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 15th century, 19th century and 20th
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?
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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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