Stories with Dice
Stories with Dice is an actual-play podcast where a fellowship of everyday gamers explores fantastical worlds, distant futures, and parallel realities through tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) from Free League Publishing, Chaosium, Modiphius Entertainment, and more.
Over the years, we’ve told stories around our virtual table in the worlds of Tales from the Loop, Pendragon, Mutant Year Zero, Star Trek Adventures, The One Ring, The Electric State, Forbidden Lands, Legend of the Five Rings, and Symbaroum. Going forward, we’re focusing on a smaller lineup of games, giving us more opportunities to return to each story sooner. As campaigns reach their natural conclusions, we’ll add new stories from the worlds of Twilight: 2000, Vampire: The Masquerade, The Walking Dead, and more.
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Stories with Dice
The Sword Campaign S1 E3: A Pendragon Actual Play Podcast
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At the Sword in the Stone Tournament, Sir Caradoc confronts the traitorous Sir Blains. Meanwhile, Sir Ian and Sir Hystalwyn join Count Robert and King Leodegrance in a fierce contest against King Uriens and the Knights of Gorre. But the tournament is suddenly interrupted by the urgent shouts of a young squire. Could it be that the vision the Salisbury knights saw at Stonehenge has finally come to pass?
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Welcome to Stories with Dice. This is the Sword Campaign, a Pendragon actual play podcast using the sixth edition starter set from Chaosium. If you're enjoying our actual plays, please subscribe to Stories with Dice so you'll never miss an episode. Don't forget to rate and review us, it really helps others discover the podcast. Follow us on social media to stay updated, share your thoughts, and join the conversation. You'll find the relevant links in the description of each episode. As always, thank you for listening. Last time on the Sword Campaign, after narrowly escaping a deadly ambush orchestrated by a Saxon named Oswolf, who had posed as one of his trusted household knights, Count Robert fled to Amesbury Abbey, where the loyal knights of Salisbury, sent by his mother, discovered him. With resolve strengthened, our knights escorted the Count to the tournament of the sword and the stone at St. Albans, yet their path was fraught with danger. Along the way they were set upon by merciless bandits, hired by Sir Blaines, the conniving steward of Lev Comagus, ever a thorn in Salisbury's side. Emerging victorious they reached the tournament grounds as the day waned and the last clash of steel faded. The champion of the melee, the formidable centurion king, stepped forward to claim his prize, a chance to draw the legendary sword from the stone. But like so many before him, he failed, and Excalibur remained in its place. With the sun setting the Salisbury knights joined the gathering for the evening's feast, and while his companions indulged in wine and food, Sir Karadoc uncovered a troubling rumor. King Lot, the most powerful king in the north, had no intention of honoring the tournament's terms. Moments later, Sir Karadoc overheard a hushed conversation between two knights. One called the other Sir Blaines, and they spoke of the Saxon Oswolf as if they were allies, their voices heavy with conspiracy. And we're back with episode three of the sword campaign. And I'm joined as ever by Ed. Good day, kind sir. Uh I am Surian. And Tony. Hello playing Sir Karadoc. And Pete. Hi playing Sir Histelwin. We open on a raven perched on an ancient gnarled tree branch, its eyes sharp as obsidian glint in the muted light filtering through the canopy. The raven tilts its head, staring into the undergrowth, alert to every faint flicker and whisper of movement below. From somewhere in the forest, we hear the soft rustle of leaves, and the faint crackle of twigs breaking underfoot. The raven tenses, its wings quivering, as a figure emerges from the gloom. Cloaked in dark robes he holds a wooden staff as old and gnarled as the trees themselves, its surface etched with strange symbols. He stops beneath the raven's perch, lifting his hooded head to meet its gaze. The raven studies him. For a long moment, neither stirs. Then the raven lets out a piercing claw, shattering the stillness. With a swift beat of its inky wings it ascends into the air, disappearing into the thick forest canopy. The camera follows the raven as it soars above the treetops, tracking the cloaked figure below as he moves swiftly through the darkened wood. The camera gains speed, sweeping over the forest which blurs into a deep green sea. Then suddenly the trees part, and Saint Albans sprawls ahead, bathed in the dim glow of twilight. Below an evening feast unfolds in the shadow of Roman ruins, their massive arches crumbling and tangled with vines, torches flicker around the periphery, casting warm, wavering light across vine covered stones and ivy clad walls. It is the fifth of May, in the year five