It is the Spring of 505 AD and as is his tradition, Earl Guinier hosts a gathering of his knights for Easter, including a grand feast.  It is a time to hold court, invest new knights, talk of the coming year, and mingle with the knights and ladies of Lesnewth Hundred.

The squires travel to the Earl's castle at Camelford, which is resplendent with banners and pennants, ladies in fine dresses, knights in shining armor, and fine horses.  It is hard not to be a little awed, and perhaps inspired, by such grandeur.  Perhaps one day they too will live in such luxury?

They find quarters set aside for them and after cleaning the road from their garments, they present themselves to the Earl.  The Earl's steward, Sir Rhiryd, explains to the squires what to expect from the knighting ceremony and offers his condolences on the loss of their fathers.

Initiation into knighthood is a solemn occasion that occurs only once for each knight. This is without doubt the most important event in every knight’s life. As old men, they will look back with fondness on the memory of their knighting.  The preparations begin the night before the ceremony.  Each squire is washed and dressed in special clothing that symbolizes his future as a knight.  His white over-tunic symbolizes purity; his black tunic, hose, and shoes denote death; his red cloak indicates blood (both that which may be shed and that which runs in a nobleman’s veins); and his white belt denotes the chastity of a good Christian man.

The squires spend the night in a vigil of prayer and contemplation. The sword, armor, coat of arms, and spurs he is to wear as a knight are placed upon the altar to receive a blessing from God or the squire’s favorite saint. Father Mahel, the priest of Camelford, bestows blessings, and the squires make oaths to support the church.

In the morning, the squires are brought into the Great Hall, which is decorated with banners and the Earl's coat of arms.  The Earl sits upon his high seat, courtiers are present in their best clothes, a few dozen knights stand in their finery as do the nobles and ladies, while heralds make announcements.  It is grand and a little intimidating.

One-by-one, the squires are called by Sir Trynt, the Herald.

Sir Trynt: ", come forth and kneel before the throne."

A servant places sword, armor, shield, and spurs nearby.

Sir Trynt (reads): "Be it known to all men that I, Earl Guinier, am minded to raise  by virtue of his honor, loyalty, valor, and skill at arms, to the high rank of knighthood."

Sir Trynt: ", do you swear and acknowledge Earl Guinier to be your true and lawful liege?"

CANDIDATE: I do so swear.

Sir Trynt: "Do you also swear fealty to King Idres, to defend and obey him until he depart the throne, or death shall take you?"

CANDIDATE: I so swear.  (Earl Guinier rises, goes to CANDIDATE.)

Sir Trynt: "Let this be the last blow you receive without just recourse."

(Earl Guinier delivers the coulee, striking CANDIDATE on the shoulder hard enough to knock him down. CANDIDATE then kneels before his liege, placing his hands palm-to-palm and upraised. Sir Guinier places his hands over the knight’s.)

Sir Trynt (to CANDIDATE): "Repeat after me: 'I, , do solemnly swear and pledge my sword to Earl Guinier, my liege, to defend and obey him until he depart his demesnes or death shall take me, and to uphold the honor of knighthood.'"

CANDIDATE: (Repeats the above.)

Earl Guinier: "And I, for my part, do swear to defend and honor as befits a true knight."

(Earl Guinier then receives the sword and taps CANDIDATE lightly on both shoulders with the sword.)

"I dub thee Sir .  Receive now your spurs (receives spurs), your right to suitable arms (receives shield), and take this, my sword (girds on sword), to your side to serve and defend me well. Arise, Sir Knight."

There is a blare of trumpets as each new knight stands and a cheer from the assembled knights.

After the knighting ceremony is concluded, each new knight, armed and armored, dashes outside and leaps into the saddle. If he makes it into the saddle, the knight is praised and honored, but if he misses, everyone laughs.  No other meaning is attached to the rite.  There is no malice in the laughter.

---

Make the following rolls:
- Energetic (to see if you stay awake during your vigil)
- Either Pious -or- Worldly (to see if you pray adequately or make oath to protect the church)
- Dex (to jump into your saddle)

Feel free to react to the ceremony and one another.  You all know one another to some extent.  Next up:  The Feast!

