Carcassonne Shepherd

*"Shush, my little lambs. No man nor beast shall bother you while I’m here."*

## Basic

(KotG) The shepherds of Carcassonne are the dukedom’s first line of defence against the Orc raiders who infest the mountains. They often work alone, though a new recruit may be paired with an older individual. Obviously, a single Human, no matter how well trained, cannot expect to take on an entire Orc war-band, so the Shepherds are trained to gather information, slow the band down, and report its location to the local nobility.

They also look after flocks of sheep. A shepherd who loses his sheep is mercilessly mocked by his fellows, which leads many of them to take absurd risks to recover even a single lost lamb.

Male and female characters may freely enter this career. Bretonnian nobles would have to conceal their noble background to do so, but that does happen.

### Secondary Profile

**Skills:** Animal Care, Concealment, Dodge Blow, Perception, Scale Sheer Surface, Secret Signs (Scout), Set Trap, Silent Move

**Talents:** Flee!, Fleet-footed, Rover, Sharpshooter

**Trappings:** Bow with 10 Arrows, Bretonnian Blue Sheepdog (optional), Light Armour (Leather Jerkin), Shepherd’s Crook (treat as Quarter staff), Herd of Sheep or Cute Little Lamb

### **Career Entries**

Grail Pilgrim, Hunter, Outlaw, Outrider, Peasant, Woodsman, Vagabond

### **Career Exits**

Grail Pilgrim, Herrimault, Outlaw, Scout, Vagabond, Veteran

## A Day in the Life

A shepherd’s life on the high plains of Carcassonne is a life of duty, sacrifice, and isolation. As Bretonnia’s first line of defence against the greenskins to the south, it falls upon the Carcassonne shepherd to patrol the lonely northern foothills of the Iranna Mountain range and the vulnerable pastures beyond.

The shepherd’s day begins at the crack of dawn, or earlier if the moons were particularly bright and the flock was restless. Once the shepherd has gathered his flock, it’s time to move on to greener pastures— literally. The shepherd’s primary responsibility is to move his sheep from one grazing ground to the next in a constant progression towards fresh grasses. Because it takes time for grazing land to replenish, and certain areas are lusher in different seasons, most shepherds develop their own grazing routes over the years, which they follow habitually.

Before darkness falls, the shepherd and flock must locate their bedding ground for the night. This is a place with some kind of natural protection from the elements, such as a box ravine, a stand of trees or even the lee of a rock bluff. Most shepherds have their favourite bedding grounds dotted around his grazing route. Some areas have communal bedding grounds which can accommodate multiple shepherds and their flocks.

The shepherd community is small, but closely knit. When a group of shepherds converge at a bedding ground, it’s not long before someone brings out a jug of wine and the campfire tales begin. A shepherd can travel for days in the desolate foothills without seeing another soul, so an evening spent among colleagues is a cherished occasion. These spontaneous meetings can also be an important opportunity for the shepherd to exchange news and reports of enemy movement.

## The Bretonnian Blue Sheepdog

Often, a shepherd’s only companion throughout his long patrols in the high country is his trusty sheepdog. The Bretonnian Blue Sheepdog has a long history of use among the shepherds of Carcassonne. No one knows for sure where the animals originated, although local legend has it that the intelligent creatures house the reborn spirits of dead fay. The Bretonnian Blue plays an integral role in the shepherd’s day to day control of his flock, as well as a vital security function. Bretonnian Blues have extremely keen hearing and eyesight, making it almost impossible for an enemy to approach undetected. Many older shepherds also believe that Blues can detect ghosts, but this is unsubstantiated. Bretonnian Blues are extremely loyal to their masters, and will defend them to the death.

Bretonnian Blue Sheepdogs use the statistics given for Dogs (see WFRP page 232), with the addition of Acute Hearing and Excellent Vision.