The Plague

It is Winter 515 in our Pendragon campaign. Which means reading through the rules on the Winter mini-games. This mostly involves rolling on various tables to see what happened.

Our Knightly Duties is the first step, and I rolled a 12. I went to a Tourney, which gives potential ticks on Awareness, Horsemanship, Charge, Recognise, Sword and Generous/Selfish. I get ticks on the Recognise skill and Generous passion. I give someone who makes a mistake a second chance during the Tourney.

Then we have Personal Events, and get Hospitality, which I get a tick in, and also some Glory. I was particularly hospitable over winter, possibly giving aid to some travellers.

Then we roll to see what improves. For my knight Sir Geoffrey, these are:

• Skill: Intrigue (17 v 10) – Improved
• Skill: Recognize (7 v 6) – Improved
• Skill: Stewardship (9 v 5) – Improved
• Skill: Hunting (18 v 6) – Improved
• Skill: Falconry (19 v 5) – Improved
• Trait: Generous (18 v 13) – Improved

For our Economic Circumstances we all have a superlative standard of living, due to being supported by King Arthur, and none of us have any family to support (yet).

Nothing happens with ageing (since I’m under 35), and my Squire survives as well but doesn’t improve.

My horses also survive.

Then it’s training. I put up Awareness, Charge and Hunting.

Then it’s a Prestige Reward, which I have one. I use it to put up Horsemanship to 16. Though I’d like to put by sword, it’s often capped by Horsemanship which is lower.

Whilst at the court of King Arthuer, we hear many rumours and stories. Merlin himself has something to say:

“Every change can be a disaster if you see only its dark face, but the world moves from darkness to light and into darkness again, changing always and forever. We live in a time of that change. As the earth turns, a great transformation is taking place. The magic and miracles of the land are growing active. The wonders of the land will continue to grow.

“The world is making itself ready for us, revealing the wonders and horrors of the magic that underlies it. These events will continue, each bringing a challenge of greater proportions until it reveals the greatest of all quests, after which all the parts of the world will become whole again.”

Events

Events that have happened this year:

• An army of Saxons and other freebooters lands in Deira and, with a forced march, surprises the defenders and takes the city of Eburacum. The King of 100 Knights barely escapes, fleeing northward to Catterick. The city surrenders.
• Upon receiving this news of this impending war, Arthur is very angry; he’s had too little time to spend with his beautiful new wife. He sends word for his army to muster as soon as summer permits campaigning.
• There is a grey, creeping rot that turns crops to ash and causes a “sleeping death” among the peasantry. This is affecting the lands that the Saxons raided last year and will impact on the size of the army that can be mustered unless dealt with.
• The images of Saint Helena’s in Saint Helen, Bishopgate, the Chapel of Saint Helen in Saffron Walden and Saint Helen, York have all wept tears of blood and silver this midwinter.

516

After Winter has finished, The King is looking for people to investigate the plague. I wonder out loud how we are meant to do that, other than talking to Merlin. The Queen overhears, and thinks that’s a wonderful idea. So we’ve now been ‘volunteered’ to do this Quest.

We take a tray of bite sized snacks with us, because we have to have a gift for someone important before talking to them. We find Merlin having beers, and he is happy to receive a gift, not just stupid questions. However, I do have a stupid question about how to find out about the plague.

There is a Saxon cunning woman that he knows. Her magic is all about strife, so she could behind it. He would need to scry, because last he heard she was in Denmark. He tells us to seek out signs and portents, and to come back tomorrow after he’s had a drink.

I go find Lady Petronelle, and see if she or her ladies have heard anything. They haven’t, and we spend the night playing cards.

My colleagues hear other rumours – some people think it’s because Saint Helen is upset

Later we are summoned back by Merlin. He has empty beer kegs and trays, so we bring him more beer and snacks. He says he has scried, and thinks it is the Witch of Dunwich. 

