(514-09-14) More Sarum Jousting
Summary: The first round jousts of Rowan and Martyn
Date: September 14th, 514
Related: Sarum Summer Tourney logs
rowan martyn 

Sir Beric de Grovely and Sir Victor de Stoford NPCed by

bryce 


Tourney Grounds - Sarum


The open field south east of Sarum Castle itself, within the city walls, is designated for knightly activities. When the Keep grounds are too full, there is a number of knights that come here to train and practice. At times when Earl Robert hosts a tourney, this is the location of the lists. A slight rise of land to the north of this open field is usually a good place the main stand while to the west, just before the Farmer's Quarter is good place for pavilions. The grouns is worn here, two long rows where the tilts are and there are circles of trodden grass where knights duel each other in mock combat during training, or during challenges at tourney times. When no knights are present the commoner children not laboring at chores and jobs come here to practice with sticks.


Part 1: Who Gets the Last Laugh…

Sir Beric de Grovely is a young knight of a rather healthy complexion and easy disposition, as becomes clear through the many glances shared with a giggling lady here and there in the audience. He is here to joust today and sits on his brownish horse, attired in armor and wearing his tourney helmet. A shield he holds in his left, with the coat of arms of Grovely Castle, and just now his squire hands him the lance as it seems Sir Beric is up next.

Suited up in his armor Sir Rowan de Wylye sat upon his black stallion, watching the previous joust end with passive interest. There is one new addition to his attire: a strap of leather tied around his right wrist, fairly non-descript and easily missed to the casual eye. He spurs his steed forward when it becomes apparent it was his turn next and he offers Sir Beric a soft, acknowledging nod as he adjusts his helmet one last time. His own shield is hefted, proudly bearing the family crest of house Wylye in blue and yellow. Hefin skitters forward to hand his knight a lance before dutifully retreating to watch. Rowan grunts and rides forth, weapon in hand!

Success
Rowan checked his lance of 15, he rolled 13.
Success
Bryce makes a check for Young Knight Lance at 13, he rolled 4.
Rowan rolls 4d6 and gets (5 5 1 2) for a total of: (13)

Visor is lowered, lance aimed to unhorse, as Sir Beric de Grovely spurs his horse on - and many a maiden in the crowd of spectators catches her breath as she watches the blonde stately youth ride towards his opponent. The shield is brought up in time to intercept the blow, but his own lance does not really connect; the metallic CLONG ringing over the tourney field the consequence of Rowan’s lance alone. But. Sir Beric remains in his saddle and rides on to the end of the list where he will wheel his horse about. “Not bad, Sir!”, he calls over with a confident chuckle. “Now beware, of Beric de Grovely’s lance!” This may elicit a number of minor giggles in the audience, but those will swiftly subside when the Grovely rides once again in the second pass, with his lance held firmly in his hand, and his shield raised.

Rowan is rewarded with a loud clang when his lance strikes true, but the blow is not hard enough to knock the showboating knight off his steed. Disappointing, but Rowan does not lose confidence as he veers his horse over to engage the youth for the second pass. One brow arches at the words he receives, unseen behind his own visor. “Beware I shall, Sir Knight, but do be careful yourself.” Ah, to be young and foolish! It seems liberating to the stoic Wylye, sometimes, but he did not desire to do any serious harm to the other man. He raises his lance once again, ignoring the presence and noises of the crowd watching the two knights, and the joust continues with the sounds of hooves thundering rapidly against the ground…

Critical Fail!
Rowan checked his lance of 15, he rolled 20.
Failed.
Bryce makes a check for Young Knight Lance at 13, he rolled 19.
Critical Success!
Rowan checked his lance of 15, he rolled 15.
Success
Bryce makes a check for Young Knight Lance at 13, he rolled 3.
Rowan rolls 8d6 and gets (2 4 1 2 3 3 2 2) for a total of: (19)
Failed.
Bryce makes a check for Young Knight Horsemanship at 10, he rolled 15.

This second pass, while not bringing about the deciding unhorsing, turns out to be moderately spectacular, when Beric watches his opponent’s lance break against his shield, a fact that will elicit a surprised chuckle from the Grovely knight, and as a consequence, his own aim is lacking, the tip of his lance skittering without any effect over the Wylye’s shield. Beric’s laughter will still be audible when he wheels his horse about for a second time, and even still when he spurs his horse on for the third and perhaps deciding pass.

