Joubert de Lassigny

Joubert de Lassigny was a Gallican Baron, qualified knight and the deceased lord of the barony of Château des Falaise. Ambitious and hungry for further land and power, Lassigny began setting designs on a neighbouring province and conspired alongside Prince Louis to seize these lands as part of a plotted coup against King Philippe. To achieve this, Lassigny captured Crown Prince Giles, keeping the young heir within his castle under the claim that Giles was remaining of his own free will while sending an unspoken but clear message to the boy's father of what he desired in return for Giles's release.
As he waited for Philippe to accept defeat or take action, Lassigny was warned of the deployment of two members of the Ranger Corp to rescue Giles. Capturing the pair, he attempted at first to recruit, and then to execute them after they humiliate him by defeating one of his senior knights, only for the pair to escape with the aid of Sir Horace Altman and Halt O'Carrick. Lassigny subsequently met his death to a trio of arrows fired by the three Rangers Will, Halt and Madelyn when the evil nobleman attempted to attack Horace from behind after the Oakleaf Knight defeated him in single combat.

Biography[]

At some point in time, Joubert de Lassigny acquired the status of Baron of the Château des Falaise, a well-defended castle on the coast of Gallica and the province that it encompassed. The details of how he gained the position are currently unclear, but given the status of aggressive unrest Gallica was experiencing as King Henri ruled before stabilising slightly under Philippe's reign, it can be assumed that Lassigny either killed the former lord in a duel for lordship of the Château or the title of Baron he possessed was a hereditary one passed down through the House of Lassigny. However he gained power, Joubert was a cruel leader who ruled with a fist of fear rather than a hand of affection and, though he maintained the title of Baron, Lassigny's rule was more along the lines of that of a warlord, proving victorious in a number of one-on-one duels against presumably those who attempted to usurp him. Among his laws was the declaration that all fish in the fief were his property, rendering fishing from visitors illegal (although it can be assumed the permeant citizens of the fief were immune - or at the very least given some leniency - to this law) and a curfew that ordered all visitors from the castle's adjoining village to depart from sundown. Lassigny ruled even his defence force through more fear than loyalty and was not above cruelly punishing and prickling the prides of those who's actions were deemed failure in his eyes, with one of the senior sergeants, Ramon, being often rankled by his lord's cruel sarcasm towards his underlings, although the more valuable members of his staff were spared such penalising. He also subjected failures to harsh punishments, from beatings to even death by hanging, no doubt so as to further dispose of any chances of his people rebelling against or questioning his goal. His reputation for a man of unpredictable temper and a mind of sadistic torture techniques to those who crossed him extended passed his borders, making de Falaise an low-ranking place for wandering troubadours. Power-hungry and ruthless, Lassigny seemingly had a infamous reputation, as Lord Anthony and (presumably) the Diplomatic Corps, who's duties included maintaining eyes on foreign powers who could be threat to Araluen, had heard of the Baron and labelled him as a threat, albeit a threat that could not be a danger to the island-kingdom in their current position of power.
Like most lords, Joubert was also trained and knighted, thus becoming a experienced senior Knight in his own right and took the image of a yellow hawk in plan form that was stylised so that it's wings formed a heart shape and clasping a short spear in its talons as his crest.
Lassigny eventually married a beautiful woman of a high-class noble family who's father ruled over a collection of estates and lands to the north of Lassigny's own domain. Despite this, there seemed to have been little love between the Lord and Lady of Falaise and the pair never appeared to bear any children, suggesting that their union was a prearranged marriage to strengthen ties between the Château and the Lady Lassigny's family rather than one of love and affection. This was no doubt made more negative by the feeling of superiority Lassigny felt men held over those of the fairer sex.
Lassigny, like many, heard tales of the famed 'Oakleaf Knight of Araluen', who's name had become something of a nightmare to the Gallicans who disgraced the title of knights. Presumably during a battle or duel, Lassigny gained an injury above his left eye that eventually left a white scar. As was the case with many of his countrymen, Lassigny also lacked experience in battling archers, viewing the bow as a weapon of danger only to animals of the forests and unarmed men, although he also employed the usage of crossbows (a common Gallican long-range weapon) in the defence of his castle's walls.
Sometime after going control over the Château, Lassigny began agitating for control of the neighbouring fiefdom, having fixed his eyes on the barony ever since it's liege lord died heir-less. Rich in resources and with the potential of increasing his political strength, Lassigny's attempts of seize the province was aided by the thin claim he had due the his fief and the province he sought having been one a single barony before being split by one of the previous Gallican Kings. Lassigny's claim was supported by several of the Council of Barons who had no doubt been either enticed promises of rewards if it was recognised or had gathered around Lassigny as their rallying point for potential rebellion. By this time, Lassigny had no doubt began setting his sights on seizing the throne, surely intending to use the re-merged baronies to move onto the next phase of a plan to depose Philippe and set himself up as ruler. Lassigny's claim to his neighbour, however, was denied and Joubert, unable to defy the king directly yet, could only wait for a chance to seize.

