527 AD: Arthur, Emperor of Rome

The grand army of King Arthur wintered in Paris that year, a large but run-down city. While the snows prevented the movement of armies, the High King took the opportunity to solidify his hold on the lands that he had conquered and prepare for the march southward. King Clovis of the Franks, along with many other conquered lords, came to abase themselves before Arthur and swear fealty. Everyone knew that they would break their oaths the minute that the Pendragon was gone, but it meant that there would be no enemies behind the lines. Sir Kay, the brother of the king, was left behind as Duke of Normandy to keep an eye on Clovis and the others, and to make sure that the supply lines back to Logres remained open. He was planning to build a new city, and name it after himself: 'Calais,' in the local tongue.

As soon as the spring thaw began, King Arthur began marching his army south, through the heartland of Gaul. The fine old Roman roads were in disrepair, but they still made for swift progress. Supplies had been arranged during the winter as well, so there was lots of food for the soldiers, who were not forced to resort to pillaging like so many other armies. Eventually, the army reached the Alps, and crossed them like Hannibal of old to enter into Italy. Rome itself was within reach! But there were many other cities on the peninsula, and first the army marched to Milan and invested it with a siege.

One day during the siege, Sir Gawain returned to camp with a Saracen knight, Sir Priamus. They had met, fought, and fatally wounded one another on the road, but fortunately Sir Priamus had a balm that could cure any wound, which he shared with Sir Gawain. This Sir Priamus was the rightful lord of Egypt by descent from the Ptolemies, and he warned King Arthur that a great Italian army had been raised against him, and was encamped nearby. So the British troops marched to meet them, and a great battle was fought outside the city. Aelfwynn, Athewulf. Goscelin and Hugh took part in this battle and acquitted themselves with great honour. Sir Goscelin was gravely wounded - he was taken to the healers' tents, where he was tended to by a gentle Veiled Lady, but the group managed to capture an enemy champion and ransomed him back to his people after the battle. The day after the battle, the Duchess of Milan and all the other fair noblewomen came forth from the city, crying piteously and begging for mercy for themselves, their kinsfolk and the city. King Arthur showed mercy: key nobles were taken hostage and taken with all due honour north to Dover until ransomed, while the city surrendered up a portion of its wealth to the invaders and was spared being pillaged. The knights of Salisbury found themselves greatly enriched with the spoils of victory!

With the surrender of Milan, the rest of Lombardy surrendered, and King Arthur was free to continue south. Some cities, such as Urbino, were captured easily, while others such as Florence sent envoys to King Arthur and surrendered. Shortly before reaching Rome, a very great embassy of Senators and Cardinals came to King Arthur in the Vale of Vicecount, bearing rich gifts. After their departure, news went around the camp: Rome had surrendered to King Arthur, and Arthur would be made Emperor of Rome! And so it was that six weeks later, Pope Felix himself anointed Arthur as Emperor of Rome, Caesar, Defender of Christendom, and the victorious army entered the city in a great Triumphal parade such as had not been seen since the days of Gaius Julius Caesar himself.

Following the parade, Emperor Arthur gave generous gifts to each and every of the knights and soldiers who had fought with him over these past two years. Each of the knights was given vast gifts. While Arthur sent out word of a great tournament to mark his coronation, Sir Athelwulf, Sir Goscelin, Sir Hugh and Aelfwynn were able to explore the Eternal City, Rome itself! Storied city of legend, which stretched back to pious Aeneas and the refugees of Troy, that once had held sway over the whole world... to be honest, it was not very inspiring. The city resembled nothing so much as a monumental tomb: a virtually uninhabited ruin, that cannibalizes its old past landmarks to build new structures, and even these are now crumbling and falling apart. The main inhabitants were self-important Senators who acted like a living memory of a long gone age; the Cardinals and the Pope, mired in controversy and internal strife; and the urban poor. Silent, nearly feral children stared out at the knights, and fled when anyone approached them. Bandits with knives and clubs, who knew better than to attack knights. Women who sold themselves cheaply. When he heard about all this, King Arthur set about organizing charity for the poor, but there were many who refused to come forth, paranoid after long years of privation.

