The Challenge
Ian filled his allies in on the legend of the Green Knight during the plane trip.
"The Green Knight came to Camelot one Christmas," he had explained, "to challenge Arthur's knights to exchange blows. Gawain accepts the challenge and strikes off the Knight's head. The Green Knight retrieves his head and asks Gawain to meet him at the Green Chapel next year so the Knight can give the same blow to Gawain, and then leaves.
"Gawain knows it's a death sentence, of course, but his honor demands it. He heads to the Green Chapel and has numerous adventures along the way, and he finally comes to the castle of Sir Bernlak DeHautdesert. Sir Bernlak invites him to stay, and treats him well, and asks him to stay until he needs to head to the Green Chapel, less than a day's ride away. Bernlak then challenges him to a bit of a game: he will hunt every day, and offers to present Gawain with his spoils each evening if Gawain gives him any gifts he received during the day. Gawain agrees.
"Each day that Bernlak is away, his wife attempts to seduce Gawain, but Gawain resists. On the third day, after he resists, the wife provides him with a magical girdle... a belt... that will protect him from all harm. Gawain takes it, and then lies to Bernlak, claiming he did not receive a gift that day, since it will save him from the Green Knight's blade.
"The next day, he rides out the the Green Chapel and finds the Green Knight sharpening his axe. Gawain kneels to accept the stroke, but leaps out of the way just in time. He kneels again, and again leaps out of the way. On the third stroke, he takes a very shallow wound.
"The Green Knight removed his helmet at that point, revealing himself to be Sir Bernlak. He had done all of this to test the honor of Arthur's knights, and Gawain had passed. The two strokes that missed were due to Gawain keeping his honor, and the shallow stroke was for the breaking of his word for good reasons."
And now, after all this time, he's found the Castle DeHautdesert. It's been renamed after all this time, of course. But the clues point here.
Blandingwood Castle. A medieval-themed restaurant and hotel.
He looks back at the others in costume.
"I'm not sure you guys have... the right dress code. It's not exactly 'Planet Krypton.'"
"The Green Knight came to Camelot one Christmas," he had explained, "to challenge Arthur's knights to exchange blows. Gawain accepts the challenge and strikes off the Knight's head. The Green Knight retrieves his head and asks Gawain to meet him at the Green Chapel next year so the Knight can give the same blow to Gawain, and then leaves.
"Gawain knows it's a death sentence, of course, but his honor demands it. He heads to the Green Chapel and has numerous adventures along the way, and he finally comes to the castle of Sir Bernlak DeHautdesert. Sir Bernlak invites him to stay, and treats him well, and asks him to stay until he needs to head to the Green Chapel, less than a day's ride away. Bernlak then challenges him to a bit of a game: he will hunt every day, and offers to present Gawain with his spoils each evening if Gawain gives him any gifts he received during the day. Gawain agrees.
"Each day that Bernlak is away, his wife attempts to seduce Gawain, but Gawain resists. On the third day, after he resists, the wife provides him with a magical girdle... a belt... that will protect him from all harm. Gawain takes it, and then lies to Bernlak, claiming he did not receive a gift that day, since it will save him from the Green Knight's blade.
"The next day, he rides out the the Green Chapel and finds the Green Knight sharpening his axe. Gawain kneels to accept the stroke, but leaps out of the way just in time. He kneels again, and again leaps out of the way. On the third stroke, he takes a very shallow wound.
"The Green Knight removed his helmet at that point, revealing himself to be Sir Bernlak. He had done all of this to test the honor of Arthur's knights, and Gawain had passed. The two strokes that missed were due to Gawain keeping his honor, and the shallow stroke was for the breaking of his word for good reasons."
And now, after all this time, he's found the Castle DeHautdesert. It's been renamed after all this time, of course. But the clues point here.
Blandingwood Castle. A medieval-themed restaurant and hotel.
He looks back at the others in costume.
"I'm not sure you guys have... the right dress code. It's not exactly 'Planet Krypton.'"