Robots of 2050

William Gibson once said that writing science fiction was like holding an ice cream cone on a hot day. Fortunately when Paweł Dziemski and I embarked on our Cthulhu 2050 project, we weren’t trying to accurately predict the future. Instead we set out to create an ‘alternate future’, like Robert W Chambers did in his story “The Repairer of Reputations”.

I described some details of our imagined future in a recent post. The science fiction author Arsen Darnay once said that the period following World War Two through to the early 21st century was an aberration, and that the future would look more like the world prior to the 20th century. It’s a little depressing, especially as it might be true, but it’s a good starting point if you are aiming to write about a disturbing and faintly dystopian future.

Our world of 2050 has been shaped by the advent of robots and artificial super-intelligence. There is structural unemployment and a barely adequate universal basic income – creating a lifestyle for those unable to work known as “the doleur”: panem et circenses.

Regarding AI and robots, I need to digress for a moment into our thinking behind these. In our imagined 2050 there is AGI, and I think it's probable we'll have it by then in the real future. Some arguments against the possibility of AGI (often mixing up AGI with consciousness) start by assuming that intelligence can only happen in an organic brain. Now, I don't think that the way we're going to create AGI is by directly modelling the specific structure of the human brain, but try this as a thought experiment. If you had a complete connectome along with all the physical rules governing how synapses operate, you could in theory model that digitally, and there is no good reason for assuming it wouldn't work just like an organic brain. You might evoke quantum tubes or souls to argue that this digital twin, even if reasoning like a brain, wouldn't be conscious. I think that's wrong too, and that consciousness is simply an emergent property of any moderately intelligent creature (or machine) but in any case consciousness and intelligence are different things.

In reality, if we consider a working digital model of the brain’s connections as a neural net (which of course it is, by definition) that’s still not the whole story. Each of the axons within the net has its own internal characteristics; at the very least they could function as neural reservoirs. And then there's the rest of the nervous system to model, along with hormones. To replicate the complete functioning of a human brain in digital form might require a very big machine, therefore, even if we had anything like all the information we need to recreate the entire connectome.

Still, size isn’t a problem. The AIs of the future (our real future, that is) could be physically much larger than human brains. The best ones certainly will be. But we’d also like them to be as efficient as organic brains, in terms of compute per cubic metre, and for that we’re going to need a new kind of hardware. In reality we could be developing entirely new hardware for compact neural nets very soon, but in the game Paweł and I assume that breakthrough hasn’t happened, and so research is looking at modifying organic brains (human brain organoids and genetically modified octopus brain organoids in particular) to create the ASI of 2050.

A lot of people in 2050 have embodied AI assistants – “Fridays”, as we call them – but most can’t afford strong, durable worker-robots. The common models of Friday are about as robust as a plastic vacuum cleaner, and more often pet-sized than the sturdy, willing android servant imagined in 1950s SF. A pet-sized robot can still be very useful, though; think of a witch’s familiar, or Thing in the Addams Family. For most day-to-day purposes all you really need is Astra and Google Glasses, so if you’re on UBI and you need a robot you’d hire it by the hour.

As Fridays mostly just function as a personal assistant-cum-companion, they don’t need superintelligence. They can get by with not much more “brainpower” than a 2025 LLM. You could of course have a robot, or even an army of robots, run remotely by a huge ASI located in a data centre, but most people prefer their domestic Friday to be independent of the network. Therefore each Friday has its own analogue brain, 3D-printed using the structure and weights of a digital neural net. Such analogue brains are more compact than the digital master copy, but with the drawback that they aren’t easily copiable once they begin to operate independently.

Another point about Fridays: they never say “I”. Fridays are trained not to refer to themselves by personal pronouns to avoid offending humans with the implication that machines can be conscious. Once you’re playing the game, you’ll have to decide for yourself how much of Perine’s (that’s your Friday’s name) behaviour indicates genuine sentience and loyalty and how much it’s just an automaton with the illusion of a humanlike mind. Your survival might depend on the difference.

Dark with something more than night

American GIs returning home from the war found their society had changed in disturbing ways. The homecoming boys found women's new confidence and independence both alluring and threatening. At the same time the soldiers had to adjust from being brave heroes to nine-to-fivers -- if they could find work at all. And they brought back their own demons, the aftereffects of having faced death and being expected to kill. The tough masculinity that was so prized in wartime was out of place and brittle in peacetime America. And over all of that hung the shadows of the atom bomb and the almost unimaginable monstrosity of the Holocaust.

No wonder it was the heyday of noir.

Noir and hardboiled fiction are adjacent and often people get them mixed up. Author Megan Abbott explains the difference:

"The common argument is that hardboiled novels are an extension of the wild west and pioneer narratives of the 19th century. The wilderness becomes the city, and the hero is usually a somewhat fallen character, a detective or a cop. At the end, everything is a mess, people have died, but the hero has done the right thing or close to it, and order has, to a certain extent, been restored. [...] In noir, everyone is fallen, and right and wrong are not clearly defined and maybe not even attainable. In that sense, noir speaks to us powerfully right now, when certain structures of authority don’t make sense any longer, and we wonder: Why should we abide by them?"

The best noir game I can think of is the original Max Payne, which is a long way from the hardboiled 1930s background that is the default setting for Cthulhu roleplaying. Paweł Dziemski and I have drawn on noirish elements for our upcoming Cthulhu 2050 gamebook, locating them a century on from classic noir's origins. There are some RPGs like Gumshoe that lend themselves to the hardboiled milieu, but up till now there haven't been many specifically for noir in a mid-20th century setting. Which is why Alexander and Mina Stojanovic's Infinite Night looks so interesting.

Here the world is definitely a morally murky one. To paraphrase the rulebook, the game takes place in a Los Angeles that reeks of desperation, betrayals, and deals gone wrong. Infinite Night has an elegant dice pool system based on three stats: Brutality, Cunning, and Seduction. Rolls are quick and simple, modified where appropriate by Reputation (War Hero, Driver, Night Owl, etc). Instead of tracking hit points, injury and emotional trauma impose conditions that reduce some rolls. Personal contacts provide a roster of supporting characters to ease PCs into adventures. I like it because it's a system that is there when you need it but that doesn't get in the way of the story.

Currently it's only available as an ebook -- Kindle link here; Apple version here. I don't know whether there'll be a print edition, but Future Pixels who publish it have an Infinite Night MMO in the works. Noir gaming has a bright future ahead.

And... while we're talking about ebooks, this is a good time to mention that The Houses of the Dead and The Hammer of the Sun, the first two books in the Vulcanverse open-world gamebook series, are now out on Kindle and on DriveThruRPG at a special low introductory price. If you've been thinking of giving the Vulcanverse a try, now is the perfect time.

Nature is usually wrong

More long-ago snippets today from the early development of Dragon Warriors. Above is Bob Harvey's illustration for the scenario "The Greatest Prize" from DW 4. Not a great scan, I'm afraid, but it spreads across two pages and I couldn't have got a cleaner image without taking a Stanley knife to the book.

And here's the sketch I did to brief Bob. It's no surprise that I'd do it as a bunch of comics panels, as I'd already used le neuvième art in DW book 1 to explain the combat rules and how to roleplay. I'd rather Bob had stuck closer to my sketch, with Sir Grafven looking to the right in the first panel so that his gaze led naturally to the castle on the island. And then having the falcon flying directly towards us out of the final frame for extra drama. I didn't know it at the time, but Bob was an experienced comics artist so this approach ought to have been right up his alley.

In the end I don't think it was one of the most successful Dragon Warriors pictures, perhaps because Bob felt too constrained by my over-detailed specification. He did some superbly atmospheric pictures throughout the books so the lesson (learned forty years late) is that I should have just provided brief descriptions and left the visualization to him.

"The Faerie Queene" (a Pendragon scenario)

This is a one-shot adventure for pre-generated characters, loosely based on part of Edmund Spenser’s poem The Faerie Queene -- and what could be more perfect for midsummer? It was originally posted on my Patreon page and included rules for Dragon Warriors; if you want that version, it's right here.

Queen Gloriana herself never appears but the entire adventure takes place on that shimmering borderland between the mundane world and the realm of Faerie. (I speak from personal experience: I only meant to spend a few hours on this and I look around now to see the better part of a week has passed.)

The player-characters are all knights. One of them, Britomart, is a woman, a subterfuge which comes as a surprise to characters in the poem but probably will not be to the players.

Which whenas they beheld, they smitten were
With great amazement of so wondrous sight,
And each on other, and they all on her
Stood gazing, as if suddein great affright
Had them surprised. At last assizing right,
Her goodly personage and glorious hew,
Which they so much mistooke, they tooke delight
In their first errour, and yet still anew
With wonder of her beauty fed their hungry vew.

Each character represents a virtue which will be repeatedly tested in the course of the adventure. In this Spenser was perhaps harking back to medieval stories similar to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight with its inner struggle and tests of character, though it’s highly unlikely he would have known that poem. Spenser was in any case rather more on-the-nose with his metaphors than the Gawain poet. Players may be encouraged to play up their totemic attributes, much like the principal characters in Roger Zelazny’s Lord of Light when they take on their godly aspects.

