The Labours Of Mendevolin Essay, Research Paper

THE LABOURS OF MENDEVOLIN

ACT I SCENE I

(HIGH PRIEST on stage right. Enter MENDEVOLIN stage left. HIGH PRIEST

crosses to centre stage to meet MENDEVOLIN there.)

MENDEVOLIN: High Priest Marchand!

HIGH PRIEST: Ahh Mendevolin, it is such a pleasure to see you again.

MENDEVOLIN: Let’s disperse with the pleasantries. Take me to my father.

HIGH PRIEST: There are things you must know Mendevolin. Your father has not been

well. He has been slowly passing away for the last few months. This is why we have sent

for you.

MENDEVOLIN: He hinted at that in his letter. I came as soon as I could. How long do

we have?

HIGH PRIEST: Not long, he’s on his death bed. I’ve been using my healing powers to

keep him alive for the last week and a half. We have been waiting for your arrival.

MENDEVOLIN: Why didn’t he say anything before I left?

HIGH PRIEST: He’s a proud man, it took him months to even ask for my assistance. I’m

sure that he wouldn’t want his only son to have felt obligated to care for him. He respects

you a great deal and is proud to see you out working magic as he once did.

MENDEVOLIN: As much work as it may have been, it wouldn’t have seemed a burden,

because it would have been spent with my father. Now it’s too late. Please take me to

him now so that I might spend these last few moments of his life with him.

HIGH PRIEST: Come with me. He’s resting in the basement of the church, you’ll have to

make it quick, he doesn’t have much longer.

(HIGH PRIEST and MENDEVOLIN exit stage right.)

ACT I SCENE II

(MENDEVOLIN’S father lies on bed center stage. MENDEVOLIN enters stage left and

approaches his father.)

MENDEVOLIN: I came as soon as I heard. I’m sorry it took so

FATHER: Don’t worry, what’s important is that you’re here now. I have some news that

is going to shock you. It concerns your lineage and a burden which has been placed upon

this family. In regards to your lineage, I should tell you that….ahhhhh…..oh yes,lineage

Your great-great-great….well he was a great guy. A thousand years ago, an elven mage

of whom you are a descendant, cast—-

MENDEVOLIN: What!!!!???? We’re of elven descent, why did you never tell me? In

54 years, I would’ve thought that you could’ve mentioned it once!

FATHER: (Coughs) ……quiet, do you want to hear this or not? (silence) OK, good. As

I was saying…..what was I saying…..oh yes. Elven ancestry……an elven member of our

family gathered together a contingent of powerful mages from across the land nearly a

thousand years ago in an effort to repress the ultimate evil which threatened to sweep

over the land. That terrible beast known as Terresquay once rampaged across the land,

but with the help of his fellow mages, Thraltes of the Brook….did I mention he’s an

ancestor of ours?

MENDEVOLIN: Yes you did, please…..?

FATHER: Right, right. Well, Thraltes of the Brook and his band of mages collaborated

on what has proven to be the most powerful spell cast in millenia. Using the wax from the

Contusion bees

MENDEVOLIN: Contusion Bees!?

FATHER: Yes, I didn’t tell you about those either?

MENDEVOLIN: No, no you didn’t.

FATHER: Well then….the Contusion bees are located on the Contusion Islands, their wax

was used to create the candle

MENDEVOLIN: Father, it would help if I had some specifics. (father coughs) tell me

more about the Contusion bees. How big are they, why is their wax so special and where

are the Contusion Islands

FATHER: All in good time my son. As I was saying before I was so rudely

interrupted….. (pause) the wax of the Contusion bees was used in making the candle

which serves as the focal point for the spell which has forced Terresquay from our realm.

The legendary Contusion bees were selected as the source for the wax due to its incredible

longevity. Once you have gathered the wax, forge a candle from it, take it to the diamond

mountain range and place it on the pedestal between the twin volcanoes.The contusion

bees are incredibly small, but don’t doubt their deadliness for a second. They produce wax

only once every 1000 years and the time for gathering the wax is at hand. I was hoping to

do it myself, but (coughing fit)…..look in the chest (gestures towards chest at head of bed)

take what is in there, it will help you in your journey. You must also find Leon of

Sylvanus, his companion Spruce and Pardudious.

