Chronicle of the Year of Breaking Trusts,

Five Hundred

Being an Account of Trolls Hired, Alliances Broken, and One Very Large Man With a Very Loud Mace

Session Summary

• The knights entered the forest above Oddstock and found no tracks — confirming their suspicion that the raiders were arriving by river, not overland.
• Deep in the wood, Arianrhod spotted one of Seaxwulf's men watching them. Emma's flawless courtesy persuaded him to lead the party to Seaxwulf's camp.
• Emma revealed her theory to Seaxwulf: this was no monster, but humans with axes. Seaxwulf grudgingly agreed to split the search, sending the knights to the north bank while his men took the south.
• Arriving at Bodenham, the knights found the gates smashed and villagers bloodied. Seaxwulf had visited first, killed the headman for refusing entry, and slaughtered more out of spite.
• Sir Aur, his hatred of Saxons at full boil, formally challenged Seaxwulf to a duel. Seaxwulf accepted. Sir Aur rolled two criticals in succession and knocked the Saxon berserker unconscious in a single blow, then stripped him of coin, axe and chainmail.
• The knights crossed the Ebble by boat and waded through the northern marshes on foot. On a camouflaged island they found a stockade — inside, two trolls, long-armed and obscenely strong, with four families of captive Saxon villagers. The trolls had been hired by someone unknown, were paid in gold, and were targeting Saxons specifically. The knights killed both.
• Returning to Sarum, the knights reported to Countess Ellen. She dispatched a diplomatic gift to Cerdic to smooth over the Seaxwulf incident, and revealed that Princess Morgana of Cornwall — stepdaughter of Uther, now residing in Amesbury — may know something of the trolls' origins.
• Winter phase completed. The year 500 ends.

Dramatis Personae

• Lady Drusilla of Figsbury, the Devout
• Sir Euric of Aquitaine, the Ardent
• Sir Aur of Lambor, the Steadfast
• Lady Arianrhod, the Sharp-Eyed
• Lady Emma of Caerwent, the Far-Sighted
• Seaxwulf — Saxon warrior of Wessex; formerly terrifying; currently recuperating from a sucking chest wound
• Countess Ellen — Lady of Salisbury
• Princess Morgana — stepdaughter of Uther Pendragon, daughter of the Duke of Cornwall; resident of Amesbury; reportedly knows things about trolls