Rumor, and Merlin, has it that Striga, a witch of potent power and evil, has been seen cursing in the affected lands.

The Striga of Dunwich is described by all who know her as being well-versed in witchcraft, who is well learned of ancient auguries, a patroness of gluttony and an arbiter of lasciviousness who set no limit to her debauches. She is believed to have come from Denmark to work magic for the Saxons.

We head to St Paul’s Church, which is very rich and pretty. Myself and Sir Lupinus donate £1 to the church for some new windows.

Asking the priest about plagues, he says that we need to ask God to intervene. Though it is easier to ask saints, such as St Sylvester. I ask whether St Helena would also help, and the priest seems impressed that I know of the saints. He tells us a bit about the saints, and that St Helena founded a nunnery at Ryde, with a fragment of the True Cross, and the Chalice of St Sylvester, which will cure all ills.

The abbey was destroyed by the Saxons, and the nuns fled with some of the items. They came here to London, and one of the statues is at Bishopsgate here.

Saint Helena was the daughter of Coel, King of Colchester. She married the Roman general Constantius Chlorus in Britain, and their son, Constantine the Great, was born on British soil.

During his rise to become Emperor, Constantine was struck by a severe form of leprosy as divine punishment for persecuting Christians. Persian physicians and magicians failed to cure him, Saint Sylvester, the Pope, successfully healed the Emperor’s leprosy through baptism, leading to Constantine’s historic conversion.

When Saint Helena grew old and wished to retire from the world, she returned to her homeland and founded a nunnery at Ryde. Amongst the treasures that she endowed this nunnery with were a fragment of the True Cross and the Chalice of Saint Sylvester that cures all evils. The Chalice is said to be sumptuously adorned with jewels and enamels of swans. The fragment of the True Cross was held in a gold reliquary of great value.

Many of the great treasures of Ryde Abbey were lost to the Saxons but some were saved and now adorn churches raised to honour Saint Helena.

We go to Bishopsgate, and are given a vial of the tears of St Helena. The priest says he has been having dreams of St Helena, of the Chalice decorated with swans. He thinks the Chalice is in Saffron Waldon. The chapel is a small one, in the middle of nowhere. Which is what he saw in his dream.

The Silver Blight is a gray, creeping rot that turns crops to ash and causes a “sleeping death” among the peasantry. It affects lands where kingship is contested such as the areas currently subject to Saxon raiding and strife.

Rumor, and Merlin, has it that a Striga, a witch of potent power and evil, has been seen cursing in the affected lands.

So we guess we should go to Saffron Waldon. I am given a favour by my Lady Petronelle before we head off.

As we leave London, a King’s messenger greats us at the gate. “My Lords’, I have a gift for you from Wise Merlin.” He gives us each a small silken pouch, which will protect us from malign activities and entities. Inside the pouch is a raven feather. 

We head north, and eventually reach the crossroads, where we are taken in by an ale wife where we are offered food and drink. We ask the way to Saffron Waldon. She says that there have been problems with Saxons and Plague towards the coast.  She gives us directions to the church. They deliver ale to the hermit there, so young Michael could help guide us. He is her grandson, and is about 14.

I pay her some pennies for the use of Michael, and she is pleased, so also provides a packed lunch.

Michael leads us to the chapel at Saffron Waldon. The chapel is a small thatched building, with possibly room for two or three people plus the altar. There is a man outside trying to hoe a small garden. Michael goes back to his grandmother.

I say that we are here to seek an end to the plague, and that we have been sent here by holy men and the Wise Merlin in search of the Chalice of St Sylvester. The Hermit admits that he is the custodian of the chalice. He whistles, and a dog comes out, sniffs us, and sits down.

He says that they have the relics of St Helena, including a fragment of the True Cross and the Chalice. 

The monk lends us the hound, and says that if we think we need the artefacts, we can come back and borrow them. But he gives us some bread and wine blessed with the artefacts.