Post by Astolfo on Oct 3, 2015 17:59:45 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."
- FULL NAME
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 (Same age as Orlando)
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
[/size][/list]
- APPEARANCE
Astolfo without armor in all of his fabulousness
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][/list] [/blockquote]
- PERSONALITY
- [*]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, mentor of him and Orlando, and another relative
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.
[/list][/size][/blockquote]
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, Pope Leo, and others.
During his youth, he was appointed as Paladin of Charlemagne, after the war in Aspramonte, 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 Dudone, 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 Dudone'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.
[/blockquote][/size]
Agramante, that hears what is happening in his country, calls a meeting beetween him and his allies and vassals.[/color]: //
First he hears Sobrino, then Marsilius.
Sobrino suggests to send a fleet against Africa and to settle the war with Charles with a duel between two champions.
Marsilius says that they should bail out while they still can.
Sobrino obtained that the duel would be done and Charles chooses Rinaldo as his champion.
Meanwhile, Astolfo slew the remaining enemy troops in Africa, and took Bucifaro as prisoner, while King Branzardo took refuge in the city of Biserta. Branzardo was more worried to have lost Bucifaro than the rest of his troops, and thinking about how to reagin him, he is reminded that he had took prisoner near Monaco, Dudone, son of Ogier, and thinks to exchange him with Bucifaro from the leader of the Nubians, which he hears from one of his spies that it is none other than Astolfo the paladin.
So Branzardo sends the message to Astolfo, and he gladly agrees; Dudone thanks Astolfo from having liberated him; Astolfo then plans with Dudone how to move on land and sea.
Astolfo had enough men to take Africa seven times, and he remembered how St. John told him to reclaim the Provence and Acquamorta from the Saracens, so he went to the seaside and created a thousand ships;then they set sail to Corsica and Sardinia, where they found seasoned sailors.
Meanwhile, King Agramante returns from France to Biserta, in order to aid his people with his fleet, but he is intercepted by Astolfo's fleet; Agramante was not expecting the miracolous fleet, and, in the resulting battle, all but the vessel that carried Agramante and Sobrino are destroyed, and the Moors killed or made prisoners; and Agramante flees to Biserta; and Astolfo entrusted Dudone to send the prisoners to Charlemagne.
While they were on the road back, a ship, filled by prisoners took by Rodomont, among which where Oliver, Sansonetto, and Brandimart, tries to take refuge in the port, not knowing it was occupied by enemies;
And so Oliver, Sansonetto, and Brandimart, with the others, are freed, and greeted in cheers by Astolfo and Dudone.
They were rearmed, and stayed at the board; Dudone deferred his voyage towards France for a day, to hear the news the paladins conveyed and it is asked in what state is France and Charlemagne.
While Astolfo and the peers where discussing, a noise is heard in the camp, growing louder, followed by an alarm.
Immediately the five knights armed themselves and hurried to the source of the noise; which was a savage naked man only armed with a oak tree, that already killed a hundred men. While the five knights where seeing the wild man, a lady hurries to Brandimart with open arms; she was Florderice, who had travelled from France to Argier and Africa in search of her husband, when she heard he was at Biserta along with Astolfo.
After having kissed her husband Brandimart three times, and exchanged explanations about how she came there, she turns and points to the wild man, saying that he was the Count Orlando, since she had a previous encounter with him.
Astolfo already that figured out, since he recognized the signs the three saints of Heaven told him about, and more; while the other knights could not see the Count in that man, since he resembled more of a beast than a man.
It is then with tears and a oppressed heart that Astolfo tells the other knights, that yes, that savage man is Orlando; and they stare at him until they recognize him; then their hearts were filled with grief and wonder, seeing him in such a state.
And the four other knights started to cry too, but Astolfo said it is time to heal, and not to mourn him; so they all dismount from their horses, and surround the Mad Count.
Orlando, who saw himself surrounded started to swing his wooden mace madly, first hitting Dudone, the son of Ogier, who parries with his shield; but the shield is broken, and Dudone is hit on his helmet; he faints on the ground; next is Olivier, who is punched in the head, and would have died if it were not for his exceptional helmet; instead, he bleeds from his eyes and nose, and seems he is about to die; Astolfo is hit and thrown ten meters away; but he stands up as if nothing happened, while Dudone comes up with a swollen face. Meanwhile Brandimart holds Orlando by the front, and Dudone starts from behind; and Astolfo takes his arms; but the paladin still does not stop.
Meanwhile, Olivier came back to counsciousness, and took ropes in order to restrain Orlando; and with the other knights, they tie Orlando so that he can't move.
Astolfo then said to Dudone to carry Orlando to the beach; there, Astolfo washed him seven times; Then, with herbs prepared by him, Astolfo closes the mouth of Orlando, so that he could only breath from his nose.
Then Astolfo takes the bottle that contained Orlando's wits, and makes him inhale it; And Orlando returned to his sense, more clear than ever before.
