The knights have a couple of weeks to prepare and say their goodbyes before they head up to the City of Legions to catch the ships that will ferry them across the Irish Sea to the Emerald Isle.

The journey North takes several weeks as the roads are choked with other large groups of knights heading off to war.  Forage is scarce, as are accommodations, requiring the occasional night of camping.  Still, there is a great deal of camaraderie among the knights, who swap stories, boast of past conquests on the field of battle or in bed.

Everyone stops at the Lambor Castle, which sits astride the King's Road heading North and the trade road to the City of Legions.  About a third of the army is camped there when the knights from Salisbury arrive.  Sir Kay and Blamore de Ganis, the Baron of Lambor, organize the incoming knights into sections of the field.  Each section consists of some 100 knights and will travel together at precise intervals to the City of Legions.  The intervals are organized in order to reduce congestion on the road and ensure proper quarters for the knights as they travel this last leg of the land journey.  It also ensures that the ships taking the knights to Ireland are expeditiously loaded and there are not too many knights in the City of Legions to cause trouble.

Any plans during the journey or at Lambor Castle, where you spend three days?  If not, feel free to write about your journey, thoughts, etc.  Next stop, the City of Legions.

Sir Dalan has much to think about. His poor performance at the tournament has left his spirits  at a very low level and parting from sweet Ellowyn is no cause for celebration.

Still he has men to lead now and after linking up with his knights he tries to spend as much time with them as possible, getting to know their tempers, strengths and weaknesses, all the while concealing his own doubts. His heraldry of the rampant golden panther on blue soon becomes familiar to these men.

Of course it is not simply the Dover's Crossing knights he shall be leading but the command of the troops of Cardiff as a whole. A dizzying honour!

During the long trip North Sir Dalan tries to seek the advice of his more battle hardened knights, especially those who have frequently led men in battle. Though he might tactfully listen to Earl Robert's advice what he really seeks are tales from veterand.

Sir Gracian arrives at Lambor Castle with his men. During the journey he has gotten to know his men but once there his focus switch to Brother Cadfael. Brother Cadfael had been send by Sir Imchad as promised by him at the Pentacost Tournament to act as an advisor and tutor to Sir Gracian.

Sir Gracian may not be the smartest man, but he is an eager pupil and interested in getting to know both the language and customs of the island they are to invade.

Garym first traveled to Bod Dynal with Arianwen. He hated leaving her, but duty called. Her nephew called him forward asking him to act as marshal for the forces of Bod Dynal. In an invasion this large; their forces were quite small in comparison to those provided by men holding greater peerage. Still, Baron Baedd showed him yet another honor. In turn, Garym chose Sir Hua to act as his body knight. The young knight had proven himself to be quite capable in the fairy realm when need was great.

Each night on the journey to Lambor Castle; Garym made sure he spoke to each knight in his retinue. He wanted to develop a personal connection as well as assess each knights skills, so that he could better utilize them in the battle ahead.

As Garym arrived Lambor Castle; his tabard and shield bore a change from the his traditional heraldic device. He had added the truffle which is the family symbol of the rulers of Bod Dynal.

-- Lambor Castle --

The knights from Escavalon and Salisbury are housed in three adjacent sections (including Cardiff), with Stonewall and Bod Dynal knights being housed in an adjoining section along with part of the Gloucester forces.  Word is that Stonewall and Bod Dynal were supposed to be with Hereford but they arrived much earlier than expected and are already at the City of Legions.  Sir Perin is rather perturbed about this and spends much of the eleven days at Lombor complaining about not being allowed to proceed onward.

In order to maintain order, reduce drunkenness and rowdy behavior, and otherwise keep morale high, all knights are expected to be practicing for at least four hours a day and there are various activities to keep them engaged throughout the weeks.

Sir Dalan is in charge of 50 knights from Cardiff, including his own knights.  Over the weeks (as well as from previous meetings) he has gotten to know them all at least in passing.  He speaks with veterans, both the leaders and the followers, and there seems to be a theme running through the stories.  Treat your subordinates the way you want them to act and lead by example.  If you treat your knights like children, they will act like children.  If you treat them as if they are the best on the field, they will act that way.  But regardless of what you say, it is your actions that count.  If you tell them they can come to you with any problem and then berate the first who does, don't expect a lot of visitors.  If you flee, they will flee, if you stand, they will stand.

Sir Gracian spends most of his time with Brother Cadfael, who turns out to be a wealth of information.  Sir Gracian learns, however, that Brother Cadfael's perspective on things shows through regularly.  He looks at things from the commoner's point-of-view and his explanations for the various conflicts always seem to stem from Lords behaving unreasonably toward their peasants.  Nonetheless, Sir Gracian feels as if he has a better grasp on the general political situation and some ideas on where the key places are and who the key people are, although he is forced to figure some of this out based on Brother Cadfael's commentary on other subjects.

Sir Garym finds that his time is in rather high demand.  It seems to have been arranged that there are at least three Round Table Knights around Lambor throughout the bivouack.  Part of their duties involve being seen and talking to as many knights as possible so that over the course of their stay each knight has an opportunity to interact with at least one of King Arthur's chosen elite knights.  When time permits, he works with the Bod Dynal knights in order to know them better as well.

-- The City of Legions --

After a week-and-a-half, the knights head out in groups of two hundred.  The journey to the City of Legions is quick and uneventful.  This part of the journey is being well organized and is quite smooth.  The City of Legions has not changed since Sir Gracian and Sir Dalan passed briefly through on their way from the Wasteland.  All housing is arranged and each group arrives in the evening and sails the following day with the tides.

-- Ireland --

Likewise, the journey across the Sea to Ireland is relatively uneventful.  The weather cooperates and the seas are calm with light winds.  The ships land at Malahide, Dublin, and Monkstown in the northeast corner of Leinster near the border of Meath.  When they land, they disgorge their knights and supplies before heading back to England on the tide.

As in Lambor, things here are very well organized and the knights are sectioned off into areas of the field.  Approximately 75-80% of the army is in Ireland at this point and groups are being sent off to other areas of the country.  A day later, they are sent off to Kildare a bit farther west and prepare for the beginning of the battles to come.

Anything you want to do or thoughts before battle begins?

Sir Gracian is aware that brother Cadfael's perspective sometimes cloud his description of things, yet the knowledge he possess about Irish matters are of great value to Sir Gracian that during the journey listen carefully what he has to say and encourage the monk to teach him Gaelic.

Once they land in Ireland Gracian spend as much time with his men. He has full confidence in them and their ability to wage war but he doubt his own ability to lead them into battle. He attempt to hide his insecurity and instead focus on making sure his men are well-fed and ready for combat and whatever useful knowledge that Gracian gains from the monk is passed on to his men.

---

OOC: Basically Gracian just try to make sure his men doesnt run around raping and drinking :)

Before embarking for the Irish coast Sir Dalan gives a speech to his knights, having assembled them outside Lombor for this purpose. The young Banneret is momentarily taken aback by the hundred men gathered before him - though he has spoken to each knight individually and in small groups never has seen them all arrayed like this and with their squires. Still he rallies and raises his voice:

"My brothers we are bound for a strange and distant lands. Who can say what dangers await us there? Who can say what glory? I have faith my brothers: faith in the Almighty, faith in the King and faith in you. Some of you are knights of my own from Dover's Crossing, others are proud sons of Cardiff. You are all brothers in arms, the finest of men. Together let us prove what men we are!"

He gestures at a tall fair haired knight, one of his own from Dover's Crossing. "Brtave Sir Deniel you shall have the honour of carrying my banner - let the foe see the panther in his terrible glory!"

He turns to a knight of Cardiff: "Gallant Sir Perig; you shall carry the colours of Cardiff with all the splendour of your homeland."

Sir Dalan draws his sword and holds it aloft: "For God, the King and the knighthood!"

---

OOC: In Ireland Sir Dalan will pretty much try and keep his men behaving with honour towards the locals - as Sir Gracian says no plundering or raping!
This message was last edited by the player at 10:55, Fri 08 June 2018.

Garym had spent most of his time doing his duties as a Round Table Knight, the Marshal of Bod Dynal and Knight to Salisbury, but as the time for battle drew nearer. He needed a few minutes to reflect on his life.

God had been kind to him in providing him Arianwen and the his station. Others had so much less than him. He felt shame that he would ask the Father to return him safely back home. He was not necessarily afraid to die. He had faced death many times getting to where he was now. He was more afraid of losing Arianwen, and life he had built.

He whispered softly in humble prayer before returning to his men. He needed to stand strong and brave because he knew that his men had the same fear of loss that he did. They had lives that meant just as much as his did to him. He had no speeches or grand gestures to make. He walked silently amongst them because they needed that to see that he stood with them both in life and death. As the signals were past down line for them to assemble. He gave his men a nod of respect. "Good Sirs, I will see you after we win this day. Stay strong and brave."

-- Battle --

It is not long before battle is joined, although it is not the grand affair one reads about in heroic novels.  For all of their large armies, the enemy does not have a lot of knights.  The first serious engagement involves some 500 footmen and 30 knights against 300 of Arthur's knights, with Sir Dalan, Sir Gracian, and Sir Garym commanding the left flank of the army.

Arthur's flanks charge, attempting to cut the enemy off from the woods but the footmen retreat into the forest and taunt the knights from the relative safety of the thick cover.  Although the enemy knights harry the left flank, they do not engage.  Overall, the battle is a draw and it seems clear that this will be a long campaign.  Everyone receives 20 Glory for taking part in the Battle of Killbeggan.

Arthur sends his right flank around the edge of the forest in an attempt to prevent the army from retreating but they are unsuccessful.  The Irish footmen retreat back to the North with their knights shielding them.

-- Tullamore --

The following morning, Sir Robert calls the knights to break their fast with him.  "I have just spoken to the King and he has requested that I assign some suitable knights to occupy some abandoned lands to the South.  There is a town called Tullamore that is well located and will be a good base of operations in this region.  He wants you to reestablish the town and castle and bring it up to 10 POP within 5 years."

You are sent off with a long caravan of supplies (worth 50£) and 360 peasants (3 POP).  This is obviously a long term (multiyear) project.  Look at the manorial improvements and think about how to spend the money.

Arriving at the remains of Tullamore, you find a large and fertile but untended valley with the remnants of three villages.  It was clearly abandoned a while ago.  An ancient and decaying fortress sits restlessly between two hillocks, commanding the area below.  The castle is composed of a standard square keep and a single curtain wall.  The other wooden structures have all deteriorated past safe use.

The castle's vast, empty halls echo menacingly when you arrive.  The castle is a mere shell of it's former glory and a great deal of work will be involved in getting things back in order.

Of the 360 peasants, a handful originally came from these lands.  They tell stories of the last lord of these lands, William Tullamore, who threw himself off of the battlements.  Some further prodding suggests that they think he may have been insane.  The peasants believe that the castle is haunted.

