Casting Shadows

The first time I played Pendragon was in a packed Arthurian Literature class where the class before we had been put on the spot to read Old English aloud. That class was great for surprise, for deep insights into Arthur and the enduring legacy of tales stemming from that character, and for wooing – life altering wooing in the Nimue and Merlin sense.

On June 30th of 2024, I released the video below where I unboxed the Core Rules of Pendragon’s 6th Edition and its Starter Set.

My intention at that time was to start a series on the game. That intention is still with me, but as it turned out the second video in the series did not get recorded until this past weekend (after some amusing false starts involving a K-pop festival, a torrential downpour or three, and a week of thunder and lightning. What was not amusing at all was the sudden passing of one of our older but ostensibly healthy dogs over the course of one miserable day). I named the first dog I got as an adult in Arthurian tradition, calling him Cavall. That should show some of the connections and thoughts which further slowed this video being made. The dog who passed was called Tim, and yes – he was enchanting.

So, here we are with thoughts circling around Arthur, the various editions of Pendragon, the decades of discourse about this mostly beloved game, memories and sadness, and my own plans to run it again. Into this mix the circumstances shifted and a second video was uploaded.

From that session, alone with my books and the big dogs – two of whom appear in clips from the amusingly aborted videos – some thoughts on Arthur came out which I wanted to record here in text. It’s not an exact representation of what got said in the moment, but it’s close enough, I think.

A Perspective on Pendragon for the Present

What is Pendragon, really? Can we come to terms with it without first finding and naming our Arthur as King?

Arthur is a role model and a warning from experienced members of the community. Arthur, in these modern times, has continued to grow into T.H. White’s moniker of the once and future king in that the character serves as an instructive example for all those who have followed. It’s both hard to exactly pinpoint Arthur and avoid mention of Arthur.

Arthur’s example

Arthur’s kingdom, the shining wonder of Camelot with its centerpiece of the round table, and the relationships between the knights who sit about that symbolic meeting place and adventure from it, shows us that all civilizations, organizations, groups, bands, and bonds contain the seeds of their own destruction – even families hold such ruin within. This is the essential warning of Arthur. The tale of the “sword in the stone” (or anvil) serves as an inescapable hint into this as it relates the doubt, fear, and greed of worldly leaders, and their competition to be the one to claim the throne and take power as king in contrast to the boy Arthur’s innocent desire to provide for people in need. Then, because it is taken as given that men lie, the boy is guided to be part of a deception to reenact the drawing of the sword in front of witnesses, then in some tellings, ongoing performances. It’s not enough to recognize the sword in the hand of the boy. It’s not enough to ask who drew it. It’s too hard to believe the answer. It’s too tempting to simply take the sword and with it the throne.

Our misunderstandings

The cowardly, especially when physically strong and fearfully forceful, seem drawn to the image of the armor-clad and sword-bearing knight as a sign of personal power and control over circumstances – conflating bullying for leadership. What that view perverts is the knight’s duty to protect and the image of hope that knight conveys to those under that protection. When the knight is an image of fear and control, that duty dies and that hope cannot grow into a healthy and self-sustaining society. The legacy of the knight is to be the model on which the next generation builds toward further greatness and the experience of the knight is to grow under a knight’s protection, learn, and then in their turn be the knight protecting not just the young, but the aged knights who sheltered them.

Arthur is not demonstrating domination of those within the society nor is Arthur demonstrating fear and hatred of the outsider and other. Arthur demonstrates leadership as stewardship of a brighter future, open to all.  Across all the pages under all the pens of those who seek to turn Arthur to their will to tell their tale or message, the character relentlessly points to both the failings which killed the dream of Camelot, and the way forward so we do not repeat that murder.

Arthur unites.

Arthur expects personal excellence in service to the community. Arthur brings differences together and celebrates them as equal in value. Arthur recognizes achievement and puts it to work for the betterment of the community both as inspiration and as service. Arthur heals the land and its people. In the absence of Arthur’s example as we grow toward adulthood, the land dwindles in valor, in vision, and in virtue – as do we.

The greatest lesson of Arthur is that the dream dies within the lifetime of those who brought it into being. We do it to ourselves, each and every time. We fail, over and over.

We have been warned.

We do not, and seemingly will not, listen.

Arthur’s fate

Arthur’s fate is not a warning not to try. It’s a reminder of the challenge, a vision of the pitfalls within and around us, and most importantly a charge to do better.

Arthur for all the potential of that character and all the support gained from the exemplary characters drawn to support the dream of Camelot, is the author of its fall and the enabler of those who would refuse to embrace its dream and rejoice at its end.

The game

As a game, Pendragon enables us to live the experiences of the knights of Arthur’s Britain in our imaginations. To understand the temptations, to wrestle with the decisions, to thrill to victory and to mourn in defeat, to start a legacy and see it flourish or falter, and above all to resonate to the ephemeral truth of the dream.

Pendragon is a game of playing Knights. The Knights of the Round Table. Arthur’s great circle of knights who were inspired by and in turn inspire each other to greatness.

Pendragon is the land broken and beset. Pendragon is people, divided and lacking unity, purpose, and humane leadership. Pendragon shows us the sword drawn from the stone signaling a new age, a new dream.

We are the shapers and stewards of that dream.