Hello all, a new member here and a devoted fan of the game.

Now, while I am a new member, I've been lurking for quite some time, and I remember this comment by Morien



The thing with the tales of King Arthur is that there are so many different stories and versions and so forth. The Arthur of Culhwch and Olwen is totally different from King Arthur of Malory, and even more different from the weak King Arthur who is constantly in need of being rescued by Lancelot or other French knights in some of the versions. It easily becomes a mess if you try to add EVERYONE in. This is already evident in Malory, which is a compilation as well and has some continuity problems (Excalibur, for example). Of course, if that is what you want to do, more power to you. Me, I am happy as long as I can keep the Big Names in a rough order. :)


As someone who is planning to run the GPC soon, I can see that is a fair warning. But where others see warnings Arthurian knights see challenges, so challenge accepted!

In all seriousness, this thread is my attempt to examine each and every character from Arthuriana, from Sir Aalardin to King Zyloran of Semblidac, and see if, where, and when they could fit in the GPC (Spoiler: I predict that around 70% of these guys will simply end up as random crossroad jousters). I hope that this thread will help others as well.

The format for each character will be as follows:

Name:The character's name and rank
Relations:The character's family, if known
Source:Where the character first appeared
My thoughts:Basically, what period I think the character should appear in, his homeland, his stats (I'll mainly just refer to the generic knight stats), and how I think he would best fit in the GPC.

But, of course, your GPC will be different.

Name: Sir Aalardin (also Alardin, Alardins)
Relations: Guiniacalc (father), Guigenor (wife)
Source: The First Continuation of Chretien's Perceval, le Conte du Graal. Specifically, he appears in the Livre du Caradoc
My thoughts: Aalardin was depicted as an otherworldly and mystical figure in the Livre, so the obvious route is to make him a Faerie Knight (as depicted on p. 185 of the KAP 5.1 rulebook). This ties him to the Enchantment, and that means he can appear at any time from 495 to 555 with no noticeable change.

Aalardin is heavily tied to the story of Caradoc Vreichfras, so a lot will depend on how I treat the later figure. That said, I'd probably make Aalardin an alternate name of Sir Lance from the Forest Sauvage Storyline (like Robin Goodfellow/Emperor Yesterday, Lance/Aalardin will change his name depending on the circumstance - he'll be Sir Lance in the Forest Sauvage but Sir Aalardin at the Castle of Joy)

Name: Sir Aamanz
Relations: An unnamed (to the extent of my knowledge) brother
Source: Diu Crone
My thoughts: As a nod to Diu Crone's origin, I'd make Aamanz a German - specifically, an Alamannian. I'd give him the same statistics and distinguishing features as Gawain (he could have passed for Gawain's twin), but the traits, skills, and passions would merely be those of an ordinary knight (modified for being a German). He'd also lack Gawain's mystical properties. Now, Aamanz would have to appear after 530, when knighthood reaches Germany. Now, he was killed and his head brought to Arthur, causing considerable confusion and distress. This would place his death at a point when Gawain was away from Camelot, and since Diu Crone is a Grail story (the only one where it is Gawain who achieves the quest, interestingly enough) the best time to do this would be 555, the one year of the Grail Period where Gawain is away from Court.

Basically, I'd have Aamanz's killers bring his head to Arthur right as Mark's army is marching through Salisbury, causing the already ailing king to be paralyzed with grief over his nephew's presumed death and being the reason he can't rally and the PKs have to be the ones to stop Cornwall.

Name: Aanzim, Steward of Amontsus
Relations: Lady Fortune (Liege)
Source: Diu Crone
My thoughts: Since Lady Fortune is obviously a Fae creature (as far as Diu Crone is concerned), Aanzim should be one as well. I'd personally lean towards making him a faerie knight.

Name: Aaron, King of Armenia
Relations: None known
Source: Claris et Laris
My thoughts: I'd base him off of the historical ruler of Armenia from this time, Mjej I Gnuni. For culture he'd be considered a Byzantine from Syria, but he'd also have a Passion of Hate (Huns) - the Huns were constantly invading Armenia during this time. In terms of skills and glory he'd be a Famous Knight with the equipment of a late stage cataphract, with superior armor. Aaron would fight alongside his Roman overlords in the war with Arthur, participate in the Roman Tournament, then head home, and die in 548. I don't know what Mjej's religion was, but he was noted to be very tolerant.

