Pendragon Clan -- (c) 1996 Peter Corless Excerpt from the work in progress "The Courts of King Arthur", (c) 1996, Peter Corless. (Written for future publication by the Chaosium) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Pendragon The Pendragon clan is the family of King Arthur himself. It directly includes his ancestors, going back to Constantine the Great (the founder of the Byzantine Roman Empire), as well as the more recent Kings of Britain, most notably his uncle Aurelius Ambrosius, and his father, Uther Pendragon. However, Arthur has no direct heirs, since his children Borre and Mordred are illegitimate. The Pendragon clan therefore also includes, indirectly on his father's side, Arthur's cousin Cador of Cornwall, and his son Constantine, plus his other remote relatives descended from King Lak of Estregales: Erec and Brandiles and their sister Jeschute. Overall, Arthur is closer to his mother Igraine's side of the family, such as the Orkney clan. The sons of Margawse are his his closest indirect kin. Of all his relatives, Arthur loves Gawaine the best. However, after discovering the incestuous nature of his tryst with Margawse, he is ever after distant towards her and her son Mordred. Arthur's father-in-law, King Leodegrance of Cameliard, was a long-time friend of Uther, and was guardian of the Round Table during Arthur's childhood. The theme that Arthur embodies is the "Matter of Britain". Within him is carried the hopes of the British peoples, as a race, against the incursions of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes to the east and south, and to the unpredictable Picts, Irish and Welsh to the west and north. As well, being the last direct blood descendent of the Roman nobility of Britain, he embodies the struggle of the civilized against the overwhelming numbers of illiterate barbarians that wish to dismember his wealthy lands. Lastly, as a great Christian king, he carries the hopes of the faithful against the threatening storm clouds of pagan, heathen, and wotanic warriors which surround his lands on all sides. Arthur spends the first part of his reign uniting his disparate kingdom into a whole powerful enough not just to stem the tide of the local menaces, but mighty enough to force Rome herself to pay him tribute. During the "Pax Arthuriana" - Pendragon Phases 3 and 4, the theme turns from the preservation of the nation to universal prosperity. The peace of the Round Table is disquieted finally not by an outside force, but from within: from petty jealousy, to detatchment, heartfelt anger and even murder. Arthur turns from being a war leader into an arbiter of disputes between his great warriors. This crisis within his kingdom is not one that can be solved by conquest, but must be solved by introspection. After many events which sour the peace at court, this matter culminates in the Grail Quest. But, though it heals - in a mysterious, unseen sense - the nation and world as a whole, the Grail Quest shatters the politial unity of Britain, and the comradery of the Round Table. Those who set out with the best of intentions return disillusioned, or not at all. Chaos, war and death are not far behind. Arthur's last years recount the downfall and nadir of British people, just as his youth and manhood brought them to their zenith. However, all who think about Arthur most remember the great deeds he achieved, and the undying legacy of chivalry and glory he brought to Briton and the world. Theme: The Nation (Briton) Pendragon is the Cymric title for the "High Dragon". It was equated with the Latin "Dux Bellorum" (Duke of Battle). These titles, and others, were applied to the war-leader of the Britons after the departing of the Roman legions, starting with Arthur's uncle Aurelius, and were synonymous with Aurelius' clan. The Pendragon clan, primarily represents the mixed and united peoples of Roman and Celtic backgrounds who populated central Briton: Logres. It is said the Pendragon's royal lineage heralded back to a union between the royal families of the Roman Emperor Claudius and the Cymric royalty of Briton in the 1st century AD. Likewise, he was related to the spiritual family of the Grail through his mother Igraine. The Pengragon clan in its secular sense represents the sovereignty of Logres as a nation, as well as the supremacy of Logres over the whole of Briton. In extension, it represents the rightful claim of the British kings to overlordship over the rest of the Celtic world, from Ireland to Gaul, and the Latin world. Arthur secures lordship of both in his lifetime. After his passing, these worlds are irrevocably severed politically. It also