The Beheading Game, Part 2: The Origin of Ulrich The Unnatural

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cbishop

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Edited By cbishop

RANKED 1st BY VOTERS IN CHARACTER CREATION CONTEST #124

DateThe Beheading Game, Part 2:ViewRead the...
11/02/22The Origin of Ulrich The Unnatural(Blog) (Forum)Disclaimer
RatingRating ExplanationLast Issue:
TWell... beheading, y'know?.Why Is The Green Knight Still Dead?.

"It was the second time that I got the scar."

Cú Chulainn shook his head. "Young man, once again you show that you did not 'study' as much as you claim."

"First of all," said Gawain, "you have it backwards. It was my first time challenging the Green Knight that I took his cloak. It was the second time that I got the scar."

Again, Ulrich was shaken. "Then... then by all rights, you should be dead. Why would the Green Knight have spared you? Especially after the first challenge?"

"For the same reason he spared me," said Cú Chulainn, now calm. "He showed his true honor."

Ulrich scowled at this with confusion. He looked at the floor as if searching it for answers. "But... he deceived his opponent, concealing the sash that would keep him from harm... that he accepted from the Knight's wife when she tried to seduce him. Where's the honor in that?"

Cú Chulainn smiled which somehow made his jowls a little more pronounced. "The scar was for the deception, which Gawain showed appropriate contrition for, and the Knight even forgave him for, calling him blameless. That's not why he spared him though. It was because of why he took up the quest to begin with."

"To impress his uncle, King Arthur?"

Clearly guessing, and clearly lost, Ulrich said, "To impress his uncle, King Arthur? To volunteer, despite being the youngest knight?"

"No," said Cú Chulain gently, leaning forward. "He didn't volunteer to impress Arthur. He volunteered to go in Arthur's place- the highest honor anyone can ever show. As I told you: this is a test of honor- of one's character. In this, you have failed."

"I didn't understand the test!" Ulrich protested. "I thought it was a test of battle prowess! I fought the knight with that in mind! I feared for my life, and I defended myself! Doesn't that count for anything here?"

"Master Ulrich," said Bradamante. "This is a school. It's called the Beheading Game. Did you really think we would allow you to die? Have you learned so little during your time at the Phrontistery?" she asked with distress.

At last, Ulrich looked ashamed, hanging his head. He said nothing.

"What did you do with the Green Knight's body, Ulrich?"

"What did you do with the Green Knight's body, Ulrich?" Gawain asked.

Head still hanging, Ulrich held his hands palms up, as if considering all he'd done. He remained quiet for several seconds, then answered, "I put it somewhere safe while I considered what to do next."

"Next?" asked Cú Chulain.

"All this happened because I was afraid," confessed Ulrich. "I've been thinking about how I could conquer that fear. How I could keep this terrible test from happening to anyone else. How I could pay for what I've done."

"Ulrich," Bradamante said with concern, "what did you do with the Green Knight?"

Still looking at his palms, Ulrich clenched them into fists as he drew them in close, then unclenched them, and spread them apart as if he was dropping handfuls of sand into the wind. Then he gave a sharp clap, and spread his hands out palms up again. A straight line of emerald flame burned between his hands and across his palms, revealing a glowing, pale green blade as the flames died down. "I bound his vitality to this brand. I call it Chartreuse... I think the reason for that is obvious," he said as he admired it.

"I call it Chartreuse... I think the reason for that is obvious."

Bradamante blanched at the sight of the blade. "You made a soul sword?"

"That is forbidden! Even here at Lakagígar with our dark arts!" Cú Chulain cried out.

"Why, Ulrich?" pleaded Gawain.

"Because I was afraid!" screamed Ulrich. "Don't you understand?! But I saw a way to not be afraid any longer! Even as the Green Knight has had many challengers, he's also had many names! The Green Knight. Cú Roi. Bertilak de Hautedesert. Al-Khidr. That's just a few." He pointed the blade toward the Council, and continued, "It was Al-Khidr that gave me the idea of how not to be afraid. You see, he drank the Water of Life."

