BEAUGENCIE
Beaugencie is one of the great western kingdoms of the Diurnist world, a wealthy and populous realm of fertile river valleys, old cities, powerful nobles, and deeply rooted royal institutions. Its people are known as Gennishmen or Gennish, their language is Beauçais, and the kingdom follows the Western Diurnist Calendar, in which the current year is 1396.
Beaugencie is ruled by Renaut IV, King of Beaugencie, aged fifteen. His capital, Loury, is the political and ceremonial heart of the kingdom, home to the royal court, council, chancery, treasury, and the principal institutions of government.
The Gennish War
The kingdom is presently at war with its most ancient rival, the Kingdom of Albelond. Albish forces already hold the western polities of Marmondie, Lemagne, and Molinay from prior conflicts a generation ago, while King Philip III has recently undertaken a new invasion of northeastern Beaugencie under Lord Robert de Marman, Earl of Pitney and Lord Marshal of the Army of Albelond.
The invading Albish army advanced rapidly through the Duchy of Caronne, attacking villages, striking towns, and scattering local resistance without allowing themselves to become fixed before every fortified place they encountered. Only two cities were seriously besieged, both of which fell relatively quickly and remain occupied by small Albish garrisons. The greater part of the invading army then continued eastward into Picotaine.
Throughout the advance, Guillaume II de Picotaine, Marshal of Beaugencie, called Chembaut, remained close behind. Rather than risk his army in a premature general engagement, he harassed the Albish march, threatened exposed detachments and supply movements, and allowed them to advance deeper into Picotaine, where the fortified city of Fontregny presented an objective too important to ignore.
The Albish were well aware of the danger. Fontregny commands the River Renne, a major tributary of the Runk, but is surrounded by marshes, canals, flooded ground, embankments, causeways, and fortified crossings which make it exceptionally difficult to attack. Robert de Marman nevertheless judged that such a stronghold could not safely be left untaken behind his advance. Chembaut, in turn, believed that the city could hold the Albish in place long enough for him to wear down their communications and strike wherever they became exposed.
The resulting Siege of Fontregny has now continued for nearly a year. Cannon and trebuchets batter its walls and outer works, while beneath them Albish sappers and Gennish counter-sappers dig, listen, undermine, collapse enemy galleries, and occasionally fight one another underground. Robert remains personally before the city with most of the Albish army, while Chembaut continues to operate in the surrounding country.
The two commanders have developed a considerable respect for one another. Both are regarded as exceptional tacticians, and their campaigns have become a continual contest of move and countermove in which neither man has consistently gained the upper hand.
Most recently, Chembaut marched north of the frontier after learning that Albish reinforcements were assembling near the small town of Flodham. He struck them before they could fully organize and inflicted a crushing defeat at the Battle of Flodham Field, fought upon Albish soil. The victory has temporarily disrupted efforts to reinforce the siege and has given renewed strength to Chembaut's argument that the Albish can still be defeated and driven from Gennish territory.
Note: The Battle of Flodham Field is the most recent and "present day" event in the standard, non-LAMENT lore. It is currently the late afternoon immediately after the battle, and Chembaut's army is currently counting the dead and prisoners, helping the wounded, and piling bodies for burial.
Internal Conflict
At the same time, Beaugencie is divided by violent internal conflict between two rival royalist factions. Both claim loyalty to Renaut IV and accuse the other of exploiting the young king and endangering the kingdom through its conduct of the war.
The Picots
The Picots are a royalist faction led by Guillaume II de Picotaine, Duc de Picotaine and Marshal of Beaugencie, called Chembaut. They support continuing the war against Albelond until the Albish are defeated and driven from Gennish territory, and argue that the Marshal must be allowed to carry out his duty in defence of the realm without constant interference from the royal court.
They regard their rival faction, the Aubinists, as cowardly armchair tacticians who would rather negotiate peace and concede the King's rightful lands than continue the fight. Their support is strongest in the Duchy of Picotaine and the invaded Duchy of Caronne, where Albish occupation has made any negotiations involving the surrender of Gennish territory deeply unpopular.
Chembaut's victory at Flodham Field has greatly strengthened the Picot position. To his supporters, the destruction of an Albish force upon its own soil is proof that Albelond is far from unbeatable and that continued resistance remains both possible and necessary.
Picot supporters identify themselves by a white horse curb bit badge, a symbol borrowed from Marshal Chembaut's personal heraldry.
