The Fall of Sir Cearbhall Kingshield

The great mage of the realm; Magden the Mad Magpie, along with Sir Cearbhall's old comrade in arms; Mongrel, Forte Ranger Captain who was stationed at Berwich, came to Sir Cearbhall's shack atop the icy glacier and dragged the drunken goat back into the world to aid them in seeking out the heir to the throne after King Edward's death. It was King Edward himself who had specifically requested Sir Cearbhall aid in this task. Not in control of any of his senses however, Sir Cearbhall believed that he was being taken to Edward's funeral to give a "beautiful eulogy".
 
Instead Sir Cearbhall and the rest of the company traveled to Rabbitown, an agricultural place populated exclusively by rabbits with two exceptions; Madgen himself, for his fabled tower was situated here, and a young, golden lion named Martin. Now this Martin as it turned out was the bastard son of King Edward and heir to the throne. King Edward had even named Martin as the Prince of Callic shortly before he died. Magden then revealed all to the group, who Martin was and what they were to set out to do; have Martin ascend to the throne, gather the magical relics of the realm so that the oncoming Other King could be defeated. Once Magden had explained the situation to all (Martin included for he was unaware of his heritage), the company headed out to the capital so that Martin could be officially presented at court and so they could perform in a tourney to begin their quest and attain their first relic; the fabled shield, Ardon.
 
When the company reached the capital they added one more member to the party; Takuma Yoshio, a sly, silver-tongued con-artist, with a heart caught between a mercenary scoundrel and a reckless daredevil. This young fox had just ran afoul of a group of peasants he was trying to peddle his false wares to when Magden decided to offer him a deal to join the party in aiding Martin. Not wanting to be lynched, Takuma reluctantly agreed and lent himself, his pet bull Amber and his cart full of ‘fantastical wares’ to the service of Magden and Martin.
 
After Magden had lead the party to the throne room so that Martin could be officially presented, the company departed for the tourney grounds to begin the competition for Ardon; a sacred relic of Forte and a symbol of the King, one that was vitally necessary for anyone who wished to succeed Edward to the throne. Martin would lead his troupe in his bid to win his father’s shield. Arthur Duke of Ascalon, a less impressive looking lion than Martin and brother to the Queen, lead his own bid as too did the Lord Marshall, a goliath of a rhino who was commander of all the armies in Forte. Lastly there was Sir Gregory Baraton, a large bear who was the head of the Brotherhood of the Martyr, a five hundred year old knightly order.
 
Martin’s company was by far the smallest as it consisted merely of himself, the newly recruited Takuma and of course Sir Cearbhall. Additions were made however as two King Shield’s honoured the young Prince with their allegiance, one was Sir Hnery Galbraith; Lord Commander of the King Shield’s. Also, upon receiving word of his return, Sir Cearbhall’s faithful Four Stewards arrived to support them. The last remaining soldiers of Sir Cearbhall’s company from the war, Sir Cotswald Longstripe, Sir Townshend Swiftclaw, Dame Sally Thunderblow and Dame Liana Stormrider rallied round their old leader and did their best to prepare Sir Cearbhall, Sir Cotswald went as far as to withhold Sir Nikolai from the drunk old goat.
 
Sir Cearbhall was set to fight in the melee, the first event of the tourney, against Dame Catherine Duchar, a member of Duke Arthur’s team. See Sir Cearbhall’s sigil raised onto the display alongside the Prince of Callic’s caused quite a stir amongst the crowd and there was much anticipation and excitement for the buildup of Sir Cearbhall’s return. There doubts amongst his own team however as to whether or not the old goat would make it to the fight but Sir Cotswald assured them he would and sure enough the legend did return, if only for a fleeting moment.
 
The last call had been made and there were rumblings amidst the crowd that Sir Cearbhall would not make it and would therefore have to forfeit. Suddenly the trumpets sounded out as Sir Cearbhall strode into the ring clad in full plate mail, a cape made from his banner flowed through the wind, sword and shield firmly clasped in hand, though the blade was not Foe Slayer. Nevertheless, within a mere three blows Dame Catherine lay unconscious on the floor and Sir Cearbhall strode out of the ring as nonchalantly as he had entered. The crowd erupted, the Kingshield was back and perhaps the claims of this out of the blue Prince were legitimate after all to have such a legend perform so authoritatively for him.
 
Martin and his team were in the lead after the melee as they swept aside all opposition and things would only get better for both him and Sir Cearbhall. The next event was a test of strategy where all four teams would take to the field and try to capture the others’ forts whilst protecting their own. With Sir Henry and Sir Cearbhall at his side, Martin was able to come up with a series of brilliant strategies that lead to a landslide victory. Sir Cearbhall led the main force against the other teams, fighting in unison with the Four Stewards. It was a master class display of teamwork as the five of them tore through the enemy, capturing many of them. The most impressive display however came from young Martin himself as the final engagement of the round saw him duel the Lord Marshall. The crowd looked on with baited breath, unsure of how it would go but most reckoned that the rhino would be the victor. But to everyone’s amazement it was the young lion whom emerged the victor as he wrestled the rhino into the mud, using the brute’s own weight against him. This all but cemented Martin’s victory at the tourney and his legitimacy as heir to the throne.
 
