Date: Sun, 22 Sep 1996 04:21:10 +1000 (EST) From: Timothy Ferguson Kay, and an expansion of Arthur's family from the Mabinogion. (c) Timothy Ferguson 1996, all rights reserved. Any resemblance to any person living or dead is due to mental illness on the part of the reader. Sir Kay is the foster-brother of the High King and was raised as part of the class of Household Knighthood. It is perhaps due to this that he takes so pragmatic a view of the tasks of rulers, and is so unimpressed by the pretentions of the Court. Kay is the voice of practicality surrounded by idealists. He isn't religious, he isn't chivalrous and although he's romantic, his armor is for Gwenivere, meaning it is diffuse so that it takes little time away from his more important tasks. The realm must be defended. Knights must be trained. Young men need their baby fat knocked out of them. Kay is, in the stories, regularly defeated by knights with far less experience, because the Magic of Britain sustians them against him. His time, the time of warriors and lands and strategy and ordinance, is both passed and yet to come. In his role as Steward of the Realm Kay is extremely valuable to the Gamesmaster as a hook for stories. Kay knows where the adventures are to be found and can sometimes estimate if a character is likely to fail, by comparing them with previous questers. In the Courts of King Arthur, Kay is the man who always has a little problem he'd like the player-characters to solve. Many PCs should dislike Kay intensely. His acid tongue and humiliating quips are infuriating, but no older knight steps in protect his targets from humiliation. Kay is often described as a bully and a blowhard, this is because many authors, and most PCs, fail to see his longer-term goals. Kay knows that the life at Court is soft. He also knows that the sons of most landholders are stupid and vain, thinking themselves warlords while being incompetent in battle. Most knights squire out their sons, because fathers are usually not demanding enough in their instruction. War is not a game and squires who are coddled are more likely to die. Heirs to land, however, are treated always with deference and unearned respect. Kays humiliations are part of the process of knocking these young men into shape, by goading them into seeking glory before the plush Court spoils them permanently. The other Knights, many of whom have been through this process themselves, understand what Kay is doing, and approve, so if asked for help their line will be "Well, prove him wrong! Go out and seek adventure! Come back with scars and glory!". This is how Arthur's Court deals with the idle sons of the rich. Twice in Malory one of Kay's tormentees returns to court and jousts him down. Many authors see this as a victory of the genteel knight over the bully, which it may be, but on the deeper level, Kay is the victor. He has produced a valiant defender for his brother's realm out of an arrogant pup. He might take a bruise or two, but all that means is that the knights he has produced are particularly fine. For inspiration, listen to Jonny Cash's "A Boy named Sue." You, as GM, will know you are playing Kay well when your PCs deliberately leave their sons within shouting distance of him. Kay has traits which are strongly affected by his target audience. He sees no room for compassion or mercy when facing enemies of the realm. He knows that all he has is his brothers, so he doesn't waste anything. His high selfish score reflects this fanatical thrift. Kay is a cynic and is willing to think the worst of his brother's enemies, rarely failing to understand their intrigues. His Amor for Gwenievere, however, blinds him to her spiritual flaws, and so he does not believe that she could betray his brother. In some versions of the story, Kay is the killer of Arthur's son, Borre, as he tries to steal the young man's glory for killing a giant. This may stem from an older tradition in which Arthur or Kay murder the High King's evil son before he can destroy the Realm. In Malory this murder does not seem to affect how people feel toward Kay, not even Arthur, for whom Borre was an important demonstration of his potency, giving the bareness of Arthurs marriage. Personal Data Name Kay Homeland Norgales Culture Cymric Religion: Christian Father's Name: Ector Father's Class: Knight Son Number 1 Lord Arthur. Current Class: Seneschal, Duke of Normandy Current Home: Camelot. Age 46 Year Born 488 Personality Traits Chivalry Bonus [] (total =80+) No Religion Bonus: No Chaste 14 / 6 Lustful Energetic 20 / 0 Lazy Forgiving 8 / 12 Vengeful # Generous 4 / 16 Selfish Honest 12 / 8 Deceitful # Just 16 / 4 Arbitrary Merciful 4 / 16 Cruel *# Modest 6 / 14 Proud * Pious 6 / 14 Worldly Prudent 18 / 2 Reckless Temperate 13 / 7 Indulgent Trusting 5 / 15 Suspicious # Valorous 20 / 0 Cowardly Directed Trait: * (To knights he is goading, or considers lazy.) +4 Directed Trait: # (To his brothers enemies) +2 Passions Loyalty (Arthur) 21 Love (family) 16 Hospitality 15 Honor 10 Amour (Gwenivere) 15 