The Lancastrian Estates

[Gandalfus]

Kenilworth castle is the favoured residence of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster; a man who holds vast swathes of land throughout the north and midlands of England, as well as the Welsh Marches. Though Gaunt owns dozens of castles, he frequents very few of them, spending most of his time here in Warwickshire. Other favoured residences of the Duke include Pontefract in Yorkshire, Bolingbroke in Lincolnshire, Grosmont in Monmouthshire, and the royally owned Lancaster Castle itself, where he often exercises his legal authority as the Earl Palatine of Lancashire. Nevertheless, this is where the Duke usually houses his court as the self proclaimed "King of Castile and Leon", which explains the frequent renovations that have been undertake in the Iberian style.

Since Gaunt's death, this has become the primary residence of his son, Henry of Bolingbroke. Usually, Lancaster remains in the midlands and the north, travelling between Kenilworth and Pontefract.

Character Information:

John of Gaunt: Deceased JOHN OF GAUNT, 1st DUKE OF LANCASTER Age: 54 Title(s): 1st Duke of Lancaster, 1st Earl of Leicester, 1st Earl of Derby Marital Status: Married, to Blanche of Lancaster (Deceased), Constance of Castile (35) Children: By Blanche: Philippa of Lancaster, Queen of Portugal: born 1360 (35) Elizabeth of Lancaster, Duchess of Exeter: born 1363 (32) Henry of Bolingbroke, Earl of Derby and Northampton: born 1367 (28) By Constance: Catherine of Lancaster: born 1373 (22) Edward of Bordeaux: born 1388 (7) By Kathrine Swynford: John Beaufort: born 1373 (22) Henry Beaufort: born 1375 (20) Thomas Beaufort: born 1377 (18) Joan Beaufort: born 1379 (16) Skills: +2 battles +2 charisma +2 survival +2 personal combat Temperaments: - Bloodthirsty: This character is hotheaded and loves to jump into fights, lethal or otherwise. This is not something others find endearing off the battlefield, though. +1 Battles, -1 to NPC reaction rolls. - Impulsive: This character acts before (sometimes, without) thinking. They might move and decide more quickly than others, but their recklessness can lead them to disaster as well. +5% movement speed, -1 to detection rolls. - Sociable: This character is an extroverted social butterfly, capable of making friends left and right. However, they have little time for 'boring' matters like finances, and are more interested in buying flashy things to show off to their friends than managing their wealth. +1 to NPC reaction rolls, -2% income. Henry of Bolingbroke HENRY OF BOLINGBROKE, 2nd DUKE OF LANCASTER Age: 28 Titles: Duke of Lancaster, Earl of Lancaster, Earl of Leicester, Earl of Derby, Duke of Hereford, Earl of Northampton Marital Status: Married, to Mary de Bohun (29) Children: Henry of Monmouth (9) Thomas of Lancaster (8) Blanche of Lancaster (7) Joan of Lancaster (6) Skills: +2 personal combat +2 battles +3 charisma +1 survival Temperaments: - Meticulous: This character loves to analyze situations down to the last minutiae before acting. On one hand this means they'll probably have a clear picture going in, on the other their decision-making abilities could easily become paralyzed as they spend too much time analyzing and not enough acting. +1 detection rolls, -5% movement speed. - Pessimistic: This character is always looking at the negative side of things. They may be right in some cases - when you suspect every man you meet to be a bad guy, you're probably right at least one out of ten times - but it doesn't exactly make them endearing. +1 to survival rolls, -1 to AI reaction rolls. - Reserved: This character is a stoic who generally keeps to him/herself and exercises strict control over their emotions. While this means they're not likely to make reckless moves in court or on the battlefield, they can come across as unfeeling robots to others. +1 battle rolls, -1 to AI reaction rolls. Mary de Bohun Mary de Bohun Duchess of Lancaster, Duchess of Hereford, Countess of Northampton Mary de Bohun was born in 1368, as the second daughter of of Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford (who was also 3th Earl of Northampton, 6th and Earl of Essex) and his wife, Joan Fitzalan, daughter of Richard Fitzalan, 10th Earl of Arundel and Eleanor of Lancaster. The Bohun family came to England, with the Norman conquest alongside William the Conquer. Her ancestor Humphrey was said to be a kinsman to William. Mary is a great-granddaughter of Edward I, as her paternal grandmother, Elizabeth of Rhuddlan was his eighth and youngest