Post by Catsmate on Jun 2, 2023 21:22:46 GMT
I've decided to split off my ideas for adapting some of the escapades of the Historians1 of St. Mart's Institute from the 'Mad Max' thread. This one is based on the short story of the same name (wiki).
When a Child is Born.
The travellers arrive, intentionally or not, in 1066. On Christmas Day in London to be more exact.
Maybe they're there purely by chance, maybe they're planning to see the coronation ofWilliam the Bastard King William I, or solve the historical mystery of what exactly happened at the coronation (there was some rioting, arson and looting2), or maybe they want to watch the beginning of the construction of what would become known as the Tower of London3.
Anyway they're there. Probably keyed up for the excitement, and prepared for the pomp and security that surrounds the coronation. Encourage the players to prepare for this, with cover identities, appropriate coinage, concealed (and hopefully non-lethal weapons), proper clothing, et cetera.
It doesn't matter as they won't be seeing the coronation after all.
The first hint of problems is when their transport doesn't arrive in a quiet, deserted, alley not far from Westminster Abbey (newly consecrated that year) but in several kilometres away in a snowy wood, on a hillside overlooking the smoke encompassed town of London.
Hopefully they selected comfortable footwear.
So, the PCs set off. After some trekking through the snow they find a trail of blood (human of anyone checks, and fresh) and human tracks in the snow.
The man, named Aelfric, was badly hurt when attempting to chop down a tree for firewood. He's mostly unconscious and appears classically 'Saxon' in appearance.
Assuming the PCs do the 'right' thing and treat his injury, which will require cleaning and stitching (or something in the line of ultra-tech medical tech)
Not far away they party finds his hut, quite spacious for the time, and well constructed of wood and thatch with pitch waterproofing. The place is tidy and neat, even the beaten earth floor is swept.
They also find his heavily pregnant wife, Alice. There's also his daughter, Aline, who may need to be coaxed out of her hiding place4,
So now there is work to do. A baby to deliver, a child to entertain, a man's leg to save. Also the sheep to feed and wood to gather (the fire is dying, that's why Aelfric went out).
Probably not a great thing to do, intervening and possibly changing history, but I suspect all but the most determined characters will intervene.
Quite likely someone will need to trek back to the party's transport for supplies, medical kit and other essentials, like food.
The birth actually goes fairly smoothly, though having a man performing the delivery will need some fast-talking (the eleventh century is not ready for male midwives).
Aelfric's son, Harald will be OK, at least for the moment.
The party could decide to scarper immediately that the family is safe, though the truly awful weather (and a desire to see the newborn safe) may keep them there for the night.
Hopefully someone's picked up some food before the weather got bad, anyway a meal is prepared and everyone settles down for the night.
The next morning (unless the GM fancies a little surprise during the night) it's bright and still, clear and cold. Though below the wood London is covered by a pall of smoke.
It's time to make a hasty departure, hopefully leaving no anachronistic materials behind *other than four people who would have died). Though making sure the sheep are fed and there's a supply of food and firewood would be nice.
Presumably when they're back home, or safely aboard their TARDIS/Achronic Omnibus, they'll done some research. There is no data to be found on the woodcutter Aelfric or his son, Harald.
More searching will however find something interesting.
It's the little girl Aline who's the important one.
She'll grow up into a great beauty, a woman who'll catch the eye of a king5 and bear him a daughter6, Alice Aline Fitzroy (Fitzroy being the traditional surname for a royal bastard).
She in turn would marry Mathieu I de Montmorency
One of their sons would be nd their child was Bouchard V de Montmorency, who'd marry Laurette of Hainaut and produce Alix Montmorency. In turn she'd marry Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester
And finally, their child would be Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester. The instigator, more-or-less, of the Second Barons War against Henry III and the person introduced parliamentary representation to England7.
1. And allied trades.
2. Generally attributed to Norman troops misinterpreting the noisy acclamation of the new king by the Saxon nobility as an attempted insurrection. The troops set fire to several nearby houses, while others attempted to extinguish the fires and others started looting.
3. Or retrieve something buried on the site centuries earlier.
4. This is not a nice period. There is massive unrest, Normans are violently displacing Saxons and the Saxons are fighting back.
