Alpha Storyguide: Chris Blake
Shortly after the snows melted in the spring of 1227, a traveling performance troupe arrived in Boot. The troupe family asked if they could set up and perform in town, and were granted leave to do so.
The first night they were there, they got up a game of dice open to anyone who was interested. About four of the grogs went and enjoyed their ale and dice. Ted and Darius cheated; while Ted was caught at it and asked to leave, Darius was a little subtler about it. This simply meant that the troupe was also subtle about getting their money back. Tori the young daughter and acrobat and animal handler, seduced Darius, and while he slept the rest of the family took their money back. Darius said little about it; he was raised in a troupe and knew what to expect. Tori seemed to enjoy it more then she should have.
The next day Christopher came down to make sure that the men did not cause any problems, when a monstrous seven-foot albino came out of one of the wagons. He made a straight line to Christopher and vigorously shook his hand. He said something in a language Christopher could not understand, and Ness (the father and troupe leader) simply said, "he is just trilled to see an English knight." Christopher thought that the encounter was strange but was nonetheless glad that the towering figure was friendly
Later that night at the performance, all comers were challenged to take on Amalinze, as the giant was called. All were surprised when the challenge was accepted by Superbus, the Epebolus magus and probationary member of Corona Montis. Superbus lost despite his use of magic to augment his abilities, yet he fared better then anybody thought he should have. The girl Tori impressed everyone with her animal handling abilities — so much so that the magi investigated her and discovered she had the Gift.
After two days of performance the troupe packed up and left. The day after they left, Roland happened by Celer’s sanctum and noticed that Arthur’s Gauntlets were missing! A quick investigation revealed that it was probably the troupe’s doing, but that Sir Marcellus was suspected of complicity, as he had investigated a disturbance but was nowhere to be found.
The magi split up in an effort to find the troupe: Baelthornon struck south in wolf form; Roland and Superbus headed east and Christopher and Celer journeyed north. The latter group caught up with the troupe near Carlisle. The troupe could of course not normally stand up to a mounted knight, but they had the seven-foot albino, so the men approached them cautiously. The troupe was ready for the men: the son Reese was hidden in the woods with a long bow, Tori had a bear at her side, and the albino was standing by Ness.
Christopher and Ness tensely discussed the matter of the Gauntlets. Ness said that he had already given the Gauntlets to the man who hired them to steal them. He felt it was safer for them to never know the man's name, though he believed him to be a Cornish knight. This sounded like Sir Hawes of Ygraine’s Grief covenant, who had participated in the Tournament of 1227 and asked a lot of questions about the Gauntlets.
When it came time to fight, Ness ordered the albino to attack, but all the giant did was walk over and shake Christopher’s hand. The rest of the group thought better of defying the imposing mounted knight. Ted went into the woods and found Reese, who peacefully surrendered. Ness, knowing the fight was lost, surrendered. He had no choice but to agree to leave Amalinze and Tori behind. Tori was to become Celer’s apprentice.
Note: With the aid of magic, the covenant was able to learn more of Amalinze’s story. The giant was Abyssinian, and Christian, and had left the service Prestor John. He kept having visions of saving an English knight he had never met from a collapsing cave. He had been extremely excited to meet Christopher, who was the very man in his dreams, feeling that it was his destiny to protect this man from such a fate. As a result, he rarely leaves Christopher’s side on patrol.
Cast: Ted and Superbus of Epebolus (Mike), Tori, Amalinze and Reese (Chris), Kenric, Darius, Christopher and Baelthornon (Patrick).
Game Session: 4/16/00
Gamma Storyguide: Patrick Murphy, with Alpha Storyguide Chris Blake
The spring of 1227 saw the approach of the annual tournament. This year, it was Baron William's turn to host the event, and given the celebrity status of the residents of Austhwaite Manor in recent years, the Baron honored the Austhwaites by letting them host the tournament in his name. Austhwaite Manor was abuzz with preparations, as the finest decorations, wines, foods and so forth were made ready for the nineteen knights who would take part in the tournament!
