Session Two: The Knight's Tale

Suitors Sorted 

The company continues on to the Surcoat, glad to be well-shut of the day’s misadventure. As they travel, several of them are amused, and perhaps a touch annoyed, to hear how much and for how long Marie and Celene were in love with one another, and yet how neither had the courage to do much of anything about it. Several of the company hear Marie inform Celene that she was afraid the affair with Sir Charles and Sir Gerlaine was the Lady’s attempt to punish her for her arrogance at thinking she could be with Celene.

Marie goes on to say that she had prayed at the Lady’s shrine near the parade grounds prior to the Tournament of Snowdrops, hoping for intervention in her affair of the heart. She was overheard by a kindly, wandering monk, who offered to write a prayer and send it winging to the Lady on Marie’s behalf. Marie accepted this.

Garnier, noting that the monk was a “wanderer” asks Marie if he had the look of the company’s erstwhile employer, Gascon Gascoigne. Marie describes the monk as a man significantly younger than Gascon, clean shaven, his face was mostly obscured beneath his cowl.

A short time later, the company reaches the Surcoat, where they find Henri Cachot busily loading his small donkey cart. The innkeeper asks after the company’s errand and, when he learns that their business has just concluded, informs them that he will be ready to travel with them in but a moment.

It is then that all hell breaks loose.

The Encounter at the Surcoat

The Surcoat (Top Left Corner) and Environs

The Surcoat Inn is situated at the northwest corner of an open-air market, busy with people and their goods. Into this market, from the east, rides a fully armored Sir Gerlaine, accompanied by five of his men-at-arms. The furious Sir Gerlaine says that he has heard some unpleasant rumors about Dame Marie’s recent love match and has come demanding answers.

Marie and the company attempt to rebuff Sir Gerlaine and answer his questions, but this only infuriates him . The commonfolk within the market flee or hide, realizing that a fight is inevitable.

Things worsen when a fully armored Sir Charles arrives from the south, accompanied by five of his men-at-arms. He, too, demands answers and satisfaction. He also claims that Dame Marie, his sister, and their “hedge knight,” have made a fool of him, and his honor cannot abide such insolence.

Sir Jean-Marc gallantly tells the rest of the company to flee, while he (and his squire, Henri) distracts the knights and their retinues. He insists that he will join them later on their pilgrimage, should he survive.

The Arms of House Cote

As Jean-Marc urges his mount forward, Sir Charles spies Sir Gerlaine and—in a feat of horsemanship that stuns all onlookers—spurs his horse to leap a cart and land directly in the path of Sir Gerlaine’s steed. The two knights flail at one another with their swords while Jean-Marc looks on, offering color commentary.

Dame Marie moves eastward to intercept Sir Gerlaine’s men, while Lady Celene moves southward to try and take command of her brother’s forces.

The rest of the company array themselves as best as they are able. Sabina places herself and her horse betwixt Henri the Innkeeper and the fighting. Maurice clambers to the rooftop of the Surcoat and readies his bow. Pierre finds a quiet place and sets out his physicker’s kit. Squire Henri rides to support his master. Renee pulls her net out of her pack. Magnus and Garnier ready their weapons, but privately agree that they will wait in the wings, see which of the two households fares better in the battle, and then quickly loot the bodies of the fallen for useable equipment.

Battle Highlights

Henri the Innkeeper, panicking at the increasing hostilities, worries that this is, “like it was five years ago,” which Sabina overhears. After interrogating the innkeeper, she learns that, some time ago, the knights of Brionne had balkanized the city and set the districts against one another. This was quashed by the new Duke, but, seeing as how House du Cote and House du Theobard are literally up in arms—as well as how the alliances between knightly houses work—the innkeeper fears that the city will rapidly slide back into factions and bloodshed.

The men-at-arms of House du Cote surround Dame Marie, but are warned off of her by Sabina, who aims an arrow at them while reminding them of Marie’s elevated station.

On the other side of the square, Lady Celene, supported by Maurice and Garnier, manage to confound the men-at-arms of House du Theobard so much that they, too, are prevented from causing mischief.

Magnus, wholly infuriated at the knights, castigates them. He says that if the two knights can think of nothing better to do than engage in such feckless and unbecoming behavior they ought to go south to the mountains and defend Carcassonne from the greenskins. His words enrage Sir Charles, who leaves off his duel with Sir Gerlaine to trade insults with Magnus. Magnus refuses to back down and nettles Sir Charles still further, causing Sir Charles to vault off of his horse and rush Magnus.

