Shortly after the return of Sir Taedi, Sir Zebediah and Lady Elspeth from Sugales, an unexpected traveller arrived at Broughton. It was Sir Donna, who had been gone for many years, bearing the body of Sir Fflergant. She was home once more, and ready to explain where she had been, how Fflergant had died, and other secrets.
Sir Donna and Sir Gwyn were one and the same person. Sir Donna had always been a very conflicted individual. She was torn between the Christian faith that she had been taught at Amesbury, and the Pagan beliefs of her family. She was a lesbian, but her sexuality had been repressed by her religion. She wished to be a knight, but was never able to measure up to those she compared herself with. She cared deeply for her family, so she had been badly hurt when Elspeth abandoned her to marry Sir Fflergant.
When Elspeth had returned home, six years ago, the two had had an argument, which was the final trigger for Sir Donna becoming 'Sir Gwyn' - loud, proud, crude, the person that Donna had always wished to be. This was not the first time it had happened, and Elspeth covered for her sister. When 'Sir Gwyn' was lost in Faerie later that year, her relative, the Rabbit Queen, rescued her from her captivity and adopted her as a faerie knight. This had unfortunate consequences: it fractured Donna's damaged self-identity even further, to the point where she forgot who she even was.
Sir Fflergant, after dishonouring himself in 513 when he murdered King Ryonce, set himself a quest: to find and rescue Sir Donna. He did not know the truth about his sister-in-law until this time, when Elspeth explained it to him. He gathered his followers and entered the Forest Sauvage. It was extremely perilous, and one by one, his men died, but after many years, Sir Fflergant finally found Sir Donna and was going to take her home. However, Sir Donna was still massively traumatized by her experiences, and Sir Fflergant was at a loss as to how to help her.
The two were met by the Brown Knight of the Wilds, who asked for their aid. The Dolorous Blow had been struck, and now the Castle of Joy, where the Fisher King protected the Holy Grail, was under siege by dark hosts. Sir Fflergant and Sir Donna agreed to help - hoping that the Holy Grail would be able to restore Donna to herself.
The two traveled with the Brown Knight to the Castle of Joy, where they met the other defenders of the Grail - Sir Lamorak of the Round Table, the White Knight, Sir Alain the Fat, Lord Eurain of Brandigan, Sir Bavid of the Wilds, and more. But among their enemies were Duke Klingsor, a devilish knight and Lord of Evil; King Guinebaut of the Marshes; Duke Brunor of Ireland; the Knight of the Dragon; and, worst of all, King Balor of the Fomorians, the Lord of Monsters.
In the Battle of the Plains of Joy, the outnumbered defenders of the Grail managed to repulse their enemies. Sir Donna herself fought King Balor of the Fomorians, but he exploited her damaged soul with his dark magic. She would have perished, but Sir Fflergant took the blow for her, and struck King Balor such a buffet that he quit the field. Sir Fflergant expired, and Sir Donna was taken in to the castle to be healed. There, the Sangreal appeared to her while she was unconscious, and caused her mind and body to be healed. Her split personalities were reconciled into one. She remained at the Castle of Joy while she recuperated, and then made her way south to rejoin her family, taking Sir Fflergant's body with her for burial.
Tuesday 29 December 2015
516 AD: The Tournament of Dreams
I, King Belinans of Sugales, do wish it known that I will host a tournament in honour of the Calan Mai (or Beltain) celebration in Castle Rhun. All knights are welcome to try their skill in friendly competition with my knights, the best, bravest and strongest in all these isles. Ours is the heritage of a people never conquered by the Romans. Yet we have taken the best they had to offer and have added to our nation's list of qualities. Let us see if there is anything of worth you can bring to us.
This was the message that a herald read to Earl Robert and his knights. It was a deliberately provocative note, and the Earl was keen to send some of his men to this tournament - the first tournament offered in Britain by a lord other than the High King - to prove the quality of Salisbury. There was just one problem with the message, however - where was Sugales? No one had ever heard of it before. Sir Taedi theorized that it was a reference to Norgales, a new kingdom that had emerged in the Anarchy; perhaps it was another patchwork kingdom in Wales. Earl Robert decided to send Sir Taedi and Sir Zebediah to the tournament in Sugales, as his other knights were attending the great Easter tournament in London. Lady Elspeth also asked to accompany them, with her nephew Hugh; she thought it would be good for him to see a tournament. (She also wanted to find out more about Sir Zebediah's new wife, Golde; rather than having to tease him constantly, the knight immediately revealed that his new wife was a nag and a nuisance, though he seemed oddly... satisfied about it.)
A few days out of Sarum, the travellers met Sir Samwell. This knight was on an important mission from the High King: he was part of a mammoth undertaking to assess property across Britain, so that a revised and equitable taxation system could be introduced. He explained his task in some detail, which Sir Zebediah found particularly interesting. He was also able to tell the knights of Salisbury more about Sugales. It was, as they had thought, a self-proclaimed new kingdom, consisting of Powys and a number of little hill tribes that King Belinans had conquered during the Anarchy.
After leaving Sir Samwell, the group hurried along the King's Road north, and then through Cameliard and Orofoise, until they reached the town of Oroquelenes. From here, the road became poorer in quality, as it twisted up into the Cambrian Mountains and the kingdom of Sugales. Before long, the travellers reached the banks of the Severn River, where they were forced to wait until the morning, when a ferryman arrived to take them across. This garrulous man, whose name was Rabart, told them about Sugales. He told them that King Belinans was expecting his champion Sir Gwaid to win the tournament - this paladin had recently killed four lions single-handedly. Remembering their battle against lions at the Dolorous Isle, Sir Taedi, Sir Zebediah and Lady Elspeth were highly impressed. Rabart also said that he had heard a rumour that someone was plotting against the King's life, and warned them to be on their guard.
The road from the ferry was steep, with cliffs on either side. Sir Taedi noticed that this place would be perfect for an ambush. They decided to press on, rather than waste time looking for an alternative route. Sure enough, they were attacked by bandits later that day, who rolled rocks down the cliffs to trap the knights, and then charged down the cliffs at them. Lady Elspeth shot their leader with her bow, causing him to trip and plummet down the slope, and the knights made short work of the others. However, the leader was not dead, and attempted to reach Hu to take him as a hostage. Fortunately, Sir Taedi saw him, and rode him down before he could reach the boy.
After a delay to clear the road, the group reached the hospitality of the Red Castle later that evening, where they were greeted by the pious Lady of the Rock. She offered them food and lodgings for the night. The repast and entertainment was simple but pleasant, and the Lady discussed the tournament with her guests. King Belinans was hosting this tournament to prove that he was at least as great as King Arthur, and to demand foreign recognition for Sugales as a kingdom. However, there may be some other reason for the tournament - she had heard rumours that the beautiful young Queen Elidia had convinced him to host it. King Belinans was a just man, the Lady said, but he did not always know what was going on in his own house. Queen Elidia was a fanatical pagan who was trying to revive the old ways, and the Lady of the Rock did not trust her.
The next day, the knights set off from the Red Castle for Castle Rhun. On the road, the knights met two wandering hermits: Brother Tanicus and his assistant Polayne. Brother Tanicus had spent years searching for the hand of Saint Albans, a holy relic from Britain's first martyr. Having found it, he had received a dream that he should travel upon the road and show it to a group of foreign knights. He led a prayer session and then revealed the hand. Sir Taedi felt awestruck as he could feel the holy power of this relic flowing from it.
From here, the group continued on to Castle Rhun, where the tents of about twenty visiting knights were pitched the side of the tournament field, Nearby, crude peasant huts surrounded an imposing stone fortress. The knights checked in with the Herald of the Lists, and then went to present themselves to King Belinans. The King was a burly and cheerful man, flanked by his beautiful young Queen Elidia, the massive Sir Gwaid, and about thirty or forty finely dressed courtiers. The King greeted the visitors from Salisbury and joked with them a little, bidding them welcome to the tournament, before bidding them relax and mingle with his other guests. That night there was to be a feast; the tournament would start upon the morrow.
The travelers from Sugales enjoyed the feast and interacted with the other guests. Lady Elspeth learned that King Belinans' son was Sir Dodinas the Wild, one of the most famous Knights of the Round Table; and that King Belinans had established his own knightly order, the Order of the Wreath, led by Sir Gwaid. Sir Taedi became embroiled in a drinking contest, where he was drunk under the table by Sir Richard Redcheeks of Leinster. Sir Zebediah was embarrassed by boastful knights, led by Sir Marsden of Rouse. Towards the end of the night, King Belinans announced that his wife, Queen Elidia, had decided to dance for the guests. Her dance bordered on the scandalous, as she was clad only in light veils, but the King seemed not to notice. The knights of Salisbury did, however, and were not impressed - though many others in the hall were. As the night went on, the group found themselves propositioned, but each turned down the opportunity for love, and retired alone to sleep.
That night, Sir Zebediah and Sir Taedi both had a strange dream. They found themselves, and the other visiting knights, naked in the middle of the forest, Queen Elidia was there also, nude upon a divan, and she called for the knights to come forth and serve her. Sir Zebediah restrained Sir Taedi from going, but others wandered over to caress her body and then stand behind her. The Queen addressed those who had not come to her: they would have to prove themselves to her in another way. A great tournament-field arose, with horses, weaponry and armour born of their dreams. Some was in ill-repair; while Sir Taedi's equipment shone, reflecting the strength of his soul. Strange knights approached on horseback, challenging them to fight. Sir Zebediah fell, slain by his enemy, but Sir Taedi was able to vanquish his foe... and both awoke back at the castle, covered in sweat.
Looking at the other guests that morning, it soon became apparent that all the visiting knights had shared the same dream. However, no one was willing to talk about it. Sir Zebediah and Sir Taedi knew that the Queen's actions were treasonous, but also that they would not be able to bring accusation to King Belinans without evidence; the King was besotted, and hasty words would cause great offence. They decided to participate in the tournament, so as to not arouse suspicion, while Elspeth would investigate and see what she could discover about Queen Elidia. The two knights acquitted themselves honourably during the first day's jousting, but both were unhorsed, and Sir Gwaid was the winner of the day. Elspeth spoke to Samantha, a handmaiden who was helping to organize that night's festivities, and learned more about the Queen. She was a refugee from the royal family of one of the small Welsh kingdoms that had been overthrown when King Ryonce created Norgales, during the Anarchy. She had lived alone in the forest, until one day King Belinans had met her while hunting, and took her home to be his lover and then queen. Elspeth was very suspicious of this, and wondered about the Queen's true origins.
After the day's jousting, another night of revelry and feasting followed. Sir Gwaid was awarded a torque as his prize, and dedicated his victory to Lleu Llaw Gyffes and to the Queen. That night, a great storytelling contest was held. Sir Taedi tried to tell a story, but poorly. Sir Zebediah told of his old home on the continent, while Elspeth told about her missing husband, Sir Fflergant. Young Hugh told a story to the assembled knights as well, about how his hero, Sir Taedi, had rescued him on the way to the tournament. After the knights went to bed, they awoke again in the same forest glade, where Queen Elidia once again attempted to seduce them, offering them a magical wreath. Many knights accepted, but Sir Taedi and Sir Zebediah held to their convictions. The wreaths that were offered to them turned into snakes and slithered away, while immense golden knights emerged and attacked them. Sir Taedi and Sir Zebediah held off their attackers for a time, with the aid of another loyal knight, Sir Austen, but all three were 'slain', awaking exhausted and enervated back at Castle Rhun.
But there was someone waiting for Sir Taedi. Brother Tanicus' assistant Polayne was bruised, bloodied and battered. He and his master had been attacked by golden knights, and Polayne had escaped to find help. Despite their exhaustion, the knights and Lady Elspeth swiftly prepared their horses and rode out with Polayne, into the wilderness of Powys. They found themselves in a glade which Sir Taedi and Sir Zebediah found familiar, for it was the one from their dream. At one edge of the glade was a cave, and from it burst a fearsome hippogriff, a monster half lion and half eagle. Sir Zebediah was nearly slain by the terror, and Sir Taedi barely managed to hold it off while Elspeth entered the cave and discovered Brother Tanicus, hoarsely praying, and a golden wreath above the door, like the ones the knights had described in their dreams. She smashed it down, and the hippogriff flew away as the spell controlling it was broken.
Once helped from the cave, Brother Tanicus explained how he received a vision that Queen Elidia intended to kill King Belinans. He and Polayne hastened this way, but were intercepted by golden knights - the same golden knights from the dreams - who had affixed the wreath, the Queen's personal symbol, to summon the hippogriff. Only Tanicus' faith had kept him safe. Sir Taedi agreed to escort Brother Tanicus and the wounded Sir Zebediah to Castle Rhun to accuse the Queen, while Lady Elspeth set off at haste to the Red Castle, to recruit aid from the Lady of the Rock. Sir Taedi decided to take part in the tournament, to avoid suspicion: they would wait to make their accusation until Lady Elspeth returned with reinforcements. He bowed out of the grand melee at the earliest opportunity, to remain ready. As the day moved forward, there was no sign of Lady Elspeth or the Lady of the Rock. Sir Gwaid's team were the victors of the melee. There was no more time to delay.
Brother Tanicus stepped forward and accused the Queen of witchcraft and high treason, showing Sir Zebediah's wounds and the wreath as evidence. At that moment, Sir Dodinas the Wild, King Belinans' son by his first wife, and his close friend Sir Sagremore, the prince of Byzantium, appeared, with the head of the hippogriff. Queen Elidia, furious that she had been discovered, commanded her knights to kill the King. The Order of the Wreath, and many of the visitors who had been seduced in the dreams, drew their swords and attacked, while those still loyal fought to hold them off. The pavilions turned into a bloodbath. Sir Taedi fought his way up into the stands to protect the King, and confronted Sir Gwaid. The King's champion had just fought and overcome Sir Dodinas, and Sir Taedi knew that he was a superior foe, but he bodily wrestled the knight over the edge of the stand, and Sir Gwaid's neck broke in the fall. At that moment, Lady Elspeth and the Lady of the Rock appeared at the head of a column of soldiers. The traitor knights were apprehended, and King Belinans was saved, although in the chaos, Elidia and many of the Order of the Wreath escaped.
King Belinans thanked the knights for rescuing him, and pardoned those who had been bewitched by the Queen. The Tournament was over, and as the knights returned home, they were thankful that Logres would never have a similar situation - after all, Guinevere would never be unfaithful to Arthur, and the Knights of the Round Table would always be loyal to him...
This was the message that a herald read to Earl Robert and his knights. It was a deliberately provocative note, and the Earl was keen to send some of his men to this tournament - the first tournament offered in Britain by a lord other than the High King - to prove the quality of Salisbury. There was just one problem with the message, however - where was Sugales? No one had ever heard of it before. Sir Taedi theorized that it was a reference to Norgales, a new kingdom that had emerged in the Anarchy; perhaps it was another patchwork kingdom in Wales. Earl Robert decided to send Sir Taedi and Sir Zebediah to the tournament in Sugales, as his other knights were attending the great Easter tournament in London. Lady Elspeth also asked to accompany them, with her nephew Hugh; she thought it would be good for him to see a tournament. (She also wanted to find out more about Sir Zebediah's new wife, Golde; rather than having to tease him constantly, the knight immediately revealed that his new wife was a nag and a nuisance, though he seemed oddly... satisfied about it.)
A few days out of Sarum, the travellers met Sir Samwell. This knight was on an important mission from the High King: he was part of a mammoth undertaking to assess property across Britain, so that a revised and equitable taxation system could be introduced. He explained his task in some detail, which Sir Zebediah found particularly interesting. He was also able to tell the knights of Salisbury more about Sugales. It was, as they had thought, a self-proclaimed new kingdom, consisting of Powys and a number of little hill tribes that King Belinans had conquered during the Anarchy.
After leaving Sir Samwell, the group hurried along the King's Road north, and then through Cameliard and Orofoise, until they reached the town of Oroquelenes. From here, the road became poorer in quality, as it twisted up into the Cambrian Mountains and the kingdom of Sugales. Before long, the travellers reached the banks of the Severn River, where they were forced to wait until the morning, when a ferryman arrived to take them across. This garrulous man, whose name was Rabart, told them about Sugales. He told them that King Belinans was expecting his champion Sir Gwaid to win the tournament - this paladin had recently killed four lions single-handedly. Remembering their battle against lions at the Dolorous Isle, Sir Taedi, Sir Zebediah and Lady Elspeth were highly impressed. Rabart also said that he had heard a rumour that someone was plotting against the King's life, and warned them to be on their guard.
The road from the ferry was steep, with cliffs on either side. Sir Taedi noticed that this place would be perfect for an ambush. They decided to press on, rather than waste time looking for an alternative route. Sure enough, they were attacked by bandits later that day, who rolled rocks down the cliffs to trap the knights, and then charged down the cliffs at them. Lady Elspeth shot their leader with her bow, causing him to trip and plummet down the slope, and the knights made short work of the others. However, the leader was not dead, and attempted to reach Hu to take him as a hostage. Fortunately, Sir Taedi saw him, and rode him down before he could reach the boy.
After a delay to clear the road, the group reached the hospitality of the Red Castle later that evening, where they were greeted by the pious Lady of the Rock. She offered them food and lodgings for the night. The repast and entertainment was simple but pleasant, and the Lady discussed the tournament with her guests. King Belinans was hosting this tournament to prove that he was at least as great as King Arthur, and to demand foreign recognition for Sugales as a kingdom. However, there may be some other reason for the tournament - she had heard rumours that the beautiful young Queen Elidia had convinced him to host it. King Belinans was a just man, the Lady said, but he did not always know what was going on in his own house. Queen Elidia was a fanatical pagan who was trying to revive the old ways, and the Lady of the Rock did not trust her.
The next day, the knights set off from the Red Castle for Castle Rhun. On the road, the knights met two wandering hermits: Brother Tanicus and his assistant Polayne. Brother Tanicus had spent years searching for the hand of Saint Albans, a holy relic from Britain's first martyr. Having found it, he had received a dream that he should travel upon the road and show it to a group of foreign knights. He led a prayer session and then revealed the hand. Sir Taedi felt awestruck as he could feel the holy power of this relic flowing from it.
From here, the group continued on to Castle Rhun, where the tents of about twenty visiting knights were pitched the side of the tournament field, Nearby, crude peasant huts surrounded an imposing stone fortress. The knights checked in with the Herald of the Lists, and then went to present themselves to King Belinans. The King was a burly and cheerful man, flanked by his beautiful young Queen Elidia, the massive Sir Gwaid, and about thirty or forty finely dressed courtiers. The King greeted the visitors from Salisbury and joked with them a little, bidding them welcome to the tournament, before bidding them relax and mingle with his other guests. That night there was to be a feast; the tournament would start upon the morrow.