MENDEVOLIN: (looking up from the chest holding the flyswatters) Who are those

people and what are these…..thingies? (pause) Father? (pause, checks for life signs, finding

none bows his head in solemnity closes his father’s eyes and turns to leave)(exit stage left)

ACT I SCENE III

NARRATOR: After leaving his father’s side and notifying the High Priest of his father’s

passing, Mendevolin set forth in search of the adventurers his father had spoken of. His

first stop, The Tavern, because everyone knows that all good adventurers eventually go to

The Tavern.

(enter LEON and SPRUCE stage right, sit at table downstage right-center, they adlib

conversation until the entrance of MENDEVOLIN stage right who approaches them)

MENDEVOLIN: Excuse me sir, madam. I noticed you sitting here and I wondered if I

could join you for a moment?

LEON: Why certainly (motions towards empty chair) there’s always room for one more.

Can I offer you a glass of wine?

MENDEVOLIN: No thank-you, that’s quite alright. Actually, I’m presently embarking on

an important journey, I’m afraid I don’t really have time to drink right now. In fact, what I

really was wondering, was if you may have any information that you would be willing to

share with me in regards to either Leon of Sylvanus, Spruce of Elfheim or Pardudious

whose title, I’m not familiar with.

SPRUCE: Yeah, I’m Spruce (LEON shoots SPRUCE a menacing glare) and this is Leon

LEON: (yelling) What are you thinking telling a perfect stranger asking for information

on us that we are those whom he seeks!? Do you not know anything of the parels of an

adventuring life!? (draws his pistol, points it at MENDEVOLIN’s head) Who knows what

this man wants us for, he could be an assassain sent by either an enemy of your father’s or

someone who wants my head!

SPRUCE: (turning to MENDEVOLIN, faking whisper) There’s more than a couple after

his head, I’m sure. (snickers)

MENDEVOLIN: (looking uncomfortable, appearing to chose his words carefully) I’m

sure there can’t be that many people who want your head……(speeding up) and if there

are I’m sorry to hear it. In any case, I’m not an assassain.

LEON: Well then who are you, and what do you want with us?

MENDEVOLIN: I am Mendevolin, a powerful wild mage. I have been entrusted with

the task of renewing a millenia old spell used to repress the ultimate evil, Terresquay. My

quest involves a journey to the Contusion Islands where I must procure the wax of the

Contusion bees which is only produced every 1000 years. From that wax I must form a

candle and place it on a pedestal in the diamond mountain range.

SPRUCE: (aside to LEON) And you talk about me giving away too much information.

MEDEVOLIN: (looks at the pair then continues) My father, on his death bed, told me

that you may be of some help, will you join me?

LEON: A dangerous quest, involving Islands that only told of in legend, bees that are

probably larger than I am, not to mention this ultimate evil thing. Why should I go with

you, what am I going to get out of this? Look old man, I’m perfectly happy here, minding

my own business and drinking my wine.

MENDEVOLIN: (Stands) First of all, the bees are not larger than you, in fact, they’re

not even as large as normal bees. Secondly, I have faith in my father, he wouldn’t have

sent me on this quest if it couldn’t be completed. Therefore, the Contusion Islands must

exist. Thirdly, you’re mistaken in believing that this is a choice I’m presenting you with.

You must come, if you’re not with me then the spell I’m trying to renew will fizzle and the

world will be thrown into darkness and chaos.

(LEON leans back comfortably in chair and places feet on table, folding hands behind head

and glares at MENDEVOLIN)

SPRUCE: Don’t me such a stick in the mud, it’s an adventure, we’re at The Tavern, don’t

you know what comes next? First, we make friends with him. Then, we agree to join

him, pay the barkeep, sign this (pulls out contract), and we go merrily on our way.

MENDEVOLIN: Ok. Spruce, will you be my friend?

SPRUCE: Yeah, will you be mine?

MENDEVOLIN: Sure. Will you join me?

SPRUCE: You bet! (snaps fingers, BARKEEP enters stage left, SPRUCE pays

BARKEEP, exit BARKEEP stage left) Barkeep’s paid, now all that’s left is this.

MENDEVOLIN: (signs contract, SPRUCE signs contract) Leon?

