496 - The Anarchy Era

The day after the Easter Feast, Lady Ellen requests the presence of Sir Owain, Sir Hogarth, Sir Ullin, Sir Taron and Sir Dylan. Sarum Castle continues to remain shut, all knights except the five of you who slept in the great hall are sent away. Lady Ellen also summons her advisors and it is they who remained in her private quarters during the feast, not a Saxon Prince. He was lodged in a local merchants house, and is also summoned. Lady Ellen takes her seat next to Robert, and on his other side, a seat remains empty. Next to Lady Ellen sits the Armello of the Tor Worshippers, and next to the empty seat sits a merchant, a man who has made vast fortunes trading in the markets of Salisbury. His name is Eduart Wainright, though it is clear, this man has never lifted a finger in his life, let alone build or repair wagons. He has taken his fathers honorific. He is extravagantly dressed, and while large and well built, is soft, no definition to his physique. He wears jewellery that is probably worth more than many horse herds in the county, most prominently, three exquisitely carved gold armbands, depicting Uther riding with Merlin to retrieve Caledfwlch from the Lady of the Lake. In the first Uther defends Merlin from a knight who seems to be made from water. In the second, Merlin rows Uther across the water and Uther takes the sword from a hand that reaches from the depths, revealing an exaggerated and idealised woman's form below the surface. In the last, Uther strikes Merlin a fatal blow as Merlin tries to escape with a baby, Merlin disappearing into a puff of smoke, leaving Uther to take one knee and make a vow on Caledfwlch - by then renamed Excalibur. What the vow is, is unclear however. The Saxon Prince enters without fanfare, and leans against the back wall watching proceedings, as Lady Ellen beckons you all before the dias. (( Please complete winter before replying! ))

Dylan will look the Saxon Prince up and down, trying to take the man's measure before approaching the dais and bowing low to Lady Ellen. "My Lady, it is my pleasure to serve". Dylan then awaits the other knights and the beginning of the proceedings.

The Saxon nods to you and says something in his own language. The more experienced of you recognise his words as a greeting, but not overly formal - something along the lines of "Well met"

Taron looks curiously, and not with a little malice, at the Saxon. His kind recently killed his lord and he wonders why Lady Ellen has seen fit to have him here.  He makes his obeisance to Lady Ellen and Lord Robert before taking his place. 

Owain will make an appropriately courteous greetings to those on the dias, with a warm smile for the Armello. He'll raise an eyebrow at the golden armbands - that's not quite how he remembers events. "Those are fine wrought armbands; which goldsmith is responsible for the engravings?" Owain politely enquires. Is there any indication as to the Saxon's identity? Any equivalent of heraldry or clan markings? Owain will try to note any such details for future reference.

Make an Awareness roll Owain to see if you can work out from which tribe he hails from, but that he is a Prince is clear and not just from the gossip, everything about him proves his royal status. Eduart raises one eyebrow at the question, "Why, my own personal jeweller Sir Owain, a man named..." he clicks his fingers idly as he searches for the name of his servant "Oh yes, Genson, that's the fellow. Very talented."

"The designs are very well done, very evocative."

[Awareness was a success; 5 vs 14]

He is of the Essex Saxons, from his age you would know this is Prince Aescwine.

Hogarth’s knuckles tighten, soon white. He thinks, ’Is this what happened in the court of the Centurion king?’ 

Lady Ellen stands, and addressing the Saxon speaks. "We are all present. Will you now repeat the message that your father gave you." Prince Aescwine smirks. "Very well, my lady." His accent is thick, but his Cymric is very good. "I am here to discuss peace. My father, and I have a generous offer for you. Pay us tribute and we will guarantee peace and protection from any enemy who invades. The price is 100 head of cattle and 100 pounds of silver. Should you wish to swear vassalage, we can discuss a reduction in price, and other privileges." Lady Ellen gives nothing away. "Thankyou Prince Aescwine, would you leave us now to discuss your kind offer." The Saxon wraps his cape around himself and takes his leave of the hall. Lady Ellen visibly relaxes. "First order of business" she starts "You were Rodericks most trusted men. He either relied on you already or had plans which involved your participation. So as you were Rodericks most trusted, you are also mine. I have yet to appoint a bodyguard for young Robert, and for myself as well. In addition, I have two castles which have lost their keepers over the last year, for I am sorry to say, Sir Amig passed away, a peaceful death in his sleep. I only learned of this last night. I must therefore ask a great deal from you, I ask that you move from your homes to fill these vital roles. Vagon must have the Marshal of Salisbury in residence, I know you have managed it effectively on behalf of Sir Elad, and that an orderly handover that was planned has been delayed." "Sir Ullin, I now request formerly that you become Marshal of Salisbury, take up residence at Vagon and lead the training there. Sir Hogarth, the reason I have not appointed you in this role is because Sir Amig always spoke so highly of you and the seriousness in which you take the threat of the fae. I can't pretend to believe in some of the stories I have heard, however, I would ask you to take up the role of Protectorate of Salisbury, move into the castle and continue Amig's work of keeping the peculiarities of the forest from our door." "Sir Owain, I have a role for you that must not leave this room. I would ask you to continue your work on the armoury and weaponry of Salisbury, become castellan here, on The Rock of Sarum Castle.... but this is to be a cover for your true role. Our spymaster... mistress was lost to us and has not been replaced. Sir Owain, I would have you be our eyes and ears abroad. Use your work, your research as a cover and ensure we know of any building threats in advance." "This leaves our two bodyguards, Sir Dylan and Sir Taron. From this moment forward, will you guard us, swear to secrecy of all that you hear regarding the conversations that you are privy too, give your life to protect ours?" "Can I rely on all five of you to take these duties for Salisbury?"

