Theudric d'Carcassonne

Theudric was a Grail Knight of Carcassonne who became famed for his tragic life and heroic deeds.

History
Theudric was a noble Knight of Bretonnia who was in love with one of the lands most renowned beauties, the fair lady Adhalind, a woman of unsurpassed grace and virtue. However a Witch, jealous of her beauty, had cursed Adhalind, so that if Theduric ever kissed her, both she and the object of her affection would perish instantly. Fearing not for herself, but for the noble Theudric, Adhalind spurned his advances, but he was vociferous in his pursuit of her hand in marriage, for he knew that she loved him too.

Determined to free his love of her foul curse, Theudric set out to break its spell. Every day that he was away, his fair Adhalind would visit a small shrine he had built in her honour, seated atop a hilltop, watching and waiting for her love to return to her.

For forty long years, Theudric quested for the sacred Grail and the means to save his beloved from her curse, he was eventually visited by The Lady herself and allowed to sup from the Grail's holy waters. When Theudric finally returned from his quest, he kissed his beloved for the first time, lifting the curse from her with his blessed touch. Despite setting off on the Grail Quest over forty years ago, he appeared as he had when he first left, for his life had been prolonged by the the mystical properties of the Lady's grail. For Adhalind however, the years had been harsh, and she was now old and frail, her face lined and her hair grey. Nevertheless the couple were wed, and lived in joyous happiness until Adhiland passed away, a smile of contentment on her face, merely a year later.

Theudric lived out the rest of his life as a Hermit Knight, tending his sacred shrine, which had become famed as Adhalind's Seat. The Grail Knight only left his beloved's resting place when the call to war came, lending his holy might to Bretonnia's defense. He lived to one hundred and ninety years, and when he finally passed from the world, he was interred alongside his fair Adhiland.

The Shrine of Adhiland's Seat was a small but beautiful place of holy significance, carved from pristine white marble and surrounded by a peaceful and calming aura. The inner tomb held the marble sarcophagi which housed the bodies of the revered Grail Knight and his beloved, carved into their perfect likeness. They lay side by side with their hands clasped over their chests as if in prayer. A marble sword lay at Theudric's side and a carved marble shield acted as the couples pillow. The knights face was strong and noble, his lady's young and virtuous.

The shrine became famous as a place of holy pilgrimage, particularly for those who had wounds of the heart, with hundreds of jilted and broken lovers making the long journey each year to pray to sacred Theudric and to make offerings at his beloved's shrine.

The shrine was later visited by a young Calard of Garamont, with the young knight marveling at both Theudric's noble tale and his holy shrine.