Epiphany Rising
During a nighttime tournament at Westminster Palace, the conspirators of the Epiphany Rising—Thomas Holland, John Holland, and Thomas Despenser—are secretly plotting to overthrow King Henry IV, using
Setting
Westminster Palace's great hall, a grand and imposing space with high vaulted ceilings, during a nighttime tournament. The hall is dimly lit by torches and large iron chandeliers, casting flickering shadows on the stone walls. The tournament grounds are set up in the center, with wooden barriers and banners hanging from the rafters.
Characters
Henry IV
primary
A middle-aged king with a strong, wiry build, his face lined with the cares of rule. His dark eyes, sharp and piercing, survey the room with wary intelligence. A neatly trimmed beard frames his face, flecked with grey, and his hair, though thinning, is kept short and orderly.
Thomas Holland
primary
A lean, middle-aged nobleman with sharp features and piercing eyes. His dark hair is streaked with grey, tied back in a short tail. His build is wiry, suggesting a man accustomed to both courtly intrigue and physical exertion.
John Holland
secondary
A lean, middle-aged nobleman with sharp features, a neatly trimmed beard, and piercing hazel eyes that dart subtly around the hall. His posture is upright, betraying his noble upbringing, but there is tension in his shoulders.
Thomas Despenser
secondary
A lean, wiry nobleman in his late twenties, with sharp features and a closely trimmed beard. His dark brown hair is cut short in the fashion of the time, and his pale complexion contrasts with the flickering torchlight. His fingers twitch nervously as he adjusts his gloves.
Royal Guard
background
A tall, broad-shouldered man in his late thirties with a weathered face, short-cropped dark hair, and a neatly trimmed beard. His piercing blue eyes constantly scan the room for threats, and his muscular frame suggests years of rigorous training.
Dialog
Henry IV
The jousts this night bring much diversion, yet I find my thoughts stray elsewhere. Tell me, my lord of Kent, do you also sense the shifting winds?
Thomas Holland
The winds blow as they will, sire. But a wise captain keeps his sails trimmed for any storm.
Henry IV
Aye... and watches his decks for rats. My grandfather taught me that even noble blood may harbor treason.
Thomas Holland
How fortunate then that all here wear their loyalty openly, like the colors of their houses.
Henry IV
Do they? I've found that silks may conceal daggers as readily as armor. But we shall see what the morrow brings.
Thomas Holland
As Your Grace says. Though I pray the sun rises on nothing more troubling than sore heads from tonight's revels.