Orlando remains surprised for a moment, like when people suddenly awake from a nightmare and find everything normal; he looked at the knights around, then at himself, and wondered what caused him to tied up like that. Then he said, like the famous Silenus, SOLVITE ME, in a so calm manner, much different than before, that the knights immediately untied him and brought him vests.
So, in the best state of mind he would ever have, Orlando forgot about his love for Angelica, and meditated about on how to reacquire what he had lost. Meanwhile Brandino, who came with Florderice, tells Brandimant that his father Monodantes is dead, and that he should return to his kingdom to take on his inheritance. But Brandimart says that he will first aid Orlando and Charlemagne in the war, and if he lives to see its end, he will return at home.
The following day, Astolfo and Orlando planned how to take Biserta; and Astolfo took to heart Orlando's wise counsel.
At the same time, Orlando advises Astolfo to destroy Biserta so that it may not attack France nevermore.
So, at the third day, Astolfo placed Sansonetto in command of all the ships that weren't used in the previous naval battle, so that he may attack the port of the city; Orlando and Astolfo make the army fast and pray until the third day; Then Astolfo from one side, Sansonetto from the other, began to attack when Orlando gave the signal.
Astolfo orders the Nubian King to direct his men volley of arrows and slings so that the Moor would not dare to appear at the walls; so that the footmen and the knights could fill the castle's moat without peril; and when the shores can be crossed, Astolfo, Olivier, and Orlando cheer on them.
Next are the nubians, without fear of the enemy, that break the gates with battering rams and take the towers; Sansonetto landed, and began the other side of the assault; Orlando, Olivier, Brandimart, and Astolfo, each one took a quarter of the nubians, and led them to battle gloriously.
Brandimart takes a ladder to the wall, and climbs with his men; he manages to get on the wall, but the ladder breaks and his men could not follow him; Not discouraged in the least, he jumps down thirty meters inside the town, and disappears from view.
The news of this reached Orlando, Olivier, and Astolfo; they immediately started to look for their lost comrade, and took the ladder for the walls, with such terrifying looks, that the enemies were struck with fear.
Like an ocean cleaning a shore, they emptied the walls; they left such a wide gap, that a thousand ladders were put behind them, and the gates were opened by the battering rams; so that the entire army would search for Brandimart.
And so, the town that was once the capital of Africa, was subsequently so much ravaged and destroyed, that it was in worse shape than the infernal city.
Bucifaro fell by Olivier's hand, Branzardo preferred to kill himself, and King Folvo was pierced three times by Astolfo.
In this manners, all the kings that were entrusted by Agramante to defend his dominions, died.
Agramante sees the ruins of his city from afar, and is discouraged by that view. but Sobrino reassures him, saying that while he is still alive, he can still take it back, and that he can call upon his allies of the Orient; so they sailed towards the Orient, but a storm made them land at Lampedosa. There they met the King of Sericane, Gradasso, and he offers to call his allies to help Agramante, and together they plan to challenge Orlando and two of his comrades, so that he could die in a three versus threee confrontation.
A messenger is send to Orlando, which accepts, and sets with Olivier and Brandimart to meeting place for the duel.
Meanwhile, Ruggiero arrives in Marseilles, where Dudone brought the prisoners from the naval battle.
After a brief battle, Dudone releases the prisoners to Ruggiero.
Ruggiero takes a boat to go back to Africa, but a storm makes the occupant flee to an island, while the boat changes its course from Biserta; Orlando with Brandimart and Olivier, finds it, and takes the armor, the horse, and the sword of Ruggiero; he gave the armor to Olivier and the steed to Brandimart, and took the sword for himself, since Gradasso had took Durendal and Bayard while he lost his mind.
Then the three make the final preparations for the upcoming duel, and leave for the Lampedosa, while Astolfo and Sansonetto take care of the army. The two also convince Florderice to wait in the palace instead of the shore the return of Brandimart.
Meanwhile Ruggiero manages to land on the island, after making solemn vows; and he is welcomed by a hermit who saw in a vision sent by the higher place all of the life of Ruggiero and his descendants.
Then the hermit teaches Ruggierio about the tenets of Christianity, and baptizes him.
At the same moment, the duel between Orlando and king Agramante takes place; after a fierce battle, Brandimart, Agramant, and Gradasso die; Sobrino is spared by Orlando and Olivier. Orlando sees a ship arriving; inside there is Rinaldo, who is dissappointed by having come too late for the duel.
After meeting, they return to Biserta, where they are greeted and cheered by Astolfo and Sansonetto, until they hear Brandimart died.
Astolfo then, with Sansonetto, goes to tell the news to Florderice.
She understands, without speaking a word, seeing Astolfo's countenance, that Brandimart died. Orlando prepares Brandimart funeral, and then he and Olivier go to the island with Ruggiero's hermit because he was a famed healer and Olivier remained injured in the duel.
The hermit heals Olivier and King Sobrino just by praying, and Ruggiero and the others now have more faith than ever.