Eventually, the great tournament took place. The old Flavian Amphitheatre was renovated, and banners with the heraldry of the competitors were flying all around the stadium. Kings, Princes and Knights from around the whole world came to compete. An entire two weeks were given over to jousting. Aelfwynn defeated the Duke of Gascony, the Duke of Epirus and a poor knight of Urbino, but was finally brought low by a proud knight from Milan. Sir Hugh vanquished Sir Priamus of Egypt, but was then bested by the Baron of Silchester. The Baron of Catalan overcame Sir Goscelin. It was a great tournament, and in the end Sir Gawain was proclaimed the grand winner. In between the rounds, Aelfwynn encountered a group of ruffians accosting a lady wearing a veil. She chased off the brigands, and the Lady of the Veil thanked her, before begging Aelfwynn's pardon: she would not reveal her face or name at this time. The mysterious lady then slipped away. 

After the jousting was done, it was time for the melees! The knights were organised into teams, each named after one of the virtues of chivalry, and all knights had to enter the team of the virtue that they most followed. After six days, the team that had acquitted themselves with the most honour would then face Sir Gawain and the Knights of the Round Table. The Valorous Knights overthrew the Generous Knights during the first day's fighting. On the second day, the knights of Salisbury were on their way to the stadium when they heard a scream and saw the Lady of the Veil being bundled into a carriage, which quickly took off out of Rome, heading west. They immediately forsook the tournament, for they could not ignore a lady in distress! It was a hard ride, for the carriage-driver was whipping his horses most cruelly, and the knights struggled to keep up with them. Finally, in the ancient port of Ostia, they saw the woman being bundled on to a waiting ship, which immediately set sail! The knights found a ship of their own and set off into the Mediterranean to give chase. Thanks to the expert handling of Sir Athelwulf and Aelfwynn, they were soon close behind the other vessel. Suddenly, the sky went black with storm clouds. Lightning blasted out, shattering the mast. Great waves washed over the sides of the ships. This was no natural storm! An island loomed out of the darkness ahead of them, as both ships ran aground upon a reef and began to take on more water. A mighty wave swept the deck of the ship, and Sir Athelwulf, Sir Goscelin, Sir Hugh and Aelfwynn were swept overboard, into the turbulent seas...

526 AD: The Invasion of France

Winter that year was spent in organisation: in drilling, training, and provisioning; in preparing estates for a lengthy absence; in preparing accommodation for the forthcoming journey. For when springtime came, and the roads were passable, the armies of King Arthur assembled in ports along the coast of Logres, ready for the tides to be right so that they could make war upon the Emperor Lucius.

It was a long wait. If a storm should blow up while the ships were on the water, it could scatter the fleet and divide the army. In Portsmouth, the knights of Salisbury had plenty to do to pass the time. Once they found their lodgings, Sir Athelwulf and Aelfwynn went exploring up and down the coast, often taking the young Sir Hugh with them. Sir Goscelin remained in town - there, he was asked by a terrified publican to help move a drunken knight who had ruined the bar. It was Sir Gawain, who was ferociously drunk: he had just been left by his current lady love. Sir Goscelin managed to lure him out of the bar and, with the help of Sir Gawain's squire, get him back to his tent.

Finally, in May, the embarkation began. Ships sailed back and forth across the Channel, bringing troops to Barfleur, where Sir Lamorak had established a foothold during the winter. In Barfleur, Sir Kay was frantically trying to arrange supplies for the army. Once the armies were all assembled, King Arthur, Sir Bedivere and Sir Kay left the city one night, and rode off on a quest to rescue the Duchess of Brittany from the giant of Mont-St-Michel. Only once the giant had been slain and the High King had returned could the army set off. The British troops made their way slowly down the Seine river valley towards the city of Paris, where King Claudas was rumoured to be. Elements of the army broke off to raid or forage for supplies, although they were under strict orders to follow King Arthur's rules of chivalrous warfare - therefore, the usual rape and pillage did not occur. 

Sir Athelwulf found himself in command of a part of Salisbury's forces. He led the other knights in raiding the countryside, although strictly according to the King's rules. He also found himself having to plan an assault of Chateau Gaillard. This castle overlooked the river on a steep and rocky hill that made it nearly impossible to assault, with a command over the area. It could not be left in enemy hands as a potential staging ground behind the British advance, but no frontal assault would be successful. Sir Athelwulf sent some troops climbing up the castle's long drop at night, and these brave (if somewhat smelly) troops opened the main gates, forcing the defenders to surrender. Earl Robert was very appreciative of Sir Athelwulf's ingenuity, and was equally impressed by the stonework of the castle - perhaps something similar could be done at home?

