Catskills Roleplayer's Circle

The day began to break as Theodore walked up the road towards the castle. The road winded down through a small valley between the hills. The castle sat on top of a very large hill in the middle of the valley. In the light of the dawn now he could see it's size was awesome. There was a small cottage in the shadow of the castle he now saw. Behind the castle there was a mountain who's peak seemed higher than any others surrounding it. It was snowcapped and very much resembled the mountains he had seen many times in his homeland. The morning was now upon Theodore and the sun brought with it it's warmth which did not do much against the cold but it still helped. The road continued to wind down and down the hillside until it leveled off and began the new hill upon which the castle sat. The hills were covered in small shrubs and bushes. It was a beautiful morning. Theodore basked in the glory of the castle which was now only yards away.

As he neared the top of the hill he could see that the castle was surrounded by trees. They looked like apple trees, Theo thought. They were indeed apple trees, they grew all around the castle like an orchard. This was the Castle of Apples, thought Theo. And on the ground at his feet were many red apples laying in the grass, some begining to rot. Theo was tempted to eat one of the apples but feared what it's magic properties might do to him. He walked along under the apple trees untill he could see that he was coming to the wall of the castle. He lifted his head high and gazed up at the top of the massive building. It was bigger than the Castle British or Castle Blackthorn or any castle he could remember seeing in his homeland. Theo came then to the wall, which must have stood at least one hundred feet high. And it was not even the tallest wall. Farther down the wall he could see a gate.

Theo walked along the wall untill he came to the gate. He could see that it was open. It was a metal portcullis that had been raised up. Without hesitation he walked through. As he walked through he could see that there was another gate on the other side. The gateway led into the exterior courtyard of the castle. In the middle of the courtyard was the keep. Theo could see a large metal door which led into the keep. The courtyard around him was mostly bare except for a huge Yew tree which grew all alone off in the right corner. As Theo was turned admiring the Yew, he heard a growl. It sounded like it came from right behind him. He turned, and there behind him was a black dog. But this was unlike any dog Theo had ever seen. It looked like a giant black mastiff. It's eyes were ghastly and glowing blood red. It growled low and drool was beginning to form at it's mouth which was hanging open to display it's awful looking sharp yellow teeth. The dog seemed familiar to a legend he remembered. It was the legend of the Moddhey Dhoo, the evil ghostly black dog of the Isle of Man. The legend foretold that anyone who beheld the dog would soon die afterwards. And now here it was, staring down Theodore and baring it's horrible fangs.

Theo's heart sank to his stomach. Terror struck him like he had seldom ever known. He slowly began to back away from the dog. It was too late, he thought. I have already seen the creature, I am doomed now. He was filled with absolute horror. The dog crept slowly after him as he backed up. Theo was almost in a state of shock. He wondered if he would drop dead right then and there. The dog continued growling as it neared him. Think, Theo think, he thought. He knew his sword would be no match for this legendary immortal hell hound. But he had to do something. He unsheathed his sword and gathered his composure. He gave a loud yell in a foolish attempt to try and scare the dog away. This only agitated the animal and it began barking menacingly. Theo walked slowly in a circle and the dog followed him. He then swung his sword at the foul creature. The dog side-stepped the attack with incredible agility. Again Theo swung and missed. The dog was too fast. He would come so close but it would just step ever so slightly to one side and then bolt out of the way. It was moving like a human being avoiding the blows. It seemed like it was teasing poor Theo.

Theo lowered his sword. I might as well accept my fate, he thought. If it attacks me I will give the bloody beast all I've got and then some. He thrust the tip of the sword into the ground and let it stand there, and instead he reached into his pack to pull out his knife, thinking it would be a better weapon in extremely close quarters. But while he was reaching for it instead he grabbed what felt like a bunch of sticks being held together by wool. The Crosh Cruin. Aengus had said it would dispel evil spirits. This might be my only hope he thought. He grabbed the Crosh Cruin in his hand and brought it out of the pack. He held it up high for the dog to see. The dog saw the small talisman. It instantly seemed to recognize it and sat down on it's hindquarters in front of Theo. It whimpered quietly and then walked off into the courtyard. Theo sighed and kissed the Crosh and placed it safely back in the pack. Turn's out maybe old Aengus wasn't so much of a liar after all.

