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Adventure Module

Creag Hill
2

Foreword
Welcome, to Creag Hill one of the new adventures
for Chivalry & Sorcery 5th Edition.
This is the first of our historical adventures and was
written by Paul “Wiggy” Wade-Williams some years
ago for us, but 5th edition has breathed new life into
it. We hope to bring other small adventures from
Pauls pen in the coming months.
So good reading and fun gaming …
Steve Turner
Brittannia Game Designs Ltd
March 2020
Line Manager: Stephen A Turner
Assistant Line Manager: David Blewitt
Artwork & Cover: Gordon Napier & Andrew
Hepworth
Chief Editor: Sue Turner
Layout by: - A.R.Cowley
Director of Anderian Designs Ltd.
E-mail: britgamedesigns@gmail.com
Or visit the Website at
http://www.britgamedesigns.com
ANDERIAN DESIGNS
Brittannia Game Designs and the designers of C&S 5th
Edition celebrate diversity among gamers and in our
games. In this edition of the classic medieval fantasy game
we encourage you to break away from the bland white,
male Middle Ages of yesteryear and make your game as
rich and varied as the Middle Ages really were.
If this does not reflect your vision of the Middle Ages, this
is not the game for you.
Cover artwork by Andrew Hepworth coloiured by
Gordon Napier
“Chivalry & Sorcery” is copyright Brittannia Game
Designs Ltd 2020.
The authors assert the moral right to be identified as
the authors of this work.
“Chivalry & Sorcery” and “C&S” are registered
trademarks of Brittannia Game Designs Ltd.
All rights reserved under UK and international
copyright conventions.
All of the characters and places described in this
book are fictitious and any resemblance to actual
persons, living or dead, is purely co-incidental. All
rights reserved. No part of this publication may
be re-produced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic
or otherwise without the prior permission of the
publishers and the copyright owner except for the
purpose of review.
A catalogue record is available from the British
Library:
ISBN 1-902500-24-9
3
4
 Glorious Table of Contents
The Legacy
of Creag Hill~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 6
Gamemaster’s Notes...................................................6
Historical Note...............................................................6

The Scenario~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 6
Introduction..................................................................6
Alternative Introduction..............................................7
What Really Happened to Sir Stephen?....................7
Sir Stephen’s Manor.....................................................8
Conducting Interviews...................................................8
Lady Rowena.................................................................8
Sir Stephen..................................................................10
Social Status: 32 BIF: 50.............................................................. 10
Brother Justinius..........................................................10
The Villagers................................................................10
Creag Hill.....................................................................11
The Hill by Night...........................................................12
The Roman Temple.....................................................13
Description...................................................................13
The Temple’s Secret....................................................14
New Magical Materials................................................14
New Spell.....................................................................15
Blessings of Danu............................................................
15
The Bandits’ Camp.....................................................15
The Bandits..................................................................15
The Main Road...........................................................16
The Feast.....................................................................17

Appendix A~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~18

Appendix B
The Bestiary~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 20

5
 The Legacy
of Creag Hill
Gamemaster’s Notes
This adventure deals with the sudden mental illness
of a local knight, Sir Stephen, Lord of Briwtun
(Bruton), who rode out to a nearby hill to capture a
group of bandits, and the sudden disappearance of
the knights who accompanied him. An ancient and
malevolent faerie guardian stands sentinel over the
hill and still performs its appointed task after nearly
1500 years. The guardian presents a tough challenge
to any group of characters.
Curing Sir Stephen of his madness is not the
immediate goal of this adventure; it is defeating the
bandits is. Trying to cure the illness that affects the
Lord of Briwtun may involve many trips to Creag
(Creech) Hill and even visits to druids.
Although having a character with noble status can
make the character’s life easier it is not absolutely
necessary. If there is at least one such character
in the group then use the standard introduction
below. Otherwise, use the alternate notes on how to
introduce the characters to the plot.
A small band of characters of Levels 1 - 4 should
be able to handle this adventure with a modicum
of effort. The adventure is set in Somerset during
the early part of the 13th century, but can easily be
transposed to any campaign world with little effort.
Historical Note
The black guardian of Creag Hill is a real legend
in Somerset, England. The temple no longer stands
on the hill, nor can its foundations be seen, but
archaeological work has revealed that the hill
was used up to and including Saxon times. Some
finds can be found in Bruton Museum and further
information about the legend can be found by
contacting https://www.brutonmuseum.org.uk/
6
The Scenario
Introduction
Read or paraphrase the following:
Note: If using your own campaign, use a suitable
NPC.
Whilst resting at a friend’s manor house in rural
Somerset, the tranquillity of the characters’ evening
meal is disturbed by the constable for the market-town
of Briwtun, which lies just off the main highway
between London and Exeter. He is banging on the
manor’s door as if the Devil himself is hounding him.
The porter of the manor answers the door and
enquiries about the constable’s business. From where
the characters are gathered in the Great Hall they can
hear approaching footsteps and the porter say, “You’d
better come in and speak to my Lord about this”.
A few moments later the porter enters the Great Hall,
apologises for disturbing the Lord and his guests,
and introduces the constable of Briwtun, Glyn the
Stout. The constable is a large set individual and is
well over six feet in height, tall for people of this age.
His weathered face sports a neatly trimmed beard
and deep-set, steel blue eyes peer out from under his
long hair. He is dressed in dirty leather armour and
is visibly out of breath. He carries no weapon, having
left his spear at the front door.
The constable bows politely, steadies himself mentally
and then begins to speak to the assembled characters.
“My lords, I beg your pardon for disturbing you at
so late an hour,” he begins whilst still gasping for
breath. “I apologise if my speech is flustered, but I
have ridden hard without stopping for food nor sleep
from the town of Briwtun, for I know that the news I
bring will be of most import to your ears. My lord’s
wife, the fair Lady Rowena, did send me with news
and an urgent request.
“Bandits have been plaguing the road just outside
of Briwtun and my lord, Sir Stephen of Briwtun,
believed them to be camped out on a hill just above
the town. He rode forth five days ago with his three
vassal knights to bring the bandits to justice. Nothing
was seen of them for two days, until a farmer came to
my house with a most worried look upon his face and
urged me to follow him.