There are the remains of a small church (10£ to repair) but the mill and bakery have been gutted.  The population can be split among the three villages or placed in just one or two of them.  Various groups of peasants request the mill and bakery be rebuilt, the church restored, defenses be put up, more peasants be recruited, various officials be gathered (chief among them a priest), fields and herds be added, and other manorial improvements.

It is going to be a difficult winter if there is not sufficient food produced.  It seems likely that bandits or roving enemy soldiers will be a threat and you and your knights will frequently be off fighting to the North.

You will need to generate a fair amount of money in order to bring the population up.  So concentrating on improvements that increase revenue early is important.  You also need to protect the region and repel invaders, so improving defenses early is important.  The morale of the peasants will impact productivity, so rebuilding the mill, bakery, and church early are important.  Getting proper retainers will increase your productivity, so hiring them early is important.  :)

Sir Dalan is taken aback to hear that he and his brothers-in-arms are to build a town but he loyally thanks the Earl. "You have my promise we shall not fail the King Sir Robert."

The first sight of Tullamore is not wholly encouraging, but Sir Dalan simply turns in the saddle to look at Sir Garyn and Sir Gracian, a thrilled gleam in his eye. "It will be hard work my brothers but just think - a town of our own! I suggest we explore first though I have a few ideas."

He gestures to the fortress first, as that brooding building dominates the valley: "Let us bring in a priest as soon as possible; we shall need one anyway for the church once it is rebuilt but he can lay any old ghosts to rest in that splendid old ruin. It is important for the peasants to know they have somewhere they can go to should we be assailed."

Sir Gracian too is taken aback that he and his friends are to be send to the south to build a town. Gone are the chances to win glory in combat. Gone are the battles that that he so yearned for. Building a town mean time to think and he is afraid to slip back into the darkness he has just escaped.

But the journey to the south has slowly changed his mind. At first he figured he was send south because he had somehow failed his Earl or King but as the days pass in the good company of his shield-brothers his mood begins to improve and when Sir Dalan comment on the less-than-splendid-dump they are to rebuild Gracian can keep himself from laughing out load.

"Indeed! A town of our own ... if you can call it a town that is. I have seen Roman ruins that in better condition than this place so lets hope the King doesnt decide to stop by to be entertained just yet." he says with a grin.

"A priest sounds like a good idea. As part of my retinue I have an Irish monk named Cadfael. Perhaps he can be of assistance and see to our spiritual needs until some Bishop sends us a priest?

The church needs to be rebuild as soon as possible. Our peasants needs to know they are blessed and protected by the Lord. My guess is that most of them have seen hardship enough for a lifetime and perhaps a Church will bring them some comfort.

We need to explore the old keep of course. I dont like the sound of the place being haunted but we need to rebuild it at least so we are able to house our men there and use it as a base from where to strike wandering brigands.

I know the peasants want the mill and bakery be rebuild and I dont blame them but we also need income and we need to increase the population. So we need to tend to the fields so we can plant crops and I was thinking the land around here would be good for sheep. Isnt Ireland known for their sheep?"

Sir Garym knew that he was no steward. He was glad to have his a steward managing his affairs back home, or he was sure that his lands would wither away to waste. "I agree with much that has been said. Exploring the keep and surrounding lands for danger as well as possible resources must be our priority. These villagers are of course mostly Irish, and they must see us as invaders not interested in their well being. Changing this perception is one of the most important tasks that we have. I believe that this is done by determining what roles each of us will play in this endeavor. We will need one to act as the Lord, another to act as sheriff, and finally the last the steward. This will provide stability in the protection, law, and direction that each of these positions hold. We than also need to incorporate them into the what we do. Making sure we offer opportunity to those skilled in the tasks that we do. Finding a mayor and village council shall give them a voice that can tell us of problems that we have no means of knowing about amongst the people we rule. The last thing in this manner we need to determine a way to reward them for efforts that lead to our success even though we have scarce resources. This is how Arthur has ruled his land. He made everyone part of something greater. He brought to their lives opportunities such as fairness and justice that they have never had. This is what we must do for these Irish. We are not invaders, but liberators from the tyrants that they had before."

"I am not sure they will ever see us as liberators, and why should they? But if we give them security, peace, prosperity and a chance to raise their kids without having to fear about war, injustice and famine then they will gladly accept us as their Lords even if we are invaders."

Gracian looks across the land and sighs. "No offense, brothers, but we have all prefered to let our wives manage the land we live on because womenfolk seems to understand numbers better than we do. So the role of Steward is probably the one we all fear the most." He laughs a bit and shakes his head while considering just how doomed the three of them are.

"But your idea of splitting our duties into three is sound but leaves us with the question of who does what. Any suggestions?"

Without waiting for the others to reply Gracian continues. "I suggest ... and this is only a suggestion ... that we make use of what we do best. Our brave Sir Garym should be the Sheriff and perhaps we can prove his theory of warning beacons valid here in gloomy Tullamore so it can be adopted back in fair Salisbury. And with the war waging we will need your skill in battle and combat, my friend. And you, most noble Sir Dalan, should be Lord of Tullamore because we need your wisdom and silver-tongue if we are to rebuild this dark land and bring it into the light - and keep the peasants from killing each other.

And that leaves me to act as Steward of Tullamore and to be honest that scares me almost as much as it should scare you. But I will try my best not to fail you and our gracious King that for some reason see something in us ... God knows what ... and do my outmost to make this land prosper.

Gold, my friends. Glory and Gold." he finishes with a huge grin on his face.

"Wise words my friend," Sir Dalan replies, a smile flitting across his face. "I thank you for the confidence you show me. One other matter I think is that we will need to learn at least a smattering of Gaelic if we are to administer over the locals - aye, that and study the laws here to know where they differ. For both matters we absolutely need a son of Ireland in our camp." 

"I am ahead of you my friend. Do you remember the Irish knight Sir Imchad? As part of the preparation for our journey to Ireland I asked Sir Imchad if one in his retinue would teach me Gaelic and he was kind enough to offer me the service of the monk Cadfael. He is a bit eccentric but he has been trying to teach me the language for some time now and I am certain that by the end of the year I will master it ... to some extend."

-- Tullamore --

The peasants are at present neutral toward you.  You are English but you are also returning them to their homeland and you have lots of knights with you.  How they will feel in another season is largely up to you.  :)

Cadfael is familiar with the language and can provide advice when requested, free of charge.  He is not from these parts, so his knowledge of customs will be only mostly accurate and he does not have much knowledge specific to these lands and its history, although he may know a few tidbits.  He can certainly interface with the locals with ease.

The peasants move into the local village and are able to bring it up to base standards.

You have up to 50£ to spend now on projects that can be completed this year because I am a nice person.  Because you have a lot of work to do with limited funds, I am relaxing the building requirements so that as long as you are not raided, you can more easily complete projects that you initiate.

As per the House Rules Thread:



In addition to your duties in rebuilding, you will also be fighting periodically, either as part of Arthur's army or locally to discourage bandits or enemy incursions.

Next steps:

Determine what you want Cadfael to do.  For instance: obtain retainers, determine peasant needs/desires, learn about local history, etc.

Determine how much money you wish to spend and on what.

Determine basic defensive plans for when you are in town and when you are away.

Anything else that strikes your fancy.

Gracian works tirelessly to get the peasants settled in the new land, supervising the reconstruction of homes and structures while doing his best to led by example. He readily rolls up his sleeves and help the peasants in the hard work as much as possible hoping that his example overcomes his lack of understanding of the language. He push himself as hard as possible from dawns first light and till the sun sets, sharing simple meals with the peasants and trying (slowly) to learn the language and their customs.

One late evening not long after they have arrived at Tullamore Gracian have a meeting with his brother-knights.

"I will leave the defensive plans to you, Sir Garym, because of us you are the one most skilled in the art of battle. Yet I feel it is important that we make sure to scout the surrounding land for we are not surprised by raiders and brigands.

But when it comes to Tullamore I have given it some thought - and no jokes here. I can actually think!" he adds with a grin.

"In regards to brother Cadfael I feel it is important that he focus on what needs and desires the peasants have. Yes retainers would be wonderful but if we do not know what needs our peasants have, then hiring retainers could prove to be a waste of money. So let us first focus on the needs of our peasants, so we can have them form some kind of village council that may assist us in the years to come.

And then there is the ruin people call Tullamore. I suggest we start by rebuilding the small church and build a mill. It will give them hope for the future. But we also need income so I suggest we start by buying sheep and begin logging in the local forest. It will earn us an income and at the same time put food in our stomach and provide lumber for Tullamore.

Now I would love to rebuild the castle but I dont think we can afford it and nor do I think we have the manpower for such a project. But If we could build a simple ditch and rampart then we will be able to have some kind of protection if we are attacked.

What do you think?"

---

My suggestion for The Plan (Year 1):

• Rebuild Church (£10)
• Build Mill (£15)
• Buy Sheep Herd (£5)
• Set up Logging (£1)
• Build Ditch and Rampart (£5)
• Cadfael (set up Village Council)

"Your plans are solid. You will need to find additional stewards to act as overseers for the projects. I think it is important to support the peasantry with the mill and church, but we need to also focus an basic training of them because we shall be a target for every bandit and mercenary knight because they will realize our vulnerable position. They will seek out the many resources that we are investing into these projects."

Gracian nods in agreement. "I believe you are right. There are too many projects for me to handle on my own so we need additional stewards. Hopefully we can hire some loyal to our side because I would hate having spies among us. Anyway I think two stewards working with me on this should be enough to handle our affairs ... with a litte luck that is.

But do you think we need to focus on basic training for the peasants? I mean I can certainly understand the need but considering we dont know yet if the peasants are going to stay loyal or shove a pitchfork up our backsides then I dont know if we should actually turn them into a fighting force just yet?

Of course if you insist then I trust you completely on this Sir Garym. You are the one wisest in the skill of warfare and without your skills Tullamore will surely fall and we will fail."

Sir Dalan, who has been listening closely now smiles and speaks up. 'Sound thoughts my brother and I agree with them. Regarding the castle though, even if we do not yet have the money to rebuild I strongly suggest we explore it and make sure it isn't haunted after all. If nothing else it will reassure the local people that we do fear any grim spectres.'

"But indeed it must be explored. We must show the peasants that they have nothing to fear - and that you, their Lord, is fearless!" He looks at the others before continuing.

"Lets us dispatch riders to bring back stewards and let us ask Cadfael to pick a few good and trusted men to serve as a village council. Let us set our plan into motion and as soon as we can spare time away from our duties then we explore the ruins of Castle Tullamore.

What can possibly go wrong?"

Sir Gracian begins work on the various projects the three knights have agreed upon and it is more than he can do to manage them all.  He has no time at present to help in physical tasks with so many projects in need of his attention.

