The ogre and his two large Fir Bolg companions were not exactly fothcoming
with assistance, but as Juan insisted, they did agree to take the "ancient
ally" and his companions to the king. They were taken through a port-cullis,
along a drawbridge and into the castle, the ogre leading and the Fir Bolg
herding everyone. The drawbridge went up, of course, as soon as the
heroes were in. Despite being built for 13-feet tall creatures, the
castle gave the hapless visitors instant claustrophobia; it was also made
entirely of cold iron. Moreover, once inside the castle it became clear
that everyone's strange perception of the party members had shifted again.
The heroes looked at one another warily and stayed well apart.
They were taken to Slanga the Vigorous, king of the Fir Bolg. He
was tall even for a Fir Bolg, towering over the humans. He showed minimal
courtesy towards Juan but was openly mistrustful of an "ally" who brought
enemies to his castle, and showed no interest in bargaining. He announced
that Gann the ogre's raids on the domains of the Queen of the Sky had been
done on his order, and why should his "ally" help his enemy by negotiating
on her behalf? He contemptuously dismissed Juan and Co. but, as required
by the laws of hospitality, gave them lodging for the night and invited him
to a banquet.
The heroes were escorted by Gann to a Fir Bolg-sized room with four Fir-Bolg-sized
beds where they waited jumpily for the banquet. Gann advised them to
stay out of trouble, but invited Melisandre to get a private lesson in etiquette.
Melisandre overlooked his leering and left with him in the hopes of seeing
a bit more of the castle and learning something of use. When she came
back later, dishevelled, grimy and lloking like she had just had to arm-wrestle
a ghoul, she reported that, in between fits of running from Gann's unsubtle
advances, she had managed to learn the basic rules for guests of the king
(don't eat or drink before the king does, etc.) More importantly, however,
she had overheard grumblings of worry over the 'Tuatha Dé Danann.'
Lucas, by now apparently well versed in all things Fae, recalled that the
Fir Bolg were the earlier inhabitants of Innismore. After a war, they
had been beaten back by the Tuatha De Danann and their allies the Sidhe,
but the Sidhe had then betrayed the Tuatha who were believed exterminated.
Clearly, however, some must still have been exiled like the Fir Bolg to Bryn
Bresail, since they were apparently still a worry.
It was then time for the evening's meal, so the heroes were taken to the
great hall and given a bench across from the leering, swaggering Gann.
There was much jockeying for position when everyone tried to sit as far as
possible from everyone else. The meal went on and on, the Fir Bolg
and their Unseelie allies eating like swines, while the heroes refrain once
again from eating anything. At long last, Juan walked up to the king
and asked for leave to present his case. He angered the king by mentioning
the Tuatha De Danann when he offered his help with the matter. Slanga
grudgingly promised he would order Gann to stop ravaging the Queen of the
Sky's lands if Juan could bring him back the secret of the Tuatha De Danann's
weapons, heavy spears that embedded themselves into enemy shields and bodies
and could not be pulled out. Juna at first refused to drink the king's
toast on it, but the king assured him with contempt that he was not in Sidhe
lands.
After a fitful night in King Slanga's castle, Gann brought breakfast and more
jeers. Juan almost ate, until he remembered that unlike the Fir Bolg,
ogres were in fact Fae, if Unseelie. Gann promised to kill him whether
he succeeded in his quest or not. The heroes left -- and returned to
their previous perceptions. By then Tiny Lucas was walking on two legs
and dressed as a Castillan noble in purple. After a day's walk they
reached a kind of primitive castle, really a wooden palissade around a collection
of wooden buildings on a hill. A hundred warriors or so awaited the
heroes, carrying spears and using oblong shields for protection. Lucas
tried to walk up to them and ask for a parley, but was greated by a rain
of spears and an advance by the small army. The Tuatha warriors were
only human-sized but showed great discipline and training.
