Ulthuan

The Annals of Salisbury

In 410 AD, your grandfathers were born, in the final year of the Roman presence in Britain. Beset by threats both internal and external, the Emperor Honorius withdrew his forces from the rainy island, leaving the British to fend for themselves. Irish, Picts and Saxons raided the country mercilessly. The Supreme Collegium, the high council of British nobility, selected Constantin to become the King of the British. Then they scoured the land, and amongst every thousand men, they found the best one: the strongest, the wisest, the hardiest, the fastest, the most skilled. This man, they dubbed a knight. Your great-grandfathers were all selected amongst the first knights, and so your grandfathers were raised as knights. Around 431, they were knighted...

439 AD: The Saxon raiders landed again upon the coast of Britain. In this year, your fathers were born. All six of your grandfathers went forth to fight against Irish invaders who were ravaging the countryside near Carlion, but tragically, Gaius' grandfather Sir Peregrin became ill with the shaking sickness, and perished before the dawn of the battle. This was seen as a bad omen; but the British knights won the battle, and all of your grandfathers acquitted themselves honourably upon the field that day. John's grandfather, Sir Issac, did mighty deeds of arms that day, excelled only by the fiery valour of Meuric's grandfather, who drove the enemy before them. Between the actions of this pair of paragons, the Battle of Carlion was won, and the Irish repelled. Sir Issac also nursed a grudge against the Irish, which he passed down to his descendents.

440 AD: In this year, many tears were spilt in Salisbury, for of the five heroes, only one returned alive. The knights had journeyed north to fight against the Pictish raiders along the great wall of the Emperor Hadrian, but the blue-dyed warriors were vicious fighters, and only Alain's grandfather, Sir Elias, returned alive at the end of that year. When he returned to Salisbury, he was beset by a new tragedy: one of King Constantin's bodyguard had murdered the King. You can never trust those knights of Silchester...

441 AD: The Supreme Collegium, swayed by the honeyed tongue of Duke Vortigern, chose to make Constantine's young son Constans the new King. Constans had lived in a monastery, and had little experience of the world, and so he relied upon Duke Vortigern's guidance. Sir Elias returned to the north to serve garrison duty against the Picts. This year, Fortune did not smile upon him, and his corpse was conveyed back to Salisbury to be buried with all due honour.

442 AD: In this year, Duke Vortigern hired Pictish mercenaries to serve as King Constans' bodyguard.

443 AD: In this year, the Pictish bodyguard proved to be treacherous and murdered the King. Duke Vortigern put them to death, and then became king himself. Alarmed by this, loyalists smuggled Constans' young brothers, Aurelius Ambrosius and Uther, to Brittany.

444 AD: The Picts launched a massive invasion from the north, and drove back all who stand in their way.

445 AD: The armies of the Picts reached the heartland of Britain, and so King Vortigern ordered the British armies to entrench themselves and garrison their homes.

446 AD: King Vortigern realised that he needed help to defeat the Picts, and so hired the Saxons kings Hengest and Horsa. The two led an army of Saxons against the Picts in the Battle of Lincoln, and the Picts were defeated. Sir Berel, grandfather of Sir Perin, was made a knight in this year, and fought in the battle.

447-449 AD: The Saxons continued to drive the Picts forth from Britain. More and more Saxons arrived in Britain, where they were welcomed with all honour by the King.

450 AD: In this year, King Vortigern took a bride - the beautiful Rowena, daughter of the Saxon king Hengest. Sir Berel attended the wedding.

451-453 AD: News came to Britain that a new group of barbarians, known as the Huns, were ravaging the Roman Empire. According to rumour, Rome itself, the Eternal City, came under attack by their ravening hordes. Britain itself was peaceful, although many complained about the favours that King Vortigern lavishly bestowed upon the Saxons.

454 AD: In this year, the Hun army marched north into Gaul, where they fought the Romans at the Battle of Chalons. The power of Attila was broken, and the Huns defeated. Many British knights and lords who disapproved with Vortigern's treatment of the Saxons were sent to the battle, amongst them Sir Berel.

455-6 AD: The flames of war spread further across the world. Rome itself, recently attacked by the Huns, was besieged by the Germanic barbarians and sacked. The great Western Empire which has dominated the world for a thousand years has fallen. Rumour spreads that the end is surely nigh.

457 AD: In this year, many of the British rebelled against King Vortigern. The King led the Saxons against his own people and devastated them, before giving the lands of Kent to the Saxons. Sir Berel took part in this battle and gained great glory.

458-459 AD: Many of the British began to leave, dissatisfied with Vortigern's policies. However, in Salisbury, your fathers were nearing the cusp of adulthood...

460 AD: In this year, Sirs Arthgog, Hectimere, Meriadoc, Pedivere, Thomas and Vitgil won their spurs, and were knighted with due ceremony in Salisbury.

461-2 AD: Dissatisfied with King Vortigern's rule, many nobles began an open rebellion against him and his Saxon allies, led by Vortigern's oldest son (by his first marriage), Vortimer. The Earl of Salisbury led his vassal knights to war, but your fathers were left behind to defend Salisbury in his absence. The rebels, with Sir Berel amongst their number, fought against Vortigern's army in the Battle of Cambridge, and many brave men lost their lives.

