The heraldry game is set in the year 1273, a time when things were, well, pretty medieval. You will play the part of 14 year old Robert, second son of Lord Landley. You will use the knowledge of heraldry and blazonry taught to you at great pains (mostly yours) by your father’s herald to identify other characters and know them for friend or foe. Your fate will lie in your ability to correctly identify them as the story unfolds; if you fail the consequences may be dire as these are harsh and brutal times.
     Lords, like your father, hold their land in fief (in exchange for service in battle) from the King or, more often, from the other, higher nobility. There are rumors of plots and counter-plots. Your father and his knights can generally control the immediate country-side, but there are stories of armed knights about who are not from your castle. Your nearest neighbor, Lord Sidbury, is said to be embroiled in a plot against the King. Should the plot succeed, the plotters will have to reward those who helped them, and the lands of those who remained loyal to the King will be prizes to be shared out.
     Everyone still talks about the years of war and lawlessness while King Stephen fought his cousin Matilda and her son Henry over the throne. No one wants another long drawn-out war that devastates the countryside, though there are some who would not mind a quick skirmish that promises gain.
     The times are turbulent and dangerous, and what safety can be found lies in knowing who your allies and your enemies are. Allegiances change with the swirl of changing politics. You and your father want to protect the King from the plotting of some of the Lords, but you also want to protect the land you hold in fief from two higher nobles. You must be quick-witted and recognize knights by their coats of arms before you say anything to them. By correctly choosing the shield, or the description, you will give messages to your allies, without revealing yourself to your enemies.

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