Dramatis Personae

“Present” Day:

• Sir Chompsley of Firf: A respected British academic and author of 12th Century English battles, skirmishes, and armed conflicts documented amongst the nobility and crusading orders during the reign of King John and Henry III in the northern moor region.
• “The Critic”: A contemporary of Sir Chompsley, who often comments on his work. These can be thought of as margin notes in a copy of Chompsley’s book, or as editorial commentary in a annotated 2nd edition. Regardless, his thoughts appear in the appropriately academic red.

The First Baron’s War:
The participants of “The Greens War”, a bloody series of skirmishes that, while vicious, held little sway over the the larger events of the 1st Baron’s War can largely be divided up into three groups: Those loyal to King John, those in active rebellion against the crown and those opportunists, unfortunates, mercenaries, and other sorts who found themselves caught in the middle.

• The Loyalists
  • Baron Jasper de Crewe: A veteran of the Siege of Acre, Jasper de Crewe returned home with a battered sword, a soul lightened of sin, and a renewed interest in seeing his family’s holdings secured for the future. He is am ambitious man who has, for the moment, sided with King John, seeing the potential for seized rebel lands, or new grants in Wales or Ireland for those who stand by the crown. More cannily, he is also confident that his forces are sufficient that, should the rebels begin to gain the upper hand, they will negotiate favorable for his defection or exit from the conflict. As far as he is concerned, his rivalry with Lord Richard (below) is a one-sided affair, as “rival” suggests a level of equality that does not exist.
  • Sir Edward Wollery: Jasper’s brother in law by marriage to his younger sister. Sir Edward did not accompany him to the Holy Lands, instead staying to ensure that his holdings remained secure and safe from “those bastard Welsh”. A loyal and reliable sort, Sir Edward continues to command a sizable force despite Jasper’s return, his prerogative still to see the boundary of de Crewe lands kept secure.
  • Sir Simon Payne (“Red Simon”). A consummate professional soldier, Red Simon was knighted during the Siege of Acre for his acts there, though a sinister reputation followed him back from the Holy Land. He is the Baron’s choice for when something most be done that the Baron cannot be seen — or does not with to be seen — doing, and at present, he has been granted a substantial force with the aim of causing as much havoc as possible.
• The Rebels
  • Lord Richard of Boarsley: A young lord, recently having inherited the title of Lord of Boarsley from his respected father, Henry. Richard is brash, rude and hungry for more power and lands. Seeing the Baron’s rebellion as a way to enact that, he has struck out towards his estranged cousin’s (Baron de Crewe) lands and seeks to remove him for the simple fact that he doesn’t like his holier-than-thou attitude.
  • Sir Oswald (“The Bastard”): Richard’s gamekeeper, he is very close in age to his lord and very close personally owing to the young master’s fondness for hunting. There are whispers of even closer familial ties, and they are in fact half brothers through Henry. Regardless of the truth of that, Richard trusts him implicitly (and is one of the few people who does) and has him take care of things in the worst of situations. He is cruel, callous, and above all, ruthless.
  • Alger the Fox: A veteran mercenary, he served Henry of Boarsley for many years before his death, and continues to serve his heir. After countless battles, he regards things like “chivalry” and “fair fights” as things for dead men to care about, and living ones to ignore.