The Missing Prince[]

Lassigny's chance came in a stroke of good fortune after Philippe's beloved son, Giles, was caught in a violent storm while hunting in the Falaise province and sought shelter with Lassigny, not aware of the lengths his father's enemy was willing to achieve his goals. What happened to Giles's party is unknown, but Lassigny captured and held the young heir to the nation in the south-west tower of his castle. Knowing that, no matter how much influence he maintained in the Council of Barons, if he should make any direct threat, Philippe would be able to rally the Gallic nobles to free his son, Joubert instead claimed that Giles had decided to remain at the Château indefinitely, a statement that all of the council (several of whom were seeking any excuse to rise up and depose of Philippe already) accept at face value. However, while Lassigny did not make any official demand, the message was clear: give him the lands he desired and Giles would be released.
Following their arrival at the Château, Will and Maddie caught a brief sight of Lassigny from a distance, though whether Lassigny also glimpsed them in return is unknown.
Sometime after this glimpse, Joubert and his seneschal, Gaston, discussing matters of taxes as they strode through the area of the castle that was an open garden, though his height forced him to stoop to speak to his companion. As they walked, Gaston alerted Lassigny to the presence of two 'travelling entertainers', drawing Lassigny's dark gaze to the pair. Walking across the lawn to the pair, the Baron halts several metres them, hands, balled into fists, placed on his hips in the aggressive stance of one who saw all as his inferiors. Responding to Will's greeting, Lassigny asks if he is the Jongleur he had heard off, which Will confirms. Switching his gaze to Maddie for a second, watching the girl drop into a curtsey before flashing back to the senior of the two, who was now straightening from the bow, Lassigny comments that it was said Will was good, only to deny Will's reply that he was to kind, correcting him with a sharp shake of the head and the retort that he had heard of Will's skill, not praised what he had never seen. Turning back to his knight, the Falaise Baron inquiries when he and his court can witness a performance before answering himself with another question as he asks if the next night was satisfactory, and, after confirmation from Gaston, returns his unblinking stare to the foreigners, stepping closer and, with a disparaging flick of the hand, commands Will to clean his soiled outfit with the barbed comment that he wore the appears more appropriate of a beggar, rather than a jongleur. Snorting in a dismissal of Will's obsequious reply, he turns back to his henchman and resumes conversation, setting of the lean on a wine merchant that had been making a fortune of them, intending to level a heavy tax, then returning to his offices.
The next night, Will performs before the court of Falaise, sitting alongside his wife, Gaston, two other knights and his partner's lady-in-waiting upon a raised dais, his wife to his right, his seneschal to his left as they listened. As Will ends his range of songs, Lassigny's voice cuts through the bubble of conversation between his followers as he addresses Will by his alleged profession. Meeting the man's eyes with his hawk-like gaze before raising a hand and beckoning imperiously, giving Will permission to approach. As Will stood waiting, Baron Lassigny scrutinises him, scanning him up and down before sharply asking what the cause of Will's 'daughter's' lack of appearance, which Will claims is due to a slight chill. Lassigny comments in return that it meant she missed her 'father's' act, though Will responds that Madelyn had seen him perform more than once. Nodding and accepting the claim, the Baron questions how long Will had been in "his" country and, after considering the answer for several seconds, notes the multitude of Gallic songs in the repertoire, though notes that his accent ruined the effect. As Will states that he does his best, Lassigny, with a snort of derision, curtly and coldly tells Will that, if he intended to perform in Gallica, he should do the Galls the courtesy of accurately pronouncing their language, with Will finds no retort to, instead locking eyes with the Araluen for several seconds before giving another derogatory snort and turning to Gaston, claiming that, for all his shortcomings in accent, his performance was still reasonably good and ordering his seneschal to "pay" the 'jongleur'. In response to Will's seemly-sycophantic reply that Lassigny was "to kind", Lassigny, after several seconds of his typical unblinking stare, replies that he was indeed before turning to ask his wife if they should give the Jongleur the privilege of performing before them, which she shruggingly supports. Turning again to Will, the Baron snaps that it was settled and declares that Will would perform for them on the 6th day and, when Will claims he had been intending to move on on that date, Lassigny simply repeats his statement, now phrased more as a demand, and asks if he made himself clear, as well as ordering the 'entertainer' to ensure his 'daughter' was with him.
One night, shortly after the Rangers arrival, the castle was visited by a troop of riders led by Prince Louis, who was apparently seeking the chance to gain heirship to the Gallic Throne by disposing of his nephew. The ambitious Baron and treacherous Prince formed an alliance in which Lassigny would continue to hold Giles even in the unlikely chance Philippe submitted or possibly kill him, allowing Louis to become next in line to the throne and potentially organise an assassination. Furthermore, if Philippe relented but made an aggressive action against Lassigny after his son remained at de Falaise, it would no doubt spark rebellion among the more perfidious barons, starting an uprising that, if it came to such an event, Lassigny and Louis surely intended to lead. Though unconfirmed, given Lassigny's power-hungry views, the lord of Falaise might have been intending to betray and unseat his ally after they had defeated Philippe and take the crown himself or control power from inside the shadows of the thrown, manipulating Louis into ruling in basically his name. Louis also reveal to Lassigny that a Araluen Rangers and his apprentice had been deployed by King Duncan to release Giles and were travelling to instigate the rescue under the cover of Jongleurs. Before departing, Louis was apparently entertained by Lassigny, which seems to have included a performance of the Prince's favourite song: 'La lune, elle est mon amour' ('The moon, she is my love').

Will Treaty, a 'entertainer',-then-prisoner

Armed with the knowledge that Rangers were in the castle, Lassigny, despite an ostensibly uneventful report of Will playing for the common hall from Gaston), apparently predicting the night a rescue would take place, led Sergeant Ramon and 5 of his other soldiers to the prison tower, bursting in just as Will and Maddie were instigating a rescue, sword drawn. Drawling in a voice of thick sarcasm that the 'jongleur' had come to sing Giles's to sleep, Lassigny quickly catches sight of Maddie's attempt to draw her Saxe. Warning the young girl not to continue, with a gesture to his subordinates, the Baron orders the troops to bind the would-be-rescuers, declaring them to be under arrest.