There was only one event left, the joust, the main attraction, but the night before a large banquet was held for those who were doing well to revel in their glory and for those who weren’t to drown their sorrows. It was at this party that Sir Cearbhall learned from his faithful companions what exactly the consequences of his exile had been. As the official Vassal of Stophord was no longer in residence or performing official duties there had been a series of heavy taxes levied on the hold, causing it to decline and all that Sir Cearbhall had built and achieved in his glorious youth was crumbling away. The Four Stewards had done all that they could to hold things together but without Sir Cearbhall’s presence it was a losing battle.
 
Deeply shocked and saddened by this news, for he truly did not know, Sir Cearbhall could only do what he had conditioned himself to do and, after a few days sober, returned to his drink. Whilst intoxicated, Sir Cearbhall had the brilliant idea to confront the Queen about the taxes imposed on his people. Naturally this would not have gone the way Sir Cearbhall had envisioned and it was Martin who stepped in and dragged Sir Cearbhall out of the banquet hall, though the young Prince did not know what he was really doing, he merely sought to remove a drunk before that drunk disgraced and embarrassed not only himself but any who associated with him.
 
The next day came the joust but Sir Cearbhall was still firmly fixed in his stupor and it is still debated today as to whether or not he was unseated from his bull by the lance of his opponent or his drunkenness. The joust in the end was null and void however as a bizarre turn of events occurred when a piece of the ground disappeared underneath the hoof of Duke Arthur’s bull as he charged against Martin. The phenomenon was credited to a strange mage who was viewing the joust from atop the terraces.
 
Martin won his father’s shield and in no small part thanks to Sir Cearbhall but the old legends good deeds were once again overshadowed by his disgraceful public display and so his name and image continued to be marred.
 
With the first objective of the quest complete, Magden readied the company of Martin, Sir Cearbhall and Takuma to leave the capital and head to the port city of Ascalin to sail across to Akanowa. Along the way, the party stopped off in Stophord for a few days. Seeing his old home in its current decaying form compared to the golden memories Sir Cearbhall held, the old goat’s heart sank even further. He endured a painful encounter with Alfie’s parents, still grieving and still angry at Sir Cearbhall for leading their son to his death and then abandoning his hold. Sir Cearbhall sought to rectify his mistakes and so wrote to the Chancellor, who was his Liege Lord, stating that he officially stepped down from the position of Vassal of Stophord and named Sir Cotswald as his successor, to continuing ruling with the help of the other three of the four. This was so the hold would have a lord in place meaning that the heavy taxes would cease and the land could once again be restored to its former glory. Sir Cearbhall also drew up a will stating that in the event of his death his possessions, like his armour and sword, were to be sold and the money given to his estranged wife.
 
Believing that all affairs were in order, the company readied to continue on but before they departed the Four Stewards came to Sir Cearbhall and presented him with a chest that contained a new suit of armour, just like his old one. They also gave their former lord a set of practice swords and shields and a strategy board so that he may fulfill his duty to help Martin by training him.
 
Shortly after the party had reached Ascalin, they were marked by a group of thugs and Takuma was capture and tortured, revealing to these petty bandits who everyone was and what their quest was. This did not prevent the young fox’s new allies from coming to rescue him as Martin, Magden and Sir Cearbhall burst in and engaged the cutthroats. Sir Cearbhall’s form however was the poorest as he clumsily swung his huge scythe around indoors, to no effect. In the end all Sir Cearbhall could do was headbutt and eventually impale on his horn the particular brigand he was fighting. That evening whilst the company were all resting in their small, shared room, the silence was shattered by the sound of Sir Cearbhall smashing his scythe into the wall just above Takuma’s head. Spectres of the past haunted Sir Cearbhall’s nightmares and in a fit of madness, the old goat believed Takuma to be an assassin sent to kill King Edward. Martin took that role in the physical. The stress of having to return to Akanowa, a place of much misery for Sir Cearbhall, was clearly getting to him.
 
A similar incident happened whilst they voyaging on the ship. At the mere mention of the Simians and their battle masks, Sir Cearbhall flew into a frenzy again and once more sought the slice poor Takuma in two. The terrified fox had to nimble and quick of thought yet again, this time he leapt from the ship and into the sea, believing the waves were a lesser threat than the enraged goat.
 
Sir Cearbhall did seem to calm down once they landed however and soon the party was off on the road out of Jian and heading for the Akanowan capital and seat of the Shogun, Tsoana. But as they were setting off, the company received word that the Shogun was in fact at the old fort town of Berwich. Along with a large force and accompanied by many of her lords, the Shogun was fighting to repel a grand Simian raid. It was not enough to call it an invasion but the Simians did outnumber the Akanowans. Eager to aid the Shogun, Martin led the party on though Sir Cearbhall had earlier made his desires to revisit Berwich known.
 
