Chaosium Digest Volume 9, Number 1 Date: Sunday, December 11, 1994 Number: 2 of 4 Contents: Tristram: A Chronology, Part One (Peter Corless) PENDRAGON -------------------- From: Peter Corless Subject: Tristram: A Chronology, Part One System: Pendragon This is another in a series of character profiles for Pendragon. It is intended for use in a compendium of the knights and characters of the Pendragon milieu; all feedback is appreciated (pcorless@cisco.com). Just as an FYI: The majority of what follows is a concatenation of the history of Tristram and Isoud, taken primarily from Sir Thomas Malory's "Le Morte de Arthur," supplemented greatly by the timelines in Chaosium's "Boy King" and literally dozens of other sources. There are a number of other great romances in the Tristram cycle that vary greatly from Malory. So much so, I had to leave some key stories (key, at least, to these other cycles), out of this interpretive text. In particular, the manner of Tristram's advent in Ireland (in some stories, Palomides does not exist; instead, there is a tale of dragon- slaying), as well as his death (in these other versions, Tristram dies in Brittany when Isoud le Blanche Mains tells him the ship sent to fetch La Beale Isoud does not have a white sail but a black, meaning she was not going to come; the lie breaks Tristram's heart). For those interested in such "alternate reality" versions, I cannot recommend highly enough Gottfried von Straussburg's "Tristan" and also Beroul's "Tristan". Sincerely, -Peter Corless pcorless@cisco.com - - - - - - - - - - - - Sir Tristram of Lyonesse Knight of the Round Table Copyright 1994, Peter Corless Known Relatives: Father - King Meliodas of Lyonesse Mother - Queen Elizabeth of Lyonesse Step-Mother - ??? (daughter of King Hoel of Brittany) Uncle - King Mark of Cornwall (mother's sister) Step-Grandfather (Stepmother's Father) - King Hoel of Brittany *and* Father-in-Law (Father of Isoud la Blanche Mains) - King Hoel of Brittany Lover - La Beale Isoud Wife - Isoud le Blanche Mains Stepbrother - ??? (poisoned in chidhood) Other step-siblings Chronology: 512 - born, mother dies at birth 519 - father remarried 523 - attempted poisoning by stepmother 523-530 - tutalage in France under Gouvernail 530 - returns to Lyonesse; recieves a brachet and love letters from King Faramon of France's daughter; she dies of unrequited love 530 - fought against Sir Marhaus; travels to Ireland in disguise as "Sir Tramtrist" to find cure for wound; healed by La Beale Isoud 531 - Lady of the Launds Tournament in Ireland; "Tramtrist" wins honors over Palomides 532 - Has affair with Sir Segwarides' wife; first arouses jealosy of King Mark 533 - Defends King Anguish from Sir Blamore; offered hand of Le Beale Isoud in return; offers to marry her to King Mark instead 534 - Returns with La Beale Isoud to marry King Mark; they fall in love by drinking love elixir by accident; Tristram kills Breunor of Castle Pleure, ending the evil custom there 534 - Wedding of King Mark and La Beale Isoud; fight between Palomides and Tristram; accused of adultery by Andred 535 - Morgan Le Fay creates the drinking Horn of Chastity to divulge the Lancelot/Guenever affair; fails when Lamorak sends the horn to King Mark's court instead. 535 - Caught in adultery with La Beale Isoud; Tristram flees to King Hoel's court in Brittany 536 - Champions King Hoel against his enemy, Earl Grip; offered marriage to his daughter, Isoud le Blanche Mains 537 - Tristram marries Isoud le Blanche Mains; shortly thereafter returns to Logres 538 - Tristram and Lamorak adventure to Isle of Servage 540 - Tristram and Lamorak become friends; Tristram saves King Arthur from the Lady Annowre 541 - Goes mad from jealousy towards Sir Kehydius 542 - Cured but banished from Cornwall by King Mark; wins the Castle of Maidens tourney but is wounded by Lancelot; imprisoned and freed by Sir Darras 542 - Imprisoned and freed by Morgan le Fay; carries the Shield of Rebuke to the Castle of Hard Rock tourney 543 - Tristram foils Morgan Le Fay's attempt to kill Lancelot by ambushment of thirty knights 543 - Lancelot and Tristram fight at Merlin's Rock; Tristram joins Round Table and gets Marhaus' siege (seat) at the Table 544 - Arthur sets accord between Mark and Tristram; returns to Cornwall after the Friendship Tournament 547 - Aids King Mark and defeats Sr Elias and his Saxons (Sessiones). 550 - Imprisoned in Cornwall by Mark 551 - Freed by Sir Percivale; flees with Isoud 553 - Lonazep Tournament, wins the second day's prize; retires with La Beale Isoud to Joyous Gard 554 - Returns to Cornwall once more; fights with Palomides just before his baptism 559 - Tristram slain with a glaive by King Mark; Isoud dies of grief 560 - Lyonesse sinks into the sea Character Entry: Sir Tristram of Lyonesse, along with Lancelot and Lamorak, was one of the three great Knights of the Round Table (surpassed markedly only by the perfect knight Sir Galahad during the years of the Grail quest). Of these three, it was noted Tristram was stronger even than Lancelot, though Lancelot had better stamina. Yet Lamorak proved to both he was best with the lance. But these were minimal differences in their abilities; most of the encounters between these knights were virtual draws. Tristram's distinguishing characteristics stand