Ruggiero gets to know the other paladins, and Rinaldo get to know how Ruggiero saved one of his brothers and two of his cousins; And then Rinaldo agrees to give his consent to Ruggierio's marriage with his sister; but he doesn't know that his father and Charlemagne have already arranged her marriage with the greek emperor. Then the hermit sends them back to France.
Meanwhile, Astolfo has gathered back his troops from France, and thanking them and their king for their support in helping him saving France from the saracin's attack, sends them back to their kingdom.
He comes back to Marseilles, and reunites with Orlando, Rinaldo, Olivier, Ruggiero and Sobrino.
After the greek Emperor becomes friend with Ruggiero, and leaves Bradamante to him, Astolfo, with his fellow paladins and friends, witnesses Bradamante's marriage with Ruggiero. Rodomont tries to disrupt the peace, and a duel breaks out between him and Ruggiero.
Every paladin presents to Ruggiero a part of his equipment, Astolfo giving him a respectable steed, and at last the newly wed Ruggiero kills Rodomont.
And finally, when the time came, Astolfo returned to England to be the king of his land.
MY GOALS
To have another great journey, and help everyone in the way.
[/blockquote][/size]
- WEAPON
NOBLE PHANTASM[/color]: //
The Magical Horn - Logistilla's Gift
Rank: EX
Type: Anty-Army
Range: 99
Max Targets: 1000
The magical horn that will put fear into everyone's heart.
Given to Astolfo by Logistilla, along with the book of all spells and enchantments, before his departure from Alcina's island.
It's a Noble Phantasm based on the extreme concept of fear.
It creates a ripple which makes the sound of the time before be heard.
Anyone who hears it, will feel the urge to flee the farthest way possible from the user.
All abilities of the enemies ranked lower than or equal to B-rank will be disabled, while abilities above B-rank will have their rank reduced by a letter (A+ to B+, for example).
During his life Astolfo used it various times against different foes:
Lions and dragons, the epytome of bravery in both the natural and mythical animal world;
The giant Caligorante;
In the city of the amazon-like homicidal women, which was left void, it affected his companions also, which were Marfisa, Guido, Sansonetto, Grifone and Aquilante, the twins sons of Olivier;
In the palace of Atlantes, while he was trying to dispell the magical castle,
Ruggero, Bradamante, Orlando, Gradasso, Florismart, Iroldo, Prasildo, Brandimart, and many others knights, are all tricked by Atlantes magecraft into attacking the english Duke, but cannot resist the power of the horn, Atlantes included, and flee, thus Astolfo dispells the castle without interference;
The horn effects even Rabican and the Hippogryff, who were in the palace castle's stables;
The Harpies, the very same driven away by Calais and Zetes of the Argonauts, and by Herakles too in some myth, which were repelled back to the underworld and sealed there by Astolfo.
Given to Astolfo by Logistilla, along with the book of all spells and enchantments, before his departure from Alcina's island.
It's a Noble Phantasm based on the extreme concept of fear.
It creates a ripple which makes the sound of the time before be heard.
Anyone who hears it, will feel the urge to flee the farthest way possible from the user.
All abilities of the enemies ranked lower than or equal to B-rank will be disabled, while abilities above B-rank will have their rank reduced by a letter (A+ to B+, for example).
During his life Astolfo used it various times against different foes:
Lions and dragons, the epytome of bravery in both the natural and mythical animal world;
The giant Caligorante;
In the city of the amazon-like homicidal women, which was left void, it affected his companions also, which were Marfisa, Guido, Sansonetto, Grifone and Aquilante, the twins sons of Olivier;
In the palace of Atlantes, while he was trying to dispell the magical castle,
Ruggero, Bradamante, Orlando, Gradasso, Florismart, Iroldo, Prasildo, Brandimart, and many others knights, are all tricked by Atlantes magecraft into attacking the english Duke, but cannot resist the power of the horn, Atlantes included, and flee, thus Astolfo dispells the castle without interference;
The horn effects even Rabican and the Hippogryff, who were in the palace castle's stables;
The Harpies, the very same driven away by Calais and Zetes of the Argonauts, and by Herakles too in some myth, which were repelled back to the underworld and sealed there by Astolfo.
Mislea - Logistilla's Gift
Rank: A
Type: Anti-Unit
Range: 5
Max Targets: 1
The magical fairy sword that Logistilla gifted to Astolfo.
The sword's name means fight or melee, and true to it, Astolfo often used this sword with great speed and force against his foes.
The blade also posses the trait of "Refraction of Longevity", which is a divine ability the nullifies that special abilities of immortals and inflicts wounds that cannot be restored by any methods other than healing in accordance to the natural laws as well as being unable to be blocked by anything, only dodged by pure skill.
The sword's name means fight or melee, and true to it, Astolfo often used this sword with great speed and force against his foes.
The blade also posses the trait of "Refraction of Longevity", which is a divine ability the nullifies that special abilities of immortals and inflicts wounds that cannot be restored by any methods other than healing in accordance to the natural laws as well as being unable to be blocked by anything, only dodged by pure skill.
