Wednesday Pendragon Campaign

Session 030 - The Angel’s Command and the Child King

8 min read

In-game year: 489–490

Summary

At Lambor Castle, Duke Edaris of the March is nearly spent: only twenty knights and roughly five hundred ragged footmen remain while Saxon raids ravage the March. Sir Madoc slips the conroi a rebus asking them to fight for God, then tells Drustin that an angel has commanded him to end the war by killing the King of the Angles at Peterborough. Drustin reaches him through royal duty and despair, but Madoc escapes again by leaping from a high window; Drustin sees an angel catch him and set him on a horse.

The company splits under pressure. Sir Geraint discovers refugees fleeing west from the forests near Brun and negotiates aid for them at Carohaig from young Leodegrance. Millicent secures silver and wagons from Duke Edaris for the peasants outside Lambor, then sends Drustin and Lady Rosalyn to escort them safely into Salisbury. Meanwhile Liam, Assterius, and Millicent pursue Madoc to Folkingham, where they find him naked in a blacksmith’s shop forging a sword. Madoc claims Archangel Michael told him the Saxon army would be looking elsewhere when he struck. Assterius doubts the command, but Millicent and Liam accept that God may be with them, and they ride with Madoc toward Peterborough.

At Peterborough, Madoc opens the gate of the strangely quiet market town and walks toward the mayor’s palace. Liam and Assterius fight two Saxon guards while Madoc passes them. Inside, Millicent finds him frozen before a young woman and a boy of about eight. The “King of the Angles” is a child: King Wihtlaeg of the Angles. The company counsels Madoc not to kill him, and Madoc chooses mercy. Wihtlaeg is captured alive and brought back to Lambor. The Angle offensive stalls for the rest of 489, though skirmishing continues in the north.

By year’s end, Drustin and Rosalyn have begun a courtship, Liam has declined a banneret position from Duke Edaris and credited the whole company for Wihtlaeg’s capture, and Millicent and Madoc conceive a daughter, Meredith. In spring 490, Uther arrives with Duke Erof of Cornwall and a combined army; through Merlin’s urging, Uther and Cornwall have reconciled and now march north together against the Saxons.

Scene/Beat Log

  • Edaris nearly spent: Duke Edaris of the March has only about twenty knights and five hundred ragged footmen left; the March cannot mount a decisive action alone.
  • Madoc’s rebus: Sir Madoc slips a note under the conroi’s door, roughly meaning “I need you to fight for God.”
  • Drustin reaches him: Drustin speaks to Madoc as someone who understands despair, reminding him that nobles and kings cannot collapse inward while their people die.
  • Angel’s command: Madoc says an angel told him he could end the war by killing the King of the Angles at Peterborough.
  • Angel witnessed: After Drustin declines to leave immediately, Madoc leaps from a high window; Drustin sees an angel catch him and place him on a horse.
  • Refugee trail: Sir Geraint scouts several hundred civilian tracks leading west from the forests near Brun.
  • Battle site prepared: Liam and Assterius prepare a battle site in case the Angles come into open battle.
  • Refugees fleeing Saxons: A large body of refugees reports being followed by a vast Saxon army.
  • Geraint at Carohaig: Geraint leads refugees toward Cambria, stops at Carohaig, and negotiates aid from young Leodegrance, who praises his knightly conduct.
  • Rosalyn and the seneschal: Lady Rosalyn argues to protect and feed peasants outside Lambor; the seneschal fears the castle will run out of food and that Edaris will punish him.
  • Edaris’s aid: Edaris cannot shelter the peasants but gives silver and wagons if Millicent will take them away; he also asks her to take Rosalyn with them.
  • Drustin escorts refugees: With Madoc gone, Millicent assigns Drustin to escort the refugee train with Rosalyn.
  • Pursuit of Madoc: Liam and Assterius follow Madoc on a white charger; Millicent catches up with them, and the trail leads through Castle Hill and the Lincoln forest toward Folkingham.
  • Sword at Folkingham: The party finds Madoc naked in a blacksmith’s shop forging a sword to slay the King of the Angles.
  • Archangel Michael claimed: Madoc says Archangel Michael told him the Saxon army would be looking elsewhere when he struck.
  • The quest accepted: Assterius remains skeptical, but Millicent and Liam decide the command may be real; after a few days, Madoc finishes a surprisingly proper sword and accepts a hauberk.
  • Refugees saved: Drustin and Rosalyn bring the refugee train safely to Salisbury, with no deaths, and divide the peasants by skill for resettlement.
  • Courtship begins: Rosalyn, admiring generosity, mercy, and Drustin’s lack of game, begins showing interest in him.
  • Peterborough entered: At Peterborough, Madoc climbs the gate, opens it, and walks toward the mayor’s palace while three terrified chickens flee.
  • Saxon guards killed: Two large Saxon guards attack; Liam and Assterius kill them, though Liam is injured.
  • The child king: Inside, Madoc finds the “King of the Angles” is King Wihtlaeg of the Angles, a boy of about eight.
  • Mercy chosen: The company counsels Madoc not to kill the child, and he chooses mercy; Wihtlaeg is captured alive and returned to Lambor.
  • Angle offensive stalls: No major Angle offensive follows for the rest of 489, though skirmishing continues to the north.
  • Banneret offer declined: Edaris believes Liam captured Wihtlaeg singlehandedly and offers him a banneret position; Liam declines and credits his companions.
  • Meredith conceived: Millicent and Madoc conceive a daughter, Meredith, named for Madoc’s mother.
  • Spring 490: Uther arrives with Duke Erof of Cornwall and a combined army; Merlin has urged their reconciliation, and they march north against the Saxons.