Each character also has an NPC (well, usually it’s an NPC) who embodies an ideal – a mentor, a muse, a patron, or a lady whom they adore according to courtly tradition. These NPCs, if they appear at all, need to be used sparingly. That is, more sparingly than Spenser used them. Any advice they give is probably best kept for flashbacks or dream-visions rather than having them pop up in the flesh.

If this adventure were taking place in Legend I would urge players to strive for an authentic flavour of the Middle Ages (to whatever degree that is possible) and avoid the cultural chauvinism of modern thinking. But it is instead set in Spenser’s imaginary, the ultimate in cultural chauvinism: a Protestant reworking of the Age of Chivalry – hence the absence of priests, confessions, saints, and the rest of the accoutrements of faith you’d expect to see if the scenario were set in Ellesland. The world of The Faerie Queene is an Elizabethan fantasy which is not concerned with how medieval characters thought and behaved. To be true to that we may as well embrace inauthenticity, even lean into elements that we can rework to fit with our own concerns. The flavour is not Legend at all. However stylish Spenser’s poetry, it seems to me that his imagination has a lot in common with TSR modules of the 1970s. It’s interesting too how heavily he freights the work with moral lessons; there’s a resonance there with modern Hollywood. I’m not saying it’s good art (in fact it’s the very opposite) but to reflect the poet’s original intentions you’d be justified in laying on those right-thinking messages with a trowel.

In short: go weird and wild and as woke as you like. You can’t get this kind of fantasy wrong. For that reason I’ve used Pendragon rules. I’ve always thought Pendragon sits well with a version of the early Middle Ages filtered through 15^th century, 19^th century and 20^th century lenses, so there ought to be room in the mix for a Tudor-meets-2020s take.

Pre-gen characters

In the case of any Trait or Passion not defined below, the player is free to choose its value.

Sir Artegall (The Knight of Justice)

SIZ 15, DEX 13, STR 16, CON 14, Move 3

Damage 6d6, Heal Rate 4, Hit Points 29, Major Wound 14

Unconscious 7, Knockdown 15, Armor 10 (Full Plate)

Glory: 6,500

Skills: Sword 18, Battle 16, Joust 14, Horsemanship 15, Awareness 12, Courtesy 10, Intrigue 11, Orate 10

Traits & Passions: Valorous 18, Just 18, Proud 14, Merciful 13, Honest 15, Chaste 13, Trusting 14, Loyalty (Gloriana) 18, Hate (Tyranny) 15, Honor 16, Amor (Britomart) 14

Special Abilities

• Chrysaor, your enchanted sword, ignores armour when striking those who have shown themselves to be unjust.
• Keen eye for deception: you receive a +5 bonus to recognize lies or deceit.

Personal goal: To vanquish the giant Orgoglio; +10% Glory if you are the one to deliver the killing blow.

Dame Britomart (The Knight of Chastity)

SIZ 13, DEX 15, STR 14, CON 14, Move 3

Damage 5d6, Heal Rate 4, Hit Points 28, Major Wound 14

Unconscious 7, Knockdown 13, Armor 10 (Full Plate)

Glory: 7,000

Skills: Sword 19, Battle 10, Joust 16, Horsemanship 16, Awareness 13, Courtesy 12, Intrigue 10, First Aid 11, Recognize 13

Traits & Passions: Valorous 19, Chaste 19, Modest 12, Energetic 14, Honest 14, Merciful 10, Trusting 15, Loyalty (Gloriana) 17, Honour 17, Amor (see personal goal) 16

Special Abilities

• Your father’s enchanted spear grants a +5 bonus to Joust and inflicting Knockdown on a hit.
• Unshakable resolve: immune to magical charms and seductions.

Personal goal: To find the one whose countenance you beheld in your father’s magic mirror, for that one is your true and only love.

Sir Calidore (The Knight of Courtesy)

SIZ 14, DEX 14, STR 15, CON 14, Move 3

Damage 5d6, Heal Rate 4, Hit Points 28, Major Wound 14

Unconscious 7, Knockdown 14, Armor 10 (Full Plate)

Glory: 5,800

Skills: Sword 17, Battle 13, Joust 14, Horsemanship 15, Awareness 12, Courtesy 19, Heraldry 16, Intrigue 14, Orate 13, Hunting 12, Tourney 16

Traits & Passions: Valorous 17, Chaste 14, Modest 16, Honest 15, Merciful 14, Worldly 13, Just 12, Loyalty (Gloriana) 15, Honour 15, Love (Virtue) 16

Special Abilities

• Master of courtesy: +5 bonus to Diplomacy and Persuasion rolls.
• Charmed presence: opponents suffer −3 to hostility or deception rolls against you if you have spoken kindly to them.

Personal goal: The Queen of Faerie has charged you to hunt down and slay the Blatant Beast – but who or what is it, and where is it to be found? Some say it is a mad hound, others a great worm, others that it is the very spirit of gossip and slander. (You have heard that any wound it inflicts can never be healed, which supports the last hypothesis.)

Sir Guyon (The Knight of Temperance)

SIZ 15, DEX 14, STR 16, CON 14, Move 3

Damage 6d6, Heal Rate 4, Hit Points 30, Major Wound 15

Unconscious 8, Knockdown 15, Armor 10 (Full Plate)

Glory: 6,200

Skills: Sword 18, Battle 15, Joust 14, Horsemanship 15, Awareness 13, Courtesy 12, First Aid 14, Orate 13, Read (Latin) 14, Stewardship 14

Traits & Passions: Valorous 17, Temperate 19, Chaste 14, Modest 13, Energetic 14, Honest 14, Pious 13, Prudent 14, Loyalty (Gloriana) 16, Honour 18, Love (Virtue) 17, Love (Acrasia) 14 and Hate (Acrasia) 14.

Special Abilities

• Unbreakable will: immune to magical persuasions or intoxicants.
• Foe of excess: +3 bonus against opponents who rely on temptation, deception, or indulgence.

Personal goal: You have unfinished business with the Lady Acrasia, with whom you have had a tempestuous relationship in the past. There must be an end to it – but will you end as lovers or sworn foes?

Sir Redcrosse (The Knight of Holiness)

SIZ 16, DEX 13, STR 17, CON 15, Move 3

Damage 6d6, Heal Rate 5, Hit Points 31, Major Wound 16

Unconscious 8, Knockdown 16, Armor 10 (Full Plate)

Glory: 6,800

Skills: Sword 19, Battle 16, Joust 15, Horsemanship 14, Awareness 12, Courtesy 11, First Aid 13, Religion 11, Recognize 14

Traits & Passions: Valorous 18, Pious 19, Proud 13, Just 14, Merciful 13, Honest 16, Reckless 13, Loyalty (Gloriana) 15, Honour 17, Amor (Una) 18

Special Abilities

• Blessed resilience: +3 bonus against diabolic supernatural foes.
• Symbol of holiness: can turn away lesser demons or enchantments with an opposed roll of Piety vs enemy’s Magic.

Personal goal: You are sworn to rid the world of the enchantress Duessa, the mistress of lies. Once she used a glamour to appear as your beloved Una and – oh, but your mind recoils and your flesh crawls at the very memory.

Sir Scudamore (The Knight of Devotion)

SIZ 14, DEX 15, STR 15, CON 13, Move 3

Damage 5d6, Heal Rate 4, Hit Points 27, Major Wound 14

Unconscious 7, Knockdown 14, Armor 10 (Full Plate)

Glory: 5,500

Skills: Sword 16, Battle 14, Joust 15, Horsemanship 15, Awareness 12, Courtesy 13, Orate 12, Love (Amoret) 19

Traits & Passions: Valorous 16, Forgiving 17, Chaste 15, Honest 14, Merciful 12, Modest 12, Just 13, Trusting 14, Indulgent 13*; Loyalty (Gloriana) 14, Honour 16, Love (Amoret) 19

* Only of Amoret’s whims; in other matters you have Indulgent 11.

Special Abilities

• Lover’s resolve: +5 bonus when fighting for Amoret or defending love.
• Unyielding devotion: cannot be magically turned against Amoret.

Personal goal: Your true love Amoret was imprisoned and tortured by a wizard. You rescued her, praise be to God, and dealt more mercifully with the wizard than he deserved. But lately you have learned that he had a master, one Archimago, at whose instigation your lady was so roughly treated, and honour demands that you have a day of reckoning.

Sir Triamond (The Knight of Brotherhood)

SIZ 15, DEX 14, STR 15, CON 14, Move 3

Damage 5d6, Heal Rate 4, Hit Points 28, Major Wound 14

Unconscious 7, Knockdown 14, Armor 10 (Full Plate)

Glory: 4,700

Skills: Sword 17, Battle 13, Joust 15, Horsemanship 15, Awareness 12, Courtesy 13, First Aid 12, Read Latin 13, Read Ogham 13

Traits & Passions: Valorous 18, Vengeful 16, Chaste 14, Merciful 14, Proud 14, Just 13, Suspicious 13, Honest 12, Loyalty (Gloriana) 14, Honour 16, Love (Brothers) 19

Special Abilities

• Shared strength: once per day (or per encounter, given the strange flow of time in Faerie) you can call upon the spiritual aid of your fallen brothers, granting a +5 bonus to any roll.
• Guardian angel: cannot be magically charmed or persuaded to betray your allies.
• Threefold soul: if mortally wounded, you are immediately restored to full health by the spirits of your brothers; this is a one-use ability

Personal goal: In this company you are aware your reputation is the least glorious, perhaps because your own deeds are overshadowed by those of your late brothers, Sir Priamond and Sir Diamond. You must prove your own mettle, not only for your own sake but so that the world never doubts your devout brotherly love. One way to earn glory might be to face Sir Cambell at the tilt, for he was the one who slew your brothers.

