525 AD: The Preparation for War

Even though the knights had only been in the Mouse Kingdom for a single day and night, an entire year had passed in Logres, and there was much news. Ambassadors from Emperor Lucius in Rome had come to Camelot to demand tribute, and King Arthur had decided to give them war instead! The entire country was preparing to invade the continent. Earl Robert was angry that his knights had been gone for so long, but he forgave them, and ordered them to get their lands in order and report to Sarum with as many fighting men as they could muster. He had also made arrangements for old Sir Helbur to act as Steward of Salisbury in his absence. Queen Guinevere would be in charge of the kingdom during the King's absence.

During the preparation for war, sad tidings reached Salisbury. Sir Amren was dead. On his way back home, he had been waylaid and murdered by the robber knight Sir Bertilot. Everyone was upset, especially Lady Elspeth, who swore to see Sir Amren avenged in the fullness of time.

524 AD: The Adventure of the Mouse Court

Sir Donna was dead. But before her death, she had swore an oath to Sir Tellus, Le Chevalier de la Lune, to meet him upon Saint Thomas' Day at Owlesbury in Hampshire. Her comrades Aelfwynn, Sir Athelwulf, Sir Connor, Lady Elspeth, Sir Goscelin (the grandson of Sir Arnulf) and Sir Thomas (the son of Sir Bleddyn) intended to journey to Owlesbury in her name and aid Sir Tellus in his quest. Before their departure, they met with Earl Robert and his family in Sarum. Earl Robert, Countess Katherine and their son Gondrins had just returned from Camelot, and shared the latest news. The siege of Silchester was over, with Duke Uffo having fled. Sir Gawain had cleared his name of murder in a duel with King Pellinore's son Sir Melodiam. And a strange, handsome youth had been brought to court by the fairy Lady of the Lake herself to be knighted. Everyone thought that he sounded insufferable.

The next day, the knights set out. It was only a short ride from Salisbury to Hampshire, through peaceful lands. But in Hampshire, near the edge of a forest, they heard a strange sound, a din like fifty dogs whining and barking and growling all at once. It was the Questing Beast! Elspeth realised that the strange monster was pining for the loss of its friend, King Pellinore. The group tried to chase it, but the Beast seemed disappointed by their efforts and vanished. 

Shortly thereafter, the knights arrived at Sir Tellus' manor at Owlesbury. There they met the other knights who were on the quest: a morose young Babylonian knight, Sir Palomides, and the amiable Sir Amren, wielder of the Heart Blade, and champion of true love. Sir Tellus prepared a small feast for his guests, and told them his story. Lady Elspeth immediately decided that the knights needed to recruit the Questing Beast to help them: the sounds of fifty dogs would surely frighting Prince Felix and his followers. Sir Athelwulf and Aelfwynn, meanwhile, planned to visit nearby cities to see if they could buy any hounds. As the night wore on, they also became aware of a cloaked stranger at the table: the bat manservant of Prince Felix, spying on their plans! The knights tried to stop him, but he escaped and took off, flying into the darkness - until Lady Elspeth brought him down with a well-aimed arrow.

The next day, while Sir Athelwulf and Aelfwynn went on their dog-purchasing expedition, the others took Sir Amren, Sir Palomides, and Sir Tellus to hunt for the Questing Beast. Sir Palomides explained how he had wound up in Britain with his father and brothers, and how he was looking for his destiny. When the Beast appeared, still moping, Sir Palomides gave a great cry and chased it, Glatisant fled, with the Babylonian prince in pursuit. Lady Elspeth's plan had lost a member of their party, but the Questing Beast and Sir Palomides seemed to be happy together. Fortunately, the Saxons managed to acquire a pack of hunting hounds.

That night, the eight knights set out with the dogs for a tall tree on a hillside. In its roots was a small tunnel, with the signs of many animals having entered it. The knights left their mounts with their squires and crawled through the tunnel, until they emerged into a field under a blue sky. Tall grass swayed around them. Nearby on a hill stood a castle of yellow stone. Before it, a group of handsome men in tawny coats were clearing the grass, and pouring sand down in its place. The knights charged. the dogs started howling, and the handsome men fled, jumping an improbable distance, clear over a moat of multi-coloured flowers and back to the castle. Some of the dogs entered the flowers, which released a rainbow of pollen into the air. The dogs that were touched by the pollen began acting strangely lustful. This moat incited different emotions in those who breathed the pollen. 

Sir Tellus knew of a secret tunnel into the castle grounds. After searching through the fields, the group found the tunnel and entered. It was very cramped and dark, and Sir Goscelin accidentally extinguished the torches. In the darkness, something started attacking them. There was a great battle, in which many of the assailants were slain, and the others fled. Sir Amren lit a new torch, to reveal the bodies of very small, animal-like people. Everyone was puzzled by their assailants, but pressed on through the tunnel until they emerged in the courtyard of the keep.