On the road to Berwich, Sir Cearbhall seemed full of quiet determination as he vigorously trained with Martin, doing his utmost to prepare the both of them for the coming conflict. Soon enough, the company reach the north coast and set about searching for the Shogun but instead found the enemy first. A small clutch of mercenaries who raiding a farming village engaged the party but were quickly dispatched. Sir Cearbhall brutally executed one of the mercenaries in front of Martin as their philosophies clashed; Sir Cearbhall adamant that, in battle, you had to kill every enemy in front of you, Martin believed exactly the opposite; that where didn’t have to, you shouldn’t kill.
 
As more mercenaries flooded into the village, the company was soon surrounded and their doom looked inevitable. Suddenly horns rang out as thundering cavalry charged rammed into the mercenary horde, ravaging their numbers. It was the Shogun herself who had led this charge and drove the remaining mercenaries back. Keen to discover the purpose of this rather odd looking band, the Shogun questioned them thoroughly but eventually brought the company to her camp upon discovering their identities and purpose.
 
The company stayed with the Shogun and her accompanying Lords as they devised a battle plan to defeat the coming Simian raid. Sir Cearbhall was instrumental in this as he suggested the very same strategy that had won King Edward the war; leave a skeleton force in Berwich, have small battalions stationed at each of the Simian landing spots and then have the main bulk of the forces roam from fight to fight, defeating the enemy whilst adding those smaller forces along the way. The Shogun and her Lords agreed to this, believing it to be the best strategy, it was a proven tactic after all. This plan sat very favourably with one Lord Lei Bei, a great panda and one of several lords who were displeased with the Shoguns ancestral lineage. These lords hoped that the Shogun would fall in battle so that one of them could replace her.
 
When the morn of the battle came, Sir Cearbhall was assigned to the Shogun’s company whilst the others in the group joined with Lei Bei’s contingent. The Shogun would naturally lead the driving force; Lei Bei was stationed at the most westerly landing point. The battle was rather mixed as Lei Bei did not make much of a commander but young Martin really came into his own as he stepped up and lead the Akanowan troops on, defeating the Simians at their post. For the Shogun however, things did not go well. Despite a promising start, her forces were soon overwhelmed and they began to be surrounded. Sir Cearbhall himself performed poorly, nearly being killed by a mere grunt as he was knocked off his bull. Feeling the need for some liquid courage, Sir Cearbhall consumed so much vodka that he fell unconscious, his body having to be dragged back into the Shogun’s ranks.
 
The perfect scenario for Lei Bei was playing out as he ignored the Shogun’s signals to send aid but once again it was the young Martin who stepped up. He rallied Lei Bei’s troops to follow him and with Ardon raided above his head, shielding and inspiring his men, Martin charged through the Simian ranks and carved his way to the Shogun, miraculously not taking a single life himself.
 
Before Martin came however, Sir Cearbhall regained consciousness and was met with a terrible sight seeing his allies surrounded and dying. Then a large, familiar and horrifying figure honed into Sir Cearbhall’s view. Adorned in shining silver armour and brandishing a huge war axe, the Simian Commander from Berwich, The Survivour, marched towards Sir Cearbhall, vengeance burning in his eyes. Initially paralyzed with fear as his trauma washed over him, Sir Cearbhall could do naught but turn and run but the old goat was not fast enough. The Survivor plunged his axe right into the back of Sir Cearbhall, shattering his spine and bringing him to the edge of death. The hearts of the Shogun and her men sank at the sight and their morale was almost as shattered as Sir Cearbhall himself.
 
It was at this moment the Martin arrived with reinforcements, drove the remaining Simians off and even defeated The Survivour in a duel, sparing his life and sending him running away with his tail between his legs. The young lion had outright succeeded where his mentor had so spectacularly failed. It was Martin who had won the day and saved the Shoguns life.
 
For the next few weeks, Sir Cearbhall lay in his hospital bed, tormented by visions and dreams as he slipped in and out of consciousness. Time was moving on and the company had to as well. With heavy hearts, Martin and Takuma discussed their plans with Sir Cearbhall to leave him in Berwich whilst they searched for the next relic, Martin even suggesting that Sir Cearbhall should return to Forte once he was able to travel. Such abandonment by his companions proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back as Sir Cearbhall’s depression completely consumed him. One evening, Sir Cearbhall struggled out of his bed and using his scythe as a crutch made his way up to the battlements via the darkest backstreets. There atop the ramparts, Sir Cearbhall collapsed to his knees, drew a dagger and performed hara-kiri. Only he failed in killing himself and only inflicted a small stab wound. So weakened was Sir Cearbhall that he no longer even had the strength to end his life in a noble and honourable fashion.
 
Truly the great legend and great man that was Sir Cearbhall Kingshield was dead.