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Storm over Tintagel - A Cornwall AAR for CK:DV and the TASS mod

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When the sun rises at Land's End
and the fire of these old lighthouses are emblazed
some old cornish women, wise and grave,
whisper tales of a traveller
who came back to save a prospering land
at the end of man's known world ...

400px-Zawn_trevilley_lands_end_cornwall.jpg


This is the story of Gwynek Cerniw, the apostate duke, son of Maelgwn the Toothless. Taught by a wizard, toughened in bloody wars against the French and Scots, beloved by his wife Cristina O'Marr, excommunicated by the gutless pope and forced to abdicate, the great duke of Cornwall disappeared in the year 1137. A legend has it that the travelled to the pagan chief of Ulaid, where his fosterling brother Kaye Pendragon has risen to power, backed by the force of an old magic library.

Gwynekhasreturned.jpg


While he was away, his son and heir Cadan was killed by unknown hand, and his wife Cristina has nearley despaired in maintaing the regency. His younger son Zethar, a weak and chary boy, was quite too young to rule, and the ladies court prevented him from several dangers. The fought a war against the greedy french king and liberated Jerusalem from the heathens ... and in Ireland, the son of Kaye, the pagan lord Clydno "Dragonborn", enlarged his realms with the old cornish rites and the help of his pagan gods.
In the year 1149, twelve years after his abdication, Gwynek the Apostate returns to Cornwall, to help his young son Zethar to reign over Cornwall, to conserve the pagan recurrence in Ireland ... and to prevent his duchy from beeing captured by the norman menace.

GwynekFamilytree.jpg



I will continue my "Storm over Tintagel"-saga right now, and I hope you will follow it with interest and inquisitiveness. Please excuse weird grammar and lexis, and feel free to read the former chapters of my story.


Great things will happen in Cornwall, and you, as the audience, will have the chance to decide at some crucial points about the future of Cornwall.


The Apostate is back ...
 
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Book VI: Zethar the Priest

Chapter 1: Fatherly advices

YoungZethar.jpg


With the return of Gwynek Apostata, the balance of power in Cornwall is changing dramatically. He reminds his vassals to their oath; even the traitor Piran de Greystoc, former marshal of Cornwall who broke free from the duchy, now declares that Druz is still a vassaldom ... no words of independence any more!
The brave ladies return to their chambers, while the old duke - though not officially bearing his title - reorganizes the host and the court. Together with his wife Cristina, Gwynek tries to lay a solid grounding for Zethar's reign.
"I don't have many years left, Cristina", Gwynek says. "Soon, I will die, and my body will return to the earthen dragon who sleeps in the Cornish soil. Zethar may not be the strongest ruler of Cornwall, but if he's surrounded by good and loyal advisors, he might be an effective duke who can withstand his enemies."
And he looks to his boy, who trains the swordplay in the yard of Tintagel, together with a black-haired youngster with dark skin. His name is Ichchaam Qasim, a berber boy from Jerusalem, who has fled with his sisters to Cornwall during the ladies' crusade. His family - once jewish, now catholic - is very thankful for living in exile, and has sent the three children to the liberators of Jerusalem. At Tintagel, all of them form a deep friendship with Zethar
"The berbers might be helpful", Gwynek realizes. "They are not hampered by cornish boasts and biasses. We shall give those young Qasims some court positions, so they can build up the realm side by side with Zethar."

Berberclan.jpg


"And which position is designated for his parents?", Cristina asks.
"I am still excommunicated and do not believe in the Christian god any more ... I am forced to take a back seat. We will be the trusting advisors of our son - and shall stay at Tintagel. But the court has to move to the much larger and louder city of Exeter, where Zethar will be celebrated by the cornish people."

GwynekaschiefofCornwall.jpg


The young duke Zethar heeds the fatherly advices. Gwynek is designated as count of Cornwall, while the duchy court goes to Exeter; and the Qasim family accepts the most important offices at the court: marshal (Ichchaam), spymaster (Bibya) and steward (Zunagha).