out in a comparison of the two courts of Tinagel and Camelot. Whereas Lancelot and Lamorak have good reason to honor and respect King Arthur, Mark is often portrayed as cowardly and scheming -- an easy subject for lampooning and ridicule. Similarly, Lancelot and Lamorak are the champions of their respective clans, full of honorable and powerful knights. And the de Ganis and de Gales clans are but two great families of many that support the noble King Arthur. In contrast, Tristram often stands alone to prevent shame for all of Cornwall. Tristram is loyal to his uncle not because of his uncle's worthiness, but in display of Tristram's personal virtues. Tristram shines as the brave loner and bringer of hope to causes that looks otherwise hopeless, and as the befriender to those who would otherwise be friendless. As well, Tristram is set apart from his fellow knights by his courtly skills: in the best Celtic tradition, he was a great harper and hunter. In the best French tradition, he was remarkably well-read and educated. In the best tradition of universal chivalry, he was loyal to his lord, trustworthy to his friends, and a true lover to his lady. Yet for all of his virtues, Tristram's life was tragic since his untimely birth, when his pregnant mother Elizabeth took it upon herself to find her imprisoned husband, King Meliodas of Lyonesse. (He had been abducted by an amorous lady.) After having wandered deep within a forest, Tristram's birth came upon her unexpectedly, and she died from her labour pangs. With her dying breath she named him Tristram, which meant "Sorrowful Birth." Tristram's father was eventually freed by Merlin. After a few years of mourning, Meliodas remarried King Hoel of Brittany's daughter, but this too brought sorrow. Tristram's stepmother, jealous for her own children, tried to poison the young prince, but her oldest son drank it instead. When her second attempt was almost consumed by Meliodas, she uncovered her own plot to keep from killing her husband. (Yet some said she did so only because Tristram would have instantly been inheritor of the kingdom!) Meliodas and his barons sentenced her to burn for treason. Moments before her execution, an eleven year old Tristram stood before his father and begged her life be spared. Because of Tristram's eloquent and moving words, Meliodas granted his wish. In time, Tristram was even able to restore his stepmother to his father's good graces. Tristram's grateful stepmother loved Tristram as her own son thereafter. But though Melodias consented to be reconciled with his wife, he was so deeply consternated by the whole affair that he sent Tristram away to France for schooling. Tristram spent the next seven years in France under the tutelage of Gouvernail. Under this extremely bright man's tutelage, Tristram became better schooled than any knight the world had seen. He showed mastery surpassing all others before or since in subjects as diverse as speaking and reading the French language, harping, hawking, hunting and all manner of arms. He even wrote the definitive treatise regarding the subject of hunting, recording all the traditions and defining new terms where none existed before. In 530 AD at the age of eighteen, Tristram was ready to return to Lyonesse. Unable to part with his tutor, he offered to take Gouvernail on as his squire. Gouvernail agreed to it quite matter-of-factly, and stayed at Tristram's side for the remainder of his days. Upon his return to Lyonesse, Tristram's father and mother greeted him with great affection and were amazed at how large and fine a man Tristram had grown into. The celebrations ended when word reached Lyonesse that Tristram's uncle King Mark (his natural mother Elizabeth's brother) was being forced to pay tribute to the Irish King Anguish. At the same time, Tristram's presence at the French court was greatly missed. Indeed, no less than the King of France's daughter sent him a white brachet and many letters professing her love for the prince of Lyonesse. But Tristram was true to his heart foremost; although a union with France would have been politically beneficial to his family, he did not love the maiden. He was later to learn King Faramon's daughter died of heartbreak for her unrequited love. Instead, Tristram's mind was bent on knighthood. He went directly to Castle Tintagel to fight the Irish champion -- Sir Marhaus -- who had come to collect the tribute. Tristram was made knight by Mark, who was glad for Tristram's advent. Marhaus was considered at the time to be the best Knight of the Round Table and, brother-in-law of the Irish king. That Cornwall was fielding a challenger at all was remarkable, for it was often said that Cornish knights were seldom brave and never very good. Frankly, there had been no other volunteers but Tristram! In the ensuing battle on a nearby island, Tristram mortally wounded the Irish champion. Marhaus was put in a ship to return to Ireland directly after the battle, but soon died of the sword blow Tristram had given his skull. Thereafter, people would learn to think twice about denigrating the knights of Cornwall. However, Tristram did not escape unscathed. Marhaus' sword had been covered with a poison such that no wound delivered by it could heal without the proper cure. After a month in bedridden