“When we got to the spot where the farmer was
digging his crops I saw poor Sir Stephen lying there
in the filth and muck laughing like a madman. His
armour was all dirty but I could see that he was not
wounded at all. He had lost his sword and shield, and
I could see no sign of his horse. There was neither sign
of the other knights, nor their horses either. We took
Sir Stephen back to his manor house and called for the
village priest, Brother Justinius, to come and tend to
him. My mistress then charged me to travel here and
bring you this news. Other lords have been asked to
help, but all have declined.
“Begging your lords’ pardon for speaking so foolishly,
but there is an old legend amongst the farmers who
live near the hill that an evil monster dwells on the
top. Lord Stephen, being a good Christian man,
never paid it much attention. Some say that the same
night Sir Stephen left the manor, the beast was seen
performing its strange dance atop the hill. The Lady
Rowena beseeches you Sirs in the name of merciful
God, please come and aid us in finding out what
happened to my master, and what has become of his
knights.”
The characters may know something of Sir
Stephen. Have each character make a Regional
History & Legend lore skill roll (substitute “Local”
if the character lives within 20 miles of Briwtun -
Gamemaster’s discretion if this is not being played
in Somerset).
Skills Check
Skill Used: Regional/National History & Legend lore p185
or Local History & Legend if brought up within 20 miles
Achieving: Good relations with Lady Rowena
How long: 3 min
TSC% Mods
Character has lived in local area for some time: +25% or
Success Crit:
01 - 08 The character knows that Sir Stephen is a loyal support of the
king and has fought at his side before.
09 - 10 The character knows that Sir Stephen is a loyal supporter of
the king and has fought with him on the Crusades. He also has an
unbetrothed daughter
Failure Crit:
01-09 The character has never heard of Sir Stephen.
10 The character mistakenly believes that Sir Stephen only follows the
king in word and not spirit and has plotted against him in the past.
Consequences:
Misjudgement of Sir Stephen’s relationship to the King could severely
taint any further interactions, especially from loyal Knightly or Noble
characters.
Actually, Sir Stephen is a generous man, treats his
peasants fairly and rules his lands wisely. Whilst
not exceptionally wealthy, he maintains a modest
manor and has three vassal knights in his permanent
service, each with their own manor on Sir Stephen’s
lands. Aiding him could certainly do no harm to the
characters’ reputations.
The town of Briwtun should be around two days
gentle ride from the characters’ current location
and Glyn the Stout asks to travel back with the
characters; to guide them as much as secure
protection from bandits and wild beasts. The hill
that the constable refers to is known locally as Creag
Hill and it is indeed haunted.
Alternative Introduction
If none of the characters are knights or nobles, they
have little reason to be dining in a lord’s manor
house. However, since all characters have a feudal
lord, whether they support him or not, getting them
there should be fairly easy.
They may be carrying a message for him and have
been invited to stay, or they may have been sent
to aid the lord in repaying a debt. Whatever the
reason, it needs to be for friendly reasons and one
that allows the characters to stay overnight. The
reason itself should not require an adventure, or
the characters are unlikely to enter this adventure
(unless this is their last night before they leave for
home).
What Really Happened to Sir
Stephen?
Sir Stephen and his three vassal knights left his
manor house late in the afternoon, planning to
surprise the bandits when they returned to their
camp after a day’s villainy. However, the bandit
camp was not on the hill as Sir Stephen had
presumed. Seeing the remains of the old temple
that stands on the summit of Creag Hill, Sir Stephen
decided that whilst he and his men were here they
would explore the place anyway. These were his
lands, but he had never had reason to visit the hill.
Chances are, he reasoned, the bandits may have
been here recently and left signs of their camp.
7
As night began to fall and, having found nothing
of interest, the knights were preparing to leave for
the comfort of their manors when the guardian of
the hill appeared and attacked the group. Driven
insane by the beast, Sir Stephen ran off into the
night, dropping his weapons and leaving his horse.
The other knights managed to flee from the creature
with their wits barely intact but were ambushed by
the bandits on their way back to Briwtun. In their
panicked state the knights were easily despatched.
Sir Stephen, by now a gibbering wreck, wandered
aimlessly around the edge of the hill for a day and a
night before collapsing in the farmer’s field where he
was later found.
Sir Stephen’s Manor
The journey to Briwtun should be fairly uneventful,
unless the Gamemaster wishes to prepare an
encounter or two in advance.
On arriving at the manor house, the characters are
met by Maurice, Sir Stephen’s butler, who greets
them, has their horses lead to the stables, and
welcomes them inside for food. He does not yet
know who the characters are or why they are at
the manor, but he is following standard custom by
offering the characters hospitality. He is polite but
a little reserved with his information. Any character
who has the special ability Sense Auras, will notice
that the butler seems suspicious of the characters,
but not overly so. Only when he is told that the
characters are at the manor in answer to the request
for aid send by Lady Rowena does he relax and
speak more freely.
Read or paraphrase the following:
When you arrive at the manor house of Sir Stephen
and Lady Rowena, their butler, Maurice, meets you
at the entrance. He politely arranges for your horses
to be taken care of but seems a little reserved in his
greeting. Glyn then approaches him and quietly
whispers in his ear. Maurice smiles and looks
greatly relieved. As he takes your travelling cloaks
he says, “I shall inform my mistress of your arrival
whilst you freshen up. I am sure that she will be
with you shortly. Unfortunately,” he adds, “my
lord is still bed-ridden and cannot come down to
welcome you personally although I am sure that in
his heart he thanks you. If you wish, hot water and
clean clothes can be made available to you”.
8
Conducting Interviews
Whilst at the manor the characters have chance to
speak with some of the occupants, in the hope of
gaining useful information, both any they meet prior
to being greeted by Lady Rowena, or afterwards.
Major personalities include the following but feel
free to include any others you think will enhance the
players’ enjoyment of the adventure.
Note: Stats for all of the following major NPC’s can
be found in Appendix A – NPC Stats.
Lady Rowena
Maurice informs Sir Stephen’s wife, the attractive
Lady Rowena, of the characters’ arrival. Lady
Rowena is a tall, slender woman of strong Celtic
blood whose clothing accentuates her perfect figure.
Her red hair is kept neatly up in a bun. As a young
woman she had many suitors and enjoyed flirting
with attractive young knights, but now she is
devoted to her family.
Read or paraphrase the following:
She greets the characters in the Great Hall whilst
they dine. “Brave men of the realm, I thank you most
kindly for offering your services so quickly. It is
reassuring to know that in moments of need there are
fellows who would so speedily aid a lady in distress.
As you are no doubt aware, my husband suffers from
an unknown malady and his vassal knights have
disappeared. You are most welcome to stay at the
manor house whilst you make your enquiries into my
husband’s sudden ill health and the disappearance of
our loyal retainers. I insist that during this time you
eat at my Lord’s table, which, alas, is deserted except
for myself. It would be my Lord’s wish.”
The manor is clean although it does not speak of
immense wealth. The rooms at the manor are spartan
in their furnishings but are comfortable and the food
and wine is of good quality.
Lady Rowena has no idea what happened to her
husband whilst he was hunting the bandits. If
questioned she merely answers, “When my husband
left here with his knights he was in good spirits and
anticipated being home before nightfall.”
If the characters know or have learnt of Lady
Rowena’s daughter and mention her in
conversation, Lady Rowena is immediately put her
on her guard and she begins to doubt the veracity of
the characters’ claims to be here to aid her husband.
After all, there is no reason for the characters to
bring her daughter into a conversation, especially
since they are strangers to Briwtun. Have the
characters make Courtly Manners or Diplomacy &
Politics rolls (their choice) before they ask such a
question.

Skills Check
Skill Used: Courtly Manners p195, or Diplomacy & Politics p163
Achieving: Good relations with Lady Rowena
How long: 3 min
TSC% Mods
Character has children: +10% or
Success Crit:
01 - 10 The character knows that openly asking about a host’s daughter
is bad etiquette, unless you know the host well.
Failure Crit:
01-09 The character does not know enough regarding etiquette to
understand, if asking about the daughter is wrong or not and has to
make up his own mind.
10 The character makes a complete fool of himself by asking if he can
see Lady Rowena’s daughter.
Consequences:
Any future dealings with Lady Rowena will need to be through a trusted
third party. Inquiring characters are informed icily that her daughter is
currently at Sarum (Salisbury). Wiser characters find out information
about the young lady by subtler questioning of the manor staff.

Characters who wish to learn more should make a

Charm or Hearing Rumours skill roll, depending on
whether they openly ask the staff or merely listen to
conversations.

Skills Check
Skill Used: Charm p161or Hearing Rumours p208
How long: 15 min
Achieving: Finding the scuttlebutt
TSC% Mods
None
Success Crit:
01 - 08 The character learns that the girl is called Madeline and is
currently staying in Sarum with friends.
09 - 10 The character discovers that Lady Rowena’s daughter, Madeline,
is staying with the Earl of Sarum, Sir Stephen’s cousin, and that Lady
Rowena is extremely protective of her.
Failure Crit:
01-09 The character simply learns that the daughter is not at home..
10 The character completely misunderstands anything he hears and
believes that her mother is holding the girl captive in one of the towers of
the manor house.

9
 Sir Stephen
Social Status: 32 BIF: 50

Sir Stephen currently rests in his bed and is still

insane. He continually speaks of the “dark one” and
the “horned beast”. His personal servants believe that
spirits possesses him. During his mad ramblings he
laughs continuously, shouts at the top of his lungs
and is frequently seized by fits. He is of no use to the
characters if they attempt to ask him questions about
his ordeal.

Brother Justinius
The local Christian priest, Brother Justinius, has
taken it upon himself to tend Sir Stephen around
the clock and can be found at his bedside at almost
every hour of the day. What little sleep he grabs is
at Sir Stephen’s bedside and his meals are taken up
to him. Only trips to the latrine cause him to leave
Sir Stephen’s side for any length of time. Brother
Justinius is a little overweight and has the tell-tale
bags under his eyes that go with a lack of sleep.
If questioned about Sir Stephen’s health he
emphatically tells the characters that “poor Sir
Stephen is possessed by the Devil himself!” If asked
about the legend of the creature on Creag Hill he
dismisses it as “peasant superstition and too much
strong drink.” No matter how hard he is questioned,
he does not venture any other opinion about Creag
Hill or its supposed inhabitant. He cannot be
persuaded to leave Sir Stephen’s side under any
circumstances.

The Villagers
The characters may wish to approach the inhabitants
of Briwtun to discover more tales of Creag Hill. It is
not common practise for nobles to question peasants
in matters such as these, but lower status characters
may have some luck. After all, few others are likely
to know the hill, or its legends, as well as the folk
that live near it.
The peasants, are extremely courteous and give the
nobility no reason to be offended with them, treat
nobles very well. However, they are also fairly aloof.
Common folk receive a more friendly welcome. The
locals, made up mainly of farmers and herdsmen,
are always pleased to hear news of other places.

10
Characters who question the peasants about legends Creag Hill
concerning the hill may attempt an appropriate
social skill, such as Charm. Intimidating a lord’s Creag Hill is a long wooded hill situated
peasants is not considered good practise and any approximately two miles north west of the market
strong-arm tactics get reported to Lady Rowena who town of Briwtun, which is in east Somerset. The hill
will make her displeasure known. Characters who is one of the tallest in Somerset and can be seen from
wish to use their own skills should use Regional Glastanbeorg (Glastonbury) Tor and Cadaerborgh
History & Legend (or Local if they live within 20 (Cadbury) Castle.
miles) skill, but suffer a penalty of -20% as the
stories are not that well known outside of Briwtun
and its environs.
If talking to the locals, noble characters suffer a
penalty of -1 to their Crit Die, whereas pagans
or those openly displaying pagan signs (such
as Witches or Druids) receive a +1 bonus. Both
modifiers apply whether the roll is successful or not.

