Sir Mortnoir

There once was a brave knight who, growing old, hired a callow young scribe to record his memoirs. But a storm wrecked their ship and only the scribe survived. He was found ashore clinging to Sir Mortnoir's sodden banner. Everyone supposed that the great hero had come through yet another dangerous scrape and was, as always, the sole-survivor. By the time the scribe was able to speak, even the king was showering him with gifts, hospitality and praise. Before the youth found it convenient to disabuse his admirers, he fell in love with a local maid whom he believed could never be had by a humble, ill-bred, timid, tonguetied, and landless clerk. Thus forced to carry on the impersonation, the youth has since encountered many brigands, evil barons, and monsters and no matter how craven and graceless he conducts himself, few onlookers ever manage to see through their fog of hero-worship, and few of his foes manage to penetrate their pall of fear.