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| PART I: THE COURTSHIP OF PRINCESS GWEN |
| PRINCIPAL CAST |
| Princess Gwen: | Sole heir to the throne, she has become the prize for the mightiest warrior in all the land. She would prefer a choice of suitor. Wise by the standard of her time, she is clever and vulnerable, every inch a princess. (Irish) |
| Nial:
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Son of Gabran, former champion of Galwalk, reared in the warrior's ways by his generous foster-father, Fergus of Fellsgard, Nial is tainted by his blood relationship to Merlin. (Scot) |
| Merlin:
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A recluse in the Green Wood, Gabran's unlikely twin, born of the union between the Lady of the Lake and Akimera, the sorcerer. Merlin's misanthropic style and supernatural insights are not endearing qualities. His foreknowledge does not enable him to alter or control events and has, in the past, brought him to grief. (Welsh) |
| Akimera:
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Outlaw throughout the Roman Empire, the evil sorcerer's life-force links him to dark, primitive powers of chaos. His hideous wand seems to confer limitless powers, but the terrible price demanded by its use forces him to be sparing of its spells. His is an awful immortality, but if his vile plan bears fruit, he will be reborn, the immortal and sacred King of all the Britons! (Continental) |
| Long-Grin:
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An Imperial Dragon, the same age as Princess Gwen, the last of his dread species, reared apart from his kind, domesticated and abused by his evil master, Akimera. Never allowed contact with the outside world, Long-Grin is ripe for a fresh view of life and although ignorant of the ways of mankind, possesses rare reasoning skills and with proper guidance, would make a formidable friend...or foe! (Welsh) |
| IRISH SUPPORTING CAST: KINGDOM OF GALWALK |
| King Galowyn:
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Gwen's father, warrior king of Galwalk, whose rash words led to Gwen's predicament. |
| Queen Brigit: | Gwen's mother, wise and tolerant of Gwen's verbal rebellion. |
| Fingal: | Galwalk's Chamberlain, elderly, frail, but knowledgeable. |
| Eogan: | Galwalk's Seneschal, strong and loyal. |
| Bitters & Snoot: | Surly porters (castle guards). |
| Housekeeper: | A harridan in the queen's service. |
| Crom & Ishlu: | EOGAN'S sons, hunters and competitors for Princess Gwen's hand. |
| Cryer: | A loud-mouthed functionary. |
| Serving Wench: | An eager lovely, quite taken with the Mastersinger of Westles. |
| Villagers 1, 2 & 3: | Rustics |
| SCOTTISH SUPPORTING CAST: KINGDOM OF FELLSGARD |
| Deirdre:
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A renown healer, mother of Nial (by Gabran), and Aver (by Fergus, her present husband). She has reason to hate Merlin. (Irish) |
| Aver: | Nial's pretty half-sister. |
| Brian: | Nial's boon companion, son of Fellsgard's Champion, Murdoch. |
| Fergus: | Nial's generous foster-father and Aver's father, devoted to Deirdre. |
| King Angus: | More Romanized than Galowyn, but still a Celtic warrior king. |
| Prince Duncan: | Angus' son, counting
on Nial's support to win Princess Gwen. |
| Murdoch: | Fellsgard's old champion, Brian's father, distrustful of Nial. |
| GERMAN SUPPORTING CAST: VISITORS FROM OSTERLAW |
| Prince Sigismund:
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Alaric's son, huge champion
of Osterlaw, favored to win Princess Gwen. |
| Hildegard:
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Anselm's daughter, a statuesque Battle Maiden with eyes like melting glaciers, hopelessly in love with Sigismund. |
| King Alaric:
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A Saxon King, hoping to extend and legitimize his kingdom through marriage between his son and Princess Gwen. |
| Princess Ulrica: | Sigismund's sister, the clever, alluring leader of the Battle Maidens. |
| Anselm:
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Alaric's former champion, father of Hildegard, Kenelm, Wystan and Hugh. |
| Kenelm, Wystan & Hugh: | Anselm's three sons, Hildegard's younger brothers. |
| Clothilda & Mathilda: | Two more of Princess Ulrica's Battle Maidens. |
| WELSH SUPPORTING CAST: VISITORS FROM WESTLES |
| Griffith of Westles:
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An old warrior who fought with Galowyn's warband long ago, come to celebrate Princess Gwen's nuptials and hoping to find a billet for his old age. |
| Owen:
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The Mastersinger of Westles, brought by Griffith to sing at Princess Gwen's nuptials. |
| SPECIAL CAST: OTHERWORLDLY VISITORS |
| Malabar:
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The sorcerer's wand is a severed head from the Malabar coast of India, held in bronze talons atop a gnarled wooden staff. This hideous artifact is brought to life to harness the malevolent powers of darkness to Akimera's evil purposes, but the wand has no body and, therefore, no Chakras of its own, so Akimera's own life force must provide the essence and ultimate fuel for its powers, with a singularly ghastly side effect. Akimera ages horribly whenever Malabar's powers are invoked! (East Indian) (See Kirtimukha) |
| Lady of the Lake
& the Morrigan:
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Manifestations of Britannia, Queen-goddess of Britain, supernatural mother of Merlin, but also the MORRIGAN, Kali-like ogress-goddess, Mistress of Magic, Queen of Darkness, the destroyer aspect of the Celtic Triple Goddess. The Lady of the Lake appears as a glowing, ghost-like figure at the lake and a tiny, glowing pixie-like figure of light in the cavern. The Morrigan appears as a huge, stone, Greco-Roman statue that comes to life and a ghastly, glowing, towering creature bent on vengeance! (Welsh) |