An Epic Quest

Once upon a time, a beautiful Princess and her brave, handsome Prince were expecting a visit from the King and Queen.  They had a problem, though.  And the problem was this: they had no gifts with which to welcome their royal visitors.

And so it came to pass that the brave Prince and the beautiful Princess set out to seek their fortunes (and get home in time for tea).


They had travelled far across the bleak countryside when they met a mysterious stranger, two whom they explained their problem.

"There is a legend," said the mysterious stranger, "that in the distant land of Yar-Tay, there is a mighty temple hewn from the mountain.  A temple populated by twisted, hideous creatures, but, so the legend goes, full to it's mighty towers with all the treasure that an adventurer could carry."

"With this treasure," said the Princess, "we would be have all the gifts we need to satisfy the King and Queen!"


"Aye," agreed the mysterious stranger, "but you must beware.  The lands around the temple are full of mighty, yet stupid beasts who would bar your passage. And the temple itself is filled with the most twisted, hideous creatures you could ever imagine!"


The princess, who had met her Prince's brothers, thought about it for a moment and then declared, "We will go forth to this temple and bring back the treasure we need, for there is no other way."

"If that is your destiny," said the mysterious stranger, "then you will need this talisman."

He handed them a leather pouch, inside which was a talisman.  Upon the talisman were sixteen silver symbols. 

"You will know how to use it," the old man told them, "when the time is right!"  And with that he vanished.

And so they traveled deep into the mysterious land of Yar-Tay.  After a long march, they eventually spied the mighty fortress in the distance.

As the mysterious stranger had foretold, the land between them and the temple was populated by mighty, shiny beasts, some of which had enormous fins and skirts of indeterminate purpose.


As predicted, these beasts did all they could to block their way, but the Prince and Princess used their wily skills to dodge past them and then entered the dark, dank cavern beneath the temple!


In this cavern ware all manner of twisted, hideous creatures that may once have been people.  But any man that spends a lifetime in the shadow of the evil that rules the mysterious land of Yar-Tay is twisted by that evil into a hideous reflection of himself, a form that is less a man than an animal.


Drawing their cloaks close around them to hide their courage and beauty from the creatures around them, the Prince and Princess joined the thronging masses seeking a way into the temple itself.

Eventually, a way presented itself.  A magical moving pathway whisked the Prince and Princess and their hideous, twisted hosts up and out of the dark, dank cavern and into the mighty temple!


It was just as the prophecy had foretold!  The temple was huge, with a ceiling that was higher than the eye could see and treasure stacked to the height of three men!


But taking the treasure was not going to be simple, for it seemed that the hideous twisted creatures from the dark, dank cavern below the temple had the very same scheme.  Each and every creature was ransacking the temple and taking every last piece of treasure!


"We will have to fight them," declared the brave Prince.


"Indeed we will," agreed the beautiful Princess.


And so, they both drew their swords and fought off the throngs of hideous, twisted creatures until none were left standing!

When they stood alone in the cavernous teple, they looked about them at the treasure, stacked high.


"We could have it all," said the Princess.  "But we must not.  For it is the love of this treasure that twisted these hideous creatures so.  We must take only what we need and never return"


And so they each took an armful of treasure and made their way back to the magical pathway that lead down to the dark, dank cave and away to safety.


But at the gateway they were confronted by a creature even more twisted and even more hideous than they had yet encountered.

"Where is it going with my preciouses?" the creature hissed!


"We have taken only what we need," said the brave Prince. "The rest is yours to keep."


"It takes my preciouses," cried the creature, "and it must pay, yes!"


"We have nothing to trade," said the Prince.


"Then it pays with it's lives," the creature growled, and bared it's teeth.


"We have nothing to trade," said the beautiful Princess, "but this magical talisman."


From her knapsack, she produced the leather pouch and, from the leather pouch she produced the talisman which had been given to her by the mysterious stranger.


"It's pretty, pretty," moaned the creature. "Is it my precious, now?"


"It is," assented the Princess, and handed the talisman to the creature.


With the creature distracted, the brave Prince and beautiful princess were able to slip past and away to freedom!


After a long and arduous march they arrived home just in time to welcome their Royal guests into their castle. The King and Queen were greatly pleased by the gifts that they had been given and bestowed their Roayl blessings upon the household.

And after that, they feasted.  And after that, they all lived happily ever after!