Sir Athelwulf, Aelfwynn, Sir Goscelin and Sir Hugh remained at the Chateau Gaillard for the next month, while Earl Robert and the rest of the army moved on to attack Paris. By the middle of July, a messenger arrived, summoning the knights to rejoin the main host. King Claudas had slipped away in the night, and the city elders had surrendered to King Arthur, but scouts were now reporting that Emperor Lucius' army had been spotted crossing the Alps, and would arrive shortly. King Arthur's army reunited in Paris, before setting off into the lands of the Burgundians. 

Sir Gawain was sent to negotiate with the Romans on King Arthur's behalf. No fool, he decided to bring a small force and have them wait a small distance away, in case anything happened. Sir Bedivere was in charge of this reserve. Sir Gawain asked Sir Athelwulf to come with him into the Roman camp, and Aelfwynn, Sir Hugh and Sir Goscelin were also among those who would accompany them. The Roman camp was full of troops from all over the world, who jeered the British knights. They kept their cool despite provocation and waited for Emperor Lucius to be ready to receive them. But the meeting was simply more of an excuse to belittle the ambassadors. Emperor Lucius demanded that the British surrender immediately, and the knights accompanying him began to mock King Arthur. Sir Goscelin tried to speak, but only wound up making the situation worse. Finally, Sir Gawain lost patience and slew one of the Roman knights. The British made a hasty retreat, with a large force at their heels. Fortunately, Sir Bedivere's troops were waiting. Battle was joined, and the knights of Salisbury distinguished themselves. The Romans were defeated, and many were taken prisoner.

Sir Constantine of Cornwall escorted the prisoners north to Paris, while the main British and Roman armies began to manoeuvre for position. After nearly a month of marching, King Arthur was able to catch the larger Roman force in a valley and force them to give battle. Sir Athelwulf led the charge against a contingent of Italian crossbowmen and captured their leader, forcing them to surrender. Then the heavily armoured Byzantine kataphracts charged them, and in the fierce fighting, Sir Goscelin was struck down and Sir Athelwulf grievously wounded. Fortunately, reinforcements came and helped drive back the Byzantine cavalry. The fighting continued for hours, and Aelfwynn and Sir Hugh were sorely tired, when the cry went out: Emperor Lucius is dead! King Arthur has slain the Emperor! The Romans' spirit was broken, and their army routed from the battlefield.

After the battle, King Arthur withdrew to Paris, for the Alps were now impassible for the year. He richly rewarded everyone who had fought for him with money, and with fine Andalusian chargers from Iberia for each of the knights. Sir Athelwulf, Aelfwynn, Sir Hugh and Sir Goscelin enjoyed a fine winter in Paris - Sir Goscelin pining for the Damsel of the Veil, who had tended his wounded in the healing tents after the battle and saved his life. Next year they would march on Rome itself, but for now, they could rest.

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.

523 AD: Ganulf the Wake

The golden city of Camelot was nearing completion. From impossibly high towers, banners fluttered in the breeze. There were many visitors in Camelot this season, for the mothers of the May Babies had come to collect their children, and receive a purse of gold from King Arthur for their upkeep. Sir Ywain, Sir Gawain and Sir Marhaus, the Triple Questors, had returned, and were being feted for their great deeds. The White Knight was speaking with all who would listen of a new order of Grail Templar knights, who would swear monastic oaths and safeguard pilgrims. From a foreign land came dark-skinned King Esclabor and his sons, all of whom were accounted mighty and courteous, handsome and wise. The influence of the de Ganis knights was growing as well: the French language had become more popular at court, with everyone giving themselves French names. Sir Tor was seen sporting a strange hat that he called a beret. Only Sir Kay seemed to be put out by this: "Look at me, I'm Le Chevalier avec Baguette!" he was heard to say as he mocked the continental fashions.

It was the early hours of the morning in the great hall of Camelot, and most of the guests at the feast had already left to seek their beds. Only a group of serious drinkers remained, King Arthur and some of his knights. Among them was Sir Gaheris, who began to drunkenly expound on the matter of Saxons. In Anglia, another rebellion had begun, led by one Ganulf the Wake. Were the Saxons not grateful for how lenient King Arthur had been towards them after their defeat at Badon Hill? Sir Gaheris's words were cheered by many, but they brought Aelfwynn, the Saxon shieldmaiden, to her feet furiously. Surely Ganulf's rebellion was only the result of cruelly the occupied Saxons had been treated by Duke Hervis, As the argument grew more heated, King Arthur rose and gestured for silence. He ordered Sir Gaheris and Aelfwynn to travel together to Anglia and investigate Ganulf's uprising. They would report back to King Arthur, so that justice could be done.