Name: Sir Abadan
Relations: None known
Source: Arthour and Merlin (?)
My thoughts: Sir Abadan was a heathen killed by Lucan at Carhaix. There's no battle of Carhaix in the GPC, and it's unlikely Arthur would just flat out invade Brittany (where Carhaix is), but Sir Lucan joins the Round Table in 528, after the Roman War. One can easily add a Battle of Carhaix to the conflict. No further information about Abadan is mentioned, but he'd have to be from a culture that had a tradition of knighthood in 525 and be a non-Christian. I'd personally make him a Pagan Frenchman, and put his death and the Battle of Carhaix at 526.

Name: Sir Aban
Relations: The de Ganis clan (exact relation unknown)
Source: Lancelot-Grail cycle
My thoughts: Aban would join the Round Table near the end of the Tournament Period. I'd give him Loyalty (Lancelot) to represent his devotion to his famous relative. He would, of course, be an Aquitanian Arian. He joins the Grail Quest, and if he survives he'll certainly join Lancelot at Joyous Garde. It's possible he'll be one of the unlucky questers, however.

Name: Prince Abastunagio of Ferelois
Relations: Galeholt (Father)
Source: La Tavola Ritonda
My thoughts: Abastunagio, like most Italian-created Arthurian characters, is a difficult one to place in the GPC. He held a tournament during the Grail Quest, but that is after Galeholt dies in the GPC, and it is stated that Galeholt had no heirs.

My opinion, at the moment, would be to include Abastunagio, but move the Tournament of Ferelois to an earlier period, and have him predecease his father.

Name: Abbe and Abbeesse
Relations: None
Source: French Romances
My thoughts: I'm including these two together since they're only known by their titles. One interpreted Bohort's (Bors's) dreams, the other reunited Elaine of Carbonic with Galahad. They can easily be merged with other, named characters.

Name: Abelleus (also Abelin)
Relations: None known
Source: Lancelot-Grail, Le Morte du Arthur
My thoughts: Abelleus is the target of Tor's quest in the Wedding adventure (his name is spelled "Ablellus" in the GPC). Should one of the PKs take the quest instead, the knight will have a choice to spare him (Mercy check) or execute him (Just check). Should he be spared (canonically, Tor executes him), he'll likely end up one of the many "defeated by a quester" knights who swear allegiance to Arthur.

I'd give Abelleus to a young knight to deal with (in contrast to the Nimue portion, which would go to an older knight)

Name: Sir Abilan of Estrangot
Relations: None known
Source: Palamedes
My thoughts: There's no Estrangot in Pendragon, so he'd either be from Estregales or Stronggore. Either way, he's killed attempting the Adventure of the Perilous Passage, which is canonically solved by Guinglan (putting this late in the timeline)

Name: Abinors, Duke of the Scottish Borderlands
Relations: Unnamed Daughter
Source: Either Livre du Caradoc or Livre d'Arthur
My thoughts: Abinors was an enemy of Uther until Merlin imprisoned his daughter on the Turning Isle, after which he dies of grief. In my mind, Abinors died before the GPC starts, in 483 or 484, and his death is what allows Lot to gain power in the region. Lot would thus have a vested interest in keeping Abinors's daughter imprisoned, and any who would attempt to rescue her would make an enemy of him (canonically, Arthur and Gawain rescue her after Bedegraine, rendering the problem moot).

Name: Sir Ablamor of the Marshes
Relations: Unnamed Lady (paramour)
Source: Le Morte du Arthur (? - this is the earliest source I can find)
My thoughts: There's little to say here. Ablamor and his lady exist to give Gawain a humbling experience, and turn him into the knight we are familiar with. Not much else to add, really.

Name: Sir Abrioris
Relations: None mentioned
Source: The Second Continuation of Chretien's Perceval, le Conte du Graal
My thoughts: One of the many knights Percivale defeats in his attempt to prove his knighthood. He then goes on to become a Round Table knight.

Name: Sir Acanor the Ugly
Relations: Unnamed Father (possibly King Orians)
Source: Estoire de Merlin
My thoughts: Given that Acanor comes from "Amalvi" and earned his epithet from his dark skin, it wouldn't be much of a stretch for him to be an Italian from Amalfi (who would have looked dark-skinned to the pale Cymri). He and his father are both Christian, so he would be an Italian Arian Notable Knight.

Name: Sir Acantan the Agile (also Acorant)
Relations: The de Ganis clan (exact relation unknown), Sir Danubre the Brave (brother)
Source: Queste del Saint Graal (as Acantan); Prose Tristan (as Acorant)
My thoughts: One of the many Ganis exiles, he participated on the Grail Quest. That's where his story ends as Acantan, but as Acorant he was killed by enemies of the Ganis clan during the Grail Quest. Because there's more information on Acorant, that's the name I'd use. He should have a high DEX, probably as high as Aquitanian culture will allow.

