Grail Knights

A Questing Knight who finds the grail and drinks from it is favoured by the Lady of the Lake and becomes a Grail Knight. Only a Questing Knight who has battled his way through many perils and overcome many terrible foes while on his quest is likely to ever find the grail. Many Questing Knights perish having never found the grail at all.

Anyone who does find the grail returns a changed man. The first thing that those who knew him as before will notice is his greater stature and presence. In battle and on campaign he will be able to endure greater hardships than any ordinary Knight as if they were of no account.

Mighty foes will look upon him with fear. When he speaks, which is not often, it is with awesome authority and inspires confidence in all that hear. He knows no fear or despair. Even magic often fails to affect him at all.

Grail Knights stand back from the everyday concerns of the world; they serve only the Lady of the Lake. They do this by upholding honour, virtue and the right. Bretonnia is the sacred domain of the Lady of the Lake and they will not allow evil or corruption to profane the land.

On returning from his quest a Grail Knight will not resume the lordship of his old domain, this is the concern of his appointed successor. Instead the Grail Knight will often become a hermit Knight residing in the chapel of the grail. Many of these chapels are in very remote places or in the woods and wilderness just beyond the edges of the domain. Here the Grail Knight is looked after by the peasants and fed and served as is his due as a Knight. In return they can count on his watchful eye and his sword to help protect the domain. Indeed, many foes will meet their end by his sword long before they ever stray into the fields of the domain. In times of dire peril, the lord of the domain might send word to any Grail Knights in the region for assistance.

Sometimes, when all seems lost, a Knight defending his domain against impossible odds will be joined by a Grail Knight, coming unbidden to fight by his side. Together they beat back the foe. After the victory the Grail Knight will ride off seeking no reward.

Throughout the countryside of Bretonnia there are to be found chapels dedicated to the grail and the Lady of the Lake. Grail chapels were originally founded by Grail Knights in places where they first saw a vision of the Lady of the Lake, or where a magic weapon was found. Later generations of Grail Knights choose to live in old chapels, but new ones may be founded from time to time. Grail chapels become the resting places for the bones of Grail Knights who have died and for their magic weapons. Knights Errant swear on the relics kept in the chapels and in times of peril old relic weapons may be taken up and used in defence of the domain.

Peasants from the domain attend the grail chapels to worship the Lady of the Lake. They believe that her sacred chalice, the grail, causes the land to flourish. The Grail Knights are her servants on earth who protect the land in their lifetimes and after death continue to do so as her avenging angels.