The following projects are underway: Rebuild Church (£10); Build Mill (£15); Buy Sheep Herd (£5); Set up Logging (£1); and Build Ditch and Rampart (£5).  Sir Gracian can handle the castle improvements but getting 2-3 additional stewards to cover the other projects would be wise.

Cadfael assembles a group of three villagers to act as a council, including a farmer, a craftsman, and a shop owner.  They determine that defenses are the most critical need followed by a mill and rebuilding the church.

No decision on training villagers was made but as a general matter you can raise approximately 10% of the population (30 people currently) as militia.  This will, of course, prevent them from doing other work.

The knights live in the castle and have as yet noticed nothing out-of-the-ordinary about it, other than it being rundown.  It is a very rough and mundane existence unless you provide staff for the castle.  You will have to spend time cooking your own meals, taking care of administration, washing and mending your own clothing, etc.  The villagers avoid the castle when possible and seem fearful when forced to be there.

Both stewards and priests cost 1£ per year.  Costs for other help can be found in the link in my previous post.

A week after settling in, a messenger arrives notifying you that you and your knights are needed to help contain a body of Irish footmen to the North.  You currently have the three of you plus the knights from Cardiff (50), Stonewall (6), and Bod Dynal (30) for a total of just shy of 90 knights.  Although you are not given the particulars, it seems that you are to patrol the enemy's right flank, preventing them from escaping or attacking Arthur's left flank.  You are not told how many knights to bring.

What retainers would you like to hire?

How many knights are you bringing North and are any of you remaining behind?

What if any defensive plans are you preparing during your absence?

Anything else you would like to do?

"I think we are all itching for battle and the chance to win glory. But we have been tasked with rebuilding Tullamore and we must not fail. Let me and my knights stay here and along with the stewards continue our building projects. Admittedly a mere six knights isnt much of a defense but the majority of our knights should join the battle in the north."

---

We hire one Priest and three Stewards for the total of £4.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:57, Sat 25 Aug 2018.

"Are you sure my brother?" Sir Dalan asks, raising his eyebrows at Sir Gracian's modesty. "I am glad one of us will continue his post here, but I am afraid of letting you lose out on greater glory."

Sir Dalan strokes him trim beard thoughtfully. "About our fiefdom - perhaps if we do hire servants for the castle the locals will fear it less, seeing normal men and women come and go with ease?"

"I am sure, my brother. Just promise me you will make sure people dont think my abscence is caused by cowardism?" he replies.

"I fear the locals wont dare stay at the castle. We need a priest first to cleanse it of evil spirits - or at least to make sure the locals think any evil spirits has been banished." he adds with a wry grin. "Let us wait with hiring local servants until you return and the first line of projects has been finished. If we push them they will show up with pitchforks and torches - and I rather not face those pitchforks until you all return from the campaign."

-- To Battle --

Sir Dalan and Sir Garym ride off with their four-score knights, raising a large dust cloud in their wake as the many hooves pound the simple road heading north.  The weather is damp, the skies a dull grey but otherwise the journey is mostly uneventful.  They meet up with Arthur's forces after a two-day ride and are sent to scout around the enemy's right flank.  A huge contingent of Irish foot soldiers, estimated to be as many as 1000 strong, has been pushed into the woods.  The knights are to ensure that the enemy does not sneak out of the woods and escape to the west and safety.  It is believed that a few dozen Irish cavalry are in the area and try to harry or ambush you.

You head off to the western edge of the woods.  As you ride, Sir Garym begins to feel ill.  He is the only one affected and although his complexion has a greenish tinge, he does not appear to be in mortal danger.  He does not, however, seem fit to fight, or perhaps even to ride long distances.  He certainly is not well enough to lead knights into battle.  He rides back to Arthur's camp, leaving Sir Dalan with command of 80 knights.

How would you like to deploy your men?  A single large group, several smaller ones?  If more than one, who would you like to lead the others?  The knights of Bod Dynal include those listed in the original adventure and could easily lead at least their group.  Otherwise, you can make up someone to 'promote.'  From your experience, you know that the Irish cavalry tend to be led by a tough and wily fighter.  He likely is very familiar with the local terrain.  He is not very chivalrous.

-- The Haunting --

Sir Gracian watches his companions and the vast majority of knights ride away and perhaps wonders what he has gotten himself in to.  Returning to the castle, he sets to work on one of the many projects that seems in constant need of his attention.  It is late before he manages to find time to eat and it is a lonely affair.  Well, at least until a specter arrives and begins complaining about the quality of the food and lack of service.  The ghost is a large man and seemingly well-fed, and yet he complains bitterly about the quality of the fare and that there is none to serve him.  He entreats Sir Gracian to get some servants and better food.

Although his arguments are strenuously made, Sir Gracian is able, for now, to disregard them.  Still, it is an odd experience.

The ghost will depart once the meal is over.

Anything you would like to do or say?

Sir Gracian is rather disturbed by the appearance of the ghostly apparition. He like to think he has seen his share of danger and fantastic creatures but ghosts are ... different. Their souls trapped on this Earth and unable to move on and even if the well-fed complaining ghost at first sight seems harmless, then Gracian is not comfortable with the ghost.

The following day Gracian seek out brother Cadfael to discuss the encounter. "Late last night as I was eating a meal a ghost appeared before me. It appeared in the shape of a ... uhm ... well-fed man that ... uhm ... complained about the quality of the food. After a while the man disappeared right before my eyes leaving me alone with my meal. I have no experience with such things but will you help me? Perhaps if we find out who he is ... or was ... then we can find a way to lay him to rest and grant him peace. Also I intend to check our food stores later on today and I want you to accompany me."

---

The plan so far:

• Enlist brother Cadfael. He is after all a man of the cloth (and in fact the only one in Tullamore).
• Investigate the current food stores.
• Investigate the keep and see if the food and supplies used to be stored in a different location than the one that is currently used.

Sir Dalan clasped his hands with Sir Garym as they parted: "Rest well my brother. We need your sharp sword and sharp wits in this adventure!"

After sadly watching the knight depart Sir Dalan assembles those who ride with him to plan strategy: "Most of you I have not ridden with before, though you all have the look of splendid and true knights to you. Tell me knights of Bod Dynal, be there one amongst your chivalry who knows best how to fight in the narrow forests?"

-- Battle --

A large knight approaches Sir Dalan, "I am Gwyllt, brother to the Baron.  We have fought for many years in the dense forests of Cambria."  The knights of Bod Dynal nod in agreement.

-- The Haunting --

Cadfael departs and Sir Gracian checks the supplies.  They are good enough knight's fare.  It is unclear where they used to be stored but they are secure now.  Admittedly, there are no servants to cook and serve, and clean.

After a couple of days, Cadfael returns, a curious expression on his face.  "Well, I spoke with the locals and have pieced together as best as I can the stories.  The person whose likeness you describe is probably John, the son of the builder of this castle," he gestures to the stone keep.  "He was brought up rich and spoiled and grew obese.  Although the particulars are not important, the general consensus is that there was a famine and John ignored the plight of his starving subjects and they . . . well, lopped off his head and put it on a pole."

He shrugs apologetically.  "I am not an expert on ghosts but I would recommend blessing the castle with holy water and a cleansing prayer."

OOC:  Holy Water is expensive, especially in sufficient quantity to bless the entire castle.  Probably a few librum worth.

The good knight Sir Gracian listened carefully to the learned brother Cadfael and sat silently while staring at the Irish monk.

"Is it tradition around here for the peasants to lop off their Masters' heads?" he asked and at once regretted his question. "Never mind. Please dont answer that question..." He just hoped he hadnt sounded too anxious.

"Holy water for the entire castle? Do you have any idea how much that will cost?!" The knight buried his face in his hands and shook his head before he sighed heavily and deeply wished he had follow Sir Dalan and Sir Garym on their campaign to the north.

"Very well then. I suppose we need to have the castle blessed then. If we dont get the place cleansed we will never be able to get any local servants. Can you make the neccesary arrangements and perform the ceremony or will I have to bring in some priest?"

Gracian was already trying to balance the books. His beloved Ariette had done most of the bookkeeping before and he had never been much good with numbers ...

---

Do we only have the £ given to us when send to Tullamore or can Gracian pay for things with his own money?

"Well met good Sir Gwyllt," Sir Dalan replies, clasping the man's hand in greeting. "I want you to be my second in this battle. The enemy knows the land better than us, and that can't be helped, but I'd sooner have a knight who has used sword, lance and steed under the green leaves than two gallant men of the rolling hills and pastures."

Turning to address the knights as a whole he lifted his voice. "The plan is this; Sir Gwyllt will take a pick of a dozen men and scout the woods, trying to draw out the enemy horse and then take flight, drawing the enemy to the rest of us. Now the Gael probably thinks us all blundering brutes, empty heads encased in iron helms. Let them think that - good Sir Gwyllt your job is to fool the Irish into thinking they are chasing witless, panicking fools, riding off without a wit between them. I want the enemy blinded by their own confidence until the moment when they meet the rest of us - aye and our swords!"

-- Battle --

Sir Gwyllt gathers up a dozen knights and rides off as Sir Dalen sets up his trap.  There is not a lot of ground cover, especially for almost 70 knights but at length Sir Dalan finds a suitable spot.

It is a couple of hours before the small party of knights returns, streaking out of the forest but slowing once out of bow range.  When they rejoin the main group, Sir Gwyllt reports.  "We did not find any horsemen but the woods are full of foot soldiers.  They ambushed us several times but we were able to extract ourselves.  Once out of the woods, they did not pursue us, although archers continued to fire upon us until we were out of range."  Several knights are wounded but only one is hurt badly enough that he won't be able to fight.

OOC: I am not sure how clearly I laid out the situation.  I added Game Map Group 2, which shows the main forest into which ~1000 Irish foot soldiers have retreated.  They are represented by red dots, although you have no idea of their current positions within the forest.  The Purple dots at the bottom of the page are several hundred knights and some footmen in Arthur's army, who pushed the Irish into the woods.  The other three purple dots are you (1), Sir Perin and the Hereford knights (2), and some other group of knights (3) to the east.  It is unknown where the Irish cavalry are or their exact numbers.  You need to prevent the Irish from leaving the woods unseen.  If they leave en masse, send word and attack to slow them down.  It will take than many men a long time to exit the forest and scamper away.  A smaller outbreak should be something you can contain yourself.

-- The Haunting --

OOC: You have the money provided and perhaps a librum or two of your own you brought with you.  Carrying large sums of money on a campaign seems unwise.  Please note that Cadfael is not really an expert in this area and his advice is a pretty standard Church response to "What to do if something unholy occurs."  Sir Gracian can accept his advice, seek other counsel, reject it and do his own thing, or whatever.  NPCs don't speak for the GM most of the time.  :)

"You would need a bishop to perform the Blessing," Cadfael replies.  "There is probably one in Dublin, which is also where you would be likely to find such quantities of Holy Water."

