The City-State Of Vexil.
Zam the ex mercenary looks at Beldane the cleric who tells sir Percavelle Lé Dic "Careful with this one Percy".
The large heavily armoured knight who hails from the kingdom of Druvic grunts as he mounts his warhorse.
"He's won on basically every first pass so far today" adds the fighting cleric referring to the earl of Lé Dic's opponent in the next group, a knight commander in the order of Varnell. A knightly order that's based in the kingdom of Nastell, where Beldane is originally from.
"Not to worry old chap" says sir Percavelle Lé Dic from a top of his warhorse "I shall vanquish him due forth" adds the former paladin in the order of the Knights of Saint Mar'che.
Zam and Beldane share a look, then the powerful cleric in the church of Glaine says "Best of luck Percy".
The noble born knight from the kingdom of Druvic nods and puts down the visor of his full helm, then Zam with the reins in hand, leads the warhorse to the west end of the tourney field, which isn't all that far from where their tent is pitched.
The group sir Percavelle Lé Dic is in, the second group to take part in the Joust this afternoon, consists of just three pairs of combatants.
And Percy who is on the tilt to the left of the tourney field, facing east, as he's at the west end. Looks towards the far end, and sees his opponent.
"Hmmm quite a big fellow, wot" says the former earl of Lé Dic "Heavily armoured too" adds the former paladin in a mutter.
"He is" replies the ex mercenary from The City Of Ruins who holds the lance for the mounted knight.
"He's got a heavy saddle shield too" adds the youngest member of the group, who continues with "I had a closer look at him earlier".
"He does, does he" quietly says sir Percavelle Lé Dic as Zam hands him the lance "Interesting, wot" continues the large heavily armoured knight.
The ex mercenary who is acting as Percy's squire, steps back and away, and lifts up his right arm as he looks to the platform at the other end of the tourney field.
After a few moments, the attendant to the master of ceremonies lifts up the flag, then when he drops it, the combatants set off across the tourney field.
Charging their warhorses at one another, on either side of the wooden tilt that separates the pairs.
With one eye on Percy, Zam the ex mercenary also watches the pair in the middle of the three. For one of the competitors there, is the young landed knight from the kingdom of Druvic.
The teenager originally from The City Of Ruins like most of the others in the group, have bet, and quite heavily too, on the young Druvician knight on winning his joust, and progressing to the next round, which in all likelihood is going to be the final round.
Zam quickly looks at sir Percavelle Lé Dic and his opponent, who pass one another, without hitting each other.
The youngest member of the group then winces as the two combatants in the middle tilt, hit one another. With both of them being unhorsed.
"Get up" murmurs the ex mercenary as he watches the young Druvician knight attempting to get up off the ground. While his squire runs onto the tourney field, to retrieve his mount.
Zam quickly looks to the far end of the tourney field, and sees that Percy has turned, and is waiting to make another pass.
Whilst his opponent, who isn't all that far from the ex mercenary, has done likewise at this end of the tourney field.
The youngest member of the group wryly smiles as he sees the young landed knight from the kingdom of Druvic, who was struggling to stand, suddenly gets to his feet.
Zam slightly snorts as he figures Helbe the elven thief has just got the young Druvician knight up off the ground by way of a spell.
His opponent, has already got up, and is mounting his own warhorse, which his squire has retrieved.
Eventually the young landed knight from the kingdom of Druvic gets back on his warhorse with the help of his squire. And he makes his way to this end of the tourney field.
After a few moments where he's settled himself, the combatants take off once again down the tilts.
Zam keeps his eyes on sir Percavelle Lé Dic this time, and watches as the former paladin lifts up his lance slightly above the head of his warhorse.
The ex mercenary from The City Of Ruins slightly frowns as he wonders where Percy is aiming the end of his lance, for suddenly the former earl of Lé Dic drops the lance down, and he ducks down to the right side whilst in the saddle.
"Shit" murmurs Zam with a wince as the blunt end of Percy's lance slams right into the chest of his opponents horse.
And though the knight commander in the order of Varnell's warhorse has barding, it doesn't stop it from squealing and pitching forward after sir Percavelle Lé Dic's lance shatters apart.
The former paladin in the order of the Knights of Saint Mar'che, who easily avoided his opponents lance, which passed over his head because he was so low, and out to the side of his saddle.
Looks back as he continues down the tilt, and sees his opponent go flying forward out of the saddle, over the head of his mount, which itself is tumbling forward.
Zam winces as the knight commander in the order of Varnell slams front first into the ground, and his mount comes to a squealing stop upon the back of his legs.
"He's not getting up anytime soon" murmurs the ex mercenary who hails from The City Of Ruins, who then quickly looks to the middle pair in the group.
And sees that the young landed knight from the kingdom of Druvic is still upon his mount, and at the other end of the tourney field.
While his opponent is lying on the ground, not moving. And his warhorse is nearby just wondering around in circles.
Zam looks to the right pair on the tourney field, and one of the combatants there has been unhorsed too.
He's completely still, and his squire runs out to him, quickly followed by a hand cart with two attendants, and a spellcaster.
While on this side of the tourney field, another practitioner of magic, and a couple of attendants with a hand cart, are with the squire of the knight commander in the order of Varnell.
Who has crawled forward from under his warhorse, which is kicking it's legs around in the throes of death.