Name: Sir Accolon of Gaul
Relations: Morgan le Fay (paramour)
Source: Le Morte du Arthur (May have appeared in the Post-Merlin)
My thoughts: This is the first "big name" character, and as such I felt he deserved his own separate post.

Half a month later I realized there's just not that much to write about him. He's involved in one of Morgan's plots against Arthur, then dies. Fin.

My main ideas are to crib stuff from Mists of Avalon - the one modern work where he has any role whatsoever - and see what sticks.

First he's an Extraordinary Knight. Excalibur or not, somebody who could fight Arthur to a standstill can't be anything less. Second, he has an Amor (Morgan le Fay) Passion of at least 23 (the minimum Amor one could generate for Morgan, assuming she has a Glory of 3000, an APP similar to her mother's, Accolon rolled minimum, and no other factors came into play).

Now for the novel's influences. In MoA, Accolon was the second son of King Uriens of North Wales, and so both stepson and lover to Morgan, as well as co-conspirator in her plans to restore what MZB thought was Celtic Paganism. He's described as strong and agile and skilled with weapons.

That's obviously a little extreme, but a version of that can be used. The "of Gaul" epithet implies Accolon is either an Aquitanian or an Occitanian, according to the Fourth Edition's definition of "Gaul" - I'd lean towards Occitanian, as the other option would tie him too closely to the Ganis family. Either way, he probably joins with Arthur during the Roman War. Like in MoA, I'm making him the second son of a ruler - specifically, Duke Ramon I of Toulouse, the only Occitanian ruler I could find for this period who isn't tied too heavily to the Visigothic Kingdom. Given Toulouse's medieval history, this makes Accolon a Cathar. His STR, DEX, CON, and weapon skills are all extremely high, higher than the base Extraordinary knight's stats, and his Oinology is directed to Temperance (in keeping with Cathar asceticism). His Amor with Morgan is completely chaste (which probably annoys the pagan Morgan to no end). He wears Improved Chain with a closed helm, and his class is Allodial Knight. His Glory would be roughly 9,500. He's not a Chivalrous Knight, though - his actions imply a high Proud trait. I wouldn't make him a Round Table knight, either, although his hunting trip with Arthur and Uriens was probably a vetting attempt.

All that said, the only time PK's should be in conflict with Accolon is during the Roman Tournament - in fact, it's entirely possible a player knight could replace Accolon!

EDIT: As per the discussion below, Accolon would be better as a Ganis Arian than what I previously wrote.

EDIT2: Accolon, in my campaign, is fantasy cast as Ian Duncan (as in the MoA miniseries)

Either way, he probably joins with Arthur during the Roman War.


Not according to Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur, where the Accolon Episode happens before the Roman War.
GPC, which follows Le Morte, has Accolon in 521 and the Roman War starting in earnest in 526, five years later.

Given that Ganis is overrun in 518, it would be better to make Accolon a de Ganis refugee, one of the many who flock to Arthur's court after that time (as mentioned in 519).

Not according to Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur, where the Accolon Episode happens before the Roman War.
GPC, which follows Le Morte, has Accolon in 521 and the Roman War starting in earnest in 526, five years later.

Given that Ganis is overrun in 518, it would be better to make Accolon a de Ganis refugee, one of the many who flock to Arthur's court after that time (as mentioned in 519).

Yes that is one way you can run it here is how i ran it Accolon shows up in 519 as a gains refugees come to court and informs Arthur that King Claudis of the Franks has over run Gannis and that he will becoming for Britian next however in the gpc pg 184 under events is an An Anglia Uprising and the Battle of Alclud so though saddend that the ganis men lost thier homes he offers them a chance help him calm Britain and defeat all foes and he will march with them to retake gannis this takes 5 years but arthiur keeps his promise when he marches on Rome! is how I ra jsut run it just run the events by date I had Anglian uprising happend in the spring and battle for Alclud happen midsummer and the fighting in the north lasted so long Arthur had to stay in lincoln as a guest of duke Lindsey! I hope this helps you!

it would be better to make Accolon a de Ganis refugee, one of the many who flock to Arthur's court after that time (as mentioned in 519).

Perhaps not a de Ganis clan member
Just a person from Ganis

Also In my campaign I had colchester being destroyed during the uther period at the battle of colchester! in 485
and then in 520 I added Bleoberis de Ganis, as a member of the roundtable, and As a reward for his loyal service and to reward him and so his peoples would have a place to live made him the new Earl of Essex, and it starts to get rebuilt during the conquest period.