Familiar faces began arriving at the manor house: Michael Merrick and his family, Baron Martin Strickland of Kendal, and the lovely Lady Eleanor de Roche, to name a few. There were even a couple of knights participating from distant lands: Sir Hawes of Cornwall (who announced to Baelthornon that he was in fact a member of the turb of Ygraine's Grief covenant) and Sir Thomas Aughton of Lusk, in the Pale, those Norman-held Irish lands. The first event was a hunt, held the morning before the combat events. During the hunt, Sir Hawes queried Marcellus about any magical artifacts the covenant might possess, then asked Roland similar questions when he returned to the manor. Sir John Porter, notable from his prominence in the stories Our Mutual Friend and Damosel in Distress), led the knights after the first day, with Sir Andrew a close second, and William Asemundirlaw (nephew to Baron Boyuill), Sir Richard and Thomas Aughton all tied for third.
At the feast that night, John Porter was given the seat of honor. Sir Roland regaled the assembled lords and ladies with songs of Corona Montis' most impressive battles, with the retelling of the slaying of the dragon the highlight of the evening. Sir Andrew immediately renewed his efforts to gain Lady Eleanor's attention. Sir Julius eyed Lady Janet Musgrave, whose powerful family hailed from the Penrith area, but he was sorely embarrassed when William Wyberg, a knight from Waberthwaite on the coast in service to the Pennington family, asked about his parents. When Julius stated he was an orphan and had earned his title through hard work, most of the nearby nobles were not impressed. Thereafter, Julius approached the tall, noble figure of Lady Elise Aughton, twin sister of that knight from far-off Ireland. She was very pleasant, and asked all manner of questions about the battle with the Dragon of Man (see The Perils of the Isle of Man). Baelthornon's apprentice Andrea left the feasting early with John Porter...
The next morning, the nobles made their way to a field marked off near Hardknott. The weather was beautiful and the peasants of Boot (and visiting magus Superbus of Epebolus) were arrayed along the fellside to watch the knights do battle. The knights reported to the Marshals of the List (the knights Sir John Austhwaite and Sir William Armestronge and the squires Albin Strickland and Michael, Lancaster's squire) to register for the events. Next came the helm show, where the knights appeared for inspection without their helmets, allowing grievances to be declared. A few knights had not yet arrived, but everyone made ready for the joust. Julius boldly gained Lady Elise's favor, and Andrew Lady Eleanor's. The favor of his late wife Adrienne adorned Sir Christopher's lance, and those who recognized it were sore afraid to face him.
The younger, untested knights had to "play in" to the jousting brackets, and Sir Julius, in part due to the magical saddle gained from the Dragon of Man's hoard, won his way into the brackets and awed the crowd by beating opponent after opponent. The semifinals saw Sir Christopher finally defeat Sir Richard after many passes, and Sir Julius defeated Sir Thomas Aughton to advance to face his former teacher! The saddle helped Julius take some of Sir Christopher's best shots, but in the end, Sir Christopher unhorsed the younger knight. The event went to Sir Christopher, with Julius, Richard, Thomas Aughton and Michael Merrick rounding out the top five.
After a break for lunch, an archery contest was held as a side event, and unsurprisingly the covenant's own Leon, a Welshman, won a golden arrow for his accuracy. The next event was a grand melee, fought on foot by the knights broken up into two sides. Working up the right flank of the field, on the far side from the viewing area but closer to the fellside and the peasants, Sir Julius noticed something odd about teammate William Wyberg coming up behind him. Wyberg attacked Julius, as did David de Mulcaster (son of Lord Benedict Pennington, featured in Mary's Little Lamb and Firman's Wine Bottle) and Geoffrey Stewart (whose father the players met in Mary's Little Lamb). Julius was sorely wounded and cried foul, eventually attracting the squire Albin's, and thus Sir John's, attention. In the meantime, Sir Thomas Aughton had noticed Julius' plight and came to his aid. For his trouble, he gained a heavy wound from aunderarm blow. Wyberg and his associates feigned ignorance of the attack, professing only that Julius might have accidentally been struck by them.
