The PK Cast: Sir Rowan, Sir John, Sir Claude, and Sir Sylver

My PKs were Knighted at Christmas Court in Year 479 and, in 480, I gave them a little prompt towards speaking with a new batch of squires that included the soon to be knighted Madoc. I had hoped that they would make some sort of impression on them and was pleased because one of them had succeeded an intrigue roll to gossip and learned Madoc's identity. As I hoped, they felt the need to impress him and they told him of their encounter with the Glatisant (The little scenario from the core book, ran because they went way off-road on their way to Imber to kill the bear). Madoc expressed some gentle skepticism and Sir Sylver immediately became antagonistic toward Madoc, calling him him all sorts of insults. The other knights actively distanced themselves from this.

Shortly after Madoc was knighted, Sir Sylver again began antagonizing him and it escalated to a duel to first blood. Madoc fumbled in the first round and Sylver belted him good, ending the duel in a humiliating display that took the wind out of Madoc's sails on what is probably the most important night of his life so far. Madoc has a hate on for Sylver now and began telling the dapifer at all feasts in which they are together to seat Sylver on the floor. The first time this happens, Sir John brashly tries to approach the high table and is intercepted by Sir Bellias. While John is trying to convince Sir Bellias to let him pass, Madoc succeeds and awareness and recognize roll for John and connects him to Sir Sylver. He approached the exchange out of curiosity to see how his arranged slight turned out, and was quickly challenged to a duel by John. I had determined that Madoc raised his Sword to 16 subsequently, training in the aftermath of humiliation, but he was not amused and did not feel prepared so he elected Bellias as a Champion. Sir Bellias trounced Sir John in a duel of conquest, bringing John to within an inch of his life until he yielded. John went back to the PKs and they collectively swore to thwart and kill Madoc.

"I want us to form an anti-Madoc faction like in Crusader Kings 2." - Sir John's player.

Since then, Madoc has included John along with Sylver in the feast on the floor club. It's only been a couple years and the PKs efforts so far has only extended to whispering nasty rumors about Madoc, some of which recently got back to the Prince. If Madoc is going to kill them, the ideal situation would be make a cool scene of it on the naval raids in 487. They might try to go with Uther, but Madoc will certainly be able to goad them into coming by questioning their valor. Rodrick is pretty embarrassed and frustrated with this situation, but they've been pretty successful and well-behaved so far outside this. The exception is that Sir Sylver approached the Patrician daughter of one of the Senators of Caewent at Venta Civitas and offered to pay her to produce and raise bastards for him so he "didn't have to worry about it." (and in the meantime drafted an insane will that leaves everything to his squire which Rodrick and Sylver's family will certainly ignore.) It's 483 however, does anyone have suggestions about how Madoc can ratchet up pressure in the meantime? Mechanically speaking, I've given John and Sylver passion hits.

First things first: Do the players realize that this is not D&D, and antagonizing the Crown Prince of Logres is a very poor career move, let alone trying to form a cabal to murder him? I mean, this is typical escalation that I remember from my teenage years of playing D&D: "An NPC humiliated us, so let's kill him!" Seems to me that the PKs have been the aggressors in this, escalating things with duel challenges. Not to mention that Sir Sylver started the whole thing with insults in the first place. AND he continued that after Uther had publicly revealed Prince Madog's parentage, showing very poor judgement, in my opinion.

Well, if I were Roderick, I would make damn sure that the two knights just 'happen' to be on duty at my castles when I go to the royal occasions. I so very much would not take the PKs into a situation where they are either actively humiliated or where they try to antagonize or worse the Crown Prince! Uther will fong them if Madoc ends up dead and the PKs can in any way be implicated on it. Not to mention that the aftermath might very well splash on Roderick himself, too, for failing to control his murderous knights.

On the Madoc's side, he has plenty of resources by comparison and much less to fear from Uther or even Roderick. "Will no one rid me of these turbulent knights?" he sighs, and a nod is as good as a wink to a plenty of household knights (not to mention Uther's Trio of Thugs), seeing royal favor and heiresses in their future. In short, it would be a bit too easy for him to organize a 'hunting accident' or a 'bandit attack' on Sir Sylver and Sir John. Even if he has Hate for Sylver, I would tweak his motivations more towards wanting humiliate and destroy Sir Sylver, rather than simply kill him. Sir Sylver needs to know that he has been beaten and everything taken away from him, rather than simply die.

It sounds to me that Sir Sylver is already doing a fine job making himself a pariah, but some whispers into correct ears would make his marriage prospects (if he is still unmarried) to dry up in a hurry. And if they are spreading rumors on Madoc, how much easier it is for him to put out a word of Sir Sylver, the notorious Lecher, is an unsuitable husband in every way, and any father would be well advised to keep their daughters away from him. If Madog wants to escalate things, it would be simplicity itself to organize some raids on Sir Sylver's manor while the knight himself is gone, causing economic devastation. Maybe even get Sir Blains of Levcomagus involved on it, for some plausible deniability.

The Naval Raids might be a bit difficult,but the following year, at Bayeux, Madog could easily send Sir Sylver and his friends to spearhead the assault on the city walls. See how they like it with stones dropped on their heads as they try to scale the ladders. If they refuse, that is clearly cowardice and insubordination. And if they die, well, who can blame Prince Madog?

And... furthering Morien's exhaustive comments, Roderick has a problem to solve--a problem that he can pretty easily get to the actual bottom of by asking around in the ways he knows how. At that point the PK's actions and Madoc's responses are linear and point back to Sir Sylver and Sir John as the actual aggressors.

They get one, singular talking-to, by virtue of their loyal service and vassalage. If they won't shape up, then yes, sidelining them is appropriate. The point is: Roderick is a Count, sitting on the King's council and one of the first names he drops when he wants things done. The king's only acknowledge son being at public odds with a couple of Roderick's vassals damages Roderick's ability to get things done, protect his people and ensure their families prosper. The PKs are not, in this, providing aid to Roderick. They need to decide if their personal feelings are worth stomping on their vassal oaths, and if so (as evidenced by behavior), Roderick reserves the right to censure them.

Unless the rest of the county holds Madoc and the King in poor regard, they will thoroughly back Roderick in this kind of conversation. As will the PK's family, who are not going to put the knight's feelings ahead of a clear and present danger to their status!

Good stuff.

--Khanwulf

And don't forget that scurrilous, un-knightly actions have an Honour cost. As does impugning the Honour of a Lady.

Boy, this will make the 493 trial go really badly for them if they don't shape up.

Boy, this will make the 493 trial go really badly for them if they don't shape up.

492 trial, I assume you meant. :)

Or in 491, especially if one of them takes a poke at the Prince in the chaos, 'just to make sure'. "He was dead when we got there, honest!"