SaxBasilisk

Thanks, everyone! I like where this is going.

Right now, my three tests are going to be:
 

• A boasting contest at the feast beforehand (for Proud)
• A challenge by the Marlborough guards for their names (for Honest)
• A challenge by the returning Sir Tustin to joust (Energetic for those who joust)

It's difficult coming up with a Generous challenge which is both meaningful in terms of giving and involves all the characters.

We'll end up with the Saxons, seeing what sort of cues I can give to indicate they're not entirely hostile.

My players enjoyed the White Horse Adventure... and I'd like to do a reprise, now that the game-world lunar cycie is coming around to the same phase on that night. Plus, it means the riders will be mostly the second generation.

Anyone want to help me brainstorm on how to twist it? I'm thinking about making it a ride from a dull party at Amesbury to the Uffington White Horse, to stop a zealous cleric from disrupting the ceremony. Along the way, they might test some of virtues, particularly some of the pagan ones (it was always odd in the original to require a Lustful test...) At the end, there's a diplomatic and religious test of sorts, possibly with the Lady of Uffingham looking on...

Have you run a scenario like this? How would you transform it? 

King Dalan’s new court, after his first two victories, was bustling with anyone of any import in Logres; some of the Knights of Peryl chose to converse, while others were convalescing. Sir Cery related a strange dream in which Sir Hector was killed by a man with a facial scar, which didn’t narrow it down much. Sir Harri, by contrast, was woken by Sir Brastias, who related the King’s desire for him to perform a service to the crown. At court, Sir Harri delivered a speech about his deep loyalty to the king and Logres. Marshall Balan and Sir Nerys raced, with a perfectly tied outcome; she wrote to King Dalan on behalf of his profligate twin brother, Sir Balin, who was imprisoned. Sir Sara, meanwhile, spent her time flirting with the future count of Marlborough. Dear reader, you shall have to wait to see what crop those seeds of impropriety brought. She also had a kind word with Ursus, offering to hunt with him and counseling him to avoid the Merlin-assigned sobriquet of Griffet.

Once healed, however, the group was sent to retrieve some silver buried in the woods, to make up for the plunder given to Ban and Bors. With the money they met a hunter who claimed he needed the money to feed his family… which records suggest was Merlin in disguise. Would a man of such import really expend his powers on such a trivial matter, though? I suspect that the records are mistaken.

Rest would have to wait, however, as Norgales had captured Leodegrance, king of Cameliard. At the Battle of Carohaise, Sir Harri finally commanded the center of King Dalan’s forces. The knights acquitted themselves well, driving back the ill-trained forces of Norgales with few injuries in this battle. Sir Nerys and Sir Cery were particularly notable as they rode down the enemy forces. Afterward, Sir Bryn’s challenge to Sir Roderick had to be met. Sir Roderick suggested three passes with a lance, leading to him being struck off his horse. Even his request for a fourth pass did not make him victorious.

With that resolved and their border secure, Sir Harri set the Knights Perylous a task of love, once again seeking the Red Stag to secure himself an heir with his wife, Gwiona. And in this instance, he was successful, bringing the stag down, but also resulting in the group being lost in the forest. Sir Nerys sought counsel from a fairy, who asked if she would pursue the way out or adventure. She chose adventure.

The knights came upon a group of bandits, who responded to them announcing their presence with violence. Sir Cery’s face was marred and both Sir Nerys and Sir Sara were also knocked over, with Sirs Harri and Roderick coming to their rescue. The bandits fled after realizing that they were doomed, but a knight came forward, claiming to be the unknown Sir Amalar.  After a little bickering, Sir Roderick challenged him for the fate of Lady Guiomar, who he had taken hostage. He beat Sir Amalar, but Roderick offered Sir Amalar a place in his household, as well as paying the half of the lady’s ransom that Sir Nerys didn’t cover. Sir Amalar accepted and came to Stapleford for the winter.

    The long year finally came to an end with a bitterly cold winter.

-Excerpts from Volume 5 of Brother Mordecai’s Annales Sorvioduni.
 

It was only a matter of time before some PK in my game wanted to build a religious structure.

If I read Book of the Estate correctly (pp. 87-8), a small pagan temple requires an endowment of 5 Libra of land, which can be turned into an advowson. This, in turn, means that the player's overall income is reduced by 5 Libra, which must be made up from discretionary income, plunder, investments, or other sources.  The player may make this an advowson, giving them a Worldly check, the right to appoint a clergy member, and the right to sell it.

The Small Church is the same cost and benefit, but only has a 3 Libra endowment. What happens if you reduce the endowment to this level, or further?