463 AD: Vortigern and Hengest, who most believe now to be the true ruler as Vortigern before him had been during King Constans' reign, called for reconciliation and held a great feast on Salisbury Plain. However, the Saxons proved themselves worthy of the suspicion and mistrust that they had received, and more: for Hengest's Saxons murdered the assembled nobles. The Earl of Salisbury was amongst the slain, as was Sir Berel!

464 AD: By this year, all of the young knights of Salisbury had become married. Many of them were able to marry widows, due to the carnage of the Night of Long Knives, and so they gained their first manorial estates. Alone amongst the knights, Sir Elias, Alain's father, married for love rather than wealth, while Gaius' father, Sir Peregrin, married an aristocratic widow who could trace her lineage back to the Romans.

465 AD: Vortigern and his Saxons gave up any pretense of ruling fairly, and instead goverend the land tyrannically. In Salisbury, six children were born...

466 AD: Many years earlier, King Constans' infant brothers had been smuggled away to Brittany for their own safety. Aurelius Ambrosius returned to Britain, leading an army of expatriates determined to defeat Vortigern and his Saxons. Vortigern's allies abandoned him, and a sizeable portion of his army was caught and besieged in Carlion. Sir Hectimere remained in Salisbury on garrison duty, but Sirs Pedivere, Arthgog, Meriadoc, Thomas and Vitgil were all present at the Siege of Carlion. Sir Vitgil was amongst the first to breach the castle's defences, and fell with a score of bodies around his feet, but Vortigern's forces were destroyed. Sir Arthgog's younger brother, Sir Phillip, also perished during the battle.

467 AD: Vortigern himself fled north and created a new castle to hide in. Nobody knows exactly what happened next, but whispers say that the son of the Devil himself came to Vortigern there and showed him a mighty portent, of two dragons that slept in a lake underneath the castle, and thrashed about, destroying the fortifications. The boy woke the dragons, which fought each other and destroyed the castle, before he vanished. Vortigern himself retreated north to Mount Snowdon.

The boy's name was Merlin.

468 AD: Sir Meriadoc and Sir Arthgog remained in Salisbury this year, serving garrison duty, while the armies of Aurelius Ambrosius reached Mount Snowdon and attacked Vortigern, slaying him and his followers. Sir Driant, son of the murdered Sir Berel, fought in this battle as well. In Salisbury, Sir Meriadoc and Sir Arthgog were responsible for fending off a band of marauding Irish raiders, although Sir Arthgog perished in the fighting. Upon his return from the Battle of Snowdon, Aurelius Ambrosius summoned the Supreme Collegium, which unanimously elected him the next High King. He adopted a new title: Pendragon, the 'head dragon', derived from the emblem on his battle standard.

469 AD - 472 AD: Many more Saxons came to settle in Kent with Hengist. Hengist himself was captured and slain, and his son and nephew, Octa and Eosa, swore fealty to the King. High King Aurelius Ambrosius Pendragon maintained an unsteady peace with them, while his younger brother Uther established a reputation as a mighty warrior as he led the defence against raids from the Saxons, Irish and Picts. Sir Meriadoc and Sir Driant in particular distinguished themselves at Uther's side during this time.

473 AD: In this year, the Saxons marched into the heart of England, sweeping all opposition before them. High King Aurelius Ambrosius mustered an army, which fought the Saxons at Windsor, but even his forces could not stand against their might. In the retinue of Uther, Sir Meriadoc fought bravely, but his great valour did not avail him. The wound that he took in that battle festered, and he died a week later, far from home.

474 AD - 476 AD: The Saxons raided throughout England. Only fortified places were safe, due to the strength of such knights as Sir Pedivere, Sir Driant, Sir Thomas and Sir Hectimere. Through their valour, the city of Sarum was kept safe, but their manors were raided.

477 AD: A new Saxon king arrived in Britain: Aelle, who called himself 'Bretwalda' - high chief. Aurelius Ambrosius again mustered an army to face him, but Aelle was reinforced by Hengest and Ambrosius and his army barely managed to escape.

478 AD - 479 AD: Aurelius Ambrosius has been building a fleet of ships to take the fight to the Saxons. The great fleet sailed to attack the ships of the Saxons and destroyed them, then landed and won a great battle at Frisia. Sir Pedivere and Sir Driant were amongst them there, and they fought with distinction at the Battle of Frisia. Meanwhile, Sir Thomas and Sir Hectimere defended Salisbury against Saxon raids, and were lauded for their deeds.

480 AD: The Saxons invaded Salisbury in force, and were met by Aurelius Ambrosius and Uther at Menevia. Before the battle, the High King became deathly ill - his doctor was discovered to be in the employ of the Saxons, and had poisoned him. Despite this, Aurelius Ambrosius led his forces in battle personally, but perished in the battle. However, due to his bravery, the Saxon army was wiped out. He was not the only casualty of the day: at Sir Hectimere's eulogy, the brave knight was accredited with rallying the British ranks and leading the charge which finally broke the Saxon lines. The High King was buried on Salisbury Plain, where the mysterious Merlin appeared and with his magic transported a ring of standing stones that had been constructed by giants from Ireland to serve as a grave monument: this ring is now called Stonehenge. Uther was unanimously chosen as the next Pendragon, although he did not become the High King at that time.

