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Chaosium Digest Volume 09 Number 03
Chaosium Digest Volume 9, Number 3
Date: Sunday, December 11, 1994
Number: 4 of 4
Contents:
Tristram: A Chronology, Part Three (Peter Corless) PENDRAGON
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From: Peter Corless <pcorless@cisco.com>
Subject: Tristram: A Chronology, Part Three
System: Pendragon
Sir Tristram of Lyonesse
Knight of the Round Table
Copyright 1994, Peter Corless
[Continued from V9.2]
Tristram rode off and took up lodging in the castle of Sir Darras to
heal. Dinadan joined him there, and strangely enough, Sir Palomides.
Yet Palomides did not recognize Tristram without his armor, and kept
muttering foul language regarding what he would do if he ever met the
Prince of Lyonesse.
In the meanwhile, Sir Tristram was awarded the tourney prize in
abstentia. Arthur then dispatched ten of his best knights --
including Launcelot, Bors, Ector de Maris, Ywaine and others -- to
find and return with Tristram. The High King didn't wish to see one
of the best knights of the world once again disappear from his court.
Lucan and Ywaine actually found Tristram at Sir Darras', but rather
than return with Tristram as a guest of Arthur's, they challenged
Tristram and Dinadan to a joust and only ended up with nasty wounds to
show for it.
Bad luck heaped upon circumstance, the next thing Tristram knew he was
cast in prison. It turns out that his host, Sir Darras, had six good
sons, five of which had gone to the Castle of Maidens tourney. Of
these, three had been killed by the "Knight with the Black Shield",
and the other two badly maimed for life. A maiden who returned from
the tourney with the news also knew that Tristram as the said "Black
Knight", and proved it by showing Darras his shield.
Tristram, Dinadan and Palomides spent many dark days together,
wondering when they would be put to death. Darras' kinsmen wanted to
slay the prisoners, but Darras would not agree to it. He fed them
well though he did not treat them kindly. Palomides spent his time
railing about his long-time rival (still not realizing who Tristram
was). Dinadan wondered what he had ever done to deserve such a fate,
and Tristram just tried to keep up everyone's spirits. Finally
Dinadan pointed out to Palomides that the third man in the cell with
them was none other than Sir Tristram himself. Palomides, stunned,
fell silent and left off his criticisms.
Months passed. Eventually Tristram took ill in the prison near to the
point of death, and Palomides even tried to comfort his fellow knight.
They were consoled by a damsel who let them know Darras did not mean
to have them die in prison. And indeed, Darras soon brought them
before him. The old knight, upon seeing Tristram brought so low by
illness forgave him the death of his sons. Tristram and Darras made a
vow of friendship. Darras furnished them with "harness and horses"
and bid them depart in peace.
The three took their own separate paths at a crossroads. Tristram
rode to a castle and spent a pleasant evening in the presence of a
great lady. The next morning, he learned the lady was Morgan le Fay,
and he was her prisoner! She would set him on one side of her at her
table, and her paramour, Sir Hemison, at the other side. Eventually
the paramour grew jealous and charged Tristram with a sword, but
dropped it for shame of attacking an unarmed knight and fled from the
room.
Morgan turned her attentions from her immature lover to Tristram, and
made a proposition to him. She would free him if he would bear a
special shield to the Castle of Hard Rock tourney. This was the
"Shield of Rebuke" -- it pictured a king and queen upon a red (gules)
background with a knight standing on both their heads. It was meant
to signify the adulterous relationship of Lancelot, Guenever and
Arthur, but it failed utterly.
Even before Tristram had time to take his leave for the tourney,
things turned poorly for Morgan. Just as Tristram was riding off,
Hemison rode up to challenge Tristram. Hemison proved himself as
immature in the skills of arms as he was in character, and soon lay
critically wounded. Tristram continued on his way, and Hemison was
carried back to Morgan's castle where he died. Morgan had her
paramour entombed and mourned him greatly. Meanwhile, Tristram
arrived at the Roche Dure ("Hard Rock") tournament with little other
adventure.
