Despite the old chivalric ideals that are still strong in Bretonnia, it is coin that rules the world this day. Whether used for good or ill, it is the rich that determine both their own fate, and that of the poor. The rich have influence. Wealthy people provide jobs for the poor, so that they may find a better way to live their lives as well. Those who are wealthy dictate the economy, either for their own gain, or to develop a backwater community to a central hub of commerce and prosperity.

The Unified Trade Council is an organisation of wealthy sea-faring merchants from around the world, who operate along the coast of the Empire, Bretonnia, Kislev, Norsca, Estalia, and Tilea. However, this would-be imperium is broken up in the center, as Bretonnian laws on trade hinder the merchants greatly. They have had a long-standing relationship with Lyonesse, where laws are more lenient as nobles vie for power, but the income they could be making is greatly reduced simply because the nobles of Bretonnia are unwilling to cooperate fully. And so the Council formed a bold and daring plan. By raising the price of their goods to astronomic rates, they are slowly but steadily working towards the decline of Lyonesse, forcing the nobles to sell their property to them. Their aim is to control so much of the land of Lyonesse that it effectively becomes theirs, titles be damned.

And so they have raised their prices, beginning small in the coastal town Nez. The UTC makes daring raids on transports from the city of Lyonesse, effectively dominating the import of goods and food. This, in turn, leads to starvation and poverty with the people of Nez, but the merchants explain to them that the situation could easily be remedied if the nobles would simply cave to their demands.

Merchants employed by the UTC may feel that they are entitled to fairer trading rights, or feel that in the long run they are doing the peasants a favour, or even just be greedy gold-grabbers who don't give a damn about politics or the peasant's plight. Whatever the reason, your objective is to take control of Nez; if you succeed here, then plans will be set in motion to take over all of Lyonesse...

The Allied Families of Nez is a loose coalition of some of the more influential families in Nez. Rich burghers, guild masters, retired knights and minor nobles of Lyonesse who live here often band together, each member looking out for the other. This tightly-knit group is the de facto ruler of Nez, ruling the peasants with an iron fist. Their laws bring order and stability to the town, something much needed in a place where the less desirable elements of the capital Lyonesse can often be found. However, their position is one of absolute power- they are filthy rich, while the peasants are practically starving. They are exempt from many laws that the peasants must follow, and the laws they must abide by have a less severe punishment for members of the AFN. The families believe that this stark contrast rewards them for their hard work in maintaining the village.

Needless to say, when the Unified Trade Council began with the execution of their plan, the noble families of Nez opposed them. Their household forces were quickly deployed to break the UTC's blockade of the harbor, and protect the transports from Lyonesse. They have now fought the merchants to a standstill across town, neither side gaining the upper hand over control of the city. Only the future will tell whether the AFN can hold on to its power, or lose it to the merchants- or worse...

The AFN are the ruling upper class of Nez, and are loathe to lose their power. They are traditionalists who believe in their birthright to rule. Some of them are benevolent towards their subjects, some uncaring, some are downright cruel. But whatever their outlook on their birthright, the members of the Allied Families of Nez agree that it is something worth defending.

Bretonnia is a harsh land, where the contrast between the nobility and peasants is very stark indeed. Many peasants accept their fate. They believe that their condition is simply their lot in life, that everything has its place, and that their place just happens to be at the bottom. Such things should not be resisted, but rather embraced, so that Bretonnia will always be founded on loyal, obedient subjects. How else could a nation hope to survive in these dark times?

There are exceptions, of course. Peasants who feel that they are entitled to more. Peasants who don't want to settle for watery gruel each day while their lords have banquets every night. Peasants who don't want to give their livestock away for the King's monthly ball. Peasants who feel that it is unfair to have a different set of laws for nobles and commoners. These peasants take up arms against their masters, and the Brotherhood of the Defiant Amaranth are a group of just such peasants. Often outlawed by the nobles, they hide in or outside the city, waiting for the moment where their strength is at its peak, and their master's strength is at its lowest.

That moment is now. The brotherhood have been fed up with the harsh laws of the nobles for years, feeling that they have a right to be treated as equals. Now the Unified Trade Council raises the price of goods and food, and the people are starving. They are unhappy. With the right motivation, they could rise up, remove the nobles and the merchants, and rule the town independently.