The next morning, the two met at Camelot's gate to head on their errand. Sir Gaheris was hung-over and grumpy. They were accompanied by Aelfwynn's husband, Sir Athelwulf, and their friend Sir Donna, who was renowned for her fair and unprejudiced nature. Trouble arose before the end of the day. At the borders of Silchester, the group were intercepted by a band of ten knights and told to turn back. Count Uffo of Silchester was in rebellion against King Arthur and had closed his roads against his knights until the High King granted him all the honours that his father, Duke Ulfius, had held in his lifetime. While Sir Gaheris was willing to fight, the rest of the group knew that they could not win. To continue, they would have to travel by an alternate route: through the haunted Purdue Forest.

On the outskirts of the forest, the travelers stopped at Borough Hill, where they found simple lodgings with the local priest, Brother Cecil. He told them of the strange legend of Borough Hill: that fairies dwelt in a cave at the base of the hill. Anyone who went there would receive anything that they asked for, but they would have to return it or suffer the fairies' curse. Intrigued by this legend, the knights sought out this cave in the morning. Sir Gaheris asked for a sword and Sir Athelwulf for a cooking spit, which they received. Aelfwynn set out to test the fairies' capabilities, and was cursed. Sir Donna asked to be reunited with her cousin Sir Cuthbert's magical dog, who was waiting for her outside the cave, and they had an enjoyable time playing together before he had to depart. 

The knights entered under the shadowy boughs of the forest. There was no road, only a rough-hewn path. As the light began to fail, they found themselves at Farnham, a small hamlet with a fortified manor, and sought shelter there. The local lord, Sir Berran, told them that the peasants had seen some sort of large black panther in the forest. He intended to hunt it on the morrow, and invited his guests to join him. They agreed, and decided to have a competition to see who could find the best game. Sir Berran and his hunters would work together, as would Sir Donna and Sir Gaheris, and Sir Athelwulf and Aelfwynn. The Saxons were the most experienced hunters, and managed to catch a red-furred fox. Suddenly, they were surrounded by the jingling of bells, as a party of Elvish knights all in silver rode into the glade. Their leader saw the fox and exclaimed that they had just slain his brother! In recompense, he demanded the eyes from their heads. Not wishing to have their eyes cut out, Sir Athelwulf and Aelfwynn fled, and were cruelly hunted by the elves, barely managing to escape with their lives and return to the castle, where they recounted their story to the others.

The next day, Sir Berran invited his guests to stay and hunt for the panther again, but the knights politely declined and set off on their way once more. Around midday, they came to a river too deep to ford, with a stone bridge over it. Upon the bridge was a mounted knight, whose pavilion lay on the far side of the bridge. This knight announced himself to be Sir Telus, and refused to let any pass unless they jousted with him. However, the loser would owe military service to the other for a season, or have to pay scutage (which Sir Telus said that he intended to do). This was a strange custom, but it did not seem as if the knights could cross the river anywhere else, so they agreed to Sir Telus's terms. Sir Donna was the first to break a lance with Sir Telus, and she was knocked from her saddle. Then Aelfwynn tried, and she unhorsed Sir Telus - who fell into the river! The knights rushed to save him as he was swept downstream, and managed to rescue him. In exchange, Sir Telus waived all requirements of knightly service from them. He exclaimed that his lady love had been imprisoned in the castle of another, and that he was trying to raise an army to rescue her. The knights wished Sir Telus well, and told him that if they could, they would help him.

After leaving Sir Telus behind, the path wended its way along the edge of the river. The knights set up camp, and then continued on their way on the next day. Before long, they could hear the sounds of lamentation coming from a small island in the middle of the river. They decided to investigate, and found three pale and emaciated women crying over a tomb, next to a pavilion. They introduced themselves as the Three Fairies, so called because their grief has made them appear insubstantial. They had been cursed to remain mourning at the tomb until the murdered knight who lay within it should be avenged. Sir Gaheris immediately swore that he would avenge this knight, with the others not far behind him. The Fairies explained that it was King Pellinore who lay within the crypt. At that, Sir Gaheris had a strange expression come across his face. He went to check on his horse - and immediately rode off without so much as a word! Did he know something about what had happened to King Pellinore? 

That night, the three travellers reached West Clandon, which lay close to the eaves of the forest. The folk there begged the knights to help them, for the Clandon Worm had been attacking their livestock. This foul dragon lived in a nearby lake, which it had polluted with its slime. It was easy to track also, for it left a trail of slime behind it everywhere that it went! The knights agreed to help, and rode to the stinking lake. There, the beast came forth to offer battle, and they began to hew at it. However, so thick was its slime, that it was surpassing slippery! Their weapons would bounce off it to no avail. If only they had some way to pin it in place, so that it could not slip around! Disgusted at their futile efforts, the knights abandoned the fight, but swore to return at a later time to put an end to the monster.