A.D. 510

This year was when Sirs Sara and Betrys rode with the Knights Perylous for the first time. Sir Sara, daughter of Sir Nidian, was known at this time for her piety, battlefield loyalty and her toasts. Sir Betrys, related to Sir Harri by less official bonds, was known for her modesty, loyalty, and her sharing the hatred of the Saxons with her father.

    You’ve likely heard of this king before so I shall not dwell much upon the circumstances as much as I shall on the place of the Salisbury knights within them. A few knights pledged to Dalan’s cause before the others, but Prince Lanceor of Estregales, King Leodegrance of Cameliard and Sir Brastias were among the first and most notable, followed shortly thereafter by Sir Cery. Sir Harri and Sir Nerys approached as one, but Count Robert and Sir Roderick were more cautious, waiting until Candlemas when Duke Ulfius pledged his support. Sir Nidian and Sir Harri were chosen as the most glorious and honorable knights. They in turn chose their friends and relations to guard the sword, through its repeated drawings at Candlemas, Easter, and Pentecost, until he was crowned king in London and elected High King in Carlion.

    The feast lasted hours and, so the story goes, Sir Sara had a toast for each toll of the bell, always better than the last. This feast would also see Sir Betrys engaged and Sir Roderick in possession of a brooch that… [Worms have eaten this passage]. Regardless, Sir Roderick continued to request donations for the statue of his missing elder brother, Hector, with his Uncle Cet seeking to commission it at a discount. Sir Cery had a small entourage with her for most of the night, perhaps in an attempt to emulate her mother. Sir Harri was known to be indiscreet with a lady that night.

    But perhaps he should have saved his courage for the day after, when he was brought to war council with the new High King. His famous fear of kings finally manifesting, he fled immediately from the chamber when they asked him for tactical advice. Indeed it was necessary, as King Lot brought what seemed to be the whole of the north to bear upon Carlion. Despite early defections to King Dalan’s side, the battle seemed lost against King Lot’s tactical genius, until the boy king called upon Excalibur and rallied his troops. Sir Cery, eager for blood, was known to have laid waste to many of Lot’s men.

    Sir Brastias and Count Ulfius departed for Gaul to seek assistance from Kings Ban and Bors. Seeking to minimize the damage of Lot’s retreating army, King Dalan met them at Bedegraine in a battle that lasted two days. Sir Harri and Sir Cery fell unconscious early in the day, leaving Sir Nerys to ably command of the Salisbury troops. The next day, the Picts’ foul attacks against the horses consigned Sir Nerys to commanding a unit of foot soldiers, with Sir Nidian commanding the Salisbury knights, both of whom acted with skill and distinction. The battle was won at the last second when the Gaulish arrived, brought quickly to the field due to Merlin’s magic.

    Despite the eventual victory, Sir Harri had to have his fears assuaged, due to his concerns about performing the duties of his office. The year - and the fighting - was not over yet…

-Excerpts from Volume 5 of Brother Mordecai’s Annales Sorvioduni.
 

For those with campaigns in the Boy King era and later - how often do your knights visit Camelot?

I came across this passage in Blood and Lust, p. 7:

Quote

Most characters should hold land from one of Arthur’s vassals, and work towards becoming close to Arthur. Most knights, even those already accepted to the Round Table, visit Camelot or the king’s court only every 4-7 years.

I know that in the 5.2 rulebook, the Round Table Knights are asked to return to Camelot each year to retake their oath, unless they have some dispensation. So it seems Greg had different thoughts later on about it.

The Adventure of Merlin’s Silver

(This takes place after the battle of Bedegraine in 510 A.D. in the GPC. It is based on the suggestion of a mini-adventure for obtaining the treasure for Arthur, along with material from Malory I.17 and the Vulgate Story of Merlin.)

Setting: Forest of Bedegraine 

Characters: Cornelius the hunter.

Problem: Get treasure from the annoying guy.

Secrets:  It’s Merlin, of course.

Solutions: Find an appropriate response to the hunter's claims.

After the Battle of Bedegraine, the nights are someone before King Arthur. He asked them to proceed to a place in the forest identified by Merlin as a cache of silver from Roman times. This will be used to compensate his troops for the battle plunder he gave to Kings Ban and Bors. 

One of the clerks provides the knights with a train of sumpters and servants, along with directions to the spot. These are fairly easy to follow, requiring a success of a Hunting roll. Failure means the knights must search another four hours, until they find it.

Once they arrive on the scene, they find someone has arrived first. A hulking man in hunter’s garb, with three geese attached to his belt, sits on a stump, pouring silver between his hands. A large pot, previously hidden by the stump, lies revealed at his feet. 