hundred ten of our Lord, for those who follow the Christian faith. The night air is warm and rich with the mingling scents of roasted meat, freshly baked bread, and the faint earthy undertone of the forest. Just beyond the torchlight, within the eaves of the shadowy wood is the fabled sword and the stone. Some among the revellers cast glances toward the dark edge of the woods, as though sensing the sword's silent, powerful call. The camera moves through the gathering, capturing the laughter and toasts of knights and nobles, the strains of a minstrel's melody rise above the low hum of voices and the clinking of cups. At a long table Count Robert sits with Sir Ian and Sir Histalin, their faces animated in the glow of nearby torches. Beside them sits Sir Caradoc, his face half shrouded in shadow. His gaze drifts past the merriment to a figure seated at the table behind him, Sir Blaine's, the very man who hired bandits to waylay Count Robert's company on their journey to the tournament. And above them all, the raven circles high in the sky, silent witness to the unfolding drama below. Sir Caradoc, your friends are drinking and indulging and feasting. Sir Histalwind is telling tales of daring dew. He's got a little gaggle of people around him listening intently at every word that falls from his mouth, and Sir Ian is trying his best not to uh overindulge, but I believe he wasn't having much luck with that. And you, how are you how are you feeling? What are you doing knowing that this man sta sitting at the table behind you is Sir Blaine's? Do you tell your count?
SPEAKER_00Do you what do you do? Well, my I was wondering about that because you know my home age is kind of 18, so kind of very high. So I I I mean I'm wondering how Sir Carlado could actually react on this because he probably, you know, it's it's wondering what should he you know that he should avenge um his leech lord um because he was threatened, he was like attacked. And and you know he's valorous, he has 14. And he's kind of a bit right in that way. So I'm I'm kind of thinking about this, like I think he's gonna, you know, you know, he's he's always very careful and you know, suspicious of everyone, and you know, he measures him. But in this situation, I think I'm gonna use my passion, which is, you know, by hearing this and seeing that Shir Blainez is right behind us, I think he's gonna act. I think he will not be able to stand there and and just listen to whatever this guy's saying, and he will probably just react and and go and accuse uh Sir Blainez. Do I need to roll for this or just by being 18? I mean, I I think I can just do it, right? Yeah, absolutely. Roll for the passion.
SPEAKER_02If you wanna if you wanna invoke the passion, if you want to roll the passion to get a bonus for an action that you may take, you can do that. Um you can do that, you can do that once a day.
SPEAKER_00So um I'll do it now. I think it's the it's a good moment to invoke. Uh no bonus, I guess. Uh no, no bonus. 17 success.
SPEAKER_02Almost a critical. Okay, so you get a plus five on whatever uh action you're going to take.
SPEAKER_00I'm gonna stand up and and talk. And I was wondering, should I use orate for this? Um that would be the right one. So my my the Ser Caralog is gonna stand up and just basically get close to Ser Blanc. And without uh I don't know if they would unseat the source for this, but he's gonna just stand there and you know call on Ser Blaine, and then just basically uh, you know, he's gonna make a speech.
SPEAKER_02Uh yeah, give us give us the role.
SPEAKER_00So I will add plus five to this. You'll add plus five to it, yep. Yes, and that's gonna be a success. So I'll get I'll stand up very serious, like holding my sword. You know, I will I will I will not hold with my left hand, I will stand up, get close to to the table, and just basically with a strong voice blame, I said caradock, um, accuse you of treachery.
SPEAKER_02He turns around and looks at you and he stands up. Do I know you, boy?
SPEAKER_00You don't, but you will learn about me soon. I'm the I'm pledged to count robber, which you treacherously attack him on the way to the tournament. You paid some ruffians that came upon him in surprise and tried to kill him. Thank God that he was able to fight his way away from these ruffians, and he stands here next to me. But you must sell your treachery, and self-paradox will make you pay for it.
SPEAKER_02He's he stands just like a few inches taller than you, so he's looking down at you. These accusations are outrageous. You dishonor me, sir. The other man that he was uh that he was sitting next to stands up. He's Duke Ulfius, the Duke of of uh Chilchester, which is the neighboring county to Salisbury, and he says, Um, these are very serious charges, Sir Keradock.
SPEAKER_00I know, but I couldn't be saying this if I was not sure of it. I heard it myself from one of the ruffians that we were able to apprehend after the fight. He told me and my companions here about this treachery. Sir Ian and Sir Histalwin were there.
