Army design: Glastonbury 1199
Feb. 21st, 2012 12:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
janewilliams20HOTT Avalon is coming up soon, and I'd been wanting to do this pair of armies for it for a while. For once, historical armies using 15mm figures. Very little weirdness - just rather a fun story. Bear in mind the tournament takes place in Glastonbury.
The story
It is the late 1100s. In Europe, the Crusades are going on, and Richard the Lionheart has got himself imprisoned and in need of ransom again. Back home in Glastonbury, there is considerable discussion over who ought to be their Abbot - shoud they continue to be independent, or should they come under the rule of the Bishop of Bath and Wells? This is to be determined by a carefully considered and unbiased approach consisting of "Your Majesty, have some taxes", "I'm telling the Pope on you!" and "my uncle's the Emperor, nya, nya!"
In 1199, Richard died, and bribery etc was redirected to John. To quote Geoffrey Ashe:
Savary, Bishop of Bath and Wells, "....descended on Glastonbury armed with a Royal Warrant..... and attended by an armed mob of citizens and cathedral canons from Wells. Finding the gates bolted, Savary's retinue battered their way through by force. Most of the monks fled to the refectory. The canons locked them in, grabbed the vestments, and performed the ceremony of installation. That being safely concluded, Abbot Savary and his followers ate their dinner and went to bed, taking no notice of the yells and thumps from the refectory. The next day, after a leisurely breakfast, they unlocked the door and brought the monks into the chapter house, where the Abbot gave them... a flogging.
.... Savary learned that the monks were preparing a clandestine approach to Rome. His corps of canons burst in on their deliberations and ordered a halt. They barricaded themselves in the Lady Chapel. The canons and lay assistants forced the door. After a brief scrimmage with crucifixes and other ecclesiastical furniture, the stronger party prevailed. The monks were dragged out by the hair, herded into carts, and removed to Wells..... A certain Martin de Summis managed to make off with a considerable amount of money. Accompanied by William de Pica [the former Abbot], he went to Rome..."
The story drags on - the Pope intervenes, William de Pica dies in Rome (probably poisoned by Savary), Savary dies, and they end up with Abbot William Vigor, elected by the monks, and famed only for strengthening the beer (good man!).
And, after discussion, the Plan:
William de Pica, Abbot of Glastonbury - cleric general (3)
Martin de Summis - Hero (4) - possibly possessed by the spirit of King Arthur, whose tomb was discovered here a few years ago
The Thorn - lurker (1)
Papal Bull - God (4)
Monks - warband * 6 @ 2 - a little fierce, perhaps, but good in bad going, and they seem to have thought they'd do better in a BUA than in the open.
Savary/Savaric, Bishop of Bath and Wells - knight general (2)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savaric_FitzGeldewin
He's been on Crusade, I think we can class him as a Knight.
Papal Bull - God (4)
Canons - beasts "because they are 'baying hounds of the Bishop' ", I am told.
Citizens of Wells - hordes
Yes, that does mean that both sides have the same God (represented as a literal four-legs-and-horns Bull, of course). The first one to roll 6 and summon him gets him. He vanishes on a 1 due to the Bull being claimed to be a forgery (don't laugh, Savary did this).
Modelling
Strongholds:
the Lady Chapel for the Monks (I took pictures of the place last time I was down there for this purpose).
Savary can have the gatehouse to the Bishop's Palace, at Wells.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bishopspalacewellsgatehouse.jpg
In both cases, if the strnghold isn't being used as such, it becomes a BUA (so I need flat to-down views to substitute for the building when troops move across it).
Sadly the George and Pilgrim Inn, where the tournament will be held, is a century or so into the future.
I have figures on their way from a variety of manufacturers, and am looking at painting schemes. The Monks are a Benedictine order, so are famous for wearing black, but apparently donned their albs for the second skirmish. I'll do them as black and white. The Canons and Savary I don't yet know the correct colours for, but am hoping for red, as a contrast. The Citizens of Wells can be a mixture of colours.
I doubt if heraldry existed this early for Wells.
If I get the time, I'll do a Hill that looks a lot like the Tor (without the tower on top - not built yet).
