Circle of Blood

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Welcome to the second WarhammerCampaign adaptation for Warmaster. The

first of these adaptations, The Grudge ofDrong, appeared in Warmag 16. ThoseWarmaster players who are also veterans ofWarhammer will remember when GWreleased several narrative based campaignsfor Warhammer 4th edition. This was thethird of these campaigns from way back in1997.

This campaign pack describes the tragicballad of the Red Duke, once a noble knightof Bretonnia, until he was struck down withthe terrible curse of Vampirism whilstfighting in the Crusades. He was defeated in

an ancient battle, and thought to be dead.But now the Red Duke has returned, and hehas summoned his Undead servants for onefinal clash that will determine the fate of therealm of Aquitaine onceand for all.

The Red Duke dreams of building aKingdom of Blood, a realm of Undeath ruled

by himself as an immortal Vampire King.First, though he has to defeat the knights ofBretonnia. The inhabitants of Aquitaine,unaware of this dire threat, are assaulted bythe merciless Undead enemy. Only a valiantdefence can save them!

THE CAMPAIGNIn this campaign, there are three preliminarybattles which then lead up to an all-out,death-or-glory final conflict. The first threebattles are relatively small actions with up to1,500 points per side. The final battleinvolves massed armies of 3,000 points or

more.

The campaign is set in a particular time andplace, and involves two of the great races orkingdoms of the Old World. The eventsleading up to each battle, the motives of theleaders and the story behind the campaignare all described. There are also hints ontransporting this campaign to another timeor place, and fighting it using differentarmies.

THE FOUR BATTLESThe campaign is designed so that the resultsof each of the three preliminary games affectthe final battle in some important way. Forexample, if the Vampire Counts win theBattle at Mercal, then the NecromancerRenar has raised the heroes from thecemetery and they may include up to threeHeroes per 1,000 points in the final battle,the Battle Ceren Field. On the other hand, ifthe Bretonnians win, then the VampireCounts may only include the standardamount of Heroes.

By Jake Thornton & Tuomas Pirinen

Adapted for Warmaster by TomMerrigan

CIRCLE OFBLOOD

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In the fair land of Bretonnia, to the north ofthe dukedom of Brionne, on the banks ofthe river Morceaux, lies the dukedom of

Aquitaine. It is a beautiful land, dottedwith vineyards and fields, rolling pastures

and valleys. Aquitaine has no large walledtowns or great ports. The folk of the

dukedom are rural people, content to tendtheir fields and vineyards, protected by thecastles of their noble lords. They neitherneed nor require the comforts of city life.

Before the Crusades, Aquitaine was a muchlarger dukedom, but immediately after this

great religious struggle, war visitedAquitaine. Since the dukedom lost many ofits inhabitants and the population was

simply not large enough to farm all theland available, some of its holdings were

distributed between the neighbouringdukedoms. The legend of those times is toldelsewhere in this tome.

While the fields in Aquitaine yield aplentiful harvest, it is the fine wine of thisland, renown throughout Bretonnia, thatmakes the dukedom famous. Noble ladiesof Couronne and Bordeleaux believe thatthe fine wines of Aquitaine are a powerful

aphrodisiac, and thus they are very muchin demand. The traders from the ports of

LAnguille and Brionne are always preparedto buy all the wine that Aquitaine can

produce. The revenue from the wine makesAquitaine very prosperous and the people ofthe land celebrate its harvest each year.

While it may lack cities and ports, there areseveral holy places and scattered GrailChapels in Aquitaine, and the knights of

Aquitaine are famous for their prowess inarms. Their castles often include hightowers with beacons at the top, so duringtimes of strife the knights can be assembled

quickly. They are always eager for battleand it is a testimony to their exceptionalvalour that the knight chosen to carry the

Battle Standard of Bretonnia has comemore often from Aquitaine than from anyother dukedom.

Knights of Aquitaine scorn excessive fineryand comforts as decadent and foppish.Even during times of peace, they often makelong hunting forays and sleep outside, in

full armour, using their shields as pillows.The tournaments held in Aquitaine are

hard-fought affairs, with no quarter givenor asked, and most often the victorious

champions are knights of the dukedom. It isalso a source of considerable pride to thedukedom that no war in Bretonnia has everbeen fought without at least a single knightof Aquitaine taking part.

Many Grail Knights inhabit Aquitaine, forseveral of the sites where Gilles le Bretonfought lie within its boundaries. The Towerof Wizardry, a holy place dedicated to the

Lady of the Lake, stands near a blessed lakeon the edge of Aquitaine, and Questing

Knights often come to seek the aid of theKeeper in their search for the Holy Grail.The Keeper has always been a Grail Damsel,well versed in the ways of magic. Her

advice is much sought after, and she ranksas one of the councillors of the Duke ofAquitaine.

Legends claim that in the old days, anentire regiment of knights of Aquitaine rodeto war riding Pegasi. Though this is

probably a mere fable, there is a traditionthat the ruling duke will ride to battle atop

a mighty Pegasus. As Pegasi will only acceptthe most pure hearted and noble of knights,the dukes of Aquitaine must be exceptionalmen indeed. The winged horse is also partof the traditional livery of Aquitaine, as the

dukes claim to have royal blood in theirveins.

The ruling house of Aquitaine has a longand honourable history. Their forefathersfollowed Gilles le Breton during thefounding of the kingdom, and the ChansondAquitaine tells that the first Duke ofAquitaine married Damsel Annabel le Bon,a blood relative of Gilles le Breton. Thedukes of Aquitaine have distinguishedthemselves in the service of the King, andtheir banners have been seen flying abovecountless battlefields.