Vulcan's net - The chains that binds all
Rank: EX
Type: Anty-Unit
Range: 10
Max Targets: 2
The unbreakable chain of Vulcan.
Astolfo used it to restrain the Giant Caligorante, as he paraded him into cities in Egypt and made him is manservant.
The chains can bind its target with more strenght the more the target is divine, allowing to completely bind up to two gods. While it's not as effective to other targets, it can still bind inhuman targets, like elementals and demons, and it is still a strong chain by any measure.
It can be concealed on the ground or the floor in order to make a trap too.
They were the chains that Vulcan used to trap Mars and Venus in order to expose them to the other gods caught in the act. (Venus was Vulcan's wife, and she betrayed him with Mars.)
Some time later, Hermes obtained it from Vulcan, in order to capture the nymph Chloris whom he loved.
The Net was then treasured in Canopus, inside Anubis shrine.
After three thousand years, Caligorante burned the city and pillaged the temple, recovering the artifact.
He then used the net to trap unsuspecting travelers that came near his lair, until Astolfo managed to defeat him.
Astolfo, after pressing Caligorante into Sacripante's service as a wall builder, still binded by the chain, was still able to replicate its power by trapping the god Notus into a goatskin with just his bare hands.
Therefore, he is able to materialize its powers by just grabbing an opponent, and turning any suitable object into a container for the prisoner. The higher the divinity, the more difficult it is for the prisoner to escape.
Astolfo used it to restrain the Giant Caligorante, as he paraded him into cities in Egypt and made him is manservant.
The chains can bind its target with more strenght the more the target is divine, allowing to completely bind up to two gods. While it's not as effective to other targets, it can still bind inhuman targets, like elementals and demons, and it is still a strong chain by any measure.
It can be concealed on the ground or the floor in order to make a trap too.
They were the chains that Vulcan used to trap Mars and Venus in order to expose them to the other gods caught in the act. (Venus was Vulcan's wife, and she betrayed him with Mars.)
Some time later, Hermes obtained it from Vulcan, in order to capture the nymph Chloris whom he loved.
The Net was then treasured in Canopus, inside Anubis shrine.
After three thousand years, Caligorante burned the city and pillaged the temple, recovering the artifact.
He then used the net to trap unsuspecting travelers that came near his lair, until Astolfo managed to defeat him.
Astolfo, after pressing Caligorante into Sacripante's service as a wall builder, still binded by the chain, was still able to replicate its power by trapping the god Notus into a goatskin with just his bare hands.
Therefore, he is able to materialize its powers by just grabbing an opponent, and turning any suitable object into a container for the prisoner. The higher the divinity, the more difficult it is for the prisoner to escape.
CLASS ABILITIES[/color]: //
Magic Resistance A:
Cancel spells below A-Rank. In practice, the Servant is untouchable to modern magi.
Riding A:
All creatures but those of Phantasmal Beast and Divine Beast-rank can be used as mounts.
(Astolfo rode various phantasmal beasts during his adventures, thus resulting in high riding skill rank. However, since he's not in the Rider class, he doesn't reach his full potential.)
SKILLS[/color]: //
Bravery EX:
Bonus effect of increasing melee damage.
(Astolfo encountered many foes, often magical or monstrous beings, like Caligorante, Orrillo, the Harpies of old, the same which plagued Phineus and Aeneas, and lastly Notus/Auster. He also receveived the bleesing of the elemental fae of courage.)
Protection from Fire&Wind A:
This skill grants immunity to fire/sun/wind based attacks.
Clairvoyance EX
Superior visual perception. Supplement long-range aiming and increases dynamic vision. Furthermore, at higher ranks it is possible to acquire precognition ("see into the future") and other forms of perception that are beyond normal eyesight (X-ray vision and the sorts)
At this rank, Astolfo is capable of True Sight, seeing the true nature of things, seeing through illusions of any sort, seeing though objects and recognizing prana signatures, as well as keeping track of objects far away.
(Astolfo's voyage to the moon is like the allegory of cave, in which he finds the truth about reality.)
Eye of the Mind (Fake) A:
A sixth sense for avoiding danger.
Bonus effect of offering resistance against penalties caused by visual obstructions.
(Astolfo sensed that Caligorante was sneaking behing him through a marsh, a feat that the countless other knights and travelers before him could not achieve. He also sensed when all the other knights in Atlantes' castle were going to attack him.)
STRENGTH[/color]: // A
ENDURANCE[/color]: // A+
AGILITY[/color]: // A+
MANA[/color]: // A
LUCK[/color]: // EX
NOBLE PHANTASM[/color]: // EX
[/blockquote][/size][/list]
- PLAYER'S NAME
FACE CLAIM[/color]: // Original art for armor, Fate Apocrypha Astolfo
OTHER CHARACTERS[/color]: // N/A
MISC. INFORMATION[/color]: // His name means 'he who helps with his lance'.