Characters (appeared / impacted)

  • Sir Madoc — Escapes Lambor under an angelic command, forges a sword at Folkingham, chooses mercy instead of killing the child king, and seems more himself afterward though still conflicted.
  • Drustin — Reaches Madoc emotionally, witnesses the angel catch him, saves the refugee train with Rosalyn, and begins courting Lady Rosalyn.
  • Millicent — Secures aid for the refugees, pursues Madoc, helps stop him from killing Wihtlaeg, and conceives a daughter with Madoc.
  • Liam — Helps pursue Madoc, fights the Saxon guards at Peterborough, is injured, and declines Edaris’s banneret offer while crediting the company.
  • Assterius — Helps pursue Madoc, doubts the angelic command, and fights the Saxon guards at Peterborough.
  • Sir Geraint — Discovers the refugee trail, negotiates aid at Carohaig with Leodegrance, and rejoins the conroi at Peterborough.
  • Lady Rosalyn — Argues for mercy toward the peasants, helps Drustin escort them to Salisbury, and begins a courtship with him.
  • Duke Edaris of the March — Lacks the strength to defend the March decisively, funds refugee evacuation, sends Rosalyn away, and later offers Liam a banneret position.
  • King Wihtlaeg of the Angles — Child King of the Angles, captured alive at Peterborough.
  • Leodegrance — Newly inherited his father’s titles at Carohaig and aids Geraint’s refugees.
  • Uther Pendragon and Duke Erof of Cornwall — Reconciled by Merlin’s urging and march north together in spring 490.

Loot / Rewards / Glory / Notable Rolls

  • Madoc forges a surprisingly competent sword at Folkingham.
  • Liam is injured fighting the Saxon guards at Peterborough.
  • Duke Edaris offers Liam a banneret position for Wihtlaeg’s capture; Liam declines.
  • Drustin and Rosalyn preserve the refugee train with no deaths.

Consequences & New Facts

  • The March is militarily exhausted and cannot defeat the Saxons alone.
  • Drustin witnessed an angel catch Madoc after his leap from Lambor.
  • Madoc believes Archangel Michael commanded him to strike at Peterborough, but the command’s meaning remains troubling.
  • King Wihtlaeg of the Angles is captured alive rather than killed.
  • The Angle offensive stalls for the remainder of 489, though northern skirmishing continues.
  • Lady Rosalyn and Drustin begin a courtship.
  • Millicent and Sir Madoc conceive Meredith.
  • Uther and Duke Erof of Cornwall are reconciled and marching north together in spring 490.

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