Sir Dylan steps forward. "My lady - I am honored that you would place such trust in me, and I will serve you as I served Earl Roderick. However, before I accept, I must point out that I am a landed knight, and as such I have a manor and village that depend on me. I fear that my responsibilities there may conflict with being a bodyguard. Sir Taron will be able to stay with you throughout the year. Unless I were to shirk my duties to Dinder, I would only be here for you while fulfilling my obligations as your vassal." "Of course, I would be at your call any time of the year, as needed, for court, events, or should the situation warrant it. If that meets with your approval, then I would indeed be happy to serve." With that, Dylan falls to one knee, head bowed.

"Excuse me your Grace, but am I think that you are overestimating my abilities. Salisbury's former spy mistress was a Lady of great shrewdness, cunning and patience, talents that I sadly do not possess. I am poorly suited to games of intrigue. Surely there must be another more capable to fill such a vital position far more ably than I?"

"Very well Sir Dylan, Sir Jarran shall serve instead. Sir Owain, the only qualification that matters to me is loyalty. I would rather have a spymaster who misses information but will never sell us out. I was taken with the speed you arranged for me to learn the news from St Albans, you can understand my choosing you. However, if you are sure then I shall give this role to Sir Leddicus."

Lady Ellen certainly knows how to push Owain in the right direction. The thought of the Roman being given such a duty galls him immensely. "I will accept the role until a better replacement can be found. May I ask as to Master Wainwright's presence? I have not had the pleasure of spending any time in his company, but that he is here clearly shows he is also trusted as an advisor. What position does he fill?"

"Master Wainwright is here to keep me abreast of the situation amongst the peasantry, and to advise me about matters of trade. He has earned my trust, he has been honest about his intentions too, he wishes for many of the laws that govern the commoners to be lifted when it comes to Merchants, something that I have assured him is far beyond my remit as regent. If Robert wishes to consider this matter when he takes his title, then Robert will have that power, but I do not." It's not entirely clear if the final statement is for your benefit or his.

"Master Wainwright, I suspect that you have a trade network that extends far beyond Salisbury's borders? We should have a discussion later."

Eduart nods "I suspect my people can be very valuable to you Sir Owain, I will place them all at your disposal."

(Before I react, what bearing does this have on Cholderton?)

(( Very little. The usual rules apply if you don't hire a steward to cover your absence, but I assume you will all come up with a solution - wife stays there or steward, or another family member takes over, whatever you wish. This is more about your officer roles, and Lady Ellen not only confirming that you still have the positions that the Earl granted you, but expanding on them, tweaking them to her own desires, filling gaps in the offices of Salisbury and placing her trust in you almost exclusively - no npc's have been invited to this meeting. ))

Hogarth bows his head, “It is a true honour and I will do my best to ensure all our safety.” “Master Wainwright, I too recognise that commoners cannot be fully reliant on the nobility, a degree of freedom is needed. Please help me find a suitable steward for Cholderton. I will pay a premium price for the correct candidate.” He turns to face the Lady Ellen. “One last piece of council. They say once you leave food out for vermin once, they will come back again,and again in greater number..”

Taron will drop to his knees in front of the Lady Ellen "You do me a great honour my Lady. My life is your life. My arm will be your arm. I will die before I let any harm come to you or your son."