The travelers from Sugales enjoyed the feast and interacted with the other guests. Lady Elspeth learned that King Belinans' son was Sir Dodinas the Wild, one of the most famous Knights of the Round Table; and that King Belinans had established his own knightly order, the Order of the Wreath, led by Sir Gwaid. Sir Taedi became embroiled in a drinking contest, where he was drunk under the table by Sir Richard Redcheeks of Leinster. Sir Zebediah was embarrassed by boastful knights, led by Sir Marsden of Rouse. Towards the end of the night, King Belinans announced that his wife, Queen Elidia, had decided to dance for the guests. Her dance bordered on the scandalous, as she was clad only in light veils, but the King seemed not to notice. The knights of Salisbury did, however, and were not impressed - though many others in the hall were. As the night went on, the group found themselves propositioned, but each turned down the opportunity for love, and retired alone to sleep.
That night, Sir Zebediah and Sir Taedi both had a strange dream. They found themselves, and the other visiting knights, naked in the middle of the forest, Queen Elidia was there also, nude upon a divan, and she called for the knights to come forth and serve her. Sir Zebediah restrained Sir Taedi from going, but others wandered over to caress her body and then stand behind her. The Queen addressed those who had not come to her: they would have to prove themselves to her in another way. A great tournament-field arose, with horses, weaponry and armour born of their dreams. Some was in ill-repair; while Sir Taedi's equipment shone, reflecting the strength of his soul. Strange knights approached on horseback, challenging them to fight. Sir Zebediah fell, slain by his enemy, but Sir Taedi was able to vanquish his foe... and both awoke back at the castle, covered in sweat.
Looking at the other guests that morning, it soon became apparent that all the visiting knights had shared the same dream. However, no one was willing to talk about it. Sir Zebediah and Sir Taedi knew that the Queen's actions were treasonous, but also that they would not be able to bring accusation to King Belinans without evidence; the King was besotted, and hasty words would cause great offence. They decided to participate in the tournament, so as to not arouse suspicion, while Elspeth would investigate and see what she could discover about Queen Elidia. The two knights acquitted themselves honourably during the first day's jousting, but both were unhorsed, and Sir Gwaid was the winner of the day. Elspeth spoke to Samantha, a handmaiden who was helping to organize that night's festivities, and learned more about the Queen. She was a refugee from the royal family of one of the small Welsh kingdoms that had been overthrown when King Ryonce created Norgales, during the Anarchy. She had lived alone in the forest, until one day King Belinans had met her while hunting, and took her home to be his lover and then queen. Elspeth was very suspicious of this, and wondered about the Queen's true origins.
After the day's jousting, another night of revelry and feasting followed. Sir Gwaid was awarded a torque as his prize, and dedicated his victory to Lleu Llaw Gyffes and to the Queen. That night, a great storytelling contest was held. Sir Taedi tried to tell a story, but poorly. Sir Zebediah told of his old home on the continent, while Elspeth told about her missing husband, Sir Fflergant. Young Hugh told a story to the assembled knights as well, about how his hero, Sir Taedi, had rescued him on the way to the tournament. After the knights went to bed, they awoke again in the same forest glade, where Queen Elidia once again attempted to seduce them, offering them a magical wreath. Many knights accepted, but Sir Taedi and Sir Zebediah held to their convictions. The wreaths that were offered to them turned into snakes and slithered away, while immense golden knights emerged and attacked them. Sir Taedi and Sir Zebediah held off their attackers for a time, with the aid of another loyal knight, Sir Austen, but all three were 'slain', awaking exhausted and enervated back at Castle Rhun.
But there was someone waiting for Sir Taedi. Brother Tanicus' assistant Polayne was bruised, bloodied and battered. He and his master had been attacked by golden knights, and Polayne had escaped to find help. Despite their exhaustion, the knights and Lady Elspeth swiftly prepared their horses and rode out with Polayne, into the wilderness of Powys. They found themselves in a glade which Sir Taedi and Sir Zebediah found familiar, for it was the one from their dream. At one edge of the glade was a cave, and from it burst a fearsome hippogriff, a monster half lion and half eagle. Sir Zebediah was nearly slain by the terror, and Sir Taedi barely managed to hold it off while Elspeth entered the cave and discovered Brother Tanicus, hoarsely praying, and a golden wreath above the door, like the ones the knights had described in their dreams. She smashed it down, and the hippogriff flew away as the spell controlling it was broken.
Once helped from the cave, Brother Tanicus explained how he received a vision that Queen Elidia intended to kill King Belinans. He and Polayne hastened this way, but were intercepted by golden knights - the same golden knights from the dreams - who had affixed the wreath, the Queen's personal symbol, to summon the hippogriff. Only Tanicus' faith had kept him safe. Sir Taedi agreed to escort Brother Tanicus and the wounded Sir Zebediah to Castle Rhun to accuse the Queen, while Lady Elspeth set off at haste to the Red Castle, to recruit aid from the Lady of the Rock. Sir Taedi decided to take part in the tournament, to avoid suspicion: they would wait to make their accusation until Lady Elspeth returned with reinforcements. He bowed out of the grand melee at the earliest opportunity, to remain ready. As the day moved forward, there was no sign of Lady Elspeth or the Lady of the Rock. Sir Gwaid's team were the victors of the melee. There was no more time to delay.
Brother Tanicus stepped forward and accused the Queen of witchcraft and high treason, showing Sir Zebediah's wounds and the wreath as evidence. At that moment, Sir Dodinas the Wild, King Belinans' son by his first wife, and his close friend Sir Sagremore, the prince of Byzantium, appeared, with the head of the hippogriff. Queen Elidia, furious that she had been discovered, commanded her knights to kill the King. The Order of the Wreath, and many of the visitors who had been seduced in the dreams, drew their swords and attacked, while those still loyal fought to hold them off. The pavilions turned into a bloodbath. Sir Taedi fought his way up into the stands to protect the King, and confronted Sir Gwaid. The King's champion had just fought and overcome Sir Dodinas, and Sir Taedi knew that he was a superior foe, but he bodily wrestled the knight over the edge of the stand, and Sir Gwaid's neck broke in the fall. At that moment, Lady Elspeth and the Lady of the Rock appeared at the head of a column of soldiers. The traitor knights were apprehended, and King Belinans was saved, although in the chaos, Elidia and many of the Order of the Wreath escaped.
King Belinans thanked the knights for rescuing him, and pardoned those who had been bewitched by the Queen. The Tournament was over, and as the knights returned home, they were thankful that Logres would never have a similar situation - after all, Guinevere would never be unfaithful to Arthur, and the Knights of the Round Table would always be loyal to him...
Monday 28 September 2015
515 AD, Part Two: A Funny Thing Happened To Sir Taedi On The Way To The Blacksmith
Sir Taedi's player was unable to attend the second half of our 515 session due to some unfair real-life problems. So we had a bonus adventure for him, to explain what he was doing while everyone else was off saving Logres!
Shortly after the knights of Salisbury left the Wasteland, while travelling through the backwaters of Malahaut, Sir Taedi's horse threw a shoe.
This was very unfortunate. The travelers were moving swiftly, as they needed to find the Whetstone of Tudwal Tudclud and return to London before Pentecost. Sir Taedi would be unable to keep up with them, and once they left him behind, it was unlikely that he would be able to catch up. They would just have to leave him behind. So they departed, and Sir Taedi backtracked: he remembered seeing a village on the horizon two, or maybe three hours ago.
He rode slowly back north, along the bank of a river too wide to ford. Before too long, he reached a stone bridge that spanned the river. A mounted knight held the bridge; his squire lay in the grass nearby, with a blade of wheat in his mouth, staring up at the clouds. The knight waved to Sir Taedi (almost falling off his horse in the process), introduced himself as Sir Victor, and challenged him to joust. Somewhat bemused, Sir Taedi asked what the stakes were. This made Sir Victor pause for a minute, for he had not realised that some manner of stakes were customary - he just wanted to practice his jousting skills! Sir Taedi suggested that the loser should offer hospitality to the winner, and Sir Victor cheerfully agreed. The two charged, and Sir Victor's lance struck a very glancing blow to Sir Taedi, which barely rocked him in his saddle. On the second pass, Sir Taedi's lance flung Sir Victor from his saddle. The other knight fell, and caught his foot in the stirrup, being dragged along the ground for some way. His squire rushed to rescue him. When Sir Victor was freed, he removed his helmet, revealing a simple and smiling face. He was pleased to have lost, and he invited Sir Taedi to come and have dinner with him.
Sir Victor's home was a squalid little village. He took Sir Taedi's horse to the village blacksmith Dafydd to be re-shod, and then invited his guest to his manor for dinner. It was barely larger or grander than the peasants' houses. In fact, many of his tenants ate with him, and he ate the same simple food as they did, while animals ate in the rushes on the floor around them. Sir Taedi found it strangely comfortable. The two knights talked of the news from the south, and Sir Victor revealed how he dreamed of leaving home, seeking adventure and finding a wife. That night, Sir Taedi slept on the ground in the hall, curled up with a pig for warmth; the next day, when he rode out, Sir Victor rode with him.
Later that day, the two adventurers met another knight upon the road. This knight called to Sir Taedi as if he recognised him. Sir Taedi thought that the knight's coat of arms, a crimson moon, looked familiar, though he could not quite place them. He played along, hoping the other would say something to jog his memory, as the Moon Knight greeted him and asked how he had been since they had last met, asked if he'd had any success since then, and admitted to very little himself. Then the Moon Knight saw Sir Victor and challenged him to a joust. The loser would offer military service or scutage to the winner. Sir Victor cheerfully accepted, and was immediately bowled from his saddle by a mighty blow. The Moon Knight introduced himself to Sir Victor as Sir Einion, and asked the two to accompany him to where his other followers were gathered, to reclaim the ancestral home and rescue the sister of... "Sir Dai?" Sir Taedi quietly spoke to Sir Victor and decided to play along, so that Sir Victor could take part in his first adventure.
The three knights rode towards a nearby village, while the two knights subtly pumped Sir Einion for more information. He revealed that one Sir Meurig had dishonourably slain the local lord, Sir Heilyn, in an ambush. Sir Heilyn's daughter (and Sir Einion's lady love) Gwladys was his prisoner, but his son Sir Dai, who had the same heraldry as Sir Taedi, had escaped and met Sir Einion, and the two had agreed to muster support to reclaim the castle. Sir Einion commented on how 'Sir Dai' seemed different to before, and Sir Taedi improvised wildly.
At a village near the castle, they met the other three knights that Sir Einion had already recruited. Sir Powell was a drunken sot, Sir Sian a religious fanatic, and Sir Aidan a cross-eyed birdwatcher - not an inspiring army! Sir Aidan also confronted 'Sir Dai' about his gambling debts, and Sir Taedi continued to bluff, promising to pay 'his' debts once they had recaptured the castle. Sir Einion and Sir Taedi then made a plan to attack, leaving Sir Taedi bemused by how pitiful the defenses were. They planned to attack on the next day, but Sir Taedi and Sir Victor sneaked away to attack the castle that very night.
At this point, our cat Nimue decided to help. She began to attack a model castle that sat on the table, shoving her nose through the gates, picking up and carrying off cardboard defenders, and nearly knocking the castle - and herself! - off the table. Once we had stopped laughing enough to be able to breathe again, we continued.
The 'castle' turned out to be more of a large house. The two knights noticed that an upstairs window was open, and used Sir Einion's siege ladder to climb into the house. They were greeted by a screaming maiden, who shouted at 'Sir Dai', her brother, for invading her bedroom. Sir Taedi tried to explain, thoroughly perplexed - wasn't she supposed to be in the dungeon? At this point, Sir Meurig burst in (Gwladys screamed again, brandishing his sword at the intruders in his sleeping attire, and confronted 'Sir Dai', who had last been seen fleeing like the coward that he was. At this point, Gwladys finally realised that Sir Taedi was a foot taller than her brother...
The deception was finally up. Sir Taedi confessed everything, and admitted that he had been pretending to be Sir Dai for the adventure, and to help right a seeming wrong - that may or may not have happened. Sir Meurig told him that Sir Heilyn had murdered his father, Sir Wynfar, years ago. He had just sought revenge, and to reclaim his ancestral homes - but he had seen to it that those he had slain had been given a Christian burial, and he had not laid a hand on Gwladys. Sir Taedi agreed that this showed he was an immensely patient man! The two men forgave each other, but Sir Meurig asked that Sir Taedi and Sir Victor would help to end the current situation peacefully - and hopefully get Gwladys out of his hair!
At this point, the sounds of the 'attack' (of four knights) came. The knights hurried outside to negotiate, as the knights charged the castle. Sir Powell collapsed, drunk; Sir Aidan tripped on a rock; Sir Sian stopped to superstitiously avoid stepping on a crack. Only Sir Einion made it across the courtyard to the castle door, which the two knights slammed in his face. They then had a guard run for Gwladys, who came down to Sir Einion and explained everything. The battle was over!
Sir Taedi and Sir Victor thought that it might be time to slip away now, but Sir Meurig cornered them and declared that their promise had not been fulfilled, for Gwladys was now refusing to marry Sir Einion! She could not possibly get married without a proper dress and without a dowry! Sir Meurig was desperate to get rid of her, and so he split tasks with Sir Taedi and Sir Victor: Sir Meurig would go on the Quest of the Wedding Dress, while they would ride on the Quest of the Dowry. They quickly searched the castle for anything that would do - a nice dinner service, perhaps? Then Sir Taedi remembered folk-tales that he had heard that men of old had buried their treasure in faerie barrows nearby.
A few hours later, the two knights reached the village where the ancient gold was said to be. The villagers 'recognised' Sir Taedi as Sir Dai. Apparently Sir Dai had been there a week ago and hired many mules, and a good spade. Sir Taedi was now getting thoroughly sick of Sir Dai - especially when they reached the mounds and found that Sir Dai had already dug them up and taken all the gold! Sir Victor gloomily predicted that Sir Dai probably meant to flee to the continent, but Sir Taedi decided to give chase.
The tracks led to the city of Winteringham, on the River Humber. There, the two knights asked around. No one knew where Sir Dai was, but they remembered an extravagantly rich knight and his two henchmen, who had indeed been seeking passage to the continent. When Sir Taedi and Sir Victor met up again in a tavern, a drunken man asked Sir Taedi for money, insisting that he was a knight - and Sir Taedi realised that it was Sir Dai. Sir Dai had fled his castle when it had fallen, met Sir Einion on the road and lied about fighting alongside him to reclaim it, and then fled to dig up the gold and escape. However, he had met two sycophants who managed to fleece him for all his gold, his armour, his sword and his horse, and then took his place on the ship. Sir Taedi challenged him to a joust outside of town (Sir Victor lending Sir Dai everything that he'd need) and then finally lost control, charging with a murderous scream. Sir Dai panicked and fled, with an irate Sir Taedi close behind him...
And so their work was done. Sir Dai was dragged back home - the debtor serving as a sort of dowry. Sir Einion and Gwladys got married. Sir Meurig finally got some peace and quiet. Sir Victor returned home, having finally experienced an adventure. And Sir Taedi began the long ride south, determined never to tell anyone the story of what had happened.
Shortly after the knights of Salisbury left the Wasteland, while travelling through the backwaters of Malahaut, Sir Taedi's horse threw a shoe.
This was very unfortunate. The travelers were moving swiftly, as they needed to find the Whetstone of Tudwal Tudclud and return to London before Pentecost. Sir Taedi would be unable to keep up with them, and once they left him behind, it was unlikely that he would be able to catch up. They would just have to leave him behind. So they departed, and Sir Taedi backtracked: he remembered seeing a village on the horizon two, or maybe three hours ago.
He rode slowly back north, along the bank of a river too wide to ford. Before too long, he reached a stone bridge that spanned the river. A mounted knight held the bridge; his squire lay in the grass nearby, with a blade of wheat in his mouth, staring up at the clouds. The knight waved to Sir Taedi (almost falling off his horse in the process), introduced himself as Sir Victor, and challenged him to joust. Somewhat bemused, Sir Taedi asked what the stakes were. This made Sir Victor pause for a minute, for he had not realised that some manner of stakes were customary - he just wanted to practice his jousting skills! Sir Taedi suggested that the loser should offer hospitality to the winner, and Sir Victor cheerfully agreed. The two charged, and Sir Victor's lance struck a very glancing blow to Sir Taedi, which barely rocked him in his saddle. On the second pass, Sir Taedi's lance flung Sir Victor from his saddle. The other knight fell, and caught his foot in the stirrup, being dragged along the ground for some way. His squire rushed to rescue him. When Sir Victor was freed, he removed his helmet, revealing a simple and smiling face. He was pleased to have lost, and he invited Sir Taedi to come and have dinner with him.
Sir Victor's home was a squalid little village. He took Sir Taedi's horse to the village blacksmith Dafydd to be re-shod, and then invited his guest to his manor for dinner. It was barely larger or grander than the peasants' houses. In fact, many of his tenants ate with him, and he ate the same simple food as they did, while animals ate in the rushes on the floor around them. Sir Taedi found it strangely comfortable. The two knights talked of the news from the south, and Sir Victor revealed how he dreamed of leaving home, seeking adventure and finding a wife. That night, Sir Taedi slept on the ground in the hall, curled up with a pig for warmth; the next day, when he rode out, Sir Victor rode with him.
Later that day, the two adventurers met another knight upon the road. This knight called to Sir Taedi as if he recognised him. Sir Taedi thought that the knight's coat of arms, a crimson moon, looked familiar, though he could not quite place them. He played along, hoping the other would say something to jog his memory, as the Moon Knight greeted him and asked how he had been since they had last met, asked if he'd had any success since then, and admitted to very little himself. Then the Moon Knight saw Sir Victor and challenged him to a joust. The loser would offer military service or scutage to the winner. Sir Victor cheerfully accepted, and was immediately bowled from his saddle by a mighty blow. The Moon Knight introduced himself to Sir Victor as Sir Einion, and asked the two to accompany him to where his other followers were gathered, to reclaim the ancestral home and rescue the sister of... "Sir Dai?" Sir Taedi quietly spoke to Sir Victor and decided to play along, so that Sir Victor could take part in his first adventure.
The three knights rode towards a nearby village, while the two knights subtly pumped Sir Einion for more information. He revealed that one Sir Meurig had dishonourably slain the local lord, Sir Heilyn, in an ambush. Sir Heilyn's daughter (and Sir Einion's lady love) Gwladys was his prisoner, but his son Sir Dai, who had the same heraldry as Sir Taedi, had escaped and met Sir Einion, and the two had agreed to muster support to reclaim the castle. Sir Einion commented on how 'Sir Dai' seemed different to before, and Sir Taedi improvised wildly.
