Dragons of Britain 1

8/20/2019 Dragons of Britain 1

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/dragons-of-britain-1 1/64

Winter 2013

The Birthday Hunt A Pendragon adventure into the land of Faerie

Scholars of the Cycle: Gildas & Britain’s Dark Ages

Hammer To Fall: An Age of Arthur Adventure Around The Table: Greg Stafford Pendragon Through The AgesGanieda The Enchantress Whispers Around The Realm

STYGIAN FOX

Dragons of Britain The

THE JOURNAL OF GAMING IN ARTHUR’S BRITAIN

1



“The king stablished all his knights, and gave them that were of lands not rich, he gave them lands, and charged

them never to do outrageousity nor murder, and always to flee treason; also, by no mean to be cruel,

but to give mercy unto him that asketh mercy, upon pain of forfeiture of their worship and lordship

of King Arthur forevermore; and always to do ladies, damosels,

and gentlewomen succor upon pain of death.

Also, that

no man

take no

battles

in a

wrongful

quarrel

for no law,

ne for no world’s

goods. Unto this were all the

knights sworn of the Table Round, both old and young.

And every year were they sworn at the high feast of Pentecost.”

- Sir Thomas Malory, ‘Le Morte d’Arthur’.



Contents The Pentecostal Oath

Contents

Noble EdictsEditorial by Steff Worthington

The Birthday Hunt A Pendragon Adventure by DaveElrick

Pendragon Through The Ages A look at the various editions ofPendragon by George Quail

The Otherworld A look at Arthurian linksout in Internet-land

Hammer To Fall An Age of Arthur

adventure by Paul Mitchener Ganieda, sister to Merlin An NPC for Pendragon by George Quail

Gildas & Britain’s Dark Ages Article by Paul Mitchener

Gawain’s Tale Verse by Steff. J. Worthington

Around The TableGreg Stafford &Steff Worthington

Whispers Around The Realm Plot nuggets and ideas

Gratitudes & ComplimentariesLinks to our contributors

Writers

Steff. J Worthington,Dave Elrick, George Quail,

& Paul Mitchener.

ArtistsSteff. J Worthington,

Pareeerica, starscoldnight, AnaRasha-stock,

John Atkinson Grimshaw,ITSDura, Lor Myers,

& Misty Patricia.

A sincere thanks to all the artists who have contributed to the past

and present art of Pendragon.

Cover art:‘Woods’ by Jessica Dueck

http://starscoldnight.deviantart.com /

Direction & Editing Steff. J. Worthington

Copyright

Submissions & Contact steff worthington@hotmail. com

Dragons of Britain is a magazine dedicated to theworld of Arthurian gaming & RPGs ‘King Arthur:

Pendragon’ is copyright 2013 Greg Stafford &Nocturnal Media. ‘Age of Arthur’ is copyright 2013Wordplay Games. Tis free fan based magazine is

not for sale and is a work of fiction. No similaritiesto real world people (still living or sleeping under-

neath a hill) or events are intended.

2

3

4

5

17

21

22

40

50

53

54

59

62

3

http://starscoldnight.deviantart.com/


mailto:[email protected]






I grew up with the tales of King Ar-thur and his knights (although I don’t remember him being referred to as‘King’) and from an early age beganto wonder who this leader of battles,this ‘Dux Bellorum’, actually was.

I’d spend hours in Mold Library (oneof the largest Arthurian collections in existence) breathing in the dust

from old volumes and wrestling withFrench names which seemed so in-congruous next the Welsh names I was used to from the tales I had beentold.

Part of the charm of these investi- gations was deciphering who was who and what was what. Myrddin,or Emrys, was Merlin. Cai was Kay. Afallan was Avalon. But it was only

when my beloved aunty bought me acopy of RISK when I was young thatI started to get into gaming. In time, progression to role-playing games,and thence to Pendragon, was only natural for me.

The hobby and the ‘Matter of Britain’still hold sway for me. I’m currently writing my own non-magical RPG

version of the Welsh Arthur (The Bearof Britain), I now draw maps profes-sionally (and some of these appear within this issue), and my knowledgeof ‘Arthur’ has widened.

Still, I cannot claim to be an expert.If anyone does claim to be, they are mistaken. So little is known of the

great warlord that it almost impos-sible to rely on any ‘facts’ with anycertainty. His reputation, personage,and deeds are so vague as to be con-sidered myth by some (not a view I hold).

I sometimes wonder what will hap- pen if we find Arthur. Will we find him in a sunken field that was once

a pool near Baschurch in Shropshire?Buried in a wall as part of Chester’samphitheatre? (A candidate for Ca- melot), in a mountainside cairn inSnowdonia? Or under the grass onSalisbury Plain? Will we wish we’d not gone looking?

I think sometimes that people needto reveal the truth more than knowthe truth. That finding him and hav-

ing the fame is more interesting than learning who he was. Will we lookdown into that shallow grave in theearth, at the detritus, rotted fabric, hiltless sword, and old bones andthink we should’ve have left him un-discovered? That our dream of Arthurcan’t possibly match up to the reality?

I would counsel caution. I want to

know who he really was too, but indoing so we could unravel the great-est wonder and relic this island of the mighty has to offer.

Yet still we seek him.

- Steff. Worthington

Noble Edicts

4



Birthday The

Hunt A Pendragon ™ adventure by David Elrick

during the Period of Unification



The Birthday Hunt

A Pendragon adventure

by David Elrick

The following adventure was origi- nally written to be run at gamesconventions and so was designedto fit into a four-hour slot. I set it in 514AD, immediately after the wedding of Arthur and Guinevereand before the military campaignagainst Maelgywn of Gwynedd.

With a little work (mainly changing background details) it should be easy enough to place almostanywhere during the Pendragon period.

A mix of Pagan and Christian knights works best with this adventure, although an all-Christian group would be interesting too. At least one knight should have a rea-

sonable Faerie Lore score (or theequivalent if you are using a sys-tem other than Pendragon).

Some maps are provided with theadventure. They were not neededany time I ran this adventure butIf you need to map the woods, it should have a river runningthrough it and a long meadow (picnic field) at one side.

Location/Date

This adventure is set in the summer of the year 514 AD, althoughthis can be changed to suit yourcampaign.

It begins at the court of the Earl of

Tewkesbury (a kinsman of the Earlof Salisbury) and takes place in woodlands along the Gloucester/

Sugales border and in the fringesof the Dean Forest (the border ofthe realm of Faerie).

Plot Summary

The PCs are knights of Salisbury who have come north ahead ofthe main army ready for the newcampaign. They are at the home oftheir Lord’s brother in law, so theyare among friends and can there-fore relax. Their role is to arrangetemporary quarters for the armyand prepare their host and his household for its arrival.

This is a double celebration - the arrival of old friends, heralding thearrival of the Lord’s kin, plus theLord’s eldest son is 21 and ready

to be knighted. There will be a cel-ebration feast followed by a huntthe next day.

Part 1 is the feast and gives the players opportunities to test skillssuch as dancing , orate, sing andothers (the lord has a couple of beautiful daughters too). Friend-ships may be made/renewed orspoiled as the night pans out.

Part 2 is the start of the hunt. The hunt goes slowly initially. Apartfrom the PCs, the Lord and the birthday boy, there are several knights of the Lord’s householdand a couple of other guests. Plus ladies, squires, beaters, dogs andassorted servants with the picnic



train... At first, the hunt is pretty normal - plenty of hares, a few boar and a couple of stags. Some grouse and pheasants might bespotted too. They will also meet a hermit who will give them usefuladvice (hopefully they’ll take it).

In the middle of the day, the serv-ants will set out the picnic lunch in a clearing and more social typestuff might ensue (Part 3).

In the afternoon, the party splits up (deliberately or otherwise) andthe hunt moves into thicker, wilder woods. Some more game is spot-ted and possibly hunted. Some ofthe game may be more fantastic

creatures. Then the boy’s horse isspooked and bolts...

Chasing the horse leads the PCs into wilder areas of the woodsand to a clearing where a towerstands. This is the border with Fa-erie and the PCs need to find the birthday boy.

The boy lies in an enchanted swoon in the tower, attended by several Fa-erie maids who are holding him fortheir queen. They offer the PCs foodand drink, hoping to ensnare themtoo. The boy can be released if thePCs leave an equal gift – this could be someone else, or a song or poem.

If the PCs escape back into the real world the tower is just a ruin...

Map of Sugales/Gloucester border

7



Part 1 – The Feast

Location: The Great Hall, Tewkes- bury Castle

Date: Late Summer, 514AD

The game opens in the great hallat Tewkesbury castle. The hall isfilling up and there is a buzz ofconversation as the knights and ladies of the court discuss the news brought up from the South

by the player characters.

Most of the ladies want to hearabout the wedding of Arthur andGuinevere which happened inCamelot at Pentecost (earlier this year – roughly the beginning ofMay, or Beltane to the pagans). They will be eager for any news,especially the fashions of the la-dies and what Queen Guinevere

is like. If you are running this inanother year, substitute whatever is the current news from Camelot.

On the other hand, the men are mostly interested in the forthcoming campaign against Maelgywnof Gwynedd and whether the player characters think there will be war, or whether Maelgywn will

back down when he sees the sizeof Arthur’s forces. They will alsospeculate on the size of the armyand what the Saxons will or won’tdo while Arthur is campaigning in Gwynedd. There are opportunities for Boastful and Modestchecks are the player charactersare questioned about their own

experiences in the wars against theSaxons.

This is also a good point for the player characters to learn aboutMaelgwyn and Gwynedd, Maelgw- yn’s renouncing of Arthur’s rule, the recent raids into the borders of theEarl’s domain and the forthcoming war. Answer any questions but don’tforce information on them.

The hall will settle down as every-

one finds their seats. As honoured guests (and representing membersof the Countesses’ own family) the player characters are given placesat the high table. Once everyone isseated, the pages blow the hornsand Earl Gherard and his family en-ter and take their places. The Earland his lady are accompanied bytheir three sons (Rhun who is 21 andthe other two, Giles and Briant, who

are around 12-13) and two daugh-ters (Meraud who is 17 and Alys who is 18).

It is a good feast, with plenty of richfood. Entertainment is providedat first by some of the Duke’s own household, but one or more of the player characters might win some glory by performing a song or story.

Orate and Perform rolls are suitable here.

At some point during the feast,the Earl will rise and welcome his guests. He will also propose a toastto his eldest son who is to be madea knight tomorrow. Particularly keen or pious knights might offer to



share the boy’s vigil in the chapeland will get smiles from the Earl’sdaughters and will be the first to get a chance to dance with the la-dies (if they choose to do so).

Once the feast is finished, the tables are cleared and moved backagainst the walls and the dancing begins. The player charac-ters will probably want to dance with Meraud and Alys, the Earl’sdaughters, who will be delighted

to agree. Any player knights who wish to roll an Amor passion foreither young lady should be en-couraged to do so.

The girls have high Chaste scores,so they will be unlikely to agreeto any improper suggestions, but will be delighted and flattered byany romantic gestures (songs, etc).Some of the Earl’s own retinue

however will be more than a little jealous and this might generate a little tension between some of theEarl’s household and the playercharacters later out of earshot ofthe young ladies.

The player characters are amongfriends and allies (the Earl is theirLord’s brother-in-law) so there

should be no serious problems orfights unless someone seriouslyoversteps the mark. If someonedoes over-indulge or go all out tocause offence, challenges will be issued, but the Earl is keen not tospoil his son’s glory and will at-tempt to smooth over all but the most blatant transgressions.

Eventually, the feast breaks up. An- yone who chooses to accompanythe Earl’s son will be shown to thechapel. The boy is armoured up forthe vigil as is the custom, but the player characters don’t have to be unless they choose to do so (they arealready knights). They will be in fora sleepless night of prayers and will have -5 to their alertness rolls duringthe hunt the next day; however they will gain some glory for joining the boy’s vigil.

