House Montcerf
HOUSE TRAIT — Mercenary Steel
“They hunt men, not horses.”
House Montcerf Billhook units gain +1 combat strength against foot soldiers.
This ability allows House Montcerf to:
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Dominate infantry-heavy armies
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Shatter militia and levy formations
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Excel in urban and coastal battles
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Convert wealth directly into battlefield advantage
House Montcerf rewards economic dominance, tactical hiring, and ruthless efficiency.
THE BANNER OF THE GILDED STAG
The banner of House Montcerf bears a rearing stag, antlers wide, upon a field of orange.
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The Stag — Nobility without permission
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The Antlers — Branching influence and far-reaching trade
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The Orange Field — Coin, commerce, and ambition
House Montcerf does not kneel.
It pays.
ORIGINS OF HOUSE MONCERF
It is the Twelfth Century, in Brittany, at the far north-western edge of mainland Europe. The High Middle Ages have arrived—castles rise, Christendom consolidates, and feudal order tightens its grip.
But the throne of Brittany now stands empty.
King Conan III of House Cornouaille is dead—his excesses of food, wine, and age finally claiming him. His only legitimate heir, Princess Bertha, has vanished.
Kidnapped.
Or hidden.
Or betrayed.
Rumors multiply like summer mushrooms: conspiracies, ransom plots, forced marriages, and treachery within the royal bloodline itself.
Into this chaos step four great houses:
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Duval — ambitious newcomers of French extraction
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Navarro — hardened nobles from Spain
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Le Morvan — ancient Breton power
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Perkins — exiles of Anglo-Saxon blood
Each accuses the others.
Each prepares for war.
BLOOD, BLACKLISTING, AND BITTERNESS
House Montcerf are second cousins to the late king.
Their bloodline was legitimate.
Their exclusion was deliberate.
A family dispute—trivial in appearance, vicious in consequence—over the establishment of a local holiday saw House Montcerf removed from succession entirely.
No crown.
No appeal.
No forgiveness.
As recompense, House Montcerf was granted:
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Royal merchant rights
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Control of multiple port cities
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Access to lucrative trade routes
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Dominance along the northern coast of the English Channel
What was meant as a consolation became a weapon.
Denied land and title, House Montcerf invested instead in:
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Ships
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Warehouses
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Engineers
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Contracts
They built power that did not require permission.
PLAY HOUSE MONTCERF IF YOU…
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Favor infantry dominance
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Enjoy mercenary-driven power
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Like breaking formations and urban warfare
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Prefer wealth and logistics over lineage
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Believe rule belongs to whoever can afford to hold it
House Montcerf does not rule by divine right.
They rule by contracts, coin, and consequence.
And when the stag charges—
every spear has already been paid for.
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GOLD, GOODWILL, AND SOLDIERS FOR HIRE
House Montcerf learned early what truly binds loyalty:
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Goods in the market
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Festivals on the calendar
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Wages paid on time
They fed towns when others taxed them.
They funded celebrations when others preached restraint.
Thus, the people came to see House Montcerf not as distant nobles, but as providers.
The stag was chosen deliberately.
In the forests and fields, the stag is not the fiercest beast—but it is the most visible, the most respected, and the one that others follow without coercion. Its antlers mark prosperity and reach; its presence signals abundance rather than scarcity.
House Montcerf wished to be seen the same way.
But goodwill alone does not secure a throne.
Alongside grain and coin, Montcerf invested in steel—mercenary companies armed with the latest weapons, armor, and tactics money could buy.
Where other houses levy men out of obligation—
Montcerf employs professionals by choice.
And when the stag charges,
every soldier has already been paid.
