Winter

In our Pendragon campaign, we have reached the end of the year 514, and it is time for us to to downtime phase for Winter.

This is where the characters get to resolve ticks on skills, roll on some random tables to see what we get up to, and have a chance of things and people dying.

For the first part of Winter, I spend time manning the Garrison and out on Patrol. This gives me a chance to pick up some skills, and also a tick on my Honesty trait. Also, a get a Critical on an Energetic roll, which will give me two further skill points later.

My squire stays with my, but one of my horses dies. Fortunately for me, my Lord is able to provide a replacement. With such things out of the way, it’s time to resolve skills – most of which I don’t get anything in. However, I put up my Dancing (so not to embarrass myself again), but mostly put points into my Sword skill. I get it to 21, which on a scale of 1 to 20 is pretty good. It basically means that I critical on a roll of 19 or 20.

We gain a bonus of +5 honour due to being a Knight of the Round Table, and when Camelot is finally built, we’ll get a private house there. We also get a £10 award from the King.

515

At the beginning of the year, the West Saxons send an embassy to our Lord Robert of Salisbury. Their ambassador, Wulfric, is asking that our lord swears fealty to their king Cerdic Athling. If he doesn’t swear, then the Saxons will come over the border and set fire to things. I suggest telling him where he is, and kicking him into a pit. But we don’t have a pit.

Despite not being kicked into a pit, Wulfric is very rude, but the laws of hospitality (which I guess is another reason not to find a pit) mean we have to put up with him. Instead, Lord Robert suggests that we visit our other neighbours and drum up support for fighting the Saxons.

Possible friends are Cornwall, The King and Escavalon. King Mark of Cornwall is a new King, who took the throne late last year after the death of his father King Idres. So might be willing to make a name for himself.

His coronation is due soon as well, so we could go along and support that. Our Lord suggests we take a Gyrfalcon as a gift. Since none of us (especially Madog) know how to manage a falcon, the servant Idwallon is provided to help look after it. He seems quite competent, though his insistence that beer is needed for the falcon is something I have to question.

I send my Lady Petronelle some gifts and a letter, in order to keep in her good graces. I’ve decided that I do quite like her, and intend to see whether I can persuade her that I will make a good potential husband.

I’ve started a new passion for Lady Petronelle. In a similar way to Ars Magica, Pendragon is a campaign where time actually passes in the campaign. Characters can get old and die. Unlike in Ars Magica, where we get to make longevity potions, in Pendragon you get married and have children. In a long campaign, you can end up playing a son or grandson of your original character.