ShyPersons Warhammer Home-brew
- Thread starter ShyPerson
- Start date
- Worldbuilding Fantasy
ShyPerson
Guardian of the dead’s final rest.
- Location
- Sweden
- Pronouns
- Him/He
And the vote is over, with a sudden upset it looks like we are staying in the Old World. Next will the the component parts of the Karaz Ankor throngs.
Looking back I am largely satisfied with what I have put up so far. The one entry I have second thoughts over is the Pistoliers, for after mulling it over it might fit more as something for wealthy burghers children or rebellious nobles. Prospective Knights might be better prepared by tutoring in their family estate or in the order itself during their adolescence.
As we transition to the next army list, I leave the thread open. Field any questions on the setting and I might answer in an in-universe manner. I am also open to hearing criticism, be it spelling or other concerns you have.
Looking back I am largely satisfied with what I have put up so far. The one entry I have second thoughts over is the Pistoliers, for after mulling it over it might fit more as something for wealthy burghers children or rebellious nobles. Prospective Knights might be better prepared by tutoring in their family estate or in the order itself during their adolescence.
As we transition to the next army list, I leave the thread open. Field any questions on the setting and I might answer in an in-universe manner. I am also open to hearing criticism, be it spelling or other concerns you have.
Dwarf Warriors Part 1
ShyPerson
Guardian of the dead’s final rest.
- Location
- Sweden
- Pronouns
- Him/He
Dwarf Warriors
"The stuntie's are always takin everyfing so zoggin seriousley, like dey can't enjoy a good foight. Dey is still fun to bash though, don't go down easy like's humies or gobbos".
-Borgo, orc of the Iron Roks tribe.
The Zorn Era
"It is by my might that clan Zhungrim was made subservient, thoughts oaths most grave that they serve at my call and will unwavering. At my word, each will mine copper and gems as I wish, Raise great pillars as I will, and fight and kill whoever I deem fit to live no more".
- Fragment of an ancient monument, providence thought to be Zorn. Quote commonly attributed to the infamous Crennag the Cruel.
As told through the oldest histories by elders to beardlings, there was never truly a time without conflict for dwarf-kind. As far as the recollection of the most learned of scholars can glean, dwarf-kind has always needed stalwart defenders for clan and Karak, for the Grobi, Urk, Thagoraki and others are eternally covetous of the holds riches. What few remember is that it was not only orcs and goblins that sought the holds treasure.
In the distant times before the Ancestors, the main opponents of the early dawi warriors were other dawi. In the ancient homelands the early clans would fight each other with small bands fighting in a manner reminiscent of Quarrelers and Rangers of their descendants before metal, over valuable lands and for vengeance. The rise of royal clans in conjunction with metalworking would change conduct of the inter clan warfare. Weapons and armor of copper, and later bronze, would be reserved for the petty kings and their warrior retainers. The kings would bolster their numbers by levying members of their subject clans. These levies were raised through oath-sworn promises coerced upon the militarily weaker clans, and continued to fight with stone weapons and hardened leather and cloth for protection. They fought not as kin, but for their own survival so they may return to their clan after, or advance into their king's retinue.
Coming of the Ancestors and the Golden Age
"Listen up and listen well! What you will soon hear are lessons passed to me when i was a bearding like you, from all the way back when Grimnir himself stood with our forefathers in the shield wall. You will listen because these lessons have never failed us".
-Megmim the Anvil, Longbeard of clan Trueshield.
As the most martial of the Ancestor Gods, it would be Grimnir who would most change the way dawi would wage war. As the Ancestors and their followers moved out of their ancient homelands, they would increasingly discover threats able to outrun them. The old ways of fighting alone for oneself would no longer suffice in the new lands the dawi were entering. As Valeya and Grungni were fostering ties of kinship and trust as the new foundation of society, Grimnir sought to use these ties to form the bedrock of the warrior's morale. A dwarf would not fight only for his own sake, but for the safety and survival of his kin and hold. Each warrior would not fight as individuals, but standing by the side of his fellows. The shield, previously held in contempt of the kings and warriors of Zorn, was the lynchpin of this new way of war. Each warrior now fought for something greater then himself, and was now discouraged from braking ranks for his own glory as not only would it break the shield wall, but would also mean that swifter foes could not feign retreats to catch the unaware.
The early settlement of the Worlds Edge Mountains forced almost every dwarf to fight as a warrior at one point or another until the first Karaks were founded and the surrounding valleys were cleared of danger. What was originally a shared burden among all clans would transfer to the dedicated when most of the clans could safely abscond into the holds and secure valleys. Those who took most to warfare as taught to the by Grimnir would form clans wholly dedicated to perfecting the craft of war making, claiming decent, either metaphorical or literal from the Ancestors master of war. The old tales state that the warrior clans were among the first to arm and clad themselves in truesteel after Smednir brought it forth, and for these to soon bear runes crafted by those most martial of Thungni's lineage. These clans would form the backbone of campaigns launched to clear the Vaults, the Black Mountains, Grey Mountains and Norsca for settlement. The same would be the ones to stand on the walls when the Demons from the far north turned their attentions to the Old World.
Every major hold entrusted its protection to warrior clans, who guarded caravans and patrolled routes above and below ground. Their strength and endurance becoming famous even outside the Karaz Ankor. Elven settlers would make the martial and sporting feats dwarf warriors known in Ulthuan, to their relatives' fascination. The early humans who settled in the lands between the two were awed and terrified; especially once they learned that ambushing and stealing from dwarf merchants were preceded by the annihilation of the offending tribe by "shining gnomes who emerged from the ground".
Authors notes:
I am trying out a new format for this, in order to better organise each posts contents. I considered doing one big post, but decided in the end release parts as they are done.
The way I am describing the pre-ancestor era is based on how it is interpreted in soulcake's Runelord Quest, Rhunrikki Strollar. Crennag the Cruel is the name of one of the kings the info post on that era mentions, and I decided to make explicit that cruelty.
I also decided to to make human settlement in the Reik Basin and Brettonina something occurring before the War of the Ancients. The official material is, as usual, inconsistent about this subject.
"The stuntie's are always takin everyfing so zoggin seriousley, like dey can't enjoy a good foight. Dey is still fun to bash though, don't go down easy like's humies or gobbos".
-Borgo, orc of the Iron Roks tribe.
The Zorn Era
"It is by my might that clan Zhungrim was made subservient, thoughts oaths most grave that they serve at my call and will unwavering. At my word, each will mine copper and gems as I wish, Raise great pillars as I will, and fight and kill whoever I deem fit to live no more".
- Fragment of an ancient monument, providence thought to be Zorn. Quote commonly attributed to the infamous Crennag the Cruel.
As told through the oldest histories by elders to beardlings, there was never truly a time without conflict for dwarf-kind. As far as the recollection of the most learned of scholars can glean, dwarf-kind has always needed stalwart defenders for clan and Karak, for the Grobi, Urk, Thagoraki and others are eternally covetous of the holds riches. What few remember is that it was not only orcs and goblins that sought the holds treasure.
In the distant times before the Ancestors, the main opponents of the early dawi warriors were other dawi. In the ancient homelands the early clans would fight each other with small bands fighting in a manner reminiscent of Quarrelers and Rangers of their descendants before metal, over valuable lands and for vengeance. The rise of royal clans in conjunction with metalworking would change conduct of the inter clan warfare. Weapons and armor of copper, and later bronze, would be reserved for the petty kings and their warrior retainers. The kings would bolster their numbers by levying members of their subject clans. These levies were raised through oath-sworn promises coerced upon the militarily weaker clans, and continued to fight with stone weapons and hardened leather and cloth for protection. They fought not as kin, but for their own survival so they may return to their clan after, or advance into their king's retinue.
Coming of the Ancestors and the Golden Age
"Listen up and listen well! What you will soon hear are lessons passed to me when i was a bearding like you, from all the way back when Grimnir himself stood with our forefathers in the shield wall. You will listen because these lessons have never failed us".
-Megmim the Anvil, Longbeard of clan Trueshield.
As the most martial of the Ancestor Gods, it would be Grimnir who would most change the way dawi would wage war. As the Ancestors and their followers moved out of their ancient homelands, they would increasingly discover threats able to outrun them. The old ways of fighting alone for oneself would no longer suffice in the new lands the dawi were entering. As Valeya and Grungni were fostering ties of kinship and trust as the new foundation of society, Grimnir sought to use these ties to form the bedrock of the warrior's morale. A dwarf would not fight only for his own sake, but for the safety and survival of his kin and hold. Each warrior would not fight as individuals, but standing by the side of his fellows. The shield, previously held in contempt of the kings and warriors of Zorn, was the lynchpin of this new way of war. Each warrior now fought for something greater then himself, and was now discouraged from braking ranks for his own glory as not only would it break the shield wall, but would also mean that swifter foes could not feign retreats to catch the unaware.
The early settlement of the Worlds Edge Mountains forced almost every dwarf to fight as a warrior at one point or another until the first Karaks were founded and the surrounding valleys were cleared of danger. What was originally a shared burden among all clans would transfer to the dedicated when most of the clans could safely abscond into the holds and secure valleys. Those who took most to warfare as taught to the by Grimnir would form clans wholly dedicated to perfecting the craft of war making, claiming decent, either metaphorical or literal from the Ancestors master of war. The old tales state that the warrior clans were among the first to arm and clad themselves in truesteel after Smednir brought it forth, and for these to soon bear runes crafted by those most martial of Thungni's lineage. These clans would form the backbone of campaigns launched to clear the Vaults, the Black Mountains, Grey Mountains and Norsca for settlement. The same would be the ones to stand on the walls when the Demons from the far north turned their attentions to the Old World.
