Perin can't help but wince slightly "It is and it isn't my lord.  As you no doubt know, to say Praetor Jonathel has handled things poorly in regards to my being accepting as a suitor by the Countess Fiona is something of an understatement.  In that vein, Sir Sejanus here recently brought some information to my attention that is a little concerning." he says, gesturing at the smaller man "The Lady Galeria just confided in Sir Sejanus that she fears that her fact is acting 'a little crazed' of late.  She claims that he is worried about his line of succession, since her brother disappeared.  In addition, apparently he has been poring over maps of Salisbury, and had a meeting with some masked and hooded men who were ushered into and out of the castle with great secrecy.”  Blowing out a heavy breath, he adds "Now it could simply be an overactive imagination, but I thought it was worth at least bringing to your attention sire."
This message was last edited by the player at 13:50, Wed 18 Oct 2017.

"Handled things poorly . . . in what way?" he asks a little suspiciously.  "Has he slandered you or the Countess?" he asks in a concerned voice.  "Or said that he would maim or kill you?"

Looking over at Sir Sejanus he inquires, "is there anything more the Lady Galeria said or could tell us?  I am not sure why we should be troubled over his study habits or who he sees and does not when we know aught of who they are."  With a snort he notes, "he could be planning a surprise party for her for all that we know.  It is generally best not to meddle overmuch in the affairs of Dukes and Kings when one can avoid it," he opines.

"He became quite enraged, and seemed barely able to control himself in my presence after our hunt.  So nothing overt, but we both know there are ways to issue threats without coming right out and saying as much.  But perhaps Sir Sejanus can shed some light on the matter?  He is far more familiar with he family than I."
This message was last updated by the player at 14:25, Wed 18 Oct 2017.

The Earl shrugs, "he is a Duke.  Being shown up by a fresh-made knight would infuriate me.  That he was able to control himself is admirable.  If he has not said anything slanderous or overtly threatened anyone, you would be wise not to speak ill of him in public."

With a snort he continues, "honestly, I half expected him to show up here and trounce you, either in a challenge or during the Melee.  I was planning to keep some knights close to you during the Melee just in case."

He directs his attention back to Sir Sejanus.

 Sejanus looked his Lord, square in the eye. " He speaks truth, My Lord, it is what I was told my his daughter. Even if it costs me her favor, a potential threat to the realm outweighs all."

 Even as he said those words, he felt a sudden pain in his gut. He broke her confidence,and slandered her father.  Sejanus doubted,  His Lady, would ever speak with him again.

"I am not following, Sir Sejanus," The Earl replies.  "What is the threat to the realm?  What exactly did she say that suggests that there is some mortal danger?  I am afraid that this makes no sense.  There is nothing inherently sinister about looking at maps or disguising visitors from your daughter.  And the Duke has four sons and three daughters.  Why would he of all people be concerned about his succession?"

He sighs and rubs his temples, "perhaps if you start at the beginning with what exactly she said?" he suggests.

" I was concerned that the Duke might be thinking of using force of arms, to succeed,where his charms as concerns the countess, failed. I was told his son is missing,and the Duke is beside himself over the succession of his house."

The Earl spins his hand around to indicate that there should be more forthcoming, "why would you think that, Sir Sejanus?  The Duke is not going to send an army against one of King Arthur's subjects unless he wants Arthur to crush him and everyone who follows him.  If he wants to force Countess Fiona's hand, he will go to King Arthur to plead his case as he is her liege."

Shaking his head he goes on in a slightly exasperated tone, "and again, he has seven children, surely Lady Galaria mentioned at some point that she has a half-dozen siblings, right?"

(It was, in fact, the first thing she told him when he came over to see her in Dorset.)

Perin claps Sejanus on the shoulder "My friend, I believe that unless you know more, we are being encouraged to leave well enough alone." he states, arching an eyebrow quizzically at Robert, as if seeking confirmation. "The last thing anyone wants is to give reason for a man of his stature to take offense." He leaves unsaid of course the fact that if Sejanus continues in this vein and publicly slanders the Duke somehow, that there is little doubt that the man will defend his honor violently.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 11:51, Thu 19 Oct 2017.

 Sejanus raised an eyebrow at Sir Perin. "So it seems. The matter is dropped."

 The young Knight would look at the Earl,and bow his hear. " Your pardon,My Lord, this matter shall not be brought up again."
This message was last edited by the player at 11:40, Thu 19 Oct 2017.

