Sir Leon Perdieu
You are a 30 year old Baratrean knight who was in the Royal guard under first King David III and then King Reginald of Foix. You served mostly at the old Royal Court at Valles. There you had some hopes of marrying the beautiful and well-endowed Lady Sabine Velcraux. So had quite a few other people, one being an impertinent Squire Fier Feuille. One night when you had drunk too much you made the mistake of repeating what everyone was saying, that Queen Bettrys was a wicked conniving witch! Fier immediately reported you to the Captain of the guard and King Reginald banished you from the kingdom! You travelled into Limura and joined the Lawic host for a while. There you met Rrong Wai a Limuran chieftain. He was wanting to trade horse hides for oats, beers, wines and the Quince preserves produced on your border manors. These manors had officially been laid waste eight years ago and some damage had indeed been done. Technically they had belonged to the King following your banishment. However he had never taken possession and in fact they and others have been restored by Sir Christopher Lambert the official tax collector for the Claux area. When Basylt Devisage declared himself Grand Duke of Bara after the death of King Reginald Sir Christopher helped you become one of his agents. For a long while you were in Perigord spying and trying to obtain support for Basylt there. Meanwhile Sir Christopher had created with Rrong Wai's backing four manors on the Limuran side of the border, two of them being yours! (A manor is a theoretical financial unit where a group of peasant serfs produce goods to the value of 300 Gilden Pezzi per annum.) Since no taxes are being paid to any central authority, not even tithes to the church of Eru, you may become quite wealthy in time. There were indications that Basylt was suspecting that the thirteen manors wasted in the Claux area were not longer waste. Several of his agents were silenced by Sir Christopher! Since you were in Perigord at the time you were not under suspicion. Then of course Basylt was killed at Verreric and Princess Maudette took over the rule of Bara. She remembered your insult to her mother Queen Bettrys and put out a proclamation barring you from her lands! She probably knew you had been serving Basylt. Now word is that she is sending a tax assessor to Claux to inspect the wasted manors. With this tax assessor will be Lady Sabine who is now married to Sir Engeurard Flaneur. This old knight is in hospital in Charles, dying of the dropsy. Lady Sabine is coming because two of the wasted manors form part of her dowry. Sir Christopher has suggested that you silence the tax assessment party and blame it on outlaws. You have agreed because it is in your interest to keep their prosperity secret but also because you hope to kidnap Lady Sabine and marry her as soon as her husband dies. Barnabus Vicar of Claux is in Sir Christopher’s pocket so this will be easy enough. In your menie you have the shaman Krookid Wai with many useful spells including a simulation of a very terrifying apparition! Your brother Pacific is Abbot of St. Rollo who will give you warning of the coming of the tax assessor. He will marry you to Sabine if the chance comes!
How and when will you make your attempt to dispose of the Tax assessor and capture Lady Sabine?
Sir Leon Perdieu
You are in your Verston manor house with the wizard Krookid Wai, Sergeant Curt and your mistress Blonde and some servants when Pacific sends you this note by a monk around the twenty-first hour.
Dear Brother,
The Lady Sabine Flaneur has arrived at my Monastery with the Tax Assessor. Their escort comprises a squire, a sergeant and six hobilars. Eru be with you.
Pacific Abbot
Apart from Sergeant Curt you have only the mounted arbalister Lunn two soldiers and an archer present. This is too weak a strength to successfully ambush the foe, when they come over the bridge from the Monastery tomorrow. So you send the arbalister Lunn to collect Squire Gauntlet and his force from your other Baratrean manor Oathwald. He has two solders, an archer and four peasant billmen. He should arrive around midnight. You, Gauntlet and Lunn have mounts and you have a packhorse and two spare palfreys should they be necessary for carrying off Sabine & her abigail.
Whilst waiting you relax upstairs in the Solar with Krookid Wai, Blonde and Sullen. Downstairs are Sergeant Curt, an archer, two soldiers and two peasant wenches making merry.
Krookid Wai Off Mo 5", Fa 5/10, TR +0, SR + 4, D-4, C-3, W -2, A -1, Ob 0.7, Me –2 – 0 = -2 sword st 0
3rd Level Magician: Breathe water, Create Invisible Force Wall, Rainmaking, Stun Gas Spell, Forget Spell & Reversal, Hate Spell, Mist Making, Part Air, Detect magic, Inflict revulsion, Unnerving Noise.
Create Fearsome Illusion Undead Giant Goa Wai range 12MPU 6” TI 7 D10 each move goes on 0
Speaks Jedonese Simnith, Edin, Kharsh, Wosha, Reads Tengthin Runes.