It would probably be a bad idea for Sir Gracian to leave before his fellows return, although he could send a knight to go in his place, which might be an even worse idea.

Gracian sighed and look out the window. Campaigning in the North seemed so much more attractive now.

"I cant go to Dublin now and leave Tullamore without a master. We will have to make do until Sir Dalan and Sir Garym returns from the war and then perhaps I can go to Dublin and speak to the Bishop.

Did they ever bury his head?" The last question was mostly rhetorical.

After a while staring out the window Gracian turned to the monk. "I need to talk to the locals. Find out where his body and head is buried and if he got a Christian burial at all. Can you help me? I am starting to learn the language but those throat-sounds ... they are killing me."

Sir Dalan sends the most wounded knight away to a safe distance, then confers with his remaining knights. "It seems we'll have to wait for them to make a move out of the trees. I want the knights with the best eyes and ears on our flanks - if a leaf moves unnaturally at the forest edge I'll want to hear about it."

-- Battle --

It is some hours later, as the afternoon winds down, that a group of 50 or so footmen trot out of the wood between Sir Dalan's knights and the main army (so around 7:00 on the map).  Sir Dalan is about to give chase when he thinks a little about it and concludes that this is a feint of some sort.

While it seems like a test to send out a small group and if nothing happens, send out a stronger force, it is an odd place to leave the forest as it is a long way to the next cover and is close enough to the main army to be in danger of being caught by both the main force and Sir Dalan's knights.  Additionally, Although they are quite far away, Sir Dalan thinks that Sir Perin's force to the north is heading away from him suddenly, perhaps chasing another feint in that direction.

But what to do about this?

OOC:  You can (and should) send a rider to the main army if the enemy moves in force (as in most of their forces) as 80 knights are not going to be able to stop 700+ footmen.  But sending a knight prematurely could make you look foolish if nothing developed.  Sending one too late, of course, would also be bad.  What to do, what to do?

Sir Dalan gets a point in Battle.

-- The Haunting --

Cadfael is, of course, happy to help.  He walks along with Sir Gracian to speak with some of the locals about Sir John.  However, Sir John was the grandfather of the most recent ruler of this region and there do not appear to be any who saw the man personally.  What they have is mainly tales, perhaps exaggerated, of the man's gluttony and selfishness, but few details passed his final comeuppance.  There is a family plot outside the keep, including a marker for John but short of exhuming the body, there is no way to tell if the head is there as well.

"Sir Gwyllt send our fastest rider after Sir Perin. I want to know what Sir Perin is doing - he is a splendid knight but I am not sure patience is a virtue. I'd sooner risk embarrassment by reacting too soon than missing a chance at the foe."

Gracian listens carefully to every tale told about Sir John but he quickly realize that noone really knows anything about anything. How shall he ever solve the mystery and end the haunting of the castle?

In the end he sees no other option that to do the thing he would have prefered not to do. "Cadfael? See to it that Sir John's body is exhumed and reburied with the proper rites ... no need to infuriate him even more" he mutters. "We need to know if his head is still there or if his body is even buried here or not. I dont mind having a hungrry ghost at the castle but as long as that damned thing is haunting us we will never get any servants!"

-- Battle --

The knight rides off quickly toward Sir Perin's force, which is definitely on the move away from you.  The small enemy force picks up speed and when they detect no response, another group begins to depart from the trees.  At first glance it appears this could be a far larger body.

The knight has covered about a third of the distance to Sir Perin's original position when he pulls up short, stands up in his saddle looking toward Sir Perin's retreating force, before wheeling his horse and heading back at full speed.

As he returns, the second group continues to leave the woods.

"My Lord," the knight says, gulping air and trying to talk rapidly, "as I was heading toward Sir Perin's force I caught sight of something in the woods.  There is a huge force between Sir Perin's knights and ours.  It looks like the main body of the enemy getting ready to leave the woods.  Sir Perin is chasing some cavalry."  After a couple more gulps of air he finishes, "I tried to make it appear that I gave up on Sir Perin because he was heading away rapidly in hopes that the enemy would not realize I saw them."

What now?  Feel free to ask questions if anything isn't clear.

OOC:  Not only did you critical your Battle roll last round but the knight criticaled his awareness roll.  I was thinking, what should his Awareness be? 9?  No, 7.

-- The Haunting --

Exhuming the body is exactly as fun as Sir Gracian imagined it would be.  The body, including detached head, was in the grave and has now been properly buried once more.  It is difficult to tell but it appears that it might have been properly buried the first time.  Better safe than sorry though!

Unsure of what to do next Gracian curse his ill luck for being stuck in Tullamore with a hungry ghost.

Once the exhumed body of Sir John has been buried again Gracian ponders what to do next. Sadly he never gets must rest because rebuilding the area takes up most of his time but he is certain that the ghost will be back. And once it is back Gracian needs to have a talk with the departed Sir John - Tullamore Keep needs servants!

Sir Dalan claps a hand on the young knight's shoulder. "A good job Sir Berdic. I fear I must ask you to ride again to warn the King of what you have seen. Travel around around the back of our company of knights so that you are shielded from the sight of the Hibernians. Only when you think yourself blocked by prying eyes go to a gallop."

Turning to Sir Gwyllt he said: <Green>"Ready the men to charge on my command. We must wait till the enemy makes their move and hope that good Sir Berdic reaches his Majesty swiftly - as it is I suspect we'll be fighting on our own for a few moments before our brothers arrive."/Green>

-- Battle --

Sir Dalan and his cavalry creep along to the North, taking what cover they can.  After Sir Berdic leaves there is a bit of a lull before a large group of footmen appear from the forest to the North.  About 100 soldiers have appeared so far but it is only a small piece of the total force.  Certainly Sir Dalan and his knights can take such a force easily but they would quickly be overwhelmed by the forces yet to come.

If he charges now Sir Dalan can arrive by the time ~200 soldiers emerge.  They could certainly hold their own against such a force and perhaps force them back into the woods.  But they would likely be in trouble of they got within bow range of the woods.

Alternately, they could wait until the entire force was out and harry them until reinforcements arrived.  Assuming that reinforcements arrived in time.  This could lead to the destruction of the Irish forces here, which are a decent chunk of their entire forces.  It is, however, a more dangerous and risky gambit.

I added an update Map under Group 3 (feel free to compare to Group 2 map).  Sir Perin and the Hereford knights (2) have moved to the East.  Sir Dalan and company (1) have edged a bit North.  The small purple dot to the South West is Sir Berdic.  It is quite possible that the smaller force of Irish to the South will attempt to slow Arthur's forces, should they head Sir Dalan's way.

-- The Haunting --

Meals become something of a chore for Sir Gracian with the constant urging of the ghost of Sir John.  The ghost badgers Sir Gracian into more conspicuous consumption and is successful at wearing away at Sir Gracian's defenses.  The knight finds that he is eating more and more often in the hopes of assuaging the ghost but it seems merely to induce the ghost to redouble its efforts.

One day the poor Sir Gracian cant take it anymore. He rise from his chair with such force that he knocks over the chair and yells at the ghost standing before him. "AARGHH! No more, Sir John! I have heard enough of your mad ramblings and constant nagging. This castle is no more yours, Sir John! You lost it when the peasants came for your head because you had neglected your duties as a knight and as their master. And now you haunt these halls and corridors which means that I cant get any servants because they are all too afraid to come here. I have a monk that wants me to throw holy water on you and pay a Bishop to come here and send you off to Heaven and I got a war going on outside these walls. So for the love of God and all you hold dear ... WHAT DO YOU WANT? Tell me Sir John and I will try to the best of my ability to help you. And if you dont tell me then be gone and be gone for good!"

Gracian suddenly stops and turns white unable to determine if he has just cursed the entire estate or not. He know nothing about ghosts but he has heard enough tales about ghost and hauntings to be scared.

After much thought Sir Dalan summons his senior knights.

'I know what a risk it is but we'll wait and harry the foe once they emerge. Our task is to deal with the enemy en masse and by God and all his saints that is what we shall do. It is a tough task my brothers but I trust our king and his captains. Fight well and we'll see a great victory this day!'

Having addressed his knights Sir Dalan checks his armour, steed and weapons one last time. He has no illusions this will be a very difficult fight. 'On my mark when they emerge raise the leopard standard and at their flank!'

-- Battle --

The knights remain hidden until the mass of the Irish have departed the woods and it is quite a mass indeed.  Sir Dalan guesses that there are at least 700 soldiers in the large group of men heading toward the safety of the western forest.  The odds are not good but there is nothing for it, Sir Dalan needs to hold them long enough for Arthur's forces to arrive, so he yells and charges forward, his knights forming a long line of steel and equine muscle.

The English have the advantage of being mounted with lances but the Irish far outnumber them.  Sir Dalan is not as accomplished in Battle as some of his fellows and as a result is unable to take advantage of the terrain.  Fortunately, the enemy commander, perhaps due to surprise, does no better.

Today: Sir Dalan, rolled 17 using 1d20.  Battle.
Today: NPC Irish, rolled 18 using 1d20.  Battle.


Sir Dalan finds the largest Irishman he can find and skewers him with devastating effect, knocking what is left of the man back several yards where he remains, unmoving.

Today: Sir Dalan, rolled 17 using 1d20.  Lance.
Today: Sir Dalan, rolled 52 using 16d6.  Damage.

Sir Dalan gains a point in Lance.

Overall, the English appear to be doing well in their initial charge, grinding through the front rank of Irish soldiers without a loss.  This causes the column to stagger to a halt but their numbers will probably soon begin to tell.

Today: NPC Irish, rolled 16 using 1d20.  Round results.
Today: NPC English, rolled 4 using 1d20.  Round results.

-- Haunting --

"My duties?" the ghost whines petulantly, "it was the rotten, lazy peasants who ate up all of the food and did no work so I was barely able to sustain myself!" he splutters.  "Now I am left to eternally haunt these halls that were once my home and no food or drink can slacken my hunger and thirst!  I am the one who was wronged and yet you blame me!"

The spirit curses Sir Gracian both figuratively and literally as the knight finds that his food now lays rotten in the pantry.  There is more food about but he has lost most of a week's worth to spoilage.

It is moments like these that Sir Gracian wish he were wiser or more scholarly. Yes he learned to read as a child but somehow the old dusty rotten remains of a library back at Dinton never really prepared him for hauntings. He cursed himself for not going North - somehow war, battles and carnage seemed simpler and even more enjoyable than rotten food, self-pitying ghosts and superstitious peasants.

Sir Gracian is lost and try to focus on rebuilding the land instead of thinking too much about the annoyed ghost.

