Sir Vannier, Knight of the Realm Gallant

Because of some delays, I am filling this week with another Bretonnian oldie dug up from the cupboard - a mounted hero model, painted in 2008.

He is one of the first, if not THE first, Bretonnian model I ever painted. I still haven't decided how I want this force to look like, so he has some weird elements to him, like 'cool' non-heraldric dragons on the barding or gold, metallic trim between two colors there. I had just bought my first greenstuff back then, so I was eager to use it - so he has those two useless ribbons on his back. Fun times.

He was supposed to be a character in my army, but then I designed to convert my own character out of a common knight, so this nice, metallic model was relegated to being just a champion of the same unit of the Knights of the Realm. Maybe I'll finish them someday - continuing a 12-13-year-old plan for a game that long since stopped existing - nothing I haven't done already, so it's not out yet.

To ensure a smooth organization of Bretonnian lances on the field of battle, a lord needs his officers, his Gallants - who are most often chosen for their loyalty or skill in combat. Sir Vannier is not of those - he would be discharged many years ago, but because of an ancient treaty between his family and his sire's, Vannier, as well as his ancestors and descendants, has an ensured high position in Earl Sagremor's army. He may be carrying a lance tipped with a dragon's tooth and look very regal, but it's just equipment he got from his braver fathers - current Vannier is a cruel, petty, and bigoted man. Using his position and privilege, he often raids his own villages to pillage and harass the peasants, sics bandits on foreign traders, and tortures his captives, human or otherwise. While some share his ideas, many find that brutish man distasteful at best - but Bretonnia's rigid code of honor and laws don't leave much room for opinions and preferences.