LEON: Alright fine, I’ll sign your stupid contract,(signs contract) heck I’ll even pretend to

be your friend, I will even join your stupid quest… but only on one condition. I take

orders from nobody especialy washed-up old has-beens like you. I’ll do what I want

when I want and if you don’t like it tough!

MENDEVOLIN: I don’t care what you do on your own time but you’re on contract now

and until this adventure is done you’re working for me and do as I say, understand?

LEON: Yeah, I understand, (angrily gritting his teeth)(aside) I understand perfectly.

(Exit ALL stage right)

ACT II SCENE I

(Enter LOWELL stage left, obviously lost)

LOWELL: Where in the name of chaos am I? I should’ve been there a long time ago.

(LOWELL continues his searching)

DEREK: (offstage) BORK!!!!!!!!!

(as DEREK yells bork, LOWELL drops to the ground, throws map offstage left. DEREK

charges onto the stage, jumps over LOWELL, sumersaults, sits up and takes in his

surroundings)

LOWELL: (yelling) What do you think you’re doing man! What are you doing attacking

me? I didn’t do nothin’! (whiny) Leave me alone! Why does everyone always pick on

me? Is it because I’m different, is it because I smell (checks himself). Look, I’m sorry if I

offended you in any way, in any event, it was purely accidental. Please, don’t hurt me, just

let me be on my way.

DEREK: (stares)……(looking for the right words) I’m…..ummm…..sorry…..ahh…..I didn’t

see you there. You haven’t offended me, you don’t need to worry about that. As for

attacking you, that would involve control over my body, which moments ago I didn’t have.

LOWELL: Then you didn’t want to fight me?

DEREK: (appears confused) No. I’m not sure what I wanted to do.

LOWELL: What do you mean?

DEREK: Well, I don’t know who you are, or where I am. One second, I’m performing

routinescouting operations for the king in the village of Verge, next thing I know, I’m in

the middle of these woods, flying through the air and when I sit up, I see you. By the

way, who are you?

LOWELL: Well, my mother always told me not to tell my name to strange people, they

might be trying to kidnap me. So I’m not telling…

DEREK: (shocked) Well, since you appear as lost as I am, it might be to our advantage

to join together. Besides, it’s always better to travel with company.

LOWELL: Ah ha, that’s where you’re wrong, I’m not lost, I’ve got my map (holds up

empty hand). (sad look, looks at DEREK) My name is Lowell.

DEREK: I am Derek Arcane. Now that we’re aquainted, I’m sure that with a little luck,

we’ll be able to reach our destinations. Will you join me then?

LOWELL: (sobbing) my map, my beautiful map, gone. (LOWELL continues muttering as

he leaves offstage right, DEREK follows, attempting to console him.)

ACT II SCENE II

(Enter SPRUCE followed by MEDEVOLIN and LEON stage right)

MENDEVOLIN: (while entering) Spruce, are you sure that you know where you’re

going?

SPRUCE: Trust me (gives MENDEVOLIN big smile) I’ve lived my whole life in foests.

LEON: I can’t believe you conned me into this. Some fun this is turning out to be, I’m

marching through a forest, I am soaked, there are bugs crawling in places I can’t mention

to the children (points to audience), and to top it all off, you’ve probably never been in this

forest have you?! That would just be the icing on the cake. C’mon Spruce (sarcasm) have

you ever been in this forest?! May as well tell me, my day can’t get any worse.

SPRUCE: Well no, actually I’ve never been in this forest. But, they’re all the same aren’t

they? Once you’ve been in one, you’ve been in them all. All you have to know, is how to

read what the forest is telling you. You have to look for things like animal trails, moss

growth, and listen for the songs of the birds. They’ll tell you all you need to know.

MENDEVOLIN: Do you know how to find these things and interpret what they say?

SPRUCE: No, but if I did, I know those things would help.(big smile at MENDEVOLIN)

MENDEVOLIN: Do you at least know roughly where we are?

SPRUCE: Yes. We’re about a half day’s walk east from Elfheim. There’s bound to be

someone there who knows this Pardudious character. If he’s any kind of adventurer, he’ll

be known at The Tavern.

MENDEVOLIN: Well then, let’s pick up the pace, it’s going to be a long journey, 3

months to go as far south as you can, and then as far north as you possibly can, is really

pushing it.

