lore

Q: How and why did King Henry the Young become king?

A: I suppose it would be too trite to respond: ”His father died!”. A serious answer then. To understand the full story, you’d have to learn the lives of the last three generations of Equitan nobility. Charles the Strong, Henry’s grandfather, was accounted a great king. Under his rule, Equitaine gained much land and wealth over years of crusading. The crowning achievement being the capture of Avras. One might expect a golden age for a nation after such glories, yet the reversal was swift. Charles’ son, Luis, was named ”the Meek” for his temperament and fortunes. Within a decade, much of the previous gains had been relinquished. Even Avras pulled away, with General Fontaine renouncing his Equitan loyalties. Meanwhile Sonnstahl forged a union with Destria, intent upon reasserting dominance in Vetia. After the Battle of Moitiers, Luis fell ill and died shortly after, long before his time. This thrust his son, Henry, into the fore. The Young King has begun well, re-establishing links with Volskaya and proclaiming bold ambitions for his reign. Time will tell the truth of such notions.

Ask not a noble of the Kingdom if Sunna is the same ‘Lady’ that the Kingdom of Equitaine wor-ship!, lest your head be parted from your shoulders!” was the Sage’s reply to one of my questions. Equitaine and Sonnstahl are two neighbouring nations, yet very much distinct. One is a Kingdom, led by Henry the Young. While his father might have let such an insult pass, the son is a very different prospect. He has reignited the Equitan urge to quest the world in the name of their Lady. The other is an Empire, commanded by an Emperor currently drawn from the family Rothmeyer, with their own expansionist agenda, establishing colonies across the Great Ocean. The Lady certainly has a distinct and unique form of worship, differing from the organised Church of Sunna. There are some who claim Sunna was a representation of the Lady given flesh, others that the Lady is simply an alternative name given to Sunna by a neighbouring nation. “To the devout of either, such commingling may be taken as blasphemy - and those followers are not slow to express their displeasure in very pointed fashion.

Three times in my adult life have I openly wept. Once upon the passing of my father, the great Duke. Once as I consoled my son over the loss of his mother and my dear wife. And this day, when a court bard turned a bawdy rabble to silent statues, as mournful notes plucked heartstrings like his gittern. Not a dry eye was left anywhere in my hall. I thank you Thomas, for awakening the hearts of so many.

Equitaine is a nation built on personal heroics and individual honour, dating back to the days of their founding king, Uther. Knights are most esteemed here, and a mastery of mounted combat makes the lance the weapon of choice, and armour the height of fashion. Women are venerated in Equitaine for their connection with the fabled Lady, who serves as both deity and mysterious power preserving the land. To many, the Equitan feudal armies of knight and peasant seems antiquated, yet they continue to exert great military power, and their Crusades to seek the lost Grail have brought much of northern Taphria under their sway. In the Crusades, as in all things, the nobility are expected to lead from the fore, and success or failure oft turns upon their might. These are lessons for the young Equitan king to learn, and learn well, if his dynasty is to endure amidst other strong Houses.

Q: Esteemed sage, Throughout the realms of man, it is said that the knights of Equitaine are the greatest warriors and truest knights in the world. Surely this rustles the feathers of the proud men from the ranks of the empire’s knightly orders. Do they furiously dispute this claim or are they under no illusions as to their standing? And what do the Equitaine knights make of their empire counterparts? Pretenders? A disgrace to the name "knight"? Worthy opponents?

A: Dear sir, first, I must enquire - how is the weather in Equitaine? Your question is as pointed as a lance, I do hope it comes from a place of intellectual curiosity and not a hope that I will strike a blow on your behalf! True, Equitaine does possess a grand reputation, primarily focused upon its cavalry. They train from childhood among the nobility, and it forms much of their national identity, so little surprise that they possess considerable prowess in that regard. Jousting and horse racing are prevalent in the culture, emphasising the eponymous equine excellence, if you will allow a little alliteration. The knights of Sonnstahl come from a very different society. While they do not lack for skill, their place is in a much broader military tradition. Those knights are committed to their Orders, formed around a unifying principle or belief, which requires a great deal of devotion to the cause. No slouches in the saddle, but they must work alongside others to achieve their ends. So there is your primary distinction - in Sonnstahl, knights are a part of the wider picture. In Equitaine, they are the picture, crafting their own individual stories. I cannot say for certain how each views the other, yet for those with wisdom, this distinction goes more to the heart of their nature than who is the better horseman.