The ruler of Aquitaine during the eventsdescribed in the Circle of Blood was DukeGilon. He was a great statesman and amighty warrior, who had achieved the Grail

Quest early in his youth. His son, SirRichemont, was known for his martialprowess and valour, but also for hisrashness and impetuousness. Duke Gilonwould have liked to have left the dukedomto his son years ago and retired to guardone of the Grail Chapels. However he feltthat until his son had learned patience and

grown in wisdom, he could not give up hisposition.

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In the distant lands of the Great River,many centuries ago; Nagash, Supreme Lordof the Undead, created the Elixir of Life.This dark and evil potion granted its

drinker immortality and rare mysticalpowers. But it was not without risks for itcorrupted both the spirit and the body, andmade the recipient crave for the blood ofliving things. Whomever drank the elixirwould shun daylight ever after, and their

skin become as pale and smooth asporcelain, and their eyes would burn withred balefires. In time, men would call thesecreatures Vampires. Mercifully, the secret of

Nagashs elixir is now lost. However, seekers

of its power still hunt for the formula in thetombs and crypts of the Land of Dead.

The cost of joining the ranks of the Undeadis great, but the temptation of gaining the

powers of the Vampire for some is worth therisk. Vampires are much stronger than anyliving man, capable of crushing the back of

a bear with their bare hands, or cleaving afully-armoured man in two with one blow.They have a natural ability to see and sensethe dark winds of magic and harness themto their will. Spirits and the animated dead

are theirs to command. Beasts naturally

attuned to darkness are slaves to theirmerest whim, and packs of bats and wolvesfollow them where ever they go.

The unholy ritual that Vampires use tocreate more of their kind is called the Blood

Kiss. Instead of draining their victim, theVampire passes a portion of its own cursedblood to them, using its hypnotic powers tomake its victim forget its ordeal. The

doomed man or woman will then fall ill,grow weak, and eventually die of what willlook like natural causes. Even if they were

pure-hearted and good in life, the taintedblood of the Vampire will drive them deepinto depravity and evil. The effect of the

dark magic that is now attracted to thevictim will corrupt any vestiges of their

former life, and their hunger for humanblood will erase any pity they feel.

It is said that the potency of each newgeneration is lesser than the original, sothat the most powerful Vampires are alwaysthe oldest. Vampires can grant the Blood

Kiss for only one mortal in all theirexistence. Since they seek companions fortheir long, lonely years, they select theirvictims carefully, choosing only the most

powerful, intelligent and beautiful amongstthe living. This is a tragedy, for the soul ofthe victim will be forever lost to darkness.

The fair land of Bretonnia may not be astainted with the curse of Undeath as manyother areas of the Old World, but even theland of chivalry is not entirely safe fromthis evil. The cursed city of Mousillon in thewest has always been tainted by the

presence of the walking dead and thecoastline towns and cities of Bretonnia are

forever under the threat of raids by theUndead fleets of Settra.

Bretonnians have many customs to protectthe deceased from rising from the grave.One such custom dictates how the deceasedis buried. The corpse is first beheaded andthen blessed by a Grail Damsel who

sprinkles water from a sacred lake over it.Then the mouth of the deceased is filledwith cloves of garlic and the grave that thecorpse is lowered into is sealed with spellsof binding. Even then these measures maynot be enough to prevent a determined

Necromancer.

Vampires in Bretonnia are very rare, butextremely dangerous. As they invariablybelong to the noble classes, they can

command considerable temporal power inaddition to their own unnatural abilities. Ifthey were powerful liege lords in their

former lives, the vows of their knights andretainers in life will bind them beyond

death, and if not freed from them, they aredestined to serve their foul Undead lordsfor all eternity. Thus Bretonnian Vampiresare served by a vast host of slaves, and thearmies they raise are extremely deadly,serving their lord as faithfully in death asthey did in life

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BALLAD OF THE RED DUKEThe tale of the Red Duke is an ancient story,

well known throughout the lands of

Bretonnia. It is told in several different ways,in differing detail, and in some the Red Dukeis not the heartless villain that he is paintedin others. But still it is a sad and tragic tale.

Although the events described here areshrouded by the mists of time and distortedby legends, an attentive scholar can stillreconstruct the real story, sorting the factsfrom the flowery language of the traditionalchansons and ballads of the Bretonnianminstrels. What follows is this truth

A LONG TIME AGOIn the time of the Crusades, during the rule

of Louis the Righteous, the fifteenth king ofBretonnia, the heathen Arabians, led by thethrice-accursed Sultan Jaffar, conqueredEstalia and threatened the freedom of therest of the world.

IN A LAND FAR AWAYFilled with righteous anger, the knights ofBretonnia gathered to oust the invaders.

Amongst these knights was the Duke ofAquitaine: a handsome and powerful man,widely known as the most courageousknight in the land. When the noblest sons of

Bretonnia raised their swords against theinfidel, he was first amongst them, everready to protect the honour of Bretonnia.

During the war that eventually freed thekingdom of Estalia and saw the corruptreign of Jaffar end, he won great fame. Amultitude of songs were composed abouthis victorious battles against the warriors ofthe Sultan. That was until disaster struck.

During the siege of Lashiek, soon after thewalls had been breached, the Duke ofAquitaine disappeared and was thought lost.For days rumours buzzed through the

crusaders camp about his fate until at lasthe was found, grievously wounded anddelirious, but alive. The Dukes loyalretainers cared for him, and even when hefell into a deep coma they would notabandon him. Instead, they made their wayback to Bretonnia and their homes, acrossburning deserts and through Orc andSkaven ambushes. All the time they boretheir ailing lord with them on a shaded litter.

THE LORD RETURNSEventually they reached their homeland,and there they laid their master down to die.

A gloom fell over the castle as the fallenDuke finally succumbed to his fever. His

knights mourned for him and vowed toserve him loyally beyond death, words that

would be their downfall in the troubled

times to come. They buried him beneath hiscastle as was the custom in those far offtimes, and sung chants for his soul far intothe night.

