The Third Book of the Chronicles of Eoforwic

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April A.S. XXI (C.E. 1987)

fter an hiatus of several years, the folk of Starleaf Gate held their feast in honour of the dog Clancy. And there was a tournament held in an hall at the foot of the bridge to North Woods, and Dag won the tournament. There, at night, there was a court, and King Emrys and Queen Emmelynne presided with a portrait of the dog Clancy between them. Arthur ap Idwal was there awarded arms, and so was Shoni Otomo. There also was Tamarra Amalthea de Romany elevated to the Order of the Laurel, and made a peer of the realm, and there was joy for they all loved Tamarra well.

Now was the time that the folk of Ealdormere were wont to hold their great judging of the arts, so that the best examples of craft and cunning could be sent to the great judging for all the kingdom. In this year, however, the competition for the kingdom was not to be held. Some said that the rules needed to be rewritten to make them more suitable, but others said that the rules needed to be rewritten to give the folk from outside Ealdormere a chance at winning, for in truth the folk of Ealdormere did well at this competition, far out of proportion to their numbers. Some from other parts of the Kingdom said that the folk of Ealdormere were different in that they were cutthroats in competition, and thus they did well in the competitive atmosphere of the kingdom contest; others said the judges of Ealdormere were lenient in judging works to be sent to the kingdom's contest. Wiser heads said that the folk of Ealdormere were just the same as the folk of elsewhere in the kingdom, only more concerned with the arts than their compatriots from outside Ealdormere, and thus they were more often the victors. In the end the rules were changed little, and the kingdom competition was resumed the following year. In this year, however, Master Sylard issued a challenge to all the known world to compete at the arts and sciences at Eoforwic, and several came from the Rhydderich Hael and Myrkfaelinn and other places, and though the display was smaller than usual, many good works were shown.

May A.S. XXII (C.E. 1987)

n this month was the third King Talymar crowned, and with him Queen Eislinn. And Eislinn was mortally ill, though by some miracle she survived to reign for many months. later in this month, the Crown Tournament was fought, and the final bout as between Eliahu ben Itzhak and Dag Thorgrimsson, both of Cynnabar. And Eliahu won, and he was made Crown Prince.

And in the East was Randall crowned king, and his fiery lady Marieke besides. And these were no strangers in the North, for Randall came often to Skraeling Althing and to Dragon Dormant in the East from his keep at the Northern Outpost.

It was now that the Canton of Steinbach was first formed on the banks of the Stony Creek near Ben Dunfirth.

June A.S. XXII (C.E. 1987)

liahu the Prince came to Ben Dunfirth for the war exercises there, and the wind and sun were harsh as always. One night, by the light of the torches and with many a tankard of ale and butt of wine accounted for, Baron Aedan and Baroness Caffa took W?ulf Borisson and Edward Ungearu into their house as men-at-arms.

And in Skraeling Althing there was a Midsummer's masque. At this time did Elizabeth of Cadfan, called Kestrell by all, first come to Eoforwic.

July A.S. XXII (C.E. 1987)

arly in this month there was a school held in the Welfengau called "Collegium Terpsichore," named for the Terpsichorean Muse of Dance. Tsvetan Arnisson was the host and many strange new dances were taught, and one Mistress Ellen the Fair came from far away to teach. Also came Johannes Pelskneippe of Andelcrag.

Aethelwold Mierca hosted a tournament this month at the Great University. And the day was in remembrance of the Hundred Years' War. King Talymar came, and since he was a modest man he travelled in no great state. And when he came, Belisarius did help him carry his goods from his wagon, and he wot not who this bearded southron was, and when James did tell him, he fell on his face and wept for he had not shown proper reverence for a king, and the king did forgive him.

In the evening, in the quadrangle at Trinity College, Talymar did hold court, and Fionnaidh Averylle was herald. And Grimwulf the Hairy was ennobled, and Etienne de chez Tonnerre had done good service for the King that day and he was awarded a purse of monies. And Edward of Norwich was ennobled and was seen little in Eoforwic after. Agnar the Goth was made a lord, after many years of service, and many said that it was such a long wait because Agnar was wont to change his name, and each time he changed it he must earn a reputation from the beginning. Catherine de Guise and Mungo Sheepshanks from West Yorvik were ennobled and so was Ambrosius Providus of Ben Dunfirth. And Monika z Gniezno was the seneschal and she was awarded the purple fret. This tournament was the first appearance of Arwen St. Amour.