Every major hold entrusted its protection to warrior clans, who guarded caravans and patrolled routes above and below ground. Their strength and endurance becoming famous even outside the Karaz Ankor. Elven settlers would make the martial and sporting feats dwarf warriors known in Ulthuan, to their relatives' fascination. The early humans who settled in the lands between the two were awed and terrified; especially once they learned that ambushing and stealing from dwarf merchants were preceded by the annihilation of the offending tribe by "shining gnomes who emerged from the ground".
Authors notes:
I am trying out a new format for this, in order to better organise each posts contents. I considered doing one big post, but decided in the end release parts as they are done.
The way I am describing the pre-ancestor era is based on how it is interpreted in soulcake's Runelord Quest, Rhunrikki Strollar. Crennag the Cruel is the name of one of the kings the info post on that era mentions, and I decided to make explicit that cruelty.
I also decided to to make human settlement in the Reik Basin and Brettonina something occurring before the War of the Ancients. The official material is, as usual, inconsistent about this subject.
Last edited:
ShyPerson
Guardian of the dead’s final rest.
- Location
- Sweden
- Pronouns
- Him/He
This is the Golden Age. Mandatory military training was not necessary yet, as the dedicated warrior clans had not been reduced by the War of Vengance, Age of Woe and the Goblin Wars. Before those I would estimate that the population was large enough field enough full time warriors for the Karaz Ankors needs.
Dwarf Warriors Part 2
ShyPerson
Guardian of the dead’s final rest.
- Location
- Sweden
- Pronouns
- Him/He
The Decline of Warrior Clans and rise of the Clan Levy
"There are so few of us now, compared to before. We were all that was needed. But now bakers, masons and porters make up most of the throng. And they only fight half as well as the throngs of yore, for they have duties that keeps them off the training halls".
-Dureng, member of the Warrior Clan Redhand.
The War of Vengeance inflicted grave losses among the Karaz Ankors warrior clans, curtailing the holds ability to project military strength beyond neighboring valleys. The clans could recover within a few generations, but events in the wars aftermath would end such hopes. First the Time of Woe would se numerous holds destroyed, along with the underway connections between the surviving Karaks severed by violent tectonic activity. The subsequent invasions by the Goblins would prove too much for the surviving holds dedicated warriors to manage on their own. Drawing on the precedent of the northward migration, each Karak was forced to militarize the entirety of its population. Every clan, regardless of profession, had to mobilize a fighting force for the king's disposal.
The Clan Levy has since surpassed the old Warrior Clans as the backbone of each holds throng. While the diffusion of the warrior's duties has ensured the Karaz Ankors continued survival, it has paradoxically also contributed to its decline. The whole of a clan's membership will largely be engaged in trades crucial to the holds material and cultural wellbeing, and apprentice to master will be expected join their clans muster. Any major mobilization will thus endanger the teachers and heirs of clan and guild knowledge, and the passing of tradition with them. Many empty clan halls of Karaz-a Karak testify to the cost of the Clan Levy, as its own levies are spend holding the Everlasting Realm from the abyss. A sacrifice needed as the surviving Warrior Clans are now shadows of their former heights.
Organization
"Orders from the King! We must make ready to march within a month's time! Inspect the marching supplies and make time for more practice!"
-Burlok, Lord of Clan Bardurzson of Zhufbar.
The wartime organization of a holds force, being raised from its general population, will resemble its peacetime structure with little difference. The Clan Levy across the remains of the Karaz Ankor calls for musters on a clan basis. Therefore individual units are each made up of members of one clan, with senior figures such as their lords, or the lords dully appointed thane. It is also the clan leadership's responsibility to choose who will join the throng, knowing that any loss will diminish the clan as a whole. This may be conducted via handpicking, volunteering or by lot. The equipping and supplying of the muster is also the clan's responsibility, and each therefore maintains and stocks and armory and stockpiles of food and ale marked for muster. Weapon smith clans being rich in weapons and poor in drink, while brewer clans being the opposite are an often joke about while the throng is mustering.
Equipment and Training
"You want'z tha best suff? Gank some stunties. Even the runt'z ave betta suff then Snagga can poundz togetha. The runt'z could break'z your noze real good to, of your'e a squig brain"
-Gnos, Night Goblin of the Stabbaz tribe.
Regardless of standing or clan, every warrior without exception carries an ax. Depending on personal and clan preference, he will wield either a single great ax as his main weapon, or a hand axe with a shield. Each warrior will also at the barest be clad in a steel helmet and layers of chain and thick cloth for his protection. Their stout frames allow dwarves to dress in heavier protection then the average human or elf, aiding their own natural resilience. How much of this protection a warrior receives depends on the state of the clan armory and his standing, meaning young dwarfs of destitute clans must suffice with one layer. A clans finest weapons and armor is always reserved for its Longbeards. It is the clan's eldest who has the privilege of age and beard length to wield the clan's artifacts, up to and including whichever Rune-struck armor and weapons it possesses.
While the average dwarf warrior appears like a well-trained soldier, it is only so when measured by a human standard due to natural strength and endurance. The bulk of the Karaks fighting strength spend most of their days performing the daily labor required for the holds function. How much time a dwarf will dedicate to the martial arts will differ between clan and hold, the average being around a quarter of the month. In the isolated Karak Azul the clans may spend upwards of one third of the month in combat and formation training. This pales to the Warrior Clans, whose members drill the whole month when not otherwise occupied. Days significant to Grimnir see competitions in martial skills, where clans are represented either by individual contestants itself collectively. Contests ranging from axe duels to Shield-Scrum (where two clans push against each other in opposing shield walls). These competitions serve as both a means of practice, and times for the king to access the overall fighting prowess of his realm. Diminished as they are, it is most often the Warrior Clans who claim victory.
In the Field
"Dwarf-thing camps difficult to sneak-infiltrate. Day or night, sharp-eyed and alert. All inside can fight-kill".
-Cruetch, Assassin of Clan Eshin.
What holds warriors together when mustered is first and foremost is the ties of kinship between fellow clan members. Each warrior knows that he stands side-by-side with brothers, cousins, uncles and nephews. Everyone in the line will therefore fight all the harder, knowing that cowardice would only further engager family, and bring shame on himself and the clan. What tactics a given clans levy fights by will depend on much of it utilizes the great axe verses the hand axe and shield. The great axe favors an offensive posture, while the shield favors a defensive one. In conjunction a shield wall may be formed to hold against a charge, and during a lull, the shields will part to allow great axe wielders through to shatter the momentum of the next rush. Where one stands during an engagement is dependent on seniority, whereas it is the eldest ho fill out the first ranks of the formation to lead and teach by example.
The militia nature of the contemporary throng also brings useful non-combat skills to the march. The architects and masons use their skills to establish marching camps, though in faster than satisfactory speed by dwarf standards. Smiths find themselves repairing weapons and re-riveting broken links in chain armor, whilst cobblers frequently find themselves accosted with worn footwear to re-cobble.
Authors Notes:
One thing canon sources omits is the impact that militarising the population to the degree the lore suggests would have on the social structure.
It was from Divided Loyalties where i got the idea that Karaz-a-Karak is diminishing itself by proving up the rest of the realm, the descriptions of empty halls on the main characters visit being very evocative.
"There are so few of us now, compared to before. We were all that was needed. But now bakers, masons and porters make up most of the throng. And they only fight half as well as the throngs of yore, for they have duties that keeps them off the training halls".
-Dureng, member of the Warrior Clan Redhand.
The War of Vengeance inflicted grave losses among the Karaz Ankors warrior clans, curtailing the holds ability to project military strength beyond neighboring valleys. The clans could recover within a few generations, but events in the wars aftermath would end such hopes. First the Time of Woe would se numerous holds destroyed, along with the underway connections between the surviving Karaks severed by violent tectonic activity. The subsequent invasions by the Goblins would prove too much for the surviving holds dedicated warriors to manage on their own. Drawing on the precedent of the northward migration, each Karak was forced to militarize the entirety of its population. Every clan, regardless of profession, had to mobilize a fighting force for the king's disposal.
The Clan Levy has since surpassed the old Warrior Clans as the backbone of each holds throng. While the diffusion of the warrior's duties has ensured the Karaz Ankors continued survival, it has paradoxically also contributed to its decline. The whole of a clan's membership will largely be engaged in trades crucial to the holds material and cultural wellbeing, and apprentice to master will be expected join their clans muster. Any major mobilization will thus endanger the teachers and heirs of clan and guild knowledge, and the passing of tradition with them. Many empty clan halls of Karaz-a Karak testify to the cost of the Clan Levy, as its own levies are spend holding the Everlasting Realm from the abyss. A sacrifice needed as the surviving Warrior Clans are now shadows of their former heights.
Organization
"Orders from the King! We must make ready to march within a month's time! Inspect the marching supplies and make time for more practice!"
-Burlok, Lord of Clan Bardurzson of Zhufbar.
The wartime organization of a holds force, being raised from its general population, will resemble its peacetime structure with little difference. The Clan Levy across the remains of the Karaz Ankor calls for musters on a clan basis. Therefore individual units are each made up of members of one clan, with senior figures such as their lords, or the lords dully appointed thane. It is also the clan leadership's responsibility to choose who will join the throng, knowing that any loss will diminish the clan as a whole. This may be conducted via handpicking, volunteering or by lot. The equipping and supplying of the muster is also the clan's responsibility, and each therefore maintains and stocks and armory and stockpiles of food and ale marked for muster. Weapon smith clans being rich in weapons and poor in drink, while brewer clans being the opposite are an often joke about while the throng is mustering.
