Game Session: 2/12/2012
Ramsgate, Tournament Grounds
Snowing
Invited to the tournament, the adventurers crossed to the southeast part of town where the grounds were located. They found it to be full of commoners, merchants, entertainers and knights. Also showing a strong presence were the city guards spread across all along the field armed with their pikes and swords.
The adventurers were escorted to Sir Godfrey Wrenne’s pavilion, it was a large structure about twenty feet off the ground, a large sloped canopy covered the occupants from the softly falling snow. On both sides of the pavilion were two wooden towers granting access to the pavilion, as well as providing a higher, but uncovered vantage point of the tournament games. Once inside the well guarded pavilion, the party were greeted by Sir Godfrey and the Wrenne House as well as other nobleman and wealthy merchants. There was a table full of roasted ducks, rabbit, vegetables and wine. The party was invited to join them in the feast. Beldet asked what games were being held and was told. Both Beldet and Moresight showed interest in the melee, but was informed that only the finalists of the joust could enter. The winner of the tournament, they were told, would receive 5000 gold pieces, a worthy sum.
The games began with the trumpeting of horns and banners flapping in the wintry wind as squires paraded across the tournament field to the applause and cheers of the crowd. Inside the Lord’s Pavilion, Kyrs lifted some gold from a heavy coinpurse of a drunken noble and managed to slip a ring from a finger. Kyrs was still wide awake despite not sleeping the night before, the amulet seemed to be working as Evan suggested.
Up first was the archery competition, which Sasha participated in. The competitors were tough and the winter conditions didn’t help – Sasha ended up losing in the first round. Next Kyrs joined in the knife throwing games in which he finished in the second round.
Beldet and Madmorsight entered into the joust, by then the snow began to fall lightly and the fields were mostly cleared, making the game far more ideal than earlier. The men armored up, saddled their steeds and the trumpets blew signaling the men to lower their lances. With loud cheers and the wave of a maiden’s flag the knights kicked the sides of their horses and galloped towards each other, separated only by posts connected with rope. Several men were unhorsed and many lances were broke, sending wooden shards flying into the air and towards the rooting crowds giving one onlooker a scar for a souvenir.
As Beldet mounted the horse and eyed his opponent, he concentrated on his ring and the horse of the knight who pointed his lance at him. They both charged each other, throwing mud from the hooves of their horses. Beldet made the mental connection to the other horse and just before contact, veered it to the side. His lance struck the knight and unhorsed him, sending a raucous cheer from the spectators. As Madmorsight charged his opponent, Beldet again used his ring to control the other horse – Moresight also, won the round. This continued on, till the two of them both advanced to the finals of the joust, enabling them to battle in the melee. In a jousting finale, Beldet and Moresight faced up against each other. They raced towards each other, the entire crowd on their feet rooting as loud as they could and with the sound of wood smashing across shield one rider was still seated, and the other knocked to the ground.
Beldet was victorious.
The melee was a dangerous game – skilled armed men swinging their blades at each other in the slippery mud field to the roars of the commoners. In the third round, Moresight faced up against a large man armed with a massive axe. The battle began and with a swift move Madmorsight cleaved his opponent critically, spilling his guts onto the grounds. It was the Sword of Anitawa in his hands and it was the first time that he had used it against anything but beasts and monsters. When the man fell, surges of small purple and blue electrical fingers crawled across the blade and across the victim – the crowd, shocked and stunned held their breath in silence for what seemed minutes. As the man fell, for Madmorsight only, time slowed down to a crawl – from the man formed a dark crimson cloud that drifted up towards the sky, within the cloud Moresight could see the face of Anitawa. Time returned to normal and the crowd erupted in voracious applause and cheering so loud that the ships docked at the ports could hear. Moresight lifted his arms to the air prodding the crowd to cheer even louder, gaining the love of the bloodthirsty masses.
Madmorsight had taken his first soul for Anitawa, to the applause of the masses.
Beldet and Moresight once again fought their way to the final round of the melee where once again they met. The two squared off against each other, swinging their swords and dodging each others attacks. Moresight got the better of Beldet, but instead of delivering a deadly blow, hit him with the flat of his blade. Beldet wisely called yield, and Moresight was declared victorious and the winner of the tournament.
Lord Sir Godfrey Wrenne stepped down from the pavilion and stood before Moresight and Beldet. He commanded them to kneel and to kiss his ring. They did so and Sir Godfrey drew his sword. Godfrey placed the blade on Moresight’s right shoulder, then his left and announced loudly to the crowd that he was now a Knight of the House Wrenne. He did the same for Beldet.
As the crowd applauded, Godfrey leaned down and said quietly to Moresight, “We will talk about that sword later.”
This could mean trouble – magic and witchcraft are outlawed by both church and the crown.