[/size][/list]
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."
- FULL NAME
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 (Same age as Orlando)
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
[/size][/list]
- APPEARANCE
Astolfo without armor in all of his fabulousness
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][/list] [/blockquote]
- PERSONALITY
- [*]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, mentor of him and Orlando, and another relative
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.
[/list][/size][/blockquote]
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, Pope Leo, and others.
During his youth, he was appointed as Paladin of Charlemagne, after the war in Aspramonte, 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 Dudone, 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 Dudone'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.
[/blockquote][/size]
Agramante, that hears what is happening in his country, calls a meeting beetween him and his allies and vassals.[/color]: //
First he hears Sobrino, then Marsilius.
Sobrino suggests to send a fleet against Africa and to settle the war with Charles with a duel between two champions.
Marsilius says that they should bail out while they still can.
Sobrino obtained that the duel would be done and Charles chooses Rinaldo as his champion.
Meanwhile, Astolfo slew the remaining enemy troops in Africa, and took Bucifaro as prisoner, while King Branzardo took refuge in the city of Biserta. Branzardo was more worried to have lost Bucifaro than the rest of his troops, and thinking about how to reagin him, he is reminded that he had took prisoner near Monaco, Dudone, son of Ogier, and thinks to exchange him with Bucifaro from the leader of the Nubians, which he hears from one of his spies that it is none other than Astolfo the paladin.
So Branzardo sends the message to Astolfo, and he gladly agrees; Dudone thanks Astolfo from having liberated him; Astolfo then plans with Dudone how to move on land and sea.
Astolfo had enough men to take Africa seven times, and he remembered how St. John told him to reclaim the Provence and Acquamorta from the Saracens, so he went to the seaside and created a thousand ships;then they set sail to Corsica and Sardinia, where they found seasoned sailors.
Meanwhile, King Agramante returns from France to Biserta, in order to aid his people with his fleet, but he is intercepted by Astolfo's fleet; Agramante was not expecting the miracolous fleet, and, in the resulting battle, all but the vessel that carried Agramante and Sobrino are destroyed, and the Moors killed or made prisoners; and Agramante flees to Biserta; and Astolfo entrusted Dudone to send the prisoners to Charlemagne.
While they were on the road back, a ship, filled by prisoners took by Rodomont, among which where Oliver, Sansonetto, and Brandimart, tries to take refuge in the port, not knowing it was occupied by enemies;
And so Oliver, Sansonetto, and Brandimart, with the others, are freed, and greeted in cheers by Astolfo and Dudone.
They were rearmed, and stayed at the board; Dudone deferred his voyage towards France for a day, to hear the news the paladins conveyed and it is asked in what state is France and Charlemagne.
While Astolfo and the peers where discussing, a noise is heard in the camp, growing louder, followed by an alarm.
Immediately the five knights armed themselves and hurried to the source of the noise; which was a savage naked man only armed with a oak tree, that already killed a hundred men. While the five knights where seeing the wild man, a lady hurries to Brandimart with open arms; she was Florderice, who had travelled from France to Argier and Africa in search of her husband, when she heard he was at Biserta along with Astolfo.
After having kissed her husband Brandimart three times, and exchanged explanations about how she came there, she turns and points to the wild man, saying that he was the Count Orlando, since she had a previous encounter with him.
Astolfo already that figured out, since he recognized the signs the three saints of Heaven told him about, and more; while the other knights could not see the Count in that man, since he resembled more of a beast than a man.
It is then with tears and a oppressed heart that Astolfo tells the other knights, that yes, that savage man is Orlando; and they stare at him until they recognize him; then their hearts were filled with grief and wonder, seeing him in such a state.
And the four other knights started to cry too, but Astolfo said it is time to heal, and not to mourn him; so they all dismount from their horses, and surround the Mad Count.
Orlando, who saw himself surrounded started to swing his wooden mace madly, first hitting Dudone, the son of Ogier, who parries with his shield; but the shield is broken, and Dudone is hit on his helmet; he faints on the ground; next is Olivier, who is punched in the head, and would have died if it were not for his exceptional helmet; instead, he bleeds from his eyes and nose, and seems he is about to die; Astolfo is hit and thrown ten meters away; but he stands up as if nothing happened, while Dudone comes up with a swollen face. Meanwhile Brandimart holds Orlando by the front, and Dudone starts from behind; and Astolfo takes his arms; but the paladin still does not stop.
Meanwhile, Olivier came back to counsciousness, and took ropes in order to restrain Orlando; and with the other knights, they tie Orlando so that he can't move.
Astolfo then said to Dudone to carry Orlando to the beach; there, Astolfo washed him seven times; Then, with herbs prepared by him, Astolfo closes the mouth of Orlando, so that he could only breath from his nose.
Then Astolfo takes the bottle that contained Orlando's wits, and makes him inhale it; And Orlando returned to his sense, more clear than ever before.