When the melee was over, Richard Austhwaite and Thomas Aughton were tied for first place, so single combat between the two was called for to settle the matter. Roland and Julius went to Aughton's tent to see how badly he was wounded, fearing he could not fight any more. Sensing something strange, Celer cast Posing the Silent Question on Aughton's servant, and discovered that Lady Elise and Sir Thomas were one and the same!
Not yet sure whether they were dealing with a cross-dressing knight or an unladylike lady, Roland, Celer and Superbus confronted Aughton before the final battle with what Celer had learned. At first Aughton confessed ignorance as to their inquiries, but without a helmet, the magnificent Lady Elise was revealed. Superbus then gave her a demonstration of their magic powers, and the magi stated that she now knew their secret, and they were simply interested in knowing hers. After giving their word that they would keep her secret, Elise simply told how she wanted to be a knight, superior to all others, and that of course she could not do that as a lady, so she traveled to distant tournaments to prove her mettle. The magi seemed nearly as impressed with her as did Julius, and went so far as to offer to make her look like a man for the final battle by means of Disguise of the New Visage. Once they convinced her that it would not be permanent nor involve diabolism, she assented. They also cast The Chirurgeon's Healing Touch on her, though she remained sorely wounded.
The battle between Richard and "Sir Thomas" was to first blood, and though they exchanged blows for quite a while, Elise could never muster enough strength to beat Richard's defense. Eventually, he caught her in about the same place she had been wounded before, and Elise was knocked down. She yielded to her opponent, and Sir Richard was once again named champion of the tournament.
The other knights in the top five were "Sir Thomas", Sir Julius, Sir Christopher, and Sir Andrew and Sir William Asemundirlaw, who tied. Most enjoyed the feast that evening; during the early part of the feast "Sir Thomas" was present, but he left slightly before dusk and Lady Elise took his place. None, save the magi, were the wiser.
Cast: Julius and Superbus of Epebolus (Mike), Roland, Andrew and Marcellus (Ann), Richard, John Austhwaite of Jerbiton and Sir Hawes (Chris), Lady Elise/ SirThomas Aughton, Christopher and Baelthornon (Patrick).
Beta Storyguide: Mike Daumen
During the winter of 1226, Brendan had received a letter from a fellow clergyman inviting him to visit Edinburgh. Brendan left soon thereafter, missing the tournament, but when a second letter arrived months later inquiring about his plans Richard realized that he had been detained somewhere along the way. With the long list of the covenant's Scottish enemies in mind, Richard asked the magi to join the search for his brother.
Though something - the power of the Dominion or some malign force - hindered their efforts, Baelthornon and Celer managed to use arcane connections to track Brendan to the vicinity of the Eildon Hills, deep in the Borders. The party visited both Melrose and Dryburgh abbeys, finding out that Brendan had briefly stopped at the former before continuing north. After attempting another Intéllego Corpus spell, the trail abruptly ended on the road.
Straining to hear in the rain, several men heard the sound of music from close by. They sought it out, finding a young man playing a lute in a verdant grove. The minstrel, Thomas of Ercildoun, explained that at the spot Brendan's trail disappeared, a faerie rede intersected with the road. He offered to go to his father, lord of the village, to seek aid, but the magi declined and chose to travel the rede to the end.
The party followed the rede east, to a nearby waterfall. Here Thomas told them that a vast spectral army rested under the hills themselves, which would be called on to save Scotland in her hour of greatest need. Celer and Baelthornon each crossed under the cataract, finding themselves in a long hallway adorned with suits of armor. A disembodied voice then asked them if they were ready to serve Alba, but when they resisted they were abruptly removed from the regio.
