Have any of you run the Changeling adventure form the GPC? Any advice?

If find this passage curious:

Despite its evil, you can not cast the changeling out, kill it, or even give it to Saxon slavers without instantly losing 5 Honor and 10 from Love (family).

This seems curious, since "everyone suspects" the thing's true nature. Seems to me, people, especially churchmen and pious knights, would be lining up to kill the thing. That in itself could breathe some additional interest into this scenario.

Or does one lose honor and Love family because:

Hurting the changeling will also harm the distant, lost son who is someplace in Faerie.

I'd love to hear about your experiences with this adventure, as I'm about to launch it on both my PKs, both of who offended Faerie in a major way last year and both of whom had sons this year.


Thanks,


T.

I have not used this scenario, but reading it through I concur that it has some contradicting information.
First it is described that everyone suspects that it is a changeling, but you need proof. To get confirmation you only need to consult with a christian priest or abbot, pagan enchater or enchatress, a witch or visiting faerie or even a scholar or book.
On the other hand it says: As for anyone in the world is concerned, this is your child.

I guess that there are two reasons for the penalties:
- If you do not know it is a changeling, you are hurting your own family.
- If you do know it is a changeling hurting it will also hurt your own son, hence the penalty.

The adventure is very straightforward now. You quickly know that the boy is a changeling. At least something happened to it that is magical and as such you would bring in a priest to consult and the truth gets out.
You can also play this out more sinister. Let the changeling grow up in a normal pace. Then as the boy grows up it becomes the local bully and his mean streak against peasants comes to light. Each year you could drop some hints that something is wrong with the child.
- The baby clings to the mother and maybe always cries if the PK holds it. \
- As a young child it takes the toys from other kids. It tends to be cruel to other kids.
- When it starts to walk around it tends to tease peasants and sometimes even kick them.
- the child is slow to talk and it seems that it has a hard time learning to talk, although when it plays it seems to use make up words (of course this is Faerie language). Even at a later age it still uses make up words when it gets angry or sad.
- Also as a young child it is unruly. The only people who can make him do things are his mother and his nurse. It also will not obey his father.
- As the boy becomes around 8 it is the local bully. He rules by fear and he uses his strength. He is much stronger than he looks and he seems as strong as a grown man.
- Of course by that time his relationship with his father would be very bad. He will never listen and maybe the PK used the whip to get some manner of control over him. Maybe the child claims that the PK is not his father at all.
- Of course several cases of the child being a liar or a brute will have to be dealt with. Peasants complaining about his bullying for instance.

As is stated in the adventure. It is the worst case of a son any honourable knight would like to see. So when do you consult a priest about this? or are you just the worst father in history.

You could drag this one for a while until maybe someone (or maybe even the PK himself) suspects that the child is not his own. at that point the PK could bring in a priest or some other expert. But what would you do then? And would your wife believe you? (as far as she knows the child is kind and gentle. At least when she is around) also you need to know where the son is of course.

Very nice summary, Cornelius.

I agree that the GM would have to decide which way to play it, whether the changling is obvious (brown-skinned, growing at an abnormal rate, not looking anything like the child that was born says the midwife with hand on a cross) or if it is less obvious and more of that long game, in which case the 'cuckoo' changeling's true nature is not revealed until by the accumulation of hints years later. In the first case, the adventure is about getting the son back from the Faerie, ASAP, and setting up challenges and obstacles for that for the knights to overcome/work around. In the latter, it would be very much more the roleplaying aspect and the gnawing suspicion if this little monster is his or not. For extra grimdark horror (make sure your players are fine with that first!), this cuckoo changeling might even go after its true-born siblings, or 'rivals'. After all, accidents happen when the kids are playing around, especially around water or close to high places...

Also, rather than making the cuckoo changeling ugly, I would make him a beautiful little boy, for some extra trouble since the strangers tend to react well to him at first. As he grows up, I would allow the cuckoo changeling to modify his own behavior, as he grows more experienced with human interaction (the normal growing speed helps there). In short, letting him to grow up to be an amoral, manipulative, sadistic bully who is smart enough not to mouth off at a liege or the King, although he probably would take advantage of his supernatural strength to bully other knights, too, and of his beauty to cuckold them.

I know a couple of my players would be cackling with glee at the cuckoo changeling option; one because of the intense roleplaying possibilities and the other because the idea of playing a supernaturally strong evil knight as his heir would definitely appeal to him. He was actively trying to turn to the dark side with his previous character, but unfortunately the events conspired to make him die a hero, instead. :P

Those are all excellent ideas, guys, thanks. Things were moving fast, so I decided to play it by the book, here's what happened:

Faerie Lore rolls revealed that these ugly, brown-skinned, sharp-toothed things might be changelings. One of the PKs has a half-fae squire (long story) who clued him into the fact that hurting the changeling would also hurt the real son. They asked for remedies and the squire said he'd heard putting the little demon in an oven might be effective, or using red-hot pokers near his mouth in an attempt to make him speak his name three times — something with heat and fire. The PKs decided NOT to follow that particular remedy. So then they went to Bishop Roger in Salisbury who told them the hellspawn must be destroyed at once as the knights' immortal souls were imperiled just having dealings with the thing! They explained that killing the changeling would result in the death of the real son. The bishop scoffed at such pagan nonsense and insisted the thing be destroyed. So then they sought out one of their NPC comrades who's a pagan knight. He said they could try dunking the thing in a mixture of foxglove and urine — almost to the point of drowning it (waterboarding has been around for a long time, it seems!). One of the PKs tried that remedy and it didn't work (he may get a Cruel check). So then they went to a wise-woman in the village and she described the cure laid out in the Changeling scenario.

So now their main adventure for the year is going to ask King Cadwy in Summerland if he knows who might have their boys. The thing is:

King Cadwy is behind the recent fae incursion from the Forest of Gloom in western Salisbury that takes place in the early Anarchy period (according to BOOk OF THE WARLORD). Fae critters have taken over four hundreds — Wheelwell, Westfort, Wereside and Milkfield. They also took over Woodhouse Castle in Vagon hundred, but were turned out by the PKs last year, with great loss of goblin-life. Cadwy will deny any involvement in the both the incursions and the abduction. But in fact, he ordered the newborn sons of the two lead PKs in the Woodhouse action taken in reparation and revenge for his losses.

That's the the setup. Now i just need to flesh out the scenario and I'm a little blocked at the moment. Any ideas would be appreciated.

I don't think Cadwy will willingly turn the babies over (because of the revenge angle), so if there's to be a rescue they'd need some outside agency to lead them to the infants and possibly help them get away. More on that later.