“I found it! I found it!“

When the man sees the nights, he is convinced they are bandits. He quickly sees otherwise, and he responds with a surprising deal of courtesy.

He tells him his name is Cornelius. His family has lived here since Roman times. His great grandfather hid a treasure in the woods when the legions pulled back, and the family that remained slid into poverty. They have had the right to hunt in the woods since time immemorial, and he has kept his eye out for signs of his ancestral wealth - until now.

The players may ask for the following rolls:

• Stewardship or Law - (Success: Discovered treasure trove is the property of the Crown, save if an heir of the person who buried it appears. Such a case would take some time.)
• Folk Lore - (Success: He does seem to be who he says, and he doesn’t seem to be a poacher. Critical: You can detect a slight mocking tone to his speech.)\
• Fairy Lore - (Success: This could be a fairy or a human - it’s hard to tell. Critical: There is the smallest glimmer around the edges of his outline.)  

After some player rolls or discussion, the GM should require the following roll:

• Loyalty (Arthur) - The king ordered you to bring him this treasure.

The characters may handle this in a number of ways:

• Attack the man -  Just as a player strikes, Cornelius vanishes. Upon their return, he appears at the side of Arthur, before reverting to his original appearance. Merlin turns aside the king’s ire with laughter. The first player who struck at him gains 50 Glory but no share of the plunder - and the mild displeasure of the king.
• Convinces the man to return to the king’s judgment - Cornelius resists this, insisting loudly on his family prerogatives. PKs should make an appropriate roll, such as Orate, to convince him. If so, he returns with them, reverting to his true form in front of the king.
• Make an offer - No monetary incentive will cause Cornelius to give up his wealth, but he proves open to other offers: an item of magical or sentimental value, a wealthy bride, or a period of service. Cornelius plays it skeptical to see if they will increase the offer, but will eventually acquiesce. Upon their return, Merlin either returns the item, or refers laughingly to their offer. He will not require the player knights to fulfill their promise, save if that leads to adventure. A generous offer may grant a Generous check and 10 or more points of Glory.
• Ask Cornelius if he’s Merlin - Cornelius laughs, transforms, and tells them they are free to take the treasure. 10 Glory to the knight who asks.

Once he is out of the way, the player knights will find an opportunity to take treasure without observation. Ask them what they will do, followed by rolls of Selfish/Generous or Honest/Deceitful to see if they succumb to temptation. Their Loyalty (King Arthur) might stop such actions.

Upon their return, King Arthur distributes the treasure to the troops, giving them 20 Libra. The player knights who delivered the treasure gain 20 Libra. Those who decided to take some for themselves gain the initial 20 Libra, minus whatever they decided to take, and no reward - Merlin has seen through their deception.

As appropriate, give checks to Generous/Selfish, Honest/Deceitful, Just/Arbitrary, Merciful/Cruel, or Trusting/Suspicious.

Glory: 10 Glory, along with the rewards above.
 

8 hours ago, Tizun Thane said:

It's a bit late to make her the sister of another PK, I suppose. Maybe a lost cousin ? I think the story works better with a familial connection with another PK taking the role of Cador. 
In the original tale, Aalardin is a faerie knight kidnapping Guinier. So, I guess it's easy to have some troublesome encounters chasing him.

Not necessarily. Given that I didn't get to introduce Guinier yet, I think the adventure will be less about trying to convince your beloved to do the vinegar/milk bath, but finding "a woman who truly loves you." Thus, it could be Guinier, it could be a PK daughter (I have at least one person in mind), or it could be someone else.

(Using that wording and not "beloved" or "true love," I suppose I can also backdoor Ysave into this, if all else fails.)

This discussion is quite helpful! I'm going to re-read the Caradoc story again for more material.

Thank you all! I like how this is shaping up.

For those who haven't read my actual play thread, I can give some context:

• Regarding Caradoc the Elder, Eliavres, and animals - yeah, that got cut really early, even before a PK got involved. Given that the important part was to distract the knight, I turned this into an illusion transforming him into various animals on the nights after his wedding to get him away from Ysave.
• "Strong-Arm" is a nickname alternate-Kay gave the PK, due to his lame excuse of "my hand is weak" for an embarrassing incident at court.
• Relations between the PK's birth father and mother are chilly already, to say the least. If he had been more willing to let it go, I wouldn't have let the whole possibility die... but he's already contemplating revenge.
• PK is unmarried. Guinier is set up - she's the nephew of Cador, and I had the group play out the scene where Cador is found with a broken leg after she's kidnapped. I haven't brought her in yet. 