5. Though it was Henry I so this would be pretty easy.
6. Henry fathered a lot of illegitimate children, though he did acknowledge them all.
7. He also massacred rather a lot of Jews.
When a Child is Born.
The travellers arrive, intentionally or not, in 1066. On Christmas Day in London to be more exact.
Maybe they're there purely by chance, maybe they're planning to see the coronation of
- As an added complication maybe they will have been at the coronation later in their personal timelines.
Anyway they're there. Probably keyed up for the excitement, and prepared for the pomp and security that surrounds the coronation. Encourage the players to prepare for this, with cover identities, appropriate coinage, concealed (and hopefully non-lethal weapons), proper clothing, et cetera.
It doesn't matter as they won't be seeing the coronation after all.
The first hint of problems is when their transport doesn't arrive in a quiet, deserted, alley not far from Westminster Abbey (newly consecrated that year) but in several kilometres away in a snowy wood, on a hillside overlooking the smoke encompassed town of London.
Hopefully they selected comfortable footwear.
So, the PCs set off. After some trekking through the snow they find a trail of blood (human of anyone checks, and fresh) and human tracks in the snow.
- If anyone asks, yes there were wolves in the period.....
The man, named Aelfric, was badly hurt when attempting to chop down a tree for firewood. He's mostly unconscious and appears classically 'Saxon' in appearance.
Assuming the PCs do the 'right' thing and treat his injury, which will require cleaning and stitching (or something in the line of ultra-tech medical tech)
Not far away they party finds his hut, quite spacious for the time, and well constructed of wood and thatch with pitch waterproofing. The place is tidy and neat, even the beaten earth floor is swept.
They also find his heavily pregnant wife, Alice. There's also his daughter, Aline, who may need to be coaxed out of her hiding place4,
So now there is work to do. A baby to deliver, a child to entertain, a man's leg to save. Also the sheep to feed and wood to gather (the fire is dying, that's why Aelfric went out).
Probably not a great thing to do, intervening and possibly changing history, but I suspect all but the most determined characters will intervene.
Quite likely someone will need to trek back to the party's transport for supplies, medical kit and other essentials, like food.
The birth actually goes fairly smoothly, though having a man performing the delivery will need some fast-talking (the eleventh century is not ready for male midwives).
Aelfric's son, Harald will be OK, at least for the moment.
The party could decide to scarper immediately that the family is safe, though the truly awful weather (and a desire to see the newborn safe) may keep them there for the night.
- If anyone checked on London, say through binocs, they'll find signs of shouting, screaming, smoke, and fighting. All clearly audible.....
Hopefully someone's picked up some food before the weather got bad, anyway a meal is prepared and everyone settles down for the night.
The next morning (unless the GM fancies a little surprise during the night) it's bright and still, clear and cold. Though below the wood London is covered by a pall of smoke.
It's time to make a hasty departure, hopefully leaving no anachronistic materials behind *other than four people who would have died). Though making sure the sheep are fed and there's a supply of food and firewood would be nice.
Presumably when they're back home, or safely aboard their TARDIS/Achronic Omnibus, they'll done some research. There is no data to be found on the woodcutter Aelfric or his son, Harald.
More searching will however find something interesting.
It's the little girl Aline who's the important one.
She'll grow up into a great beauty, a woman who'll catch the eye of a king5 and bear him a daughter6, Alice Aline Fitzroy (Fitzroy being the traditional surname for a royal bastard).
She in turn would marry Mathieu I de Montmorency
One of their sons would be nd their child was Bouchard V de Montmorency, who'd marry Laurette of Hainaut and produce Alix Montmorency. In turn she'd marry Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester
And finally, their child would be Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester. The instigator, more-or-less, of the Second Barons War against Henry III and the person introduced parliamentary representation to England7.
1. And allied trades.
2. Generally attributed to Norman troops misinterpreting the noisy acclamation of the new king by the Saxon nobility as an attempted insurrection. The troops set fire to several nearby houses, while others attempted to extinguish the fires and others started looting.
3. Or retrieve something buried on the site centuries earlier.
4. This is not a nice period. There is massive unrest, Normans are violently displacing Saxons and the Saxons are fighting back.
5. Though it was Henry I so this would be pretty easy.
6. Henry fathered a lot of illegitimate children, though he did acknowledge them all.
7. He also massacred rather a lot of Jews.