Resolution 2020: Tainted Grail The Fall of Avalon play through

Beor recalled that at the start of his journey he had found something in the Grubwood that needed further investigation. As he was so close he took a detour to revisit the area. Delving into the wood once more, Beor came across a strange figure that seemed to want him to climb a tree and retrieve something from a dangling chain. Beor did so. Dangling from the chain was a skeletal arm and Beor was well travelled enough to recognise it as a Fore-Dweller limb. This probably meant the figure below was a Fore-Dweller. But the figure had not seemed hostile, so Beor returned the limb to him. In gratitude Beor was given a relic which protects him against magic.

Travelling west to Stampede, Beor knew he must now be in the general area where he would find Orrin. Searching the planes he came across a fresh grave. Upon investigation he found it to contain Lord Yvain. Beor already knew he had died and that the party had been driven north-east of here by their Fore-Dweller pursuer. Still, a thorough investigation of the grave could yield more investigation so Beor spent some time doing so – finding a useful trinket clenched in Yvain’s fist.

Next Beor travelled south to the Horns of the South. The lighthouse keepers proved to be good hosts, providing food and some money in exchange for a good story. As he left though the youngest of the three keepers asked Beor to investigate the neighbouring ruined lighthouse. He had heard strange noises and feared the place to be inhabited by a beast. The ruined lighthouse no longer had any floors, so the door opened up to a deep pit. Beor climbed down and was immediately assaulted. Beor restrained his attacker to find she was a woman, badly deformed from poorly healed bones, who must have been trapped down here for some time. Beor hauled her out, at which point she escaped and fled. Returning to the keepers in the main lighthouse Beor learned the truth – the woman had followed the youngest keeper here so that she might be with him. The two older keepers had cast her down the ruin as links to their past lives were forbidden. The ensuing revelation led to the youngest keeper killing one of his colleagues and the third throwing the youngest off the cliff, leaving him to be the sole keeper for the rest of his life. Beor left in shock.

Searching the nearby beaches Beor found a small camp where Sir Lamarok sat. He had been on a quest to the west but could no longer complete it as the Wyrdness had blocked his path. Beor rekindled Sir Lamarok’s sense of duty and told him to return to Kamelot where he might be useful to the people once more.

Beor then travelled north-west to Wyrdedge. There he found a single building, surrounded by Wyrdness with only a single rope bridge leading to it. Crossing the bridge Beor found Orrin within, but he did not get the welcome he expected. Upon first requesting entry Beor was rudely rejected, but on a second, more humble, attempt Orrin let him in. Orrin was prepared to help…

It took another two hours to finish this chapter, bringing the total play time up to about five and half hours. However I was taking my time to explore most of the side locations as I passed them, so Beor has now explored most of the north, east, and south of Avalon.

The end of the chapter hints that I may need to return to Kamelot, which is on the far side of the island again (Orrin was about as far from the start of Chapter 5 as you can get) so it looks like I’m in for another long journey next week.