SPEAKER_02You'll take the word of a simple ruffian over a night? What is Sir Ian and Sir Histelwin doing? So Count Robert has already stood up. He hasn't spoken up yet, but he there might be some fear in his eyes.
SPEAKER_03Um there's no other way of doing it really.
SPEAKER_02So the the Duke asks the two of you, is what your companion says true?
SPEAKER_04Um I'll break away from my conversation, hold up my tank of ale, come staggering over, tending to be pretending to be a bit more drunk than I actually am, and basically barge into the party, spilling beer over either side. Well, who who are friends here, Sir Craddock?
SPEAKER_00Introduce me. Not friends, treacherous knights here, Sir Blaine. Remember Chiat over Lord.
SPEAKER_04Oh that that's what those ruffian said. Yeah, I remember. It wasn't you, was it, Sir Blaine's?
SPEAKER_02Of course not, this accusation is ridiculous. I demand justice. I demand trial by combat. It is my right.
SPEAKER_04Sure it is, Sir Blainez, but but no, the music's playing, the wine's flowing. It's time for merriment. The time for fighting is in the tournament tomorrow. Surely uh surely this can all be just written down to hotheadedness on the part of my companions here. Yeah, yeah. Have that have some ale.
SPEAKER_02He knocks the ale out of your hand. Oh not fond of ale? I'm sure there's some wine round here. Zadu says uh your drunk friend here has some wisdom slurring in his speech. Tomorrow at dawn, these two will fight. And God will tell us which of these knights is true and which is a liar.
SPEAKER_03Um at this point, kind of Seren's kind of thinking, hang on, wait. So Sir Histowin has to fight Sir Karadoc? And I'm like, what? Thinking about my wine and and my food, I'm like, huh? No, you idiot. Sir Blaine's and Sir Karadoc.
SPEAKER_02Sorry, I've I've had a bit too much to drink. So be it. I will be there. Tomorrow morning on the tournament grounds before the melee begins, this will be settled.
SPEAKER_00And it's just And I would just turn around. Just make a curtain out to the Duke, not to Sir Blaine, and I would have just turned around.
SPEAKER_02Okay. And the two of them walk off together. Has Sir Robert said anything?
SPEAKER_03He has been stone cold, quiet the whole time. I I I do that kind of thing of when something bad's happened and you've had something to drink, I suddenly become very sober.
SPEAKER_02Count Robert says, Sir Karodac, you should have come to me first. Lord, I appreciate what you have done, but in the future, please bring these matters to me first before you make the accusation in public.
SPEAKER_03You might be right, Sir Karadok. Definitely has quite a few winters over us.
SPEAKER_00Well, have the right sh you know, God behind me, have the truth. We heard it from the ruffian. I'm sure that that will work. I will win. There's no doubt about it.
SPEAKER_03Well, I will be here if you need any further help. I assume there's like a kind of like process of having a second and someone to kind of like spot you and all that kind of stuff. So Right, exactly, yes, yes. I will 100% offer my services to do all that for Sir Carter. Should we forever reason be unable to attend, then I will intend in history.
SPEAKER_02Um Sir Histelwin, you have a couple of ladies that are like pulling you back to the table. They want to hear more about your story and they want to ply you with some ale. So uh so what are the rest of you guys doing for the evening?
SPEAKER_00I will eat very lightly. I will perhaps just take a bit of wine but no more. I will I will probably just think about it and I will probably retire very soon because I will I want to pray prepare for the for the battle tomorrow. So I will go to my room, clean my armor, prepare my sword. And I'll probably spend one hour praying and then I will go to bed. Okay.
SPEAKER_03So Ian? I'm gonna stop drinking, stop eating, and I'm gonna start making sure that everything's okay for tomorrow morning. I will um make sure that there's gonna be no problems. Um and the only way I can do that is to make sure that we have all our kit, we have all our gear, it's all stored securely, and there's no one gonna come to it in the morning. So I'll kind of get um I was gonna get my um squire to stand guard over it, but then I've realized who my squire is. I'll get Sir Caradox um squire to basically do that. The Sir Histel and Squire is currently um attending. Yeah. Um I'll just kind of go suddenly from being drunk or or partially drunk and indulging to suddenly going all business and making sure it's all correct and fine.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_04And Sir Histoline. But there'll be a moment of almost sober thought um trying to figure out how we could get out of this, and I can't see any way of getting away from it without you know, underhand and you know, not not the sort of thing I would dissent to doing. So not being able to see a quick route out of this, um I'm then quickly distracted back to the crowd and the young ladies and dragged back in and find another tank of ale and start dancing.