Escape from Falaise[]

As his men disarm and bind the two Rangers, Lassigny, with another gesture, this time to the dazed Giles, sends another of his subordinates to escort the captured Prince back to his room before returning his attention to the two rescuers, sentencing them to the dungeons. Seeing the Rangers realisation that resistance was futile, the Baron sheaths his weapon and points towards the stairway, ordering the prisoners and their captors along before bringing up the rear with the three other men-at-arms, several metres behind. Proceeding down the stairway and exiting into the bailey, as his henchman moves Will towards the vast hall, Lassigny halts him and commands for the pair to be taken to the eastern cells specifically. Before they are taken down, Joubert tells the two they will talk in several days, smiling humorously in reply to Will's questioning if they had something to talk about and telling the senior Ranger that he believed they did, stating that they would see what a few days in his dungeons would do to loosen Will's tongue and comments sarcastically that Will can perhaps then sing for him again before proceed up towards his private quarters as his followers escort the captives to Marius's dungeon cells.
Likely due to having witnessed how the Rangers had nearly rescued his prisoner, Lassigny sought to enlist Will and Maddie into his services, believing at first that their loyalty was primarily to whomever paid them the most. Subsequently, Lassigny had Ramon escort the Rangers to a well-furnished and well-provided, yet also guarded, tower room the day after next, using it to send a silent message of what the results would be if they cooperated. As well as their seeming services as spies (which Lassigny no doubt intended to employ to discover which nobles would stand with him if he indeed attempted a coup d'état), Lassigny seemed to be planning to pump them for information on their homeland, meaning that, after taking Gallica, he and Louis might have planning designs on Araluen. Though never mentioned, Lassigny might have secretly sent a message to Louis announcing victory and success.
That very day, Lassigny deployed Ramon to collect the two and bring them to him, while he (presumably) send another of his staff to collect the Rangers concealed bows and arrows. As he waited, Lassigny and his secretary, Nicolas worked on unknown matters. Hearing Ramon and Nicolas from his office, the treacherous Baron cut off Nicolas as he attempted to report, snapping that he had heard them and commanding the scribe to bring the foreigners in. As the captives and party of Falaise staff enter, Lassigny imperiously beckons Nicolas forwards and thrusts a sheet of paper into the man's hands with orders to deal with the business and leave him, waving a dismissive hand at the mess of scrolls and sheets. As Nicolas gathers up the papers and departs, Joubert de Lassigny fixes a brooding stare on Will and his apprentice, breaking the stare to bark an order to Ramon, instructing the sergeant to fetch chairs, then telling his captives to sit, after which Ramon and another were instructed to release their bound hands. Watching Madelyn, the Baron notes the girl's realisation of the presences of her weapons, at with he commands for the cases to be brought to him, once again directing his order at Ramon. Following his subordinate's retrieval, Lassigny uncaps the case and allows the bows, arrows and saxes to spill onto his desk, at which he notes the unusualness of such weaponry to be in the possession of entertainers, which Will brushes off to be simple protection in such dangerous times, with Madelyn supports with the claim that a band of robbers had attempted to attack them only days ago, only to be driven off by a 'mysterious warrior', who's name she claimed to be unable to provide when Joubert, surprised by the younger and female of the two joins the conversation, questions it. Sarcastically stating what a shame that was, Baron Lassigny silently studies for several seconds before abruptly turning to Will, snapping that they were of Araluen origin in words that were not a statement than a question, employing the tactic of switching from one subject to another. After Will answers the inquiry in the positive, the criminal Baron questions why they were working for a foreign monarch like King Philippe, who he refers to simply by his name, without any reference to his title. From Will's reply, Lassigny's belief that his captives were in all essentially mercenaries by trade, which he states aloud before musing that they would serve any who paid well. As Will notes he did not see why he and his 'daughter' wouldn't, Lassigny, his eyes boring into him, comments that the conversation had been interesting and the three would speak more of this before commanding Ramon to escort the pair back to the tower room.
Lassigny furthermore went on to permitted the captives an hour or so of fresh air, albeit under the eyes of Ramon and several others and with the restriction of none being able to make contact with them other than the guards, in an attempt to begin to win the pair over. Unbeknownst to him, another Ranger had infiltrated the castle: Halt O'Carrick, who had entered under the guise of a likeable beggar.
Six days after the meeting, Joubert went on to extend a invitation to dine with him to his 'guests', which was accept. As well as Will and Madelyn, the dinner was also attended by Baroness Lassigny and Sir Armand, the Head of the Château garrison, in Lassigny's personal quarters. Upon the Rangers' arrival, Joubert gave briefly introduction to Armand, who asks his liege what "they" were called, which Lassigny replies to with a gesture at his captives to answer. Armand's next question was to ask why the Araluens were dining with them, which Joubert answers with the word's that they would provide them with information on the island-kingdom of Araluen while signalling for Gaston to bring forth the meal. After several minutes of silence as the Lord of Falaise and his guests dined on a smoked pork loin roast flavoured with tangy apple sauce, a salad of sliced red onions and chickpeas, vegetables, long loaves of warm bread and fine wine, Joubert notices Madelyn's faint sigh of satisfaction, asking if the Araluen teenager enjoyed the cuisine, with Madelyn agrees, praising the skill of the Gallican chefs, a comment that Joubert, after