Post by Astolfo on Nov 14, 2012 13:49:02 GMT -5
Saber
"I peril but the single life of one
Against safety of the countless rest."
"I peril but the single life of one
Against safety of the countless rest."
OTHER ALIAS[/color]: // The Handsomest Man in the World, The English Duke, The English Prince, BARON OF THE PARD
CURRENT AGE[/color]: // Mid-twenties
YEAR OF BIRTH[/color]: // Around the first half of 8th century (possibly 737-744, same as Roland)
GENDER[/color]: // Male
ALIGNMENT[/color]: // Lawful Good
OCCUPATION[/color]: // Duke of Langres, Prince of England, King of England, King of Ireland, Paladin of Charlemagne, Knight Errant
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Astolfo without armor in all of his fabulousness
The missing link between artill- the two previous pictures
Civilian attire
HEIGHT[/color]: // 185 cm / 6' 1''
WEIGHT[/color]: // 78 Kg
EYE COLOR[/color]: // Blue
HAIR COLOR[/color]: // Blonde
PIERCINGS[/color]: // N/A
TATTOOS[/color]: // N/A
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES[/color]: // N/A
[/size][/ul] [/blockquote]
- Adventurous
- Astolfo yearns for adventure, to see marvels, the wonders of the world, and to perform chivalric deeds, much like his cousin Orlando. He saw his dream granted when he started his journey from France, but he's not satisfied yet. He has yet to see the New World, and the other half of the Old.
- Wise
- The English Duke has learned many things during his adventures, the most important being how to overcome seemingly impossible challenges by using his reasoning skills, to pay attention to his surroundings, and lastly what to do when in danger.
- Knight Errant
- Astolfo often deviates from his steps when he hears that innocent people are put in danger by evil forces, risking his life in order to ensure the safety of the rest. For example, after hearing by an hermit that a road is endangered by a giant and he should take another road, he decides to rid the way of the giant in order to make it safe for future travelers.
- A man renewed
- Astolfo changed from his old self to be more like a classical hero after the episode of Alcina's island. He changed from being light-hearted to being more of a cool-head, but he still he retains his natural courtesy, and sometimes he goes back to his old self if the situation is appropriate.
LIKES[/color]: //
His many, many cousins
Orlando, his favorite cousin
Bradamante, the cousin to which he entrusted his golden spear and his horse
Ruggiero, one of his friend and also a paladin and Bradamante's husband
Ogier the Dane, another paladin who isn't one of his relatives (They are uncommon), and like him, a prince before and a king later (of the Danes)
Charlemagne (also related to him due to their shared ancestry)
Charles Martel, the ancestor he shares with both Charlemagne and Orlando
Going on an adventure
Exploring the world
Finding marvelous wonders
Encylopedias with indexes and appendixes
DISLIKES[/color]: //
Half Fae/Half Hobgoblin immortals necromancers/magi thiefs
Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot
Anthropophagus Giants
Evil Faes
Magi who mind control people
Bad people in general
STRENGTHS[/color]: //
Astolfo was one of the paladins of Charlemagne, the one who performed the most supernatural feats. Thanks to that, he is easily the luckiest paladin in Charlemagne's court, which only Ogier could rival (in luck).
He also has access to powerful phantasm and mounts.
WEAKNESSES[/color]: //
Astolfo will put his life at risk if he believes doing so would save innocent lives. This can be exploited by enemies with lower morals standards, along with his unwillingness to kill unharmed prisoners.
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MY LEGEND: // en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astolfo[/color]
MY HISTORY[/color]: //
Astolfo was born to Otto the king of England, brother of Milon, Orlando's father, Aymon, Rinaldo's, Bradamante's, and Guido's father, Bueve, Maugris' father, Gerard of Roussillon, and Pope Leo.
During his youth, he was appointed as Paladin of Charlemagne, and followed his cousin example to be an exemplary knight.
He was often too reckless, and sometimes a bit of a weird guy, but after a series of fortunate circumstances, he takes possession of Rabicano, the horse made of wind and fire which was faster than lightning, and the golden lance that unhorses anything it touches.
After some adventures, upon returning from the middle east, Astolfo, along with Rinaldo and Dudon, met Alcina the Fay, sister of Morgan, which was enticed by Astolfo's beauty, and tried to captivate him by calling all type of sea-dwellers, and saying that if he would follow her, he would be able to see the most beautiful mermaid in the sea, and more types of fish than the stars in the sky. Astolfo, with a rashness he would rather regret, jumped on the whale-island, and was unable to heed Rinaldo and Dudon's warning. Rinaldo even tried to swim to reach him, but he almost drowned because of the waves Auster lifted.
