The Rescue of Ozerk

Date: Summer 1198

Godwyn, Hywel Mawr, and Agnes delved into the Stonehenge Tribunal's turbulent past and rescued a much-weakened magus of Stranggore.

This story is part of the Blackthorn Arc.

Dramatis Personae

Magi:

• Godwyn
• Hywel Mawr
• Agnes

Companions:

• Paul

Grogs:

• George the Bastard
• Randolph

The White Rose

In the spring of 1198, Godwyn finally made time to travel to Cad Gadu and, with Paul's help, pore over ancient Tribunal records to decipher the cryptic note he and Hywel had found three years earlier:

the hunter is now the hunted
beware the thorn of the black rose
seek the light and return at dawn

Godwyn presumed that the "thorn of the black rose" referred to the covenant of Blackrose. Armed with this knowledge, he decided to investigate Ozerk's disappearance.

It was easy for Godwyn to persuade Agnes to break into Ozerk's sanctum -- the girl was notorious for her curiosity. Thankfully, there were no lethal defenses in place! Agnes did find a curious white rose on Ozerk's bed. The rose seemed always to move its blossom to face Agnes until she picked it up. Then it pointed southward.

Godwyn deduced that the rose may signify the lost covenant of Rosalba. That covenant had formerly been located at Maiden Castle. Suspecting this was a clue to Ozerk's last whereabouts, and that he may be trapped in a regio or imprisoned rather than in Twilight as commonly presumed, Godwyn organized an expedition to discover where the rose would lead. He obviously needed Agnes to accomplish this, and also brought along his friend Hywel, who had been with him when they first discovered that Ozerk may have fallen victim to foul play.

Entering the Ruins

The white rose led the group to Maiden Castle, an ancient hill fort not unlike Stranggore itself, but apparently empty and abandoned. Agnes explored the hilltop while holding the white rose, and it showed her the way into a regio. Inside were the ruins of Rosalba.

The ruins were guarded by magical traps. As they passed through a ruined archway that presumably was once the covenant's main entrance, the grogs' weapons came suddenly to life and attacked them! With some difficulty, the magi and grogs managed to defeat George's spear. They then reluctantly abandoned their weapons in order to proceed deeper into the ruins. Digging with their hands in the earth under the archway, they found a strange lodestone the size of a helmet, marked with strange runes.

At one side of the hilltop was a garden, long overgrown. As the magi and their assistants searched the garden, ivy-like vines came to life and attacked them! Hywel easily dealt with the vines using spontaneous Herbam magic. Godwyn thought his Parma Magica would protect him and so calmly awaited the vines' approach, but then the vines went right through his Magic Resistance and nearly strangled him before the grogs and Hywel could pry him free.

The Snake and the Fountain

On the far side of the compound from the animated vines stood a carved fountain of white marble. Basking on the statuary was a foot-long, green snake. Godwyn went over to investigate the snake and it slithered toward him, seeming more friendly than aggressive. He held out his hand and the snake slithered right into it and became a wand. The snake was not so friendly to Randolph. It bit him and it poison made him thirsty. Randolph drank the water in the fountain and fell under its curse. The curse wore off in a year and a day.

The Curse

The magi found Ozerk wandering the garden, looking for his "cat." (He was well known for his lynx familiar.) He was physically unhurt, but his wits were addled and his memory nearly gone. He said he had been living in the garden as long as he could remember. He dimly remembered the name Stranggore and could still speak Latin, but he had no Parma Magica and could not remember how to cast spells.

The magi then found an intact wooden door marked with some kind of sigil. (I remember a flame, but there was more to it than that.) Inside was what looked like a wizard's sanctum. There was a hat made of lynx fur on a peg by the door.

Escape

Godwyn observed that there was a fire burning in the hearth of the sanctum, meaning its owner was not far away. Agnes grabbed the hat and whatever else looked valuable. Godwyn hustled his companions and the unfortunate Ozerk out of the ruins, stopping only to pry up the enchanted lodestone and bring it along.

Godwyn later discovered that the sigil on the sanctum door was that of Loudevine.