The City-State Of Vexil.
Zam the ex mercenary and Beldane the cleric share a look after they see and hear who is amongst the next to compete in the Joust.
"I think he should know" quietly says Zam the ex mercenary in elvish to the powerful cleric in the church of Glaine, who nods his head in agreement with him.
"Percy you better get out here" says Beldane the cleric with a look back into the small tent behind them.
A grunt comes from within the tent, then sir Percavelle Lé Dic walks out of the front of the tent saying "Pray tell, what is it?" followed by a "Wot".
"Paladin at the far end of the field" quietly says Zam the ex mercenary, who continues with "He's a".
"I see" says the large heavily armoured knight who interrupts the ex mercenary, then after quickly looking around, steps back into just inside the tent, so that he can still see the tourney field.
"Who is that fellow?" quietly asks the noble born knight who hails from the south of the kingdom of Druvic.
"A sir Dormic" is the reply from the youngest member of the group who is originally from The City Of Ruins.
"Never heard of him" mutters sir Percavelle Lé Dic or Percy as he's more commonly called by the others in the group.
"He looks to be in his mid to late twenties" explains Beldane as they watch the competitors who are the last group this morning, to partake in the Lists.
The former paladin grunts, then quietly says "Definitely don't know that fellow then". Both Zam and Beldane nod in agreement as they watch the paladin at the far end of the tourney field, a paladin who is a member of the order of the Knights of Saint Mar'che. The same order that Percy belongs to.
This sir Dormic is even too young to of been a squire when sir Percavelle was still actively a member of his order.
"Think he'll be any good?" asks Zam the ex mercenary "Yes" is the reply from Beldane the cleric, followed by begrudging sounding "Yes" from sir Percavelle Lé Dic.
The master of ceremonies gives the go ahead for the latest group to proceed. And the four pairs, eight knights, four at either end of the tourney field, spur their mounts into action.
The ex mercenary along with the fighting cleric and the large heavily armoured knight standing just inside the tent, have eyes only for the paladin sir Dormic.
Who like Percy usually wears, has a pristine white cape attached to his armoured shoulders, whipping out behind him as his warhorse thunders down one side of the tilt.
While on the other side, his opponent. A knight of the first class in the order of the Knights of Margesa, chargers along the other side of the tilt.
"Damn" murmurs Zam the ex mercenary, followed by "Did you see that?". Next to him the powerful practitioner of magic who hails from the kingdom of Nastell, nods his head.
While behind the two of them, just inside the small tent, sir Percavelle Lé Dic slightly grimaces at what just happened.
The paladin sir Dormic barely even moved, and with ease and contempt, he flicked his gauntleted left hand, smacking his opponents lance to one side.
As his own lance struck the knight of the first class in the order of the Knights of Margesa right in his saddle shield, sometimes referred to as a jousting shield.
Sir Percavelle doesn't use one, and Lord Farque has mentioned to Zam that those type of shields are actually dangerous to the person using them, than it actually protects them.
For the simple reason, if struck fairly cleanly, there's a tendency for the lance hitting it, to rise up, and hit the knight usually in the top of the breastplate.
But more often than not, in the gorget, or the helm. Something you definitely want to avoid during a joust.
And that's what exactly happens when sir Dormic's lance strikes his opponents jousting shield.
The tip of his lance, though blunt as like all lances in the tourney, isn't a pointed war or battle lance. Careens off the small saddle shield, and lifts up hitting the knight in the order of Margesa straight in the faceplate.
Sending him flipping off the back of his mount, and hitting the ground with a loud clatter. And the only reason he isn't killed, is because the paladin, sir Dormic's lance didn't shatter or splitter apart.
"Pretty impressive" quietly says Beldane the cleric, as sir Dormic is one of two competitors in the first pass to unhorse their opponents. With the paladin's opponent the only one not to continue on in this group.
The fighting cleric in the church of Glaine along with the ex mercenary from The City Of Ruins, look back at the former paladin standing back in the tent.
Who they see is sourly smiling as he watches the paladin who is in the same order of knights as he is.
"Think you can defeat him if you come up against him Percy?" asks the powerful practitioner of magic who is originally from the north of the kingdom of Nastell.
"Of course, wot" replies sir Percavelle Lé Dic in his usual pompous, tone of bravado. Which both Zam and Beldane thinks sounds a little bit more forced than it usually does.
As the remaining pairs go at it again, the youngest member of the group says to both Beldane and Percy "Lord Farque thinks only that knight commander in the order of the Varnell, and that paladin in the Knights of The Dark will be your only competition Percy".