At a village near the castle, they met the other three knights that Sir Einion had already recruited. Sir Powell was a drunken sot, Sir Sian a religious fanatic, and Sir Aidan a cross-eyed birdwatcher - not an inspiring army! Sir Aidan also confronted 'Sir Dai' about his gambling debts, and Sir Taedi continued to bluff, promising to pay 'his' debts once they had recaptured the castle. Sir Einion and Sir Taedi then made a plan to attack, leaving Sir Taedi bemused by how pitiful the defenses were. They planned to attack on the next day, but Sir Taedi and Sir Victor sneaked away to attack the castle that very night.
At this point, our cat Nimue decided to help. She began to attack a model castle that sat on the table, shoving her nose through the gates, picking up and carrying off cardboard defenders, and nearly knocking the castle - and herself! - off the table. Once we had stopped laughing enough to be able to breathe again, we continued.
The 'castle' turned out to be more of a large house. The two knights noticed that an upstairs window was open, and used Sir Einion's siege ladder to climb into the house. They were greeted by a screaming maiden, who shouted at 'Sir Dai', her brother, for invading her bedroom. Sir Taedi tried to explain, thoroughly perplexed - wasn't she supposed to be in the dungeon? At this point, Sir Meurig burst in (Gwladys screamed again, brandishing his sword at the intruders in his sleeping attire, and confronted 'Sir Dai', who had last been seen fleeing like the coward that he was. At this point, Gwladys finally realised that Sir Taedi was a foot taller than her brother...
The deception was finally up. Sir Taedi confessed everything, and admitted that he had been pretending to be Sir Dai for the adventure, and to help right a seeming wrong - that may or may not have happened. Sir Meurig told him that Sir Heilyn had murdered his father, Sir Wynfar, years ago. He had just sought revenge, and to reclaim his ancestral homes - but he had seen to it that those he had slain had been given a Christian burial, and he had not laid a hand on Gwladys. Sir Taedi agreed that this showed he was an immensely patient man! The two men forgave each other, but Sir Meurig asked that Sir Taedi and Sir Victor would help to end the current situation peacefully - and hopefully get Gwladys out of his hair!
At this point, the sounds of the 'attack' (of four knights) came. The knights hurried outside to negotiate, as the knights charged the castle. Sir Powell collapsed, drunk; Sir Aidan tripped on a rock; Sir Sian stopped to superstitiously avoid stepping on a crack. Only Sir Einion made it across the courtyard to the castle door, which the two knights slammed in his face. They then had a guard run for Gwladys, who came down to Sir Einion and explained everything. The battle was over!
Sir Taedi and Sir Victor thought that it might be time to slip away now, but Sir Meurig cornered them and declared that their promise had not been fulfilled, for Gwladys was now refusing to marry Sir Einion! She could not possibly get married without a proper dress and without a dowry! Sir Meurig was desperate to get rid of her, and so he split tasks with Sir Taedi and Sir Victor: Sir Meurig would go on the Quest of the Wedding Dress, while they would ride on the Quest of the Dowry. They quickly searched the castle for anything that would do - a nice dinner service, perhaps? Then Sir Taedi remembered folk-tales that he had heard that men of old had buried their treasure in faerie barrows nearby.
A few hours later, the two knights reached the village where the ancient gold was said to be. The villagers 'recognised' Sir Taedi as Sir Dai. Apparently Sir Dai had been there a week ago and hired many mules, and a good spade. Sir Taedi was now getting thoroughly sick of Sir Dai - especially when they reached the mounds and found that Sir Dai had already dug them up and taken all the gold! Sir Victor gloomily predicted that Sir Dai probably meant to flee to the continent, but Sir Taedi decided to give chase.
The tracks led to the city of Winteringham, on the River Humber. There, the two knights asked around. No one knew where Sir Dai was, but they remembered an extravagantly rich knight and his two henchmen, who had indeed been seeking passage to the continent. When Sir Taedi and Sir Victor met up again in a tavern, a drunken man asked Sir Taedi for money, insisting that he was a knight - and Sir Taedi realised that it was Sir Dai. Sir Dai had fled his castle when it had fallen, met Sir Einion on the road and lied about fighting alongside him to reclaim it, and then fled to dig up the gold and escape. However, he had met two sycophants who managed to fleece him for all his gold, his armour, his sword and his horse, and then took his place on the ship. Sir Taedi challenged him to a joust outside of town (Sir Victor lending Sir Dai everything that he'd need) and then finally lost control, charging with a murderous scream. Sir Dai panicked and fled, with an irate Sir Taedi close behind him...
And so their work was done. Sir Dai was dragged back home - the debtor serving as a sort of dowry. Sir Einion and Gwladys got married. Sir Meurig finally got some peace and quiet. Sir Victor returned home, having finally experienced an adventure. And Sir Taedi began the long ride south, determined never to tell anyone the story of what had happened.
Monday 21 September 2015
515 AD: The Grey Knight
The road to London was blocked. Crowds of irritated travelers milled around, while one Irish lord wound up making the problem worse when he tried to take his prize cattle around whatever the disturbance was. Among those delayed were Sir Balthazar, Sir Taedi, Sir Xavier, Sir Zebediah, Lady Elspeth and Lady Svenhilde. These worthies were on their way to London to attend King Arthur's Easter tournament. Pushing through the crowd, they found a fallen ox-cart blocking the road. The ox leading it was lying down, bleeding from a long gash, almost dead. A family of peasants gathered around, shaken and shocked. An old peasant man was unconscious, and the knight who had done this to him, a handsome young man with a whiplash mustache, was in the process of beating a young peasant man.
The knights of Salisbury immediately decided to intervene, to try and solve the problem. Svenhilde and Elspeth tried to help the peasants, but a friar in the crowd misunderstood their intentions and started shouting at them. (It appeared that he had heard of Svenhilde, and not in a good way.) Sir Balthazar strode up to confront the knight, while Sir Taedi and Sir Zebediah quietly moved the ox-cart off the road so that others would be able to pass once more. Meanwhile, Sir Xavier scanned the crowd and caught sight of the knight's shield: it was Sir Agravain, brother to Sir Gawain and nephew to King Arthur! When Sir Balthazar challenged Sir Agravain, the Orkney knight declared that they would meet at the tournament, and then withdrew. The priest, Friar Coombs, praised them and explained what had happened: Sir Agravain had ordered the peasants to clear the road so that he could pass, and then slew the ox before they had a reasonable opportunity to react. The cart fell, and splashed mud on Sir Agravain's shield, infuriating him. Sir Xavier gave the peasants some money so that they could buy a new ox from the Irish lord, and then told Friar Coombs to apologize to Svenhilde, which the priest did fully and sincerely.
The group continued on to London, where the city was packed full of people who had come for the tournament. The group made their way through to the White Tower - where once, years earlier, Sir Balthazar's father Sir Arnulf and Lady Elspeth's cousin Sir Aeronwy had first fought Sir Eleri the traitor. Now, there was a small army of servants bringing supplies in to the castle, directed by Sir Kay and Sir Bedivere. At the entrance to the castle, Sir Constantine, the young son of Sir Cador, apologized and told them that there was no space for lodging in the Tower. They would need to find an inn. As they turned to go, a dog ran past their hoses, spooking them. Elspeth was unable to keep her horse under control, and jostled a servant, causing him to spill everything that he was carrying - and knock over another servant, and so forth, until food was lying all over the ground, and all over Sir Kay. The seneschal was furious, and began shouting at Elspeth for her clumsiness. Sir Balthazar made a snide comment, which unfortunately Sir Kay heard, and he began to abuse Sir Balthazar instead. They were rescued when a handsome young knight rode up laughing and extricated them from the situation: Sir Gawain, Sir Agravain's brother. Sir Balthazar was nervous, but Sir Gawain had either not heard about the incident on the road, or did not recognize him. He chatted with the group while escorting them to a nearby inn, and then departed.
The next day was the day of the feast. The guests first were introduced to King Arthur and Queen Guinevere, who greeted each guest personally. The banquet was seven delicious courses, with entertainment throughout. The group could see important people from all over Britain - some familiar, others less well known. King Pellinore was making Questing Beast noises to amuse Queen Guinevere. Merlin and his new apprentice talked quietly together. King Arthur talked to his sister, Queen Morgan. Sir Balthazar got nervous when he noticed Sir Gawain, Sir Gaheris and Sir Agravain talking together and looking at him. He sent a page to invite them over, and Sir Gawain came to speak with him, but Sir Balthazar chose his words poorly and only succeeded in making an enemy of the great knight. Meanwhile, Sir Taedi and Sir Zebediah were drawn into an argument between Sir Cynwal and Sir Graid about Sir Balin. That knight had been involved in a fight with King Pellam of Corbenic while a guest at his castle and wounded him seriously; as a result, a magical curse had transformed the area around Corbenic into a terrible wasteland. Sir Zebediah agreed with Sir Graid that Sir Balin was at fault; Sir Taedi said that both men were likely to blame, thus managing to anger both men. At the same time, Sir Xavier was approached by a beautiful woman, Lady Ariette, who began flirting with him. He quickly realized that she was just trying to make someone else jealous, but he decided to play along regardless. Svenhilde saw through her magical sight that Merlin had become very sick and was almost devoid of magic, while his apprentice Nimue seemed very powerful. Were the rumours that she was stealing his magic true? Finally, Lady Elspeth took no part in any courtly intrigue, but instead joined the dancing and had a merry time, unaware of how many enemies her countrymen were making.
The tournament began the next day, and the knights of Salisbury were dismayed to discover that they had made many enemies and were subject to a great many challenges. Many of their challengers were disappointed, for the knights of Salisbury did not put up a mighty showing at all, and were all unhorsed by their first challenger. Sir Balthazar was defeated by Sir Gaheris, Sir Xavier was unhorsed by Sir Griflet (who fancied Ariette himself), Sir Taedi was vanquished by Sir Graid, and Sir Zebediah was overcome by Sir Cynwal. In the end, Sir Graid and Sir Kay were the final match, to determine the winner of the first day of the tournament. Sir Graid, emboldened by success, made some unfortunate comments against King Arthur; shortly thereafter, he was struck down by Sir Kay, and perished in the final round. Accidents do happen in tournaments - though some did wonder if Sir Kay had decided to defend his brother's honour.
At this point a strange fog arose. Into the tournament grounds rode a dwarf herald, a beautiful lady all in black, and a fearsome Grey Knight. The Lady accused King Arthur of having been responsible for the deaths of the May Babies several years earlier, and formally challenged him to appoint a champion to fight the Grey Knight to prove his innocence. Many quailed in terror, but Sir Gawain immediately stepped forward to accept the challenge. With the duel scheduled for a month's time, the lady, the dwarf, and the Grey Knight departed, and everyone began to talk at once about this strange and terrible event. Arthur, Gawain, Guinevere, Merlin and Nimue withdrew to privily discuss what had happened.
Upon the next day, after a rushed Mass, King Arthur issued a royal decree, charging his knights to go forth and discover the long-lost Thirteen Treasures of Britain, for Merlin had foreseen that one of them would be able to save Sir Gawain from an otherwise certain doom. Nimue then stepped forward and sang of the Thirteen Treasures - the sword of Rydderch Hael, the hamper of Gwyddno Garanhir, the horn of Bran Galed, the chariot of Morgan Mwynfawr, the halter of Clyddno Eiddyn, the knife of Llawfrodedd Farchog, the whetstone of Tudwal Tudclud, the coat of Padarn Beisrudd, the crock and dish of Rhygenydd, the chessboard of Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio, and the mantle of Arthur Pendragon.
Svenhilde remembered that years ago she had, alongside other knights of Salisbury, found the hamper of Gwyddno Garanhir. She went to see Merlin and Nimue, and found the enchanter deathly ill in bed, with Nimue caring for him. Nimue confirmed that he was dying. Svenhilde told Nimue about a vision of the Hamper's location, in the hands of the Ladies of the Lake. The forces of fate had revealed that it was not her destiny to act upon this any more - but Nimue knew that she herself was rapidly moving towards a confrontation with the Ladies, and that the hamper was hers to retrieve. In exchange, Nimue told Svenhilde that she would shortly find herself at the crossroads of her own fate, but she knew no more than this.
Meanwhile, Sir Balthazar and Sir Javier both discovered a clue as to how to find one of the Treasures. Friar Coombs went to see Sir Balthazar and urged him to seek the Queen of the Wasteland, a very holy woman. She had once told him that one day she would guide a pious knight on a great quest. Because Sir Balthazar had stood up to Sir Agravain, the good friar believed that he was the knight of whom the Queen had spoken. He gave directions to Sir Balthazar on how to find the holy lady, assuring him that she would know about the Treasures. Sir Javier, meanwhile, was approached by Ariette, who also told him about the Queen of the Wastelands. She had overheard Sir Tor and Sir Griflet talking about it, and as they were upset with her for flirting with Sir Javier, she had decided to help him to spite them.
The five of them met that night and decided to find the Queen of the Wasteland. They set out the next day, only to be followed by Sir Gawain. He wanted to apologize to Sir Balthazar for his temper, and his brother's behaviour. He didn't want such things hanging over either of them in the future, and so the two reconciled. It was a long ride north to the tiny kingdom of Listenoise, just south of the Wall, which had become engulfed by the Wasteland. After a week of travel, Svenhilde realised that mighty magics were being invoked far to the south. She knew that Nimue was confronting the Ladies of the Lake.
And then, one day, the travelers woke and found themselves deep in the Wasteland. All things were dead - trees were rotten, rivers were brackish, and the earth was little more than stone and dust. The sun hung cold and motionless in the sky. Food and water began to spoil. Wounds refused to heal properly and started to become infected. Young Hu began to cough. The world was dying. Sir Balthazar soon discovered that the directions that he had been given were useless in the Wasteland, and the group traveled aimlessly.
As interminable day turned into relentless night, an immense thunderstorm broke out, but the rain brought no relief. The group were forced to take shelter in a strange church, the first building they had seen in their time in the Wasteland. Sir Taedi was alarmed by the place, for he could not see any religious signs upon the building, but they needed shelter. The only priest in the building was a young man called Brother Taman, who welcomed them and offered food and wine. The other priests, he explained, had departed when the Wasteland had appeared and swallowed up their monastery. The group went to their cells, and decided to set up a watch for the night, but half the party would not awaken. When Sir Javier was on watch, he was approached by a beautiful woman, who seduced him and caused him to sleep. Sir Taedi woke, and the same beautiful woman tried to tempt him, but he denied her, and she fled in a wail of black smoke. At that, a black panther charged into the room and tried to slay him, but Sir Taedi picked up his wooden bed and struck the panther with it, slaying it. With that, the monastery vanished. The group found themselves lying in the rain upon the hillside, in the ruins of a chapel. The sleepers stirred, feeling drained and only vaguely remembering their intensely erotic dreams. At Sir Taedi's feet lay the body of Brother Taman.
On the next day, the knights discovered a ramshackle village in the Wasteland. Sir Vardilain, a worn and half-crazed knight, rode up to challenge them. He had been charged by King Pellam to guard Olbray, and therefore none could enter. While the others discussed, Lady Elspeth grabbed Hu and went to the village. The boy was sick and needed rest and shelter. This forced everyone's hand: Sir Vardilain charged, and Sir Javier and Sir Taedi rode to Elspeth's defense. Sir Vardilain unhorsed Sir Taedi, but Sir Javier was able to strike him senseless. At this, Sir Vardilain's squire came running out of the buildings and begged Sir Javier for a boon: that he would kill Sir Vardilain. Olbray had been devastated by a plague, which had killed all the villagers, and their deaths had driven Sir Vardilain insane. He would only be able to find rest in death, Sir Javier slew the knight, and the squire thanked him as he flung himself upon Sir Vardilain's sword.
There could be no rest in a plagued village. The group continued onward, exhausted and famished. They were now out of water, and their food was spoiling. The only water they found was rank and foul, with the body of a dead wolf rotting next to it. No one knew how much time had passed since they had entered the Wasteland. Then, as they approached a dry gully, the group heard the sound of two ferocious animals fighting. A ferocious lion and a terrible serpent fought a mighty battle there, and the ground was wet with their blood. "Will you not intervene in this conflict, Sir Knights?" a child clad in white and black asked them. The group was startled - who was this child, and from whence had he come? Svenhilde reeled, for she alone recognized this child: it was the selfsame infant she had seen years ago in a vision of a shipwreck, the sole survivor of the May Babies. The others, not knowing the child, made their decision swiftly. Although they had a healthy fear for lions after their adventures at Dolorous Garde, the serpent was a symbol of sin. The knights charged the serpent, and with the help of the lion, slew it. With its enemy dead, the lion retrieved three cubs that the knights had not previously noticed, and fixed the knights with a golden-eyed gaze as it became a mighty knight. "The innocent are saved, though the serpent's spawn lives. The Grey Knight's cause is unjust." What did this mean? The travelers had no opportunity to ask. The Lion Knight pointed. "Ride on through the night, and stay not from your good quest. Your goal you shall find with the dawn." Then he vanished, as did the cubs, and the strange youth.
The men and women of Salisbury set off as the gloom settled around them. In the darkness, it was foolhardy to press on: any uneven ground could cripple a horse. However, they decided to trust in the guidance given to them by the Lion Knight. In the darkness, a sound could be heard, all about them as they rode - first quietly, but with volume ever-increasing. It was a gibbering sound, from many voices. The stench of sulfur was thick in the air. Barely seen, skeletal apparitions began to wail and clamor about the travelers. It was the Sluagh na Marbh, the host of the dead. They pinched, beat, and threw stones, while screaming: "Give up your quest!" Once, twice, and a third time they rallied and struck, and thrice they were denied. With a scream, they melted away as the sun rose, and a beam of light from the heavens illuminated a simple chapel on a hilltop nearby.
The Queen of the Wasteland was a nun, living alone in the Wasteland. She explained to the knights about what the Wasteland was: a reflection of the wound struck by Sir Balin upon King Pellam, her husband. King Pellam was the Grail King. Now he languished in agony until one day a knight would come who would be worthy of the secret of the Grail, and heal her husband and restore life to the Wasteland. She explained something of the meaning behind what they had encountered thus far: the priest, Brother Taman, had sold his soul to the Devil, and was luring passers-by to be preyed upon by a succubus (which Sir Taedi had banished when he denied it). The serpent represented Satan, and the lion God - the cubs were young knights who would be influenced by the boy, who willingly or not is the spawn of Satan. The Sluagh were a test of devotion and dedication to the cause. The Queen invited all to pray with her, and everyone felt their wounds and weariness melt away from them. She told them to seek the Castle of the High Wilderness in the Forest Arroy, for there they would find the path to the Whetstone of Tudwal Tudclud.
Upon the next day, the team found themselves leaving the Wasteland (and thanked God heartily for it!) They did not know how much time they had lost there, so they rode swiftly south to the Forest Arroy. Too swiftly, maybe, for Sir Taedi's horse threw a shoe, and the others were forced to leave him behind. A week later they reached the Arroy Forest, and within found a little castle, whose cheerful lord, Sir Bercilak, welcomed them and asked for news of the outside world, for he had few visitors. When he learned of their errand, however, he became conflicted. He did not wish to turn guests away without helping them, and he appreciated the importance of their task, but he had sworn never to reveal the location of the Whetstone. He invited the knights to stay while he thought about this.