Alcina tried to comfort Astolfo until they reached Alcina's Island. It was rightfully of Logistilla, but Alcina and her sister Morgan, who were Logistilla's half-sisters, tried to usurp it from her, and managed to obtain most of it.
After some time began to be lukewarm to him, and then casted him away, like her former lovers, as they were put under a spell. Astolfo then met Ruggiero with the hyppogriff, and recounted him his story.
They became friends, and warned him to not go to Alcina's keep, but to go to Logistilla's. But Ruggero was charmed by Alcina's spells, and he fell to her too.
Then Melissa, a good fairy in Logistilla's employ, who helped Bradamante before, under the guise of Atlantes, reminded him of his duties and gave him the magical ring that dispells magic in order to see Alcina's true form.
She then told him to escape with some excuse, and while Alcina was busy trying to bring him back, Melissa liberated Astolfo by giving him the magic ring, and the other previous lovers too from Alcina's spells, and brought him to Logistilla's castle an hour before Ruggero. Alcina's and Morgan's army where defeated with the help of the two paladins, particularly with Atlantes' shield. Astolfo saw his true self through the mirror walls of Logistilla's palace and Afterwards, at her palace, Logistilla instructed Ruggero about how the hippogryff is reined, and set on his way, and for Astolfo it was prepared a ship commanded by the good Andronica and chaste Sophrosina, to bring him to Persia. While the ship was prepared, Astolfo was instructed by Logistilla, about many important things, which included how to resist magic charms, and he was issued a book that contained how to counter against magic cheats/enchantments/spells, capable of breaking every one of them, and it had indexes and appendixes too, and was told to keep it always at his side for Logistilla's sake. He was also issued an item with even greater value, the magical horn that makes everyone escape.
Astolfo received the gifts with many thanks, and left on the ship.
While the ship coasted India, Astolfo asked Andronica if it would be possible to go from the west and reappear in the east, and Andronica revealed to him that the world is round and there's another land between Asia and Europe, and that a new emperor will bring christianity to these lands too, seven centuries ahead, and the other things he would do. When Andronica finished, the ship arrived in the persian gulf,
and Astolfo parted ways with his two hosts.
He moves towards Araby, and while he travels, he encounters robbers, lions, dragon, and other monstrous beasts, but they all flee from him after he blows the horn.
He then directs towards Israel, along Traian's channel, on his horse, Rabican, and meets an old hermit on a pinnace, which warns him that six miles further on the road there is antrhopophagus giant who ambushes travelers with his net, well concealed under the sands near his mansion, and he scares the travelers inside it. The hermit then suggest Astolfo the other way, but he refuse, saying that that if he flees, he may have save his life, but argues that if he goes the worst that can befall to him is to die, but if by god's mercy he lives, and the giant dies, then he shall make the road secure for thousands.
"I peril but the single life of one
Against safety of the countless rest."
-- "Go then in peace," (the other said). "my son,
And to thy succour, form among the blest,
May God dispatch the Archangel Michael down."
And so the hermit blessed him.
Astolfo followed the course of the Nile until he saw the den of the giant, full with bones and other remains of his victims.
When Caligorante saw him, he hurried to hide himself in the nearboring marsh in order to catch Astolfo by surprise, but he nonetheless noticed him even while concealed, and remembering what the hermit said, blowed the horn in order to make the giant fall into his own trap.
He then approaches him to make him pay of the deaths he caused, but deemed unchilvarious to strike an unharmed opponent, and so Astolfo takes the chains and makes sure he can't move his hands, and makes him rise and unlooses him, and gave him to beat his load like a valet, and parades him along the cities he enounters, like Memphis, the pyramids, until he comes to Cairo, where he hears about a dreaded thief.
The sturdy thief lived in tower near Cairo, and was said that no man
could take his life. Astolfo then deviates his course towards Damietta, where Orrillo, the son of a Hobgoblin and a Fae, lived, on the tower near the river.
There he finds Grifone the white and Aquilante the sable, the twins sons of Oliver, battling Orrillo.
They are attacked by a amphibious monster that the necromancer summons, and, even if they are victorious against the monster, they could not win against Orrillo.
Two fae are watching the battle, the ones that saved the twins when they were children.
By the time Astolfo arrives, the sun sets, and Orrillo retires to his tower.
Astolfo greets the twins, and they in change greet him as the BARON OF THE PARD, one of the nicknames he was known for at Charlemagne's court.
The fae ladies led the warriors to repose to a palace near, and Astolfo chained the giant to an oak. Then the three warriors participate in a banquet, and Astolfo proposes that he goes alone fighting the wizard-wight.
