The Lady Knight
Once upon a time long ago, in Neerlie Der, there lived a blacksmith’s daughter with hair as pink as candyfloss. Her name was Ingaret Ada Noche. She was a Half-Elf female.
One day, Ingaret meet a male Tiefling, whose name was Sir Erkut Zaaditt with purple skin, and like all tieflings, possess large thick horns his head. His horns curled back and upwards. His tail was 4 feet long. He had sharply pointed teeth, and stunning eyes of solid silver orbs. Sir Zaaditt was friendly and respectful to Ingaret. He even told her of the knighthood and the code they live by.
Back then, no females of any race had ever been a knight; nor had any half breeds. This bothered her not a bit. Ingaret was very gallant, stubborn and dauntless. She studied hard, firstly about all the creatures Sir Zaaditt had ever fought. Ingaret practiced with a long sword, and other weapons she could get her hands on, twice a day. Even in her dreams, her thoughts were all of becoming a knight like Erkut Zaaditt. In her heart, Ingaret only longed to become a great knight and fight along side the other knights.
Years later, a terrible four headed Hydra came to the kingdom, within Genx region of Malnax. It roared loudly with four mouths. It trampled houses and munched on sheep and cattle in the fields. Many knights battled the Hydra, however when their swords cut its thick hide the creature tried to swallow them. Each night it slept in a cave not far from the kingdom. Only to return in the morning, often with an extra head.
This was the time of the first King the Dwarf Brokoic Reirgut Hammerforge who the Hammerforge Palace in Jeyton City was built for. The King had married an Half-Elf named Loretta Larma Crabblossom. King Brokoic and Queen Loretta had four sons - four princes who were brave and becoming skillful fighters.
Many knights went to battle the beast, including the eldest two princes. Each day, many knights were hurt as the Hydra, moved closer and closer to the castle. The King declared who so ever killed the dragon would be granted half his kingdom. The kingdom had no Princess to be offered hand in marriage, and two of the four male heirs had already died trying to kill the Hydra.
Knights came from far across the sea. They were the most fierce, the bravest knights anyone had ever seen. Amongst them, unknown to Ingaret, returned Sir Erkut Zaaditt.
A hundred of these knights gathered to attack the Hydra. The knights did not know to never cut off one head for two will grow in their place. Ingaret tried to warn them, but she was not heard by those she spoke urgently too.
The Hydra took no time in knocking 50 knights from their horses and breathing swallowing many more of the rest. In desperation, King Brokoic proclaimed whosoever killed the Hydra would be granted their heart's desire. Now the merchants got busy. Suddenly there were swords everywhere: fat swords, skinny swords, sharp swords, fancy swords, and tiny swords so that one of the smaller men might carry many of them. But a tiny sword are more like a dagger, and most knights were too proud to carry a sackful of daggers.
There was also a need for building materials to make the walls of the kingdom stronger, all kinds and shapes of wood and rock and rope and twine. Of course, with all this material they needed carts to carry it and animals to pull it so there was a run on wagons, pulled by horses and donkeys and oxen. These animals were taken as more food by the Hydra.
The merchants within Jeyton City liked having the numerous knights come to the kingdom. They sold crystal goblets, wooden goblets, big cups, little cups, coffee cups, fat cups, skinny cups. To fill these cups the wine merchants and the milkmaids sold red wine, white wine, sparkling wine, cow's milk, goat's milk and all types of fruit juice.
As a matter of fact, the kingdom, Genx region, and Jeyton City had never known such profitable times. Nothing was left of anything resembling a sword or building material, or a wagon to hold it, or an animal to pull it, and there was not a drop of liquid left in all the kingdom, but water from Peboln Lake and the city's well.
All that was left were sacks and sacks and sacks of money piled everywhere. A family headed by an Elf Taeral Shaidove set up a bank; which remains, still managed by the Shaidove family.
The knights for all their effort and all their supplies could not defeat the dragon and now the fell one after another. The countryside was strewn with weapons and pieces of knights, and the debris. The kingdom was a mess.
Sir Erkut Zaaditt was one of the few who returned, injured and convinced the Hydra was possible to defeat. Ingaret was there in the medical tent with Low, just outside Jeyton City, dutifully caring for the injured knights. It had been four years since Sir Zaaditt had seen Ingaret. Yet, he recognised her by her short pink hair and serious blue eyes. The Tiefling knight rested to regain his strength, watching Ingaret practice nearby, when she was not caring for the injured. He was impressed by the Human lass, such dedication, charity, and skill with weapons. Despite the comments of the other knights, Sir Zaaditt selected Ingaret to ride to further study the Hydra.
The blacksmith fashioned a suit of armour and a new long sword for his daughter. The sword was extra long and hardy, made from her practice sword and scrap metal. Ingaret mounted her jet black horse and rode to court.
Bowing before the King, Ingaret said, "I wish to be knighted so that I may rid your kingdom of this horrible monster."