481 AD - 483 AD: In the wake of the Battle of Salisbury, the Saxons are quiet and the Kingdom of Logres is peaceful. Sir Pedivere and Sir Thomas served in garrison duty and watched their sons grow up.

484 AD: Another wave of Saxons arrived in Britain, and attacked in the north, besieging the city of Eburacum. Octa, the son of Hengist, and his cousin Eosa abandoned their oaths to lead this army. King Uther Pendragon mustered his army and hastened north to its defense, but was drawn into a trap by the Saxons. There Sir Thomas fell in the rearguard, as did many other valiant knights. The Pendragon withdrew, but refused to admit defeat; he led his army north and attacked the celebrating Saxon camp at Mount Damen that night. The slaughter was great, but amongst the British dead was Sir Pedivere. Following the battle, Octa and Eosa tried to flee, but a group of knights led by Sir Driant captured them - although Sir Driant perished in the endeavour. Captured, the two renewed their oaths to the King.
Squires Alain, Aldrydd, Gaius, John, Meuric, and Tinian fought a bear and bandits in Salisbury. Meuric was slain, and squire Alain abducted the Marshall of Salisbury's daughter Adelle at her request to help heal Tinian, who was grievously wounded. Aldrydd, Gaius, John and Tinian were dubbed knights.

485 AD: The knights led an embassy to Levcomagus to protest about raiders, and discovered evidence suggesting that Sir Rhisiart, the Steward of Levcomagus, was in league with the Saxons. Sir Aldrydd was almost slain during the escape from Levcomagus and was rescued by a mysterious witch, who demanded a favour in the future in return, and stole part of Sir Aldrydd's soul as surety. King Uther battled the Saxons of King Aelle at Mearcred Creek: the battle was a draw. Alain acquitted himself with distinction during the battle and was knighted. More Saxons under King Aethelswith landed in Kent, and won a major victory in Caercolun.

486 AD: The knights traveled to London to search for Sir Gaius' missing cousin, Elissa. En route, the knights encountered various adventures: they were robbed in Winchester, helped the magician Merlin retrieve a Faerie sword, found treasure in the shrine of an ancient god, recruited Irish mercenaries to bolster Salisbury's defenses, and befriended a giant with an obsession for all things Roman. Eventually, the knights discovered that Elissa had brought Praetor Syagrius and his entourage to Britain after Soissons was overrun by the Franks. The knights rescued them. Upon their return home, Sir Alain was driven mad when he discovered that his lady love had been married as part of an alliance with Somerset. Meanwhile, fighting continued in Caercolun; Prince Madoc raided the Saxons there, and following his successes, Duke Lucius of Caercolun sallied forth and was slain in battle. The Saxons advanced, and turned back after an indecisive battle against an army led by Sir Brastias, the King's bodyguard.

487 AD: King Uther was publically presented with Excalibur by the magician Merlin, a faerie sword of puissant power blessed to ensure that its wielder would never be defeated in battle so long as he remained virtuous. As a result, many of the recalcitrant nobles of Logres began to fall into line. Uther also decided to lend his support to Praetor Syagrius' attempt to reclaim his French homeland. As the first step in the campaign, Prince Madoc cleared the Channel of Saxon ships, to ensure a safe crossing to Soissons. Sir Tinian distinguished himself during the campaign in particular, while Sir Aldrydd married a French heiress and became rightful lord of a large area of French land that was currently under control of the Franks.

488 AD: Prince Madoc led an expedition to aid Praetor Syagrius in reclaiming Soissons. However, Sir Aldrydd discovered that the Prince intended to betray the Praetor. Sir Aldrydd confronted the Prince; in return, the Prince assigned the knights of Salisbury to the front lines when the British army attacked Bayeux. In the fighting, the Roman-loving giant Onion was slain, as was Sir Aldrydd. After the fall of Bayeux, Prince Madoc led the army back to Logres with sizeable amounts of loot. Praetor Syagrius, bereft of British assistance, was soon defeated by the Franks.

489 AD: King Uther led his army to confront the renegade Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall. Thanks to the presence of Excalibur and Merlin, the two were able to reconcile. Uther then led his armies north to fight a new wave of Saxons, led by the treacherous Octa and Eosa. The fighting was inconclusive. Salisbury and Hampshire were attacked by Saxons and betrayed by the Blackshield mercenaries. At the same time, Praetor Syagrius returned to Britain, seeking revenge for his betrayal. Syagrius and the Saxons were defeated; Countess Ellen was rescued from the Steward of Levcomagus, who was responsible for the attack; but Sir Tinian perished during the fighting.