The next day, Sir Balthazar, Sir Zebediah, and Lady Elspeth went hunting with Sir Bercilak, while Sir Xavier and Lady Svenhilde stayed in the castle and played chess with his wife, Lady Elavane. Sir Zebediah's skill at hunting impressed Sir Bercilak, while Svenhilde likewise pleased Lady Elavane. That evening, they agreed to reveal what they knew, on the condition that the knights swear never to reveal anything to anyone else. The Whetstone was held in the Unseen Kingdom, a fey realm that touched upon the Arroy Forest. Sir Bercilak led them to a certain oak tree, and directed them to go straight ahead and to make no noise. The group moved on, but the horses were noisy, and young Hu accidentally spoke while trying to hush them, and vanished. The knights dismounted, and Sir Xavier's squire Jennifer was charged with looking after the steeds, while the others proceeded on foot.
They entered an idyllic land full of merry-hued pavilions and gay banners, Beautiful elfin folk danced, ate, drank, sang and consorted with one another in their midst. They approached the knights and ladies, removing their gear and clothing, cladding them in finest silks and giving them wine and sweetmeats. Svenhilde gave in to luxury, as did Sir Xavier, who found himself a faerie lover. Other elf-maidens approached Sir Zebediah, who denounced the indulgent extravagance of the place - only serving to further inflame their desire. Elspeth, furious and terrified, clamped her mouth shut, and refused to engage or acknowledge the place at all. Sir Balthazar alone stayed focused on their task, and made his way to where the Faerie King and Queen sat. They greeted him politely, and Sir Balthazar was unwise in his words and all but revealed that Sir Bercilak had helped them and broken his oath. King Billis agreed to give him the Whetstone if the knights would rescue Queen Arawn's horse Selemine, which had been stolen by the giant Blackblood. Sir Balthazar agreed to the task, and an elf-maid transformed herself into a bird and led them to the abode of the giant.
The giant Blackblood lived in a cave at the top of a steep hill. There was only narrow path that led to the summit. Blackblood himself sat at a fire outside the cave, gnawing on a horse's head on a spit. Sir Balthazar and Svenhildr decided to climb the hill around the side, to try and slip into the giant's cave while the others distracted him. Svenhildr clambered up the side easily, while Sir Balthazar slipped and made noise. The giant rose and picked up a rock to throw at Sir Balthazar, who immediately rolled down the side of the mountain. Meanwhile, the others cautiously went up the road, and Elspeth started to shoot at the giant with her bow. It had little effect, being like the stinging of a gnat to the massive giant, but it irritated Blackblood, who began to throw large rocks at them. One hit Sir Zebediah, but he shrugged the impact off - he was used to suffering. Sir Xavier pretended that the rock had hit him, and fell over theatrically, hoping to draw the giant closer. It worked, and Svenhilde used the opportunity to slip into the cave, where she could see a beautiful faerie horse in a pen with other horses, She remembered that faerie horses responded to a whip of rowan wood, and dashed outside to find one. Meanwhile, Blackblood charged the warriors, who had been joined by Sir Balthazar. With a mighty blow, Sir Zebediah slew the giant. Svenhilde and her familiar Hermes found a rowan tree, and peeled off a thin branch to use as a whip. With this, they were able to tame Selemine. They freed the horses, and Svenhilde rode him down the path, the others claiming a horse as well.
The group returned to the Unseen Kingdom, where a revel was held in their honour. Sir Zebediah now had a cult-following of nubile elf-maidens, all vying with each other to be the most austere to impress him. His disdain only served to encourage them further. King Billis gave the Whetstone to Sir Balthazar, and warned him to beware of Lady Morgan, Arthur's sister, for her hand was behind the Grey Knight. When the group awoke the next day, they were in the forest, surrounded by their horses, Jennifer, and Hu.
It was time to return home. But a will was set against them. Upon leaving the forest, a massive storm broke out: wind, rain, hail, and lightning conspiring to slow their passage home with the whetstone. Svenhildr suggested detouring to a nearby henge, where she might try to combat the storm, but Sir Balthazar decided that they should ride on. After three days of non-stop storm, the weather cleared. It was only the first obstacle in the group's path, however. Next, the terrain began to shift and move, until the knights realised that they were seeing the same terrain over and over! Svenhilde used her magical sight to see past the glamour and lead them truly.
The next day, the knights heard a scream at the side of the road. A young woman had been accosted by a band of ruffians. They were swiftly dispatched, and the woman, Gilegra, asked for the knights to escort her to London, where she was going to ask Merlin to help her sick father. That night, Gilegra secretly approached Svenhilde and tried to deceive her into turning over the Whetstone. She implied that Merlin was responsible for everything that was happening, but overplayed her hand. Svenhilde wanted to wake the rest of the group to tell them of Merlin's treachery! Gilegra panicked, seized the whetstone, and began to transform into a raven to escape. Svenhilde realised that she had been tricked and tackled the witch, while Sir Xavier cleft her asunder, sending blood and feathers everywhere.
Over the next few days, the group became aware that there were still more forces arrayed against them: ambushers seeking to destroy them at every step of the road. Fortunately, the knights found it easy to ride around them and avoid the ambushes, but it cost them still more time. Just in case, Sir Xavier created a number of 'fake' whetstones using their own gear, to throw off further thieves. They finally found themselves in sight of London: they would arrive on the day of the duel. Hopefully they would not be too late! That night, one final monster appeared to attack the group: a barghest, a demon dog of smoke with glowing red eyes and a jagged maw. Their blades passed through it as if it were insubstantial, but the beast's eyes inspired primal terror, and its jaws could rend their flesh. Sir Balthazar fled, screaming, Sir Xavier threw himself at the Barghest and Sir Zebediah used the time to sharpen his sword upon the Whetstone of Tudwal Tudclud. Thus enhanced, his blade was able to cleave the beast, and he struck it dead. Seeing its power, the group were all tempted to use it, but they knew that such things were best not meddled with - all save Sir Xavier, who secretly had his second blade sharpened upon it, just in case...
On the next day, the knights reached London. The streets were empty, and there was a somber atmosphere. The knights were too late, for the duel had already begun! At the tournament grounds, Sir Gawain was engaged in a mighty duel with the immense Grey Knight. Both had already suffered many wounds, but the Grey Knight did not slowed by them at all. With a massive glow, Sir Gawain cleft the Grey Knight upon the crest of his helmet, shattering it, and revealing the visage of a corpse: the corpse of King Ryonce, killed by Sir Fflergant years ago! The crowd gasped. The group rushed to Sir Gawain's squire, whom Svenhilde recognised as her countryman, Prince Valiant of Thule. Together, they came up with a ruse. Prince Valiant called for a pause to the fighting, because the Grey Knight's horrible features would upset the ladies, such as Queen Morgan - it were meet that the Grey Knight should have no disadvantage, but be allowed a new helm: Sir Gawain would wish to extend this courtesy to his foe. In the brief interval, the group were able to hurriedly sharped Sir Gawain's blade on the Whetstone. The duel lasted a while still, but then Sir Gawain saw an opening and struck a mighty blow, cleaving the Grey Knight's withered body asunder. Worms exploded from the wound, engulfing the corpse-knight, and when they cleared, all that was left was an empty husk of armour.
Sir Gawain had won! King Arthur's innocence had been proven! Lady Nimue claimed the Whetstone, to take into safe keeping - for Merlin had perished under strange circumstances. Sir Balthazar found Queen Morgan and revealed that he knew that she had been behind the scheme, and that he would be watching for whatever she tried next. Sir Xavier married Lady Ariette, becoming the Baron of Stonewall. Svenhilde asked Nimue about the child that she had now twice seen, and Nimue told her that 'destiny' is what we make of it. Somewhere, that child of doom lived, but the doom was not predestined, but entirely of his own making...
Upon the next day, after a rushed Mass, King Arthur issued a royal decree, charging his knights to go forth and discover the long-lost Thirteen Treasures of Britain, for Merlin had foreseen that one of them would be able to save Sir Gawain from an otherwise certain doom. Nimue then stepped forward and sang of the Thirteen Treasures - the sword of Rydderch Hael, the hamper of Gwyddno Garanhir, the horn of Bran Galed, the chariot of Morgan Mwynfawr, the halter of Clyddno Eiddyn, the knife of Llawfrodedd Farchog, the whetstone of Tudwal Tudclud, the coat of Padarn Beisrudd, the crock and dish of Rhygenydd, the chessboard of Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio, and the mantle of Arthur Pendragon.
Svenhilde remembered that years ago she had, alongside other knights of Salisbury, found the hamper of Gwyddno Garanhir. She went to see Merlin and Nimue, and found the enchanter deathly ill in bed, with Nimue caring for him. Nimue confirmed that he was dying. Svenhilde told Nimue about a vision of the Hamper's location, in the hands of the Ladies of the Lake. The forces of fate had revealed that it was not her destiny to act upon this any more - but Nimue knew that she herself was rapidly moving towards a confrontation with the Ladies, and that the hamper was hers to retrieve. In exchange, Nimue told Svenhilde that she would shortly find herself at the crossroads of her own fate, but she knew no more than this.
Meanwhile, Sir Balthazar and Sir Javier both discovered a clue as to how to find one of the Treasures. Friar Coombs went to see Sir Balthazar and urged him to seek the Queen of the Wasteland, a very holy woman. She had once told him that one day she would guide a pious knight on a great quest. Because Sir Balthazar had stood up to Sir Agravain, the good friar believed that he was the knight of whom the Queen had spoken. He gave directions to Sir Balthazar on how to find the holy lady, assuring him that she would know about the Treasures. Sir Javier, meanwhile, was approached by Ariette, who also told him about the Queen of the Wastelands. She had overheard Sir Tor and Sir Griflet talking about it, and as they were upset with her for flirting with Sir Javier, she had decided to help him to spite them.
The five of them met that night and decided to find the Queen of the Wasteland. They set out the next day, only to be followed by Sir Gawain. He wanted to apologize to Sir Balthazar for his temper, and his brother's behaviour. He didn't want such things hanging over either of them in the future, and so the two reconciled. It was a long ride north to the tiny kingdom of Listenoise, just south of the Wall, which had become engulfed by the Wasteland. After a week of travel, Svenhilde realised that mighty magics were being invoked far to the south. She knew that Nimue was confronting the Ladies of the Lake.
And then, one day, the travelers woke and found themselves deep in the Wasteland. All things were dead - trees were rotten, rivers were brackish, and the earth was little more than stone and dust. The sun hung cold and motionless in the sky. Food and water began to spoil. Wounds refused to heal properly and started to become infected. Young Hu began to cough. The world was dying. Sir Balthazar soon discovered that the directions that he had been given were useless in the Wasteland, and the group traveled aimlessly.
As interminable day turned into relentless night, an immense thunderstorm broke out, but the rain brought no relief. The group were forced to take shelter in a strange church, the first building they had seen in their time in the Wasteland. Sir Taedi was alarmed by the place, for he could not see any religious signs upon the building, but they needed shelter. The only priest in the building was a young man called Brother Taman, who welcomed them and offered food and wine. The other priests, he explained, had departed when the Wasteland had appeared and swallowed up their monastery. The group went to their cells, and decided to set up a watch for the night, but half the party would not awaken. When Sir Javier was on watch, he was approached by a beautiful woman, who seduced him and caused him to sleep. Sir Taedi woke, and the same beautiful woman tried to tempt him, but he denied her, and she fled in a wail of black smoke. At that, a black panther charged into the room and tried to slay him, but Sir Taedi picked up his wooden bed and struck the panther with it, slaying it. With that, the monastery vanished. The group found themselves lying in the rain upon the hillside, in the ruins of a chapel. The sleepers stirred, feeling drained and only vaguely remembering their intensely erotic dreams. At Sir Taedi's feet lay the body of Brother Taman.
On the next day, the knights discovered a ramshackle village in the Wasteland. Sir Vardilain, a worn and half-crazed knight, rode up to challenge them. He had been charged by King Pellam to guard Olbray, and therefore none could enter. While the others discussed, Lady Elspeth grabbed Hu and went to the village. The boy was sick and needed rest and shelter. This forced everyone's hand: Sir Vardilain charged, and Sir Javier and Sir Taedi rode to Elspeth's defense. Sir Vardilain unhorsed Sir Taedi, but Sir Javier was able to strike him senseless. At this, Sir Vardilain's squire came running out of the buildings and begged Sir Javier for a boon: that he would kill Sir Vardilain. Olbray had been devastated by a plague, which had killed all the villagers, and their deaths had driven Sir Vardilain insane. He would only be able to find rest in death, Sir Javier slew the knight, and the squire thanked him as he flung himself upon Sir Vardilain's sword.
There could be no rest in a plagued village. The group continued onward, exhausted and famished. They were now out of water, and their food was spoiling. The only water they found was rank and foul, with the body of a dead wolf rotting next to it. No one knew how much time had passed since they had entered the Wasteland. Then, as they approached a dry gully, the group heard the sound of two ferocious animals fighting. A ferocious lion and a terrible serpent fought a mighty battle there, and the ground was wet with their blood. "Will you not intervene in this conflict, Sir Knights?" a child clad in white and black asked them. The group was startled - who was this child, and from whence had he come? Svenhilde reeled, for she alone recognized this child: it was the selfsame infant she had seen years ago in a vision of a shipwreck, the sole survivor of the May Babies. The others, not knowing the child, made their decision swiftly. Although they had a healthy fear for lions after their adventures at Dolorous Garde, the serpent was a symbol of sin. The knights charged the serpent, and with the help of the lion, slew it. With its enemy dead, the lion retrieved three cubs that the knights had not previously noticed, and fixed the knights with a golden-eyed gaze as it became a mighty knight. "The innocent are saved, though the serpent's spawn lives. The Grey Knight's cause is unjust." What did this mean? The travelers had no opportunity to ask. The Lion Knight pointed. "Ride on through the night, and stay not from your good quest. Your goal you shall find with the dawn." Then he vanished, as did the cubs, and the strange youth.
The men and women of Salisbury set off as the gloom settled around them. In the darkness, it was foolhardy to press on: any uneven ground could cripple a horse. However, they decided to trust in the guidance given to them by the Lion Knight. In the darkness, a sound could be heard, all about them as they rode - first quietly, but with volume ever-increasing. It was a gibbering sound, from many voices. The stench of sulfur was thick in the air. Barely seen, skeletal apparitions began to wail and clamor about the travelers. It was the Sluagh na Marbh, the host of the dead. They pinched, beat, and threw stones, while screaming: "Give up your quest!" Once, twice, and a third time they rallied and struck, and thrice they were denied. With a scream, they melted away as the sun rose, and a beam of light from the heavens illuminated a simple chapel on a hilltop nearby.
The Queen of the Wasteland was a nun, living alone in the Wasteland. She explained to the knights about what the Wasteland was: a reflection of the wound struck by Sir Balin upon King Pellam, her husband. King Pellam was the Grail King. Now he languished in agony until one day a knight would come who would be worthy of the secret of the Grail, and heal her husband and restore life to the Wasteland. She explained something of the meaning behind what they had encountered thus far: the priest, Brother Taman, had sold his soul to the Devil, and was luring passers-by to be preyed upon by a succubus (which Sir Taedi had banished when he denied it). The serpent represented Satan, and the lion God - the cubs were young knights who would be influenced by the boy, who willingly or not is the spawn of Satan. The Sluagh were a test of devotion and dedication to the cause. The Queen invited all to pray with her, and everyone felt their wounds and weariness melt away from them. She told them to seek the Castle of the High Wilderness in the Forest Arroy, for there they would find the path to the Whetstone of Tudwal Tudclud.
Upon the next day, the team found themselves leaving the Wasteland (and thanked God heartily for it!) They did not know how much time they had lost there, so they rode swiftly south to the Forest Arroy. Too swiftly, maybe, for Sir Taedi's horse threw a shoe, and the others were forced to leave him behind. A week later they reached the Arroy Forest, and within found a little castle, whose cheerful lord, Sir Bercilak, welcomed them and asked for news of the outside world, for he had few visitors. When he learned of their errand, however, he became conflicted. He did not wish to turn guests away without helping them, and he appreciated the importance of their task, but he had sworn never to reveal the location of the Whetstone. He invited the knights to stay while he thought about this.
The next day, Sir Balthazar, Sir Zebediah, and Lady Elspeth went hunting with Sir Bercilak, while Sir Xavier and Lady Svenhilde stayed in the castle and played chess with his wife, Lady Elavane. Sir Zebediah's skill at hunting impressed Sir Bercilak, while Svenhilde likewise pleased Lady Elavane. That evening, they agreed to reveal what they knew, on the condition that the knights swear never to reveal anything to anyone else. The Whetstone was held in the Unseen Kingdom, a fey realm that touched upon the Arroy Forest. Sir Bercilak led them to a certain oak tree, and directed them to go straight ahead and to make no noise. The group moved on, but the horses were noisy, and young Hu accidentally spoke while trying to hush them, and vanished. The knights dismounted, and Sir Xavier's squire Jennifer was charged with looking after the steeds, while the others proceeded on foot.
They entered an idyllic land full of merry-hued pavilions and gay banners, Beautiful elfin folk danced, ate, drank, sang and consorted with one another in their midst. They approached the knights and ladies, removing their gear and clothing, cladding them in finest silks and giving them wine and sweetmeats. Svenhilde gave in to luxury, as did Sir Xavier, who found himself a faerie lover. Other elf-maidens approached Sir Zebediah, who denounced the indulgent extravagance of the place - only serving to further inflame their desire. Elspeth, furious and terrified, clamped her mouth shut, and refused to engage or acknowledge the place at all. Sir Balthazar alone stayed focused on their task, and made his way to where the Faerie King and Queen sat. They greeted him politely, and Sir Balthazar was unwise in his words and all but revealed that Sir Bercilak had helped them and broken his oath. King Billis agreed to give him the Whetstone if the knights would rescue Queen Arawn's horse Selemine, which had been stolen by the giant Blackblood. Sir Balthazar agreed to the task, and an elf-maid transformed herself into a bird and led them to the abode of the giant.