As a member of the Brotherhood of Defiant Amaranth, you walk with the commoners. However, make no mistake; the peasants of Bretonnia have been taught to accept their place in life, and convincing them to rise up and join your ranks would take quite a bit of convincing. Should you succeed, however, you will topple the rule of the rich, remove the greedy merchants, and become an independent town. How you go about doing this is entirely up to you; start a rebellion, hide in the shadows, or resort to far darker measures... The choice is yours. What means does your dream justify?

A strong target is a fool's target. Wait and be patient. Wait for them to show an opening. Wait for them to show weakness, and then hit them with all your might.

The Sons of Exile is a secret organisation, founded almost a century ago by peasants and nobles who shared one trait; their crimes caused them to be exiled from Nez. Whatever their transgression, the rulers of Nez decreed that these people were not welcome in their community anymore. And so they cast them out, sending them to wander the hills between Nez and the Barley Motte. If the harsh life in the open wouldn't kill them, then greenskins or the children of Chaos would.

But somehow they survived. Through perseverance, hard work and a deep hatred for the ones who exiled them, they survived. They formed a roaming band, moving from village to village, but never forgetting where they came from or what had been done to them.

In time these men and women formed a more organised group, exacting revenge by attacking caravans from and to Nez. They spread their agents throughout Bretonnia, increasing their influence with several wealthy families. And now, they are ready to strike.

Nez has been weakened. Merchants block the entrance to the town, villagers are unhappy and flocking to the banner of criminals, and the nobles are losing their grip on the village, despite their attempts of ruthlessly keeping it in their grasp. If there ever was a time to strike, it is now.

The Sons of Exile are not just a band of criminals out for revenge. They started out that way, but now their influence reaches much farther. People from all walks of life have joined the Sons of Exile, some without even realising it. They seek to bring Nez under new rulership, to plunder its riches, or simply to slay its people. Even Bretonnian nobles have been enlisted; Nez is a failing community, and these men would step in to remove the corrupt elements and take over. Any rumour, false or true, that would cause anyone to harm the city has been spread. The Sons of Exile will stop at nothing to avenge their forebears.

As an agent of the Sons of Exile, you seek to invade the city for whatever reason. Perhaps you have been wronged by nobles. Perhaps you feel that the town is corrupt, and that you should be the one to bring it back to the light. Maybe you're just out for gold or glory. The Sons of Exile are a diverse faction, perhaps more so than any other. But in the end their goal is the same; remove the influence of other factions, and subject the town to either your salvation, or your cruelty.

The Chevaliers de Saint Leon were once a powerful order of Bretonnian knights, sworn to honour the King and the Lady. Heroes of many battles, they finally met their match against the orc warboss Grash Bonebreaka. Although the greenskin's Waaagh! was ultimately destroyed, along with the warboss himself, the order was decimated. Only a handful of knights survived that battle. With no funding left, the King reassigned them to the protection of Nez.

The assignment was a mockery. The people of Lyonesse are wary of powerful strangers, and so the Chevaliers were not accepted part of the Allied Families of Nez. They kept out of the loop on almost every front and, more importantly, not shown any respect. They were treated as outsiders. A strong enmity built up between the Chevaliers and the people of Nez, both its nobles and its commoners. The Chevaliers were given their own ward in the town, renamed the Military Ward, but were also expected to remain there and not bother anyone in the other districts.

Silently the knights watched as the nobles treated their subjects as tyrants, the people did not obey their betters, and merchants suddenly made a bid for power. Disillusioned, they declared that they would no longer fight for the people of Nez. Instead, they placed the entire town under arrest. Obviously this didn't sit well with the people, and open conflict between the Chevaliers and the other factions was a fact.

Now the Chevaliers ride out, frustrated, angry. They ride out to mete out justice, to restore the balance where everything knows and accepts its place in the world. For the last four years these noble knights have been treated as outsiders, invaders. Now they will live up to their reputation.

The Chevaliers de Saint Leon view Nez as a corrupted, fallen town. Its inhabitants need to either be convinced to see what is right, arrested, or removed. These factions follow the code of chivalry, but only against each other; they believe that the other factions have lost the right to be treated with any respect. Their objective is to restore order in Nez, and if they need to kill everyone who stands against their ideal to achieve that goal, then so be it.