490 AD: The Saxon Kings Octa and Eosa attacked Lindsey in northern Logres, but were defeated by King Uther and Duke Gorlois. Their army was destroyed and the knights were captured. The knights of Salisbury acquitted themselves well, and made a new friend: a Pictish mercenary called Galan. Following the fighting, the knights joined King Uther on a mission to the northern kingdom of Malahaut, where King Uther hoped to win further support from members of the Supreme Collegium to select him as the High King of Britain. The Pendragon was gravely wounded while hunting, and Galan thwarted an assassination attempt while he was recovering. The King assembled the Supreme Collegium at London that winter, but neglected his duties and promises after falling obsessively in love with Lady Igraine, the wife of Duke Gorlois. As a result, the Supreme Collegium disbanded in disgust, and King Uther lost the opportunity to unite Britain behind him.

491 AD: Disturbed by the King's obsession with his wife, Duke Gorlois quitted the court at London without permission and fled back to Cornwall. King Uther made war upon him. Duke Gorlois and Prince Madoc were slain in the siege of Castle Terrabil, while with the aid of Merlin, King Uther visited Lady Igraine in the guise of her dead husband and fathered a child on her. Following the news of the Duke's death, King Uther married Igraine. While the Pendragon was preoccupied in Cornwall, King Aelle of Sussex was reinforced by further Saxons from the continent and began to raid Silchester once again.

492 AD: Queen Igraine gave birth to a baby boy, who was taken by Merlin as part of his arrangement with King Uther. The knights of Salisbury split up for the year. Sir John attempted to find Merlin and the missing boy. Sidetracked by a rampaging giant, he failed to find Merlin but unknowingly encountered the missing heir. Sir Aaron and Galan travelled north and fought against deathless men and a cursed cauldron. Sir Aaron was slain and became one of the deathless men, but the cauldron was destroyed and the threat ended. Sir Alain mustered an army to take the fight to the Saxons, and captured the city of Magouns, but was unable to hold it. As a result of this unrest, the rule of King Uther continued to weaken across Logres.

493 AD: The knights of Salisbury traveled north to Malahaut to meet the Centurion King, and forge an alliance with him against the Saxons. They failed, and the Centurion King allied instead with the Saxons. This choice was unpopular and led to strife, during which the Centurion King was killed by Sir Owen. Sir John struck a deal with the notorious Duke Claudius the Blacksnake, offering Logres' aid in a coup in exchange for assistance against the Saxons. Meanwhile, Galan travelled north to fight the Eosa and his Saxons, who raided his hometown to retrieve the bones of Eosa's father Oisc. The Badger samhladh was destroyed, but the Saxons repelled - though they claimed their prize.

494 AD: Sir John and Sir Perin travelled west to Estregales to negotiate a possible alliance with King Canan. They only managed to ally with the hill-tribe of Ystrad Twi; the King himself was murdered before his court, and the country dissolved into civil war. Sir John confronted Merlin in his crystal cave about the fate of Uther's child and received a prophecy of the future. Meanwhile, the Steward of Levcomagus sent killers after the Earl of Salisbury. The attempt failed, the assassins were caught by Sir Owen and Galan, and Sir Owen defeated the Steward's champion in a duel to prove Levcomagus' guilt. Meanwhile, the armies of Octa and Eosa came south into Logres and ravaged the duchy of Lindsey, and King Uther was dying.

495 AD: King Uther lay dying in London, and so the Supreme Collegium assembled to debate who should become the next king. As they squabbled, the Saxon army conquered Saint Albans, just two days outside of London itself. A hastily assembled army was mustered, and King Uther, faced to this threat, recovered enough to smash the Saxons. Both Octa and Eosa perished, and their army was destroyed, but at the victory feast afterwards, a Saxon survivor poisoned the well, killing King Uther and the assembled nobility of Britain. With no king, no heir, and no Supreme Collegium, the kingdom dissolved into anarchy. The widowed Countess Ellen became regent for Salisbury until young Robert could come of age and be the new Earl.

496 AD:

Glory:
Aldrydd's great-uncle, Sir Gavyn (Deceased): 2700
Perin's grandfather, Sir Berel (Deceased): 2149
Alain's grandfather, Sir Elias (Deceased): 1367
John's grandfather, Sir Issac (Deceased): 1358
Meuric's grandfather (Deceased): 1287
Tinian's grandfather, Sir Brandiles (Deceased): 1205
Aldrydd's grandfather, Sir Alaistair (Deceased): 1203
Gaius's grandfather, Sir Peregrin (Deceased): 1140

Perin's father, Sir Driant (Deceased): 3640
Tinian's father, Sir Hectimere (Deceased): 2835
Aldrydd's uncle once removed, Sir Elan: 2710
Alain's father, Sir Pedivere (Deceased): 2071
John's father, Sir Thomas (Deceased): 1745
Gaius' father, Sir Meriadoc (Deceased): 1534
Aldrydd's uncle, Sir Phillip, younger brother of Sir Arthgog (Deceased): 1260
Meuric's father, Sir Vitgil (Deceased): 1238
Aldrydd's father, Sir Arthgog (Deceased): 1235

Sir John: 8302
Sir Alain: 6731
Sir Owen, second cousin of Sir Aldrydd and Sir Aaron: 3665
Sir Tinian (Deceased): 3438
Sir Galan: 3433
Sir Perin: 3121
Sir Aaron, younger cousin of Sir Aldrydd (Deceased?): 2917
Sir Aldrydd (Deceased): 2381
Sir Gaius (Deceased): 1666
Sir Sheppard: 1149
Sir Eleanor: 1135
Squire Meuric (Deceased): 123