The giant Blackblood lived in a cave at the top of a steep hill. There was only narrow path that led to the summit. Blackblood himself sat at a fire outside the cave, gnawing on a horse's head on a spit. Sir Balthazar and Svenhildr decided to climb the hill around the side, to try and slip into the giant's cave while the others distracted him. Svenhildr clambered up the side easily, while Sir Balthazar slipped and made noise. The giant rose and picked up a rock to throw at Sir Balthazar, who immediately rolled down the side of the mountain. Meanwhile, the others cautiously went up the road, and Elspeth started to shoot at the giant with her bow. It had little effect, being like the stinging of a gnat to the massive giant, but it irritated Blackblood, who began to throw large rocks at them. One hit Sir Zebediah, but he shrugged the impact off - he was used to suffering. Sir Xavier pretended that the rock had hit him, and fell over theatrically, hoping to draw the giant closer. It worked, and Svenhilde used the opportunity to slip into the cave, where she could see a beautiful faerie horse in a pen with other horses, She remembered that faerie horses responded to a whip of rowan wood, and dashed outside to find one. Meanwhile, Blackblood charged the warriors, who had been joined by Sir Balthazar. With a mighty blow, Sir Zebediah slew the giant. Svenhilde and her familiar Hermes found a rowan tree, and peeled off a thin branch to use as a whip. With this, they were able to tame Selemine. They freed the horses, and Svenhilde rode him down the path, the others claiming a horse as well.
The group returned to the Unseen Kingdom, where a revel was held in their honour. Sir Zebediah now had a cult-following of nubile elf-maidens, all vying with each other to be the most austere to impress him. His disdain only served to encourage them further. King Billis gave the Whetstone to Sir Balthazar, and warned him to beware of Lady Morgan, Arthur's sister, for her hand was behind the Grey Knight. When the group awoke the next day, they were in the forest, surrounded by their horses, Jennifer, and Hu.
It was time to return home. But a will was set against them. Upon leaving the forest, a massive storm broke out: wind, rain, hail, and lightning conspiring to slow their passage home with the whetstone. Svenhildr suggested detouring to a nearby henge, where she might try to combat the storm, but Sir Balthazar decided that they should ride on. After three days of non-stop storm, the weather cleared. It was only the first obstacle in the group's path, however. Next, the terrain began to shift and move, until the knights realised that they were seeing the same terrain over and over! Svenhilde used her magical sight to see past the glamour and lead them truly.
The next day, the knights heard a scream at the side of the road. A young woman had been accosted by a band of ruffians. They were swiftly dispatched, and the woman, Gilegra, asked for the knights to escort her to London, where she was going to ask Merlin to help her sick father. That night, Gilegra secretly approached Svenhilde and tried to deceive her into turning over the Whetstone. She implied that Merlin was responsible for everything that was happening, but overplayed her hand. Svenhilde wanted to wake the rest of the group to tell them of Merlin's treachery! Gilegra panicked, seized the whetstone, and began to transform into a raven to escape. Svenhilde realised that she had been tricked and tackled the witch, while Sir Xavier cleft her asunder, sending blood and feathers everywhere.
Over the next few days, the group became aware that there were still more forces arrayed against them: ambushers seeking to destroy them at every step of the road. Fortunately, the knights found it easy to ride around them and avoid the ambushes, but it cost them still more time. Just in case, Sir Xavier created a number of 'fake' whetstones using their own gear, to throw off further thieves. They finally found themselves in sight of London: they would arrive on the day of the duel. Hopefully they would not be too late! That night, one final monster appeared to attack the group: a barghest, a demon dog of smoke with glowing red eyes and a jagged maw. Their blades passed through it as if it were insubstantial, but the beast's eyes inspired primal terror, and its jaws could rend their flesh. Sir Balthazar fled, screaming, Sir Xavier threw himself at the Barghest and Sir Zebediah used the time to sharpen his sword upon the Whetstone of Tudwal Tudclud. Thus enhanced, his blade was able to cleave the beast, and he struck it dead. Seeing its power, the group were all tempted to use it, but they knew that such things were best not meddled with - all save Sir Xavier, who secretly had his second blade sharpened upon it, just in case...
On the next day, the knights reached London. The streets were empty, and there was a somber atmosphere. The knights were too late, for the duel had already begun! At the tournament grounds, Sir Gawain was engaged in a mighty duel with the immense Grey Knight. Both had already suffered many wounds, but the Grey Knight did not slowed by them at all. With a massive glow, Sir Gawain cleft the Grey Knight upon the crest of his helmet, shattering it, and revealing the visage of a corpse: the corpse of King Ryonce, killed by Sir Fflergant years ago! The crowd gasped. The group rushed to Sir Gawain's squire, whom Svenhilde recognised as her countryman, Prince Valiant of Thule. Together, they came up with a ruse. Prince Valiant called for a pause to the fighting, because the Grey Knight's horrible features would upset the ladies, such as Queen Morgan - it were meet that the Grey Knight should have no disadvantage, but be allowed a new helm: Sir Gawain would wish to extend this courtesy to his foe. In the brief interval, the group were able to hurriedly sharped Sir Gawain's blade on the Whetstone. The duel lasted a while still, but then Sir Gawain saw an opening and struck a mighty blow, cleaving the Grey Knight's withered body asunder. Worms exploded from the wound, engulfing the corpse-knight, and when they cleared, all that was left was an empty husk of armour.
Sir Gawain had won! King Arthur's innocence had been proven! Lady Nimue claimed the Whetstone, to take into safe keeping - for Merlin had perished under strange circumstances. Sir Balthazar found Queen Morgan and revealed that he knew that she had been behind the scheme, and that he would be watching for whatever she tried next. Sir Xavier married Lady Ariette, becoming the Baron of Stonewall. Svenhilde asked Nimue about the child that she had now twice seen, and Nimue told her that 'destiny' is what we make of it. Somewhere, that child of doom lived, but the doom was not predestined, but entirely of his own making...
Friday 14 August 2015
514 AD: The Wedding of Arthur and Guinevere
Glad tidings spread throughout Logres. After years of his barons asking, King Arthur was to take a wife. He had chosen Guinevere, who was said to be the most beautiful woman in all of Britain, the daughter of King Leodegrance of Cameliard. The ceremony would be held in Carlion at Easter.
Earl Robert of Salisbury summoned his vassals to him: Sir Taedi, Sir Xavier, Lady Elspeth, Lady Svenhilde, and Zebediah. Sir Taedi was a loyal but unexceptional knight who had served guard duty in Salisbury for many years. Sir Xavier was a relative of Sir Gherard, who had come over from the continent to escape from war. Zebediah, meanwhile, came from further abroad: a Jew from beyond Germania, he and his people had come to Britain to avoid persecution and had settled in Sir Mabon's old estate. The Earl wished to decide what Salisbury should present to the King as a wedding present. After rejecting the idea of building a new allegorical zoo ("...a reminder of my mother's mental infirmities...") or venturing into the Forest Sauvage once more ("haven't we lost enough knights to that place?"), Svenhilde suggested investigating the cursed old Roman fortress of Dolorous Garde. That castle was on an island just off the coast past the Roman Wall, and was said to be guarded by lions, copper giants, and the ghosts of the dead.
So it was that a short time later, a ship anchored in a bay just off the coast of the island, and the knights and ladies went ashore to see what treasure they might be able to find to present to the High King. Past the bay, much of the island was forested, and the keep itself could be seen atop a steep hill overlooking the area. Along the shoreline, the cliffs grew hazardous, and the ruins of a Cymric ship that had been wrecked upon the rocks still sat there, its tattered flag blowing in the wind. Sir Taedi, who was nominally in charge, set up a camp in the bay. Sir Zebediah went to investigate the shipwreck, but the rocks were slippery and hazardous, and he decided to withdraw. Svenhilde consulted the runes (danger - failure - unexpected outcomes) and sent her crow familiar Hermes to scout out the island, but he did not return.
The group decided to press inland, when they were ambushed by an immense lion. Only Elspeth was alert enough to react. She had become proficient with the bow during her time living as an outlaw, but the horror of the lion was too great, and she snapped her bowstring. The knights were flung about by the lion, but Sir Xavier mustered his strength and dealt it a mighty blow that sent the beast fleeing, bleeding profusely. They decided to let the beast go; Svenhilde bandaged the wounded, and then they continued their hike up the hill.
At the castle, two immense statues of copper men stood outside the main gate. Svenhilde suspected magic, and so the group skirted around to avoid them. On the west wall, an old rope hung from an earlier explorer. It looked dangerously aged. Elspeth clambered up the rope. At the top of the wall, the body of the explorer lay, chewed down to bones. His wailing ghost flew at Elspeth, but she ignored it. It disappeared, and she dropped a new rope for the others to climb up. Once on the palisade, the group looked down into the courtyard. Stairs on the east wall led down from the wall into it. In the middle, a perfectly round rock was sunk into the ground, and two more lions lazed around it. In the north-east corner, a keep was set inside the wall, with a door that could be reached from the courtyard.
Rather than try to sneak past the lions, the group decided to try and confront the lions from up on the wall. The lions charged up the stairs, and Elspeth peppered them with arrows as they approached. However, it seemed to only enrage them, and the battle on the walls quickly went wrong. Sir Zebediah fell off the wall into the courtyard. Elspeth and Svenhilde pulled the two ropes over to the other side of the wall, and the group fled into the courtyard, and then made their way to the keep with the lions right behind them.
The central keep showed signs of the black magician who had lived there, but he had removed all of his belongings before he left. The group found an escape route, which let them return to the shore without having to enter the lion-haunted forest. It could also be useful for any future attempt to reclaim Dolorous Garde.
However, the group now had nothing to show for their time. Svenhilde (now reunited with Hermes, who had been distracted) and Sir Xavier made their way on to the shipwreck. In the hold, several water-bloated and decomposing bodies floated, including the body of a young child. One of the bodies, obviously a knight, opened his eyes and ordered Svenhilde to take a chest and see that it was delivered to Sir Hervis of Revel, the last heir of Caercolun, or suffer its curse. She agreed, and the eyes shut again. The group buried the bodies, and speculated that this ship must have fled Caercolun when it was conquered by the Angles, years ago. The young boy must have been the Duke's infant son, the heir to the duchy. They probably were blown off-course in a storm and wrecked.
The group decided to present the story and the box to King Arthur, so that he could restore it to Sir Hervis. Meanwhile, Elspeth's young page Hubert made a wooden guardsman for a badly wounded Sir Taedi, and they talked about the role of knights. Sir Zebediah also tracked down the lion that Sir Xavier had wounded - it had since bled to death - and claimed its pelt as an additional present. Then they set sail and returned without mishap to Salisbury.
It was not long before everyone was gathered in Carlion for the wedding. There was a tremendous bustle as everyone vaguely important was invited to attend. Guinevere was due to arrive at any time, there was not enough food for all the guests, extra stables were having to be organised for horses, and King Arthur was nowhere to be found! (ooc: Players who'd seen the musical Camelot smiled here.) However, despite Sir Kay nearly having a heart attack from stress, everything turned out fine. The most important nobles entered the Cathedral of Saint Cadoc to watch the wedding, while the knights had to wait outside. Finally, the church-bells began to sound, and the royal couple emerged: the High King grinning inanely, the High Queen radiant. Sir Taedi and Sir Zebediah immediately fell in love with her.
For the rest of the day, King Arthur received his wedding gifts from his barons. On the next day, a decree was issued, that the High King and Queen would be presenting splendid presents to all assembled. Sir Taedi simply asked for a shield, and told the story of how he had been mauled by lions earlier that month. His words amused the High King, who gave him his own personal shield, as well as a pouch of silver. Lady Svenhilde asked for help establishing a school of medicine, which Queen Guinevere agreed to sponsor generously. Sir Zebediah asked to be acknowledged as a knight, and was knighted by Queen Guinevere. Sir Xavier tried to claim an excessive gift by reminding the High King of his guilt in not supporting King Ban and King Bors on the continent, but unsuccessfully. (He then spent much of the feast subtly insulting King Arthur). Lady Elspeth asked for new dancing shoes, as an opportunity to dance for Guinevere, who was extremely impressed - Elspeth might, after all, be the greatest dancer in all Logres!
That night, at a great feast, Guinevere's dowry had been prepared: the round table of Uther Pendragon, around which Uther had once tried to unite Britain. King Arthur declared that he intended to institute the Knights of the Round Table, the 150 greatest knights in the world. The names of the first knights were magically written upon the chairs, and they took their seats - though one seat, the Siege Perilous, was left empty on pain of death, for the best knight who would ever live.
At this point, a strange event happened. A white stag bounded into the room, pursued by a white dog, and then another sixty black hounds behind it. The stag left; a knight seized the dog and departed also. Then a beautiful woman rode into the hall and demanded the return of her dog, but another knight in black armour entered, seized her, and departed also. Merlin declared that this was the purpose of the Round Table - to undertake strange and marvelous quests, so as to serve as an inspiration for the world. King Arthur nominated three who had been knighted that day to undertake the first quest of the Round Table. Sir Gawain would go after the white hart, Sir Tor would follow the white hound, and King Pellinore (who had forgotten being knighted, and so asked to be knighted again) would rescue the lady. The three questing knights immediately departed.
Over the next few days, great festivities were held in Carlion, and a mighty tournament, while word drifted back of the three heroes. Lady Elspeth continued to ingratiate herself with Queen Guinevere, while Sir Xavier made connections and planted the seeds of future intrigues. Sir Zebediah also made friends, while Sir Taedi fought well in the tournament, and Lady Svenhilde gathered support for her medical college. They also amused themselves in what ways seemed best to them. During the tournament, Svenhilde's friend Sir Griflet offered to champion her honour against an older and far more experienced knight, Sir Simeon, who had been calling her a witch and a fornicator. Svenhilde did not know how to react, and so Sir Griflet made the challenge. Everyone expected him to fail, and Svenhilde's position to be made worse, but Sir Griflet knocked Sir Simeon senseless with a single buffet. Meanwhile, the three knights returned, with various levels of success - Sir Gawain in particular had disgraced himself, and swore a mighty oath to always aid women in need for the rest of his life. Merlin took the young woman that Sir Tor had rescued away. She was Nimue, the adopted daughter of Esther, and the great enchanter intended to train her as his successor.
As the celebrations drew to a close, an unexpected visitor arrived at Carlion. Saexwulf of Sussex, a Saxon warlord, arrived with greetings and gifts from King Aelle to King Arthur. King Aelle had retrieved many of the relics stolen from Amesbury when the monastery was attacked by the Saxons of Essex, and returned them as a wedding present. There was much discussion about what this act of generosity meant, and if a new conflict with the Saxons was on the horizon...
Earl Robert of Salisbury summoned his vassals to him: Sir Taedi, Sir Xavier, Lady Elspeth, Lady Svenhilde, and Zebediah. Sir Taedi was a loyal but unexceptional knight who had served guard duty in Salisbury for many years. Sir Xavier was a relative of Sir Gherard, who had come over from the continent to escape from war. Zebediah, meanwhile, came from further abroad: a Jew from beyond Germania, he and his people had come to Britain to avoid persecution and had settled in Sir Mabon's old estate. The Earl wished to decide what Salisbury should present to the King as a wedding present. After rejecting the idea of building a new allegorical zoo ("...a reminder of my mother's mental infirmities...") or venturing into the Forest Sauvage once more ("haven't we lost enough knights to that place?"), Svenhilde suggested investigating the cursed old Roman fortress of Dolorous Garde. That castle was on an island just off the coast past the Roman Wall, and was said to be guarded by lions, copper giants, and the ghosts of the dead.
So it was that a short time later, a ship anchored in a bay just off the coast of the island, and the knights and ladies went ashore to see what treasure they might be able to find to present to the High King. Past the bay, much of the island was forested, and the keep itself could be seen atop a steep hill overlooking the area. Along the shoreline, the cliffs grew hazardous, and the ruins of a Cymric ship that had been wrecked upon the rocks still sat there, its tattered flag blowing in the wind. Sir Taedi, who was nominally in charge, set up a camp in the bay. Sir Zebediah went to investigate the shipwreck, but the rocks were slippery and hazardous, and he decided to withdraw. Svenhilde consulted the runes (danger - failure - unexpected outcomes) and sent her crow familiar Hermes to scout out the island, but he did not return.
The group decided to press inland, when they were ambushed by an immense lion. Only Elspeth was alert enough to react. She had become proficient with the bow during her time living as an outlaw, but the horror of the lion was too great, and she snapped her bowstring. The knights were flung about by the lion, but Sir Xavier mustered his strength and dealt it a mighty blow that sent the beast fleeing, bleeding profusely. They decided to let the beast go; Svenhilde bandaged the wounded, and then they continued their hike up the hill.
At the castle, two immense statues of copper men stood outside the main gate. Svenhilde suspected magic, and so the group skirted around to avoid them. On the west wall, an old rope hung from an earlier explorer. It looked dangerously aged. Elspeth clambered up the rope. At the top of the wall, the body of the explorer lay, chewed down to bones. His wailing ghost flew at Elspeth, but she ignored it. It disappeared, and she dropped a new rope for the others to climb up. Once on the palisade, the group looked down into the courtyard. Stairs on the east wall led down from the wall into it. In the middle, a perfectly round rock was sunk into the ground, and two more lions lazed around it. In the north-east corner, a keep was set inside the wall, with a door that could be reached from the courtyard.
Rather than try to sneak past the lions, the group decided to try and confront the lions from up on the wall. The lions charged up the stairs, and Elspeth peppered them with arrows as they approached. However, it seemed to only enrage them, and the battle on the walls quickly went wrong. Sir Zebediah fell off the wall into the courtyard. Elspeth and Svenhilde pulled the two ropes over to the other side of the wall, and the group fled into the courtyard, and then made their way to the keep with the lions right behind them.
The central keep showed signs of the black magician who had lived there, but he had removed all of his belongings before he left. The group found an escape route, which let them return to the shore without having to enter the lion-haunted forest. It could also be useful for any future attempt to reclaim Dolorous Garde.
However, the group now had nothing to show for their time. Svenhilde (now reunited with Hermes, who had been distracted) and Sir Xavier made their way on to the shipwreck. In the hold, several water-bloated and decomposing bodies floated, including the body of a young child. One of the bodies, obviously a knight, opened his eyes and ordered Svenhilde to take a chest and see that it was delivered to Sir Hervis of Revel, the last heir of Caercolun, or suffer its curse. She agreed, and the eyes shut again. The group buried the bodies, and speculated that this ship must have fled Caercolun when it was conquered by the Angles, years ago. The young boy must have been the Duke's infant son, the heir to the duchy. They probably were blown off-course in a storm and wrecked.
The group decided to present the story and the box to King Arthur, so that he could restore it to Sir Hervis. Meanwhile, Elspeth's young page Hubert made a wooden guardsman for a badly wounded Sir Taedi, and they talked about the role of knights. Sir Zebediah also tracked down the lion that Sir Xavier had wounded - it had since bled to death - and claimed its pelt as an additional present. Then they set sail and returned without mishap to Salisbury.