THE RESTLESS DEADThree days he rested in his tomb, and then,in the midst of a dark, stormy night, he rose.No longer the Duke of Aquitaine, championof the king. Instead he had become a foul

Vampire, tainted by his unknown ordeal.How this had happened no-one knew, butthey had other, more immediate worries. Ina few terrible hours he slew all the

inhabitants of the castle and then raisedthem from their untimely death with hisnewly acquired power. Soon he had ateeming army of Undead, and so began hisevil reign of terror.

In a short time the commoners came to shunhis very name and began to call him the RedDuke, after the blood that soaked his clothesand deeds. Thousands of refugees flednorthwards to seek the aid and protection ofthe king. When he heard of the events in

Aquitaine, he gathered a powerful army androde against his former vassal.

The Red Duke, wary of the power of theKing, sought the aid of the Keeper of theTower of Wizardry. The tower was anancient, ruined building left by the HighElves of old, built in a place of great power.Its Keeper, Isabeau, was widely recognisedas the most powerful magician in Aquitaine.The Red Duke offered her an alliance:together they would challenge the king anddivide the Kingdom of Bretonnia.

Isabeau refused. She saw the Red Duke as hewas, an inhuman monster from the realm ofthe Undead, and she fled to join the Kings

retinue.The cataclysmic battle was fought on thefields of Ceren. Little is remembered fromthat conflict when the terrible Undead, stillclad in the livery of Aquitaine, fought thenobility of Bretonnia. Suffice to say that noUndead creature could stand against theKing, and the Grail Knights did not fear thespirits of the departed. The Keeper of theTower, with all her power and wisdom,countered the death spells that the RedDuke had summoned in his rage. Finally thetwo former friends clashed, the King and hischampion. The battle raged for an hour, butthe Lady of the Lake was with the

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Bretonnian king and together they werevictorious. The Red Dukes body waspierced by the Kings lance, causing adeathblow that sealed the fate of his

unspeakable army. His followers werescattered, his castle razed to the ground, andsalt ploughed into the scattered ruins.

VANQUISHEDIsabeau advised the King to burn theremains of the Vampire, but he could notbear to see the body of his former championdesecrated. In death, the Red Duke seemedhis old self again. His features were nobleand peaceful once more, and he seemedpurged of his curse. The King ordered agreat tomb to be built for his former friendand had it sealed with the mark of the Grail

to honour the fallen. Then he ordered thereal name of the Red Duke to be strickenfrom all records so that the terrible shame

would be forgotten, and the relatives of theRed Duke could live without constantlybeing reminded of the evil that once carriedtheir name.

AN UNQUIET GRAVEBut the Red Duke was not dead. His bodymay have been pierced by the lance of theking, and his will shattered by the power ofthe Keeper of the Tower, but he had madeplans for just such an instance. He had seen

to it that part of his essence had been sealed

in a crimson jewel, formed from the bloodof innocents and pure evil magic. The yearshe took to regenerate his shattered body

were long, but finally he rose once more and

prepared to cast aside the stone doors of histomb.

This time though it was the Red Duke whowas outfoxed. The Grail symbols, and magicsigils of the Keeper held the massive stonedoors shut and sealed the Red Duke inside.

For countless years he raged inside the tombthat had become his prison, but to no avail:each time he attempted to open the doors ofthe tomb with his ferocious strength, theholy carvings and the warding sigils burnedinto his hands. He cast countless spells torelease himself, and used all his cunning to

summon unholy creatures from beyond thewalls of death to aid him but nothing couldmove the seal that had been placed on thedoors. The wards that bound him were fartoo powerful.

DELIVERANCEThough the red jewel preserved the Dukesunnatural life, his hunger for the blood ofthe living grew until it drove him into a deeppit of madness from which there was noreturn. He could only scream his rage to thedeaf stone walls and swear his revenge.

So it remained for centuries, and people

gradually forgot the evil legend of the RedDuke, until one day

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CASTLE AQUIN

River Morceaux

Battle of Ceren

FieldNight Battle at

Mercal

Battle forthe bridges

Battle for theTower

VILLAGE OF

MERCAL

TOWER

FOREST OF

CHALONS

MASSIF

ORCAL

RED

DUKES

CASTLE

The Bretonnian Dukedom of Aquitaine

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For the first time in a thousand years hecould breathe fresh air. He threw his headback and laughed. It was a cold, terriblelaughter that promised death to all who

heard it.

First, he had to restore his rightful domains.Secondly, the Keeper of the Tower ofWizardry had to pay for her disobedience. It

didnt matter to the Red Duke that theKeeper Isabeau who had defied him waslong dead. Her descendant would suffice for

his revenge. Then he

Halt came a thin, reedy voice. You willdo my bidding. I, Renar, master of the darkarts command you in the name of Nagash

himself, um Supreme Lord of, er Thevoice trailed off as the grim gaze of the Red

Duke turned to look upon the robed figurein front of him. Then the Red Duke began tolaugh once more, a laugh that was

anything but mirthful.

So this puny specimen was the agent of hisfreedom. Pathetic. He almost felt like killinghim for being so feeble, but no, he might beuseful. The mortal seemed transfixed,Master of the dark arts indeed! He shouldbe torn limb from limb for his presumption.Or perhaps he should be given the honour of

providing the Red Dukes first sustenance.Blood. The thought was very tempting. Butno, that would be rash. Instead he spoke,

his unearthly voice filling the dusty tomb.No, mortal, you will do my bidding.

For weeks the Red Duke prowled the night,preying on any who crossed his path,regaining his strength with their lifeblood.Guided by the awestruck Renar, he fell uponthose foolish enough to walk the night and

soon the local villagers were too terrified toleave their hovels.

