Saga of Rosencrantz Revandir, Vol. II-IV

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Rosencrantz Revandir (Naumarian: Rozenkrantz Revandir) was a Hansetian-born knight and holy healer of the Chivay-Carrion eras, first appearing in records as an officer and crusader of the Order of Saint Lucien. He was reputed to have holy healing from God, and performed numerous miracles within the Kingdom of Aesterwald and the former lands of Hanseti, and became a local folk-hero to many of the Hansetian peoples, especially the Waldenians. The Saga of Rosencrantz Revandir recounts his famous deeds and tales, believed to be written by a collection of numerous anonymous sources. However, due to book burnings and the collapse of the Hanso-Waldenian monarchy, much of the work has been lost and only fragments remaining.

 

(OOC: Full credit to @Charles_Grimlie who wrote this, posting it here for easier access. Link to his original thread below:

 

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SAGA OF ROSENCRANTZ REVANDIR, VOL. II-IV

 

WRITTEN BY THE HAND OF

ANONYMOUS

 

TRANSLATED BY THE HAND OF

HIEROMAR LUDOVAR THE ELDER, SSE

 

PUBLISHED BY

HIEROMAR LUDOVAR THE ELDER, SSE

 

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VOLUME II

or, Rosencrantz, his Brothers, and the Siren of Bear Lake

 

It was a cool evening, deep within the hostile lands of the Dwarven Folk. A group of men bearing white robes and the red mark of Saint Lucien upon their chest approach the shores of Bear lake. Holy Ser Rosencrantz, with a harpoon in hand looks to his Brothers sweeping his free arm towards the calm waters declaring to them with a stern voice, "Pardon the navigational error Brothers but we have arrived, and it is here we hunt the Siren." as he finishes a thick fog begins rolled into the bay followed by a retort from his Brother Saeros, "Well this is suspicious!" and another comment from his Easterner Brother Raigeki, "Hai!" as the squinted man clutches his own harpoon tightly.

 

"Fear not Brothers, it is almost dawn... I am sure this fog is common!" Holy Ser Rosencrantz utters as he looks towards the waning moon and the rising sun. It was then after much discussion of what they planned to do with the Siren, which they have never seen before, that a melodious tune began to play off in the distance. The Brothers and the Holy Ser were enchanted by the sound, "What is that majestic tune?" said Ser Rosencrantz, "No matter, I wish to hear more of it!" Ser Rosencrantz begins to walk eagerly listening to the music ignoring the sound of sand beneath his feet, his Brothers followed in tow.

Not far from their original location the band of Brothers found the source of the sound, a peculiar outcropping of mist encircled, water bound rocks with a single white birch resting atop the tallest stone. "Look here some Canoes!" Rosencrantz shouts to the band becoming desperate to find the musician. The brothers begin to mount the two beached canoes, generously provided by the Osage Druids, and with the help of Brother Raigeki's acquaintance, known as 'Turban', they embark towards the stones with a few swift strokes of their oars.

As the band of Brothers approached through the light mist with their small vessels, they see the sight of a maiden sitting upon the furthest rock. This was the source of the beauteous symphony they heard upon the shore, a golden haired maiden with a lyre in hand and a voice of elvish silk.

Landing upon the rock with the birch growing from its point, Ser Rosencrantz questions with maiden, "Who are you miss, who plays such fine tunes?" The Maiden giggled as she paused her song, "It is not chivalrous to ask for a woman's name." Ser Rosencrantz winces as he foolishly insulted the woman's honor, "Very well. I am Ser Rosencrantz, we seek the Siren who is said to live in this lake by the name of 'Lestia the Alluring'." the knight said in a firm tone straightening himself before the woman, "I have not heard of a Siren in these lakes, knight." The woman replied looking to the Ser Rosencrantz a gaze of certainty.

"Will you marry me!?" Shouts his noble Brother Rydel Elendil, bastard son of the absent Pious Ser Rymeul. The maiden turns head lightly as her locks glistened in the sun, "That is quite the bold question... However I will play a song for you, name one and I shall play." She says playfully plucking the strings of her lyre.