---

OOC: What I am trying to say is that I got absolutely no idea about how Sir Gracian is to deal with the haunting, so I will instead try and focus on rebuilding the area. Perhaps the good Sir Dalan got some bright ideas on how to deal with the hungry ghost? :)

Not for the first time Sir Dalan rued his inexperience as a leader. The young knight glanced at the men depending on his command and with a firm expression glanced around for an enemy leader to fight a challenge against. If he could defeat a captain or champion of the Irish it might just shake their morale - or at least throw them into confusion.

-- Battle --

Sir Dalan looks around for a suitable leader or champion but is unable to locate one.  Instead, he goes after the largest Irish foot soldier he can find and splits him in half with a mighty sword blow.

Sir Dalan, rolled 8 using 1d20.  Awareness.
Sir Dalan, rolled 15 using 1d20.  Sword.
Sir Dalan, rolled 31 using 10d6+4.  Damage.

Sir Dalan gets a point in sword.

The knights continue to hold back the Irish foot soldiers, preventing them from moving forward and in fact, pushing them back in places.

NPC English, rolled 2 using 1d20.  Round results.
NPC Irish, rolled 19 using 1d20.  Round results.

Sir Dalan continues to look out for a suitable opponent but without success.  He manages to trade blows with a foot soldier whose spear he shatters, although he does no damage to the man.

Sir Dalan, rolled 14 using 1d20.  Awareness.
Sir Dalan, rolled 5 using 1d20.  Sword.
NPC Foot soldier, rolled 5 using 1d20.  Spear.

The English spread out around the edges of the lead pack of Irish and are able to contain them for the moment.

NPC English, rolled 14 using 1d20.  Round results.
NPC Irish, rolled 5 using 1d20.  Round results.

Distracted by the flow of the battle and responsibility of ensuring the safety of his knights, Sir Dalan remains unable to locate a leader among the enemy.  Instead, he cleaves another Irish foot soldier in twain.

Sir Dalan, rolled 7 using 1d20.  Awareness.
Sir Dalan, rolled 5 using 1d20.  Sword.
NPC Foot soldier, rolled 13 using 1d20.  Spear.
Sir Dalan, rolled 25 using 5d6+2.  Damage.

The knights press the Irish back as more Irish foot soldiers attempt to come up.  FOr the moment, they hold the flanks and manage to push the front of the Irish line into the reinforcements.

NPC English, rolled 10 using 1d20.  Round results.
NPC Irish, rolled 16 using 1d20.  Round results.

Sir Dalan, becoming frustrated with his inability to find a leader to hew down, gets distracted and almost allows an Irish foot soldier to unhorse him.  Fortunately, he manages to block the blow.

Sir Dalan, rolled 20 using 1d20.  Awareness.
Sir Dalan, rolled 2 using 1d20.  Sword.
NPC Foot soldier, rolled 9 using 1d20.  Spear.
NPC Foot soldier, rolled 9 using 3d6.  Damage.

Sir Dalan gets a check in Awareness.

The Irish troops in the back keep pressing forward but the English knights somehow manage to contain tham.

NPC English, rolled 14 using 1d20.  Round results.
NPC Irish, rolled 1 using 1d20.  Round results.

Not daring to divert too much attention to his search, Sir Dalan remains unable to find a suitable enemy leader.  He is hit by another footman but his shield deflects the damage.

Sir Dalan, rolled 7 using 1d20.  Awareness.
Sir Dalan, rolled 6 using 1d20.  Sword.
NPC Foot soldier, rolled 8 using 1d20.  Spear.
NPC Foot soldier, rolled 9 using 3d6.  Damage.

The tide of Irish foot soldiers seems to have finally been too much for the small body of knights to contain.  A couple of the knights fall and the Irish surge forward.

NPC English, rolled 7 using 1d20.  Round results.
NPC Irish, rolled 11 using 1d20.  Round results.

What to do?  Arthur and his knights are still a ways away.  You guess that you need to hold or at least slow the Irish for another 5 turns or so and even then Arthur may not be able to catch the front of the Irish line.  You can fall back and re-form, continue to battle where you are, retreat, threaten a different part of the line, etc.

-- Haunting --

The days pass uneventfully but Sir Gracian has come to dread dinner and his nightly torment by the ghost of Sir John.  As the second week begins, Sir Gracian manages to overcome the ghost's entreaties to eat more and instead fasts for a night.  Sir John disappears in a huff and taunts Sir Gracian no longer.  However, the ghost still remains in the castle and occasionally curses or ruins the food.  At least it is a bit quieter!

Sir Gracian gets a point in Temerate.

'Fall back!' Sir Dalan orders his knights, trying to get the attention of Sir Deniel who carried the banner of the panther rampant. 'Fall back, regroup and charge again!'

Sir Dalan knows his own small force cannot hope to defeat the enemy single handed but if the knights can successfully withdraw and mount a fresh charge their momentum could buy enough time.

Overjoyed at first to be left alone by the annoying spectre, Sir Gracian soon realize that the haunting (and the resulting lack of servants and rotting food supplies) is a thing that wont just quietly go away.

So one late evening in the main hall he calls out to the ghost and (attempt) to make Sir John an offer.

"Sir John ... whether or not you have been wrong by peasants in the past, starved and killed, then you should not walk these halls famished. At the same time these halls and lands are also home to the living and the living requires food. My knights requires servants. These halls requires life. And if the enemy is one day at our gates then we will require food that isnt rotten.

Will you stop ruining our food supplies and cause mischief if you have my word as a knight and as a man that at every feast and holiday held here in these halls you will receive your share of fine wine and delicious food? A "Sir John's Meal" shall it be called and cooks and servants will prepare it and serve it for you at every feast and holiday - Easter, Christmas, Tournaments, weddings and whatnot. What say you Sir John?"

Sir Gracian holds his breath and hope the best.

-- Battle --

Sir Dalan successfully maneuvers his men out of the fight, they retreat back toward the far woods, turn, form up, and charge once more.  Sir Dalan slaughters an Irish foot soldier with his lance but the charge as a whole is only partially successful as the Irish appear to be more prepared this time and threaten to overwhelm the knights.

Sir Dalan, rolled 5 using 1d20.  Battle.
Sir Dalan, rolled 18 using 1d20.  Lance.
Sir Dalan, rolled 67 using 16d6.  Damage.
NPC Irish, rolled 4 using 1d20.  Round results.
NPC English, rolled 16 using 1d20.  Round results.

Sir Dalan gets a point in Lance and a check in Battle.

Sir Dalan searches around for a leader but is unable to locate one, attacking a foot soldier instead.  Sir Dalan shatters the man's spear and knocks him down as his troops rally and manage to avoid being encircled by the Irish.

Sir Dalan, rolled 11 using 1d20.  Awareness.
Sir Dalan, rolled 14 using 1d20.  Sword.
Sir Dalan, rolled 22 using 5d6+2.  Damage.
NPC Foot soldier, rolled 14 using 1d20.  Spear.
NPC Irish, rolled 3 using 1d20.  Round results.
NPC English, rolled 9 using 1d20.  Round results.

Finally spotting an Irish leader, Sir Dalan spurs his horse in that direction and engages the huge opponent.  Although both hit, it is the Irishman's blow that strikes true.  Fortunately, Sir Dalan's armor and shield take most of the blow and he remains on his horse.  The knights continue to rally and keep the Irish at a standstill.

Sir Dalan, rolled 2 using 1d20.  Awareness.
Sir Dalan, rolled 5 using 1d20.  Sword.
NPC Leader, rolled 12 using 1d20.  Great Spear.
NPC Leader, rolled 26 using 7d6.  Damage.
Sir Dalan, rolled 4 using 1d20.  Horsemanship.
NPC Irish, rolled 17 using 1d20.  Round results.
NPC English, rolled 4 using 1d20.  Round results.

Sir Dalan takes 26 - 12 - 3 - 6 = 5 damage and remains on his horse.

Sir Dalan gets a check in Awareness and a check in Horsemanship.

Sir Dalan trades blows with the Irish leader, who misses.  However, Sir Dalan's blow seems to do little to the huge man.  Although the Irish surge forward once more, the English are able to maintain their lines and retreat slowly an in good order.

Sir Dalan, rolled 14 using 1d20.  Sword.
NPC Leader, rolled 18 using 1d20.  Great Spear.
Sir Dalan, rolled 16 using 5d6+2.  Damage.
NPC Irish, rolled 5 using 1d20.  Round results.
NPC English, rolled 6 using 1d20.  Round results.

Sir Dalan and the Irish leader trade blows once more and Sir Dalan is knocked off of his horse as his knights are pushed back once more, nearing the edge of the forest.  However, as he struggles to his feet, the sound of horns approch from the right and the vanguard of Arthur's army arrives, cutting off the Irish from the safety of the forest.

Sir Dalan, rolled 7 using 1d20.  Sword.
NPC Leader, rolled 14 using 1d20.  Great Spear.
NPC Leader, rolled 28 using 7d6.  Damage.
Sir Dalan, rolled 17 using 1d20.  Horsemanship.
Sir Dalan, rolled 4 using 1d6.  Damage.
NPC Irish, rolled 16 using 1d20.  Round results.
NPC English, rolled 16 using 1d20.  Round results.
Sir Dalan takes 28 - 12 - 3 - 6 = 7 +4 = 11 damage and is knocked off of his horse.

-- Battle --

What ensues is a whirl of horses and men, slaughtering each other.  Although, for the most part it is the Irish that pay the far heavier price.  Arthur's knights sweep in like an unstoppable wave of metal, churning over the foot soldiers like so many grains of sand.

Sir Dalan's knights surround him in a wedge, lances up, to prevent him from being accidentally trampled.  Once he is in his saddle, they assists with mopping up operations as groups of knights pursue fleeing bands of soldiers, corralling them and accepting their surrender when the realities of their situation becomes clear.

It is getting on toward nightfall by the time all of the fighting concludes and Sir Dalan and his men camp in the field, exhausted from the events of the day.  Sir Dalan is pleasantly surprised when Arthur himself appears, "Sir Dalan, you and your knights performed exceptionally.  Thanks to your efforts, we have been able to eliminate a large chunk of the Irish army.  Thank you."

Sir Dalan receives 200 glory.

The following morning, Sir Dalan and his knights head back, stopping to recover Sir Garym, who appears to be out of immediate danger but still weak.  Fortunately, he appears well enough to ride.  It is at this time that news of Sir Perin's death reaches Sir Dalan.  The Irish cavalry managed to draw off Sir Perin and the Hereford knights in order to enable the Irish retreat.  After a long chase, Sir Perin broke away from the other knights and charged a lone rider (Sir Cormacc's shield is described).  Unfortunately for Sir Perin, Sir Cormacc was not alone and Sir Perin was felled by a dozen archers hiding in the woods.  The Hereford knights recovered his body but did not pursue the knights or archers, instead returning to where they were supposed to be patrolling, only to find that the battle was over.

