Year 483: The Things We Do for Love

General Summary

For the prior session, see Year 482: The Magician King. For the following session, see Year 484: A Good Team.

"Sir Jarren of Burcombe, I challenge you to a duel!" - Sir Artaire of Idmiston

In early 483 in Salisbury, the prisoner from the attack on Allington kills himself with a chirurgeon's scalpel.
Months later at Winterbourne Stoke, Lady Arianwen tells her son Sir Amlyn that she has eloped with the local British Christian monk Teacher Brugyn, whom she works alongside as an almoner. Sir Amlyn is upset by this news, so Lady Arianwen encourages Sir Amlyn to take his new stepfather to Sarum so the two can bond. At Idmiston, construction is complete on the new knight's hall, and Sir Artaire declares the start of an annual local festival in celebration. Lady Adwen travels to Idmiston to admire the new hall, and the two decide to ride back to Sarum together. Meanwhile, in the manor at Shrewton, Sir Gwyn anxiously awaits the news as Lady Illy gives birth. He is greeted with two healthy twin male heirs, Jesse and Jordan, but has little time to celebrate as he is promptly summoned to Sarum Castle to speak with Earl Roderick of Salisbury.
In Sarum, Sir Gwyn announces the birth of his sons and Earl Roderick congratulates him, but warns him that there are rumours of local knights that aren't very happy with his marriage to a Pict and offers to let him stay at Sarum Castle. Sir Gwyn decides to hire several guards and sends them back to defend Shrewton. Meanwhile, Sir Amlyn and Teacher Brugyn are attempting to haggle for a new horse to replace Sir Amlyn's dead charger, while Sir Artaire embarrasses Lady Adwen with an expensive feast in an attempt to impress her. Earl Roderick asks the knights to accompany him to the Castle at the Slippery Ford in Lonazep, where the Easter Court will be held. Earl Roderick gathers an impressive array of gifts and announces that he intends to ask King Uther Pendragon for his ward Lady Ellen's hand in marriage.
On the journey to Lonazep, the earl's party is suddenly ambushed by a curious mix of Saxons and knights. The travelers kill many of their attackers and force the others to flee, knowing the punishment for attacking an earl is death, but the marshal Sir Elad of Vagon is gravely wounded in the battle. Sir Amlyn tries desperately to apply first aid, but the elderly knight dies from his injuries. Earl Roderick tearfully says that he saw Sir Elad get struck down by a man riding a black horse - the same man who attacked Allington years before. Sir Artaire falls into a deep depression.
Unable to turn back, the party continues on their sombre journey. At the Castle at the Slippery Ford, the king is presented with the gifts and remarks upon the poor condition that the party arrived in. As Earl Roderick explains their attack to King Uther, Sir Amlyn tries to convince Padern the Knee to fight Teacher Brugyn while Sir Artaire finds someone to vent his problems to, settling on the royal pincerna and royal cupbearer Sir Gaudifier. Too busy to talk, Sir Gaudifier calls over his wife Lady Harley, and the knights lift their spirits by chatting with their old friends Lady Harley, Lady Anne and Lady Marigold about various topics, including the married Lady Rhianneth flirting with Prince Madoc, the alleged relationship between King Uther and Dowager Baroness Pomponia of Clareia, and Lady Marigold's marriage eligibility.
Hearing the royal herald announce the arrival of Sir Blains of Levcomagus, attending court with the intention of marrying Lady Ellen, the knights immediately recognize him as the knight on the black horse. They confront the knight but he smugly denies all the allegations. Unable to prove anything, they convince the ladies to spread the news throughout the court that Sir Blains is a murderer.