Alain's illegitimate son, Roland: 7 years old (dead)
Alain's illegitimate daughter, Wynne: 9 years old
Alain's son, Alexander: 0 years old
Aldrydd's illegitimate son, James: 10 years old
Aldrydd's daughter, Lorraine: 1 years old (dead)
Galan's son, Galam: 0 years old
John's adopted son, Aurelian: 11 years old
John's illegitimate son, Dalan: 4 years old (dead)
John's daughter, Gwendolin: 0 years old (dead)
John's illegitimate daughter, Amelia: 1 years old
Perin's daughter, Idain: 1 years old
Perin's daughter, Tryamore: 1 years old
Perin's daughter, Caryn: 0 years old
Perin's son, Perit: 0 years old
Tinian's son, Tinian: 7 years old

Salisbury's Assets:
War Chest: 28 libra
Knights: 9*
Men-at-Arms: 10
Peasants: 5

_________________
"Ask every person if they've heard the story,
And tell them, loud and clear, if they have not:
That once there was a fleeting wisp of glory
Called Camelot.

Don't let it be forgot
That once there was a spot
For one brief shining moment
That was known as Camelot."

Vagon Castle, Salisbury, 484 AD

http://www.gspendragon.com/images/salisburysmallandrew.jpg

It is the month of August, and the sun's light peers through a soft bank of white cloud, giving dim illumination over the fertile fields of Salisbury. Word has come from the north only a short month ago of the terrible battles that King Uther has fought against the Saxon invaders, and the eyes of their widows are still reddened from tears. The weather is mild, and in the fields farmers sing as their scythes bring in the harvests of barley and rye, but behind all the eyes is fear. Only a few years have passed since the terrible Saxon scourge brought fire and death to the land of Salisbury. The Pendragon has defeated them for now, but his losses were great, and ever-increasing numbers of the Saxon longboats arrive from the mainland every day. It is only a matter of time before they return to Salisbury again...

In a field outside the walls of Vagon, a small group of men stand, sweating despite the mildness of the weather. Several squires and assistants stand around holding equipment, watching Sir Elad and his charges. Sir Elad, castellan of Vagon Castle and Marshal of the armies of the Earl of Salisbury is also in charge of watching the training of the best squires. Now, he is watching six young men who are to be knighted at the end of the year. Each of the squires wears chainmail armour and bears a simple wooden shield without ornament or decoration, and bears a heavy lance. At the other end of the field, a small wooden plate is attached to a tree. "Strike the plate with your lance," Sir Elad shouts out, his dark eyes gleaming over his majestic grey moustache, "and for God's sake don't fall off your horse this time!"


ooc: This is a simple skill test. Roll a 20 sided dice and compare the result to your Lance skill. If you roll less than your skill rating, you succeed. If you roll equal to your skill rating, you succeed critically. If you roll greater than your skill rating, you fail, and if you roll a 20, you critically fail (and fall off your horse). If your skill is 20+, the rules change slightly, but otherwise this is how every single test you roll will work. Generally, I'll get you to do your own rolling, except for combat (quicker and easier to run the whole thing here for that). I tend to post after about 24 hours have passed or at least three people have posted, whichever comes sooner.

_________________
"Ask every person if they've heard the story,
And tell them, loud and clear, if they have not:
That once there was a fleeting wisp of glory
Called Camelot.

Don't let it be forgot
That once there was a spot
For one brief shining moment
That was known as Camelot."

John looked at his fellow squires, all of whom milled around him on their horses, none seeming to want to be the first to go. With a wink to the young man closest to him, Meuric, he hefted his lance and took his place opposite the far target.

Waiting for Sir Elad's curt nod, John dug his spurs into the side of his horse, which leaped into a fast gallop across the field. Narrowing his eyes as the target came closer, John lifted his lance to strike. With a yell of dismay, the young squire cried in disappointment as the tip of his lance struck wide of the small target.

With a grin and a light shrug, the amicable young man laughed slightly at his fellows amusment, and trotted to the side to watch as they took their attempts.


OOC: 17. An auspicious start

_________________
'The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.'

With a whoop, Tinian set his heels to his own steed and sprang him into a gallop. He saw John's lance go wide of the mark and whooped again. Then, rising slightly in his saddle, he couched his own lance and thundered in upon the target. Tinian's aim was true, striking the target just slightly away from dead center.

Pleased with himself, he gleefully turned and rode back to the others waited. "Not quite perfect," he said jokingly.

OOC: rolled a 1, off to a fine start. Glad this RP uses roll under instead of roll over.

_________________
Never moon a werewolf.

OOC: Rolled a 12.

Stroking the neck of his horse, Alain leaned forward in his saddle, whispering a few choice words, before reassuringly stroking the neck of his horse again. Forsaking the use of spurs, Alain urged his horse forward, heaving his lance upright. Bearing down upon the target, Alain lashed out with his lance and struck.

Reigning in his horse's impetuous charge, "I have vanquished a most terrible foe, these paths shall once more be safe to tread!" proclaimed Alain as he turned and retook his place among the pack.