Morgan had hoped the crowd at the tourney would be shocked at the
scandal enough to get Lancelot in serious trouble, and that Arthur
would be shamed into taking action against his best friend. Guenever,
Ector de Maris, and a few others figured out the symbolism and were
worried, but Arthur never caught on. Even heavy hints dropped by one
of Morgan le Fay's maidens only intrigued Arthur's curiosity. Arthur
even caught up with Tristram and required of him to tell him the
meaning of his charge, but Tristram honorably kept the secret to
himself. Soon the matter of the shield's symbolism was forgotten.
Instead, everyone was impressed by the prowess of it's bearer in the
lists and in the melee. Tristram unhorsed and wounded Arthur, and
likewise Ywaine, then took his leave.
In the forest, he came upon Palomides, who was beset by Sir Breunis
Saunce Pite and eight other knights. Tristram easily drove off the
cowardly attackers, and helped Palomides to rest under a tree. Once
they recognized each other, they put aside their own feud until such a
time that Palomides might recover and they could have an honorable
fight to settle their differences. Tristram then helped Palomides to
his horse, and offered to ride with him until they were safely away
from Breunis' lands. Yet they soon encountered a sleeping knight with
a covered shield who, when awakened, surprising put both of these good
knights to shame with his quick swordplay, then departed quickly.
Tristram and Palomides agreed to meet next at the rock Merlin had set
near Camelot (at the site where Lanceor and his lady Colombe died).
Then Tristram rode off to pursue the knight who had attacked them. He
found an easy-to-follow trail of defeated knights: Gawaine, Bleoberis,
Kay, Dinadan, and even the young knight Galardoun, who was slain by
this mysterious knight.
Tristram gave up trying to catch his quarry and turned towards
Camelot. But he was waylaid in his travels by Sagramore and Dodinas,
who were eager for a joust. They only let him depart in peace after
Tristram unhorsed them both and explained he was en route to his duel
with Palomides. But instead of finding Palomides at the assigned
meeting place, Tristram encountered an even more fierce knight in
white. These two great knights battled fiercely for hours until
Lancelot told Tristram who he was! The battle between the two greatest
knights in the realm ended immediately. Lancelot brought Tristram
back to Camelot, and they met Gawaine and Gaheris along the route as
well.
Tristram was presented with great honor before King Arthur. He told
his tale, and it was revealed by Gawaine that the mysterious knight
with the covered shield Tristram had been pursuing was actually
Lancelot! Arthur also surprised Tristram by inviting him to become
one of the Knights of the Round Table. Tristram accepted, and went
with Arthur to the Round Table.
There, in the siege (chair) of Sir Marhaus, were new letters magically
written: "THIS IS THE SIEGE OF THE NOBLE KNIGHT, SIR TRISTRAM." So it
was that Tristram, now age 31, became a Knight of the Round Table, and
closed the cycle that had begun with his defeat of Marhaus a thirteen
years before.
The very next year Arthur had King Mark summoned to Camelot for the
wicked murders of the knights Bersules and Amant. Lancelot himself
was sent to bring Mark to court. He had done so without ever laying a
finger on Mark, and yet Mark grovelled at Arthur's feet for fear. The
King of Cornwall repeatedly promised to show the Pendragon fealty and
to make amends. As a condition of his forgiveness, Arthur set a day
to make formal amends between Tristram and Mark.
A short time later in 544 AD, Arthur hosted the Friendship Tournament,
where Mark and Tristram took formal pledges of friendship and loyalty.
But no one at court felt very good about the accord. Lancelot,
Lamorak, Dinadan, and many others knew Mark's true colors and were
incensed at the preceedings. Yet Lancelot, when he asked Arthur why
he had arranged this, found out the truth: this was all done at
Tristram's own desire. Secretly Tristram's purpose was to once again
be at La Beale Isoud's side. Privately, he felt he would die if he
could not see her again. And so, Tristram and Mark rode for Cornwall
together in miserable silence. At Camelot, no matter of enjoyment was
had for a week and a day after their departure.
The next few years were spent by Tristram and Isoud in a mix of wary
happiness. Sir Fergus of Ireland brought good tidings to Camelot of
Tristram. Lancelot constantly wrote warning to his friend about Mark,
who he called "King Fox." Mark intercepted some of these and wrote a
few letters himself to discover to Arthur the adultery in his own
court. And yet Arthur dismissed it as coming from a man without
honor. Dinadan, when he learned of the intrigues of Mark, sent Eliot
the Harper to perform his famous lampoon of King Mark at Tintagel.