SPEAKER_02Okay, so you're gonna have a late night. Good. It's cut to the morning, Sir Histalwyn, you probably have a bit of a hangover. Maybe you didn't even go back to your back to my tent.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, perhaps you're in someone else's tent or maybe you're in one of the homes in the hamlets nearby. Um Who among you considers yourself to be an early riser who might wake up before all the others?
SPEAKER_04Uh I'm thinking that on this occasion, although still slightly drunk, I may actually be up early, as whoever I'm with might not want to be found with me. It's just kept up in roused and bundled out of the uh you can do the wolf change.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Yep. Okay, so you're yeah, so you're like, you know, rushing your way out of one of the homes on the edge of the hamlet and making your way back toward the tournament grounds. Um like, you know, pulling up your pulling up your socks and sort of hopping along as you go, trying to get yourself all prim and proper. And you catch sight of a young squire and an older knight engaged in a quiet conversation, and you could hear the uh the young squire say, I I must have left it in the tent, father. And then the older knight says, Well, go and get it. Don't dally. Your brother will miss his chance. And then the young squire just sort of runs off toward uh a group of tents. And if you want to make a a recognized role to recognize their heraldry, you can go ahead and do that.
SPEAKER_04Okay, no, Safel. But I probably will just smile to myself uh remembering times when I'd done similar stuff to the young squire. Okay.
SPEAKER_02Uh so you don't you don't recognize the uh the heraldry of the night that the squire uh was speaking to. Um but you do see that young squire sort of uh run off and he starts rummaging through a nearby tent, and then he comes out again and he's mumbling to himself, somebody must have stolen it, and then he runs off through all the little tents in the little merchant area in the tournament grounds. So you're making your way back to to your tents, Sir Karadoc. You wake up preparing yourself for battle. Sir Ian, you're with him, I imagine.
SPEAKER_03Yep, I probably would have woken up half hour before the end of the time kind of thing.
SPEAKER_02Right. So you're putting on your armor and and all of that, and uh Felix comes to the tent and he says, uh, Sirs, sirs, they're the Duke of of Silchester says they're ready for you. Thank you very much.
SPEAKER_00I will have my squire carry my shield, and you know, you're showing my my Herald. And perhaps my banner, and you know. Tony, what does your banner look like? Ah, that's a good question. If I remember well, it's uh red with uh three apples on it.
SPEAKER_01Okay Do we have it here on the journal?
SPEAKER_02It's on your character sheet, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yes, let me check. And uh exactly. So it's basically um like three apples on top with uh with a yellow background and then green below. Okay. Very colorful. Nice. I don't know if I can show it to you guys.
SPEAKER_02So you're walking toward the tournament grounds, you see Sir Blaine's standing there wiping his sword in the air, you know, like he's limbering up his his sword arm. And the Duke of Silchester waves for you to to enter the tournament grounds, Sir Karadoc. And so the two of you stand-rober around? Count Robert, yes. Count Robert uh he arrives a little late, but yeah, he'll he'll be there momentarily. So that so you step into the tournament grounds facing Sir Blaine's. Sir Blaine's facing his accuser, and the Duke looks around and he sees Sir Ian and he says, Are you this man's second? I am. Very good. Now where is your liege lord? And then just as he says that, you hear Count Robert's voice, it sort of cracks a little bit. I'm I'm here. This little, you know, eighteen-year-old who's way out of his depth. Sorry, sorry, I I overslept. And he's straightening his his uh shirt and everything, and and and and he stands to the side where the nobles where the nobles are, and um and then the Duke says, This will not be a fight to the death. The first to yield loses. God will favor the right party. Right will aid might. And the ruling of battle made by God cannot be reversed or appealed. The guilty party will be punished by his lord.
SPEAKER_00Blaine says, May God be with the right. Well, that's my squire for my shield. Is Sir Blaine's using his shield too, or not?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, Sir Blaine's has a uh large kite shield and and he has a sword. Sir Blaine's there's a like a little smirk on his face, and he says, uh the first move is yours, Kelladocan.