Sir Garym and Sir Dalan head back toward Tullmore.

-- Tullmore --

Sir Gracian gets no reply from the ghost of Sir John, who appears to be sulking somewhere when he is not ruining the food.  However, he almost jumps out of his skin as a female voice he recognizes comes from right behind him . . .

"That is what I like about you Sir Gracian," the lovely Countess murmurs, "you think, rather than just rushing off or treating every problem as an excuse to kill something."  Sir Gracian has no idea how Countess Fiona got into the room, as he is staring at the only door and she did not use it, nor was she here when he arrived.

You are suddenly reminded of how incredibly beautiful Fiona is and how amazing she smells as she walks around to face you.  She is wearing a dark green silk dress that expertly shows off her form, cinched at the waist with a gold belt encrusted with emeralds.  Your heart appears to be racing, perhaps as a result of her sudden appearance or maybe because you seem to be alone with one of the most beautiful and eligible women you have ever met.  Hard to say, especially as your throat appears to have gone dry.

There is a musical laugh that seems to brighten the dark hall and reminds you of gold coins clinking together.  "I am afraid that Sir John requires more than simple entreaties," she shrugs before her face darkens a little and becomes more serious.  "I am afraid I am the bearer of sad tidings," she says, "Sir Perin was killed pursuing Sir Cormacc, who led him into a trap."

The redhead takes a step closer, putting a hand on Sir Gracian's wrist.  Although the castle is drafty and always seems cold, Sir Gracian finds himself sweating as the temperature seems to have risen rather dramatically.  In a soft voice, Fiona says, "I was rather hoping that you could do me a favor.  I am not in a position to go after Sir Cormacc myself right now.  So," she stares into Sir Gracian's eyes and he feels as if she is staring into his very soul, "I was hoping that you could find him for me and kill him."

Fiona's eyes promise all sorts of wonderful things but there is also a hardness to them that suggests, rather forcefully, that she is not the sort of person it is wise to trifle with.

In reply to Teller of Tales (msg # 52):

Sir Dalan can only bow before his monarch, and try to hide his weariness and embarassment at having been unhorsed.

'It was a honour sire, and shall pass on your kind words to the knights I fought with. Splendid fellows all of them.'

After this meeting with the High King - more frightening by far than the battle! - Sir Dalan visists those of his knights wounded in the battle or who distingushed themselves, personally thanking them for their efforts and joining in the sorrow over those who fell in the contest.

Sir Dalan's sadness is increased once he learns the fate of Sir Perin, though perhaps he had expect as much. As he watches the Hereford knights escort the man's body a tear stains he cheek. 'Godspeed and rest well by bold friend.'

The weary and saddened yet triumphant knights ride home.

For a moment Sir Dalan felt light-headed as he listened to the Countess' seductive voice. He was mesmerized by her beautiful eyes and almost gave in to her subtle demand. But the news of Sir Perin's demise broke the spell and he found the strength to stand up to the woman.

"Sir Cormacc was not the only one that led Sir Perin into a trap, my Countess. Sir Perin was my friend and braver than most yet he was also hot-headed and some people found it either amusing or useful to play him for a fool or make him run towards his death. Sir Cormacc may be a brute of ill repute and I assure you that one day he will be defeated. I am a knight, Countess Fiona. I may not be the wealthiest of knights and I am certainly not the strongest or bravest of them all, but I am not some hired killer you can send to the far ends of the Earth for your amusement. Shall I cross paths with Sir Cormacc then I will avenge Sir Perin but I will do so because he was my friend and not because you ask me a favor."

His voice was trembling with anger. He had seen what his friend had gone through to earn the favor of this woman. Of this ... sorceress! He had seen how much his friend had suffered and endured because of this woman. She had played Sir Perin like she had played so many in the past and he felt nothing but contempt for the woman standing in front of him.

"Beauty can hide the most dangerous things."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:04, Mon 01 Apr 2019.

"Amusement?!?" Fiona roars, her head wreathed in flames as Sir Gracian feels his feet leave the ground and he is held suspended, facing her wrath.  "MY AMUSEMENT?!?!?  I. LOVED. PERIN.  Just as you loved Ariette.  And now he is gone and I am left to the King's whims.  I could not save Perin, try as I might.  Time and again I counseled him to put aside his petty and pointless jealousy of Duke Jonathal and his useless ire at Sir Loftrees but he wouldn't let it rest.  I bet you he never admitted how he lost his hand?" she screams.  Staring into Gracian's eyes with her own blazing orbs she snorts, "I thought not."

She huffs a few short breathes, calming herself, before continuing in a slightly less irate voice.  "We made a deal and he went in willingly, knowing what was in store for him and it was an equal deal.  I would test him and he me.  My tests introduced him to people that would help him, like Arthur's next champion and members of the nobility who would be forced to treat a barely landed knight like an equal.  I allowed him to lead my forces in battle even after he twice misused them for his foolish whims.  And when he called, I came.  I came with all of my forces, every, single, knight, on a moment's notice halfway across the country, leaving my County undefended.  How many others headed Robert's call?  And that was the least of what I gave.  Passage for me and my knights cost me a year of servitude to the Faerie King.  Something I hid from Perin and would never have revealed so he would not know what his simple request cost.  And I would have done it again in a heartbeat.  Instead, he went and got himself killed and now Arthur is going to force me to marry Randle," she concludes with a hint of sadness.

Sir Gracian suddenly finds he is falling as Fiona turns on her heal and starts toward the door.  She stops halfway there as Sir Gracian hits the floor with a crash but no lasting injuries.  "I want Sir Cormacc dead because of what he did to my father and my Love but I came to you because until he is captured or killed, you and Sir Dalan are stuck here and he is going to want very much to leave this place very soon.  He'll be back in two days," she says before turning once more.

The ghost of Sir John takes this inopportune moment to appear and begin to complain.  The Countess does not even break stride as she yells something and there is a blinding flash that leaves Sir Gracian seeing a large blue spot in most of his field of vision.  By the time it clears, Fiona and the ghost are gone, leaving some singed carpeting where she stood and the faint outline of Sir John's ghost on the wall where he last appeared.

Had Gracian been mistaken about the Countess? Had he been too hard on her? Had he misjudged her? He didn't know and as he lay there on the cold floor staring at the ceiling he really wish he had gone campaigning. Perhaps having been killed in battle, in an ambush or even just die to some silly infection would have been more ... fun ... than staying in Tullamore.

He really hated sorcery.

He closed his eyes and thought about Ariette. He could still remember how her hair smelled and how it felt again his face at night. But she was gone now and even if he had begun to be able to live with the grief, it struck him that the Countess had lost as much as Gracian had. Perin had been a fool and the Countess had driven Perin to attempt even more outrageous feats than he normally would had. But now Perin was dead and the Countess was left behind with the same emptiness inside that Gracian knew all too well. He felt sorry for her now and wish he had spoken differently to her. He did not like the woman but Perin and the Countess had obviously loved each other more than Gracian had known. Love. A strange emotion. As fragile as a dream and yet so real that it felt like you could almost reach out and touch it.

He slowly got up on his knees, feeling dizzy and noxious. It took a while before he managed to get to his feet. He looked at the faint outline of Sir John on the wall and shook his head before leaving the room. Yep. He really hated sorcery ...

Sir Gracian went cold when he remembered the Countess and her dire warning of Sir Dalan wishing to leave Tullamore very soon. Sir Cormacc seemed to be the key to getting off this accursed island and if that was so then Sir Cormacc was to be found.

Praying that his luck might finally turn Gracian asked brother Cadfael to spread the word that a reward was to be given to any man, woman or child that could offer solid information about where Sir Cormacc was camped or in hiding. He then send a courier off too meet Sir Dalan and urge the man to return to Tullamore as soon as possible.

And once that was done he returned to his chamber. He sat down at the table and found parchment and writing equipment. His handwriting had never been pretty and Ariette had always teased him about it, yet he felt an urge to write a letter that could be send back across the Irish Sea with a traveling merchant. With a little luck the letter might even reach the woman it was intended for.

"To Lady Fiona, Countess of Hereford

You were right.

Who am I to judge the love that you and Perin felt? Who am I to say if the way you loved each other was right or wrong? I spoke harsh words. Some I meant and some were spoken without thought.

I am sorry for that but mostly I am sorry for the most important thing that I failed to say and that is that I am sorry for your loss. I truly am. I will not blame you if you can not forgive the words I said but just know that I wish things had been differently for both you and Perin.

My humble apologies,

Sir Gracian of Dinton."

He placed his seal on the letter and called for a servant to make sure the letter got to the merchant. Then he closed the door to his chamber, blew out the candle and went to bed.

-- Tullmore --

Sir Gracian wakes in the morning to find the sun shining and the birds chirping as if nothing had ever happened the night before.  Other than the scorch marks in the great hall, there is little evidence that anything did happen.  However, Sir Gracian is surprised to find that the food is not spoiled for the first time in a week and a weight seems to have been lifted from the castle.

In fact, he finds some of the townsfolk cleaning the entry hall when he ventures out.  There is no news of Sir Cormacc as yet but it is still early.

-- The Army --

As Sir Dalan and the knights accompany Sir Garym a rider approaches at a run.  He draws rein by Sir Dalan and presents him a note from Sir Gracian, urging him to return to Tullmore in all haste.  Sir Garym waves off concerns for his own health and says that he will follow with the Bod Dynol knights.

Sir Dalan and the other knights ride toward home as fast as they can, arriving exactly two days after Fiona left.

-- Tullmore --

Several individuals approach Sir Graian with information about Sir Cormacc but none of the leads pan out.  The most promising leads seem to indicate he is still operating a ways to the North with a couple of dozen Irish knights.

Meanwhile, no ghosts appear and the commoners appear to feel safe entering the castle once more.

On the night of the second day, Sir Dalan and the others return.

"Well met, Brother Knight!" Sir Gracian says as he enters the courtyard to warmly greet the returning knights. He embrace Sir Dalan and urge him to enter the Great Hall where a fire is burning and servants run around quickly serving food.

"I have many questions and much to tell, but are you not exhausted and in need of sleep and rest?" he says to Sir Dalan while waiting for the servants to leave them alone. "We can talk in the morning if you wish but I fear for the safety of your dear wife."

Sir Dalan did indeed look tired and still bore wounds from the battle but his eyes widened at his brother knight's final line. Sir Dalan's darkly handsome face immediately drained of colour: 'Ellowyn? What have you heard?'

A thousand dreadful thoughts ran rampant across his mind.

"Two days ago, Lady Fiona, The Countess of Hereford, mysteriously appeared before me and sought my help. She told me that Sir Perin had been slain in battle and she wanted me to kill Sir Cormacc. Words were exchanged and some of the things that were said were harsh. I admit that. But you know what she did to Perin and you know I have never trusted her!