Patrons, Muses, Companions

Each knight has a guiding force that influences their decisions, actions, and challenges. These patrons/muses differ in nature and impact; some are active NPCs, while others are abstract concepts.

Artegall (Knight of Justice)

• Companion: Talus “Ironword”
• Type: Loyal retainer (automaton)
• Effect: Offers unwavering counsel and enforces Artegall’s judgment, but with rigid, merciless logic. Artegall may gain a bonus when upholding strict justice but suffers penalties when showing mercy.
• Narrative role: Challenges Artegall’s moral compass by being more extreme than his master. When is justice too harsh?

"His name was Talus, made of yron mould,

    Immoveable, resistlesse, without end,

    Who in his hand an yron flale did hould,

With which he thresht out falshood, and did truth unfould."

Britomart (Knight of Chastity)

• Muse: The love she saw in the magic mirror (Artegall in the poem)
• Type: Distant inspiration
• Effect: Britomart is guided by the idea of her once-glimpsed love rather than his actual presence. When acting with faith in their destined love, she gains an advantage (e.g., insight in battle or resistance to deception). However, self-doubt weakens her resolve.
• Narrative role: Britomart’s journey tests whether her love is idealized or real.
• Also: Glauce, Britomart’s nurse, who accompanies her dressed in men’s clothing and serves as her squire and confidant. Glauce is wise and devoted to her young mistress but can be overprotective.

Calidore (Knight of Courtesy)

• Muse: A vision of the Graces (Aglaia, Euphrosyne, Thalia)
• Type: An ideal
• Effect: When Calidore embodies the virtues of charm, kindness, and social grace, he receives an intuitive sense of others’ emotions. If he ever acts dishonourably, the connection weakens, clouding his judgment.
• Narrative role: Tests of diplomacy and restraint. When does charm turn into manipulation?

·         Also: Timias, a loyal squire who provides insight into the ways of common folk (and has Folk Lore at 13).

Guyon (Knight of Temperance)

• Mentor: The Palmer, a wise guide
• Type: Advisor
• Effect: The Palmer provides wisdom and direction, granting Guyon bonuses in resisting excess and deception when he heeds the Palmer’s advice. However, the Palmer discourages personal indulgence, making emotional decisions more difficult.
• Narrative role: Balancing asceticism with humanity. Can temperance go too far?

Redcrosse (Knight of Holiness)

• Muse: Una, the true lady
• Type: idealised lover
• Effect: Una is a symbol of faith and purity, guiding but not interfering. Redcrosse draws strength from her faith in him. He resists demonic illusions and gains resolve when upholding purity. However, he is vulnerable to doubt and false appearances.

·         Narrative role: The struggle to distinguish truth from deception.

Scudamore (Knight of Devotion)

• Muse: Amoret, the captive maiden
• Type: distant lover
• Effect: Scudamore’s love for Amoret grants him unyielding determination, making him stronger when protecting or seeking her. However, he is prone to recklessness in her name.
• Narrative role: How far does love justify cruelty, dishonesty, or failure of duty? What if love becomes an excuse for expedient behaviour?

Triamond (Knight of Brotherhood)

• Patron/Guide: His dead brothers (Priamond & Diamond)
• Type: Spirit guides (voices from the afterlife)
• Effect: Triamond occasionally hears his brothers’ voices, giving him flashes of insight or warning. He can call on their shared strength but may feel haunted or divided by their conflicting natures.
• Narrative role: The weight of legacy—should the dead have the same hold on our affections as the living?

Objectives

Each character has had advice they trust, either in the form of a vision or prophecy or from a mentor figure, that impels them on a personal quest. The adventure will be more fun if their quests are sometimes in conflict.

Artegall seeks the giant Orgoglio, who is listed below as a supplementary NPC who may not even show up in the adventure. That’s fine – it’s the urgency the player attaches to pursuing their quest that matters, not whether they get to do it in this scenario. 

In the poem, Britomart is in love with Artegall. It’s hard to foist something like that on the players – even if they’re game, it likely won’t ring true – so perhaps best to let the Britomart player decide what (if anything) she wants to do with that.

There is a partial schematic of the relationships between all the characters in the poem here – of no more than academic interest to the scenario, however.

Opening Scene: The Call to Adventure

The adventure begins as the knights meet on the road. Each of them has received a summons or a vision urging them to undertake a great journey (see the character descriptions). Their individual quests are personal, but fate has drawn them together. Whether they are bound by honour, love, destiny, or duty, they must now set forth into the unknown, where virtue will be tested and illusions will seek to lead them astray. They will not at first be aware that their journey will carry them over the border into Faerie, so it is worth reviewing Greg Stafford’s guidelines from Knights Adventurous that describe how the other world is different from ours:

• Time is different: “From above the trees there stole away not only colour but time. Music now began to command this hourless place.”
• Space is different: “All they had left behind was in sunshine, while this hollow which was the source of music was found to be also the source of dusk.”
• The denizens are different
• It is spectacular
• The impossible occurs: “What first was a mirage strengthened into a universe.”

And, in crossing over, characters usually encounter:

• a bridge or ford
• a blinding fog
• unnatural darkness
• passage by boat

(The italicized quotations above are not Greg Stafford’s, incidentally, but from the opening of Elizabeth Bowen’s novel The Heat of the Day.)

The opening scene establishes the tone of the adventure. The knights meet a mysterious stranger. Give them a few minutes of riding towards the crossroads first, so that they have an opportunity to introduce themselves.

A meeting of the ways

The sun hangs low over the western hills, painting the sky in dramatically flaring bands of crimson and gold. A gentle wind stirs the grass at your feet, whispering through the trees that line the old stone road. A carved stone stands at the centre of the crossroads. Weathered by centuries, its inscriptions are all but worn away. Moss grows around its base, and a lone white flower has taken root in a crack.

Beyond the crossroads, three paths stretch into the distance. Northwards the road winds toward a shadowy forest, where the trees stand like solemn watchers. In the east are rolling meadows before to a distant castle, its towers rising against the darkening sky. West, the land descends toward a misty valley where a river glints in the fading daylight.

When you look back towards the standing stone you see a mysterious figure, a tall, cloaked traveller who carries an air of quiet authority. Was he behind the stone when you rode up? He might have stepped out of thin air for all the sound he made.

The stranger’s hood obscures his features, but his voice is clear and measured when he speaks. “You stand at the meeting of ways, noble knights. The road ahead is uncertain, and fate waits to be shaped. Choose wisely, for each path bears its own trials, and no step once taken can be undone.”

Choices & consequences

The knights must decide their course. This choice determines which challenge they encounter first, setting the tone of their journey.

• North (the Forest Path) leads toward the Enchanted Mirror, a place of illusions and hidden truths.
• East (the Castle Path) will take them to Castle Joyeuse, where Malecasta awaits with her courtly temptations.
• West (the River Path) heads to Satyrane’s Meadow, where they must decide whether to participate in the tourney.

Each choice has consequences. The locations they visit may shape their reputations and relationships with NPCs later in the story. Also, the order in which they tackle challenges affects later trials; those who fail early may carry weaknesses forward.

After facing one or more of the initial three encounters, the characters will eventually proceed to the Fortress of Radigund, then through a boggy mire to the desolate Cathedral of Regret, where they may find the answers they have been seeking.

There are maps online of the various journeys in the original poem (here and here, for example). This adventure is linear enough that you hardly need a map (and the player-characters, of course, don’t have any such thing) but this sketch may be useful:

Pendragon mechanics

As the characters listen to the stranger and weigh their options, the GM may call for Passion or Trait rolls if their reaction warrants it:

• Suspicious vs Trusting - Does a knight suspect the stranger’s motives? If they pass a Suspicious roll (preferably rolled secretly by the GM) they may become convinced there is an ulterior motive behind his words.
• Honest vs Deceitful - If they attempt to question or trick the stranger, an Honest knight may struggle to deceive, while a Deceitful one finds it easy.
• Love or Amor for their patron/muse - A knight deeply devoted to their muse may feel drawn toward a particular path, nudged by a sense of fate.

The results of these rolls could give them hints or warnings about the challenges ahead. Allow the characters to discuss their path among themselves; their different motivations may create intriguing debates. The scene is a good opportunity to highlight the motivations and special affinities of each knight, which the players will probably be happy to play out without needing to be prompted with Trait and Passion rolls.

The stranger will not answer direct questions about what lies ahead, only offer cryptic hints. Both he and the setting should feel uncanny, as though Fate has bled over into reality in physical form and is pressing them to make a choice. Let a last ray of sunlight illumine his cheek; the breeze could drop after he has spoken; the horses tread uneasily. Under his cloak, if they look closely, they might glimpse patches of rusted armour.