Part 2 – The Birthday Hunt Sets Out

Location: Woodlands near Tewkes- bury

Breakfast is a hearty affair in the great hall. The Earl and his knightsand the player characters are all armoured up and ready and eager for

the day ahead.

Eventually the hunting party assemble in the main courtyard. Earl Gh-erard pulls aside the player knightsand asks them a favour. His son isa bit reckless and accident-prone(think a sort of young Boris Johnson).Can they go with him and make sure he doesn’t come to any harm and

doesn’t wind up looking like a fool.It doesn’t matter if he isn’t successful in the hunt, just that he has a goodday and doesn’t wind up doing any-thing stupid.

The party will set off towards theforest, splitting into smaller groupsalong the way. The plan will be to



hunt until noon and meet at a meadow close to the river. In the player character’s group will be thePCs, the Earl’s son, a couple of re-tainers and a few dogs. The squires will not accompany their knights unless expressly ordered (they are required to help transport the picnic).

Run the morning hunt using the rules from pages 84-86 of the main rulebook (5th ed.) and the table inthe sidebar. The morning hunt will

take four phases (hours) and will involve hunting through the woodsafter game.

It is a pleasant summer’s day. The woods are warm and light andairy. The trees are far enough apartto make mounted travel easy, butclose enough together to providecovered areas and shade. The

woods are full of game – mainly rabbits and deer, although a few wild pigs/boars can be seen or heard (mostly crashing away from wonder boy’s incessant talking).Rhun is very talkative (mainlyabout himself) and, frankly, a bit ofa twit. If it will aggravate the play-ers further, give him an annoying laugh too. He will undoubtedly

spoil the hunting by startling any game and generally making a lotof noise. The retainers will shrug but will say nothing against theirLord’s heir.

There is one mandatory encounterduring the morning. About half- way through the morning the path

rounds a small rocky hill and dropsdown towards a stream. The dogs willstop at the base of the hill, barkingat something amongst the rocks. Thesomething will turn out to be an old man dressed in rags, sitting high onthe rocks and at the mouth of a cave.

Rhun will attempt to call off the dogs, but will only succeed in adding to the rumpus and making things worse.

If the player knights (or Rhun) are rude or abusive to the hermit, he will

pretend to be mad and will utter some gibberish, hoping they will go away.

If the player knights attempt to talk tothe hermit, he will be polite and sur- prisingly well-spoken. His clothes aretattered, but he has the remains of atonsure (a sort of haircut favoured by monks), which suggests his previousoccupation. He will warn them to be- ware of the deeper woods and not to

go beyond the ford by the black rock.If they do go past it, he warns themto take nothing while they are in theQueen’s realm without leaving some-thing in payment or you will neverfind your way home again. Above all, he warns, they should stay away fromthe tower. Rhun will be dismissive(“Queen’s realm, what nonsense – allthis land belongs to my father”) and

eventually quite abusive.

If the player knights ask the hermitto expand upon his tale, he won’t beable to give them much to go on. He just knows that not all this land belongs to the Earl and the wilder woodsconceal things that he won’t talk of, incase they hear and come for him.

Te Morning Hunt

D20 Roll Creature

1 Bear(Avoidance 7)

2-4 Rabbit(Avoidance 12)

5-7 Wild Pig/Boar(Avoidance 10)

8-12 Red Deer

(Avoidance 15)

13-19 Fallow Deer(Avoidance 18)

20 Wolf(Avoidance 10)

Range at which the ani-mal is first spotted is 1D6

+ the avoidance value mi-nus the character’s hunt-ng skill.



Eventually they will tire of this andset off again. If they spend too longquizzing the hermit, Rhun will ei-ther get angry or lose interest andset off in search of game. When the player knights catch up with him, he won’t talk about anything the hermit said (most of it means nothing to him anyway).

Part 3 – Lunch

Location: A handy clearing

Eventually the morning will be overand the groups will assemble for lunch. Several pavilions have beenset up in a meadow close to the riv-er and a feast has been laid out forthe Earl and his guests.

Meraud and Alys will be there and keen to hear of the morning’s adven-tures from any of the player knights who are interested in spending time

with them.

Rhun will be full of the morning’sescapades and very talkative (he has a very high Boastful score).

If the player knights spoke to the hermit, they may decide to ask theEarl about him and what he said.

The Earl knows that there is a hermit living in the woods. The hermit is well-spoken and the Earl believesthat he might be a monk who wasdriven out of Norgales, or possiblyfurther afield. He has been living in the woods for at least three yearsand the Earl has made several at-tempts to offer him shelter or aid,

but with no success so far. The hermitseems to have more than one home inthe woods as he has been seen in sev-eral widely separated locales. Some ofthe Earl’s advisors have urged him tocapture the hermit or drive him out, but the hermit isn’t doing anyone any harm and the Earl isn’t keen to temptfate, just in case.

If asked about the ford by the black rock, the Earl knows of a black standing stone deep in the forest away tosouth west. He doesn’t go down that

way because it eventually leads intothe deep woods and, if you go farenough, becomes the Dean forest where the fair folk are said to live. Hedismisses it as pagan superstition, but perceptive knights will notice that hecrosses himself just in case. In anycase, the hunt won’t be going that way.

If he is asked about the Queen, he is mystified. The only Queens he knows

of are Queen Guinivere in Camelot orUther’s Queen, Ygraine, who now lives in Amesbury. The Irish are said to havea Queen in far away Tara across thesea, but that can’t be it. A successfulFaerie Lore roll (either here, or earlier when the player knights were talkingto the hermit) will suggest to the char-acter that the Queen might refer to thequeen of the fae.

Part 4 – The Hunt Continues

Location: Thicker, wilder woods

Once again, run the hunt using the rules from appendix 3 of the main rulebook. The woods are still full of game and there are even signs of more

11



varying from thigh to chest deepas you travel along it. It is icy cold.

The stream leads down throughthe woods into a shallow valley where the trees open out a lit-tle. On this bank of the stream is a standing stone. It is largeand black with silver flecks shotthrough it. It is higher than a man(maybe 8-9 feet tall) and about

as thick around as an armoured man. Close to the standing stone,

the stream is very shallow (ankledeep at most). On the other side ofthe river the woods are thick anddark, but there is an obvious path(the first the characters have seenfor a while).

Rhun will want to cross the stream

fantastic creatures (See sidebar).

After a couple of hours, regardless

of how well the players make their hunting rolls, it becomes clearthat they are lost. The woods arethicker here and there are places where the trees crowd in, makinga path through them more wind- ing. There are no clear trails or landmarks.

Eventually, the party will come toa stream through the woods. The

stream is clear and fast-flowingand, here and there, it tumblesover rocks, making a pleasantsound. It isn’t especially wide –an unarmoured man would havetrouble jumping across it, but even with a rider a horse would have no problems. It also isn’t very deep,

Te Continued Hunt

D20 Roll Creature

1 Bear(Avoidance 7)

2-4 Rabbit(Avoidance 12)

5-7 Wild Pig/Boar(Avoidance 10)

8-12 Red Deer

(Avoidance 15)

13-18 Fallow Deer(Avoidance 18)

19-20 Signs of giants(footprints,broken trees,discarded club)

Range at which the ani-mal is first spotted is 1D6+ the avoidance valueminus the character’shunting skill.

12



and explore, especially if he over- heard the hermit’s warning. Let the player characters decide what to

do or argue with him. The retain-ers will be no help, even if he’d lis-ten to them. If anyone tries to enterthe ford, their horse will be skittishand may initially refuse to crossthe ford, but will go on if urged.

At some point, Rhun will spur his horse into the ford. He will look back in triumph at the others, andthen his horse will rear in alarmand bolt off up the path withRhun’s shouts of “whoah” echoing back. He is lost from sight beforethe players can react.

Alas!

Sensible players will now turn back, but there is the small matterof their promise to Earl Gherard.

Part 5 – The Tower

Location: Outside a mysterioustower

Following Rhun’s trail isn’t hard –the horse’s hoofprints are clearly visible in the packed earth and, in any case, it follows the trail un-til the trail runs out. There is no

sign of Rhun, although a success-ful hunting roll will reveal his rid-erless horse grazing in a nearbyclearing.

What the player characters do now is up to them. Retracing their stepsto the stream is relatively easy.

Finding a trail to follow is moredifficult as there isn’t really muchto go on. Most likely they will try

hunting or blundering around. Ifany of them mention the tower thatthe hermit warned them of, soonafterwards they will break out ofthe woods and see a tower aheadof them. This will be the final strawfor the retainers, who will make a run for it.

The tower is tall and made of a darkstone. It has a single open doorwayand several high windows. There is no sign of life.

The player knights are not chal- lenged when they approach thetower. Close up, the walls of thetower are smooth (if anyone looksclosely, they will see no signs of brick or stonework on the tower – it looks as if it is made from a sin-

gle piece of stone). The doorway is large enough to admit men, but not large enough for horses, which must be left outside.

Entering the tower, the knights findthemselves in an empty chamber with a circular stair in the far wall. They can hear the faint sounds of music, although there is no clear idea where it is coming from. No

one will answer if they call out.

Part 6 – The Challenges

Location: Inside the same tower

Climbing the stairs in the tower leads the player knights to another

13



chamber. This one is lavishly fur- nished, with wall hangings andcouches. The music is clearer now,

although there is still no obvioussource. Low tables groan with foodand drink. There are several young women here clad in flowing robes which touch and billow in a quitedistracting fashion. Lustful orChaste rolls may be appropriate atthis point.On a couch directly opposite wherethe characters enter the chamber lies Rhun, with two young ladiestrying to tempt him with grapesand goblets of drink. He seems to be in a daze and does not immedi-ately notice the player characters.

Successful Faerie Lore rolls at this point will reveal what the hermit warned the characters about (unless they were rude to him): this is in the land of Faerie and anyone who eats or drinks anything here will be unable to leave.

The young women will try to temptthe player knights with food anddrink, or more lustful pursuits if

that seems to be how the charac-ter’s tastes lie. They will also resistany attempts to remove Rhun (theyare holding him for their Queen,although they will not admit this unless directly asked).

An obvious option would be to at-tack, but it would be a ruthless ordesperate knight who would attack unarmed ladies in their own home(failing a Valorous roll or succeed- ing in a Cruel roll would do it). Inany case, due to the glamour onthis place any fighting skills are at

-5 (swords get tangled in robes,tables get in the way, etc).

For the player knights to removeRhun, they must leave somethingof equal value or they must dis-tract the maidens. Again, Faerie

14



Lore rolls will suggest this if no-

one comes up with a better idea. Ifsomeone has succumbed to their greed or lusts, they will be lost, butRhun can be grabbed in the confu-sion. Otherwise, songs or poemsare good.

This can turn out to be quitestraightforward, or it can turn into

a Benny Hill sketch. Alternatively,everyone gives in and eats, drinksor wenches and all are lost…

If the player knights manage to grab Rhun (and any other knightsafflicted by the glamour) and try to run without leaving anything behind, the maidens start to scream. The tower seems to lurch and

Lavish Roomof the Seelie Court

Ground Floor

Top Floor

The Faerie Tower

15



when the players get into the lowerchamber, they will find their way blocked by Faerie Knights (one per player knight and one for Rhun).

They stand tall and fair and hold glittering swords. Use the FaerieKnight stats from the rulebook.If the player knights choose tofight, run three rounds of combatand any knights still on their feetat the end of that manage to escapethe tower. Fighting skills are not at-5 in this lower chamber (the glam-our is greatly reduced), althoughthey will be if the fight spills back into the upper chamber.

Part 7a – Home Again


If the player knights manage to grab Rhun (and any other knightsafflicted by the glamour) and es-cape the tower, either by leaving

something or by fighting the Fa-erie knights, they find their horsesclose by. Ahead, the woods will look more overgrown, but less menacing.