The twins, accept, and warn him that his efforts would go to waste.
But Astolfo had read in his magical book that the soul of the monster was tied to one of his hair, and that plucking it out, it would die forever.
So, the next morning, Astolfo faces Orrillo, sword against mace.
Astolfo cuts him up in many ways, in a hundred pieces like minced meat, and after a thousand blows he cuts his head, and swiftly springs on his horse toward the Nile.
Orrillo at first doesn't notice it, but when he hears the horse gallopping away, he seats on his horse and start pursuing. But Rabican has already made a distance of a plain between them, and Astolfo seeks the fatal hair that gives the necromancer immortality, but he could not find any that standed out. He then resolved that he should cut all of his hair, like the gordian knot, and made good use of his sword.
When the hair was cut, the head of Orrillo lost all life, and the rest of his body went down from his horse.
The duke then returned to where he left the two brothers and ladies, and showed them the lifeless head and where the body lied.
Astolfo went then to certify the death to the castellan of Damietta, and he then loosed a carrier pidgeon with a letter to Cairo, and from there, others were sent throughout the rest of the Egypt, so that in few hours everyone knew.
Then Astolfo convinced the two brothers to leave the Orient and return to battle in France, and congedates them from their ladies, but first they had to go in peregrination to Jerusalem.
They traveled on the abrupt and shortest road, and loaded the giant with all they need for the travel.
On the road, they meet Sansonetto, whom in the past killed a dragon, and he invites them in the caliph's palace. Caligorante is set to help build the walls of the city, and the knigths go to pray in the sanctuaries. There Grifone hears news from a greek pilgrim about Origille, the woman he loved, that she is in Antioch with another man. Then Grifone departs to Antioch, while Astolfo, Aquilante and Sansonetto remain in Palestine.
Grifone meets Origille with Martano, is tricked by Origille about Martano's status, participates in Damascus's joust, is duped by Martano and Origille, and the king at first doesn't believe him, but at the end is convinced by Grifone that he is right.
Meanwhile, right after Grifone departed from Jerusalem, Aquilante sought for his lost brother through Solyma and all of the Holy Land, when he finds the greek pilgrim and he receives the news about Origille too. He asks if the pilgrim told his brother the news too, and having a positive answer, he now knows where his brother went, and asks Astolfo to postpone the return to France in order to take his brother back.
Aquilante meets Martano and Origille on his way, he is lied to but doesn't fall for it, and makes them prisoner and takes them to Damascus to his brother.
His brother orders their imprisonement instead of their death and the king makes another Tourney to celebrate.
The news quickly travel to Palestine, where Astolfo hears it, and decides together with the ruler of the land Sansonetto to participate in the joust.
On the road to Damascus they meet Marfisa, amazon indian queen, who put in trouble Orlando and Rinaldo before with her martial prowess, and unknown to her yet, the long lost twin sister of Ruggiero, descendant of both Hector of Troy and Alexander the Great.
She was in search of errant knight to battle to win glory and immortal fame, and seeing Astolfo and Sansonetto, she approaches them with the intent of battling them, but, upon seeing them nearer, she recognizes the peer Astolfo.
Remembering his pleasing ways from when they met in Cathay, Marfisa takes off her helmet and embraces Astolfo, which in turn salutes her courteously.
They ask each other where they went, and upon learning that Astolfo and Sansonetto where going to the joust, Marfisa offers to participate, and the knights accept.
They go to Damascus, and stay lodged in a suburb till the one day before the show.
When is day again, the three go to the city square, where the joust is.
In that tourney the prizes where a richly adorned tuck and mace, and a magificient steed.
King Norandino, feeling that Grifone would surely be the winner, appoints the prizes in full view.
But Marfisa, seeing them, recognized they were the weapons she left on the road in order to catch Brunello who took her sword, and without thinking about another way, she simply grabs them, making the other prizes fall down.
The king was offended by this, and with one of his look, his people moved against Marfisa, not remembering what happened the last time they took weapons against an errant knight.
Marfisa impales many of them with her lance, and cuts the arms of the other with her sword, while Astolfo and Sansonetto, seeing that the crowd was attacking Marfisa, charge with their lances through the rabble, and cut their way through with their swords.
The knights there for the joust, stood there surprised; some helped the crowd, a thing they would soon regret; others, foreign, departed from the town; the more wary stood there.
Grifone and Aquilante, seeing the king enraged, and hearing what happened from the crowd, quickly go in the fray with thier lances.
Astolfo, on Rabican, with his golden lance, unhorses both the brothers at the first touch, while Sansonetto makes quick work of the other knights.