Thecornishposessions.jpg


The return of the Apostate and the Berber's influence don't go unnoticed. The Sheik of Hebron, Ghalib Achmed, a fanatic enemy of the Qasims, openly shows his rivalry towards Cornwall; and the count of Surrey, a norse lord named Valdemar av Smaland, fears the growing-up duke Zethar, who is the most powerful vassal of England.
New and fierceful enemies for a boy, who has not even learnt to sit in the saddle ...

NewrivalGhalibofHebron.jpg


2ndrival-theNorse.jpg
 
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Things are looking up for Cornwall. The King must feel vulnerable with his capital almost surrounded by cornish lands. Your stats don't seem to match with your advisers stats and they seem to be too close to each other in age.
 
Ah, an attentive reader :)

Things are looking up for Cornwall. The King must feel vulnerable with his capital almost surrounded by cornish lands.
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Yeah, and he also has many claims on our provinces (gained them after the excommunication of Gwynek)

Your stats don't seem to match with your advisers stats
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Good point ... screenshot of Zethar was before I grantet the court positions to the Berbers.

and they seem to be too close to each other in age.
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You mean the Berbers? Yeah, I didn't mention that ... but they are siblings and moved to Cornwall during the crusade. Parents unknown ;-)
 
It's back! I'm a little late to the party but oh well.

Gwynek is really my favorite Cerniw by far. A pagan in a Christian world, wizard-trained, brilliant but besieged and exiled, with a long and contradictory set of traits. He looks like he came straight out the Celtic legends. :)
 
@ Enewald: well, he used to be catholic in his younger years ...

GwynektheHeretic.jpg


But in the twelve years of his absence, his mind has changed, concerning religious matters ... (*)

Nice to see so many people re-visiting "Storm over Tintagel"




______________________________________________
(*) ... with the help of notepad.exe ;-)
 
Performer, wow, wonderful story telling, great pictures and details. I love good CK AAR's and I think yours is one of the best I have read so far.
 
Chapter 2: The Hampshirian Handsale

Cornwall's heaviest burden is the high amount of debts. The following months, Gwynek tries to pinch and scrape, and the Cornish economy slowly turns upward. Meanwhile, the pagan lord of Ulaid, Clydno "Dragonborn", forms an ally with his neighbour, the duke of Connaught, and spreads the fear that Ireland will slowly converts to the pagan belief ...
Valdemar av Smaland, count of Surrey, has his own theorey. He is convinced that the Cornish are supporting Clydno, and that "Young harmless Zethar" will become a dangerous ally of the Dragonborn. He openly accuses King Bohemond of England of turning a blind eye to Cornwall's ambitions, and thinks of denouncing the vassalage.
Gwynek himself is not impressed by Valdemars accusations. "Poor norse chump. If he really rids himself from the norman rule, he and his norse warlords will be wiped out from the map. Nevertheless, what a great opportunity for our boy to save Cornwall from a likewise doom. He now can prove that he's a loyal vassal of Bohemond."

Zetharbecomesaloyalist.jpg


On his 16th birthday, Young Zethar Cerniw travels to Hampshire, where the king resides, and affirms his loyalty to Bohemond, who is alarmed by Valdemars activities. Together with Alfred, count of Suffolk , who has recently become Zethar's friend, he kneels down in front of the king, who is very touched by this loyalty.

Unitedfortheliege.jpg


Gwynek is pleased ... again, the normans' attention is driven away from Cornwall.
"Zethar, you should never forget the power of the king - and his claims on our duchy. Do not tease or betray him ... he won't pardon you. The heirs of William the Bastard have never forget that Cornwall resisted the normans in 1066."
"But they say we back the pagans", Zethar murmurs.
"Yes, and we are wise to do this. The Pendragon clan has to fulfill his destiny for the cornish people. Though we cannot openly help them ... but as a ruler, you should see that they are not being flushed away by the waves of history."
Gwynek's plan is to strenghten the friendship with the English court. King Bohemond is very impressed by the young duke Zethar, and he considers him as an important leaguer in his cause to unite England. Later the day, he even discuss with Gwynek about a possible dynastic bond between their families. Why not mixing norman an cornish blood? Several beakers are poured, and in the end the Hampshirian handsale affirms the marriage of convenience ... Zethar of Cornwall will wed the youngest daughter of Bohemond, Flandina de Bourgogne.