Looking back, they will see that thetower is just an overgrown ruin.No Faerie warriors will followthem and only the fading memoryof the enchanting music still seemsto echo in their ears. It is the sameday, and they have escaped the realm of Faerie.

Part 7b – You Can Never GoHome Again


If the player knights ate or drankanything from the tower or grabbedRhun (and any other knights afflict-ed by the glamour) and escaped the

tower without leaving something behind or by fighting the Faerie knights, they find the meadow infront of the tower empty and overgrown and no sign of their horses. Ahead, the woods will look moreovergrown, but less menacing.

Looking back, they will see that thetower is just an overgrown ruin. An hour’s walking through the woods will bring them past the black stoneand into open, cultivated mead-ows. The first farmstead they cometo will be farmed by Saxons, who will be suspicious of these armedand armoured strangers.

If the player knights somehow con-trive to talk to the Saxons ratherthan attacking them, they will

know nothing of Earl Gherard – the lord of Tewkesbury is a Saxon warleader called Eorsa. Any mentionof Arthur will increase suspicion,although Arthur is long dead...

Although they’ve left the world ofFaerie behind, it most certainly isn’t the same day. In fact, many years have passed. Such is the re- ward of those who accept the hospitality of the fair folk...

16



Te Non-ExistentEdition

One of the oddities oPendragon history isthat it leaps from first tothird edition. Te No-bles Book for 1st Edi-tion starts with a side-bar which claims that

and future supplementswill make reference toa 2nd Edition, whichrather than being splitbetween a Player’s andGamesmaster’s bookwill be divided into aSquire’s, Knight’s andKing’s book. Multiplesmall books suggest thiswould still have been aboxed set product andthe Nobles Book specif-ically assures us there’lbe no real rules changesHowever, this secondbox never came to passOn his own websiteGreg Stafford has ex-plained that continuingto make boxes was ex-

The Story Of Pendragon'sMany Editions

If a role-playing game stays in pro-duction for any length of time, it inevitably sees multiple editions released. There are several reasonsfor this, including the artistic urgeto tweak the game as well as the

business sense of releasing a newcore rules product all users will purchase rather than increasinglyfringe supplements. The revisions may vary in how major the chang-es are and how long passes be-tween them, but any game whichstays in print for over a decade will usually have at least two editionsof its core rules.

King Arthur Pendragon is no excep-tion. Over the years it has had fivedistinct core rule books released which can be grouped into three general “families” of game product. None of their changes are assevere as, say, the revision betweeneditions of Dungeons & Dragons: but changes there have been, both

in mechanics and tone which giveseach family of products its ownadvantages and disadvantages.Unlike other games there is little in the way of “edition wars” in Pen-dragon’s community - appreciationfor the older and newer products is mostly universal, even when people espouse a stronger fondness for

a certain incarnation of the rules.

The Three Families

The Early Family is the first Pen-dragon boxed set and its supplements: The Pendragon Campaign,Nobles Book, The Grey Knight and Tournament of Dreams. (If it had been printed, the non-existent 2ndEdition would have fitted here – seesidebar.) All the essentials of Pen-dragon are clear from the start anda character sheet in this editioncould be mistaken at first glancefor a 5.1 sheet - Traits & Passions as major personality controls, Skills which start quite low and increasethrough checks, Attributes whichare rarely rolled but used to deter-

ThePendragon Through Ages

by George Quail

17



pensive and the differ-ent taxation of “books” versus “boxed games”made it awkward for

sale in some countries.As such, second editionevaporated and the firstsingle-tome edition ofthe game was 3rd Edi-tion.

four sessions of play.

The Middle Family comprisesof 3rd and 4th Edition along with

their supplements - 4th edition ba-sically just being the 3rd edition book with some supplemental ma-terial already included. As well as The Boy King, the latest Pendragoncampaign, there are many supplements. Most of them are of a per region or culture basis - Beyondthe Wall, Saxons!, Land of Giantsetc - and include regional maps,adventures themed to the area and revised/expanded character gen-eration for that locale.

The regional knowledge and language skills are gone; consideredan awkward hurdle in character interaction. The Boy King is a far larger, more explicitly detailedcampaign book still starting withUther’s death, though the core rules is still wr itten from the pointof view of generating charactersfrom across Britain during Ar-thur’s reign. (There is a separateSalisbury-495 character genera-

mine other rules elements like HitPoints. The core rules cover charac-ters from across Britain, with theNobles Book introducing Frenchcharacters. Skills hold the obvious mechanical difference here as eachculture has its own language and knowledge skill - thus characters must roll if they want to speak toa Saxon or understand the Pictish

traditions. Supplement wise, ThePendragon Campaign commences in 495 with Uther’s death and isfar vaguer in structure than the later books. Only the initial decadeor so is provided in full with adventures & battles all detailed out, while the rest is provided in very general terms with the assumptionthat the GM will do much of the

heavy lifting. The two adventure re- leases, meanwhile, are very heav- ily detailed and resemble more tra-ditional RPG modules much moreclosely. Compared to the “year persession” model of many Pendragoncampaigns, The Grey Knight feels more like it follows D&D’s expecta-tions of a module lasting three or

1st Edition

3rd Edition

18



though some like the revised wifetable are blink-and-you’ll-miss-itchanges that have definite effects in play. 5th Edition supplements

beyond The Great Pendragon Cam- paign were self-published by GregStafford and are principally me-chanical supplements that expandon the subsystems of character gen-eration, mass battle and property management; 5.1s supplements have so far done much the same.Compared to previous editions 5th

edition is far more focused with no rules for non-Salisbury playercharacters in the core rules - andthe default year of the core rules is moved from 531 to 485, making it more obviously connected to TheGreat Pendragon Campaign whichstarts at this year and thusly in-cludes a decade of play while Uther reigns. No magic rules or non-GPCadventures exist, unlike the MiddleFamily, which further refines the game experience down to a narrow point. The supplements adda lot of extra rules complexity to

tion system in The Boy King to ac-count for this.) Character genera-tion in Knights Adventurous/4thEdition goes into more detail onthe different regions of Britainthan before & the regional supplements add many new PC optionsfrom distant lands. Magic is givenexplicit rules on how it operatesand the 4th Edition core rules lets

you generate PCs using those rules- this is probably the most contro- versial of any edition change, and both Greg Stafford & many fansconsider these rules to have been a mistake that changed the focus ofthe game and codified what should have remained vague. Overall this version increases mechanical de-tail, though not the complexity ofthe core engine - which remains mostly unchanged.

The Current Family is 5th edi-tion and 5.1, the latter of which isalmost more an errata-included version of the former than a true new edition - even by Pendragonstandards the changes are minor,

4th Edition

5th Edition

19



to one edition, though. The families are all so interrelated that thePendragon GM can easily raid the

whole back catalogue for ideas, inserting in whatever takes yourfancy. I myself have done exactlythis - running 5th edition with its various supplements, but with asingle player character rolled up using the magic rules of 4th Edi-tion and taking individual scenar- ios such as the Cantref y Gwaelodadventure from 1st Edition’s books when they caught my eye. In all

these cases conversion work was minimal and could be done onthe fly rather than requiring me to go through any “conversion docu- ment” or similar.

In Closing

Thanks to Nocturnal having theentire back catalogue of Pendrag-on available on PDF, the modern gamer has easy access to older ma-terial which would have been impossible a decade ago. Where oncefinding an 80s RPG book required raking through second hand binsor trawling eBay, you can obtainand read any of Greg’s older books in minutes; and a hard copy can ei-ther be ordered from the same siteor is just a laser-printing session

away. Particular attention should go to the region supplements which are often mentioned to play-ers interested in those cultures regardless of which edition you play.In all cases, the GM who finds thetopic of a book catches their eyeshouldn’t’ let the rules edition get in their way of giving it a try!

their subsystems compared to thecore rules versions, which meansa game using them all can end up very “crunchy”.

Comparing The Families

Each family has its own assets. Thefirst edition’s lighter Pendragon

Campaign book may appeal moreto people who find the larger, morescripted campaign books of latereditions intimidating - especiallyfor those who want to make bigchanges to the order of history. The middle family is the best for games that go outside the defaultKnights-of-Salisbury approach - ei-ther a narrow game set differentlysuch as an all-Saxon-group, or a

more kitchen-sink mixture of Dan- ish warr iors, Irish knights, PictishDruids and Cymric Ladies. Fifthedition meanwhile offers the “di- rector’s cut” with the latest versionof the rules including far more fo-cus in its supplements.

One doesn’t really need to commit

5.1 Edition

20



Scholarly Links

King Arthur Facebook Page https: // www.facebook.com/groups/arthurtheking/?fref=ts

A BBC Arthurian primer http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/anglo_saxons/arthur_01.shtml

A Malory-heavy site http://www.kingarthursknights.com /

A historical resource by Thomas Green http://www.arthuriana.co.uk/

A Times Lit article on Tolkien’s Arthur. http://www.the-tls.co.uk/tls/public/arti-cle1278838.ece

King Arthur’s Wales primer (a brief tourist page created by the Welsh Tourist Board). http://www.visitwales.com/explore/tra-ditions-history/king -arthur-myth-history- locations

Gaming Links

Greg Stafford's Page http://www.gspendragon.com /

Nocturnal Media's KAP Forum

http://www.nocturnal-media.com/forum /

Pendragon on DrivethruRPG (5.1 edition but other editions are available) ht tp ://r pg.dr ive t hr us tuf f .com/pr od- uc t/81449 /K ing -Arthur-Pendragon-Edi-tion-51

Age of Arthur RPG (FATE powered) http://wordplaygames.co.uk/?page_id=32

The AoA Forum http://www.ukroleplayers.com/forum/view-forum.php?f=189

Age of Arthur at DrivethruRPG ht tp ://r pg.dr ive t hr us tuf f .com/pr od- uct/111752/Age-of-Arthur

Social Networks

Facebook

King Arthur Pendragon (RPG) ht tp s://www.f acebook. com/gr oups/pen-dragonrpg /

Age of Arthur RPG h t t p s : / / w w w . f a c e b o o k . c o m / groups/444779355581235/?fref=ts

The Dragons of Britain (Arthurian fanzine) https://www.facebook.com/groups/british-dragons/ (You’re reading it!)

21

https://www.facebook.com/groups/arthurtheking/?fref=ts


http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/anglo_saxons/arthur_01.shtml


http://www.kingarthursknights.com/

http://www.arthuriana.co.uk/

http://www.the-tls.co.uk/tls/public/article1278838.ece


http://www.visitwales.com/explore/traditions-history/king


http://www.gspendragon.com/

http://www.nocturnal-media.com/forum

http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/81449/King


http://wordplaygames.co.uk/?page_id=32

http://www.ukroleplayers.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=189


http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/111752/Age


https://www.facebook.com/groups/pendragonrpg


https://www.facebook.com/groups/444779355581235/?fref=ts


https://www.facebook.com/groups/britishdragons












http://wordplaygames.co.uk/?page_id=32



http://www.nocturnal-media.com/forum

http://www.gspendragon.com/





http://www.arthuriana.co.uk/

http://www.kingarthursknights.com/







Lindum’s forces- Helig ap Glannog,the so-called King without a King-dom, and a mercenary warband ofSaxons under the command of thefemale warr ior Edgith- saying they had left Lindum’s service. Heligconsiders his honour insulted.Edgith has said she is now in theemploy of the Angle prince, Edgar, who has recently come into the

area to command the Angle forces.

The player characters are sum- moned by the Prefect of Lindum to help- they are the only ones he cantrust, since his Chancellor has vanished, and Centurion Quintus Dru-sus is under suspicion. Maybe any player characters not from Lindum want something in return.

