Year 493: Uther's Shame

General Summary

For the prior session, see Year 492: High Treason. For the following session, see Year 494: Ambassadors.

"Mercy..." - King Uther Pendragon

In the Caledonian kingdom of Lothian, King Lot and Queen Margawse welcome a son, Prince Gawain.
As rumours of Merlin the Magician and Sir Amlyn of Winterbourne Stoke kidnapping the son of King Uther Pendragon and Queen Ygraine spread throughout Britain, Sir Amlyn's mother Lady Arianwen dies at Winterbourne Stoke from the stress and heartache. Her husband Teacher Brugyn, feeling he must stand up as the head of the household, arrives at Sir Amlyn's ancestral home of Appleton Thorn and informs Sir Amlyn's older brother Sir Ioan of the death of his estranged mother. At Teacher Brugyn's request, Sir Ioan leaves Cheshire and heads to Salisbury to manage Winterbourne Stoke while the monk stays to watch Appleton Thorn.
Lady Viver of Lighthorne discovers she is pregnant with the child of a courtesan, and returns to her husband's manor of Blackdown to pass the child off as Sir Bellangere's. At Lighthorne, Lady Viver's cousin and acting lord Sir Rhyladd learns that Lady Viver has left her deceased brother's manor in Idmiston and sends his son, a newly knighted half-Roman bastard from Caerwent named Sir Valerius, to manage the estate in her place. Before he leaves to Salisbury, Sir Rhyladd's stepmother and mistress Lady Briant asks Sir Valerius to deliver a letter to her sister Lady Elidia, who serves as a lady-in-waiting for Countess Ellen of Salisbury.
Meanwhile, at a feast celebrating the marriage of Sir Penwyn of Oxenwood and Lady Aoife, Sir Penwyn's self-professed rival King Syagrius of Soissons arrives and challenges the knight to a duel. Sir Penwyn refuses and asks the exiled king to leave, and the king simply reschedules the duel to King Uther's court later that year.
Earl Roderick of Salisbury summons all acting knights in the county to Sarum Castle and informs them that the following year, King Uther has given Salisbury the dangerous task of making a last attempt at brokering peace with the Centurion King of Malahaut before the kingdoms go to war. Sir Ioan, not sworn to Earl Roderick, debates whether or not he cares enough to go. After privately unsuccessfully attempting to read it and eavesdrop, Sir Valerius reluctantly gives Lady Elidia the letter and flirts with her.
The knights attend King Uther's court at Silchester Castle in Silchester, the home of Duke Ulfius of the Vale. During a conversation with Lady Marigold, Sir Penwyn learns that the Frankish usurper of the former region of Gaul, King Claudas of Francia, is being pressed to uphold his promise to convert to British Christianity. Sir Ioan declares that he respects a man who stays true to his word, and Sir Penwyn silently decides that he doesn't like Sir Ioan. After trying to awkward flirt with the married Lady Tansy, Sir Valerius seeks out the castle's lord Duke Ulfius, who is entertaining his son Uffo. The duke mentions that he is busy preparing the kingdom for the upcoming battle against Malahaut.
During royal announcements, to the annoyance of Father Dewi, King Uther announces that Lady Nineve of the Ladies of the Lake will replace Merlin as his magical council. Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, King Pellinore de Galis arrives. King Uther requests that the Cambrian king returns to his lands and he agrees, but promises that this doesn't mean he will give up his hunt for the Questing Beast. A guard from Londinium announces that the Saxon prisoners Cyning Octa of Nohaut and Cyning Eosa of Deira have escaped back to their lands, and treachery is suspected. With this new information, King Uther orders Earl Roderick to secure an alliance with Malahaut as soon as he returns to Salisbury rather than wait a year.
A prisoner is brought in to face the king's justice, and Sir Ioan recognizes him as Sir Argan ap Maelgad - the legendary duelist that Sir Amlyn had fought years before as Sir Hubert's champion. Sir Argan is accused of murdering his wife Lady Dyagenne, and Sir Argan admits it and angrily accuses the king of cuckolding him, to the disappointment of Queen Ygraine. He requests that his trial be settled in a duel to the death, and the proud King Uther agrees. Many knights, including Sir Valerius, offer themselves as King Uther's champion, but the king intends to fight alone.
The next day, Sir Penwyn and King Syagrius duel until first blood, and Sir Penwyn narrowly defeats the Gallic king. He promises that their rivalry is not over and leaves the court. Sir Argan and King Uther duel next, and King Uther injures Sir Argan deeply. Sir Argan then impales King Uther, causing the king to beg for mercy. Sir Argan embarrasses King Uther before his subjects and agrees to let him live, on the condition that he is set free and built his own fortified castle. Ashamed, King Uther agrees. Sir Argan departs, promising to name the castle Uther's Shame. King Uther angrily dismisses the court.
The knights of Salisbury head north to Malahaut's capital Eburacum alongside Earl Roderick to bargain with the Centurion King, but are shocked to learn that the Centurion King has made already made an alliance against King Uther with the escaped Saxon cynings Octa and Eosa. On the return trip home, they are ambushed by the cynings' men. As Earl Roderick is injured and the county marshal Sir Hywel of West Lavington protects him, Sir Penwyn defeats his opponent and defends the injured Sir Valerius while his squire Cwtch performs first aid. Sir Ioan is gravely injured as well, and Sir Penwyn chooses not to protect him. Sir Ioan's squire Eòin hastily attempts first aid, but exacerbates the wounds through inexperience and the knight succumbs to his injuries. The surviving knights make their escape.
Months later, after their recoveries, the injured King Uther refuses to see anyone. In Salisbury, Earl Roderick summons his remaining knights to Sarum and explains that a war is coming. He asks Sir Valerius to officially swear fealty to him, so they are promised to support each other through the upcoming battle. In Cheshire, the page Asher ap Ioan learns of his father Sir Ioan's death.

Report Date

24 Apr 2020

Primary Location

Silchester Castle

Secondary Location

Eburacum