Who wants a Brownie?
General Summary
In the Year of our Lord 487 early Spring. Garison Duty: Patrol. Sir George of Stapleford and Sir Cernunnos
Outside of Caline: moving along the road just after lunch. The knights and Squires walk their horses easily along the old stone road to Bath. Suddenly from the woods hear the shouts of a woman, she screams and explodes from the nearby wood line.
“Sires! Sires!”
“Someone has stolen me, Brownies!” the woman screams! she looks as though she has been crying uncontrollably for days. Her eyes are puffy, and nose runs a bit. The knights approach slowly, not sure what is going on. She sees them and rushes toward them...well not rushes, more a shuffling and dragging of feet. The knights move forward walking their horses and close the distant with this old woman in more than half the time it would take her to travel to them.
"Sires! oh thank God i have found you." She is breathing hard and continues with a lot of huffing and puffing.
”Me Husband and I, have no children you see and only have 4 goats in our small cottage in the woods. Last year or maybe two, me husband “Danny” was deep in the forest chopping wood. He said he had been looking all day for dead wood to chop and the sun would soon be down, and he did not want to spend the night in the woods. Now I will tell you this sire, I was not there that day, but I know in my heart that the story me husband told was true, so help me God. Just before sundown he seen a beam of sunshine beam through the forest onto this old dead oak tree. He begins chopping away at this old rotten tree (she becomes very animated with the story telling, swinging her arms in a chopping motion) Suddenly he was approached by a very beautiful woman. Now normally sires, I would have stopped him right there and his grand story with a sharp axe to his brain pan! (She mocks the chopping on her own head) Speaking to strange women in the woods is blasphemy! But he swore on his mother’s grave and his! (Swings her walking stick toward the knights) that he never touched the woman, (she points a crooked finger at the knights and squints her eyes) in fact he said he never hardly look at her. Only a glance, for He was very afraid, and the woman was much taller than he and she glowed blue… (she turns her head and closes one eye, turning an ear to the knights, like she was waiting to hear something they say. Suddeny she turned back just as quickly and begin talking again.
"She didn’t give a name, but he knew she must be fairy folk. She wore a blue dress, and it was laced in gold, with gems and pearls around her neck wrapped in blue and white roses.
This blue woman asks him to do a favor and he told her he would try if it was within his power. She told him that a group of “Brownies” live in the old tree, that he was chopping. The King of the Brownies called upon the beautiful maiden to speak on their behave, so she did. She approached him and asked if he would see fit to not chop down the tree. And she would consider it a great favor to herself, and the King and He would receive a great favor in return. if he would not chop down that tree. Now me husband had been looking for a tree that was dead and easy to move once he chopped down. You see, he has a bad back and can no longer carry many logs as he did in his youth. So, he did as he was asked. Well, that next night someone snuck into our small cottage and clean it out!"
(She threw up her hands and spins about falling to the ground onto her butt, in a mock attempt to act like she was fainting)
The knights both decide to help this old woman. …. ThatCheveres
Sir Cernunnos " Clean out??? You have been robbed?"
"No, no, they washed and cleaned the whole cottage…it never had looked so good as it had the day, we built it. The chores throughout our small cottage had been done and a new nanny milk goat appeared. Her name was “Bessi” and she is white as driven snow and she had a tribe of 3 kids, and later they produced milk too. We know not where the Billy is. The goats produce milk, and we take and process it to butter and cheese, we than sell the butter and cheese it anyone who can afford it. ½ denary for butter and 2 denary for cheese wheel (5lbs). We take it to xxxxxxxx
Who: the old woman…named “Daisey”: husband name “Danny”, three goats named Essi, Bessi, Cessi, Dessi.
Sir Cernunnos ask "Where to find the brownies?" and replies that screams "abandoning pace,
The cottage is kept in good order and the knights notice it is very clean. Inside was like new and in very good repair. The old man, who was lying in a raised bed, with a feather bed mattress. this is some fine blankets and pillows to prop the old man up. He smiles as the group enters. "My wife you have returned...i thought you may have been killed by a bear or wolf on your way to the road "
"No, God has sent us a gift, we are so blessed. They are Knights from Sir Roderick the Earl of Salisbury and they have promised to find the Brownies." the old woman said with a grin. The knights move closer to the old man in the bed, for the old man called Danny, speaks very low. The woman immediatly begins to cook supper. and Danny begins to recant his story from long ago about how he met the Brownies.
"Is not a Brownie a type of sweet cake? or perhaps the young maidens who see sweet treats down at the marketplace."
"No, a Brownie is a Fairy, a good Fairy." says the old man and coughs and spits a nasty glob of Flem into the bed pan.