Abloc has been looking forward to this day all his life and now that the day has finally come he is a mess. Nervous, sweating, trying to remain calm and look like he knows what he is doing. He looks around at the other candidates and immediately feels even more insecure as they all seems so much more calm than he does. That the other candidates may also be nervous wrecks like Abloc doesnt occur to him at all.

The night in the chapel is spend in deep prayer. His father had never been a religious man - if anything he had always seemed more sympathetic to the old ways than to the Church - so Abloc isnt either. But on this very night something makes him pray to God. For advice. For hope. He prays for his father and ask for God to make him a better knight than his father. He prays all night - or rather he plays until his body fails him and he falls asleep.

In the morning he wakes up ashamed of his failure to stay awake. He looks around hoping the others havnt noticed or heard him snore. The rest of the ceremony he does everything he can to hide how tired and exhausted he is and finally rush to his horse trying to make up for his mistake earlier by leaping into the saddle.

Instead he only manage to make a leap that they will speak of for many years to come ...

---

Sir Abloc rolled 20 using 1d20.  Dexterity @ 10 (Critical Failure)
Sir Abloc rolled 5 using 1d20.  Pious @ 10 (Success +5)
Sir Abloc rolled 15 using 1d20.  Energetic @ 12 (Failure -3)

Aeddan is amazed at his own calm as the knighting ceremony approaches.  The ceremonies of being bathed and dressed give him a sense of rightness and peace.  His night of prayer and contemplation give him a connection to his mother's god that he's not felt before.  And the knighting ceremony itself has a gravity that fills him with an awesome sense of all that he's now responsible for.  Sir Aeddan, for the first time, feels like a true man.

That being said, Aeddan has just finished growing within the past year.  His hands and feet are always slightly further away than he expects.  With all his energy, he leaps into the saddle, overshoots the mark, and attempts to grab onto anything that will help him right himself.  He crashes back to the ground in a flurry of flailing limbs and unmanly squeaks.  Despite the heights to which he would eventually climb, the memory of this ignominious start to his knightly career would always make him blush.

OOC:
Energetic (13): Sir Aeddan rolled 11 (success)
Pious (13): Sir Aeddan rolled 4 (success)
Dexterity (9): Sir Aeddan rolled 14 (failure)
This message was last edited by the player at 11:48, Mon 19 Apr 2021.

Daron did not consider himself a sentimental or romantic man but it was impossible not to feel a knot in his stomach as the the knighting ceremony arrived. This was the moment that his entire life had been building towards, following in the footsteps of his father and joining his peers and friends in brotherhood. In the day before he swaps stories with the other young squires but he is too nervous and excited t remember what he or they say.

The night of prayer helps calm his nerves and he manages to remain awake. Unfortunately that is where luck fails him as his first attempt to leap on horseback ends with him sprawled on the ground. It is embarrassing but it still starts him laughing along with the onlookers - perhaps he needed this release to lighten the sheer solemnity of the occasion.

---

OOC: 16:44, Yesterday: Sir Daron rolled 14 using 1d20.  Dex (9).

16:44, Yesterday: Sir Daron rolled 8 using 1d20.  Pious (10).

16:43, Yesterday: Sir Daron rolled 4 using 1d20.  Energetic (12).

Although there is a good deal of laughing, it is not at the expense of the new knights.  In fact, they get the feeling that many of the others, young and old, are reminiscing about their own foibles.

There are a whirlwind of congratulations and then it is time for the feast.  The Grand Hall is decked out with tapestries, the likes of which none of you have seen.  Detailing hunts, coronations, and religious scenes.  Long tables and benches are set with dishes and goblets and the knights can already smell the food.

Servants scurry to and fro as the knights seat themselves at the end of one of the tables.  Father Mahel stands at the head table and silence descends.  In an energetic voice he prays, "Oh Heavenly Father, we pray that you give us the courage to stand against your enemies and prove ourselves worthy of your many blessings as we seek to spread your Word.  Please bless this food to our bodies to give us the strength to persevere.  Amen."  There are a chorus of 'Amens' and the knights take their seats and soon there is a buzz of conversation as the first course is brought out.  It is fruit tarts, of a much higher quality than the knights are used to.  the ale and mead look quite tasty as well.  This is the best food and drink you have ever had.