Skills Check
Skill Used: Charm p161 or Regional/National History & Legend lore
p185
Achieving: Finding the scuttlebutt
How long: 1 hour
TSC% Mods
The hill, according to local history and superstition,
Distance : -20%
is haunted by a maniacal, large black figure that is
Noble: -1 to Crit Die
often seen bounding around the hilltop at night. The
Pagan: +1 to Crit Die locals do not venture onto the hill after sunset, save
Success Crit: for the direst of circumstances. On the summit of the
01 - 08 The character is told that a monster lives on the hill, but it only
hill stand the remains of an old Roman temple.
comes out at night.
09 - 10 The character is told that a nocturnal faerie guardian resides on The hilltop is some 215 feet higher than the
the hill and that there is an old temple there as well, in which stands a surrounding landscape and is only twelve feet wide
statue whose blood can cure the sick.
at the top, where it is relatively flat. An overgrown
Failure Crit:
01-09 The character only learns that a monster guards the hill. but passable trail leads up the hill and passes along
10 The character offends some local lads and the situation needs to
the entire length of the summit. From the summit,
be defused before a scuffle breaks out. If the character is making a the hill slopes away steeply to each side before it
Regional History & Legend (or Local) skill roll, he remembers that a begins to level out into farmland. The north side is
dragon lives on the hill. considerably steeper than the south side, although
Consequences: a little-used track winds down it. The hill is only
Possible fist fight breaks out lightly wooded, but the amount of ground ivy,
nettles and other such vegetation, the ground cover
is extremely thick, over two fee high in places,
making travel difficult.
During the autumn and winter, rain makes the
ground very slippery, and it is easy to lose one’s
footing. Horses have great difficulty climbing the hill
by any route other than one of the two trails (Animal
Riding rolls suffer a penalty of -30% and with Crit
Die 01 the horse breaks a leg). In the winter months,
a light mist seems to hang over the top of the hill,
adding to the peculiar atmosphere.

11
 Characters who make a successful Alertness: Sight
roll may notice that whilst birds can be seen nestling
in the trees and occasionally walking along the
ground foraging for food, there is no sign of any
actual ground animal life, such as badgers, voles or
rabbits.
Note: If a character has the skill Tracking Prey, he
may add his PSF% in this skill as a bonus to his
Alertness: Sight skill roll.
Upon the hilltop there once stood a temple to the
Celtic stag god, Cernunnos. When the Romans
invaded Britain in the 1st century AD they took over
the site, built their own temple on top of the existing
one and continued to worship Cernunnos, although
in the changed form of the Romanized stag-headed
god, Silvanus.
Given that the Romans only vacated the British Isles
comparatively recently, it is perhaps not surprising
that the temple is virtually intact. The elements have
done some minor damage to the outer walls of the
building and ivy now covers much of the stonework,
but, all things considered, it has faired very well.

The Hill by Night

At night, the hill is a much more daunting place. The
undergrowth seems thicker and the trees appear to
bunch together, making passage seem even more
difficult than it already is in the daylight. The air
temperature is also noticeably colder than elsewhere
in the area, sometimes by several degrees. The
characters certainly notice how their breath seems
suddenly frosty when they are on the hill.

Skills Check
Skill Used: Faerie Lore p214
Achieving: Identification of the Guardian
How long: Instant
TSC% Mods
Character has Elven Blood +30%
Success Crit:
01 - 08 The character recognises the creature as an UnSeelie faerie
guardian.
09 - 10 The character knows that whilst the creature, an UnSeelie faerie
guardian, is unlikely to cause physical harm it will have dark powers at
its disposal.
Failure Crit:
01-09 The character has no idea what the creature is.
10 The character mistakenly believes the creature to be a banshee.
Consequences:
Applying the wrong information could give away advantages to the
guardian.

12
Anyone remaining on or near the hill for more
than a few minutes hears footsteps behind them,
although no one can be seen. Distant, cackling
laughter can also be heard on moonless nights.
During the hours of darkness the guardian prowls
the hilltop, looking for those who would trespass
upon the site that it has been bound to protect.
Adventuring characters are considered as fair
game to the guardian in the same way as unarmed
peasants are.
The guardian gives anybody trespassing thirty
minutes to be gone from the hill before it
materialises and begins to torment them. It gives
no warning to trespassers that they are on a
time restriction, neither does it warn them of its
impending arrival. Once started, only the coming
of dawn or the trespassers leaving the hill stops it
tormenting them further. In the latter case this is not
always enough, as the creature delights in the terror
it causes.
Upon seeing the guardian, the characters may
recognise it from general legends and superstitions.
Have each make a Faerie Lore roll.
The Roman Temple
Description
The temple itself is divided into two sections. The
outer most section was open to the public and
allowed them somewhere to pray in peace and to
discuss matters that troubled them with the priests.
The inner area, known as the sanctum, which houses
a statue of the god, was open only to the priests who
attended the temple. Members of the public were
forbidden from entering the sanctum on penalty of
flogging.
The inner walls and floor of the temple sanctum
are covered in mosaics depicting mundane scenes.
Although weathering and plant growth have
damaged some of the mosaics, they are still clearly
discernible. Each mosaic had a specific meaning,
mostly for propaganda purposes, to the priests
who designed them. Although the mosaics have no
relevance to the adventure, they are included as a
red herring.
The north wall mosaic depicts a legion of Roman
legionnaires travelling down a paved road. This
signified the strength of Rome and its armies and
also showed that the Roman army could quickly
reach anywhere it wanted.
13
The east wall mosaic shows a band of Romans
hunting a wild boar and was designed to show that
the Romans were lovers of sport as well as fighting.
In some respects it also shows the Roman’s mastery
of nature.
The southern wall mosaic shows a collection of non-
Romans offering gifts to a Roman lord, signifying
that the local people adored their Roman overlords.
This was not always true but this was of little
concern to the priests who designed it.
The west wall mosaic shows a group of priests
dressed completely in white and holding hands
to form a ring whilst a naked man stands in the
middle. This is actually a representation of an old
Roman healing rite once performed at the temple.
The floor of the temple is covered in an ornate
mosaic floor, but it is cracked and beginning to
crumble where plants have forced their way through
the ground.
A slightly damaged stone statue of the horned god
Silvanus stands in the centre of the inner sanctum,
his arms spread wide, facing the rising sun. The face
of the statue is carved so the god seems to be glaring
at those who would dare to enter his sanctum.
Pagan-oriented or well learned characters
(Gamemaster’s call) that see the statue may
recognise it.
Skills Check
Skill Used: Theology p230
Achieving: Identification of Statue
How long: Instant
TSC% Mods
Christian: -30%
Success Crit:
01 - 09 The character recognises it as a Romano-Celtic god, but cannot
remember which one..
10 The character recognises the statue as a Roman representation of
the Celtic god, Cernunnos, the god of wild nature.
Failure Crit:
01-09 The character does not recognise the god.
10 The character mistakes it for the Roman god, Jupiter, who is often
depicted as wearing horns.
14
The Temple’s Secret
This secret is known to the locals and is cause for
great celebration twice a year. Each spring, on
the High Holy Day of Silvanus, (July 13 western
or July 30 eastern) blood drips from the statue’s
chest, where the heart would be in a normal man.
On mid-winter’s day the statue cries tears of
water. No logical explanation can be found for this
phenomenon.
The current locals know of this miraculous event,
and some even come to watch it unfold over the
course of the day, although they keep it a secret in
case the Christian priests ever hear of it and destroy
the statue. It is said that the blood and water can
be used to heal sick animals and plants, as well
as humans. Enough blood or water flows to fill a
typical one-pint drinking flagon. The blood or water
has to be prepared (MR reduced to Enchanted)
before it can be used and both contain powerful
magicks, but only appear once per year.
Aside from its uses in other potions and spells, each
has two very specific powers. If the blood is used
in a healing potion, it increases the caster’s ML by
+2 (for the effects of the potion only). If the water
is used in a potion containing the Plant Magick
spells Demeter’s Touch or Blessings of Danu, any
crops sprinkled with it are exceptionally healthy the
following harvest (usual spell effect plus a bonus of
+10% to PSF% in Field Crops, Fruit Crops, Vegetable
Crops or Viniculture rolls and a bonus of +1 to the
Crit Die).
Of course, using bodily fluids from a pagan god is
an ungodly act and Christian characters may balk at
physically having to drink or use potions etc. which
contain these. Christian characters must test their
Piety if they wish to use any of the liquids.
If the characters somehow discover the healing
powers of the blood or tears, they may use either
to cure Sir Stephen of his madness. Once again,
Christians may refuse to allow a good follower of
the faith to be healed by such pagan methods so
some form of persuasion or guile might be needed.
New Magical Materials
Blood of Cernunnos: Earth, MRF 5, ½ pint: Healing;
Purification; Exorcism
Tears of Cernunnos: Earth, MRF 5, ½ pint: Plant Growth;
Plants; Fertility
New Spell

Blessings of Danu
Magick Resistance:........................................................... MR 7
Fatigue Cost:.................................................................... 13 FP
Casting Time:..................................................... Ritual (3 days)
Range:................................................................... 7 acres x ML
Duration:...................................................................... 1 season
Known by many names, this spell affects the growth rate and
yield of plants. Plants yield triple their normal crops and are
resistant to drought and disease. The spell can be cast on a
particular group of plants only once per season.