The dog was now nowhere in sight. Theo approached the door of the keep slowly, still weary from the encounter. He could not get the idea out of his mind that he had seen the evil Moddhey Dhoo and was now destined to die, probably soon. This was a tremendous burden on his heart. He walked up to the door and hung his head solemnly. He was about to reach for the handle of the large metal door when it swung open. In the doorway stood a tall man, taller than Theo, with long white hair and an even longer equally white beard. He wore a white robe with golden belts around it and a golden jewel encrested neck peice. There was a golden crown on his head of snow white hair and a he was draped in a cloak the color of the sea with golden trim. Theo knew right away that the man in front of him was the old sea god Manannan mac Lir. He looked at Theo and smiled.

"Hello, Theodore O'Niall of Erin, my humble servant, welcome to my island. I am Manannan mac Lir." said the glorious figure.

Theo knelt down on one knee before him. "I know who you are, my lord" he said. "You have sent for me".

"Yes I have," responded Manannan, "I knew you would make it here just fine." He smiled again. "This is my castle, Caer Wydyr."

Theodore arose from his knees and stood before the god. "Why have you brought me here?" he asked.

"I have brought you here because you are beginning to lose faith. You are beginning to lose faith in your purpose. The gods are not done with you, Theodore. Do not shun them, they will bring you the glory and honor that you desire if you will not abandon them. Come inside and we will talk in my castle. You will meet my wife, the faery queen Fand" said Manannan. He motioned for Theo to come inside, and that he did.

Manannan led Theodore down a large hall which came finally to two wooden doors. The doors opened by themselves as Manannan neared them. They walked inside a gigantic, magnificent room that was the size of a ballroom. It was the throne room of the sea god. There were tapestries on the walls and luxurious furniture decorated the room. In the middle of it all was a golden throne, upon which sat a lovely looking white haired woman who was dressed in the same attire as Manannan. She smiled as they entered the room.

"It is wonderful of you to join us here in our home Sir Theodore," said the smiling white haired lady, who was obviously the faery queen Fand.

"Welcome, welcome" boomed Manannan in a deep voice that echoed through the room. Theodore could barely believe he was really there.

"You have come through great trials and tribulations, I know" said Manannan. "You bravely passed the test that I had given you. It was a test of strength as well as faith. You have done very well, Theodore".

Theo smiled.

"Now, as to why I have brought you here" said Manannan. "There is something I wanted to tell you. I know recently your world has been troubled. You are unsure of many things. There are dark days ahead and you sense it is coming. You feel your own time is around the corner. Is this not true?"

"Aye," said Theo. "Ever since I was sent to the land of Britannia, there has been a feeling in my soul that my doom was impending. My old kingdom in my homeland was being torn apart by the corruption of a power-hungry man. He banished me forthwith and sent me off in ship off the coast of Donegal. This is how I arrived in the land of Brittania."

"Yes, I know," interrupted Manannan,"I know everything." He smiled.

"Ever since I came to Britannia I was aware of this burden. I believe it is the burden of a vengeful man who was cast away for his loyalty to the throne of the High King of Erin. It is an evil spirit that dwells in my heart and at times it makes me want to commit acts of hatred, acts that have no honor. And for a long time I gave in to these urges. I killed innocent men and I had impure relations with women who were not my own wife and might have been another man's. I lost my wife to the scarlett fever and it burns my soul with fires of resentment and shame and guilt. I tried to forget the pain by causing pain to others. I was a cruel, wicked man. But then I saw the error of my ways when I remembered the ancient gods that turned the world. I knew that the gods were just and honorable, and so once was I. I changed my heart then and once again became a noble warrior intent on bringing justice to the land. It was then after roaming for many years that I found the honorable Knights of Connemara. Their King was also of my homeland of Erin, and I served him bravely. With King Durreah we rode against the forces of darkness and protected the town of Yew as the Knights of Yew had for so many years prior. But it was then that the feelings returned, the awful feelings of shame and impending doom. I grew very somber and began to lose faith in what I had been doing now for so many years. I felt like what I was doing was hopelessly in vain. And I still felt the guilt and pain from the death of my wife, and I longed for the emerald isle of my home. I wanted to cleanse myself of this pain. It was in my weakest hour that I turned to the gods. I knew I was ultimately doomed without them, my days were numbered and I would perish and be soon forgotten. I prayed to the gods for one last chance; one last chance to try and make things right, to re-esteem myself and have a place among the seekers of truth and honor. I prayed for deliverance from the evil that was taking the land in it's hold."