The only other required addition is an extra 4 AP of troops, for when these two are used in the doubles tournament on Sunday and the God is shared rather than squabbled over. I'll see what figures I have spare.
The story
It is the late 1100s. In Europe, the Crusades are going on, and Richard the Lionheart has got himself imprisoned and in need of ransom again. Back home in Glastonbury, there is considerable discussion over who ought to be their Abbot - shoud they continue to be independent, or should they come under the rule of the Bishop of Bath and Wells? This is to be determined by a carefully considered and unbiased approach consisting of "Your Majesty, have some taxes", "I'm telling the Pope on you!" and "my uncle's the Emperor, nya, nya!"
In 1199, Richard died, and bribery etc was redirected to John. To quote Geoffrey Ashe:
Savary, Bishop of Bath and Wells, "....descended on Glastonbury armed with a Royal Warrant..... and attended by an armed mob of citizens and cathedral canons from Wells. Finding the gates bolted, Savary's retinue battered their way through by force. Most of the monks fled to the refectory. The canons locked them in, grabbed the vestments, and performed the ceremony of installation. That being safely concluded, Abbot Savary and his followers ate their dinner and went to bed, taking no notice of the yells and thumps from the refectory. The next day, after a leisurely breakfast, they unlocked the door and brought the monks into the chapter house, where the Abbot gave them... a flogging.
.... Savary learned that the monks were preparing a clandestine approach to Rome. His corps of canons burst in on their deliberations and ordered a halt. They barricaded themselves in the Lady Chapel. The canons and lay assistants forced the door. After a brief scrimmage with crucifixes and other ecclesiastical furniture, the stronger party prevailed. The monks were dragged out by the hair, herded into carts, and removed to Wells..... A certain Martin de Summis managed to make off with a considerable amount of money. Accompanied by William de Pica [the former Abbot], he went to Rome..."
The story drags on - the Pope intervenes, William de Pica dies in Rome (probably poisoned by Savary), Savary dies, and they end up with Abbot William Vigor, elected by the monks, and famed only for strengthening the beer (good man!).
And, after discussion, the Plan:
William de Pica, Abbot of Glastonbury - cleric general (3)
Martin de Summis - Hero (4) - possibly possessed by the spirit of King Arthur, whose tomb was discovered here a few years ago
The Thorn - lurker (1)
Papal Bull - God (4)
Monks - warband * 6 @ 2 - a little fierce, perhaps, but good in bad going, and they seem to have thought they'd do better in a BUA than in the open.
Savary/Savaric, Bishop of Bath and Wells - knight general (2)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savaric_FitzGeldewin
He's been on Crusade, I think we can class him as a Knight.
Papal Bull - God (4)
Canons - beasts "because they are 'baying hounds of the Bishop' ", I am told.
Citizens of Wells - hordes
Yes, that does mean that both sides have the same God (represented as a literal four-legs-and-horns Bull, of course). The first one to roll 6 and summon him gets him. He vanishes on a 1 due to the Bull being claimed to be a forgery (don't laugh, Savary did this).
Modelling
Strongholds:
the Lady Chapel for the Monks (I took pictures of the place last time I was down there for this purpose).
Savary can have the gatehouse to the Bishop's Palace, at Wells.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bishopspalacewellsgatehouse.jpg
In both cases, if the strnghold isn't being used as such, it becomes a BUA (so I need flat to-down views to substitute for the building when troops move across it).
Sadly the George and Pilgrim Inn, where the tournament will be held, is a century or so into the future.
I have figures on their way from a variety of manufacturers, and am looking at painting schemes. The Monks are a Benedictine order, so are famous for wearing black, but apparently donned their albs for the second skirmish. I'll do them as black and white. The Canons and Savary I don't yet know the correct colours for, but am hoping for red, as a contrast. The Citizens of Wells can be a mixture of colours.
I doubt if heraldry existed this early for Wells.
If I get the time, I'll do a Hill that looks a lot like the Tor (without the tower on top - not built yet).
The only other required addition is an extra 4 AP of troops, for when these two are used in the doubles tournament on Sunday and the God is shared rather than squabbled over. I'll see what figures I have spare.