Hampshirianhandsale.jpg


A pompous wedding at Exterer is celebrated. King Bohemond and Gwynek Cerniw escort the bridal couple to the altar, and Zethar's sister Gluiucen, a skinny girl with bright eyes, scatters some flowers in front of their feet. A glorious day for Cornwall ... and the marriage portion reconstructs the finances of the poor duchy.

WeddingofExeter.jpg
 
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Enewald said:
Money!
The girl should be assassinated so you can remarry for more money. :p
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Assasinating the daughter of your king? :eek:o
He might not like that ...
And she probably will bear Zethar a heir for Cornwall ...
 
Chapter 3: The Berber's Bride

While Gwynek has banned the danger of being attacked by the norman king, the rivals of his son are not lazy. The sinister Sheik of Hebron secretly backs the rebels of Jerusalem who try to run the Cornish away from their homelands. Zethar is to send his marshal Ichchaam Qasim to the faraway province, where Ichchaam gloriously fight the muslim rebels, proving his Berber proud.

BattleofJerusalem.jpg


But he has underrated the old enemies of his clan. The Sheik of Jaffa, Burhanaddin Ahmed, sends some assasins to Jerusalem who assault Ichchaam in his tent. The young berber survives, though severely wounded, and returns to Cornwall, where he is celebrated as a heroic general.

Irchaamiswounded.jpg


"Now you have to prove your gratitude to your loyal marshal", Gwynek advises his son Zethar. "The Quasims has proved themselves as loyal courtiers, and Ichchaam nearly lost his live for Jerusalem."
"So, what should I do?", Zethar asks.
"Well, I have seen your sister Gluiucen at his sickbed quite often ... she seems to be fascinated of the Berber. And his feelings toward Gluicenen seem clear to me." Gwynek fatherly smiles. "Ichchaam Quasim would not be the worst son-in-law ..."
Zethar agrees; and soon, the engagement of Ichchaam Qasim and Gluiucen Cerniw, youngest daughter of Gwynek, is announced.
Gluiucen Cerniw ... this lean silent girl is a mystery. Her cleverness and quickness are exceptional for a girl aged 15, and her fascinations with daggers is special. Some men call her the dagger maid, cause Gluiucen herself is thin and skinny like a dagger's blade ... and here dark mood put many people off. But not Ichchaam. He truly falls in love with his fiancé, and tries to recover from his wounds as soon as possible.

DaggerMaid.jpg


Gwynek acknowledges his daughter as a gifted young lady, and sees to teaching her the lessons of etiquette and conversation ...
"She might play a further role in Cornwall", he says to his wife Cristina. "Zethar is not capable of playing the cloak-and-dagger-game, which is needed every now and then. He spends too much time with the bible, in my opinion ..."
Oh yes, he does! Zethar - though not challenging his father's paganity - is a devoted lover of god and Jesus Christ, and when he finishes his education, the diocese bishop characterizes him as one of the "most intellectual theologians of our times".

Zetharcomesoffage.jpg


Gwynek fells that he is now at the end of his tether. Death is lurking around the corner, and Gwynek thinks with sorrows on Cornwall's future.
"Zethar", he monishes his son. "Do not forget what I have told you! Stay loyal to England, as long as we Cornish people are to weak to rid those normans and anglo-saxons out of Britain. And Ulaid ... keep an eye on Ulaid and the Dragonborn. His realm should not be destroyed. It is important for our future that the old Cornish gods do have their silent retreat."
Zethar respectfully nodds. But in private, he crosses himself, and prays to God that his father will return into the pales of the Church before he dies.
But his prayers go unheard.

On 7th April 1150, Gwynek Apostata, count of Cornwall and former duke of Cornwall and Wessex, passes away in his chamber ... and some old Cornish ladies whispers that the hidden dragons carry his soul to his long forgotten gods.

deathofGwynek.jpg
 
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