a short bark of laughter, confirms in the case of his own cooks, he is not so sure of the country as a whole. Listening in silence as his wife questioned the food eaten by the common Araluen class, Lassigny casually seems to throw out the question of whether Araluen possessed a large standard army while he himself was seemingly engrossed totally of carving a slice of pork. Re-aiming the question at Will upon Maddie's suggestion, the question is answered in large detail, interjecting to question the nature of fiefdoms and later musing aloud that Araluen relied primarily on untrained troops after hearing of the Araluen custom of collecting military levies from the general population, though Will bets this belief down by mentioning the training camps fiefs also tasked their battleschools. Reasoning (correctly), that Araluen's standing fighting force was small but effective, Lassigny then questions when it had most recently been called into service, which Will responds by informing him of a recent uprising instigated by an anarchist organisation that protested against the law of succession and hired Sonderland mercenaries, listening without comment as Will speaks and seemingly unaware of the venomous glance his wife aimed towards Armand after the knight jeered at the idea of a woman ruling a country, simply giving a thoughtful nod as he filed away the info before turning within his typical abruptness to his younger prisoner, asking of the Rangers, though Madelyn simply claims the Corp is simply a guild of Royal Foresters. Unsatisfied, Lassigny bluntly retorts that he was under the impression that the Rangers were something more, though Will interrupts in the negative. Returning to the man of his two captives, Lassigny, in a continuing show of blunt questioning, remarks that he had heard Will was one of them and points out his possession of the longbow, though, again, Will denies any connection, simply reply that the bow was a common weapon for Araluens unskilled with the sword. Inquiring about Treaty's skill, when Will claims to be adequate, Lassigny, again in a subject switch, states that he supposed that the two's primary skill lay in intelligence-gathering and subterfuge, though, when Will notes how the Baron had uncovered them mere days after their arrival, Lassigny, breaking into a smile, reveals their presences had been betrayed, though he gives no indication to his Royal ally's treachery, waving a dismissive hand as he notes that while no actual identities had been given, he had been alerted to the coming presence of foreign spies and adds with a superior smile that treachery happened all the time in the Gallican lands, simply stating when Will questions the traitor's identity that it could have been any one of Philippe's retinue, shaking his head indulgently, telling them he knew all about the event, the chance of keeping a secret being very slim in Gallica. Alerted then by Gaston to the arrival of the desserts, Joubert calls off the conversation.
The following morning, Lassigny summoned Will, Madelyn and Armand to join him in his office. Waving the pair of Araluen to seats while his men assumed their previous positions. Treating the pair to another of his unblinking stares as he prepared no doubt for another gambit. Will, however, having realised this, catches the evil Baron off guard by beginning to conversation himself, stating with seeming regret that he was afraid the pair had not been entirely truthful with the Baron. Concealing the faint flicker of surprise that flashed through his eyes, Lassigny, after a quick recovery, questions what he meant by it. In response to Will statement that they might have misled Lassigny on the subject of the Corp, Joubert shoots a sidelong glance at Armand before questioning what Will meant by it, only for his gaze to snap to Madelyn as she tells him the Rangers are in fact a group of elite warriors. Opening his mouth to further question the girl, Will takes up the conversation again as he describes the skills and duties of the Rangers, leading to Lassigny's eyes snapping back and forth from Will to Maddie as they switch roles, eyes raising as the Ranger-Princess of Araluen states he might have already guessed the Rangers' mastery in archery, which questions. Scorn filling his voice as he replies to Maddie's simple reply that he had seen their weapons, asking what such items had to do with the secret Araluen intelligence force. Their conversation is interrupted by the jeering Armand after Will reveal he and Madelyn's relationship is that of master-and-apprentice, rather than father-and-daughter, who Lassigny turns his eyes towards questioningly. Remaining quiet as his senior knight mocks the pair, after Madelyn retorts she could beat him. Gesturing for silence as Will instantly denies this as a challenge, the Lord of Falaise asking if his young captive was challenging his subordinate. Again, Will refutes this, but Lassigny again raises his hand for silence before turning a cobra smile on Maddie as he asks if he was challenging a knight of Armand's skill to single combat and, when she replies she could defeat him in a practice bout if it would satisfy Lassigny, he asks if she is indeed challenging Armand, despite his lackey's derision and Will's agreement, Lassigny, now smiling sardonically, tells Will he didn't share his agreement, observing that it might be enlightening to witness a practice bout, which Lassigny proposes to be one on horseback with blunted weapons. Intending to approve, no matter what Will said, Lassigny affirms that Madelyn would fight with, pausing questioningly for her to reply. After Madelyn states how she would utilise her typical Ranger weapons against a lance, sword and shield, Lassigny muses that such a contest hardly seemed equal in fairness, though Madelyn purposefully misunderstood the though and riles Armand into acceptance. Watching again in silence as Madelyn reassures her craftmaster, Lassigny, after a glance at Armand, who is now nearly apocalyptic with rage, then nods his head in thoughtfulness. Agreeing to give his captives the time and items for training, Lassigny decides to make a festival out of it in a week from then.
