The Kingdom of Sarleon dominates the center of the game map. The current monarch is King Ulric of Sarleon. He is the descendant of King Alfred I, former Duke Alfred of Sarleon.
Once King Alfred established the Kingdom of Sarleon, most of the Knighthood orders charged with defending Pendor were outlawed. The most famous of the outlawed orders was the Order of the Griffon: the guardians of the royal line of Pendor. Today only one order, the Order of the Lion still exists in Sarleon. This noble order backed Alfred’s claim to rule.
The Order of the Lion since that time has had a murky past, and for a score of years they also were outlawed. Today they have been vindicated and are now in the good graces of King Ulric of Sarleon and are the guardians of the realm.
The claimant to this kingdom is Sir Darlion of Pendor.
Overview
The Kingdom of Sarleon is heavily focused on their cavalry. They have the weakest commoner troop tree overall, as their Armored Longbowmen are the weakest top-tier archers among the major factions and their halberdiers, though capable up close, lack shields and are quite vulnerable to ranged units. However, this is compensated with higher numbers - Sarleon's commoner units are eminently spammable.
The Sarleon noble troop tree is entirely cavalry, and the strength of the kingdom. Sarleon Knights easily surpass the knights from the other major factions, though they are additionally tougher to upgrade. Squires are quite capable in the meantime; though equipped with lighter armor, they possess good horses and lances.
3.9 additionally introduced a commoner horse unit - Sarleon Cavalry - which provides Sarleon armies with an additional cavalry unit that is comparable to their Squires overall. Sarleon's horse units also include the Knights of the Lion, one of the toughest knighthood orders in Pendor. One tactic if using an all-Sarleon army is to have the enemy focus on your weaker infantry and archer units while your cavalry flank and then run right over the enemy army.
It is worth noting that the archer troop tree is cheaper and faster than the infantry one. Overall, their commoner troops are weaker than the ones from the other kingdoms, but Sarleon has an additional disadvantage, a bad strategic position. Luckily, they also receive faster recruitment, meaning if a lord was defeated or was left with a small army, he will restock faster than lords from other kingdoms.
In the North, the Kingdom of Ravenstern, in the West, the Fierdsvain, in the South, the D'Shar Principalities, in the South-East, the Empire, in the East, the Noldor forests and in the North-East, the Jatu desert.
Knighthood Orders
Their main order of the Sarleon kingdom is clearly the Order of the Lion, being established in the capital and having a 10% chance to start in Marleons as well.
They are the factional order of the Kingdom of Sarleon, meaning that a couple of Knights of the Lion is added occasionally to every lord of the kingdom. Baron Aelfried and Duke Brennus have Knights of the Lion as their household troop.
Other orders that may be established in this kingdom are the Order of the Ebony Gauntlet (30% chance in Avendor), the Order of the Clarion Call (always in Laria) and the Order of the Raven Spear (15% chance in Avendor).
Reinforcements
These are the recruiting patrons all lords and walled fiefs attached to the Sarleon culture will follow (ordered by tier):
Commoners
- 1-2 Sarleon Recruit
- 2-5 Sarleon Militia
- 3-6 Sarleon Trained Militia
- 3-6 Sarleon Skirmisher
- 6-8 Sarleon Footman
- 3-6 Sarleon Armored Footman
- 5-11 Sarleon Longbowman
- 3-6 Sarleon Man-at-Arms
- 4-10 Sarleon Halberdier
- 3-6 Sarleon Armored Longbowman
- 3-5 Sarleon Cavalry (was 0-0 before 3.9)
Nobles
- 2-3 Sarleon Nobleman (was 1-2 before 3.9)
- 0-1 Sarleon Squire-at-Arms (was 3-5 before 3.9)
- 3-5 Sarleon Knight
- 1-2 Knight of the Lion
Troop trees
| Commoners | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier | Name | ||
| 1st | Sarleon Recruit | ||
| 2nd | Sarleon Militia | ||
| 3rd | Sarleon Trained Militia | Sarleon Skirmisher | |
| 4th | Sarleon Footman | ||
| 5th | Sarleon Armored Footman | Sarleon Longbowman | |
| 6th | Sarleon Man-at-Arms | Sarleon Cavalry* | |
| 7th | Sarleon Halberdier | Sarleon Armored Longbowman | |
|
You may also see Marleons Heavy Cavalry in Duke Aelfwine's army and in the 1st Banneret of Marleons. They are Sarleon's special troop. | |||
| Nobles | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier | Name | ||
| 1st | Sarleon Nobleman | ||
| 2nd | Sarleon Squire-at-Arms | ||
| 3rd | Sarleon Knight | ||
|
Sarleon Knights may be upgraded further to Knights of the Lion and Rangers of the Clarion Call if you meet the special requirements. | |||
Lords
The Kingdom of Sarleon has 20 lords, these being:
- Duke Alamar
- Duke Aelfwine
- Duke Brennus
- Baron Aelfried
- Baron Cadeyrn
- Baron Ealdred
- Baron Godric
- Baron Hereward
- Baron Charles
- Baron Leofric
- Baron Leofwine
- Baron Gaidon
- Lord Fouchier
- Lord Fossard
- Lord Malbert
- Lord Othon
- Lord Montewar
- Lord Renier
- Lord Andre
- Lord Eric
Note: the ones in bold are notable lords, meaning they will have fixed higher values every game, some of these will even have Household troops.