August A.S. XXII (C.E. 1987)

nd in this month did Talymar III wage war against Randall the King of the East, and he swept all before him. And the folk of Ealdormere fought valiantly and well, and this was the manner of it. The Easterners did attack on an open field, and they were beaten soundly by Talymar, whose forces outnumbered the easterners seven for every five. And the foe did retreat to a redoubtable mountain pass. And Talymar did pursue, and his Calontiri allies pressed hard on the foe, and there was much sweating of blood and water. And the Calontiris had one of the bakers in the nearby town deliver cheese pies for to refresh themselves during the battle. The soldiers of the Middle pushed surely up the slope, driving all before them until the Eastern rearguard was no more. In this Roncesvalles died Morgan Elandris who had come out from a long retirement to fight for the outnumbered Randall. And Duke Hasdrubal was grieved full sore, not that his old shieldmate and commander was dead but that she died by the hand of another and he himself did not slay her.

And the Easterners did retreat unto a wood, and the forces of the Middle were ready to follow, but Talymar held up his hand. "My friends," said Talymar, "Wait here. For we now not where the Eastern king and his banners are." And into the woods he sent an hundred scouts, and several soldiers. And the scouts did seek the banners of the East, and the soldiers did seek to vex the easterners by engaging them and then fleeing. And the Eoforings marched into battle beneath the mascot of an ugly cat nailed to a pole. The cat was called "Bill" sin that he resembled a polearm ^[9] . And just when the Eastern banner had been discovered, and the armies of the Middle were marching to retrieve it, the buzzing of myriad bees tore the forest, and a great cloud of stinging insects rose from the ground. And the armies both left the woods lest they die dishonourably from an insect's poison.

^[9]There is no note 9. (Editor's note: this was funnier in the original context)

In this war the armies of the Middle outnumbered those of the East seven for every five, though some said eight for every five, and this was the way of it. King Talymar sent abroad an ambassador, one Sir Ton the Traveller, an old soldier who was become a professional legate. The year before he had been the ambassador of the Atlantean king to King Palymar. Now King Talymar sent Sir Ton forth, to negotiate alliance with the kings from afar. And Ton offered them ale in quantity and he offered them cakes to feed them at the War. In the end, every kingdom that sent soldiers to the Pennsic fields allied itself with the Middle against the East. Every kingdom save one, for Hanno, who had been king of the East in the winter of AS XIX, was an adventurer. And Hanno was become King of Caid, and he allied his new kingdom with the East. This was no shame for the Middle, sin that he supported an old loyalty and sin that few fighters indeed came from Caid to Pennsia. Only the sheer numbers of the fecund Easterners allowed them even to approach the numbers of the Midrealm allied force. The King of Trimaris was persuaded to fight with the East, but only in exchange for a choice place for his encampment. Position of encampment has been a point of strong contention since of old, and many recall the incident in which Harald Hardradi gained a choice place on high ground for the camping of his Varangian guard, and that he did it by sharp practice. So the king consented, and the Trimarians chose the place where the Septentrians had camped for many years. And the Septentrians were forced to camp on an exposed hillside, and John of Slaughterfield built a castle in the swamp.

Now in the days before the battles, a squire called Galen of Newark from the Midlands rose up and called all of the squires of the Middle Kingdom to him, and called them his friends. And Galen called for them to join him in a guard to honour Eislinn the Queen. And he spoke movingly, and the squires shed tears of emotion. This it was planned that some squires and their men would guard Eislinn's person during the day, and others whose knights were away would fight under the Queen's banner on the field. And Sir Fern commanded the Queen's Guard, for she was the Queen's Champion. And in the Queen's Guard were James Macandrews and his man Belisarius; and Alistair Kirk, and his men Shoni Otomo and Grimwulf the Hairy. And the men of Petrea Thule in Ealdormere, who were great of stature and of skill were in the guard as well. And those of the Guard who fought under Eislinn's banner fought well, killed many and died like men. And when the fighting was done, Queen Eislinn made them all companions of the order of the Queen's Favour, and soon after their reign was the order closed, and since then instead there has been made an award of the Doe's Grace, which is not an order. The folk of Petrea Thule rejoyced for they had not theretofore been of noble estate, but now as companions of the Queen's Favour they were noble men and armigers.