SPEAKER_00Um so we'll just salute, so I will just put my sword in front of me, like like if it was like a cross. I will salute and put it to the side and don my shield and you know, very slowly get close to him, get to into range to engage distance. I wanted to measure him first, you know, not go like a full attack. Like kind of you know, kind of test him.
SPEAKER_02One of the combat actions is study. Perfect. So this is what I'll do. If you want to use study as your combat action, if you succeed, maybe you'll find like a weakness, like a a weak point in the way he's standing or or like in his in his movements, and depending on how well you do with with the role, um knowing that will give you a benefit on your next action. Like if you're gonna attack him once you once you make that study.
SPEAKER_00Now is there I'm sorry, go ahead. Should I do awareness? It was more about the it felt more like um the whole kind of battlefield, right? Um I mean this is more like I'm measuring him uh more like his combat skills. So I'm wondering if I should just roll swords instead of but instead of attacking, I'm just fainting and testing things. Just testing how good he is.
SPEAKER_02Yes, okay.
SPEAKER_00But it's not an attack. It's it's not I mean, if you want to do it as an opposed, it's fine. It's a good one.
SPEAKER_02It won't be an opposed role. Um, but you can also roll your passion to get a bonus to that role. Which is which passion? Your uh homage Count Robert or your fealty to Count Robert.
SPEAKER_00So we'll roll homage. Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_02God is a God is against you. It is against me. Okay, so now roll your roll your sword skill. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So I God is not with me. He isn't, no. The Christian God is not loving me now. Another 20. But it's critical. Holy shit. Oh, okay. Isn't that good that's with sword? He is, yes. Well, it was nice knowing you guys.
SPEAKER_02Yes. Yeah, so you have 10 armor, so that's just your armor deflects that blow. So he just basically he's kind of toying with you for the at the moment. He sees what you're doing, that you were like sizing him up to try to find a a weakness in his in his attack or in his stance, and uh and he just kind of smacks you on the side of your armor with the side of his sword and he smiles at you. Okay, so I'm gonna go for him. Yep, so he's gonna his combat action is going to be just a straight up attack. And I will well attack him too.
SPEAKER_00Ooh, which excites combat action attack, bonus, nothing. Okay. Well, it holy moly. Holy moly is right. He got another critical. Seriously.
SPEAKER_0229 damage minus 10 for your armor. So 19. And what is your eight points? 32.
SPEAKER_03Right, but there's the um things. The other things, yes. So you've got your knockdown, I think. Yep. There it is. That's your knockdown. Um so in the first one it says combat. The first tab, there's a combat thing. Ah, but you should have a knockdown major wound. So when you take that much things, when you take twelve.
SPEAKER_00Umund is eighteen, so I got nineteen.
SPEAKER_02Wait, yeah, that is a major wound, and I believe he's knocked you unconscious.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02And he's knocked you down. So you've been so he just the two of you are, you know, before you can even land that blow, he just he hits you with his shield and s and swipes you with his sword. The the sword cuts through like the part of the armor where there's like the connection between the plates or or what have you, and a huge cut, lots of blood. You just immediately collapse, fall unconscious. Fate to black for Sir Caradox. So, Sir Ian.
SPEAKER_03I'll rush forward and I will stop or hold my shield up um and say, I think you've won, Sir Blainez. I haven't drawn a sword or anything, but I've just done my shield. In a sort of like defensive posture, as I sort of like go down to one knee on top of Sir Caradox. That is obvious, Sir Ian.
SPEAKER_02It was not a trial of my combat to the death. I I was not going to deliver a coup de gras. I just wanted to make sure. And then he he looks at Count Robert for a second, and then he turns to the Duke, and he nods, and then he says, I expect this knight's liege lord punish this man appropriately for his salacious rumors, unfounded assault upon my character and my honor. As God is my witness, I am innocent of these charges. Everybody claps. He walks off the field, and um Felix and Sarcaradox Squire Owen rush forward, and they immediately say, Do I need to use a roll of first aid still? Yeah, they're gonna So what's your first aid skill, by the way, Sarian? Eight. Okay, they're they have a better skill than you, so they're gonna roll their squire skill. I'm gonna give them a bonus because the two of them are doing it together. So Karadoc, you regained consciousness out on the field, you're like looking up at the sky, you see a raven circling overhead, and uh Sir Owen's smiling face looking down as you saying, So Keradak, you took a mighty blow. We'll get you fixed up right as rain. Why am I doing the Scottish accent again? I don't know. We like it though. So then they they they've got a they've got they've made like a little stretcher and they're carrying you back to the tent, and then the Archbishop of Britain declares the beginning of the melee. So then the tournament begins as as you guys go back to uh to your tents and Count Robert follows you. And Sir Histelwin, you you get back to the tournament grounds and you see uh the sort of the the tail end of what looked like a very short trial by combat. So you you you see Sir Karadoc getting carried away back to the tents, it looks like he got banged up pretty badly.
