Brissac

[WORK IN PROGRESS]

Brissac is one of the oldest hereditary monarchies in Hessos. Previously nicknamed the Crown of the North, the kingdom previously spanned lands as far as Escre before its vassals fell to secession or the Adrinion-Falkenhayn War (also known as the Seven Years War).

After the War on Noldor and its defeat at the Seven Years War, Brissac received a heavy blow from which it hardly recovers. With its economy and subjects collapsed, brigandry and famine have ravaged the Adrinions.

Early History
Brissac is home to the Adrinions, descendants of the mythical and founder king Gregor Ice-Veins. Before that, what is now Brissac was home to many ancient war-like barbarian human tribes. The tribes settled in northern Hessos at around the year of 1000 BC (Before Conn).From there, the ancient Adrinions formed a number of settlements that bordered the Dwarven Realms. The most powerful of these tribes were the Adinisavi and for centuries to come they waged war and alliances with their neighbors the Bructeri, Frisii and Picesii until the Adinisiavi chieftain Clogio fathered a son he named Gregor in the year 335 BC.

The coming of Gregor marked a new era in the history of mankind in Hessos. For when he became king in 355 BC, he led a campaign against the Bructeri for their cannibalistic and terrorizing rituals and with the Frisii and Picesii under his banner, Gregor led men to victory after victory until all major human northern tribes were united.

Although the unification is his greatest exploit, Gregor's rule was soon interrupted and disturbed by the coming of the Normen, a barbarian sea-ruling people that claim origin from a long uninhabitable frozen archipelago. Unlike any other tribe he subdued, the Normen were brutal, extremely war-like and almost invincible in battle, for they worshipped multiple bloodthirsty entities that sent them on a frenzy. Gregor's Adinisavi signature horsemen soon grew obsolete before this unexpected mass invasion.

Ice-Veins
Gregor bitterly resisted the Normen alongside every northern tribe that joined his flock. From their terrifying longships, the Normen ravaged continuously the Adrinion shores, with a thirst for battle unfamiliar to any man, dwarf or elf. The Adrinions would often lead the fight to the landing ships, but to no avail. It is said the Normen would find amongst their ranks men so devout to their warmongering gods they'd shiftshape into a bear in the fury of battle, while others would fight with the strength of a dozen and resist as twice to mortal wounds. The battered Adrinions retreated until they encamped themselves beside a lake.

Upon the morrow, they felt certain to face their doom upon the field of battle, with the war drums of the Normen warbands allowing them no rest or sleep. That morning, when all hope seemed lost for the Adrinion cause, a true miracle unfolded upon Gregor and his army of horsemen. As Gregor knelt before the lakeside to drink of its pure waters and pray for strength, an ethereal and heavenly beautiful woman arose from out of the mists, leaving the Adrinion army agasp and afraid. Afraid because the same lake and seemingly woman would swallow the newly-crowned king, leaving their forces leaderless as the Normen approached. Yet the rest is legend. By matter of pure coincidence or divine intervention, Gregor tells tales of how the Lady, whom he calls by the Lady Nivienne accompanied by a one-eyed bearded elder clad in pure white cloth he claims to be Teutates, God of War and Divine Protector of the North, crowned him in emblazoned runes with the glowing icon of a fleur de lys and armed him with Moralltach, or Great Fury.

On top of the runes and the mythical sword, Gregor was ordered by the Lady to follow Seven Commandments (see below) that will later form the backbone of Adrinion and human chivalry and code of honor. Later on, what seemed an unending journey to Gregor in the company of the Lady and the God of Winter was in reality a few hours that nonetheless sent the Adrinion forces into panic. However, the crowned king arose from the icy river, steady and bound to bring an end to this short-lived yet bloody invasion. When he was dry and restored, the Adrinions bestowed upon him the nickname of Ice-Veins for having so easily endured the heart-clenching water. When Gregor forwarded the Lady's teachings and Teutates' divine articulated words to his men, every horseman and chieftain scrambled to follow his example, asking the Lady to bless their sword, lance, or warhorse for the coming battle and Teutates to gain the strength needed to achieve victory. These horsemen would become the first knights and dukes, and, fighting under the Fleur de Lys of the Lady Nivienne, would ride as a whole fighting united mass against the Normen barbarians.

Gathered in a battle line around Gregor steadily and without flinching, the knights plunged into the heart of the Normen warband which reeled like a beaten dog. Both sides littered the ground in corpses, horse carcasses and weapons for hours as the Adrinions cleaved through enemy wave after wave and burst forth to push them back to their longships. As the knights emerged victorious, Gregor rode back with his throng to the "Sacred Lake" and there, he proclaimed himself King in the North and proclaimed the bay where he was crowned to be his new royal court, to which a certain Ser Gilles replied "A hardly won court", thus the name Harcourt given to the capital of Brissac ever since. All the chiefs and knights gathered around Gregor and together they vowed to serve and honour the Lady Nivienne. They also vowed to stay together as an army and kingdom to free the north from the Normen. Gregor was proclaimed 'Roy Magnus', with the authority to command the army and the entirety of all the tribes. This moment marked the origin of feudalism in Hessos as Gregor gradually named dukes and nobles to rule over his realm.

After but a season's rest, Gregor led his most trusted knights to the shores where they encountered the last of the battered and bloodied Normen. Aware of their hopeless journey to find land and settle after they were hazardously driven from their homeland, Gregor offered peace and a compromise; if the Normen would abandon their bloodthirsty gods, swear fealty to Gregor and his family and pray to Teutates, they would enjoy vast fertile lands to settle until the end of times. The Normen were dazzled and many were enthusiastic to accept. However, one certain 'berserker' and warchief by the name of Hrólfr Bearkin refused and challenged Gregor forward to a duel. With a ferocity never seen by a man, the Norman giant warchief clashed with the newly crowned Roy and the two clashed for hours before all to see. Slashing through his hard skin with Morraltach, Gregor panicked as the Norman continued to push him away like a stormy side and before long, he turned to a bear-man chimera that would strike away any mortal's spirit.