But as the Red Duke hunted, his unblinkingeyes missed nothing. These were his lands;this was his domain, and the people werebut a means to quench his thirst. Heremembered the times of glory when he had

almost overthrown the King of Bretonnia.Those days would return and so would his

Kingdom of Blood, where he, and he alonewould rule as an immortal god-king, servedby Undead knights whose loyalty waseternal. In time, all those who defied himwould call him their master. But now heneeded to quench the thirst of a thousand

years.

More weeks passed, until eventually the RedDuke felt his old strength return. Hisvengeance could wait no more. He returnedto the shattered ruin where his castle hadonce stood and there, among the tumbledwalls, at the darkest hour of the winter

solstice, he cast the Great Spell of Doom.

Across the dividing years, through thelayers of rotting earth, the dead heard his

powerful words. He called out, remindinghis knights of the oaths of service they hadpledged to him when the world was young.

One by one they came to stand by his side.The bones of his retainers cast aside theirtombstones, grasped the weapons that had

been buried with them, and shambled tojoin his gathering armies.

Night after night, the dead of Aquitainemarched towards the shattered castle, until

at last a host of Undead, thousands strong,stood ready to obey their master. Now hewas prepared. He could not allow DukeGilon, that foul usurper of his domain, anymore time. He must strike without warning

and without a chance of the mortalsgathering their forces.

The Duke would attack in three places atonce and catch his foe scattered andunaware. The fastest of his troops he would

send to raze the Tower of Wizardry, exactinghis vengeance by slaying the Keeper. Hisvanguard would ride ahead of the rest of

his army, destroying all the villages andsecuring a bridge over the river Morceaux.He himself would ride with the main forceof his troops to destroy any armies that the

Bretonnians were foolish enough to raiseagainst him.

This time he would show no mercy.

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DEATH STALKS THE NIGHTThrough the night they came. Silent,relentless, never tiring. With Renar theNecromancer at their fore, the Undead forcehad left the Red Dukes castle at dusk,marching over dank marsh and throughtangled forests to fall on the village of Mercalin the dead of night. But why Mercal? TheKeeper of the Tower was not there, neither

was there a route over the river Morceaux.What value did this poor village hold?

A thousand years before, after the RedDukes defeat, it was not only he that had

been sealed inside an ornate prison. As theRed Duke died and his armies began todisintegrate around him, a small group ofhis most trusted and fanatical retainers hadfought their way clear of the disaster. Hidingin the swamps and abandoned woodland

where the commoners feared to go, theyfought a running battle for days, until finallythey were hunted down and slain, one byone.

Like the Red Duke, these once noble sons ofBretonnia were not burned. Instead they

were entombed and a Grail Chapel raised

next to them so that a holy knight couldwatch over their spirits for eternity. Thischapel lay at the heart of the little village ofMercal.

After the Necromancer Renar had freed himfrom his prison, the Red Duke had called hisfollowers to arms, but these most loyal of hiscaptains had not arrived. He was notpleased. Had they forgotten their vows? Intothe darkness he sent his foul messengers,swarms of bats and tides of black, creepingfiends. Soon he discovered the fate of hisfavourites and it was as merciless as his own:they were entombed in Mercal. They mustbe freed!

THE CHAPEL SEREINEIn the little village of Mercal all was quiet.

The common folk that lived there hadretired to their beds after a long days toil intheir masters fields. All was at peace.

Then, without warning the bells of the GrailChapel began to ring. Not the measuredpulse of the call to the faithful, but a frenziedclamour of alarm. The men ran to see whatthe matter was, only to be met by theknightly guardian of that place telling all ofalarm and disaster. He had been granted a

vision by the Lady of the Lake and had seenan army of the most terrible thingsimaginable. The Undead were coming.

The villagers ran for their weapons, hidingtheir wives and children, readyingthemselves for the battle ahead. For a fewminutes all was confusion, then, in the

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SCENARIO I - NIGHT BATTLE AT MERCAL

BretonnianDeployment Zone

Woods

80cm

20cm

40cm

40cm40cm

10cm

Woods

Hill

Vampire Counts

Deployment Zone

Reinforcemen

tZone1

ReinforcementZone2

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centre of the village, the Holy Knight beganto sing. It was one of the ancient battle songsof the Bretonnians, a rousing tale of bravery

against all odds. Slowly the bowmen andmen-at-arms began to form up around theirleader, and their confidence began to build.By the time the end of the tale had beenreached the villagers were all in place. Eachman was ready, each knew his duty, and eachhoped silently that the runners they had sent

would bring reinforcements in time.

FIGHTING THE BATTLENight Battle at Mercal is the first in a seriesof clashes between the Undead of the RedDuke and Duke Gilons Bretonnian forcesthat will eventually climax in a huge finalbattle. Each of these encounters willinfluence that battle in some important way.

THE BATTLEFIELDThe battlefield is centred around the villageof Mercal, which in turn has at its heart, theChapel Sereine and its graveyard. It is thisancient and holy place that is the focus ofthe Undead assault. Set up the battlefield asshown on the map. Alternatively, agree on a

variation of the battlefield to suit the scenerythat you have available.

THE ARMIESVAMPIRE COUNTSThe Vampire Count force is 1,500 points insize. The only restriction is that the VampireCounts player may not choose any GraveKnights as part of their force. In addition,the Necromancer Renar leads the VampireCounts army and replaces the General in thearmy list. Renar is a powerful wizard whomay re-roll any failed attempt to cast a spellin the same way as a High Elf Wizard. Renaris a Necromancer but has a Command valueof 8 and costs 90 pts.

BRETONNIANSThe Bretonnian force is 1,500 pts in size.The only restrictions are that the Bretonnianplayer may only choose up to three units ofKnights and no units of Grail Knights.

