The Death of a King (The Year 508)
Playing the Great Pendragon Campaign solo, following the tides of the House of Laverstock.
In the year 508, Countess Ellen declared her knights once again in service of King Nanteleod, who proclaimed his resolve to end the Saxon invasion. She commanded all knights to muster that summer with Nanteleod’s army.
The Laverstock brothers, Perin and Arnold, bore grim tidings to the gathered nobles: their uncle Oswyn, the constable’s purchaser, had disappeared during a journey to France. The nobles were quick to suspect Saxon treachery. Heated boasts filled the hall as knights vowed to drive the Saxons from their lands once and for all. During the feast, Perin approached Sir Alain. With boldness, he asked if Sir Alain could secure an honorful position for the Laverstocks in Nanteleod’s army. Sir Alain promised to try but warned that his father’s advisors might not listen to him.
And when summer came, the Laverstocks mustered Nanteleod’s army. Despite Alain’s advocacy, the brothers were not placed in the vanguard. The two armies met at the Netley Marches. Nearly 20,000 warriors stumped through the wet lands. As the horns sounded, the eager knights charged forward, the Laverstocks close behind the first line. “For Oswyn!” Arnold roared. “For Nanteleod, King of All Britain!” Perin bellowed.
Now under the banner of Sir Hugh - the son of the old marchal, Sir Elad - the Laverstocks plunged into the Saxon ranks. The clash lasted all day, with knights battling spearmen from horseback. Exhausted, the brothers were eventually unhorsed by well-trained Saxon spearmen. As Arnold, wounded, struggled back to his feet, a Saxon berserker charged at him. Perin rushed to his aid.
Suddenly the Saxons unleashed a devastating counterattack. Thousands of Saxon cavalry descended on the battlefield, overwhelming the knights of Logres. Forced to retreat, Perin and Arnold fled as Nanteleod’s army collapsed into disorder.
The king was slain, along with many of the Logres’ army. When word of Nanteleod’s death reached Perin, he fell to his knees in despair. His face, streaked with grime and blood, twisted in anguish. His tears rolled down in dark streams on his face. Arnold felt next to him, holding him while Perin started to mutter 'our king, our king'. For days he muttered those words, inconsolable in his grief.
While retreating, the Laverstocks encountered a small group of knights escorting Sir Robert, son of the Countess. Having lost most of his guard, Robert entrusted the brothers with escorting him safely to Sarum. The group traveled cautiously through the dense woods, following the Test River before reaching the road, connecting Du Plain and Sarum. Emerging from the forest, they came upon an abandoned hamlet. As they passed between its huts, Arnold’s sharp eyes caught a glint. Without hesitation, Arnold spurred his horse and raised his shield just as a volley of arrows rained down. The shield bristled with shafts, but Arnold’s quick reflexes saved Robert from harm. Quickly the group broke through and fled toward the main road.
Robert, visibly shaken, praised Arnold’s skill. “I see now why Nanteleod held you in such esteem. Without your vigilance, I would not have survived.” He said, his voice still shaken. Arnold humbly deflected the praise “Someone must have warned them of our passage.” But the young man was impressed. “I will not forget this Arnold, I am most grateful’” Almost imperceptibly, the warrior's eyes looked sideways at the heir, taking him in briefly.
The party reached Sarum and then returned to Laverstock Manor. Yet with too few men to defend their lands, Saxons pillaged the countryside that winter. Perin withdrew into himself. Wrapped in a thick mantle, he sat by his smoky hearth, staring into the flames. And only when the hall was quiet, his low voice could be heard murmuring, “Our king, our king.”
His shock had aged him, leaving him a little smaller and a little weaker.
Over in this post I share in detail how I run King Arthur Pendragon 5.2 RPG and the Great Pendragon Campaign solo! To seed the adventure I use ‘The Adventure Crafter’, and whenever unsure I use One Page Mythic GME. I have some additional tables at the ready, like the Solo events and Kin events.
In italic, I go out of character to give info on what is happening in terms of game mechanics. If these are short, they are primarily ment as personal reminders. But feel free to ask for clarifications.