Then they struck west through the drizzle, traveling for about an hour before reaching a deep tarn. Some hasty magic indicated that the rede ended here, and that some kind of regio lay beneath the surface. The magi tried several spells in an effort to enter, only succeeding by smoothing out an area of the lake's surface. In that spot, Celer saw someone chained to the bottom, so he jumped in to investigate.
Celer quickly saw that it was a comatose Brendan. As he tried to release him, a dark form emerged from the gloom to ward him off: a sleek creature with glowing eyes, and webbed hands ending in sharp, steely claws. Baelthornon entered the regio and was able to loose one chain and leave, followed by Celer, who was seriously wounded while distracting the beast.
Back on the surface, the magi used their supply of Aquam vis to cast Lungs of the Fish on most of the party. Christopher, Richard, Phil and Jeremy joined Baelthornon in the pond while Rodney and Albin guarded Celer on the surface. As Baelthornon raced to shatter Brendan's chains, the party again faced the mere-beast.
The warriors soon realized that the monster was immune to all blows but that from Dunmail's mace, but even then the sheer number of attackers kept it at bay. Realizing the threat of a magic weapon, it seized Richard, and as he struggled to break free his arm was broken. Christopher picked up the mace and crushed the beast with a ferocious blow. At the same time, Baelthornon raced to cast the spells necessary to release Brendan. As the chains broke, it became apparent that they also kept him alive beneath the waters. The last chain snapped as Baelthornon had spent himself into unconsciousness, but Brendan was freed. The party rushed to the surface - only to find Celer confronting a regal faerie maiden, with the guards immobilized.
The lady rebuked the party and told them that Brendan's presence near the rede had irritated her. The party beseeched the noble to spare him, but she refused. With Celer wounded and Baelthornon exhausted, the party knew the odds of defeating her were slim. All at once, they heard young Thomas' voice behind the faerie telling her to let them go. She resisted until he offered to shout her true name — which he boasted of knowing — to all the world. Warily, she released Brendan and the party from any obligation before departing up the rede, but not before warning Thomas (whom she called "True Thomas") that her mistress would demand a reckoning.
As they returned to the road with the minstrel, the magi asked the curious boy many more questions. He confessed to knowing that he was fated to bed the Faerie Queen, so he saw no reason not to commit some mischief before he did. Upon seeing the defeated monster, which the fey had described as "Cain's Get," he remarked that he had thought Grendel to be the last of that race. The party thanked him again and returned to Cumbria at once.
Historical Note: There is historical evidence of a Thomas of Ercildoun notarizing instruments in this region around 1260 - which would have allowed him to while some time away with the Queen in the decades before, as the legend has it. Other reports ascribe to Thomas Rhymer the powers of prophecy, wizardry and immortality.
Cast: Phil, Rodney and Albin (Ann), Celer (Chris), Christopher and Baelthornon (Patrick), Thomas Rhymer (Mike).
Alpha Storyguide: Chris Blake
In the fall of 1227, Corona Montis was visited by Eustace of Bjornaer and his daughter Calie. Eustace told the magi that he feared for his life, since he had fallen out of grace with Barloff and the other magi of Dresca. He claimed that Barloff ruled Dresca like a tyrant, and wanted him dead. His tale continued: Dresca had a hidden agenda, and Barloff and some Celtic shaman were looking for some relic that could tear the Order apart. He claimed that he could not exactly recall what was being sought, for Barloff had used Mentem magics to destroy his memory of the events when Eustace began to doubt his intentions.
The magi traveled to Dresca to talk to Barloff, while Eustace waited nearby. Barloff claimed that he and Eustace had gone to investigate a regio, and Eustace went into Twilight when they entered, triggering his madness. Since then, Barloff said, Eustace had looked for conspiracies everywhere. He suggested that if they could get Eustace back into the regio, that it might help clear his mind.