Sergeant Curt Ind Mo 5", Fa 5/10, TR +2, SR + 1, D-6, C-5, W -4, A -2,Ob 0.8, Me +2 –2 = 0 axe sty +4
Speaks Simnith Jedonese (P) Tinderbox TC +2
Miss Blonde Ind Mo 5", Fa 5/10, TR -1, SR +1, D-4, C-3, W -2, A 0, Ob 0.9, Me –2 –2 = -4 knife st –1
Miss Tawnie Ind Mo 5", Fa 5/10, TR -1, SR 0, D-4, C-3, W -2, A 0, Ob 0.9, Me –2 –2 = -4 knife st -1
Miss Sullen Ind Mo 5", Fa 5/10, TR -1, SR 0, D-4, C-3, W -2, A 0, Ob 0.9, Me –2 –2 = -4 knife st -1
Archer Fol Mo 6", Fa 6/12, TR 0, SR + 0, D-5, C-4, W -3, A +1, Ob 1.3, Me +0 –0 = 0 sword st 0
Selfbow 5" 5+ St -4 quiver of 12 arrows speaks Simnith
Soldier Fol Mo 6", Fa 6/12, TR +1, SR + 0, D-5, C-4, W -3, A 0, Ob 1.2, Me +1 -0 = +1 sword st 0
Shield parry &+ St 4 Speaks Simnith
Wench Ind Mo 5", Fa 5/10, TR -1, SR 0, D-4, C-3, W -2, A 0, Ob 0.9, Me –2 –2 = -4 hands st -3
You serve Sir Leon Perdieu who is based at his mansion of Oathwald. At present he is away at his other Baratrean manor of Vernon. He has two other manors the Limuran side of the border. You originated from Chantilly in Perigord but had to flee after killing a merchant in a drunken brawl. You were very glad when Sir Leon accepted your service. He follows the Knight Banneret Sir Christian Lambert and you hope in time to win your spurs and more importantly your own manor. Both Sir Leon and Sir Christopher are involved with people smuggling goods over the Limuran border. This and the fact that Sir Leon is under a sentence of banishment does not worry you, they are just part of normal Morval earth life. Bara is under weak female rule at the moment so gentlemen are free to do as they please. Sir Leon has some scheme of kidnapping a Lady Sabine, because she owns two nearby manors. Word is that she will be coming to visit them soon. You hope that this action will give you a chance to win your spurs.
You were relaxing in the comfort of the manor when Arbalister Lunn arrived in a hurry. “An it please you Sir, Sir Leon wishes you to come in all strength to Vernon Manor. He has heard that Lady Sabine is at the Abbey and he intends to ambush her tomorrow!”
Cursing you collected your seven soldiers and set off for Vernon through the night. Passing the ruined manor you decided to ride ahead with Lunn whilst the rest took a short cut through the trees. As you reached the courtyard in front of the manor, a man called out from an upper window, “Whoever you are, I have just laid claim to this manor in Princess Maudette’s name! I have slain the exile-breaker Sir Leon Perdieu and here is his ring and shield!”
It was indeed his shield! Worse you spotted two crossbows levelled at you! “Back Lunn back, we cannot stay here!” so you returned hurriedly down the track. Fortunately you soon glimpsed your footmen amongst the trees and were able to stop them.
“Sir Leon is dead! Some knight has seized the manor, in the name of Princess Maudette he said! We must think what to do next.”
“What has happened to Sergeant Curt and the rest Sir?”
“I know not but doubtless they are slain or taken! Let us head back to Oathwald.”
However your men had just reached the main track to St. Rollo when you met Vicar Barnabus and a large band of peasants.
“Well met Squire Gauntlet. We are come to lay an ambush for the Tax Assessor who is coming to ruin us all tomorrow! We and Sir Christopher would be very glad of your assistance?”
You looked at the band, more than a score of armed men. A good ambush well laid could do the trick.
“Reverend Barnabus I think I have met your Tax Assessor at the Vernon Manor. He has slain Sir Leon and taken hold of it. I will support you but we must send back to Sir Christopher for more forces. I suggest we set our ambush betwixt the furze and the Blasted oak?”
“Well Sir that will be a start but I think we should also have a force to their rear in the
Boise Swynwald. I am Humfon leader of this band and I have had some experience of these things. I will have my men dig a big pit trap in the road and set fences to impede their escape. It would be useful if your men could make a line of sharpened stakes such as they set up at Verreric behind the pit?”
You decided that this was a good idea. “Very well, on which side did you fight at Verreric?”
“Neither, I just happened to arrive the day after it was over. That is where I got this helmet and sword.”
“Well could you send a message to Sir Christopher with someone reliable?”
“Certainly Sir, perhaps the Reverend could write it seeing as it could be important for us all? Maid Tuffa is reliable enough fro such a task”
The Vicar agreed, “As you suggest I shall write a letter for Sir Christopher.
Sir Christopher,
I Barnabus, Squire Gauntlet and the outlaw leader Humfon implore you to come to our support at the ruined manor. The Tax Assessor has slain Sir Leon and taken the Verston Manor. We intend to ambush him here in the daylight tomorrow. We are thirty strong.
Barnabus Vicar.
Oathwald Force Squire Gauntlet, Arbalister Lunn, 2 soldiers 1 archer 4 light billmen
Arbalister Lunn Rouncey Fol Mo 11” (6”), Fa 6/12, TR –2 (0), SR –2 (0), D-5 (-5), C –4 (-4), W –3 (-3), A –1 (+1), Ob 1.0 (1.2), Me 0 – 0 +2 = +2 sword st 0, Speaks Simnith
Archer Fol Mo 6", Fa 6/12, TR 0, SR + 0, D-5, C-4, W -3, A +1, Ob 1.3, Me +0 –0 = 0 sword st 0 Selfbow 5" 5+ St -4 quiver of 12 arrows speaks Simnith
Soldier Fol Mo 6", Fa 6/12, TR +1, SR + 0, D-5, C-4, W -3, A 0, Ob 1.2, Me +1 -0 = +1 sword st 0 Shield parry &+ St 4 Speaks Simnith
Light Billman Fol Mo 6", Fa 7/14, TR +0, SR + 0, D-4, C-3, W -2, A +2, Ob 1.5, Me +0 -2 = -2 1st rd +2 st +3 Speaks Simnith
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