During the royal announcements, Sir Amlyn starts to quietly question King Uther's leadership when he announces that Dowager Baroness Pomponia's vassal knight Sir Marvis de Revel would gain custody of the king's young ward Lucius, and that the toddler would be immediately knighted and granted the title of duke of the Saxon Shore with the baroness serving as acting duchess until he comes of age. Lady Harley whispers to Sir Artaire that she heard the baroness paid the king a large amount of money for this exchange. During the announcements, Prince Madoc slips away to the gardens and Lady Rhianneth follows. The king further decrees that his second ward Lady Ellen would be free to marry whomever she chooses. As her father Baron Gwylon died in the Battle of Salisbury defending the land of Earl Roderick, Lady Ellen decides that marrying the earl is what she thinks he would have wanted. Sir Blains storms off in disgust and Sir Artaire trips him.
As Sir Artaire sneaks off and secretly watches Prince Madoc and Lady Rhianneth flirt in the gardens, Sir Amlyn and Sir Gwyn notice Lady Rhianneth's husband Sir Martinus angrily heading towards the gardens and choose not to intervene. Sir Martinus attacks the prince, who draws his weapon just in time, and is stopped by the King's Guard. He demands a duel the following morning and the prince accepts. Sir Artaire offers his services as a champion, but the prince refuses. Upon seeing the scared Lady Adwen huddled up against his romantic rival Sir Jarren of Burcombe, Sir Artaire's depression explodes into anger and he challenges Sir Jarren to a duel immediately following the prince's. Sir Jarren accepts, declaring the winner the one who will marry Lady Adwen.
The following morning, the first duel begins. Sir Martinus angrily slashes at Prince Madoc, splitting his shield and knocking him to the ground, but ultimately the prince slays his foe. Lady Rhianneth does not appear to be upset by this outcome. In the second duel, Sir Artaire and Sir Jarren lands many blows on one another, with each hit glancing off their armour. Finally, Sir Artaire nicks Sir Jarren as the elder knight slashes deeply into Sir Artaire's shoulder. As it was a duel until first blood, the knights look to Lady Adwen to declare a victor in the case of a tie. Though she admits her heart lies with Sir Artaire, she declares Sir Jarren the winner.
After weeks of travel and months of medical attention for Sir Artaire's wounded shoulder, the knights gather at Amesbury Abbey in Salisbury for the wedding of Earl Roderick and the new Countess Ellen. The feast following the wedding is a great success, with the king drunkenly challenging Sir Amlyn, Sir Artaire and Sir Gwyn to a dancing competition. Despite Teacher Brugyn embarrassing him, Sir Amlyn flirts with many passing servants, while Sir Artaire has a miserable night of mishaps. After a series of impressive and exaggerated stories of his valour, Sir Gwyn finds the hidden bean in his cake and is crowned the King of the Bean, with the guests cheering every time he takes a drink. Earl Roderick drunkenly declares Sir Gwyn the new banneret of Oxenwood, upsetting Lady Adwen as the young knight is granted her childhood home.
As Sir Artaire prepares to leave the feast, the earl pulls him aside and asks him if he would like an arranged marriage with Countess Ellen's lady-in-waiting Lady Gwiona, as his romance with Lady Adwen is clearly not working out. Sir Artaire thinks about it. As Sir Gwyn returns to Shrewton, he finds that his hired mercenaries were attacked by knights intending to burn down the manor. Sir Gwyn decides to move into Oxenwood at once. The next morning, Sir Amlyn wakes up in Winterbourne Stoke and discovers that his wife Lady Elaine did not return from the wedding feast, and suspects she ran off with another man.
That winter, knights from Somerset begin to attack western Salisbury, refusing to acknowledge the disputed territory from the Invasion of Somerset as part of Logres. Countess Ellen announces that she is pregnant with Earl Roderick's baby and Lady Illy reveals that she too is pregnant again. Sir Jarren and Lady Adwen get married, and Lady Adwen moves into Burcombe as Sir Jarren is also promoted to banneret. Sir Artaire receives word from Wuerensis that his sister Lady Viver of Lighthorne has gotten married as well.

Rewards Granted

Sir Gwyn was promoted to banneret knight and granted new land.

Report Date

27 Sep 2019

Primary Location

Castle at the Slippery Ford

Secondary Location

Sarum Castle