The Second Generation

The Kingdom of Pengwern

In  all the wide Christian lands of Pengwern, the Saxon wind never blows, and the rich grain basket of Britain overflows with the fruits of honest labour and the King's Peace. Many priests attribute this success to the manifest piety of its Christian King and say that the Kingdom of Pengwern is favoured of God in what has been a dark and troubled time for Britain. Some, more cynically point at the strength of the warband, the Kings Companion, King Blaine's elite guard and the fearsome reputation of your parents the White Riders as the decisive factors which keep the kingdom safe. Perhaps both are right.

The Kingdoms of Britain

Nevertheless the Kingdom of Pengwern is at Peace. Secured by strong Alliances with Cuneglas of Powys, Uriens of Rheged, Meurig Of Gwent, and the Countess Of Cynwidion, and friendships with the ancient King Marcus the Black Spider of Dumnomia and his son Rhiothamus, the ageing King Gloddryd of Caer Lerion. A minor factor in the prosperity of Pengwern might also just possibly be the fact that the High King Uther's warband often winters in the capital under its leader Aurialanus.

However, that does not mean that things have all gone your way. While the Suth Seaxe were famously stopped by High King Uther at the Battle Of St Albanus in the year of 495, the following year Kyning Cerdic established the Kindgom of West Seaxe after his champion killed the champion of all Britain, Owain, in an epic single combat. Caer Ambros fell shortly afterwards and now lies in ruins, the only time (it is said) that the White Riders were defeated in open battle.

The Kindoms of West. Suth and Est Seaxe have grown steadily since then and now threaten the borders of Dumnomia, Cynwydion and Caer Lerion, though an uneasy peace has existed since the fall of Caer Lundein

However, there have been no wars now for many years the very last one being the so-called siege of Caer Lundein (Lundinium) in which in effect the British rulers acknowledged their Saxon overlords after a token resistance, something which in reality been true for many years. The last real challenge to Saxon rule in Caer Lundein was of course the daring rescue of Britain's only swordsmith and his family by the White Riders, a story you've hard many times sung in hall and hearth.

However talk of Saxon wars is all so far away. Justice is served, outlaws and bandits are almost non-existent, cities, towns and villas are being rebuilt, and taxes are paid with little complaint. Even the old roads and bridges are being rebuilt. All the kings of Britain are regular visitors, and even the

Saxon Kings come for state visits on occasion and their Bretwalda, or High King Aelle. is somewhat of an Uncle to all of you, since he visits most years. You are in the enviable position of being able to attest to the truth of the man, his size, his gigantic mirths and melancholies, and his love of families and children. If anything the stories are less than the reality – he is a giant of a heroic age now past and gone.

You mostly live in The Court of Pengwern (Llys Pengwern) where you are afforded the considerable freedoms which come to the latter born children of noble families. Your days are your own, and while your education has been on occasion hard, on the whole you have been happy.

However, now is the year of your majority, and soon comes the time in which tradition demands you decide what you;re going to do with the rest of your life. But still, the old saying of make hay while the sun shines, applies now more than any other times and you have descended with your friends and companions on the Villa of Bynn ap Scion, one of your fathers' old companions, with his wife Rhiannon and his beautiful daughters Eirin and Rania.