
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Discuss (10 posts)
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Teutonic Order of Bretonnia
May 25 2008 19:13
This thread discusses the Content article: Teutonic Order of Bretonnia
I don´t realy understand the context of this article. Is it suposed to be an unofficial background story?
Sorry to say, but to me it looks highly unlikely that Kislevites ask help from Knights who are all the way in the Border Prince area.
As for the rest, I like what you did combining real history with the Warhammer world history, tough most of it is highly unlikely to happen.
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Re:Teutonic Order of Bretonnia
May 25 2008 20:24
Strange unofficial fluff. A bigart of my army is painted as Teuonic knights and has a fluff of knightly order. It s called Holy Order of Crusading Undeadslayers de Notre Dame de Batallie (bretonnias had a unit called kights of the Orderde Notre Dame de Batallie back in 3rd editin. Ive decidedto make this fluff for my army becaus my forfathers were members of its livonan branch and I m currently finishing my dissrtation about Livonian branch of the Teutonic order in12-13th centuries. But I did my best to fit it in the world of Warhammer.
1st - I ve changrd its name - no germans in the world of Warhammer. I we called it by the name of an existing n GW fluff Order - it s not a big secret that cristian authors gave attriutes of Mare t the Lady of the Lake to vax the pagan ideolgy and put it to cristian servce. It s not a secret that Teutonic Orders sant ptron was Mary, that s why they made @Round Table Feasts@ for the most heroic and noble pilgrims, who had joined them for a yar aginst pagans. Gartman von Anue - a renown poet-miesinger was orders halbbruder (halfbroter) as well as the author of werss about King Arthur and his knights.
That s why a Teutonic idea is a good one for a Bretonnian army, as well as any otherknightly Order as a prototype, because the cult of Mary and other saint wemen was strong in them - it recmpnced eathly love with wemen.
In my wersion the Holy Order of Crusading Undeadslayers de Notre Dame de Batallie was founded by Tancred II - Duke of Quenelles, after he had supped from the Grail and ordered by the Lady t take up his fathers holy anti-undead weapons and create a knightly order in her name to purge all undead from the face of Bretonnia.(TancredI, who won at la-Maisontaal but was later slain by Kemmler and Krell). So, Tancred and knights who hd joined him are supporting all activties aginst udead, sometimes crusadig against Khmri. Tancred II dreams to finish hs father s quest -to exterminte Kemmler and Krell.
De Roshefort has hd his Templars of Morr, paited as Teutoic knghts and sme luff for them. The fluff for Teutnc ofder of Bretonnia seems to me strange, offensive and cntraversive to the realities of Warhammer World. The author could b more orgiml and try to fit it better IMHO.
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Re:Teutonic Order of Bretonnia
May 29 2008 23:57
Hmm, although I like the concept it seems to have been done already in Empire fluff, as far as organizing religious knightly orders based off the Araby Crusades. Not that Bretonnians could not of done the same, but it seems too much like an overlap.
It might be better to come up with similar sounding but different names for the Orders rather than simply using the Historical names. Part of the fun of the Warhammer world is all the historical references you find with goofy names. They're not hard to spot but they do have variations.
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Re:Teutonic Order of Bretonnia
Jun 12 2008 05:37
I have never liked the Empire.
So the Empire has knights... whoop de freakin doo. We have knights that crusaded to Araby and it only makes sense that Bretonnians would form orders(better orders at that) to keep themselves organised. It is not so unbelievable that second-born Bretonnian nobles, ones destined to inherit no land, would take up the Crusade to make a life for themselves on their own.
I like this article very much. Would it be inappropriate to use Bretonnian Teutonic in an RP?
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Re:Teutonic Order of Bretonnia
Sep 12 2008 17:45
Cool article. I can imagine that some sort of event could've happened in the Warhammer World. I like the idea of a Teutonic Order in warhammer, but that would be way to scrappy if the noble Bretonnians are going to dress themselfs in black and white barding . So I like the idea, but the Bretonnians aint just the kinda people to do that thing, because ther're way to honourable to dress themselfes in black and white
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Re:Teutonic Order of Bretonnia
Sep 13 2008 05:17
Frankly, I'm not terribly impressed by this.
How does the name 'The Teutonic Order of Bretonnians' fit into the Warhammer world? I mean, the real world Teutonic Knights were Teutons, so thats where we get Teutonic from. It's not like 'Black Knight' where its a general descriptor, Teutonic is a specific thing that has no parallel in the Warhammer world. That just irks me.
To be honest, I think there were a couple of lost opportunities here. I liked the idea of a band of knights that had taken it upon themselves to guard a port, or ports. They seemed to eager too completely abandon their chosen task when the crunch came, though. It would have been more interesting to have them keep guarding the port, even though the Crusade was failing. Despite the Crusade failing. This would have been a good way to slot the religious overtones into the order, the port and the ocean becoming a kind of religious focus.
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Re:Teutonic Order of Bretonnia
Sep 13 2008 06:10
Teutonic Knights name comes from the Latin name of the order - "Ordo domus Sanctæ Mariæ Theutonicorum Ierosolimitanorum", the german name of the order was "Orden der Brüder vom Deutschen Haus St. Mariens in Jerusalem". So the best translation in current day English should be "Order of the German House of St. Mary in Jerusalem", thus we should call them "German Order" for short, as they themselves viewed them as Germans not Teutons.
I too fail to see a way for Teutonic name to fit into Warhammer world. The fluff written is a sad copy of real world Teutonic Knights and rather badly placed in a Warhammer world. Also - I believe that the Lithuanians would be gravely insulted by Lord Davids usage of their name and nation as barbarious and bloodthirsty orcs of Northlands.
The idea to use real life historic events, orders and nations in a Warhammer world is nice (most of that world actually is written based on that), but the trick is to twist and bend the reflection until it is something quite new. Definitely You have to change the names.
Best Regards,
Rafael de Bois et Guilbert
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Re:Teutonic Order of Bretonnia
Sep 13 2008 06:30
The wise words of my forespeakers are seconded.
The word "Teutonic" does not at all fit into the background of the Warhammer World.
Especially with the Empire holding the position of a "Pseudo-Holy-Roman-Empire", and already possessing a malapropism of "Teutonic" in the term "Teutogen".
Honestly, this sounds a little like an over-eager attempt of bringing some historical background knowledge into a game that is only very loosely related to reality.
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Re:Teutonic Order of Bretonnia
Sep 14 2008 01:15
though I do admit the Bret minis make for far more interesting models to pwint crusaiding themes on. thats what I started to do. though they went from a crusaiding group to boarder pricnes.
I don't mind the borrowing of history in fluff (Its sometimes fun to search for the cleverly hidden aspects) but some stuff is a bit to close.
oh well. I think both Bret and Empire would have set up chpaters but teh empires would be more religeous based and brets wuold be more orginizational based
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Re:Teutonic Order of Bretonnia
Sep 14 2008 09:41
Yea, change the name. The problem I see trying to play off of historical facts is that you have to go by the facts and really can't put your own twist to it. I would say Change the Name to something else, and change the color a bit. Even through we all know some Knights had Black and White colors, its not Bretonnia. Bretonnia is about the Chivalry code, and more of a Noble type of look, to make them different then Peasants.
Also I read something in earlier posts to get the German out, don't do that Keep them in lol.
But yet again its your army and your decision to do whatever you want, just do something that would make yourself happy.
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