[GPC spoilers] Ellen and Mark

[Puckohue]

@Morien, you've mentioned that in your campaign Lady Ellen married Prince Mark. My PKs are in the process of making this happen in my campaign. I'm seriously tempted to have Ellen refuse, to avoid complicating things for myself.

I have (at least) two things I would appreciate advice on:

1. Cornwall or Logres

I assume Prince Mark becomes the guardian of young Robert? But Salisbury does not become a legal part of Cornwall, even if they are allied through marriage? In your campaign, did Salisbury swear loyalty to King Idres, making Idres the liege lord of Robert? Is that "legal" as Robert has no liege lord, or is it a sort of treason against Logres?

What happens when Robert comes of age? Is he free to swear loyalty to whoever he wants to, or is he bound by the decisions made by his guardian?

What forced your PKs to move to Cornwall?

2. The GPC script

The GPC assumes Ellen allies with Nanteleod, and has several events that rely on this alliance. How did those play out in your campaign? I'm not asking this because I'd be unable to improvise, but rather to get some ideas and inspiration.

[Morien]

This old forum thread should answer most of your questions regarding GPC:
Anarchy: So you allied with Cornwall... what happens next? [Archive] - Nocturnal Media Forum

And its follow-up here:
Sooo... that just happened (PKs moved to Cornwall) [Archive] - Nocturnal Media Forum

However, as for your specific questions:

1. Yes, Mark became the regent/guardian of Robert, who was sent to Idres' court to be raised as a loyal Cornishman (didn't quite stick).

2. As far as Cornwall was concerned, the Kingdom of Logres stopped existing, and just like Idres had conquered parts of former Logres, Salisbury swore allegiance to Cornwall and became legally, as far as Cornwall was concerned, part of Cornwall. Now, Arthur did have a different view of this later on.

3. Had Arthur not shown up, Robert likely would have sworn allegiance to Cornwall when he came of age. However, what happened in our campaign was that Robert was captured in the Battle of Levcomagus (511, homebrew battle), where Idres died (the PKs would have had a chance for a glorious death-ride to save him, and it was on a knife's edge, a 3-3 vote, before one yes flipped to a no). I rolled a 1d6 to see if the Praetor of Levcomagus would arrange his accidential demise in the dungeon, or if he stayed loyal to Cornwall, or if he flipped. Turns out Robert flipped, swore allegiance to Logres, and then went with Arthur's army to demand Mark give him back Sarum. Now Mark accused Robert of treason against Cornwall and hence losing his claim on Salisbury, and then summoned the Salisbury knights (already in Sarum to defend against a siege) to a conference. Simple question: would they stay loyal to Cornwall, or would they rather leave Sarum and join with Robert outside the walls? Given that most of the household knights by now had been Mark's appointees and many of them from Cornwall, and that the most famous knights of Salisbury (PKs) were rocking Loyalty (Good Regent Mark) at high teens, most of them sided with Mark. But a minority didn't. Mark told them to leave, and once they did that, Mark's crossbowmen and a cadre of loyal Cornish knights massacred them at the courtyard. "So perish all the traitors." Mark commented at the cries of alarm and pain reaching the great hall.

One knight, a lone PK who broke with the rest of the group, managed to escape (I think he rolled like a double critical), and bring word of the "Slaughter at Sarum" to the besieging army. Alas, with the Centurion King causing trouble in Lindsey, Arthur's army had to march there, abandoning the siege. And then Robert contracted a fatal case of a sword to the face at Bassus River, courtesy of Prince Galegantis; the PK with Robert could have tried to take down the Prince himself rather than allow the Young Count to try and do it, but he didn't, so Robert died.

The Slaughter at Sarum caused one of the previously loyal (to Mark) PKs to start reconsidering his allegiance, and arranged for a move of his family outside of Salisbury. Alas, he happened to mention his plans to another PK, who then shared it with two other who had even stronger Loyalty [Good Regent Mark] and they blabbed to Mark about it. Who obviously told them to go and seize the traitor and bring him to judgment. Which they did, although the family did get away. Given the traitorous PK's former service, Mark allowed him to go out like a Roman nobleman should, falling on his own sword. The Player switched to the nephew, who had been Mark's squire already, and sided with Mark vs. the rest of the family. 

4. Move to Cornwall. This is summarized in the follow-up, above.

If you have any further questions, ask away! I like talking about Pendragon. 🙂

Edited November 11 by Morien