Whilst Lassigny had formerly been content with a locked door, following the challenge declaration, he stationed permanent warriors at the entrance, commenting sarcastically to the Rangers on an inspection that they could not disappoint the Falaise citizens by giving the pair the temptation to abscond. No doubt in an attempt to give his own representative the upper hand, Lassigny intended to end what had become the pair's daily exercise, only to relent after some discussion with Will where the Araluen man pointed out Madelyn needed to train with her arrows and Bumper and restored to routine, albeit with a doubled guard. Lassigny, true to his promise, released Madelyn's weaponry to training and cleared separate space on the keep lawn for Maddie and Armand's training on horseback, although he made sure to assign Ramon and his troop with the duty of overseeing the two's substitution for their normally deadly arrow shafts and ensuring that all the arrows were accountable when returned, having listed them. Declaring the contest day a day of public rest, a space between the Château and the Village was cleared on Lassigny's orders for the bout, Lassigny ordering a covered viewing platform to be constructed for himself and his favoured staff. Despite this allowance, Lassigny still attempted to give Armand any advantage he could, angling the passage of arms so that Madelyn would face the sunlight on the first charge. Under strict guard, however, the Baron did released Will and Madelyn to inspect the duelling grounds.
On the day of the duel, Lassigny, his wife and an entourage of knights and ladies-in-waiting made their way down from the palace to the field, entering their luxurious seating and gaining apathetic round of applause and desultory cheers at a careless wave of the hand, seemingly unaffected by the lack of enthusiasm his gesture was greeted by. Rising to his feet following the arrival of the two fighters, Lassigny leans forwards to inspect them, hands gripping the railing, smiling sardonically at the seeming major disadvantage Madelyn faced and shrugged mentally to the prospect of Madelyn defeat and even possible death, contemplating vengefully it would serve the Rangers right for daring to attempt to prevent his uprising intentions and put Will in his 'rightful' place, abandoning any recruitment plans he had on them and contemplating how, had it not been for Louis's warnings, the break out of Giles might very well have been successful. Coming then to the realisation that silence had fallen and his competitors were staring at him, Lassigny thinks to himself to let Armand and Madelyn wonder why he stood before them in silence, remaining quiet for another twenty seconds before finally questioning the knight and Ranger apprentice's readiness for battle and for them to present their chosen weapons, with Armand and Madelyn respectively answer first. Instructing them to then make final preparations and ready for battle as he indicated his standing-by trumpeter and explaining how the trumpet blow would be the signal to begin. As they turn their steeds towards their respective tents, Will attempts to intervene, rushing across the grounds while Lassigny gives another gestured order, this time the instruct for the riders to rein in. Sneering a retort to Will's protest, Lassigny jeers that it was rather to late to attempt such an action, which the crowd supports. In retort, Will denies wanting to call off the duel, rather, he points out the presence of a sword and the absence of wooden weapons, only for Joubert, a smile playing across his face in the seconds of silence that followed, to correct Will that the duel was to be carried out with blunted accoutrements of battle, rather than armaments hewn from wood, giving an unspoken but gestured order for his knight to display his sword, something the Baron's party calls out confirmation too. Will continues to argue that the steel sword, blunted or sharpened, could still be lethal, only for his opponent to cut him off as Lassigny shouted that he must then hope Madelyn avoided such an injury, something his party and even a few attendees voice their support off. Beckoning his enemy forwards, Lassigny, leaning over the rail, tells Will, who he sneeringly calls 'jongleur', in a normal voice that he should have seen to the terms before the duel and that, now his 'child' had accepted, he was powerless to stop the battle. Cutting of the reply with a wave of imperious dismissal, roars that duel would go on unchanged and repeats his order to the combatants. Knowing that further attempts would be hopeless, Will returns to Madelyn's side, though not before softly swearing that if Armand took Maddie's life, he would take Lassigny's, though it is unknown if the lord heard him.
Lengthening the time prior out of the sense of drama, Lassigny presumably then signals his trumpeter. As Armand on his roan and Madelyn on Bumper ride out in response, the seated Lassigny rises again and returns to the railing, flicking his gaze between his man and his captive. Satisfied, Lassigny calls the start of the battle, quietly commanding his trumpeter to signal the duel's beginning. Lassigny subsequently watches the battle, fury mounting as, before his eyes, Madelyn and Bumper's combined efforts send Armand cannoning of his steed and onto the grass, winning the duel and humiliating Armand, and by extent Lassigny, in the process. Blood draining from his face as his rage flourished, Lassigny watched in wrathful anger as Madelyn claims the victory, then as Armand staggers forward and attempts to plead mercy. In reply, Lassigny unleashes his full-on rage, his voice shrill with the pent-up fury as he screams for Armand to get out of his sight and domain, banishing the disgraced knight from Falaise as he pointed a forefinger at the road leading from the lands he control. As Armand, uncomprehending gaps at his master, Lassigny, sickened at the sight of his follower, screams with near-incoherent wrath as he insults and banishes Armand. As Armand begins the shamed trudge from the castle, Lassigny abandons thought of him and calms slightly as he turns his anger of his two prisoners. In a voice of more normal timbre, Lassigny, again referring to Will by his undercover profession, snarls that they shall pay the price for deceiving and humiliating him. Turning his eyes to Ramon and his fellows, Lassigny, seemingly not noticing the looks of admiration they wore, orders the pair to be re-incarcerated in the tower, announcing that Will and Madelyn, in a weeks time, would face the fate of all double agents: execution.
