The Cast of Player-Characters, ranked in order of Glory at the end of the previous adventure year.
Sir Arcadia of Winterstream, Chatelaine of Ebble - Glory 2,845
APP 8, SIZ 14. Female, Pagan. Age: 26.
Has short red hair and an otherwise beautiful face marred by an old burn scar on half of it.
Famous trait: Vengeful.
Maintenance: Rich
Wife to Sir Amig, Lord of Ebble.
Sir Terwynn of Larksnest, in exile from the court of Salisbury - Glory 2,693
APP 15, SIZ 13. Female, Pagan. Age 23
Features - Blonde, has a nice smile.
Famous Trait: Worldly
Maintenance: Ordinary
Widow to and murderess of Sir Jaradan of Knife Oak.
Sir Caius Persidius Pacilus, called Persidius of Wayford. Court Champion of Sir Roderick, Earl Salisbury. - Glory 2,531
APP 14, SIZ 15. Male, Roman Christian. Age 23
Olive skin and an aquiline nose.
Famous Trait: Forgiving
Maintenance: Rich
Husband to Lady Adwen of Pillarford.
Sir Bleddyn of Barleyfield - Glory 1,953
APP 16, SIZ 11. Male, British Christian. Age: 23
He has a scar across his nose and suffers from a mild stammer.
Famous Trait: Suspicious
Maintenance: Ordinary
Husband to Lady Llewella of Imber
Sir Eliver of Woodford - Glory 1,684
APP 10, SIZ 10. Male, Roman Christian. Age: 24
He has expressive green eyes, and favors his left hand whenever possible.
Famous Trait: Energetic.
Maintenance: Rich
Sir Miles of Wylye - Glory 1,426
APP 9, SIZ 17. Male, Pagan. Age: 22
Famous Trait: Merciful
Maintenance: Basic
Sir Elspeth of Durnford - Glory 1,167
APP 12, SIZ 11. Female, Pagan. Age: 22
Ambidextrous
Famous Trait: Reckless
Maintenance: Ordinary
--
Year 487
The green has passed to red and brown, and the red and brown to grey and white. The harvest behind them, the Britons wrap themselves tight and shutter themselves in against the freezing winter winds.
---
It is said that Praetor Sygarius of Gaul has paid visit to both the King of Cornwall and Malahaut, pleading for an army with which to beat back the Franks. He hasn't had any more luck there than he had at the court of Uther.
Although Prince Madoc and Duke Ulfius claimed great victories in the eastern war, battles won, chieftains killed, treasures claimed, little of strategic value was truly accomplished. More longships line the coast with each changing tide. The chief among them, a man called Aethelswith, has declared himself the King of the 'Eastern Saxons', shortened in their tongue to "Essex".
Against the pleadings of his mother the Lady Pomponia, Sir Lucius of Caercolun, the Young Duke, a boy of only twelve, personally sallied his army out against the Saxon invaders in October, but fell foul of an ambush and was slain without mercy.
Thousands of Britons in the southern half of the dukedom, where Aethelswith now claims sovereignty, have fled, been enslaved, or killed. The bulk of the poor souls with worthy trades have settled in the City of Londinium, or nearby in the town of Southwark. The rest find work or lodging elsewhere in the Thames Valley or beyond, some as far afield as Sarum.
Apart from a rumor of some business in Salisbury with a giant and a nukalavee, no one has heard from or seen the wizard Merlin.
---
In times such as these, King Uther Pendragon is seldom stationary, and wherever he roams, the royal court, also known as the King's Eyre, follows him. In point of fact, Logres does not have a fixed capitol of any kind; the seat of government is always wherever the King and his Eyre happen to be sitting at the moment. Unless directed otherwise by an emergency or seized by a sudden flight of fancy, the Eyre follows a scheduled and orderly tour of the kingdom known as the Royal Progress, plotted a year in advance at a time, hundreds of guards and courtiers riding from castle to castle, making local inspections, hearing local pleas, and feeding itself from local hands. This regal, gargantuan, and perpetual procession consists of over four hundred souls and at least as many beasts at a given time, half that alone consisting of the King's Guard.
It pleases the King to winter this year in Salisbury. The Christmas feast of Sir Roderick is always a grand affair, but to play host to the King's Eyre, it is something otherworldly.
The Great Hall has hardly enough room for more than two hundred revelers at once, so upon your arrival, the city itself is teaming with new life in the dead of winter, knights squires and courtiers from all over the kingdom merrily stalk the alleyways wrapped in warm cloaks, colorful lanterns have been set up over every door, the taverns overflow into the streets, both monestaries and the cathedral all alternately offer up their choir's music, filling all the city with it. It is as if, momentarily, the troubles of the outside world are forgotten.
The castle proper is packed from postern to foregate, with the ordinary motley crew of servants, squires, footsoldiers, and officers, more than doubled to include those of the king. The hall itself is reserved only for men and women of distinction, and the great door is watched over by a mountain of a man of Uther's known as Sir Moneval, whose charge it is to keep it that way. Upon entering, each guest is announced by the herald, with a stomping of a staff and a shouting of the name. Inside are sat in order of precedence the King himself, in Roderick's throne, beside the Earl and his family, the rest of the head table filled with privy councilors including most notably the Crown Prince Sir Madoc, the Marshal Duke Ulfius, the Chancellor Abbot John, and the Chamberlain Brother Hugh, the lower tables packed with Peers of the Realm both low and great centering clusters of knightly guards, followed by the vassals and officers of Earl Roderick, followed by the knights of his Household, followed lastly by the knights of the King's Guard. Ladies (including some of your's wives, Adwen, Llewella, etc.) and Pages are also in attendance, but they do not sit, they are instead obliged to serve the knights. This is not seen as a degrading charge, merely a facet of the pomp and circumstance of the proceedings.
You are free to interact with each other or the court as you see fit.