DEPLOYING FOR BATTLEIn this battle, the Bretonnians set up first,deploying up to 1,000 pts of troops in theBretonnian deployment zone. The rest ofthe army starts in reserve and may arriveduring the course of the battle. If the

Bretonnian player has any units of Knightsthey must start the game in reserve.

The Vampire Counts deploy second, settingup their entire force in the Vampire Countsdeployment zone.

SPECIAL RULESNight Battle: Because this battle takes placeat night units, may only see up to a distanceof 60cm for the purposes of shooting orcharging.

THE BATTLESTARTING THE GAMEThe Vampire Counts are launching asurprise assault at night and so take the firstturn.

ENDING THE GAMEThe battle takes place at midnight and lastsuntil sunrise. To represent this, the gamelasts for six turns, each turn representing anhour in the original battle. The game willalso end if either army withdraws.

REINFORCEMENTSThe defender should roll at the beginning ofeach of their turns to see if anyreinforcements arrive to help the besieged

village of Mercal. Roll a D6 on the score ofa 6, reinforcements arrive (the Bretonnianplayer may add +1 to his score for eachsubsequent turn ater the first). Ifreinforcements do arrive then the defendermay place the remainder of their army ineither of the two wide deployment zonesmarked on the map. Units that arrive asreinforcements may be issued Commands inthe turn that they arrive.

VICTORY OR DEFEATThe standard victory conditions from page63 of the Warmaster rulebook apply.

VICTORY GAINSIf the Vampire Counts win, the battle thenRenar will cast aside the tombstones andraise the heroes that once served the RedDuke in ages past. In the final scenario, theBattle of Ceren Field, the Vampire Countsarmy may take up to three Heroes per 1,000pts, instead of the usual two. In addition, the

Vampire Counts may include Renar and hewill take up two Wizard choices on the armyselector.

If the Bretonnians win, the Vampire Countarmy will be denied the Heroes that werethe scourge of the area when they rode withthe Red Duke in their former lives.

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REVENGE OF THE RED DUKECountless years had passed, but the RedDuke had not forgotten the part that theKeeper of the Tower had played in hisdefeat. He decided to attack the Tower of

Wizardry and Aquitaine simultaneously.Knowing the sorcerous power at thedisposal of the Keeper, he sent one of hismost powerful servants to confront her. This

was the Banshee, a wailing spirit whosemere howl could kill mortals. The Red Dukeordered her to raze the Tower of Wizardry tothe ground and pollute the holy lake that it

was built to guard. He also sent the fastest of

his servants with her, so that they couldstrike quickly and unexpectedly, and thenspeed on to join his main force as heassaulted the borders of Aquitaine. TheUndead forces included Dire Wolves andcavalry, as well as Fell Bats.

But the Keeper was not without powers ofher own. Using these sorcerous powers she

watched the pale lake, and saw a writhingimage of dark enemies riding against her.She considered fleeing to the relative safetyof Castle Aquin, but in the end she could notabandon the holy place entrusted to her

care. She sent her handmaidens to warnDuke Gilon of Aquitaine of the impendingdoom, advised the commoners to flee withtheir families, and prepared to sell her ownlife dearly.

Instead of abandoning their homes, thecommoners of the surrounding areashastened to her side, in respect for the helpthat she had given them as Keeper of theTower. The word of a lady in plight spreadand many Knights Errant from thesurrounding countryside rode to her aid.The Lady of the Lake had not abandoned her

faithful servant either. Questing Knights andthe scattered Grail Knights gathered by theholy lake, driven by omens and dreams sentby the Lady of the Lake.

When the Banshee arrived, both LakeTranquil and the Tower of Wizardry wereheavily defended. The opposing forces wereevenly matched, but the Banshee dared notdisobey her master. She prepared to lead herforces into the field surrounding the tower.There they would wait until prayers werebeing said to the Lady of the Lake. TheBanshee knew that at that time her enemies

would be at their most vulnerable.

FIGHTING THE BATTLEDefence of the Tower is the second in aseries of clashes between the Red DukesUndead army and the Bretonnians of

Aquitaine that will eventually climax in ahuge final battle. Each encounter willinfluence that battle in some important way.The outcome of this battle decides whetherthe Undead manage to destroy the Tower of

Wizardry and its guardian.

THE BATTLEFIELDThe most important features on thebattlefield are the Tower of Wizardry and theBlessed Lake. The surrounding area is

woodland typical to this part of Aquitaine.

THE ARMIESVAMPIRE COUNTSThe Vampire Count force is 1,500 points insize. The only addition is that the VampireCounts player may choose up to three stonethrowers (use the profile from the Orc andGoblin army list in the Warmaster rulebook).This allowance is made so it is possible forthe Vampire Counts player to destroy theTower of Wizardry. In addition, the Vampire

Count army is lead by the Fell Banshee whohas the same cost and profile as a VampireHero but also causes terror in its enemies,and therefore imposes the usual combatpenalty.

BRETONNIANSThe Bretonnian force is 1,500 points in size.The army is led by Lady Iselda who is apowerful wizard and can cast spells in thesame manner as an Enchantress. In addition,Lady Iselda may re-roll any failed attempt tocast a spell in the same way as a High Elf

Wizard. Lady Iselda is a Wizard but has aCommand value of 8 and costs 90pts. Inaddition, the Bretonnian player must takeone unit of Grail Knights in their force.

DEPLOYING FOR BATTLEBoth armies deploy in their relevantdeployment zones as shown on the map

opposite. Each player takes it in turns todeploy a unit or brigade.