It was not long before everyone was gathered in Carlion for the wedding. There was a tremendous bustle as everyone vaguely important was invited to attend. Guinevere was due to arrive at any time, there was not enough food for all the guests, extra stables were having to be organised for horses, and King Arthur was nowhere to be found! (ooc: Players who'd seen the musical Camelot smiled here.) However, despite Sir Kay nearly having a heart attack from stress, everything turned out fine. The most important nobles entered the Cathedral of Saint Cadoc to watch the wedding, while the knights had to wait outside. Finally, the church-bells began to sound, and the royal couple emerged: the High King grinning inanely, the High Queen radiant. Sir Taedi and Sir Zebediah immediately fell in love with her.
For the rest of the day, King Arthur received his wedding gifts from his barons. On the next day, a decree was issued, that the High King and Queen would be presenting splendid presents to all assembled. Sir Taedi simply asked for a shield, and told the story of how he had been mauled by lions earlier that month. His words amused the High King, who gave him his own personal shield, as well as a pouch of silver. Lady Svenhilde asked for help establishing a school of medicine, which Queen Guinevere agreed to sponsor generously. Sir Zebediah asked to be acknowledged as a knight, and was knighted by Queen Guinevere. Sir Xavier tried to claim an excessive gift by reminding the High King of his guilt in not supporting King Ban and King Bors on the continent, but unsuccessfully. (He then spent much of the feast subtly insulting King Arthur). Lady Elspeth asked for new dancing shoes, as an opportunity to dance for Guinevere, who was extremely impressed - Elspeth might, after all, be the greatest dancer in all Logres!
That night, at a great feast, Guinevere's dowry had been prepared: the round table of Uther Pendragon, around which Uther had once tried to unite Britain. King Arthur declared that he intended to institute the Knights of the Round Table, the 150 greatest knights in the world. The names of the first knights were magically written upon the chairs, and they took their seats - though one seat, the Siege Perilous, was left empty on pain of death, for the best knight who would ever live.
At this point, a strange event happened. A white stag bounded into the room, pursued by a white dog, and then another sixty black hounds behind it. The stag left; a knight seized the dog and departed also. Then a beautiful woman rode into the hall and demanded the return of her dog, but another knight in black armour entered, seized her, and departed also. Merlin declared that this was the purpose of the Round Table - to undertake strange and marvelous quests, so as to serve as an inspiration for the world. King Arthur nominated three who had been knighted that day to undertake the first quest of the Round Table. Sir Gawain would go after the white hart, Sir Tor would follow the white hound, and King Pellinore (who had forgotten being knighted, and so asked to be knighted again) would rescue the lady. The three questing knights immediately departed.
Over the next few days, great festivities were held in Carlion, and a mighty tournament, while word drifted back of the three heroes. Lady Elspeth continued to ingratiate herself with Queen Guinevere, while Sir Xavier made connections and planted the seeds of future intrigues. Sir Zebediah also made friends, while Sir Taedi fought well in the tournament, and Lady Svenhilde gathered support for her medical college. They also amused themselves in what ways seemed best to them. During the tournament, Svenhilde's friend Sir Griflet offered to champion her honour against an older and far more experienced knight, Sir Simeon, who had been calling her a witch and a fornicator. Svenhilde did not know how to react, and so Sir Griflet made the challenge. Everyone expected him to fail, and Svenhilde's position to be made worse, but Sir Griflet knocked Sir Simeon senseless with a single buffet. Meanwhile, the three knights returned, with various levels of success - Sir Gawain in particular had disgraced himself, and swore a mighty oath to always aid women in need for the rest of his life. Merlin took the young woman that Sir Tor had rescued away. She was Nimue, the adopted daughter of Esther, and the great enchanter intended to train her as his successor.
As the celebrations drew to a close, an unexpected visitor arrived at Carlion. Saexwulf of Sussex, a Saxon warlord, arrived with greetings and gifts from King Aelle to King Arthur. King Aelle had retrieved many of the relics stolen from Amesbury when the monastery was attacked by the Saxons of Essex, and returned them as a wedding present. There was much discussion about what this act of generosity meant, and if a new conflict with the Saxons was on the horizon...
Sunday 24 May 2015
513 AD: The Battle of Castle Terrabil
The tragedy of the May Babies was on everyone's lips. There were many different theories about who was responsible and why - Arthur, Merlin, Lot, Morgause, the Ladies of the Lake, the faeries, or others were all blamed by one party or another. Svenhilde cast a divination to see a vision of a ship at sea in a storm with no crew, and rows of babies under the decks. The ship broke apart, and the babies were washed away into the ocean - save one, which was snagged upon the rocks. As the storm and the vision abated, Svenhilde could see a fishing vessel travelling out to the reef...
Whatever the truth of the vision, certainly King Lot blamed Arthur for what had happened. Once again, he allied with other rebellious kings and marched south to join them. King Arthur's forces met them in Cameliard, near Castle Terrabil. His goal would be to defeat the army of Norgales first, before King Lot's forces arrived to reinforce them.
The night before the battle, Sir Edwin, Sir Fflergant, Sir Mabon, and Lady Svenhilde all prepared in their own way. Svenhilde oversaw the establishment of the healers' tents, and ensured that it was all fully equipped, with the aid of Sir Mabon and Lady Elspeth, Sir Fflergant's wife. As they returned to their tents, some drunken soldiers began to throw mud at Svenhilde, calling her a witch and a fornicator. Saint Dewi's tirades against her had had an audience, evidently... Elspeth hurried a shocked Svenhilde away, while Sir Mabon chastised the soldiers and convinced them to back down.
Meanwhile, Sir Edwin gave an inspiring speech to his troops and led them in prayer. He was somewhat upset when his enemy, Sir Telifan, led his followers to join Sir Edwin's prayers, but permitted it. As he returned to his tent, he saw two furtive-looking knights leaving the camp, too far away to confront. One of them had two swords. Sir Edwin remembered Sir Balin, the Knight of Two Swords, and his brother Sir Balan from the previous year, He reported their presence to the command tent, in case they were here as spies, and then retired for the night.
At the same time, Sir Fflergant, furiously drunk, stumbled out of his tent to urinate. He was in a filthy mood, brooding upon the upcoming battle. For he had a special, personal reason to hate the King of Norgales. As he pulled up his breeches, he saw two guards escorting a massive prisoner through the camp. Somehow, it was none other than King Ryonce of Norgales himself! Sir Fflergant lost control of himself. He drew forth his sword and with an inarticulate scream, buried it in the King's chest. The men at arms were aghast and asked Sir Fflergant to come with them to explain himself to King Arthur, but Sir Fflergant refused, and fled the encampment entirely.
The next day, word was spreading throughout the camp about Sir Fflergant's deeds. Two unknown knights - almost certainly Sir Balin and Sir Balan, hoping to return to King Arthur's good graces - had captured King Ryonce and delivered him to the camp. Elspeth explained Sir Fflergant's motives to Svenhilde: during the anarchy, Sir Fflergant's older brother Sir Aaron had led a force to aid Cameliard against King Ryonce. Knowing that King Ryonce was obsessed with defeating kings, Sir Aaron lied and claimed to be the Brigand King - in other words, his younger brother - and challenged King Ryonce to single combat. King Ryonce broke the rules of honour and had Sir Aaron treacherously slain and shaved, and added his beard to Ryonce's cloak.
The battle began, with Sir Edwin performing mighty deeds of honour. Back in the first aid tents, Sir Mabon, Lady Elspeth and Lady Svenhilde worked hard to save the lives of the wounded that were brought to them. Everyone wondered when King Lot would arrive and inevitably outflank King Arthur's army, but as the day dragged on, they did not appear, and so the forces of Norgales were defeated. Finally, King Lot arrived (the knights suspected, rightly, that Merlin had some hand in this), as did further reinforcements: a small force led by King Pellinore! Furthermore, Sir Balin and Sir Balan emerged from the trees and began doing mighty deeds of arms, destroying King Lot's flank single-handedly. Eventually, King Lot and King Pellinore confronted each other in a vicious duel, before King Pellinore finally slew the King of Lothian. With his death, the last soldiers routed - the battle was won.
Back in the first aid tents, Svenhilde was shocked when one patient, a knight with a mangled arm on the verge of death, reclaimed consciousness and refused her help. He didn't want a witch touching him. Svenhilde knew that none of the other healers would be able to save his life: only her magic would suffice. She decided to ignore the knight's objections, and to save his life.
Sir Edwin, meanwhile, discovered the body of Sir Telifan on the battlefield. His rival was extremely badly wounded, but begged to confess his sins and gain Sir Edwin's forgiveness. He had falsely accused others of heresy so that he could claim his lands, but he had done so for the greater good, against people who he felt were evil. He regretted how his actions had torn the last members of the Knights of Saint Gwiona apart. Now he was afraid what the results of his lies would be in the afterlife. Sir Edwin tried to comfort him - and then realised that Sir Telifan had died without hearing any of his words.
With the battle over, the rebellions against King Arthur had come to an end. Twelve kings had died that day, and King Arthur took control over their land. With King Idres of Cornwall among the dead, King Arthur confirmed Sir Edwin as the new Earl of Devon, restoring his ancestral lands to him. This would be the end of his adventuring career. Before he departed, Svenhilde sought his advice about the harassment she had been suffering and confessed how afraid it made her feel.
A great feast was held to commemorate the victory. The heroes of the day toasted each other, and King Arthur took Lady Elspeth aside to tell her that he would not hold her responsible for Sir Fflergant's actions - but that her husband was by his own deeds an outlaw. Meanwhile, a drunk Sir Kay began to abuse Sir Mabon for being a coward and keeping to the healers' tents rather than fighting, again. He insisted that Sir Mabon remove his sword belt and leave the knighthood in shame. Sir Mabon was about to comply, when King Arthur stopped him. Compassion and loyalty were no less virtues than prowess and might, and all men who do good according to their own abilities were to be honoured, not chastised. Too long had they valued over war over peace. The King appointed Mabon to his service, to lead the efforts to rebuild and restore the damage from years of warfare.
Upon their return to Salisbury, Lady Elspeth was 'kidnapped' by the followers of her husband, who took her to him in the forest. Sir Fflergant tried to convince her to live as an outlaw with him again, but this time she refused. Sir Fflergant refused to return until he felt that he had earned it, and announced that he would depart upon a perilous quest to earn her forgiveness - he would find her lost sister Gwin in the Forest Sauvage, and reunite the sisters. Sir Fflergant departed upon his quest, and Elspeth, shaking her head at her husband's foolishness, returned home for the winter.
Thursday 7 May 2015
512 AD: The Royal Progress
Earl Robert intended to spend the year in attendance on King Arthur, and invited several of his knights, including Sir Balthazar, Sir Edwin, Sir Fflergant, and Sir Mabon, as well as Lady Svenhilde, to join him at court. The High King had re-established the custom of the Royal Progress - a mobile court that would visit many of the counties and duchies of his domain. During their months at court, they would be able to meet many of the most powerful and important people of Britain, and have an opportunity to make a name for themselves.
The High King was currently at Saint Albans, on a pilgrimage to where his father died. Shortly after the knights arrived, Arthur held a great feast. It was disrupted when Duke Ulfius accused Igraine, the widow of King Uther, of being a traitor. The whole event was staged by Merlin, however, to reveal the truth of Arthur's parentage to the world - that he was the long-lost child of King Uther and Queen Igraine.
After the feast, a great hunt was organised. Sir Fflergant attempted to prove himself the best hunter, and brought home a good selection of game, but was unable to compete with the Brown Knight of the Wilds. This knight had appeared at Arthur's court over the winter, clad in antique and rusted armour. He wished to see if the Pendragon and his followers were truly chivalrous men. No one knew who he was, for he never removed his armour, but his prowess was not in question as he slew a manticore and won the hunt.
As court continued on its way, Sir Edwin attempted to make the acquaintance of Saint Dewi the Waterman, the famously conservative religious leader. The Saint rebuffed Sir Edwin and called upon him to save his soul by denouncing his companion, Lady Svenhilde, as a witch. Sir Edwin refused and departed. Meanwhile, Svenhilde and Sir Mabon heard rumours that goat-people had been seen in the woods. They investigated, and took part in a satyr orgy, awakening the next day bruised, hung-over and half naked. As the year continued, Svenhilde found herself to be pregnant as a result of the bacchanalia,
As the court reached Silchester, Sir Fflergant made friends with Bishop Baudwin, a boisterous and strangely martial clergyman, and they talked about how King Arthur ought to get married. Meanwhile, Svenhilde sang beautifully for the court, and Sir Edwin confronted Sir Telifan, a dishonourable former knight of Saint Gwiona. Sir Telifan acted penitent for his role in killed Sir Julius, but denied any wrongdoing. Sir Edwin resolved to keep an eye on him.
At Wanborough, a squire led an exhausted horse with a dead knight, Sir Miles, upon it. A knight was encamped at a nearby crossroads, challenging all those who would pass to a duel. He had fought and slain Sir Miles. Before any could react, a squire called Griflet begged the King for a boon: to be knighted, so that he could avenge Arthur's honour. Despite misgivings, Arthur agreed. Lady Svenhilde similarly had misgivings, and offered to accompany the young knight as his squire. Sir Griflet proved to be a pleasant young man - but no match for the other knight (who was none other than King Pellinore, he who pursued the Questing Beast). King Pellinore struck Sir Griflet off his horse so hard that, had it not been for Svenhilde's ministrations, he would surely have perished. She took the boy back to Wanborough for further care. The next day, it was discovered that King Arthur himself was missing, having gone personally to undertake the quest! Sir Edwin and the others chased after him, in time to find the young King and Merlin returning from the quest. That night, King Arthur told of how he had fought King Pellinore, how his sword had been broken, and how he had restored to him by the Lady of the Lake herself. All present were impressed by having a king who acted as well as spoke of chivalry (even if some thought his actions a little headstrong!) Sir Edwin became wary of Merlin as well. Another event had been orchestrated by the magician to prove a point. Shortly thereafter, King Pellinore himself joined the court and told how he had been made to play the role, and told of his mighty battle with King Arthur.
As the court reached Carlion, Lady Svenhilde defeated the canny Sir Lucan the Butler at a game of chess. Sir Edwin spoke to King Arthur about chivalry, and how it was not always easy to perceive or do the right thing. Sir Mabon grew melancholic and sought to lose his sorrow in carousing with Sir Fflergant. Sir Balthazar and Svenhilde had a heart to heart, in which Sir Balthazar revealed that he felt intimidated by Sir Edwin. Also in Carlion, a group of Roman ambassadors came to Arthur demanding tribute for their so-called Emperor, but the King refused them and they swiftly departed. Shortly thereafter, at Easter, many pagans left the court temporarily to celebrate the pagan festival of Beltane with the King's blessings. Some of those who remained behind were upset at this religious toleration, Saint Dewi and Sir Telifan among them.
At Leicester, the knights were able to relax in the old Roman baths. A noble lady came to court with a sword that could only be drawn forth by the best knight in the world. Many attempted to draw the sword, and eventually Sir Balin, a poor knight recently released from prison, drew it. Then Lady Nineve of the Lake came to court and demanded Sir Balin's head - but she was slain by Sir Balin in front of the King and the assembled court! King Arthur was outraged at this breach of hospitality and cast out Sir Balin. His brother, Sir Balan, departed with him. Prince Lanceor of Ireland, a proud knight, chased down Sir Balin to avenge the Pendragon's honour, but Sir Balin slew him, and Prince Lanceor's betrothed Lady Colombe slew herself atop her lover's body for sorrow. Prince Mark of Cornwall was nearby and witnessed this, and arranged for a monument to the lovers to be built. He departed abruptly when Sir Edwin reminded him of how the Prince had fled at the Battle of Netley Marsh and demanded satisfaction.
The court went hawking a few days later. Sir Lucan and Sir Edwin discussed how Sir Lucan had discovered evidence that King Uther had been magically drugged in the years leading up to his death, though he had no idea who was responsible. Sir Fflergant befriended King Pellinore, and joined him when the King rediscovered the trail of the Questing Beast. After the hawking, Sir Edwin talked about Faerie with Sir Bedivere the cup-bearer, and Svenhilde sang a beautiful song about her husband, Sir Helbur.
When the Royal Progress reached Lincoln, Duke Derfel told the court that the kingdom of Malahaut was mustering for war against Logres, despite having sworn fealty to Arthur as High King of Britain. King Arthur called for a muster against Malahaut, and declared a great tournament as his knights gathered. Sir Edwin won the tournament, defeating Sir Bedivere himself, while Bishop Baudwin accidentally injured Sir Balthazar very badly. Meanwhile, Sir Mabon, Sir Telifan and others undertook a scouting mission, and ambushed an advance force from Malahaut. Sir Mabon found himself beginning to like Sir Telifan, even if Sir Edwin hated him!
With a speedy muster completed, King Arthur seized the initiative and marched into Malahaut. His forces fought the Centurion King at Bassus River. As the battle started, King Pellinore and Sir Fflergant emerged from woods behind the enemy lines and laid into the enemy - and King Pellinore slew the Centurion King himself! This was quickly followed up by Sir Edwin slaying King Nentres of Garloth, an ally of Malahaut. Prince Galagantis of Garloth took control of the enemy army, but was defeated by the Brown Knight. Before long, the forces of Malahaut were defeated. Prince Barant, now King Barant, was recognised as the new King of Malahaut, but much of his land was taken off him by King Arthur in punishment, and Garloth was likewise claimed.
As the year ended, and the royal progress returned to London, fell news came from the north. The babies born north of the wall in the month of May had been abducted and were believed dead. Queen Morgause blamed Merlin, and King Lot believed it on the orders of King Arthur. There would be more war in the coming year...
The High King was currently at Saint Albans, on a pilgrimage to where his father died. Shortly after the knights arrived, Arthur held a great feast. It was disrupted when Duke Ulfius accused Igraine, the widow of King Uther, of being a traitor. The whole event was staged by Merlin, however, to reveal the truth of Arthur's parentage to the world - that he was the long-lost child of King Uther and Queen Igraine.
After the feast, a great hunt was organised. Sir Fflergant attempted to prove himself the best hunter, and brought home a good selection of game, but was unable to compete with the Brown Knight of the Wilds. This knight had appeared at Arthur's court over the winter, clad in antique and rusted armour. He wished to see if the Pendragon and his followers were truly chivalrous men. No one knew who he was, for he never removed his armour, but his prowess was not in question as he slew a manticore and won the hunt.
As court continued on its way, Sir Edwin attempted to make the acquaintance of Saint Dewi the Waterman, the famously conservative religious leader. The Saint rebuffed Sir Edwin and called upon him to save his soul by denouncing his companion, Lady Svenhilde, as a witch. Sir Edwin refused and departed. Meanwhile, Svenhilde and Sir Mabon heard rumours that goat-people had been seen in the woods. They investigated, and took part in a satyr orgy, awakening the next day bruised, hung-over and half naked. As the year continued, Svenhilde found herself to be pregnant as a result of the bacchanalia,
As the court reached Silchester, Sir Fflergant made friends with Bishop Baudwin, a boisterous and strangely martial clergyman, and they talked about how King Arthur ought to get married. Meanwhile, Svenhilde sang beautifully for the court, and Sir Edwin confronted Sir Telifan, a dishonourable former knight of Saint Gwiona. Sir Telifan acted penitent for his role in killed Sir Julius, but denied any wrongdoing. Sir Edwin resolved to keep an eye on him.