Desiring to mentally torture the pair with fear by stringing out the time till their sentence to further punish them for their actions of defiance. Furthermore, he depletes the gilded tower cage's luxuries, ordering for gruel, bread and cold water to be served instead and the removal of bedsheets (perhaps to avoid them escaping). Despite this, Armand's defeat likely put uncertainty on any invasion plans Lassigny might have had on Araluen to increase his borders and pay of the Barons supporting his cause. The pair, however, escaped with the aid of Halt, causing a calamity in the Château courtyard after they set the empty stables alight, although Lassigny remained unaware of his foes' escape, Ramon having fled upon discovering their escape and the other sergeant involved having kept silent in a weak attempt to avoid punishment. Indeed, Lassigny only found out by accident when, as he and Gaston worked through the fief's monthly accounts, his kitchenmaster entered with the request to speak with Gaston. Believing this simply to be a question circling around the kitchen, he waves a dismissive hand to signal his allowance, only for his gaze to snap up to response to the kitchenmaster's questioning if they were no long feeding the Rangers. Galvanised, Lassigny questions this and, when he discovered that the food had been returned untouched, springs to his feet and thrusts his cook out of his path as he pounded out of the office and up to the tower, finding the guards gone and the room locked. Stepping inside after Gaston unlocked the door, Lassigny, standing in a room empty of human life, spat a curse and sends Gaston to locate Ramon and bring the guard to him while he raced down the stairway to confront his sentries, storming into the gatehouse and demanding the location of their commander, only to cut of his man as he attempted to reply, screaming at him to find the man. Confronting his terrified lieutenant, the furious and fuming Baron listens as his henchman stammers out an account of the previous night, furious asking if his soldier had not seen the escapees, which the Gallican, lying through his teeth, denies, only for a hapless guard to give the lie, gaining the cowering leader a killing glare from the fuming lord. Echoing the helpful sentry's reminder of how two riders escaped through the main entrance, Lassigny questions the pair's physical appearance, the sergeant's stammered reply being interrupted by Gaston's report than Ramon was nowhere to be found. Boiling with rage, Joubert de Lassigny turns on his seneschal, questioning such a statement and demanding the entire castle be searched, only for the would-be-helpful guard to report Ramon's departure, revealing that his lackey had flown the coop to Lassigny. Glaring at Gaston but knowing the man was two valuable to lose, Lassigny instead leaves the search for Ramon for another day, instead ordering guards to be sent out to Falaise Village and the only road extending from them, assuming they have abandoned the rescue mission. Lassigny, however, still seeking to punish those who had failed him, marks out the fearful sergeant for flogging, then, after a moments thought, extends the punishment to the entire troop, sweeping out with the final ordered to find the cursed Rangers. Gaspard Allende, Hercule Lombard and several others are also deployed to search the village in case any where housing the ex-prisoners. After his men returned empty-handed, Lassigny came to the conclusion that the Rangers were on the gallop back to either Araluen or La Lumiere and sent squadrons of men to follow the most well-worn tracks to the Gallic capital and the coast in hot pursuit, but in which was a futile chase. Lassigny subsequently visited Prince Giles in his prison chamber, informing the young Royal that his rescuers had abandoned him and fled for Araluen and threatening to dole out horrible punishments on Giles, should he attempt to flee again, cowing the young prince and petrifying him with fear.
Des Falaise was thrown back into chaos, however, in the early morning several days after the Ranger escape by the breakout of its Royal prisoner as Madelyn releases Giles and escapes via the rubbish chute, then rendezvousing with Will, Horace and Halt, the latter of whom cut down several of the patrolling Crossbowmen on battlement in the process. Lassigny, refusing to allow his bargaining chip to also slip out of his grasp, dons a kite-shaped shield and full-visor helmet and plate armour while taking up a 4-metre-long lance and set off in pursuit with a platoon of 9 fully-armoured horsemen, clattering across the drawbridge and to the start of the causeway, Lassigny throws out a hand to halt his underlings, giving him the time to scan the small party he pursued. Seeing what he believed to be a single knight and three bowmen, Lassigny, even after witnessing how Madelyn had unseated Armand, still fails to appreciate the full danger of the bow, believing the Araluen girl to have won through trickery and deceit alone, nor believed the knight to be a threat against 10. Raising a hand to brandish the lance he wielded over his head, Lassigny orders a charge, lower the lance as he drove his spurs into the Battlehorse he sat upon. The charge was a grievous mistake, and, before Lassigny's eyes, three of his riders are plucked from their saddles, two dead, the other wounded, sowing chaos among the ranks as soldiers attempt to avoid their comrades bodies and the rearing stallions, sending another crashing to the earth. Realising another volley of arrows from the 'bowmen' would utterly destroy his force, Lassigny turns his steed to take in the catastrophic effect and the men reluctant to go on. Denouncing the soldiers as cowards, he asked if they will really allow three to shame them, something that they, sensibly, definitely would. Knowing after silently halting a pair attempting to retreat that he must re-establish confidence or would lose full control of his men, Lassigny spun the Battlehorse he rode back to the opposing party — more specifically, the knight among them — Lassigny, catching sight of the black bear insignia, believes the warrior to be a Teutlandic knight of no particular reputation, gestures at his opposition, demanding he fight him fairly in single combat, man-to-man, before returning his gaze to his men as he screams that he would show the cowards behind him and fulfil their job for them.