The Bandits’ Camp

As can be seen on the Gamemaster’s map, the
bandits’ camp actually lies some five miles to the
north of Creag Hill and is situated just off the trail.
By following the trail from Creag Hill the characters
can easily discover the camp.
The camp is actually little more than three makeshift
shelters constructed from leaves and branches,
and a small fire-pit with several cooking pots near
it. Under a tarpaulin in the largest shelter is the
bandits’ acquired booty. They plan to sell most of
it in Dorsetshire, where they know it will fetch a
good price. They had originally planned to leave
for Dorsetshire after killing Sir Stephen’s knights,
but after coming up with the plan to impersonate
the knights, they now plan to stay in the area until
things become too dangerous for them. The booty
is worth a total of 142 Crowns and any characters
taking it for personal gain are technically stealing.
If the booty is searched, the characters will find no
sign of any weapons, armour or shields that could
belong to Sir Stephen’s missing knights. The reason
for this is that the bandits are using it as part of
their plan. They are posing as knights guarding the
road to Briwtun and are then robbing travellers and
merchants who pass that way.

The Bandits

How Many!?
During the day there are no bandits at the camp;
they are all out robbing innocent travellers. As
evening settles in they return to the area to check
the snare traps they have set. They cook and eat any
game they have caught, whilst inspecting the booty
gained that day. This takes about two hours and two
bandits are on watch at all times.

15
During the night the bandits take watch in pairs,
Skills Check
swapping every three hours. If they see or hear
anything they instantly shout to warn their Skill Used: Heraldry p195
colleagues. After killing three knights they know Achieving: Correct interaction with NPC’s based on knowledge of their
that they are hunted men and take no chances. heraldic achievement displayed.
How long: Instant
The dead knights’ stolen horses (light warhorses)
TSC% Mods
are tethered to a tree on the edge of camp and whilst
Familiarity: +10%
the bandits obviously keep an eye on them, they are
not especially protected or watched. Anyone trying Success Crit:
01 - 10 The character spots that the knights’ shields bear the crest of Sir
to free the horses quietly needs to calm them as they Stephen.
are jittery. A successful Animal Training, Drover or Failure Crit:
Calm & Attract Animals skill roll is required; both of 01-09 The character does not recognise the device, but it looks familiar..
which will be at a penalty of –10%. 10 The character believes the shields bear the crest of one of the
character’s (or his Lord’s) allies.
Consequences:
If the characters successfully recognise the device they realise that since
Skills Check Sir Stephen only has three knights in his service, these must be the ones
that rode onto the hill with him.
Skill Used: Animal Training p152 or Drover p150 or a Calm & Attract
Animals p196
Achieving: Free the horses in a quite and calm manner
Once the two groups are close enough to see each
other’s faces clearly, the characters see that the
How long: 1 min
“knights” are somewhat dirty and unshaven. If the
TSC% Mods
characters ask the “knights” any questions referring
Animals are already uneasy -10%
to Sir Stephen or their service with him they attack
Success Crit: immediately. They realise they have been rumbled
01 - 10 The animals remain quiet whilst approached.
and know that being caught now would mean a
Failure Crit:
01-09 The horses whinny at the character’s approach. Allow the bandit
painful death.
sentries to make an Alertness: Sound roll to notice this..
However, if the characters ask what the “knights”
10 The horses go berserk and try to bolt. The guards automatically hear
are doing on the road they merely say that they are
this and come to investigate, after waking their comrades.
“guarding the road from bandits”. Likewise, asking
Consequences:
where they come from elicits only the vague answer
The horses give away the characters presence, possibly even injuring
the characters if they go bereserk. of “around here”. The bandits try to be as vague as
possible, guessing (wrongly) that the characters are
merely passing through the area and are being polite
to fellow travellers.
The Main Road
If the characters travel along the main road to
Briwtun for any reason they come across a party of
three “knights” sat on their horses by the side of the
road. Each has his “squire” with him. The knights
have not erected any pavilions and it is obvious to
the characters that they are not planning to stay for
any length of time. These “knights” are actually the
bandits who ambushed and killed Sir Stephen’s
knights.
As the characters approach, the bandits turn to face
them, displaying the heraldry on their shields. Have
the characters make Heraldry rolls.

16
The Feast
Once the bandits have been successfully dealt with
(either killed or handed over to the town constable
to await trial by higher authority), the characters
can report the fate of Sir Stephen’s retainers to his
wife. Considering Lady Rowena’s current state the
characters should attempt to break their news with
some modicum of tact.
Skills Check
Skill Used: Diplomacy & Politics p152
Achieving: The soft disclosure of news
How long: 1 min
TSC% Mods
Familiarity: +10%
Success Crit:
01 - 09 The character breaks the news gently and without upsetting Lady
Rowena too much.
01 - 09 The character breaks the news with considerable aplomb and
although Lady Rowena is upset, she thanks the group bravely and
attempts to continue with her duties.
Failure Crit:
01-09 The character delivers the news bluntly and Lady Rowena
becomes distraught.
10 Showing as much tact as a falling tree, the character reduces Lady
Rowena to tears with his tale and causes her to depart from the feast
immediately.
Consequences:
Lady Rowena is upset by the news, regardless of how well the knights
broke it to her, but has suspected the worst all along. To honour the
characters’ endeavours, Lady Rowena has a modest feast prepared for
them. The only other attendees are the families of the deceased vassal
knights.
During her husband’s illness Lady Rowena is officially in charge of
the manor and its welfare. During the feast she stands and offers the
characters a reward
Should Sir Stephen have been cured of his malady
then he makes a similar offer.
Each character that accepts receives a position
appropriate to his background skill. Nobles who
accept receive a small, unfortified manor house
with an accompanying farm. The manors were
used by Sir Stephen’s deceased knights but were
not hereditary lands; instead reverting to Sir
Stephen upon the knights’ demise. The characters
should not feel as if they have to accept the offer -
this is merely an additional reward for a party of
characters who are looking for a home-base from
which to adventure. Gamemasters who do not wish
to present positions to the characters or in parties
where there are no knights may instead offer them
100 Crowns each in goods as their reward.
If the characters turn down the offer of service, for
any reason, each of them is thanked warmly for
their help and given 100 Crowns worth of goods
as a reward. An additional 100 Crowns worth of
goods are given if Sir Stephen was cured during the
adventure.
The characters have also made useful allies in Sir
Stephen and Lady Rowena and may stand a chance
of successfully courting their daughter, although
that is another story.
If the characters cure Sir Stephen and accept the
offer of employment, their first task is to travel to
Sarum and escort Sir Stephen’s daughter Madeline
back to Briwtun, but that is yet another story.

“Sirs! You have despatched the bandits that have

been troubling these parts and for that I thank-you.
Alas my husband’s retainers have been most
cruelly slain by the brigands and our lands
are defenceless. Kind sirs, would you accept a
permanent position in my husband’s household
as his retainers?”

17
 Appendix A
Lady Rowena of Briwtun
6th Level Human Female Noble Armour
Vocation: Noblewoman Heavy Clothing (6 / 5 / 4 / 5 / 5)
Social Status: 30 BIF: 47 Height: 5’4” Wt: 95 lb
Hair: Red Eyes: Blue Complexion: Fair Weapons
Dagger 3 PSF% 43 TSC%
BOD: 29 FAT: 22 Damage 4P
BAP: 13
Personality
STR 10 (58%) INT 15 (76%) APP 20 (90%) Lady Rowena is the beautiful wife of Sir Stephen, the
CON 09 (54%) WIS 16 (79%) BV 16 (79%) ruler of Briwtun. She is elegant, witty, charming and totally
DEX 13 (70%) DISC 13 (70%) SPR 14 (73%) devoted to her husband and his welfare. Underneath her
AGL 11 (62%) FER 15 (76%) CHA 17 (82%) composed and pleasant exterior lurks a fiery temper that
has made battle-hardened knights flee her presence.
DT 5 Knights who try to take advantage of her in any manner will
BMR 0 SPRINT 8 soon regret it!

Base Skills PSF% TSC% She and Sir Stephen have been married for fifteen years
Alertness-Sight 18% 25% and have but a single daughter, Madeline, who was born
Alertness-Sound 7% 9% the year after their wedding. Since then they have had
Stamina 6% 46%
Honour: 9

no luck in their attempts to produce more offspring. Lady

Dodge 3% 53% Rowena is extremely protective of her daughter and
Will Power 5% 45% potential suitors have to perform a variety of tasks to prove
Language(Own) 0% 61% that they are worthy enough to marry the girl. Madeline is
Faith 0% 20% currently at Sarum, staying with relatives. Her mother sent
Brawling 0% 50% her there so she would not see her father in his current
state.
Relevant Skills PSF% TSC%
Local Geography 24% 84%
Animal Riding (horse) 18% 78%
Diplomacy & Politics 21% 71%
Read Write Latin 15% 65%
Sewing & Knitting 21% 54%
Courtly Dancing 18% 59%
Courtly Manners 21% 60%
First Aid 9% 59%
Heraldry 12% 52%
Local History & Legend 6% 66%