Equipment and Training
"You want'z tha best suff? Gank some stunties. Even the runt'z ave betta suff then Snagga can poundz togetha. The runt'z could break'z your noze real good to, of your'e a squig brain"
-Gnos, Night Goblin of the Stabbaz tribe.
Regardless of standing or clan, every warrior without exception carries an ax. Depending on personal and clan preference, he will wield either a single great ax as his main weapon, or a hand axe with a shield. Each warrior will also at the barest be clad in a steel helmet and layers of chain and thick cloth for his protection. Their stout frames allow dwarves to dress in heavier protection then the average human or elf, aiding their own natural resilience. How much of this protection a warrior receives depends on the state of the clan armory and his standing, meaning young dwarfs of destitute clans must suffice with one layer. A clans finest weapons and armor is always reserved for its Longbeards. It is the clan's eldest who has the privilege of age and beard length to wield the clan's artifacts, up to and including whichever Rune-struck armor and weapons it possesses.
While the average dwarf warrior appears like a well-trained soldier, it is only so when measured by a human standard due to natural strength and endurance. The bulk of the Karaks fighting strength spend most of their days performing the daily labor required for the holds function. How much time a dwarf will dedicate to the martial arts will differ between clan and hold, the average being around a quarter of the month. In the isolated Karak Azul the clans may spend upwards of one third of the month in combat and formation training. This pales to the Warrior Clans, whose members drill the whole month when not otherwise occupied. Days significant to Grimnir see competitions in martial skills, where clans are represented either by individual contestants itself collectively. Contests ranging from axe duels to Shield-Scrum (where two clans push against each other in opposing shield walls). These competitions serve as both a means of practice, and times for the king to access the overall fighting prowess of his realm. Diminished as they are, it is most often the Warrior Clans who claim victory.
In the Field
"Dwarf-thing camps difficult to sneak-infiltrate. Day or night, sharp-eyed and alert. All inside can fight-kill".
-Cruetch, Assassin of Clan Eshin.
What holds warriors together when mustered is first and foremost is the ties of kinship between fellow clan members. Each warrior knows that he stands side-by-side with brothers, cousins, uncles and nephews. Everyone in the line will therefore fight all the harder, knowing that cowardice would only further engager family, and bring shame on himself and the clan. What tactics a given clans levy fights by will depend on much of it utilizes the great axe verses the hand axe and shield. The great axe favors an offensive posture, while the shield favors a defensive one. In conjunction a shield wall may be formed to hold against a charge, and during a lull, the shields will part to allow great axe wielders through to shatter the momentum of the next rush. Where one stands during an engagement is dependent on seniority, whereas it is the eldest ho fill out the first ranks of the formation to lead and teach by example.
The militia nature of the contemporary throng also brings useful non-combat skills to the march. The architects and masons use their skills to establish marching camps, though in faster than satisfactory speed by dwarf standards. Smiths find themselves repairing weapons and re-riveting broken links in chain armor, whilst cobblers frequently find themselves accosted with worn footwear to re-cobble.
Authors Notes:
One thing canon sources omits is the impact that militarising the population to the degree the lore suggests would have on the social structure.
It was from Divided Loyalties where i got the idea that Karaz-a-Karak is diminishing itself by proving up the rest of the realm, the descriptions of empty halls on the main characters visit being very evocative.
Dwarven Ranged Troops
ShyPerson
Guardian of the dead’s final rest.
- Location
- Sweden
- Pronouns
- Him/He
Dwarven Ranged Troops
"Never battle with dwarves wielding ranged weapons like you would other chattel. They are every bit as armored and armed for close quarters as their regular warriors, and if you can't close in time they carry a weapon with twice the penetrating power of your uraithen, at its weakest".
- Halvarne, corsair of the Black Ark 'Mathlans Maw".
Quarrelers
"Behold! This is a crossbow made of wutroth. The same that our clans founder Gutrek used to slay the elven prince Caldrion in the War of Vengeance, and the Goblin warlord Skarr in the Goblin Wars. We stick to the tried and true to honor his memory".
-Ingra, Longplait of Clan Gutreksson
Out of the many mechanical devices in the dwarf's armory, the crossbow is one of the few that predate Morgrim, the father of engineering. Its origins are unclear, but ancient records attest to its usage in the Zorn Era, predating the preeminence of Karak Zorn itself. This age gives the weapon great historical significance and the personal ranged weapon of choice for ardent traditionalists, who view the handgun as inaccurate and unreliable. The construction and material varies greatly between region and clan, and its age of manufacture as the loss of materials and knowledge render certain variants dwindling relics. Most Bowyers Guilds make theirs entirely from metal, though the Grey Mountain guilds predominantly assemble theirs from wood, with Karak Norns made with Loren wood being particularly renowned. The very best crossbows are agreed to be whose parts are carve from Wutroth, but production ceased during the Goblin Wars when most of the groves were lost, and the remainder are among a clans most valued treasures.
Near every clan maintains a contingent of quarrelers, who are apart from the average clan levy as they dedicate their full time to martial pursuits in both axe and crossbow. Their duty while not called to muster is the manning of the Karaks defensive works, fortified outposts and patrol of the mountain highways. Clans may also use this contingent to for their own interests, an example when the Yinlinsons entrust the safe passage of their ale loaded caravans only to their own kin.
When the throng is assembled the Quarrelers will join their clans muster, marching as part of their kin's column. When battle is joined the Quarrelers can be placed in any number of positions. Most often they are enmeshed with their clan muster, to disrupt a charge towards the shield wall, or to march ahead to duel with enemy skirmishers, relying on their armor to outlast the enemy in a ranged duel. They may also separate from the main body to hold the flanks, in order to loose into the enemy flank and to protect their own from being turned. Being as heavily armored as a warrior the Quarreler will no compunction about facing the enemy in melee, and will always carry a shield and hand axe or a great axe for this eventuality.
Even as the handgun has risen in prominence, the crossbow still remains favored across the realm. For its advocates (especially the Bowyers Guilds) hold it as less materially demanding in manufacture and use, while still able to shoot with greater accuracy for longer distances.
Thunderers
"As ever, the secrets of the dwarven gun smiths elude me. Asking them outright is foolish, they are infamously protective of their work, and so I have attempted to observe examples of their craft discretely. Yet the mercenaries and caravans who pass through never give my apprentices or me an opportunity. Even trying to ask those rare few who posses one of their works have led to naught. An oath of some kind must have been demanded as payment".
-Marchionne, master gun smith of Miragliano.
Even as the Engineering Guild was the first to make possible explosive propelled projectile weaponry in the 900s IC, they would long be kept at arms length, due to the nature of its payloads. Though as larger crewed cannons were the primary employment of the technology, radicals of the guild would toil in secret to miniaturize it for individual use. The projects to achieve this outcome was one passed for centuries until it bore fruit in the 1500s IC, where prototypes not dissimilar to later human hand cannons were employed as a last resort to kill Clan Moulder siege creatures assaulting Zhufbarr. While those responsible were reprobated for the rashness of using untested prototypes, the Grandmaster and guild council would officially endorse the hand cannons continued development in the Engineers Conclave of 1612 IC.
Until the 1800s IC, handheld gunpowder weaponry remained near exclusively in the engineer's armories, until commissions from outside the guild rose as a new generation grew their beards. The wealthy and less hidebound clans begun started fielding contingents of gunners, favoring it for its greater penetration and ease of use. Its users, known latter as Thunderers for the sound their wepons make when fired in unison, would play the same roles in the throng as the existent Quarrelers.
The dwarven handgun should not be thought of as single unified design. Each is in the dwarven tradition designed as an artisanal work by individual engineers, leading to great variation between holds and different gunsmiths. It is normal to see widely varying designs across a firing line, each shaped by the wielders preference and makers design philosophy. Dwarf handguns as a whole remain centuries ahead most human and skaven designs in refinement, including spiraled barrels, drop shaped shot and recently refined breach loaders and wheel locks to improve reload rates and reliability. The expense of the weapons and consistent need for powder to remain in use has deterred many from its use inspire of the sheer damage a volley can do to anything from a swarm of Skavenslaves to a fully-grown Arachnaroc spider. Controversy also surrounds it, with arguments that its proliferation justifies gun smiting being moved to the purview of its own guild, a move that the Engineering Guilds leadership has always struck down. Runesmiths as a rule refuse to work on them, leaving only the most radical wiling to even consider striking their craft on to one. Despite controversy, the handgun remains to useful to be abandoned, with only the ardent traditionalist kings of Karak Hirn willing to ban their use (though Hirns Sulfur Harvesters Guild have adapted by making great profits trading their surplus to Nuln and neighboring holds).
Authors notes:
I have settled on alternating between bigger, sectioned posts and shorter posts depending on how much i can think up for each unit. In this case I could only think up a shorter one for each. The greater history of dwarves gunpowder use will be covered when we get to the cannons.
The term uraithen is one I nabbed from Imrix's Paradox of Choice Quest, one where you control the Phoenix King. He has great home-brew write ups for the Dark Elf roster, which was an inspiration for this.
The Engineers Conclave was a concept taken from Dynamic Alcoholisim, and a major plot point following the quests single largest event.
I am going to spend my creative energy for another project I am cooking up. Until then, here is a poll for which unit to do when i return.
[ ] The Hammeres, guardians of the Royalty.
[ ] The Ironbreakers, guardians of the underground.
[ ] The Rangers, shadowy guardians of the surface.
"Never battle with dwarves wielding ranged weapons like you would other chattel. They are every bit as armored and armed for close quarters as their regular warriors, and if you can't close in time they carry a weapon with twice the penetrating power of your uraithen, at its weakest".