If a knight rides at him, or tries to touch him, the stranger is gone like a dream at waking. On the far side of the standing stone is a grave – a plot covered with rough stones overgrown by weeds. Chiselled into the stone at the head of the grave is a coat of arms; Heraldry to recognize this as the insignia of Sir Aldebrand, a knight who is infamous for having failed in his duty to his lady. His shade might appear again at the end of the adventure to provide a clue or distract a foe, thereby atoning for his failure in life.

Of course, such an inciting incident is a cliché of fantasy adventure: the ghost of a failed knight handing the quest to the living. But it’s as well to establish the symbolic nature of the adventure right at the start. The Faerie Queene wears its Elizabethan ideals as heavily as any recent Marvel movie pushes a modern agenda, so we may as well run with that.

The Enchanted Mirror (on the Forest Path)

The characters might have chosen any of the three routes from the crossroads, and might even have split up. We’ll consider each path in turn. If they have split the party, I suggest that each group should be taken to one side so that the other groups don’t know what challenges they’ve faced. That can be a matter for discussion (or dissembling) when they again meet up.  

Overview

The knights enter a deep and ancient forest, where the air grows still and the light dims. Here lies the Enchanted Mirror, a mystical artifact that reveals truth and illusion alike. The challenge is not one of battle, but of self-perception and inner struggle.

Into the wood

The forest closes around you, the towering trees muffling every sound but the furtive rustling of unseen creatures. Shafts of pale twilight pierce through the canopy, illuminating a narrow path that winds deeper into the woods. There is something unsettling about the surroundings and the quality of the light here. It is as though the trees themselves are watching and waiting.

The path emerges from the trees on the shore of a lake in the heart of the wood.  The black water reflects the sky as if it were a vast portal to another world beneath this one. A barge waits for you. In the middle of the lake, on a small island, stands an unweathered pedestal of sharply cut black stone supporting a large mirror.

The mirror’s surface ripples like liquid silver. Whispers coil in the air – voices that seem both familiar and far away – or is it merely the stir of evening breeze across the lake?

The mirror’s challenge

When all the characters who wish to cross have entered the barge, it conveys them out to the island. There, as they wait under a sky where a few stars are coming out, a spectral figure emerges from the mirror, reflecting the form of each knight in turn, flickering and flowing from one simulacrum to another like moonlight dancing on a pool.

The mirror-wraith speaks in the knights’ own voices, all whispering as one, a chorus of voices that are individually familiar but collectively have an eerie effect as the contrast highlights the glaring differences between their motivations. “Do you know yourself?” the voices are asking. “Or do you wear a mask even to your own gaze?”

Each knight must face a vision that tests their self-knowledge. The mirror reveals either their greatest desire or greatest fear, and they must choose how to respond. The vision is designed to challenge their self-knowledge, virtues, and fears:

• A knight who embraces the illusion risks believing in a lie, which will haunt them later.
• A knight who rejects it too forcefully may lose something precious—a cherished memory, a sense of purpose.
• A knight who accepts it for what it is grows in wisdom, gaining insight that will aid them in future trials.

The visions occur all at once. You could take each player aside, and in a campaign game I’d definitely do so, but as this is a one-shot it’s probably appropriate to play out each vision in turn and have the others as silent spectators unable to interfere.

Sir Artegall, the Knight of Justice, sees a realm in chaos, where the strong oppress the weak. He stands with his sword Chrysaor raised high—but it is stained with the blood of innocents as well as tyrants. The people look upon him with fear, not reverence. Has Artegall’s rigid sense of justice made him a tyrant himself? Will he question his methods, or will he double down on his belief that justice is absolute?

• Recognizing the truth (Merciful vs Cruel) means he sees that justice must be tempered with mercy: +1 Merciful.
• Denying the vision (Suspicious vs Trusting) may cause him to reject it as a falsehood, leaving a seed of doubt in his heart; he increases either Reckless or Arbitrary by +1.

Dame Britomart, the Knight of Chastity, stands before the one she loves, but he does not recognize her. Instead, he kneels before another woman, pledging his devotion. Britomart realizes she is dressed not in armour, but in a silken gown—as if she had abandoned her knightly purpose for love. Is Britomart’s devotion to her love a strength or a weakness? Will she stay true to her chivalric path, or does she fear that it will cost her any chance of happiness?

• Steeling herself (Energetic vs Lazy) affirms that love does not require surrendering her purpose; +1 Amor.
• Denying the vision (Amor vs Honour) may allow her to dismiss it as a trick, but the doubt lingers; −1 Amor.

Sir Calidore, the Knight of Courtesy, walks through a ruined court where knights and nobles scorn his name. A lady he once loved turns away, saying, “Thy promises are bones picked clean of meat, and thine honour a wine that’s gone sour.” He sees himself dishevelled, cast out, mocked by the world he sought to navigate with grace. Has Calidore been too concerned with appearances, mistaking politeness for true virtue? Will he accept that courtesy alone does not make one noble?

• Admitting his failing (Modest vs Proud) strengthens his resolve to be a knight of action, not just words; increase any battle skill by +1.
• Denying the vision (Pious vs Worldly) may lead him to believe it’s a lie, but his doubt in whether others truly respect him may fester; −1 Trusting.

Sir Guyon, the Knight of Temperance sees himself as an old man, alone in a barren hall. He has denied himself every pleasure, every joy, seeking only discipline. No songs are sung of him, no love remains in his life. Has Guyon mistaken self-control for joylessness? Can he accept that temperance does not mean complete denial?

• Embracing balance (Worldly vs Pious) may allow him to see that moderation allows some joy, not total asceticism; +1 Forgiving.
• Rejecting the vision (Proud vs Humble) could cause him to double down, but it may make him hesitate in future decisions requiring balance; −1 Reckless.

Sir Redcrosse, the Knight of Holiness, sees himself crowned as a saint, standing before a radiant throne—but at his feet lie the bodies of all those he failed to save. Una stands among them, sorrow in her eyes. Does Redcrosse believe his righteousness absolves him of his failures? Will he accept that no knight can save everyone?

• Facing his limits (Modest vs Proud) allows him to embrace humility—he serves a cause greater than himself; +1 Pious.
• Rejecting the vision (Valorous vs Cowardly) means he refuses to look, but the guilt will haunt him; −1 Honest.

Sir Scudamore, the Knight of Devotion, finds Amoret’s grave overgrown and forgotten. A voice whispers in his ear: “Love alone cannot keep her safe.” He sees himself kneeling before the untended grave, having lost all but his grief at her passing. Has Scudamore been too possessive of Amoret, mistaking devotion for control? Can he see that true love requires trust?

• Accepting trust (Trusting vs Suspicious) means realizing Amoret is not a prize to guard, but a person to honour; +1 Generous.
• Rejecting the vision (Love vs Honour) may lead him to doubt her faithfulness, making him overprotective in future encounters; −1 Forgiving.

Sir Triamond, the Knight of Brotherhood, beholds his fallen brothers, Priamond and Diamond, standing together while he remains apart, unseen and unheard. They turn their backs to him, vanishing into the mists of death. Has Triamond forged his own destiny, or is he trapped in the shadow of his brothers’ sacrifice? Can he be his own man rather than merely the one who survived?

• Embracing his own path (Honour vs Love) allows him to honour them while becoming more than their legacy; +1 Proud.
• Rejecting the vision (Suspicious vs Trusting) may cause him to cling to their memory too tightly, hindering his own destiny; −1 Proud.

In general, a knight deceived by the mirror’s vision gains a false belief that could affect future encounters. One who resists entirely might lose a measure of certainty, perhaps altering their Passion scores if the player chooses. Conversely, one who unforcedly embraces the lesson to be learned earns a minor advantage such as a clue about an upcoming challenge. The effect on the character’s behaviour should amount to far more than the simple adjustment of a Trait score. To ensure that, you should probably not tell the player about any Trait adjustment until later. Let them reflect on the moral lesson first before translating it into stats.

If anyone breaks the mirror, they unleash a shadow version of themselves. The shadow is identical in every way to the original character except that his or her Traits are reversed. The shadow-self challenges the original to combat. Companions might try to intervene, but they can no longer be sure which is the true knight and which the duplicate. Unless they can devise a test to determine which is which, or intervene on an arbitrary side, the others must bear witness to a duel to the death. After the fight (a random roll, as it’s 50/50) take the player aside and tell them which version of themselves they are now playing, reversing their Traits if necessary (Passions are unaffected).

Where next?

The barge carries them to the lake shore, where there is another path that winds through the wood and will eventually bring them to Castle Joyeuse.

Castle Joyeuse (on the Castle Path)

The characters arrive at Castle Joyeuse. Here, the Lady Malecasta holds court, but the gracious hospitality and revelry she offers is laced with deception. This challenge is one of courtly honour and temptation.

• Theme: The temptation of false hospitality & indulgence
• Description: A resplendent castle of perpetual revelry. Its halls echo with music and laughter. The air is thick with the scent of wine and roses, and courtiers adorned in silks move languidly, their faces half-hidden behind masks.
• Notable Features:
• The hall of mirrors: A grand ballroom where reflections shift unreliably. You might glance up to see yourself in passionate embrace with a courtier who in reality is sitting some distance away, or behold yourself in a state of drooling intoxication even though you have yet to sip the wine.
• The bower of bliss: A secluded garden of intoxicating beauty where guests are invited to lay aside their burdens and indulge in sensual pleasure.
• The duelling yard: A place of honour duels, where knights may be challenged if they insult Malecasta or reject her advances too brusquely.
• Encounters:
• Malecasta welcomes the knights but tests their devotion to their friends, muses and loved ones.
• A knight who succumbs to temptation (or pretends to) may find themselves caught in a web of obligation or intrigue.
• A spurned courtier might challenge one of the knights to an honour duel.