Either way, he probably joins with Arthur during the Roman War.


Not according to Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur, where the Accolon Episode happens before the Roman War.
GPC, which follows Le Morte, has Accolon in 521 and the Roman War starting in earnest in 526, five years later.

Given that Ganis is overrun in 518, it would be better to make Accolon a de Ganis refugee, one of the many who flock to Arthur's court after that time (as mentioned in 519).


Huh, I had the GPC open while writing that, how did I miss that? Well, thanks for pointing that mistake out. Much as I liked the idea of him being a Cathar, If it makes more sense for Accolon to be from Ganis, I can accept the change.

Not according to Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur, where the Accolon Episode happens before the Roman War.
GPC, which follows Le Morte, has Accolon in 521 and the Roman War starting in earnest in 526, five years later.

I may have been off with the dates in my games with Accolon Episode I did not have access to my library as I was homeless when I got the gpc and started running it to gain interest at the local store I was at, I will update my records to show the new date and adjust for future gaming episodes with new people I GM for! Most of my players are still playing through the BOY King Period as we speak!

Name: King Acecledor
Relations: None recorded
Source: Florian et Floride
My thoughts: My best advice would be to pick a kingdom whose monarch doesn't have a name, and give this one to him. Beyond that, Acecledor can be ignored or cut safely - his one appearance I'll deal with in Florian's entry.

Name: Sir Aces de Biaumont, Constable of Clarence (also Aces de Camparcorentin, Aces en Biaumont, Aces Ravel, Acon, Aeon de Bemonde, Aeon de Campercorentin, Ascons, Ates)
Relations: Sir Ales, Steward of Clarence (father), Alon (brother), Duke Galegantis of Clarence (cousin), King Nentres of Garloth (presumed uncle)
Source: Estoire de Merlin
My thoughts: I think of two possible reasons for his epithet - one, he is from Quimper in Cournailles (home to the Cathedral of St. Corentin); or two, his name is a reference to the Campacorentin Forest that divides Clarence and Salisbury (now referred to as the Forest of Glamour in BotW) - his numerous connections with Clarence and the fact that he swears allegiance to Arthur early in the king's reign make me lean towards the latter. Regardless of where he's from, he shows up in the Boy King period, where he befriends both Ywaines, fights the Saxons, and is made a RTK - he probably joins after Badon. From the Conquest period on he can be found in Clarence serving as Constable.

Name: Sir Achadens
Relations: None known
Source: Prose Tristan
My thoughts: He wounds Tristram in a joust - beyond that he doesn't have much of a role, but he could appear in any tournament where Breton and Cornish knights participate.

Name: Sir Acquillans of the Green Mountain
Relations: Duke Hervis de Revil (cousin)
Source: Palamedes
My thoughts: Acquillans will likely be found wherever his cousin is, whether fighting alongside Arthur during the war with Lot or helping crack down on the Anglia uprising.

Name: Sir Acricor the Handsome
Relations: Rosete (see below)
Source: Prose Tristan
My thoughts: A Grail quester, he presumably has a high APP stat. I'm going to go on a lark and declare him to be the same figure as Erec et Enid's Handsome Coward, who was the fifth best of Arthur's knights - his "Cowardice" is probably actually a very high Prudence trait - and fought at Camlann (the Prose Tristan has both go on the Grail Quest, so this is a likely identification in my mind). As in the Didot-Percival, his amor is an ugly Lady named Rosete - after he was defeated by Percival in a joust for the latter insulting her (the wilds-raised Percival was actually just being frank), she becomes beautiful.

Name: Acubert
Relations: None recorded
Source: Prophecies of Merlin
My thoughts: A Saxon, he was defeated by Duke Hervis de Revel - probably during the First Anglia Uprising after Badon.

Name: Sir Adam the Fair
Relations: None recorded
Source: Lancelot-Grail
My thoughts: During those times when Lancelot is missing from court, Sir Adam can be found alongside Sir Gawaine, searching for the Knight of the Lake.

Name: King Adameins
Relations: None recorded
Source: Arthour and Merlin
My thoughts: This is another character that can't really fit, like Aclecledor above.

Name: Count Adan of Alarie
Relations: Marnie (granddaughter)
Source: Wigalois
My thoughts: Adan, lord of a Zazamanc realm called Alarie, is largely important only in his friendship with Gawaine's son Wigalois, who aids him against rival Zazamanc rulers like King Roaz of Glois and the Lion Prince of Namur - all this is probably occurring in the Grail and Twilight Periods. It should be noted that Alarie has a female warrior tradition - the Lion Prince killed Marnie because she was an enemy combatant, and she is explicitly referred to as a lady-knight by the chronicler.