18
 The Bandits - (6)
2nd Level Human Male Fighters Two different categories of bandit currently make up the
Vocation: Warrior members of this band; those using low quality armour and
Social Status: Height: 5’7” Wt: 170 lb weapons, and those who have donned the armour and
weapons of Sir Stephen’s vanquished knights and who
BOD: 39 FAT: 26 now pose as servants of the King.
BAP: 11
False Knights
STR 12 (66%) INT 08 (50%) APP 10 (58%)
CON 13 (70%) WIS 10 (58%) BV 10 (58%) Armour
DEX 11 (62%) DISC 13 (70%) SPR 10 (58%) Maille Hauberk (9 / 9 / 8 / 9 / 7)
AGL 12 (66%) FER 10 (58%) CHA 10 (58%) No Helm

DT 5 Weapons
BMR 0 SPRINT 8 Cavalry Lance 0 PSF% 10 TSC%
Damage 16P Crit Die +1, Bash 9+
Base Skills PSF% TSC%
Alertness-Sight 6% 13% Longsword 18 PSF% 48 TSC%
Alertness-Sound 6% 13% Damage 11S Crit Die +1, Bash 7+
Stamina 3% 43%

Honour: 21 (25)
Dodge 0% 50%
Will Power 0% 40%
Language(Own) 0% 60%
Faith 0% 20%
Brawling 0% 40%

Relevant Skills PSF% TSC%

Local Geography 0% 60%
Animal Riding (horse) 18% 58%
Spears 21% 61%
Slashing Swords 18% 48%
Wear Light Armour comp

Armour
Leather (6 / 5 / 4 / 5 / 5)

Weapons
2H Inf. Spear 21 PSF% 61 TSC%
Damage 13P Crit Die +1, Bash 9+

Longsword 18 PSF% 48 TSC%

Damage 11S Crit Die +1, Bash 7+

19
Appendix B
The Bestiary
The creature who guards Creag Hill is described
by those few unfortunates who have got close to it
as a black humanoid without any distinguishable
features. A few talk of it having horns, but none
would swear by it.
However, what is quite clear is that the creature
is very agile and can sometimes be seen leaping
and bounding around the hilltop, as if performing
some strange dance. It also possesses great stamina,
exceptional speed and never seems to become
fatigued. The creature has neither the ability, nor
the desire, to speak to mortals. The creature is
exceptionally cruel, does not care whom it victimises
and knows no mercy.
The creature is dispelled by sunlight. At first dawn,
the creature suddenly vanishes and all those
currently affected by its powers return to normal.
20
However, those who are suffering long-term
effects must still wait until the powers’ effect ends
naturally.
The creature is an ancient and powerful UnSeelie,
bound here by the Celtic druids who once
worshipped here to guard the hill. When the
Romans came it tormented them, even though they
worshipped an aspect of Cernunnos, and the priests
would only visit the site during the day, preferring
to live in the nearby settlement at Briwtun during
the hours of darkness rather than staying in the
temple grounds.
The creature is unlikely to be harmed by the
characters as it can only be harmed by iron weapons
or by weapons specifically designed to harm faeries.
It does not attempt to avoid any of the blows. Should
the creature be reduced to zero Body Points or lower
it is temporarily dispelled, returning completely
healed on the night of the next full moon.
 The Guardian of Creag Hill
Height: 6’2” Wt: 200 lb Unholy Scream of the Ancient Soul (60 PSF):
Everyone within 50 feet (15 metres) of the creature who
BOD: 50 FAT: 50 hears it scream, and covering one’s ears does not help,
BAP: 23 Jump: 10’ must make a Willpower roll or flee until out of sight and at
DT 8 least a mile from the creature. If the roll is a Failure with a
BMR 10 SPRINT 27 Crit Die of 10, the victim goes indefinitely insane.

Base Skills PSF% TSC% While fleeing, the victim does almost anything to get away.
Stamina 27% 67% If prevented from fleeing, the victim may cower in terror, roll
Dodge 21% 61% up in a ball, or, in very rare circumstances, he might enter
Will Power 24% 64% a berserk state. Characters who are berserk when initially
Language(Own) 0% 60% encountering this power are unaffected by it.

A favourite trick of the creature is to chase individuals who

Relevant Skills PSF% TSC% are fleeing, so forcing them to keep running until they drop
Folk Dancing 40% 90% from exhaustion. The creature can keep up with any human
Faerie Lore 70% 110% or animal, regardless of its ground speed, if it succeeds in

Armour
Natural Hide (3 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 3)
Special Powers:
The creature has several special powers that do not translate
well as standard spells. Each power cannot fail to work, but some
can be resisted. For this reason, each resisted power has a PSF
value).
Transfixing the Mortal Body (55 PSF):
This power allows the creature to root a mortal to the spot,
making it impossible to move. The victim receives a Willpower
test to break free, but if that roll fails the victim is stuck to the spot
until sunrise, or until the creature cancels the effect. The victim
may use his arms, however, although any combat receives a
-20% PSF penalty due to the limited balance. If the resistance roll
is a Failure on a Crit Die of 10 the victim is completely paralysed.
All those within 18 feet (5 metres) of the creature are affected.
The creature may use its other powers whilst this power is active.
Honour: 40
a Stamina roll.
Maniacal Laughter of the Insane Spirit:
The laughter of the creature deafens mortals and disturbs
their ability to concentrate on tasks. There is no resistance
to this; all skills suffer a -13% PSF penalty while the beast
laughs. In addition, all those who hear the sound, and
covering one’s ears does not help, must make appropriate
Language skill checks to be able to make out what others
are saying to them, the laughter drowning out all other
sounds. This power lasts until the creature stops laughing.
Incorporeal to Nature’s Body:
The creature can freely pass through, and is passed
through by, wood and earth (includes all metals except
cold iron), including items made of these substances. Such
items pass straight through the creature as if it does not
exist. The creature takes great delight in watching mortals’
reactions as they try desperately to harm it.

21
22
23
 Creag Hill
Adventure Supplement

Set in Somerset in the Year of our Lord 1184 is an

Adventure of investigation for characters of 1st - 4th
Level of mixed vocations.

In this investigation of the madness of Sir Stephen, the

heroes are asked to investigate the strange affliction
of a trusted lord. What follows will pitch them against
brigands and a creature of legend which has haunted the
land for centuries.

24
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
 “And where would you find such a lineage in the State as his?”
vehemently interrupted Wynnette. “His pedigree can be traced back,
step by step, to the Sieur Louis de Grandiere, who came over to
England in the year 1420, in the suit of Katherine of Valois, queen of
Henry the Fifth; though, of course, that tells but little. He was
probably a gentleman in waiting, though he might have been a horse
boy!”
“He was a gentleman in waiting on the queen. He was a nobleman
of Provence,” replied quaint little Rosemary, craning her neck in
defense of her ancestor.
“Oh, he was! Well, I always thought so! But that is more than can
be said of Mr. Roland Bayard!” said Wynnette, maliciously.
Rosemary flushed to the edges of her curly black hair.
“I do not know what he has to do with the question,” she
murmured.
“Only this, my love: that while we are taking sweet counsel
together, and you are giving me the benefit of your wisdom in regard
to Mr. Samuel Elk Grandiere, I might reciprocate by giving you a
friendly warning in respect to Mr. Roland Bayard!”
“Oh, Wynnette!” cried Rosemary, deprecatingly, while the color
deepened all over her face and neck.
“Nobody knows who he is! He was washed ashore from the wreck
of the Carrier Pigeon, the only one saved. He was adopted by Miss
Sibby, good soul, and he was educated at the expense of Mr. Force,
generous man! Why, he was not only homeless, friendless and
penniless, but he was nameless until the name of Roland Bayard was
given him by Mr. Force and Miss Sibby, who were his sponsors in
baptism!”
“Oh! oh! Wynnette! No one can look at Roland Bayard without
seeing that he must be of princely lineage! He is very handsome, and
graceful and accomplished! He is refined, cultured, intellectual!”
pleaded Rosemary.
“Don’t see it! He has been through college and he has plenty of
modest assurance, which prevents him from being bashful and
awkward, as some of his betters are. But all the same, he is nobody’s
son!”
 “Oh, Wynnette! that is not generous of you! Can dear—can Roland
help his misfortune? Is he to blame for being wrecked on our shore
in his infancy, and losing everything, even his name? Oh, Wynnette!”
said Rosemary, with tears in her eyes.
“No! I am not generous! I am a little catamount, and worse than
that! It is not true, either, what I said about him! Roland is a fine
fellow. And of course he must have been somebody’s son! Don’t cry,
Rosie. I didn’t mean it, dear! Only the devil does get in me
sometimes!” said the generous girl, stooping and kissing her quaint
little friend.
Rosemary smiled through her tears; and then they went
downstairs together.
And as this was the first, so it was the last time that the subject in
dispute was mentioned between the two girls.
 CHAPTER XXVII
LUCE’S DISCOVERY

