Session 019 — Player Synopsis — Well of Bargains and Demon Princess

Linked chronicle page: Session 019 - The Well of Bargains and the Demon Princess

April 1st, 2026

years 485 + 486

Uther was wounded in the battle of York and “broke” Excalibur. The King of Logres has strategically redploye his mighty and invincible forces to Silchester. Caerwent is now also under Saxon attack (seemingly from the southeastern clans). Madoc apparently slipped away after recovering and did not winter with us. Millicent investigates and finds out he was kidnapped back in February by several men who put him in a sack and tossed him on a boat. We were previously told by the barkeep that he left and assumed nothing malicious. Millicent interrogates the bartender (^^: “WHERE IS HE!”) and he stutteringly informs her that the “prince’s man” said Madoc was summoned by his father the King. The man was named Bruce, had a policed moustache and wore spiky leather armor.

We hire squires and some replace lost horses. Drustin hires a squire for Geraint who turns out to be Iorath, the son of a rich nobleman. Geraint pledges to return the favour. We travel north back toward Wilderspool, intending to follow up the original leads on three wells given by the gypsy woman (three “wells” and a “pool”, leading to confusion and snake whacking). We find the “first” well by a crossroads, next to an abandoned Roman church (probably built around 150 years ago). There are fields around and not a lot of other things going on. The well has been recently refurbished, which seems strange as the church next to it is so dilapidated. Asking the peasants, we find that there was a knight here three years earlier who killed an ox. In his generosity he repaired the well as compensation. They threw the old stones (that might have the inscription) into the church. We check and they are indeed old mossy stones. There is an inscription that says “Constantine Rex” on one of them.

The other wells are a well in their defense tower on the bridge and one (described as ancient) out in the open to the north. We decide to not cross the water at the fortified bridge, instead fording to the north. The well looks ancient and pre-roman. Despite this, in clear letters, it has the inscription “Qui non dat quod habet, Dæmon infra vide” in silver. Asterius thinks it means “He who here does nought bestow, The Devil laughs at him below”. Millicent slides Aelflead into the well, wishing respite for her people. There is absolute silence. Millicent tosses a silver coin in there and wishes for Madoc’s safety. Asterius tosses in Eosa’s bounty and offers a prayer of his own. Drustin offers to leave aside his hatred of Sir Beefy. He tosses in a coin just to make sure. Geraint says some words for the Princess and offers to release his hatred of Saxons. Liam sacrifices his druidic spear to honour Aelflead’s sacrifice and in the support of her mission to help her people. Nothing happens, except the well remaining eerily silent. We head north to report back to Eosa but encounter an Angle army encamped on the road to York. We bypass them in the forests to the north. York seems like before with the notable exception of a nearby field watered by the blood of Brythonic dead . We gain entrance to the city and the Saxons place wreaths on our heads before we enter. We have heard that the Saxons dress up their victims before sacrificing them to their Pagan gods, but choose to play along There is a celebratory gathering in the the streets, attended by Saxon priests. The King is situated in the middle up on a stage, beaming a large ear-to-ear smile while holding a golden axe. As we approach, priests take the reins of our horses and lead us on stage starting with Millicent. He embraces us all (like an amorous bear), hands the axe to Millicent and heartily thanks us for bringing his daughter back and aiding in defeating the Britons. He offers for us to become his Huscarls. We see someone resembling Aelflaed coming around the corner armed with Liam’s druidic spear. Millicent and Asterius look into her eyes and feel that it is not her, with Millicent being visibly shook and clueing in the others. We courteously reject the offer to become Huscarls and instead offer a pact of friendship that Eosa accepts (with the traditional Clasp of Friendship). We are plied with food and drink as the Saxons feast and find ourselves the only ones awake in the early morning (all passing temperate). Liam has heard tales that the fallen angels can sometimes inhabit the flesh of the living or once the soul has left they can inhabit an empty shell under certain circumstances. Drustin has also heard about the Revenant, a being that comes back for revenge. The resurrected Aelflaed seemed normal to everyone but Asterius and Millicent, who thought her a mockery of the woman she was. Millicent believes this to be an ancient evil we just unleashed upon humanity and confronts the “princess”, asking what she has done with the real princess. She sits up, looks at Millicent and says “I AM the princess, I am the princess of the whole Earth!”. She claims she is there to avenge the wicked and to begin her thousand year reign. Millicent reacts by drawing her sword, the others standing a bit to the rear. As Princess Revenant emerges, she reveals a large pair of beautiful bat wings. Luckily, we are inside meaning she can’t easily fly away. She does manage to strike Millicent with her axe. Drustin calls for a spear, but his newly hired squire is passed out drunk. The rest close. Millicent strikes and tears off skin to reveal a goat’s eye and red flesh below. Drustin falls back into melancholy (as is his way). He is disarmed by the revenant and struck for a minor wound. Geraint also finds himself in a crisis of faith and is similarly struck. Asterius thrusts (with his spear) into Princess Revenant from behind (the backline). Liam hits her with his sword. The now injured Princess Revenant attempts to jump out the window. Geraint strikes with the golden axe, burying the massive axe deep in her back. She stops moving, blood drips on the floor. Geraint pulls of more of her skin finding himself face to face with Satan. He descends into madness and runs away (fumbling an honor call earlier). Liam follows. Millicent palms Aelflaed’s crownlet (keeping in memory of her beloved and taking it from the demon) and the druidic spear. Drustin and Alaric attempt to chop the demon’s head off after retrieving the golden axe. They fail spectacularly, further mutilate the corpse and make their escape. Liam tracks the maddened Gerry in the forest, hidden away near a pond and having an emotional breakdown. Liam wants to drown him until he calms down. This will continue until his hysteria ends, Liam declares. Halfway through the drowning, Liam realizes that this could be a baptism! He does not find a connection with the holy spirit though and Geraint remains mad. Liam further emasculates him by calling to his manhood. It does not work, Liam finds himself melancholic. Drustin enters the clearing, showing the axe with which Geraint slayed the demon and proclaiming that Geraint has already faced and killed it. Geraint snaps out of it as Asterius and Millicent emerge with the horses and squires. We all head for Sarum.

At Sarum we find that Uther has dispatched his son to Escavalon to fight the Saxons. Uther is heading east to Londinium to fight the Saxons encroaching from there. According to Uther, the war is going very well. Millicent gives a truthful account of our adventures thus far to the Earl. He sells the golden axe for 10 pounds. The sight of a now pregnant Ellen drives both Liam and Drustin into Misery. Some exchange money for goods and services.

Roderick takes us to his treasury and shows us the three pieces of Excalibur. He says that Uther broke the sword on King Eosa’s head, not even wounding the man. Perhaps worse still, no one has seen Merlin for quite a while. Roderick believes all will be lost unless Merlin returns or the sword is reforged. He bids us: find Merlin and/or restore Excalibur.