Name: Ade von den Bigen
Relations: Patricius von den Bigen (father), Tybalt von den Bigen (brother), Linier de Limours (uncle), Lancelot (former amor)
Source: Lanzelet
My thoughts: An early paramour of Lancelot's, she's tricky to place. I'd assume very early in Lancelot's career - the best time would probably be in 528, although an argument could be made for 524, during Lancelot's amnesiac period as "The Knight of the Lake" (in Lanzelet, he didn't learn his name for quite some time) I prefer 528, though, since otherwise 524 would be VERY busy for Lancelot as a result. At some point between then and 535 or so, Lancelot will fall victim to the enchantment surrounding the Schatel le Mort, which in game terms temporarily swaps one's Cowardly and Valorous traits, causing Ade and Tybalt to rebuke him.

Name: Sir Adelons the Merry
Relations: None recorded
Source: Palamedes
My thoughts: It's recorded that Adelons fought on the side of Uriens and the King of Norgales at a tournament at Levegnic. I've been unable to place Levegnic, but I'm willing to bet this was when Pellinore was still King of Norgales (I can't picture Ryons or Maelgwn doing something like this). I'd probably put the tournament at some point between Badon and Pellinore's death in 523. Specifically, I'd lean to 521, the same year as Arthur's duel with Accolon (this is the last year in which Pellinore is confirmed to be alive, and the only year in the Conquest period not taken up with warfare or rebellion).

Name: Sir Adolange
Relations: None recorded
Source: La Tavola Ritonda
My thoughts: His most important deed is participating in the Leverzep Tournament (Leverzep is Tavola's name for Lonazep)

Name: Sir Adragain the Brown
Relations: Sir Mador de la Porte (brother), Sir Patrise of Ireland (cousin), Seraide (niece)
Source: The Vulgate
My thoughts: A knight who served Uther Pendragon, Adragain came from the Black Isle (either an alternate name for the Isle of Glass, i.e. Glastonbury/Avalon in Summerland, or an alternate name for "the land ruled by Erec's father Lac," i.e. Estregales - I'd put him in Estregales, given his cousin is Irish). He can be found in Uther's warhost, along with other figures like Brastias and Ulfius. After Uther's death, Adragain apparently moves to Ganis and serves with Ban and Bors the Elder. He also uses his niece to keep track of the young Lancelot. During the Boy King period, he participates in the war against Ryons, and joins the Round Table with Uriens's sponsorship. Some time between then and 561, he becomes a black-robed monk and joins a monastery in Benwick - he's not at the feast that kills Patrise (I checked), and given his probable age, could very well be dead.

Like all Round Table Knights, he's an extraordinary knight, and like all Estregales characters, he's in Irishman who follows British Christianity - and given his later profession, he likely applies for the Religious bonus.

Name: Sir Adrian
Relations: None recorded
Source: Vulgate Merlin
My thoughts: He's recorded as serving under the rebel kings and defending Cambenet against Saxons raiders with bravery. Which rebel king isn't specified, but Uriens is the likely one given the connection with Cambenet.

Name: King Aelle of Sussex
Relations: Cymen, Wlenca, Cissa (sons)
Source: Semi-Historical figure (first mentioned by Bede and the ASC)
My thoughts: This guy is another "big-name" character. Something new I'm doing for these guys is "Fantasy casting," putting an actor in the role to give the figure some sort of character. In Aelle's case, I've cast Stellan Skarsgard - his portrayal of Cerdic is more in line with how I've always pictured Aelle in my head.

If Aelle likes you, you'll be in good, safe hands. Unfortunately, he doesn't like most Britons. To the Cymri, he's a brute and a conqueror, and PKs will rarely see his good side if they're not from Silchester. Aelle is a barbarian warlord, and doesn't pretend to be anything else. He has two real saving graces as far as Cymri are concerned:

1. Because he's not a particularly religious man, he tolerates the Christians still living in Sussex, and doesn't drive them out or kill them like other Saxon kings do.
2. He's oddly protective of women. He has some warped sense of honor when it comes to women. While he cares nothing for Cymric men and gladly sees them executed in gruesome fashions, he'll punish his soldiers, severely, for harming the women of Britain. He understands vengeance can be a powerful motivator, and won't lose good warriors because their new concubine decided to grab a knife (he masks this with platitudes about how the blood of Wotan and Saexnot should be kept pure).