As Wynnette and Rosemary approached the drawing room they

heard a sweet confusion of laughing and talking within; which was
explained as soon as Wynnette had opened the door.
Le had just arrived, and was in the midst of his friends shaking
hands, hugging and kissing, asking and answering questions, all at
once.
He rushed to Wynnette and Rosemary “at sight,” and gave them
each a hearty, brotherly embrace.
“Yes,” he continued, with something that he had been saying when
the girls came in—“yes, I have brought all the evidence we can
possibly want or use—an overwhelming mass of evidence as to the
marriage of Angus Anglesea and Ann Maria Wright at St. Sebastian,
on August 1, 18—. That is proved and established beyond all doubt or
question.”
“As if anybody ever did doubt it. The Lord knows if ever I had
thought as any of you misdoubted as I was Anglesea’s lawful wedded
wife, I wouldn’t a-stayed in this house one hour. Not I!” indignantly
protested Mrs. Anglesea.
“No one ever did or ever could doubt that fact, my good lady,” said
Mr. Force, soothingly; “but there are captious people who will
contest things that they cannot doubt. And it is to meet such as these
that we must be armed with overwhelming evidence.”
Mrs. Anglesea was mollified, and presently inquired if Le had seen
her boys.
“I did not go to Wild Cats’ Gulch, dear Mrs. Anglesea,” replied Le.
 “‘Didn’t go!’ But you wrote as you was a-going!” exclaimed the lady
from that section.
“Yes, and so I was. But on the very day when I proposed to start
thither, on inquiring the best way to get there, I was referred to a
man who was said to have once lived at the place. So I went, and
found the referee to be a Mr. Joe Mullins, in the jewelry line of
business.”
“Joe Mullins! My Joe! He in St. Sebastian! Do tell me now!”
exclaimed Mrs. Anglesea.
“Yes, there he was, healthy, happy and prosperous, keeping a
jeweler’s store, and living over it with his wife and two children!”
“Lord a mercy! Married, too!”
“Yes, and prosperous.”
“Well, well! And the other boys?”
Le looked solemn.
“‘Some gone east;
Some gone west;
And some rest
At Crow’s Nest,’”

ruefully answered the young man.

“And the camp’s broke up, as I thought it would be.”
“Yes, two years ago.”
“Well, it is some satisfaction to hear about Joe. And so now I won’t
interrupt of you no longer, as I dessay you have a heap to talk about
among your ownselves,” said Mrs. Anglesea, as she left the drawing
room.
As soon as she was gone the family fell into more confidential
conversation.
“We shall sail for England in ten days,” said Mr. Force, “and with
this complete evidence of the Californian marriage in our possession
we will, on our arrival in the old country, seek out authentic evidence
of the exact date of Lady Mary Anglesea’s demise, which I fully
believe to have occurred in the August of some year previous to that
of Col. Anglesea’s marriage with the Widow Wright. When we shall
find such evidence, as I feel sure we shall, then there will be nothing
wanting to prove that Ann Maria Anglesea is the lawful wife of Angus
Anglesea, and that Odalite Force is, and has always been, free, and
there need be nothing to prevent your immediate union, my dear
children.”
“May Heaven speed the day!” earnestly aspirated Le.
Much more was said on the subject that need not be repeated here.
Preparations for their voyage had been so long and systematically
in progress that the Forces had perfect leisure in the last week of
their stay at home.
The last day was devoted to the friends they were about to leave
behind.
They started early on the morning of the twenty-third of May, and
made a round of farewell visits to all their old neighbors.
The last call they made was at Forest Rest, to take leave of Miss
Sibby Bayard.
“So you are ralely a-going to cross the high seas? I hardly believed
it on you, Abel Force!” she said, as she shook hands in turn with Mr.
and Mrs. Force, Le and the three girls, and gave them seats. “I
thought as you had more sense, Abel Force! I did that! Them as has
the least to do with the sea, sez I, comes the best off, sez I!”
“But, my good lady, necessity has no law, you know. We are
obliged to go,” laughed Mr. Force.
“What have you been up and doing of, old Abel, that you are
obliged to run away from your own native country? Nobody but
outlaws, sez I, is obliged to go off to furrin parts, sez I!”
Mr. Force found nothing to say to this.
Wynnette came to her father’s assistance.
“We shall visit, among other interesting places, Arundel Castle, the
seat of your ancestors for centuries past, Miss Sibby.”
“Hush, honey! You don’t say as you’ll go there?”
“As sure as the Lord permits us, we will, Miss Sibby.”
“And see it?”
“Yes, and see it.”
“With your own eyes?”
 “Well, no,” gravely replied Wynnette, “not with our own eyes,
because we might have to stretch them too wide to take in a view of
the great stronghold of the great ducal house. We propose to hire
some stout, able-bodied eyes for the occasion!”
“And now you are laughing at me, Miss Wynnette! You are always
laughing heartiest inside when you’re a looking solemnest outside!
But you ralely are gwine to visit ’Rundel Cassil?”
“Yes. All tourists go there.”
“Well, well, well! Them as lives the longest, sez I, sees the most, sez
I. But little did I think as I should live to see any of my neighbors
going to visit ’Rundel Cassil!”
“We will bring you a guidebook with illustrations, descriptive of
the castle, and some relics and curiosities of the place. They are to be
had, I think.”
“Do, my child! I should prize ’em above everything. And now, Miss
Wynnette, you take a ole ’oman’s advice. Them as follows my advice,
sez I, never comes to no harm, sez I. Mind that, honey.”
“All right, Miss Sibby; fire away!—I mean proceed with your good
counsel.”
“Well, then, honey, I ain’t been that blind but I could see what was
a-goin’ on between a certain young gentleman and a certain young
lady.”
Wynnette tacitly pleaded guilty by a deep blush.
“Now, honey, don’t you take it anyways amiss what I am a-gwine
to say. You’re gwine off to furrin parts. Now, honey, don’t you let any
of them there furrin colonels and counts and things fashionate you
away from you own dear sweetheart. He’s a good, true man, is Sam
Grandiere, and a ole neighbor’s son. Now you take my advice and be
true to him, as he is sure to be true to you. Them as breaks faith, sez
I, is sure to pay for it, sez I. There, now, I won’t say no more. When
you’ve said all you’ve got to say, sez I, it is time to stop, sez I.”
Mrs. Force now arose to take leave.
All her party kissed Miss Sibby good-by.
The old lady cried a little, and prayed: “God bless them.”
And so they parted.
 Early the next morning the Forces left Mondreer, taking the dog,
Joshua, with them.
Wynnette had insisted on his coming.
“I promised him, papa,” she said—“I promised him; and it would
be playing it too low to go back on a dumb brute—oh! I mean, dear
papa, that it would seem base to break faith with a poor, confiding
dog.”
So Joshua went.
“Look yere, ole woman,” said the lady from Wild Cats’, “I’m gwine
to take the best of care of your house while you’re gone, and I want
you to keep an eye on my rascal over yonder, while I keep a sharp
lookout for him over here. He can’t be in both places at once; but
wherever he is he will be at some deviltry—you may bet your pile on
that.”
This was the lady’s last good-by to the departing family.
She watched the procession of three carriages that took them and
all their luggage to the railway station, where Rosemary Hedge was
to be brought by her mother and aunt to join them.
She watched them cross the lawn, and go out through the north
gate, and disappear up the wooded road.
And then she turned into the house to face the howling Luce.
“What on earth ails the woman?” demanded the housekeeper.
“Oh! dey’s gone ag’in!—dey’s gone ag’in! An’ dis time dey’s gone
across de ocean! I shall nebber see ’em ag’in!—nebber no mo’!—
nebber no mo’!” sobbed Lucy, sitting flat on the hall floor, and
rocking her body back and forth.
“Oh, yes you will. Don’t be a fool! Get up and go to work. Work’s
the best cure for trouble. Indeed, work’s the best cure for most things
—poverty, for instance.”
“It didn’t use to be so! It didn’t use to be so!” said Luce, continuing
to rock herself. “Dey nebber use to go ’way from year’s end to year’s
end! But now it’s got to be a habit dey gibs deirselbes—a berry habit
dey gibs deirselbes!”
 CHAPTER XXVIII
FORBIDDEN LOVE

