The eldest son of Duke Ulthar the Loved (16.16) was named Broderick (01.08 and 02.07) who grew into a wild knight with all of the power and none of the gentleness of his father. When he grew to manhood he claimed his father’s sword Caledbrand as his only patrimony and set off into the wilds of the west. The tales of his adventures have now faded from memory, all except the last. Even that has now faded into myth.**
Young Broderick, for he was still young, set out alone on an open boat to the Boiling Sea (mentioned briefly in* 30.03) that once lay within the Ocean of Bitter Regrets *(00.06) where the water boiled with the heat of a dragon whose scales shone like orange gems who made its home there in those days. Broderick felt no fear since he wielded Caledbrand and bore a fairy charm against fire and indeed he slew the dragon and as its heart’s blood washed over him he threw back his head and laughed and laughed.
And the heart’s blood of the dragon entered his mouth and unstopped his ears so that he could hear what men should not and the rage of a dragon entered his heart and he swiftly sailed into the east and made landfall at what is now called Broderick’s Estuary (01.08). There, filled with rage, he smote the earth where the river that now bears his name flows and swore that he would slay his father and rule the Duchy of Thring himself.
The traveled swiftly to Castle Tarengael (16.16) and cut down his father, but his father’s blood washed away that of the dragon and he regretted what he had done and set the sword upon himself. His sister mourned them both and in the long years of her life spent much time overseeing the construction of a tomb so that the Duke and his son could be united in death as they had not in life.
- *The Sepulchre of the Sword *‘is the fruit of her labours; it also contains the animated sword Caledbrand.
Connections:
- In the dwarven monastery (03.04) there are also orange gems related to fire. Is there a connection?
- The paladin Sir Waine wielded Caledbrand for a day.
- There is a grove of sequoias presumably named after Broderick (02.07)
Hooks:
- If he’s buried in the Sepulchre and seems to be able to animate his sword from beyond the grave, then why has Broderick’s ghost been sighted at his Estuary?
- What magical properties does the sword have?
- Did the dragon that Broderick killed have any young?
- What did Broderick hear that men are not meant to?