The Aubinists
The Aubinists are a royalist faction led by Enguerrand d'Aubin, Duc de Rivelon. They blame Chembaut for the loss of territory and fortifications during the Albish advance through Caronne and argue that his refusal to seriously pursue negotiations has allowed the war to become dangerously costly. They seek to bring military policy firmly under the control of the King and royal council, even if that means negotiating with Albelond.
Their support is strongest in the capital city of Loury, particularly among the royal court, councillors, administrators, and noble households immediately surrounding the King. The Aubinists are generally more influential in council chambers than where the actual fighting is taking place, leading the Picots to dismiss them as back-seat commanders attempting to direct a Marshal of the realm from the safety of their palaces and hôtels in Loury.
In reality, the Aubinists include several highly experienced captains and knights who have fought extensively in campaigns in western Beaugencie. Their preference for negotiation is not born from cowardice or military inexperience, but from the belief that continued resistance may ultimately cost the Crown more than it can afford. Under different circumstances, many of these same men would readily fight beside the Picots against the Albish.
Their hopes for negotiation have also been quietly encouraged by Albelond. Lord Robert de Marman understands that a divided Beaugencie is far less dangerous than a united one, and King Philip III has therefore allowed the possibility of peace to remain open without committing himself to any settlement. Whether meaningful negotiations will actually occur remains uncertain.
The Aubinists view the Picots as insubordinate warmongers who place Marshal Chembaut's word before the King's and would rather see whole regions of Beaugencie ruined than surrender another inch of land to the Albish.
The Aubinist identifying mark is a yellow bend worn diagonally across the body.
Civil War
Disagreements over policy descended into violent internal conflict with the Murder of Hugues d'Aubin, Enguerrand's younger brother, who was killed by an unidentified member of Marshal Chembaut's following after insults exchanged between rival soldiers in the streets of Loury suddenly gave way to fighting. Chembaut himself was inside the royal council when the killing occurred, but was blamed for the murder and accused by his enemies of orchestrating it.
Forced to flee the city, Chembaut made his way back to Picotaine, where the Aubinists later made the first overt military move by seizing a small Picot castle known as Chastel-Roux. Since then the conflict has spread through raids, local sieges, castle seizures, disputed appointments, and shifting court loyalties.
Both factions nevertheless remain enemies of Albelond. Both continue to march in the name of Renaut IV and display the Cross of Saint Beraut, the principal royal field sign of Beaugencie. Their dispute is not over whether Beaugencie should be defended, but over how the war should be fought, and both accuse the other of manipulating the young and impressionable King.
The Patron Saint
Saint Beraut is the royal patron of Beaugencie and the traditional first bishop of Loury. According to Diurnist tradition, he established the first organized community of the faith in the city and was later crucified for refusing to renounce the Diurnity. His remains were recovered by his followers, and the shrine raised over his grave eventually became the Abbey of Saint Beraut, closely associated with the Gennish monarchy, royal burial, warfare, and ceremony.
The Banner of Saint Beraut bears a broad white cross on blue beneath three blue fleurs-de-lis. Renaut IV bears separate personal arms, which form his own royal banner.
The Capital City of Loury
Loury stands upon a major river and is dominated by the Palais de Loury, a fortified royal palace built upon an island. Its principal approach crosses Pont Vauclerc, a large inhabited bridge lined with shops, lodgings, workshops, and buildings serving the court. Beyond the city walls stands Rochevaut Hill, the great royal gibbet of Loury, used for executions and the public display of those condemned for serious crimes against the Crown.
Beaugencie is highly regional. The lands around Loury, Rivelon, and Brocardie form the political and agricultural heart of the kingdom, while the west is increasingly shaped by the Albish war. The north has long experience of campaigning and military traffic, while the eastern regions, including Picotaine, Tournelles, Amydoine, and Pontz, show slight Imperial influence in arms, architecture, trade, and custom.
Great nobles retain considerable local authority, and for most Gennish people the Crown is encountered through local lords, parishes, market towns, tax officials, and occasional royal officers. The wars are felt less through grand politics than through blocked roads, requisitioned food, armed retainers, damaged villages, changing officials, and uncertainty over whose orders are lawful.
Common Superstitions
Upside-Down Loaf
A loaf placed upside-down upon the table is considered deeply unlucky. It is immediately righted before anyone cuts or eats from it.
Crossed Knives
Two knives laid across one another at table are believed to invite quarrel between those present. They are often separated as soon as they are noticed.
Knock in the Night
An unexplained knock at the door after dark is not answered the first time. A second knock is said to prove that the visitor is living.
The Reluctant Horse
A horse that refuses to cross a bridge should not be forced across. It is commonly believed that horses can perceive dangers upon bridges and crossings that their riders cannot.