Dearest Tristopher
Brother, may the Lady guide your hand and guard you well. The wedding went well. I must confess to you I don’t know just how I managed it. There was so much to do and plan, that I swear without Brother Jacque I would not have prevailed. The old man really outdid himself, my heart fills with love for him, for every thing was made perfect. From the moment we announced our intent to tie our wrists at the archway, he was tireless and ceaseless. While he busied himself thus, there was much to do. I went unto her mother and father formally thereafter, and though her father was stern as old Merek of the guard house, her mother was in our camp. I must have acquitted myself well enough, for the old man did give his leave in the end. He went to see father the very next day. From there, the true planning began. I would never have guessed just how much goes to making a merriment. Missives to our cousins, our lord, his retinue, and fathers’ friends, all written by mine very hand, were sent hither and yon. The house servants and clerics set aside the wine and ale and beer, and her house the larder. Brother Jacque even sent for a cask of sweet mead, from the Abbey as a groom’s gift. Preparations were as diligent and twice counted as your arms, kit, and mail were for the crusade! Good woman Beth in the kitchens would not stop fussing, or crying. I kept vigil for a day and a night in honor of the Lady and to seek her favor. A minor ordeal, I admit, but I did not want to be lacking on the day of vows. I needn’t have worried. Just seeing my bride that morning set my spirit alight. She wore a white veil, and a dress of splendid white and green. The green was shining silk and the white gossamer over linen. She was a vision of the Goddess herself. She left her slippers with her mother, and I gave my boots to Brother Jacque; we came together at the bubbling brook where you and I played at knights as children. I asked that we do that there in memory of you, so that I could have you there with me in spirit since you could not be there in person Tris. The vows were simple things, I feared that I would misplace them or stumble over the words, but I need not have feared. All was perfect, I swear I felt the fey watch over us as we promised each to the other. She filled her family’s chalice from the brook and brought it to my lips. I myself brought wine from our vineyard, as I felt it has ever been the Lady’s greatest gift to our house, and poured it in father’s cup for her and brought it to her lips. Then we tied our hands and kissed before all, I still have naught the idea of how my heart did not burst then and there. When we finally stood, the cheers began, and we were taken bodily and carried back to the chapel. The brothers had cleaned and made ready. The clerics had set trenchers and cups. We had jongleurs and menestrals, ale and venison, and not a moment went by without song or cheer. Mother would allow no less on such a day, though she could not help some tears herself at gaining a daughter. All the folk from the village came to dance and cheer us, and enjoy beer and bread. None left hungry! By stone and stream, we danced well into the night and the serfs until dawn. I wish you well Tris and good speed. May you win in the sacred places and gain a fief of your own. It is my dearest wish that I may come to you there overseas and be there at your own wedding one day. May the Fey Lady ever keep you in her hand,

King Louis: My dear Cantemont, how glad I am to see you well. But where is our Commander, the Duke of Gasconne? Is he still in the field?
Cantemont: Sad news, my liege. Gasconne is slain.
L: By the Lady, our nation is so much the poorer for his loss. What news from the Crusade? Is the traitor deposed? C: My duty lies heavy upon me. But I will endeavour to be direct. 4,000 knights followed us to Avras. Fewer than 400 return with me. And many of them are decidedly the worse for wear.
L: Surely it is not true. Were you not prepared for General Fontaine and his meagre troops?
C: Indeed we were, my liege. At first we sent a summons to parlay, as my lord instructed. But the villain would not even treat with us. Immediately we closed upon the city from the West, for the honour of the Lady. But we weren’t expecting…
L: What? Tell us!
C: We weren’t expecting the zombies, your Grace.
L: Forgive me, did you mean to say zombies?
C: Yes, my lord. Very much so. We found the approaches to the city impassible, as things pulled men and horses beneath the murky water. We believe there may have been some kind of necromancy in play. A beautiful woman floating above the filth and laughing at our efforts confirmed our suspicions. But when our dear friend Gasconne sought out the fiend it did not go well for him. She devoured him in front of us... A most unpleasant business.
L: My Lady! And yet you outnumbered them, did you not? After all we spent...
C: Indeed. But our knights were driven into the swamps by magical curses, and our horses became mired. We were exhausted after a long march and our heavy armour was ill-suited to the boggy terrain. It was at this point that a considerable number of our fallen countrymen began to rise from where they’d fallen... Then of course there were the nightmarish wraiths…
L: Wraiths?
C: Something of that ilk, I’d rather not go into detail.. Many who were not slain took their lives in madness.
L: By the Lady... I must retire to prayer. Give the survivors food and water. You are dismissed, Cantemont. Go back to your family.

I have never heard of a battle won without solid preparation.