"I also knew all of this, Theodore, "Manannan said, "but doesn't it feel much better to say it yourself?"

Theo smiled. "Aye, it did."

"Well that is the first step then, getting the weight off of your shoulders. My son, do not forget the past. It is what has molded you into the man you are now. And I know you do not think of yourself as a good man, but you could be. You will be. But you must fulfill what the gods have planned for you. That is the only way you can esteem yourself with them. In your dreams of late you have foreseen what is to come. You know exactly of what I am speaking. This is inevitable. The will of the gods is inevitable. But do not lose faith in them, Theodore, they have given you a bold and noble cause. You will help those weaker and less fortunate than yourself, you will protect those that need your protecting. For this is the will of the gods. Your time is nigh, Theodore. I will not say how nigh, and you must not worry, all men are doomed to the same fate. Death is not so bad, afterall, it is only the beginning. But you will not die in vain if you carry out the will of the gods. You must do right by them. Forget the darkness in your heart and move past the shame and guilt you feel over your wife's passing, she is in a better place now. I have seen her there myself."

This made Theo smile. His eyes became foggy with tears. He had not shed a tear in many years. But he was so overjoyed to hear this wonderful news. "I miss her every day," he said.
"She misses you as well, Theodore, but she wants you to carry on. She knows your purpose and your potential for greatness. She knew it all along. She was a wonderful woman."

"Aye, she was my lovely Edain." Theo smiled through his tears.

"Do not let her down, my child. Let not your memories of her be gloomy, but rejoice in the happiness that you once shared. Soon enough you will be with her again. But untill then there is still much you must do" said Manannan.

"What must I do?" asked Theodore.

"You must return to Britannia. You will find that things are very different since you have left, as you see you have the illusion that you have only been here for one full day, but in reality, almost four months have passed by. This is the effect of the island. You will see that it is winter now. And you will see with the changing of the season has come all sorts of changes to your Kingdom. It will not be as it once was. There will be a choice to make. A choice to help those in need. Do not turn a deaf ear to those who call out for your help. You will know who they are. And you will know what to do, when the time comes, as this is what was written in the stars since the beginning of time. And do not fear Death, brave Sir Theodore, for it cannot be reckoned with. Only love conquers death. Remember that. Only love will bring you salvation. In the end, you will receive your just rewards. But only if you do these things I have told you" said Manannan. "Now, we must get you back to Britannia, for time is of the essence.

Theo nodded in agreement. "Thank you for your wisdom and grace, my lord. I will do as you have said and I will walk as a righteous man among villains and cowards. I will not fear Death" he said.

"Good," responded Manannan. "Now, I have something for you. He produced from behind his back a large sword. It was a beautifully crafted sword. "This is Fragarach, forged by the gods and handed down to many of your ancestors. Now I present it to you, Theodore. Use it well." He handed the golden hilt of the sword to Theo. Theo reached out and took it in his right hand. It was a fine sword.

"Thank you, my lord," Theo said.

"Now to get you home, Sir Theodore, "said Manannan with a smile. He walked up the Theo and placed a hand on his shoulder. The faery queen Fand stood up and walked towards the two of them.

"You will make your wife very proud" said the goddess. Then the three of them exited the castle together.

They walked back through the forest and the place where Theo had killed the ogre and the meadow where he had seen the dancing faeries and crossed the bridge while wishing the faeries a good day for good luck and came finally to where the beach is kissed by the sea. Theo's boat sat on the beach in the exact spot where he had come ashore. The god and goddess stood and watched Theo as he prepared to launch out to sea.

"One last thing, Theodore," said Manannan. "Luck is not something that is gained by wishing the faeries good day or lost by not doing so, it is the favor of the gods. Remember that there is only luck if it does not contradict the will of the gods." And with that, Manannan mac Lir and his faery queen Fand waved goodbye to brave Theodore. He set out to sea as the first snow of winter began to fall.




"I hear my soul drop
And Manannan's dark tower, stone after stone.
Gather sea-slime and fall the seaward way,
And the moon goad the waters night and day,
That all be overthrown.

'But till the moon has taken all, I wage
War on the mightiest men under the skies,
And they have fallen or fled, age after age.
Light is man's love, and lighter is man's rage;
His purpose drifts and dies."

-William Butler Yeats

(And thus concludes the saga.)