He dies at Badon, along with his two older sons. Cissa flees to Germany, and returns to Sussex in the Twilight period to regain control from the ailing Count Celyn. Cissa, ironically, dies not long after Camlann (567).

The GPC dspeaks of a prince Celyn present at court in 498. I assumed it was a son. Looking in Saxons I noticed that Celyn marries Aelle's widow and in 564 a Aethelgar ressurrects the lineage. He is a distant kinsman.

Aside from the 498 entry, every mention of Celyn I could find across the various editions (including the GPC's own introduction to the Anarchy period) makes it clear he's a Cymric nobleman. I assume 498 is a typo and meant to be Prince Cymen.

I'll assume Aethelgar was acting in Cissa's name and declared himself king after Cissa died (Cissa would have been 88 by Camlann, and that's assuming he was born right before Aelle landed, as he's listed as arriving with his father).

Aside from the 498 entry, every mention of Celyn I could find across the various editions (including the GPC's own introduction to the Anarchy period) makes it clear he's a Cymric nobleman. I assume 498 is a typo and meant to be Prince Cymen.


I agree that Celyn should be a Cymric noble, and the Sussex Prince in GPC should be called something else. My guess is that this is an editing error: People looked at who the leader of Sussex is after Aelle (in 530, 4th Edition), Earl Celyn, and figured Celyn has to be Aelle's son, hence Prince Celyn.



I'll assume Aethelgar was acting in Cissa's name and declared himself king after Cissa died (Cissa would have been 88 by Camlann, and that's assuming he was born right before Aelle landed, as he's listed as arriving with his father).


I seriously doubt Cissa would still be alive at the time of Camlann. You don't mention 1 year old babes as co-leaders of an invasion. So, I'd say Cissa needs to be at least 15 years old or so. And that would make him over 100, in other words way too old to survive in those times.

I agree that Celyn should be a Cymric noble, and the Sussex Prince in GPC should be called something else. My guess is that this is an editing error: People looked at who the leader of Sussex is after Aelle (in 530, 4th Edition), Earl Celyn, and figured Celyn has to be Aelle's son, hence Prince Celyn.

I seriously doubt Cissa would still be alive at the time of Camlann. You don't mention 1 year old babes as co-leaders of an invasion. So, I'd say Cissa needs to be at least 15 years old or so. And that would make him over 100, in other words way too old to survive in those times.


That date comes from his Wikipedia article, and it is admittedly conjecture (albeit more believable than Roger of Wendover's argument that he died in 590!) It has been argued that what Roger meant to write was Cissa died at age 90, and if we assume he was 15 when Aelle landed, that gives him a death date of 552 - still extremely old, but both Saxon and Cymric chroniclers have recorded their kings living for freakishly long times (see: King Mark).

That date comes from his Wikipedia article, and it is admittedly conjecture (albeit more believable than Roger of Wendover's argument that he died in 590!) It has been argued that what Roger meant to write was Cissa died at age 90, and if we assume he was 15 when Aelle landed, that gives him a death date of 552 - still extremely old, but both Saxon and Cymric chroniclers have recorded their kings living for freakishly long times (see: King Mark).


Putting aside the whole historicity argument if Cissa ever existed (I can't really argue against mythology given that the topic matter is King Arthur and his plate-armored knights of Le Morte D'Arthur! :) ), one problem when relying on DATES given by various authors is that they do not always agree with one another, and most importantly, they don't agree with KAP timeline.

Here is a nice set of inconsistency in Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (ASC): It gives two founding dates for Wessex, 495 (GPC uses 496) and 514.

Furthermore, Isle of Wight is invaded in 530 (ASC), but in GPC, it is invaded in 497. There is no mention of the Battle of Badon Hill (518 in GPC) in ASC, and Wessex continues to steamroll over the Britons throughout 500s in ASC. Not so in KAP/GPC, of course, where the Saxons are stopped dead and actually conquered by King Arthur post Badon (518).

According to Roger of Wendover, Essex is founded in 527 (487 in GPC, officially), and its first king until 587. This clearly doesn't work with KAP timeline.

As for some famous Battles:
Badon Hill: 518 (KAP/GPC), "44 years after the arrival of Saxons" (Bede, leading to a date of 493 - 500 in his work, or in KAP timeline 446+44 = 490)
Camlann: 565 (KAP/GPC), 537 (Annales Cambriae)
Funnily enough, if you take the Bede-KAP date for Badon (490) and AC date for Camlann (537), you get that Camlann happened 47 years after Badon.
518 (Badon in KAP) + 47 = 565 (Camlann in KAP)

Anyway, that is just to add a note of caution when using non-KAP dates. And I do totally agree that the chroniclers have the early Kings reigning implausibly long time.