Common Festivals
Saint Beraut’s Day
The principal feast of the royal patron of Beaugencie. Churches display images and relics of Saint Beraut, bells are rung throughout the day, and towns hold processions, markets, public meals, music, games, and other entertainments. In Loury, the great procession of Saint Beraut leaves the abbey and passes through the capital under the banners of the Crown and the saint. Royal officials, guilds, clergy, confraternities, soldiers, and noble households all take part.
The Procession of the Fields
Held during the growing season, the Procession of the Fields sees clergy and parishioners walk the boundaries of their fields, villages, and parishes carrying bells, candles, banners, and holy relics. Prayers are offered for good weather, healthy crops, and protection from disease, fire, war, and other calamities. Wayside shrines and boundary markers are blessed along the route, and the procession commonly ends with food, ale, and communal celebration.
The Boy Bishop’s Feast
During this winter feast, a boy from the cathedral school, monastery, or local choir is ceremonially chosen as the Boy Bishop. Dressed in miniature episcopal vestments, he leads a procession accompanied by choristers, students, apprentices, and younger clergy. For the day, ordinary hierarchy is playfully inverted. Mock proclamations are issued, senior clergy may be publicly teased, and townspeople indulge in games, songs, costumes, feasting, and sanctioned mischief. The festivities remain religious in character, but local clergy often disagree over how much disorder should be tolerated.
THE KINGDOM OF BEAUGENCIE
The Holy Standard of Beaugencie and
the Attributed Arms of Saint Beraut
The Personal Arms of King Renaut IV
Political Map of Beaugencie
Capital
and largest city
Loury
Official Language
-
Beauçais (Middle French)
Common Languages
-
Common Vernacular (Modern English)
-
Pontish (Fictional Dialect)
Government
Hereditary Feudal Monarchy
Reigning Lord
Renaut IV
Titles
King of Beaugencie
Religion
Church of the Divine Diurnity
Denomination
Western Diurnism
Demonym
Gennish
Boge (Derogatory)
Currency
Gennish Gilivre
Calendar
Western Diurnist Calendar
Date: 1396
Notable Cities
Pontignac (Papal Seat)
Fontregny
Pont au Picot
Arne
Valonne
Charnelay
Marshal Chembaut, Duke of Picotaine and leader of the Picot faction
A Gennish Knight wearing the Cross of St. Beraut, the yellow bend of the Aubinist faction, and his own personal heraldry on his shield
LIFE IN BEAUGENCIE
FOOD AND DRINK
Gennish food is usually simple, filling, and heavily dependent on what the surrounding country produces. Bread and pottage appear at nearly every table, joined by peas, beans, onions, cabbage, eggs, cheese, pork, bacon, poultry, and freshwater fish. Wealth changes the quality more than the basic character of the meal: fine white bread replaces coarse loaves, fresh meat appears more often, and pastries, preserved fruits, and imported spices begin to show up.
Wine is common across much of Beaugencie and carries none of the exclusivity it has in a nation like Albelond. In vineyard districts it may be the ordinary drink of a respectable household, while ale remains common among labourers and in regions where vines grow poorly.
The kingdom is large enough that a traveler can usually tell where he is by what appears on the table. River towns favour fish, western ports add shellfish and preserved sea-fish, the fertile heartland produces an abundance of grain and fruit, and the eastern territories increasingly favour the sausages, smoked meats, and heavier dishes associated with their Imperial neighbours.
WORK AND TRADE
Most Gennish people still make their living from the land. Fields, vineyards, orchards, pasture, woodland, and rivers support the villages, while towns gather the craftsmen needed to keep them supplied. A prosperous town might contain streets dominated by clothworkers, dyers, butchers, bakers, smiths, armourers, leatherworkers, or goldsmiths, while scribes and notaries cluster nearer courts, churches, and noble households. Guilds and confraternities are particularly important in the larger towns, where they are as much social institutions as economic ones.
Beaugencie is well connected by river and road. Grain and wine travel toward the cities; salt, cloth, livestock, timber, metalwork, and luxury goods move in the opposite direction. The City of Loury consumes an extraordinary amount simply by virtue of being the capital. The court must be fed, clothed, mounted, heated, entertained, and supplied, and whole trades prosper from serving people who themselves serve the king.
SPEECH AND MANNERS
The language of the kingdom is Beauçais, though a traveler moving from one end of Beaugencie to the other will hear considerable differences in accent, dialect, and vocabulary.
Gennish society pays close attention to rank. People notice titles, dress, household position, and who is permitted to stand or sit where. This is most elaborate among the nobility and at court, but the instinct reaches well below them. A prosperous merchant, village priest, household servant, and tenant farmer may all occupy very different places in society, and most people know how they are expected to address each one.