"You don't know what a brownie is?" asked Danny.
"nope" said Sir George, who looked at Sir Cernunnos "nope" both me shrug.
Well a Brownie is...and so, the old man tells them what he knows, which is not much. What he does know is mostly guesses and wrong. But old danny described in great detail the location of the Browie tree. He said look for the old, rotted oak in the forest. There are runes on a hilltop overlooking an scary dark cave below. He doesn’t know what is in the cave, maybe a Bear? He never ventured in. It was very dark and scary, so he stayed away from it. There is a small rock formation above the cave on the hill where it lays. This rock formation has a rock standing on end with a hole through it. Just before sun fall, the sun light shows through the hole to the old rotten tree.
That is how he found it the first time. He gives a description of the monument and how the light shines through it. The eat their supper and excuse themself for the night.
Night in the Cottage:
essiveSir George of StaplefordSir Cernunnosimmediatelyfromand then halfwaynodded off.
(Little did Sir George know but two Goblins had snuck into the tent with the party and had begun to pilfer through their stuff.)
hason. He wakes everyone and tells them that someone snuck into the tent and went through their stuff. Sir Cernunnos "How did they get in here and go through our stuff with you standing guard?" Sir George looked at him with a puzzled and bewildered look, replies "Magic charms, some demonic Fairy...casted a sleep spell on me."
"Really, a magic charm? from a demonic fairy..." ask Sir Cernunnos
"Yes, a magic sleeping spell that causes sleep..." said Sir George.
"Guy, it's your turn...I am really tired." Sir George said to the Squire Guy.
With that the squire jumped up and preformed his watch duty without complaint. Sir Cernunnos rolled over and immediately went back to sleep and poor Sir George tossed and turn never being able to sleep. Sir Cernunnos was awoken and finished the watch, checking the horse several times to see that no one had molested them and spent the rest of the watch without event. Sir George red eyed and exhausted stirred and moved out to the fire.
They were slow to get started the next morning with the cooking of breakfast and Sir George being exhausted. The group started on their way to the old, rotted stump, where the so-called fairies live. The woods were dark and thick underbrush. They made it to the river and follow it back to the northeast. Several hours pass but they stumble across the rocky hill with the monument on top, they climb to the top with an hour of two of sun light left. The standby the monument and it has writings on it. but no one can read them.
The sun set and just as the old man said a beam of light shines through the monument pointing to the spot in the forest. The clear see the old, rotted tree. by the time they rushed down there was only minutes to spare before the light beam disappeared completely.
but as they got closer, and the light of the day faded. The tree looked different, it look like a health tree with moss growing on it. A tiny door could be seen when they got close enough.
They all looked at each other in amazement. Sir Cernunnos stepped forward and knocked on the door and stepped back.
The sound of locks and latches filled the air. The door, which was only 2.5 feet tall and 1 foot wide, slowly opened to reveal only darkness from behind.
A face appears out of the darkness “Who is it that knocks on the king’s door? And what brings you to my woods?”
The knights introduce themselves and their squires. The old face grins a toothy grin and his brown teeth shine in the dark. "Well met to Knights of Sir Roderick the Earl of Salisbury I GREET THEE"
"I am Oaken Cedarsocks, King of the Brownies, and this is my kingdom." he steps out of the tree about half way. He is dressed in all brown silk robes with wooden buttons. He has long hair that hangs down his back. He has long ears with small gold earrings. His face is old but smooth of wrinkles. His long-pointed noise hooks at the tip pointing down. He has high cheek bones and large infectious smile. With a grand smile he asks "what brings you to my doorstep" The knights begin their tale from the beginning, but at the first mention of the old couple the grand smile disappears from the Brownie Kings face. The knights notice this change and immediately tell the king that they were not working for the couple but only doing a good deed and trying to find the missing Brownies, whom had been working so hard for the old couple. The Brownie king nods in understanding what the knights are trying to say. He explains the whole story, from the Brownie side of things. He says "the old man, had indeed talked to the Blue Fairy Princess and that a contract was made that if he didn't' chop down our forest home that for one year the brownies would help the old couple secure a future without toile and trouble. We delivered 4 magic goats that would produce enough milk to make them comfortable the rest of their Lifes. But soon the greed boiled up and they were not continent. They stopped leaving gifts of food out for the workers. They begin to try to catch them in the act of working. And in the end sold 3 of the goats in town. knowing full well that we would bring the goats back. Three days ago, was the 1-year anniversary of the agreement. I decided that we had spent a year trying to help them, but they did nothing to better themselves. In fact, the old man, "Danny" has been cursed with an ailment in his back, it will not kill him, but it is very painful for him to walk. The old woman has dreams, and we fill them with discomfort. We will do so for 1 year."