14

SCENARIO 2 - DEFENCE OF THE TOWER

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SPECIAL RULESTHE TOWER OF WIZARDRYThe Tower of Wizardry counts as a tower

(obvious really!) and can only be damagedby the stone throwers that are taken as partof the Vampire Counts force. Use the ruleson page 90 of the Warmaster rulebook forattacking the tower. In addition, theBretonnian player may deploy troops in thetower if he so wishes.

THE BATTLESTARTING THE GAMEThe attackers (Vampire Counts) arelaunching a surprise assault at dawn and sotake the first turn.

ENDING THE GAMEThe battle takes place at dawn and lasts untilmidday. To represent this, the game lasts forsix turns, each turn representing an hour inthe original battle. The game will also end ifeither army withdraws.

VICTORY OR DEFEAT

VICTORY POINTSThe standard victory conditions from page63 of the Warmaster rulebook apply. In

addition, the following bonus Victory pointsmay be gained:

Vampire CountsWin! The Tower of Wizardry isdestroyed.

+200 pts Lady Iselda is captured/slain.

Bretonnians+100 pts The Tower of Wizardry is not

destroyed.

VICTORY GAINSIf the Bretonnians are victorious, andassuming that the unit of Grail Knights is notreduced to one stand or less, then they will

be able to ride to the aid of Duke Gilon inhis hour of need. In the final scenario, TheBattle of Ceren Fields, the Bretonnian playermay include an additional unit of GrailKnights above the normal allowed. Note thatthe Grail Knights still need to be paid forand will cost the standard 120 pts.

In addition, if either general survives thegame then they can be included in the finalgame, The Battle of Ceren Fields. If the

Vampire Counts player chooses to includethe Banshee, she will take up two Herochoices on the army selector. If the

Bretonnian player chooses to include theLady Iselda, she will take up two Wizardchoices on the army selector.


Vampire CountsDeployment Zone

Woods

Woods

Woods

lakeTower

80cm

40cm 40cm

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THE RETURN OFTHE YOUNG HEIRAs the number of tattered refugees from theravaged border villages increased to a steadystream, Duke Gilon of Aquitaine raised hisbattle standard over Castle Aquin. Hisheralds rode out to gather the knights of theDukedom, and warn his neighbours of theimpending danger. Little help could beexpected from outside his fiefdom, forsevere weather made roads and passesuseless for moving large forces. Most of theknights were in the east anyway, fighting inthe Kings war against the Orcs. The men of

Aquitaine would have to face this terroralone.

While Duke Gilon was gathering his forces,his son Richemont unexpectedly returnedfrom his pilgrimage to the Grail Chapel inCouronne. He had visited the Great Chapelof the Lady of the Lake and the tombs of theheroes of Bretonnia. While he had beenfasting and praying, he had fallen asleep inthe Great Chapel. In a dream he saw a visionof his home being assailed by a terribleUndead host, and had immediately riddenback to his fathers castle.

Sir Richemont claimed that he had found away to thwart the Undead advance.According to the dream, no vampire could

cross running water without a bridge. Sincethere was only a couple that crossed theriver Morceaux for miles, the destruction ofthese bridges would force the Undead totake a long detour and give the Bretonniansmuch needed time to gather their forces.The sappers of Castle Aquin could easilydemolish the bridges, and Sir Richemontoffered to lead a force of knights that wouldride ahead to secure them. He asked for

volunteers to accompany him as he rode todefend the bridge. The council of knights

was divided. Some supported young SirRichemont, believing that his vision was sent

by the Lady of the Lake, while othersdismissed his plan as foolhardy anddangerous.

In the end, many of the younger knightsfollowed him, for Sir Richemont wascharismatic and popular amongst his fellowQuesting Knights. But practically all theKnights of the Realm and most of the othersoldiery elected to stay, for they had vowedto remain in the castle and guard the fortressof their liege lord.

Early in the morning, Richemont led hissmall force towards the bridges while thesappers of the castle followed in their cartsas quickly as they could. But their enemies

were approaching fast.

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SCENARIO 3 - RACE FOR THE BRIDGES

VampireCou

nts

DeploymentZone

Woods

Woods

Hill

Hill

Bridge

Bridge

40cm

40cm

RiverMorceaux

60cm

60cm



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BRIDGES ON THE RIVERMORCEAUX

Meanwhile, the Dark Knight, the most

terrible of the Red Dukes captains and theherald and champion of the Kingdom ofBlood, led the vanguard of the Undead armythrough the countryside, razing villages,burning crops and slaughtering any livingthing, man or beast, that was unfortunateenough to cross his path. The bodies wereleft lying unburied, so that his master couldperform his Necromantic rites over themand swell his army with more walking dead.

His Fell Bats were sent to scout ahead of thearmy, and they chittered the news of the fastapproaching force of Bretonnian knights

that were on their way to the bridges on theriver Morceaux. The Dark Knight, consumed

with anger and pride, immediately led hisforce towards the river, determined to crushthe Bretonnians and secure the bridgeheadsfor his dark master. He sent his Fell Bats tocarry the news to the Red Duke, and arrivedat the river just as Sir Richemont wascrossing it. Without waiting to form a properbattle line he charged, determined to crushthe pitifully small force of knights thatopposed him.

FIGHTING THE BATTLEThe Race for the Bridge is the third violentclash between the knights of Aquitaine andthe Undead forces of the Kingdom ofBlood, as the realm of the RedDuke is sometimes known.Like the otherencounters, this battle

will influence thecharacters and troopsavailable for the finalbattle. The outcome ofthis struggle decides

whether the knights ofBretonnia can demolishthe bridges and gain timefor their ruler to gathermore forces, or whether theUndead capture the bridgesintact, allowing their darkmaster to march againstCastle Aquin without delay.If the Undead are victoriousthen the Bretonnian army

will be smaller than theUndead army in thefinal battle.

THE

BATTLEFIELDThe most important features on thebattlefield are the two ancient stone bridges

over the river Morceaux. The surroundingarea is typical plains scenery, with forestsand rolling hills.