Yet I came to realize that she had actually loved him and here I thought that she had merely played him for a fool. I think I spoke too harshly and I regret that."

Gracian paused for a moment and stared into the flames in the fireplace.

"Though when she left me she predicted you would be back in two days. And then she said that slaying Sir Cormacc was the key for you and I to leave this place and return home. She said that you would very much like to leave this place very soon. The Countess never mentioned your wife, I don't think any of it was meant as a threat either. I could be wrong of course but I just got a feeling that she knew that something was going to happen to someone close to you ... and that can only be Ellowyn."

Gracian turned to face his friend. "Rumors has it that Sir Cormacc is in the North with a few dozen knights. I say we slay that beast as soon as possible so we can return home with all haste."

Sir Dalan looks anxious and puzzled, obviously still trying to come terms with Sir Gracian's description of the Countess of Hereford. While he'd often thought her influence over Sir Perin baleful he had never actually witnessed her perform magic.

Still, he could see the state Sir Gracian was in. And if his beloved wife was in danger... he could hardly even bring himself to finish the thought.

'Of course my brother. I'll round up the best of my knights and we can begin the hunt at cockcrow.' Sir Dalan replied, a rueful smile on his lips as he tried to ignore aching muscles that that seemed to throb even more at the prospect of a fresh battle so soon after the last.

"So be it. Now .. eat and rest and tomorrow we ride." Gracian replies before making the preparations for the journey.

The morning dawns warm and partly cloudy, there is a light breeze out of the west.  It is a good day for traveling.  The 50 Cardiff knights and 6 Stonewall knights are ready to go.  Sir Garym and the Bod Dynol knights will arrive on the morrow and can take care of anything that arises.

You know that Sir Cormacc was at the battle a couple of days north of you and that he is frequently seen in that area and farther north.  He clearly knows the terrain well and it is a good bet that the locals will support him.  He is also quite crafty.  You have about twice as many knights as he does.

So how would you like to proceed?

"We outnumber them so they will seek to avoid direct battle. Instead they will use the terrain against us, let the locals spy on us and report every moment and if they want to they can make us run in circles until we run out of food.

Is there any way we can persuade the locals to support us?" Gracian ask his friend in the early morning hours.

In reply to Sir Gracian (msg # 65):

Sir Dalan shakes his head. 'I very much doubt it my brother. Remember to them we are coming as invaders, little better than brigands. No, we'll have to rely on ourselves.'p

"A strange thing to be seen as invaders. They must see us as we see the Saxons." he pushed the thoughts away and focused on the task.

"So how do we lure Sir Cormacc out in the open? If we split our forces it will be more tempting for him to attack but we will be divided and may not be able to come to the rescue of each other."

'It is not a method I relish but we could requisition the food from the locals. Even with fewer knights Sir Cormacc and his men will still have to eat. Stop him being able to do that he might be desperate enough to try a battle with us.'

Sir Dalan's tone and expression are weary, even impatient. It is abundantly clear he'd rather be with Ellowyn than hunting down a rogue knight.

"Requisition the food from the locals usually end with blodshed and burning villages. I rather avoid that but it may be only way to get to him and get to him fast."

Gracian sighed. "War is not all glory and honor on a field of battle. Very well .. we take the food and starve him into action."

Sir Gracian send out messengers to spread the word that a reward of £5 will be given to the man, woman or child that bring information that leads to the capture of Sir Cormacc. Gracian has been paying attention these last few months to Brother Cadfael's lectures on Irish rulers and clan politics. Gracian hopes to use that knowledge to approach the familes, villages and clans that hate Sir Cormacc the most and enlist them in the pursuit of Sir Cormacc.

Sir Gracian, Sir Dalan, and their knights head North after sending out messengers offering a reward for information concerning Sir Cormacc.  On the first day out, they intercept a messenger heading toward Tullmore with a letter for Sir Dalan.  The letter is from Sir Dalan's father-in-law, Earl Mylon.  In relevant part it explains that Ellowyn is missing.  She was out riding with four guards and they did not return.  A party was sent out and found the horses and bodies of the four guards but no trace of Ellowyn or her horse.  This seems to have occurred a couple of days before Countess Fiona showed up at Tullmore.

Fortunately, there is also good news, although from a different front.  A young boy approaches Sir Gracian and Sir Dalan.  It seems that Sir Cormacc has made an enemy who is in a position to provide you some information.  There is a village about half a day's ride North of you, to the South and West of Arthur's army.  The blacksmith in town ( the youth's father) made a bunch of horseshoes for Sir Cormacc and his men but Sir Cormacc did not pay him.  The blacksmith found out that Sir Cormacc will be back in town tomorrow morning to pickup food and supplies.  The youth can lead you to the village and enter by night, hiding at the blacksmith's shop and the stables.

Sir Gracian gets a point in Intrigue.  Everytime I am stuck trying to figure out how you guys are going to accomplish something, the dice come to the rescue, like Gracian criticaling his Intrigue roll.

Are we still playing this one or were you merely wrapping up?

---

Sir Gracian heart almost broke when he heard the news about Sir Dalan's wife. He knew how close Dalan and Ellowyn were and he could not bear if his friend should suffer the way he himself had.

Lady Fiona had been right all along ...

But when news came of Sir Comacc and the possiblity of ending this futile campaign in this cursed island, Gracian grabbed his friend by the shoulders. "This is our chance. One last effort and Sir Comacc will be ours! That dog is of no importance to us yet he means everything. Capture him and we can return home and find Lady Ellowyn and by God I promise you that I will not rest until she has returned to you and those that took her has been punished!"

And with all haste Gracian made the arrangements to ambush Sir Comacc in the village.

In reply to Sir Gracian (msg # 72):

Sir Dalan was nearly trembling with rage and fear - and guilt.

'In God's good name why did ever agree to come to this desperate country my brother? If harm should come to sweet Ellowyn I promise you not every sorcery on Earth or Hell shall save Fiona from my wrath!'

It is only with great difficulty Sir Dalan can be calmed enough to follow Sir Gracian's plan.

The boy runs on ahead of your forces, leaving the roads and following paths and trails that the knights barely noticed.  After a couple of hours of this, he stopped near a stream to rest.  The boy explained that Sir Cormacc would have scouts out watching the roads.  He knew of a place a couple of miles outside of town that you could lay low until darkness, then he would be able to sneak you into town when no one could see.

The trails were far less direct than the roads, so it was getting close to dark before the boy led you into a hollow where you could remain hidden from anyone coming near.  A couple of hours later, when the last light from the west was extinguished and the moon had not yet risen, the boy led you slowly around the fields and then in small groups to the back of the stables, which was next to the blacksmith shop.  It was a bit tight getting so many horses and men into the two structures, but you eventually managed.

Sleeping in shifts without fires and eating cold rations, the knights were weary when at last the first light of dawn crept above the hills.  Still, there was a certain excitement in the air as well.

See Game Map 2:  The blacksmith shop has a door on the road.  The stables have doors front and back.  Sir Cormacc will be coming from the north along the road to the storehouse.  Determine when you plan to attack (when you first see him in the distance, when he gets to the edge of town, when they are loading supplies, when they are leaving, etc.), with how many men, under whose command, and from where and by what route.  There are ~20 knights with Sir Cormacc.  You think he has another dozen or so . . . somewhere.  You have 75 knights split 25 in the blacksmith shop and 50 in the stables.

'We have to keep him trapped in the village, so we should spring our ambush once he is actually here,' Sir Dalan suggests to his brother knight. 'We can't let him escape or we'll never track him down. One of us can take the smaller force from the blacksmith - I can handle that - and fall upon him directly at the road. After the fight has started you could take the larger force from the stables out their rear door and circle around the village to cut him off from the rear.'

Gracian nods in agreement. "So be it. You take 25 knights and charge Sir Comacc and hold his forces. While you do that I circle the village with the remaining 50 knights and fall upon him from the rear."

He steps closer to Sir Dalan and put his hand on Dalan's shoulder. "There will be no glory in this battle, my noble friend. It will just be a bloody brawl in the mud, but it will take us off this cursed island so we can return home and rescue Lady Ellowyn. We must not and can not fail today!"

Sir Cormacc approaches the storehouse with a dozen knights.  Meanwhile, a half dozen knights head through town while another half dozen stay just outside the village by the road they arrived on.

Sir Gracian leads his men out the back of the stables and they remain out-of-sight behind the buildings as the six Irish knights head up the street toward the blacksmith's shop.  Once the six go by, Sir Dalan opens the door to the shop and leads twenty of his knights toward Sir Cormacc, with the other five engaging the six Irish knights.

Sir Cormacc, is startled by the noise and quickly remounts his horse.  Calling to his six northern lookouts, he charges toward Sir Dalan.  Neither Sir Dalan nor Sir Cormacc do a great job of reading the situation and reacting and the two groups end up fighting in the streets.

Sir Gracian, on-the-other-hand, is  able to correctly judge where the combatants are and keep his force hidden until Sir Cormacc is engaged fully with Sir Dalan, at which point his knights charge into the rear of Sir Cormacc's formation.  The Irish knights, badly outnumbered and surrounded, quickly surrender.

Sir Gracian gets a check in Battle.

The fighting did not last long enough for any significant losses or injuries.  Ransom for the Irish knights is probably around £100.  Sir Cormacc will probably not be ransomed.  Obviously, you'll want to get to Arthur's camp (you can be there by evening) but what else would you like to do?  How is the money to be split, what are you doing with the blacksmith, food stuffs, anything else you want to do before getting to camp?

'I don't care about the damn ransom,' Sir Dalan mutters impatiently. 'Or anything else here. I want to get back home now.'

"Indeed and home you shall come. We will ride to our King and bring him Sir Comacc and his knights. We will reward the blacksmith and his family with silver and leave half the supplies for the villagers. With a little luck the gift of food will prevent the villagers from lynching the poor smith. And then we ride to the King and bring him Sir Comacc, the captured knights and the rest of the supplies. We will then ask the King for permission to return home and free Lady Ellowyn."

---

The blacksmith is rewarded £2, the prisoners and Sir Comacc is brought before King Arthur and the supplies are split between the villagers and King Arthur's army.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:03, Mon 17 June 2019.

The knights arrive with their captives at King Arthur's camp.  It is a massive, sprawling thing and they pass through three lines of sentries before ending up meeting Sir Kay.  After handing over the prisoners and food, Sir Kay grudgingly compliments their service but when asked about leave to return to England, he is quite adamant that they must lead their troops and nothing can be done, so sorry.

Sir Kay scurries off, leaving Sir Gracian and Sir Dalan to fume.  Fortunately, as soon as Sir Kay is gone, Sir Gawaine appears.  It seems he watched the whole affair but did not want to interfere with Sir Kay.

