The Kingdom of Aslantaine
Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2021 5:03 am
Whenever a Dark Lord™ arises, it falls to the most noble knights to meet his/her/its onslaught on the front line with stoicism and courage. In practice, Aslantaine tends to bear this burden more than other kingdoms. Its people see themselves as the true inheritors of the mighty god-king Aslan the Merciful (who was either a man with the spirit of a lion, or an actual talking lion. The scriptures are unclear on this point). When you hold yourself to a standard like that, you tend to be the first target of a rising Dark Lord™. And the kingdom's people wouldn't have it any other way.
After many years of this, Aslantaine has gotten pretty good at the whole knighthood thing. At some point, someone noticed that there's no guarantee that the children of noble families will actually be any good as knights, and might end up trying to deal with hobgoblin armies or viking raiders by quoting poetry, hiding, or using the wrong end of the sword. That's why the king or a knight of high enough rank can name any adult a Knight Errant if they show enough bravery, loyalty, and skill at arms. (There was a similar idea in a Bretonnia army book from the 1990s, but Games Workshop hasn't used it in like 20 years, so I did here.)
Knights Errant use cheaper armor and weapons, and simple shields they decorate themselves. As the title implies, they are bound to travel the kingdom defending the common people, completing fetch quests, and learning about the land and its problems. Here's a typical group of recently-named Knights Errant, led by Syr Evan, enthusiast of halfling beer and teller of bad jokes:
Some quests are relatively straightforward or even pleasant:
Others are a little more challenging:
When a Knight Errant completes enough quests to win renown among the people and their peers, they are promoted to the rank of Knight of the Realm. They are outfitted with high-quality armor and weapons paid for by the crown, and form the backbone of Aslantaine's armies:
Knights of the Realm like the ones above are effectively part of the kingdom's standing army, but some own land which they rule as vassals of the king. Such knights get to have their own heraldry, like Syr Roderick and Syr Genevieve here:
The greatest of these knights are selected to become Knights of the King's Table - the king's most trusted battle companions and advisors, and setters of trends in beer popularity. They use masterwork armor and weapons, and usually ride armored warhorses into battle:
Some knights, though, hear Aslan's call and leave their temporal concerns behind, travelling far beyond the lands of Aslantaine on an impossible quest for the lion-god's sanctum. Most never return, but the few who do are forever changed. Known as Paragons, they speak only in cryptic riddle-like sentences, and have strength and endurance far beyond that of mere mortals:
Speaking of the king, Aslantaine's current ruler is Robert of Hauteville, shown below with his wife Eleanor. During the war with the last Dark Lord™, he was a Knight of the Realm who fought in the Battle of the Eel Fords where the previous king was slain. On the way home, he and his companion knights were making camp in the forest, when a mysterious faerie lady emerged from the nearby river and presented him with the magical sword Aslandight. Everyone agreed that this was unusual enough and cool enough that he should be the next king:
War Priests of Aslan provide healing and buffing on the battlefield, not to mention morale-raising hymns:
And if you're not inclined to ask every single person you meet for a quest, and/or don't want to learn a lot of religious doctrine, and/or don't carry a tune well, you can always join the militia and get straight to stabbing things:
Not to mention the inevitable freeholders and foresters who live in the woods so they don't have to pay taxes on beer, but (hopefully!) emerge to join the kingdom's defenders when needed. Robyn Wood and her jolly men are a typical example:
After many years of this, Aslantaine has gotten pretty good at the whole knighthood thing. At some point, someone noticed that there's no guarantee that the children of noble families will actually be any good as knights, and might end up trying to deal with hobgoblin armies or viking raiders by quoting poetry, hiding, or using the wrong end of the sword. That's why the king or a knight of high enough rank can name any adult a Knight Errant if they show enough bravery, loyalty, and skill at arms. (There was a similar idea in a Bretonnia army book from the 1990s, but Games Workshop hasn't used it in like 20 years, so I did here.)
Knights Errant use cheaper armor and weapons, and simple shields they decorate themselves. As the title implies, they are bound to travel the kingdom defending the common people, completing fetch quests, and learning about the land and its problems. Here's a typical group of recently-named Knights Errant, led by Syr Evan, enthusiast of halfling beer and teller of bad jokes:
Some quests are relatively straightforward or even pleasant:
Others are a little more challenging:
When a Knight Errant completes enough quests to win renown among the people and their peers, they are promoted to the rank of Knight of the Realm. They are outfitted with high-quality armor and weapons paid for by the crown, and form the backbone of Aslantaine's armies:
Knights of the Realm like the ones above are effectively part of the kingdom's standing army, but some own land which they rule as vassals of the king. Such knights get to have their own heraldry, like Syr Roderick and Syr Genevieve here:
The greatest of these knights are selected to become Knights of the King's Table - the king's most trusted battle companions and advisors, and setters of trends in beer popularity. They use masterwork armor and weapons, and usually ride armored warhorses into battle:
Some knights, though, hear Aslan's call and leave their temporal concerns behind, travelling far beyond the lands of Aslantaine on an impossible quest for the lion-god's sanctum. Most never return, but the few who do are forever changed. Known as Paragons, they speak only in cryptic riddle-like sentences, and have strength and endurance far beyond that of mere mortals:
Speaking of the king, Aslantaine's current ruler is Robert of Hauteville, shown below with his wife Eleanor. During the war with the last Dark Lord™, he was a Knight of the Realm who fought in the Battle of the Eel Fords where the previous king was slain. On the way home, he and his companion knights were making camp in the forest, when a mysterious faerie lady emerged from the nearby river and presented him with the magical sword Aslandight. Everyone agreed that this was unusual enough and cool enough that he should be the next king:
War Priests of Aslan provide healing and buffing on the battlefield, not to mention morale-raising hymns:
And if you're not inclined to ask every single person you meet for a quest, and/or don't want to learn a lot of religious doctrine, and/or don't carry a tune well, you can always join the militia and get straight to stabbing things:
Not to mention the inevitable freeholders and foresters who live in the woods so they don't have to pay taxes on beer, but (hopefully!) emerge to join the kingdom's defenders when needed. Robyn Wood and her jolly men are a typical example:
I wondered how long it would take before someone posted that scene!