THE ARMIESVAMPIRE COUNTSThe Vampire Count force is 2,000 points insize. The Vampire Count army is led by theDark Knight who has the same cost andprofile as a Vampire General.

BRETONNIANSThe Bretonnian force is 1,500 points in size.

The army is led by Sir Richemont who hasthe same cost and profile as a BretonnianGeneral.

DEPLOYING FOR BATTLEThe defenders (Bretonnians) set up first,deploying up to 500 points of models within30cm of either of the two bridges. Theremainder of the Bretonnian force starts inreserve. The attackers (Vampire Counts)deploys second, settingup their entire forcein their deploymentzone.

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SPECIAL RULESRESERVESThe majority of the Bretonnian force starts

in reserve. At the beginning of each turn(including the first) roll a D6 for eachbrigade of Bretonnian troops in reserve. Onthe roll of a 4+, place the brigade on thetable anywhere in the Bretonnian reservedeployment zone. The unit can then beissued orders from then on. Characters inreserve are not rolled for. Instead, you candeploy up to one character free of chargeper brigade that becomes available.

The River Morceaux: No unit (with theexception of flyers) may cross the RiverMorceaux at any point apart from at one of

the two bridges spanning its waters. For allintents and purposes, the River Morceauxcounts as impassable terrain for thisscenario.

The Bridges: Players may only cross theRiver Morceaux by one of the two bridges.Each bridge should only be wide enough sothat an infantry unit arranged in columnformation or cavalry unit arranged in lineformation can cross un-obstructed.

THE BATTLESTARTING THE GAMEThe Vampire Counts take the first turn.

ENDING THE GAMEThe battle takes place at midday and lastsuntil late afternoon. To represent this, thegame lasts for six turns, each turnrepresenting an hour in the original battle.The game will also end if either army

withdraws, giving the other side anautomatic victory.

VICTORY OR DEFEAT

VICTORY POINTS BONUSNormal Victory points are not used for this

scenario. Instead, the following decisivevictory conditions are used.

Vampire CountsWin! There is at least one Vampire Count

unit comprising of three stands onthe Bretonnian side of the river atthe end of the game. This may beany type of unit with the exceptionof Fell Bats.

BretonniansWin! There are no Vampire

Count units of three standson the Bretonnian side ofthe river at the end of thegame.

VICTORY GAINSIf the Vampire Counts are

victorious, then the Red Dukesarmy will be able to cross the RiverMorceaux and attack the hinterlandof Aquitaine without delay. DukeGilon will not have enough time togather his forces before the VampireCounts attack. This would be agreat boon to the Red Duke whenthe final battle is fought.

If the Bretonnians are victorious,they will be able to bring sappersand stonemasons to destroy thebridges over the River Morceaux.This will force the Red Dukes armyto travel many miles to find anothersafe crossing over the river. This inturn will allow Duke Gilon to gathermore forces to his war banner. Ifthis happens then the Bretonnians

will have a full 3,000 pts in the finalbattle instead of just 2,500 pts.

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THE DARKNESS FALLSThe border villages of Aquitaine lay empty,razed by the foe. The fields were untendedand winter would destroy the crops. FellBats flapped across the skies, the spirits ofthose departed were seen to walk across thefields, and the remains of the newly deadlurched to their feet to bear weapons againsttheir sons and brothers. Each passing dayswelled the foul ranks of the Red Duke. Eachpassing day brought victory nearer to theclaws of the Undead.

The lanterns and torches of Castle Aquin

burned late into the night as Duke Gilon andhis advisors held council. The captains of theknights argued about which course of actionto take next. No help could be expectedfrom the King or the neighbouringdukedoms, for most knights were fightingan Errantry War against the Orcs, ordefending the border. No one had expecteda war here in the heart of Bretonnia.

Aquitaine stood alone against an ancientevil.

The council was divided. Some, led byyoung Sir Roget, wished to ride out and

challenge the Red Duke to single combat.Others, grizzled veterans all, suggested thatthey fortify Castle Aquin further and holdout until reinforcements could be sent for.In the end, Duke Gilon himself dismissedboth ideas.

We cannot expect this ancient evil thing tohonour the rules of chivalry, he declared.And there are not enough supplies here inthe castle to sustain a prolonged siege, whileour enemies need neither rest or food. Theydo not rebel against their master or growbored. The vigilance of their sentries does

not wane. We would be holed up in here likerats. And we must also think about thepeople of Aquitaine who have no shelterfrom the merciless enemy. The old dukesighed heavily. No, our only option is toride out to challenge our enemy where theystand, and pray to the Lady of the Lake thatshe will bring victory to our weapons. Whois with me? I will ask no man to accompanyme against their will.

One by one the barons and knights ofAquitaine drew their swords and laid themon the table. All of them swore to follow

Duke Gilon to the death. Moved by theloyalty of his men, Duke Gilon spoke. I am

proud of you all. Then he called for hissquires. Now bring me my broadsword andsaddle my Pegasus! The Duke of Aquitainegoes to war!

Within days, the war host of Aquitaine hadassembled, ready to march forth to confrontthe Undead. Rank upon rank of knights cladin glittering armour and decorated with themagnificent heraldry of Aquitaine stoodready to defend their land. Stalwart men-at-arms and nimble bowmen formed massedunits, ready to challenge the Undead legionsof the Red Duke. Squires fanned out intoskirmishing units, ready to scout the landahead of them. Duke Gilon, atop Fulminer,his loyal Pegasus, received the ovation of hisforces. The legends say that Aquitaine hadnever gathered a greater or morecourageous army than the one that rode outagainst the Undead of the Red Duke.