Horace Altman (The Oakleaf Knight), who he recklessly challenged

Swinging back to the knight, Lassigny's blood suddenly runs cold as his eyes fall on the newly-revealed Oakleaf symbol — the insignia of the dreaded Oakleaf Knight. Now fearful, Lassigny demands his advancing opponents name, the dread he felt is confirmed as Horace addresses himself by his Gallic title. His worst terror realised, Joubert de Lassigny attempts to back out of a duel with a man who had defeated many of Lassigny's equals in combat years ago, only to halt as murmurs of disgust rise among his people, cutting off his fearful cries of denial suddenly. Knowing that to back out risked shaming himself and possibly loosing control of the Château garrison completely, Lassigny's mouth dries as he realises he must now go on with his reckless demand, the senior knight swallowing as he assessed his opponent, confidence building as he gains more courage and comes to the conclusion that tales of the Oakleaf Knight's skill was no doubt exaggerated over time, but that age had deteriorated his fighting ability. Lassigny then utilises his shield's edge to slid the visor shut and urges his stallion forwards in a charge, lance held below his arm. Thundering across the land, Lassigny, remembering the tactic utilised by Maddie, angles the point of his weapon towards his foe's feet, intending to bring it swinging up at Horace at the least moment in a killing thrust, only for Horace's sword to come smashing down on the lance point as it rose in its murderous attack as Stamper and Lassigny's steed came barrelling towards one another. Caught unprepared by the downward thrust's force, Lassigny could only watch as his item of war, sent smashing into the earth with the full impetus of his charging battlehorse behind it, bent and propelled the evil warlord out of his saddle, kicking his feet out of the stirrups so that he sailed upwards and backwards before smashing into the hard-packed earth with a cry of agony and lying helplessly for several seconds, scrabbling uselessly. Registering faintly that Horace had dismounted and was sliding from the saddle. Yet Lassigny, seasoned warrior that he was, rolled onto his front and groggily rose to his feet, gripping his kite shield for support and dragging in gulps of air. Regaining his wind and drawing his sheathed blade, Lassigny advances on Horace, who strode forwards in turn until, with only a few metres of space left between, the two men began circling before the Baron leap forwards, sword raised with the intention of removing his enemy's head from his shoulders, only of Horace to parry with his own sword, rattling Lassigny's arm. Backing away a pace, Joubert next delivers a flurry of wild blows, each which the Araluen blocks or deflects. Panting and ending the rain of failed strikes, Lassigny, observing his damaged blade and the even breath of his nemesis, feels the hand of fear close around his heart, only just thrusting his sword in the path of Horace's own strike, an attack that forced the traitorous seigneur back as his arms numbed and knees buckled. Next throwing his shield before the attack, which sawed a chunk of wood from the barrier, then swinging his sword in the path of the blade. Stumbling back as Horace followed with his attacks, the blade finally glances of Lassigny's weapon and smashes into helmet of the baron, the force snapping the chin straps, sending it flying.

Staggering back two paces, head shaking, Lassigny, now cowed and intent on his own survival, no longer caring for his reputation, watches as his shield snaps apart, then makes a useless attempt to block a stroke, only for his battered sword to finally be tore from his hand, inferior to the strength of Nihon-Ja Steel. Throwing himself to his knees and holding out his hands in supplication, the Baron cries in a hoarse voice that he yielded and begs for mercy, something Horace permits. As Horace turns his back to address the soldiers, Lassigny rises to his feet, eyes glittering with vengeful rage, pulling a broad dagger and rising the dagger to take Horace in the back. But in his rage, he forgot the three companions of Horace and there was his mistake when three arrows, fired by Will, Halt and Madelyn, took him in the back, sending him crushing lifeless to the ground, his life of evil and wickedness ended.

Legacy[]

Lassigny, on Horace's orders, was returned to the Château for a formal burial arranged by Gaston, his wife departing for her father's land with her own loyal procession the day following her husband's death to avoid punishment for her husband's crimes. Horace also left the choice of Lassigny's successor to Philippe, having no desire to claim the fief for himself.

Physical Appearance[]

Joubert de Lassigny was a handsome, yet unnaturally tall individual, powerfully built and with broad shoulders gained from years of training as a knight. Fit and muscular, with not a sliver of excess fat on him, Lassigny's close-cropped black hair was traced with grey at the temples. He was olive-skinned and possessed a short beard, with brown eyes so dark they were close to black set under heavy eyebrows. The pale scar of an old wound run above the eyes and perhaps either disappeared into or broke the noble's heavy brows. He possessed a strong nose and even features, which combined his physical built made him a handsome man.
Lassigny's clothing, or at least his livery, seemed to consist at least partially of a green surcoat emblazoned with his personal crest: a yellow hawk stylised so that it's wings formed a heart shape and clasping a short spear in its claws.

Etymology[]

Joubert is a French name (incidentally, Gallica seems to be based of Medieval France), meaning “God's Peace” when derived from Godefroy in French. It is a regional variant form of Jaubert, originating in the centre west and centre south of France. This surname is common to South Africa and Namibia, particularly among the descendants of Huguenot settlers.
de, in French, basically means "of". Thus, Lassigny's name, 'Joubert de Lassigny', can be translated to 'Joubert of Lassigny', or Joubert of the Lassignys.
Lassigny, ironically, generally means 'knowledge', 'leadership' and 'fairness', in complete contrast to Joubert de Lassigny's rule over de Falaise, which was implied to be harsh and cruel.