Meanwhile, Marfisa returns with her old weapon back in her hand in the suburb inn, and Astolfo and Sansonetto are quick to follow her.
Grifone and Aquilante droop their heads with shame for being throwed on the ground, and seize their horse to pursue the three, with king Norandino and his knights following.
Grifone arrives on the bridge the three managed to reach, and here recognized Astolfo, since he was using the same armor and horse since he killed the charmed Orrillo, for before the joust he wasn't paying attention.
He greets him, and then asks him who are his companions and why they the pulled down the prized arms.
Astolfo informed Grifone about his companions, but about the reason, he says he doesn't know, but helped Marfisa anyway because she was her companion.
At the same time, Aquilante hears his brother and recognizes Astolfo, so he takes some of Norandino knights with him to overhear the rest.
When he learns that Marfisa is there, he changes the course of his steed and returns to Norandino, and tells him to dispatch his court, lest Marfisa would slaughter them.
Norandino, upon hearing the dreaded name, fears it may happen what Aquilante just said, and bids his court to retire.
Grifone, on the other hand, with the help of Sansonetto and Astolfo, supplicates Marfisa to terminate the fight, which she does.
Next, she talks to king Norandino and explains that these arms where hers, and where and how she lost them, and shows her ensign on the weapons.
Norandino answers that he would surely gave them back some days ago, but he already gave to Grifone, but knowing his good nature he would surely gave them back, and that he may reward the knight with something else.
Grifone agrees, since he wasn't interested in the arms, but more on satysfing the king, and gives the gear back to Marfisa.
They then came back to the joust, and left Sansonetto go alone, llike good friends, so that the prize and the honor could be his.
They stay for ten days of feast, but after that the four paladins feel the desire to return to France, and Marfisa joins them, wanting to see if what they say about the paladins is true.
Sansonetto leaves another to guide the city of Jerusalem in his stead, and the five together go to Tripoli.
From there they they take a carrack for western countries, and visit Cyprus, then Paphos, where they hear that Lucina, Norandino's wife is back to Syria, and then, while on the sea, a storm hits them, and the boat is forced to take refuge on the nearby bay of Laiazzo's island.
But the patron of the ship soon regrets it, when he sees the two castles at Laiazzo's port, for he knew that there every person would die or be made a slave.
While the patron esitates to land, Astolfo asks him why the ship did not made port yet.
The patron answers saying that murderous women inhabited that shore, and by thier ancient law should kill or take slave everyone who lands there, and that the only way to avoid this destiny was to defeat ten champions, and then the following night satisfying 10 ladies in bed.
If one does the first feat, but doesn't finish the second, he is killed and his friend taken as slaves; but if one does them both, hi firends are freed, but he is doomed to stay there forever and take 10 wives.
Astolfo couldn't hold a laugh at the weird custom, and with his friends, decides they should land at the port, confident in their martial prowess, and especially Astolfo, who knew he could use his horn, while the patron and the sailors preferred to sail again for fear of slavery.
However, a galley already spotted and soon dragged the ship into the port.
At the port, there were already six thousand women in armor and armed with bows, and a old dame asked the patron if he wanted to die there, or stay captive.Then she adds that if there were a man among them that could best ten of their champions and satisfy ten of their ladies, they would make him one of their sovereign, and give the choice to the others to leave or remain free, but if the man couldn't do one of the quests, he would be killed and the other enslaved.
The patron gives his positive answer, and the five knight land, and go to the square, where they see the men are not allowed to bear arms, except the ten champions. The others are forced to work, and for every thousand of women there are only a hundred men.
The knigths then decided about who was going to fight the champions. At first they believed Marfisa wasn't cut for the second task, but then she assured them that she will cut all trouble with her blade like Alexander did with the Gordian noose. The others agree and then Marfisa goes to the battlefield, on the best horse Norandino could give her. From the opposite gate, she sees entering her opponents, and their leader stands out, as he is dressed completely in black.
The nine warriors put their spears in rest together, while the black knight deemed this vantage in disdain and merely watched.
Marfisa defeats the nine knights with ease; seeing this the black knight approaches Marfisa, and makes sign to speak, and offers to wait for her to rest until tomorrow, since he judges discourteous to battle a weary knight.
But Marfisa refuses, saying that she is not weary yet from such a short fight, and she intends to show him.
The battle endured till night, at which point the knight asks if they should wait till morning to continue, and this time Marfisa accepts.
The knight also offers to lodge the five knights, since the ninety wives of the nine champions are already conjuring to kill them.