Thus the magi of Corona Montis journeyed with Eustace to a Celtic site near the South River Tyne. The regio proved difficult to enter; in the first attempt Eustace and a couple of grogs vanished and were deposited in the valley below. The remaining members finally made it all the way down to the seventh level of an old Celtic temple, and there they found Barloff and a white-haired man studying some stone tablets. The white haired man introduced himself as Octavus Lassitor, a Celtic priest.
Meanwhile, the first group of people that disappeared trying to enter the regio journeyed back to the group’s camp at the base of the mountain. Finding that they could not reenter the regio, they were surprised and subdued by ten Templars. The Templars and Eustace then headed into the rego.
Luckily for the magi, the regio weakened the Templars before they arrived. After a brief but intense struggle, all the Templars and Eustace were dead, with Barloff and Celer simultaneously delivering killing blows to Eustace. During the struggle some of the stone tablets were broken.
Following the battle, Lassitor revealed the truth of the matter. Lassitor confided that he was originally of House Díedne, though he had then posed as a Criamon in the Rhine Tribunal. He told them that should they wish to verify his identity, they could write to Merento of Bonisagus or Cynric of Ex Miscellanea at Rabenstein covenant in the Rhine. Lassitor recounted how when he revealed his heritage to his friends at Rabinstein, he had been given over to the Bonisagi at Durenmar, so that they could study and learn from him. He had stayed at Durenmar for four years, and during that time had used meditation to regain the ways of his past. Also during that time he had forsaken his Gift so he might become a better priest of the Druidic faith; after this, Durenmar lost interest in Lassitor, and so he had simply walked away.
Happening upon Dresca, Lassitor saw a chance to return Díedne to its former glory and offered to teach its members the Old Ways. Lassitor had also remembered from his Díedne upbringing that his House purportedly had possessed the Holy Grail, the relic of great power and importance to both his religion and that of Christianity. He and Barloff had discovered the temple and the stone tablets which gave them clues as to the Grail’s location.
The magi agreed to keep Dresca’s secret, most of them hoping that Díedne’s magic could once again be integrated into the Order. In return for their silence, Barloff and Lassitor gave Corona Montis a golden cross that was discovered in the temple. This turned out to be a very valuable gift, as it raised the covenant’s aura by one.
Cast: Roland Whitney of Ex Miscellanea (Ann), Baelthornon of Bonisagus (Patrick), Lassitor (Chris).
Alpha Storyguide: Chris Blake
The Stonehenge Tribunal had, in recent years, been held at Palma Sorviodunum covenant, home of Dolichena of Tremere, the oldest living magus of the Tribunal. With the coming of the summer in 1227, the magi of Corona Montis set off to participate in the Tribunal.
This year the main topic was who to send to the Grand Tribunal, coming up the next year. The campaigning was fierce, and unrelenting, but finally the two candidates were chosen: Burton Heff of Bonisagus of Londinium and Aldredus of Guernicus of the host covenant.
Other issues that came up the Tribunal were:
Myribell also came to Corona Montis with a bit of problem. It seemed that she found a large stash of Vim vis, and letters implying that Osgarius had Baldric of House Arteman looking for it when the dragon attacked. She was advised to forget about it and just spend the vis, of which she promptly traded a good portion to Corona Montis.
Cast: Superbus of Epebolus (Mike), Roland Whitney of Ex Miscellanea (Ann), Baelthornon of Bonisagus (Patrick).
Delta Storyguide: Ann Harper
While the magi were away at the Tribunal, the women of Austhwaite Manor busied themselves with their sewing and gossip. The lady Clothilde Willoughby was expecting, and judging from the size of her, it was going to be a large one! The ladies were all practically glowing, with the exception of Gladys, who, ever since her husband left her she has been severely depressed. The other ladies were worried about her health and sent for Helen the midwife.