Orlando remains surprised for a moment, like when people suddenly awake from a nightmare and find everything normal; he looked at the knights around, then at himself, and wondered what caused him to tied up like that. Then he said, like the famous Silenus, SOLVITE ME, in a so calm manner, much different than before, that the knights immediately untied him and brought him vests.
So, in the best state of mind he would ever have, Orlando forgot about his love for Angelica, and meditated about on how to reacquire what he had lost. Meanwhile Brandino, who came with Florderice, tells Brandimant that his father Monodantes is dead, and that he should return to his kingdom to take on his inheritance. But Brandimart says that he will first aid Orlando and Charlemagne in the war, and if he lives to see its end, he will return at home.
The following day, Astolfo and Orlando planned how to take Biserta; and Astolfo took to heart Orlando's wise counsel.
At the same time, Orlando advises Astolfo to destroy Biserta so that it may not attack France nevermore.
So, at the third day, Astolfo placed Sansonetto in command of all the ships that weren't used in the previous naval battle, so that he may attack the port of the city; Orlando and Astolfo make the army fast and pray until the third day; Then Astolfo from one side, Sansonetto from the other, began to attack when Orlando gave the signal.
Astolfo orders the Nubian King to direct his men volley of arrows and slings so that the Moor would not dare to appear at the walls; so that the footmen and the knights could fill the castle's moat without peril; and when the shores can be crossed, Astolfo, Olivier, and Orlando cheer on them.
Next are the nubians, without fear of the enemy, that break the gates with battering rams and take the towers; Sansonetto landed, and began the other side of the assault; Orlando, Olivier, Brandimart, and Astolfo, each one took a quarter of the nubians, and led them to battle gloriously.
Brandimart takes a ladder to the wall, and climbs with his men; he manages to get on the wall, but the ladder breaks and his men could not follow him; Not discouraged in the least, he jumps down thirty meters inside the town, and disappears from view.
The news of this reached Orlando, Olivier, and Astolfo; they immediately started to look for their lost comrade, and took the ladder for the walls, with such terrifying looks, that the enemies were struck with fear.
Like an ocean cleaning a shore, they emptied the walls; they left such a wide gap, that a thousand ladders were put behind them, and the gates were opened by the battering rams; so that the entire army would search for Brandimart.
And so, the town that was once the capital of Africa, was subsequently so much ravaged and destroyed, that it was in worse shape than the infernal city.
Bucifaro fell by Olivier's hand, Branzardo preferred to kill himself, and King Folvo was pierced three times by Astolfo.
In this manners, all the kings that were entrusted by Agramante to defend his dominions, died.
Agramante sees the ruins of his city from afar, and is discouraged by that view. but Sobrino reassures him, saying that while he is still alive, he can still take it back, and that he can call upon his allies of the Orient; so they sailed towards the Orient, but a storm made them land at Lampedosa. There they met the King of Sericane, Gradasso, and he offers to call his allies to help Agramante, and together they plan to challenge Orlando and two of his comrades, so that he could die in a three versus threee confrontation.
A messenger is send to Orlando, which accepts, and sets with Olivier and Brandimart to meeting place for the duel.
Meanwhile, Ruggiero arrives in Marseilles, where Dudone brought the prisoners from the naval battle.
After a brief battle, Dudone releases the prisoners to Ruggiero.
Ruggiero takes a boat to go back to Africa, but a storm makes the occupant flee to an island, while the boat changes its course from Biserta; Orlando with Brandimart and Olivier, finds it, and takes the armor, the horse, and the sword of Ruggiero; he gave the armor to Olivier and the steed to Brandimart, and took the sword for himself, since Gradasso had took Durendal and Bayard while he lost his mind.
Then the three make the final preparations for the upcoming duel, and leave for the Lampedosa, while Astolfo and Sansonetto take care of the army. The two also convince Florderice to wait in the palace instead of the shore the return of Brandimart.
Meanwhile Ruggiero manages to land on the island, after making solemn vows; and he is welcomed by a hermit who saw in a vision sent by the higher place all of the life of Ruggiero and his descendants.
Then the hermit teaches Ruggierio about the tenets of Christianity, and baptizes him.
At the same moment, the duel between Orlando and king Agramante takes place; after a fierce battle, Brandimart, Agramant, and Gradasso die; Sobrino is spared by Orlando and Olivier. Orlando sees a ship arriving; inside there is Rinaldo, who is dissappointed by having come too late for the duel.
After meeting, they return to Biserta, where they are greeted and cheered by Astolfo and Sansonetto, until they hear Brandimart died.
Astolfo then, with Sansonetto, goes to tell the news to Florderice.
She understands, without speaking a word, seeing Astolfo's countenance, that Brandimart died. Orlando prepares Brandimart funeral, and then he and Olivier go to the island with Ruggiero's hermit because he was a famed healer and Olivier remained injured in the duel.
The hermit heals Olivier and King Sobrino just by praying, and Ruggiero and the others now have more faith than ever.
