Session Eleven: The Cook’s Tale

 A Roadside Consultation

The company’s journey to Poissy is briefly delayed when Sir Jean-Marc develops a noisy, wet cough. Pierre checks over the knight and applies fresh bandages, but these do little for his new symptom. There is some discussion of balancing Sir Jean-Marc’s humors and applying some heat and dryness to him, but this cannot be easily done by the side of theroad.

The company’s journey resumes, and Henri the Innkeeper regales them with the legend of Saint Maxence. The saint was a Grail Knight of great renown who fell in battle against a Chaos daemon who ravaged the countryside. Not content merely to slay the knight, the daemon tore Saint Maxence’s head from their shoulders and, cackling, went on to despoil the town of Poissy.

Just when all seemed darkest, the divine power of the Lady restored Saint Maxence briefly to life. Carrying their head under one arm, the blessed saint raced to Poissy and dueled the demon a final time. With a mighty blow that shattered their sword, Echarde, Maxence laid low their terrible foe. Knowing that Poissy was safe, Saint Maxence allowed the miracle to leave them, and they died again. This time, forever.

Henri goes on to say that the blessed saint was laid in state inside of a church just outside of Poissy. Two days after their internment, a great tree rose up out of the ground, swallowing the knight and their sepulcher and tearing the roof off the church—which has become a most blessed pilgrimage site ever since.

The Corbin Farm

The Corbin Farm

The company arrives at the farm of Lunette Corbin, Henri the innkeeper's cousin, where they are greeted by a yapping dog of excitable disposition. The dog’s barks soon draw the attention of the lady of the house, who comes running out of the chicken coop with a roar of, “JULES?!” This outcry only serves to confuse the company and startle Sir Jean-Marc’s horse.

Henri makes introductions. Lunette apologizes for the confusion and says that she was hoping that her good-for-nothing son—whom she banished from the farm—had finally mended his ways and returned home. She invites the company in for lunch and catches Henri up on the doings in and around Poissy.

After lunch, the company parts ways for a bit. Garnier, Magnus, Sir Jean-Marc, and Maurice travel into town to shop at the local markets. The rest remain on the farm, helping out with various chores and speaking with Lunette.

Lunette’s favorite topic of conversation is her good-for-nothing son, Jules, who seems to have no direction in life and no interest in learning a trade or even serving as a common laborer. Glad for an audience to listen to her troubles, she describes her son's many failures and defects. When it became clear to her that she could not beg, cajole, or threaten him to better himself, Lunette kicked Jules off the farm until he “made something of himself.”

At present, it appears that Jules has done little other than move in with “his wastrel friend” Jim, who lives in Poissy and works as a common laborer. Lunette has heard tell that Jules and Jim do little but gamble and drink.

It is at this point that Pierre notices that Ambrose, Sir Jean-Marc’s horse, left behind to rest and feed at the farm, becomes noticeably agitated whenever Jules’ name is mentioned.

Lunette Corbin

Shopping in Poissy

Having finally come into some money, Garnier purchases clothes that—to him—seem quite fashionable and dashing, but which makes him seem somewhat ridiculous. His new favorite purchase appears to be a large and jaunty hat, which he touches, adjusts, and gesticulates to at every possible opportunity.

While Garnier struts around the markets in his new clothes, Maurice and Magnus make more practical purchases and Sir Jean-Marc looks for an apothecary to find a cure for his unpleasant cough. The knight soon runs into a rather slick purveyor of various liquids, guaranteed to cure any illness Sir Jean-Marc has heard of and several he has not. Sir Jean-Marc purchase a tall glass bottle of a dark elixir and immediately drinks the entire thing. This horrifies the seller, who quickly loses himself in the crowd as the knight’s stomach begins to bubble most ominously.

While Sir Jean-Marc steadies himself, he happens to overhear a conversation at a nearby jewelry stall. A young woman has emptied a small box of jewelry onto the table, and is aggressively haggling with the merchant for as much coin as he is able to give. Her tone is worried and quite strident—so much so that the jeweler has begun looking around nervously.

Sir Jean-Marc, realizing that one or both of the people involved in the transaction are in distress, walks over and attempts to intervene. His good deed is immediately interrupted when the full effect of the elixir takes hold and he projectile vomits all over the stall.