agony, and with no cure in sight, a wise woman came and told Tristram about the nature of his wounds, and told him to seek his cure in Ireland. Tristram and Gouvernail sailed swiftly, and arrived safely beside the castle of King Anguish. Though he was deathly ill and unable to rise from bed, Tristram hid his pain and played a merry tune upon his harp as a way of getting an audience with the king. The plan worked, and Anguish called for the wounded harper to appear before his court. Calling himself "Tramtrist", his harping impressed the Irish king, his queen, and most of all the King's beautiful daughter, La Beale Isoud. Anguish directed his daughter, reknown as a surgeon, to care for their new guest. Isoud deftly found the poison at the heart of the wound and cured him of it. In return for restoring his health, "Tramtrist" taught her to harp. It was obvious to everyone they fancied each other's company. But unlike the instant love-at-first-sight Lancelot and Guenever had for each other, Tristram and Isoud at first tried to find suitable lovers for each other (the Lady of the Launds for Tristram, and Mark for Isoud). Perhaps they were the last to realize what others could easily see. During Tristram's recovery at the hands of Isoud, everyone in Ireland knew she was being courted by the famous Saracen, Sir Palomides. Indeed, the proudly stubborn Palomides even declared he'd be christened for her sake! It was not a decided engagement by any means, but Tristram's advent changed the situation completely, and began the almost life-long feud between Tristram and Palomides. Tristram was barely healed of his wounds when Isoud suggested he try to win the hand of the Lady of the Launds at the tournament her father was hosting. Perhaps Isoud's motive was to pit her suitors against each other. But since the prize of the tourney was the hand of the Lady of the Launds, she could also have hoped to see Tramtrist beat Palomides, so Isoud could have Palomides for herself. And of course, it could not hurt to have this powerful stranger marry into her father's family. Tristram thought it a good idea as well, but had his own take on the matter. He again disguised himself, this time as the unimaginative but often effective "Black Knight". He amazed everyone by not only defeating Palomides, but also all of the Irish knights and even ten of Arthur's knights, including Gawaine and his brothers. Yet what baffled everyone was when both Palomides and the Black Knight disappeared at the end of the day, leaving the Lady of the Launds without a suitable husband. The reason they did so was to continue their jealous feuding. Tristram pursued and defeated Palomides a second time in private, and made him foreswear his courting of Isoud. Moreso, he forbade Palomides from wearing armor or riding a horse for the next year. Broken and shamed, Palomides took his leave. Tristam returned to court and revealed himself as the Black Knight. After this, Isoud was much more interested in Tramtrist than she had been before. (No more mention was made of the Lady of the Launds -- we are left to wonder and hope that another knight was granted the honour of her hand!) During the tourney, Tristram met the one man who could have revealed his identity: a squire named Hebes who had been the messenger for the recently deceased daughter of King Faramon. Hebes immediately recognized Tristram, and told him of the death of the princess. Tristram befriended and knighted Hebes, and in return, Hebes promised to keep Tristram's identity secret. Thereafter, Tristram became known as a great benefactor to young knights. Yet the truth desires to be set free, and soon the queen herself discovered "Tramtrist's" true identity: the notch in Tristram's sword matched exactly to the piece that had been found lodged in Marhaus' skull. Not being able to break the rules of hospitality, Anguish confronted his guest with the accusations against him. Tristram confessed to him who he truly was, and how he had defeated Marhaus. Yet though Anguish was impressed with Tristram, and personally bore him no ill will, he not able to promise his guest safety in his court from Marhaus' angry relatives -- including the Queen -- and politely asked Tristram to leave. Isoud and Tristram exchanged rings before he departed, but these were not to signify their intention to marry each other. Instead, they swore vows: Tristram would be her knight and defender, and she promised not to marry anyone except if he gave his assent. With that, they departed as friends. At this point, many people would say that these two truly were in love with each other, and yet with his actions Tristram proved otherwise. Upon his return to court, Tristram began an affair with Sir Segwarides' wife. Mark learned of this and became quite jealous of his nephew. He even rode with two armed knights and attacked Tristram while he was en route to an assignation with the lady. Tristram defeated his attackers and kept his rendezvous, but not without being wounded. Tristram's blood stains were later found on the lady's bedsheets by her husband. Segwarides chased after Tristram and fought with him, but was wounded greviously. Tristram, still hurting from Mark's wounding, returned to court and likewise took to his sickbed. Months passed, with an uneasy quiet between