Wednesday Pendragon Campaign

Session 035 - The Battle of Tintagel and the Brownies of Appleby

8 min read

In-game year: 490

Summary

Liam and Drustin fought with Uther’s army outside Tintagel as Cornish forces sallied to disrupt the siege works. The fighting was hard and indecisive in the field: Drustin was badly struck by Cornish champions but carried back by his horse, while Liam unhorsed an enemy champion, later returned to battle, killed a peasant defender, and was knocked down before Squire Gwinas dragged him back. The Cornish army was nevertheless forced back into Tintagel, leaving Uther furious but with the siege in place.

Far north, Millicent, Geraint, and Asterius reached Appleby on the crown/Grail quest. Sir Vardilain offered a possible unicorn horn if the questers would kill the unicorn eating his strawberries, while Lady Appleby received them warily after raids by Gore and Malahaut had killed her husband and sons. A hidden household mystery drew the knights into the forest, where Geraint and Asterius won the favor of the Brownies of Appleby Forest through song and restraint, Millicent encountered an elvish damsel, and the reunited trio slew the giant auroch eating the clover. Its meat fed the town, and Lady Appleby’s hidden daughter, Jacqueline of Appleby, was finally introduced.

Scene/Beat Log

  • Tintagel sally: Cornish forces emerge from Tintagel to stop Uther’s army from establishing siege engines. They appear short on horse for a full sally.
  • Mace-men and spears: Liam and Drustin first skirmish with mace-armed foot soldiers, then charge spear-armed foot knights who receive the attack well and wound Drustin.
  • Cornish champions: Two mounted Cornish champions countercharge. Drustin fails his passion call but does not collapse into melancholy; he is badly hit and carried back to friendly lines. Liam unhorses his foe, is wounded, and is also carried back.
  • Return to battle: After a brief rest, Liam insists that if he is fit to ride, he must fight. He and Drustin return to the field.
  • Peasant levy: The pair charge peasants defending themselves with farming implements. Drustin falls melancholy and does not kill them; Liam kills one, is critically struck by another, and is knocked from his horse before Squire Gwinas retrieves him.
  • Strategic result: The battle is inconclusive, but the Cornish army is forced back into the near-impregnable fortress of Tintagel.
  • Uther’s council: Uther calls a furious war council. Liam recommends siege, reasoning that Logres controls the main route and sea resupply looks doubtful. Drustin warns Gorlois and Ygraine might escape by sea or a secret route and suggests cutting off the duke rather than focusing only on the walls. Poisoning the wells is floated but not acted on.
  • Siege begins: Uther leans toward focusing on Gorlois himself. Drustin asks for rest; Uther grants it and says he will find greater knights. Liam and Drustin spend the rest of the fall at siege.
  • Arrival at Appleby: The northern trio reaches Appleby. Sir Vardilain asks why they have come; they explain the quest is personal and connected to the Archbishop.
  • Unicorn bargain: Vardilain offers them a unicorn that eats all the strawberries: if they kill it, he keeps the meat and they may take the horn.
  • Lady Appleby’s fear: Lady Appleby asks whether the knights are from Gore/Gorre or Malahaut and fears they have come to take her chickens. She explains Gore killed her husband and Malahaut killed her sons, and that no knights remain to defend her.
  • Hidden presence: The knights realize someone else is in the hall. Lady Appleby claims she lives alone. Asterius investigates under the pretense of finding the privy, hears movement and smells perfume, but finds no one.
  • Millicent missing: Geraint notices Millicent is gone. Her squire Brangolet did not see her leave. Geraint and Asterius arm themselves and follow her tracks into the forest.
  • Lost in the forest: The two lose the trail and hear revelry. They discover seven small fey figures feasting on mushrooms; when Geraint snaps a twig, the figures vanish.
  • Brownie courtesy: Geraint identifies them as brownies, potentially benevolent if treated well and dangerous if offended. Asterius and Geraint offer coin, compose and sing for them, and are invited to the table.
  • Refusing fairy food: The brownies offer food, but both knights restrain themselves and do not eat.
  • Brownie boon: The brownies ask for help: Lady Appleby has not kept proper watch on her livestock, and a cow has eaten the clover that feeds their bees. Geraint asks that, in return, the brownies keep watch over Lady Appleby.
  • Millicent’s forest path: Millicent follows beautiful singing beneath the moon. She sees a great white/silver horse and realizes the song comes instead from an elvish damsel, who guides her south to the stream and west toward town.
  • Hanged knights: Millicent finds decomposing knights hanging from vines and takes a discarded shield as evidence. Geraint later recognizes its arms as tied to Gore/Gorre.
  • The giant cow: The trio reunites near a giant auroch in the clover field. Asterius angers it while trying to herd it; Millicent leaps onto its back; Asterius sets his spear; Geraint attacks with his pollaxe/hammer.
  • Cow battle: Asterius invokes Loyalty to his companions and spears the charging auroch, breaking his family silver spear. Millicent tries to wrench its horns aside but is thrown clear. Geraint kills the beast with the hammer side of his weapon.
  • Appleby fed: The auroch provides enough meat to feed the town. Lady Appleby introduces her hidden daughter, Jacqueline of Appleby, who seems eager to leave.