With that he smiles again to the knights and ask is there anything else he can help them with?
They thank the King for telling them the truth.
"Oh yea, what's in the creepy cave over there?" ask Sir George of Stapleford
"That is the Cave of the Goblin King..." says the Brownie. He begins his story with "There once was an Evil Pict King name King Uradech, who tried to capture and keep a Fairy princess, he offered her gold, but she needed none. He offered her jewels, but she sparkled brighter than any gem. He offered her land, all of Pictland and the world too but this she did not need for the world. He offered her everything he had and anything that she may want. but the one thing that she wanted; he could not give. For he lusted in his heart for the princess and wanted only to own her. He was Evil, so lust was all that he had for her. The one thing in the all the Worlds that she wanted was Love. So, he gave her a gift. The Heart it was the only one of its kind. a necklace of diamonds and sapphires. A giant Blue Saphire in the shape of a heart. She returned the gift, and he was driven mad with anger. He chased her the world over with his army in tow and made a deal with the goblin king to gain access to the fairyland. If he could not have her than, he would take her by force. Deals with goblins are never sound...the goblin king really just wanted the treasure in which King Uradech was carting around. They fought and the Pict King won! but he made a grave mistake in his greed, he picked up "The Septer of the Goblin King" a cursed item of great power. It changed him, so that all his faults pushed forward. "Did you say Treasure?" said the squire, Bruce interrupting the story. Both of the knights looked at him scoldingly. "Yes, the great Pictland treasure which he had promised to the fairy Princess." replied the Brownie with a smile. "He keeps it in that cave right over there." he points off into the darkness toward a cave entrance that glows a pale blue. "You see, he is trapped there between worlds never to reach either side. And he is cursed to live forever. " "well nice talking to you...we need to be heading back. Don't want to be out on a dark night with Goblins running around" said Sir George. "Do you have any reason why we should not go into that cave and rid the world of such evil?" ask Sir Cernunnos "no i do not" was all the brownie said as he turned back to his door and disappeared into the darkness. the door closes and locks are heard latching. "Well boys let us go kill this one who fornicates with evil!" said Sir George. They all laugh and move toward the cave entrance. "Hey what did he say the Goblin kings name was?" ask Sir George "Uradech" said Sir Cernunnos "Ur a Dech" said Sir George sounding it out. They all laughed again. "Ur a Dech Pict" said Sir George. This time it seemed as if the woods laughed! After a time of jokes and laughing, the knights got serious about taking the cave. When they got close the cave had an scarry blue glow about it. the kind of glow that scars off lesser men.
The smell from the cave was unbearable. It smelled of a sewer ditch and flesh decay. they moved 75 yards in, giant blue crystals lined the ceiling and the walls giving a weird glow. This would have been enough by the cave was quiet, except the sound of dripping water and the sound of their boots splashing through to the end of the cave. The wall has strange writing and demonic pictures carved everywhere.
The cave turned left and 35 more yards in and then begin to open into a large cavern. It too had the weird glow about it but was much darker due to the open spaces. They moved into the great cavern about 20 yards, that is when they notice the large throne in the back of the cavern. It is hard to tell how far, with no depth perception. The knights split and each follow the wall out about 35 yards and circle back toward the throne.
They move simultaneously toward the center to the throne. Sir Cernunnos draws his bow.
Sir George draws his sword and shield. He moves cautiously toward the throne he now stand just to the side of the throne and can see the creature that sits there. it looks human but mummified remains, its armor and clothes are rotted. It sits perfectly still never staring at the exit for eternity only 55 yards away. Sir George slowly takes his sword and proceeds to stick it into the remains that sit on the throne.
There is a low groan that comes from the corpse. Sir George withdraws from the throne and readies himself Sir Cernunnos aims at the corps as it slowly begins to stand still moaning only louder. The corps stagers forward and Sir Cernunnos lets an arrow fly. It passes through the creature much like the sword of Sir George. The creature is now screaming...and spins to face Sir George and moves forward. Sir Cernunnos shoulders his bow and pulls his sword and shield moving forward for a back attack. The creature is armed with a great sword and scepter. In the distance they hear a bell ringing and from the darkness small golden reflection can be seen from behind the throne. "I can see the treasure!" remarks Sir George, the two squire move forward to attack or maybe it was to see the treasure. The creature continues to scream, louder and louder! The sound of feet running but the knights see no one. Suddenly from the darkness a blade slashes Sir George leg and another across his arm. The goblin king roars to life now. Blades from the dark slash and find their mark on the knights. Sir Cernunnos notices that water on the floor moves as if a small human was moving through it. He figures it is the goblins and yells to Sir George to look for the splashes. Sir George finds the first goblin and strikes it nearly in two. Sir Cernunnos strikes, and a goblin hits the floor, a dark blueish blood gushes out onto the floor.
When the knight lands a hit, the Goblins become visible. This continues for several rounds; Sir George had killed 2 by this time and Sir Cernunnos had killed 1 and wounded 2. From out of nowhere a dagger sticks Sir George in the back and it comes out the front left side. He does not fall but turns and cuts the assassin down. both had sustained several small cuts and slashes from the daggers of the monsters. But this injure was a mortal wound and Sir George called for Bruce to help him. The all moved back to the entrance of the cave. They could hear the Goblin king laughing as they left.
Once they got outside, they healed their cuts and scratches. They knew that there was no way any first aid was going to heal this wound of Sir George. The moved back to the top of the rocky hill, were the stone monolith stood. This spot had seemed calming when they were here before. Their healing seems to speed up. It looked very grave for Sir George as he lay on his sleep pad. Suddenly a beautiful woman walked into their camp and ask how this had happened. They explained and she frowned and lay her hands on Sir George. and by a miracle of God, he was healed. She talked with them and told them that they were safe here from the goblins, this was a portal to her domain and goblins were not allowed there. The awoke the next morning refreshed and healed deciding to head back to the Sir Roderick the Earl of Salisbury
"No, God has sent us a gift, we are so blessed. They are Knights from Sir Roderick the Earl of Salisbury and they have promised to find the Brownies." the old woman said with a grin. The knights move closer to the old man in the bed, for the old man called Danny, speaks very low. The woman immediatly begins to cook supper. and Danny begins to recant his story from long ago about how he met the Brownies.
"Is not a Brownie a type of sweet cake? or perhaps the young maidens who see sweet treats down at the marketplace."
"No, a Brownie is a Fairy, a good Fairy." says the old man and coughs and spits a nasty glob of Flem into the bed pan.
"You don't know what a brownie is?" asked Danny.
"nope" said Sir George, who looked at Sir Cernunnos "nope" both me shrug.
Well a Brownie is...and so, the old man tells them what he knows, which is not much. What he does know is mostly guesses and wrong. But old danny described in great detail the location of the Browie tree. He said look for the old, rotted oak in the forest. There are runes on a hilltop overlooking an scary dark cave below. He doesn’t know what is in the cave, maybe a Bear? He never ventured in. It was very dark and scary, so he stayed away from it. There is a small rock formation above the cave on the hill where it lays. This rock formation has a rock standing on end with a hole through it. Just before sun fall, the sun light shows through the hole to the old rotten tree.
"Really, a magic charm? from a demonic fairy..." ask Sir Cernunnos
"Yes, a magic sleeping spell that causes sleep..." said Sir George.
"Guy, it's your turn...I am really tired." Sir George said to the Squire Guy.
With that the squire jumped up and preformed his watch duty without complaint. Sir Cernunnos rolled over and immediately went back to sleep and poor Sir George tossed and turn never being able to sleep. Sir Cernunnos was awoken and finished the watch, checking the horse several times to see that no one had molested them and spent the rest of the watch without event. Sir George red eyed and exhausted stirred and moved out to the fire.
They were slow to get started the next morning with the cooking of breakfast and Sir George being exhausted. The group started on their way to the old, rotted stump, where the so-called fairies live. The woods were dark and thick underbrush. They made it to the river and follow it back to the northeast. Several hours pass but they stumble across the rocky hill with the monument on top, they climb to the top with an hour of two of sun light left. The standby the monument and it has writings on it. but no one can read them.
The sun set and just as the old man said a beam of light shines through the monument pointing to the spot in the forest. The clear see the old, rotted tree. by the time they rushed down there was only minutes to spare before the light beam disappeared completely.
They all looked at each other in amazement. Sir Cernunnos stepped forward and knocked on the door and stepped back.
The sound of locks and latches filled the air. The door, which was only 2.5 feet tall and 1 foot wide, slowly opened to reveal only darkness from behind.
The knights introduce themselves and their squires. The old face grins a toothy grin and his brown teeth shine in the dark. "Well met to Knights of Sir Roderick the Earl of Salisbury I GREET THEE"
"I am Oaken Cedarsocks, King of the Brownies, and this is my kingdom." he steps out of the tree about half way. He is dressed in all brown silk robes with wooden buttons. He has long hair that hangs down his back. He has long ears with small gold earrings. His face is old but smooth of wrinkles. His long-pointed noise hooks at the tip pointing down. He has high cheek bones and large infectious smile. With a grand smile he asks "what brings you to my doorstep" The knights begin their tale from the beginning, but at the first mention of the old couple the grand smile disappears from the Brownie Kings face. The knights notice this change and immediately tell the king that they were not working for the couple but only doing a good deed and trying to find the missing Brownies, whom had been working so hard for the old couple. The Brownie king nods in understanding what the knights are trying to say. He explains the whole story, from the Brownie side of things. He says "the old man, had indeed talked to the Blue Fairy Princess and that a contract was made that if he didn't' chop down our forest home that for one year the brownies would help the old couple secure a future without toile and trouble. We delivered 4 magic goats that would produce enough milk to make them comfortable the rest of their Lifes. But soon the greed boiled up and they were not continent. They stopped leaving gifts of food out for the workers. They begin to try to catch them in the act of working. And in the end sold 3 of the goats in town. knowing full well that we would bring the goats back. Three days ago, was the 1-year anniversary of the agreement. I decided that we had spent a year trying to help them, but they did nothing to better themselves. In fact, the old man, "Danny" has been cursed with an ailment in his back, it will not kill him, but it is very painful for him to walk. The old woman has dreams, and we fill them with discomfort. We will do so for 1 year."
With that he smiles again to the knights and ask is there anything else he can help them with?
They thank the King for telling them the truth.
"Oh yea, what's in the creepy cave over there?" ask Sir George of Stapleford
"That is the Cave of the Goblin King..." says the Brownie. He begins his story with "There once was an Evil Pict King name King Uradech, who tried to capture and keep a Fairy princess, he offered her gold, but she needed none. He offered her jewels, but she sparkled brighter than any gem. He offered her land, all of Pictland and the world too but this she did not need for the world. He offered her everything he had and anything that she may want. but the one thing that she wanted; he could not give. For he lusted in his heart for the princess and wanted only to own her. He was Evil, so lust was all that he had for her. The one thing in the all the Worlds that she wanted was Love. So, he gave her a gift. The Heart it was the only one of its kind. a necklace of diamonds and sapphires. A giant Blue Saphire in the shape of a heart. She returned the gift, and he was driven mad with anger. He chased her the world over with his army in tow and made a deal with the goblin king to gain access to the fairyland. If he could not have her than, he would take her by force. Deals with goblins are never sound...the goblin king really just wanted the treasure in which King Uradech was carting around. They fought and the Pict King won! but he made a grave mistake in his greed, he picked up "The Septer of the Goblin King" a cursed item of great power. It changed him, so that all his faults pushed forward. "Did you say Treasure?" said the squire, Bruce interrupting the story. Both of the knights looked at him scoldingly. "Yes, the great Pictland treasure which he had promised to the fairy Princess." replied the Brownie with a smile. "He keeps it in that cave right over there." he points off into the darkness toward a cave entrance that glows a pale blue. "You see, he is trapped there between worlds never to reach either side. And he is cursed to live forever. " "well nice talking to you...we need to be heading back. Don't want to be out on a dark night with Goblins running around" said Sir George. "Do you have any reason why we should not go into that cave and rid the world of such evil?" ask Sir Cernunnos "no i do not" was all the brownie said as he turned back to his door and disappeared into the darkness. the door closes and locks are heard latching. "Well boys let us go kill this one who fornicates with evil!" said Sir George. They all laugh and move toward the cave entrance. "Hey what did he say the Goblin kings name was?" ask Sir George "Uradech" said Sir Cernunnos "Ur a Dech" said Sir George sounding it out. They all laughed again. "Ur a Dech Pict" said Sir George. This time it seemed as if the woods laughed! After a time of jokes and laughing, the knights got serious about taking the cave. When they got close the cave had an scarry blue glow about it. the kind of glow that scars off lesser men.
Once they got outside, they healed their cuts and scratches. They knew that there was no way any first aid was going to heal this wound of Sir George. The moved back to the top of the rocky hill, were the stone monolith stood. This spot had seemed calming when they were here before. Their healing seems to speed up. It looked very grave for Sir George as he lay on his sleep pad. Suddenly a beautiful woman walked into their camp and ask how this had happened. They explained and she frowned and lay her hands on Sir George. and by a miracle of God, he was healed. She talked with them and told them that they were safe here from the goblins, this was a portal to her domain and goblins were not allowed there. The awoke the next morning refreshed and healed deciding to head back to the Sir Roderick the Earl of Salisbury
Sir Cernunnos
Silus IV
Report Date
31 Jul 2022
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