- Halvarne, corsair of the Black Ark 'Mathlans Maw".
Quarrelers
"Behold! This is a crossbow made of wutroth. The same that our clans founder Gutrek used to slay the elven prince Caldrion in the War of Vengeance, and the Goblin warlord Skarr in the Goblin Wars. We stick to the tried and true to honor his memory".
-Ingra, Longplait of Clan Gutreksson
Out of the many mechanical devices in the dwarf's armory, the crossbow is one of the few that predate Morgrim, the father of engineering. Its origins are unclear, but ancient records attest to its usage in the Zorn Era, predating the preeminence of Karak Zorn itself. This age gives the weapon great historical significance and the personal ranged weapon of choice for ardent traditionalists, who view the handgun as inaccurate and unreliable. The construction and material varies greatly between region and clan, and its age of manufacture as the loss of materials and knowledge render certain variants dwindling relics. Most Bowyers Guilds make theirs entirely from metal, though the Grey Mountain guilds predominantly assemble theirs from wood, with Karak Norns made with Loren wood being particularly renowned. The very best crossbows are agreed to be whose parts are carve from Wutroth, but production ceased during the Goblin Wars when most of the groves were lost, and the remainder are among a clans most valued treasures.
Near every clan maintains a contingent of quarrelers, who are apart from the average clan levy as they dedicate their full time to martial pursuits in both axe and crossbow. Their duty while not called to muster is the manning of the Karaks defensive works, fortified outposts and patrol of the mountain highways. Clans may also use this contingent to for their own interests, an example when the Yinlinsons entrust the safe passage of their ale loaded caravans only to their own kin.
When the throng is assembled the Quarrelers will join their clans muster, marching as part of their kin's column. When battle is joined the Quarrelers can be placed in any number of positions. Most often they are enmeshed with their clan muster, to disrupt a charge towards the shield wall, or to march ahead to duel with enemy skirmishers, relying on their armor to outlast the enemy in a ranged duel. They may also separate from the main body to hold the flanks, in order to loose into the enemy flank and to protect their own from being turned. Being as heavily armored as a warrior the Quarreler will no compunction about facing the enemy in melee, and will always carry a shield and hand axe or a great axe for this eventuality.
Even as the handgun has risen in prominence, the crossbow still remains favored across the realm. For its advocates (especially the Bowyers Guilds) hold it as less materially demanding in manufacture and use, while still able to shoot with greater accuracy for longer distances.
Thunderers
"As ever, the secrets of the dwarven gun smiths elude me. Asking them outright is foolish, they are infamously protective of their work, and so I have attempted to observe examples of their craft discretely. Yet the mercenaries and caravans who pass through never give my apprentices or me an opportunity. Even trying to ask those rare few who posses one of their works have led to naught. An oath of some kind must have been demanded as payment".
-Marchionne, master gun smith of Miragliano.
Even as the Engineering Guild was the first to make possible explosive propelled projectile weaponry in the 900s IC, they would long be kept at arms length, due to the nature of its payloads. Though as larger crewed cannons were the primary employment of the technology, radicals of the guild would toil in secret to miniaturize it for individual use. The projects to achieve this outcome was one passed for centuries until it bore fruit in the 1500s IC, where prototypes not dissimilar to later human hand cannons were employed as a last resort to kill Clan Moulder siege creatures assaulting Zhufbarr. While those responsible were reprobated for the rashness of using untested prototypes, the Grandmaster and guild council would officially endorse the hand cannons continued development in the Engineers Conclave of 1612 IC.
Until the 1800s IC, handheld gunpowder weaponry remained near exclusively in the engineer's armories, until commissions from outside the guild rose as a new generation grew their beards. The wealthy and less hidebound clans begun started fielding contingents of gunners, favoring it for its greater penetration and ease of use. Its users, known latter as Thunderers for the sound their wepons make when fired in unison, would play the same roles in the throng as the existent Quarrelers.
The dwarven handgun should not be thought of as single unified design. Each is in the dwarven tradition designed as an artisanal work by individual engineers, leading to great variation between holds and different gunsmiths. It is normal to see widely varying designs across a firing line, each shaped by the wielders preference and makers design philosophy. Dwarf handguns as a whole remain centuries ahead most human and skaven designs in refinement, including spiraled barrels, drop shaped shot and recently refined breach loaders and wheel locks to improve reload rates and reliability. The expense of the weapons and consistent need for powder to remain in use has deterred many from its use inspire of the sheer damage a volley can do to anything from a swarm of Skavenslaves to a fully-grown Arachnaroc spider. Controversy also surrounds it, with arguments that its proliferation justifies gun smiting being moved to the purview of its own guild, a move that the Engineering Guilds leadership has always struck down. Runesmiths as a rule refuse to work on them, leaving only the most radical wiling to even consider striking their craft on to one. Despite controversy, the handgun remains to useful to be abandoned, with only the ardent traditionalist kings of Karak Hirn willing to ban their use (though Hirns Sulfur Harvesters Guild have adapted by making great profits trading their surplus to Nuln and neighboring holds).
Authors notes:
I have settled on alternating between bigger, sectioned posts and shorter posts depending on how much i can think up for each unit. In this case I could only think up a shorter one for each. The greater history of dwarves gunpowder use will be covered when we get to the cannons.
The term uraithen is one I nabbed from Imrix's Paradox of Choice Quest, one where you control the Phoenix King. He has great home-brew write ups for the Dark Elf roster, which was an inspiration for this.
The Engineers Conclave was a concept taken from Dynamic Alcoholisim, and a major plot point following the quests single largest event.
I am going to spend my creative energy for another project I am cooking up. Until then, here is a poll for which unit to do when i return.
[ ] The Hammeres, guardians of the Royalty.
[ ] The Ironbreakers, guardians of the underground.
[ ] The Rangers, shadowy guardians of the surface.
Last edited:
- Location
- Sweden
[X] The Rangers, shadowy guardians of the surface.
Baron Steakpuncher
Hopeful Idealist
- Location
- Australia
[X] The Ironbreakers, guardians of the underground.
A Dukes Letter
ShyPerson
Guardian of the dead’s final rest.
- Location
- Sweden
- Pronouns
- Him/He
Work on the update has been a bit slow, so here is something I wrote for the fanfic thread to tide you over and invite discussion. It's my proof of concept of how to give character to Bretonnia without leaning on grim dark or noblebright, delivered as an in-universe document.
To my eternally faithful and beloved Viviene!
I apologize for my tardiness. The rigors of this campaign has afforded me little time for personal letters. As I write this, we believe confrontation with the bray-herd that has ravaged the lands around the Grixmarie is nigh. The Lady willing, my next letter will bear tidings of our victory.
Truthfully, the greatest test during this endeavor has not been the Beastlords vile minions, but ensuring that the gathered host does not crumble under the weight of disagreement. Perhaps I now understand in a sense the challenge you faced in moving to Montfort for our betrothal. Here though I feel as if I am juggling relationships faster than your uncles jester juggles oversized beets.
While the codes set by the covenant between Gilles and the Lady may bind the land, yet the different continents of the host convinces me that it was the companions alone who made the Rules of Honour. our allies from Artois looked to me to be a host almost entirely of riding men-at-arms, given their armour, shortage of adequate destriers and open carrying bows, lead by a paltry number of proper knights. Yet near a third of these men stepped forward to proclaim themselves to be on an errantry or even as knights of Artois. I would have hanged those men for false impersonation had their leader, the Grail Knight Edmond not stood forth to vouch for all of them. As absurd as the it seemed I can not gainsay the word of the Lady's Chosen, and even he bore a great bow, which he insists was the weapon he slew the Ghorgon with. We shall need to ask our minstrel about this discrepancy. He proved the Lady's approval by loosing an arrow that pierced a Bray-Shamans eye and suffered not her wrath for it.
The contingent from Carcassonne were also a befuddling arrival. They too were all mounted to make best speed. Yet most of their force where so called "interim yeomen" from Estallia. I dislike the employment of men for coin, yet their leasing to me by their duke means i can not simply send them away. Fortunately many knights came. To my chagrin, a third were openly flaunting their womanhood, including their leader Ceteline. The Carcassanae further display their lands oddities though their interpretation about what a lance is. These supposed "lances" are short implements that they throw like javelins, even as they ride, yet insist what they wield is a lance. I suppose their arrival intact proves the Lady does not disapprove of this display.
Despite my misgivings of our other allies, those whom I enjoy breaking bread with the least are the Bastonnians. True, they follow the codes and rules exemplarily, yet their leaders seem possessed of the notion that it entitles them to behave in such a boorish fashion. They rudely criticised the manner in which our allies conducted themselves, their manner of dress and their weapons as un-bretonnian, the battle pilgrims who followed them caused incidents in camp that almost turned to bloodshed and their leader, Prince Gervais implied that our knights willingness to dismount when showed we were impious. I have also been told that outside my hearing that he insinuates that my Middenland made Greatsword is a sign that I was emasculated during my errantry in the Empire. If he had dared to say that in front of me I would not hesitate to use that blade to put him in his place, both for my honour, and my late friend Danchmer. If there is any benefit, the Carcassanae, the Artois'ens and my Montfordans are more unified, if only because they all agree that they hate the Brionnians.
Sorry to burden you with my woes, but it has been stressful. I shall endeavour to return with those elderberries you love when this affair is concluded.
Your beloved, Duke Cedrik d'Montfort.