The Arms of House Theobard

Maurice and Garnier, seeing their opening, each let fly an arrow at Sir Charles.  Maurice hopes to “ring the knight’s bell” and get him to see reason. Though his arrow clips Sir Charles’ helm, it does not have the desired effect. Garnier’s arrow strikes the enraged knight just above his right breastbone. Again, sir Charles barely notices.

Realizing that the situation is rapidly spinning out of control, Sir Jean-Marc leaps onto Sir Charles’ back from horseback. The two knights hit the dusty ground of the square, rolling around and punching one another with questionable effectiveness.

Squire Henri rides to his mentor’s aid, swinging down with his mace at Sir Charles. His first swing destroys a significant portion of a turnip wagon. His second strikes Sir Charles in the hip, but does little other than dent the knight’s cuisse.

Sabina continues to do her best to help Dame Marie.  She realizes that Sir Gerlaine is now no longer engaged in combat and uses strong words and shame to appeal to his better nature. Sir Gerlaine, basically a decent man at heart, is cowed by Sabina’s words. He orders his men to leave Dame Marie alone and, at Sabina’s urging, directs them to escort the commonfolk to safety.

Meanwhile, Renee casts her net, ensnaring both Sir Jean-Marc and Sir Charles. Both knights swiftly become so entangled that they can no longer move. Lady Celene urges the men-at-arms of her household to disentangle and take custody of her brother.

The Aftermath

The fight ends with minimal casualties or property damage.

Pierre is allowed to come forward to tend to Sir Charles’ wounds. He finds that the knight’s many layers of armor had all but stopped Garnier’s arrow, leaving him with but a minor flesh wound. He treats it expertly, healing Sir Charles and winning praise and coin from Lady Celene.

Sabina speaks to Sir Gerlaine, who is unable to even look at Dame Marie. She learns that Sir Gerlaine felt, “suddenly aflame with passion” a day or two before when he saw Dame Marie compete in the tournament. He confesses he had never felt that way about her before, and had always thought that he was much too old to court one such as she. He seems ashamed, both of the strength of his emotions and that he could not master them. He and his men-at-arms quickly leave the area, after he offers profuse apologies.

In all the excitement, Garnier picks up Sir Charles’ sword and carefully secrets it in a pack on the group’s new mule, which Magnus has renamed, “Bartholomule.” No one notices him do this.

Magnus attempts to make off with Sir Charles’ arming cap, only to be caught by one of the men-at-arms. The young man assumes that Magnus is simply returning the equipment, not trying to steal it, so Magnus gets away without so much as a dirty look.

Once Sir Charles is bandaged, his men-at-arms escort him back to his manor house. Lady Celene and Dame Marie depart for House du Azalais, leaving the company alone in the now mostly empty square.

Henri the Innkeeper, knowing well the ways of knights, suggests that the company leave Brionne before they face any repercussions. The company, who has grown tired of this whole business, heartily accepts.

Just as they are about to set out, Jean-Claude, the innkeeper’s nephew, comes out with several small glasses of brandy to toast the success of their imminent pilgrimage. Henri the Innkeeper is displeased that Jean-Claude has opened a bottle of “the fifteen year” for such an occasion, but he graciously toasts the company’s health anyway. Frieda quietly, albeit sarcastically, toasts the health of Emperor Karl Franz.

The Shrine of the Lady

The company sets out. Henri the innkeeper says that the pilgrims will have likely traveled to Annecy-by-the-Sea, which features a holy site known as the Howling Rocks. Garnier suggests going to the docks and hiring a ship to take them across the bay, as this will (hopefully) allow them to reach Annecy ahead of the pilgrims.

On the way to the harbor, the company passes near the parade ground where the Tournament of Snowdrops was held. Several members of the company note the nearby shrine of the Lady, where Dame Marie met her mysterious monk and confessed her love.

The company pauses briefly at the shrine—some to pray, some to investigate. They find a compartment beneath the altar of the Lady which is sealed with a lead door. The door has a simple lock, as well as a slot to admit donations and written prayers. After some discussion and hesitation, Frieda realizes that the company would like to have a look inside the compartment. With a bit of elbow grease and judicious use of one of her hat pins, she pops the simple lock and opens the door.

Within, the company find several coins, prayer tiles, and scraps of paper. It soon becomes evident that Frieda and Pierre are the only members of the company who are literate, so it falls to them to read each prayer. Among the more quotidian requests, they discover a strip of yellowed parchment, marked with a strange symbol and the following text:

Great Lady, it is the hope of Marie of Azalais that the one she loves
doth love her back with equal fervor.

Though unsure of how this wish could have inspired love madness in two knights, the company takes the prayer, re-locks the Lady’s shrine, and departs.

As the sun begins to set, they make their way, at last, to Brionne Harbor.