"I wish to hear the one about the Adunian Sex Lord." Cheered Rydel in his complementary Adunian accent. The maiden stutters as she ponders a response, "I- I do not know that one well... But I can try." Ser Rosencrantz then turns to Rydel with a displeased look to his face, with a raised voice "Oh do not insult this fine woman with such a lewd request.", "It is a good song of an Adunian who was well known for his heroics, and his way with the ladies." Retorted Rydel, his Adunian laced voice raised as well.

The Maiden then begins to play another tune, the band of squabbling brothers bring their arguing to a halt as they once again become charmed by the maiden's performance. It was not long before the musician put forth her arm, beckoning Rydel across the water to her stone. With haste he stumbles from his place into the water, with aid of the maiden he mounts her rock.

The brothers mutter to one another curious of what was about to happen as they watched their brother slip behind the stone with the mysterious maiden. Some thought sodomy, others questioned the absurd notion, and one, Brother Saeros, thought it would be Rydel's demise.

It was then a yelp from the maiden was heard, followed by a splash, Ser Rosencrantz darted up to his feet abandoning his harpoon as he skipped across to the small island followed by Brother Liam Mclode. It was too late, they knew a danger lurked in the depths and no matter how hard they looked there was no sight of Rydel in the depths, nor the maiden.

Soon a coughing and gasping for air was heard upon a rock closer to the shore, the maiden lay soaked by the dark waters, pleading for the Brother's aid "The Siren! She has caught Rydel." a muttering was heard among the brothers, now free of the enchanting tune, of the maiden's validity. It was then Liam moved to meet the maiden on her new stone, aiding her.

The mist which peacefully lay upon the lake began to roll in, thickening greatly in unnatural ways. Their Brother was now out of sight and another splash of water could be heard where Liam stood by the bank of the stone. "Brother Liam!? How fair you?" hollered Rosencrantz but no answer was heard. In the fog the Holy Ser shouted to the direction of the near by rock bearing his brothers, "Give me my harpoon Brother Craig!" and through the thick mist his Harpoon came towards him allowing the knight to catch it.

The dense water in the air slowly begins to part exposing a bare rock where the maiden once stood along with their Brother. It was no hiding the truth, it was this mysterious woman who was Lestia, the Siren they were sent to hunt.

The song could be heard again creeping through the winds from another selection of stones breaching the water. With haste Ser Rosencrantz took out his night-time ear plugs, as nights were commonly loud in the keep, placing them into his ears blocking the noise. With an abnormal tone he shouted for his shaken Brothers to do the same.

With a shout and a leap, Ser Rosencrantz lands on the rock bearing the tree, gesturing his brothers towards their canoes. "We must seek the filthy witch, and save our Brothers. They must be still alive!" he spoke to his brothers in an abnormal tone uncertain of his own. Guiding the party of five towards one of the small vessels they took turns leaping again to where the Osage canoes were docked.

Brother Saeros however was not as lucky, he slipped upon the stone he leaped from landing into the deep murky waters and as he pulled himself to the surface the Brother was forced under. Ser Rosencrantz with a roar lunged into the water grasping the hand of the Elven Creatorist, pulling him to meet the air once more, a quick thrash in the water allowed this to happen as Saeros pulls from the depths his dagger. Blood soon began to surface from the lake and the song ended, "I have got the hag." he mutters shaken by his near death experience.

Ser Rosencrantz guides his brothers to the canoes, with a few prompting phrases, "Get in the Canoe!" and "By the Creator get in the Canoe!" setting off towards where the witch's song was last heard. As they breached the fog once more the Siren Lestia stood over the two unconscious Brothers, Rydel and Liam, in her true form with blade in hand.

They disembarked onto a near by stone, raising their harpoons to meet the Siren "Do not make another movement!" Lestia hissed to Ser Rosencrantz, "Return our brothers to us unscathed, heathen witch." the Holy Ser retorted. Suddenly Saeros sent forth his weapon at Lestia, "You fool Brother, what have you done?" Ser Rosencrantz hollered at Saeros as the harpoon missed the Siren.

However, this was enough provocation as Lestia brought her blade towards Rydel. Before the blade reached his throat, the downed Rydel awakes from his state quickly keeping the hag at bay. "Quickly the Harpoons!" bellowed Raigeki in his eastern accent as he throws his own alongside the flurry of others from his comrade Turban and Brother Craig.