daughter. On her maternal side she is also descendant from a royal line. Mary is a descendant of Henry III, via her maternal grandmother, Eleanor of Lancaster who was the fifth daughter of Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster, himself the grandson of Henry III. Mary also descended from the Welsh Prince Llywelyn the Great through her mother. Llywelyn's daughter, Gwladus Ddu (Gwladus the Dark) married Ralph Mortimer, their granddaughter Isabella Mortimer married John FitzAlan, 7th Earl of Arundel, and they in turn became the great grandparents of Mary's mother Joan Fitz Alan. Aged just 5, Mary’s father died in January 1373, and his estates should have passed to their cousin Gilbert de Bohun because her father had had no sons. However, due to the influence of King Edward III, the estates of the 7th Earl of Hereford were divided between his two daughters. In 1376, Mary’s elder sister Eleanor married King Edward III’s youngest son Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Gloucester. The couple lived in Pleshey Castle in Essex and the young Mary lived there under Eleanor and Thomas’ care. She was instructed in religious doctrine in the hope that she would become a nun, which would cause her share of the de Bohun inheritance to go to Eleanor and Thomas. By the time she was 12, Thomas had pressured Mary into becoming a Poor Clare. This to great dismay of her relatives. Her mother Joan Fitz Alan plotted with John of Gaunt, third surviving son of Edward III, to abduct her from the care of his younger brother Thomas Woodstock. And so it was arranged that one of Mary's aunts took her from Pleshey Castle to Arundel Castle, home of her mother’s family. There, on July 27, 1380, 12-year-old Mary married John of Gaunt’s eldest son, 13-year-old Henry Bolingbroke. Four years later, Mary was given her share of the de Bohun estate, although Thomas and Henry still quarrel over the precise division of the estate. Almost everything Bolingbroke owns, comes from her inheritance. She always calls herself the 'Countess of Northampton', in recognition of her own inheritance, rather then the courtesy title 'Countess of Derby'. Mary remained with her mother at Arundel Castle after the wedding, to whom John of Gaunt made payments for her maintenance. Due to her youth, Gaunt had planned for the marriage between Mary and Henry to remain unconsummated until Mary had reached sixteen. But he had not taken in account, the feelings of the young couple. Mary was smitten by her husband, in a matter only a 14-year-old girl can be. So she and Henry disobeyed their father John of Gaunt and consummated their marriage in secret. The secret however quickly came out, as Mary instantly became pregnant, but the infant lived only a few days. Mary was devastated, and thought it was a punishment of God, because she didn't became a nun as she had promised and then disobeyed her new Father-in-Law. Now she is the mother of two young sons; Henry and Thomas, the jewels of her eyes. She is devoted to her husband but still mistrusts her brother-in-law, Thomas of Woodstock. Never truly forgiven him for stealing her share in her fathers inheritance. She on the other hand is thankful for her cousins at Arundel Castle for their role in her rescue. She plays mostly the role of mother to her children and hostess and caretaker of their castles, often following her husband between their estates. Age: 29 Titles: Countess of Northampton, Countess of Derby (by courtesy) Marital Status: Married, to Henry Bolingbroke (28) Children: Henry of Monmouth (4) Thomas of Lancaster (2) Blanche of Lancaster (1) Skills: +3 Survival +3 Charm Temperaments: Sanguine: - Sociable: This character is an extroverted social butterfly, capable of making friends left and right. However, they have little time for 'boring' matters like finances, and are more interested in buying flashy things to show off to their friends than managing their wealth. +1 to NPC reaction rolls, -2% income. - Upbeat: Nothing seems to get this character down. They're perpetually smiling and looking on the bright side of even the darkest developments, truly the kind of optimism that can be infectious...or delusional, if the situation is bad enough. +1 to surviving non-battle death rolls, -1 to post-battle rolls (captivity, death, wounding). Phlegmatic: - Empathic: This character is strongly attuned to the emotions of others and cares for them, making them great friends or kinsmen to have - but poor warriors and generals. +2 to AI reaction rolls, -1 to battle/joust/duel rolls.