The main keep itself had strange wooden scaffolding erected all over its yellow stone. These ramps and platforms seemed to be the only way to enter the building, as the main doors were barred. Only the very dexterous would be able to jump and climb along them. The Saxons and Sir Tellus remained in the courtyard with the dogs, while Sir Amren, Sir Connor, Lady Elspeth, Sir Goscelin and Sir Thomas attempted to climb the cat-walks. As they climbed, someone from within reached out from a window and attempted to swat at them as they went past, tripping Sir Amren and Sir Thomas, who fell to the ground, injured. Only Sir Connor, Lady Elspeth and Sir Goscelin managed to reach a large window at the top of the keep and enter.

Once inside, the group sneaked downstairs to open the main doors for the others. On their way, they passed the main hall, where Prince Felix and his followers were chaotically feasting - oblivious to the attackers, they were eating, drinking, fighting, and singing the most appalling din! More of the tiny humans passed between them. They were the pets of Prince Felix and his men. The three passed them without being seen and opened the great doors. They then charged into the feast hall, with the dogs baying. The tawny-haired gentlemen screamed and fled, spilling food and tables and chairs everywhere as the dogs chased them out of the castle. Prince Felix himself was perched on top of an upturned table, batting at any dog that came close, but Sir Athelwulf charged into the table, barking like a dog, and knocked it over. Prince Felix was sent sprawling, and the dogs were upon him. A second later, he had flung them off, hissing, but his fine clothes were now in tatters and he fled, the dogs at his heels, never to be seen again.

After the victory, Sir Thomas amused himself by cruelly chasing the little pet humans, while the others began searching for Lady Pernilla and the Mouse King. All save Sir Goscelin. He had been feeling unhelpful throughout his first adventure, and remained quietly inconspicuous. But such was the magic of this place that his mouse-like behaviour revealed the hidden way to the dungeons to him! He heard the crying of tiny voices, and followed them to find the captives. Once the Mouse King was freed, he threw a great feast (by mouse standards) for the knights. Sir Tellus and Lady Pernilla was joined in marriage, and the Mouse King granted a boon to the others. Sir Amren declined any reward: helping the cause of true love was reward enough for him. So did Sir Connor, who was still feeling morose about the death of Sir Balthazar the previous year. Lady Elspeth and Sir Athelwulf made a treaty with the mice to leave their estates alone in exchange for a small tribute, and Aelfwynn asked for the mice to clear a field for her so she could make her husband an outdoor gaming board. Sir Goscelin was granted a special treasure, a magical long dagger called Sharptooth, while Sir Thomas asked for, and received, all the wealth of the Mouse King's  treasury: a single coin.

After the feast, it was time to return to Owlesbury through the tunnel. The group bid farewell to Sir Tellus and Sir Amren, and met up with their squires...

... who told them that they had been missing for a whole year!

524 AD, Interlude: The Tale of Tellus and Pernilla

In the last session, Sir Donna promised to help Sir Tellus rescue his lady-love from imprisonment. She died, but the players wanted to honour her final oath, and decided to help Sir Tellus out. But who is Sir Tellus, and what is his quest? For this session, we decided to try a co-constructive approach. Before the game, I prepared a number of sheets for the players, with questions about Sir Tellus and Lady Pernilla, and had the players fill them out. We also had some multi-choice questions that the players voted on. I used the results from all of this to create the adventure on the spot. It was a lot of fun! This is the results of the voting.

Sir Tellus was a handsome man, with long wavy blonde hair that he inherited from his Saxon father, and brilliant green eyes from his French mother. He was orphaned at a young age and raised at a monastery until such time as he came of age, when he was given his father's arms and set off to seek his fortune. Sir Tellus was inspired by a strange dark-haired and rosy-cheeked young woman that he met one day at the monastery. No one knew who she was. where she had come from or where she had gone, but Sir Tellus swore to find her. He travelled across Britain, catching a glimpse of the woman he sought in the strangest of places. Finally, he arrived at a manor that was menaced by an old witch and her giant fire-breathing bull. He fought the bull, and though he was burned by its fire, he managed to slay it, and break the witch's magic.

Afterwards, a feast was held in Sir Tellus' honour. This was in Fairy, at the court of the Mouse King. At that feast, Sir Tellus properly met Lady Pernilla, whose father was a knight and whose mother was a mouse princess. Suddenly, Prince Felix, the handsome Lord of Cats, arrived unexpectedly. Once there, he took over the castle with his rafish henchmen. None of the mice dared to stand up to him, save Lady Pernilla. Prince Felix struck her, and Sir Tellus challenged him to a duel. He lost, but Prince Felix was impressed by his courage and let him escape, but he imprisoned the other members of the Mouse Court.

The Lord of Cats was aided by his servant, a man with the form of a bat, who could change his appearance to make himself inconspicuous. This man acted as his spymaster. Prince Felix and his suave followers are deadly fighters, and afraid of nothing - save for the barking of dogs, their mortal enemies.

Once Sir Tellus swore to  rescue Lady Pernilla and the Mouse Court. However, the path to their fairy court was closed for a twelve-month. He would use that time to gather allies, for he would need help if he were to defeat Prince Felix.