And at this war did Tamarra have a great bath-tub, and there was much rejoycing for from a clean body comes a clean mind, as all men know. And Eislinn did come to bathe there, and the ladies of Ealdormere did strew flowers in the water for her. And after her bath, and although many bathed there afterwards, Eislinn had made the water clean and pure and the flowers did not die.

And Sigridr Rognvaldsdottir was ennobled, for Tarver had petitioned Talymar on her behalf. And Alexandra Kingslea was ennobled, for she followed the example of the Saints and washed the clothes if not the feet of the poor. Susannah the Unyielding and her son Cennedi, both of Skraeling Althing, were ennobled then, and Dathi Thorfinnson of Rising Waters was awarded the Purple Fret. And Kyril Andreieskevitch was made a companion of the Willow, and the record of that award was scribed upon a chain made of paper. The scouts of the Middle Kingdom were granted a badge of a purple fretty for their service in battle. Reynard de Folche of Rising Waters was made a companion of the Dragon's Tooth for his fell skill at archery. Tamarra de Romany and Frederic l'Avare were entered into the order of the Queen's Favour by Queen Eislinn. And that same time Queen Eislinn did create Aedan o Kincorra, the Baron of Septentria, a Master of the Laurel for his scholarly researches in the brewing of beer; and the hall shook with congratulation. It was at this war that Talymar first convened the order of the Dragon's em, and the name was a cant on the badge which was a dragon's jamb. And the order was for young folk who distinguished themselves by their service. And Lord Mungo Sheepshanks, Lady Eanor of Amberhall and Lord Jacob ben Solomon were created the first companions of the order. Soon after was the name of the order changed.

The Middle were adjudged the victors of the war wherefore Talymar III has since been called Orienticus Maximus, that is the Greatest Conqueror of the Easterners. This is to distinguish him from Talymar II Orienticus, who had been the last King of the Middle to defeat the East at Pennsic, seven years before.

There have been those who have called this war "the magic time," but wise men know that the glory and majesty of Eislinn's War, in which the united kingdoms of the Known World, with the exception of Caid, stood in opposition to the eastern menace was not magic. It was the gentilesse and courtesye and dignitas of the King and Queen, and the heart-breaking love of poor doomed Eislinn that made this glory and made this majesty. It was no magic, but it was the virtues of humanity.

And the glory of Talymar and Eislinn shone on Ealdormere, and there was pride there in service and pride in honourable death on the field. And Ealdormere was a justly proud nation then.

September A.S. XXII (C.E. 1987)

ow King Talymar had made a vow that he would pass within an hundred miles of every habitation in the Middle Kingdom on his progresses. And in this month did he come to Skraeling Althing, and afterward to Vest Yorvik, where the archers were practicing their skill. And Talymar held court there, and James MacAndrews was herald. There was Elsbeth of Sherbourne ennobled.

October A.S. XXII (C.E. 1987)

alymar and Eislinn ended their reign peacefully, and Eliahu II ascended the throne and with him Elen his queen. And they were crowned in Cynnabar, where they lived. Here was Eislinn made a duchess. Too was Myrddin Llygoden created a companion of the Silver Oak.

At the end of the month did King Eliahu call a crown tournament to be held at the College of Grey Gargoyles neat the Tree-Girt-Sea. And amongst the others he invited my lord James Macandrews, his brother squire Tarver the Pole, Baron Aedan, Robert of Two Cliffs, John of Slaughterfield and Bealdgar Thorbjornsson of the Welfengau who was squire to Sir Reynard the Brown. The administration of his barony weighed heavily on Aedan, however, and the distance to Tree-Girt-Sea was further than Robert wanted to travel, and they stayed in Septentria. And there was a day of mighty combat, and while Tarver and James each won a fight, they were soon eliminated. John of Slaughterfield survived longer, laying many opponents low, but Bealdgar Thorbjornsson lasted the longest of all the Septentrians, and there was much whispering as Reynard himself laid him low that Bealdgar would soon be made a Knight of the Society. Soon Reynard was eliminated as well, and he hastened off at the news that one of his squires had been wounded in combat elsewhere. Before the day was done there was much grumbling that the marshals interfered too much in the fighting, and that they fancied themselves judges rather than marshals. And the Septentrians noticed this, and so did Comes Valerius Paencalvus who told them of a custom in his own barony. There the marshals are separated from the lists by a second list rope so that they could not interfere. The idea found favour in the eyes of the Eoforings there, and they swore that at the next tournament in Eoforwic this custom would be followed, and it was.