After examining her, Helen told Gladys that she felt that she needed to have another child. This made Gladys very happy; she came back to her sister’s room, with a smile on her face, proclaiming that God was going to give her a baby. While the ladies were glad to have Gladys out of her funk, they were now worried that she was unbalanced.
The next day the serving girl came to Lady Austhwaite and said that Gladys had not been sleeping in her room. Lady Austhwaite informed her husband of this and so he set up a watch to see where she going at night.
The next night, Gladys was observed going to the magical glade where Marcellus came from, dancing around in a trance. The guards thought it best to get her out of there, so they woke her up and took her home. Once there, they went to wake up Sir Richard, but when they returned Gladys was gone again!
They raced back to the glade, hoping to stop her from entering, but before they arrived they saw a flash of light. Arriving at the glade, they found Gladys sitting there holding a baby, which she claimed had been given to her by God. The baby was very happy and quiet; in fact, he never made any sound.
Upon returning from the Tribunal, Baelthornon used his great Corpus magic to discern that the baby’s mother is none other than the dragon Dominique, and the father is he himself (see the story Between Two Worlds)! The only person that he revealed this to was Celer, and the two later made an appearance on the other side of the glade. Meeting Dominique again, Baelthornon picked up another silver streak in his hair, and hoped that this did not mean another child was on the way!
Cast: Gwendolyn Austhwaite (Chris), Margaret Whitney (Mike), Clothilde Willoughby (Patrick), Gladys Williams (Ann).
Alpha Storyguide: Chris Blake
A few months after Gladys found her new son, her sister went into labor. Clothilde had not one, but four, children: three girls and one boy. There was a meteor shower the night of their birth, and most of the house spent the night trying to calm down the hysterical villagers. When dawn broke, the household members were either exhausted or down at the chapel helping Brendan with the villagers.
It was at this time that Gelta, the annis from the standing stones (see The Edge of Reason), chose to take the Baelthornon’s newborn son. Her magics and the chaos of the night’s events allowed her to easily bypass the house’s security.
Baelthornon quickly learned who the abductor of his son was, and set out immediately for the standing stones. Celer, Roland, and Christopher followed close behind, with as many grogs as could be awakened. Though Baelthornon had arrived first, he was unable to discern how to enter the regio, so he was forced to wait for Roland and the others to catch up to him. Roland’s knowledge of the Fay afforded him easy entrance to the regio, and everybody was quick to follow him in.
Inside the regio, the party was faced with a mirror image of their land, where the colors were all wrong: the grass was blue, the water green, and the sky orange. Having no clue as to where Gelta might be taking Baelthornon’s son, the party decided to head for where Hardknott should be. What they found there was not an old Roman fort, but a flower-covered hill. At the far side of the hill stood a beehive that was bigger than even Baelthornon. A small swarm bees flew up to the party, but they stopped short of attacking. One large bee flew up to Roland, and introduced herself as the Queen. The Queen said that she and her fellow bees where not from this place, and though the flowers were sweet she wished to return to where she belonged. The magi agreed to do what they could after they had rescued the child. The Queen said that Gelta lived by the water.
Deciding to follow the stream that runs by the manor house, the group found an orchard of some strange fruit trees. In this orchard lived a creature that seemed to have some kind of blue mold for fur. This creature was very slow in all its movements and speech but was very intelligent. Like the bees he was not from this place; unlike the bees, he did not wish to leave. He liked the strange fruits there, and did not know whether he could survive in the outside world. The creature did tell the group where Gelta lived, and warned them to beware her willows, guardian trees that stood watch over her house.
The creature said that the hag lived on the small lake between the mountains, and that you one had to go by the waterfall to reach her. At the waterfall, the group came across some rainbow-colored trout, which were trying in vain to climb up the waterfall. The trout had much the same story as all the other creatures in the regio. The magi helped the trout up the waterfall, and no sooner had they done so than the trout disappeared.