LEON: Yes, I agree. We’ve been wandering through this forest for a day and half, I

would kill for the chance to be back in civilization. I bet the reason you’ve never been in

this forest before is because you’ve never found anyone stupid enough to come with you

before. Let’s go, my feet are starting to hurt. (crosses upstage left towards offstage)

(enter LOWELL and DEREK stage left, running into LEON)

LEON: Geez Spruce, it’s too bad you didn’t run into these two dunderheads before you

dragged us into this forest, seems they would’ve been willing to come with you.

LOWELL: Oh, excuse me. (LOWELL walks past LEON and continues walking towards

stage right)

DEREK: Lowell, where are you going?

LOWELL: Well, we’ve got to find some other people to help us get out of……oh…..

(approaches MENDEVOLIN, shakes his hand) my name is Lowell.

DEREK: Don’t mind my friend, he’s a little (makes crazy sign). My name is Derek

Arcane, I’ve just recently found myself in these woods and I’m trying to make it back to

civilization, if you could point us in the direction of the nearest town, it would be greatly

appreciated.

MENDEVOLIN: We are headed there ourselves in fact. You’re welcome to join us if

you wish. My name is Mendevolin, this is Spruce (points) and this is Leon (points). We

are presently searching for someone named Pardudious so that we may begin our journey

towards the contusion islands. You wouldn’t happen to know where we might find him

would you? The things my father gave me said that he may live behind a waterfall.

DEREK: You mean find IT don’t you?

ALL: IT?

DEREK: Yes, Pardudious is a boat, a magical flying ship.

LEON: (skepticism) A magic flying ship? Why should we believe you? We’re on a quest

involving some ultimate evil. Who’s to say you aren’t….one of his minions? (LEON draws

his pistol and aims at DEREK)

LOWELL: My friend is in trouble, oh lord of chaos, show us now the power of

randomness, and cause the next shot from that boomstick to go awry and miss its intended

target. Honour your humble servant’s plea.

LOWELL: (aside) And on the off chance that the lord of chaos is unavailable for a small

miracle, at this time I will proceed to beat both combantants senseless with whatever

heavy, blunt objects that may be at hand, in your mercy.

DEREK: (pulls out cross from under tunic) If I was a minion of evil, would I be wearing

this?

LEON: No, I suppose not.

SPRUCE: C’mon Leon, put the gun away. We can’t be fighting with each other, we have

a ship to find and a mission to complete.

LOWELL: Yeah, this’ll be cool! A flying ship, wow! We’ll be flying above everything,

I’ll be able to see all my friends, and wave hi to th—-

LEON: Just shut up will you? I want to get going before it’s already too late.

LOWELL: Sorry, I’ll just be over here (walks away from group and sits down on stage,

head down)

MENDEVOLIN: Well if it can help us get to the Contusion Islands quickly, I’m all for it.

We’re on a very tight timeline and every little bit will help. (turns to LEON) Now, in

future Leon, you can take some of your own advice and keep your mouth shut unless you

have something important to say. We have to work together. Everyone has the right to

make suggestions, we just can’t tell people to shut up all the time. You’re not the only one

with ideas worth listening to. In fact, I’m not sure that you’ve had one good idea yet, and

still you shoot down everyone else. Keep your ego under control and your mouth shut.

LEON: (aside) I can’t wait for an opportunity to shoot you down….

LOWELL: (Jumps up) Wait a minute!…..I mean, ummm, excuse me. We can’t leave yet.

LEON: (sighs) Why can’t we go now?

LOWELL: We haven’t signed a contract yet. Does anyone have one?

MENDEVOLIN: Yes, right here (pulls out contract, LOWELL and DEREK sign it)

SPRUCE: Ok, well if everything’s in order, we can be on our way.

(everyone leaves down the stairs stage left and out the side door except LEON. LEON

lingers on stage, pulls out pistol, admires it and shoots blank towards stage door.)

NOTE: Mendevolin must leave last (before Leon)

ACT II SCENE III

(ALL enter stage right side door)

MENDEVOLIN: Lives behind the waterfall, Lives behind the waterfall. That doesn’t

even make sense anymore.