Well, Rowan thinks, that was one way to attempt to catch his opponent off-guard. Sadly, his lance does not strike anything more than shield, and splinters against the impact. Elliciting laughter from Sir Beric is truly the full extent of what he gets out of their second pass. Hefin cringes at the sound of wood breaking from where he was perched and he promptly moves to find his knight another lance as he recovers. The Wylye grumbles under his breath at the squire but nods his thanks. Sir Beric is regarded with an assessing look as he prepares for the next and hopefully final pass, because he didn’t have another lance on hand! The heels of his boots nudge his horse, urging him to meet the chuckling knight yet again.

This time, Rowan’s lance strikes the young man squarely in the middle, with no shield up to block it. It could be both a testament of Rowan’s superior skill and Sir Beric’s youthful overconfidence, but the result is absolute: Sir de Grovely is sent flying off his horse and onto the ground with the dust and dirt.

Yes, he laughs still, this Grovely knight, Lance aimed at the Wylye as he rides to meet him in the middle of the list once again. Focusing a touch more on the shield, where he will hit with some momentum. A well-placed strike of the lance, alas, it glances off the Wylye shield. But Sir Beric does not really have time to mourn this missed strike, as Sir Rowan’s fresh lance hits with a force that surprises the Grovely, and even pushes him out of the saddle. His brown, now riderless, steed gallops onwards, while Sir Beric finds himself painfully acquainted with the slightly muddy ground of the tourney field. And the laughter dies on his lips.

Sir de Wylye cannot help but feel the slightest twinge of satisfaction at finally silencing the young knight’s laughter so soundly, but he remains humble in his victory. Visibly, at least. He stops his horse alongside Sir Beric and lifts his visor. “You did well, Sir. Perhaps we shall meet and joust again. Farewell and good luck with the rest of the tournament.” He then plods off to meet his spectating squire.


Part 2: Victor Without Victory

Having watched other jousts in quiet, studying potential later opponents a bit thoughtfully, Sir Martyn de Baverstock pauses as his name is one of those called to action. Taking a few moments to prepare himself, he quickly checks his armor, done a few times before, but one last check-up is never a bad thing. Mounting, he guides his horse forward a few steps, before he’s handed a lance from his squire. He then glances very quickly to the crowd, before turning to his opponent. The other knight is offered a brief smile, and a polite nod, as well as a salute of the lance, before the last preparations are done. Helmet on, shield lifted, and lance ready, he sends his horse charging forward, lance lowered in his opponent’s direction.

Sir Martyn’s opponent is one Sir Victor de Stoford, a knight of already two or three years of experience, a man of slightly shorter but somewhat massive stature, round-faced, good-natured and generally well-liked. Sir Victor sports a beard on his visage of rather mediocre looks, and he sits on top of a strong brown stallion of red-brownish hide and black mane and horse tail. His impressive physique is clad in ringmail armor, and when his name is called for the next pairing, his thin, lanky squire hands him shield and lance. Sir Victor raises his lance in salute to the Baverstock, calling a good-natured: “May the better knight win. We shall drink on the victory later, regardless of who is winning this round.” Said, as he couches the lance and spurs his steed onwards.

Critical Success!
Martyn checked his Lance of 13, he rolled 13.
Failed.
Bryce makes a check for Average Knight Lance at 15, he rolled 17.
Martyn rolls 8d6 and gets (6 6 3 6 1 6 5 1) for a total of: (34)

Thundering forward, Martyn aims his lance for Sir Victor, taking a few deep breaths as he closes in on the other knight. As he gets closer, he moves the lance slightly to the side, in an attempt to get past the other man’s shield. Which seems to be working well, as the lance connects solidly with the Stoford knight, the force of the strike quite solid.

A solid hit for a solid knight, which works out fine for Sir Martyn de Baverstock, but less so for Sir Victor de Stoford. The latter seems to be both surprised by the aim and the force behind it, a thing he will have to consider in the brief second the Stoford finds himself flying through the air, before he is painfully claimed by the rules of gravity. It takes a moment. A long moment, when the knight is digesting this rather obvious unhorsing, and its consequences. But after that he is helped to stand by the lanky squire, which takes actually the additional help of another man. When Sir Victor is finally hauled to his feet, he offers a somewhat stiff wave in Martyn’s direction. “Your win. An rightfully so. My offer of a drink still stands, of course.”

As he reaches the end of the field, Martyn turns to see Sir Victor on the ground. Dismounting, he makes his way in the direction of the fallen man, looking a bit relieved when the knight is hauled to his feet. There’s a polite nod in return as he hears the man’s words, and he offers a smile. “It would seem I had fortune on my side today.” At the mention of the offer of the drink, he nods, “A drink seems like a good thing now. I accept your offer, Sir Victor.”

“Fine then,” the Stoford knight says with a slightly pained smile. “I’ll see you later at the inn.”

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