The troupe soon came to a small lake, finding a hut sitting on a narrow peninsula that jutted into the lake. Ominous willow trees surrounded the lake, and as the party moved closer to the lake, the trees moved to block the peninsula. Baelthornon used his magic to ward himself from the trees; he then moved forward and cleared the way for the rest to follow him. However, some trees were trapped on the peninsula, and could not get out of the way. Christopher then moved in and used his sword to make short work of them.
The magi entered the hut, to find Gelta in the middle of some ritual with Baelthornon’s son as the focus. Belthanon demanded his son back, but the annis refused. Baelthornon made good on his threats and assailed her with magic; Roland grabbed the child and fled the hut. Gelta, sensing her end, used her power to bring down her hut and all that remained inside. While everybody was dodging falling walls, the hag also fled the hut, only to encounter Roland outside. Roland held his ground long enough for Christopher to arrive and run the foul creature through.
The magi were true to their word, and upon leaving the regio, they took the giant bee’s hive with them. For their deed the queen bee had her workers sting Baelthornon, Roland, Celer, and Christopher. She then explained that these stings marked them as friends to all stinging insects, and that they would always be allowed to come and take some of her honey. The honey provides 2 pawns of Animál vis per year.
Alpha Storyguide: Chris Blake
Since slaying a couple of women on the Isle of Man (see the story The Perils of the Isle of Man), Marcellus had not been that poplar around Austhwaite Manor, shunned by the knights and soldiers alike. He had therefore spent most of his time away from the house, roaming the wilds of Cumbria for some four months. Marcellus had always been a caring husband and a good father, but upon his return he seemed to show little interest in Gladys, and no interest in Julian. He did, however, show an interest in Milo.
After he spent a day alone with Milo, Milo said to Nicholas that he was going to go away and become a prince. Milo thought this odd and mentioned it to his father, Sir Richard. Richard worried about Marcellus absconding with his cousin’s child, and asked Baelthornon to talk with Marcellus, but before Aeddan had a chance to speak with him, Marcellus and Milo had disappeared.
Gladys was seemingly still too caught up in the glory of her new son Julian to care that her husband and first-born son had run off. Richard was not as forgiving as his cousin, however, and knew that John would be upset if a possible heir to the manor had up and vanished. So he and the magi set out to find Marcellus and bring Milo home. Using arcane connections to Milo, the magi wear able to track him to Jarrow-on-Tyne, a small fishing village on the east coast of England just below the Wall. The town had just recently been attacked and nearly destroyed by "a giant made of stones and gems," according to the locals. The villagers remembered Marcellus and a boy traveling though town just before the creature attacked. The pair had been heading to see the mystic Artemus.
Artemus' shack had fared even worse than the town, and there was no sign of the mystic. The good news was that the giant left a clear trail to follow; the bad news was that it seemed to be following Marcellus. The party followed the trial for a day, then decided to head straight for the magical glade which had produced Marcellus, and await him there.
Not long after they arrived at the glade Marcellus, Milo, and Artemus showed up. Artemus claimed to have the ability to "see things," and he saw that Marcellus was a great noble in his lands. Marseilles then explained that that since he did not seem to fit in here that he wished to return to his own lands. He wished to take his rightful heir with him. Milo was asked what he wanted to do, but of course he responded that he wanted to be a prince. Baelthornon then spoke to Marcellus, and pleaded with him to allow the boy to stay with his mother at Austhwaite Manor until he reached an age where he might be able to make such an important decision. Marcellus seemed swayed, and Roland put Milo to sleep so that he could not follow his father into the portal.
Just then, the giant came crashing into the glade, and made its way straight for Marcellus. It took everyone’s efforts to defeat the giant, and after the fight was finished, Mercellus and Milo were gone. Knowing that passing through the glade could very well cost them their memories, the party was forced to abandon their pursuit.
Cast: Superbus of Epebolus (Mike), Roland Whitney of Ex Miscellanea (Ann), Baelthornon of Bonisagus (Patrick), Marcellus (Chris).
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