Leaving West Clandon behind on the next day, the knights finally emerged from the Purdue Forest, south of London. With its perils behind them, they were able to journey much more swiftly. They soon reached London, and then followed the road north into Anglia. This leg of the journey was without incident, and soon Sir Athelwulf, Sir Donna and Aelfwynn arrived. They decided not to see Duke Hervis in Norwich, for he would surely react poorly to Sir Athelwulf and Aelfwynn. Instead, they toured the countryside, questioning the common folk about Ganulf the Wake and his rebels. They received different answers depending on whom they asked. To Saxons, Ganulf was a freedom fighter, standing up against the oppressive rule of Duke Hervis. To Cymrics, he was a bloody-handed thug. Most alarming, both sides appeared to be right. During their search, the group discovered that Ganulf had been driven into the Fens: the same Fens where Athelwulf had grown up with the Thulian exiles.

Leaving horses and squires at Ely, a cathedral town on the outskirts of the Fens, the three travelers acquired a boat and set off in search of Ganulf. They were soon ambushed by Ganulf and his band. Sir Athelwulf convinced Ganulf of their good intentions, and the Saxon rebel took them back to the Thulian village. He explained that many of the Thulians, led by King Aguar, had left to return to their homeland, but the new Thulian king had offered them succour. To Sir Athelwulf's shock, it was Sligon the Usurper! Sligon had allowed King Aguar to reclaim his throne, and gone into voluntary exile in the Fens. However, Sir Athelwulf had a blood feud against Sligon for the death of his parents. Ganulf forced Sligon to accept Sir Athelwulf's challenge, and the old man was brutally slain in a duel.

That night, a feast was held in Sir Athelwulf's honour, and Ganulf attempted to convince the two Saxons to join him in his rebellion against the throne. In only a few days, he would join forces with another rebel, Ealdorman Morcar of Essex. Sir Athelwulf told them that he was on a mission from King Arthur, and tried to convince Ganulf that the rebellion was doomed, and that he should bring his grievances to Camelot, but with little success. Meanwhile, Sir Donna was keeping her head down, as she was made to feel very unwelcome. Suddenly, a wizened Saxon witch appeared before her. Her name was Nelda, and she told Sir Donna that Ganulf did not intend to let any of them leave the village alive. Then she vanished, leaving Sir Donna feeling very perturbed.

Meanwhile, back at Camelot, word had arrived of Count Uffo's rebellion. Sir Griflet and Sir Gawain, the Marshal and the King's Champion, immediately mustered an army and marched on Silchester. Among the knights were Sir Avain, Sir Balthazar and Sir Connor of Salisbury. The rebellion was suppressed with great haste: those of Count Uffo's men who were Companions of Arthur yielded immediately; many others did not particularly want to be in rebellion; and those that were left fled or surrendered. It did not take very long at all until only the city of Silchester, with Count Uffo in it, was all that remained of the rebellion. The army set up camp outside, reluctant to hurt the citizens through siege or assault, and called for the Count to come forth and face Sir Griflet or Sir Gawain in a duel. The craven Uffo refused, and the army waited for something to happen.

This was the situation when Sir Gaheris arrived in camp. He had abandoned the quest to warn that Silchester was in revolt! Well, that was hardly news now, and Sir Avain doubted that this was his true motive in leaving the quest in the first place. Sir Gaheris bid Sir Balthazar go and reinforce Sir Athelwulf, Sir Donna and Aelfwynn in Anglia, and the three bored knights decided to do so. With the roads now open again, they soon reached Anglia and heard that the three had been last seen heading towards Ely. They reached Ely only a few days behind the others, and met their squires there. Sir Balthazar decided to visit the lord of Ely. but he turned out to be in Norwich with Duke Hervis, leaving his sickly wife Lady Eliza behind. The knights met with the lady, and spoke to her master-at-arms Tom, who agreed to give them a boat and a guide to take them into the Fens. Their guide, Harry, was not very familiar with the twisting marsh, however, and the group soon became hopelessly lost.