Literally years ago in my GPC campaign, one of my PKs picked a fight with an NPC I named "Caradoc" off a list. I found there was a French romance dedicated to the deeds of the elder and younger Caradoc (Wikipedia summary), so I read it. I thought this would be an interesting little side event to continue in the campaign, so I brought in Caradoc's prospective wife Ysave...

...and my player decided to humiliate Caradoc, steal Ysave, and kill him. Thus, the events play out with the PK in the elder Caradoc's role. The wizard Eliavres cuckolds him on his wedding night, fathering a knight. When that knight comes of age, Eliavres reveals his parentage, causing him considerable distress. The PK chooses to keep his mother imprisoned for her dishonor. So far, the player is fine with this... and it's proceeding in broad strokes close to the epic.

At this point in the epic, his mother and Eliavres hide a serpent in a cabinet and convince Caradoc to open it. The serpent jumps out and fastens onto his arm, becoming attached and weakening him. Caradoc handles this by running off, avoiding his beloved and all his friends, and feeling sorry for himself. Apparently he can't just remove the snake. Eventually a solution is discovered: Caradoc sits in a bath of vinegar, and his beloved in a bath of milk. A friend stands nearby, and strikes at the snake when it leaps off. In the end, it merely snips off the tip of the lady's breast before being killed. All is resolved happily, except for the mother.

I'm trying to think about how to turn this into an adventure for the group. It's complicated because we've just entered the Boy King period, and it's hardly fair to have the character absent or hindered in significant events due to having a snake attached to his arm. Also, I'm wondering if it's just too damn weird for the group.

How would you turn this into an adventure that would be fun for your players?

Court in the year 509 was dismal and strained. Along with the purported death of Sir Hector, the winter had also brought the deaths of one of Sir Nerys’ daughters, and the beloved Esclarmonde of Sir Nidian.

Duke Ulfius was in a deep depression that Sir Nerys could not lift from him, perhaps because of her own struggles, or perhaps because a squire named Cery kept pestering her with questions about her father. Sir Roderick spoke with Prince Cynric, while Sir Nidian favorably received Prince Mark’s suggestion of a marriage into Cornish lands - Sir Harri’s ancestral lands, as they discovered later. Sir Harri rode forth to hunt with Robert and give him counsel.

The countess’ council was bleak. Wessex had requested vassalage or triple tribute, along with the delivery of Sir Hector’s lute (conveniently, already broken). This, along with the aid collected for the count, cut deep into the purses of the people of Salisbury. The sole bright spot came afterward, when Sir Brastias approached his friend Sir Nidian to write an important letter to Archbishop Dubricus.

Sarum saw a great celebration, as the heir to Salisbury brought together multiple celebrations in a cost-cutting move. Sir Nerys was married to Dwyai of Escavalon, and Sir Nidian was united with Kelyn d’Ipplepen - with Sir Harri realizing that his home estate of Torbryan was included in the dowry at the last minute. Fortunately, the two men had enough affection so as not to come to blows.

Afterward, at a grand ceremony at Sarum Cathedral, Count Robert was knighted by Sir Harri. He was deemed the best knight in Salisbury by his peers, though all the elder Knights of Peryl were under consideration. Count Robert then knighted Sir Gwefrfawr of Broughton (known as Sir Gwef through the rest of this chronicle), Sir Betrys of Newton Tony, and Sir Cery of Cholderton. Rumors persist of Sir Betrys making the Leap backwards, though this is surely hyperbole. 

Sir Cery joined the Knights Perylous in her cousin’s sudden, explicable absence. She was the daughter of a founding member, Sir Tyngyr, and the ambitious Lady Llylla, and she squired with Sir Brastias, the mercenary. She shared her father’s hatred of the Saxons, as well as his bluntness and his sense of fair play.

The knighting / wedding feast was subdued, perhaps because of a pervasive air of doom. Sir Brastias counseled his protege to decorum when she wanted to test her skills against his in sparring, while Sir Harri was challenged by Sir Briandanz to a duel to first blood; he lost at first light to a brilliant stroke by the younger knight. Sir Roderick won a contest to toast Sir Robert’s honor by recalling how Sir Robert was named in honor of Sir Tyngyr’s former squire from the Nemo estate, and recalling the pride that Sir Roderick’s namesake took in his son.

Count Robert called a second council, in which the knights of Peryl recalled the kings and leaders they had met over the years. He then asked them to write those they had met over their careers to invite them to Sir Brastias’ peace conference in London, to choose a ruler for Logres once and for all.

