Session 3: Walk about Report

General Summary

Sir Silus IV of Tisbury; Sir Cernunnos ; Sir George; Sir Avery  

In the Year of our lord 486

 

Court

  Court is held at Windsor.

Special Guests

Praetor Syagrius of Soissons Merlin - the Magician

Gossip

“But isn’t it terrible about Maldon and Colchester! My ma has three cousins living with her now! Those horrible savages! Oh, it’s the end of Britain, I say. I am praying every day that King Uther strikes every one of them dead!” “Listen, darlings, it’s everywhere. My last lover, that monk, told me that the vile Franks are even worse! They’ve overrun the last Roman outpost in Gaul. The barbarians are everywhere.” “And who can be surprised? Since the Great City of Rome fell, everything there has been dismal. Maybe it’s the end of the world.” “But aren’t you afraid that they’re coming here? Those savages are probably marching here right now!” “We have nothing to worry about. When I was chambers,kitchen had his usual plate of food out there. He’s looking a little wan and tired.” “Well, I’ll say you would, too, if you had to sleep for six months without eating! Like a bloody bear, he is!”

News

Madoc ap Uther : “It’s time for revenge. I’m going to take a force and harry those Saxons around Colchester. Most of them are scattered in bands now, and we should be able to kill a lot of them before they even know we’re there. I’ll be leading knights to go raiding.”  

Royal Conversation

“The notable and infamous barbarian King Claudas of the Franks King Claudas of the Franks has conquered Soissons, the last Roman outpost in Western Europe. The good Praetor Syagrius of Soissons has come here to ask us for our help to recover his lands. We are considering it. Please give him all kindness and hospitality, just as if he were a Briton.”

Intrigue

“Syagrius is offering half the treasury of the Frankish king to Uther if the army can take Paris, but Uther doesn’t want to spend a long time on the continent. The king is worried about his own land, and having those reluctant vassals is no help.”  

Adventure: SWORD LAKE Garrison duty:

As usual, the player knights report to Sarum to do their duty to Earl Roderick. They are excited about going raiding in Colchester area. Instead, Roderick puts them on garrison duty. How disappointing! The knights and squires prepare for their duty. The start out from Sarum and head due south down thru Bare Hill turning southwest toward Church Ford. Northwest to Spearshaft. Traveled through Mere and on to Wood house. North to Wereside and on to West Fort. Here near the Forest of Glamour, Along the way the group of knights meet an old man dressed in tattered goatskins who asks a favor of them. He says that his cherished old goat has wandered away up a nearby hill; as he is too old and weak to climb up after it, will the good knights? The old man claims to be a peasant of the earl, and says he used to serve the earl at court as a goatherd. They decide to help the old man, they ascend the hill. They ride; the hillside is not too steep or treacherous. At the top lie some old ruins, not much more than a 3-foot-tall foundation ". ABillycud and watches them approach about 40 yards away. They slowly move toward the Ram, when they are close, strange, tangled woods to the west.The knights chase it, they enter into an area with scattered trees and heavy brush. The foliage is not so dense, but the goat still outdistances them easily. Sir Silus IV of Tisbury charges forward on his riding stead pushing hard to catch the Ram. It slips into some brush, lost for a moment from sight, Sir Silus pulls back and looks to his fellow knights who laugh at his missing the goat. Then suddenly they hear the goat cries out loudly, as if in pain. At that moment a smallish (well as far as Giants go!fliesSir George greets the giant, in a friendly tone. he waves his hand. The giant not being a very intelligent creature, roars and picks a small boulder from the ground and hurls it at Sir George. It Hits Sir George squarely only his great strength kept him from being injured. With a mighty crash and sparks the boulder bounces off his shield. The other knights immediately arm themself and charge the Giant. The Giant Screams in anger as an arrow sink into the hide of the giant. Sir Cernunnos looks on with the other knights and Sir George charges the Giant with a shout and his lance. The lance scores a direct hit driving his lance straight through the beast! Blood gushes forth from the Giant in a spray of gore. Sir Silus Charges forward with his lance and finishes the job in short order. Both knights are covered the green blood of the giant, as the ohter move forward, dismount to inspect. Sir Avery tells the others that this giant is a fairy creature and with that the body begins to melt away, leaving nothing but some stones and dirty goat skins.   The old man who had given them the request to retrieve the goat and who they had left down in the valley near the path can be heard from the hillside behind them, laughing and recognizes Merlin next says, “You will do. Come Timeaskssays, “Silence, please. I need guards against monsters, not inquisitors.” at this they all follow in silence. After a relatively short walk, Sir Avery is aware that the forest ahead is shining rather starngely, a glow of blue or green light. He also notices that the others do not notice the aura. He tells the others about the forest. Suddenly Merlin stops and turns to the knights, “Leave your horses here with your squires,” orders Merlin. He makes a couple of magical gestures and, holding loseimmediately Merlin halts and points with his staff, saying, “There! Protect me now, good knights, for the sake of your king and your lives!” Out of the brush rides a man with two swords riding on a horse, but both the man and horse are the same slimy dark green color. The steed seems impossibly nimble amidst the trees, charging forward where the knights’ mounts would most certainly barely be able to walk. The green man looks at the knights, bellows once, and charges at them! “Do your job now, knights!” says Merlin. they all turn and look towards him they see that he is striding off towards a small empty barge on the lakeside, not even looking back. "Where are you going old man!" shouts Sir George, but merlin says nothing. Darkness rolls over the group like a fog. As this strange man charges forward, he sprouts new arms out of his body and snaps off large branches as weapons. Sir Cernunnos fires an arrow and hits the man in the throat. He doesn't ever slow. The knights brace themself for the charging man and make a wall of steel. The stranger slams into the group but seems to be trying to get to Merlin and does not attack. The knights do not wait for him, they cut into him with all their strength. Sir Cernunnos cut one of the strangers arm off and a green mist sprays from his torso, that was his weapon arm. Sir Avery moves in and stabs the horse part of the creature, and a green goo sprays out, but he didn't see the weapon arm swing down on him and smashes into his head nearly knocking his helmet off and crashes into his shoulder, Sir Avery falls to the ground crying out in pain. Sir George cuts deep into one of the legs holding this creature up, the stranger swings down on him but misses. Sir Silus stabs for the heart of the creature, the sword drives into the creature's breast. He receives a hit on his shoulder, but it is a mere scratch. Sir Cernunnos attacks another arm but misses. The creature immediately grows a arm and strikes at him only to miss. Sir Avery though he is gravely wounded pulls his sword from the creature and drives it again in to this vile beast! The creature responds with a death blow but misses by inches. Sir George slashes his sword across the beasts cutting side to side, a wound that is forearm deep. Sir Silus hacks the center of the creature and nearly cuts it in half, separating the top half from the bottom half. With that the creature falls to the ground. "What in Gods name is this thing!" shouts Sir George as he stabs the remains. "Nukalavee..." croaks Sir Avery as he falls to the ground groaning from the pain. "Its not a man at all...both man and mount are a single creature." Sir George says still poking it with his sword. Sir Cernunnos moves to Sir Avery and pulls some bandages to stop the bleeding. As Sir George watches the creature begins to slowly melt away. A disgusting pile of green slime leaks form the body of the creature, the slime looking like the algae, one would find on a pond. Sir Silus notices Merlin is gone and has left them behind and tells the group just that. They follow his tracks down to the water.   midst of a small lake, atop of which swirls a low fog moved by silent breezes. An arm reaches up out of the water, clutching a beautiful sword that gleams in the light. Merlin’s low murmurs can be heard across the water as he crouches and takes it reverently in both hands. The arm disappears underwater, Merlin stands, and the boat, of its own accord, moves solemnly to the shore. seems “Well done, knights,” he says. “Britain is in your debt. Let us go now.” He sets off on a vigorous walk through the woods again, He heals Sir Avery and the other knights with a blessing. The knights follow the old wizard to where the horses and squires await. The Squires seemed amazed, "but Sire, you only left us seconds ago." the squares seem very confused but happy to see their masters. They all notice that Merlin is gone, and they immediately travel home. They come across 8 bandits, capture 2, kill 5. One somehow escapes.   Afterward, the knights ought to report this whole adventure to Sir Roderick the Earl of Salisbury, who is at first surprised that they met Merlin, and who then marvels at what has occurred. He inquires for details, but the knights can report only what they know. The earl praises them highly, orders a feast, and gives them a place towards the front of the room.