Hospitality is generous, but rarely careless. A guest will normally be offered something to eat or drink, even in a modest household, but in wealthier homes hospitality is also a display of order. Who is seated nearest the host, who is served first, and who receives the better wine can say almost as much as the conversation itself.
Reputation matters accordingly. A public insult, unpaid debt, broken oath, or humiliating quarrel can follow a person for years. Gennish people may forgive private embarrassment more easily than disgrace witnessed by half a market square.
RELIGION
Religion is difficult to separate from ordinary public life in Beaugencie. Bells regulate the day, processions fill the streets, saints watch over trades and households, and churches serve as meeting places as readily as places of worship. Confraternities organise charity and funerals, pilgrims move between shrines, and major religious observances can occupy an entire town.
Saint Beraut holds a special place in Gennish life. He is associated with Loury, the Crown, warfare, and the protection of the kingdom, while the white Cross of Saint Beraut is recognised almost everywhere.
WAR AND FACTION
War is no longer something that happens only at the frontier.
In the northeast, Albish campaigns threaten towns, cities, castles and estates. Elsewhere, the conflict between the Picots and Aubinists has brought armed households, disputed officials, seized castles, and sudden roadblocks into places that had little reason to care about court politics.
The factions are easy enough to recognise. Picot supporters display the white horse bit, while Aubinists wear the yellow bend diagonally across the body. Both still claim loyalty to Renaut IV, and both continue to use the Cross of Saint Beraut.
Most ordinary Gennish people are not committed partisans. They care whether the road to market is open, whether the local captain is still in office, whether troops are being quartered nearby, and whether another tax is about to reach their village.
WHAT THE GENNISH KNOW
The average Gennish person knows their own part of the kingdom very well and the rest of it rather vaguely.
They know the local lord, the parish priest, the nearest market, which roads become impassable after rain, where the safest ford lies, and which bridge charges a toll. They can usually recognise the arms of important local families and know which officials are worth avoiding.
A townsperson is likely to know considerably more about guilds, courts, market regulations, municipal officers, and the rivalries of prominent households. Someone living near the fighting will also learn quickly which castles are Picot, which are Aubinist, and which are Albish. They might be aware of where soldiers are gathering, and which roads have become unsafe.
Nearly everyone knows that Renaut IV is king, recognises the Cross of Saint Beraut, and understands that Beaugencie is fighting both the Albish and itself. Beyond that, news becomes less reliable with every mile it travels.
REGIONAL CHARACTER
There is no single Gennish character.
Around Loury, Rivelon, and Brocardie, the kingdom feels densely settled, cultivated, and closely connected to the court. Noble estates, prosperous market towns, monasteries, officials, and major roads are common, and fashions from Loury travel outward quickly.
The west feels different. Rivers and ports matter more, foreign merchants are less remarkable, and the war with Albelond has become part of daily conversation. Some districts have seen soldiers so often that a column of armed men attracts little attention.
The northern counties have their own long familiarity with campaigning and military traffic, while the east increasingly resembles the lands beyond it. In Picotaine, Tournelles, and the approaches toward Pontz, Imperial influence can be heard in speech and seen in architecture, food, and trade, but notably not in arms or armour. A succession of Royal Ordinances and sumptuary laws has prohibited the wearing or use of Imperial arms and armour throughout Beaugencie, preserving a visibly Gennish martial tradition even in those eastern regions where Imperial fashions might have otherwise taken root.
A Gennish traveler may feel perfectly at home throughout the kingdom while still finding the next province noticeably different from his own.
ORDINARY TROUBLES
Most lives are still shaped more by ordinary hardship than by kings and dukes.
A bad harvest, an injured horse, an inheritance dispute, a landlord demanding arrears, a washed-out road, a lawsuit, or an unexpected rise in market prices can matter more to a household than whatever argument is consuming the royal council that month.
War makes all of these problems worse. Soldiers eat food that was meant to last the winter. Trade routes close. Animals disappear. Officials are replaced. Rumours arrive before reliable news, and yesterday’s safe road may belong to another faction by tomorrow.
Even so, life continues. Markets open, bells ring, couples marry, neighbours quarrel, harvests are brought in, pilgrims take to the roads, and merchants continue trying to make money from all of it.
A Gennish Noblewoman
A cloth livery badge of the Cross of St. Beraut, worn by soldiers of Beaugencie
A cloth livery badge of a curb bit, worn by soldiers of the Picot faction
An Aubinist crossbowman, Generic Knight and Picot Soldier