I'm struggling a little with Cadwy's personality and motivation. Ostensibly he's a Seelie, but the fact that Greg told me in a private correspondence that he's behind the goblin incursions kind of makes him seem somewhat less than benign. Why has he taken over western Salisbury?

One theory is to take over the iron works there. This in itself is counter-intuitive because cold iron is supposed to be poison to the Fae. So that leaves to interesting possibilities:

1.) Cadwy want to destroy the iron works, because, y'know — poison. The problem with this theory is that Uther supposedly got concessions on "minerals" from Cadwy in return for nominal fealty. I assume this was iron, but I could be wrong.

2.) Iron is only poisonous to Unseelie. Cadwy wants the iron works for himself to wage war against the goblins. But that doesn't explain why he's got goblins doing his dirty work for him in Salisbury.

So, my characters are going to pay a visit to his court next Thursday and I need to have something cool cooked up by then. The big plot points are:

a.) We have a half-fae in the party with a mysterious past — he's unable to return to Faerie until he finds the "key" that allows him to return. This is an open-ended plot device that's been floating around un-used for several years. I'm thinking this is a metaphorical key having to do with Humility or something (think Thor being booted out of Asgard by Odin, only this young fae didn't get kicked out because of being a badass, but because he had nothing but arrogant contempt for humans — especially his own father). So the half-fae could have an "old friend" show up in Summerland, one who takes pity on him and wants to help because of a previous affection in the Other World. This guy also just turned 21 and is now eligible for knighthood.

b.) Cadwy is a wild card. Under what circumstances would he give the children back? He's sort of all-in with his invasion and all. Typically, he might send the PKs on some quest — do this for me and I'll give your kids back — but that doesn't make much sense in this case (again the revenge thing). Maybe Cadwy is the squire's maternal grandfather...

c.) Back home, Bishop Roger could be a threat (while the PKs are in Summerland). He could send armed men to take the changelings by force and drown them in a holy water font or something.

d.) This journey could simultaneously reveal what the "key" is that squire's supposed to find before he can return to the Other World. In fact, I think the discovery of the "key" could give him untrammeled access to any Faerie gateway or tower at any time at will. This could have huge implications for the war on Faerie in the west, and tilt the balance for the humans.

Just need to tie this all up with a bow...


Thanks,


T.

Old King Cadwy has sure changed a lot since he was an explicitly Christian and quite mortal king in the old Blood & Lust -book's Heartsblade mini-campaign...

Or even from GPC's apparently quite mortal king with limited resources, what with the Cornwall taking Somerset over during Anarchy and again during Grail Period.

Now it seems that Somerset will be the black hole of armies, what with all the faerie allies and magic...

Anyway, back to the matter at hand, I think the mineral concessions were for Somerset's silver (and lead) mines, in particular. Somerset doesn't appear to have any iron mines in BoU. So that takes care of your problem of iron in Somerset.

As for Cadwy, who knows what lurks in his ancient mind? He could be happy enough to return the kids, if the PKs show up and plead for their safe return. However, if Cadwy is distancing him from the goblin attacks, he is likely distancing himself from all these payback missions, too. So it could be that the PKs won't even meet Cadwy nor know that he is involved. The kids could easily be in 'another castle'. They'd just have to find where.

Since they have tangled with goblins before, they might easily assume that the goblins might be behind the changelings. So time to capture some goblins and start asking questions or open negotiations?

Cadwy/goblins might have some enemies who might be happy to assist the PKs with hints and stuff, just to trip Cadwy's plans up. Or a more sympathetic faerie who might not approve of the changeling business.

Just some disjointed ideas there.

Old King Cadwy has sure changed a lot since he was an explicitly Christian and quite mortal king in the old Blood & Lust -book's Heartsblade mini-campaign...

If I've learned anything while playing KAP it's that the only constant is change...


Or even from GPC's apparently quite mortal king with limited resources, what with the Cornwall taking Somerset over during Anarchy and again during Grail Period.

Well, I have been wondering lately why a Fae lord needed help from mere humans to deal with the water leapers. But, that was 15 years agone in my campaign so it doesn't matter now.


Now it seems that Somerset will be the black hole of armies, what with all the faerie allies and magic...

Yeah, I do like the idea of all this magical stuff, however — and it does ratchet up the pressure on Salisbury considerably. But now that I've set that fire to burning, I gotta figure out how to put it out. The Fae will have to have something catastrophic happen to them to keep them out of Salisbury for a goodly while so I can get about the business of the rest of the campaign after the Anarchy.


Anyway, back to the matter at hand, I think the mineral concessions were for Somerset's silver (and lead) mines, in particular. Somerset doesn't appear to have any iron mines in BoU. So that takes care of your problem of iron in Somerset.

Y'know that's a very good point, thank you.


As for Cadwy, who knows what lurks in his ancient mind? He could be happy enough to return the kids, if the PKs show up and plead for their safe return. However, if Cadwy is distancing him from the goblin attacks, he is likely distancing himself from all these payback missions, too. So it could be that the PKs won't even meet Cadwy nor know that he is involved. The kids could easily be in 'another castle'. They'd just have to find where.

Yeah, I considered a dodge like that, even if it's just for this year. I dunno, I need to make something happen that will advance the plot (whatever that is — I'm obviously making it up as I go along, but trying to be thoughtful about it) — it can't be a complete waste of time — "fall forward"...


Since they have tangled with goblins before, they might easily assume that the goblins might be behind the changelings. So time to capture some goblins and start asking questions or open negotiations?

Cadwy/goblins might have some enemies who might be happy to assist the PKs with hints and stuff, just to trip Cadwy's plans up. Or a more sympathetic faerie who might not approve of the changeling business.

Just some disjointed ideas there.


Much appreciated, as always. If anything else occurs to you, I'm all ears!



Best,


T.

This is how I try to play the Fae:

The concept of good and evil is alien to them. Their morals are so strange to us that we cannot comprehend their actions. So what we see as an evil creaturee, a goblin, may just be a tool to the faerie lords. So in my concept the fact that Cadwy uses goblins to obtain his goal is not strange. In my game I have a redcap running around that does horrible evil acts (kidnapping the wife and lady of a PK and leaving a trail of murders for the PKs to follow, just to get the PK in question to make a deal with one of the pagan gods to get his wife back), and on the other hand do seemingly good and advantagous acts like give the PKs a relic that is being fought over by two rival chirstian groups.

The Courts of the Fae are as fragmented as any. Each Faerie lord trying to outwit and outmanouver the others. And with no morals on good and evil it may be a court where other lords aside from Cadwy who wants to increase their power. So they could have a hand in the kidnapping, or help the PKs to reveal the involvement of Cadwy in the goblin attacks.

As to your plight:
It may even be that the goblin leader has kidnapped the boys since he knows he is under the rule of a lord he does not like and wants to get out of it. the kidnapping may give him a way to deal with the PKs and consolidate his turf. Of course Cadwy could jump in to 'help' the PKs in order to get his subject back in check (or even killed so he can appoint a new man).

The father of the squire could (and probably will) be a rival of Cadwy. He could be a saviour for the Salisbury knights, but as I stated above. He is neither good nor evil, so could also be a nuisance to them later. Of course the actions of the son could make it all very complex when possibly even father and son quarrel.

Thanks, Cornelius. Yeah, I haven't defined much about the Fae, except for the traditional Seelie and Unseelie courts that inherently have some sort of moral opposition with at leas the Unseelie being generally seen as "wicked" or "demonic" (esp. by the Church).

Although most faeries obey this [Seelie] court, some do not, and many of these have even formed a rebellious “wicked” court: The good elves are called the Seelie Court, and bad faeries are called the Unseelie Court.

So I'm thinking of them 9or at least some of them) more like Elu Thingol in The Silmarillion. Some would be of more grotesque aspect.

Also, interestingly, this about elves:

They do not seem shy about iron, as most faeries are, although their weapons and accouterments are always of some superior, foreign metal.

I got a curve ball last night when I was reading about the Fae in the GPC:

Elves do not muster armies to conquer human cities and castles.

Oops. So, if Greg is right about Cadwy being behind the encroachments in the west of Salisbury, I have to rethink some of this, because we end up in some contradictory places. Which is okay, because it's an opportunity to introduce some nuance so everything doesn't follow the expected pattern. But it definitely requires more work... Maybe Cadwy is not like the typical "elf" in some ways. Perhaps his humliatio at the hands of Uther gives him a vengeful streak. Could give him a Proud of 20, or something. If I make him the grandfather of my PKs squire, that sort of gives them a get out of free card as long as they're in his realm.


T.

If Cadwy is Seelie, or "Summer Court", could the PKs find a surprising ally in an Unseelie (Winter) Fae with an axe to grind, who wants to see Cadwy thwarted?

If the half-Fae had only contempt for humans, would that suggest Merciful as a Trait that needs raising for him to be able to return? Or a Passion of Love, Amor or Loyalty to any given human?

Thanks, Cornelius. Yeah, I haven't defined much about the Fae, except for the traditional Seelie and Unseelie courts that inherently have some sort of moral opposition with at leas the Unseelie being generally seen as "wicked" or "demonic" (esp. by the Church).


Yeah, great post, Cornelius.

I do disagree a bit that there is no difference between the Seelie and the Unseelie Courts, though. It might be a difference of grade rather than kind, but I do see there being a 'flavor' there: whilst the Seelie Faerie Lords can be terrible in their wrath, and can be quick to take offence, they are less likely to go on a Wild Hunt to spear some humans on a lark.

Maybe I would express it like this:
Seelie Lords would see humans as people. Inferior, to be sure, but interesting. They might actually take an interest on how the humans feel and think about something.
Unseelie Lords see humans as cattle, to be do with as they please, with little concern how the humans feel about it, or, indeed, taking delight in their suffering.

While both are amoral, the Unseelie are malicious to start with, while you'd have to piss a Seelie off first.



Elves do not muster armies to conquer human cities and castles.

Oops. So, if Greg is right about Cadwy being behind the encroachments in the west of Salisbury, I have to rethink some of this, because we end up in some contradictory places. Which is okay, because it's an opportunity to introduce some nuance so everything doesn't follow the expected pattern. But it definitely requires more work... Maybe Cadwy is not like the typical "elf" in some ways. Perhaps his humliatio at the hands of Uther gives him a vengeful streak. Could give him a Proud of 20, or something. If I make him the grandfather of my PKs squire, that sort of gives them a get out of free card as long as they're in his realm.


Well, I'd ask this: Why do you think Cadwy is Seelie Faerie Lord to begin with? There is no reason that he should be Seelie. He could be just a magician (Magician King, he is called). He commands fae? So what, he could easily have some power over them. Morgan Le Fay, anyone? The strongest arguments why he is NOT a Seelie: His kingdom is here and now, in the real world. It is populated by real people, not glamour ghosts. They mine real metals, they farm real land, they trade with other counties and the trade items won't simply transmute to worthless goods at dawn. His land can be invaded and the invading armies do not get crushed by glamorous chasms or something like that, but have to be fought by flesh and blood troops (and faerie allies, presumably). There is absolutely nothing that says that he has to be a Seelie himself.

Were it me GMing it, I would attribute Cadwy's 'magical powers' to some ancient pact. He is one of the kings of old, his life and the land are linked. That is why he is so ancient, since he won't die until the land dies (tempted to make him croak at Wasteland...). He has power over the faeries who 'live' in Summerland (Modron Forest, etc), and probably can call in favors from further away, too. In short, he has faerie ALLIES, but he is not a faerie himself.

As for why he attacks Salisbury:
BoU, p. 107: "The Count of Salisbury claims the Westfort and Wheelwell hundreds, Baron Gentian seizes the Milkfield hundred and Duke of the Marche (who is also the Lord of Leir’s Castle) occupies the Mere hundred."
So my guess is that he is looking to get some of his own back. Why does he take Wereside but doesn't bother with Mere? Could be that it is his concession to the goblins, so that they don't have to worry about MORE iron in the hands of the Salisbury knights, or something like that. Or simply because it is there, and leaving it unconquered would be a thorn in his side.

Yeah, great post, Cornelius.

I do disagree a bit that there is no difference between the Seelie and the Unseelie Courts, though. It might be a difference of grade rather than kind, but I do see there being a 'flavor' there: whilst the Seelie Faerie Lords can be terrible in their wrath, and can be quick to take offence, they are less likely to go on a Wild Hunt to spear some humans on a lark.

Maybe I would express it like this:
Seelie Lords would see humans as people. Inferior, to be sure, but interesting. They might actually take an interest on how the humans feel and think about something.
Unseelie Lords see humans as cattle, to be do with as they please, with little concern how the humans feel about it, or, indeed, taking delight in their suffering.

While both are amoral, the Unseelie are malicious to start with, while you'd have to piss a Seelie off first.

I like that.


Well, I'd ask this: Why do you think Cadwy is Seelie Faerie Lord to begin with?

Well, I dunno; it's a good question. Going back through my notes that set me on this path might be helpful. I don't mind sharing some personal correspondence from Greg on Cadwy — and hope he doesn't. None of this is official canon, of course, it's Greg just riffing on the spot:

ME: So you have an alliance of faery creatures in the western part of Salisbury during the Anarchy. What is the end-game for them? Do they need to be taken care of one way or another before they conflict with the normal events in the GPC?

GS: No. The only thing about Summerland in GPC is a mention of his heir. Who might be the guy who kidnaps Guenever...

ME: So is Cadwy sponsoring them, or not?

GS: Not sponsoring. He is just their king, a faerie king who has not been forced out of the world yet. That happens sometime in the campaign. I do not know how. Maybe you can write a scenario about it?

ME: I imagine you’ll say it’s up to the GM but I didn’t know if this storyline was born out of one of your own campaigns, or if you maybe had a sketch in your mind about him. At some point does Cadwy have to be defeated by Arthur, or does he swear homage/fealty and commit troops at Camlann? Also, if he human, fae, half-fae, or what?

GS: I see him as fae. Which goes to show how human some of them are.

ME: Okay. I need to understand the arc of both Cadwy and this alliance — I can make it up, of course, but I don’t want to paint myself in the corner with the GPC, which I’ve not read all the way through yet.

GS: I do recommend you read it. There are some results later on, like this one, that need some preparing

ME: Yeah, I know, but it’s a matter of making it a priority, which is difficult.

GS: The withdrawal of Cadwy would be a good scenario for the Book of the Fae so if his father is Gwynn ap Nudd…

ME: This guy?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwyn_ap_Nudd

Has that father-son relationship been established anywhere?

GS: Maybe it's just easiest to transfer the story of saint someone who banished Gwynn after a feast with him — do you know the story? Your servants are half red from burning in hell, and half blue because they are frozen from not-hell or something like that. And then Glastonbury is a human-dominated place.

ME: No. I was basically, just wondering if I should let this fae alliance last beyond the Anarchy. I’m about to introduce them as you’ve suggested in SALISBURY, but I don’t know what their goals are, or what their staying power is, nor how long they’ll hang on to threaten the natural order.

END THREAD


There is no reason that he should be Seelie. He could be just a magician (Magician King, he is called). He commands fae? So what, he could easily have some power over them. Morgan Le Fay, anyone? The strongest arguments why he is NOT a Seelie: His kingdom is here and now, in the real world. It is populated by real people, not glamour ghosts. They mine real metals, they farm real land, they trade with other counties and the trade items won't simply transmute to worthless goods at dawn. His land can be invaded and the invading armies do not get crushed by glamorous chasms or something like that, but have to be fought by flesh and blood troops (and faerie allies, presumably). There is absolutely nothing that says that he has to be a Seelie himself.

Well, in Greg's vision, he's fae at least. Maybe he belongs to neither court? Going back to my Elu Thingol comparison — Grey or "Twilight Elf". A rogue fae doing his own thing?

Speaking of Morgan, where can I find the canonical version of her origin. Her parent were human, I presume, but doesn't Ygraine have soe fae blood? A lord under the sea or some such? Dimly remembering some conversation awhile back about this. Maybe for GRANDFATHER timeline or something?


Were it me GMing it, I would attribute Cadwy's 'magical powers' to some ancient pact. He is one of the kings of old, his life and the land are linked.

Linkage with the land sounds like fae to me...


That is why he is so ancient, since he won't die until the land dies (tempted to make him croak at Wasteland...). He has power over the faeries who 'live' in Summerland (Modron Forest, etc), and probably can call in favors from further away, too. In short, he has faerie ALLIES, but he is not a faerie himself.

Except when he is... ;p


As for why he attacks Salisbury:
BoU, p. 107: "The Count of Salisbury claims the Westfort and Wheelwell hundreds, Baron Gentian seizes the Milkfield hundred and Duke of the Marche (who is also the Lord of Leir’s Castle) occupies the Mere hundred."
So my guess is that he is looking to get some of his own back. Why does he take Wereside but doesn't bother with Mere? Could be that it is his concession to the goblins, so that they don't have to worry about MORE iron in the hands of the Salisbury knights, or something like that. Or simply because it is there, and leaving it unconquered would be a thorn in his side.

Well, maybe he's content to let goblins overrun it to reclaim all of the Forest of Gloom, which human have been encroaching on. It will also set up a sort of buffer between his realm and the humans. But then again, Cadwy rules a kingdom of humans, so that doesn't quite work.

I'm reminded of THE KING OF ELFLAND'S DAUGHTER wherein the people wanted a "magic lord" and petitioned for one.

Now here's the thing: just 'cause Greg offers up nuggets like this, doesn't mean I have to adhere to them, obviously. But I will say I always try to honor his vision whenever possible. It just takes a little work (sometimes a lot) to fill in the gaps!


Best,


T.

So let me put consolidate all of these loose ends:


According to Greg, King Cadwy is not only fae, but the son of Gwynn ap Nudd.
The Book of Uther says: "[Cadwy] is a living antique, ancient beyond memory, who came out of retirement when his father, Gwynn, was banished from his throne. [wait — what?] Cadwy is not a knight, having come to this throne before Aurelius Ambrosius established knighthood. When he needs vigorous action he summons his son, Melwas, a legendary warrior upon a green horse, famous for deeds. The king is almost never seen outside of his Castle of the Great Bridge, save for when he is hunting in one of his gloomy forests."
Melwas may be the guy who kidnaps Guinever later.
Cadwy is a faerie king who has not been forced out of the world yet (Why? This also implies that others have been — although King Sauvage also remains. This all implies that Oberon and others have removed to a faerie realm, or resided in the world of men to begin with (apparently they agreed to stay out of the world of men — more on that later). So this implies Cadwy is there by choice [why?] or an exile [why?].
Gwynn ap Nudd, Cadwy's father, is the King of the Tylwyth Teg (elves) and ruler of Annwn, the Welsh underworld. He is strongly connected to the tradition of the Wild Hunt.



King Cadwy rules a realm of men. He trades with men, and sends men to support Uther's army. [Why? I mean, why did he accept Uther's terms in 482?]
He is known as "the Magician King"
Summerland is his realm and it is located by the sea, and is a varied land of coastal marshes, faerie forest, and hills. There's silver and lead in them hills. There's iron in Westfort hundred.



In 482, Uther first raids then invades Summerland.
Cadwy sends knights to block forces from Tintagel, Ascalon and Jagent counties from reinforcing Uther's army.
Cadwy withdraws into the marshes, and floods or blocks the mines before abandoning them (he's not playing!)
Count Roderick, Baron Sparrowhawk and the Duke of the Marche all send a third of their army to join the King as ordered. They use the opportunity to press their own claims on lands taken from Summerland, particularly in Salisbury. Roderick claims Westfort and Wheelwell hundreds, Sparrowhawk seizes Milkfield hundred and the Duke of the Marche occupies Mere hundred. (After St. Albans this hundred was quickly claimed by Salisbury in my campaign.)
So Cadwy could very much have a grudge against Salisbury and Sparrowhawk (who survived St Albans in my campaign and is a threat in the north), and their heirs. Should be Suspicious of Salisbury knights, at least.
The Book of Uther says: Neither Cadwy nor Melwas even tried to resist King Uther’s massive invasion. The Summerland army followed their ancient tactics and occupied the strong points, while bands of raiders dispersed. Uther besieged the strongholds, but his troops found the mines flooded, equipment broken, devoid of workers. The sieges failed quickly due to disease and raiders pillaged all Uther’s supplies, but the worst was the nightmares that plagued the invaders every night.
Uther demands and gets a one-on-one parley with the Cadwy. King Uther enters the tent armed and angry, while Cadwy is unarmed and calm. Keen observers say Uther was pale and subdued when he exited the tent.
Uther accepts the homage of King Cadwy, names him Count Summerland, and even gives him new lands (but Milkfield, Westfort and Wheelwell remain in Sparrowhawk's and Salisbury's hands). Cadwy also retains the King of Summerland title and gives Uther some pricing concessions on minerals.
Uther claims a great victory for subduing Cadwy, despite appearances.
The terms of the trade agreement with Summerland look identical to the one before the invasion, and King Cadwy hasn’t fully accepted the loss of the hundreds.
King Cadwy sends a small annual gift to Uther, and promises to never attack him first, in return for being left alone. King Uther, who is (at best) agnostic in spiritual matters, recognizes the weird powers of ancient Summerland, and finds the agreement to be satisfactory.
Uther is content with a formal alliance, leaving all of Cadwy’s rights and powers intact, and achieving only token signs of submission.



In 483 we learn that the peasants of Westfort and Wheelwell hundreds are still looking at King Cadwy as their rightful lord for the Forest swainmote. Also in that year, all four newly acquired hundreds in western Salisbury (Westfort, Wheelwell, Milkfield, and Mere) are raided by men coming out of the Forest of Gloom (emphasis mine).
In 488, Uther is back in Summerland, trying to pacify a restless Cadwy and keep him in line. Uther tells his nobles that King Cadwy has agreed not to resist him or to rebel, but only if someone will volunteer to go into the marsh to seek a clutch of water leapers that are plaguing his fishermen. (Why would a fae king need help from men with a problem with faerie creatures?). Cadwy and Uther meet in secret about this problem.
Soon after St Albans, small armies of creatures swarm over the very vague border between Summerlands and Salisbury in the Forest of Gloom. The warbands consist of many different kinds of fae creatures. King Cadwy claims they are not his subjects yet does nothing to thwart them. [Note this is at odds with Greg's letter, which says they ARE his subjects — not a criticism, just part of the puzzle).


They are:


A giant who overruns Westfort and erects a motte-and-bailey castle.
"Lord Alabaster" who raises an alabaster castle overnight in Wheelwell hundred.
A spriggan who takes over Woodhouse Castle, former residence of Prince Madoc [this is the one my PKs liberated]
Irontown Castle is raised in Westfort by Lord Tathan, but is captured by goblins in about 497. Irontown had the license to smelt all the bog iron found on Salisbury Plain. Iron is an important resource, especially when trade dies in the Anarchy Period. How would they even go about doing it, when the stuff is so harmful? In my campaign, goblins fight with Stone Age weapons due to this severe "allergic reaction" with iron. I think the only answer can be that they capture it in order to utterly destroy it (nevermind how). Once destroyed, the Countess will have to devote considerable resources to recapuring it and rebuilding the facility.]



In 529, Bran’s Head is uncovered, and a powerful magical guardian of Britain is thereby lost. The local effects of Faerie become stronger.
In 532, King Today (Oberon) from Overthere visits Arthur's Court and warns the assembled noble there that "folk from my kingdom have been freed, by your own actions, from our centuries-old promise to stay out of Britain." [Well that' interesting — does anyone know what this refers to?]
We can learn the following from the GPC appendix on Faerie: Elves do not muster armies to conquer human cities and castles. [That's as may be, but Cadwy is at least tacitly supporting a "rebellion" of sorts in western Salisbury. But perhaps his in not a war of conquest, but of reclaiming his own and reestablishing a buffer between his realm and the realms of men (although his realm is also a realm of men — so maybe just a buffer against outside aggressors)].
In the Grail Quest or Twilight Periods it is revealed that there is a war in Faerie between the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. This happens all the time, at various levels. King Oberon [King Today?] has led the Seelie Kingdom through a serious, hard fought war against the Unseelie Court, led this time by Queen Maeve, a raven queen leading an army of the dead. Now, after many contests, confrontations, and petty battles, the conflict has come to a final and total confrontation. The Unseelie army is massing to attack Cleopolis, the beautiful capital city of King Oberon.


In my campaign:


The fae have left changelings for my PKs' children, both of whom had baby boys the same year they retook Woodhouse for Countess Ellen. This must be seen a revenge, but it need not have been ordered by Cadwy, or even done with his knowledge.
The PKs are on their way to ask Cadwy if he has them or knows who has them.
One additional thread is the PK squire, a half-fae, whose father now lives in the Other World with his oh-so-hot faerie bride.
The Squire has been exiled because of his contempt for human, not the least of whch is his father, and told he can't come home until he find the "key" to enable his return.
The Squire has two keys on his shield; which are the ancient arms of his father's house, which has a long history with the fae. Perhaps they've helped in the wars between the fae. I even thought that maybe the Squire fae mother is also his grandmother (maybe through several — or many — generations).
I think the two keys represent a two-way pass that permits free coming and going (a key for each) between the many realms of faerie and KAP Britain. But, like the Grail, these keys are not physical objects, but are metaphors, in this case for two Traits — maybe Modest and — Just?
Since Cadwy on the one hand claims the goblins are NOT his subjects (UTHER) and on the other hand Greg tells me they ARE his subjects. He must be lying or splitting hairs (not atypical for fae). An excellent opportunity for some of the moral ambiguities we've been talking about. Again, maybe the goblins have his tacit, it not public, approval. Maybe they aren't is subject NOW but until recently were — maybe they've decided to establish their own dominons with or without Cadwy's approval (whom they perceive as weak because of all his concessions with Uther).
I'd like to do something special with Lord Alabaster and his fancy tower, but I don't know what, yet.

Linkage with the land sounds like fae to me...


See Arthur during Grail Period. Is Arthur a Seelie Fae Lord? :P

As for your latest post summarising things, once you take Greg's private letter out, it all is much more easily explained by Cadwy not being Seelie.

As you pointed out, Greg likes to continue tinkering with the KAP world, and why not? There has been a lot of changes from the 1st edition to the 5th. At some point, what has gone before won't match with what has happened before. Summerland is already a glaring example of this: There is simply no way that the Summerland we see in BoU would be so easy to conquer by Cornwall during the Anarchy and again during the Grail Quest. It becomes even harder if Cadwy is a Faerie King. As you already note, that means he would be happily contradicting various statements we have for the Faerie in GPC.

So make up your mind. Cadwy is whoever you want him to be and the limits are what you place upon him. If he is a Faerie Lord who rules over the human land, then that is what he is in your campaign.

(By the way, Guinever's kidnapper in the romances is Maleagant, the son of King Bagdemagus of Gorre. King Melvas/Melwas of the Summer Country appears in Life of Gildas, but there is nothing there that would indicate that he is a faerie king; instead, he appears perfectly mundane king who is persuaded by Saint Gildas to return Guinever to Arthur. Also, the date of Life of Gildas throws some serious suspicion on the story already, as it appears in the 12th century, just as the Arthurian romances were starting to become popular, and the writer happened to be a friend of Geoffrey of Monmouth.)

See Arthur during Grail Period. Is Arthur a Seelie Fae Lord? :P

Of course not. But the "power linked to the land" theme is certainly consistent with the traditions about the Fae. Also, his sister is called "the Fey" and had some natural affinity for Faerie from a very early age. And why is Merlin and the Lady(s) of the Lake helping him? And why is Arthur borne to Avalon upon his death by four "magical" queens? I think the lines blur with Arthur, even though he was a human Christian. And there's this: http://www.curatormagazine.com/sorinahiggins/king-arthur-was-an-elf/


As for your latest post summarising things, once you take Greg's private letter out, it all is much more easily explained by Cadwy not being Seelie.

Aye, that would be much easier.


As you pointed out, Greg likes to continue tinkering with the KAP world, and why not? There has been a lot of changes from the 1st edition to the 5th. At some point, what has gone before won't match with what has happened before. Summerland is already a glaring example of this: There is simply no way that the Summerland we see in BoU would be so easy to conquer by Cornwall during the Anarchy and again during the Grail Quest. It becomes even harder if Cadwy is a Faerie King.

Unless he's a very weak Faerie King. Maybe his power is fading, like Tolkien's elves. Being Fae ain't what it used to be...


As you already note, that means he would be happily contradicting various statements we have for the Faerie in GPC.

Correct, but I was hoping to find plausible ways to reconcile these seeming contradictions.


So make up your mind.

I'm in the process of doing that. I'm trying to gather and sift through all the evidence we have, based on Greg's vision — inconsistencies, contradictions, warts and all. I'd love it if this mythology had been more thoroughly worked out for us, but it's not, so I'm exploring ways to do that.


Cadwy is whoever you want him to be and the limits are what you place upon him. If he is a Faerie Lord who rules over the human land, then that is what he is in your campaign.

Well, sure, but I never was one to take the easiest path.


(By the way, Guinever's kidnapper in the romances is Maleagant, the son of King Bagdemagus of Gorre. King Melvas/Melwas of the Summer Country appears in Life of Gildas, but there is nothing there that would indicate that he is a faerie king; instead, he appears perfectly mundane king who is persuaded by Saint Gildas to return Guinever to Arthur. Also, the date of Life of Gildas throws some serious suspicion on the story already, as it appears in the 12th century, just as the Arthurian romances were starting to become popular, and the writer happened to be a friend of Geoffrey of Monmouth.)

Okay, cool. The reference to Melwas was a throw-away comment. Of course one could argue, as you have, that they're all throw-away comments! But I sorta enjoy the process of working through this. It's like a puzzle. If I can find a cool way to reconcile them, great! I may well have to come to the same conclusion you have — the visions are contradictory and irreconcilable. But I'm not quite there, yet.


Thanks,


T.

While we're on the topic, does anyone know where to find any fae-related scenarios, off-hand? I have most of the books in PDF format, but it's a pain to look through them all every time I'm looking for something in particular. I've been planning to do an index of all the published adventures, including the GPC year(s) in which they occur, but have not managed to get around to it. So a lot of thirty years of legacy material is simply (and sadly) goes untapped.

If anyone would be interesting in contributing to such an effort I could throw a file up on Google Docs and we could crowdsource it. I do believe I have a fairly good start, actually.


Thanks,


T.

There is actually a very good reason that I request unofficial personal email not be posted
I often change my mind
For instance
Having learned more (which everyone will have when Book of Magic is out)
Cadwy, though rather extraordinary, is not a fae anymore

That's fine; I was pretty clear that there was nothing official in your correspondence with me. We're just brainstorming and having a bit of fun with one of the more mysterious characters in the setting. However, as outlined above, you did make official pronouncements about Cadwy's status as a high-status magician, at least, in the Book of Uther, so I hope that's not been reversed, too.


Thanks,


T.

My thoughts about seelie and unseelie:
As womble mentioned the courts eem to be linked to the seasons and maybe that is how you could define them. Seelie (Summer) is more benign and lets things grow, but this can also lead to summer storms and maybe even too much growth. Hence the coming of winter (Unseelie). While the winter may be harsher and hence see more evil, it also makes the land ready for a new spring. It weeds out the weak and those who survive are stronger.
( a comparrison I like to make is with is the Babylon 5 tv series the difference between the Vorlons and the Shadows. While first it looks like the Shadows are a big evil, in the end it is a difference in the concept of growth. That is also the way I see the the difference between the Seelie and the Unseelie. Both have a vision on the world, but it is totally different from the human concept of good and evil.)

Thus it is true that the Unseelie seems more malicious than the Seelie, but in the end I would not trust either to be truly good or evil. But I agree with Morien that there is a difference between the two courts in how they approach the world.

But in the end it may be an attempt of us humans to comprehend the morals of the Fae. A way we cannot truly can.
And yes I find playing a Fae well a very difficult thing to do. ;)

That's fine; I was pretty clear that there was nothing official in your correspondence with me. We're just brainstorming and having a bit of fun with one of the more mysterious characters in setting. However, as outlined above, you did make official pronouncements about Cadwy's status as a high-status magician, at least, in the Book of Uther,so I hope that's not been reversed, too.

I was just rereading BoU and BotW, which have the latest on Cadwy. It is NEVER explicitly stated that he is a magician (Ulfius claims that Cadwy is a magician, but that is in first person, so it is just his opinion/belief/rumor, not the all-knowing GM info), let alone a high-status one. It is heavily hinted (nightmares and stuff), but his actual powers are never revealed. It can all be smoke and mirrors, if the GM so prefers, or he can be on par with Merlin, if that is the GM's preference, instead.

Also, it might be of interest to you, Taliesin, that BotW p. 99 says:
"In the Anarchy, he [Cadwy] reverts to the quiet isola-
tion ... [snip]... and seeks neither territory nor homage."

Not that you should let it stop you, of course, in your own campaign, and I think that you can explain his intervention in Salisbury away if you want (reconquest of the lands that are HIS, lost in 482).

I was just rereading BoU and BotW, which have the latest on Cadwy. It is NEVER explicitly stated that he is a magician (Ulfius claims that Cadwy is a magician, but that is in first person, so it is just his opinion/belief/rumor, not the all-knowing GM info), let alone a high-status one. It is heavily hinted (nightmares and stuff), but his actual powers are never revealed. It can all be smoke and mirrors, if the GM so prefers, or he can be on par with Merlin, if that is the GM's preference, instead.

Well, I think one could be forgiven for thinking he's either fae or a pretty powerfulmagician. Otherwise how to explain his "ancient beyond memory" age, the position that he has "mysterious powers" and is "more magical than martial." Then there's his son's green horse (could be dye, I guess, or a faerie horse that was won or stolen) and the fact that his father was a king named named Glynn (although the "ap Nudd" part did only appear in an email to me). So even though the word "fae" is never used explicitly in connection with Cadwy, and even though the "Magician King" doesn't mean anything on it's own, the implications are clear enough.


Also, it might be of interest to you, Taliesin, that BotW p. 99 says:
"In the Anarchy, he [Cadwy] reverts to the quiet isolation ... [snip]... and seeks neither territory nor homage."

Ah, nice. Thank you.


Not that you should let it stop you, of course, in your own campaign, and I think that you can explain his intervention in Salisbury away if you want (reconquest of the lands that are HIS, lost in 482).

Yep. Or, if he ruled over these goblin, but his power is waning, they could be taking it upon themselves to undertake a little reconquista. Maybe they're even doing it without his approval — hoping to regain old glories in his name — but he's unmoved and seeks to distance himself from the actions.


Thanks,


T.

Okay, here's my attempt to reconcile all this conflicting information on Cadwy and Summerland.

Gwynn ap Nudd, the faerie king, is King Cadwy's father (as suggested in Greg's letter and damn-near stated explicitly in the Book of Uther, which names Cadwy's banished father as "Gwynn").

Long before Christians came to Britain, Cadwy's grandfather, the pagan king of this realm now known as Summerland, encountered Gwynn while hunting in the ancient (and forbidden) Forest of Glamour. In those days, King Gwynn held the mastery of the forests of Summerland, as well as some of the wilder areas of the realm. Gwynn, the Master of the Wild Hunt, went to strike down the mortal king for his trespass, but Cadwy begged for his life and said if Gwynn would spare him he would give him whatever he asked in return. Gwynn named the mortal king's daughter, who has been given the gift of great beauty by a visiting faerie at the hour of her birth, as his price. The mortal king readily agreed — but this had been his canny plan all along. He wanted a half-fae heir — a magical lord who would rule long and with wisdom for many years. Gwynn agreed and took the maiden to wife. Of course, it did not take long for Gwynn to tire of the woman and he sent her back to her father, with a child — who would later become King Cadwy.

Cadwy was raised a pagan and brought up in the "old ways" and learned something of magic in that tradition. He also formed many friendships and made allies among the fae.

Some years later, Joseph of Arimathea came to Glastonbury bearing the Holy Grail and, after working a few miracles sufficient to impress the locals, established the abbey there. This ancient holy place, known as Avalon by the pagans and faerie folk, was mightily contested. But eventually the Christian priests prevailed; St. Collen vanquished King Gwynn from Glastonbury Tor with the use of holy water (and some treachery as the pagans tell it).

The old King Summerland died. By now, the Christian priests has waxed in power and influence. They opposed the young Cadwy's ascension to the throne because of his pagan ways, and would only consent if he agreed to be baptized. To avoid the kingdom being torn asunder by more strife, Cadwy agreed and was baptized a Christian. Upon christening, Cadwy lost the power to travel beyond the frontier of twilight at will. But he secretly retained some of his relationships with his father's kin. So he has one foot firmly rooted in the Old Ways, while trying to adopt to the changing world. He is seen as a conciliator to some (ensuring mortals can live within the ancient faerie forests in relative peace among the faeries of that wood, which have retreated to the deeper places of the forest (heavy forest). He disavows the "Magician King" epithet, and claims to be a good Christian king.

When the faeries take over the western hundreds of Salisbury, they did so with his tacit encouragement — perhaps he even aided and abetted them in secret ways — he would see his ancient lands and rights restored, after all. However, he cannot be involved directly, and will only receive a secret tribute from those marginal subjects of faerie.

It won't take long for those faeries to realize they don't need Cadwy. At which point, Cadwy could offer to help Countess Ellen clear the hundreds of the fae, which are a big problem for her — in return for the lands being restored to his demesne.

As for the plight of the changelings — no he did not order the taking of the children, but he knows who has them (because of his contacts in that area). He will reveal the secret in return for a future service from the half-fae squire, that he can call in at any time. The squire MUST answer the call when it comes. Or maybe he'll request a service in return for each question he answers about the fate of the changelings — that way I can make the PKs indebted to Cadwy as well.

I'm setting up Cadwy as a sort of mirror to my half-fae squire — they're both unable to travel between Here and There, but the half-fae squire does have a "key" — or still needs to find it — that will allow him to walk the hidden pathways of the fae. This will be crucial to the ultimate defeat of the fae in Salisbury at some point down the road (which I haven't figured out yet). Thus, Cadwy is also interested in the key, as he hopes to harness it's power, or make an ally of the one who holds it. Such an ally — one who is able to travel the roads between faerie and the Fields We Know at will, and without challenge from the guardians of the gates coming and going — would be very valuable.

So there you go — I think this upholds all the published story beats (as contradictory as they are):

1.) Cadwy is a "Magician King" who rules over a strange, "shrouded" land. He'll downplay that epithet, of course, but he's still capable of some pretty wizardly, albeit subtle, craft.

2.) Summerland is nonetheless a Christian kingdom, as evidenced by the great abbeys at Wells, and Glastonbury, and Bath. Cadwy presents himself as a Christian king, albeit one who is sympathetic to his pagan subjects (not that there are a lot of them by this time, given all that's gone on at Glastonbury). I could easily set up that there is still a lot of tension between the pagan-cum-Christian king and the Church. Some abbots could be actively undermining him, in fact, so great is their mistrust. But the Church is not so powerful that they can yet ordain kings — we're only still approaching that milestone with the reign of Arthur. And the British Church also knows nothing of excommunication, or any of those tools of the Roman Church to bring monarchs to heel. So they really can't depose him, by any means short of assassination.

3.) Cadwy is a therefore also a Christian king, as established (albeit as a sort of oxymoron) in the Adventure of the Heart Blade mini-campaign in Blood and Lust and The Goblin Market scenario in the GPC.

4.) Although I'm not sure that the Heart Blade adventure requires Cadwy to be a mortal (I've only skimmed it) perhaps half-fae is close enough? Or perhaps by the time of that scenario, Cadwy is "stripped" of his fae side, or maybe he chooses to become fully mortal (like Arwen Evenstar), due to increased pressure from the church.

5.) This only means I'm violating Greg's private letter in two small ways: Cadwy's only half-fae, and he's not behind the faerie incursions in Salisbury — exactly. Not that Greg's letter matters, because it's not canon, but I do sort of enjoy the challenge of working these things out.

One other thing I found when reviewing this legacy, canon material is that Cadwy has a queen, Celemon, and another son Cynfeln, which is also is heir. That means his older brother Melwas (half-brother?), mentioned in the Book of Uther, must die before 525 (since the Heart Blade scenario is set between 525-555. Maybe in the upcoming war with the faeries in Salisbury?

I thought about Cadwy revealing the location of the changelings of the condition that the Salisbury knights cede Woodhouse castle to him, but then it would make him look too close to the goblins that captured it — and of course the castle is not the knights' to give. So I think it better he demands the Salisbury hundred as his price for helping drive the goblins from Salisbury. Otherwise the Countess can manage without his help.

If it's Salisbury's fate to rule those contested hundreds, Countess Ellen can either fight the war on her own and claim them, or she can enlist Cadwy's help and I can introduce some other way for Robert of Salisbury to gain them back. Maybe the Enchantment of Britain, or the wasteland, strips Cadwy of the last of his immortality and he dies. Salisbury reclaims the territory.

Okay so I'm sure there's some holes here. Help me find and plug them?


Thanks,


T.

Cadwy is able to die in the Heart & Blade mini-campaign, but it is by getting his head chopped off. Who knows how old he might live otherwise?

Personally, I like the idea of him sickening with the Wasteland and perhaps even dying from it. It would explain why Cornwall is able to steamroll Somerset during the Grain Quest.

I didn't spot big gaping holes in your narrative structure. The only thing that hit a false note for me was Glastonbury Tor = Avalon. To me, Avalon is not a place in Britain, nor even in the world, but a magical place, Somewhere Else. :)

EDIT: Forgot to mention about Melwas... One possible time to kill him off is in the battles against Cornwall during Anarchy, unless you are making Summerland strong enough in magic & faerie that the whole Cornwall invasion is a non-starter. Otherwise, it is quite easy to get rid of him; you can be the greatest hero ever, but you can still die with an arrow in the eye. Or you can have him be inspired by Arthur and be one of the big names who die at Badon Hill (which would benefit from having some 'wow, I thought he was invincible!' guys dying).

Cadwy is able to die in the Heart & Blade mini-campaign, but it is by getting his head chopped off. Who knows how old he might live otherwise?

Wow, I didn't note that in my skimming of the material. I'll have to take a closer look. Not that it matters, I likely won't ever run the scenario — but I like to keep my options open!


Personally, I like the idea of him sickening with the Wasteland and perhaps even dying from it. It would explain why Cornwall is able to steamroll Somerset during the Grain Quest.

Yeah, I like that, too. I think I alluded to that in my sketch. That's probably how it will go in my campaign. Makes it easier for Robert to retake those hundreds, if need be.


I didn't spot big gaping holes in your narrative structure. The only thing that hit a false note for me was Glastonbury Tor = Avalon. To me, Avalon is not a place in Britain, nor even in the world, but a magical place, Somewhere Else. :)

Yeah, you're right about that. There is some confusion in my mind about the relationship between Glastonbury Tor and Avalon. Luckily, I don't have to sort it out now...


EDIT: Forgot to mention about Melwas... One possible time to kill him off is in the battles against Cornwall during Anarchy, unless you are making Summerland strong enough in magic & faerie that the whole Cornwall invasion is a non-starter. Otherwise, it is quite easy to get rid of him; you can be the greatest hero ever, but you can still die with an arrow in the eye. Or you can have him be inspired by Arthur and be one of the big names who die at Badon Hill (which would benefit from having some 'wow, I thought he was invincible!' guys dying).

Those are both good ideas. Thanks!


T.

Wow, I didn't note that in my skimming of the material. I'll have to take a closer look. Not that it matters, I likely won't ever run the scenario — but I like to keep my options open!

That may have come out a bit too strongly. Cadwy isn't scripted to die in that adventure. But he may die, if certain events and choices happen. Granted, H&B Cadwy was by all indications an old, mortal, Christian king. Not a half-faerie. But then again, my faerie can die, too (just look at Tuatha De Danaan).

Yeah, you're right about that. There is some confusion in my mind about the relationship between Glastonbury Tor and Avalon. Luckily, I don't have to sort it out now...

Speaking strictly for myself and my games, Avalon is a part of the Otherworld. Glastonbury may well be one of the places in the mortal world which is "close" to Avalon, a place from which Avalon might be reached by those who know the way (or by those who are lost) but it is one of several such places.

Avalon has to have some connection to Britain, since the GPC Character sheets list it as Ygraine's homeland.

Avalon has to have some connection to Britain, since the GPC Character sheets list it as Ygraine's homeland.

"Lady Ygraine is the most beautiful woman in Britain,
the cultured daughter of a petty lord of some little western
island. She came ashore one day and the duke fell instantly
in love with her."

"Homeland: Ynis Avalon"

Ynys is Welsh for an island, so sure, I can take that as Isle of Avalon. However, it is pretty clear that someone is lying/mistaken in Ygraine's story. 'Petty lordling of some little western island'? My take is that it is just someone writing down Ygraine's vague 'my father is a ruler of an island over that way'. Since they have never had any dealings with the guy, he must be a petty lordling of some wind-swept rock in the ocean, since otherwise there would be trade and stuff, right? This doesn't close the possibility that Ygraine's home, Avalon, is actually Somewhere Else, and not in this world. I find that much more believable in KAP context that accepting Avalon as a some little western island ruled by a petty lordling that you can find on the map.