THE HOLY GROUNDThe army rode through the gates of Castle

Aquin and vanished into the gloom. DukeGilon chose the fields of Ceren in which todo battle against his enemy. Here, accordingto the minstrels, King Louis had once won a

great victory against the Red Duke.

Also at this sacred site was buried DukeGaland, an ancestor of Gilon, who fellfighting valiantly against the enemies ofBretonnia. Gilon, who understood thehearts of men well, knew that the place

would spur his troops to brave deeds andraise their spirits. If Bretonnians had beenable to defeat the Undead here before, theycould do it again.

Half a day after theBretonnians had

arrived on thefields of Ceren, thearmy scoutsbrought word thattheir enemies wereon the march and

would arrive withinthe hour. Suddenly,a great shadow fellover the host ofDuke Gilon. Thedescendingdarkness heraldedthe arrival of their

enemies.

SCENARIO 4 - THE BATTLE OF CEREN FIELD

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The rays of the sun were hidden by anenormous flight of great Blood Bats,summoned by the Vampire Lord. By the beat

of human-skinned drums legion after legionof yellow-boned Skeletons marched into thefield. Zombies shambled after them, theirrotting brains obsessed with but onethought: slaying all living things. SkeletonHorsemen galloped forward as a grimreminder to the knights that they too weremortal. And in the midst of the host, theivory-white face of the Vampire Lord showedno emotion, his eyes burning with balefiresthat promised eternal damnation for any

who dared challenge him.

The Red Duke, blessed with senses keener

than any living thing, scanned thebattlefield. His gaze penetrated all shadowsand caught the glitter of the armour of DukeGilon. He raised his golden sword in amockery of the traditional knightschallenge. There could never be peacebetween these two mighty men, one a fallenknight, the other a shining example of thehigh ideals of the code of chivalry.

The battlefield was littered with the bones ofthe heroes of old, the warriors who oncefought against Orcs and Goblins in thesefields and built the Kingdom of Bretonnia

with their blood and sacrifice. This was aholy place for the Bretonnians. But the RedDuke smiled, his eyes cold as midwinter, forthe winds of dark magic whirled across the

fields, concentrating around the remains ofthe fallen warriors. The Necromantic spellsof the Red Duke would be easy to cast today.

Under the dark wings of the bats, the twoforces prepared to do battle, and the godsgazed down to witness the struggle for thedestiny of Aquitaine.

FIGHTING THE BATTLEThe Battle of Ceren Field is the final battle ina series of encounters between Undead andBretonnian forces. Each of the earlier battles

will have influenced this final conflict insome important way. The outcome of thisbattle decides whether the Red Duke isdefeated and driven back to the nether

realms of the Undead, or manages to rebuildhis Kingdom of Blood again.

THE BATTLEFIELDThe main feature of the battlefield is thetomb of Duke Galand, placed on thebattlefield as shown on the map. Otherwise,the scenery consists of a mixture of woodsand low hills. Set up the battlefield as shownon the map.

THE ARMIESVAMPIRE COUNTS

The army of the Red Duke consists of 3,000points, commanded by the Red Dukehimself. It can be larger than this if bothplayers agree to a higher points value; any

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Bretonnian

Deployment Zone

Vampire CountsDeployment Zone Hill

Woods

40cm

20cm

20cm

40cm

Tomb

BrokenGround

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points bonus or penalty resulting fromvictory or defeat in a previous battle will stillapply. If the Vampire Counts won the Night

Battle at Mercal, the Vampire Counts armymay take up to three Heroes per 1000pts,instead of the usual two. In addition, theymay include Renar and he will take up two

Wizard choices on the army selector. Thearmy is chosen from the Vampire Countsarmy list in the Warmaster 2003 Annual.

BRETONNIANSThe army of Duke Gilon consists of 2,500points commanded by Duke Gilon. Thearmy can be larger if both players agree toplay a higher points value; however, anypoints bonus or penalty resulting from

victory or defeat in a previous battle will stillapply. If the Bretonnians won the battle, theDefence of the Tower, they may include anadditional unit of Grail Knights above thenormal allowed.

In addition, if the Bretonnians won the thirdbattle, Race for the Bridges, then they mayincrease the army size in this scenario from

2,500 points to 3,000 points. TheBretonnian army is chosen from the armylist in the Warmaster 2003 Annual.

DEPLOYING FOR BATTLEEach army is deployed in its respectivedeployment zone as shown on the map.Each army takes it in turns to deploy a unitor brigade, one after the other, starting with

whichever player rolls the highest score on aD6.

THE BATTLE

STARTING THE GAMEThe Bretonnians take the first turn.

ENDING THE GAMEThe battle lasted from mid-day to dusk. Torepresent this, the game lasts for eight turns.

SPECIAL RULESTHE TOMBThe tomb of Sir Galand is a blessed and holyplace. As long as the tomb stands, it disrupts

the flow of dark magic and foils Necromanticspells. To represent this, any spellssuccessfully cast by any Wizards in the

Vampire Counts army are dispelled on a D6roll of 4+. If a Vampire Counts unit comes

within 10 cm of the tomb, it is considereddesecrated and this special dispel isimmediately lost.

VICTORY OR DEFEATDetermine who has won in the usual way,counting up Victory points as described inthe Warmaster rulebook.

If the Vampire Counts win this final battle,the army of Aquitaine will be scatteredforever and the Red Duke will carve out hisBlood Kingdom in the middle of Bretonnia.Even if the Bretonnian King eventuallydefeats the Red Duke and drives him out,

Aquitaine will never recover and becomelittle more than a barren wasteland.

If the Bretonnian Knights are victorious anddestroy the Undead host of the Red Duke,he will be driven from Aquitaine or perhapseven slain for good. Aquitaine will thrive andthe chivalric way of life of the Bretonnians

will be preserved for years to come.

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