Story
On
Addler, among the various kingdoms of the Lent Federation, lay the small kingdom
of Trelain. The land is peaceful, except for the occasional bickering between
the nobles and the usual messy court politics.
However,
trouble is brewing.
Old
King Rufus de Trelain XII, who is very near the end of his time, has no heir,
or so everyone thought. The nobles are eyeing the throne greedily, all claiming
to be either far cousins to the frail monarch or distant kinship by ancient marriage
to the Trelain bloodline. As usual, these claims are always questionable since
no hard proof was ever present to back up the claims. To ensure succession, some
of the more ‘direct’ nobles even suggested the usage of sheer brute force to claim
the throne.
One
of the barons, Intelligence reports claimed, has been quietly bringing in crack
mercenaries under the guise of ‘trainers’ for his troops. All they are waiting
for is the day the king draws his last breath…
King
Rufus is old, very old, and his health deteriorates day after day. Many of his
subjects are very loyal to him, and it is clear the people of Trelain do not trust
the greedy nobles who now secretly plot against each other and the king as the
day draws near.
Then,
on one fine day, the old king gathered his subjects. Curious, the crowd thronged
in droves to the palace grounds. The king stood in front of his subjects, his
frail body supported by a cloaked and hooded figure. “I would like to introduce
my daughter, Princess Nathania Illessa Xalena of the House of Sh’aen and the Royal
House of Trelain.” The person by his side drew back her hood and the crowd gasped
in shock. A tall and graceful woman greeted their eyes, the long-lost princess
of Trelain.
“I
thought she died from a childhood illness!”
“It
is impossible!”
“She
looks just like her mother, the Lady Alysia of Sh’aen.”
“The
princess is back!”
These
were some of the whispers circulating the crowd. The king’s main advisor, Grondin
Larq, stepped forward and knelt before the princess, swearing his allegiance to
her. Then he stood up and faced the crowd. “Long live the princess!” he cheered,
and the crowd roared their approval.
“LONG
LIVE THE PRINCESS!!! LONG LIVE THE KING!!!”
The
noblemen and barons looked on in disbelief as the crowd embraced their long lost
princess.
It
is soon clear that there are still those who harbour ill-wishes for the king and
his daughter. A carriage ride almost turned into a disaster, when the king was
ambushed by highwaymen. Thankfully, the King’s Advisor, Sir Larq has sent, as
a precaution, additional guards who foiled the attack.
Unfortunately,
evil struck faster than lightning. An overhanging beam mysteriously fell on the
king as he was walking down a hallway. The princess had her share of ‘accidents’
as well. An arrow narrowly missed her as she made a trip outside the palace to
meet her subjects and her chambermaid attacked her one night while she was in
bed. Obviously, there are those who are very desperate for the throne.
King
Rufus knows that his days are numbered, and after a long discussion with his advisors,
along with the agreement of the princess, decided to hold a tournament. A tournament
for Headdliners, a test of strength, speed, skill and cunning. Every headdliner
is welcome to enter, knights or mercenaries, barons or paupers. The prize will
be the princess’ hand in marriage and the ultimately the throne when the king
dies……
The
year is 2985 of the Joker Cluster calendar and this is the Tournament of Trelain!
