Year 489: The Fair of the Woods
General Summary
For the prior session, see Year 488: Strong Enough. For the following session, see Year 490: Prisoners of Courtesy.
"I fear no sword or spear; no axe or arrow - but this I do fear, with all my heart." - King Cadwy, the Magician King of SomersetMonths after King Uther Pendragon resecured an alliance with the Magician King of Somerset, tensions between Duke Gorlois of Cornwall and the rest of Logres are rising as soldiers from Cornwall have begun raiding neighbouring counties. At Imber in Salisbury, ten years after their adventure together in the Blakemoor Wood, Sir Gwyn of Oxenwood attends the funeral of Old Garr alongside Sir Amlyn of Winterbourne Stoke and Sir Artaire of Idmiston, who haven't seen each other since Sir Artaire sent a letter challenging Sir Amlyn to a duel to the death. Holding back the temptation to fight, the two pay their respects and return to Sarum Castle for their orders from Earl Roderick of Salisbury. Earl Roderick informs the knights that the tensions with Duke Gorlois have come to a head and that they are to report to Ilchester in Jagent for a potential war against the duke. Noticing an iciness between Sir Artaire and Sir Amlyn, the earl asks what the problem is and learns of the proposed duel. Having just lost his best knight Sir Jarren of Burcombe, he forbids the knights from fighting and tells them that he will hear their dispute when they return. The knights report to a field outside Ilchester where the pitched battle is to take place. As King Uther, the captain of his King's Guard Sir Bellias, and Merlin the Magician ride out to parley with Duke Gorlois alongside his knights Sir Brastias and Sir Jordanus, the knights notice that they are greatly outnumbered by soldiers hiding in the brush. The leaders loudly air their decades of grievances with one another, but when King Uther draws Excalibur, the opposing knights agree to yield and swear fealty to King Uther once more. The battle is called off and the relieved knights from both sides camp together. The following morning, the armies start to leave to Linden Pool, to combat Saxons that have started pushing into Logres through Malahaut. Earl Roderick instead asks Sir Gwyn, Sir Artaire and Sir Amlyn to patrol the lands bordering Salisbury and Somerset to ensure that the Magician King is upholding the new alliance. Riding through Blakemoor Wood, the knights come across a travelling British Christian monk named Teacher Cynwal. They share a meal with the monk, who laments that he feels that Somerset has strayed further and further away from his God and cites many examples of magical happenings as curses upon the unholy land, telling them of the ghastly wailing often heard coming from the Castle by the Great Bridge. The knights share his sentiments and wish the monk well, continuing on their patrol. As they ride further into Somerset, the small kingdom's Prince Melwas approaches astride his green faerie horse and beckons them to follow him. He leads the trio to the Castle by the Great Bridge, and informs them that they are guests and are to dine with the royal family of Somerset. When leading the knights through the castle, they see a tapestry of a beautiful young woman holding a rose and Sir Gwyn and Sir Artaire become infatuated. Prince Melwas responds that it is of his sister Princess Alene and refuses to answer more questions. Hours later, the knights and the prince sit down to dine and are joined by the unsettling Magician King Cadwy himself and his wife, Queen Afanen. Their uncomfortable meal is interrupted by the fabled wailing, and Queen Afanen excuses herself, upset. King Cadwy politely asks the knights to leave, but they convince him they can help. Defeated, the king complies. King Cadwy and Prince Melwas lead the three knights to a tower on his grounds where they see an old, crying woman. The king admits that this is Princess Alene, who is only 16 years old. He summons a handmaiden, who explains that the two of them were picking wildflowers near the Forest of Glamour when they came across the Goblin Market - a marketplace of traveling goblins selling beautiful, delicious fruit. Despite her handmaiden's caution, Princess Alene ran into the woods after the creatures and returned late in the night, having tasted the fruit and unable to think of anything else, but no longer able to see or hear the goblins. Since that day almost a year ago, the princess has aged to a become old woman, still desiring nothing but the enchanted fruit. Fearing his daughter has little time to live, the Magician King pleads with the knights to find the Goblin Market and restore her soul. Camping near the Forest of Glamour the next day, a bickering Sir Artaire and Sir Amlyn again try to uphold their promise not to duel. The trio encounters a foppish poet and storyteller