Here starts the Tale of Marie de Quenelles, an ancestor of Gueron.

 It was winter, Gilles-Tide, 1493, and Marie is remembering her family history while awaiting word of her father.

 For those that are not fully familiar with the calendar of the Warhammer World, there are 12 months; After-Witching, Year-Turn, Plough-Tide, Ladys-Month, Summer-Tide, Fore-Mystery, After-Mystery, Harvest-Tide, Brew-Month, Chill-Month, Gilles-Tide, and Fore-Witching. Of these months ten have 33 days, and two have 32 days.  

There are six days that are not included in months; Witching Night (New Year, before After-Witching), Lily-Day (Spring Equinox, between Year-Turn and Plough-Tide), Peace-Tide (Summer Solstice, between Summer-Tide and Fore-Mystery), Day of Mystery (Between Fore-Mystery and After Mystery, Commemerates the First Appearance of the Lady of the Lake), Grail Day (Autumn Equinox, between Harvest-Tide and Brew-Month), and Kings Sleep (Winter Solstice, between Gilles-Tide and Fore-Witching).

 The Current year is 1544. The Storm of Chaos took place in 1543-1544.

Gilles-Tide 1493

She looked south across the clear blue waters of the River Brienne, and its shimmering snow covered banks, and shivered with more than the winter’s chill. She stood on the allure and absently pulled her ermine-trimmed wool robe closer about her as if to protect from a strong wind. However, there was no wind.

The robe had been a gift from her father, at the beginning of Brew-Month, in anticipation of a cold winter, one that he always seemed to be able to predict. It was a very nice robe, dyed in the deep blue of Quenelles, made especially for her in Carcassone, which meant it was fit to her somewhat tall frame. She loved her robe dearly, as she did all things that had been gifted her by her father, but unfortunately it did little to allay the chill that had caused her to wake earlier that morning.

 “Lady Marie,” asked Sir Bastien, “what ails thee?” She had not heard the old man approach, but that was not unusual, so she did not jump. Sir Bastien had been acting as her father’s steward for the past two weeks. He was a too old to follow her father into battle this time, being nearly 75 years old. Still he remained unbowed by age, bearing his birth sword with the confidence and ease of years, the very definition of a loyal knight, and as such had been the logical choice to run her father’s lands when he had ridden off to answer an ally’s call.

Marie knew her family history well, and Sir Bastien was a large part of it. He had fought the orcs of Carcassone when they had raided nearly 50 years before, and when her father had left on his errantry quest, Sir Bastien had accompanied him, at the request of his her grandfather, Gervaise of Carcassone. He taught the young knight many of the skills that he had come to rely on. Her father, Sir Gerard, even attributed Sir Bastien with saving his life more than once.

When Sir Gerard had been offered the lands in Quenelles, due to his many triumphs against the denizens of the Massif Orcal, Sir Bastien had left the service of Sir Gervaise of Carcassone, and taken service under Sir Gerard of Quennelles. That had been 1471, and her father had just turned 21. Sir Gerard had been in service of Lord Marcel, his father-in-law, since 1468 shortly after he had married Marise, Lord Marcel’s youngest daughter.