In Ganulf's camp, Sir Donna sought out her companions and shared what Nelda had told her. They were all worried, especially by her motives, but decided not to flee. In a few days, Morcar, an ealdorman of Essex, brought his small band of rebels through the Fens to parley with Ganulf. At a feast that night, the two leaders shared stories of injustices suffered, and of their respective deeds to date, before agreeing to unite and attack Ely. At this, Sir Athelwulf spoke: what then? Their rebellion was doomed, and all knew it. Better to cast themselves at King Arthur's mercy and seek justice rather than vengeance. Morcar was furious. Suddenly Nelda appeared, and began to agree with Sir Athelwulf - except that she encouraged Ganulf to murder King Arthur in his court room! The knights argued back, and the argument continued until Aelfwynn realised that Nelda was dissembling. She did not want Ganulf to murder King Arthur. Was she deliberately trying to lose the argument? With that, Nelda vanished, and the feast broke up into arguing and recriminations.

The next morning, Ganulf came to see the three emissaries. He told them that most of the camp had decided to support Morcar and attack Ely. He, however, had been swayed. He and his partner Aelflaed, and a few other followers, would travel with them to meet King Arthur and seek justice from him. They slipped away before anyone noticed they were gone. Deep in the Fens, they met Sir Avain, Sir Balthazar, and Sir Connor, who were still lost. The group was finally reunited, and returned to Ely. Once they reached it, however, a difficult choice was before them. They knew that Morcar intended to lead his band against the town. Ely was on an island in the swamp, and hard to reach by land. However, that meant that its defences were weak, and it was not prepared for raiders from the marsh. Furthermore, with its lord absent, there was no leader. Sir Athelwulf and Aelfwynn rode on to Camelot with Ganulf and his followers, while Sir Avain, Sir Balthazar, Sir Connor and Sir Donna prepared to defend the town. Even though they all knew in their hearts that it was an impossible battle, they could not abandon the people of Ely to certain death.

There was not much time to prepare. Sir Balthazar immediately informed Lady Eliza and Tom of the peril, and an evacuation began. With only narrow causeways connecting the island to the mainland, however, it would not be possible to get everyone out. Sir Balthazar toured the defenses with Tom, and decided to conduct the battle from the manor rather than the cathedral. Sir Connor tried to give an inspiring speech to the men-at-arms, but he was depressed by the prospect of his impending death, and his accent was near-incomprehensible at best: his speech was not as motivational as he had hoped. Sir Avain set oil around the cathedral in an attempt to make a trap for the Saxons. His lack of knowledge of siegecraft and architecture meant that he did not really know how to do this effectively, however. Finally, Sir Donna organised men to build a series of basic barricades. Hopefully some simple defences would help to slow the attackers down.

At dawn, the Saxons came. Clashing their axes against the shield, and outnumbering the defenders nearly four to one, they came screaming into the town. Sir Balthazar met them at the barricades. The fighting was fierce, but Sir Balthazar was struck insensible by a Saxon axe. With his fall, the defenders fled in a rout back to the manor house, taking heavy casualties. The Saxons swarmed into the town, slaughtering all those who had not fled or found shelter within the manor. When they came to destroy the cathedral, however, Sir Connor and Sir Donna were waiting for them there. The oil prepared by Sir Avain was set on fire, limiting the paths of attack. The two knights stood in the door of the church, and slew all who would approach. In the end, the Saxons were forced to abandon their assault upon the cathedral, and they used fire to force Sir Connor and Sir Donna back inside for shelter.

Only the manor house still held out. The Saxons regrouped to attack it, when Sir Avain sallied out from a postern gate on horseback. His goal was to slay Earl Morcar in single combat: with his death, the Saxons might be demoralised. Sir Avain managed to fight his way to Earl Morcar, and he dismounted to challenge him to single combat. The Saxon accepted, but he struck Sir Avain down with a single blow. Sir Donna saw him fall from the church. If they stayed in the church, there was a good chance that Sir Connor and Sir Donna could survive, but Sir Avain, Sir Balthazar, and all the people of the town would surely die. The two knights charged out from the church suicidally, fighting their way to Sir Avain's body before Earl Morcar finished him off. Sir Donna was cleft by many axes and fell, but with her aid, Sir Connor was able to reach Earl Morcar and slay him. The Saxons were furious and pressed fiercely against him: Sir Connor grabbed Sir Avain's body and fled to the manor. To his amazement, he was alive!