represents the zenith of the Romano-Celtic Cymric peoples, standing firm against the Saxons. As long as a Pendragon reigns, Briton is a free and fiercesome power to be reckoned with. After this, the Roman legacy will be forever lost to the north of Europe, and the Celts will be pushed into the wild fringes of Wales, Cornwall, Brittainy and Scotland. In religious parallels, Arthur and his clan represents the progeny of both Celtic and Roman Christianity. Over the span of the period, the Celtic freedom and independence of Arthur's youth reaches its height, then gives way to the orthodoxy and scale of Roman-style rule. This translates into religious beliefs is reflected in the Glastonbury-bred Saint Patrick converting the Celtic heathen during the reign of Uther, followed by the rise of the Archbishop of Canterbury as supreme prelate of England during Arthur's realm, and finalized by the arrival of the orthodox rules of the Roman Saint Augustine in the decades following the final passing of Arthur. If the Roman legacy of political supremacy is lost to the Britons during this epoch, Arthur's reign secures its lasting connection to the supreme "Nation of God" for centuries to come: Roman Christianity. King Arthur, as the highest leader of the secular world, is an analogy to the Pope. In pagan terms, the Pendragon clan maintains its dominant position through might and honor. As long as the Pendragon clan stands supreme, it is the British royal male line fit to symbolically marry the Goddess of the land of Briton, the Goddess of Sovereignty. Igraine, as the matriarch of the clan and wife of Uther, is surely a symbol of this great Goddess, and her three daughters (a not-coincidental number to the pagan), all powerful queens in their own right, also represent the Goddess. Guenever too, stands as a representative, and her marriage to Arthur, a marriage filled with secret infidelity and lacking royal progeny, surely foretell tragedy to come. Pendragon Clan Characteristics Leaders: * Leaderless (during Pendragon Phase 1) * King Arthur Pendragon (Phases 2-5) Homeland: Logres (Camelot) Culture: Cymric (Romano-British) Religion: Christian (Romano-Celtic) Clan Modifiers: Direct: Statistics: +2 STR, +1 CON, +2 APP Skills: +10 Orate; +5 to Battle, +5 Stewardship, and +5 Courtesy Traits: +3 to each of Chaste, Energetic, Generous, Honest, Just, Trusting and Valorous Passions: 3d6+6 "Love (Round Table)", +1d6+6 Honor Glory Bonus: +5000* Indirect: Statistics: +1 STR, +1 APP Skills: +5 Orate, +3 Battle, +3 Stewardship, and +3 Courtesy Traits: +1 to each of Chaste, Energetic, Generous, Honest, Just, Trusting and Valorous Passions: 3d6 "Love (Round Table)", +1d3+3 Honor Glory: +2500* Marriage: Immediate: Glory: same as per Pendragon (pg. 121, up to 1000 points max.), plus +2500 for marriage to clan member of direct lineage, or +1250 to indirect (extended) clan member*. Honor: +1d6+3 (for direct marriage) or +1d3+3 (for indirect marriage) After one full year of marriage, recieve: Skills: +3 Stewardship Traits: +1 to each of Chaste, Energetic, Generous, Honest, Just, Trusting and Valorous Pendragon Clan "Black Sheep" Sir Mordred The illegitimate son of Arthur at first seemed like a promising knight at court. Yet over the years, he failed to show the same regal stature and magnanimous nature of the rest of the Pendragon clan. Instead, Mordred was much like his proud and vengeful Orkney half-brothers, though he was not a son of King Lot. Mordred grew into his bad nature. At first, he was as promising and chivalrous as any knight of the Round Table. Only later, especially after the Peningues Tourney did his more dastardly nature show through fully. Significant Traits & Passions: * Vengeful XX * Proud XX * Arbitrary XX * Suspicious XX * Deceitful XX * Lacks the "Love (Round Table Knights)" of Pendragon clan Sir Borre Another illegitimate progeny of Arthur's youthful randiness, Sir Borre was the son of Dame Lyzianor of Bedegraine. Though recognized as a son of Arthur, and made a Knight of the Round Table, he was never fully accepted into the Pengragon clan (possibly due to the overwhelming influence of the more powerful Orkneys), and no serious thought was ever given to him as inheritor of the realm. If he is considered remarkably abnormal from the rest of his kin, it is precisely because he was thoroughly normal and unremarkable as a knight. No significant adventures, passions, traits or other statements can be attributed to Sir Borre. Use standard "Famous Knight" statistics from Pendragon page 329 (4th Edition) for Sir Borre. His one "notable" passion is a rather commonly-held "Loyalty (King Arthur)" of 16.