who introduces himself as Robin Goodfellow. With difficulty, they get some information out of the strange man and are led to the Goblin Market. Immediately rushed by goblins pushing their wares, the knights are able to resist the fruit. Sir Artaire asks if he can buy some fruit to save for later and is instantly swarmed by a pack of angry goblins, which he disperses with a few deadly swings from his mace. He captures one fleeing goblin, who reluctantly tells them that they traded Princess Alene's soul to a merchant at the Fair of the Woods with glowing red eyes, in exchange for sweetmeats. Robin explains that the Fair of the Woods is an eternal festival in the Faerie Realm which can be accessed through the Forest of Glamour, but refuses to go. Sir Gwyn intimidates Robin into leading the way. Upon entering the Faerie Realm and reaching the Fair of the Woods, the knights realize that they have lost Robin. They approach the tourney grounds, and all the faerie-folk immediately notice the humans attempting to enter their fair. A large knight approaches with two spriggan bodyguards, and speaking in bizarre poems and riddles, he cryptically introduces himself as the Marshal of the Fair. He agrees to grant the knights entry if they can answer his riddle, which Sir Gwyn guesses successfully, unknowingly sparing his companions the fate of forever fighting in the Eternal Tourney. Watching undead warriors from all throughout history compete, the trio stops a faerie knight from beating his dwarf squire Ulah. Frustrated, the knight releases Ulah to the humans. As they pass the tourney grounds and browse the strange mystical trinkets of the marketplace, Sir Artaire sells part of his soul to buy a jewel-encrusted sword with unknown magical properties. Eventually, they reach the merchant described by the goblin and barter for a rose in a glass case, which they deduce is the physical representation of Princess Alene's soul. The merchant agrees to sell only if they retrieve a crown from a nearby cave. The three knights and Ulah arrive at the cave and are able to successfully sneak past two ogres guarding the entrance. Once inside, Sir Artaire and Sir Amlyn again stay their blades against one another. Finding the crown suspended in a shaft of light, Sir Artaire approaches and the crown is surrounded by a circle of flame, as a voice declares that only those pure of heart or purpose can withstand the flames. Sir Amlyn is unable to pass without being burned, but Sir Gwyn and Sir Artaire draw upon the purity of their new love for Princess Alene and walk through the flames unharmed. As Sir Artaire retrieves the circlet, the Marshal of the Fair appears and cryptically explains that the crown grants sovereignty over the Fair of the Woods and that it belongs to him before attacking. The knights are able to subdue the Marshal and escape. As they return the crown to the merchant, he gives them the soul. He then gleefully unveils himself as Robin Goodfellow before dropping his disguise further, revealing himself to be the infamous trickster hobgoblin known as Puck. He dances and recites a poem as the knights attempt to attack him, and places the crown upon his head. As he acquires the crown through deceptive means, his face begins to melt and are replaced with that of the Marshal. The Marshal warns the humans against suffering the same fate as Puck, but decides that as they had noble intentions that they can be allowed to live. He banishes them from the fair and they find themselves back in the Forest of Glamour, without Ulah and not privy to the true fate of Puck. Returning to the Castle by the Great Bridge, the knights give the rose to Princess Alene, who is restored to her former youth and beauty. The Magician King is overjoyed and thanks the men, offering any reward they desire. Sir Amlyn and Sir Gwyn refuse a reward, but Sir Artaire asks for his help in capturing his uncle Sir Eiffin of Lighthorne. King Cadwy agrees. Back in Salisbury, Sir Gwyn and Sir Artaire are pleasantly surprised that they have only been missing one week in the Faerie Realm this time. Impressed, Earl Roderick hears their tale and then asks about the feud between Sir Amlyn and Sir Artaire. Sir Artaire explains his side of the story and Earl Roderick, disgusted by Sir Artaire's actions, sides with Sir Amlyn and reminds a sheepish Sir Artaire that he is a banneret knight and must uphold certain standards of chivalry and honour. That winter, King Uther has Duke Gorlois and Duchess Ygraine as his guests of honour at the White Tower. He announces that the following summer, the Logrian army will meet Saxon warlords Cyning Octa of Nohaut and Cyning Eosa of Deira on the battlefield at Linden Pool. Meanwhile, in Salisbury, Lady Elaine gives birth to Sir Amlyn's son and heir, Kyffin.
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