Peasant's Quest
Peasant's Quest is a 16th-century epic poem that describes events that supposedly happened in the kingdom of Peasantry in the early 16th century. Peasant's Quest is part of the Trogdor Cycle, a collection of manuscripts chronicling the life of Trogdor the Burninator. Peasant's Quest has been adapted into a videogame and a film, both of which are also titled Peasant's Quest.
Plot[edit]
A young peasant man named Rater Daschin returns home from a fishing trip to find that his house has been burninated, and decides to avenge the destruction of his house by slaying Trogdor. He walks to the foothills of Mount Trog, where he meets a character called the Blue Knight guarding the gate. Only peasants are allowed passage to Mount Trog, and though Rater Daschin is indeed a peasant, the Blue Knight does not believe so, as he does not stink like a peasant, he does not dress like a peasant, and he's not on fire like a peasant; so Rater Daschin is not allowed passage to the mountain.
Rater wanders throughout Peasantry, wondering what to do next. He meets a man named Mendelev who runs an archery stand. Rater asks Mendelev how he can stink like a peasant. Mendelev tells Rater that to stink like a peasant, he may slay Kerrek and steal his stinky belt; Kerrek created a curse in which rain does not come to Peasantry. Mendelev offers Rater archery lessons to prepare him to arrow Kerrek to death; Rater declines his offer, and leaves the stand. As Rater walks away, Mendelev tells Rater that if Rater ever meets Mendelev's brother Dongolev, he should tell Dongolev Mendelev said "haldo." Rater goes to a well to get some water to drink, and draws a scary mask out of the well. Rater decides to wear the mask, and walks toward a horse, scaring it away. Rater follows the horse into a field, where he meets Dongolev. Rater tells him Mendelev said "haldo," and Dongolev mysteriously walks away. Rater decides to take the archery lessons Mendelev offered him. Rater soon becomes an excellent archer, and goes to slay Kerrek. Rater fires many arrows at Kerrek. When Rater fires his last arrow, Kerrek finally falls over and dies, and the rain immediately returns to Peasantry as Rater dons Kerrek's stinky belt.
Once again, Rater wanders, wondering what to do. He finds a thatched-roof cottage and enters it, asking the woman who lives inside where he can get a peasant robe. Instead of telling Rater where he can get a peasant robe, the woman tells him to steal Jhonka's riches and give them to her, saying that Jhonka stole them from her. Rater walks to Jhonka's lair, hides himself in a hay bale, and steals the riches without Jhonka knowing. Rater returns to the cottage to give the woman the riches. The woman promptly leaves the cottage with the riches, abandoning her baby son; Rater realizes that the riches were probably Jhonka's to begin with, that he was helping the woman steal them. Rater decides to take care of the abandoned baby. He takes the baby with him to a lake, where an old man is having trouble fishing. Rater, having recently learned about fishing, tells the man that he is probably using the wrong bait. Rater finds chicken feed nearby, and gives it to the man to use as bait. The man does so, and draws up a sacred meatball sub. Rater takes the sub to eat, but barely eats any of it before finding another cottage nearby. Rater tries to enter the cottage, discovering the door is locked. He gets the baby to crawl under the door and unlock it from inside. He then enters the cottage, where he finds a peasant robe. He puts it on and realizes that he will have to find a way to get on fire.
After wandering some more, Rater gets a room in an inn to stay the night, and realizes that he can set his hood on fire using one of the inn's candles. The next morning, he does so, becoming a true peasant. Rater returns to the foothills of Mount Trog. the Blue Knight is impressed that Rater has begun to stink like a peasant, dress like a peasant, and be on fire like a peasant; he allows Rater passage to the mountain. Rater climbs up the extremely steep side of Mount Trog, facing the fury of its fearsome pterodactyl. Rater makes it to the ledge just outside the cave in which Trogdor lives. The three Keepers of Trogdor emerge from the cave; they give him the Trog Sword and the Trog Shield in exchange for the meatball sub. Rater enters the cave and attacks Trogdor, who promptly burninates Rater to death.
History of the manuscript[edit]
The events of the story are believed to have happened circa 1500-1520. The original manuscript of the story was written circa 1550-1560.
In 1896, the original manuscripts of the Trogdor Cycle were discovered atop Mount Trog. Peasant's Quest was given to Oscar Wilde, who was just about to analyze the story for various newspapers when he was suddenly shot in the chest and forehead by Friedrich Nietzche, who analyzed the story in Wilde's stead before being exiled to Hell.
The original manuscripts were then returned to Mount Trog, where they have since been carefully protected by the Keepers of Trogdor.