Sir Elad frowned at the squires as they galloped past him. They knew him well enough that they could see his displeasure at John's failure, Tinian's devil-may-care attitude, and Alain's flippant comment. Not an easy man to draw praise from, Sir Elad, and far quicker with criticism, although his sharp chiding was never undeserved. Today, however, Sir Elad was holding his waspish tongue and merely observing. He nodded at Tinian and Alain's success, and then gestured for the next of the squires to take their turn.

_________________
"Ask every person if they've heard the story,
And tell them, loud and clear, if they have not:
That once there was a fleeting wisp of glory
Called Camelot.

Don't let it be forgot
That once there was a spot
For one brief shining moment
That was known as Camelot."

Aldrydd is the next to go after the target. He digs his heels into the flanks of his steed and readies his lance, while focusing on the swiftly approaching target. When he reaches the target Aldrydd stikes out at the target with his lance and the tip of the weapon finds its mark. With a small smile upon his lips Aldrydd makes his way back to his fellow squires.

OOC: Rolled a 9

_________________
Cidracin Greyrider 12/14/3

After Aldrydd was done, Gaius lightly kicks the heels of his boots into his horse to start its trot towards the tree. While the horse is picking up speed, Gaius tries his best to align the lance to the wooden plate. Managing to keep his posture, his lance hits the plate a bit down from the centre which Gaius was aiming for. Even though it is a hit, Gaius reprimands himself inwardly for not aiming true. He turns his horse around and gallops back to the other squires.

_________________
"I am going to call my kids Ctrl, Alt and Delete. Then if they muck up i will just hit them all at once.

Last of the squires, Meuric kicked his charger into a gallop, and crouched his lance. At the last moment he straightened, and brought the tip of the lance to aim at the dead centre of the target. His aim was perfectly centred, and under the force of the lance, the wooden board snapped loudly and fell in two pieces to the grass.

"Well done, Meuric," Sir Elad admitted grudgingly. "Do that with a Saxon at the end of your spear and you'll do well."

"The rest of you, adequate! You can hit a stationary target - well, all save John, it seems! But in battle, the enemy won't be standing still, they'll be fighting back. Show me your mettle on the quintain, boys!"

The quintain was a long pole, with a second pole set atop it, in the shape of a T. The top bar swivelled. On one end was a shield, a target for your lances. On the other end was a heavy stone tied to a rope. When you hit the shield, the top pole would spin around and the heavy stone would strike you, unless your aim was perfect or you managed to dodge the rock. Otherwise, you would be struck heavily by it.

ooc: Roll Lance to hit the shield, and Dex to dodge the rock. If you get a critical on your Lance, you automatically dodge.

Edit: Forgot to mention also: under certain circumstances, you can add a tick to a skill, and then at the end of the year you get to test to see if you learnt something new. Getting a critical is one of those circumstances, and so Meuric may get a free increase to his Lance skill. The other way is by me saying that you can. This isn't the only way to increase your stats, but it's the best. We'll worry about the Winter Phase and how all this works when we get there.

_________________
"Ask every person if they've heard the story,
And tell them, loud and clear, if they have not:
That once there was a fleeting wisp of glory
Called Camelot.

Don't let it be forgot
That once there was a spot
For one brief shining moment
That was known as Camelot."

Aldrydd jumps to the front of the group of squires and begins aligning himself with the target. He sets his steed to a steadingly increasing gallop and raises his lance for his strike at the shield. Unfortuneately for Aldrydd his strike goes slightly wide missing the shield by no more than an inch. Aldrydd turns his horse around and returns to the group trying to avoid the gaze of Sir Elad and hide his own emmbarresment at his failure to even make contact with the shield.
edit-OOC:I rolled a 16

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Cidracin Greyrider 12/14/3

Alain frowned, before rousing his charger forth, bearing down upon the target. Decreasing acceleration, he snapped out a strike from his lance, hitting his mark. Instead of dodging himself however, he took the opportunity to showcase his superior horsemanship, sidestepping the incoming stone. As much as he wanted to doubt the necessity or even validity of such trivialities, the other squires were increasingly demonstrating a lack of even the basic of skills necessary to complete these tasks.

OOC: 10 for Lance, 8 for Dex.

Tinian tried to keep Sir Elad's reproving look and grudging approval in mind, but he couldn't resist kicking Bellerophon into a wild gallop again. It was full speed or nothing for him. As he approached the quintain he couched his lance once more and drove in on the target. Tinian shouted gleefully as his lance hit the target and he ducked low upon the charger's neck as the rock spun around, relieved to feel the wind as it passed above his head.

Riding back to the others he reined in next to Alain. "Two for two, eh Alain?" he said as quietly as possible, hoping that Sir Elad would not hear.

OOC: 5 for lance, 6 for dex

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Never moon a werewolf.

Alain quietly nodded to Tinian.

Gaius kicked his horse to gallop and he positioned himself and his lance as he sped towards the quintain at charge speed. His lance hit almost dead-centre and the shield went flying backwards and the stone on the other end of the top pole came likewise at full speed towards Gaius, much faster than he had anticipated. Gaius barely managed to dodge the incoming stone, almost losing his balance doing so, but he managed to straighten himself and turned his horse back towards the other squires. While he felt better that his aim was more true now, he also felt he should train even more if he was to become a better Knight.
"I wonder if my father faced these problems when he was my age" he thought, while he pulled up along Tinian.