It extrapolates onto Bretonnia two core themes that are foundational to how I characterize the setting; that no culture is monolithic and will influence others and be influenced in return. Such a massive kingdom should posses wide cultural variation to the point that things perceived as core aspects of knighthood is not clear cut, as it has to compromise with regional culture and conditions.
I invite the thread to discuss what the letters contents imply about the duchies featured, and what might culturally distinguish other duchies, be it either material, historical or cultural factors.
To my eternally faithful and beloved Viviene!
I apologize for my tardiness. The rigors of this campaign has afforded me little time for personal letters. As I write this, we believe confrontation with the bray-herd that has ravaged the lands around the Grixmarie is nigh. The Lady willing, my next letter will bear tidings of our victory.
Truthfully, the greatest test during this endeavor has not been the Beastlords vile minions, but ensuring that the gathered host does not crumble under the weight of disagreement. Perhaps I now understand in a sense the challenge you faced in moving to Montfort for our betrothal. Here though I feel as if I am juggling relationships faster than your uncles jester juggles oversized beets.
While the codes set by the covenant between Gilles and the Lady may bind the land, yet the different continents of the host convinces me that it was the companions alone who made the Rules of Honour. our allies from Artois looked to me to be a host almost entirely of riding men-at-arms, given their armour, shortage of adequate destriers and open carrying bows, lead by a paltry number of proper knights. Yet near a third of these men stepped forward to proclaim themselves to be on an errantry or even as knights of Artois. I would have hanged those men for false impersonation had their leader, the Grail Knight Edmond not stood forth to vouch for all of them. As absurd as the it seemed I can not gainsay the word of the Lady's Chosen, and even he bore a great bow, which he insists was the weapon he slew the Ghorgon with. We shall need to ask our minstrel about this discrepancy. He proved the Lady's approval by loosing an arrow that pierced a Bray-Shamans eye and suffered not her wrath for it.
The contingent from Carcassonne were also a befuddling arrival. They too were all mounted to make best speed. Yet most of their force where so called "interim yeomen" from Estallia. I dislike the employment of men for coin, yet their leasing to me by their duke means i can not simply send them away. Fortunately many knights came. To my chagrin, a third were openly flaunting their womanhood, including their leader Ceteline. The Carcassanae further display their lands oddities though their interpretation about what a lance is. These supposed "lances" are short implements that they throw like javelins, even as they ride, yet insist what they wield is a lance. I suppose their arrival intact proves the Lady does not disapprove of this display.
Despite my misgivings of our other allies, those whom I enjoy breaking bread with the least are the Bastonnians. True, they follow the codes and rules exemplarily, yet their leaders seem possessed of the notion that it entitles them to behave in such a boorish fashion. They rudely criticised the manner in which our allies conducted themselves, their manner of dress and their weapons as un-bretonnian, the battle pilgrims who followed them caused incidents in camp that almost turned to bloodshed and their leader, Prince Gervais implied that our knights willingness to dismount when showed we were impious. I have also been told that outside my hearing that he insinuates that my Middenland made Greatsword is a sign that I was emasculated during my errantry in the Empire. If he had dared to say that in front of me I would not hesitate to use that blade to put him in his place, both for my honour, and my late friend Danchmer. If there is any benefit, the Carcassanae, the Artois'ens and my Montfordans are more unified, if only because they all agree that they hate the Brionnians.
Sorry to burden you with my woes, but it has been stressful. I shall endeavour to return with those elderberries you love when this affair is concluded.
Your beloved, Duke Cedrik d'Montfort.
It extrapolates onto Bretonnia two core themes that are foundational to how I characterize the setting; that no culture is monolithic and will influence others and be influenced in return. Such a massive kingdom should posses wide cultural variation to the point that things perceived as core aspects of knighthood is not clear cut, as it has to compromise with regional culture and conditions.
I invite the thread to discuss what the letters contents imply about the duchies featured, and what might culturally distinguish other duchies, be it either material, historical or cultural factors.
Ironbreakers
ShyPerson
Guardian of the dead’s final rest.
- Location
- Sweden
- Pronouns
- Him/He
Iron Breakers
"Fought some shorty's on the way here. Sum o' them wore' sum real nice iron. But when Krug bashed one, he' jus stood up, then ripped is' gut plate off with is' axe before cuttin' him. Bad way to go, that".
- Bolg, Ogre mercenary.
Origins
"20 suits of armor. Made in gromril for the purpose of personal protection of wearers in the underground. Priority for protection for head and shoulders, in event of collapse. Must allow moderate mobility"
- Excerpt from an order for the Armor Smiths Guild of Kararz-a-Karak on behalf of Lord Ullek the Delver. Belived to be the originator of the Ironbreaker armor.
The beginnings of the Iron Breakers are inexorably linked with two core features of dwarven civilization: mining and gromril. Even in an idyllic era before the Time of Woe when the ancestors walked amongst their people, the underground was still hazardous for the unwary. The Underways, even at the Karaz Ankors height represent only a tiny fraction of the world hidden from the sun that the dwarves could hold with certainty. The untapped riches hidden in the world's depths and competition between Mining Guilds lead to expeditions being launched into untamed depths. The dangers of underground exploration required escorts to protect the expeditions and the temporary mining camps, but the average warrior proved insufficient to the challenges of the underground wilderness, and so the guilds sought an answer to this issue.
The solution would begin to take shape as the methods to smelt and forge gromril began to proliferate amidst Smednirs kin. The "king of all metals" would quickly be used to forge weapons and armor for the holds wealthiest. With the cultural cachet and wealth the mining profession held its guilds would commission armor to equip a new breed of warrior. The conventional warrior training would not suffice for the unpredictable hazards an expedition might face, so the first of the new tunnel fighters were handpicked members of the Mining Guilds for strength and endurance who had returned from an expedition. These were sent for training by the warrior clans. Merging the warrior training with the hard won experience of surviving the underground wilderness, these dwarfs would develop a new way of war as suits of armor made from gromril were delivered. The new gromril clad protection details would significantly raise the survival chances of the expeditions thanks to their near impervious armor and knowledge of the untamed underground.
New purpose and new doctrine
Unlike many segments of the Everlasting Realm, the security details of the underground expeditions would largely remain in their posts during the War of Vengeance, being exempted from the throngs. They were considered part of the Mining Guilds whose mining efforts were considered to be their contribution, particularly the rare materials gathered from the wilderness expeditions, which provided materials for runesmithing. After the War of Vengeance ended, the following decline of the Karaz Ankor would force the underground expeditionary forces into a permanent defensive stance. It was during this era that the term "Iron Breaker" would be used to refer to the gromril clad warrior, because the haphazard iron weapons of the average Goblin and later Skaven were known to break when they struck the gromril to hard.
The ceaseless war in the underground had forced the Ironbreakers into a near complete defensive posture. Where as pre-Goblin War designs were built to enable mobility to suit an expeditionary stance, later suits are built for complete protection of the wearer. This coincided with the continual loss of vital underway routes and the battlefield casualties that accompanied it. The Ironbreakers proved crucial to stemming the Greenskin and Skavin tides as surviving holds reoriented their underground defenses. As the Goblin Wars and loss of greater holds subsided, the Ironbreakers would emerge as permanent military formations under the kings direct command, with their overriding duty being the protection of the holds underground routes.
Training and Equipment
"You will not be so much as touch the armor until you can run for at least three hours carrying its weight. Then you need to prove you can fight with its for the same amount of time. The underground will not give you any respite, so I shall neither"
-Broki Baradson, Longbeard Ironbreaker.
Be selected for induction into a holds Ironbreakers Guild does not follow the conventional apprenticeship of other guilds. Any prospective member must first have taken an apprenticeship in his holds Mining Guild to both harden his body and become able to recognize features of underground terrain. Any prospect to then pass the Guilds fitness standards will then endure grueling training to fight and run in the infamously heavy armor. New prospects must also train with the wide variety of equipment the formation has accrued.
The eponyms gromril armor the Ironbreakers are known for are famed across the Old World and beyond as both the most durable assemblage of personal protection in the world, and the heaviest. It can resist all conventional weaponry, melee or ranged, their only weakness being through the eyeholes and the opening for the beard and mouth. Wearers are known to have survived strikes from Rat Ogres and Troll. The armor also enable its wearer to survive the dangers inherent to the underground, where absent maintenance of the underway has rendered old passages hazardous. The slow rate of forging and expanse of forging means any guilds collection has been grown for millennia. Their value is such that expeditions will be launched for their recovery should they be captured. While any guild would ideally equip its membership entirely with gromril, such a prospect has only been possible for the great holds. Smaller holds must often suffice with steel armor, sometimes with furnished with individual gromril components.
The basic armaments for members consist of a gromril covered shield and a hand axe. Beyond these a wide variety of weapons are employed. Mattocks and picks are retained as both armor piercing weapons and tools for tunneling. Pistols are wielded together with shields cut with firing slits. The single most destructive tool in the Ironbreakers arsenal is the Blasting Charge, used to both open and cause blockages or directly hurled at the enemy.
Employment and Tactics
"The stunties got's Ironbreakaz you say'z? Den tell Boss Shanka that if he gankz them, the Gromrilz' theres. Should keep them 'ard stunties busy".
-Gazak, Big Boss of the Green Hoodz tribe
Since their reassembly into a defensive formation, each guild is committed at all times to garrison the underground entrances to the Karak. Beyond the fortified entrances to the furthest extent of the holds control groups will march out to patrol and ward of potential intruders. The narrow tunnels make an ideal battlefield, as a shieldwall manned by Ironbreakers is a near impervious from the front, and the full armor mitigates even the potential damage of a flanking or rear attack. The daily business of an Ironbreaker consists largely of patrolling and skirmishing with Greenskins, Skaven and other underground threats.