They accept, and they move to the black knight's palace, and after the dinner prayer, they remove their helmets, and to the surprise of one another they see that the black knight is barely eighteen, and the black knight that Marfisa is woman; then they exchange thier names.
Marfisa just had to say her name, that the rest was known, such was her fame.
The other, with more preamble, declared he was part of the house of chiaramonte, and that his father was Duke Aymon, and that it was a year since he began his quest to return to France to his relatives.
But ten months ago Auster caused a storm to impede his progress, and he then landed on the isle and slew Argilon of Meliboea, and since then he was known as Guido the Savage. He slayed the ten champions and satysfied the ten dames, and was made prince.
The knights ask then why there so few males, and Guido answers as he heard: and he recounts with all detail how the city was founded and when it happened.
For two thousand years the law remains the same, and many are slayed, and few try the trails, like Elbanio, and the ones that succeeds can be counted on the fingers; the last of them, was Argillon which was defeated by Guido.
Yet Guido is unhappy to waste his time on pleasure, when otherwise he could be in France with his relatives, pursuing glory in battle.
Astolfo hides his name, and hears in silence, until he is sure, by the many signs showed, that Guido is indeed the son of the Duke Aymon.
Then Astolfo reveals that he is the English duke and Guido's cousin, and embraced and kissed him, not without shedding tears from joy.
Guido, who would normally have been happy upon finding his cousin, was instead dismayed, for know he know if he won, Astolfo would be made a slave, and if Marfisa wins, he would die, so that good of ne would be ill to the other.
He doesn't like the fact that winning he would make other knights, captive, and the other knights didn't like like the fact they had to kill him to gain their freedom; Then Marfisa persuades Guido to come with them, as they would burn the city and cleave a path through the mob instead of fighting.
Guido answers that he does not believe that escape in that way is possible, since there are ten thousand women in the city square and another ten thousand at the city port.
Marfisa says that she would kill them, but Guido believes the only way to go is by being helped by his most faithful wife, since only women have the right to go to the beach, and prepare the boat for sailing.
Marfisa answer that she would rather cut her way open with her sword than to flee like that, but she agrees with Guido in account for the safety of her companions.
Guido speaks that night with Alery, his most faithful wife, who agrees with him, and she brings weapons and armors to the sailors on the ship, under the excuse that she is preparing a cruise for the next day.
When the sun rises, the square is already filled with people, and the six knights are summoned there. Guido brought a hundred with him, and they hurried towards the opposite gate, but the crowd soon resorted to their bows, and tried to stop them; Guido and the other knights were quick to react, but they were worried about abot the enormous number of arrow, for many of their companions were dead. Every knight wore an enchanted armor, but Sansonetto's horse died, and so did Marfisa's.
Astolfo saw there was no better chance to make use his horn than now, and so he blowed it.
The world seemed to tremble, as the terrible sound travelled through the air; When the dames heard it, not only they left the door, but the entire square void, and they fleed filled with terror.
Entire families suddendly awakened by the sound, leaped away from the windows, and recklessy fleed from the sound.
In every direction the crowd tries to flee; Over a thousand at once, each gate they flood; many are injured, or lose their lives by being pressed, or falling from windows.
Cries pierces the air towards the heavens, and wherever the deafening sound is heard, the people flees.
The rabble flees, as it is thier nature; but even the mighty Marfisa, the furious Guido, the twin sons of Oliver and the bold Sansonetto, in spite of their courage, flee like scared rabbits, as they cannot resist the unlimited power of the horn, which makes no distinction between friend and foe, and their however far they flee, their ears are dinned.
Astolfo, on his horse, for all the the land rides, blowing more and more; and some flee to the sea, some to the mountains and some to the forest; other fled for ten days straight, some of which never again recover.
So emptied were the houses, streets, temple, and square, that void the city remained.
Marfisa, Sansonetto, Guido, and the brothers, pale and trembling, move towards the sea, together with the merchants and the sailors; and Alery, hastily receives them, and sails away.
Meanwhile, Astolfo had traversed the entire city in and out, from the hills to the seaside, and emptied the streets of people. As they flee from the deafening sound, many hide in dark and filthy places; many others, seeing no other refuge, plunge into the sea and drown.
He returns to the port, and finds that no one is there, and that the ship is leaving, so he takes another and travels alone.
This while the other knights, on the ship, look down in ashamed and do not dare to speak until their voyage is finished.
Astolfo took the way of Armenia, then Natoly, through Bursa, makes Thrace, Hungary, and the Danube; the Moravian and Bohemian line, and the Franconian one, and then the Rhine.