SPEAKER_04What do you guys do? Oh I'm definitely gonna check in on Saradoc, see how bad it actually is. And as long as he's still breathing, I'll see that as a a good thing. And we've probably got away lightly. But yeah, um I'm actually slightly worried that there might be some more follow-up now as well.
SPEAKER_02Tony, you um regain hit points equal to your healing rate.
SPEAKER_00And I see that actually I must make a roll to see if I lose a characteristic, which I would probably lose. It's one D6, and then only six is none, the rest I do something. It's on the major wounds.
SPEAKER_02Yep. So your total hit points right now is 17.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_02So make that, yeah, make that d6 roll, Tony. Okay.
SPEAKER_00Five.
SPEAKER_03Seems like a good place for a scar, right? Like the description gives you a really good idea. There's either concussion, crush the broken bones, everything. Yeah, yeah. I don't like the damage internal logic.
SPEAKER_00No, and so how he it made that end, and I found that you know a very big cat running on my left cheek. That was the shield, and then with the other thing he calmed me down.
SPEAKER_02So uh Count Robert, he sort of looks down at you, and now I have to decide what to do with you so carry it up.
SPEAKER_00Well, God punish me, but he's still guilty.
SPEAKER_02I don't I still think unless the bandit was lying, but I tend to believe you. I don't know why why it ended up the way it did, but we'll have to figure something out, but perhaps perhaps not today. And then um as you're as you're in the tent all all having a chat, this man steps inside and you know him as King Lear de Grants of Camelard, and he's and he says to Count Robert, I pardon the interruption, but I wanted to say that I knew your father well. He was a good man. And yours, Sir Karadoc. And remember, Sir Karadak, your father died in St. Albans at the Battle of St. Albans, the same day that Uther died. If you desire it, I would be honored to have you by my side in the melee today against King Urians of Gore. And then he says, and then he looks at your wounds and he goes, Well, better not you. And uh and then he he he n sort of nods his head respectfully to the Count and the rest of you, and then uh he leaves.
SPEAKER_00I wish I could go with you, my liege. But I think my wounds will not allow it.
SPEAKER_02It'll definitely make things worse, I think, if you if you did such a thing.
SPEAKER_00I don't think I wouldn't do it for you.
SPEAKER_02I know you would, but I I don't believe that I can allow it. It is foolish and dangerous, and I need all my loyal knights. I cannot throw them away foolishly. What do you say, Sir Ian? Sir Histalwin, we have been invited to participate in the grand melee.
SPEAKER_03Does this interest you? You can see Sir Ian is kind of like biting at the bit to just get in there and get involved in the melee. So um kind of tries really hard to not show it, but it's plainly written all over his young face. Um he says uh if that's what my thought wishes me to do, then I shall indeed do that. Hi, my lord. It will be an honor to be at your side. Very well. Let us prepare. So Carodok and uh Ian kind of like taps you on the side. But like winces and says, Sorry.
SPEAKER_00I feel now that I was foolish, uh I should be there with you during the melee.
SPEAKER_03Oh no, it's fine. You rust up. Um what's done is done. There's nothing more we can do, is there?
SPEAKER_02Um your squires we can carry you out so you can watch, sir, if if if you would like.
SPEAKER_00That would be much welcome.
SPEAKER_03Let us help you then to the to the stands. Really, there's out the out the tent, off to go get his stuff. Forgetting everything else apart to go, right, I'm gonna get involved, and this is gonna be amazing. Uh he's super enthusiastic about it.
SPEAKER_00Kids, combat in this game is dangerous.
SPEAKER_03It is indeed. Um, I yeah, yeah, don't don't get involved in combat. Wait, what are we about to do? Uh no win ads. I don't want to support this all the time. Uh part of the fun, you know, I imagine. So five or six winters from now, we'll be covered head to toe in scars. Maybe that's why we don't live past like, you know, our mid-thires, if we're lucky to do that. Yeah. I did not expect the trial by combat to end that quickly, but there we have it. Just anyone. So, new rule don't fight anyone who looks like they're far more experienced than us.