Zam the ex mercenary winces again for amongst the cheering and shouting from the large crowd, that must be well over twenty thousand in total on either side of the tourney field.
Are a lot of booing and jeering, directed at sir Percavelle Lé Dic who has pulled up alongside the youngest member of the group who is acting as his squire.
"Tis another victory, wot" says the the noble born knight from the kingdom of Druvic who is totally oblivious to the booing directed at him.
Now Zam knows what Percy did isn't exactly illegal in the rules of the Joust for the Spring Tourney of Vexil. After all, there isn't exactly a lot of rules to begin with.
But what the former earl of Lé Dic just did is frowned upon, and isn't exactly sporting to say the least.
True, sometimes a combatant in the lists, their mount is hit by their opponent's lance. But to do so deliberately like Percy just did isn't exactly looked upon in a good light.
As he takes the reins of the former paladin's warhorse to lead it back to the tent they're using today.
Zam says to the large heavily armoured knight who hails from the kingdom of Druvic "Didn't exactly make yourself popular with the crowd doing that Percy".
As the boos and jeers continue from a large number of the crowd on both sides of the tourney field, the noble born knight scoffs with "Rabble, tis all they are, wot".
The former earl of Lé Dic continues with "I need not worry with the likes of them" he follows that with "After all, I'm far superior to any of that lot, wot".
The ex mercenary who is originally from The City Of Ruins just shakes his head as he leads the warhorse back to the tent where Beldane the cleric is waiting for them.
The fighting cleric who was afraid some of the crowd might come down to the tents and start hassling Percy for what he just did.
Helps the noble born knight from the kingdom of Druvic to dismount, after he does. Zam ties the warhorse to the line next to the tent.
While the powerful practitioner of magic from the north of the kingdom of Nastell, ushers the former paladin into the tent.
A few moments later, the youngest member of the group follows them into the tent that they've hired for the Spring Tourney of Vexil.
"Hell, a lot of them are pissed at you Percy, that's for sure" says Beldane the cleric, the former earl of Lé Dic grunts and takes a seat in the camp chair. And waves dismissively at that from the powerful cleric in the half plate armour.
After Zam hands the Druvician nobleman a goblet of water, the teenager who was scratching together a living as mercenary in The City Of Ruins when the group found him, says "One more group left in this round".
The youngest member of the group continues with "Just three pairs again" followed by "Talk is the next round will be the final".
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic grunts at hearing that, while Beldane the cleric nods, then says "That will mean, what" followed by "Eight in the final, four pairs?".
The ex mercenary who is originally from The City Of Ruins says "Yeah" he continues on with "Three from Percy's group, three from the final group, and the first group's two remaining winners, since the third one has dropped out".
"Eight" quietly says the fighting cleric in the church of Glaine, who looks at the nobleman from the kingdom of Druvic, and asks him "Will they stop after there's winners on each tilt?".
The powerful spellcaster who hails from the kingdom of Nastell follows that with "Or will they make you lot keep making passes until there's just one person left?".
The former paladin, who is both an ordered and landed knight thinks about it for a moment, then he says "Tis the later they shall do".
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic or Percy as more often than not he's called by the others in the group, continues with "Since the quality of those left, tis could take quite some time for a winner".
The Druvician nobleman who is a member of the order of the Knights of Saint Mar'che pauses for a moment, before saying "That shall be I, the great sir Percavelle of course".
"Of course" dryly says Beldane the cleric, who just shakes his head as in all likelihood the large heavily armoured knight from the south of the kingdom of Druvic is going to win the Joust of the Spring Tourney of Vexil.
Zam the ex mercenary sticks his head out the front of the tent, and looks onto the tourney field. And sees the last group are about to commence for the final joust of the round.
"Next group is up" states the teenager who hails from The City Of Ruins, who follows on from that with "Those two paladins are up".
"Against each other?" quickly asks Percy who gets up out of the camp chair, and joins Zam and Beldane at the open front of the small tent they've hired.
"Nah" is the reply from the ex mercenary, who continues on with "They're not against each other".
Which earns a grunt of disappointment from the large heavily armoured knight, who is a former paladin in his knightly order.
As the three of them look at what's happening on the tourney field, Beldane the cleric quietly says "Those two paladins should be victorious".
Although sir Percavelle Lé Dic sourly smiles at hearing that, he does nod in agreement with what the powerful cleric just said. As does the teenager who is the youngest member of the group.
In elvish, Zam says to the fighting cleric in the church of Glaine "Lord Farque's prediction of who the final four will be looks more likely than ever".
"It sure does" says Beldane in the same language, who follows on from that with "Just as long as they don't face one another in the first pass of the final round".
The powerful practitioner of magic who is originally from the kingdom of Nastell quietly adds "I got a sneaking suspicion that won't happen".
The ex mercenary faintly smiles and nods in agreement with that as he knows Beldane is referring to highness, prince Helbenthril Raendril aka Helbe the elven thief.
"What are you two babbling on about?" asks the former paladin, who continues in a mutter with "Speaking that devil language, wot".
Ignoring that from the large heavily armoured knight, Zam the ex mercenary says in common "Look they're about to set off".
Then a roar goes up from the massive crowd, as the attendant on the platform at the east end of the field drops the flag.
And the combatants in the last group of the round, set off down the tilts at one another. On this fine and sunny spring day here just outside the north wall of the city of Vexil . . . . . .
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