Before the conference, Sir Harri led the other knights on a hunt for the Red Stag. He hoped to win himself a knightly son with his beloved wife, but the stag eluded him after a day’s pursuit. As they regrouped, moans of pain drew them to the site of a slaughter, where they found Sir Cador the only survivor of an escort for his niece Guinier, his leg broken beneath his mount. The group could not track the bandits responsible in the evening, and patrols turned up no traces. Sir Cador spent some time with his one-time combatant Sir Nerys, bonding over their best interests in the people who served them.

The conference was held in the storied city of London, which also happened to be home to Excalibur, the sword in the stone. The extensive list of participants has been recorded elsewhere; I will highlight the attendance of King Uriens of Gorre and his wife Morgan, invited by  Sir Nerys, along with the king’s kinsman King Lot of Lothian. Duke Ulfius joined at the last minute, but only as an observer.

As he confessed to our knights beforehand, Sir Brastias was of the opinion that the matter of kingship could be settled through controlled violence rather than the usual deadly and wasteful battlefields, favoring a tournament of wooden swords and blunt lances. Despite considerable concern that this was silly, the Salisbury knights said they would support him - especially if this was suggested as a backup possibility. The Knights Perylous (and many others) tried to pull Excalibur from the stone for sport, but it remained firm.

As the conference began under the archbishop’s blessing, the knights were tasked to discover the source of Sir Queux’s absence. They found that Sir Balin had grievously injured him in a rage and slain three other men, seemingly mad. Cet, the late Sir Owain’s brother, also made himself known, helping to prevent bloodshed as a group of knights sought to put the Salisbury knights in peril.

At the conference, King Lot and King Alain both made cases for themselves as High King, and there were few others who could dispute that status. Sir Cery made a reasoned suggestion of forming a triune, with a high king to represent each region - until Cynric of Wessex, appeared to put himself forward for the southern province. He brought with him Prince Ursus, who had sworn homage to Wessex, thereby joining the sons of Vortigern and Wessex in purpose. The prince was shouted down, with a vehement chorus of “F*** up the Saxons'' rising from the audience, despite its awful three stomp/ two clap beat. He retreated, but the divisions in the attendants were plain, with much of the crowd dispersing into the city. Ulfius and Cador vanished with their men, to free Ursus, regardless of the cost to peace.

The Knights Perylous left the cathedral, to be met by Sir Bryn, an avowed enemy of the Stapleford clan. Sir Bryn delivered a challenge to Sir Roderick for his stream of insults toward Cameliard, and both drew swords just before they were swept up into a crowd running towards the Cathedral, where Sir Queux’s squire, Dalan, drew Excalibur in front of everyone.

-Excerpts from Volume 5 of Brother Mordecai’s Annales Sorvioduni.
 

Just as clarification - I have no trouble in handwaving travel times and the like. I'm just curious as to how the geography is handled for some of the more unusual encounters.

Pendragon and the GPC are very much based in Britain (with excursions overseas), with an emphasis on journey and travel through various real-world locales.

On the other hand, the more I dive into the source material, the more knights seem to walk out of Camelot and end up in the mythical Red Land or something, unmoored from geography.

There might be some places that are better suited for such adventures - Cambria, Cumbria, the Forest Sauvage - but I'm still trying to wrap my head around how this might work in terms of adventures. How strictly do you adhere to real-world geography in your campaigns?

As a side note, I'm also curious as to where people have placed some "floating locations" such as Uther's Shame and Dolorous Garde. I'd like to place them in advance, so players can run into them before they become famous.

How have you handled this?

A.D. 508

Spirits were high as the Knights of Peryl met the leaders of the coalition forces at court in Salisbury - absent Sir Nerys, who had vanished after the death of her husband Ivimarus. King Nanteleod discussed troop strengths and tactics with Sir Harri. King Dirac of Estregales won a race against Sir Nidian. Sir Roderick accompanied Marshal Balan on a hunting expedition. Sir Hector, his mind clear for once from thoughts of Morgan le Fay, played “**** up the Saxons” on his lute to acclaim exceeding the quality of the performance.

Thus did the combined forces of Logres and Cambria ride forth Sarum under King Nanteleod. Spirits were high; their scouts told them their army was larger than that of Cerdic. The Knights exchanged expressions of devotion by the campfire, and Sirs Nidian, Hector, and Roderick wagered on who would kill the most Saxons on the coming day. Sir Nerys was notably quiet and absent a book before the battle.

As Nanteleod and Cynric met on the fields near Netley Marsh, more troops could be seen in the rear. Some identified these as King Lot’s forces, while more trained eyes noted the banners of King Aelle of Sussex with many horsemen. These, as the first charge proved, turned out to be Cornish knights and a hitherto-unknown troop of mounted heorthegeneats.