"Excellent Sir Taron, come join us on the dias. Your place is at the high table now. We will have an itinerary of our events which your presence is required prepared and sent to you, to replace your normal duties." "Sir Hogarth, you move the conversation on to our next point. Do any of you others have anything to say regarding the Saxon offer?" The Armello stands "I do. Salisbury cannot stand alone against Saxon aggression. Sir Hogarth is quite wrong to oversimplify the matter. The Saxons are not rats, we cannot liken this to feeding vermin. Their scourge will be directed against those, not who they consider the weakest, but those who they consider have the most to give them. They also know they have to divide Logres, they cannot stand against the Counts if they unite. The Counts will not unite, so the Saxons will find raiding targets. We will lose much more than they ask if we are a target. We must prepare Salisbury to stand alone against a full Saxon raid, and this will take both time and money. We must consider buying that time."

( does being named to these posts have any Glory attached, by the way?)

Not annually, and the bodyguard position doesn't even come with a skill tick every year like some of the other posts, however were you to take a blow for your lord, or drink poison intended for them, then there is glory attached to these actions!

(Sometimes having a character with a hate saxons passion of 19 is a tough RP slog.)

(( Hatred 19 vs Loyalty Lord of less than 16. I wonder what Hogarth will do if Lady Ellen decides to send tribute to the Saxons. With the Prince here, in Sarum, vulnerable.. ))

"A time of wolves..." Owain murmurs. "That was an emissary of just one Saxon King. There will be others that follow, likely issuing the same threats and demands. I doubt that Salisbury can afford to pay them all off, even for a short time. If we are going to cede to demands for tribute, we need to consider whether some Saxons Kings need to assuaged over others." "Prince Aescwine hails from Essex. That's a fair distance from here, with other attractive targets for raiding much closer. Silchester's riches will attract them more than Salisbury. I am more concerned by the southern Saxons, who almost border us." "As I understand it, the Saxons will not be united in their cause. Each King will be acting to serve their own interests; that might mean they work together to raid, but we may be able to play one off against another.  Pay us tribute and we will guarantee peace and protection from any enemy who invades. That statement is certainly worth more consideration. Better to let Saxon to kill Saxon whilst we gather our strength." "It is the cost that concerns me. Playing for time only works if Salisbury can sustain paying the tribute whilst still remaining strong and further developing that strength."

(Hopefully the fact he is famously honourable, and famously love his family as well will stay his hand. Hospitality at 15 as well. I imagine that Hogarth considers assassination and poisoning as dirty Saxon tricks.)

“I agree with Owain, my lady. Essex is far from here with many easier targets between us and them. Yes, we may have to look to placate some of the Saxon kingdoms, but We can not afford to do so for all of them. We should build up our defenses, beef up our patrols, especially to the eastern borders, and equally importantly, build up our allies. Dorset, Silchester, Rydychan, Gloucester and Clarence, even Somerset. If we can make them see the sense of mutual defense pacts, we will be able to face these Saxons together. As you say, the counts of Logres may be divided, but so to are the Saxon Kings. Peace will be won by showing them that we are strong, or at least not the weakest.”

I've made a map of the Southern British powers after the Infamous Feast. Note, this does not show legal borders, it shows power and who can leverage that region, so, Silchester hasn't been invaded by Essex, but that region of the Duchy is inhabited by the Saxons who were loyal to Uther. Now that Uther is gone, Salisbury's best guess is that they will side with Essex over Silchester should the two come to blows, even though right now, they pay their taxes to Ulfius. Similarly, Malahaut hasn't invaded the wilderness lands between Logres and Cambria, but the people who keep the occasional farmsteads in that region lead a Roman lifestyle and so it is expected that they would work with the Centurian King over Logres or Cambria. Of course, as well, the areas without any power marked are not anarchy, they are still led by their fledgling feudal system - the petty kings still rule in Cambria, the Counts and Earls still rule in Logres and Cornwall is still legally a Duchy, but these are not on the same scale as those marked, and the difference is significant.

(Which of these are Saxon. Financially, how significant is the tribute being demanded?)

Sussex, Essex and Kent are Saxon. Financially, this is not a large price, it wouldn't put even a single Baron of Salisbury into crisis if they were asked to shoulder the price alone, let alone paying for it from the county treasury.