The Shrine of Saint Maxence

An Illumination of the Blessed Saint Maxence, Grail Knight

The company comes back together at the Corbin farm. Sir Jean-Marc is quiet, light-headed, and recently rinsed after his embarrassing display in the Poissy markets.

The company, at Henri the innkeeper's insistence, then travels to the Shrine of Saint Maxence. They travel to the roofless church, pray at the holy tree, and purchase the saint’s pilgrim bag as a token of their visit.

While at the shrine, the members of the company gossip with the clergy in attendance and learn the following:

• The splintered blade of Maxence’s sword is kept in the catacombs below. Though it is normally available to be viewed by pilgrims, it has been recently been put “off limits” by the Reverend Father after someone tried to steal it.
• The pilgrims the company has been following for many days were there the day before, and that they were all lovely people. Gascon Gascoigne was quite a memorable fellow, and insisted on his pilgrims seeing Echarde, the blessed blade.
• A mysterious monk with a book came to the shrine and prayed fervently to the saint and the Lady. Those that spoke to him said that he was in some distress and, though they encouraged him to stay to rest, meditate, and lay down his burdens, he told them that he had business “further east.”

Squire Henri is very interested in seeing the blessed blade himself, and so begs a favor of the Reverend Father. The elderly priest, aided in walking by a young acolyte of thirteen or so, grudgingly acquiesces—likely more because of the presence of Sir Jean-Marc than due to anything that Squire Henri has said.

The Reverend Father leads the company down into the catacombs, where they view Echarde, which rests on a cloth of red velvet behind a locked gate. Even those in the company without a larcenous bent can see that the lock on the gate has been badly scratched, as if someone tried to pick the lock in the dark.

The company stand in awe of the blessed blade. They are also all moved by both Squire Henri’s impassioned request to the Reverend Father and his humble piety before the blade. They wonder out loud why the young squire has not yet been made a knight. When Squire Henri turns to Sir Jean-Marc and puts the question to him directly, Sir Jean-Marc says that it’s because he hasn’t gotten around to knighting him yet.

Following this admission, the company awkwardly heads back up to the surface, with Henri the innkeeper chattering all the while about how grateful he is to have seen the blessed blade.

It is then that Sir Jean-Marc calls for everyone’s attention. The company, the other pilgrims, and the clergy in attendance all look on as he motions for Squire Henri to join him in front of the tree of the blessed saint. Once there, Sir Jean-Marc gives a lovely speech about Squire Henri’s constancy, virtue, humility, and service, and asks him to take a knee. He then proceeds…

to have a massive coughing fit that doubles him over and makes him see stars.

…but after that, he knights Squire Henri, to the applause of all and sundry!

The Shrine of Saint Maxence

A Surprise Visit

The company departs the shrine and starts making plans on what to do next. Sabina seems most interested in talking to Jim and finding out what’s going on with Jules. The rest of the company thinks this is a fine idea—apart from Henri the innkeeper, who does not wish to involve himself in his cousin’s family squabbles. He bids them all a fond adieu and says that he will meet them at the farm later.

It is the work of but a short half-hour to locate Jim’s small apartment in a seedy part of Poissy. The freshly knighted Sir Henri strides up to the door and knocks loudly, to which someone inside shouts a greeting and asks him what he wants. Sir Henri announces himself, which causes the person on the other side of the door to chortle and say, “Sir?! Ha! Pull the other one!”

The company, hearing this, reacts with shock and bemusement. Several say, quite loudly, that Sir Henri must answer this disrespect, while Garnier, offhandedly, wonders if they shouldn’t just kick the door in. This is all the permission that Magnus apparently needs to kick the door in.

In the grimy apartment beyond, a portly young man sits on the floor, surrounded by mostly empty jugs of cheap wine. He stares at the company in terror as they invade his living space and surround him on all sides.

The young man is Jim, Jules’ friend, who is only too happy to answer the company's questions. He does, however, pepper his responses with, “I’ve got money. I’ve paid off my debts. I’m up now. I’m on a streak!” and “please, please don’t kill me!”

They learn that Jules and Jim have become frequent visitors of the Baton, a gambling hall that has recently opened in Poissy, and that Jim now works there so that he can pay off his numerous debts.

The company, now very curious, decides to visit the Baton and see what’s what. They leave Jim to his drinking and his squalor, but not before Magnus—rather magnanimously—tries to place Jim’s front door back in its frame.

Jim, in Happier Times