The Ironbreakers Guilds are also obliged to join major military undertakings upon the king's request. Holding to their distinct methods its members do not march with the clan muster as tradition dictates, instead members muster as part of the guild. They will mostly be called to serve in the vanguard on any expedition or campaign that requires a throng to move through the old underway's, being the most familiar with the environs. Even outside their usual environment, a muster from an Ironbreakers Guild provides an unyielding anchor to a shield wall, one that very few forces in the world can break without unacceptable casualties. They will always stand where combat is expected to be the most punishing; their armor and endurance serving equally as an unbreakable bulwark or the edge of an axe strike.
They are a force the Everlasting Realms enemies have difficulty engaging directly, while their armor is greatly coveted as prizes to capture. The most consistent counter has been to isolate individuals our groups to then overwhelm with numbers. The time required to wear down greater numbers of Ironbreakers can even give time for relief to arrive.
Iron Drakes
"Do you smell that? That's the smell of a secret guild formula. Nothing else in the world smells like that. You know that smell of burning Thaggoraki fur? I love that smell. Smells like settled grudges".
- Gotri Rat Torcher, Iron Drake.
A new addition to the great Karaks underground defense, so recent in fact that it was only in the 2400s IC when the first Iron Drakes beards could touch the ground. The Drakegun they are named after came about through the Engineering Guilds attempts to miniaturize the Flame Cannon. The resulting device was deemed to dangerous to be used save by the guilds most radical members. The Drakeguns portability and destructive potential would eventually come to the attention of the Ironbreakers Guild. The prospect of a weapon that could incinerate swarms of Goblins and Skaven while creating tactical obstacles overruled even the conservative voices of the Karaz-a-Karak guild. Furthermore only gromril proved capable of surviving contact with the Drakeguns alchemical fire, which prompted the first wielders to fit gromril covering to protect their beards.
It takes a special kind of dwarf to be willing to wield device with barely two centuries out of guild approval and potentially hazardous to its wielder. Its value in the ongoing war in the underground has caused its implementation to be rushed, in the minds of traditionalists. Yet its ability to incinerate massive numbers of opponents in each burst and clear out strongpoints has made the Drakegun indispensable to the Ironbreakers. Its wielders are positioned behind the shieldwall, waiting for their brothers to part their shields to loose fire onto an approaching enemy. Its usage is only entrusted to those who have proven to have a steady hand, and poor handling can lead to devastating consequences for their allies.
Authors Notes:
Its been a while, but its done. Was occupied last month.
And yes, I added a reference to apocalypse now. Generally I would prefer to use such references sparingly, and this as too good a fit to pass up. Dumb jokes like that are part of the franchises bedrock, so I decided to indulge in it this time.
"Fought some shorty's on the way here. Sum o' them wore' sum real nice iron. But when Krug bashed one, he' jus stood up, then ripped is' gut plate off with is' axe before cuttin' him. Bad way to go, that".
- Bolg, Ogre mercenary.
Origins
"20 suits of armor. Made in gromril for the purpose of personal protection of wearers in the underground. Priority for protection for head and shoulders, in event of collapse. Must allow moderate mobility"
- Excerpt from an order for the Armor Smiths Guild of Kararz-a-Karak on behalf of Lord Ullek the Delver. Belived to be the originator of the Ironbreaker armor.
The beginnings of the Iron Breakers are inexorably linked with two core features of dwarven civilization: mining and gromril. Even in an idyllic era before the Time of Woe when the ancestors walked amongst their people, the underground was still hazardous for the unwary. The Underways, even at the Karaz Ankors height represent only a tiny fraction of the world hidden from the sun that the dwarves could hold with certainty. The untapped riches hidden in the world's depths and competition between Mining Guilds lead to expeditions being launched into untamed depths. The dangers of underground exploration required escorts to protect the expeditions and the temporary mining camps, but the average warrior proved insufficient to the challenges of the underground wilderness, and so the guilds sought an answer to this issue.
The solution would begin to take shape as the methods to smelt and forge gromril began to proliferate amidst Smednirs kin. The "king of all metals" would quickly be used to forge weapons and armor for the holds wealthiest. With the cultural cachet and wealth the mining profession held its guilds would commission armor to equip a new breed of warrior. The conventional warrior training would not suffice for the unpredictable hazards an expedition might face, so the first of the new tunnel fighters were handpicked members of the Mining Guilds for strength and endurance who had returned from an expedition. These were sent for training by the warrior clans. Merging the warrior training with the hard won experience of surviving the underground wilderness, these dwarfs would develop a new way of war as suits of armor made from gromril were delivered. The new gromril clad protection details would significantly raise the survival chances of the expeditions thanks to their near impervious armor and knowledge of the untamed underground.
New purpose and new doctrine
Unlike many segments of the Everlasting Realm, the security details of the underground expeditions would largely remain in their posts during the War of Vengeance, being exempted from the throngs. They were considered part of the Mining Guilds whose mining efforts were considered to be their contribution, particularly the rare materials gathered from the wilderness expeditions, which provided materials for runesmithing. After the War of Vengeance ended, the following decline of the Karaz Ankor would force the underground expeditionary forces into a permanent defensive stance. It was during this era that the term "Iron Breaker" would be used to refer to the gromril clad warrior, because the haphazard iron weapons of the average Goblin and later Skaven were known to break when they struck the gromril to hard.
The ceaseless war in the underground had forced the Ironbreakers into a near complete defensive posture. Where as pre-Goblin War designs were built to enable mobility to suit an expeditionary stance, later suits are built for complete protection of the wearer. This coincided with the continual loss of vital underway routes and the battlefield casualties that accompanied it. The Ironbreakers proved crucial to stemming the Greenskin and Skavin tides as surviving holds reoriented their underground defenses. As the Goblin Wars and loss of greater holds subsided, the Ironbreakers would emerge as permanent military formations under the kings direct command, with their overriding duty being the protection of the holds underground routes.
Training and Equipment
"You will not be so much as touch the armor until you can run for at least three hours carrying its weight. Then you need to prove you can fight with its for the same amount of time. The underground will not give you any respite, so I shall neither"
-Broki Baradson, Longbeard Ironbreaker.
Be selected for induction into a holds Ironbreakers Guild does not follow the conventional apprenticeship of other guilds. Any prospective member must first have taken an apprenticeship in his holds Mining Guild to both harden his body and become able to recognize features of underground terrain. Any prospect to then pass the Guilds fitness standards will then endure grueling training to fight and run in the infamously heavy armor. New prospects must also train with the wide variety of equipment the formation has accrued.
The eponyms gromril armor the Ironbreakers are known for are famed across the Old World and beyond as both the most durable assemblage of personal protection in the world, and the heaviest. It can resist all conventional weaponry, melee or ranged, their only weakness being through the eyeholes and the opening for the beard and mouth. Wearers are known to have survived strikes from Rat Ogres and Troll. The armor also enable its wearer to survive the dangers inherent to the underground, where absent maintenance of the underway has rendered old passages hazardous. The slow rate of forging and expanse of forging means any guilds collection has been grown for millennia. Their value is such that expeditions will be launched for their recovery should they be captured. While any guild would ideally equip its membership entirely with gromril, such a prospect has only been possible for the great holds. Smaller holds must often suffice with steel armor, sometimes with furnished with individual gromril components.
The basic armaments for members consist of a gromril covered shield and a hand axe. Beyond these a wide variety of weapons are employed. Mattocks and picks are retained as both armor piercing weapons and tools for tunneling. Pistols are wielded together with shields cut with firing slits. The single most destructive tool in the Ironbreakers arsenal is the Blasting Charge, used to both open and cause blockages or directly hurled at the enemy.
Employment and Tactics
"The stunties got's Ironbreakaz you say'z? Den tell Boss Shanka that if he gankz them, the Gromrilz' theres. Should keep them 'ard stunties busy".
-Gazak, Big Boss of the Green Hoodz tribe
Since their reassembly into a defensive formation, each guild is committed at all times to garrison the underground entrances to the Karak. Beyond the fortified entrances to the furthest extent of the holds control groups will march out to patrol and ward of potential intruders. The narrow tunnels make an ideal battlefield, as a shieldwall manned by Ironbreakers is a near impervious from the front, and the full armor mitigates even the potential damage of a flanking or rear attack. The daily business of an Ironbreaker consists largely of patrolling and skirmishing with Greenskins, Skaven and other underground threats.
The Ironbreakers Guilds are also obliged to join major military undertakings upon the king's request. Holding to their distinct methods its members do not march with the clan muster as tradition dictates, instead members muster as part of the guild. They will mostly be called to serve in the vanguard on any expedition or campaign that requires a throng to move through the old underway's, being the most familiar with the environs. Even outside their usual environment, a muster from an Ironbreakers Guild provides an unyielding anchor to a shield wall, one that very few forces in the world can break without unacceptable casualties. They will always stand where combat is expected to be the most punishing; their armor and endurance serving equally as an unbreakable bulwark or the edge of an axe strike.
They are a force the Everlasting Realms enemies have difficulty engaging directly, while their armor is greatly coveted as prizes to capture. The most consistent counter has been to isolate individuals our groups to then overwhelm with numbers. The time required to wear down greater numbers of Ironbreakers can even give time for relief to arrive.
Iron Drakes
"Do you smell that? That's the smell of a secret guild formula. Nothing else in the world smells like that. You know that smell of burning Thaggoraki fur? I love that smell. Smells like settled grudges".
- Gotri Rat Torcher, Iron Drake.