"No," Bradamante said weakly.

"Yes!" Ulrich seethed triumphantly. "Al-Khidr became immortal. That's how the Green Knight could pick up his own head and put it back on again. My fear is of death? Then perhaps I should do as Al-Khidr, and defeat death once and for all!" With that, Ulrich gripped the sword's hilt with both hands, and prepared to plunge it into his own belly.

"No!" shouted Gawain.

"Do not do this!" warned Cú Chulain.

"It's unnatural!" Bradamante said in shuddering horror.

Ulrich plunged Chartreuse into his belly...

It was too late. Ulrich plunged Chartreuse into his belly all the way up to the hilt. Although he clearly felt the pain of it going in, it did not protrude through his back. Instead, it was absorbed, merging with his own soul. As it did so, emerald fire spread from the wound across his body, turning his skin and hair green as it went. "Yes!" he shouted. "But I am immortal all the same! 'Unnatural' it may be, but from this day forth, you may call me by that name: Ulrich the Unnatural!" With that, a green fog billowed out in all directions, and he was gone.

Please let me know what you think, and thanks! -cbOriginally Presented In: CCC #124.

Story and characters owned by Chris Bishop, copyright 2022.

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#1  Edited By cbishop

The Beheading Game, Part 2: The Origin of Ulrich The Unnatural

OC Names:
Characters:
  • Ulrich the Unnatural
Concepts:
  • .Soul Sword.
Locations:
  • Lakagígar Phrontistery
Objects:
  • .Chartreuse.
Teams:
  • Celestial Council
Public Domain:
  • The Beheading Game
  • Bradamante
  • Cú Chulainn
  • Gawain
  • Gawain's sash that would protect him from harm
  • Green Knight (Cú Roi; Bertilak de Hautedesert; Al-Khidr)
  • Green Knight's cloak that would restore his life
  • Green Knight's wife that tried to seduce Gawain
  • Immortality
  • King Arthur
  • Water of Life
Comic Characters used in this fic:
Non-Fiction:
  • Lakagígar
CCC #124 comments for The Beheading Game:
CommentWho
Voting cbishopmrmonster
Woot! And we're off! Thanks, M.M. :)cbishop
[after I voted for SpareHeadOne] cbishop: Thankyou, and I vote for you.SpareHeadOne
Woohoo! Thanks. :)cbishop
So I’m voting for cbishop: I do love my mythology so it really appaled to me.Sundown89
Thanks! I was actually really surprised that there were several myths from various cultures that carried the Beheading Game trope. Tried to somewhat integrate them for an original character history. :)cbishop
My vote goes to "Cbishop - The Beheading Game"amazing_webhead
Woot! Thanks, man. :)cbishop
cbishop: That’s probably because headhunting was very common in the ancient world. It was still being practiced in Europe up to the 1870s albeit not on a wide scale (1). It often slips back into practice during war as well, with some American troops carrying it out in WW2 and the Vietnam Wars (2), as well as some British troops carrying it out in the Malay Emergency (3).

As such it’s not surprising that myths about it pop up around the world.

(1) Edith Durham, M. (December 24, 2004). Albania and the Albanians

(2) Harrison, Simon (2006). "Skull Trophies of the Pacific War: transgressive objects of remembrance". Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute. 12 (4): 817–836.

(3) Harrison, Simon (2012). Dark Trophies: Hunting and the Enemy Body in Modern War. Oxford: Berghahn. p. 158.