SPEAKER_02Other new rule, check the s GM should check the stats before he uh even even considers such things.
SPEAKER_03Well, I mean it's a good way of teaching us a thing or two, right? Make sure that we uh accuse someone, we make sure we can back it up. I do like the fact that you know he could have like rolled a one and Sandy could have rolled the critical, they could have gone the other way. That's true.
SPEAKER_02It's true. So you all go out onto the tournament grounds, you're on your war horses, and you see the knights of gore uh on their horses. And so these are stern men from the Kingdom of Gore, which is far to the north. They look a bit archaic, but you've heard that they fight as well as as any knight. And um you can each make a passion roll if you want, right now, to gain a bonus to uh to the first combat round.
SPEAKER_03Why not? My lord, so god. A critical. Whoa, you get a plus ten. Yeah, I'm um I'm I'm loving it, and also I'm doing it for the right reason. Okay, you get a plus five.
SPEAKER_02You've succeeded. So then um Sir Leo de Grant signals a uh a charge, and then he he spurs his horse forward, and you you all have your lances. Not my best skill. So because he signaled a charge, that means that you're automatically using the valorous posture. So in in this kind of combat, there are postures which are similar to like stances in like the one ring. So valorous is the one that you'll be doing for the very first round since he's commanded that you all make a mounted charge. So you can all put a check mark next to your valorous traits if you don't already have one.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, already done.
SPEAKER_02Um and that also means that you will fight for two rounds before the uh before the turn is over. So uh you may charge forward, choose your opponents, and make your so we're doing mounted, mounted charge. Charge, cool.
SPEAKER_03I'll do that. And roll some dots. There we go.
SPEAKER_02So I've got a success. Okay, and let me roll mine. So he has a partial success, you have the success. What's that mean, kind sir? So that means that you roll uh roll your damage, and because he has a partial success, um he'll be able to use his uh shield protection. So I did 24 damage. You connect with him, but he uses his shield to partly deflect some of the blow. It's not enough for a knockdown. It's not a major wound. It bashes him a bit, but so he takes 11 damage and his unconscious value is eight. So I think he might have just knocked him out, and he's just like he doesn't fall off the horse, but he's just sort of, you know, hanging on it as the horse, you know, rides by Sir Ian.
SPEAKER_03Yes, I'm sorry. Sir Ian, yes. No, no, no, that's fine. Yeah. So then then we ride by each other, and presumably, so is is it is it then common practice to kind of draw swords after that, or is it you could, but there are other knights that have lances.
SPEAKER_02Oh forgot last okay, cool. Pistol wind. Right. So I do a charge plus five. Okay, so he completely misses the mark or all your damage though. You have knocked him off his horse and knocked him unconscious in one mighty blow of your lance. The two of you are riding toward each other, his spear sort of is angled wrong, and he doesn't even connect, not even with your shield, and you just get him right in the center and just knock him right right the hell off his horse. Um Karadoc, do you want to roll for for um Count Robert? Sure. If you want to roll his passion, you can. Honor would be the one that he would use to give to see if you get a bonus. Yes.
SPEAKER_00Eleven.
SPEAKER_02Okay, so you get a plus so add plus five to the lance roll when you make it.
SPEAKER_00Okay, pendant. Yep. Okay.
SPEAKER_02And let me roll for this guy. All right. You made it. So roll me his damage. Okay. So that the the two of you ride by one another. He he his his lance doesn't connect with Count Robert. Count Robert Lance connects with him, but he he deflects it with his shield, and uh he only takes one point of damage.
SPEAKER_03Sir Ian. Okay. Uh so uh a turn or a kind of the the next person, presumably you have to kind of like move around and then turn and go back to each other again? Or is it sort of like you just have to kind of wade into whoever the nearest person is?