A new addition to the great Karaks underground defense, so recent in fact that it was only in the 2400s IC when the first Iron Drakes beards could touch the ground. The Drakegun they are named after came about through the Engineering Guilds attempts to miniaturize the Flame Cannon. The resulting device was deemed to dangerous to be used save by the guilds most radical members. The Drakeguns portability and destructive potential would eventually come to the attention of the Ironbreakers Guild. The prospect of a weapon that could incinerate swarms of Goblins and Skaven while creating tactical obstacles overruled even the conservative voices of the Karaz-a-Karak guild. Furthermore only gromril proved capable of surviving contact with the Drakeguns alchemical fire, which prompted the first wielders to fit gromril covering to protect their beards.
It takes a special kind of dwarf to be willing to wield device with barely two centuries out of guild approval and potentially hazardous to its wielder. Its value in the ongoing war in the underground has caused its implementation to be rushed, in the minds of traditionalists. Yet its ability to incinerate massive numbers of opponents in each burst and clear out strongpoints has made the Drakegun indispensable to the Ironbreakers. Its wielders are positioned behind the shieldwall, waiting for their brothers to part their shields to loose fire onto an approaching enemy. Its usage is only entrusted to those who have proven to have a steady hand, and poor handling can lead to devastating consequences for their allies.
Authors Notes:
Its been a while, but its done. Was occupied last month.
And yes, I added a reference to apocalypse now. Generally I would prefer to use such references sparingly, and this as too good a fit to pass up. Dumb jokes like that are part of the franchises bedrock, so I decided to indulge in it this time.
Aranfan
Team Plasma Grunt
Ah the Dawi. They remain yet a mighty power in the world, and in 8e might even be the strongest army on tabletop. But they are continually ground down by the endless war on so many different fronts.
This history of the ironbreakers makes a lot of sense. Thank you for this.
This history of the ironbreakers makes a lot of sense. Thank you for this.
Rangers
ShyPerson
Guardian of the dead’s final rest.
- Location
- Sweden
- Pronouns
- Him/He
Rangers
"When yer turnz roight of da Gabbos Creak, don't go in da left valley. All da mobz whose wents dere never return alive. Cant'z miss it for all dem stiks with boys stuck on them".
- Grottsnik, Goblin Big Boss of the Red-nose Tribe
Pre-Karaz Ankor
"Living under the open sky is nothing new for us. We have done so before even the Ancestors gave purpose to the wanderings of our forbearers".
- Skraggi, Elder of the Frostbeard Clan
In the distant era predating even the first kings and Zorn itself, combat between dwarves largely played out as skirmishes utilizing slings, javelins and eventually crossbows. The consolidation of power under the early kings would see warfare center around bronze clad and armed retainers and oath bound levies. The old combat methods would however still be practiced on the periphery of the kings domains. Dwarves that lived on the edges of the mountain ranges and regions poor in mineral deposits learned to how to hunt and trap to a greater extant than the clans of the mountains. They also learned how to disguise their movements and dwellings both from the rising Royal Clans and hostile beings on the frontiers.
The settled groups of Zorn did not recognize these bands of nomadic hunters as true Clans, but the petty kings of Zorn would pay no heed to their affairs due to their poverty and perceived inferiority. These groups were often referred to as "filth-beards", for they were imagined to have built their dwellings out of the filth on the surface. Referring to a ranger in such a manner is a grudge worthy offence in contemporary times. These outsiders mainly interacted with the rising Hold-Kings through trading animal hides, ivory and herbs for metal objects and food from the holds.
This status, like many facets of the Zorn Era, would change with the overthrow of the Zorn tyrant kings by the Great Ancestors. It is known that The Ancestors entreated the wanderers of the frontiers to aid their cause, in exchange recognizing them as true Clans. Whilst his origin is disputed, some traditions claim Gazul to come from one such group, his adoption held as symbolizing his people's acceptance into mainstream dwarf society. Many Ranger Clans continue to hold Gazul in reverence as their forefather and the first Ranger.
The Ancestors struck out to the north, it was the former outsiders who were the eyes and ears of the migration. Fleet footed and alert dwarves were the first to set foot in valleys and passes, scouting out safe roots to the new homelands. Such dwarves would also refine the methods of stealth and surface survival from the pre-Ancestor days that would be foundational to the future Rangers. Some histories attribute this evolution to Gazul
Rangers in the Present
"The foothills of the Red Peak and the Valley of the Silverstream shall be aloted to the possession of Clan Utreksson…
… at least one third of the fighting strength must be present on the muster on the kings call…"
- The Oath contract tablet of Clan Utreksson and Karak Ungor
Even as the Great Holds were founded, and the migrating population could abscond itself into the safety of the underground, there were still those who would chose to stay on under the sky. Many were descendants of the former outsiders who chose to continue their ancestral ways of life, felling more drawn to the surface than the underground and the new order Grungni and Valeya were founding. Tradition holds that these Clans were by either Grimnir or Gazul to be the watchful eyes of the Karaks, and were given the untamed valleys as their fiefs.
The duties appointed in the distant millennia have remained the same in the 2500th year of the umgi calendar. Though their numbers were like many aspects of dawi society were significantly reduced during the calamitous War of Vengeance and Time of Woe. Though the survival rates of the Ranger Clans were higher than most, many still went extinct. Surviving Clans would settle at new holds, often in the Grey Mountains, whilst remnants to small to survive on their own would amalgamate or be absorbed into larger Clans.
Despite the reduction in numbers, the surviving Clans are still the inheritors of truly ancient traditions, their clan halls being placed outside the holds. Even as they are afforded the same rights as any dwarf or Clan of the Karaz Ankor, the Ranger Clans remain a separate existence. Their existence on the surface and unconventional ways confounds most dwarves, as most Rangers will walk most of their lives in the open air. Stranger still is the absence of a formal Rangers Guild. Attempts by High Kings to found one have never succeeded, as the Clans are by their nature independent. Save for key goods such as metal and grains, Ranger Clans can exist in nearly complete independence from the Karak economy.
Duties
"Azgal may have fallen, but our clans Oath binds us to it still. If nothing else, to count how many urks and grobi are shuffling in and out each day".
- Gerna, Ranger of Karak Azul
The core of the Rangers unorthodoxy lies in the demands of their duties. The ongoing duty of all Rangers is the observation of the paths that lead to the Hold, regardless if said path is used or not. Any who move towards an intact Karak will unwittingly pass multiple hidden watch stations long before encountering the official way stations and outposts. The hidden Rangers use a combination of runners, smoke signals and horns to relay what passes into the Karaks perimeter. Should whatever passes the watch stations be hostile, then it becomes the Rangers duty to interdict the threat, either to eliminate and hinder as they are able. Their survivalist skill set also enable groups to conduct distant scouting, spending months or years out of contact to observe the frequent dens of dwarfkinds enemies or the status of lost holds.
Should the king call the Clans to muster, the Rangers are then obligated as other clans to contribute. On the surface the Rangers become the eyes of the king during the march. Being without cavalry it becomes crucial to find threats that Gyrocopters cannot observe from the sky. Before battle they also perform clandestine actions such as raids on the enemy camp, covert sabotage and preparing hiding spots to ambush from.
Equipment
The Rangers primary weaponry resembles the gear carried by quarrelers. Shields, axes and crossbows are the essential arms that each is taught proficiency from childhood. Near every Ranger is an outstanding marks dwarf, to the degree that many victors in crossbow completions are Rangers. The axe and shield differ greatly from the most of dwarf make, as the rangers axe is a much slimmer implement, with the shield being made in a smaller diameter then the norm. One addition that distinguishes Rangers is short swords, used as an implement to silently kill the unaware thanks to being able to stab, cut and thrust. Its use further associates the Clans with the enigmatic Gazul. Handguns, and black powder in general is not used due to its perceived unreliability and being counter to the principals of stealth that is central to their work.
For protection The Rangers generally avoid most forms of metal armor. It is not due to weight, but that most forms of metal armor are highly demanding to camouflage. The frequent travels will inevitably dirty chain and plate, causing rust, yet polishing means that light will reflect and reveal the wearer to even the unwary. Most metal will furthermore make much noise, even from the slightest twitch when worn. To this end the preferred protection is a combination of thick cloth and leather, dyed to match the environments a patrol is expecting to move through. Ubiquitous to all Rangers is the signature cloak. It is given upon passing from beardling or plaitling, woven from goat's wool and provides protection from cold and rain. A select few cloaks will even have Runes weaved into them through lost runelore, and can conceal their wearers regardless of environment.
Tactics
During battle the Rangers first and foremost serve a throngs skirmishers at a battles onset. When the shield wall clashes they will often move to strike the flank, to which they are especially dangerous when able to surprise the enemy by traversing terrain that is presumed to be impassible for armored dwarves. Should the battlefield permit it then Rangers may prepare hiding spots the foe will pass by, in order to deliver a surprise attack in the rear. This maneuver is known as Gazuls Strike While such attacks have brought resounding victories, they have also proven exceedingly risky and dangerous for the participants, for even a routing foe can trample Rangers in their panic.
Their equipment also makes Rangers poorly suited to fighting in the conventional dwarven manner. When closed to axe-range, they are trained to fight in a more dispersed manner that relies on agility and speed. They fight well against a surprised opponent in rough terrain, but the their low mobility compared with other races means that the Old Deadeyes must judge carefully weather or not to close. Said speed and weak armor compared to most dwarf warriors makes the Ranger especially vulnerable to mounted enemies, and goblins riding wolves or spiders are a frequent occurrence in the Grudge Books of Ranger Clans.
"When yer turnz roight of da Gabbos Creak, don't go in da left valley. All da mobz whose wents dere never return alive. Cant'z miss it for all dem stiks with boys stuck on them".