At Wanborough, a squire led an exhausted horse with a dead knight, Sir Miles, upon it. A knight was encamped at a nearby crossroads, challenging all those who would pass to a duel. He had fought and slain Sir Miles. Before any could react, a squire called Griflet begged the King for a boon: to be knighted, so that he could avenge Arthur's honour. Despite misgivings, Arthur agreed. Lady Svenhilde similarly had misgivings, and offered to accompany the young knight as his squire. Sir Griflet proved to be a pleasant young man - but no match for the other knight (who was none other than King Pellinore, he who pursued the Questing Beast). King Pellinore struck Sir Griflet off his horse so hard that, had it not been for Svenhilde's ministrations, he would surely have perished. She took the boy back to Wanborough for further care. The next day, it was discovered that King Arthur himself was missing, having gone personally to undertake the quest! Sir Edwin and the others chased after him, in time to find the young King and Merlin returning from the quest. That night, King Arthur told of how he had fought King Pellinore, how his sword had been broken, and how he had restored to him by the Lady of the Lake herself. All present were impressed by having a king who acted as well as spoke of chivalry (even if some thought his actions a little headstrong!) Sir Edwin became wary of Merlin as well. Another event had been orchestrated by the magician to prove a point. Shortly thereafter, King Pellinore himself joined the court and told how he had been made to play the role, and told of his mighty battle with King Arthur.
As the court reached Carlion, Lady Svenhilde defeated the canny Sir Lucan the Butler at a game of chess. Sir Edwin spoke to King Arthur about chivalry, and how it was not always easy to perceive or do the right thing. Sir Mabon grew melancholic and sought to lose his sorrow in carousing with Sir Fflergant. Sir Balthazar and Svenhilde had a heart to heart, in which Sir Balthazar revealed that he felt intimidated by Sir Edwin. Also in Carlion, a group of Roman ambassadors came to Arthur demanding tribute for their so-called Emperor, but the King refused them and they swiftly departed. Shortly thereafter, at Easter, many pagans left the court temporarily to celebrate the pagan festival of Beltane with the King's blessings. Some of those who remained behind were upset at this religious toleration, Saint Dewi and Sir Telifan among them.
At Leicester, the knights were able to relax in the old Roman baths. A noble lady came to court with a sword that could only be drawn forth by the best knight in the world. Many attempted to draw the sword, and eventually Sir Balin, a poor knight recently released from prison, drew it. Then Lady Nineve of the Lake came to court and demanded Sir Balin's head - but she was slain by Sir Balin in front of the King and the assembled court! King Arthur was outraged at this breach of hospitality and cast out Sir Balin. His brother, Sir Balan, departed with him. Prince Lanceor of Ireland, a proud knight, chased down Sir Balin to avenge the Pendragon's honour, but Sir Balin slew him, and Prince Lanceor's betrothed Lady Colombe slew herself atop her lover's body for sorrow. Prince Mark of Cornwall was nearby and witnessed this, and arranged for a monument to the lovers to be built. He departed abruptly when Sir Edwin reminded him of how the Prince had fled at the Battle of Netley Marsh and demanded satisfaction.
The court went hawking a few days later. Sir Lucan and Sir Edwin discussed how Sir Lucan had discovered evidence that King Uther had been magically drugged in the years leading up to his death, though he had no idea who was responsible. Sir Fflergant befriended King Pellinore, and joined him when the King rediscovered the trail of the Questing Beast. After the hawking, Sir Edwin talked about Faerie with Sir Bedivere the cup-bearer, and Svenhilde sang a beautiful song about her husband, Sir Helbur.
When the Royal Progress reached Lincoln, Duke Derfel told the court that the kingdom of Malahaut was mustering for war against Logres, despite having sworn fealty to Arthur as High King of Britain. King Arthur called for a muster against Malahaut, and declared a great tournament as his knights gathered. Sir Edwin won the tournament, defeating Sir Bedivere himself, while Bishop Baudwin accidentally injured Sir Balthazar very badly. Meanwhile, Sir Mabon, Sir Telifan and others undertook a scouting mission, and ambushed an advance force from Malahaut. Sir Mabon found himself beginning to like Sir Telifan, even if Sir Edwin hated him!
With a speedy muster completed, King Arthur seized the initiative and marched into Malahaut. His forces fought the Centurion King at Bassus River. As the battle started, King Pellinore and Sir Fflergant emerged from woods behind the enemy lines and laid into the enemy - and King Pellinore slew the Centurion King himself! This was quickly followed up by Sir Edwin slaying King Nentres of Garloth, an ally of Malahaut. Prince Galagantis of Garloth took control of the enemy army, but was defeated by the Brown Knight. Before long, the forces of Malahaut were defeated. Prince Barant, now King Barant, was recognised as the new King of Malahaut, but much of his land was taken off him by King Arthur in punishment, and Garloth was likewise claimed.
As the year ended, and the royal progress returned to London, fell news came from the north. The babies born north of the wall in the month of May had been abducted and were believed dead. Queen Morgause blamed Merlin, and King Lot believed it on the orders of King Arthur. There would be more war in the coming year...
Wednesday 1 April 2015
511 AD: A Year of Questing
King Arthur consolidated his position by winning a number of battles last year. Now, everyone wondered what he would do next. Duke Ulfius of Silchester urged prudence. Logres had been at war for a long time, and a year of rebuilding would help to strengthen the kingdom. Sir Hervis de Revil felt that the time had come for a united kingdom to strike at the Saxons at last, and led a group of like-minded knights in a raid into Anglia. The King himself seemed intent on following Duke Ulfius's wisdom. Foremost amongst his concerns was a code of conduct for knighthood. Throughout the Anarchy, many knights had been little more than brigands and bullies. They were supposed to be paragons and champion! He spent much time with other idealistic young knights, chief amongst them being Gawain, the youngest son of King Lot, discussing such things. Gawain was down from the north in the company of his mother, Queen Morgause, who was leading an embassy to the King after the wars of the last year.
Meanwhile, Sir Edwin received a letter from Sir Julius, a fellow Knight of Saint Gwiona. The order had dwindled over the course of the Anarchy, until only three members were left alive, and one of those, Sir Telifan, had betrayed his oaths for personal gain. Sir Julius wrote that he had confronted Sir Telifan, but had been defeated in a legal duel. Refusing to let the matter stand, he intended to attack Sir Telifan dishonourably to avenge the Knighthood - but said that he was sure to fail, and implored that Sir Edwin avenge him. And rumour came that Sir Julius had perished ignominiously in the street, attacking Sir Telifan.
Sir Edwin conferred with his companions: Sir Balthazar, Sir Fflergant, Sir Mabon and Lady Svenhilde. He desired justice against Sir Telifan. The others, meanwhile, had heard rumours of a suit of golden armour buried under Silbury Hill, and wished to find it to present it to the High King. Sir Edwin agreed to accompany them, if he could use the armour as a part of his revenge.
The group set out to Silbury, where they interviewed the local peasants. They found that the local drunkard, Argie, claimed to have found the treasure horde of King Sil while blind drunk, but had never found it again. They also found that most of the village thought that the hill was haunted by faeries, and Svenhilde learned a local charm that was said to repel faeries from the local wisewoman. The knights tried various methods to locate the cave, including Sir Balthazar and Sir Fflergant both getting roaringly drunk in case a lack of sobriety was significant. They also played a practical joke on Sir Mabon, arranging for a naked man to be in his rooms in the inn when he returned there that night.
The next day, Sir Fflergant convinced the group to give up on the cave and to go hunting. Svenhilde's magic had discovered that there was an enchantment upon the hill that no one who sought the treasure inside it would ever find it. Therefore, Sir Fflergant and Sir Edwin intended to trick Sir Mabon and Sir Balthazar into believing that they had given up on the hunt, hoping that one of them might find the cave by accident while hunting. Sir Balthazar was separated from the others and, while pursuing a deer upon Silbury Hill, discovered the secret cave upon it. He entered to find a golden suit of armour upon a bier, with a golden horn, a golden horse, dead followers in golden armour, and mounds of treasure gleaming dimly. For a moment, he looked at all this treasure - but then he turned and departed. The dead should not be disturbed - and perhaps Sir Balthazar wished to tweak Sir Edwin's nose, whom he considered a hypocrite.
Sir Balthazar soon met up with Sir Fflergant and Sir Edwin, and lied to them about finding the cave. The group continued hunting, but became lost and were forced to camp out in the middle of the wilderness. Meanwhile, Sir Mabon returned to Lady Svenhilde, to discover that his companions were missing, The two set off to find them, sending Svenhilde's crow familiar Hermes ahead to scout. They met a strange blind hermit called Absolom, who relied upon divine providence to survive. Thanks to Absolom and Hermes, the knights were reunited at Ambrosius' Dike.
The group now decided to investigate a strange rumour they had heard. In the Harewood, in north-eastern Salisbury, the village of Highclere was beset by a monster called the Grampus. A type of whale, it did not live in the water but inside a tree near the village. It distracted the villagers with its heavy breathing, and would follow them around, moving when they weren't looking. The knights went to investigate, and were driven to distraction by the heavy breathing, as well as how the Grampus would move swiftly when they blinked, so that it was always behind them. Sir Mabon lost patience and departed, swearing that he would return with men-at-arms in a few days to put the Grampus to death if the others did not solve the problem before then. Sir Edwin, meanwhile, realised that in a strange way, the Grampus was defending the area - its breathing was so loud and annoying that no Saxons from Wessex ever tried to cross the border here.
Nevertheless, the problem of the Grampus could not be ignored. Sir Fflergant decided that he wished for the Grampus to go to Wessex, to annoy the Saxons there. The knights travelled south until they found some Saxon foragers, who they subdued and stripped. Now wearing Saxon garb, Sir Fflergant and Sir Balthazar tracked down the Grampus and put on a show for it, until the strange whale decided to follow Sir Fflergant. The knight led it towards Wessex, but changed his mind at the last moment - he did not want the Grampus to be slain by angry Saxons - and so he instead travelled south to the sea, with the whale in pursuit, and then entered the water. The Grampus followed, and then finally swam off. (Months later, news came that a ship from the continent bringing Saxon reinforcements was 'attacked' by a whale that breathed exceedingly loudly...)
The knights returned home. It had been a strange year, but a welcome diversion from warfare.
The group set out to Silbury, where they interviewed the local peasants. They found that the local drunkard, Argie, claimed to have found the treasure horde of King Sil while blind drunk, but had never found it again. They also found that most of the village thought that the hill was haunted by faeries, and Svenhilde learned a local charm that was said to repel faeries from the local wisewoman. The knights tried various methods to locate the cave, including Sir Balthazar and Sir Fflergant both getting roaringly drunk in case a lack of sobriety was significant. They also played a practical joke on Sir Mabon, arranging for a naked man to be in his rooms in the inn when he returned there that night.
The next day, Sir Fflergant convinced the group to give up on the cave and to go hunting. Svenhilde's magic had discovered that there was an enchantment upon the hill that no one who sought the treasure inside it would ever find it. Therefore, Sir Fflergant and Sir Edwin intended to trick Sir Mabon and Sir Balthazar into believing that they had given up on the hunt, hoping that one of them might find the cave by accident while hunting. Sir Balthazar was separated from the others and, while pursuing a deer upon Silbury Hill, discovered the secret cave upon it. He entered to find a golden suit of armour upon a bier, with a golden horn, a golden horse, dead followers in golden armour, and mounds of treasure gleaming dimly. For a moment, he looked at all this treasure - but then he turned and departed. The dead should not be disturbed - and perhaps Sir Balthazar wished to tweak Sir Edwin's nose, whom he considered a hypocrite.
Sir Balthazar soon met up with Sir Fflergant and Sir Edwin, and lied to them about finding the cave. The group continued hunting, but became lost and were forced to camp out in the middle of the wilderness. Meanwhile, Sir Mabon returned to Lady Svenhilde, to discover that his companions were missing, The two set off to find them, sending Svenhilde's crow familiar Hermes ahead to scout. They met a strange blind hermit called Absolom, who relied upon divine providence to survive. Thanks to Absolom and Hermes, the knights were reunited at Ambrosius' Dike.
The group now decided to investigate a strange rumour they had heard. In the Harewood, in north-eastern Salisbury, the village of Highclere was beset by a monster called the Grampus. A type of whale, it did not live in the water but inside a tree near the village. It distracted the villagers with its heavy breathing, and would follow them around, moving when they weren't looking. The knights went to investigate, and were driven to distraction by the heavy breathing, as well as how the Grampus would move swiftly when they blinked, so that it was always behind them. Sir Mabon lost patience and departed, swearing that he would return with men-at-arms in a few days to put the Grampus to death if the others did not solve the problem before then. Sir Edwin, meanwhile, realised that in a strange way, the Grampus was defending the area - its breathing was so loud and annoying that no Saxons from Wessex ever tried to cross the border here.
Nevertheless, the problem of the Grampus could not be ignored. Sir Fflergant decided that he wished for the Grampus to go to Wessex, to annoy the Saxons there. The knights travelled south until they found some Saxon foragers, who they subdued and stripped. Now wearing Saxon garb, Sir Fflergant and Sir Balthazar tracked down the Grampus and put on a show for it, until the strange whale decided to follow Sir Fflergant. The knight led it towards Wessex, but changed his mind at the last moment - he did not want the Grampus to be slain by angry Saxons - and so he instead travelled south to the sea, with the whale in pursuit, and then entered the water. The Grampus followed, and then finally swam off. (Months later, news came that a ship from the continent bringing Saxon reinforcements was 'attacked' by a whale that breathed exceedingly loudly...)
The knights returned home. It had been a strange year, but a welcome diversion from warfare.
Monday 2 March 2015
510 AD, Part Three: The Battle of Bedegraine
Ever since his defeat outside the walls of Carlion, King Lot had been ravaging central Logres, while allies came to grow his army. Eleven kings in total opposed the High King. King Arthur mustered his own forces and moved to confront him in the county of Bedegraine. Lot's forces had been bolstered with Pictish mercenaries and enlisted peasants. The army of the High King was small, after the long years of strife. It was at this battlefield, on a summer day, that Sir Fflergant, formerly known as the Brigand King, was ready for the coming affray. After his convalescing at Broughton, he had left (with Elspeth, his wife and squire) and recently joined King Arthur's army. He believed that King Arthur was the best chance for peace in Logres. Furthermore, Bedegraine was his home, and so he was intent upon defending it.
King Lot deployed groups of enslaved peasants from Bedegraine on the front lines of his forces, to absorb the first charge of the knights of Logres. Sir Fflergant rode ahead of the line, and called out to them to fight for their homeland and for the true king. He rode through them, and struck down the mercenaries who were driving them. His words and deeds inspired them, and a regiment defected to the side of the High King! Sir Fflergant led them on into the fighting. Howling Pictish mercenaries, their hair spiked and clad only in blue war paint, came forward and engaged the knights, attempting to destroy their effectiveness by attacking their horses. Sir Fflergant directed his new allies against them, and bloody fighting ensued.
It was at this point that Sir Edwin, Sir Mabon and Lady Svenhilde arrived on a hilltop overlooking the battlefield. They could see the battle raging below them. They could also see that King Lot was holding part of his force in reserve to flank King Arthur's armies. He had to be warned! They rode with all haste to the thinnest part of the lines, and broke through them to reach their friends. At the same time, Sir Fflergant's position came under heavy attack. He was struck down, and his new allies dragged him out to the healing tents. There, he was reunited with his allies. Lady Elspeth, his wife, glared at Lady Svenhilde, but let her tend to her husband. The sorceress' healing powers were able to mend Sir Fflergant's wounds.
A heavy rain began to fall, turning the battlefield into mud, and both forces withdrew until the deluge passed. Sir Edwin went to the commanders' tents, where he helped advise King Arthur and the other generals on strategies for the next day. Sir Fflergant arranged for food, shelter and ale for his new-found loyal peasant followers, with Sir Mabon. As she sheltered from the rain, Lady Svenhilde saw a crow land on a tree by her - and was surprised when the crow began to talk to her! It was the crow from the Forest Sauvage that had pecked her. Now, the crow, Hermes, was convinced that she was his wife ("But I'm already married!" "Crows don't judge.") and magical familiar, since he said that he was a wizard. "Can you fly? I am wizard." Hermes had also brought a present for his new 'wife' - a seed radiating powerful magic. It was the seed that would summon the arborial army of Gwydion ap Don, which the three companions had sought in Faerie. Hermes had completed the final challenge and obtained it for them.
The group found Merlin, or rather, he found them the next day, when the rain had stopped. The master magician seized Svenhilde and Sir Mabon before daybreak and dragged them out into the forest. He would need Lady Svenhilde's assistance to use the seed, while Sir Mabon would be needed to guard them in case anyone should intrude. Sir Fflergant also found himself in the forest, leading his peasants in a skirmishing action in case King Lot sent any troops into the woods to flank King Arthur's position. Meanwhile, Sir Edwin took his place in the main force, as one of the foremost champions of the British.
As the battle began, Sir Fflergant and his followers soon came across a group of mercenary irregulars attempting to move through the forest. A brief affray followed, in which Sir Fflergant easily got the upper hand. The few mercenary survivors fled, and encountered Sir Mabon and the two magicians. Sir Mabon drew his blade and bravely struck his enemy down. Merlin and Svenhilde completed the ritual, and the trees came to life, stepping forth as a mighty army of men with spears and shields and leather caps. Sir Fflergant gave a speech and rallied these new soldiers about him, and then charged into the flank of King Lot's army!
Meanwhile, another army arrived, all unknown, upon the battlefield. King Ban and King Bors, the brother kings of Benwick and Gaunnes, from the mainland, and their armies had come to aid King Arthur. Duke Ulfius and Sir Brastias had traveled to France and sought their aid, and their return had been hastened by Merlin. During the fighting, King Ban was dismounted, but rescued by Sir Edwin, who remounted him. King Lot now found himself assailed upon all sides by the three armies. Defeated, his force fled the battlefield, and returned home. King Arthur had won!
After the battle, the tree-men rooted themselves and became trees once more. On Merlin's advice, King Arthur gave all the plunder of the year to King Ban and King Bors, who returned to the continent. The next day, Merlin revealed that an ancient treasure hoard had been exposed when trees fell fighting for King Arthur, and so Sir Edwin, Sir Fflergant, and Sir Mabon were sent to retrieve it. There was a great reward for all! The King remained in Bedegraine and recuperated from a wound that he suffered, and it was rumoured that he became intimate with the Earl's daughter. The vassals were released from their service and allowed to return home. Later that year, King Ryonce of Norgales attacked Cameliard, but was driven back by King Arthur in another battle.