OOC: 14 on Lance and 9 on Dex.

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"I am going to call my kids Ctrl, Alt and Delete. Then if they muck up i will just hit them all at once.

John watched, disgruntled, as the rest of his friends once more rode forth and bar one, Aldrydd, again succeeded in not only hitting the target, but also dodging the swinging rock.

Setting his shoulders, he launched his horse into a swift gallop. But, again, his lance failed to impact on the small target, clipping it instead with the pommel. As the heavy rock swung round, John was forced to lean violently to the side of his saddle to avoid it unhorsing him.

Turing his horse, he trotted back, avoiding the gazes of his smirking comrades.


OOC: Rolled 18 for lance, 2 for Dex. It goes from bad to worse

_________________
'The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.'

Meuric was again the last to charge; however, this time he did not demonstrate the great skill that he had done before, instead cleanly missing the target. Sir Elad clucked his tongue disapprovingly; while most of the squires had managed to hit the post, the quintain had proved far more difficult.

"Well done Gaius, Tinian, Alain; the rest of you, you can do better! Perhaps it is your control of your horses you need to work on. For your next task... d'ye see that apple tree there? Fetch me an apple from that tree, boys. Fastest wins. Go!"

ooc: I'll roll for this one.

_________________
"Ask every person if they've heard the story,
And tell them, loud and clear, if they have not:
That once there was a fleeting wisp of glory
Called Camelot.

Don't let it be forgot
That once there was a spot
For one brief shining moment
That was known as Camelot."

Alain allowed himself a smile, he was by far the best horseman here, or most anywhere else for that matter. Everyone knows of his talent as a rider, he had nothing to prove. The others however, had not been so successful in their trials so far, further failure was not necessary. Alain made ready, he would not insult his fellows openly by abstaining or making excuses for inaction, they would earn their win, at least in their minds if nowhere else.

Tinian grinned. He'd seen Alain ride before and knew that there was little chance of beating him, but Tinian was no slouch himself, and there was no reason not to dive into a challenge as far as he could see. You never know, he thought. If one of us gets the jump on Alain there's a chance we could win.

He lined up on Alain's left.

_________________
Never moon a werewolf.

Gaius sighed inwardly. His horsemanship was no great feat, but yet not bad either. "I will try not to be last" he thought to himself as he lined up next to Tinian. He would be in the middle which might prove to be a disadvantage. Gaius also remembered that he should perhaps give his horse a name. "Not a fond name though, in case my horse is killed from under me by some Saxon".

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"I am going to call my kids Ctrl, Alt and Delete. Then if they muck up i will just hit them all at once.

The horses thundered across the field towards the apple tree. Chunks of turf flew up under their pounding hooves. While the other squires knew that Alain was by far the most skilled horseman, on this day he steered his horse clumsily and wasoon overtaken. The first to the tree waMeuric, with Aldrydd and Gaius close behind him. They both reached up into the tree's boughs and plucked an apple from it, and then turned for the homeward stretch. The rhythmic pounding of their galloping filled their heads, as they crouched low over the horses' powerful bodies. In the homeward stretch, Gaius' horse overtook Aldrydd and rode neck and neck with Meuric for a time, before overtaking him as well. Thus it was Gaius who was the first to return to Sir Elad and present him with an apple. "Well done, Gaius," Sir Elad said, with a small smile, and bit into the apple with a crunch.


ooc: This was an example of a contested roll. The idea here is to roll as high as possible, without going over your Skill. There were two contested rolls, one for the leg there and one for the leg back, and I totaled them up. A failure counted as 0. The results for the first leg were Meuric, 13; Aldrydd, 9; Gaius, 9; Alain, 5; John, 5; Tinian, 4. The final results were: Gaius, 19 (9+10); Tinian, 18 (4+14); Meuric, 17 (13+4); Alain, 10 (5+5); Aldrydd, 9 (9+0 for failed roll), John, 6 (5+1).

_________________
"Ask every person if they've heard the story,
And tell them, loud and clear, if they have not:
That once there was a fleeting wisp of glory
Called Camelot.

Don't let it be forgot
That once there was a spot
For one brief shining moment
That was known as Camelot."

Gaius could not hide his smile, as he was surprised he had managed to win the race. He gives Sir Elad a short bow and says thanks and pats his horse gently. He trots his horse a bit away from Sir Elad so the others can give their apples and awaits further commands, all the while trying not to appear like gloating.

_________________
"I am going to call my kids Ctrl, Alt and Delete. Then if they muck up i will just hit them all at once.

John shook his head as he trodded back, again in last place. He swore slightly below his breath, wishing that the training would soon switch to one of the skills he was better at.

OOC: Oh, now I roll low...

_________________
'The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.'

Aldrydd hangs his head in dissapointment as Sir Elad takes a bite of Gauis's apple. In addition to his failure to win the race, his embarrising mistake at the quintain is still nagging him as Aldrydd is one of the best squires in the group with a lance and is very proud of it.