"You misunderstand," the Earl responds.  "You both believe that the Duke is up to something, strongly enough to bring it to my attention.  I would not have gotten as far as I have in life by ignoring my instincts or the instincts of those who serve under me.  What I am telling you in no uncertain terms is that your conclusion that the Duke is planning to invade Salisbury makes no sense.  First, King Arthur is my liege and the Duke's and the King is working very hard to unify the kingdom.  The Duke is not going to jeopardize that by open warfare over a woman, however desirable.  Second, if this is about Countess Fiona, then the Duke is not going to attack here as she is only here right now because of a tournament with over 500 knights."

He pauses to make sure this is all sinking in.  "What I am trying to determine is exactly what you were told so that we can figure out what is actually going on.  The next course is about to start and since you don't seem to want to tell me exactly what was said, please go back and find Galeria and get more details.  When did this start, how is this different than before, when were these visitors, only once, what else did she notice about them, what is the deal with succession?"

Once more he looks at each of the knights in turn and nods his head to insure that they understand.  "Let me know in the morning what you have found out," he concludes.

"Thank you my lord, your advice is sound, and I defer to your greater experience in these matters." Perin says before bowing and spinning on his heels.  As the pair walks away, he murmurs quietly to Sejanus "Truthfully if the Duke has not set his sights on the Countess, that leaves only one person of any importance for him in Salisbury... me.  Unfortunately it's not as if I can talk to your lady, who is the only person who would know more.  So I am afraid that I must ask for your help in this matter my friend.  Please do what you can to find out what the Duke is plotting"

The waiters bring out the final course, assorted fresh fruit.  People head back to their seats and finish an enjoyable meal as musicians play some light dining music.  At length the meal is over and the Earl thanks his guests and the feast concludes.

As always, there is an after party that involves a great deal of drinking.

Perhaps an opportune time to drown ones' sorrows after exiting the joust early or in preparation for fighting a cat of some kind on the morrow.

The Tournament - Day 2

The Salisbury knights mostly relax in the morning as they have neither challenged nor been challenged by any knights.

After the noon meal, the stands are filled once more for the much-anticipated arena fights!  With great fanfare, the animals are led into the ring and shown to the spectators before being placed in their pens.

The first animal battle is between local favorite Sir Dalan and a rare panther.  Sir Dalan comes out through a door in the side of the arena to the cheering of the crowd.  Soon after, the panther is released.

The panther slinks along the edge of the arena, eyeing the armored knight warily.  Then, with a disturbing suddenness, it springs forward.  Sir Dalan strikes with his sword, hitting the beast and leaving a gash along its side, as the panther's bite misses the mark.

Sir Dalan, rolled 2 using 1d20.  Sword.
Panther, rolled 19 using 1d20.  Bite.
Sir Dalan, rolled 16 using 5d6+2.  Damage.
The Panther takes 16 - 5 = 11 damage.

Bounding back at the knight, the panther attempts to claw Sir Dalan, managing to hit the knight with one paw as Sir Dalan slices the cat with his sword.  The Panther collapses to the arena floor and moves no more.

Sir Dalan, rolled 7 using 1d20.  Sword.
Panther, rolled 17 using 1d20.  Claws.
Panther, rolled 4 using 2d20.  Claws.
Sir Dalan, rolled 22 using 5d6+2 with rolls of 6,3,5,5,1.  Damage.
Panther, rolled 10 using 4d6 with rolls of 4,2,2,2.  Damage.
The Panther takes 22 - 5 = 17 damage and is knocked unconscious.
Sir Dalan takes 10 - 12 - 6 = 0 damage.

The crowd roars as Sir Dalan easily kills the panther.  Some in the crowd seem to think in fact that it was too easy.

Sir Dalan gets a check in Sword, 75 Glory, 1£ in prize money, and a panther pelt.

Sir Dalan feels less happy with his victory than he might have expected. For one that beast, though formidable had not the sheer strength to get through his armour. Perhaps he should have faced the bear. For another thing he felt a tremor of remorse at slaying so vibrant and beautiful a creature.

Still he bowed to the stands and departed the field to watch the next contest, his mind swimming. The pelt would go to Lady Ellowyn of course. He'd thought to make it his symbol on his shield and banner but now... he wasn't quite so sure...

Indeed, the arena gets off to a slow start as Sir Dalan mauls the panther.  Still, it is sport and the crowd remains enthusiastic.

- - - - -

Next up, an Ordinary knight from Devon steps into the ring to boisterous applause.  He sets himself and awaits his opponent, a large brown bear.  The bear lumbers out of its enclosure and rears onto its hind legs, standing more than seven feet tall.  Dropping down on all fours once more it swings its massive paws at the knight who hits it with his sword.  However, the bear ignores the sword as it slams into the knight, who goes over backwards.  Although the claws only scratch the knight, he is now prone.

