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Adventure of Tintagel Castle
Synopsis
Wherein, as part of his campaign against Duke Gorlois of Cornwall, King Uther sets up an impossible siege of Castle Tintagel. The king has too few troops to effectively take the castle, so he broods outside waiting for some change of fortunes to transpire. After weeks of status quo, Merlin arrives. Sir Marcus witnesses a harsh exchange between king and magician. Later that night, a mysterious fog envelops the land. The next morning, the news arrives: Duke Gorlois is dead. Sir Brastias, along with Sir Henry, Sir Marcus, and others go in to arrange the peaceful surrender of the castle.
Year
491
Time
Mid-summer
Location
Tintagel
Participating PCs
Sir Henry (10)
Sir Marcus (20)
Notable NPCs
Sir Brastias, the King’s bodyguard
Sir Elad, Castellan of Vagon
Merlin, powerful magician and trusted advisor to King Uther Pendragon
Roderick, Earl of Salisbury
Uther Pendragon, King of Logres
Lady Ygraine, Duchess of Cornwall
The Tale
Those Damned Cornish
Whether it was the Duke’s breach of hospitality at Christmas Court or other, less savory reasons that might have motivated such a breach, King Uther entered 491 resolved to remove Duke Gorlois of Cornwall once and for all.
The Siege of Tintagel
When Duke Gorlois holed up with most of his force in Terrabil, King Uther wasted no time in taking a small force to besiege Tintagel, where Duchess Ygraine and the Duke’s treasury reside. Tintagel is “a fortress nearly impregnable by virtue of its natural features. It is built on top of an island with cliffs all around, and can be approached only from the mainland by a natural stone causeway that spans the water, wide enough for only 3 or 4 men, with troops subject to missile fire the whole way.”
Despite having too few troops, the King almost impatiently ordered a few assaults, all of which ended in wasteful disaster. Sir Marcus, well-versed in the ways of siegecraft, attempted to offer his own suggestions but was rebuffed by both Earl Roderick and Sir Elad and told to know his place. The situation remained static and the king raged.
The Arrival of Merlin
One afternoon, Merlin arrives in the camp and is met by an angry Uther. Sir Marcus witnessed the exchange. At first, he could hear them angrily shouting – the king demanding why Merlin did not come when called and Merlin chastising the king for breaking the peace. They then sunk into hissing whispers, and eventually Sir Marcus saw the king draw Excalibur and make some kind of oath upon it.
Later that night, King Uther and Merlin make their way up a cliffside to where there is an old druid’s grove (not dissimilar from the one at Baverstock). Sir Marcus attempted to follow, but was sent away by Brastias. Still, Marcus could see Merlin raise his arms and begin to chant. Soon, a great fog rolled in from the sea, quickly blanketing the entire area. As Sir Marcus tried to get his bearings, he heard a clattering a hooves and from across the water by the castle, a call of “The duke! The duke! Open the gate!”
The Morning After
In the morning, messengers came with news both good and bad. The good was that Duke Gorlois was killed in battle and Castle Terrabil taken in a fierce night battle. The bad was that Prince Madoc was also killed in the fighting. When Uther heard the news, he glanced sharply at Merlin, who remained impassive (indeed, he seemed exhausted). King Uther’s face took on the visage of a father who just lost a son, and he spent the day in private, mourning. Sir Marcus told Sir Henry of events the night before.
A Negotiated End
The body of Duke Gorlois was brought to Tintagel. Under flag of truce, it was borne across the causeway and taken into the castle. Even across the straits, the keening and weeping of those inside was easily heard. After a day, the king sent Brastias, under flag of truce, to the castle, along with a select few knights (including Marcus and Henry). Some time later they return, with word for the king that the duchess had agreed to surrender.
Everyone was triumphant. The king announced that justice has been done: The traitor was dead and now peace and unity can return to the land of Britain. The duchess sallied forth with her household, all dressed in mourning black, and surrendered to the king before they all entered the castle together. It was in that moment that word arrived to Earl Roderick that amongst the Salisbury dead at Terrabil were Sir Kendrick and Sir Pedivere. Sir Marcus and Sir Henry left immediately for Terrabil, with the Earl’s blessing.
Glory Awards
10 glory for witnessing King Uther’s oath to Merlin (Sir Marcus)
10 glory for being part of Sir Brastias’ delegation to Tintagel (All knights)
Total possible glory: 20
Associated Adventure Logs
Session 18