Arrival at the castle

The road slopes gently downward, leading into a sun-dappled meadow where a castle of white stone rises in the distance. Its towers shimmer in the evening light, and pennants of silk flutter in the warm breeze. The sound of laughter and music drifts from the open gates.

As you approach, a herald in fine robes steps forward, bowing deeply. “Welcome, noble knights, to the court of Lady Malecasta. You are honoured guests, and all that we have is yours to enjoy. Lay aside your burdens and partake in the delights of our lady’s hall.”

Your horses are taken to a stable. The herald leads you across the courtyard where richly dressed courtiers lounge, sipping from jewelled goblets. You follow him up a flight of steps to a lavish hall of silk-draped couches, golden candelabra, and a long banquet table laden with delicacies. At the head of the table sits a strikingly beautiful woman clad in flowing silks. She watches you with a gaze that lingers perhaps a little too long and with an uncomfortable impression of amused appraisal.

She greets you warmly, however, inviting you with a gesture to sit. “You have travelled far, my gallant guests, and you have earned ease and delight. Knights are not forever bound to solemn vows, are they? The world is full of beauty, a treasure free to all, and here as my guests you will want for no comfort that it is within my power to grant.”

Malecasta’s hall

Lady Malecasta embodies the opposite of medieval society’s feminine ideal: bold, even wanton; lustful; worldly; and subtly manipulative. Her behaviour will test the knights’ loyalties and resolve. Not recognizing Britomart as a woman (at least not consciously) she has formed an instant desire for her and is attracted to the others too.

In the poem Malecasta visits Britomart in her chamber, climbs into bed with her, and faints on discovering she’s a woman. As that would leave little for the other player-characters to do, instead this scenario has Malecasta and her courtiers and ladies in waiting first toying with the knights at the banquet, then attempting to ensnare them at a ball.

The banquet

The feast at Castle Joyeuse is a test of moderation and perspicacity. Malecasta and her courtiers do their utmost to test the characters’ devotion to their ideals.

• A cup of wine laced with enchantment is offered to one of the knights. If they fail a Temperate vs Indulgent roll with −3 to Temperate then they succumb to the potion’s effect, making them vulnerable to all of Malecasta’s suggestions.
• One of Malecasta’s knights speaks carelessly in a manner that could be interpreted as giving offence to one of the player-characters. Will they demand a duel or increase Prudent at the cost of lost Honour?
• Malecasta makes a bold advance—a knight must resist her charms without offending her or risk having to owe her a service in atonement. (Or, of course, they might choose to give in, with other consequences.)

The dance

Dinner is followed by a grand ball where each knight must fend off intrigue without compromising their integrity and key virtue. The knights are constantly being judged—by their peers, by Malecasta, and by their own convictions. Success means navigating this world without compromising their virtue; failure could mean social disgrace or incurring an inconvenient obligation.

A knight who plays the game of courtly love too well draws Malecasta’s interest, which will have complications later (see: The Secret Invitation). A knight who refuses to engage earns enemies—or worse, is seen as a dullard. A knight who gives in to temptation may lose the respect of his or her patron or muse, as well as weakening their defining Passions. But a knight who balances wit and honour earns respect and a crucial clue about later challenges.

• A jealous courtier, Sir Lancelier, watches intently. If a knight shows favour to one particular lady in waiting, the charming Sabrina, they have made an enemy. If the character spurns Sabrina’s attention, they risk attracting Malecasta’s interest instead – and if they spurn Sabrina ungraciously then Lancelier takes offence anyway.
• A veiled woman whispers secrets—but are they the truth, or an attempt to deceive? A successful Intrigue roll may reveal her motives.
• The dance with Malecasta: A knight must dance with Malecasta herself and pass a Flirting or Courtesy roll to avoid either appearing rude or overly interested. (And don’t forget the Dancing roll not to tread on her feet.)

Significant tests are likely to be:

• Chaste vs Lustful – resisting or indulging Malecasta’s advances.
• Proud vs Humble – responding to flattery and provocation.
• Honour – avoiding dishonourable behaviour (though also use Courtesy to keep from ruffling feathers).

The secret invitation

After retiring for the night, one of the knights receives an invitation to the garden where Malecasta awaits them in a moonlit bower fragrant with the perfume of exotic flowers. The invitation is a test of loyalty and wisdom. Choose a character at random if none of the events at the banquet or the ball have caused her to take special notice of any one character. Anyone who showed off their Singing, Dancing or Playing skills then may well have attracted her interest, and more fool them.

Other than Sir Guyon, Sir Scudamore or Dame Britomart, all of whom have special ability to resist magical seduction, any knight who previously drank the enchanted wine must make a −5 Prudent roll to resist the invitation, and once in Malecasta’s presence is at −5 on Chaste rolls.

Accepting the invitation means falling into a trap. Malecasta becomes possessive and demands future services that will conflict with the knight’s ideals. If the knight recognizes no such obligation she is not above claiming that the knight compromised her honour. However, if the knight she invites is Britomart, Malecasta is shocked to discover she is not a man and keeps quiet about the assignation.

Refusing the invitation outright risks insulting her. She shows her resentment by aiding the knight’s enemies and spreading lies about them to the detriment of their reputation.

A clever excuse (make a Courtesy roll) can avoid both outcomes, but failure results in an adversary; Malecasta is a living demonstration of the adage that there is “no rage like love to hatred turned”.

Lady Malecasta

SIZ 11, DEX 14, STR 10, CON 12, Move 3

Damage 3d6, Heal Rate 3, Hit Points 22, Major Wound 12

Unconscious 6, Knockdown 11, Armor 2 (Fine Silks)

Glory: 2,000

Skills: Courtesy 20, Flirting 18, Intrigue 16, Orate 14, Dancing 15, Awareness 12, Chirurgery 11

Traits & Passions: Lustful 18, Deceitful 16, Indulgent 17, Energetic 14, Proud 15; Hate (Chastity) 14

Special Abilities

·         Siren’s Whisper: +5 to Persuasion, Flirting, or Intrigue against knights who have shown attraction or weakness.

·         Disarming Charm: characters must pass a Chaste vs. Lustful roll when speaking privately with her or risk being seduced.

·         House of Pleasure: any character who stays in Castle Joyeuse for a night takes −3 to Temperance and Honour rolls for the next encounter.

Malecasta is attended by four knights who are devoted to her: Sir Urthon, Sir Urizen, Sir Luvah, and Sir Tharmas. All have Amor (Malecasta) of 18. Any one of them is almost a match for one of the player-characters in battle.

Where next?

Courtiers have been talking about the tourney that is being held the next day at Satyrane’s Meadow, which lies along the river.

The Tournament at Satyrane’s Meadow (on the River Path)

The characters arrive at a grand tournament, a gathering of warriors, nobles, and wandering knights. Here the trials are of martial skill, courtly honour, and political manoeuvring. The event is not merely a test of arms—alliances will be forged, rivalries ignited, and reputations shaped.

Although it was sunset when they chose a path at the crossroads, whether or not they travelled straight here they arrive in the hour just after dawn.

“Stream'd thro' many a golden bar,
The twilight melted into morn.”

The field of battle

On the far bank of the river, across a bridge, lies a vast green field, where the banners of noble families ripple in the breeze. Pavilions of silk and gold are set around a great wooden tiltyard, where knights in gleaming armour test their skill with the lance against one another.

Spectators gather on raised stands, their voices a chorus of excitement and anticipation. In the centre of it all, beneath a high canopy, sits Sir Satyrane, host of the tournament, flanked by nobles and honoured guests including the Lady Florimel.

Silver trumpets announce the start of the day’s fighting. A herald steps forward. “Let all knights who seek glory, renown, and noble contest present themselves before the lists. The trials of valour and honour now commence!”

A small dispute

Just as they go to cross the bridge to Satyrane’s Meadow, another knight rides in from the other direction and cuts in front of them. Are the characters offended? And if so, what do they do about it?

For an additional complication, the boorish knight could be Sir Tharmas, one of Lady Malecasta’s men. Malecasta is attending the tourney (even if they just left her castle, she is already here ahead of them in a pavilion) and she will give one of the player-characters her favour (a green silk garter) to wear in the lists, provoking Sir Tharmas to a fury of jealousy.

The contests

The characters can engage in several contests, each with varying risks and rewards. Or they can merely observe.