Provincial Bonuses:

Shire Bonus: County Palatine: The Duke of Lancaster is, along with the Bishop of Durham, the only peer who can exercise authority equivalent to that of the King over a county. As Earl Palatine of Lancashire, the Duke holds unrivalled judicial and military authority over the county. Province Bonuses: Kenilworth Castle: The favoured residence of John of Gaunt, who extensively renovated it to mimic the style of the fabulous castles of Spain and reinforce his claim to the crowns of Castile and Leon. +5 siege rolls, with the castle’s central keep strong enough to hold out for half a year more after the outer defence falls (3.5 days) Bolingbroke Castle: A castle built of greenstone by Ranulf of Chester, it has passed by marriage through to John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. His son and heir, Henry of Bolingbroke, was born within these walls. Though it has no keep, it is a formidable obstacle to attackers. +2 siege defence, -2 raid rolls. Tutbury Castle: A sturdy fortress, this castle is one of the many in England that are owned by John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. Though previously ruined, it has been rebuilt over the past century by its Lancastrian owners. +3 siege rolls, -3 raid rolls. Pontefract Castle: Originally built in 1070 by the Norman De Lacy family, this castle - also known as Pomfret Castle at this time - passed into the hands of the House of Lancaster in 1311 (its first Lancastrian holder, 2nd Earl Thomas, was executed and buried there after a failed rebellion against Edward II) and became one of their favored residences afterwards. John of Gaunt, who received it after the death of Henry of Grosmont, spent large sums renovating it. +4 siege rolls, -4 raid rolls. Grosmont Castle: Built by Hugh de Burgh as one of the ‘Three Castles’, this castle eventually passed into the hands of Edmund of Lancaster, 1st Earl of Lancaster. Henry of Grosmont, John of Gaunt’s father-in-law, was born within these walls, and now this formidable fortress has passed into his hands. +3 siege rolls, -3 raid rolls. White Castle: One of the ‘Three Castles’ that fell into the hands of the Earl of Lancaster, this fortress was named as such due to the whitewash that was used upon its stones. +3 siege rolls. Skenfrith: One of the ‘Three Castles’ that fell into the hands of the Earls of Lancaster, this fortress is located right upon the Welsh border with Hereford, and needs to be bypassed, accessed or captured to enter England through Monmouthshire. +3 siege rolls.

Buildings:

Tier I - Tenant Homesteads: +10% estate income - Blacksmith Charters: -5% troop upkeep and recruitment cost - Increased Garrisons: Adds twenty soldiers (14 yeomen archers, 6 yeomen footmen) to the garrison of each castle you own. Tier II - Rented Properties: +15% estate income - Market Charters: +10% estate income, +1 AI interactions with Burghers - Armourers and Weaponsmiths: - 10% troop upkeep and recruitment cost. Tier III - Enclosed Farmsteads: +20% estate income - Mercantile Patronage: +15% estate income, +1 AI interactions with Burghers - Regulated Equipment: -15% troop upkeep and recruitment costs, grants 1 knight free of cost and upkeep.

Demesne & Income Information

Primary Castles and Residences Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire Bolingbroke Castle, Lincolnshire Grosmont Castle, Monmouthshire Pontefract Castle, Yorkshire Tutbury Castle, Staffordshire Finances Base income from 40 provinces: £11,950 per annum Modifiers: +70% (buildings) = £8365 Actual income: £20,315 Expenditures: £9390 (soldiers) Modifiers: -30% soldier upkeep & recruitment costs Actual expenditure: £6573 List of Provinces and Incomes (broken down) Duchy of Lancaster Pevensey, Sussex: £400 Total: £400 King's Lynn, Norfolk: £350 Total: £350 Sleaford, Lincolnshire: £300 Bolingbroke, Lincolnshire: £350 Welbourne, Lincolnshire: £300 Total: £950 Belvoir, Leicestershire: £300 Billesden, Leicestershire: £300 Total: £600 Bingham, Nottinghamshire: £300 Total: £300 Buxton, Derbyshire: £300 Clowne, Derbyshire: £300 Blackwell, Derbyshire: £300 Wingfield, Derbyshire: £300 Total: £1200 Tutbury, Staffordshire: £300 Newcastle, Staffordshire: £300 Total: £600 Halton, Cheshire: £350 Total: £350 Sedburgh, Yorkshire: £200 Settle, Yorkshire: £200 Bowland, Yorkshire: £300 Pontefract, Yorkshire: £300 Easingwold, Yorkshire: £300 Whitby, Yorkshire: £300 Total: £1600 Lancaster, Lancashire: £350 Greenhalgh, Lancashire: £350 Clitheroe, Lancashire: £300 Burnley, Lancashire: £300 Limehurst, Lancashire: £300 West Lancaster, Lancashire: £350 Chorley, Lancashire: £350 Fylde, Lancashire: £350 Total: £2650 Monmouth, Monmouthshire: £350 Llandeilo, Carmarthen: £200 Total: £550 Accumulative Total: £9550 Earldom of Hereford/Northampton Towcester, Northamptonshire: £300 Brackley, Northamptonshire: £300 Northamtpon, Northamptonshire: £300 Total: £900 Kinnsersley, Herefordshire: £300 Snodhill, Herefordshire: £300 Hereford, Herefordshire: £300 Ledbury, Herefordshire: £300 Bromyard, Herefordshire: £300 Total: £1500 Total Accumulative Income: £2400

