Sir Daniel Fortesque

"It has risen again! Sir Daniel Fortesque! See?" ― Information Gargoyle, MediEvil

Sir Daniel Wigginbottom Fortesque IV (1254 – 1286), commonly shortened to Sir Daniel Fortesque or Sir Dan, was a knight of the kingdom of Gallowmere. Due to his father's influence and a close personal relationship with the king, Sir Dan became the king's champion and Captain of the army. In 1286, he was charged with leading the militia into battle against the rebelling court magician Zarok in what would become known as the Battle of Gallowmere. Ignobly, Sir Dan was killed by the first volley of arrows. The king, unimpressed with Dan's performance, weaved a legend about the felled warrior, declaring him the Hero of Gallowmere.

History

Life

Sir Daniel Wigginbottom Fortesque IV was born in the kingdom of Gallowmere in 1254Template:Ref as the eldest son of Lord Cedric Fortesque – the wealthiest noble in the land. Fortesque pursued a career as a knight to impress the maidens. He was trained by the best weapons masters in the land, but never realised his full potential due to a lack of effort on his part.

Using his father's money and influence, Fortesque was able to rise through the ranks of the king's army. After the king's previous champion had an unfortunate accident while riding his horse, the king chose to appoint Fortesque as the replacement, listening solely to the words of his new court magician.

Death

In 1286, an army of the undead began marching towards Castle Peregrin. Unbeknownst to the king, it was led by his very own court magician Zarok. The king was in desperate need of a hero who could tackle the threat, and he knew exactly who he wanted.

Fortesque was chosen to lead the charge into battle. Unfortunately, he died instantly when he was shot through his left eye by the very first arrow fired. Despite this, the Gallowmere army went on to win the battle without him.

In order to save face, King Peregrin declared Zarok the Sorcerer dead and organised a hero's burial for Fortesque, including the construction of a custom crypt. From then on, Fortesque was revered as the Hero of Gallowmere.

Some sources offer a different account of Fortesque's death. They claim that Fortesque caught his foot on the grass and twisted his ankle before being shot, and ultimately attribute his death to Zarok's right-hand man, Lord Kardok. However, this version of events is unlikely to be true.

First resurrection

In 1386, Zarok resurfaced and cast a spell called the Evernight, which turned the skies over Gallowmere black and robbed the innocent of their very souls in order to revive the dead. Fortesque was unexpectedly reanimated when magic from the Evernight drifted into his crypt and settled upon his decomposing corpse.

After getting his bearings, Sir Dan travelled throughout Gallowmere, dispelling the black mist and laying the corrupted dead to rest, battling Zarok's minions along his route. With each defeat of Zarok's armies, Dan earned the right to claim numerous weapons and resources from the Hall of Heroes, that he might once again confront Zarok and lay him low once and for all.

Although Dan inadvertently released Zarok's most ancient and powerful force in the Shadow Demons, he would defeat many of Zarok's most insidious traps, including an elaborate clockwork maze before finally reaching the core of the wizard's Lair. However, Zarok had at least one more trick up his sleeve--an indomitable elite army of Fazguls ready to strike Sir Dan down. Using the freed souls he had gathered, Dan summoned his own spectral battalion and eventually slew the Fazguls. There, he also met the undead Lord Kardok and struck him down.

Frustrated, Zarok made a last-ditch decision to face the would-be hero one-on-one, transmogrifying into a beastly form. The battle was intense, but Fortesque made good on his mission and became the hero he was always meant to be. As Zarok destroyed his own fortress, a vulture swept Sir Dan in its talons and carried him back to his crypt. For his heroic deeds, Dan had earned a place in the Hall of Heroes, where he remained for the next five hundred years.

Second resurrection

In the intervening years, kingdoms and empires rose and fell. Gallowmere was nearly lost to the annals of British history when remnants of the kingdom were brought to a London museum in the late 19th century. Among the artefacts recovered were remains of Zarok's beast transformation and Sir Dan's body, still in his original armour.

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Eventual fate

There are three conflicting reports about what happened to Fortesque after he successfully defeated Lord Palethorn:

Return to eternal rest

Fortesque and his girlfriend returned to her reconstructed tomb in the Museum. Once they said their goodbyes to the professor, they entered Kiya's sacrophagus and resumed their eternal sleep together.

Presumed death

Dan and Kiya boarded Professor Kift's time machine, travelling back in time. They wound up in Zarok's Lair, where they were immediately attacked by Palethorn in a beastly form.

In truth, the pair had not only travelled back in time, but also to an alternative timeline, where Palethorn had used the spell book to rewrite time and replaced Zarok with himself. Whether they survived or perished at the hands of this Palethorn is unknown.

Time loop

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Legacy

Fortesque's deeds were not forgotten, although the events surrounding his return and victory over Lord Palethorn in 1886 were initially dismissed as not having really happened. Professor Marcus Effington Christy, a 20th century academic, described the claims made by witnesses as mass hallucination induced by the high prevalence of disease in London at the time.

Academic interest in Fortesque continued into the 21st century. Most notably, Professor Darrow of Cambridge Archaeology dedicated her life to studying the Hero of Gallowmere, including his resurrections.

Characteristics

Appearance

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Personality

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Abilities

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Gameplay

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Behind the scenes

Sir Dan is the primary character and protagonist of the MediEvil franchise.

Development

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Portayal

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In other media

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Notes

Dan's year of birth is given as 1154 in MediEvil: The Game Prequel. However, this presents an inconsistency with MediEvil 2, where he is said to have been born around the year 1250. To reconcile this, a hundred years was added to 1154, resulting in 1254. See MediEvil Wiki:Canon for more information.