Having Cissa return to wrest control from Celyn in 553 (Celyn's death in GPC) would make Cissa too old, in my opinion. Furthermore, an independent Sussex doesn't happen until after Camlann (Saxons! puts Camlann one year too early, at 564, while in GPC, the date is 565; hence Cornelius' earlier mention of 564). If there is a Saxon kingdom right next to Camelot, squashing it would take precedence over all else during Twilight. Also, in Saxons! Celyn's successor is Earl Cilydd (another Cymric name, so likely Celyn's son).

Now that being said, if you'd like to do things differently in your own campaign, you should of course feel free to do it. For example, in ours, Celyn married the daughter of Aelle (not his widow) and his stepson (full Saxon, Aelle's grandson) succeeded Celyn and is a loyal RTK, having lead Saxon reinforcements to beat back Cornwall's armies at Camelot. Whatever works for your campaign! :)

So, given everything, this seems a reasonable timeline of Sussex per KAP/GPC:

477: Aelle lands at "Cymen's Shore" (Selsey) with his three sons, Cymen Aetheling, Wlenca, and Cissa. They more or less overwhelm the Regenses tribal territory.

485: Aelle fights Uther Pendragon at Mearcredes Creek. The battle is a stalemate, Uther has a motte and double bailey castle built at Magouns (Arundel) to keep Aelle in check. Another castle is built at *Bramber, serving the same purpose

487: Prince Madoc and Admiral Gwenwynwyn burn Aelle's ships as part of a concentrated naval campaign.

491: Aelle and Cissa besiege Anderida (Pevensey) and kill every Cymric living there. (The GPC mentions that Cissa came over from Germany for this. Either the ASC entry is wrong in KAP's universe, or Cissa returned to Saxony after the 487 raids to recruit fresh men. Also, it's implied Aelle was taken advantage of Uther's war with Gorlois).

495: With the disintegration of Hantonne in the wake of Cerdic's invasion, the South Saxons occupy Magouns and fortify Mutuantonis (Lewes Castle). *Bramber Castle is demolished

497: Duke Ulfius of Silchester allies with Aelle.

498: A prince of Sussex (the GPC mistakenly calls him Celyn. Cymen is more likely) visits the Salisbury court.

500: Aelle goes to war with Aesc of Kent.

502: Aelle challenges Cwichelm of Anglia for the title of Bretwalda and defeats the Angle king.

505: Aelle officially allies with Cerdic, but fails to reinforce him during Wessex's invasion of Salisbury

508: Aelle reinforces Cerdic at Netley Marsh, along with Prince Mark.

510: It's implied by this point that Aelle is universally recognized as bretwalda.

518: Aelle, Cymen, and Wlenca are killed at Badon. Cissa flees to Germany. Sussex is granted to Count Celyn, who marries Aelle's widow. Magouns is restored and expanded, and a new castle built on the Sussex-Kent border at *Rye Camber. *Lewes is co-opted by the Cymri and refortified on their designs.

531: Construction begins on *Bodiam Castle

550: *Bodiam Castle completed.

551: Prince Cissa attempts to reclaim Sussex. It goes nowhere, as few warriors want to follow an octogenarian has-been. Cissa dies a few years later.

553: Count Celyn dies, and Cilydd succeeds him.

565: Camlann. The Cymri in Sussex are overthrown by Aethelgar, a kinsman of Aelle, who re-establishes the Kingdom of Sussex. However the kingdom never regains its prominence, and slowly becomes a chess piece argued over by Kent, Mercia, and Wessex

Nice summary!

That would work for me. :)

As Morien mentioned. good summary. It works in part. I had a Prince Celyn be a more important part of the story. I have to think on it how to proceed from here.

IMG. The PKs organised special Hunts to get people of various countries together. In one such an event Celyn was present again as well as King Idris of Cornwall. Idris (and his son Mark) tried some political maneuvering to get Salisbury more aggressive against the Saxons (instigating a hunting accident). Feeding on their Hatred. Unfortunately it did not work and this actually brought Salisbury and Sussex closer together.
The last they met Celyn he was more boorish. This was after Sussex defeated the Angles.