Characters (appeared / impacted)

  • Liam — Fights at Tintagel, is wounded, kills a peasant defender, is critically struck, and is rescued by Squire Gwinas.
  • Drustin — Wounded by Cornish champions, falls melancholy during the peasant encounter, and receives leave to rest during the siege.
  • Uther — Begins the siege of Tintagel in fury and focuses on preventing Gorlois and Ygraine from escaping.
  • Millicent — Separates from the party, meets an elvish damsel, finds hanged knights and a Gore shield, leaps onto the auroch, and is thrown.
  • Sir Geraint — Treats with brownies, requests protection for Lady Appleby, recognizes the Gore shield, and kills the giant auroch.
  • Asterius — Investigates Appleby manor, helps win over the brownies through music, resists fairy food, and breaks his family silver spear against the auroch.
  • Sir Vardilain — Offers the party a unicorn-horn opportunity in exchange for killing the strawberry-eating unicorn.
  • Lady Appleby — Widowed and bereaved after raids by Gore and Malahaut; hides her daughter Jacqueline for safety.
  • Jacqueline of Appleby — Lady Appleby’s hidden daughter, introduced after the auroch is slain; eager to leave Appleby.
  • Elvish Damsel of Appleby Forest — Sings in the forest and gives Millicent directions back toward town.

Loot / Rewards / Glory / Notable Rolls

  • Asterius and Geraint each offer 15 denarii to the brownies.
  • Asterius succeeds at Compose and Singing; Geraint critically succeeds at Singing.
  • Asterius and Geraint resist the brownies’ food.
  • Asterius breaks his family silver spear fighting the auroch.
  • The auroch/cow produces enough meat to feed Appleby.
  • Horse survival / winter notes recorded in FVTT: Millicent’s charger dies; Drustin’s Clover of Wells Fields dies; Liam’s Clover of Wells Fields dies; Liam’s hobby Rabbit survives. No separate horse pages created for this session.

Consequences & New Facts

  • Uther’s siege of Tintagel is now established, but the fortress remains formidable and Gorlois/Ygraine’s escape routes remain a concern.
  • Liam and Drustin are both wounded and no longer pressing the front line.
  • Appleby has suffered raids from Gore and Malahaut, leaving Lady Appleby without husband, sons, or reliable knightly protection.
  • The local brownies can be bargained with through courtesy, music, restraint, and practical aid.
  • The brownies’ clover/bees problem is resolved by killing the auroch.
  • The unicorn near Appleby remains unresolved and may provide the needed horn for the spiritual/healing quest.
  • Jacqueline of Appleby is now known and may seek a way out of the village.

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