SPEAKER_02So the there's there are two more knights there. So King Leo de Grants has has taken out King Urians. There are two more knights left on the field. And as the two of you are about to charge one another, you hear trumpets blare, which is the signal to halt the melee. And the rest of you left on the field, you're all confused, you pause for a moment, you're sort of looking at each other like what's going on. And then you can hear a young squire shouting at the edge of the tournament field, the sword, the sword, he's drawn the sword. And you see him pointing toward the forest where the sword and the stone is, and all of a sudden that the knights and the nobles begin streaming toward the eaves of the forest. People start whispering, the sword, the sword and the stone has been drawn. And then King Leo de Grant says, Gentlemen, let us ride. And he spurs his horse and he just starts galloping forward. Uh, make a horsemanship roll, Sir Ian and Sir Histowin. And Tony, make one for Count Robert. Count Robert and Boris. I see them be running today. I'm sorry. No, it's it's it kind of fits his personality. Sir Ian and Sir Histowin, you're right behind King Lear de Grants. You've lost track of where Count Robert is in the chaos of all these people starting to push their way toward the forest. Um, actually, you you fumbled. So Count Robert's horse gets spooked. Roll 1d6. Actually, I'll roll 1d6 because you have bad luck rolling right now. He falls off, breaks his neck, and dies. So yeah, so you're campaign. All right, so Robert takes five points of damage, he gets thrown from the horse. Thank God that it's a squire, no? Which is squire, it was so Sir Histowin Squire is taking care of Count Robert, and your squire plus Felix are like carrying you toward the forest as well. So Karadoc. And so uh the the ease of the forest looms ahead of you, uh, and the narrow path that leads through the old Roman ruins uh is choked with just a mob of people, commoners, noblemen, knights on foot, knights on horseback, uh all pressed shoulder to shoulder, all desperate to see this miracle with their own eyes, and there's barely any space to breathe, as armored bodies squeezed together each horse forced so close to the other that a single misstep could set off a deadly chain reaction. And the air is thick with dust and sweat, and uh in the throng a panicked squire shouts as he's nearly trampled underfoot, and his cries are lost in the cacophony, and this uh this knight says Move, know your place, and he's pushing past all the commoners. Horses are rearing up in fright, snorting and kicking as the press becomes unbearable and the ground vibrates with the pounding of hooves, and then emerging from those ruins, you spur your horses uphill. You're still directly behind King Lear de Grants, into the shadowed edge of the forest, and atop a small knoll, just within the trees, you see a young squire, barely a man. There's like a couple of whiskers on his chin, and he he stands beside the sword and the stone, and the shouts had exclaimed that the sword had been drawn, but there he is, and Excalibur is still embedded in the sword in the in the uh moss covered rock. Role recognized. Sir Histowan had already failed this role, so Surian, you can make that role. Sir Kara uh Sir Karadak, you can make the role as well. Count Robert is is too far behind. Okay. Yes.
SPEAKER_00You recognize, right?
SPEAKER_02I got it with a critical. Okay, so you see that the squire wears the badge of Sir Ector, and Sir Ector is a minor knight from the hills of Cambria. Um, and you can actually see that Sir Ector is standing next to this young squire. And Sir Karadoc, you notice, actually, all of you notice that a figure stirs in the crowd. Um actually, no, Saradoc, you don't recognize this because you were in Amesbury Abbey. Um a figure stirs in the crowd cloaked. It's the man that you saw in your vision at Stonehenge, and he's watching the scene intently from the shadowed edge of the crowd, and his hood is concealing all but a glint of his gaze. And then the Archbishop of Britain approaches and the crowd murmurs, and then Sir Hector steps forward and says, Did you draw the sword, son? I I I did, Father. I'm I'm sorry. And then someone shouts, Impossible, only the King of Britain can pull the sword. And then King Lot appears, and he dismounts, and he says, If this thing'll move, it'll move for me, and he pushes the boy out of the way, and he grabs the hilt of the sword and he pulls with all his might, but the sword won't budge. And then somebody says, Let the boy try and then yeah, yeah, let the boy try. And then Sirector glances down at the boy and says, Go ahead, do it again. And um and then the the boy steps forward, places his hand on the hilt, and he just pulls the sword free as if it were no heavier than a feather. And then that's a gasp among the crowd as he slides the sword back into the stone. And King Leo de Grants raises his voice above everyone else, and he says, This boy is our king. And Count Robert has finally arrived, and and he sees he sees the boy having put this, you know, having pulled the sword and then put it back, and and he kneels immediately before the before the young boy, and he says, All my life I have waited for this day, sire. What do you guys do? I'm gonna jump off my horse and kneel as well. Okay. Sir Historin. Okay, yep. The squires the squires help Sir Karadoc, and you're like, oh, oh, oh, oh, and you get down on your knees.
SPEAKER_04Sir Histowin. Uh I'll step down from the horse and look across to Sir Ian. Um, Sir Ian, remember the vision. I think we've found our sapling, and then I'll take the knee.