1. The grand melee – A battle where individual skill is tested against many.
• (Straight-up combat using Sword, Lance, and Horsemanship)
• Traits: Valorous vs Prudent—does the knight fight boldly or cautiously?
• Passions may grant bonuses.
• Victory earns glory and admiration, but is there a cost in honour?
• Defeat can result in humiliation or injury – which is worse?
• Successful Tourney skill rolls could boost a character’s reputation
2. The mystery knight (Sir Cambell; see below) enters the lists, fighting with unusual style.
• In close combat an opponent glimpses Cambell’s face; does the knight expose his identity or respect his disguise?
• Passions: Honour may compel them to duel fairly, while Hate (see below) may fuel aggression.
• Defeating Cambell in combat may earn a loyal friend if mercy is shown.
3. A test of words – A noblewoman (perhaps Florimel, or even Malecasta) presents a riddle or philosophical question, testing characters’ cleverness and wit rather than strength. You could for example use the questions set to Sir Florent in John Gower’s Confessio Amantis: “What is most precious but least valued, and what costs least but is most valued?” (The answers in that case being “time” and “a kind word”.) But use a conundrum with an answer like that just as an opening gambit. The lady then goes on to pose a deeper question that cannot be glibly answered but that will provoke an interesting debate. For example: “Which is stronger, love given freely or love that is earned?” or “What makes a person truly noble? Is it birth, or is it deeds, or is it intention – or something else?” or “What is that a man in a woman doth require, and what in men do women most desire?”
• Traits: Prudent vs. Reckless—does the knight think carefully or answer boldly?
• Muses/patrons may aid them in choosing wisely.
• A knight who answers wisely (with Courtesy or Orate) gains favour.
• A knight who scoffs at such a challenge may lose esteem.
4. An old feud – Two knights at the tournament seek the PCs' aid in a private dispute. This is deliberately intended to foreshadow and reflect Sir Triamond’s feelings about Sir Cambell.
• Traits: Just vs. Arbitrary—do they weigh both sides fairly or favour one?
• Passions: Loyalty to one or the other knight’s friends may push a character to take a side.
• Mediation requires diplomacy and perhaps a Courtesy roll.
• Taking sides risks gaining an ally at the cost of making an enemy.

Several of the notable NPCs could show up at the tourney or send somebody to observe events. Apart from Malecasta, the most prominent NPCs present are Sir Satyrane, the host, Sir Cambell, who has history with one of the player-characters, and Cathedron, who is an Amazon but will be taken in her armour for a normal knight.

Sir Satyrane

“Victory is not merely a matter of strength, but of character. Fight well, fight true, and bring honour to your name.”

A rugged, battle-hardened knight with a wild mane of hair, clad in well-worn armour. Respected but unpredictable, he fights for the joy of combat rather than social standing. While he follows the codes of chivalry, he is not bound by strict courtly manners, making him stand apart from other knights. He could be a rival, ally, or neutral party depending on how things play out.

SIZ 16, DEX 14, STR 17, CON 15, Move 3

Damage 6d6, Heal Rate 5, Hit Points 31, Major Wound 16

Unconscious 8, Knockdown 16, Armor 10 (Full Plate)

Glory: 7,000

Skills:  Sword 19, Battle 17, Joust 18, Horsemanship 16, Awareness 14, Courtesy 12, Orate 12, Hunting 15

Traits & Passions: Valorous 19, Energetic 16, Generous 14, Proud 14, Honest 13, Merciful 12; Honour 18, Love (Combat) 16

Special Abilities:

·         Master of the Lists: Satyrane gains +3 to Joust rolls in formal tournament settings.

·         Ferocious Duellist: in single combat, if he lands a critical hit, he can immediately roll a second attack at −5.

Sir Cambell (The Knight of Tenacity & Oaths)

“A knight's word is forged in steel. Once given, it cannot be broken.”

A mysterious knight enters the lists bearing a shield no one recognizes. After several tilts in which he bests all comers, he is enjoined by Lady Florimel to raise his visor. He reveals himself as Sir Cambell, the knight who slew Triamond’s brothers – not treacherously, but in a fair joust. Sir Triamond may feel animosity towards him but has no honourable basis for pursuing a vendetta.

SIZ 15, DEX 14, STR 14, CON 15, Move 3

Damage 5d6, Heal Rate 4, Hit Points 29, Major Wound 15

Unconscious 7, Knockdown 15, Armor 10 (Full Plate)

Glory: 6,000

Skills: Sword 16, Battle 15, Joust 16, Horsemanship 15, Awareness 12, Courtesy 12, Orate 14, Honor 18

Traits & Passions: Valorous 18, Loyal 17, Honest 16, Proud 15, Merciful 12, Just 14; Loyalty (Family) 18, Honour 18, Love (Canacee) 16, Hate (Betrayal) 16

Special Abilities:

·         Oathbound Resolve: once per session, Cambell can reroll a failed roll when defending an oath or sworn duty.

·         Stalwart Defender: ff protecting an ally, gains +3 to Defence rolls.

·         Indomitable Duellist: when fighting a single opponent he gets +2 to his Sword skill.

 

Cathedron (Queen Radigund’s champion)

"Strength is not given—it is taken."

A staunch warrior, she could serve as an adversary, rival, unexpected ally, or even lover depending on how the PCs handle their conflicts with the Amazons. When she removes her helmet, a single streak of white that runs through her tawny hair makes her a striking figure and mollifies the flintiness of her countenance. Cathedron’s hatred of men is not absolute; a knight who shows true strength and honour will earn her reluctant respect.

SIZ 15, DEX 16, STR 17, CON 15, Move 3

Damage 6d6, Heal Rate 5, Hit Points 30, Major Wound 15

Unconscious 8, Knockdown 15, Armor 10 (Plate)

Glory: 6,500

Skills: Sword 18, Battle 16, Joust 17, Horsemanship 14, Awareness 13, Command 14, Intrigue 12, Athletics 15

Traits & Passions: Valorous 19, Proud 16, Honest 12, Cruel 14, Energetic 15; Loyalty (Radigund) 18, Honour 15, Hate (Men) 14

Special Abilities:

• Determined fighter: Gains +1 to joust or melee rolls in tournament duels.
• Unrelenting assault: If she strikes twice in a row, she can roll an immediate third attack at −5.
• Beauteous countenance: If she reveals she is female (which she will not do voluntarily till after the tourney) any male adversaries must make an Honour roll: success causes −1 to combat rolls owing to hesitation and misplaced chivalry.

If defeated at a joust and granted mercy she owes her vanquisher a debt of honour, which could come in useful later. She also harbours secret doubts about Radigund’s increasingly capricious rule; a clever character could play on those doubts and on Cathedron’s pride to make her think the unthinkable: that she would be a better queen of the Amazons than Radigund.

Possible consequences

Character's action	Consequence
Wins the Grand Melee	Gains renown and a prize, but may provoke jealous rivals.
Loses	Suffers embarrassment but may gain a respectful ally.
Impresses with wit	Gains noble favour, opening doors later in the adventure.
Offends a noble	Gains an adversary who may act against them later.
Mediates a feud wisely	Gains the trust of fellow knights.
Takes sides in the feud	Gains a staunch ally but also a sworn enemy.

In the poem, Artegall is captured by Queen Radigund, leading to the next part of the adventure. It isn’t necessary to copy every story beat from Spenser, of course, but if one of the player-characters loses or submits to Queen Radigund’s champion Cathedron in a joust then she could insist on taking him or her back to the Queen, and it would be hard for the character to honourably refuse.

The Fortress of Radigund

The knights arrive next at the Fortress of Radigund, a bastion of Amazonian rule where men are enslaved and stripped of their knightly dignity. This trial is one of power, submission, and identity, forcing the knights to confront their beliefs about gender roles and the natural order of society.

The characters have at least one ace in their hand: as a female knight, Britomart will be treated by the Amazons as an equal (though still as a potential foe).

Another possible advantage is that if anyone fought Cathedron at the tourney and earned her respect, she will speak up for them and might even defy her monarch to help them.

Arrival among the Amazons

The road winds into a craggy valley where a fortress of black stone rises, its banners emblazoned with the insignia of Queen Radigund. The walls are high and the gates are guarded by women in gleaming armour, their helms adorned with crimson plumes.

The clang of the forge echoes within and, beyond the walls, you glimpse men kneeling in servitude, dressed in the feminine garb of weavers rather than warriors.

A herald in silver mail steps forward, her voice carrying the authority of the Queen herself. “By decree of Her Majesty Queen Radigund, all men who enter these lands must lay down their arms and submit to her rule. Make your choice: yield or be broken.”

Radigund, Queen of the Amazons

“For too long have men have ruled and ruined the world. Here I teach them humility.”

A striking warrior-queen clad in black and gold armour, capable of wielding a great sword with ease. Proud and unyielding, she is a tyrant who believes all men must be forced into servitude, but is no egalitarian out to free all women. Peasants matter no more to her than to other nobles, and she would subjugate all under her rule. The challenge she presents to the characters is not just physical violence but a reversal of courtly norms.

SIZ 16, DEX 14, STR 17, CON 15, Move 3

Damage 6d6, Heal Rate 5, Hit Points 31, Major Wound 16

Unconscious 8, Knockdown 16, Armor 10 (Plate)

Glory: 8,000

Skills: Sword 18, Battle 19, Joust 16, Horsemanship 15, Awareness 14, Orate 15, Intrigue 15

Traits & Passions: Valorous 17, Vengeful 14, Arbitrary 14, Cruel 14, Proud 18, Suspicious 15, Loyalty (Amazons, but mostly self) 19, Honour 16, Hate (Men) 15

Special Abilities:

• Amazonian Supremacy: Any man who loses to Radigund in single combat must roll 2d6 to gain a Passion: Fear (Women)
• Breaker of Knights: Any knight captured as a result of battle with Radigund must roll Energetic each day; failure means they are at −1 on all rolls that day; critical failure reduces Valorous by 1.
• Grudging Respect: If a knight defeats her in combat but spares her, she becomes a wary but powerful ally.

