Is Toussaint based off Bretonnia?

[Azico]

So, I just recently bought and started playing through the Blood and Wine expansion pack and I couldn't help but notice some striking simillarities between the two fantasy kingdoms. I'm not gonna list all the simillarities, but here's a few.

They're both based around a culture of knights who value tradition, specifically "Knights-Errant", they're both kingdoms who worship the Lady of the Lake, they're both kingdoms with a French vibe to them, they're both kingdoms who are based where there used to be Elves who fled before they arrived. Those aren't all the simillarities and if you want to read more, here's a link. http://whfb.lexicanum.com/wiki/Bretonnia

So, it seems to me that all the strikingly notable things about Toussaint are also the same in Bretonnia. And I've done some research. Bretonnia was released in the 1st edition of Warhammer Fantasy which was in 1983. The first witcher book was 1993.

[Nyx]

no its a sterotypical fantasys kingdom thats what its meant to be

[tonypa]

Surely there are many more fictional territories based on era of knights in France. If they are based on same time period and same location, they will feel similar. Does not make one "based" off other.

[Maverick]

OP is making some valid points though. Also OP is open to discussion, it's not about a categorical "YES" or "NO". You refute his statements without giving counter-arguments.

Might be a stereotypical fantasys kingdom but it sure has to draw its inspiration from something.

Anyway, one can only speculate.

[oxtronxo]

Its based on our perception of "heaven"

[Mandrake42]

Im guessing its a fantasy version of France. Toussaint itself is a French word and the geography of the game looks a lot like the famous French wine growing districts. That said, it could equally be somewhere like Spain or Italy, both of which have that sunny summer vineyard feel.

[Big Boom Boom]

Yep, Bretonnia is also sitting next to the Empire, unexpected stuck in Dark Age technology even though the rest of the Old World advance to late Medieval Renaissance, central around the Lady of the Lake, is infested with Vampires in the province of Mousillons who has their own twisted sense of honour. Now we only need Orcs to complete the picture.

[Drake]

Toussaint is specificly based of the south/southeast regions on france and northern regions on italy.

[Mandrake42]

Originally posted by BuzzardBee:

Originally posted by Azico:

So, I just recently bought and started playing through the Blood and Wine expansion pack and I couldn't help but notice some striking simillarities between the two fantasy kingdoms. I'm not gonna list all the simillarities, but here's a few.

They're both based around a culture of knights who value tradition, specifically "Knights-Errant", they're both kingdoms who worship the Lady of the Lake, they're both kingdoms with a French vibe to them, they're both kingdoms who are based where there used to be Elves who fled before they arrived. Those aren't all the simillarities and if you want to read more, here's a link. http://whfb.lexicanum.com/wiki/Bretonnia

So, it seems to me that all the strikingly notable things about Toussaint are also the same in Bretonnia. And I've done some research. Bretonnia was released in the 1st edition of Warhammer Fantasy which was in 1983. The first witcher book was 1993.

Warhammer doesn't own exclusive rights to the Arthurian legends that date back to the 12th century. They've been at the core of countless fantasy-based fiction for some time now.

Yep, this. Warhammers Brettonia draws on a rich historical tradition. In fact most of the Empire borrows heavilly from European myth and legend and Games Workshop are the first to admit that.

[WolfEisberg]

Doubt it is based on Bretonnia. The author of the books mentioned that gaming is outside of his interests.

[Big Boom Boom]

Originally posted by eisberg:

Doubt it is based on Bretonnia. The author of the books mentioned that gaming is outside of his interests.

Yep because tabletop and novel are the same as computer video games.

Warhammer Fantasy is a tabletop game that has had hundreds of novel and several magazines dedicated to it. Unsurprising for someone to pick up a few inspiration from it.

When he said gaming he meant computer games FYI.

[Heath]

Its draws inspiration from France and Tuscany (Italy) if I remember correctly.

What really confuses me is that there are several characters that has a scandinavian accent when they speak. I can't remember his name, but the knight that is "obsessed" with lady Vivienne has a heavy scandinavian accent. He even says "Adjø" at one point which is Norwegian and means good bye.

[Drake]

Or maybe what you heard was Addio which is also one form of good bye in italian. (The two words come from the same latin expression ad dio, and a lot of christian countries have it).

[The Biden Touch]

I think it's very similar to the french/german areas along the Rhine

[Janthis]

It's a fantasy version of southern France. The emphasis on food and wine, the names, etc.

What really confuses me is that there are several characters that has a scandinavian accent when they speak. I can't remember his name, but the knight that is "obsessed" with lady Vivienne has a heavy scandinavian accent. He even says "Adjø" at one point which is Norwegian and means good bye.

It's not just him, they inexplicably chose to go with some weird German/Swiss accent for the NPCs instead of French. They either don't know what a French accent sounds like or they just don't like the French and didn't want people using that accent. Considering the devs are Polish, both are possible.

[Reverend Belial]

Originally posted by BuzzardBee:

What you're not getting is that the world Warhammer utilizes has been in existence for well over 700 in various forms of fiction. Simply choosing to select Warhammer and claiming it to be the inspiration for this or anything else that is even remotely associated with Arthurian legends is facile but completely erroneous.

Want to hear what his inspirations for the Witcher series really were? Watch this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHfS2TzzqIM

That's actually really interesting. A little disappointing (hearing someone say that they only did something creative because it pays is always a little disheartening), but really interesting.