In 547 AD, all of Logres once again shuddered at the rise of Saxon
leaders. In the north, Price Ida staked out a frontier centered
around his fortress at Banurgh. In Cornwall, Saxons (called
"Sessiones" by Malory) led by a captain maned Elias, harried Tintagel
itself. Tristram had been wounded in jousts shortly before their
landing, and was unable to respond to Mark's summons at first. In
Mark's first battle against Elias, the men of Cornwall were routed and
driven back into the refuge of Tinagel's rocky peninsula. But soon
thereafter Tristram was whole, and arrived with ten of King Arthur's
knights in his command.
Mark gladly assented to Tristram taking over the command of his
armies. Tristram reorganized the Cornish army from three battles into
six smaller, more maneuverable units. As well, he arranged a daring
late night raid and burned the Saxons' fleet into the cold waters of
the Irish Sea. The next day's battle was terrible and final. Elias
tried to rearrange his forces to deal with the reorganized Cornish
army, but to no avail. Though he was able to break Dinas' lead force,
Tristram followed up directly behind and reinforced that part of the
line. The battle raged greatly the length of the day. That evening,
the wounded were allowed to be carried from the battlefield. Elias,
seeing that those within the castle had no intention of surrending,
and knowing that without his ships he would not be able to sustain a
siege, offered to fight a contest of champions to determine the
resolution once and for all.
Tristram, still sore and hurt from his original jousting wounds, and
now also suffering from new battle wounds, accepted the challenge on
behalf of Cornwall. The contest of champions began very sorely for
Tristram. Indeed, other than the melee against Lancelot, Tristram had
never been so hard pressed. Yet when he saw the Saxons laughing at
him, and thought about how might be the last he'd ever see of Isoud,
he summoned his strength anew and suddenly slew Elias. The stunned
Saxons were taken prisoners, and Mark held them to be ransomed out of
Cornwall by their continental relatives.
It was after this great victory that Eliot the Harper came to court
and sang the lampoon of King Mark to the king himself! But though the
harper let Mark know he had been sent by Sir Dinadan, Mark transferred
the blame to Tristram, and again began scheming against his nephew.
Mark also turned his jealousy to his own brother Boudwin, who had
driven off another Saxon invasion by cleverly sending fireships out
into the middle of the invasion fleet. He summoned his brother to
court, and boldly murdered him with a dagger to the chest. Boudwin
left behind a widow, Anglides, and a young heir, the squire Alisander
le Orphelin. Everyone at court was stunned. Isoud ensured that
Anglides and Alisander were secreted out of Cornwall.
A few years passed before Mark's next act of treachery. In 550 AD,
Mark persuaded Tristram to go to a tournament hosted by Galahaut of
Surluse and King Bagdemagus. For some reason, Galahaut and Bagdemag's
were quite uncharacteristically plotting to kill Lancelot! But Mark
learned of their rash scheme, and decided to turn it to his advantage.
Through various intrigues, Mark insured Lancelot was prevented from
arriving at the tourney. Instead he encouraged Tristram's attendance.
Tristram did attend, and as usual, was in disguise. Galahaut and
Bagdemag's naturally assumed from his prowess Tristram was Lancelot in
disguise and attacked him. Tristram, surprised at their ferocity but
undaunted, held them off and won the honor of the day. (After this
episode, both lords repented their jealousy towards Lancelot and again
became his good friends.)
Yet Tristram was so sorely wounded that he had to carried off the
field in a litter. Mark was glad to bring Tristram such pain.
Feigning sympathy, he gladly escorted Tristram away to his castle,
saying "Fair cousin, I shall be your leech myself."
But late that night, he had Tristram taken away to another of his
castles, and there put him in a strong prison. Sir Sadok uncovered
Mark's villainy, and soon Dinas the Seneschal, the Cornish knights who
held of Tristram, and all of Lyonesse were in open rebellion. Mark
forged letters from the Pope and presented them to Tristram in prison.