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Cidracin Greyrider 12/14/3

Sir Elad finished his apple with satisfaction, and then tossed the core to one side. The other apples all met various fates. "Men, come closer," the Marshall said, and waited for the squires to dismount. "We have need for your talents. I have a small task for you for the good of the county. The peasants have reported a man-eating bear in the woods near Imber. I have never heard of such a thing; it's probably a rabid dog. Even if it is a chipmunk, though, you must go and take care of it because they claim it is too dangerous for them to come and work the lord's fields." He shakes his head in rueful exasperation.

_________________
"Ask every person if they've heard the story,
And tell them, loud and clear, if they have not:
That once there was a fleeting wisp of glory
Called Camelot.

Don't let it be forgot
That once there was a spot
For one brief shining moment
That was known as Camelot."

Tinian clambered off the back of his lightly sweating charger, Bellerophon, impetuously and fantastically named in a pique of self-glory as Sir Elad called them over. Bellerophon had been flying on the way back from the tree, he'd almost caught even Gaius, coming up only a neck short. A few more strides and he'd have won, Tinian was sure. The thought of action, however trivial, brought a smile to his lips. "What are we waiting for?" he asked gleefully. "Let's go get this maneater!"

He vaulted cleanly back into his saddle. "Perhaps if it is a chipmunk, then John can skewer it," he teased lightly, without any malice at all. Tinian thus far had no quarrel with his fellow squires; they all seemed a good lot, and most of them were more skilled in some way or another than he, even if luck had been with him so far in training.

_________________
Never moon a werewolf.

Alain reined in to the rear of the group, he sincerely hoped his deceitful actions had gone unnoticed. Gaius certainly appreciated and savoured his victory, his joy gave Alain a measure of satisfaction. Having snuck a second apple, Alain rewarded his charger with a treat, whilst giving his attention to the Marshal.

"The over-abundant imagination of the peasantry aside, it is our responsibility to defend the realm from threats within and without, whatever that threat may be."

"Sir Elad don't you think that sending six of us after one bear is overkill, even if it turns out to be particualry vicious and large? Perhaps some of us could better serve the county somewhere else? Although I will fufill my duty to the realm, even if that duty is go bear hunting in the woods of Imber."

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Cidracin Greyrider 12/14/3

"It will be good practice for you all. But most of all, it is safer to travel together. If it turns out that this 'bear' is actually a band of Saxon bear-shirts warriors, six will stand you in much better stead than one. King Uther may have defeated them at Mount Damen, but their raiding parties will be out in force again soon enough..." Sir Elad's voice drifts off and his eyes go unfocused as he recalls the terrible devestation that the Saxons have wrought. It has only been a few years since they brought fire and death to Salisbury, raping and pillaging across the fertile plain. The thought of their inevitable return is a horrible spectre for everyone in Britain.

Sir Elad snaps his head upright again, and his eyes focus under bristling brows. "But first, we must determine which of you is to lead this merry chipmunk-hunt! Were you knights, then the one who had committed the most famous and praiseworthy deeds of arms would naturally be your leader, but as you're all squires, that won't work. Before you leave, I want everyone to joust until only one person is left. That person will act as leader for this hunt."

Sir Elad points at you to determine which squire will joust with which squire. The attendants bring up the blunted jousting spears, and you retire to the jousting yard, where the knights line up at opposite ends, on either side of a wooden barrier. Tinian will joust with Alain; Aldrydd will joust with Meuric; and Gaius will joust with John.

ooc: Jousting has a few more rules to it, but not much. Roll a d20 and compare it to your Lance skill. You want to get as high as possible, without going over your skill. Highest wins and gets a chance to knock the loser off their horse, which is the goal. You roll the d20s, I'll handle the rest.

_________________
"Ask every person if they've heard the story,
And tell them, loud and clear, if they have not:
That once there was a fleeting wisp of glory
Called Camelot.

Don't let it be forgot
That once there was a spot
For one brief shining moment
That was known as Camelot."

Aldrydd takes his blunted lance from the servant and rides down to the far end of the jousting yard. When he reaches the end of the court he brings his steed around and lines up on the opposite side of the wooden pole as Meuric. Before the start of the match Aldrydd takes time to salute his opponent to salute Meuric. After he finishes his salute Aldrydd begins to focus his mind for the upcoming contest trying to put the memory of his failure at the quintain out of his mind. With a shout from Sir Elad the match begins and Aldrydd sets his horse off into a powerful gallop. As the two riders approach each other around the middle of the pole Aldrydd levels his lance towards Meuric's evergrowing figure, his aim seeems true as the two riders are only a second away from impact.....
OOC I rolled an 11

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Cidracin Greyrider 12/14/3

John sighed. He knew the for a change, he was the best skilled to lead a group of men to battle, but it seemed he would be required to prove this. With a skill that had apparently abandoned him.

Still, he thought, the responsibility and honor of the lead should be earned, not gifted, so he shouldered his lance and took his place at the end of the joust square. He padded his charger on the side of his head before leaping into the charge.

OOC: Another damn lance test

rolled 13, so yet another failure...

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'The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.'