- Grottsnik, Goblin Big Boss of the Red-nose Tribe
Pre-Karaz Ankor
"Living under the open sky is nothing new for us. We have done so before even the Ancestors gave purpose to the wanderings of our forbearers".
- Skraggi, Elder of the Frostbeard Clan
In the distant era predating even the first kings and Zorn itself, combat between dwarves largely played out as skirmishes utilizing slings, javelins and eventually crossbows. The consolidation of power under the early kings would see warfare center around bronze clad and armed retainers and oath bound levies. The old combat methods would however still be practiced on the periphery of the kings domains. Dwarves that lived on the edges of the mountain ranges and regions poor in mineral deposits learned to how to hunt and trap to a greater extant than the clans of the mountains. They also learned how to disguise their movements and dwellings both from the rising Royal Clans and hostile beings on the frontiers.
The settled groups of Zorn did not recognize these bands of nomadic hunters as true Clans, but the petty kings of Zorn would pay no heed to their affairs due to their poverty and perceived inferiority. These groups were often referred to as "filth-beards", for they were imagined to have built their dwellings out of the filth on the surface. Referring to a ranger in such a manner is a grudge worthy offence in contemporary times. These outsiders mainly interacted with the rising Hold-Kings through trading animal hides, ivory and herbs for metal objects and food from the holds.
This status, like many facets of the Zorn Era, would change with the overthrow of the Zorn tyrant kings by the Great Ancestors. It is known that The Ancestors entreated the wanderers of the frontiers to aid their cause, in exchange recognizing them as true Clans. Whilst his origin is disputed, some traditions claim Gazul to come from one such group, his adoption held as symbolizing his people's acceptance into mainstream dwarf society. Many Ranger Clans continue to hold Gazul in reverence as their forefather and the first Ranger.
The Ancestors struck out to the north, it was the former outsiders who were the eyes and ears of the migration. Fleet footed and alert dwarves were the first to set foot in valleys and passes, scouting out safe roots to the new homelands. Such dwarves would also refine the methods of stealth and surface survival from the pre-Ancestor days that would be foundational to the future Rangers. Some histories attribute this evolution to Gazul
Rangers in the Present
"The foothills of the Red Peak and the Valley of the Silverstream shall be aloted to the possession of Clan Utreksson…
… at least one third of the fighting strength must be present on the muster on the kings call…"
- The Oath contract tablet of Clan Utreksson and Karak Ungor
Even as the Great Holds were founded, and the migrating population could abscond itself into the safety of the underground, there were still those who would chose to stay on under the sky. Many were descendants of the former outsiders who chose to continue their ancestral ways of life, felling more drawn to the surface than the underground and the new order Grungni and Valeya were founding. Tradition holds that these Clans were by either Grimnir or Gazul to be the watchful eyes of the Karaks, and were given the untamed valleys as their fiefs.
The duties appointed in the distant millennia have remained the same in the 2500th year of the umgi calendar. Though their numbers were like many aspects of dawi society were significantly reduced during the calamitous War of Vengeance and Time of Woe. Though the survival rates of the Ranger Clans were higher than most, many still went extinct. Surviving Clans would settle at new holds, often in the Grey Mountains, whilst remnants to small to survive on their own would amalgamate or be absorbed into larger Clans.
Despite the reduction in numbers, the surviving Clans are still the inheritors of truly ancient traditions, their clan halls being placed outside the holds. Even as they are afforded the same rights as any dwarf or Clan of the Karaz Ankor, the Ranger Clans remain a separate existence. Their existence on the surface and unconventional ways confounds most dwarves, as most Rangers will walk most of their lives in the open air. Stranger still is the absence of a formal Rangers Guild. Attempts by High Kings to found one have never succeeded, as the Clans are by their nature independent. Save for key goods such as metal and grains, Ranger Clans can exist in nearly complete independence from the Karak economy.
Duties
"Azgal may have fallen, but our clans Oath binds us to it still. If nothing else, to count how many urks and grobi are shuffling in and out each day".
- Gerna, Ranger of Karak Azul
The core of the Rangers unorthodoxy lies in the demands of their duties. The ongoing duty of all Rangers is the observation of the paths that lead to the Hold, regardless if said path is used or not. Any who move towards an intact Karak will unwittingly pass multiple hidden watch stations long before encountering the official way stations and outposts. The hidden Rangers use a combination of runners, smoke signals and horns to relay what passes into the Karaks perimeter. Should whatever passes the watch stations be hostile, then it becomes the Rangers duty to interdict the threat, either to eliminate and hinder as they are able. Their survivalist skill set also enable groups to conduct distant scouting, spending months or years out of contact to observe the frequent dens of dwarfkinds enemies or the status of lost holds.
Should the king call the Clans to muster, the Rangers are then obligated as other clans to contribute. On the surface the Rangers become the eyes of the king during the march. Being without cavalry it becomes crucial to find threats that Gyrocopters cannot observe from the sky. Before battle they also perform clandestine actions such as raids on the enemy camp, covert sabotage and preparing hiding spots to ambush from.
Equipment
The Rangers primary weaponry resembles the gear carried by quarrelers. Shields, axes and crossbows are the essential arms that each is taught proficiency from childhood. Near every Ranger is an outstanding marks dwarf, to the degree that many victors in crossbow completions are Rangers. The axe and shield differ greatly from the most of dwarf make, as the rangers axe is a much slimmer implement, with the shield being made in a smaller diameter then the norm. One addition that distinguishes Rangers is short swords, used as an implement to silently kill the unaware thanks to being able to stab, cut and thrust. Its use further associates the Clans with the enigmatic Gazul. Handguns, and black powder in general is not used due to its perceived unreliability and being counter to the principals of stealth that is central to their work.
For protection The Rangers generally avoid most forms of metal armor. It is not due to weight, but that most forms of metal armor are highly demanding to camouflage. The frequent travels will inevitably dirty chain and plate, causing rust, yet polishing means that light will reflect and reveal the wearer to even the unwary. Most metal will furthermore make much noise, even from the slightest twitch when worn. To this end the preferred protection is a combination of thick cloth and leather, dyed to match the environments a patrol is expecting to move through. Ubiquitous to all Rangers is the signature cloak. It is given upon passing from beardling or plaitling, woven from goat's wool and provides protection from cold and rain. A select few cloaks will even have Runes weaved into them through lost runelore, and can conceal their wearers regardless of environment.
Tactics
During battle the Rangers first and foremost serve a throngs skirmishers at a battles onset. When the shield wall clashes they will often move to strike the flank, to which they are especially dangerous when able to surprise the enemy by traversing terrain that is presumed to be impassible for armored dwarves. Should the battlefield permit it then Rangers may prepare hiding spots the foe will pass by, in order to deliver a surprise attack in the rear. This maneuver is known as Gazuls Strike While such attacks have brought resounding victories, they have also proven exceedingly risky and dangerous for the participants, for even a routing foe can trample Rangers in their panic.
Their equipment also makes Rangers poorly suited to fighting in the conventional dwarven manner. When closed to axe-range, they are trained to fight in a more dispersed manner that relies on agility and speed. They fight well against a surprised opponent in rough terrain, but the their low mobility compared with other races means that the Old Deadeyes must judge carefully weather or not to close. Said speed and weak armor compared to most dwarf warriors makes the Ranger especially vulnerable to mounted enemies, and goblins riding wolves or spiders are a frequent occurrence in the Grudge Books of Ranger Clans.
16 characters
Sick and tired of being Sick and Tired
- Location
- Alta California
- Pronouns
- They/Them
I love that you consider the truly ancient histories of peoples to be worthwhile telling and exploring as part of their story instead of the typical idea of noting interesting happening before the age of three empires, or the war of the beard or the coming of chaos or whatever else tends to be used as a start date for united polities on the Warhammer world.
I mean this approach is fine for Skaven and Beastmen who don't record their histories or even try. However, for elves, halflings, dwarves, lizardmen and more it does not really track for them not to have at least detailed legends to draw on even outside Sigmar's Empire.
I mean this approach is fine for Skaven and Beastmen who don't record their histories or even try. However, for elves, halflings, dwarves, lizardmen and more it does not really track for them not to have at least detailed legends to draw on even outside Sigmar's Empire.
I like the idea of Bretonnia as a loose confederation held together by shared faith in the Lady. The Grail Knights serve as holy arbiters, preventing the quarrelsome Brettonians from excommunicating their neighbors. But any battle is an exercise in negotiation, as each Brettonian lord has their own ideas about the Right and Proper manner for waging war.
In the absence of a Grail Knight, the question of who is truly a knight is a subject that probably leads to considerable bloodshed. There is no central authority to determine "proper" knighthood, only a series of tests that differ from province to province or even from lord to lord. Do you wear good armor and ride a fine horse? Do you use a bow or a javelin? Was your father a knight, and his father before him?
While the existence of a privileged warrior class is not unique, Brettonian knighthood is central to their religion. False knights are not merely liars but heretics, and they undermine a social order that is obsessed with the special, holy status of Lady-blessed mounted warriors.
In the absence of a Grail Knight, the question of who is truly a knight is a subject that probably leads to considerable bloodshed. There is no central authority to determine "proper" knighthood, only a series of tests that differ from province to province or even from lord to lord. Do you wear good armor and ride a fine horse? Do you use a bow or a javelin? Was your father a knight, and his father before him?
While the existence of a privileged warrior class is not unique, Brettonian knighthood is central to their religion. False knights are not merely liars but heretics, and they undermine a social order that is obsessed with the special, holy status of Lady-blessed mounted warriors.