A very brief history of Lyonesse

Lyonesse is a country in Arthurian legend, particularly in the story of Tristan and Iseult. Said to border Cornwall, it is most notable as the home of the hero Tristan, whose father was king. In later traditions Lyonesse is said to have sunk beneath the waves some time after the Tristan stories take place, making it similar to Ys and other lost lands in medieval Celtic tales, and perhaps connecting it with the Isles of Scilly.

In medieval Arthurian legend, there are no references to the sinking of Lyonesse, for the simple reason that the name originally referred to a still-existing place. Lyonesse is an English alteration of French Léoneis or Léonois (earlier Loönois), a development of Lodonesia, the Latin name for Lothian in Scotland. Continental writers of Arthurian romances were often puzzled by the internal geography of Great Britain; thus it is that the author French Prose Tristan appears to place Léonois contiguous, by land, to Cornwall. In English adaptations of the French tales, Léonois, now "Lyonesse", becomes a kingdom wholly distinct from Lothian, and closely associated with the Cornish region, though its exact geographical location remained unspecified. The name was not attached to Cornish legends of lost coastal lands until the reign of Elizabeth I of England, however. However, the legendary lost land between Land's End and Scilly has a distinct Cornish name: Lethowsow. This derives from the Cornish name for the Seven Stones reef, on the reputed site of the lost land's capital and the site of the notorious wreck of the Torrey Canyon. The name translates into English as "the milky ones", from the constant white water surrounding the reef.

The Inner Circle Society - The quest for Excalibur (3)

(Text sample)

Morgaine le Fay, illustrated by Venlian

Cline turned to Draco, leaning across the table. "Okay, the nitty  gritty. From what has been said so far." He glanced around the oblong  table. "Correct me if I am wrong."

"We will assume the sword exists. Apart from being a artifact of  historical value, there is a strong possibility it is exceptional in any number of ways. The most dramatic attribute, I think we would all agree, is that it belongs to the future King. King of what, is still in question."

He cleared his throat and rested his chin on his fist. "Now, the location - there are a few posibilities. At sea, in the hands of this famous lady-of-the-lake, or at Avalon, also known as the island of apples." He turned to the woman by his side. "Right Elizabeth?"

Dr Cline gave a friendly smile. He liked her apparent calm sincerity. "Also, let's not strike out the possibility of someone else already having discovered Excalibur. That would be a turn of events, wouldn't it?" He waved his hand dismissively. "Maybe the king has already been found!"

He shuffled awkwardly on his leather chair. It didn't seem like there was much to go on. If only they could obtain a definitive answer.

The Inner Circle Society - The quest for Excalibur (2)

The lady of the lake, by Okmer

(Text sample)

"I won't even go into the whole 'time travel' notion," Lothian said.  "I've  seen strange things aplenty in this life, so I'll just take that one at face value.  However, I strongly recommend that you set that notion -- and any like it -- aside.  You don't toy with key artifacts in such a way.  Destiny has marked it, and anyone who plays with it in a cavalier manner will surely wind up dead.  Destiny doesn't tolerate fools."

"Careful, pops," Jesse warned as he began cracking his knuckles.  "You  don't like my plan that's fine, but you start calling me a fool and you'll find yourself eating a knuckle sandwich."

Lothian smiled a wide, bright smile.  Being six-foot-eleven and built like a stone wall, it was the rare individual who dared threaten him aloud.

Usually a fool.

"Nonsense," he replied.  "You make a trifle with lady fingers."

The Inner Circle Society - how it came to be

The Inner Circle Society was a play-by-email roleplaying game I created a bit over 15 years ago. Funny enough, after all these years I still have the original documents kept in my computer, and curiously after googling the term I've found out some other "Inner Circle Societies" that are more recent and obviously not of my creation since as its origin it's completely different.

The original Inner Circle Society was created out of my obsession with the legend of King Arthur. During my intensive interest on the topic,  I've pretty much read all I could get my hands on about it and that sort of explains why the main plot was "The quest for Excalibur"

Usually when one creates, coordinates and plays writing games, one has to have a very precise idea - or at least as precise as possible - of what things are. It is a requirement so we can explain it welll to others and help them integrate in the story. This was, in my opinion this is one of the most the most wonderful challenges I've faced as a game master in my own creations. Allowing the others to become part of the plot, to enrich it with different aproaches contributing to the storytelling and its end result.

One thing was certain; I always knew how the story started, but it was never possible to predict how it would end and this was a kind of an addictive feeling.


So, the original text about the Inner Circle Society went like this: