Wednesday Pendragon Campaign

Session 023 - The Dragon Beneath the Mine

6 min read

In-game year: 487

Summary

The conroi returned to the Roman mine where Merlin had been found encased in crystal beneath a dragon’s vigil. A cautious side route revealed a hidden chamber: Merlin trapped in a great crystal shard while a beautiful naked woman caressed the prison. The woman would not bargain, silently beckoned for the party’s reforged sword, and proved unsettling enough that the knights withdrew to seek holy protection before risking battle.

After failed attempts to reclaim the Shield of St. Crispin at Downton, Brother Maynard prescribed seven days of fasting, prayer, penance, and self-mortification. The company also secured Saint Brigid’s Flying Cauldron from Bishop Bertrand of Bristol, using Liam’s cursed rubies as collateral to solve the travel problem. At last, Sir Gerry passed the angel’s tests of honesty, justice, spirituality, and valor and bore the shield back into the mine. The woman revealed herself as the Dragon of the Roman Mine, was slain by the company, and Merlin’s crystal prison melted away — only for the knights to learn that this Merlin belonged to a parallel Britain ruled by Prince Uther, and that their sword was not truly Excalibur.

Scene/Beat Log

  • Return to the mine: the conroi re-enters the Roman mine near Caerwent to rescue the Merlin found in crystal.
  • Peephole reconnaissance: a side passage and narrow crack overlook the crystal chamber; the dragon is not visible, but a beautiful naked woman caresses Merlin’s crystal prison.
  • Testing the chamber: Millicent approaches cautiously. When Liam presents the sword believed to be Excalibur, it glows blue; the woman silently beckons for it but will not release Merlin.
  • Withdrawal: the party decides they need stronger protection before confronting the creature.
  • Downton attempt: at the stones near Downton, repeated attempts to call the angel fail.
  • Research at Bath: research at Bath Scriptorium points to Saint Brigid’s Flying Cauldron, a relic that can fly and carry up to six armored knights.
  • Bristol negotiation: Bishop Bertrand of Bristol loans the cauldron only after receiving Liam’s cursed rubies as collateral.
  • Seven days’ atonement: Brother Maynard prescribes fasting, prayer, penance, and self-mortification to purify the knights for the angelic summons; Drustin emerges strangely invigorated.
  • Shield recovered: the angel tests worthiness through honesty, justice, spirituality, and valor. Only Sir Gerry proves worthy in full and receives the Shield of St. Crispin, to be returned within three moons.
  • Confrontation: Gerry leads the return to the crystal chamber. The woman touches his shoulder and speaks in a dragon’s voice: “I shall eat your soul.”
  • Dragon battle: the woman is the Dragon of the Roman Mine in human guise. Its claws and fire badly wound Liam and Millicent, while the holy shield protects Gerry from the worst of the flames.
  • Dragon slain: the company brings the dragon down; with its death, Merlin’s crystal prison melts away.
  • Merlin’s account: Merlin remembers nothing after a Christmas court in Lindsey and does not remember the party rescuing him from the red-haired witches.
  • Parallel Britain confirmed: Merlin explains that this is another world, ruled by Prince Uther rather than the High King known to the conroi.
  • Excalibur revealed: when shown the party’s sword, Merlin laughs and produces the true Excalibur from his robes. The party’s weapon is a different magical sword.
  • Choice refused: the company debates stealing this world’s Merlin or true Excalibur, then rejects both thefts.
  • Return warning: Merlin agrees to guide them back toward their proper reality and warns that killing the earlier Gate-creature (fey) was probably catastrophic.
  • Relic cleanup: Saint Brigid’s Flying Cauldron is returned and Liam’s rubies are recovered; the Shield of St. Crispin remains on a three-moon return obligation.

Characters (appeared / impacted)

  • Millicent — scouts the chamber first and is badly wounded in the dragon fight.
  • Liam — bears the glowing sword during the first approach; is badly wounded by the dragon; his cursed rubies serve as cauldron collateral and are later recovered.
  • Drustin — presses the Merlin rescue and emerges from the atonement rites strangely invigorated.
  • Assterius — helps drive the dragon fight; present for the parallel-world revelation.
  • Sir Gerry — passes the angel’s virtue test, bears the Shield of St. Crispin, and confronts the dragon-woman directly.
  • Merlin — freed from crystal, but revealed to be a parallel-world Merlin rather than the party’s own Merlin.
  • Brother Maynard — prescribes the seven-day atonement that enables the angelic summons.
  • Bishop Bertrand of Bristol — loans Saint Brigid’s Flying Cauldron in exchange for a costly deposit.

Loot / Rewards / Glory / Notable Rolls

Consequences & New Facts

  • The dragon guardian of the Roman mine is dead.
  • Merlin’s crystal imprisonment in this parallel world is resolved.
  • The rescued Merlin is not the party’s Merlin and remembers only up to Christmas court in Lindsey.
  • The current wrong-world Britain is ruled by Prince Uther, not High King Uther.
  • The party’s sword is not Excalibur; true Excalibur exists with this world’s Merlin.
  • Killing the earlier Gate-creature (fey) was likely catastrophic, but the consequences are unknown.
  • The party refused to steal either this world’s Merlin or its Excalibur.

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