Bretonnia
A fallen kingdom whose chivalric spirit echoes in the new Mortal Realms.
Bretonnia is not a faction within the Age of Sigmar; it is a legendary realm from the Warhammer Fantasy setting that was destroyed during the End Times. In the current Mortal Realms, the spirit of Bretonnia lives on primarily through the Stormcast Eternals who were once its knights and the Lost & The Damned, but no organized army or kingdom by this name exists in the official Age of Sigmar canon. Fans often conflate the two settings due to their shared history, yet the Age of Sigmar universe is a distinct cosmology where the old world has been shattered and reborn.
- Origin
- Warhammer Fantasy (Destroyed)
- Current Status
- Non-existent in Age of Sigmar
- Legacy Factions
- Stormcast Eternals, Lost & The Damned
- Key Concept
- Chivalry and the Lady of the Lake
- Setting Transition
- End Times / Realmgate Wars
Lore & Background
Bretonnia was a vast, romanticized kingdom in the Warhammer Fantasy world, modeled after Arthurian legend and medieval France. It was ruled by a King-Priest and guided by the mystical Lady of the Lake, representing an idealized code of chivalry, courtly love, and feudal duty. The realm was a patchwork of powerful baronies, each with its own distinct culture, united under the banner of the King-Priest who sought to uphold justice against chaos and tyranny. When the End Times began, Bretonnia faced an existential threat as the forces of Chaos, led by Archaon the Everchosen, swept across the world. Despite a valiant last stand at the Battle of the Glacier and the fall of Couronne, the kingdom fell. The destruction of the old world meant that Bretonnia ceased to exist in any physical form within the Age of Sigmar. Its people were either slain, corrupted, or resurrected as Stormcast Eternals to fight in the new realms.
In Their Own Story
The mist clings to the ruins of what was once a grand keep, now little more than jagged stone against a twilight sky that shifts from violet to blood-red. A lone knight, clad in armor that hums with celestial energy rather than rusted iron, stands amidst the overgrown grass. He remembers the songs of the Lady, the gleam of white banners, and the weight of a sword forged for a world that no longer exists. Here, in the Realm of Hysh or perhaps the shattered fragments of Azyr, he fights not for a king or a land, but to ensure that the chivalry he once swore by is never forgotten.
Reader's Guide
Bretonnia does not exist as an active faction in the Age of Sigmar. The world was destroyed at the end of the Warhammer Fantasy timeline, and no organized Bretonnian army can be fielded in the current Mortal Realms. However, the legacy of Bretonnia is deeply woven into the lore of the Stormcast Eternals. Many of these celestial warriors were once knights, squires, or peasants from Bretonnia who died defending their realm. They now serve Sigmar, carrying forward the ideals of honor and protection that defined their past lives. Additionally, some characters from the old world appear in new forms. For example, the Order of the White Lion is referenced as a precursor to certain Stormcast orders. The concept of the Lady of the Lake has been reinterpreted through the lens of Sigmarite theology or lost myths of the Mortal Realms. Players interested in Bretonnia must look to the Warhammer Fantasy Battles game for its original representation, while Age of Sigmar offers a spiritual successor through the Stormcast Eternals and the broader narrative of resurrection.
Did You Know?
- Bretonnia was one of the last major human kingdoms to fall during the End Times in the Warhammer Fantasy setting.
- Many Stormcast Eternals in Age of Sigmar were originally knights from Bretonnia before their death and resurrection.
- The Lady of the Lake, a central figure in Bretonnian mythology, has no direct equivalent as an active deity in the current Age of Sigmar pantheon.
- The destruction of the entire Warhammer world during the End Times led to the creation of the Mortal Realms.