Over the next few days, the Knights practiced, Sir Zacharias bought new clothes, including an even more dashing and outrageous hat, I frequented the libraries... and leading up to the games themselves, we all guarded the Knights' horses and gear. There were various peasants' games including cheese rolling, caber tossing, slippery log, greasy stick etc.
20/5. Judging by her looks, Iona could be the daughter of Jorg and Keruna. Because I was guarding horses, I missed out of the intrigue at court, but hopefully Soro wallowed.
The first day of the games involved much pageantry, followed by jousting:
Sir Zacharias v Sir Caramon Gilayn: Dunno, but Z won
Sir Zacharias v Sir Thomas Trone: Z won the first 2 passes, thus the match (of 3), but they took a 3rd in which Z was unhorsed. A 4th pass was marginally in favour of Sir Zacharias.
Sir Zacharias v Sir Antonio Rozyek: Z won
Sir Zacharias v Sir Inthall Melbrane: A clash of Titans, no less, which Sir Zacharias won by a short margin. Included a spectacular smashing of both lances into woodchips.
Sir Zacharias won all his matches, but didn't actually, cleanly unhorse any of his opponents.
Meanwhile there were many other matches, including:
Erenion / J-M v Sir Fendin Argonside: J-M won after 5 passes.
Erenion / J-M v The Butch Bitch Aldalie Orthane: She is a manly woman of great skill, and if I judge correctly, a keen intelligence. She won. Actually she won pretty much all her passes, and her sister Siné (not quite as butch, but tries twice as hard.
Erenion / J-M v Sir Matrin Argonside (a small swarthy guy): J-M won.
Erenion / J-M v Sir Roland Othmar: J-M won. Sir R thinks he is better than he is.
21/5 the second official day of the Games involves the semi finals and finals of the jousting and the grand melee for all who are still able and willing.
(Meanwhile: Soro had been to the ball before the tournament, while the rest of us had been guarding horses ~ 19/5. He had heard:
Igor is a horrible place, whilst Senacran (etc,) is much more relaxed. Igor is improving, though.
Igorians are (consequently) moving to the area around Senacran. One guy is, for example, opening a pub.
There have been rumours of strangled bodies turning up). Igor was previously ruled by Lord Igras, who disappeared at the beginning of the great war a few years ago.
21/5 More jousting:
Erenion / J-M v Siné Orthane: J-M won over 5 passes, but didn't get any further in the competition.
Sir Zacharias v Aldalie Orthane: Eventually Z won by unhorsing her rather spectacularly. She was ok but rather bruised.
Sir Zacharias v Victor Torrizar : Z trounced him. The slightly younger and enthusiastic Victor was then beaten by Sordric, which meant that Z would face Sordric in the Final. Incidentally, Victor is uncle to the young man Vrai Torrizar who won the Archery competition for commoners (and he is rumoured to win every archery competition he enters) - it turns out the courtiers have just discovered he is the younger brother of the Merchant Prince of Darrakan Garai Torrizar and not a commoner at all.
Sir Zacharias v Sordric Morguhn (an older man from the west in his late 40s- Baron of Delros, whose matronly wife didn't appear interested): It was a close match, until Sir Zacharias removed his opponent's crest (winning the entire championship with panache).
Sir Zacharias received a purse of 100 GP (he scattered 10 to various urchins) and a golden figurine of a knight.
His speech was short but polite.
In the Grande Melee, Z was knocked out, almost at once (and apparently accidentally) by one of his own side... which won. Lady Siné and Aldalie turned out to work really well as a team and were on Z and J-M's side.
His hurts were cured (I later learned that this was Keruna). The GOD saved my wine when Erenion / J-M tried to test some theological theory, by hitting various people.
The spectacular party took place later in the evening.
Z set off to smash some musical instruments, but was waylaid by Dyanna (whom he palmed off on J-M).
He dedicated a beautiful bagpipe performance to Keruna, then a superb song to his lady Mercedes (fairly badly accompanied on the lyre).
The Knights danced with pretty much everyone meaningful (Z, badly with Keruna, though she made him look good, and with the Queen, J-M with Siné and Lady Malla Treowegefa the eldest daughter of the Baron of Irilian Sir Garos, about 5'10" 18yrs old and pretty. Likes hunting and riding, hates weaving and embroidery).
J-M brought Malla over; an observant and intelligent woman, who tried some of my Guarana. I took some as well, to mitigate the effects of (perhaps) too much wine.
I noticed Sir Varidor comforting a sad young woman (lipreading revealed that she was Lady Bostanton Green; unhappy with her marriage to Edric).
Jorg went outside to talk with Keruna. Jorg returned, appearing angry, and spoke with the Queen. It looked like he denied her parentage to Her Majesty, but quietly. Sir Anon Denethtar mentioned that he is supposedly a distant cousin to Iona, and he had never heard of her before she was presented to the King either.
Feeling more energy from the Guarana, I prayed and GOD granted me insight into the various players' antimagical defences.
Pretty much everyone important was protected by one means or another:
Varidor is protected by a (small) tree.
Inthall Melbrane (and Torral), as well as many others, are protected by the Angel's sword.
The King was protected by a faint silver sword.
Torrina Rochmar (the voluptuous one) had the image of Isis (a female with a throne on her head).
Keruna allowed me to see the great black serpent of Set.
Argon Argonside showed wavering, confusing (and probably failing) spiritual protection.
A stately blonde woman (Lady Gaia Trone, Irilian's Advisor to the King) showed a powerful connection to the Earth.
2 showed considerable Ki (Siné and Aldalie).
A few others were common, though powerful religions.
Torrina Rochmar came over to tell me that my prayer, though affecting only myself, was a faux pas. I apologised.
I was however, warming to the idea of denouncing this nest of heretics, infidels and blasphemers, but Torrina Rochmar's action, and the lateness of the hour prevented this.
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