The City of Lindum (modern dayLincoln)

Before the Romans came to Britan- nia, Lindum was a settlement by adeep pool. The Romans conquered it and the surrounding area, build- ing a fortification on an overlook-

Background

The city of Lindum has remainedat peace with the Angles to theeast, though other petty kingdoms have been swallowed up by theoverseas invaders. It does this by paying mercenaries, who campoutside the city as a deterrent, and by regularly sending payments to

the Angles not to invade. They do not want to kill the goose that laysthe golden egg, so Lindum has remained safe and prosperous.

Normally the Chancellor and senior Centurion Quintus Drusus(who commands Lindum’s ownsmall forces) go together to paythe groups, along with an escort ofeight soldiers.

This time, however, Quintus was ill,and Chancellor Brion Varro wentalone with the soldiers. He left a week ago to make his journey to pay people, and did not come back.Messengers were sent from the two groups of mercenaries augmenting

HAMMER TO

FALL AN AGE OF ARTHUR SCENARIO SET IN LINDUM BY PAUL MITCHENER

22



maintain the city’s prosperous sta-

tus. The public baths are still in use. The way of life in Lindum remains largely Roman.

There are temples to the gods Be- lenus and Lugh and a Christianchurch dedicated to St. Paul. ThePelagian bishop at the church tol-erates the pagans and the pagans ignore the Christians. Many inLindum see no contradiction in at-

tending both the church and thetemples, petitioning both Christand the old gods to keep Lindumsafe from the forces ravaging muchof Britain. The truth is a little more complex.Lindum’s safety is by no means guaranteed despite the intact for-tified wall and standing army.

ing hill. As the area became more

settled and the borders of RomanBritannia were pushed further north, the fortification became acivilian settlement for retired le- gionaries.

Lindum grew into a major flour- ishing settlement and local capital, with access to the sea granted by both the River Trent and the River Witham. The aqueduct supplying

water to the city is still intact, as isan octagonal fountain amongst the public buildings. The slopes of the hill between the old fortress andthe River Trent are the commercialcentre of the town. The forum situ-ated there is surrounded by eques-trian statues. Across the river areextensive textile workshops, which

A n g l

e s

A n g

l e s

23



Level 1: Languages,Melee Combat,Riding, Strength

Languages: Brythonic, Latin, LatinLiteracy

Composure 7

Health 4

Gladius: +2 damage, ignore 1 point of armour

Chancellor Brion Varro

Though not present in Lindum atthe start of the scenario, Brion Var- ro has an interesting background, which we mention here for clarity,along with his game stats, in casethey prove relevant later on.

Always prone to visions, which hecould only occasionally control,Brion Varro sought to channel this

innate magic through the Chris-tian priesthood. He failed.

He then started to find his visions, uncontrollable as they were, use-ful, and used them for his own profit- certain pictures of disasters led to some lucrative commercial ventures. However, a vision of Lin-dum being invaded and destroyed by the Angles came more and morefrequently. The Chancellor decidedto abandon the city, taking all hecould, including the treasure usedto pay the mercenaries and the An- gles.

He fled to prince Edgar of the An- gles, hoping to buy his own life and

Blecca, the ruler of Lindum, calls himself a Prefect rather than a king, in the style of one appointed by Rome. By instinct Blecca is iso- lationist, making no military alli-ances with other realms of Britain.He is now known to habitually payoff those who might consider at-tacking the city. So far, Lindum canafford this policy. Would be raid-ers have found it more profitableto threaten and be paid off, than toattack.

In this scenario, the policy is beginning to fail.

The Investigation

The player characters are effectively in charge of events as they un-fold, though they must answer tothe Prefect, who can either help orcomplicate matters, and there areothers of potential importance in-

volved.

The main person to talk to is Quin-tus Decius, who is described in more detail below.

Prefect Marcus Blecca

Aspects:

A Roman Prefect, Not a King Stubborn Old Man The Independence of Lindum

SkillsLevel 4: Willpower Level 3: Leadership, Wealth Level 2: Empathy, Lore (Roman),

Strategy and Tactics

24



about the wine and the Chancellor,and indeed kept the flask, but the wine story does not reflect well on him, so he kept both that and hissuspicions to himself.

Aspects:Senior Centurion of Lindum Likes a DrinkPride Comes Before a Fall

Skills:Level 4: Intimidation Level 3: Melee Combat,

Missile Combat Level 2: Leadership, Strategy and Tactics, Wealth

Level 1: Awareness, Brawling,Languages, Strength

Composure 3

Health 4

Armour and Shield: Absorption 3

Gladius: +2 damage, ignore 1 pointof armour

Pilum: +2 damage, ignore 1 pointof armour, short range

Lindum's Army Lindum’s native (non mercenary)army consists of 200 men.

Aspects:Used to PeaceRoman-style Infantry

Skill 2 Armour 2Gladius: +2 damage, ignore 1 pointof armour

continued prosperity.

Aspects:

Lindum is Doomed to Fall Driven by Greed Failed Priest Former Chancellor of Lindum Uncontrolled Visions

Skills:Level 4: Deception Level 3: Charm, Wealth Level 2: Divination, Healing,

LanguagesLevel 1: Awareness, Empathy,Riding, Willpower

Stunt:Diviner (can have the Divinationskill; no other effect)

Languages: Brythonic, Latin, LatinLiteracy, Saxon

Composure 4

Health 3

Centurion Quintus Decius

Quintus Decius was given a flaskof fine Italian wine by ChancellorBrion the night before they weredue to set out to pay the tribute.He drank it all, as the Chancellor knew he would, and the wine, being lightly poisoned, made him ill.

Quintus needs to be beaten in a relevant social test (just use a simple test, probably against Intimi-dation , to keep things moving) to reveal this. He has his suspicions

25



given Edgar her word, even if paid, unless somehow convinced that leaving Edgar’s service is the hon-ourable thing to do. One potential

opportunity is that the money Ed- gar used to pay her was the Chan-cellor’s money taken from Lindum.

If a social contest results from talking to Edgith, if the player charac-ters fail, Edgith will try to captureany prominent player characters to give to Edgar.

Aspects:I Am No Man’s Inferior Mercenary Commander Woman of Her Word

Skills:Level 5: AwarenessLevel 4: Leadership,

Missile Combat Level 3: Charm, Melee Combat,

Strategy and Tactics

Level 2: Agility, Gaming, Stealth, Wealth Level 1: Deception, Intimidation,

Strength, Survival, Willpower

Stunts:Precision Shot (Bow shots ignore 2armour)

Dirty Fighter (using Aspects placed

as Manoeuvres grants a +3 ratherthan a +2 bonus)

Composure 4

Health 4

Armour: Absorption 1

Pilum: +2 damage, ignore 1 pointof armour, short range

Outside the Walls

Prince Edgar’s army is on the march. It will reach Lindum’s walls within three days. Edgar iscunning, and wants an extra ele- ment of surprise. Therefore he hassent out some of his elite warrior bands in groups of eight to am- bush people travelling in his direc-tion (or that of the mercenaries). The player characters are likely to run into one of these groups.

The elite warriors are Gunther’s wolves, who are under the command of Edgar’s champion,Gunther, who is described below.

Aspects: Trusted with Special Missions Warriors of the Wolf

(they wear wolf-shaped helms, andcan run as quickly as a wolf)

Skill 4Seax: +2 damageBattleaxe: +3 damage

Seax: +2 damage

Battleaxe: +3 damage

Talking to the mercenaries is a likely action of the player characters.

Edgith

Edgith has changed her service, but is in the same location. She will not readily change back, as she has

26



Tactics, StrengthLevel 2: Agility, Intimidation,

Missile Combat, WealthLevel 1: Awareness, Contacts,

Gaming, Healing, Survival

Languages: Brythonic, Latin

Composure 3Health 6

Stunts:+1 with sword and shield to attack

Armour 2 (leather and shield)

Spatha: +3 damage

Sling: +0 damage, medium range

War Horse

Helig's Warriors

There are 100 warriors in Helig’s

band

Aspects: Warrior Ideals

Looking for a cause and a home

Skill 4

Armour 2

Spear: +2 damage

Sling: +0 damage, medium range

Gaining Funds To get the mercenaries back on side will need, at the very least, moneyto pay them. Such money is not

Seax: +2 damage

Battleaxe: +3 damage, enchanted with a rune so it has the Aspect: Al-

ways Sharp.

Longbow: +2 damage, long range

Edgith's Band

100 men, mercenaries and bandits

Aspects:Regard Edgith as lucky War is about victory and profit

Skill 3

Seax: +2 damage

Battleaxe: +3 damage

Shortbow: +1 damage

Helig

Helig ap Glannog is not working with the Angles, but he is very in-sulted- and is touchy enough to en-ter a duel. He is packing up with his followers, preparing to headelsewhere and leave Lindum to itsfate- most likely he and his men will move south west to Ratae.

Aspects:

Sensitive to InsultsHeir to a lost kingdomChampion duellistMercenary

Skills:Level 5: Melee CombatLevel 4: Brawling, RidingLevel 3: Leadership, Strategy and

27



on the stone warn people of a cursefrom excavating the mound, andof the being trapped within the mound.

Firstly, the mound needs excavating. This is in theory simply hard work at digging, but excavatingthe mound leads to all manner ofsmall accidents, and a difficulty6 Endurance Test (probably using the Strength skill) is needed asthings go wrong, and there are nu- merous small injuries. As usual for

Endurance Tests, each level of failure inflicts a point of stress dam-age.

If there is more than one differ,the leader makes the test, possibly with assistance from others worked in, and the stress is spreadout amongst those taking part.

Once the burial chamber is exca-

vated, further earth collapses, andthe thing inside leaps out to attack! The thing is a Fachan - a being with half a body, a vast wide mouth, atufted mane, and but one arm, one leg and one eye.

Fachan

Aspects: Terrifying Monster Only Half a Body Wide Mouth Phobia of Salt (difficulty 2 Lorecheck to know; salt does Compo-sure damage, with the Fachan flee- ing at zero).

Skills:

available in Lindum. There are two possible sources.

The Angle Camp

Within the Angle camp is Chan-cellor Brion Varro and much ofthe money he took out of the city(Edgith was bought off with this money, but Helig was not, and thefunds have yet to be distributed byEdgar to his followers). The chan-cellor is in chains; he could not bribe his way past the Angles, and

they simply captured both himand his money. He and the moneyare guarded by eight of Gunther’s wolves (see above), though there is danger of the player charactersattracting the attention of a wholearmy if they attempt to steal backthe money and things go wrong.

A mere eight warr iors will be the least of their problems.

The Fae Mound

Those wise in the ways of ancient lore know of a Faerie mound to the north of Lindum, where, accordingto rumour, treasure is buried. In-deed, the GM might want to com- pel a relevant Aspect of a playercharacter with interest in the Faeso that they investigate.

The mound is marked with a soli-tary standing stone. An ancient(pre-Roman) Celtic king is buriedthere although his name is forgot-ten. His treasures are in the mound with his skeleton, though they are not unprotected. Words in Ogham

28



lier, there is an Aspect in play ofRoman Fortifications, due to Lin-dum’s walls. This can be used once in the battle at no Fate Point cost.

The initial stages of the battle- a battle of champions (with Gunther being the Angle champion), a bat-tle of magicians against Inga, and manoeuvering, will bring further Aspects into play, each of whichcan be used once in the fight at noFate Point cost, as usual for the Ageof Arthur rules.

If either Helig or Edgith joins theLindium forces, they have 300 men, This gives them 4 tokens,and because of the skill of the mer-cenaries, raises the average skill level to 3. If both Edgith and Helig join up, the skill level is 3, and the number of men is 400- enough for6 tokens.

