Royal Justice

At that point Joseki made several charges. (your Grace please post your missive) Stephan did try to account for his actions in the face of these charges and aquitted himself well. But was unable to refute the sheer mass of physical evidence presented. He was found guilty of brining a cursed weapon into Avalon. This being the weapon he left in the then Captain Craven’s hand. He was sentenced to remove this Item in the same fashion. It was stuck in his hand and he grandly carried it off. We look forward to his next return.

By Royal Request... My Missive...

Your Majesty,

I hope this letter finds you well and comfortable on your throne. Alas, It is with deepest regret that I must inform you of an epiphany I had this last court. The actions, causes, and characters involved in these events are from our history, but are of such magnitude and significance, and involve so many, so deeply, including many of the current citizens of Avalon, that I feel honor bound to relate them unto yourself. Woe that we see clearly now, what we were blind to in the past...

As many in the Kingdom, including yourself, are aware, there was a kind of "rivalry" between the Great Ship Seawolf and the Ship Integrity. This went on for many years and involved such actions as the Integrity trying to share their rat infestation with the Great Ship Seawolf. Soon after there was a change of Captains on the Integrity, and the "rivalry" did not end. At one point they even accused the Great Ship Seawolf of kidnapping their new Captain's daughter. (It was later proven that she had, in fact, ran away with her lover) Eventually, the Integrity was labeled " the Evil Ship" by the crew of the Great Ship Seawolf. Finally, the Integrity, numbers bolstered by mercenaries, attacked the Great Ship Seawolf and when the smoke cleared, the Great Ship Seawolf was the only ship sailing in the Kingdom, the Integrity having been burnt to the waterline…

After this, some of the Integrity's crew were found ashore talking of taking over the Great Ship Seawolf! Mysteriously, they disappeared before their words could echo. This is all common knowledge to any one living in the Kingdom at the time. I had thought the Integrity had just paid the price for trying to compete with the Great Ship Seawolf. I now feel I was cursed!!!

When the Integrity was infested with rats, it had a passenger, The Knight, Sir Steibhian Cridhe duBh cuLocksley. He had commissioned them to take him to a meeting with myself. (At the time I was the Captain of the Great Ship Seawolf) Under a “flag of truce” and with assurance of safe passage from the Knight and also the Captain of the Integrity, I gave over my weapons to my first mate and boarded the Integrity to parley and dine with the “good” Knight. The matter he wished to discuss, ironically enough, was one of honor. A female squire had recently challenged him. (Honestly, I don’t recall what that challenge was about) The Knight accepted the challenge and named it to be in heavy steel combat. The squire protested that she had no weapon to contest him on that field. I offered her use of my sword. This was the point of honor Sir Steibhian wished to talk to me about. He felt that by loaning her a blade, I was supporting her challenge. I tried to convince him I was not supporting the woman’s side, just enabling her to fight a challenge and not make her forfeit due to the lack of equipment. I explained that “he shouldn’t be afraid of losing against and untutored female squire in heavy steel, being that he was a combat knight and fought regularly in that style.” Even after telling him of the reputed mystical properties of my sword, that had thrashed him before, were purely fictional and would not see the woman victorious against him,would not appease Sir Steibhian. Although I was only a Captain at the time, I still knew honor, and refused his demands of retracting my offer to the squire.

At this, the unhappy knight did stab my left hand with a dagger, pinning it to the table. I do not know if this was done out of revenge for “wounding” his honor, pride or ego. Or, maybe he was attempting to skewer a piece of meat or a rat. Regardless, I left the Integrity feeling the “Flag of truce” and “Promise of Safe Conduct” to be of questionable value, and commented on Sir Steibhian’s sloppy eating habits. As I was leaving the Captain of that ship did apologize to me for the actions that had taken place aboard his vessel, as he had no for knowledge or his passenger’s intentions. This I did accept in good faith and out of friendship, though it would appear Karma was not to be so easily appeased… That is when the rats on the Integrity were driven mad by the smell of my blood, and attacked Integrity’s crew. They then tossed the rats overboard in all directions, some invariably towards my beloved ship. My crew, seeing the knife protruding from my hand and being pelted with rats, assumed we were under attack and returned fire! Thus, the “Rat War” began, as did the “rivalry” or “curse” as I now understand it to be.

I believe the knife is the physical token or focus of the curse. Let me describe the dagger… It is of the black curvy blade style much preferred by assassins and dark alley bravos. The handle is curved and inlayed with gold in the shape of an Oriental dragon, a place and beast both known for its dark magic. After removing the dagger from my hand, I threw it to the deck and the tip shattered and then melted and fused together. I praise Thor that the knight lacked the strength to activate that magic when he stabbed me. This all came to me with crystal clarity as I watched Sir Steibhian march from the dust of the Kingdom he now resides, into your presence in answer to your summons. And, as I watched the grass under his feet die, I realized that not one ship that he has sailed on has survived. Captain Porthos’ ship, where he was first mate, his own ship, the Bortas, and even the Integrity are all gone… It has all been left unconnected… unpunished until now…

I, Joseki Ko, Lord of the Crystal Bay, accuse now Viscount Sir Steibhian Cridhe duBh cuLocksley of the following crimes:

1; Dishonoring a Flag of Truce
2; Breaking a Pledge of Safe Conduct
3; Cursing an honorable ship of Avalon
4; Assault of a Captain of the Sea
5; Attempt to intimidate a citizen of Avalon
6; Infesting a ship with rats
7; Warmongering
8; Use of an assassins blade
9; Being a sloppy eater
10; AND…last but not least…KILLING THE KING’S GRASS!!!!

I feel he should be subjected to the King’s justice, at Your Majesty’s earliest convenience. I also look forward to divulging any further factual information that may be needed on this piece of Avalon’s history to see that justice is done.

In Service to the Dream,