The three carriages conveying the large party from the old manor
house rolled on through the familiar woods, so often traversed by the
young people of the household in going to and fro between Mondreer
and Greenbushes.
In the foremost carriage rode Mr. and Mrs. Force, Wynnette and
Elva.
In the second, Odalite and Le.
In the third, Dickon and Gipsy, the valet and lady’s maid, in charge
of all the lighter luggage.
Joshua, the dog, raced on before in the highest state of ecstasy, but
occasionally raced back again, as if to be sure that his large family
were following him safely without disappearing in the woods to the
right or the left.
Mr. Force knew perfectly well that that dog was going to give him
more trouble and embarrassment on land and sea than all his party
twice told; that it would be the unfailing cause of rows and
rumpuses, on trains and boats, and that might end in Joshua being
cast off, or lost, or killed.
But what could he do?
Talk of your henpecked husband, indeed! He is not half so
common, or half so helpless, as your chickpecked father.
Wynnette had promised Joshua that he should never be left
behind again, and she said that it would be base to deceive and
betray a poor dog. Wynnette said the dog must come, and he came.
When they came in sight of Chincapin Creek little Elva put her
head out of the window and gazed, and continued to gaze, fondly, if
silently, on the spot so full of pleasant, childish memories, until they
had crossed the bridge, and left the place behind. Then, with a little,
involuntary sigh, she drew in her head and sat back in her seat.
Wynnette mocked her.
“Why don’t you say, ‘Adieu, blest scenes of my innocent infancy!
Virtue and simplicity,’ and so on and so on!”
“Oh, Wynnette! How can you?” exclaimed Elva, almost in tears.
“I can’t! I never could! It isn’t in my line! But why don’t you?”
mocked the girl, raising her black eyebrows.
They reached the station in full time, and had twenty minutes to
wait. Mr. Force had engaged a whole compartment for his party by
telegraph the day before.
In the waiting room they found all the Grandieres, all the Elks, and
little Rosemary Hedge, with her luggage.
There followed an animating scene—a little laughing, more crying
and much talking.
Mrs. Hedge implored Mrs. Force to be a mother to her fatherless
child, and to bring her back safe and well at the end of the year.
Mrs. Force promised all that a woman could, under the
circumstances.
And Roland Bayard, who sat beside little Rosemary holding her
hand in his, spoke up and said:
“Dear Mrs. Hedge, don’t grieve about the little maiden. If, at any
time, you should be pining to have her back, you can let me know
and I will just run over and fetch her.”
There was something very comforting in this promise, because
Mrs. Hedge knew that Roland Bayard meant what he said; and very
cheering in the manner in which he put it—“Just run over and fetch
her!” Why, it sounded like such a mere trifle to cross the ocean, in
these days of steam. But Roland was still talking.
“And, Rosemary, if you get homesick before our friends are ready
to return, write to me, darling, and I’ll come and fetch you back.”
“Oh, Mr. Bayard! you don’t know how you have consoled me!” said
Mrs. Hedge, wiping her eyes.
 “I will write to you every week, Roland. And I will keep a journal
for you, and send it in monthly parts, so that you may seem to be
traveling with us! Oh, how I wish you were!” sighed Rosemary.
“Do you, darling? Well, perhaps you may see me sooner than you
expect,” replied Roland, mysteriously.
“Oh! oh! will you be coming over? Does the Kitty ever go to
England?”
“I don’t know, dear; but if the Kitty don’t, there will be one or two
other little craft crossing—perhaps. Let us live in hope.”
While Rosemary and Roland chatted together, Mrs. Hedge turned
to Mrs. Force, saying:
“Oh, you happy woman! You are going to Europe with all you love
at your side—husband, children and nephew! While I stay home,
widowed, practically childless and alone! Talk of the compensations
of life! There is no compensation in mine.”
“‘The heart knoweth its own bitterness!’” murmured Elfrida Force
to herself.
“Mother! Mother! I won’t go! I won’t leave you!” cried Rosemary,
jumping up and throwing herself into the widow’s arms.
“Hush, my child, hush! I wish you to go, and you must do so. It is
for your own profit and instruction,” replied Mrs. Hedge.
“Then, my own dear mother, won’t you just think that I have only
gone back to school in Washington, and that I shall be home as usual
to spend the Christmas holidays? Mr. Force expects to bring us all
home in December.”
“Yes, yes, I shall be comforted, child,” replied the widow, and she
held her daughter on her lap, against her bosom, with Rosemary’s
arms clasped around her neck, until they heard the sound of the
approaching train.
The train never stopped longer than three minutes at this station.
All arose to bid their last good-bys.
Among the rest, Joshua came out from behind Wynnette’s skirts,
and shook himself, and very nearly shook the building. All alert was
he to see that his eccentric family did not escape him again.
“Gracious goodness, Mr. Force! Here is that dog followed you all
the way from Mondreer! What’s to be done with him? Shall I take
him home? Will he follow me?” inquired Sam Grandiere, eager to be
useful.
“He is to go abroad with us,” groaned the squire, who was hastily
shaking hands right and left with the friends who had come to see
him and his family off.
“But will they allow——”
There was no time to finish his question, for—
“Good-by, Sam,” said Wynnette, holding out her hand.
“Remember the advice I gave you about taking a course at Charlotte
Hall College.”
“I will, Wynnette, I will!” earnestly answered the young fellow,
with tears brimming in his honest blue eyes.
“You will write to me as often as you can, and I will answer every
one of your letters. And—listen here, Sam,” she added, in a whisper
that the long-legged boy had to stoop to catch, “I won’t marry a royal
duke if I can resist the temptation! Good-by.”
The whole party hurried out of the building to the platform, where
the train had just stopped, with its puffing and blowing engine.
Mr. Force showed his tickets, and the party were conducted to
their car. In the confusion of a final leave-taking, then and there,
between two such large parties, Joshua, who did not at all like the
looks of things in general, with the long train of cars, the panting
engine, the steam, the smoke, the crowd, the baggage heavers, the
excitement, and the general “hullabuloo,” and who feared that he
might lose sight of his family in this crash of worlds, managed to slip
into the car, between Wynnette’s duster and Gipsy’s arms full of
shawls, and to ensconce himself under the broad lounge in the
compartment.
The last kisses were given, the last “God bless you” spoken, and the
travelers were seated in their compartment not ten seconds before
the train started.
“Now!” exclaimed Wynnette, triumphantly. “Have we had the least
trouble with Joshua?”
“Not yet,” curtly replied her father. “Where is he?”
“Under the sofa—and Rosemary, Elva and myself, by sitting here,
hide him from view.”
 “Very well. Keep him quiet, if you can.”
The train was rushing on at express speed, when the conductor
came along to collect the tickets. He entered their compartment.
Joshua considered his appearance an unwarrantable intrusion, and
told him so in a low, thunderous growl.
“What’s that?” suddenly demanded the conductor, looking around.
“Urr-rr-rr-rr,” remarked Joshua.
“It is a valuable dog of ours. I am quite willing to pay his fare,”
replied Mr. Force, taking out his pocketbook.
“He can’t be allowed in the passenger car, sir,” replied the
conductor.
“Not in the compartment that we have taken for our own
convenience, and where he cannot possibly annoy anybody else?”
“No, sir; it is against the rules.”
“Oh, Mr. Conductor! please! please! He is such a good dog, and we
love him so much! Indeed, he will not bite when he knows you don’t
mean to hurt us! Please, Mr. Conductor, let him stay!” pleaded Elva.
“’Gainst the rules, miss. Very sorry.”
“Papa, tip that fellow with a V, and stop this row!—I mean, papa,
pray offer this officer the consideration of a five-dollar note, and
conclude this controversy.”
Of course, it was Wynnette who uttered this insolence.
“Hush, my dear, hush! This is quite inadmissible. The conductor
must do his duty.”
“If he gets put off the train I’ll go, too! He’ll never find his way
home!” said Wynnette.
Elva began to cry.
The conductor was in a hurry.
“If this young gentleman will bring the dog after me to the freight
car, the baggage master will take charge of him for a trifle,”
suggested the conductor, who was more moved to pity by Elva’s tears
than to anger by Wynnette’s insolence.
“Go, Le,” said Mr. Force, opening his pocketbook and taking from
it a note, which he put into the midshipman’s hands. “Give this to the
man, and tell him if he will take care of the dog he shall have another
at the end of this journey.”
“And introduce Joshua to the baggage master, and tell him what a
cultivated and gentlemanly dog he is! And don’t you leave them
together until you are sure that they are good friends! Do you hear
me, Leonidas Force?”
“All right, Wynnette,” said good-humored Le, taking Joshua by the
collar and trying to pull him from under the sofa.
But the dog declined to leave his retreat. He did not recognize Mr.
Midshipman Force as his master.
“Bother! I shall have to take him myself. You can come with us if
you like, Le; but you needn’t if you don’t,” said Wynnette. And she
whistled for the dog, who immediately came out and put his gray
paws upon her lap.
She arose and called him to follow her. Le and the conductor
escorted her.
“I know we are going to have no end of trouble with that dog,” said
Mr. Force.
“Oh, I think not, when we learn how to manage. We must always
give him in charge of the baggage master at the start,” replied Mrs.
Force.
Wynnette and Le were gone nearly an hour. At last they returned.
“What kept you so long? Did the dog prove intractable, or the
baggage master unaccommodating?” inquired Odalite of Le.
“Not at all!” exclaimed Wynnette, answering for her companion.
“That baggage man’s a good sort. He and Joshua became pals at
once. He loves dogs, and dogs love him. As soon as ever I presented
Joshua to him he held out his hand, and said:
“‘Hello, old pard! how are you? Shall we be pals?’ or words to that
effect. And said Joshua slapped his paw into the open palm, and—
“‘It’s a whack!’ or barks to the same purpose.”
“But what kept you so long? What were you doing all that time?”
“Talking to the baggage master. I do like to talk to real men much
better than to the curled and scented la-da-da things we meet in
society. His name is Kirby. He came from Lancashire, England,
where he has an old father living, to whom he sends a part of his
wages every month. He is forty-five years old, and has been married
twenty years, and has eleven children, the oldest eighteen and the
youngest one. I told him we were going to Lancashire, and would
take anything he might like to send to his dad.”
“But, my dear, Lancashire is a large county, and we may not be
anywhere near his native place.”
“We could make a point of going there to oblige such a man as he
is, papa. Think of his bringing up a large family and helping his old
father, too, on such small wages as he must get. Oh, he is a downright
real man. And, indeed, I have a warm place in my heart for real
men.”
“That is why you like Sa——”
“Shut up, Rosemary!”
And Rosemary obeyed.
The remainder of the journey was made without disturbance.
They reached Washington about 3 P.M., dined and rested for an
hour at their favorite hotel, and took the afternoon train to New
York, where they arrived very late at night.
They had no more trouble with the dog, now that they knew how to
manage.
Mr. Force went down to the steamer to see about the passage of
the animal, and found that there was a place in the steerage of the
great ship where the creature could be accommodated.
Ah, what a chickpecked father that man was!
“If they had wanted to fetch a favorite cow, I should have been
obliged to bring her somehow,” he said to himself.
On the next morning Mr. Force took his family to Central Park and
to the menagerie.
In the evening he took them to the opera to hear Kellogg. That was
their last night in the city.
 CHAPTER XXIX
“ONCE MORE UPON THE WATERS”

