Formed in 1081 by Sir Henry Audeley, The Company of the Black Boar is an Albione mercenary unit recently (late 1100) returned from service in the Italian wars.

The son of Sir William Audeley and Catherine of House Karlennon, Henry married Elinor of House Hulce and found it necessary to leave Albion as the predations of the demoness Roxanne became more apparent. Fleeing his Netherbourne seat, Audeley took his family and those members of his milita that might be trusted to the relative safety of Italija. All but bereft of land and property he turned that levy into the basis of a mercenary unit - The Company of the Black Boar - in the hope of forging a place for himself in his self-imposed exile.

The company fought for nearly 20 years - serving a number of different factions in the Italijan wars of unification. During this time they adopted the Italijan crossbow in preferance over traditional Albione longbows, and gained a reputation for a certain ruthless efficiency. In particular The Company came to the attention of the men who would go on to be High Sheriff and Earl Marshall of Albion; ties which would hold the unit in good stead in later years.

Over the years recruiters and suttlers were sent back to Albion to replace both men and equipment. Since Netherbourne was no longer a viable source of manpower Audeley began to turn other potential sources and all but rebuilt The company by buying men from the courts or from other regiments. Over time the unit's original identity began to fade; replaced by its newer, harsher repuatation and an almost religious devotion from its soldiery.

Henry Audeley died in the last months of 1099, towards the end of a battle against Gasharim forces in southern Italija - before he could take advantage of the change in his family's fortunes back home. With his passing, command of the company fell to his older son Piers. In late 1100 Piers Audeley brought his men home to Albion - the country which he had scarce seen since childhood, yet always sworn to serve.

Events since The Company's return to Albion (i.e. those which have occurred In Character at Lorien Trust sanctioned events) are detailed in the Chronicle section of this site.

Essentially The Company of the Black Boar is a crossbowmen regiment, although in the interests of self-sufficiency it does it contains a number of specialists (physician, chaplain, etc). Since their return to Albion the unit has seen a marked return to the more traditional longbow, however crossbows remain the weapon of choice for the majority of its members.

Membership is flexible; some are born into it, for some it comes after a period of wandering, some join in battle, whilst for others Audeley's money was the easiest option given them by a magistrate. General Audeley describes his troops as "good Albione yeomen" ... which suggests to some more cynical observers that he's never actually met them! The thing that unites each man and woman is their oath of commitment (see below), to serve both The Company and Albion beyond even life itself.

The unit register shows name, date of joining, and the date that each man becomes one of The Company's ancestors. Most of the soldiery are incantors, drawing their strength from their own fallen comrades. True to their oath, those soldiers who no longer march beside them physically still lend their comrades support in the fray.

In 1067AF May Audeley was involved in a major battle near Flodden on the Caledonian border. She commanded her troops to such effect that even though the Albion army was pushed back to the Great Northern Wall, they held there, rallied, and retook the ground. Of particular effect were the crossbowmen under her command. To commemorate her ennoblement, she took the embattlements of the Wall as part of her arms: per Pale embattled, Argent and Gules, two Pheons counterchanged.

The relationship between a sept house and House Karlennon is a complex one. Sept Houses are not vassals, but they are more than allies; cousins rather than brothers or sisters (or children). Usually Sept Houses are created to reward a member of the Household for some great deed, or service to the House. To further complicate the matter, often nobles from Sept Houses marry in to House Karlennon, and vice versa. A Sept House is a noble house in its own right, with all the duties and privileges that entails. However, the Sept Houses under House Karlennon will usually stand with the House, and when the House meets to decide policy, the Sept Houses have a say and a vote in the council.

Whilst originally The Company was merely a secular organisation, over the year an almost fanatical commitment to the ancestors and the plane of light has arisen within the regiment. The oath of membership which started as a private, campfire initiation amongst the soldiery has now become a formal rite of passage for every new recruit, binding him to the regiment, his comrades, Albion and the light beyond even life itself.

Player: Nick Meredith

Rafe was born in the small hamlet of Penny Hassett. His father - George Loriner - is a skilled craftsman who makes the latches for crossbows, and it was through him that Rafe met Piers and his father when they came to buy bows for The Company.

Rafe never took to the workshop. For a while he worked with the woodsmen who cut and prepared timber for the stocks, but soon realised that although he loved the woods he would be bored doing this for the rest of his life. Having a fairly good head for words and numbers he was apprenticed to a local mage on the money brought in by the crossbows. The elderly and reclusive mage had little time for ancestors and incantors, but apart from that was a good teacher.

By the time Rafe had completed his magical training he had also had instilled in him enough of an instinct for survival to protect him from his own natural inquisitiveness. Realising that the village was too small to support two mages Rafe looked to travel, and when another order for crossbows arrived, Rafe approached the Company of the Black Boar to see if he could join them. A reasonable shot, having hunted in the woods with crossbows for most of his life, he was accepted.

Rafe served with The Company throughout the Italija campaign, and with time apparenlty began to trust them; accepting The Company and it's fallen in a practical manner as his new family and ancestors. Rafe was promoted to First Corporal in 1101 and became a well known figure in the Harts.

It is unclear at what point in his life Rafe became aware that he emboidied the pattern of then Nightmare Avatar of The Lord Of Chance - or indeed whether he had been cursed with that aspect at birth or if it had come upon him at a later time. At the Gathering Of Nations 1103 it was discovered that Loriner was working with the other Nightmare Lords in the service of the Eater Of Worlds. He was subsequently stripped of all rank and dishonourably discharged for actions in direct opposition to the interests of Albion.