To Aix-la-Chapelle then, through Arden's wood, came and embarked on Flemish land. On the ship, he sees Albion, and by the time is noon, he sets foot upon her. By the time is night he is at London, where he learns that his father, Otho, and the other nobles, went many months before to Paris, and so he sets sails again for France.
He lands at Rouen, and departs again, traversing a forest, found a font upon a hill. He tied his horse, Rabicano, and was about to drink, when a young villain steal his horse. Astolfo hears, and sees, what happens, and satiated although he had not drunk, in fury ran behind the man.
The robber, fled at trot, and Astolfo was able to keep up with him, enough to see he went inside a castle.
But when he gets there, he sees no trace of the villain nor the horse. He then searches upon the castle, and after some time, perceives the place is enchanted. He quickly thinks about the book that he always keeps at his side, given to him by Logistilla in India, and opens the index to find the pages that could help him.
It was written in detail how the enchanted castle was made, and how to foil the enchanter, and to free the prisoners of his spell.
He was about to act when Atlantes sees him moving, and fearing that he may dispell his castle, cunningly manipulates the other knights prisoners in order to attack Astolfo.
Ruggero, Bradamante, Orlando, Gradasso, Florismart, Iroldo, Prasildo, Brandimart, and many more knights went against Astolfo, but he, perceiving the danger, quickly thought of the only way to come out of his predicament, and before any of the other knigths could reach him, he blew his magical horn and dispelled the castle.
And so the knights, Atlantes, and all of the steeds fled in terror; for there nothing but a rope to keep them in place. Even the cats and the rats fleed; Rabican fled too, directly into Astolfo's hand, who calmed him.
Then Astolfo finds the Hippogryff, binded by a golden chain, who Ruggiero used to travel the northen emisphere, and that left him and returned to Atlantes' castle until the speel was broken.
Astolfo could not be more happy, because of all things fortunate, this was the best that happened to him yet, for he knew that now he could travel around the whole world in few days, and he knew well how he was befit for the gift, for he already proof of himself elsewhere.
For when in India by Melissa from Alcina, he marked and noted whenLogistilla instructed Ruggiero on how to conduct the Hippogryff.
He then put the saddle on the Hyppogryff, and put the correct bridle, and was ready to depart, when the thought of Rabican detained him.
He had good reasons to love Rabican, for there was not a better horse to run with a lance, and has brought him from the the remotest reign of India all the way to France; so he resolved that he would present him to a friend, rather than leaving him prey to the first stranger on the road.
So he waited for a day for someone to come and to leave the horse in good hands.
The day after, while Astolfo was still waiting, in fact, a knight arrived, and seeing Astolfo, waved at him, and upon reaching him, revealed herself as Bradamante, Astolfo's cousin.
They greeted each other, and Astolfo thought he could not find a better person to entrust his horse, and that the Heavens sent her.
The cousins embraced fraternally, and exchanged informations about their adventures.
Astolfo then shows to Bradamante the Hippogryff, which she already encountered in the past; then Astolfo bestows Rabican and the golden lance to Bradamante, and to preserve them until his return.
And then, Astolfo bids farewell to Bradamante and departs, flying through the sky.
And so, by making wise use of the palfrey, the Hippogryff flew though the sky, better and faster than the hawk and the eagle; over the wide land of France,from the Pyrenees to the Rhine, from sea to sea, Astolfo flew.
Then he turned back to mountains that divided France from Spain, and traveled through Navarre and Arragon; people beheld his wondrous appearance; He leaves Tarragon, and Biscay, and travels to Castile, Gallicia, Lisbon, Seville and Cordova, so that no land in Spain is left unexplored.
He goes to Cadiz and the Pillars of Heracles, then over Africa, from the Atlantic side to Egypt, and sees the famous Balearic isles and Ivica; then he turns towards Arzilla.
Morocco, Fez, Oran, Hippona, Argier, and Bugia are the next, followed by Biserta, Tunis-town,Capys, Alzerba's isle, Tripoli, Berniche, Ptolomitta, and pursued towards the Nile's fount.
He sees Atlas, Carena and the Cyrenaean ground; to nubian's boundary
in Albajada, he sees Battus' tomb and Amon's dilapidated temple.
Then Tremizen where the neighbours of the Ethiops followed Mohammed's creed; He pursues then over the Nile, where christian Ethiops lived, between Coallee and Dobada, where the border between the Nubians and the Ethiops is, and finally arrives in Ethiopia.
