Eleanor de Quenelles
Eleanor de Quenelles was the daughter of the Duke of Quenelles and a powerful Grail Damsel.
History
As the youngest daughter of the Duke of Quenelles, Eleanor was not in line to inherit and so would not be called upon to wed the Knight Errant who succeeded to her father's domain. Therefore she had taken holy orders as a Grail Damsel of the Grail Chapel of Quenelles. Here she was renowned for healing many valiant, mortally wounded knights, pulling them back from the brink of death. Among Bretonnian women this was considered the equivalent to a knight's feat of arms in the field of battle.
When a group of Wood Elves competed within Quenelles famed tourney and stole its most sacred arifact, the Chalice of Chanterelle, Eleanor stood as the furious knights debated what recompense the Elves would pay. Many great knights were gathered, ready for vengeance, such as the brutal Guillaume de Grenouille and the famous Grail Knight Aloys de Montjoie. Eleanor stepped forth amongst small minded ideas of payment by gold and trinkets, proclaiming that true recompense would be given by reclaiming the lost Grail Chapel of Challote. This blessed chapel lay in ruins within the forests of Athel Loren, any pilgrims who attempted to reach it in the past were repelled or killed by the Wood Elves that guarded the forests. It would be a worthy repentance for the fay folk of Athel Loren, to place the stolen Chalice within that very chapel and grant the Bretonnians right of pilgrimage.
The knights roared in approval, they prepared for their pilgrimage to reclaim the Chalice and restore the ancient Grail Chapel, by force if needed. As the small army were leaving, Eleanor spotted the young Questing Knight, Agravain, she called out to him asking if he would not join the rest of them, but the knight could not be swayed from his own Grail Quest and so Eleanor and the pilgrimage set off without him.
The pilgrims sang with even more fervor as they trudged past the eerie waystones that marked the entrance to Athel Loren. As they began to delve deeper past the trees they came against a Wood Elf mage who warned them to turn back. The Grail Knight, Aloys simply pushed the elf aside in response and the pilgrimage marched on, deeper into the strange forest. Lacking instruction from their Queen Ariel on what to do, the Elf mage ordered his men to stand down, but they could not stop the forest from defending itself. The waystones had been passed and now Dryads, Treemen and other beings of the forest converged upon Eleanor and her pilgrims.
Eleanor proved vital during the intense battle that followed, invoking the Lady of the Lake Eleanor empowered the Knights around her whilst bursting several Dryads into flame. Meanwhile the emboldened troops protected the Reliquary Wagon, a blessed golden casket which contained the bones and weapons of Bretonnia's greatest heroes. Eleanor was confronted by a massive Treeman, Gwercus the leader of the forest host. Using all her power Eleanor managed to hold him in place, rooting him within the ground, even when pierced by two arrows, the Damsel continued to try and contain the mighty Treeman, the Men-at-Arms scattered to form a shield wall around her. Eleanor's power of the giant Treeman began to fade as she lost more and more blood from her arrow wounds, all started to seem lost.
It was then that the Relic Wagon passed through the outer ring of the sacred glade, breaking its magic and banishing the tree spirits, the battle had been won, although at a cost. The losses were numerous and many more required Eleanor's healing, but all was not lost, the Questing Knight Agravain de Beau Quest had arrived to join their ranks, bringing with him a host of knights. The reinforcements which they had now gained allowed them to push further on. Together they continued the journey. Baron Aloys de Montjoie, leader of the pilgrimage, placed himself in service to Agravain, realising the young knight had a destiny to achieve, the eyes of The Lady were upon him.
After camping for the night, the Bretonnians continued their long journey to the sacred chapel, eventually they camr across a broad open glade of Willow trees. In the middle was a giant willow tree, its roots imbedded upon a ruin of crumbled mortar and masonry. This was the lost Chapel of Challotte.
No sooner had Eleanor and her pilgrims realised this, than an army of angered Wood Elves arrived led by the same Highborn who had orchestrated this entire deception, Athelwyn. The Elf Prince declared that the Grail Chapel was no more and that in its place a great willow tree known as the Tree of Shields grew in its place, sacred to the Wood Elves. Athelwyn arrogantly hurled the stolen Chalice into the mud, telling the Bretonnians to take it back and leave.It was when Eleanor, Agravain and the rest of the pilgrimage gazed upon the sacred tree, that rage truly began to burn in their souls. Decorating the tree were the shields of many fallen knights, it's entire namesake was built upon the murder of these noble warriors. Peace was no longer an option.
Eleanor formed up aside Agravain in the coming battle, it would see the deaths of Athelwyn, slain by the noble Aloys de Monjoie who in turn was morally wounded by the Elf's bodyguards. Agravain also slew one of the Elven leaders as the rst of the army fought valiantly to destroy the hated foe. When the clang of battle was no more, it was the Bretonnians who stood victorious. Toppling the Tree of Shields into the mud, it was Eleanor accompanied by Agravain who first stepped into the Chapel. It was within this sacred place that the Lady herself appeared to Eleanor's companion, letting him sup from the Holy Grail allowing him to join the hallowed ranks of the Grail Knights.
From that day on Eleanor has been the keeper of the restored Grail Chapel, healing all who make the perilous journey to the shrine. There in the midst of the forest she is protected by her only retainer, Agravain de Beau Quest, Grail Knight of the Chapel Challotte.
Items & Abilities
Eleanor was a powerful Grail Damsel, her abilities allowed her to heal the greatest of wounds and empower those who followed her.
- "Potion Sacre" - Like all Grail Damsels Eleanor was an expert at concocting magic potions. She was therefore equipped with a Potion Sacre. This protective potion is brewed from the tears of a damsel whose champion has died in battle mixed with the holy water from a great Bretonnian cathedral.