Segwarides, Tristram and Mark pervading the court. Sir Bleoberis's arrival eventually brought it to a head by this Knight of the Round Table's asking for a boon. King Mark granted it, and Bleoberis asked for nothing less than Segwarides' wife! She consented, and the two rode off together. Segwarides found out about this second betrayal and rode off after her. But the ladies of the court, well aware of Tristram's professed love, chided him for not going after her himself. Tristram explained that it was her husband's duty to attempt to win her back first, but vowed to go after her himself if Segwarides was defeated. Not long after, a squire informed the court that Segwarides had been bested by Bleoberis, and Tristram set off towards Arthur's court in pursuit. En route, he defeated Sir Sagramore and Dodinas in return for their mockery of Cornish knights. Shortly thereafter, he caught up with Bleoberis on the road, and fought with him for over two hours. Bleoberis stopped the fight, made peace with Tristram, and agreed to let the lady chose between them. She chose Bleoberis. She explained to a stunned Tristram that she thought Tristram loved her, but when he let Bleoberis take her from court without stirring a finger, she knew it wasn't true love. She asked Bleoberis to take her to the abbey where Segwarides was recovering. Segwarides was amazed and pleased to have his wife back, and was glad for Tristram's efforts in her recovery. Yet Mark was twisted with jealousy. He devised a strange plan to destroy his nephew. He asked Tristram to return to Ireland and fetch Isoud so that he could wed her. After all, Tristram had extolled her virtues repeatedly since his return. His request was facetious; he thought Tristram would be killed immediately at the hands of Marhaus' still-enraged relatives. Tristram, dutiful to his lord and unsuspecting towards his uncle's devious nature, took a band of knights and set sail for Ireland once more. But Tristram was swept wildly off-course by a sea storm and landed instead near Camelot. There Tristram met and defeated Sirs Ector de Maris and Morganor. As well, Tristram once again came across Sir Bleoberis, and as it happens, King Agwisance as well. Bleoberis had instisted that Agwisance had committed treason by killing a cousin of Bleoberis' (Note: many crimes having to do with the betrayal of lord/vassal, host/guest, or husband/wife relationships were simply called "treason."). Arthur had summoned his vassal to Camelot to stand and face his charges. Tristram had just defeated (but unwittingly let escape) Breunis Saunce Pite when he learned of Agwisance's peril. The Irish king was greatly pleased to see his former guest, and gladly accepted Tristram's offer for assistance. Tristram deftly championed Agwisance. Yet rather than slay Sir Bleoberis and further the blood feud, he ensured Agwisance and the de Ganis knight were formally accorded. For his service, Agwisance took Tristram back with him to Ireland. With the joy shown upon the King's return, Mark's plan was completely defeated. No mention was made of Marhaus again, for how could someone speak poorly about the man who personally rescued the King of Ireland? Isoud's attitude was different now too. She was in love with Tristram. But he was strangely unresponsive. Months passed before Agwisance pressed Tristam to name any boon he desired in return for his good service. He was shocked by Tristram's request for Isoud's hand not for himself, but on behalf of his uncle Mark! Though Agwisance asked Tristram to change his mind and take her as his own wife, Tristram was honor-bound to his promise. Tristram's ship was prepared for the return voyage. It was at this time that the lovers were finally brought together, and only by magic and ill-luck. Queen Isoud (La Beale Isoud's mother) gave a love elixir to Bragwine, her daughter's handmaiden, to share between her daughter and Mark. While returning across the Irish Sea, Tristram and Isoud share the love elixir instead, thinking it nothing more than a bottle of fine wine Bragwine and Gouvernail had been hiding from them. It was only with this supernatural spur that love finally bloomed between these two. Before returning to Cornwall the ship landed in Wales. There Tristram slew Sir Bruenor of Castle Pleure, who had the horrid custom of challenging to the death every passing knight who was accompanied by a lady. Prior to this, many knights were slain, and many ladies had lost their heads to this fearsome knight. Bruenor's son, Sir Galahaut the Haut Prince, came to avenge his parents' death with the help of Malahaut, King with the Hundred Knights. But the quarrel soon ended, with Tristram yielding honorably to the noble prince. Galahaut knew of the shameful custom and forgave Tristram. After this, Tristram again put to sea, and soon came to Cornwall. Mark was surprised to see his nephew home again and successful, but the sight of La Beale Isoud pleased him greatly. The wedding day came and went quickly. Though Mark gave a grand banquet and tournament (which Tristram won), there was little love in the air -- at least, between the bride and groom. Shortly thereafter Palomides shocked the court when he asked for a boon for his rescue of Dame Bragwine. Of all the choices he had, he demanded Isoud come with him. [Continued in V9.2]