Saturday, the twenty-eighth of May, was a very fine day. As early

as seven in the morning the hacks engaged to take our travelers to
the steamer were standing before the ladies’ entrance of the
Metropolitan Hotel.
Their luggage had been sent aboard ship on the day before.
A little after seven the whole party came down and entered the
carriages, and were driven off toward the pier where the Persia lay.
They arrived amid the bustle and confusion that always attends the
sailing of an ocean steamer—crowds of carriages and drags of all
sorts; crowds of men, women and children of all sorts; crowds of
passengers going on; crowds of friends seeing them off; here and
there a heartrending parting; a bedlam of sights; a babel of sounds,
deafening noises, suffocating scents.
Such was the scene on the pier and such was the scene on the deck
when Mr. Force had succeeded in navigating his party from the first
to the last.
“For Heaven’s sake keep close together! Are we all here?” he
anxiously inquired.
“All!” answered a score of voices.
“Where’s that dog?”
“Here, papa. I have him by the collar,” answered Wynnette.
“Keep hold of him, then. And sit down, all of you, and be quiet
until this crowd leaves the deck. We cannot attempt to get to our
staterooms at present.”
His party complied with this order.
“All ashore!” called out a voice in authority.
 The words were magical.
Hurried embraces; laughing good-bys; weeping good-bys; fervent
God bless yous; agonized partings; and then a pressure over the gang
plank to the pier.
Five minutes later and the valedictory gun was fired, and the
Persia stood out to sea.
“Oh,” said little Elva, as she observed the sad faces of some
passengers who were leaning over the sides of the ship and waving
handkerchiefs to friends on the pier—“oh, I am glad we are all going
together and have not left any one behind to cry after—no, not even
our dog.”
A little later on our passengers sought their staterooms below.
Dickon—than whom no blacker boy ever was born—took the dog to
that part of the ship for such four-footed passengers made and
provided, and then went to look up his own berth in the second
cabin.
Never was finer weather, a clearer sky, a calmer sea, or a swifter
voyage than blessed the Persia, which sailed on that Saturday
morning of May 28th.
Only those of the most bilious temperaments suffered from
seasickness. None of our party were affected.
All the passengers rejoiced at the prosperity of the voyage—all
except Wynnette, who longed to see a storm at sea.
She was disgusted.
“I had just as lief travel in a canal boat!” she growled, when they
were about halfway across the Atlantic.
She was bound to be disappointed to the last. The voyage was
continued in the finest early summer weather, until in the dead of a
moonlight night the steamer anchored in the Cove of Cork.
Early the next morning all the passengers were out on deck to see
the beautiful bay with its lovely hilly shores, and its picturesque little
port of Queenstown.
The ship remained at anchor only long enough to deliver mails and
freight, and then she put to sea again and headed for the mouth of
the Mersey.
 Wynnette, Elva and Rosemary remained on deck all day feasting
their eyes on the shores of England, the isles of the channel, and later
on the green banks of the Mersey with its pretty towns and villages,
castles and cottages.
Early in the afternoon the ship reached Liverpool.
When the bustle of the debarkation and the nuisance of the custom
house was over, and Mr. Force was handing the ladies of his party
into a capacious carriage to convey them to the Adelphi Hotel, he
inquired:
“Well, shall we take rooms there for the night, or only supper, and
leave by the evening express for Cumberland?”
“Oh, let us go on, if you please! What time does our train leave?”
inquired Mrs. Force.
“Ten-fifty.”
“Then we can reach Nethermost, the nearest station to Enderby
Castle, by morning. If you telegraph to Enderby my brother will send
carriages there to meet us.”
“Very well,” said Mr. Force, as he shut the carriage door and gave
the coachman the address to which he was to drive.
Mr. Force then sent his two servants with the dog and the lighter
luggage in another conveyance after his family, while he and
Leonidas Force attended to the duty of having their trunks
transferred from the custom house to the Lime Street Railroad
Station.
An hour after this the whole family were gathered around the tea
table in their private parlor at the Adelphi. The dog, stretched on a
Russian rug before the sofa, was making himself at home.
“What do you think of all this, Rosie?” kindly inquired Mr. Force of
little Rosemary Hedge.
“I—I—feel as if I were reading it all in a novel by Aunt Sukey’s
evening fire at Grove Hill,” replied the quaint little creature.
“And you, Elva?”
“Oh, I feel so very much at home, as if I had come back from
somewhere to grandmother’s house. A very strange, pleasant feeling
of old familiarity,” said weird little Elva.
“As for me,” said Wynnette, “I see ghosts!”
 “Ghosts!” exclaimed all the company in chorus.
“Yes, ghosts! ‘This isle is full of spirits.’ I see ghosts! All sorts of
ghosts! Ghosts of savages in skins! These must be spirits of the
ancient Britons! Ghosts of men in armor! These must be the
medieval knights and men-at-arms! Ghosts of gentlemen in velvet
and satin tunic and lace collars and pointed shoes! These must be the
courtiers of Queen Elizabeth’s time! And now come the hideous
powdered wigs, broad-bottomed coats, and long silk stockings of——
Say, papa! give me some of those strawberries, or I shall see his
Satanic majesty presently.”
Mr. Force gravely passed along the cut-glass bowl of the luscious
fruit.
Immediately after supper the travelers left the hotel for the railway
station.
There Abel Force engaged a whole compartment for his family,
and took tickets in the second-class carriage for his two servants.
“And how can I carry a valuable dog?” inquired the squire of the
guard.
“Take him in your own compartment, if you like, sir,” replied that
officer, staring a little.
Joshua didn’t wait for permission, but jumped into the carriage
after Wynnette.
The three other ladies followed. Last of all Abel Force and Le
entered and took their seats, though the train was not yet quite ready
to start.
Compartments on English trains differ from those on our own, in
being entirely separated by a solid partition from other
compartments on the same carriage, and they are thereby quite
private for those who engage a whole one. This compartment taken
by the Forces resembled the inside of a large coach, having eight
cushioned seats, four being in front and four behind.
The train started at ten-fifty, and whirled on through the twilight
of the summer night, which in England never seems to grow quite
dark.
At the first station at which the train stopped, the guard came
along and put his head into the window.
 “Tickets, please, sir.”
Mr. Force handed over seven tickets for his party.
Guard counted them, and touched his hat.
“Dog ticket, please, sir.”
“What?” demanded the astonished squire.
“Dog ticket, please, sir.”
“Dog ticket? I have none. Didn’t know one would be required.
Never heard of such a thing. But I will pay his fare.”
“Couldn’t take it, sir. ’Gainst the rules.”
“Then what shall I do?” exclaimed the distressed squire.
“Uncle, I will jump out and buy a dog ticket at the station here,”
said Le; and without waiting a second he sprang from the carriage
and vanished into the ticket office.
“Look sharp, young gent, or you’ll be left. Train starts again in two
minutes,” called the guard.
Le did look sharp, and the next minute reappeared, flourishing the
prize.
He jumped in, and the train moved on.
Everybody went to sleep except Wynnette, who went off into a
waking dream, and saw the ghosts of all her ancestors, from the
Druids down, pass in procession before her. A weird, unreal, magical
night journey this seemed to the travelers. The night express stopped
at fewer stations than any other train of the twenty-four hours.
Whenever it did stop, our passengers waked up and looked out
upon the strange and beautiful land—old, but always new—dotted
with its country towns and villages, its castles, farmhouses and
cottages, dimly seen in the soft haze of the summer night, where
evening and morning twilight seemed to meet so that it was never
dark.
On the whole, it was a pleasant, charming journey, the last few
miles being along the rough and rocky coast. The dawn was
reddening in the east, and the northern morning air felt fresh and
invigorating, when the train stopped at Nethermost, a picturesque
little hamlet built up and down the sides of the cliff wherever there
was room for a sea-bird’s nest.
 “Oh, what a charming place!” exclaimed Rosemary, looking out
upon it. The line of railway ran along under the cliff, and the little
station was built against the rocks.
The guard came and opened the door.
Mr. Force jumped off, and then handed out the ladies of his party,
one by one.
The porters were at the same time throwing off their luggage.
In another minute the train had moved on, and the travelers were
left standing on the platform, with the sea on the west, the cliffs on
the east, and the hamlet of Nethermost scattered at random on the
sides of the latter.
“There are the carriages,” said Mr. Force, as he described three
vehicles grouped together at a short distance.
At the same time a servant in livery approached, touched his hat,
and respectfully inquired:
“Party for Enderby Castle, sir?”
“Yes,” replied Mr. Force.
“This way, if you please, sir.”