The ex mercenary who hails from The City Of Ruins gestures at the paladin sir Dormic who sits upon his mount at this end of the tourney field, waiting for this group to find it's remaining winners.
And says to the fighting cleric and the large heavily armoured knight "And probably this fellow as well, though we'd yet to see him in action when we spoke".
Next to Zam, Beldane slowly nods his head in agreement with that from youngest member of the group.
While the nobleman originally from the kingdom of Druvic, wryly smiles to himself, then his eyebrows arch up when the ex mercenary says "Even so, he thinks you'll win Percy".
Zam briefly pauses before continuing on with "So does everyone else in the group, they're all betting on you to do so".
The teenager who is originally from The City Of Ruins pauses once more, before saying in a slightly dry tone of voice "Except for Dorc of course" followed by "He wants you to lose Percy".
While the former paladin in the order of the Knights of Saint Mar'che scowls at hearing that from the youngest member of the group.
Zam says in the elven language to the powerful spellcaster who hails from the kingdom of Nastell "In fact Dorc is hoping Percy breaks his neck out there" followed by "He's definitely not betting on him to win".
Beldane the cleric grins, then softly chuckles, and shakes his head at hearing that from Zam, then he quietly says in the same language "Those two will never change".
The ex mercenary originally from The City Of Ruins is in agreement with that from the fighting cleric referring to the ork warleader and his bitter rival the former paladin.
The next pass determines the winners of this group. Ending the first round of the lists for The Spring Tourney of Vexil.
"When's Percy up?" asks Beldane the cleric "Fourth group" is the reply from Zam the ex mercenary as they listen to master of ceremonies give the rundown of the next phase of the Joust now that half of the competitors have been eliminated.
Leaving just over a hundred knights from across The Southlands still in contention for the champion of the Lists for the tourney.
"Probably just that group in this next round for him if my numbers are correct" says the powerful cleric in the church of Glaine.
The youngest member of the group nods in agreement with the fighting cleric, then he says "Come on, let's go and check the boards" followed by "The match ups should be there, especially for the first lot of groups".
Beldane nods to that, then the member of the church of Glaine looks into the small tent, and says to the noble born knight from the kingdom of Druvic "Percy you want to go and see who you're matched up with?".
"No need, wot" replies the former earl of Lé Dic, who to be honest doesn't particularly want to leave the confines of the tent, just in case he runs across anyone from his order who might recognize him.
"Very well" says the powerful practitioner of magic, who continues on with "Me and Zam will check it out, see who you're up against, and see who's in your group".
That's met with a grunt from the large heavily armoured knight who sits down in the camp chair to wait for their return.
Zam and Beldane make their way to the boards, which isn't too far from the row of tents at this end of the tourney field.
There's corresponding boards at the other end of the tourney field, for those participants whose tents are there.
Most if not all of the ordered knight are down at that end, within their large tents, close to where the master of ceremonies, and members of both the Mage and City Council are too.
The boards are exactly that, wooden boards. About man high. Written upon which are the names of the participants in the Joust, and what group they're in for each round.
The actual match ups, are done by a random draw at the set of boards at the other end of the tourney field.
Done by the city guard under the supervision of a number of mages from The Council, who for all intensive purposes rule the city-state of Vexil.
At this end of the field, are a couple of more mages, who by spell receive the match ups, and they tell the members of the city guard with them, what to write down on the boards.
Tough luck if you can't read, which is the majority of people, not just hear in Vexil, but right across The Southlands.
For universal learning only exists in the elven and dwarven nations, as well as in The Lands Farque, and the Krean Protectorate within it.
Beldane gestures at the first board, where the first lot of groups for the second round have been up since before the midmorning break.
And Zam looks at the fourth group and sees Sir Percavelle Lé Dic's name, which is written as "Sir Perci of Druvic".
Looking quickly at the cleric in the half plate armour next to him, the ex mercenary from The City Of Ruins quietly says "See who's in his group with him?".
"At least they're not against one another" quietly says Beldane the cleric as they wait for the city guard who has just written the opponents for those already in the fourth group to move out of the way.
"Bad enough" murmurs the ex mercenary who is the youngest member of the group, the fighting cleric grunts in agreement "For that fellow, not Percy" quietly says the powerful Nastellian spellcaster.
Zam nods in agreement, then says "Should be interesting" he follows that with "That's for damn sure".
"Should be interesting alright" says the member of the church of Glaine, who after a moment of silence continues with "Let's just hope Percy doesn't get distracted with who's in his group".
Zam the ex mercenary nods his head in agreement, before they turn back around and head back to the tent where sir Percavelle Lé Dic is waiting for them. On this fine and sunny day on which the Spring Tourney of Vexil is being held . . . . . .
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