Tuesday 29 December 2015

516 AD, Interlude: The Tale of Sir Donna

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.

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...