The next big game was planned for around Valentines day:
Well I started to get ready for the next G.R.O.G. Meet up and the next big Oldhammer Game.
The background for the next game is basically Robin Hood set in Gloucestershire:... A tale of love and betrayal in an English Vale.
An Oldhammer game set against a real historical Background.
(Using Bretonnian miniatures).
Introduction[/u][/b]
The game is set against the backdrop of civil war in England and the struggle between Steven and Empress Maud to rule England.
Many noblemen, and others with power, withhold and change their allegiances whilst others simply taken advantage of troubled times to gather as much power, wealth and land as they can.
In such times the common folk of England suffer greatly from injustice and abuse which goes un-rectified owing to the general breakdown of law and order.
In such times, when good folk are faced with the depredations of rapacious robber knights and mercenaries, heroes emerge to defend those unable to defend themselves. This is a tale of one such hero.
The History
The setting
The Vale of Berkeley. The vale lies between the Cotswold Hills and the river Severn, south west of Gloucester.
It has rich pasture lands, small villages dotted about, some hilly outcrops and a few woods.
The date
The date is 1138. Stephen has been on the throne of England for three years.
Important characters:
The most powerful man in the area is Roger de Berkeley. A Norman Nobel Owner of Berkeley castle and Dursley (Dersilege Durslea, Doursley) Manse. (A fortified manor house) Where he can usually be found. The building of his castle is not completed and Roger resides in Dursley. Roger holds his lands from the king and supports him.
Brictward. The Reeve of Berkeley. An Englishman regarded by locals as a turncoat for the way he sucks up to the nobles. This was an important position as he is responsible for the revenue from the Kings lands and holds lands of his own in the nearby hamlet of Cromhall.
Prior Gilbert. Prior of the Priory at Stanley. (44) A young and vigorous man. He handles the estates well and is moderately well liked by the locals
Robert FitzHarding (42) AKA Robert the devout. (AKA Robin Hood). Anglo Saxon … a common man who is eventually knighted for his services to the king and became Baron of Berkeley in 1155 After Roger de Berkeley. His daughter marries Roger (le jeune). His son marries Alice. (Rogers’s daughter)
Roger (Le jeune) Son of Roger de Berkeley whist he publicly supports the king … he does not support the king. Eventually Marries Helen.
Alice. Daughter of Roger de Berkeley. Sister to Roger (Le jeune) Eventually Marries Maurice fitzRobert fitzHarding. Lived happily ever after (to an old age together).
Helen Daughter of Robert Fitzharding Eventually marries Roger de Berkeley.
Maurice FitzRobert FitzHarding. AKA ‘The make peace’. (18) Marries Alice Lived happily ever after (to an old age together).
Important places:
Berkeley (Berchelai):. (Population 270) A large and important village in medieval times built on a slightly raised area of land west of the Cotswolds on the Little Avon River on the south edge of the village (which was tidal and navigable as far as Berkeley) with a port, a market and supporting two mills. It was also a fording point on the Bristol to Gloucester road. It was the meeting place for a large and extensive hundred. The environs have 8 mills and a population of 2,200.
Berkeley castle: The castle was built by Earl William fitzOsbern in 1067 right after the Norman Conquest, but is not pleasant accommodation being a simple wooden fort atop a motte and surrounded by a bailey defended by a wooden stockade defended on two sides by a stream widened into a moat. In 1117 Roger started construction of a stone shell keep and stone walled ward within the bailey.
Dursley (Dersilege Durslea, Doursley) Fortified Manor House. Where Roger de Berkeley resides whilst his castle is being completed.
Longbridge. (Hamlet near Berkeley) Church where “Master Dominic” and four “Brothers” run a hospital for the sick and poor. There good works are available to any who call unable to afford treatment elsewhere. Dominic and the four brothers are, in fact, Knights Templars. (and quite handy in a fight). (OK so that last bit is not exactly historical fact.
)
Frampton (Frantone) Manor and Mill. Drogo Fitzpoyntz.
Frocester (Frowcestre) Manor. Huge tithe barn. The grange houses a fat steward sent to run the manor.
Priory at Stanley (Stanlege) founded by Roger de Berkeley II (father of the current Roger de Berkeley. He invited 12 brothers from Gloucester Abbey there.
The Story
The story is that Roger de Berkeley (who is basically Alan Rickman’s sheriff of Nottingham) whilst not being ‘evil’ he is not very popular for no other reason than he is a Norman Nobel. He is not made any more popular with the English folk due that the fact that Brictward, The Reeve of Berkeley, is a complete git (Every Guy of Gisborne character rolled into one) who goes around collecting as much tax as he possibly can … and being as unpleasant about it as he can be. He was bullied as a child and now finds himself in a position of power.
Robert fitzHarding who is just a local merchant (A seller of weapons … so is quite handy with a sword and a bow) leads a secret life as an outlaw confounding the plans of Roger de Berkeley. His son has discovered his father’s secret life and is following in his footsteps. (Think Anthony Hopkins and Antonio Banderas in the Mask of Zorro). Much like in the mask of Zorro Roger de Berkeley (and indeed everyone else assumes they are the same man when they are masked!)
Alice, who is NOT in fact the daughter of Roger de Berkeley but his ward after her father died, has fallen in love with Maurice (having seen him during a daring escape from the clutches of Roger de Berkeley following an incident involving the shooting of one of the Kings deer). Maurice has also taken a shine to Alice with the added bonus that it would annoy Roger de Berkeley.
Meanwhile Roger (le jeune) has fallen in love with a local Saxon girl … the daughter of a merchant. Helen. This relationship has been forbidden by both fathers. By Roger as his son must not marry a Saxon and by Robert because he wants his daughter to have nothing to do with the son of his arch enemy. Obviously their father’s disapproval has done nothing to dampen the flames on this forbidden love.
Prior Gilbert if very fond of Alice and looks out for her. He is very fond of Beer.
The Character’s goals
Roger de Berkeley - To bring to justice the outlaw Robin Hood and keep Roger away from Helen.
Brictward the Reeve of Berkeley - To collect as much Tax as he can.
Prior Gilbert - To protect the Priory, the brothers, Alice and to secure as much beer as he can.
Robert FitzHarding (Robin Hood) - To avoid capture, to protect the locals, to rob from the rich and to give to the poor as much as possible and keep his daughter away from Roger.
Roger (Le Jeune) - To see as much of Helen as he can without his father finding out.
Helen - To see as much of Robert (le jeune) as she can without her father finding out.
Alice - To get Maurice to fall in love with her.
Maurice - To follow in his father’s footsteps, avoid capture, to protect the locals, to rob from the rich and to give to the poor.... and he doesn't know it yet but to fall in love with Alice.
The Players
One side plays Roger de Berkeley, Alice and Brictward and tries to achieve as many of their objectives as possible.
The other side plays Robert fitzHarding, Maurice and Prior Gilbert and tries to achieve their objectives.
Roger (le jeune) and Helen are GM controlled always move their full move distance towards each other except when they come within six inches of their fathers and under their control.