The bear then jumps on the knight, who struggles to rise but is knocked down by the force of the blow and lies still.  A half dozen knights with shields rush in, attempting to encircle the fallen knight.

The bear takes one last swipe at the fallen knight but misses.  The knights manage to separate the combatants and drag the limp body of the knight out of the arena.

The Bear criticalled . . . twice.

- - - - -

The crowd is silent, watching as the bear mauls the first knight and cheering as the other knights manage to rescue him.  There is a bit of a break as the next competitor is brought in and the bear is released once more.

This fight, however, goes very differently.  The knight tags the bear one time after another, wearing it down, before killing it.  The bear manages to hit the knight on its post-mortem blow but the blow does not penetrate the knight's armor.

The crowd goes wild once more.  The knight receives 2£ in prize money and the bear pelt.

- - - - -

There is a bit of a break before the match between the lion and Sir Lamorak commences.  After the bear's spirited performance, and knowing a bit about how dangerous a lion can be, the cheering for the famous Round Table knight is rather more spirited and takes a while to die down.

At length, the crowd settles down for what they hope will be a less one-sided fight.  Sir Lamorak readies his lance and then the door to the lion's enclosure opens.

The lion springs forward immediately in a blur of orangish-brown.  Sir Lamorak falls back a step (splitting his attack evenly) to receive the blow but catches his right foot and falters (fumble) his lance slipping out of his hand.  The Lion hits Sir Lamorak with both claws, the first slashing his chest and the second (critical) killing him instantly.

The crowd is absolutely silent, as if not wanting to believe what they just saw.

- - - - -

The phalanx of knights reappears and drags Sir Lamorak's body from the arena.  Meanwhile, Sir Perin, who just witnessed Sir Lamorak'c defeat, is led down to the empty enclosure in preparation for his own fight.

Once inside, and the door closed, Fiona steps out of the shadows and walks across to him.  With a chuckle, she remarks "now you know why he wasn't my champion," before kissing him rather urgently on the lips.  Disengaging she murmurs, "go get'em tiger," before melting back into the shadows as the door opens to let Sir Perin out into the arena.  He feels warm all over. like he could conquer the world (Invoked Love (Fiona)).

Perin watches the events in horror as Sir Lamorak is brutally killed in the span of a heat beat.  Blowing out a heavy breath, he steadies himself.  All men are nervous before a battle, no matter how experienced they are, no matter how minor a fight may seem.  Anyone who says anything less is lying.  Still, there is a way to focus that nervous energy and put it to good use; and Perin refuses to let the horror of what just happened to shake his focus.

Fiona's presence doesn't surprise him at first, and smiling, he kisses his lady love back quite passionately.  "Of course my love.  And I'll hold you to that promise..." It's only after she departs that he remembers, he had just seen her in the stands with her knights scant moments ago.  How did she get down here?

Sir Perin is greeted by a rousing cheer.  It seems that the crowd is doing what they can to support the local knight and as no others have signed up to face the lion, it is the last chance to make good.

Readying himself, Sir Perin is prepared for the speed of the beast.  Or at least, so he thought.  He watches the gate rising and even still the thing is almost upon him before he realizes it.  He stabs at it with his lance and manages to hit it but it is too fast and manages to rake its claws along his armor and shield, which absorb the blow.  Sir Perin is able to block the second blow, however.

Sir Perin, rolled 8 using 1d20.  Lance.
Sir Perin, rolled 11 using 1d20.  Lance.
Lion, rolled 9 using 1d20.  Claws.
Lion, rolled 3 using 1d20.  Claws.
Lion, rolled 18 using 7d6 with rolls of 4,1,2,1,3,3,4.  Damage.
Sir Perin, rolled 9 using 1d20 with rolls of 9.  Dexterity.
Sir Perin takes 18 - 12 - 3 - 6 = 0 damage and remains on his feet.

Sir Perin and the lion trade blows, each scoring hits on the other.  Sir Perin's hit is rather weak, with most of the force being absorbed by the lion's thick hide.  The Lion's blow, however, manages to make it through Sir Perin's shield and armor and gives him a nasty scratch along his left side.

Sir Perin, rolled 5 using 1d20.  Lance.
Sir Perin, rolled 14 using 1d20.  Lance.
Lion, rolled 3 using 1d20.  Claws.
Lion, rolled 18 using 1d20.  Claws.
Sir Perin, rolled 11 using 6d6 with rolls of 3,2,1,2,1,2.  Damage.
Lion, rolled 30 using 7d6 with rolls of 5,4,3,6,3,5,4.  Damage.
Sir Perin, rolled 4 using 1d20.  Dexterity.
Sir Perin takes 30 - 12 - 3 - 6 = 9 damage and remains standing.
The Lion takes 11 - 10 = 1 damage.

