The Maiden Meets Her God ... Almost.
The flags capping the encamped tents of the French in the smoldering, conquered city of Caen snap on through the darkening night, beating out a martial lullaby in a cadence which the troops, in this momentary idyll between battles, find most soothing. Indeed, as the bells of Caen's cathedral peal midnight, most of the French are either asleep or too far in their cups (of looted Norman wine and beer!) to care.
In the midst of the silence, a shadowy shape creeps through the encampment, deftly making its nearly formless way, without the slightest sound, across the green grass of Caen's outlying pastures, towards a very special tent, indeed.
The pure white tent of the Maid, her banner hung outside its entry, stands stark and silent sentinel, an object of comfort and assurance to the French, even in their sleep. Tonight, however, Jeanne sleeps, unaware of the menacing shape which slinks its way through the flap into her tent. Winding its way around campaign table littered with maps, a guttering lantern fast losing its fuel, towards a cot upon which sleeps the Maid, bedecked as ever for battle. In slumber, she casts an innocent shape, the gory triumphs of battle washed away and an almost angelic countenance in perfect repose, even wreathed in iron armor as it is now.
The assassin cares not. He'll slit the throat of Christ himself it will mean a ducat in his pocket, and with careful, almost relishing slowness he withdraws a slim dagger from within the recesses of a voluminous cloak. Bending down ever so carefully, the assassin progresses his dagger towards the slender and delicate throat of the Maid ... almost touching ... almost there.
.
Roll for Jeanne's survival: 1-8 survives, 9 murdered sloppily, 10 swift death: 2
Roll for assassin's detection: 1 leaves undetected, 2-3 leaves evidence behind and escapes with Maid in tow, 4-10 brought down with evidence and Jeanne saved: 3
Jeanne stirs in troubled dreams. The assassin hesitates. Waits. She desists. He continues. Closer. Closer. Her eyes snap open, arms beat in furtive resistance of her assaulter. She is too loud, however. He cannot do the deed here, and so, no alternative left, scoops the Maid up in his arms, continues to gag her with his mailed and gloved fist, and swiftly departs the tent.
However, the Maid's armor clanking has sounded an alarum, and the would-be assassin is forced to beat a harder retreat than he should have liked. Indeed, so sloppy is he that his changepurse falls to the ground with a clink even as he steals a destrier and makes off with the Maiden down a Normandy road ...
It is therefore in short order that the French find some coinage ... marked with the two-headed eagle of the Holy Roman Empire. Just where, and who is behind it, remains unknown.
Result:
Jeanne d'Arc is captured. (Effects of Jeanne terminate immediately)
Holy Roman Empire's complicity uncovered. (France gains permanent CB against an Imperial vassal of its choosing.)
International outrage. (The community of states is outraged at this offense, and pressure placed upon the Emperor to reveal the perpetrator and return the Maiden. Austria loses 2 morale until Jeanne returned alive or turns up dead.)