SPRUCE: What’cha got? (Smile at MENDEVOLIN)

MENDEVOLIN: Just something my father gave me before he passed away. He told me

about this quest, said I should find Pardudious and gave me this (holds up scroll), what’s

written can’t be accurate though. Since Pardudious is not a person, he can’t possibly live

behind a waterfall.

LEON: Let me see that. (MENDEVOLIN hands scroll LEON. LEON looks at it) Just

looks like gibberish to me.

LOWELL: People said that we were crazy to build a castle on a swamp, but we did, and

it sunk into a swamp. So, we built a second castle, and it sunk too. So we built a third

castle, it was burned, pillaged and fell to the ground, and then it sunk into the swamp. So

we built a fourth castle and it’s standing, it’s the strongest castle in all the lands. But

father, I don’t want the castle, I want, I want…..No no no, there’ll be no singing while I’m

still here, stop the music, stop it right now, I won’t……oh excuse me (sits on stairs stage

right).

(ALL are staring at LOWELL by the end of the speech)

SPRUCE: No Leon, that was gibberish.

DEREK: (DEREK comes down stairs stage left, walks towards group) Well, it’s there

alright. Now all we have to do is find a way to get it past the flow of the water, any

suggestions?

MENDEVOLIN: Derek, my good friend, how did you know to look there?

DEREK: Easy, just take a look at the scroll

MENDEVOLIN: (MENDEVOLIN looks at scroll again) Ok, perhaps it would help if I

knew what I was looking for.

DEREK: Not that side, turn it over. (MENDEVOLIN turns scroll over) See, there it is.

LEON: Hmmmm, you would’ve thought that a powerful mage like yourself would have

known to check both sides of a scroll. I’m just glad it wasn’t a spell scroll you were

reading from, that would have certainly been disasterous. Though it wouldn’t surprise me

to find out you’ve done it once or twice. (this catches MENDEVOLIN’s attention)

LOWELL: (snaps to attention) Check for fine print, check for fine print!

ALL: What!?

LEON: For the love of god, somebody slap a muzzle on the boy!

(MENDEVOLIN takes offence and marches angrily towards LEON. LEON forces the

scroll on SPRUCE who steps aside and looks at it. LEON takes a defensive stance)

LOWELL: (aside) My god is bound to look favourably upon me! It seems everywhere I

go, I cause chaos! They say they’re powerful mages, but they have no idea of the power

that is weilded by the followers of chaos! If they start something, we’re really going to see

a show. (LOWELL begins preparing for a battle)

SPRUCE: Well, would ya’ look at this! Fine Print!

ALL: Shut Up!

SPRUCE: No, I’m serious. Listen: “If through the water your path does lay, just quote

Fat Albert, say ‘Hey’, ‘Hey’, ‘Hey’”

(As words are spoken, curtains open to reveal boat behind. ALL are unaware of what

happened, adlibbing conversation about words)

MENDEVOLIN: (turning around) That’s Pardudious (everyone stops talking, turns

around) Not very impressive is it? I’ve known orcs to ride around in better.

DEREK: It may not look like much, but it’s powers are beyond your comprehension and

my imagination.

LEON: Beyond their comprehension maybe. Beyond mine, I beg to differ. Now, show

me the way to the controls and I’ll have us out of here in no time.

(ALL head towards ship except LOWELL who lingers for a moment)

LOWELL: I just want everyone to know that I get airsick.

ACT III SCENE I

(enter ALL from stage left)

MENDEVOLIN: Well, we’re here.

DEREK: Short trip, you’d think that it’d be a lot harder to get to an Island that most

people don’t even think exists.

LEON: (checking his wrist hourglass) Yeah, we’ve only been travelling an hour.

MENDEVOLIN: Now, I have a few things here that my father told me would help us. I

realize you may wonder of the usefulness of the items I am about to give you but I have

confidence, my father would not have given them to me were they not going to be helpful.

(MENDEVOLIN pulls forth the flyswatters from his sack)

LOWELL: Wow! You’ve got some of those…..Thingies!

LEON: What manner of insuperior weapon are those? I bet you couldn’t even kill a fly

with them!

MENDEVOLIN: Well….ummm…..

LOWELL: You mean you never heard the legend?

SPRUCE: Legend???

LOWELL: Yeah, the legend of the tailor that killed seven giants with one of these!

(LOWELL then proceeds to sword fight with flyswatter. ALL stare at him)….sorry.