The actions of the four brave knights had bought a respite. Sir Connor parleyed with Siegland, the new Saxon leader after Morcar's death, and surrendered to her on the condition that he be allowed to bury the fallen, and that the inhabitants of the manor be allowed to leave unhindered. Such were the casualties that the knights had inflicted upon the attackers that Siegland agreed to Sir Connor's terms. Sir Donna's body was retrieved, and the survivors fled as the Saxons began to burn Ely. Lady Eliza was too ill to be moved: she perished upon the road, as did Sir Avain and Sir Balthazar, whose injuries were too severe. Only a hundred or more of the town's five hundred citizens were still alive, but this was a hundred who lived who would have died had it not been for the heroic sacrifices of four knights. Sir Connor and the refugees were met before long by another lord. The Irish knight explained what had happened, and left the people of Ely there, returning to Salisbury with the bodies of the fallen heroes.

Meanwhile, Sir Athelwulf, Aelfwynn, Ganulf, Aelflaed, and the other Saxons reached Camelot, where they went before King Arthur. The High King accepted their verdict that both sides were to blame. He officially pardoned Ganulf, and offered that Saxons who had sworn fealty to him could be granted rulership of their own lands in the future. He also agreed to tolerate the Wotanic faith if it would work alongside Christian missionaries and achieved greater structure, so that it would no longer be an instrument of rebellion. A leader of the Saxon church would need to be found: had Nelda foreseen this, and was this her true plan? Finally, King Arthur reluctantly agreed to Ganulf's request for a duel of honour against Duke Hervis. The Duke was presently putting down the rebellion in Anglia: without Ganulf or Morcar, the rest of the rebels were easily destroyed. Duke Hervis was then summoned to Camelot to meet Ganulf's challenge, and the older and more experienced knight easily defeated and slew Ganulf, exonerating him from guilt in the eyes of the law. However, King Arthur knew that justice had not been done. He 'rewarded' Duke Hervis with new lands around London, and then required the Duke to never return to Anglia again. In his place, Aelflaed would be appointed Steward of Anglia. It was not a perfect solution, but peace of a kind would finally come to Anglia.

522 AD: Murder at Marshfield Hall

This year, the Companions of King Arthur were finally inducted. While the Knights of the Round Table were intended to be exclusive, an example to others and something to aspire to, the Companions were for all knights who would swear allegiance to the High King and his ideal. Earl Robert took the oath, and encouraged all of his knights to travel to Camelot to take the oath as well. Upon their return, there was a pleasant surprise. Lady Margaret and young Cyndyn had returned from Faerie! There was much rejoicing, for they had been feared lost forever. Sir Donna escorted Cyndyn home to Somerset, where she tried and failed to explain what had happened to his father. 

Meanwhile, Sir Avain had received an invitation to visit the King of the Circle of Gold, to the north. He and Lady Elspeth also took Lady Taryan's body back to her family. They were perplexed, for Lady Taryan had vanished without trace nearly a hundred years earlier! Nevertheless, they were glad to finally know what had happened to her, and gave her body a Christian burial. Then they headed west, over the Pennine Mountains, to the Kingdom of the Circle of Gold. On the road, they met Sir Victor, Sir Taedi's old friend, who asked to ride with them. It turned out that he was now the King of the Circle of Gold! King Victor explained that he had stumbled into the valley and claimed the Circle by accident, although some members of his small court indicated that the King was being modest. 

After a pleasant stay with King Victor, Sir Avain and Lady Elspeth returned south through Malahaut. On the way, they sheltered for the night at Marshfield Hall, a small and gloomy manor. Its penny-pinching lord, Sir Barrius, grudgingly offered hospitality. They were seated at the low table, far away from Sir Barrius and his two lovely daughters. Over dinner, Sir Avain and Lady Elspeth chatted to Sir Romek, a cheerful fat knight who told them that Sir Barrius was shortly to be hosting a tournament, mostly to make his neighbours stop accusing him of parsimony. Sir Avain also made friends with a pretty older serving woman, Agatha, and that night he snuck off to the pantry to pay her a visit. The next morning, though, there was a great hubbub. Agatha's body had been found in the pantry. She had been murdered!

Sir Avain was soon implicated. Sir Endion had seen him get up at night and go to the pantry. Sir Barrius had him imprisoned, despite the laws of hospitality. Lady Elspeth went and berated Sir Barrius, but to no avail. However, he later recanted, due to the entreaties of his daughters. Sir Avain would have until noon on the morrow to prove his innocence; otherwise, he would have to face Sir Barrius' champion, Sir Baldor, in a duel. Much time had already been wasted securing Sir Avain's release: there were only twenty-four hours remaining!