Trivia[]

Lassigny bore a distinct resemblance to Morgarath

Lassigny bares a remarkable similarity to Baron Morgarath of Gorlan.
- Both were treacherous Barons who plotted against their respective kings (Philippe and Oswald) in an intended but failed coup.
- Both ruled over an apparently prosperous province (Château des Falaise and Gorlan Fief respectively)
- Morgarath and Lassigny both seem to rule primarily through fear, rather than love.
- Both possessed a large degree of influence among their fellow nobles (several Barons were fully-aware of Morgarath's plans and plotted alongside him, while members of the Gallic Council of Barons were noted to support Lassigny's claim to his fief's neighbour, bought in with bribes and promises of power, should the claim be recognised)
- Each held (to a degree) the Crown Prince of their homeland hostage (Lassigny kept Giles a hostage in Château des Falaise, while Sir Eammon keep Duncan in Castle Wildriver on Morgarath's orders to control his father)
  - Furthermore, both Barons quietly give their captives' fathers a demand in return for their sons' safety (Lassigny desired his fiefdom's neighbour and made it clear to Philippe that he would not release Giles until after he was given it, while Morgarath threatened to eliminate Duncan if Oswald did not proclaimed him his heir). However, it was doubted either would fulfil their side of the bargain if their demand was accepted.
    - Incidentally, both Joubert de Lassigny and Morgarath also held an Araluen Princess (Madelyn and Cassandra respectively) in their grasp for a period of time, yet neither were aware of their royal status.
- In preparation for their seizing of the throne, both Joubert and Morgarath attempted to recruit a member or members of the Ranger Corp (Halt [Morgarath], Will and Maddie [Lassigny])
- Both engaged in combat with Horace Altman and were subsequently killed in that same duel, albeit by different individuals.
- Both lost a member of their castle staff (albeit for different reasons) when they fled the fief (Ramon {a sergeant} and Philip {a junior steward})
- Each were unpopular among their subjects, who knew them to be heavy-handed regarding their taxes, but still maintained authority and hosted a tournament that was seemingly a day of rest.
- Both barons were skilled in the way of fighting with war lances
- During the books they are featured in, they are given several times where events are detailed from their point of view.
- Both are unnaturally tall individuals
- Both gain a deep set loathing of a member/members of the Rangers (Will and Madelyn, Halt)
- Both temporarily had Will Treaty in their clutches (Lassigny held Will and his apprentice within his castle, while Morgarath placed Will, Cassandra and their Skandian ca pt or s under Wargal guard after discovering Will's identity as a Ranger)
- Both their castles were infiltrated by a beggar-disguised Ranger (Halt and Pritchard respectively)
- Neither were above killing subordinates who displeased them in some way
- Both were skilled (but arrogant) swordsmen who's overconfidence was a major instrument in their downfalls.
- Both were given features that were compared to a carrion bird (a hawk and vulture respectively)
- Both were closely allied with at least one other high-born individual (Lassigny plotted with Louis, Prince and second-in-line to the Gallican throne, while Morgarath took the young nobleman, Foldar, as his second-in-command).
  - Coincidently, both Louis and Foldar, though they survived past their Baron cohort's deaths, died shortly afterwards as the result of members of the Rangers.
- Will Treaty played a vital role in both of their defeats and subsequent deaths (Will, alongside his mentor and apprentice, directly killed Joubert, while his and Cassandra's burning of Morgarath's Celtic bridge ruined the Lord of Rain and Night's plans for a three-sided attack on the Araluen Army, leading to him attacking with only his frontal forces and climaxing in his death)
While in The Missing Prince, Lassigny is described to be clean-shaven, in Escape from Falaise, he is mentioned to bare a short beard.
Many characters state that they rarely saw Lassigny blink, comparing his gaze to that of a hawk.
Will states that he imagines Lassigny's sadistic feelings of enjoyment in others suffering originated from his youth, when he enjoyed pulling the wings of flies, though this is unconfirmed.
Joubert de Lassigny is the second major Gallican antagonist, the first being Lord Deparnieux. Incidentally, the two share several similarities.
- Both were cruel and wicked Gall warlords of a Château and its surrounding fief (although Lassigny assumed the honorific title of Baron, while Deparnieux never assumed such a position [perhaps due to the far greater state of chaos Gallica was embroiled in during Deparnieux's time than the more silent, political conflict that the Kingdom was entangled in in the years of Lassigny's era])
- Both met their ends at the point/points of a war arrow/war arrows.
- Both attempted to enlist a Ranger into their services
- Both held royalty-in-waiting captive (Lassigny held Giles, Crown Prince of Gallica, whilst Deparnieux "hosted" Halt O'Carrick, the usurped Crown Prince of The Kingdom of Clonmel in Château Montsombre)
- Both heard tales of the 'Oakleaf Knight', albeit at different periods of time.
- Both were brutal individuals who punished those who failed them (coincidentally, whipping was one of them for both)
- Both commanded a small army of trained soldiers that they ruled with a combination of fear and shows of strength to dampen any feeling of rebellion that might have arisen from their cruel treatment.
- Both were black-haired men
- Both adopted a bird as their symbol (a hawk and a raven respectively)
Though it is unconfirmed, it is heavily implied that, had Lassigny proved victorious, he and Louis would have attacked Araluen in order to expand their borders and pay off the Barons who supported their coup d'état. It is uncertain if the cruel baron and treacherous prince had similar designs on other neighbouring countries such as Toscana, Iberion, Teutlandt, Magyara, Celtica and Picta (though it is unlikely Skandia was among them)
Joubert de Lassigny is the third leading antagonist who is confirmed to be married, the other two being General Haz'kam and Sha'shan Pa'tong.
- Coincidentally, he is also current the only one among them not to be Temujai and who is confirmed to be deceased.