Cities
There are 4 cities within this kingdom, these being:
Castles
9 Castles protect this kingdom, these being:
- Kelredan Castle
- Mistmire Castle
- Whitestag Castle
- Kennet Castle
- Mobray Castle
- Seven Cross Keep
- Talon Castle
- Valorshield Castle
- Haringoth Castle
Lore
The central lands of Sarleon have always held much power, even within the unified Kingdom of Pendor. Their towns are numerous and their fields fertile. That Sarleon was once the capital of Pendor is no accident; it is rich, powerful and casts a majestic presence on the lands. The Kings of Sarleon sit still on the Silver Throne and dream of what once was, and might once again be. The proud Knights ride forth to crush all foes of Sarleon beneath the iron-shod hooves of their stallions. The might of Sarleon ebbs and flows like the eternal seas around the continent of Pendor. During its golden age, people from near and far came to gape at the majestic palaces of the mighty who called Sarleon home.
The fall of Pendor hit Sarleon hard, the lords being far more divided there than in the other regions; however, the strength of Sarleon was shown in true form with the coming of the Baccus Empire. Without the chivalric Knights of the Lion and the brave soldiers of Sarleon, the Baccus Empire might well have conquered the whole land. General Oasar made quick progress destroying the token garrisons in the provincial capitals before him, however the first resistance he encountered was from Lord Alfred, Duke of Sarleon. Alfred managed to unite the warring factions in the north, center, south and west of Pendor into the Kingdom of Sarleon. He made an attempt to centralize the military by disbanding all Knighthood Orders except for the Order of the Lion. The Baccus Empire invasion was slowed, and then ultimately halted when the Baccus regime back home collapsed, leaving General Oasar isolated in Pendor.
Eventually other external threats began to take their toll on the hegemony of Sarleon over Pendor. First the Kingdom of Ravenstern seceded following the war against the Mystmountains. Several years later the Fierdsvain cancelled their alliance with Sarleon over disagreements over how to deal with the Vanskerry raiders. With the current King Ulric on the throne, Sarleon continues to view itself as the center of Pendor politics, her armies riding forth beneath the old standard of Pendor. This arrogance, however, is little liked by the splinter factions which now surround Sarleon. This has done little to stem the ambition of Sarleon and her king, however; out of the ashes of Pendor rises the phoenix of Sarleon.
Commentary on Sarleon
"Sarleon is the flower of Pendor. The single candle in the darkness of anarchy." - Knight of the Lion
"If the Knights of the Lion are the new standard of the Validus Charta, then we are pleased that we do not appear in such a corrupt text." - Knight of the Dragon, on campaign with the Ravenstern military
"I seriously call into question the so-called chivalry of the Sarleon Knights when they couldn't even protect the defenseless against bands of starving marauders." - Fierdsvain Patrician
"I love the smell of burned Knights in the morning. How the Sarleon cavaliers manage to fight in the intense heat of the desert is beyond me, though it does explain why they always lose." -D'Shar Lord
"I came, I saw, I conquered." - General Oasar on Sarleon
"Pretender Ulric is no more the King of Pendor than is Pretender Gregory. Both are simply moths drawn to the allure of what Pendor once was, and like moths corrupt it with their touch." - Madame Ursula, former crown princess of Ravenstern and member of the defunct Order of the Falcon
"I watched, as they did nothing, while I hear the roars of men, the weeping of women, and the cries of children; they who call themselves protectors of Pendor did nothing." - Renegade Knight of the Lion
Extra
Here's a video overviewing the Sarleon faction's most notable lords, factional knighthood order and their elite troops:
Sarleon Faction Overview Guide - Prophesy of Pendor 3.9.4 POP Mount & Blade WB-0