The Scarlet Dukedom A World I Built Beyond Design

The Scarlet Dukedom — Where It Started

I should probably start by saying this isn’t a design project.

This is something else entirely.

I’ve been drawing, building, and making things since I was a kid—model making, miniatures, sketchbooks full of ideas. Always creating. In the 90s, I found Warhammer through Games Workshop, and that was it. I was in.

At college, I collected Bretonnia. Not because it was perfect, but because it felt closest to what I loved—knights, heraldry, myth, that Arthurian tone. But the more I looked at it, the more I felt something was missing. The world was there… but the story wasn’t.

So I built my own.

What started as an army became something much bigger—a fully realised setting shaped by everything I grew up on. Robin of Sherwood. The Three Musketeers. Classic fantasy films. The kind of storytelling that puts character and atmosphere first. I wanted to know who these people were, why they fought, what they believed in.

That became the Scarlet Dukedom.

A Bretonnian-inspired world grounded in chivalry and myth, but with its own identity—its own heroes, its own conflicts, its own voice.

This project reflects the artists and storytellers who shaped how I see the world. From the scale of Tolkien and Robert E. Howard, to the raw energy of Frank Frazetta, Boris Vallejo, and Julie Bell. Even earlier than that—copying the bold, dramatic paintings of Rudy Obrero and William George as a kid, learning composition, colour, and how to make something feel larger than life.

I don’t claim to reinvent anything.

I stand on the shoulders of giants.

But this—this is mine.

Aquilonia — The Scarlet Dukedom

Beneath a scarlet banner bearing two lions passant guardant and a single fleur-de-lys in chief, the Dukedom of Aquilonia stands unbowed between mountain and sea. Vineyards stretch beneath watchful towers. Ancient forests whisper. The coast is wind-cut, vigilant, and cold.

Farmers tend their vines beneath the tolling of chapel bells. Merchants load galleys at Montreuil-sur-Mer. In Middletown, masons carve pale stone from the mountains of the duchy, while shepherds cross high hills crowned with Grail shrines.

All know the truth — hearth and blood must be defended without hesitation.

Fortis in Arduis.Strength in adversity.

The White Tower

At the heart of the realm rises the White Tower — not built upon the mountain, but hewn from it. A white fang thrust into the sky. Its walls catch the dawn like drawn steel. Authority made stone.

From its heights rules Duke Flay, newly returned Grail Knight, bearing an heirloom blade older than living memory. At his side stands his Elven Duchess — once met with wary whispers, now proven in wisdom and in steel. The knights followed without question. The people did not. Trust was earned, not granted.

Together, they rule with resolve.

The Tower is guarded by its Castellan — a giant of a man marked by a long scar and a temper to match. Discipline tempers his rage. Strategy sharpens it. Beneath him stand the Billmen of the Tower Guard, hardened soldiers wielding hooked polearms. In their hands, the bill is a merciless weapon — halting cavalry, dragging riders from the saddle, and holding the line where lesser men would break.

Across the Dukedom

Across Aquilonia, keeps and border towers rise like spearheads from the earth. Realm Knights govern their lands and ride at the Duke’s call. Questing Knights, grim and tireless, seek honour through endless battle. Pegasus Knights descend from the open sky when faith demands it — swift, sudden, and terrible.

Montreuil-sur-Mer guards the duchy’s sea gate — a coastal citadel of thick walls and restless harbour. War galleys and merchant vessels crowd its waters. From here rules Baron Blessed, whose hatred of Chaos burns hotter than the forge.

Upon the walls stand the Yeoman Crossbowmen, their scarlet pavises locked firm as their bolts strike with crushing force. Ever watchful for raiders, corsairs, and darker things that rise from the western seas.

Aquilonia’s fame travels not only by steel, but by ale — a dark mountain brew drawn from cold springs and valley barley. Even Dwarfs speak of it with rare approval.

The Wildwood

Beyond vineyard and village, the ancient forest breathes.

Within the Wildwood dwell the Wolf’s Heads — chosen of Herne, the Horned God of the Hunt. High among colossal oaks, their hidden dwellings weave through branch and rope. Paths shift. Mists gather. Shadows linger where none should stand.

Here, steel alone is not enough.

Faith walks beside it.

The Warrior Nuns of the Abbey fight as fiercely as they pray. The Cardinal, spiritual heart of the duchy, guides Grail Damsels and warriors alike with unwavering resolve.

Aerion the Grey

Erratic. Bohemian. Independent. Wise.

Aerion walks the edge between brilliance and madness. Staff in one hand, Greyfang in the other, he wields wild magic with unsettling precision. A hedge wizard drawing power from the land itself — from stone, wind, and the lingering echoes of ancient Elven sorcery.

On a jagged cliff at the edge of the Wildwood, he stands — cloaked, watchful.

Beside him, a silent owl circles the forest below, ever searching for those clever… or foolish… enough to seek him out.

Hidden behind rune-sealed hollows lies his sanctuary — a place of study, trial, and quiet danger.

Few who find it leave unchanged.

Example of a page entry would be

Aerion the Grey ,Hedge Wizard  level 3 Ancient, brilliant, and slightly mad, Aerion wanders the cliffs and forests of the Dukedom, shaping fate with subtle magic and cunning insight.

Stats: M4 | WS2 | BS3 | S3 | T3 | W3 | I4 | A1 | Ld7

• Arcane Mastery: Can cast level 3 wizard spells; all spell ranges count as D3 and ignore soft obstacles.

• Spellcasting Risk: Miscast on double roll; all 1s are treated as miscasts.

• Grayfang: Weapon channels +1 Strength when striking in melee.

• Potion Gourds of Madness: Absorb D3 wounds; risk of miscast when used.

• Ancient Wisdom: All spells cast gain +1 power; 1s remain misscasts.

• Call of the Mist: Teleport into wooded terrain; may bypass obstacles.

• Mystic Guidance: Once per turn, re-roll one failed die for a friendly unit in movement or shooting phase.

Points: 120 pts

Lore / Visual Notes: Aerion the Grey is a hedge wizard of subtle magic and cunning. Rumored mad to outsiders, his foresight and knowledge of arcane paths make him indispensable to the Dukedom. Often perched on cliffs or hidden in the Wildwood, he aids heroes, guides allies, and bends fate without direct confrontation.

Spellcasting: Roll 3 magic dice at the start of the game to determine Aerion’s spells. He may cast 1 spell per turn (level 1–3). All spell ranges count as D3 and ignore soft obstacles. Miscasts occur on double rolls; 1s are treated as misscasts.

Design Notes — Aerion the Grey

Aerion grew from a mix of influences that have shaped me over the years.

He carries the grounded wisdom of Gandalf, the wild edge of Radagast, and a touch of Merlin’s mythic unpredictability tied to the land itself—yes, a nod to his Welsh roots too.

A bit of British fantasy crept in—The Weirdstone of Brisingamen—and even the eccentricity of the Fourth Doctor.

The model itself came from Mordheim: Nicodemus, a fantastic sculpt that was unapologetically epic. I couldn’t resist using it as the physical anchor for Aerion.

None of this was copied; it all simmered over time, shaping the character. Then I added my own instinct—and Aerion just clicked.

The Scarlet Dukedom — Built from a Lifetime of Making

“I’ve always made things. Still do. It’s just who I am.these models might look like armies on a shelf, but to me they’re something else entirely — a kind of autobiography. Every influence, every story, every film, every idea I grew up on… it’s all in there. And it still is.