Wednesday Pendragon Campaign

Session 028 - The Easter Feast at the White Tower

7 min read

In-game year: 488

Summary

The company attends Uther’s Easter feast at the White Tower in Londinium carrying more secrets than honors. Sir Madoc’s suspicious accord with Clovis and the Franks, his unauthorized kingly posturing, and Millicent’s theft-and-swap of the runed sword leave treason sitting on both sides of the table. The feast grows worse when Duke Erof of Cornwall arrives with his wife Ygraine, whose beauty immediately destabilizes the hall. Uther cannot take his eyes off her, and what begins as courtly tension slides into open predation.

The feast collapses into Pendragon-grade dignity: Sir Geraint breaks wind before Lady Rachel of Carbonog and becomes the Eastern Wind; Millicent crashes into Lady Eadburh of the Vale and accidentally turns her apology into flirtation; Liam spends the feast trying to wingman everyone else while neglecting Damsel Diana; Assterius smooths that over; and Drustin defeats Sir Beefy so thoroughly in arm-wrestling that he breaks the man’s arm. Beneath the comedy, dangerous truths surface. Drustin warns Millicent that Madoc may have fathered a bastard, though he first misidentifies the woman as Lady Dilwen. Millicent confronts Madoc, who admits the earlier incident involved Lady Rhianneth and says he does not know whether a child exists.

The political stakes sharpen. The company learns that King Brodin of Malahaut, the Centurion-King, is fighting Saxons in the north with young King Lot of Lothian, and that Uther has not answered their appeals. Duke Edaris of the March tells Liam that repeated Saxon raids may have ruined his lands beyond recovery; Liam secures Roderick’s permission to assemble a Salisbury relief force. Meanwhile, Drustin tells Merlin the truth about the sword: the swap, the false blade, and the runed sword’s return to the lake. Merlin is horrified and declares that Britain has no sword and no king.

After Drustin nearly repeats his Ellen disaster and is locked in an outhouse by Geraint and Assterius for everyone’s good, the most important figures vanish from the feast. Merlin leaves first, then Ygraine, then an upset Uther, and finally Madoc with his squire. The company crosses into snowy Londinium and finds the trails split: Uther toward Llud’s Castle, the Cornwalls toward the docks, and Madoc toward St. Mary Bethlehem. They follow Madoc and find him inside the nunnery with his head in a nun’s lap. Millicent’s religious knowledge confirms that whatever this is, it is not a normal rite of the Church.

Scene/Beat Log

  • Easter at the White Tower: The company attends Uther’s Easter feast at the White Tower in Londinium.
  • Cornwall arrives: Duke Erof of Cornwall appears outwardly reconciled with Uther and brings Ygraine, whose presence immediately changes the room.
  • Ygraine’s effect: Millicent, Liam, Assterius, Geraint, and Drustin are all affected by Ygraine’s beauty through adoration, jealousy, or emotional collapse.
  • Eastern Wind: Sir Geraint breaks wind before Lady Rachel of Carbonog but later recovers socially and continues courting her.
  • Millicent and Eadburh: Millicent trips into Lady Eadburh of the Vale during a dance; her apology is read as flirtation, and Eadburh is not offended.
  • Dance as pursuit: Uther repeatedly uses dancing to move nearer to Ygraine, eventually becoming visibly predatory.
  • Archbishop counsel: Drustin seeks counsel from Archbishop Dubricus about faith, curses, and his possible werewolf taint.
  • Sir Beefy beaten: Drustin defeats Sir Beefy in a test of strength and breaks his arm.
  • Madoc rumor: Drustin warns Millicent that Madoc may have fathered a bastard, but initially names Lady Dilwen incorrectly.
  • Millicent confronts Madoc: Millicent demands the truth; Sir Madoc admits Lady Rhianneth took advantage of him while he was drunk, but says he does not know whether a child exists.
  • Dilwen corrected: Drustin later concludes Dilwen does not appear to have recently borne a child, and the Rhianneth correction stands.
  • Northern crisis: The company hears that King Brodin of Malahaut is fighting Saxons with King Lot of Lothian, but Uther has not answered appeals for aid.
  • The March: Duke Edaris of the March tells Liam his lands are devastated by Saxon raids and may not survive.
  • Relief force authorized: Liam asks Count Roderick of Salisbury for permission to assemble a force for the March; Roderick agrees.
  • Merlin told: Moved by love for Merlin, Drustin tells him the truth about the sword swap and the runed blade’s return to the lake.
  • No sword, no king: Merlin is horrified and says Britain has no sword and no king before fleeing into the night.
  • Outhouse rescue: Drustin drifts toward Lady Ellen of Winchbank again; Geraint and Assterius intercept him and lock him in an outhouse.
  • Departures: Pages report that Merlin left first by boat, then Ygraine, then an upset Uther, then Madoc with his squire.
  • Snowy Londinium: The company crosses into Londinium and tracks the departures through the snow.
  • Split trails: Uther’s tracks lead toward Llud’s Castle, the Cornwalls’ toward the docks, and Madoc’s toward St. Mary Bethlehem.
  • St. Mary Bethlehem: The company follows Madoc and finds him with his head in a nun’s lap; Millicent recognizes this is not a normal Church rite.

Characters (appeared / impacted)

  • Millicent - confronts Madoc about the Rhianneth scandal and possible bastard; follows him to St. Mary Bethlehem.
  • Liam - learns of the March’s devastation and gains Roderick’s permission to assemble a relief force.
  • Drustin - breaks Sir Beefy’s arm, reveals the sword truth to Merlin, and is restrained before repeating the Ellen disaster.
  • Sir Geraint - becomes the Eastern Wind, courts Rachel, and helps save Drustin from himself.
  • Assterius - reassures Diana on Liam’s behalf and helps restrain Drustin.
  • Sir Madoc - admits the Rhianneth incident, does not know whether a child exists, and is later found in a compromising nunnery scene.
  • Uther Pendragon - openly fixates on Ygraine and abandons the feast in pursuit of the Cornwall crisis.
  • Merlin - learns the Excalibur truth and reacts with terror at Britain’s swordless/kingless state.
  • Ygraine - appears for the first time before the company and becomes the center of Uther’s dangerous obsession.
  • Duke Edaris of the March - appeals for aid against Saxon devastation.
  • King Brodin of Malahaut and King Lot of Lothian - fight Saxons in the north while Uther ignores appeals for aid.

Loot / Rewards / Glory / Notable Rolls

  • Drustin wins a decisive test of strength against Sir Beefy, breaking his arm.
  • Millicent confirms through Religion that Madoc’s position with the nun is not a recognized Church rite.
  • Liam obtains Roderick’s approval to assemble a relief force for the March.

Consequences & New Facts

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