Toni Sihvonen (order #92780) 62.142.248.1

Toni Sihvonen (order #92780) 6
Father Guilleme, Corrupt Priest
Insight 1,750
SIZ 9 Move 1
DEX 9 Damage 2d6
STR 5 Hit Points 19
CON 10 Armor None
APP 14 Age 34
Attacks: Dagger 15, Horsemanship 8
Significant Traits: Lustful 15. Worldly 17. Indulgent 18
Significant Passions: Loyalty (Jaufre) 16 Love (the Devil) 16
Significant Skills: Awareness 14, Chirurgery 14, First Aid 16,
Folklore 15, Intrigue 14, Read (Latin) 14. Religion
(Christianity) 12, Sight 13
Magical Talents: Emotion (Hate) 17. Weather Control 12
Horse: Mule (Move 6)
Equipment: Habit, magical accessories
Description: A thin man, of sour countenance. His clothes
and jewelry are all of sumptuous quality, but grease-stained
and soiled.
The Adventure of Hussa and the Marshmen
The Situation
Hussa is a mean-tempered thegn who holds his land from
Saeberht. Recently, he accused one of Eafa’s heorthgeneats
of robbery and rape, but the court case went
against him - Eafa not only denied his claim, but fined
him 100 scillings for wasting an ealdorman’s time. Hussa
went away from the court muttering about how unfair
the entire trial was, and how Eafa would regret his decision.
A few days later a herd of cows was raided and the
herdsmen killed on Eafa’s land near the marsh.
Over the next three weeks several more cows disappeared
from Eafa’s lands, from nearby Sedlescombe, and
from the players’ herds; several ceorls and slaves were
killed or wounded. The wounded herdsmen positively
identified their assailants as marshmen - backward folk
who have lived in the coastal marshes since before the
Romans - and they claimed to have seen Hussa in the
neighborhood not long before the raids. The ealdormen
of Ealacsham and Sedlescombe want vengeance, as
would any true Saxon leader.
Accusations
Because the accusers are ealdormen, they cannot hear
their own case, and must appeal to Cenwal for justice.
They accuse Hussa of murder, cattle theft, and betraying
his lord. The charges are bootless, requiring death or ban-
ishment. Cenwal will hear the case but wants to go raiding
in three days.
Each ealdorman has 1,000 Oath-weight +ld6x100 Oathweight
from their athfultum. Player characters who lost
cattle or followers can gather Oath-weight to their side.
Hussa’s whereabouts are unknown, even to his cynn,
who seem reluctant to help him (but see below). It is
widely believed that Hussa will flee the theod rather than
plead his case against ealdormen.
While Eafa and Saeberht agree on Hussa’s guilt, they view
this case differently as a test of the theod’s justice. Eafa
distrusts the Haestingas, who killed his grandfather: now,
if Cenwal does not come down hard on Hussa, Eafa will
have still more grounds to question Cenwal’s leadership.
Saeberht wants swift justice as a rebuttal to complaints
against the Haestingas; he believes that Cenwal’s first duty
is enforcing peace within his lands. Both ealdormen will
oppose player characters who seem to be temporizing or
arguing for careful deliberations.
The Trial
As expected, Hussa does not show up for his trial. He is
represented by his oldest brother, Cuthred, a member of
Cenwal’s heorthwerod.
If the gamemaster wants to complicate things here, have
Cuthred defend Hussa. Perhaps there was substance to the
rape and robbery charges that Eafa haughtily dismissed.
That Hussa was sighted before a raid does not prove he
led it. Even if Hussa is helping the Marshmen, surely he is
bewitched by them - they are more like aelfan than
men. are they not? A defensive Cuthred will ask Cenwal
to rule that Hussa should be brought back alive for questioning.
Because he has no real oath-weight, Cuthred
offers to win his point against the ealdormen by ordeal.
If he prevails, he will join the hunt to ensure that no hasty
vengeance is taken against his brother. [Legal Ordeals,
Page 1281
Otherwise, Cuthred offers no defense. Cenwal outlaws
Hussa; any man may kill him without fear of wergild or
punishment. Cuthred receives Hussa’s land.
Eafa and Saeberht immediately appeal to Cenwal for aid
in hunting the fugitive and punishing the Marshmen for
their depredations. Cenwal is eager to raid west along the
Solent; aiding an expedition into Romney Marsh will
endanger his men and delay his plans. To gain Cenwal’s
help, each ealdorman must beat Cenwal’s Energetic 18