Wednesday Pendragon Campaign

Session 020 - The Road Beneath the World

4 min read

In-game year: 487

Summary (1–2 paragraphs)

At the opening of 487 the realm shifts again: Saxons retreat on some fronts, Linden is desolated, and rumors spread that the King of Deira has gone mad. With Excalibur broken into three pieces and Merlin missing, the conroi is pulled between courtly obligations and a desperate private quest.

Invited to accompany Uther Pendragon on his royal progress, the knights refuse and instead commit to Roderick’s charge to find Merlin and restore the sword. That refusal earns Uther’s suspicion (and contempt). Following thin leads through Pitum and back to Wells, they learn the truth: Merlin has “crossed over” and is no longer in this world. With Lady Wells revealed as one of the Ladies of the Lake, the conroi chooses the only remaining path — a perilous descent into the Otherworld.

Scene/Beat Log

  • Realm state (487): Saxons retreat; the King of Deira “has gone mad”; Angles abandon/desolate Lincoln region; the land is economically shattered. (Table talk + lore dump.)
  • Lore: Saxons of Berroc: invited over by Constantine (Uther’s forebear) and remained loyal through Vortigern; serve as Varangian-style guards of the White Tower in Londinium.
  • Choice: accompany Uther on his progress vs pursue the Merlin/Excalibur quest.
  • Decision: refuse Uther’s progress; pursue the quest.
  • Consequence: +10 Contempt from Uther; the refusal is read as alignment with Roderick in a brewing civil conflict.
  • Command change: leadership passes via a “glory off”; Liam becomes the conroi’s acting commander for the quest.
  • Pitum/Pitton counsel: visit the home of Assterius’ father (ill, “plague”); learn Merlin hasn’t been seen since the Somerset blunder; he appears at pagan holy sites at midsummer; seek the Ladies of the Lake.
  • Return to Wells: the town is bustling again, but wary; the tavern goes silent at their entrance.
  • Audience at the manor: meet Lady Wells; Millicent notes her white gown + tattoos like Lady Niev → suspicion confirmed: Lady Wells is one of the Ladies of the Lake.
  • Excalibur revealed: the broken shards disturb her; she confirms Merlin is not “dead” in a mortal sense — he has crossed over.
  • Only path: to reach Merlin (and mend Excalibur), the conroi must go where he is: the Otherworld. Lady Wells offers a guide.
  • Frome Stones: travel to the spring/cave; enter with gear (no horses); meet the child guide Guido.
  • The descent: water runs uphill; the cave walk is a fortnight; supplies fail; Guido provides strange mushrooms; exhaustion + hunger.
  • Dream/vision sequence: knights experience passion-shaped visions (Lady Ellen’s warning; Britain-personified confusion; death/doom imagery; a glimpse of the name Arthur).
  • The Abyss: a vast chasm/waterfall where water “falls” upward; armor is lowered/discarded; rope descent with multiple near-falls; Guido is saved more than once.
  • Encounter: hobgoblins (dark fae) attack; hard fight; Guido nearly taken; the conroi prevails.
  • Exit door: liquid-rock stairs → iron door labeled “Exit”.
  • Arrival: beyond is an alien enclosed hall/city with crowds, strange signs (“Exit”, “to London”), horseless smoke-chariots, glass/metal towers.
  • Hook: Guido’s only guidance: find a church with a golden angel.

Characters (appeared / impacted)

Loot / Rewards / Glory / Notable Rolls

  • +10 Contempt (Uther) for refusing the royal progress.
  • “Glory off” → Liam leads the conroi.

Consequences & New Facts

  • The conroi has effectively made an enemy of Uther (or at least sharpened his paranoia).
  • Merlin is not in this world; accessing him requires Otherworld travel.
  • The Ladies of the Lake are a druidic order; “Lady of the Lake” may refer to a rank/title within that order.
  • The conroi has crossed into an alien realm: Maybe future city (London?).

Timeline entries to add

Graph View

Backlinks