(Apologies, a bit of wibbly-wobbly timeline manipulation if that is OK to get me caught up to speed...) Sir Ullin bows and makes the appropriate courtesies to those who are assembled.  He has wrapped his travel blanket around his torso from his right shoulder down to his left hip, pinned with the old iron brooch at the shoulder with the excess draping down his back. From a distance, he carefully regards Wainright's armbands.  The only one which really strikes him as being odd is the final one and its depiction of the events it symbolized.  He ponders to himself as he rubs his brooch with his thumb: Surly, whoever created this piece is rather ignorant...  I cannot say much on the other ones, but that clearly was not how that happened.  There were trials on the matter!  Or perhaps the work is more symbolic... or perhaps its intention is to obscure truth...  Sir Ullin feels a burning sensation in his core at the notion. He takes notice of the Saxon in the room, shows a level of acknowledgement, but does not go out of his way to speak with the man.  He wonders to himself: Who is he, but more importantly, what does he want... Sleepy Will said: Lady Ellen stands, and addressing the Saxon speaks. "We are all present. Will you now repeat the message that your father gave you." Prince Aescwine smirks. "Very well, my lady." His accent is thick, but his Cymric is very good. "I am here to discuss peace. My father, and I have a generous offer for you. Pay us tribute and we will guarantee peace and protection from any enemy who invades. The price is 100 head of cattle and 100 pounds of silver. Should you wish to swear vassalage, we can discuss a reduction in price, and other privileges." Lady Ellen gives nothing away. "Thankyou Prince Aescwine, would you leave us now to discuss your kind offer." The Saxon wraps his cape around himself and takes his leave of the hall. "Sir Ullin, I now request formerly that you become Marshal of Salisbury, take up residence at Vagon and lead the training there. "Can I rely on all five of you to take these duties for Salisbury?" While the Saxon speaks, Sir Ullin quietly continues to thumb at the brooch on his shoulder as his attention is focused with careful and considered concentration of the Saxon Prince's words. Without hesitation, Sir Ullin replies to Lady Ellen, "I will strive to have our knights and men at arms ready to face any challenge which would befall us.  Vagon is not too far from Burcombe, and though it is still a distance away, we could easily make it a destination for scouting exercises if anything major was needed to be dealt with.  I have some major works taking place on my lands, so it might behove me to enlist a Steward to assist in running things while I am away.  I may consult with yourself, the Bishop, and Master Wainright to find someone appropriately skilled to handle the task...  That is unless my Lady wife prefers to stay behind to manage the household while I am away...  Regardless, I have pledged to you my support to defend Salisbury and I will do as you ask of me." Sir Ullin slightly raises an eyebrow at Sir Dylan's seeming rejection at the offer of being a bodyguard... Sleepy Will said: "Sir Hogarth, you move the conversation on to our next point. Do any of you others have anything to say regarding the Saxon offer?" The Armello stands "I do. Salisbury cannot stand alone against Saxon aggression. Sir Hogarth is quite wrong to oversimplify the matter. The Saxons are not rats, we cannot liken this to feeding vermin. Their scourge will be directed against those, not who they consider the weakest, but those who they consider have the most to give them. They also know they have to divide Logres, they cannot stand against the Counts if they unite. The Counts will not unite, so the Saxons will find raiding targets. We will lose much more than they ask if we are a target. We must prepare Salisbury to stand alone against a full Saxon raid, and this will take both time and money. We must consider buying that time." Sir Ullin quietly considers the words of everyone else on this matter before speaking.  He states, "I think this is really a question of trust.  Who we can trust to keep their word, and who we can trust to be our true friends and allies...  If we pay this sum to this group of Saxons, could we trust them to hold up their end of the bargain?  Will they really fight another Saxon clan if they attacked us?  Let us spin the table and put ourselves into their situation.  If we asked the same of them, to pay us tribute, and Silchester attacked them, would we really attack Silchester?  Also, if we pay them, will this provoke other Saxons and cause them to become angry with us?  Will this cause the other Saxon clans to come to our court and demand a higher price from us?  I fear the slippery slope of extortion which will bleed us dry of money and resources... " "But also, we cannot discount what Sir Hogarth has said.  Will this just whet their appetite, and they will come back asking for more?  Perhaps, if we do lean towards agreeing to this arrangement, maybe we need to negotiate some specific terms which better protect us while giving us more time.  Do any here think they know or can speculate what the other Counts and Duke of Logres would do?  I imagine we are the not first to be approached, nor to be the last, and at all the courts visited they will be asking the same questions..." (Just for reference, with Sir Elad and Sir Amig passing, who are the most famous knights in Salisbury NPCwise, and are they more renowned than the PKs?)