Prince Edgar

Aspects:Poor Prince of the AnglesCool and Calculating Endless Ambition

Skills:Level 5: Melee Combat Level 4: Awareness, Strategy and

TacticsLevel 3: Leadership, Missile

Combat, Strength Level 2: Gaming, Languages,

Stealth, Wealth Level 1: Agility, Brawling, Contacts,Riding, Survival

Languages:

Level 5 Strength Level 4: Brawling Level 3: Glamour, Intimidation Level 2: Agility, Survival

Level 1: Awareness, Stealth

Armour 2

Chain: +2 damage, attack every-one in the same zone

Bite: +4 damage

Health 13

Composure 3

The treasure in the mound is attwice what is needed on normaloccasions to pay the mercenaries.

The Final Battle

Almost whatever happens, the An- gles will arr ive to attack Lindum in

the next three days. The question is how prepared Lindum is to facethem. The prominent individualsamongst the Angles are listed below.

The Angle army numbers 700 (10tokens) with a skill of 3, raised to 5 by Edgar’s skills. As well as it’s own Aspect, there is likely to be an ad-ditional Aspect of Hideously Out- numbers Enemy in the battle. Thiscan be used once in the battle at noFate Point cost.

The Lindum army numbers 200,and has a skill of 2, plus any rais-es due to the player characters. As well as its Aspects, mentioned ear-

29



Saxon, Futhark Runes

Stunts:Brew Poisons, Hedge Witch, Rune

Magic (use magical skills listedabove), Call of Hretha (can useRune Magic as a skill in a magicalcontest in mass combat)

Infusions: Arrow Poison (Strength vs. DC4 when hit, with each level of failuredoing one extra point of stress dam-age), Blessing of Winter (a salve to

treat injuries; add +2 to Healingtests).

Composure 3

Health 3

Seax: +2 Damage, Aspect (from runes): Unhealing Wounds

Longbow: +2 Damage, Long Range,

Aspect (from runes): Seek the Heart

Gunther

Aspects: Wuffingas Royal Family As Much Wolf as Man Respected Warrior

Skills:Level 5: Brawling Level 4: Awareness, Strength Level 3: Leadership, Survival,

Wealth Level 2: Agility, Investigation,Melee Combat, Strategy & TacticsLevel 1: Contacts, Intimidation,Riding, Shapechanging, Stealth

Saxon, Latin, Brythonic, Latin Lit-eracy

Stunts:

+1 defence with Spatha and Shield

Armour: 3 (Ringmail and Shield)

Health 7

Composure 3

Spatha: +3 damage

Seax: +2 damage

Longbow: +2 damage, long range

Infusions (from Inga, see below): Arrow Poison (Strength vs. DC4 when hit, with each level of failuredoing one extra point of stress dam-age), Battle Strength (extra Aspect, use once for no Fate Point cost).

Inga, Saxon Witch

Aspects: Angle Witch Pact with Hretha (warrior goddessof death and winter)Feared Rather Than Respected

Skills:Level 4: Plant and Root Level 3: Missile Combat, Rune

MagicLevel 2: Intimidation, Healing,

Melee Combat

Level 1: Awareness, Deception,Lore (Magic), Stealth

Languages:

30



Aspect:Form of the Wolf; can use once per round at no Fate Point cost.

Damage +2

Scent Tracking

There are around 700 Angle warri-ors serving Prince Edgar Aspects:Confident of Victory Loot and Pillage The Glory of Destruction

Skill 3Seax: +2 damageBattleaxe: +3 damage

Languages:Saxon, Brythonic

Composure 3

Health 7

Armour 1 (shield)

Seax: +2 damage

Stunts:Change to wolf form without a FatePoint cost or an animal skin need-ed.

Gunther in wolf form: Gunther asa Wolf

31



NAME STRESS

Health 3

Warleader and bastard prince Composure 4

ASPECTS FATE POINTS

Bastard prince of Ebrauc 5Romancing the Prefect’s DaughterLeadership by exampleSeeking fame and glory LanguagesRival of Helig ap Glannog Brythonic, Latin,

Latin Literacy

SKILLS EQUIPMENT

Level 5: Melee Combat Spatha (+3 damage)Level 4: Awareness Leather Armour

Agility (+2 Absorption) and Shield Level 3: Wealth Set of Fine Court Clothes Leadership War Horse Strength Level 2: Missile Combat

Strategy and Tactics Charm Riding Level 1: Willpower Brawling Contacts Gaming Languages

STUNTS

Heroic Charge: +2 to first attack in close combat.Fighting Style: +1 to attacks when fighting with sword and shield.Rally: Pay Fate Point and make Diff iculty 2 Leadership check to recover a

number of followers equal to degree of success.Counterstrike: After a successful defence in hand to hand combat, spend a Fate Point to

inflict damage as if the defence were an attack with the same degree ofsuccess.

Warband: Andoc has ten loyal followers with a Skill of 2, armed with Gladius (+2damage), Leather Armour and Shield (Absorption 2)

Pre-Generated Characters

Andoc



Background

Andoc is the illegitimate son of King Einion of Ebrauc. He was brought up in distant Londinium, gaining his first exper iences as a war leader there,

fighting Saxon raiders. He served for a time as a mercenary, and devel-oped a fierce rivalry with Helig ap Glannog, the so-called King without aKingdom, who is another mercenary captain.

Tired of the roving life, Andoc returned to the kingdom of Ebrauc to serve his father, though he still seeks fame and glory. However, he has servedthe kingdom well, and is a highly regarded war leader. However, he isstill not officially accepted by the King as a son. King Einion has prom- ised Andoc such acceptance- and the promise of further advancement and responsibility- if he can secure a permanent alliance with the city of Lin-

dum. Andoc’s tactic here, which further feeds into his own ambitions, isto marry Pontia Blecca, the daughter of the Prefect of Lindum, and heir tothe city’s ruler.

Of course, all this counts for nothing in the face of a threatened Angle in- vasion if it can’t be beaten back.

The Telling of your Adventures

Oaths Taken

Allies Fallen



NAME STRESS

Health 3

Bard and ambassador Composure 4

ASPECTS FATE POINTS

King Einion’s Ambassador 6Fascinated by the FaeLimited Druidic Training Insults are an Art Form Languages Brythonic, Saxon,

Latin, Latin Literacy

SKILLS EQUIPMENT

Level 5: Performance Ragged ClothesLevel 4: Charm Staff (+1 Damage, +1 Defence)

Empathy Riding Horse Leadership LyreLevel 3: Awareness Deception Stealth

Level 2: Willpower Contacts Druidic Magic (This skill is used to place temporary blessings and curses,

represented by Riding Aspects. Spend a Fate point to make a curse long-lasting).

LanguagesLevel 1: Healing Lore [The Fae]

Melee Combat Riding Bargaining

STUNTS

Bardic Knowledge: +1 to all Lore skills; unknown Lore skills at level 1.

Bardic Protection: Use Performance skill as defence if physically attacked due to a performance, unless the Biting Satire stunt is used.

Song of Battle: Can use Performance as a magical skill in mass combat.

Biting Satire: Spend a Fate point to use the Performance skill to cause physical damage; Willpower to defend.


Casnar ap Cartivel



Background

Casnar makes an unusual ambassador He is a shabby dresser, and in performances, he prefers insults and satire to flattery. However, KingEinion of Ebrauc forgives him all of this, and indeed trusts him greatly,for one very good reason. Casnar gets results, and is loyal to the King.

King Einion has sent Casnar as part of a delegation to the city of Lindum in order to persuade the Prefect of Lindum to make a formal alliance, joining the two realms. Casnar has sworn an oath to help Lindum asthe Angle threat draws closer. Although the Prefect resists the idea of aformal alliance, Casnar is already amongst his trusted advisors.

Casnar is fascinated by the Fae, though he realises how dangerous theyare. Just south of Lindum is a Faerie mound, said to contain treasure. Though duties have so far prevented a visit, perhaps circumstances will give Casnar the chance to investigate.


Oaths Taken

Allies Fallen

To help Lindum in it’s time of need.



NAME STRESS

Health 4

Daughter of the Prefect Composure 5

ASPECTS FATE POINTS

Heir of the Prefect of Lindum 6Determined to prove herselfBlessed by the god of war Future warr ior queen LanguagesRedwarld is a friend as well Brythonic, Latin,

as a servant Saxon

SKILLS EQUIPMENT

Level 5: Leadership Clothes fit for a princessLevel 4: Wealth Spatha (+3 damage) Empathy Lorica Squamata (-2 to non-combat physical

skills, Absorption 3)Level 3: Strategy and Tactics War Horse Melee Combat Spear (+2 damage, short range if thrown) Willpower Gold Earr ings (value 4)

Level 2: Contacts Lore (Religion) Lore (Roman culture and history) Charm Riding Level 1: Strength Languages Missile Combat Agility Awareness

STUNTS

Elegant. +1 to Charm at formal occasions with time to prepare.

Weapon of Vengeance: Spend a Fate Point to dedicate a weapon to the destruction of anenemy; it does +2 damage to that foe.

Heroic Inspiration: Spend a Fate Point and make a diff iculty 2 Leadership Test to give a +1 bonus to combat skills to everyone commanded for theduration of a battle.


Pontia Blecca



Background

Pontia Blecca is the daughter of Caius Blecca, the ruler of Lindum, whotakes the title Prefect as if still appointed by the Romans as an administra-

tor. Pontia, as his heir, respects her father, and respects Roman traditions, but knows that time has moved on. When she rules, it will not be as aPrefect, but as a queen, gaining authority and respect with her people andthe other rulers of the fragments of Britain. Before she can do this, she will have to prove herself.

The young woman is also a gifted leader in battle, and has studied and practiced the military arts. The coming conflict with the Angles providesopportunity for her to show her worth, as well as danger.

Pontia has a Saxon servant, Redwarld, who was a bandit before he wasenslaved.


Oaths Taken

Allies Fallen



NAME STRESS

Health 4

Saxon slave Composure 3

ASPECTS FATE POINTS

Former member of Edgith’s warband. 5I will earn my freedomEnslaved Saxon.In the shadows. Languages Brythonic, Latin,

Saxon

SKILLS EQUIPMENT

Level 5: Stealth Seax (+2 damage)Level 4: Missile Combat Longbow (+2 damage, long range)

Agility Latrunculi board and piecesLevel 3: Awareness Black Cloak Deception

Survival Level 2: Melee Combat

Investigation Gaming Empathy Level 1: Strength Brawling Healing Charm Languages

STUNTS

Dark Adapted Eye. See in the dark with no penalties.Precision Shot: Attacks with Missile Combat ignore 2 points of armour.

Vanish: Stealth can be used for short periods without cover.

Quick: +2 to Awareness for the purposes of Initiative.

Climb Like a Spider: +2 to all Agility tests made to climb.


Redwarld



Background

Redwarld was once a member of the warband of the mercenary Saxoncommander Edgith. However, in one of those times when Edgith’s band

turned to banditry through lack of legitimate work, Redwarld was cap-tured by soldiers of the city of Lindum. It still rankles that Edgith’s forces were employed to defend Lindum not so long after that.

Now, Redwarld is a slave, and is employed as a servant and bodyguard tothe daughter of the Prefect of Lindum, Pontia Blecca. Though slavery is a humiliation, Redwarld is genuinely loyal to Pontia, and will earn his wayto freedom rather than escape.


Oaths Taken

Allies Fallen

To serve and protect PontiaBlecca.



Ganieda Sister to Merlin

An NPC for Pendrago by George Qua



campaign, I present my version of her history as well as details on how she can be inserted into your games.

History

Merlin's origin, as recounted inthe Great Pendragon Campaign, isof the coupling of a demon and a nun whose holy actions preservedthe soul of her child and allowed itto escape the role the demon may have intended. One cannot seri-ously imagine a woman with child

remaining in a convent, though,and so Merlin's mother was married off to remove her from the convent and ensure the safety of herson. Merlin's mother was a daugh-ter of a king so her marriage was toa man of some import - Sir Morfyn,an officer from Cambria. (Mon- mouth calls this kingdom Demetia, which in Pendragon would equateto Estregales.) From this marriage

other children were inevitably is-sued, and Ganieda was the firstsuch child.