The letters were preposterous: they summoned Tristram to Rome, where
he would put together an army for the Pope which would travel to
Jerusalem and make war against non-Christian locals. But they made no
sense -- why would the Pope in Rome want to put together an army to
slaughter Roman citizens in Judea? Worse yet, Tristram noted it was
in Mark's unmistakable handwriting. But though the story was
unbelievable, the ploy was obvious: Mark wanted Tristram to be free
but exiled rather than be a political prisoner, or worse yet, a martyr
for the rebellion. His kingdom was now at stake. But Tristram
refused to cooperate, preferring to remain in prison.
The entire situation was defused by Percivale. Through his great
skills, he rescued Tristram from prison before the war became bloody
reality. Though Mark was incensed at Percivale's news, it probably
also saved his kingdom from dissolution. Dinas had assembled a great
army against Mark. But without Tristram's imprisonment to rally
around, the army quickly dispersed. As well, Mark made false promises
before Percivale to put aside his enmity, and also forged additional
letters from the Pope stating that Mark himself was going to go on the
strange crusade himself. Many lords thought it might be good if Mark
took a long vacation, and the remaining rebellious lords acquiesced
and dispursed to their own lands.
It would have been prudent to remain in arms long enough to ensure
Mark's departure. For no sooner had the last of the rebel lords left
court then Mark once again imprisoned Tristram! But Sir Sadok and
Dinas arranged a minor coup, and imprisoned Mark himself. They then
freed Tristram from prison, put him on a boat with Isoud and send them
off to Logres. (At the time they did not know how long they would
have to escape, but as it turns out, they were able to keep Mark
imprisoned for the better part of a year.)
The years 551 AD to 554 AD mark the period of Tristram and Isoud's
exile from Cornwall, and the height of his glory. He was thirty-nine
and Isoud just a few years younger when they finally ran away
together. Once in Logres, all of the shame and degredation of their
recent tribulations in Cornwall quickly washed away. They spent a
great deal of time with Lancelot at Joyous Garde over the next few
years.
When Arthur learned of their safe arrival in Logres, he summoned them
to Camelot as his personal guests. The High King was so overjoyed to
see Tristram he declared that on the next May Day there should be a
great tournament in their honor at the Castle of Lonazep, which was
near Joyous Garde.
In the meanwhile, though, Tristram spent his days in idyllic knightly
bliss: hunting, hawking, enjoying Isoud's embrace without fear of
discovery or treachery. On his fourtieth birthday, one could honestly
say there was probably no happier man on the face of the earth than
Tristram of Lyonesse.
The month before the tourney, Tristram adventured across the land with
the other knights of the Round Table. He reunited with his old friend
Dinadan. He fought and defeated Agravaine and Gaheris for their
treacherous slaying of Sir Lamorak. Yet he befriended their brother
Gareth, who had no part in the murder. Not long after, he also met
Palomides on the road. After so many years of bitterness, Palomides
and Tristram finally set aside their differences.
Shortly after, Palomides took his leave to revenge the death of King
Hermance of the Red City. The others retired to Joyous Garde, where
Palomides met up with them after his successful quest. The two old
enemies were now fast friends.
Tristram and Palomides were riding together hunting in the woods
beside Joyous Garde one day when Sir Bruenis Saunce Pite attacked
them. Tristram, totally unarmored, would have been run through had
not Palomides rammed his horse into Breunis' flank at the last minute.
As always, the villain escaped, but at least no one was seriously
injured.
Shortly after that narrow brush with death, Tristram and his
companions ventured to the Lonazep Tournament. It was one of the most
ornate and largest tourneys ever held. Rather than recount the
thousands of individual skirmishes, jousts and melees, suffice it to
say that Palomides won the first day's prize, Tristram the second,
Lancelot and Tristram split the third day's prize. But by the end of
the tournament, tempers had flared, and pledged friendships failed.
Palomides once again stormed off, angry at Tristram's turning to King
Arthur's side late in the tourney.
Afterwards, there was a feast of seven days' length at Camelot. This
was partly for Guenever's sake, since she had been too ill to travel
north to see the Lonazep tourney.
Tristram and Palomides were again reconciled not long after: Palomides
had in the meanwhile, been imprisoned by the father of a knight who
was slain at the tournament by Palomides. Tristram had heard of
Palomides' plight and rode to resuce him, but Lancelot arrived first.
But Palomides was moved and greatful for Tristram's show of
friendship. Together the three great knights retired to Joyous Garde.
