It is the Bretonnian year 1,017 (Imperial Calendar year 2,007). The lands of Bretonnia are ravaged by foul Chaos invaders and with King Louis the Brave dead, the Knights of Bretonnia, whilst valiantly defending the peasant populace under their protection are being thrown back at every turn.
*****
Four months had passed since the vision of the Lady, and Rapanse had risen from a simple peasant shepherdess to an accomplished warrior leading scores of knights against their foes.
From her first stumbling fight against the Beastmen she now fought as a woman possessed of all the skill and power of a Grail Knight with years of experience.
Chaos warbands had been ridden down and routed to the sea by her forces all throughout the northern coasts of Lyonesse, L'Anguille and now Couronne as they rode towards the capital which was under siege.
Knights had formed up and ridden to her side, daily pledging fealty to her leadership for the duration of the crisis, many recognised instinctively that she had been blessed by the Lady and held her in awe.
Riding along the main thoroughfare, the capital came into sight and the Chaos hordes besieging it were almost without number. Barbarian tribes, clad in thick furs howled and fought against neighbouring Beastmen warbands at the rear of the force. More disciplined and monstrous forces were closer to the city and trying to force a breach.
A brace of stone throwers hurled masonry torn from the town outside at the city walls which cracked asunder. A bronze gilted battering ram was slammed repeatedly into the thick oak gates which had been sealed closed for weeks now.
Rapanse wheeled her horse to look upon her army, the knights forming themselves into one huge wedge formation. She wheeled again and took off at a gallop towards the enemy forces, the loyal knights following, shaking the ground with the force of so many heavily armoured riders bearing down.
Too late the tribes turned from their squabbles, ridden down and crushed into the mud beneath the charging tide. Horses whinnied as they contacted the enemy, but the knights fought on. Lance's impaling those ahead until they splintered under the attack. Swords were drawn and the bloody work began.
Still they rode on, cutting down tribesmen, Norscan's, mutated Ogre's, larger mutated tribes, and they came upon the equally heavily armoured warriors at the core of the force.
These elite warriors fought back with superlative skill, tearing knights from their saddles as they rode past before beating them to a pulp with their brutal hammers and maces.
As they neared the center of the enemy line, stars exploded behind Rapanse's eyes. She shook her head and realised that she'd been struck with the flat of a spear. The perpetrators arm suddenly separated from his body in a welter of blood and screams, and though she was uninjured, the banner of the lady had fallen.
It had not reached the ground however as a knight riding past caught the falling tapestry and sacrificing his sword he held the banner aloft for all to see. The Blue and Red in stark contrast to his heraldry of pure white.
"Onwards lady, let us cut the head from this vile horde" his voice rang out metallic through his helmet and Rapanse nodded, urging her horse onwards again towards the lord behind this attack.
Reinvigorated, the knights turned and followed her into the fray again, their collective rage at the damage to their beloved country spurring them on. Rapanse, filled with the power of the lady was as a beacon to them, glowing with a golden nimbus of power from the Goddess.
As the Chaos lord swung at her, she turned her horse away from the incoming blow, over-extending her attacker. Mutated animal eyes looked up at her and squinted, reacting to the radiant golden light which played about Rapanse's head.
The moment of hesitation was all she needed and as if guided by the Lady of the Lake, the Sword of Lyonesse passed through the vile mutated warriors neck and separated head from shoulder. In an instant the chaos horde faltered as the power holding it together faded.
The survivors of the lesser tribes howled and fled, the more disciplined elements put up a fighting retreat or died to a man in place as the Bretonnians took them apart, piece by piece.
*****
The final post in my Rapanse de Lyonesse series is the showcase of the completed model.
I'll let the photo's do the talking as I've covered most of how I painted her in the previous posts:
She's been a good project to get finished and I've really enjoyed painting this old model.
I even managed to get some better paint on her face.
I hope you've enjoyed this series, as I have a few bigger projects to start working on now. I may return to Bretonnia one day with a 3D printer army as I've found some good STLs recently, but one thing at a time.
Until next time, have nice day...
*****
As the celebrations began, the great doors to the city opened and the Men-at-arms marched out to secure the entrance road.
Behind them, flanked by his last remaining Grail Knight guardians, the young king of Bretonnia, Louis the Young, bade Rapanse approach and kneel.
"We had heard of your approach and prayed to the Lady for salvation. That she provided is a blessing to all of Bretonnia" he said and the gathering crowd cheered.
"Rapanse, in recognition of your deeds to our fair land these past months and your defence of our people, I hereby knight you and raise you up to be a Duchess of Lyonesse. Arise Rapanse de Lyonesse, rise a knight and Damoiselle de Guerre of Bretonnia" the king cried and the crowed erupted into ecstatic cheering.
"My lady" the knight of white heraldry knelt as she stood, "I believe this is your banner, I kept it aloft for you so as not to sully the colours of the Lady ". Draped over his outstretched arms was the Banner of the Lady, still as fresh and new as when it had first been woven.
"What is your name?" Rapanse asked the humble warrior.
"Henri le Massif, my lady" he replied still not looking up.
"I name you Paladin of my army, the Chevalier's de Lyonesse, you will be my banner bearer and personal champion as I see you have drank from the Grail".
He nodded and rose to his feet, towering a least a foot above her and held the banner aloft in on upheld arm. The breeze caught it and the emblazoned Fleur-de-lis fluttered to the cheers of the Bretonnian populace.
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