Sir Morfyn was a British Paganand his children were raised assuch. Raised in a religion with astrong role for women, she found her mother’s recounting of Chris-tian teachings distasteful and in particular the position of women &sex offensive. When she grew older,Ganieda’s innate magical skill be-came clear and she was sent to theLadies of the Lake for tutelage. Shequickly became known as a masterof dweomers – her skill with divination eclipsing even her brother’s power. In this period she became more opposed to Christianity, be-

An Obscure Arthurian Charac- ter, And How to Use Her in YourKAP Games

Of all the characters of the Arthu- rian mythos, Merlin is perhapsone of the best known. The ideaof an ancient, bearded magician who aids the king has become so ingrained in popular culture thatalmost all wizard stereotypes seemto come from representations ofMerlin rather than anyone else -even Tolkien’s Gandalf draws some lineage through him. Arthurian

stories on screen or in prose maydrop Kay, Tristram, Palomides,Lot, Ygraine or others.... but Mer- lin is always there: whether it's asthe bombastic aide of Boorman'sExcalibur, the manipulative ad- viser of Starz's Camelot or the phi- losophising teacher of White's TheSword in the Stone.

Yet Merlin is not the only spell-caster in Arthurian legends andone character in particular is note- worthy for having a connectionto him: Ganieda, the sister (some-times twin sister) of Merlin. Sheappears only in some of the older Welsh stories and in Geofferey ofMonmouth’s tales. After that she vanished, probably having beenabsorbed into a proto-Lady of theLake - few if any modern versions recount her existence. But Ganieda provides excellent possibilities asan inclusion in your Pendragoncampaign, especially if you wishto provide the possibility of a major feminine angle in the style ofMarion Bradley's The Mists of Av-alon or wish to focus on Cambria.Following my use of her in my own

41



tion – I would default to her dyingof old age or retiring to Maidens’Castle or similar to teach. Sinceshe does not interfere in the ma-

jor events of the Twilight Phase we must assume she has passed awayor retired beyond the reach of men by this point.

Adventures with Ganieda

Merlin’s birth date in the originaledition of Pendragon was 454, which puts a likely birth date forGanieda between 455 and 460.

Assuming she is born in 460, she will be 25 when the campaign begins; 35 when Uther dies; 50 when Arthur draws the sword from thestone and 63 when Merlin vanish-es in 523. This means she is best used in the early section of the campaign, though considering Merlin by no means became weaker withage there’s no reason she can’t con-tinue to be a prodigious diviner in

her later years.

Below are some ideas on how to in-clude her in your games.

• During Uther & Anarchy phase,Ganieda can be found in Came- liard – or accompany KingLeodegrance when he travels, which may include events suchas the royal marriages of theUther Phase. Depending ontheir relationship with Mer- lin the player knights may besceptical of dealing with her.Ganieda is very attractive and well-preserved for a woman of her age, and not beyond tryingto seduce a knight she thinkscould be of use to her.

lieving its male-dominated nature was bleeding into society and even into some Pagan communities.

Following her apprenticeship, Ga- nieda became ensconced withinthe court of King Leodegrance ofCameliard. A wealthy but widowedCambrian lord with a known lusty nature, Ganieda believed him anexcellent ally she could use her feminine wiles on and as his kingdom was to be inherited by his daughterGuinevere she thought she could instruct her such as to make her

the architect of her female emanci- pation dream. Unfortunately internal politics in Cameliard compli-cated this and Guinevere was sentto a convent for education whereshe became a devout follower ofthe Christian faith that Ganieda so resented.

Ganieda found another mon-arch to work with, though: Mon- mouth recounts her as married toKing Rodarch of Cumbria, whichdoesn’t map easily to Pendragon.I’ve read the suggestion this is sup- posed to be the south of Scotland; I might choose Rheged as the best fit here, so she could be a aecond orthird wife to Uriens. With a BritishPagan king she finds a good matchfor her personal beliefs and spends her later years trying to preventthe spread of Christianity north ofHadrian’s Wall through magic and politics. Despite her problems with Arthur’s faith she remains on goodterms with the king and is happy toassist him when he needs help.

Her final fate is vague and so can be left to Gamesmaster interpreta-

42



almost certainly invoke repris-als. Will the knights slay these men whose mystical power is great or can they not bring

themselves to kill old men with-out swords?

• If the group are not foes of Mer- lin, Ganieda could seek themout to guard her outlaw brother when he returns to Britain on personal business. (To be exact,travelling to Norgales to check up on how the young Arthur isdoing.) Uther may be dead but

the king’s command remains,and some like Sir Brastias would delight in the chance to have revenge on the Archdruid. The knights are required to pro-tect Merlin from harm, perhapsas bodyguards or perhaps asdistractions for those who pur-sue him.

• One of the knights has a daugh-

ter who demonstrates innate magical ability – for extra ten-sion, a Christian knight who may not view such gifts as blessings but a curse. Ganieda requests the daughter be hand-ed to her for apprenticeship andtries to groom the daughter intothe same religion and politicsas her own. A male knight who hopes for a meek, gentle, chastedaughter may not be happy atthe feisty woman who returns, nor of her newfound opinionthat “sex is the ultimate prayer”. Tolerating this behaviour willcause scandal and possibly a loss of Honour but disowninga daughter would be a loss toLove (Family)

• If your group seeks passage intothe Forest Sauvage they may wish to find a way to cope with

the faerie geography that seestravellers lose their way within.Ganieda as a master diviner may be able to assist, but wish-es assistance in this endeavour:the right to call the knights upfor service at a future occasion,say, four knights service fora month. Will they put them-selves in an enchanter’s hand when they cannot know when

and for what the call will come?(Failure to follow through onthe vow when requested would probably be an Honour loss, as well as putting them in a magi-cian’s bad books.)

• When the Anarchy phase sees internal battling between Brit-ons, Ganieda seeks the aid ofthe knights to slay Druids whoshe says are using their magi-cal powers to aid a rival king-dom. (Cornwall is an obviouschoice but it can be adjusteddepending on the exact yearand events in your campaign.) This isn’t necessarily a lie buta bigger part of her request isthe Druid’s politics, which is ofa more patriarchal nature thanGanieda likes – they believethe Ladies of the Lake are fineteachers but the true preachingand ritual enacting should be left to menfolk. If these Druids have magic it is more divina-tion or the like and they are lit-tle threat in battle, though they may be guarded by knights andthose who murder them would

43



of both religions take on thesame quest to see which faithtriumphs. (A monster from thePendragon bestiary terrorising

a corner of Britain is a simple but effective option.)

• Ganieda learns of the May Ba- bies affair and is horrified thatMerlin is countenancing theact of infanticide. She appears in court enraged and swearing revenge on her own flesh and blood – not necessarily reveal- ing what has happened but

making it clear Merlin has donesomething unconscionable. A violator of hospitality must be punished, but what can one do when two arch-mages are having a family tiff? If Ganieda is banished for her insults the knights may have to accompany her out of Logres, and keep- ing tabs on a spell-caster whocan try to use illusion to escape

your watch will be diff icult –Awareness and Trusting rolls likely being involved.

Ganieda & the False Guinevere

Another older Arthurian story notfeatured in The Great PendragonCampaign is that of the False Guin-evere. In the Vulgate, a charac-ter called Guinevak appears - the Welsh Gwenhwyvach being a bit much of a mouthful to most Englishspeakers so I have chosen the moreeasier Anglicisation! An identical half-sister of Guinevere by a dif fer-ent mother, the two ladies can only being distinguished by Guinevere’sdistinctive crown-shaped birth- mark. For a time Guinevak con-

• The Beltaine f ires are a fertility ritual long practiced in Pagancounties, including by some kings – but Christian men and

women find it obscene. The knights are charged by a lordto prevent the ceremony taking place in that lord’s land, standing guard on ritual spots – butGanieda is determined that it will still occur. Mysterious magical happenings and odd faeriecreatures appear to pester the knights in an attempt to get ridof them, which could include

fearsome visions they must roll Valorous to resist, wild beaststhey must battle with theirswords, pagan sorceries they must resist with Love (God) orfey charms that prey on theirLust.

• The crowning of King Arthur isan affair dripping in Christianceremony and Ganieda fearsthat the Bishops will use Ar-thur’s High King-ship to try and unite the country under onefaith, forever destroying herown. She seeks friendly Knightsof the Round Table to speak to Arthur’s court and gain assur-ances that freedom of worship will remain a legal right – but passionate Christian knights& lords may speak against the knights, insisting that convert- ing the country to Christianity would be a holy endeavour. Thiscould lead to duels or to challenges by either side to provethe worth of their argument – perhaps a tournament betweenChristian & Pagan knights, ora challenge whereby knights

44



the daughter of Leodegrance’sseneschal, but though gossip isthat she is truly the King’s bas-tard.

• When encountering Ganiedathe knights will find that Guine- vak has been taken on as herapprentice – they may in fact not immediately realise that it is Guinevak and not Guinevere.(This will be especially confus- ing to them if Guinevere has married Arthur by this point– they may wonder why their

Queen is traipsing around the woods with a pagan priestess.)

• Before the Battle of Badon,Guinevere asks Arthur to fly adifferent banner than normal.Rather than his draconic coatof arms which she perceives asa pagan symbol, she asks that he fly a standard with the Vir- gin Mary on it. Arthur is hesi-

tant lest he offend his paganallies – he needs every knight he can to beat the Saxons – but is eventually convinced into it.Player knights may note thischange and pagan ones in par-ticular may feel slightly uncom-fortable riding into what seemsto be changing from a war intoa crusade.

• After Badon and with the coun-try unified, Guinevere pressesfurther on the topic of the stateand religion. While Arthur(who has the Religious Knight bonus in official statistics) isChristian, it is Guinevere whocomes over with crusading fe- ver – perhaps a consequence of

vinces Arthur that he married the“wrong” sister and that she is true heir to Cameliard, forcing Guin-evere to seek sanctuary with Lan-

celot: but eventually the deceit is revealed and normality is restored.

It isn’t difficult to see why this wasn’t included in the GPC – notonly is it an older story not repeat-ed in the major collections like LeMorte Darthur, it also seem quitecliché to modern audiences. Identi-cal twins seem a bit too bad-soap-opera. I agree! And yet, part of

the charm of Pendragon is takingsomething as well-trodden as King Arthur’s story and making it yourown: and with the addition of Gan- ieda & her stay in Cameliard during Guinevere’s conception andchildhood, this can be converted into something a bit more epic using the following structure as a guide:

• An early visit to Cameliard may reveal that Ganieda is veryclose to Leodegrance, possibly including flir ting with him.However, his attention his elsewhere – on his wife, and on the wife of his seneschal whom hedoes not act improper towards but clearly lusts after.

• The GPC already includes anadventure to meet the childGuinevere in Cameliard. Atthe same time as introducing her, show another child atcourt; one who is cared for bya junior handmaiden but looksstrangely similar to Guinevere.Intrigue success will reveal thechild is called Guinevak and is

45



knights react to this? Arthur’s word is law but they will knowsand possibly have loyalty oremotions for Guinevere.

• The true Guinevere is sentencedto death by burning as an imposter: news of this travels thecountry, including to Sir Lan-celot who seeks to come to heraid. Will the player knights join him? Will they try to talk himout of defying the king? Who dothey feel they owe loyalty to?

• More of Arthur’s court trav-els to Cameliard and someonechallenges Bertholai to a duelto determine the true Queen.(This could be Lancelot, or itcould be a player knight so in-clined.) If successful, God hasspoken and Guinevere is prov-en true though Arthur is still bewitched and his curse must be lifted before he will realise

he has been deceived. A failure could be more of a problem unless you assume that this is when Lancelot intervenes, perhaps stealing away Guinevere before Arthur can be brought back to his senses.