"Excellent work, my friends," he says with a smile, shaking their hands and clapping them on the back.  "With the mass of their infantry gone and now this, this conflict will be over soon."

Looking around to make sure he is not overheard, he goes on, "I was sorry to hear about Sir Perin, and" looking over to Sir Dalan, "moreso your wife, Sir Dalan."  Seeing their questioning stares, he explains, "I brought word of Sir Perin's death to Countess Fiona.  She has been traveling with the army and we play chess now and again.  She is not really one to show emotion in public but I don't think I've ever seen her so upset.  I found out afterward that The King showed up not an hour later and told her she is marrying the Dux of the City of Legions this weekend.

Gawaine shakes his head sadly, "we were playing chess that night and I could tell she was barely holding it together but trying to put on a brave front like everything was normal.  Then a pigeon arrived and after reading the message, she told me that Ellowyn had disappeared.  She was quiet for a while before seeming to come to some conclusion.  She called her maid over and spoke with her for a minute or two before thanking me for the game and explaining that she was not feeling well.  She did not leave her tent for a couple of days but when she did she seemed . . . well, angry.  Anyway, she left the following morning for the City of Legions to prepare for her wedding."

His tale complete, he shrugs and goes on, "you have both done me a great service so it is the least I can do to help you out now.  I will let the King know that I am taking charge of your troops while you deal with an emergency.  You can catch a ship in the morning taking you to the City of Legions and then head home from there."

Based on Sir Gawain'e timeline, Fiona was sequestered in her tent from about a day before until a day after she appeared to Sir Gracian.  It is possible to ride that distance in less than a day but it would require a pretty special horse and it would be an arduous journey.  The King certainly wouldn't allow a woman, much less the Countess to take such a journey.

"Thank you Sir Gawaine. We are forever grateful for your aid in this hour of need. I am afraid it was me and my foolish words that upset Countess Fiona. One day I need to learn to hold my tongue and I fear that nothing I can do will ever make up for what I said to the Countess."

Gracian shakes his head and is clearly uncomfortable speaking about his shameful words.

"But one thing I can do is to help my Brother-Knight rescue Lady Ellowyn. We will be on the first ship in the morning."

Sir Dalan's face, so grave and taunt in recent days relaxes into something approaching a smile. 'Thank you good Sir Gawaine, without you we should be utterly lost and broken. Oh let us fly from this island that has brought us naught but hard luck and trouble.'

Sir Gawaine cocks an eyebrow but says nothing.  Whether impressed that Sir Gracian could have survived annoying the Countess or wondering how he could do such a thing when she was here remains a mystery.

The following morning they catch a transport back to England, mostly populated with wounded, and arrive on Sunday at midday.  As they disembark, happy to be back on dry land, they notice festive decorations everywhere.  A porter appears and addresses the knights by name, handing each an invitation to Randal and Fiona’s wedding to be held at 3:00.  He then leads them to an upscale inn, where rooms are waiting for them.  There are fresh clothes in the rooms.

As they headed towards the inn, they saw a large number of knights camped in the adjacent fields.  Getting rooms at such a nice inn, especially private ones, seems quite a coup.  On Sir Gracian’s invitation, a hasty note is scrawled:

Thank you for your note.  We need to talk at the reception.

- Fiona

The loyal squire Idres tends to Sir Gracian's belongings while the knight takes a long hot bath before preparing for the feast. He let his master be because he can see his is lost in his own thoughts. The knight doesnt speak a word as he is dressed but instead often pause to read the note left on the invitation.

The knight then leaves the inn and heads for the wedding and reception.

Attending a wedding was the last thing Sir Dalan desires. Still, he must go. The Banneret takes the time to bathe and dress well, before joining Sir Gracian on his trip to the wedding reception.

Stranger than being invited to the reception, the two knights find that they are also invited to the wedding itself.  Normally, such an invitation would be confined to family, close friends, and important or influential nobles.

Arriving at the grand church, they enter to find beautifully crafted stained glass windows, mosaics, and important artifacts.  An usher approaches the pair and inquires, "Groom's side or Bride's side?"  They notice that the left side of the church is practically empty, including the first couple of rows, which are reserved for the bride's family.  Meanwhile, the right side is practically full, with a dozen rows of nobles, clergy, and a couple of knights.  Interestingly, it appears that Sir Dalan and Sir Gracian are the only knights here who actually fight.

"The Bride's side" Sir Gracian replies a bit too loud. He want people to know that the Countess is not alone. He still cant understand the nature of the relationship that Sir Perin and the Countess shared but to them it was love so who is he to judge (more than he already has).

He allows himself to be led by the usher to his seat and glance at the guests seated to the right. After Ireland he do not hold knights that doesnt fight in high esteem. "Sycophants" he whispers to Dalan.

Despite his own spirits drawing him back from the ceremony Sir Dalan frowns slightly as he sees Sir Gracian's point. 'Indeed. Well, we must let our presence count for armies my brother.'

Walking down the aisle behind the usher, they overhear a fair amount of jokes and sniggering at the Countess's expense.  It seems that everyone she ever refused a dance, or marriage proposal, from is here today and enjoying her comeuppance.  As the pair arrive at their seats, they notice that one of the other four guests on Fiona's side of the church is Brother Diarmuid.  He smiles and nods to the two knights as they sit before looking disapprovingly over at those on the groom's side.  Shaking his head at such unchristian displays, he comments quietly, "the Lord does not look favorably on such churlish behavior."

Once everyone is seated, the music begins and the bride enters the church.  A hush falls over the crowd, even those who were making comments earlier are momentarily stunned into silence as the Countess makes her way toward the alter.  She is absolutely gorgeous, her hair done up in an artful nest of ginger curls, circled by a platinum diadem studded with emeralds and diamonds.  Her gown is long and flowing and made of dark green silk, embroidered with silver thread and more emeralds.  Her face a mask, hardened against those who would disparage her.

There is a sadness behind her eyes though, as if the fire has been quenched.  They seem to stare out into nothing.

The ceremony is mercifully brief and immediately followed by a sumptuous reception.  It seems that Randle has been most generous with Fiona's money, which paid for all of this.  There are musicians and acrobats, many courses, and free-flowing liquor, which Randle's guests seems to be consuming at a hearty pace.

The talk from the other tables is barely better than jeering and when the dancing begins, Randle takes his new bride for a spin before passing her around to all of his guests.  Sir Dalan and Sir Gracian can hardly miss the malicious looks on the faces of her partners as they are finally given what they were previously denied.  Worse, their hands seem rather adventurous, all the more so as the evening wears on and the guests get drunker and bolder.  Throughout the ordeal, the Duchess has an almost glazed expression on her face.

At length, Fiona makes it through all of Randle's guests and approaches Sir Gracian, holding out a hand, which seems to be shaking slightly.  As they begin to dance, Sir Gracian can feel heat radiating off of the Duchess.  He catches a momentary look in her eyes and it is as if he is staring into the very depths of Hell.  A chill runs down his spine and he gets a premonition that almost every single person in this hall is going to be dead within the year.

The moment passes, the heat and shaking disappear, and Fiona's eyes seem to unfocus once more, her 'armor' restored.  In an emotionless voice, she whispers, "thank you for coming, Sir Gracian.  And for your letter.  I am sorry I acted poorly."  After a couple more turns, she goes on, "I need you to promise to do something for me, on your Honor.  You have to save my library.  Move it from the castle in Hereford before the new Count arrives in a week, hide it at your estate.  Guard it with your life."  As the dance ends, she curtsies to Sir Gracian and palms a beautiful and ornate key to him as she releases his hand and heads to her final dance of the evening with Sir Dalan.

Approaching Sir Dalan, she holds out her hand.  She remains emotionless and unfocused as they begin to dance.  However, once away from the others, she whispers, "I am sorry, I could not prevent Ellowyn's capture.  Galeria is using Diabolic forces that are difficult for me to counter."  Spin, spin, turn, spin.  She goes on, "she kidnapped Ellowyn to get you to come back without soldiers so that she could attack you on the road from Whitechurch to Penkridge.  You must leave the City of Legions with the caravan to Whitechurch in the morning and as soon as you are out-of-sight of the City, head to the Kingdom Inapercu.  King Bellis can help you recover Lady Ellowyn, just give him this," she manages to slip a bracelet off of her wrist and slip it to Sir Dalan.  The dance ends, and the Duchess retires for the evening with her new husband.

Looking at the bracelet, Sir Dalan notices that it is not silver or platinum, as he first expected but mithril.  The gems on it are a strange and beautiful mix of shapes and colors that almost mesmerize him.  He gets the impression that he is holding a King's ransom in his hand.

Sir Dalan is in a daze by the time the dance comes, the strange atmosphere in the room near palpable. As he accepts the bracelet, his hazel eyes widening he looks to Fiona and whispers back. 'Thank you my lady for everything you have done. I am forever in your debt and should the moment come when I can repay you I shall honour it with every breath of by body and soul.'

Stepping back, bracelet concealed first in his hand then his belt he watches the new bride dance with her husband, feeling again concerned and confused. He glances to Sir Gracian to see how his brother knight is coping.

"I was a fool once, my lady. Your books will be kept safe. On my Honor and my life." he whispers before leaving the dance floor. The place makes him feel sick and he needs fresh air. He rush to the door and leaves the charade of a happy wedding behind him and welcomes the cool evening air.

Idres appears from the shadows. For some reason the squire always seems to be available when needed.

"Prepare for departure at once, my friend, and do so with all haste and as much secrecy as you can. We are heading for Hereford tonight. Go now. Go!" he barks. He knows it is wrong of him and his squire is not to blame but the wedding has just been .. too much.

Before hurying to his chambers to don his suit of armor he tries and locate Sir Dalan to tell him of his plans.

Sir Gracian finds his Brother-Knight and pulls him aside. "We must leave at once my friend and make for Hereford with all haste. The Countess wants me to seize her library and hide it from her buffoon of a husband. Please ... you must come with me. I doubt we are safe here!" he whispers. His eyes darting all over the place trying to see if they are being watched.

Sir Dalan whispers back: 'Fiona told me Galeria intents to attack me on the road from Whitechurch to Penkridge. She said I - we - should leave with the caravans at morn and as soon as we are out of sight of the city head to the Kingdom of Inapercu and the aid of King Bellis.'

"Let it be so then. On the way to the Kingdom of Inarpercu we will pass the castle in Hereford. Here we will seize the Countess' library and hide it at my estate. Once that is done we will rush to King Bellis and seek his aid against the foul sorceress and rescue Lady Ellowyn!"

Gracian adds "The sorceress may know of our connection to the Kingdom of Inarpercu so she will send spies to the north to chase us down. If we head south to Hereford we may fool them and then when we head north our pursuers will have lost track of us.

Are you with me, my friend?"

'I am my brother,' Sir Dalan replies solemnly. 'With God's aid - and each other's - we'll prevail.'