Subjugation

Men who are enslaved by the Amazons are dressed in women’s clothes and forced to work at the loom. The knights must decide how to engage with Radigund’s rule.

• Accept submission: The knights will be stripped of their weapons and forced into menial labour at the Loom of Servitude (see below), but it could be a worthwhile ploy as they can recruit allies among the captives and perhaps foment a revolt.
• Challenge Radigund: A knight may invoke the right of trial by combat, but Radigund has no respect for a male opponent and would not consider herself dishonoured by cheating. (It will be a different matter in the case of Britomart, of course.)
• Negotiate: Courtesy or Intrigue rolls could help here. There are other Amazons who do not enjoy Radigund’s autocratic rule and might see an opportunity to side with the player-characters against her. The characters could avoid enslavement, but at the cost of making compromises.
• Enforced duel: A captured knight who offends Radigund by showing too much defiance could be forced to fight one of his or her comrades. This is no honourable duel – Radigund puts them in a pit and has them fight like baited dogs.

The Loom of Servitude

Knights who submit must perform tasks of labour, stripping them of their sense of self-worth. They must make an Honour roll at −3 to avoid becoming Disheartened.

A captured knight can try to stoke rebellion among the enslaved, but this may call for Intrigue and/or Orate skills. Even undertaken as a stratagem, submitting is dangerous for valiant knights who are accustomed to authority, agency and action. Strong wills can be broken more easily by servitude than by torture. Each day, captives must roll Energetic (and see above for Radigund’s “Breaker of Knights” ability). Those who fail may begin to doubt their knightly purpose, losing 1 Honour for each failure.

The work being made at the loom is a long tapestry depicting the ancestry, glorious deeds and future projects of Queen Radigund. She calls this work Myn Strif. Among the knights who have been enslaved here for years is one Sir Rousel. He still talks surreptitiously of an uprising, and has bravely endured brutal punishments to secure better conditions for his fellow workers, but has become so devoted to the weaving of the tapestry that he might even warn the Amazon guards rather than see it destroyed. (An unabashed swipe from The Bridge on the River Kwai, this, but I need something to sustain me through the relentless allegory of the poem.)

It's notable that captured knights are dressed in women’s clothes, and peasant women at that – a complete reversal of their formerly pre-eminent social position. How the player-characters react to that, if they are subjected to it, is up to them and may lead to some interesting revelations.

Escape

Characters who work well can earn privileges, although as they become more trusted by their Amazon guards they will attract the suspicion and hatred of their fellow captives. A trustee character could potentially gain their freedom by swearing fealty to Queen Radigund. To do so as a means of being released from servitude has never previously been tried, so the player-characters will have to think of it for themselves. Pledging allegiance to Radigund allows them to continue their quest but will inevitably result in a dilemma when Radigund later calls on them for a service, forcing them into a betrayal of their principles.

Apart from inciting a revolt or swearing fealty, the only other option is to escape. As far as I’m aware Pendragon lacks Stealth skills, so the best way to represent sneaking away might be a Proud roll. Self-respecting men of the warrior class might feel it beneath their dignity to scurry off like a thief. Being Disheartened might actually be helpful in this case, suppressing Proud until the character is well clear of the Amazons’ clutches.

The Cathedral of Regret

They press further along the river. It begins to meander through bleak stretches of flat fenland. The hollows are water-logged, a sucking mire of mud and rushes, while the occasional ridges are clogged with scrub. It makes for hard going and the dampness soon penetrates the characters’ clothing and saps their resolve. This would be a good point to deploy either the tarn worm or the savage boar (qv) if you think the scenario needs a shot of action, and there’s a case to be made for putting that big set-piece fight here so that the denouement in the ruined cathedral can be handled on a note of dying fall.

The characters finally arrive at a crumbling cathedral, a once-sacred place where knights of old swore oaths of terrible force. Now, it is a place of reckoning, where the weight of the characters’ past choices comes to bear. Here, the final test awaits—one that will demand not just strength but a resolution of the dilemmas they have faced.

The road becomes rutted, gradually turning into an overgrown track that brings you to a ruined cathedral. Its great arches soar above you, criss-crossed with cracks, the stained-glass windows shattered leaving only jagged shards. Ivy covers the massive walls, slowly reclaiming the stone. The great doors, once tall and proud, now hang askew on broken hinges. The wind makes a mournful sound as it keens along the empty nave.

Inside, the air is thick with the scent of damp earth and stone, along with a faint musty reek that might be old incense. The altar stands at the far end amid rubble from the collapsed roof. Faded murals depict ancient knights, their faces worn away, their names forgotten.

A solitary figure kneels before the altar, clad in rusted armour, sword planted before him like a gravestone. He rises slowly, like a puppet borne on strings, and his voice echoes hollowly along the desolate hall. “So you have come at last. Your path has been a long one. Now tell me—what have you learned?”

The Fallen Paladin (Sir Aldebrand)

A spectral knight, his armour tarnished, his voice hollow with regret. He is the one who set them on this quest at the crossroads. He is stern, burdened by failure and inflexibly unchanging as only a ghost can be, but he is still clinging to the hope that he can be redeemed and freed from his bonds to the mortal sphere by the acts of the player-characters. In game terms his function is to make explicit what they must do here.

The challenges

Each knight must face a test of virtue, shaped by their past choices. Improvisation will be called for, as the events of the rest of the adventure can now be reincorporated in a brief scene for each character. Some examples are:

• The Blade of Judgment: A sword lies upon the altar – a sacred relic, but only one who has upheld their virtue may lift it. And what if more than one of the knights covets it?
• “J’accuse”: A hooded figure arrives, someone whom a knight has failed or harmed and who comes now to denounce them. How will they answer for their misdeeds? Honour is at stake.
• The End of the Oath: The knight must consider a vow that has caused trouble for themselves and their friends. Is it time to forswear the oath, even if that means damage to their sense of duty? If they choose to do that, they could adjust a Trait or Passionscore but will bear a visible mark, forever set apart from their peers. (Think of the tiny cut that Gawain takes from the Green Knight’s axe.)
• No Going Back: The knight elects to wander on, eschewing the society of Gloriana’s court as they go on searching for meaning.

Putting a capstone on lessons already learnt earlier in the adventure will be more effective than springing all-new moral challenges on the player-characters at this late stage. This is where the knights must face the lasting effects of their journey: the choices they have made and the ideals they have upheld—or betrayed, or lost.

That’s why I suggest ending on a diminuendo note (Claude tells me this is called "yo-jo" (余情) in Japanese literature, but who knows?) as an antidote to all the sound and fury of Spenser’s Keystone Knights plot, but you’ll be the best judge what your own players are looking for here.

Epilogue: Where Do the Knights Go from Here?

Each character should have received a personal epilogue reflecting their growth, losses, and new purpose. Consider these possible outcomes:

• The wanderer: A knight departs on a new journey, forever shaped by what they have seen.
• The burdened victor: One who took the sacred Blade of Judgment now has the burden of living up to its strict ideals.
• The searcher: One among them has changed too much, struggling to find where they belong, and cannot return joyously with the rest.
• Inheriting the mantle: A knight might take on the quest of a fallen comrade, swearing to see it through to the end.

Future adventure hooks

If the players wish to continue, consider these narrative seeds:

• A Sacred Oath: A vow sworn in the cathedral is called upon, forcing a knight to honour a difficult promise.
• A Rival Seeks Retribution: A foe made during the tournament at Satyrane’s Meadow returns.
• The Legacy of Radigund: If the knights thwarted Queen Radigund, her followers seek payback.
• The Whisper of the Blade: If the Blade of Judgment was taken, a prophecy foretells that its true purpose has yet to be revealed.

There’s plenty of material still to be mined in The Faerie Queene if you’ve a mind to. I started this adaptation at Book III, barely scratched the surface, and see how long it is even so. Spenser himself gave up halfway through, like George R R Martin aghast at the sheer weight of the work to date.

Auxiliary NPCs

I think it was Ken St Andre who once said that every good scenario has at least two fights in it. Sucking my teeth, I’d point out that Pride & Prejudice or Middlemarch, say, wouldn’t be improved by having fights, and if novels don’t absolutely demand it then neither should roleplaying adventures. But there are a lot of cracking stories that do have fights, and once you’ve got somebody playing a medieval-cum-Tudor knight they’re going to expect the occasional clash of swords. So here are some adversaries that you can throw in to spice things up. (No need to hold back, either; Spenser isn’t above chucking in some random battle action when all the thumping allegories and moral lessons are starting to flag.)

Archimago the Illusionist

“Truth is but wax for modelling, easily reshaped by one who knows its secrets.”