Military Information

Company One Commander: Henry of Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster (PC) 60 Yeomen Archers 20 Yeomen Foot 20 Men-At-Arms Total men: 100 Total Upkeep £600 Company Two Commander: Sir Thomas Tamworth (NPC) 1 Knight 60 Yeomen Archers 20 Yeomen Foot 20 Men-At-Arms Total men: 101 Total Upkeep £630 Company Three Commander: Sir Humphrey Wingfield (NPC) 1 Knight 60 Yeomen Archers 20 Yeomen Foot 20 Men-At-Arms Total men: 101 Total Upkeep £630 Company Four Commander: Sir Gilbert Skenfrith (NPC) 1 Knight 60 Yeomen Archers 20 Yeomen Foot 20 Men-At-Arms Total men: 101 Total Upkeep £630 Company Five Commander: Sir Hugh Stamford (NPC) 1 Knight 60 Yeomen Archers 20 Yeomen Foot 20 Men-At-Arms Total men: 101 Total Upkeep £630 Company Six Commander: Sir Ralph Bonville (NPC) 1 Knight 60 Yeomen Archers 20 Yeomen Foot 20 Men-At-Arms Total men: 101 Total Upkeep £630 Company Seven Commander: Sir Richard de Warr (NPC) 1 Knight 60 Yeomen Archers 20 Yeomen Foot 20 Men-At-Arms Total men: 101 Total Upkeep £630 Company Eight Commander: Sir Roger Clitheroe (NPC) 1 Knight 60 Yeomen Archers 20 Yeomen Foot 20 Men-At-Arms Total men: 101 Total Upkeep £630 Company Nine Commander: Sir Owen Williams (NPC) 1 Knight 60 Yeomen Archers 20 Yeomen Foot 20 Men-At-Arms Total men: 101 Total Upkeep £630 Company Ten Commander: Sir William Longford (NPC) 1 Knight 60 Yeomen Archers 20 Yeomen Foot 20 Men-At-Arms Total men: 101 Total Upkeep £630 Company Eleven Commander: Sir Morgan Richards (NPC) 1 Knight 60 Yeomen Archers 20 Yeomen Foot 20 Men-At-Arms Total men: 101 Total Upkeep £630 Company Twelve Commander: Sir Edward Eton (NPC) 1 Knight 60 Yeomen Archers 20 Yeomen Foot 20 Men-At-Arms Total men: 101 Total Upkeep £630 Company Thirteen Commander: Sir Nicholas Richardson (NPC) 1 Knight 60 Yeomen Archers 20 Yeomen Foot 20 Men-At-Arms Total men: 101 Total Upkeep £630 Company Fourteen Commander: Sir Thomas Beaufort (PC) 1 knight 60 Yeomen Archers 20 Yeomen Foot 20 Men-At-Arms Total men: 100 Total upkeep: £630 Company Fifteen Commander: Sir Richard Mullford (NPC) 1 Knight 60 Yeomen Archers 20 Yeomen Foot 20 Men-At-Arms Total men: 101 Total upkeep: £600