The Knights of Peryl were an unstoppable force on the battlefield, to some degree. Certainly Sir Hector was sent screaming off the field when he tried to invoke his love of Rydychan, but the other knights did their duty with vigor, striking Saxon and Cornish alike, under the steady hand of Marshal Harri. When the call came regarding an assault from the rear, they turned to meet their fate. 

Prince Cynric and his mounted Saxons sought King Nanteleod’s life. Sir Roderick called upon the tooth of Saint Germanus to frighten the Saxons, but bereft of comfort, sought God’s grace off the field of battle. Sir Nerys and Sir Nidian were both unhorsed, rendered badly injured and unconscious respectively. Sir Harri rallied, killing his foe with one blow and coming to their aid. Yet the cry went up - Nanteleod was dead. Sir Harri ordered Sir Nerys to accompany Sir Nidian to safety as he returned to the front, but his efforts were a remedy, not salvation- most of the Salisbury knights survived thanks to him, but the battle, a charnel house for both sides, was a loss for Logres.

The Knights Perylous healed and regrouped after the battle. A hasty council was called with the Countess and Sir Brastias, to determine their course. They decided to make peace overtures to both Cornwall and Escavalon, postponing the question of vassalage for Robert’s ascension the next year. Sir Brastias left to seek his own answers.

Choosing to prioritize Escavalon, the Knights traveled to Carlion, where they met King Alain and Prince Lanceor of Estregales, but the alliance under Nanteleod was dissipating. Sir Nerys had received amorous letters from one Alardin, but she was distressed to find that he could not read - his letters were written by his chaplain!
We then come upon a curious circumstance. The blessed Sir Nidian sought out the abbess of the convent at Usk, with a curious request that they remove the ring of Saint Aled from her tomb in order that he might lend it to Sir Hector for a while. Despite his prowess and service to the faith, his request was refused. That night, St. Aled’s tomb in the cathedral was found desecrated and the ring missing. Some said that a wind passing through the halls was a sign from God bearing away a holy relic from the ungrateful, although that did not explain how a nun who had recently taken her first vows became pregnant that same night…

Rumors swirled around Sir Hector until that winter, when his lute startled his horse and he was trampled to death. People whispered that he had angered Cameliard, Morgan, Eliavres, or roving Saxons; others credited his death to the mysterious silver-clad knight seen on the scene in the following days, who vanished into the mist.

Sir Hector of Buckland was a pagan knight of some repute, though not nearly of the stature of his uncle, Sir Tyngyr of Cholderton, the Baronbreaker. His mother, Sir Helen le Sauvage, was known primarily for her extended madness and for bringing home a child of unknown provenance. Sir Hector was later adopted by Sir Owain and embraced his new family, with all its flaws, and he showed many of the aspects that family was known for: violence and a penchant for stabbing those who irritated him, though he also had a deep love for music and was the author of many songs, many of which featured Saxons, butts or Morgan (not mutually exclusive subjects). Nonetheless, he served with distinction at the Battles of Levcomagus and Cambridge, although his madness kept him from serving at Netley Marsh. He was known as le Chanteur and le Putain, both of which are probably better than le Batard. Also, he had a giant in his backyard, leading to the Adventure of Nearly Getting Eaten by Half a Giant for No Good Reason.

-Excerpts from Volume 5 of Brother Mordecai’s Annales Sorvioduni.

15 hours ago, Morien said:

In KAP canon, Sir Ector is in Pennlyn, a small kingdom in the northern Cambria. You can download The Great Hunt adventure for free, where the climax happens in (one of) Sir Ector's holdings. However, that is nothing more than a location, nothing else is said. But you do have stats for (an older) Sir Ector there.

Malory states that Ector "had great livelihood about London" (I.5), so there's some precedent for moving him around. 

If I might suggest one or two adjustments...

Typically, scenarios that start with a skill roll run the risk of everyone failing the roll. I would have the group gain additional information about the coming encounter with such a roll.

Also, it would be good to specify the type of giant (small, huge, etc.).

I wouldn't do it, either - maybe charging everyone 1 Librum per Salisbury estate. I don't feel so bad about it - the group not only rebuilt the walls of Sarum, but built three fortresses (two practically in the spots the BotW suggests), so I feel as if they've paid plenty.

Let's not forget it's not just Robert's knighting they need to pay for during Anarchy - it's Jenna's dowry as well.

I've been keeping some of the initial knights' family trees somewhat loose in the early years, to allow for "bad luck, here's your brother Sir So-and-so" situations.