Once they are finished with the first course, the knights are free to mingle.

---

You will have two opportunities between each course (there are four courses) to do something.  You all know Sir Rhiryd (Steward), Father Mahel (Priest), and Sir Trynt (Herald), and would be comfortable asking them to point you in the direction of anyone you might want to talk to or telling you about the latest gossip, introducing you to ladies, etc.  You also know Earl Guinier, and you may or may not want to speak with him, you just don't want to monopolize his time or ask him things someone else could help out with.

Once introduced, you could flirt or ask a lady to dance, or just be courteous.  You could also talk to random knights and attempt an Intrigue roll to find out the latest gossip.  There will be some directed activities for each of you as well, which will take up one or more activity slots.  Any public performances (singing, orating, etc.) are probably best done after a couple of courses, once people have gotten some ale into them.

You will also have the opportunity to roll against Temperate/Indulgent and/or Chaste/Lustful as the night progresses.  It is a bit early in the evening to be heading off for a quick tryst.

So what will you do after this first course?

Sir Abloc is quiet during the first course as he take in the sights and allow himself to enjoy a sense of victory. He is finally a knight! It is all he has ever dreamed of and now he is seated here. In this hall. Tonight. Eating, drinking and mingling with people that may be more important than he will ever but will still see him as a knight. He wish his father could have been here to see it but Fate would have it otherwise. He mumbles a small prayer praying for God to allow him to have sons and live long enough to see them be knighted.

When the course is finished he clears his throat and raise his cup. "Sir Aeddan. Sir Daron. Sir Rhydwyn. Please join me in a toast ... for the Glory we will win, for our fathers that are no longer with us - and for us one day being able to actually get up on a horse!" he calls out with a grin on his face. "I wish you all the best in the years to follow!"

Later he intends to mingle with the guests listening to the latest gossip. He knows well his little mudhole of a manor is insignificant but it always pays well to be informed of what is going on now or in the future. As he mingles he cant help but find the ladies almost irresistible but he also knows that he can never win their hearts or hands in marriage until he has proven himself. So he tries not to be tempted by them (at least until the ale sets in).

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Action 1 - Introduction/Partying with the other PCs. I have no idea of what kind of skill it requires (if any) but it just seems like the most likely thing to do.

Action 2 - Sir Abloc rolled 15 using 1d20.  Intrigue @ 3 (Failure)
This message was last edited by the player at 19:03, Sat 24 Apr 2021.

Sir Aeddan can hardly believe that, having worked toward this moment in his life for so long, he's now here.  During the first course, he felt a bit overwhelmed at all the faces, all the noise.  Once Sir Abloc breaks into the din with his toast, Sir Aeddan finally remembers who he is, and what he's doing here.  It's time to mingle a little.

Having heard so much about the valorous knights of his father's acquaintance, Sir Aeddan would now love to interact with some and relate how warmly his father spoke of them.  Except that he has no idea who any of them are!  He screws up his courage to speak to the herald, Sir Trynt, and ask him about some of his father's contemporaries whose names and exploits he knows so well.  He'd then like to try to be introduced to one or more of them, simply so that he can start putting names to faces.

Women.  There are women here.  Some of them even openly look at the men!  Sir Aeddan can hardly contain his excitement at the idea of talking to a woman, much less anything else, but he sternly keeps his thoughts on other knights for now.  Perhaps he'll stumble across an opportunity for interacting with a female later in the evening.

Sir Daron felt almost overcome by the scale of the occasion but attempted to hide his nerves as he bit into one of the splendid fruit tarts and made idle talk with his neighbours.

At Sir Abloc's toast he smiled and raised his own wine: "Well said gallant Sir Abloc! My brothers, to our fathers, to our lords, to God and to ourselves and to learning to successfully mount a steed!"

As the first course was cleared away he mingled on the floor. Never a man with any liking or trust for women he ignored the fairer sex but did speak with the other knights, seeking to learn any talk they might provide.

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OOC: 18:45, Today: Sir Daron rolled 10 using 1d20.  Intrigue (10).

OOC: Do we roll or do you Teller?