But Palomides closeness to La Beale Isoud rekindled his old passions
for her. One day many months later, when Tristram was riding through
the forest, he heard Palomides sing a plaintive song of love for Isoud
while sitting by a well. Tristram was enraged. Palomides sadly
explained that he was free to love whomever he wished, even if his
love would never be requited. But Tristram would none of it. He
challenged Palomides to a day of reckoning for his "treason".
But Tristram was wounded by an arrow in the thigh during a hunt just
scant days before the arranged event. Palomides arrived at the well
again to make good his part of the duel, but Tristram never came. A
month afterwards Tristram was whole of his wounds and sought after
Palomides, but for the remainder of the summer of 554 AD, they never
encountered each other.
However, Tristram accomplished such great deeds that the entire de
Ganis clan (excepting Lancelot) grew quite jealous of his fame. Word
also reached Cornwall, where well-wishers cheered him on with letters
and gifts and recommendations. Tristram's estates had also flourished
during his absence. Tristram proved a great lord by displaying a
great deal of wisdom and insight in his remote management of his
demenses.
Finally Tristram and Palomides encountered each other. In a mad
battle which lasted over two hours, both knights hewed away at each
other as few knights have ever done before or since. At last,
Tristram knocked Palomides sword from his hand. Had Palomides stooped
to pick it up, he would have been cut down. At last, Palomides spoke
words of peace to Tristram, and recieved similar concilatory words in
return. Yet this time something else happened. Palomides agreed to
be Christened for Tristram's sake. So it was that Tristram and Sir
Galleron of Galway became Palomides' godfathers.
Tristram and Isoud were feasting with King Arthur later that year when
Arthur asked Isoud a question to the effect of "which would you rather
choose: a life of happiness and dishonor, or a life of misery and
honor?"
Though Tristram and Arthur went on to speak of many other matters,
this issue haunted Isoud. She could not shake the idea of returning
to Cornwall, and told Tristram she planned to do so three days later.
Solemnly, he agreed to return with her.
Even as she made her decision, Mark was busy arranging the murder of
Alisander le Orphelin, the orphan son of Boudwin, who he had likewise
murdered. So the "honor" in returning to Cornwall was dubious -- Mark
was universally reviled by this point. Perhaps Isoud had other
reasons she shared with none other except Tristram. For instance, the
recent beginning of the Grail Quest had raised to all of Christian
Britain many questions about piety.
For the duration of the Grail Quest, Tristram stayed by Isoud's side
in Cornwall. Isoud, for her part, avoided Mark and kept to her own
series of rooms in Tintagel. For the next four long years, Tristram
and Isoud led a modest life among the gloom at Tintagel. Jealousy and
fear had reached a new height in Mark. He had heard Alisander's
knewly-knighted son, Bellengerus le Breus, was already preparing to
take his vengance on his great uncle. In the end, it led to his
madness.
One afternoon in 559 AD, as Isoud listened to Tristram's sad harping
and Bragwine napped quietly beside the windowsill, Mark crept into the
chamber. He raised a "trenchant glaive" (sharp sword) and brought it
down on Tristram's back. Isoud shrieked. Bragwine rose in alarm, but
it was too late. Tristram of Lyonesse lay dead. Mark looked
menacingly to Isoud as well, but she knelt beside Tristram and touched
his face for one last time. With that, she swooned upon his body and
died of grief.
The whole world seemed to shudder at the news. Indeed many say that
when the land of Lyonesse was consumed by the sea the following year,
it was in response to the horrible wrong that had been done to the
greatest knight Cornwall had ever known.
Mark had the lovers buried side-by-side. Thereafter many red roses
grew upon Tristram's grave, and white roses upon Isoud's, for his soul
was full of knightly courage, and she was always a true and pure lady.
King Mark himself lived for six more years in ignoble disgrace. After
the battle of Camlann, Mark raised a motley force of free-booters and
used it to plunder the once-great city of Camelot. But when he
returned to Cornwall, he found Sir Bellengerus le Beuse had pursued
him to Tintagel. In this final battle Bellengerus, great-nephew of
King Mark, took swift revenge for Mark's dishonorable murders of his
own kinsman: his brother Boudwin, and his nephews Alisander le
Orphelin and the good Sir Tristram, and for causing the death of his
own queen, La Beale Isoud.
--------------------
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