I had one player lose a character relatively early, who wanted to have her replaced with her newly-created twin brother. I agreed. It was all fun and games until the aging checks...

(EDIT: Keeping it vague also adds something extra to the Family Events at the end of the year. Maybe you get an interesting story out of one of them, and the player decides to adopt the family member affected as a PK later on.)

The court in Anno Domini 507 was full of poetry, song, and politics. Sir Nerys went hunting with Ulfius and Ursus, Sir Hector sang for Prince Mark and Sir Nidian raced Prince Alain.  Sir Harri and Ursus both failed to catch anything with falconry. Sir Queux, in attendance, renewed his relationship with his frenemy Roderick, chivvying him about his knightship. Roderick won their drinking contest, with nary a sign of inebriation. 

During council, the knights reserved funds for the defense of Salisbury, with much love for each other being displayed as they outfitted Hillfort, DuPlain, Broughton, and Newton Tony  with their personal funds. The Countess had also retained mercenaries to bolster the territory, while their main force marched to Somerset to secure its borders against Cornwall.

Sir Roderick was knighted with the ceremony and pain due to it. Sir Nerys and Sir Harri got quite inebriated, though they stayed vibrant for the evening. All were asked to give toasts, but Sir Roderick’s shone above the rest. Sir Hector sang beautifully in his brother’s honor.

Sir Hector got his brother in trouble when he overheard a man commenting on Sir Roderick’s lack of resemblance to Sir Owain. Sir Roderick did well, for his first duel and, eventually, ran the man through. Rather than going quietly to his maker’s kind embrace, the man shoved himself forward on the spear, laughing as he approached Sir Roderick. Infuriated by their friend’s situation, both Sir Nidian and Sir Hector stabbed him as well, to no effect. The lunatic introduced himself to Sir Roderick: Eliavres, the magician and Roderick’s supposed father. The claim that he had Lady Ysave’s romantic interests produced quite a lot of anger in both Sir Roderick and Sir Hector. Sir Roderick stalked off to find some peace, but Sir Hector, with the realization that Eliavres knew the location of a certain saint’s ring, decided to take him for a drink and a conversation about manners.

The group marched on Somerset and found themselves bloodied and blooded. Sir Nidian, in particular, took a hard blow and was dismounted, leading the group to rally around him. Sir Nerys, in this glorious venture, took on two Cornwall knights and acquitted herself well. Their next sally brought them against Cador of Cornwall, whom they blooded. 

On their return home, they discovered that Port and Wessex had marched upon their Southeastern border and overrun the outer defenses of both DuPlain and Sir Nerys’s own Broughton.  They called for their allies, Duke Ulfius and Sir Brastias, and got forces from both to help them retake the fortress of Broughton, giving up DuPlain as a lost cause. Sir Nerys, incensed by this intrusion, struck down a berserker with a single terrifying strike. Perhaps she knew the fate of her dear husband and the loss that her home had suffered. The barbarians had injured him mortally and torn down the statue to her prior husband, as well, but the knights retook her land. Stapleford and other families suffered losses, including the loss of Sir Owain’s children Cain and Amhar. 

-Excerpts from Volume 5 of Brother Mordecai’s Annales Sorvioduni.

One thought after watching the video: I hope Chaosium doesn't embrace the "10-20 session" framework too strongly. Pendragon shines in its intergenerational nature, and that's hardly long enough for the next generation of knights to come into play.

Maybe they could recommend that people playing portions of the GPC do so sporadically, playing sections twenty years apart so the younger knights can grow up and have their opportunity to shine.

12 hours ago, Morien said:

This is hella strong, especially compared to other 'standard' solos in KAP 5.2. Just letting you know.

I'm comparing it to the pilgrimage rules in Paladin, which give all those plus checks in a Passion and an Attitude. Is that too much, or is there a difference between the two settings?

Monastic Retreat Solo

Did your character go mad, with some kindly monastics nursing them back to health? Is your fearsome killer returning before taking final vows to avenge their child’s death? In either case, you might want to know how the experience has changed them.

1) First year: you may donate money, if you desire to acquire a higher standard of living, or out of piety (check Generous in the latter case).
2) If Christian, decide if you will accept a mortification (Spiritual check if so).
3) Check Religion.
4) Check each religious trait of your faith.
5) Learn humility and obedience: The monastery chooses where your training points for the year are spent. First Aid, Orate, Read (Latin), Religion, or Stewardship are likely choices, as is the Modest trait (for Christians) or Love (deity) passion.
6) Do not roll for childbirth this year, save if Pagan.

Bad Monastic Retreat Solo

This didn’t turn out the way you planned - or did it?