(( It will be Sir Leddicus, the player knights and Sir Jarren ))

I added the ((known)) minor powers

"I don't think that we can say anything for certain with regards to how others will be reacting to these demands. Undoubtedly every court will be having the same discussions as we are. The stronger Dukes may elect to decline, thinking that they have the strength of arms to resist. The Counts and Barons who hold smaller tracts of land may have no choice but to submit to paying the tribute. Hantonne for instance would probably look to pay tribute to King Alle, and undoubtedly may even broker such a deal themselves." "We lack any reliable information from our neighbours and further afield, and seems that my responsibility will be to remedy that as quickly as possible. Improving that situation will unfortunately take time and money." "What is certain is that each court will be looking to their own interests first and foremost. There's no leader currently strong enough or sufficiently respected to pull the various factions in Logres together."

"These are all fine points and we will take them into consideration when making the decision." Lady Ellen speaks, though there is uncertainty in her tone. "Finally then, I wish to build stone walls. One around Sarum Castle, another around Sarum itself. This is a continuation of the plans my husband had made, and I intend to finance it through the same means he did. To build both over five years will cost £120." "I shall pay for this by appealing to benefactors over five years of building. There is a Barony set aside to be given to the contributors, title for the key contributor, lands and a bannerette to be shared amongst all. Obviously I would be delighted if the major contributor was of Salisbury, and our new Baron was one of you, I feel my husband intended it to be offered to this knightly order he made, but having seen your tax returns I somehow doubt the surviving members will rise to the challenge." "I shall look to my people in Silchester first. Thank-you for your time, I shall summon you once I have made my decision regarding the Saxon tribute, you will either be escorting the Prince, or him and his tribute from our lands."

Dylan will bow and exit. He seeks out Sir Hogarth when he is free. "Sir Hogarth, I wonder if you had given any more thought to my idea of having the landed knights of salisbury take on extra pages, in the hopes of eventually boosting the number of squire candidates we have. If we think long term, it will make Salisbury stronger." (And at a cost of only 0.25L / year is what Will and I had determined back in the other thread)

Hogarth bows low. ”Lady Ellen, your officers hear your words. May I suggest that both captains of Salisbury being absent from the land at the same time may limit our ability to ride out to threats.”

(Was Dylan able to determine anything else from all of the confiscated Cambrian wines? Was there any sign of other poisoned barrels?)

"You make a good point Sir Hogarth, send word to Sir Balen to attend immediately to see this duty done."

Keith W. said: (Was Dylan able to determine anything else from all of the confiscated Cambrian wines? Was there any sign of other poisoned barrels?) All the wine had the same poison in, an extremely deadly poison that kills if only a drop is consumed, if the wine or ale is touched or someone lingers in the same room as the poison for too long. You lose a good number of servants. However, the poison fades and the wine becomes a black sludge with no trace of the poison after only two weeks.

(Excellent. The knight with hatred Saxons 19 is replaced with... *checks notes*... ah.)

Sleepy Will said: "Thank-you for your time, I shall summon you once I have made my decision regarding the Saxon tribute, you will either be escorting the Prince, or him and his tribute from our lands." Sir Ullin bows low before he departs saying, "It is a challenging choice but I know you will make the correct one to protect Salisbury and its interests." He then goes to see if he can manage to find a Steward in case his wife is interested in going to Vagon.

(Presumably Taron stays? Ellen did swear him to secrecy about what he may hear(

(( I'll PM you ))

(Slight tangent - is Sir Fettersham alive still?)

He is, he's become one of Leddicus' house knights

(Why am I not shocked by this information...)

The very next day then, you are summoned back, Lady Ellen has made her decision. As you arrive at Sarum Castle, a messenger arrives, he is a Sarum servant, and it is clear he has ridden hard. He staggers off his horse, gives you a pained bow and allows you entrance ahead of him, as is customary for a commoner to defer to knights, but he is granted an audience ahead of you. He enters, and only a minute later leaves. Then you are shown into the Great Hall. Lady Ellen and Robert are alone, Robert stands. "We have made a decision" he tells you, his voice is unconfident, but his mother gives his arm a squeeze and he continues. "We are to pay the Saxon tribute. All it would take is for Hertford to grant passage. a raiding party could easily slip through Ryochan and Marlboro along the Silchester border, that area is Wilderness and we cannot rely on Silchester to police outside their territory any more. My father frequently used that route to avoid being seen on his way to London, it would be easy for a raiding party to ghost through and appear on our borders. So, we pay. Their terms are hardly extortionate, and even if all it guarentees that they will not raid and it protects us from nothing else, the price is, in my estimation, worth it." Lady Ellen beams with pride at Robert. "Please do not think that your opinion was not listened too. Let's get the walls built, let's re open trade with Silchester, hooded men be damned and share in their wealth, then we can resist these threats! For now though, escort the Prince to our borders with his tribute."