Wills and other documents

Henry Bolingbroke's Will: I Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster etc etc, declare that this document, written in a sound state of mind before witnesses, declares the division of mine lands and assets to be done as follows: My eldest son and heir, Henry of Monmouth, shall inherit the entirety of the properties that comprise the Duchy of Lancaster, including all honours, estates and other properties granted to that title thereof, including the titles Earl of Leicester, Earl of Ferrers, Earl of Hereford, Earl of Northampton, Baron Halton and Lord Bowland. My second son, Thomas, shall receive a third of my lands and honours in Herefordshire and Northamptonshire. My third son, Humphrey, shall receive a third of my lands and honours in Herefordshire and Northamptonshire. My wife, Mary, shall receive a third of my lands and honours in Herefordshire and Northamptonshire. Upon her passing, these shall be divided equally between Henry, Thomas and Humphrey. My wealth shall be divided into equal shares that shall be bestowed upon my wife and children. [SIGNED AND SEALED]

[Lucius Malfoy]

For the past two days, nothing but anguish and despair could be heard from Henry Beaufort's room within the family castle at Kenilworth. The wife of John's son, through Swynford, had gone into labor recently, causing a great commotion to arise at the coming of yet another grandchild for John of Gaunt. It was especially a great moment given the fact that this was to be the first Beaufort grandchild. In the end, the physician's prediction was true when a healthy boy was born. The castle was overjoyed and in celebration, yet the morning brought grave news. Mary Stafford, the mother of the unnamed Beaufort, would go into shock, resulting from sudden blood loss that could not be contained. She was proclaimed dead before the seventh hour of that morning...

A wet nurse watches over the child while the infant's father goes on a rampage, cursing left and right, within his room. How could God take his wife away after she had given him what any man desired? How could the Heavenly Lord call up his beloved wife when his son would need his mother to help nurture him? How could He take away Henry's young wife from him? How?! This question was asked over and over loudly as Henry continued to ransack his own room. He was definitely the son of John of Gaunt, displaying such impulsive and ill-temper that was most certainly inherited from the Duke of Lancaster. None of the servants dared to even touch the door, let alone open it, for fear of flying objects.

[Gandalfus]

The Lady Swynford, having been present at the birth, finally comes to see her son, having hurriedly left his chambers as he descended into a fit of rage. She calls his name from behind the door, bidding him to open it.

[Lucius Malfoy]

Silence would fall after a few more crashes were heard. The silence was enough to say that Swynford could enter safely. Inside his room, clothes were thrown all over the place, ornaments cracked and in shambles, curtains torn... overall the room was a mess due to Henry's fit of anguish and rage. The young Beaufort of sixteen years sat upon the edge of his bed, his head bowed in despair from the loss of Lady Stafford. A broken mirror nearby was probably enough to say that one of his hands was most likely cut up too. As he hears the door open, Henry quietly speaks.

Why is fate most cruel? Why must fate take away she who has given me a son.. depriving me of a wife and my son of a mother...

[Gandalfus]

Swynford sighed. The aged Duchess looked upon her son, a mere boy of sixteen years, who professed to her that, in his brief time of knowing his wife, he had loved her well and fiercely. A part of her wanted to chide him for such foolish notions - the match was purely political, and no love could spring of such unions, in her eyes. What love could there have been between two children who barely knew each other?

But she loved Henry's father, Lancaster, and had seen him in a similar state when his own wife, the first Duchess, had passed. Childish infatuation worked in strange ways. Besides, Henry was her son, though he resembled Gaunt greatly in temper.

"Henry..." She took a seat upon the bedside next to him, and placed a comforting, wrinkling hand upon her son's shoulder. "Such things are the will of God. She left behind a son, praise Him, to carry on her legacy."

[Lucius Malfoy]

It is a man's greatest desire to have a son, but a child needs a mother and father. My son has been deprived of his mother, deprived of the person who should nurture him as you did with us.

It is true that perhaps Henry held an infatuation towards Lady Stafford and perhaps it was not love, but it still profoundly affected the young Beaufort. Perhaps maybe his pride was hurt, hurt that he wouldn't be able to father more sons of the Beaufort line, to make his father and mother proud and at ease, knowing the Beaufort line was enduring. Henry had had a mother and father, but now his son was deprived of one. Maybe he felt like he couldn't give his son a proper upbringing because of that.

I should be celebrating this great moment of our family with my family, with Lady Stafford and my son together... but it cannot happen now. Fate is so complex, mother, so... so cruel.