The crowd gasps as Sir Perin and the Lion trade blows once more and both come away a little bloody, with Sir Perin taking the worse of it.  Circling, the two attack each other once more and this time Sir Perin manages to not only score a hit but also parry the Lion's second set of razor-sharp claws.

Sir Perin, rolled 9 using 1d20.  Lance.
Sir Perin, rolled 19 using 1d20.  Lance.
Lion, rolled 4 using 1d20.  Claws.
Lion, rolled 2 using 1d20.  Claws.
Sir Perin, rolled 22 using 6d6 with rolls of 3,6,1,3,5,4.  Damage.
The Lion takes 22 - 10 = 12 points of damage.

The crowd is getting more excited as the battle continues and their knight appears to be getting the better of the lion, although everyone knows how quickly things can change.

Sir Perin skewers the lion again and again manages to block the return blow.  This time he does a bit more significant damage and the lion looks like it is really wounded.

Sir Perin, rolled 5 using 1d20.  Lance.
Sir Perin, rolled 15 using 1d20.  Lance.
Lion, rolled 1 using 1d20.  Claws.
Lion, rolled 1 using 1d20.  Claws.
Sir Perin, rolled 28 using 6d6 with rolls of 5,1,5,5,6,6.  Damage.
The Lion takes 28 - 10 = 18 damage.

Feeling that he needs to make a decisive hit, Sir Perin goes full-on offense, taking a blow from the Lion before striking a shattering blow back on the beast.  The Lion's strike, while true, is feeble and barely does any damage.  Sir Perin's return blow (critical) pierces the beast's heart and the lion lies still.

The crowd erupts with cheers as Sir Perin slays the beast.

Sir Perin get a check in Lance, 5£ in Prize money, and 250 Glory for killing the lion.

With the arena competition over, and all of the animals defeated, the stands slowly clear as people head back to their lodging before the final feast in a few hours.  Many are looking forward to the melee on the morrow.

Garym had spent most the day with Lethe after meeting with Diarmuid. He still did not have much hope, and it was wearing on him. He needed to distract himself from the problem, so he went seeking out the others in the melee. He needed to find Sir Gracian to thank him for the introduction to Diarmund. But, first he wanted to congratulate Perin on defeating the lion.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:48, Sun 22 Oct 2017.

Perin was trying to extricate himself from the various well wishers, when he catches sight of Sir Garym.  He takes a moment to study the man's face as they approach one another.  After all, given how their last interaction ended, he's more than a little wary. Still, Perin, seemingly in a good mood like always smiles as he crushes the man's hand in a firm grip before pulling the man into a hug.  "Brother, it's good to see you again!" he booms.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:38, Sun 22 Oct 2017.

Garym was not use to over comfortable with such shows of affection between men. He believed in a certain decorum, but he had always found Perin to go to the edge of social norms. Perhaps, this was the one of the reasons he was so drawn to the Countess. "Congratulations on your victory. I heard it was quite decisive. I was hoping that we and a few of those that journey with us last year would want talk about the Grand Melee ahead."

If Perin senses Garym's discomfort, it doesn't show.  However he quickly releases the man and smiles broadly.  "Thank you my friend!  And yes, talking ahead of tomorrow's event is never remiss.  Did you have some sort of clever strategy in mind?"

"Often in the Grand Melee, the knights overly focus on the individual combat. In a melee such as this should be about positioning. An aggressive push forward towards the flag. The flanks focusing on simply defense. The center unit pushes forward in a corridor formation. Lines of knights on both side trying to keep a corridor open from the flag back to the home base. A small group of knights grab the flag. The rider with the flag focuses on maneuver while his protectors keep attackers away. The downside since we are fighting towards this goal that the unit whole will suffer greater damage. If, the ploy fails there is a strong chance the flanks will fall, and the columns will disintegrate. Then the home team would be outnumbered."




OOC:

Perin smiles and tips his hand in acknowledgement of Garym's point "Indeed, individual combat and honor are often foremost on the combatant's minds here, and your point about teamwork is well taken.  Still, I hesitate against ending the event too early.  After all, much like the gladiators of ancient Rome, what we are doing is very much for show, is it not?
 Still, I'm sure that we can find a way to put your clever mind to use, and ensure that the people get the show that they want."