Sundown89

Sundown89: The wikipedia binge I went on for this story suggested that the story of Al-Khidr may have been brought back from the Crusades and influenced the Gawain story. I don't recall where the Cu Chulain story fell in all of that. When I saw that one version of the Green Knight story said he was green-skinned, I knew I had to steal that for Ulrich the Unnatural. :)

On a side note, there was a lengthy bit that talked about how scholars have debated the significance of the Knight's green skin. Suggested symbols were the devil, spring, and a few other things like that, but nothing completely fit the theories. I think the guy that made up the story just said, "You know what would be cool? If the Green Knight was actually green. Let's give him green skin! Yeah!" XD

cbishop

cbishop: I remember Imp telling me about how Camozotz decapitated one of the Mayan hero twins when they invaded Xubulba. There is some similarity since the twin put his head back on and Camazotz along with the other Xibulbans were then decapitated.

Sundown89

Well, folks, I went to bed about three hours before the deadline, so here I am now to declare time. Thank you for your votes. It's been a lovely contest. Now everyone grab your portkeys and apparition on out of here. Magic school is officially out! :^)

cbishop
.Fic-O-Pedia: cbishop. (My library of fics)Fic #394

Thanks for stopping in! :^D

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#2  Edited By cbishop

The Beheading Game, Part 2: The Origin of Ulrich The Unnatural

The Origins Behind the Origins (or how some of these characters got their names):

Ulrich the Unnatural being green

Because I'd always mentioned a green fog/mist rolling in when Ulrich used his magic to teleport the Vikings, I went looking for any kind of "green" connections in magic, folklore, or myth, and that led me to the Green Knight and the Beheading Game idea. When I saw that in one version of the story, the Knight's skin was green, I knew I had to steal that for Ulrich. What could be more unnatural?

The thing about that is: I've never mentioned green skin or hair in previous stories. So, do I go back and add something in so that he's still green? Or has something happened since his origin to revert him to normal human color? I have an idea about something returning him back to normal color, but I don't know- I kind of want him to remain green. Still thinking on it.

Chartreuse

Chartreuse has been on my list for a very long time. It was just one of a series of color-themed swords. The history of that doesn't matter, because while I try to never say "never," it seems unlikely I will ever use the idea. But again, I needed a name for a green sword, and I needed it to sound old like magic. I remembered this sword from my list of characters, and dusted it off too.

It's not what it was before. Making it a soul sword was purely a product of this story. In fact, I've always stayed away from a "soul sword" idea, because that what Ilyana Rasputin's sword is called. It's kind of generic though, and not the actual name of the sword here- just the type of sword it is- so I went with it.

Chartreuse is part of the reason I'm torn about whether to leave Ulrich green or not. It was merging the sword with his soul that made him green. If he retrieves it from his soul to use it as a weapon, would he remain green? Would he remain immortal? I kind of want him to remain both, but I also kind of want the sword to show up again. It's possible the sword was just the catalyst for immortality and greenness, and it's not needed to maintain it. Decisions, decisions.

Green Knight (Cú Roi; Bertilak de Hautedesert; Al-Khidr)

All the names here are ones connected to various stories of the Green Knight or the Beheading Game. Connecting them all as one being made the Green Knight more mystical to me.

Here's the thing though- I kind of want him to come back... but it's his very essence that was used to make the soul sword Chartreuse, and I want that to stick around. I could again use the idea that his life was just the catalyst for the sword, but now that it exists, his life is not needed to maintain it. It really depends on what I decide to do about Ulrich being green. So much to think about.

That's all for now! Thanks for reading. :^D

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terry2012

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Nice read. Kinda a hard decision to make whether he stays immortal or not if he uses the sword as a weapon.

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Nice read. Kinda a hard decision to make whether he stays immortal or not if he uses the sword as a weapon.

Thanks. And yeah, the decision is kicking my butt, because I have ideas for both directions. I think I know which way I'm leaning on it though. :)

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@cbishop said:
@terry2012 said:

Nice read. Kinda a hard decision to make whether he stays immortal or not if he uses the sword as a weapon.

Thanks. And yeah, the decision is kicking my butt, because I have ideas for both directions. I think I know which way I'm leaning on it though. :)

I figure you had ideas for both directions. I will be waiting to see which direction you go in.