The knight kept a firm hold of his weapon as the Siren shrieked in agony having sustained a wound in her arm from Craig's Harpoon. With haste she disembarked the rock sinking into the watery depths as the Brothers remained stranded upon their stone.

It was soon prevalent that Lestia the Alluring had lost, as she, in a final attempt, breached the surface lunging towards the Holy Ser with sharp teeth barred and dagger in hand. Ser Rosencrantz preparing for this held his harpoon high and performed his own lunge, striking the Siren straight through her tail. Lestia made a weak attempt to retreat to the near by rocks.

It was here the witch began to beg, "Please, do not kill me." Lestia spoke in her innocent voice, the harpoon logdged firmly in fish legs.

 

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VOLUME III

or, Rosencrantz and the Riddle Machine

 

It was a sunny afternoon, Ser Rosencrantz was traveling towards the Orenian checkpoint when a peculiar Orc in a Chef's outfit barred his pass, "Halt! We Orcs have a new game, it is called 'The Riddle Machine'." Ser Rosencrantz, surprised by his barring of passage responds quickly, "A new game? Very well I shall partake!" The Orc beckons the Holy Ser to follow him to the game room, and as the locked chamber came into sight he saw a blonde teenaged girl scratching at the Iron door. Ser Rosencrantz became quite confused and with a quick shove from the Orc he found himself tumbling into the room. "How rude, you did not have to shove me!" the Holy Ser retorted as he stood up and brushed himself off.

 

Ser Rosencrantz was now in a closed room whose floor was studded with Emeralds, it also had a deep pit on one side under some signs which said "Answer the riddles, if you answer wrong you die." or at least what the knight was able to translate from the crude Orc writing. The Holy Ser looks to the Orc straightening himself before the window which bore a room with a couch and a peculiar button to the side, "Very well Orc... I never shrug from a challenge!" He stated as he awaited the Orc to begin.

The Orc he now knows as 'Rap' was accompanied by a few others... One notably named 'Ick'. After talking to the Girl, which Ser Rosencrantz discovered was mute the questions began. Rap asked Ser Rosencrantz, "What is true peace?", the knight began to ponder and answered thinking it a trick question, "There is no peace, only skulls for Krug." Sadly, Ser Rosencrantz was wrong. The Girl with him in the room was allowed to answer as well, she responded with her note pad, “Fighting for Krug.” She too, was wrong.

Ser Rosencrantz felt defeated as he sat down on the emerald studded floor placing his head in his hands pondering the question one more time, before the Orcs could press the mysterious button he quickly shouted at his game hosts, “Death!?” Rap responded, "Yes!" However, the other Orcish hosts thought otherwise.

The wall behind him began to slide inwards. "Interesting." He stated curious of the mechanisms which powered it. "What has two arms but cannot clap?" the Orc named Ick questioned Rosencrantz in which he rebuttled, "A Clock!" which the mute girl thought the same as she showed her note pad to the Orc. Sadly he and the Girl were wrong as it was, "An Orc with short arms" the wall was moving ever closer.

The Orcs who filled the small questioning chamber grew restless and began to plead for the button to be pressed again so that they could see their prey fall to their death. Ser Rosencrantz now stood at the edge of the pit, his expression remained calm as he began to prepare for the next question. In moments Rap asked the next riddle, “Klomp the girl.” perhaps not a riddle at all. The Orcs in the chamber began shouting their mantra, “Klomp! Klomp! Klomp!” As the Holy Ser looked at the teenager beside him. “I refuse!” He said with a bold statement, “I would rather fall to my death than kill this young maiden.” It was then he felt himself grind towards the edge and fall...

Ser Rosencrantz stood up in a chapel of the Creator, his head dizzy and his bones aching, he forgot where he had been save for where he was much earlier, perhaps a band of Thieves got the better of him.

 

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VOLUME IV

or, Rosencrantz, his Brothers, and the Second Venture to the North

 

Frozen winds laced with the odd snowflake sweep through the northern pass of the Scourge lands, before it twelve figures and a pack of Blood Hounds approach. The Grand Master's howling could be heard in the wind as he assembles the Brothers into formation, Ser Rosencrantz stood in the field mounted upon his stoic war-donkey; Otto Von Schniepp. In the distance the party of Brothers could see the wall which barred the passage into Setherin's lands, Bohra stood guard near its gate.