[Gandalfus]

"He's my grandson, mine and your father's first." Katherine stated proudly. She'd come a long way from being Blanche of Lancaster's handmaiden. "He'll be well taken care of. I couldn't be your mother, you know. I and your father weren't married. Not in the eyes of God, at least." The affair had been utterly scandalous, and had, for a while, reduced Katherine to a persona non grata. Henry had likely heard the story many times before. "He needs a mother, and every man needs a wife. But for now, his grandmother can care for him." She smiled weakly at her attempt to comfort him.

[Lucius Malfoy]

Henry nods quietly before looking down at his slightly cut up hand. He looks over at the doorway for a moment.

Get a physician for me, mother. I still need to name my son and I won't hold him with my hand all bloodied like this.

It seems that the motherly touch of Swynford had helped her son. He was still young and had much to learn after all. He wasn't like his half-brother, Henry of Bolingbroke, who had experienced politics and military.

[Xion]

A reply from the Earl of Devon arrives, accepting the offer of marriage between Joan Beaufort and Edward de Courtenay.

[Gandalfus]

Bolingbroke moves his entire household to the magnificent palatial residence of Kenilworth, his father's old seat. From here, the Duchy of Lancaster will be administered, along with the Bohun estates of Hereford and Northampton. Though currently, the Duke resides in London, it is widely expected that he will soon leave the metropolis for this fortress in rural Warwickshire.

[The Mad Skylord]

Long after their last conversation, Maltraver turned up to Kenilworth to discuss a different kind of business.

[Gandalfus]

Maltravers is admitted into Bolingbroke's new residence, and is led through the spacious halls by a few retainers in Lancastrian livery. They arrive at one of Henry's solars, where the Duke waits, having recently arrived from London.

"Ah, Maltravers. Sit." Lancaster gestured, a seat being pulled up by one of the servants.

[The Mad Skylord]

Matravers was certainly impressed. He had seen Ely House, but it was nothing compared to the vast Kenilworth Castle. Sitting before the Duke, Matravers showed some deference - Bolingbroke was no longer just an Earl.

"My Lord of Lancaster, I am here on less import business than usual. Simply put, I would like to purchase your Sussex and Kent estates."

[Gandalfus]

Bolingbroke folded his arms. Those estates were his toehold in the south, and quite profitable to boot.

"Why do you wish to buy these from me? I am in no pressing need to sell land for the money, truth be told."

[The Mad Skylord]

"Their proximity to my own lands, mainly, as well as a desire to expand my demesne."

Matravers smiled easily. "I didn't really expect you to have any great need of selling lands for money - you are the Duke of Lancaster after all."

Pausing for a moment, Matravers pondered an offer. "I would be willing to offer £1500 pounds for these lands."

[Gandalfus]

"I must refuse, lord Maltravers. It sits ill with me that I should start selling off my father's patrimony as soon as I succeed to it." Bolingbroke thought long and hard for a moment. "If you wish to gain lands, I would advise attempting to gain the return of the former Arundel estates on the marches. They currently rest in the hands of the crown, but you could petition for their reimbursement."

[The Mad Skylord]

Maltravers winced. "T'would be a good idea if I was young and pretty with a nice backside, but Richard will likely not find me particularly to his tastes, I fear."

Maltravers was very handsome, in a roguish sort of a way. His own good looks were completely different from the boyish charm of De Vere.

"It would also help if I didn't owe him £4000 pounds. Regardless, I shall quietly make some small offers for land here and there. My thanks for your time, Your Grace."

[Trot]

Roger de Stafford strolled through the halls of the Lancaster keep. His hand resting on the pommel of his sword as he made his way to the practice grounds.

[Gandalfus]

"Ah, Stafford." Lancaster greeted Roger, who had entered his late father's service some time ago, upon his return from the expedition in Spain. The two stood in the courtyard of the vast and expansive castle, observing a group of knights spar. "How fare thee? It is good to be away from London's stink, for once." Bolingbroke spent a great deal of time in the capital recently, though he was convinced the foul air played havoc with the humours...

[Trot]

"I fare well, my Lord," Roger says after greeting his lord with a bow. As he rights himself he takes a deep breath of the crisp autumn hair. He exhales slowly enjoying the fine weather. IT was a fine day he hopped he could spar later.

"How was the trip to London, my Lord?"