Fraternity (Round Table) 15 [NOTE, I Still think this is a Loyalty (Group)] Fraternity (Hallowmass Fraternity) 15 [Loyalty (Group)] Equipment Carried Armor Type [14 pts +3 Chiv] Part. Plate Clothing [5 Librum value] Equipment: As befits his station. Statistics SIZ 14 (Knockdown) DEX 12 STR 14 CON 14 (Major Wound) APP 11 Damage ((STR+SIZ)/6) 5d6, but see sidebar. Healing Rate ((STR+CON)/10) 3 Movement Rate ((STR+DEX)/10) 3 Total Hit Points (SIZ+CON) 28 Unconscious (HP/4) 7 Distinctive Features Sneer, knowing glance, cynical chuckle. Skills Awareness 9 Boating 2 Chirurgery 0 Compose 0 Courtesy 13 Dancing 10 Faerie Lore 3 Falconry 5 First Aid 13 Flirting 3 Folk Lore 17 Gaming 7 Heraldry 15 Hunting 3 Industry 0 Intrigue 18 Orate 15 Play (Harp) 2 Read (Latin) 10 Recognize 17 Religion (Christian) 5 Romance 5 Singing 3 Stewardship 25 Swimming 2 Tourney 7 Glory 7 000 Combat Skills Battle 7 Horsemanship 18 Weapon Skills Sword 25 Lance 25 Dagger 8 Spear 10 Horses Best Warhorse Type Destrier Damage 8d6 Move 7 Armor 5 HP 52 SIZ 42 CON 10 DEX 10 Breed Attack Skill Kay and Arthur first meet when the hidden prince steals Kays mothers milk. Kay seens to have forgiven him this, but does not forgive himself for being lax on Arthur when he was a squire. The rest of the court may rue this, however, as Kays wetnurse taught him the power of a sharp tongue. He is knighted on All Hallowmass (November the first) of 508 and travels with his father and foster-brother to the Cantebury Tournament. He claims to have pulled the Sword from the stone, but this is not widely known, as his father determines the truth of the matter before a crowd forms. Ector asks the boon that Kay be Arthurs Seneschal, which the still-shocked boy agrees to, swearing that Kay shall be the only sensechal so long as either he or Arthur lives. Kay first demonstrates he is no mean knight at the All Hallowmass feast for the kings of Ganis, where he acts as their waiter, an honour he shares with Gilfret and Lucan. Afterward he does mighty deeds on the tourney field, but is finally unhorsed. His team rallies to avenge his fall and wins the melee, so that the prizes are awarded to himself, Gilfret and Lucan. During the battles of Bedegraine and Terrabil he serves with distinction, but his military careers high point is in the battle against the five invading kings at the Humber river. Arthurs forces are suprised and he, Kay, Gawaine and Gilfret appear unable to get Gwenivere off the field of battle. Kay spots the opposing kings and says Lets kill them then!. Gawaine points out that they are outnumbered, so Kay promises to bag the spare himself and charges one down with his lance, thrusting it through the shield, armour and body of his rival. The rest of the band, enheartened, follow suit while Kay slices the lasts head off with a single blow, which ends the battle in impressive fashion. Arthur promises to honour him so long as Arthur lives and Gwenivere says that any woman he desires should be ashamed to refuse him, each noting that he made a great vow and kept it, which is glorious. Pellinore caps this triumph by suggesting that Kay be made a Round Table knight and Arthur acclaims him as the best of the seven candidates Pellinore has yet named. As the others included Uriens, Gawiane, Hervis, Lak and Gilfret, this is high praise indeed. After the early battles, Kay settles into the courtly life, administering Hampshire personally on behalf of his brother. During the war with Rome Kay forms part of Arthurs bodyguard and might even have borne the Royal Standard, which precludes the use of a shield. Kay and Lamcelot are rivals insofar as both are dedicated to Gwenivere's service and regularly fight for the right to defend her. He gains a divided reputation. Everyone knows that he is a mighty warrior and that he has killed more kings than most knights ever will, but he is not an adventurer and he has a churlish and caustic tongue. In some works, he becomes a bit of a bumbler and is regularly knocked off his horse by all comers, but in Pendragon we have other knights to represent churlishness, such as Sir Ironside and his Red Knights, so Kay need not be humbled to demonstrate the victory of gentility over commonality. When Arthur goes to kill the Giant of Saint Michaels Mount, he takes only Bedivere and Kay with him, a return to the pairs glory days in the Mabinogion. Kay ignores the Grail Quest completely. Frankly, he has better things to do than go traipsing around the countryside looking for a bloody cup. If God wants him to have it, He'll put it back on the Round Table. He becomes the Duke of Anjou, but its suggested that G.Ms modify this to Normandy or Brittany, possibly making him the founder of Calais. He dies in Burgundy during Arthurs final war with the Romans, killed by the Emperor after Gawaine kills the Emperor's son. Arthur kills the Emperor in reprisal. Sidebar======================================================== Kay in the Mabinogion. In the early Welsh tales Cei and Bedyr are Arthurs finest knights. Later authors, wanting