Ruggiero gets to know the other paladins, and Rinaldo get to know how Ruggiero saved one of his brothers and two of his cousins; And then Rinaldo agrees to give his consent to Ruggierio's marriage with his sister; but he doesn't know that his father and Charlemagne have already arranged her marriage with the greek emperor. Then the hermit sends them back to France.
Meanwhile, Astolfo has gathered back his troops from France, and thanking them and their king for their support in helping him saving France from the saracin's attack, sends them back to their kingdom.
He comes back to Marseilles, and reunites with Orlando, Rinaldo, Olivier, Ruggiero and Sobrino.
After the greek Emperor becomes friend with Ruggiero, and leaves Bradamante to him, Astolfo, with his fellow paladins and friends, witnesses Bradamante's marriage with Ruggiero. Rodomont tries to disrupt the peace, and a duel breaks out between him and Ruggiero.
Every paladin presents to Ruggiero a part of his equipment, Astolfo giving him a respectable steed, and at last the newly wed Ruggiero kills Rodomont.
And finally, when the time came, Astolfo returned to England to be the king of his land.
MY GOALS
To have another great journey, and help everyone in the way.
[/blockquote][/size]
- WEAPON
NOBLE PHANTASM[/color]: //
The Magical Horn - Logistilla's Gift
Rank: EX
Type: Anty-Army
Range: 99
Max Targets: 1000
The magical horn that will put fear into everyone's heart.
Given to Astolfo by Logistilla, along with the book of all spells and enchantments, before his departure from Alcina's island.
It's a Noble Phantasm based on the extreme concept of fear.
It creates a ripple which makes the sound of the time before be heard.
Anyone who hears it, will feel the urge to flee the farthest way possible from the user.
All abilities of the enemies ranked lower than or equal to B-rank will be disabled, while abilities above B-rank will have their rank reduced by a letter (A+ to B+, for example).
During his life Astolfo used it various times against different foes:
Lions and dragons, the epytome of bravery in both the natural and mythical animal world;
The giant Caligorante;
In the city of the amazon-like homicidal women, which was left void, it affected his companions also, which were Marfisa, Guido, Sansonetto, Grifone and Aquilante, the twins sons of Olivier;
In the palace of Atlantes, while he was trying to dispell the magical castle,
Ruggero, Bradamante, Orlando, Gradasso, Florismart, Iroldo, Prasildo, Brandimart, and many others knights, are all tricked by Atlantes magecraft into attacking the english Duke, but cannot resist the power of the horn, Atlantes included, and flee, thus Astolfo dispells the castle without interference;
The horn effects even Rabican and the Hippogryff, who were in the palace castle's stables;
The Harpies, the very same driven away by Calais and Zetes of the Argonauts, and by Herakles too in some myth, which were repelled back to the underworld and sealed there by Astolfo.
Given to Astolfo by Logistilla, along with the book of all spells and enchantments, before his departure from Alcina's island.
It's a Noble Phantasm based on the extreme concept of fear.
It creates a ripple which makes the sound of the time before be heard.
Anyone who hears it, will feel the urge to flee the farthest way possible from the user.
All abilities of the enemies ranked lower than or equal to B-rank will be disabled, while abilities above B-rank will have their rank reduced by a letter (A+ to B+, for example).
During his life Astolfo used it various times against different foes:
Lions and dragons, the epytome of bravery in both the natural and mythical animal world;
The giant Caligorante;
In the city of the amazon-like homicidal women, which was left void, it affected his companions also, which were Marfisa, Guido, Sansonetto, Grifone and Aquilante, the twins sons of Olivier;
In the palace of Atlantes, while he was trying to dispell the magical castle,
Ruggero, Bradamante, Orlando, Gradasso, Florismart, Iroldo, Prasildo, Brandimart, and many others knights, are all tricked by Atlantes magecraft into attacking the english Duke, but cannot resist the power of the horn, Atlantes included, and flee, thus Astolfo dispells the castle without interference;
The horn effects even Rabican and the Hippogryff, who were in the palace castle's stables;
The Harpies, the very same driven away by Calais and Zetes of the Argonauts, and by Herakles too in some myth, which were repelled back to the underworld and sealed there by Astolfo.
Mislea - Logistilla's Gift
Rank: A
Type: Anti-Unit
Range: 5
Max Targets: 1
The magical fairy sword that Logistilla gifted to Astolfo.
The sword's name means fight or melee, and true to it, Astolfo often used this sword with great speed and force against his foes.
The blade also posses the trait of "Refraction of Longevity", which is a divine ability the nullifies that special abilities of immortals and inflicts wounds that cannot be restored by any methods other than healing in accordance to the natural laws as well as being unable to be blocked by anything, only dodged by pure skill.
The sword's name means fight or melee, and true to it, Astolfo often used this sword with great speed and force against his foes.
The blade also posses the trait of "Refraction of Longevity", which is a divine ability the nullifies that special abilities of immortals and inflicts wounds that cannot be restored by any methods other than healing in accordance to the natural laws as well as being unable to be blocked by anything, only dodged by pure skill.