The heroes tried for a while to get through or around, but had no suitable
weapons to get through the shield wall, and no enthusiasm for a five-to-one-hundred
challenge. They retreated a bit away to discuss options. While
they were talking tactics, they saw five Tuatha approach. Their leader
was King Nuada. He showed no friendship to Juan, Ferdinand and Lucas,
but offered asylum to Constanza and Melisandre, urging them to leave the betrayers
behind. Constanza explained that they had fallen under obligation to
both the Sidhe and the Fir Bolg and were simply trying to fulfil their obligations
so they could leave the island. But while they conversed, she was able
to observe their weapons and understand how they were built, a very clever
design of iron around a core of lead with a pin near the haft that allowed
the heavy head to bend and break off after sinking into a target.
Since King Nuada wanted nothing to do with most of the heroes, they took
their leave. But Juan had noticed Constanza's face when she observed
the spears, and guessed that she had pierced their secret. Constanza
was loath to give the Fir Bolg such an advantage over the Tuatha without
doing something to reestablish the balance of forces, so she revealed the
secret to her companions and bid Juan, Lucas and Ferdinand return to King
Slanga, while she and Melisandre warned King Nuada and the Tuatha De Danann
that the Fir Bolg would now know the secret of their weapons' manufacture
and would duplicate them -- to Fir Bolg scale. Constanza put the book
knowledge of her college years to good use and instructed the Tuatha in how
to create new defences that could withstand such attacks.
Meanwhile, Juan, Ferdinand and Lucas returned to the castle of King Slanga
the Vigorous. Juan revealed the secret of the Tuatha spears, but also
accused Gann of having broken the laws of hospitality in King Slanga's castle
by threatening to kill him even if he succeeded in his task. Slanga
shrugged in a very "ogres will be ogres" attitude, and the three men left
to join up with Melisandre and Constanza and return to the Queen of the Sky's
lands. But they soon saw Gann trailing them, looking ready to kill
but refraining. They learned he had been dismissed from King Slanga's
service and must now find a new master.
Melisandre suddenly took Gann's part and insisted that her companions help
him regain the Fir Bolg king's favour. They were bewildered and uncooperative,
until she finally admitted that she had given an oath of her own, back at
the castle. It was he who, in addition to instructing her on Fir Bolg
etiquette, had revealed the king's worry over the Tuatha De Danann in exchange
for her promise that no harm would come to him from the heroes' bargaining
with the king.
Despite Juan's natural resistance, he agreed to return to the castle and
offer a challenge to King Slanga so that Gann could act as his champion and
defeat the challenger. Juan told the king that his loyalty was now
being questioned by his friends, forcing him to issue a challenge to prove
himself. The king was disdainful, but Juan pressed him; then Gann burst
into the room and loudly claimed he would slay the intruder for his insult.
Much name-calling ensued, and Juan and Gann fought a spectacular duel.
Juan wielded his fiery blade with sucess agaisnt the ogre, but Gann was bigger
and faster and was about to deal the killing blow. Then Melisandre threw
herself in the fray and remonstrated the king and the ogre, pointing out
that Juan, who had shamed Gann, was now shamed in turn by him. The
king stayed Gann's hand and threw the heroes out.
Everyone returned to the realm of the Queen of the Sky, Juan recovering from
his wounds with amazing rapidity. Lucas told the Queen that the ogre
was gone and would trouble her no more, but she saw through his pun.
Still, she thanked him and the other heroes, and offered each a boon as a
mark of her gratitude. Lucas chose to be a better swordsman, Ferdinand
to be freed from the Syrneth collar; Constanza refused the boon as politely
as she could, while Melisandre asked for the release of her dueña
Fedencia, and Juan asked to be rid of the taint of sorcery. All these
wishes were granted. Then the Queen turned to Constanza and bid her
seek the Nibelungen, then dismissed everyone. Lucas asked, as a final favour,
that they be returned out of the grasp of their pursuer Reis, and the Queen
agreed.
The heroes found themselves on the deck of the Maris Stella, in
the middle of action, as the main mast was hit by cannonshot and fell.
Reis's Crimson Roger was swooping down on them from starboard, pressing
them against land to port. But then more shots were fired, flanking
the pirate as Gosse's Uncharted Course emerged from the fog.
Severely damaged and outnumbered, Reis broke off and turned back to melt away
into the fog.