to make their new heroes paragons, note that they defeat Kay, in the same way we might say that a knight defeated Lancelot today. This device has been so overused that defeating Sir Kay seems now to be a minor matter, something that Round Table knights do at the culmination of their first adventure. In the old tales, Kay is terrifying. Extracts from "Culhwch and Olwen, from the Mabinogion, Jones and Jones (trans.). "Cei had this peculiarity, nine nights and nine days his breath lasted under water, nine nights and nine days would he be without sleep. A wound from Cei's sword no physician might heal. A wonderous gift had Cei: when it pleased him he would be as tall as the tallest tree in the forest. Another perculiarity had he: when the rain was heaviest, a handbreadth before his hand and another behind his hand what would be in his hand would be dry, by reason of the greatness of his heat; and when the cold was hardest on his comrades, that would be to them kindling to light a fire." "Cynyr Fair-Beard (Cei was said to be his son. He said to his wife If there be anything of me in they son, maiden, cold will his heart be ever, and there will be no warmth in his hands. Another perculiarity will be on him; if he is my son, headstrong will he be. Another perculiarity will be on him: when he carries a burden, be it great or small, it will never be seen neither from in front nor from behind. Another perculiarity will be on him; none will endure fire and water so well as he. Another peculiartiy will be on him: there will be no servant or officer like him)" These two conflict slightly, in that his hands are hot in the first and cold in the second. Arthurs host stops at a castle and are told that none may enter unless he is a craftsman. I am the best furbisher of swords in the world, says Cei and is allowed in. He sharpens the sword of the giant who lives there, offers to fix the scabbard and, while holding both, sinks the sword into his hosts head. He later ambushes Arthurs greatest enemy and takes his magical beard out using wooden tweezers. After this Arthur says If he wasn't dead, you would be. which to Cei sounds ungreatful, so he leaves Arthurs court and there is much trouble between them. He is slain by one of Arthurs men, Gwyddawg son of Menestyr, but then Arthur slays Gwyddawg and his brothers to avenge Cei, so perhaps there was a reapproachment later. Cei has a daughter, Celemon, and a son, Garanwyn. Each are members of court, but no details are given of them beyond their names. Sidebar ends==================================================== Insert========================================================= Loyalty (Hallowmass Fraternity) Kay, Gilfret and Lucan found this fraternity after serving Ban and Bors at dinner, agreeing to form a melee team. After their victory this is formalised into a society whose members remain close for the rest of their lives. Although each is a warrior of great ability none are adventurers as they are bound to the Kings work. Kay feeds the court and adminsters the demense, Gilfret is groomed for Marshalship of Arthurs field army and Lucan is Arthurs butler, that is, he is cellarer of Camelot. Other, lesser, officers of the Royal Household might also be part of this society, so long as they hold to its principle that personal glory is not as important as the glory of Arthur, which is expressed through the prosperity of his realm, which is maintained through wise administration. End Insert====================================================== Separate item, insert for the Pendragon clan section: ============================================================= In the Mabinogion Arthurs family is far larger than in Malory. His most important relative is Culhwch, who is one of the main characters in Culhwch and Olwen and is his nephew. As with many of Arthurs nephews, it is not made clear wether he is related on Arthurs paternal or maternal side. His other relatives mentioned are: "Teregud, Son of Iaen Sulien, son of Iean Brandwen, son of Iaen Moren, son of Iaen Siawn, son of Iaen Cradawg, son of Iaen Men of Caer Dathal were they, kindred to Arthur on his fathers side... Gormant son of Rica (brother to Arthur on his mothers side, his father the chief elder of Cornwall.)... Llygadrudd Emys and Gwrfoddw the Old (uncles to Arthur were they, his mothers brothers.)... Gweir Dathar, the Servitor, and Gweir son of Cadelin Silver-brow and Gwier False-valour, and Gweir White-shaft (uncles of Arthur, his mothers brothers.)... Tangwen daughter of Gweir Dathar the Servitor..." [Source, the Mabinogion, Jones and Jones (trans.)] In Malory Bagmedeus steward of Gorre and Constantine of Cornwall are said to be Arthurs nephews, although they can be assumed to be on his mothers side. Gormant appears to be, to mix Malory and Mabinogion, a son of Goloris, King of Cornwall and may be the father of Constantine, who succeeds Arthur as High King. Alternatively, Ygraine might not have retreated to a nunnery in this version, instead marrying back into Goloris family.