The final rounds of the tournament were fought between Corwin Dragonstar, a Norse master at arms from the Midlands, and another Norse master, one Einar Haakonson. Now it was known of Corwin that many years before, in Crown Tournament, he had been eliminated by his own hand, when a wild blow spun around and caught him in the head before he could stop it. So it was to his great satisfaction and the wonder of all that he killed Einar, and was made Prince.

During the day word came from Rising Waters to Fionnaidh Averylle who was the Dragon herald that her mother had died. There was much weeping and fond reminiscing of Mary Campbell of Inverary. And Tsvetaan said that he would dance in the lady's memory, but there was no dancing.

At court that eve a lord from Cynnabar made a gift of monies to the crown, and he cried out in court the amount, and many of the Septentrians were pained for this common, merchantlike mention of sums. But King Eliahu betrayed no notice, and received the gift with royal grace, portending a reign of felicity and happiness throughout the Kingdom and in Ealdormere.

November A.S. XXII (C.E. 1987)

n this month did the Canton of Rising Waters hold its Feast of Bacchus. Also did the Barony of Skraeling Althing celebrate the Feast of the Hare. As well, the Canton of Trinovantia held a feast and King Eliahu was there. There he awarded arms to Dvorah bat Itzhak ha Levy, to Etienne de chez Tonnerre, to Madeleine de l'Este, to Richard Tempeste and to Vittoria Riola.

December A.S. XXII (C.E. 1987)

nd it was during this reign that the Canton of Rising Waters and the Canton of Ben Dunfirth sought to join with the Canton of Steinbach to form a barony, and the Baron and Baroness Septentria knew that this would be a good thing, sin that their lands were grown too large and their people too populous for them to administer with full justice. But the King's Seneschal, Baron Thrym Odomsson who was called Cein, said that the custom of the Middle Kingdom was that a canton must first become a shire before it could become a barony, although none had heard of this tradition before. And Baron Aedan said, rightly, that the Seneschal sought to rule in place of the king, by dictating what customs were. And the King knew this too, and he waxed full wroth for this and other reasons. And King Eliahu and Queen Elen spake unto Baron Thrym in this month, at the Feast of the Boar's Head at Caer Anterth, and they told him that for three months he would be on probation, and that did he displease them within that time he would be dispossessed of his position.

January A.S. XXII (C.E. 1988)

n this month did the Baron celebrate Twelfth Night at the hall of the Hansa at Vest Yorvik. Here was held a moot of all of Ealdormere, and Katrina di Turenne presided, along with the Baron and Baroness Septentria who wore shoes which were curiously shaped to resemble bears' paws. At this mot was it resolved that the folk of Ealdormere would see their own prince set up to rule their land for the King of the Middle. Also was there held a polling of the populace on this matter, but it was not conclusive. Here in Vest Yorvik, Baron Aedan held court in the name of the king as his lieutenant. And Branwen and Guillaume and Elizabeth de Lom were ennobled. And Robert of Two Cliffs and Angharad were awarded the royal badge of the Purple Fret. the Cauldron of Ceridwen was awarded for a year's tenure to Duke Talymar and Duchess Eislinn, and wise folk adjudged this to be a good choice.

At about this time did Bronwyn Meredith, the wife of Lothar W?ulfing deliver a girl child, and she was called Ceara. Soon after this was the canton saddened by Robert of Two Cliffs's departure with Jane of Hendon his lady. To Hibernia they hied, so that Robert could pursue his calling as a limner. And it was in the tradition of his house that he went, for his knight Sir Mark von dem Falkensfenn did hie him to Africa once for the teaching of the art of silversmithing to the savages there. And Corwin the Pure took up the office of exchequer from Jane.