There King Senapus reigns, and posseses a broad kingdom that extends to the Red Sea; Astolfo dismounts at Senapus' court, intending to visit him, where he found that anything that was normally made with iron, was made with gold there. The colonnades were made of clear crystal, and topaz, sapphire, emerald, ruby and other precious stones are engraved at regular intervals, and so are pearls; the balm plants grow here, and in short, everything that is rare in Europe is found abundant there. The Sultan of Egypt pays a tribute to the king of Ethiopa, for he knews that the king could halt the course of the Nile and starve his people; Senapus, called so by his Nubian tribes, is known in Europe as Prester John.
Senapus was the richest and mightest of the Ethiopans kings, but he lost his sight, and worse, was struck with a perpetual hunger.
Whenever he tried to eat, the Harpies would appear, and eat and ruin the food; this happened because, when Senapus was still young and full with pride, he waged war against the mount where it was said the Terrestial Paradise, also know as the Garden of Eden or Garden of the Gods, was at the top; but a messenger with sword killed the one thousand soldier Senapus brought with him, and condmened him to eternal night; and the following day, the Harpies emerged from hellish caverns, and polluted or wasted the meat, and left nothing to drink or eat.
The king remained in utter despair when he was prophesied that when a knight on winged horse would arrive, for he thought that such a thing was impossible.
It was then with surprise that King Senapus heard from his subjects the news that a knight with a winged horse was arrived, and remembering the prophecy, he leaves his staff and goes to greet the knight with joy and outstretched arms.
Astolfo descended into the main square of the castle, and the the king knelt before him, claiming that he was an angel of God and a new Messiah, and that he should forgive his sin for he was repentant, and that wouldn't ask his sight back, but to expel the Harpies, and promises to build a rich temple in Astolfo's honor, and sought to kiss his feet invain.
Astolfo said that he was nor angel nor Messiah, but a mortal and a sinner like the king, and that he was unworhty to pretend such grace; but he would try to drive the harpies away, and he will succeed, he suggest Senapus to pay his prayers to God alone, who sent him to his aid; To offer his vows to God, and to build churches and altars in his name.
While talking, the king conducts Astolfo to the dining room, and leaves him here; soon the seven harpies, daughters of Thaumas and Electra, arrive, and Astolfo blows his horn; the harpies flee and Astolfo follows them on his steed.
Astolfo continues to blow, and the harpies flee to the mountain where the Nile begins. There, at the feet of the mountain, there is a huge cavern that leads to the depths of the underworld, where, farther than Cocytus' shore, the sound could not be heard.
There, Astolfo stopped his steed, and stopped before the hellish cave.
He heard cries and lamentations coming from inside there leading him to believe it was really the entrance to Hades.
Astolfo thinks about descending to hell to see the damned, and doesn't fear Satan, Pluto or Cerberus, but instead, ties his steed to a tree and begins his descent.
Soon he finds that that here a smoke darker than pitch and stencher than sulphur, but Astolfo nevertheless goes on.
But the smoke grows and grows, and when Astolfo comes to an halt, he sees something in motion, and he surmised it was a spirit.
Astolfo asks the spirit its story in exchange of the promise he will talk about them on earth and the Heavens shall grant it a small respite; the spirit accepts and reveals to have been Lydia, the daughter of the king of Lydia; that she was sent there because of her ingratitude towards her lover and that countless more where there; among them, Anaxerete and Daphne; Then Lydia recounts her own story to Astolfo.
When she finishes, Astolfo looks around, and seeing no one, wisely decides to exit the cavern.
Then he uproots stones and trees, and with them he bars the entrance, and he succeeds, so that the Harpies could not leave anymore.
Next he takes a bath, and wash his clothes; afterwards he joins his steed again and begins to make his way towards the top of the mountain.
Climbing, he sees a great amount of precious stone, lush flora and fauna, and the top sees a bright palace that seemed to be made ut of flames.
Astolfo slowes doen his steed, to admire the palace which measures more than 30 miles per wall, and compares this land to the earth below, he sees the roof entirely made of precious stones and concludes that even the seven wonders couldn't compete with it.
An figure comes from the entrance towards Astolfo, and greets him, saying that he was chosen to ascend to the Terrestrial Paradise, and that he would be instructed on how to help Charles and the Church.
He then invites Astolfo to dine with him bbefore instructing him, and reveals to Astolfo to be John the Evangelist, who also wrote the Apocalypse; which was destined not to die, and translated there, to live with Enoch, the keeper of the Akashic record, and the Prophet Elijah, also known as Elijah the Thunderer, and to wait there until the second coming.
Astolfo was led in a chamber by the three holy men, and the hippogryff in another, where he was fed with good forage.
Astolfo instead, was fed with the Fruits of Eden, which he found so delicious, that all other foods fall short in comparison.