The days of the King had begun!
Tuesday 3 February 2015
510 AD, Part Two: Return to the Forest Sauvage
A week had passed since King Arthur's coronation. Now, the Supreme Collegium - or what was left of it, in any case - gathered in Carlion. The King had led a great procession across Logres, showing the world that the Anarchy had ended, while his heralds summoned the Collegium to anoint Arthur as not just King of Logres, but High King of Britain.
The knights of Salisbury were in Carlion as well, waiting while Earl Robert conducted negotiations. All, that is, save Sir Donna. The knights had returned to Salisbury briefly (leaving Sir Helbur behind to lead Salisbury's defenses in case King Cerdic sought retribution for the events at London). When they departed, Sir Donna did not join them. Instead, her hitherto unknown twin sister, Sir Gwin, joined them instead. Where Sir Donna had been stoic and serious, Sir Gwin was boisterous and crude. She explained that Sir Donna had left on a religious pilgrimage. A few of the other knights had heard rumours that Sir Donna had had some sort of altercation with her younger sister, Elspeth, and had stormed off. There were some who thought that Sir Gwin was in fact a witch possessing Sir Donna!
Whatever the truth, Sir Gwin decided that the group were too uptight for their own good, and while everyone was waiting in Carlion, she attempted to take Sir Julius and Sir Mabon wenching - albeit with little success. Sir Edwin spent much of his time waiting attendance upon Earl Robert, and assessing the mood of the nobles - which was strongly in favor of the boy king. Lady Svenhilde, meanwhile, had noticed that many of the people of Carlion had been evicted from their homes by the arrival of so many lords to their city, and set up a soup kitchen and accommodation for those affected.
Sir Mabon, still hopelessly following after Lady Svenhilde, decided to shirk wenching to help her out. As was his wont, he found himself washing dishes out the back, quietly contributing in a small way. One night, he found another young man wanting to help him - the King himself! Arthur had snuck away from the meetings, in which he barely participated. He felt as if his entire life had changed - which it had! - and reminisced with Sir Mabon about the days when he was just Wart, the student of Ambrose, and his greatest ambition was to be his brother Kay's squire. The two young men had a heart to heart about power and responsibility, before the King returned to his chambers.
The next day, Earl Robert returned from the meetings, jubilant. The surviving lords of the Supreme Collegium had unanimously agreed to appoint Arthur as High King. Of course, there was some doubt about the validity of the decision, since the three-quarters of the council required to select a High King was not present; in fact, did not exist any more. There would be those who would choose to disregard the High King.
Later that very day, an army of rebel kings arrived outside Carlion - King Lot of Lothian, King Uriens of Gore, King Nentres of Garloth, the Centurion King of Malahaut, the King of Scotland, and the King of Carados. King Arthur sent messengers with gifts to them, but they spurned the gifts, intent as they were upon war. For four days, King Arthur kept his outnumbered force in Carlion, while the Kings ravaged the countryside. But on the fourth day, King Arthur grew impatient, and sallied forth to fight. King Lot had been waiting for this, with the largest part of his force ready to receive King Arthur's charge, and a small force held back to flank the enemy lines and press at King Arthur himself.
The knights of Salisbury, as usual, were in the thick of the fighting. Sir Edwin overthrew the young King of Scotland personally, taking him prisoner and captured his war banner. Sir Julius was separated from the others, and discovered King Lot's waiting reserves by accident. Sir Gwin heroically attempted to reach and rescue Sir Julius, but could never reach him in the fighting. She was dismounted, and forced to fall back. Once she found a fresh horse, she returned to the fray, to try and rescue Sir Julius. Although Sir Julius fought valiantly, he refused to withdraw and was slain, and his body was never found.
Meanwhile, King Arthur fought valiantly, but King Lot's reserves were pressing fiercely about him. Sir Edwin saw his peril and tried to reach him - remembering the death of King Nanteleod only a few years earlier. At that point, the boy king drew forth Excalibur. A light like a second sun shone across the battlefield, throwing King Arthur's enemies into dismay and giving new strength to his allies. Meanwhile, the citizens of Carlion surged forth from the city and fell upon King Lot and his allies. Realising that the day was lost, King Lot ordered a withdrawal, and his army withdrew from the field.
Following the battle, King Lot withdrew to central Logres, where he gathered reinforcements. His army began to pillage the lands around Bedegraine. King Arthur readied his forces, grievously outnumbered as they were, to go after him. The day after the Battle of Carlion, Earl Robert called upon his knights. In what way could Salisbury best contribute to the war effort and aid their new King? The knights spoke of various allies that they might seek, when Sir Gwin had a suggestion. She had heard an ancient legend, the Battle of the Trees, in which the the magician Gwydion called forth an army of the trees themselves. Might such magic still exist inside the Forest Sauvage? The Forest Sauvage, wherein lay the way to Faerie, held a strange and unfortunate fascination for Sir Gwin's family. Swayed by her words, the group decided to brave the Forest Sauvage once more to seek out this ancient magic.
The four companions - Sir Edwin, Sir Gwin, Sir Mabon, and Lady Svenhilde - traveled to the edge of the forest. Time was short. They knew that the Lord of Tribuit, who hated visitors, guarded the nearby roads, and so they decided to take the great risk of leaving the paths and venturing into the Forest. Lady Svenhilde's magic let her see something of the truth behind the trickery of the forest, and Sir Mabon was a skilled huntsman who could help them navigate. However, when their path was crossed by a red stag, Sir Gwin chased after it, and the group found themselves hopelessly lost. After a week, they finally reached the outskirts of the forest, and found themselves near Dunstable.
The group re-entered the Forest, and found themselves upon the Whispering Path. That night, crows - first one, then several, then a dozen, then a host - perched in the trees about them and cawed at the knights - "Spying on you!" Lady Svenhilde's magic told her not to harm the crows. Some of the group decided instead to feed them, and one of the crows pecked Lady Svenhilde's hand so hard it drew blood - a wound that then refused to heal properly. Over the next few nights, the group was beset by a host of terrors each sunset, spectral guardians and black hellhounds. Sir Mabon attempted to flee, but was saved by Sir Gwin. However, no one was able to save Sir Gwin the following night, when her will snapped and she fled into the forest, never to be seen again.
Sir Gwin wandered alone in the forest for days - she could not tell how many - until she discovered the same stag as before. Following it was a giant and his dog, who were hunting it. Sir Gwin was tricked by the giant, and taken prisoner. The giant took her back to his house, where he locked her in a cage. Every day he would go out hunting with his dog, leaving only a sleeping giant cat that awoke whenever Sir Gwin stirred. The knight resigned herself to indefinite imprisonment...
Meanwhile, Sir Edwin, Sir Mabon and Lady Svenhilde arrived at a nameless village deep in the forest. The villagers there were frightened, and quickly explained that a terrifying witch lived on the outskirts of town. Could they save them and defeat the witch? Through her magic, Lady Svenhilde learned that only an oddly-specific ritual would lead to the witch's death. Sir Edwin hunted through all the horses of the town until he found the correct horse, which turned out to be a common draft-horse. He was forced to remove his armour, as Bayard the draft-horse could not support its weight. He then rode to the cave where the witch dwelt, and began to insult her until she emerged, leaping up on to Bayard and sinking her claws into the horse to steady itself. This caused Bayard to leap an impossible distance, across a nearby pond. The witch lost her grip, fell off, and drowned in the pond. Sir Edwin and Lady Svenhilde were hailed as heroes, and the townsfolk named their little village Bayard's Leap, after the feat.
Continuing onwards, the group arrived at the castle of a lord obsessed with horse-riding. He challenged Sir Edwin to a horse-race. His own horse moved as swiftly as Thought, and the simple path turned out to be magically complex. However, Sir Edwin had the foresight to ask Lady Svenhilde to ride behind him, and she was able to help him navigate the course. Although he lost the race, he reached the end safely, and so the group was offered hospitality. The next night, the three travellers reached the Castle of Felicity, where Lord Felix and his three beautiful daughters offered them hospitality. The lord attempted to keep them there indefinitely, calling upon their sense of hospitality not to leave early, but the group managed to steel themselves and depart, keeping the urgency of their task in mind. Who knew how much time had now passed?
The next day, the three travellers emerged from the forest into the realm of Faerie, to the Castle Sauvage where once Sir Bleddyn, Sir Brietta, Sir Esther and Sir Helbur had ventured. They were admitted to the castle. It seemed no different to the stories that they had heard, though to their surprise they heard that no less than the Rabbit King and the Rabbit Queen were in attendance. The Rabbit Queen, it turned out, had once been Deidre, the fey child of Sir Helbur and Sir Brietta, who had been conceived in the Forest Sauvage, and had subsequently grown wings and flown away. She was still a butterfly-winged baby, and her husband an enormously obese rabbit, They doted upon one another fed each other morsels of human pie. The three travellers informed the Rabbit Queen that her cousin, Sir Gwin, had been lost in the forest, and the Rabbit Queen promised to look for her and rescue her. Meanwhile, the three undertook the same quests as their predecessors had done, in order to reach the King of Sauvage. Sir Edwin and Lady Svenhilde achieved their challenges, but Sir Mabon failed the challenge of the Dwarf, and so the three were bid farewell, having failed in their task.
On the way out of the forest, the three travellers stopped at the village of Oundle, There was a well in that village, and it was said that any fighting in Britain could be heard through the well. They stopped to listen, and heard the sounds of battle - now! King Arthur's force had engaged King Lot's at Bedegraine, and if they spurred their horses, they might reach the battle before it was over! And so they raced away to aid their King... and as they did, Lady Svenhilde barely noticed the renewed throbbing in her wounded hand...
The knights of Salisbury were in Carlion as well, waiting while Earl Robert conducted negotiations. All, that is, save Sir Donna. The knights had returned to Salisbury briefly (leaving Sir Helbur behind to lead Salisbury's defenses in case King Cerdic sought retribution for the events at London). When they departed, Sir Donna did not join them. Instead, her hitherto unknown twin sister, Sir Gwin, joined them instead. Where Sir Donna had been stoic and serious, Sir Gwin was boisterous and crude. She explained that Sir Donna had left on a religious pilgrimage. A few of the other knights had heard rumours that Sir Donna had had some sort of altercation with her younger sister, Elspeth, and had stormed off. There were some who thought that Sir Gwin was in fact a witch possessing Sir Donna!
Whatever the truth, Sir Gwin decided that the group were too uptight for their own good, and while everyone was waiting in Carlion, she attempted to take Sir Julius and Sir Mabon wenching - albeit with little success. Sir Edwin spent much of his time waiting attendance upon Earl Robert, and assessing the mood of the nobles - which was strongly in favor of the boy king. Lady Svenhilde, meanwhile, had noticed that many of the people of Carlion had been evicted from their homes by the arrival of so many lords to their city, and set up a soup kitchen and accommodation for those affected.
Sir Mabon, still hopelessly following after Lady Svenhilde, decided to shirk wenching to help her out. As was his wont, he found himself washing dishes out the back, quietly contributing in a small way. One night, he found another young man wanting to help him - the King himself! Arthur had snuck away from the meetings, in which he barely participated. He felt as if his entire life had changed - which it had! - and reminisced with Sir Mabon about the days when he was just Wart, the student of Ambrose, and his greatest ambition was to be his brother Kay's squire. The two young men had a heart to heart about power and responsibility, before the King returned to his chambers.
The next day, Earl Robert returned from the meetings, jubilant. The surviving lords of the Supreme Collegium had unanimously agreed to appoint Arthur as High King. Of course, there was some doubt about the validity of the decision, since the three-quarters of the council required to select a High King was not present; in fact, did not exist any more. There would be those who would choose to disregard the High King.
Later that very day, an army of rebel kings arrived outside Carlion - King Lot of Lothian, King Uriens of Gore, King Nentres of Garloth, the Centurion King of Malahaut, the King of Scotland, and the King of Carados. King Arthur sent messengers with gifts to them, but they spurned the gifts, intent as they were upon war. For four days, King Arthur kept his outnumbered force in Carlion, while the Kings ravaged the countryside. But on the fourth day, King Arthur grew impatient, and sallied forth to fight. King Lot had been waiting for this, with the largest part of his force ready to receive King Arthur's charge, and a small force held back to flank the enemy lines and press at King Arthur himself.
The knights of Salisbury, as usual, were in the thick of the fighting. Sir Edwin overthrew the young King of Scotland personally, taking him prisoner and captured his war banner. Sir Julius was separated from the others, and discovered King Lot's waiting reserves by accident. Sir Gwin heroically attempted to reach and rescue Sir Julius, but could never reach him in the fighting. She was dismounted, and forced to fall back. Once she found a fresh horse, she returned to the fray, to try and rescue Sir Julius. Although Sir Julius fought valiantly, he refused to withdraw and was slain, and his body was never found.
Meanwhile, King Arthur fought valiantly, but King Lot's reserves were pressing fiercely about him. Sir Edwin saw his peril and tried to reach him - remembering the death of King Nanteleod only a few years earlier. At that point, the boy king drew forth Excalibur. A light like a second sun shone across the battlefield, throwing King Arthur's enemies into dismay and giving new strength to his allies. Meanwhile, the citizens of Carlion surged forth from the city and fell upon King Lot and his allies. Realising that the day was lost, King Lot ordered a withdrawal, and his army withdrew from the field.
Following the battle, King Lot withdrew to central Logres, where he gathered reinforcements. His army began to pillage the lands around Bedegraine. King Arthur readied his forces, grievously outnumbered as they were, to go after him. The day after the Battle of Carlion, Earl Robert called upon his knights. In what way could Salisbury best contribute to the war effort and aid their new King? The knights spoke of various allies that they might seek, when Sir Gwin had a suggestion. She had heard an ancient legend, the Battle of the Trees, in which the the magician Gwydion called forth an army of the trees themselves. Might such magic still exist inside the Forest Sauvage? The Forest Sauvage, wherein lay the way to Faerie, held a strange and unfortunate fascination for Sir Gwin's family. Swayed by her words, the group decided to brave the Forest Sauvage once more to seek out this ancient magic.
The four companions - Sir Edwin, Sir Gwin, Sir Mabon, and Lady Svenhilde - traveled to the edge of the forest. Time was short. They knew that the Lord of Tribuit, who hated visitors, guarded the nearby roads, and so they decided to take the great risk of leaving the paths and venturing into the Forest. Lady Svenhilde's magic let her see something of the truth behind the trickery of the forest, and Sir Mabon was a skilled huntsman who could help them navigate. However, when their path was crossed by a red stag, Sir Gwin chased after it, and the group found themselves hopelessly lost. After a week, they finally reached the outskirts of the forest, and found themselves near Dunstable.
The group re-entered the Forest, and found themselves upon the Whispering Path. That night, crows - first one, then several, then a dozen, then a host - perched in the trees about them and cawed at the knights - "Spying on you!" Lady Svenhilde's magic told her not to harm the crows. Some of the group decided instead to feed them, and one of the crows pecked Lady Svenhilde's hand so hard it drew blood - a wound that then refused to heal properly. Over the next few nights, the group was beset by a host of terrors each sunset, spectral guardians and black hellhounds. Sir Mabon attempted to flee, but was saved by Sir Gwin. However, no one was able to save Sir Gwin the following night, when her will snapped and she fled into the forest, never to be seen again.
Sir Gwin wandered alone in the forest for days - she could not tell how many - until she discovered the same stag as before. Following it was a giant and his dog, who were hunting it. Sir Gwin was tricked by the giant, and taken prisoner. The giant took her back to his house, where he locked her in a cage. Every day he would go out hunting with his dog, leaving only a sleeping giant cat that awoke whenever Sir Gwin stirred. The knight resigned herself to indefinite imprisonment...
Meanwhile, Sir Edwin, Sir Mabon and Lady Svenhilde arrived at a nameless village deep in the forest. The villagers there were frightened, and quickly explained that a terrifying witch lived on the outskirts of town. Could they save them and defeat the witch? Through her magic, Lady Svenhilde learned that only an oddly-specific ritual would lead to the witch's death. Sir Edwin hunted through all the horses of the town until he found the correct horse, which turned out to be a common draft-horse. He was forced to remove his armour, as Bayard the draft-horse could not support its weight. He then rode to the cave where the witch dwelt, and began to insult her until she emerged, leaping up on to Bayard and sinking her claws into the horse to steady itself. This caused Bayard to leap an impossible distance, across a nearby pond. The witch lost her grip, fell off, and drowned in the pond. Sir Edwin and Lady Svenhilde were hailed as heroes, and the townsfolk named their little village Bayard's Leap, after the feat.
Continuing onwards, the group arrived at the castle of a lord obsessed with horse-riding. He challenged Sir Edwin to a horse-race. His own horse moved as swiftly as Thought, and the simple path turned out to be magically complex. However, Sir Edwin had the foresight to ask Lady Svenhilde to ride behind him, and she was able to help him navigate the course. Although he lost the race, he reached the end safely, and so the group was offered hospitality. The next night, the three travellers reached the Castle of Felicity, where Lord Felix and his three beautiful daughters offered them hospitality. The lord attempted to keep them there indefinitely, calling upon their sense of hospitality not to leave early, but the group managed to steel themselves and depart, keeping the urgency of their task in mind. Who knew how much time had now passed?
The next day, the three travellers emerged from the forest into the realm of Faerie, to the Castle Sauvage where once Sir Bleddyn, Sir Brietta, Sir Esther and Sir Helbur had ventured. They were admitted to the castle. It seemed no different to the stories that they had heard, though to their surprise they heard that no less than the Rabbit King and the Rabbit Queen were in attendance. The Rabbit Queen, it turned out, had once been Deidre, the fey child of Sir Helbur and Sir Brietta, who had been conceived in the Forest Sauvage, and had subsequently grown wings and flown away. She was still a butterfly-winged baby, and her husband an enormously obese rabbit, They doted upon one another fed each other morsels of human pie. The three travellers informed the Rabbit Queen that her cousin, Sir Gwin, had been lost in the forest, and the Rabbit Queen promised to look for her and rescue her. Meanwhile, the three undertook the same quests as their predecessors had done, in order to reach the King of Sauvage. Sir Edwin and Lady Svenhilde achieved their challenges, but Sir Mabon failed the challenge of the Dwarf, and so the three were bid farewell, having failed in their task.
On the way out of the forest, the three travellers stopped at the village of Oundle, There was a well in that village, and it was said that any fighting in Britain could be heard through the well. They stopped to listen, and heard the sounds of battle - now! King Arthur's force had engaged King Lot's at Bedegraine, and if they spurred their horses, they might reach the battle before it was over! And so they raced away to aid their King... and as they did, Lady Svenhilde barely noticed the renewed throbbing in her wounded hand...
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