(LOWELL sits down like before)

SPRUCE: Well, if you can kill giants with one of these things, you’ll have no problem

killing a few little bees right? (murmurs of consent)

MENDEVOLIN: Right then. Has everyone been armed with a……(looks at LOWELL)

LOWELL: Thingy.

MENDEVOLIN: Right! With a THINGY! (everyone awkwardly holds up flyswatters

except for LOWELL and MENDEVOLIN)OK! To the Bees!

ALL: TO THE BEES!

(exit ALL stage right)

ACT III SCENE II

(enter ALL stage left)

MENDEVOLIN: Where is the hive…..it’s supposed to be here. AHEM. I’m sure, it’s

right around here somewhere.(hive pops out behind front curtain stage right on stick)

thankyou.

DEREK: Look, I see it, over there (points at hive)

LOWELL: Hit it with your shovel Leon!

LEON: My what?

LOWELL: Your shovel. (shovel flies in from offstage right. LEON catches shovel

and looks at it, and unimpressed, hands it to LOWELL, he turns from others, telling

story in aside like state) I remember my mom used to go out and find hives just so that

she could whack them with her shovel.(LOWELL turns back to group) I thought

everyone whacked hives with shovels?

SRPUCE: Shovel, you don’t use a shovel, you use a pitchfork. (Pitchfork comes from

offstage right, SPRUCE catches it)

LOWELL: What do you mean! Pitchfork, are you nuts? Shovel!

SPRUCE: Pitchfork!

LOWELL: Shovel!

(LOWELL and SPRUCE repeat several times. Spruce wins by pointing the pitchfork at

LOWELL)

LOWELL: Ok, ok, pitchfork.(LOWELL sits down with shovel across lap)

LEON: Oh, enough of this. This tomfoolery has gone on long enough. (LEON pulls out

pistol and aims at hive. Changes his mind and aims at person holding hive offstage.

LEON shoots, hive falls, sound of person offstage falling down dead)

(after hive falls, ALL pull out their thingies. They fight valiantly while ‘flight of the

bumblebee’ plays in the backround. Fight lasts for about 15-20 seconds. It appears

hopeless)

MENDEVOLIN: Run Away!!!!!! (everyone repeating ‘run away’ as they move upstage

left)

(when all arive, SPRUCE pulls out sandwhich from bag and begins to eat it)

MENDEVOLIN: (astonished) Spruce, what are you doing? This is no time for a picnic.

Put that away we need to come up with a strategy.

LOWELL: (sniffing) Is that peanut butter and honey?

SPRUCE: Yeah, want some?

LOWELL: Sure, I’d love some, I haven’t eaten anything since we started this adventure.

SPRUCE: We’ve only been adventuring together for an hour and a half.

DEREK: Wait a minute. That’s it! Give me that (grabbing sandwhich from LOWELL.

LOWELL whimpers and “sits down”) I’ll be back in a sec. (DEREK move towards

hive and places sandwhich near hive then retreats. Once bees have taken bait about 15

sec. DEREK moves back to hive and retrieves wax.) Got it! (looks over shoulder, bees

chase ‘flight of the bumblebee’ plays again)

(exit ALL stage left)

ACT III SCENE III

NARRATOR: Mendevolin and his party set forth for the twin volcanoes hidden deep

within the diamond mountain range. With the candle now formed, our heroes are now

ready to face the terrible evil that lies ahead. (enter ALL , MENDEVOLIN first, stage

right. MENDEVOLIN noticing the candle stops suddenly, rest of the party runs him over.

everyone falls on MENDEVOLIN and candle breaks.) Well, almost ready.

MENDEVOLIN: (realizing the candle is broken) Oh this is just perfect. Everything I have

ever done, I have screwed up somehow.(MENDEVOLIN is in his own little world) I

failed as a tailor, (enter EVIL MAGE stage left) I can’t cast magic worth a damn, (ALL

but MENDEVOLIN see EVIL MAGE and creep away in fear) and now this! (gestures at

broken candle and breaks down crying)

EVIL MAGE: (approaches MENDEVOLIN, places hand on shoulder) There, there. It

will all be over very soon. (EVIL MAGE licks fingers and puts out candle) There, was

that really so bad. (EVIL MAGE laughter)

THE END