• If magic and Ganieda are sus- pected then she or another magician can be sought out to clearthe curse from Arthur’s headthat makes him suspect his wife and love the interloper. A more traditional adventure canfit here as the player knights may need to hunt for magi-cians, tomes and ingredients tocleanse the stain of magic from Arthur.

her convent education - and sheseeks to convince the pagans toconvert. This isn’t full fire and brimstone, but she does ask

how knights can serve a Chris-tian lord without themselves being Christian, or how theycan fail to convert when a bless-ed sword on the holy land of StPaul’s Cathedral revealed their monarch. (Note that in Maloryshe is polite when she bringsthis up to Sir Palomides, but shestill considers it appropriate toquestion the religion of one of

her husband’s warriors!)

• Ganieda fears the turn that Brit-ain is taking and that Guinev-ere will force Arthur into making the whole isle Christian.She concocts a plan and con-tacts her old apprentice Guine- vak and Bertholai, a knight ofCameliard, to set it in motion.Unbeknownst to the court,Bertholai slips a magical po-tion to Arthur – perhaps attacking him when he is out, more likely poisoning him while he visits Cameliard.

• While at court, Bertholai pre-sents Gunievak whom he claimsto be the true wife of Arthur; thetrue Guinevere he brands an imposter. (Perhaps claiming aswitch was done but a night ortwo ago.) She may even brandGuinevere as being Guinevakand a common maid’s bastard who seeks to bewitch Arthur.Because of the magic of Gan- ieda Arthur believes this and banishes Guinevere. If theyare there, how will the player

46



stat block is easily used in anotheredition of the game, using the magical skills just a relative measure of her magical power scaled much as

the regular skills.

The following statistics for Ganie-da are when she’s 40 and use thePendragon 4th Ed magical skills toquantify her magical powers. If you

don’t have this particular edition ofthe rules, have no fear – the whole

47



Ganieda

Estregales Anarchy 40Cymric 2Sir Morfyn Enchant.NobleKing Canan EstregalesPagan Rhiannon High PriestessEstregales

Carmarthen

2 1816 411 916 4

16 410 108 122 1810 1016 414 68 1218 2

+5 Deceitful vs Men

1515171618

1012

81518

342256

Woman’s Gift: Naturally lovable

9

1411

11812

51461

5315335315

3

2817

165

HarpRunes

(Pagan)

siege 6

see next page

16884484

11,000



Sources

Thanks to Timeless Myths ( http:// www.timelessmyths.com ), the website where I first read aboutGanieda. Their section on Arthu- rian myth summarises a lot of dif-ferent versions of characters and in particular their Arthurian Womensection is a goldmine of campaign idea.

Marion Bradley’s The Mists of Avalon was a major inspiration in my characterisation of Ganie-da. The female –driven narrative gives particular focus to Guinev-ere and Morgana Le Fay, but herethose principles have instead been placed on the blank canvas of Ga- nieda. The clash of religious prin-ciples between Pagan & Christian is well handled, not feeling too preachy on either side – it would beeasy to make it a story where oneof the faiths is demonstrably evil, but instead a darker side of bothcomes up at different times.

MAGIC SKILLS

Animal Friend 11Control Faerie Creatures 15,

Dispel 7,Divination 20,Emotion 5,Glamour 17,Healing 16,Sacred Space 2,Shapeshift 5,Summon Faerie Creature 10, Travel 3, Weather Control 3

Queen Guinevere Pendragon

The timeline presented earlier hasGanieda based in Cameliard forthe Uther/Anarchy phase, allow- ing her to serve Leodegrance as a magical assistant and be a tutorfor the infant Guinevere, much asMerlin fills these roles for Utherand Arthur. This means that Came- liard could be an excellent place tostart a Pendragon campaign rath-er than the usual Salisbury. The knights will spend their early yearsadventuring in Cambria and Cum- bria, witnessing the formation ofGuinevere and the machinationsof Ganieda. Arthur will not be their rightful king but merely a noble lord who marries their lady, whomthey ultimately owe fealty to beforethe Pendragon. While the details ofsuch a campaign are beyond thescope of this article but somethingI hope whets the appetite of those who, having completed the GreatPendragon Campaign, feel they have done “all there is to do” aboutKing Arthur!

49

http://www.timelessmyths.com/






is used by historians, it is intendedto be a more neutral judgementon the lack of historical recordscompared to both earlier and latertimes. When talking about Britian,the Dark Ages applies to the 5th

and 6th centuries CE. In this time,Roman rule ended, and the Angleand Saxon invasions were at their height. This period is also the timethe legends of King Arthur and his knights are set.

I’m not going to speculate hereabout whether a “historic Arthur”

The term Dark Ages was widely used in the 19th century to referto the time in Western Europe be-tween the fall of the Roman Empireand the Renaissance. It was seenas a time of decline, a period of

darkness between the twin lights ofancient and more modern culturalachievements. Modern historiansdo not use the term in this way, re-ferring to the above period as theMiddle Ages, and recognising itsachievements.

Today, when the phrase Dark Age

GILDAS & BRITAIN'SDARK AGES

by Paul Mitchener

50



This continued up to the year of thesiege of Badon Hill, and of almostthe last great slaughter inflicted upon the rascally crew. And this

commences, a fact I know, as theforty-fourth year, with one month now elapsed; it is also the year of my birth”

In most versions of Arthurian myth,the battle of Badon Hill is the mostfamous battle of the King’s reign, when the Saxons were beaten backfor a generation. Gildas’ passage gives some idea of when this bat-

tle took place (circa 500CE). It does not, however, say who was lead- ing the British forces, or whether it was still Ambrosius Aurelianus. Ofcourse, in other later accounts, theBritish forces are led by Arthur.

* * * * * * * * * * *

In the time when Gildas wrote,Britain was divided into a number

of smaller kingdoms, and unifica-tion against greater threats was aneffort. Gildas spent a good portionof his work condemning five of the kings of these kingdoms in strong biblical terms, using apocalyptic language from the Book of Revela-tion. Although Gildas’ kings arefrom a time after the Arthurian legends, they are still incorporated into some later stories.

The first of these kings, Constan-tine, was King of Dumnonia- roughly speaking, modern dayDevon. He was condemned byGildas for committing many adul-turies after casting his wife aside, but most of all for disguising him-self in abbot’s robes to murdering

existed, or who he might have been, the likely location of Camel-ot, or other such fascinating ques-tions. Instead I want to talk about

one of the few written sources ofBritain’s history in this period- DeExcidio et Conqestu Britanniae (onthe Ruin and Conquest of Britain), written in the mid 6th century CE by the monk Gildas.

Gildas’ work mentions a numberof things important in later stories of King Arthur. Firstly, there is the great leader Ambrosius Au-

relianus. According to Gildas, following the initial invasions of the Angles and Saxons, Ambrosius Au- relianus was “...a gentleman who, perhaps alone of the Romans, hadsurvived the shock of this notablestorm. Certainly his parents, who had worn the purple, were slain by it. His descendants in our day have become greatly inferior to their an-cestor’s greatness.”

Roman citizens of the senatorialclass (effectively, the Roman aris-tocracy) wore clothes with a purple band to designate their rank. Gil-das’ description gives a picture of Ambrosius Aurelianus as a high- born Roman or Romano-Britain(“his parents, who had worn the purple”) who unified the British military to fight of the invaders.

After Ambrosius Aurelianus’ ini-tial victory over the Saxons, Gildas wrote “...from that time, the citi-zens were sometimes victorious,sometimes the enemy, in order thatthe Lord, according to His wont, might try in this nation the Israel ofto-day, whether it loves Him or not.

51



The last king mentioned by Gildas is Cuneglas, King of Rhos, part ofthe Kingdom of Gwynedd. Cuneg- las is the son of Owain Ddantgwyn

according to various ancient Welsh genealogies. Owain Ddantgwyn isconjectured as being the basis forthe “real” King Arthur, but I don’t want to speculate in this direction,especially when no direct docu- mentary evidence for his life existsoutside of the genealogies men-tioned. Cuneglas was condemned by Gildas for throwing his wife outto have his way with her sister, for

destesting God and vilifying his or-der, and for being a warmonger.

Although Gildas’ kings, who hecondemned for his crimes, belongto a slightly later period, we adapt-ed some of this material for Age of Arthur, combining the characteris-tics and crimes of several of these kings in the person of AureliusCaninus, also known as Cyngen the

Renowned, king of Powys, a pow-erful and expanding kingdom. Inthe Age of Arthur setting, this king murdered his two older brothers to gain the throne, and wars against neighbouring British kingdomsfor plunder. He has used some ofthe loot gained to make significantdonations to the Church, ensuring his good name in history.

This take is of course much morefiction than fact, but feels true tothe times. The other major sourcefor the Age of Arthur setting is someof the traditional Welsh tales, butthose belong in another article.

two royal youths inside a church.In a much later version of the tale by Geoffrey of Monmouth, Con-stantine is the successor of King Ar-

thur, and the youths killed are thesons of Mordred. There appears to be some confusion with other his-torical figures bearing the name ofConstantine.

The second of Gildas’ kings is Aure- lius Caninus, condemned by Gild-as for horrible murders, warmon- gering, and (again) adulturies.Gildas gives no indication of the

land he ruled. Some identify him with Cyngen the Renowned, of theHouse of Mathrafel, one of the early rulers of the Kingdom of Powys,the most powerful of the kingdoms in Wales.

Another king attacked by Gildas is Maelgwn, King of Gwynedd, re-ferred to by Gildas as the “dragonof the island” (presumably the island of Ynys Mon, or Anglesey),and described as a regional high king and bloody tyrant, fighting wars of conquest against other kings, being almost a regional high king in his own right.

Then there is Vortiporus, King ofDyfed, condemned by Gildas as asinner and a tyrant, though he said little else. The known early historyof Dyfed is interesting; it is a king-dom of South West Wales formedas a result of large scale migrationsto the region from Ireland between350 and 400CE. However, this does not seem terribly relevant to Gild-as’ condemned king.

52



I have a tale of woe to tell,

heard from tall hill to dell,of men who lived and died as gods,and fought against the men from Hell.

A vigil I keep upon this spot,

'tis here I fell and doomed to rot, no funeral pyre is due to me,a last soldier seemingly forgot.

I ran in fields of light in Spring,

unaware of what war may bring, my father's house in the north, my halls where I would sing.

In the summer of life I learned the sword,

Emrys taught me how to keep my word,I learned the sailing winds of Ynys Môn,to trade in wool, insults, & herd.

In the Autumn of life I saw 'The Bear',

Arthur, bid we Britons prepare,to marry and pledge fealty to our lord,

and stand against the Saxon glare.

In Winter we marched on to war,Baddon, Catraeth, Caer & more

to kill all the Saxons we could find, we shattered bone, and skull, & raided store.

On the eve of our victorious attack,

we did not see the knife thrust in our back, Arthurs brother saw fit to betray

the Bear, Arthur, he did attack.

The coward took a horse and made for home, we survivors without our lord began to roam,

The Britons were undone and would surely fall,the Saxons would chase us to the surf's foam.

I sought for home but heard arrow fly,

it struck me down and here I die.I lie here still and keep Camlan's tale,

where hate broke hope and nation cried.

A word to all who deign to hear,there are passions stronger than hate or fear,

Love and pride will keep you strong but a kinsman's greed will bring death near.

To kings in lands of sun or snow, you have more foes than you know,

While you may be lords above the ground, A dragon now sleeps below

‘Tis said vengeance is a petty thing, woeful times shall it bring,

yet payment in Saxon blood is owed,to our once and future king.

GAWAIN'S TALE

53



GregStaffor d

54



you’re thinking and I have meta- phorically kicked my own backside many a time since then.