There was a moment of silence, then King Brokoic began to laugh, followed by everyone in the court, except Queen Loretta.
In fact, they laughed and they laughed, which made the blacksmith's daughter’s face and ears turn red with anger.
The King said, "You are no match for this dragon. It takes might, bravery and strength to fight. You are simply a female. No female has ever been a knight." Ingaret squared her shoulders. "I may be a female, still I can fight and win." The Queen was impressed. It was clear to her Bryony was as brave and bold as any knight. "My Majesty and my love, for the sake of our two remaining sons, knight her this day. You promised 'whosoever should slay the Hydra,' and surely this lass deserves a chance too." The King could never refuse his Queen. He rose from his throne, decleared a new decree that all people of a certain age, no matter gender, race or background could train in the knighthood, and if prove themselves worthy, could become a knight. The next day, King Brokoic knighted the blacksmith’s daughter; Sir Ingaret Noche.
Then, for luck, the Queen offered Ingaret a special bracelet made of gold; Bracelet of Rock Magic. "May you have good fortune, our brave knight," the Queen said.
. "May you have good fortune, our brave Lady Knight," Queen Loretta said.
So, the newest knight set out on her horse to seek out the Hydra. She met many tired and injured knights returning to Jeyton City, and one helpful knight told her, "Go back. One female cannot cross swords with such a beast that no male has defeated. It is a joke for you to try." He thought Ingaret was the biggest fool.
Ingaret found where the Hydra slept and studied the creature. For, no honourable knight would kill a beast in its sleep. The Hydra had some seventy heads, by then. She saw all the wounds and scars in the gigantic Hydra’s hide.
The next morning, the Hydra came out to the close to the castle and roared loudly as before. The beast had all seventy heads all roaring so loudly.
The few remaining knights came to fight, amongst them were the last living heirs to the kingdom, and an injured Sir Erkut Zaaditt. Ingaret was not shunned away. The Princes ordered her treated the same as any knight, by the word of their mother the Queen.
Ingaret told the remaining knights not to group into seventy units to each fight a head. Instead the most skilled to be a rear flank. Those fastest were to face the beast front on, as a distraction. The knights would shift around to confuse the Hydra and limit injury. Each of the units of knights the Lady Knight told of the wounds of that body, and to avoid the necks and heads. Ingaret reminded them all not to cut of the head.
Meanwhile Ingaret herself, would stab the Hydra with her longsword and many tiny swords.
The fight took many hours, but other than a few injuries, the tactics proved.
With the Hydra finally killed, The Lady Knight was offered land, wealth and a crown via marriage to the youngest remaining prince, Alom Reirgut Hammerforge, and to live in the magnificent Hammerforge Palace. She chose them all. She was called Princess Ingaret for one long decade.
In this time, Chrivar Brokoic Hammerforge became King, with Genitess Zelda Tatorn (a Human) as his Queen.
The Lady Knight Ingaret lives on in stories, art and legends.
Variations & Mutation
Prince Alom
After Prince Alom first married Princess Ingaret (The Lady Knight) as the Hydra, life was good for them both. However, they had no children that survived to birth. After ten years, the marriage was over.Prince Alom then re-married to a Dwarf female Jenthiel Laldov, to whom he had three daughters, Lucisa, Belkis and Frojli.
Ingaret
Her temper and her calmness ranged too extreme for Prince Alom. She did grow ill (sick and weak) when pregnant, and lost each baby. Her sorrow and her sorrow were equally deep.The land Princess Ingaret was given, she rented out to townsfolk for a low cost, and aided with coin in getting farms created. She stepped out of the world of Jeyton City to follow the new path given to her by the God Gil'lon The Master Cat. It was time for her to be old, solitary, poor, old, peaceful, quieter and unknown.
Ingaret left Malnax, to become nomadic for three years, shaving her head, and travelled over the seas as the pirate Eura 'Golden Tooth'. She was known to be bitchy, willful and cunning. Eura 'Golden tooth' was not one to be crossed. Her skill with a sword and dagger was infamous.
The Lady Knight's story stayed as an empowering tale. However, as Ada Noche, Ingaret was able to settle in Jawa, where her father the blacksmith had relocated to after her marriage to Prince Alom ended.
Ada Noche had no spouse, yet become a mother to three children, Coris (half of Dragonborn), Zira (half of Sun Elves) and Loriem (half of Tiefling). Ada was known to always find a bed, meal and comfort for anyone, stranger or friend. She spoke of her past unashamed. She is still quite to anger but holds no grudges. The locals were happy to claim her as one of their own.
Cultural Reception
The Floating Alley
The ground between the buildings here appears to fall away into a starlit night sky. A path of floating stones offers the only way across.In Art
A famous oil painting, by Cordites Tun, which hangs in the battle room of the Hammerforge Palace, of a female knight with short pink hair on a black horse fighting a seventy headed Hydra.
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