1) Every year: Choose to donate to acquire a higher standard of living or just to waste money (double Glory for the latter)
2) Check Religion.
3) Check one religious trait of your faith.
4) Check Worldly and any of the following that are not your religious skills: Lustful, Lazy, Proud, Worldly, Indulgent.
5) Learn… something?: The monastery chooses where your training points for the year are spent. Bow, Flirting, Gaming, Hunting, Play, or Singing are popular skills, or the GM may choose to reduce a Passion of their choice by 1.
7) If you checked Lustful, roll for childbirth.
 

Thank you!

As a follow-up, does becoming a monk or nun usually follow an endowment to the institution? Or are they just happy to have a famous monk in the community?

Some of my character knights are getting toward the point where they want to retire their characters and bring in their heirs as PKs. (We have some heir PKs already, but that was due to their parents' deaths.) How do you handle this situation in your campaign?

1) When can a firstborn heir be confirmed as a vassal knight? What happens if the PK parent decides to retire to their estate, or become a monk? Would this be possible when the parent becomes bedridden? Or does this only occur after the parent's death?

2) If the heir cannot become a vassal knight before the parent's death, is there a time when it would be reasonable for them to effectively step up into the role (e.g. taking care of the estate, participating in the Vassal Knight winter solo, etc.)? Or would their duties as a household knight keep them at court?

3) If the vassal knight status can be "handed off," can the parent knight "retire" and continue as an officer of the county?

A.D. 506:

It was this year that Sir Nidian repaired finally to Treddiog in Estregales to view his new estates, with his squire Roderick in tow. 

In Salisbury, Sir Brastias, the newly-named Prince Alain and Prince Mark were in attendance at the Countess’s court. Sir Nerys invited Prince Mark on a hunt, at which he failed to do well., Sir Harri proposed the novelty of swimming to Prince Alain. Sir Hector played battle marches for Sir Brastias, who apparently has a mind for aught else but combat.

There was a feast to toast the year’s new knights, Jaradan the swordsman and Masha’allah the future constable. At the feast, Sir Hector continued to pester Sir Brastias and pine for Queen Morgan. Sir Harri fumed at a lampoon, and Sir Nerys delivered a marvelous toast.

Service that year took them to Somerset, where Cornish raiders were plundering the land. After several odd occurrences, including a sighting of the colossal giant Gorm, they happened upon a band of Cornish knights. Combat was engaged with a mighty lance charge. After dispatching his first foe, the next gave Sir Hector a facial scar; once Sir Hector was rehorsed, the Knights Perylous chased after and slew him, with Sir Hector cruelly inflicting a comparable scar on the dead man’s face..

During Sir Hector’s long recovery, King Cadwy invited the Knights to partake in a competition of skill and art at his castle at Bristol. Sir Harri and Sir Nerys competed with oratory, while Sir Hector composed (another) song for Queen Morgan. Sir Hector’s singing beat a druid and a troubadour, though no one was particularly impressed with that competition. Sir Nerys and Sir Harri were pronounced a tie in the initial contest. When charged with speaking on the virtues of knighthood, Sir Harri spoke most eloquently on the duties of knights to their commanders, overshadowing Sir Nerys speaking of the good they can do for the common folk.     

That evening, Sir Nerys recognized a woman from Sir Bege’s feast, wearing an emerald necklace. After a brief conversation, the knight left to ask King Cadwy if he had any particular reason to suspect treason. Sir Harri, publicly questioning the woman, drove her from the feast. Finally, Sir Hector returned from a private conversation with Sir Rhys of Lega, and brought his trouble to the Knights Perylous: Ill omens surrounded his newborn son, and a “wise man” wanted to divine the cure.

As it turned out, that man was Eliavres, one-time friend and foe of Sir Owain. He led them to a lonely churchyard, where a variety of demons attempted to sway the knights’ courage (already fortified with drink). Unflinching, they finally bound a beast of metal to their will. Sirs Hector, Harri, and Rhys, proving themselves with their bravery,  all asked him a question and received a scroll in turn.     

On the ride back, Eliavres inquired after Roderick’s health. After returning to Bristol, Sir Rhys hurried home to family, to Sir Hector’s disappointment, and then the Knights Perylous returned to Salisbury.

When Sir Harri opened his scroll, he read the following:

The Angles, Saxons, Franks, and Jutes,
Shall not fall to worldly boots.
See the bold red dragon rise
To chase the white across the skies.
Salisbury leads Logres to mend;
Badon shall stand tall in the end.

-Excerpts from Volume 5 of Brother Mordecai’s Annales Sorvioduni.