Sir Avain and Lady Elspeth spent the afternoon interviewing the household knights. Sir Romek, Sir Baldor, Sir Efflin, Sir Joffrey and Sir Ortel did not know much, although Sir Efflin admitted that he had previously had a relationship with Agatha, but broke it off a year ago. After talking to the knights, they went to view the body. Agatha had been slain by two stab wounds to the front, with no defensive wounds. Clearly, she had been attacked by someone familiar to her, by surprise. Finally, they spoke to Madge, another one of the servants. She said that Sir Barrius avoided Agatha, but would not dismiss her. Madge also told them about Agatha's family down at the village: a widowed sister, Florry, and a nephew, Tarquin. 

The two investigators now decided to travel to the village to talk to Agatha's family. Florry confirmed a lot of the details that they knew already, but grew evasive when they asked if she knew why Agatha didn't serve at the high table. Tarquin was not at the village, and so Sir Avain and Lady Elspeth had to return to the manor to find him; he was helping with the horses. Young Tarquin did not look anything at all like his mother. In fact, with his red hair and cleft chin, he looked more like Sir Barrius's daughter Glorel. Young Tarquin was a forthright lad, who did not have any useful information, but exclaimed how he wanted to help find his aunt's killer. 

It was now time to go inside for dinner. The fare was quite ordinary, except for a strangely good pudding for dessert. After dinner, the group talked to the knights once more. Sir Efflin said that he had been taking Tarquin under his wing for Agatha's sake. Perhaps she was seeking to socially advance him? It was becoming increasingly obvious to Sir Avain and Lady Elspeth that Sir Barrius must have had an affair with Agatha after the death of his wife, and that Tarquin was in fact his son. Had Barrius killed her to stop the truth from coming out? The investigators settled down for an uneasy sleep.

The next day was Sunday, and Lady Elspeth skipped church to continue her investigations. She headed into the village, and met Florry as she left church. Confronted with the truth, Florry admitted that Tarquin was Sir Barrius and Agatha's son. Elspeth continued to interview Peter Carpenter, a migrant worker employed in the construction of the tournament ground, but this turned out to be a dead end. With midday closing in, she made her way back to the manor and went to talk to the stablehands. She found that the servants were starting to gossip amongst themselves that Sir Barrius had killed Agatha, and spent some time trying to track down where the rumour had started from. Eventually, she found that the rumours had begun with the new cook, Bart, who was nowhere to be seen. Lady Elspeth smelled a rat. She called for her horse and gave chase.

Meanwhile, Sir Avain left church left church that morning feeling like he was running out of time and options. He decided to talk to Sir Barrius' daughters to see if they would intercede on his behalf. The beautiful younger daughter, Glorel, was an airhead who was looking forward to the tragedy of a handsome knight dying in a pointless duel. Lucilla was older and more sensible, having acted as chatelaine since the death of her mother at a young age. Sir Avain decided to flirt with her, but overplayed his hand. It was now midday, and it was time to fight.

At that very moment, Lady Elspeth was galloping after Bart the fugitive cook. She finally caught him on the road, and he drew a knife on her - but she fired an arrow and brought him down with a single shot. There was no time to waste. She bundled the unconscious cook on to her horse, grabbed his bag, and returned. But it was already midday...

In the tournament ground, Sir Avain gave a speech to play for time, but there was no sign of reprieve. Finally, he had to draw his sword and fight the hulking Sir Ortel. The two duelled brutally, knocking each other prone and then drawing daggers to finish the fight. Much to his surprise, Sir Avain managed to overcome his opponent. With his dagger to Sir Ortel's fight, Sir Avain denounced the duel and the household, and refused to kill  Sir Ortel. Sir Barrius was furious! But at that moment, Lady Elspeth arrived, and flung Bert's body to the ground, along with his bag. In it, there was a letter from Sir Turquine, the notorious bandit knight, ordering Bert to kill Agatha and implicate Sir Barrius to foment discord in the area. 

With Sir Avain's innocence proved through evidence and through combat, Sir Barrius conferred privily with him and Lady Elspeth, and agreed to recognise Tarquin as his son. The pair stayed for the tournament. Sir Avain did honourably, although Sir Efflin was pronounced the champion of the melee. An unknown knight (secretly Sir Kay of Camelot) arrived on the second day and won the jousts. Before leaving, Sir Avain began paying court to Lucilla, who now regarded him more favourably after his honourable behaviour in the duel. They were to be married later that year.

When the pair returned home, they heard strange news. A French merchant presented a group of youths to King Arthur in Camelot. He had found them in an abandoned shipwreck at sea, and looked after them since. King Arthur was troubled: the May Babies had returned. He was especially troubled by the leader of the young men, a handsome and strangely familiar youth called Mordred...