Vulcan's net - The chains that binds all
Rank: EX
Type: Anty-Unit
Range: 10
Max Targets: 2
The unbreakable chain of Vulcan.
Astolfo used it to restrain the Giant Caligorante, as he paraded him into cities in Egypt and made him is manservant.
The chains can bind its target with more strenght the more the target is divine, allowing to completely bind up to two gods. While it's not as effective to other targets, it can still bind inhuman targets, like elementals and demons, and it is still a strong chain by any measure.
It can be concealed on the ground or the floor in order to make a trap too.
They were the chains that Vulcan used to trap Mars and Venus in order to expose them to the other gods caught in the act. (Venus was Vulcan's wife, and she betrayed him with Mars.)
Some time later, Hermes obtained it from Vulcan, in order to capture the nymph Chloris whom he loved.
The Net was then treasured in Canopus, inside Anubis shrine.
After three thousand years, Caligorante burned the city and pillaged the temple, recovering the artifact.
He then used the net to trap unsuspecting travelers that came near his lair, until Astolfo managed to defeat him.
Astolfo, after pressing Caligorante into Sacripante's service as a wall builder, still binded by the chain, was still able to replicate its power by trapping the god Notus into a goatskin with just his bare hands.
Therefore, he is able to materialize its powers by just grabbing an opponent, and turning any suitable object into a container for the prisoner. The higher the divinity, the more difficult it is for the prisoner to escape.
Astolfo used it to restrain the Giant Caligorante, as he paraded him into cities in Egypt and made him is manservant.
The chains can bind its target with more strenght the more the target is divine, allowing to completely bind up to two gods. While it's not as effective to other targets, it can still bind inhuman targets, like elementals and demons, and it is still a strong chain by any measure.
It can be concealed on the ground or the floor in order to make a trap too.
They were the chains that Vulcan used to trap Mars and Venus in order to expose them to the other gods caught in the act. (Venus was Vulcan's wife, and she betrayed him with Mars.)
Some time later, Hermes obtained it from Vulcan, in order to capture the nymph Chloris whom he loved.
The Net was then treasured in Canopus, inside Anubis shrine.
After three thousand years, Caligorante burned the city and pillaged the temple, recovering the artifact.
He then used the net to trap unsuspecting travelers that came near his lair, until Astolfo managed to defeat him.
Astolfo, after pressing Caligorante into Sacripante's service as a wall builder, still binded by the chain, was still able to replicate its power by trapping the god Notus into a goatskin with just his bare hands.
Therefore, he is able to materialize its powers by just grabbing an opponent, and turning any suitable object into a container for the prisoner. The higher the divinity, the more difficult it is for the prisoner to escape.
CLASS ABILITIES[/color]: //
Magic Resistance A:
Cancel spells below A-Rank. In practice, the Servant is untouchable to modern magi.
Riding A:
All creatures but those of Phantasmal Beast and Divine Beast-rank can be used as mounts.
(Astolfo rode various phantasmal beasts during his adventures, thus resulting in high riding skill rank. However, since he's not in the Rider class, he doesn't reach his full potential.)
SKILLS[/color]: //
Bravery EX:
Bonus effect of increasing melee damage.
(Astolfo encountered many foes, often magical or monstrous beings, like Caligorante, Orrillo, the Harpies of old, the same which plagued Phineus and Aeneas, and lastly Notus/Auster. He also receveived the bleesing of the elemental fae of courage.)
Protection from Fire&Wind A:
This skill grants immunity to fire/sun/wind based attacks.
Clairvoyance EX
Superior visual perception. Supplement long-range aiming and increases dynamic vision. Furthermore, at higher ranks it is possible to acquire precognition ("see into the future") and other forms of perception that are beyond normal eyesight (X-ray vision and the sorts)
At this rank, Astolfo is capable of True Sight, seeing the true nature of things, seeing through illusions of any sort, seeing though objects and recognizing prana signatures, as well as keeping track of objects far away.
(Astolfo's voyage to the moon is like the allegory of cave, in which he finds the truth about reality.)
Eye of the Mind (Fake) A:
A sixth sense for avoiding danger.
Bonus effect of offering resistance against penalties caused by visual obstructions.
(Astolfo sensed that Caligorante was sneaking behing him through a marsh, a feat that the countless other knights and travelers before him could not achieve. He also sensed when all the other knights in Atlantes' castle were going to attack him.)
STRENGTH[/color]: // A
ENDURANCE[/color]: // A+
AGILITY[/color]: // A+
MANA[/color]: // A
LUCK[/color]: // EX
NOBLE PHANTASM[/color]: // EX
[/blockquote][/size][/list]
- PLAYER'S NAME
FACE CLAIM[/color]: // Original art for armor, Fate Apocrypha Astolfo
OTHER CHARACTERS[/color]: // N/A
MISC. INFORMATION[/color]: // His name means 'he who helps with his lance'.
[/size][/list]