When I e-mailed Greg and told himabout this fanzine and asked foran interview he readily and heart- ily said yes and I immediately feltout of my depth as Greg’s a bit of a hero of mine. You know that chillthat steps in when a hero says‘Yeah, sure.’? That moment when you realised you never thoughtthey’d actually say ‘yes’? That was me. Luckily, Greg gave some great

answers and put me at ease.

It is here that I put those questions& answers before you. - Steff.

Greg Stafford is a game designer,fantasy world creator, and sha- man. He is seen by gamers and fan-tasy fans as a name coterminous

with E.Gary Gygax , Marc Miller ,& Steve Jackson .

Creator of the exotic and enor- mously detailed world of Gloran- tha , Greg has also brought into life what many consider to be not onlythe best Arthurian game, but alsoone of the best RPG systems that exist; King Arthur Pendragon .

I once had the opportunity, inLeicester at Continuum 2010, to join one of his Pendragon games but had to decline due to GMingcommitments. Yes. I know what

Really, really good. It is awesometo have a personal artistic vision being manifest and fulfilled.

In 1966 I experienced a literary vi-sion of Glorantha, watching it un- roll, unfold, unpack, and reveal itself to me. It was something like a rapid action movie that was almosttoo fast to see anything, except fora few of the massive or brightestobjects. I thought to myself, “There

is way too much of this for me to do it all. Wouldn’t it be great to haveenough people understand thisenough to be able to have a staff working on it?” So here, 47 years later, I see it happening. That is re-ally, really satisfying.

How would you describe you?Author, Games designer, orsomewhere in between?

Personally: Human being, male, husband, father, grandfather

Professionally: Mythologist, rac-onteur, entrepreneur, publisher, game designer,

How do you feel when you seeGlorantha take on a life of it'sown in the hands of licensees?

55



Of all your work, which are you most proud of?

It’s hard to choose between Glor-antha, which has so much material for it, and Pendragon, whichI consider to be a really beautiful game system. But the winner isPendragon. I think that Glorantha is fantastic and awesome and fullof incredibly creative material, but Pendragon is a game that I dideverything on. “Everything” here means some input from a lot of

people, but I designed the system,quantified the world, and fleshedout the setting.

What has been the low point of your career?

A couple spring to mind. One was just after my divorce when all the

world had sunk into the mire. Lynnand Charlie had decided to sellChaosium to Games Workshop. I made a request, they offered less,and I refused.

The other was when Chaosium broke up. Here we had worked together for decades to produce ter- rific product, but we had fallenout over how to financially runthe company. The day to day was a painful grind for me, and so after atime I quit so that we could remainfriends.

Is there a setting you'd have liked to have expanded on? or brought to light?

Chaosium was the first companyto publish literary roleplaying game, starting with Stormbringer in 1981. Moorcock’s work was oneof the first fantasy series I’d begun reading about then. I imagined doing all my favorites. Well, Lord ofthe Rings was outside of even my imagination to do, although I wasoffered a shot at it once when Iron

Crown was having some difficulty. They wanted too much money. Co- nan was way too restricted. I was working on Lankhmar when it was ripped out from under me.

Who's fictional worlds do you ad- mire?

R. E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, J. R. R. Tolkien.

Pendragon 5.1 seems to be com - plete to me, do you think it's now just a case of future versions re- fining the current rules or do you plan a sixth edition?

I think there will be 6th editionsome day. It won’t change the sys-tem, but it will clear up a lot of lit-tle tweaky things. That is, just some more fine tuning

56



Has your Shamanism influenced your RPG writing?

Yes, especially Glorantha, and especially its magic systems. Living a life of animistic practices has provided me with a world view that is quite different from the one weare normally indoctrinated into byour modern world. And of course perhaps the biggest impact was todirect me to found Chaosium and make games my career.

Having only met you once youseemed to be pretty down toEarth, how do you feel when gamers and designers today cite you as one of their greatest influ-ences?

I feel flattered and pleased. I dothis work because I am called to

it, and because I get a great per-sonal satisfaction from doing whatI love. I’ll admit it has been a roadof relative financial poverty, butthe personal joy I have had in myday-to-day life seems to dwarf the lives of agony and despair led by my friends whose objective has been payroll, but hate their jobs.I consider myself an artist, andso am happy to learn that people have enjoyed my art. When it hassignificantly impacted someone’s life, I am humbled.

So much of the Arthurian setting uses Welsh. Do you find Welsh pronunciation difficult?

Oh no, I think impossible is a moreaccurate term.

(I've offered Greg pronunciation lessons but I'm not sure he'll take me up on them!)

Glorantha has always lookedand felt very Bronze Age to me,

were you ever tempted to create aHellenic roleplaying game?

Yes. In fact, I have a file of ideas thatare so old they are written in type- writer. Instead, however, I havesubmitted to Nocturnal publishinga Greek Legendary game designed by a couple of other guys. It’s not what I would have done, but it is good and I’m glad to see it don e.

You do not seem to be active insocial media, do you?

No. I loath it. It is really, really in-trusive and I require more privacythan that. If someone wants to con-tact me, please use email.

What game subjects do you wish you had done?

Oh, as I said above, Lankhmar andConan.

57



If there was one career decision you could change, what would that be?

To have gotten out of the AvalonHill RQ contract at the first offensethey committed in breaking thecontract. I let my young and hope-ful dreams get in the way of a clear business decision that would have been hard, but in the longer run, much better for us.

What are you working on at the moment?

I’m officially retired and collect- ing social security. However, I still work just about daily on materialfor Pendragon. Anyone interested in seeing it can find their way fromthe forum, http://nocturnal-me-dia.com/forum/index.php, or

my own creaky old website, http://gspendragon.com /

Thank you Greg.

You are welcome. Thank you toofor the opportunity.

Dragonsof Britain

Need You!

The

To keep this fanzine going we need articles,art, fiction, prose,and, most of all,

adventures!

For the e-mail to which you should

send your ideas* please seethe Contents page.

*Please send yoursubmission ideas first.

58

http://nocturnal-media.com/forum/index.php


http://gspendragon.com/

http://gspendragon.com/





a fletcher’s stall after stealing spic-es from the fletcher’s neighbour,a spice merchant from the HolyLands. The fletcher struck true (as was his right) and as the man lay

dying he mumbled something tothe guards who attended him in hisdying moments and took his final words. The guards could not speakthe man’s tongue but say he wasquite mad and spent with maltem- per. His belongings were searched, his hovel opened, and the man wasfound to be quite wealthy. It is not known why he was living in a hovelor chose to steal wares rather than

pay for them.

When the guards took the fletcher’sdirection to his neighbour’s stall it was not to be found. In a matterof seconds the stall and it’s keeper were gone. The spices that the for- lorn man had stolen blew away inthe breeze.

Needless to say, this left the com-

munity and the guards confusedand rumours of sorcery have already begun to spread.

Despite Camelot being used to thesite of traders from far afield, there is now a disturbing undercurrentof mistrust among the populaceonly spoken through wine.

Eastern Logres

It is said, by localsfleeing the sound

of battle, that LadyCamille, leader of theSaxon rebels in An-

glia, has hired a shirtless mercenary who has enormous prowess in arms. He leads a small party ofexperienced Saxon warr iors acrossthe East, killing as they wont.

T he people of the Fens have toldtheir lord that the Saxons appear to

be in league with a race of monsters who know how to navigate the hid-den waterways. A trader from the kingdom of Dal Riada in Arthur’scourt has named them ‘Fomori’ af-ter an evil race that once plagued his land.

A ngles march on Lindum! We’ve just received word that an Anglearmy, paid for by a traitor within

Lindum, is marching on the Ro- man city. Those at court fear it isalready too late to send assistance.

Elsewhere In Logres

A thief was killed yesterday in oneof Camelot’s trade streets. He wasstruck by an arrow as he ran past

Whispers Around the

Realm A look at some of the gossip, tales, and rumours around Arthur’s realm

AD531

59



D isagreements often occur in greatfamilies but rarely lead to blood-shed. Sadly, in the City of Legions,a noble was heard shouting with his son over the matter of a young girl. Rumour says that the young knight was courting a pagan girlfrom the hills in Norgales against his father’s wishes who wanted aRomano-British bride for his heir.

The Duke Randall despatched le- gionaries to the noble’s villa onlyto find his son had slain his father using a knife. The Duke has yet to make a decision as he is troubled by other matters.....

I n the Wirral forest to the north ofthe City of Legions a castle has ap- peared. Men sent from the city to investigate are yet to return anda strange horserider all decked in green and leaves has been seenabroad.

S hips travelling the straight in theGael kingdom Dal Riada have seena huge torment in the water. On afew occasions unwary ships have been lucky to escape. Whether this is the result of magic or some un-seen serpent is unclear.

Earlier this Spring a rush of wild-

life numbering some thousand animals (at the crofter’s reckoning),sped from hiding at the edge of thePerilous Forest in Pase. Something had panicked the animals to suchan extent that the crofter ran for his home. He did not look back but heard the splintering of trees as if something huge was stompingthrough them.

I n rural Rydychan a large cross made of marble has been found ina farmer’s field as his oxen pulledtheir plough. Unearthed by the ploughing, the cross was revealedafter 4 days of digging by a local village and has been moved to it’scentre. Measuring over 12ft high it is unknown what it was doing inthe ground. Initially it was seen asa blessing but strange reports of anevil malady have started to spreadamongst the first sons of the village.

T he ruins of a huge boat have washed up ashore on the Dorsetcoast after a heavy storm. The localsailors attest to have never seeing a boat of this size before and say it is large enough to carry a hundred warr iors and baggage and was ofa foreign design. Let us be thankfulof divine providence that dashedthis invader upon the rocks and keep vigil on the shore in case offurther incursions.

Outside Logres

I n Gwynedd a local Lord has killed his hound in the mistaken belieftht it had killed his infant son af-ter seeing blood around it’s maw.Shortly after killing the hound,the lord heard the cries of his un-

harmed son next to the body of a mountain wolf. It is clear that thefaithful hound defended the young boy from the beast’s predationsonly to be struck down mistakenly by his master. In his grief the lord has set a cairn upon a hill andasked pilgrims to set aside a timeto visit and prey for his departed hound.

60



Gratitudes & Complimentaries THE GENEROUS CONTRIBUTORS WHO HAVE MADE THIS ISSUE OF THEDRAGONS OF BRITAIN POSSIBLE. THEY’VE STEPPED UP. NOW IT'S YOUR T

Paul MitchenerContact info is [email protected]

Website: http://rpgimaginarium.wordpress.com/

Available for freelance RPG writing on projects that take my fancy.

Experience with FAE, One Roll Engine, OpenQuest and Wordplay.

Steff. J. WorthingtonContact info is [email protected] .

Available for cartography projects, trade dress, and

graphic design for RPG’s and other books.

George Quail Contact info is: [email protected]

Writer

David Elrick Writer

62


http://rpgimaginarium.wordpress.com/





http://rpgimaginarium.wordpress.com/




AnaRasha-stock Contact info is http://anarasha-stock.deviantart.com /

Stock Artist

ISDuraContact info is http://itsdura.deviantart.com /

Artist & Stock Producer

Lor MyersContact info is http://meetmeatthelake2nite.deviantart.com /

Artist & Stock Producer

Jessica DueckContact info is http://starscoldnight.deviantart.com /

Professional Digital Artist

PareeericaContact info is http://pareeerica.deviantart.com/

Hooked on Photoshop. Photogenius and Photomanip Artiste

63

http://anarasha-stock.deviantart.com/

http://itsdura.deviantart.com/

http://meetmeatthelake2nite.deviantart.com/


http://pareeerica.deviantart.com/

http://pareeerica.deviantart.com/


http://meetmeatthelake2nite.deviantart.com/

http://itsdura.deviantart.com/

http://anarasha-stock.deviantart.com/



STYGIAN FOX

Dragons of Britain 1

Documents

Transcript of Dragons of Britain 1