Name: King Aesc of Kent (also Oisc, Oeric, Orric, Esc)
Relations: Hengest (Father), Horsa (Uncle), Cyneburh (Wife), Octa of Kent (Son), Other Sons, King Octa of Nohaut (Brother), Eosa of Nohaut (Cousin)
Source: Semi-Historical figure (first mentioned by Bede and the ASC)
My thoughts: Unlike Aelle (above), there isn't much to say about Aesc. Throughout the Uther Period he's overshadowed by his brother Octa (not enough to be resentful, though - he did name his son in honor of his brother, after all), and in the Anarchy his attempts at independence get crushed by Aelle. He then dies at Badon.

Part of this briefness is because virtually nothing survives about Aesc in history, folklore, or legend, even in Kent, beyond the royalty of Kent being known as the Oiscingas instead of Hengestingas. His family is the more interesting detail - Cyneburh apparently took their sons to France (unlike other Saxon royalty, who fled back to Saxony), where Octa of Kent and his brothers were raised to be knights in the French style, Octa even giving his son a name that would fit better with Frankish tongues than Saxon ones - Eormenric. Octa of Kent would die in exile at some point around 540, and it would be Eormenric who would return to Kent in the wake of Camlann - and his Frankish connections would lead to his son Aethelberht marrying a French princess, paving the way for St. Augustine's arrival and the Christianization of the Saxons.

Back on track, Aesc doesn't strike me as a character who would stand out from other Saxon kings, lacking any real memorable qualities. His son and grandson would have been raised as French knights and have the appropriate skillsets for that archetype, rather than the one for Saxon warriors.

Wow, it's been a while. Well, I'm back, and hopefully this can continue without interruption.

Also, I had been away when the forum went through two changes, so if anyone sent me any personal messages, you should probably resend them.

Name: Sir Affibla delet
Glory: c. 9,000 (Extraordinary/Round Table Knight)
Age: Late 20s or early 30s in 531
Personality: Joyous, fun-loving ('delet' literally translates to 'the Merry')
Type: Probably Combatant
Notable: Valorous 19, Trusting 17, Energetic 17, Gluttonous 12, Courtesy 18, Sing 15
Homeland/Culture: Unknown/Presumably Cymric
Relations: None known
Source: Erec by Hartmann von Aue
My thoughts: Affibla is literally a name in a list, so this entry is more to show off the new format I'll be using from now on - it's mostly the format used in the Book of Uther, with a few of my own additions. The notable traits are more or less how I'd portray a 'merry' individual.

In case you're wondering about the date, Hartmann gives a list of Round Table Knights when Erec joins them, which is where Affibla is located - most are gibberish, but I recognized seven: Gawain, Lancelot, Dodinas, Sagremor, Loholt, Lanval, and Erec himself. The GPC doesn't mention when Erec, Loholt, or Lanval join, but Lancelot joins in 531, and Loholt, as Arthur's recognized son, would have been afforded an honorary seat even if he wasn't a member yet, so I feel justified in placing the first part of 'Erec et Enide' in 531 - besides, I think it feels appropriate that the Romance Period is heralded in by Chretien's iconic romance.

Name: Sir Agamenor (also Agamanor, Ganemor, the Man with the Beautiful Lover)
Glory: c. 5,000 (Famous Knight/Round Table Knight)
[B]Age: Late 30s or early 40s in 554
Personality: Boisterous
Type: Combatant
Notable: Valorous 16, Vengeful 19, Cruel 16, Hate (de Ganis family) 18, Sword 24, Lance 18
Homeland/Culture/Religion: Normandy (Neustria)/French/Roman Christian
Relations: Lady Phenonee of Cornwall (wife), Sir Meliador of Cornwall (brother-in-law), Sir Arpian of the Narrow Mountain (brother), Sir Amatin the Good Jouster (brother)
Source: Meliador by Froissart (as Agamanor), Lancelot-Grail (as Agamenor)
My thoughts: I've merged two knights with similar names here. Agamanor is a bit character in Meliador's story, but Agamenor provides a small but memorable roll in the Lancelot-Grail. Agamenor and his brothers are skilled knights, but insecure and become jealous of any knights better than them, which includes the Ganis clan. They attempted to ambush Galahad early in the quest, which went about as well as you'd expect. Afterwards, they ambushed two Ganis knights named Sir Acorant the Agile (who I've already talked about) and Sir Danubre the Brave. The conflict saw all five knights killed, with Agamenor and Danubre being the last to die. This probably occurred in 555.

Amatin and Arpian should have similar stats to Agamenor, save that Amatin has Sword 18, Lance 24, and Tourney 15. Arpain simply has both weapon skills at 20.

Please contact me off forum