After having took care of his needs, Astolfo wakes up from bed, and the beloved disciple took him by hand, and read to him many important things. Then St. John revealed to him what transpired in France, and how Orlando was chosen like Sampson to defend the faith; but he left his people in the time of most need, and therefore was punished to be mad, like Nebuchadnezzar was left mad for seven years and acted like a furious bull; but Orlando had sinned less, and only for three months he would suffer this treatment in order to clean himself.
Then explains how Astolfo was chosen to give back Orlando's wits and how to do other things, with the other saints, like miracles, the secrets behind creation, theological truths, etcetera, for a long time.
After that, the Chariot of Fire is prepared, and four horses redder than fire conduct it; then St. John blesses Astolfo so that he may be not harmed by flames of any kind; then they depart through the eternal fire source, the giant sphere of flames in the sky; and then they go off to the Selenian realm.
Astolfo witnesses with surprise what lays inside that realm, and the Saint guides him where all things lost are stored, and explains him which is which, and what is what.
They then find where the lost sense is stored, with the largest bottle having a sign that reads "Orlando's Wit".
Astolfo sees his own, and also the other of people he believed to be wise, but he sees that they actually have most of thier wits lost.
Astolfo took his bottle, since the write of the Apocaypse gave his consent, and inhaled his contents; and since that day, he lived so wisely, that even Archbishop Turpin acknowledged it.
Then Astolfo took the bottle with Orlando's wit, which was not light as he thought; but before descending to Earth again, the apostle brought him to a palace near a river.
The palace, was full with all kinds of fleeces, wool, silk, linen, and cotton; yarns to reel from the fleeces an lady with hoary hair drew; a second one replaced the work done with other; and a third divided foul from fair.
Seeing this Astolfo asked to the apostle who were those ladies, to which St. John replied that the women where the Parcae, the ones that spins the lives of man.
St. John then explains what is done with the fleeces; meanwhile a man took the fleeces that had nametags, and replaced them with other all the time, without stopping.
Astolfo goes in the palace, sees a better fleece than others, and St. John explains to which man it belongs.
Then, after seeing all of the palace, they exit it and come near the river where the man with the nametags is.
The man, while looking old, was very fast, and after filling his mantle to brim with the nametags, he casts them away on the river Lethe.
near the river, birds and raven fly nearby, trying to catch some of names, but they all fail, except two swans who catch the worthy names. The others are consumed by Oblivion, but the two swans bring the names they have to a temple upon an hill.
The temple is sacred to Immortality, and a nymph takes the names from the swans, and put them on a shaft, so that they be know for eternity.
Astolfo asked to to the apostle who was the old man, to which he reponds that every thing that happens on earth has an effect on heaven and viceversa, and that old man is Time, and the raven represent the false poets and the swans the true poets, and how the poets effect history, and makes many example of famous people.
Then Astolfo return to Earth with Elijah's chariot, and St. John shows him a miracolous that will make regain sight upon touch. St. John wants Astolfo to use it cure King Senapus, so that the king may give him troops to siege Biserta. Then instructs him on how to train the army to use plate and mail, and how to stop the sandstorms in the desert; St. John explains to Astolfo how the order should be mantained point to point; then made him take again the hippogryff, and dismissed him.
Astolfo coasts the Nile, and return to the Nubian realm where Senapus resides. Senapus was very happy to welcome Astolfo again, since he liberated him from the harpies, but when Astolfo made him regain his sight again, Senapus adored him.
So when asked, not only he grants the men needed for the siege of Biserta, but also one hundred thousand men more, and offer himself to be at his command too.
Astolfo then, the night before the army begins his march, goes to a hill and finds the cave where Auster, or Notus as he is also known, the god of the southern wind, resides.
And with a leather bag, like St. John said, he imprisons the god of the southern wind so that there may be no more sandstorm to impede his army from passing through Africa.
Joyful, astolfo returns to his Nubian army, and with them sets his course towards Mount Atlas, where no sandstorm stops him.
Then he sets upon the higher part of the mountain, and leaves the army at a camp at the feet of the hill; after this, he prays, and perform a miracle; that is, he creates one hundred thousand horses for his army, complete with saddles and reins; so that when the horses descend the mountain, his army seizes them, and it transforms into a cavarly only army. With them, Astolfo scoured Africa and conquered the kingdom, winning against King Branzardo's , Fersa's king, and Algaziers' one, who were appointed by King Agramante to defend his country while he was sieging France.
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?) is the personification of the rainbow and messenger of the gods. She is also known as one of the goddesses of the sea and the sky. Iris links the gods to humanity. She travels with the speed of wind from one end of the world to the other,[1] and into the depths of the sea and the underworld.