2011/10/31 - The Kindly One
We have a feather pendulem which will lead us to the location of the magic sword. After much experimenting with the swinging of the pendulem, we settle on how best to interpret it, and head off in the direction of swing that doesn't lead us into the sea.
Up ahead of us is a wooded hill. Above the top of the trees we can see some standing stones. Circling the hill, the pendulem seems to point into the woods. Amongst the woods, there are 2-3m tall stakes in the ground, some of which have skulls or other trophies attached to them. There are horse prints and naked foot prints of what appear to be large men. Some of the arms and armour hanging on the stakes is from Rome.
There is a path that leads up and around the hill, but Caradoc starts trying to make his way directly up the hill through the thick underbush. Whilst he is hacking through, skeletal hands reach up out of the ground and start trying to pull him down into the earth. The rest of rush forward to pull the corpse off him and smash it to pieces.
So we head up the path instead.
There are stone carvings of dragon like things either side of the path. There is a sound of fire up ahead. Then we come to a stone archway that stands on the path. There is a shimering whenever anything passes through the arch. We head through the arch, and the hill ahead becomed finer, nicer and bigger. Tythyth thinks it is a regiones of some type.
Up ahead is a knight of white and gold, guarding another archway. Sir Caradoc walks up to it and introduces itself, It silently levels its spear at him, and two huge wolves come out of the trees and stand by the doorway. The knight picks up its shield and steps forward and salutes. Sir Caradoc and the knight face off and prepare to duel.
There is a clash of arms, and Sir Caradoc is badly shaken. They both step back, and he asks to know the name of his opponent.
They put down their arms, and removes her helmet, naming herself as Bruna. She says that we need to demonstrate, heroism, combat ability or cunning in order to pass.
They clash again, and Sir Caradoc is subdued.
Sir Ceried steps forward, and another duel begins. Ceried is defeated.
At this point I step forward, and with a single blow hew her spear in twain. She steps back, and concedes defeat. She will not let us pass, because we are not the appointed ones. However, she hands over a sword, to which the feather is attracted. It is a perfectly balanced sword and very shiny. It is called The Kindly One. And it talks to me.
Apparently she believes that it was cunning and skill which allowed me to disarm her, rather than blind luck.
She says she will find us to obtain the sword back at some point, and I invite her along on our quest if she wants, though she stays behind for now
We head back to the village to go find the wizard.
We (well, Tywydd) successfully poison a sheep, and stake it out as bait for the eels, along with the eel lures. We 'stake' Caradoc out as bait for the wizard, in a wig and a dress.
Eels turn up. Lots of them. Many eat the sheep, and begin to die.
Out of the dark comes a figure with a lantern on the end. As he approaches the staked 'maiden', Sir Caradoc grabs at him and attempts to grapple. The wizard turns into a pillar of fire, as the rest of us attack him. I use The Kindly One to stab the wizard, then cut him in two. The sword doesn't wish to be put away, but it is.
On his body is an ornate and shiny necklace.
We go back to the village, where we are treated to a feast.