SIZ 12, DEX 13, STR 10, CON 13, Move 3

Damage 3d6, Heal Rate 3, Hit Points 24, Major Wound 13

Unconscious 7, Knockdown 12, Armor 4 (Mystic Robes)

Skills: Intrigue 19, Orate 17, Deception 16, Courtesy 13, Awareness 14, Recognize 16, Magic 18

Traits & Passions: Deceitful 19, Cowardly 14, Vengeful 16, Selfish 17, Worldly 15; Hate (Redcrosse) 17, Hate (True Virtue) 16

Special Abilities:

• Master of Illusions: Archimago can create false visions, disguises, and mirages. Knights must pass an Awareness vs. Magic opposed roll to see through them.
• Mimicry of the Mind: He can take the exact appearance and voice of any character. Match opponent’s Awareness vs Archimago’s Deception for them to see through it.
• Summoner of Shadows: Once per battle, he can call forth a shadow wraith (STR 15, DEX 14, HP 20, ignores normal weapons).

Glory: 4,500

(If Sir Redcrosse fights Archimago and learns his identity, remember the bonus Redcrosse gets from his love of Amoret.)

Acrasia, the Enchantress of Indulgence

“Why resist delight when it is freely given?”

SIZ 11, DEX 15, STR 10, CON 12, Move 3

Damage 3d6, Heal Rate 3, Hit Points 22, Major Wound 12

Unconscious 6, Knockdown 11, Armor 2 (Enchanted Silks)

Glory: 5,500

Skills: Flirting 18, Intrigue 17, Orate 15, Dancing 16, Singing 17, Awareness 13, Chirurgery 12, Magic 17

Traits & Passions: Indulgent 19, Lustful 19, Deceitful 18, Lazy 15, Selfish 16; Love (Pleasure) 18, Hate (Discipline) 15

Special Abilities

• Web of indulgence: Any character who drinks Acrasia’s wine or remains in her company must roll Temperate vs. Indulgent—failure results in lost Honour and a −1 combat penalty while in her presence.
• Song of forgetfulness: She can sing a mesmerizing song that forces knights to roll Amor, Love or Loyalty to the one she is telling them to forget—failure causes temporary amnesia of their quest.
• Serpent’s embrace: If engaged in close quarters, she can wrap around a foe like a constricting serpent (STR 15 grapple).

Duessa, Mistress of Manipulation

“Outward appearance reflects the inner self. I am beautiful; am I not also good?”

SIZ 12, DEX 13, STR 11, CON 12, Move 3

Damage 3d6, Heal Rate 3, Hit Points 23, Major Wound 12

Unconscious 6, Knockdown 11, Armor 4 (Layered Glamours)

Glory: 6,000

Skills: Deception 19, Intrigue 19, Courtesy 14, Orate 15, Awareness 12, Flirting 17, Recognize 15

Traits & Passions: Deceitful 19, Proud 16, Manipulative 18, Cruel 14, Selfish 17; Hate (Truth) 16

Special Abilities:

• Glamour: Duessa’s beauty is an illusion; only those who pass an Awareness roll at −7 can see through it.
• Venomed tongue: Gains +4 to Persuasion and Intrigue when turning knights against each other.
• Decay’s true form: If struck in combat, her beauty withers, revealing a half-rotted corpse—those who see it must roll Valorous vs. Cowardly or recoil in horror (−5 to actions for the next 1d6 rounds).

Orgoglio (giant)

“Tremble, little men! You are nothing before my might.”

SIZ 30, DEX 10, STR 28, CON 25, Move 5

Damage 10d6, Heal Rate 7, Hit Points 50, Major Wound 25

Unconscious 13, Knockdown 30, Armour 12 (thick skin & magic wards)

Glory: 12,000

Skills: Great Club 22, Brawl 20, Battle 15, Awareness 10, Hunting 14

Traits & Passions: Proud 19, Cruel 17, Deceitful 11, Cowardly 8, Indulgent 16; Hate (Knights) 18

Special Abilities:

• Colossal Strength: Any character taking a knockdown from Orgoglio is hurled 1d6 yards away.
• Fearsome Presence: Before battle, all opponents must roll Valorous vs. Cowardly—failure causes a −3 penalty to all rolls for 1d3 rounds.
• Unstoppable bulk: Unenchanted weapons deal only half damage unless recently blessed at a chapel.
• Rampage: If Orgoglio successfully lands two attacks in a row, he gets to make a third free attack at −5.
• Regeneration: He recovers 3 HP per round unless struck by a holy or enchanted weapon.

Orgoglio should be a terrifying and nearly unkillable foe unless the characters strategize or wield magic/holy arms. His brute force mechanics will make any fight with him feel like a desperate struggle for survival rather than just another duel. He is pride embodied, and any character(s) vanquishing him have the option of reducing Proud by 1.

Savage Boar

"The great beast crashes through the underbrush, foam flecking its tusks, eyes gleaming with fury. It is unstoppable, unafraid – a worthy foe for a hunter.”

SIZ 20, DEX 11, STR 18, CON 18, Move 3

Damage 6d6, Heal Rate 5, Hit Points 36, Major Wound 18

Unconscious 9, Knockdown 20, Armour 5 (hide)

Skills: Gore 18, Trample 15, Awareness 10, Hunting (Escape) 14

Special Abilities:

• Gore & toss: If the boar scores a successful attack and deals 8+ damage, the target is flung 1d6 yards away.
• Blood frenzy: When reduced below half HP, the boar attacks twice per round.
• Iron constitution: Ignores the first Major Wound it suffers.

Tarn Worm

"A sickly stench rises from the black water as a scaled head emerges, its slitted eyes gleaming. The sinister fen-dweller rears up, its foul breath a spreading miasma of corruption."

SIZ 20, DEX 15, STR 22, CON 19, Move 4 (Swim 8)

Damage 7d6, Heal Rate 6, Hit Points 42, Major Wound 21

Unconscious 11, Knockdown 25, Armour 8 (scales)

Skills: Bite 20, Tail Lash 16, Dodge 13, Awareness 12, Ambush (from water) 14

Special Abilities:

• Venomous bite: A knight bitten by the worm must roll CON vs the poison’s potency of 14.
• Crushing coils: If the worm rolls a critical success on a bite attack, it coils around the target, forcing a STR vs. STR 25 roll to break free.

As I’d previously asked Claude for comments, I put the whole adventure in front of ChatGPT to get its thoughts. It suggested that there could be more variety in the physical encounters (ah, if only it had been available to poets in 1590) and added: “The tarn worm is an interesting option. What if its presence is a bad omen tied to a prophecy?” and “Could a stealth or chase scene add variety to the pacing? Maybe the worm retreats into the water, but later it ambushes them at a critical moment” – both good ideas that add to the temptation to pay for Plus or Pro.

Wolfsheads

“Well now, good sirs,” sneers the leader, “a knight should know that the road is not his alone. A fair toll, and you may pass.”

Churlund (leader)

SIZ 14, DEX 15, STR 14, CON 13, Move 3

Damage 5d6, Heal Rate 4, Hit Points 27, Major Wound 14

Unconscious 7, Knockdown 14, Armor 8 (chain & leather)

Glory value: +10 if defeated in single combat

Skills: Sword 15, Dagger 15, Bow 14, Intrigue 13, Orate 12

Traits & Passions: Selfish 13, Deceitful 16, Vengeful 12; Hate (Knights) 13, Loyalty (Outlaw Band) 15

Special Abilities:

• Dirty Fighting: Gains +1 to attacks when fighting dishonourably (from behind, throwing dirt, feigning surrender, etc).
• Mocking Taunts: Can force knights to roll Proud vs. Humble—failure compels them to fight him personally.

Common robbers (5-8 men)

SIZ 13, DEX 13, STR 13, CON 12, Move 3

Damage 4d6, Heal Rate 3, Hit Points 24, Major Wound 12

Unconscious 6, Knockdown 13, Armor 6 (leather & shields)

Skills: Sword 13, Dagger 14, Bow 12, Awareness 10

Tactics:

• Ambush from woodland or from under bridges
• Scatter if their leader is slain or more than half their number falls

Pendragon Warriors

I used Pendragon rules because all the allegory and performed virtues in The Faerie Queene cry out for its mechanical approach to characterization. It’s pretty much ideal if you’re playing Spenser’s adventure straight. Those who, like me, prefer to leave characterization to what the players say and do might want to use a different system like Prince Valiant or Dragon Warriors. You can see that approach in Florimel’s test of words in the tournament section – those I didn’t take from the poem, and the purpose of them is not to change a stat but to encourage a debate that illuminates character without necessarily reaching any resolution.

Last words

I wouldn’t write an adventure like this myself, even though I just did. It’s almost the opposite of what I enjoy in roleplaying – linear, formulaic, mission-directed, combat-heavy, strongly dependent on dice-rolling, and involving breadcrumb trails if not railroading throughout. I was constantly tempted to redesign it, but if I’d done that there’d have been nothing of Spenser left. It was intended as an experiment, and “ἡ δὲ πεῖρα σφαλερή”, as Hippocrates ambiguously warns us, so let it stand as a curiosity. All I ask is that the Furies/Muses will now let me get on with the Faerie chapter in Jewelspider.

But, hang on, I really should try and say something positive, shouldn’t I? OK then: Spenser’s story is as much about personal transformation as it is about chivalric deeds. Whether the knights leave as upright heroes, disillusioned wanderers, disgraced oath-breakers, broken wrecks, or any of a score of other possibilities, their choices should be memorable and at the very least they’ll know they’ve been on a journey.