For the first time since the attempt on his life, Grettir leads an expedition into the wilds. With him is his trusty retainer, Salrod. They encounter two Griffins, a Fire Giant – which seem mightily common this year – and a troll. Salrod obtains a magic helmet.
Ref: B-25
OE Date: September 678
Characters: Grettir, Salrod, Eormanric, Corrie, Peredur, Durward, Shizarem. NPCs: Eargh, Kinness
Real World: When – 1st Term 1981 ; Where – St. Andrews (Whitehill Terrace)
I believe Griffins is the trip where Salrod challenged a fire giant to a holmgang.
He had just got a protection from iron amulet and when the Fire Giant was spotted he wanted to try out his amulet and the giant readily accepted. It took the giant a little time to work out that he was doing no damage but when he did he tried to squeeze the life out of Salrod. Fortunately Kinness put on his ring of invisibility and crept round the back of the giant and finished him off. I think Salrod was allowed to take the helmet as reward for bravery. I think it was the helmet of night vision which he was reluctant to wear because of the risk of fireballs and flares and he subsequently sold to a hippogriff rider on Cos. I think it was either this or the saving of Grettir’s wife that earned him the sobriquet The Brave.
I do recall the incident you describe, although I couldn’t absolutely recall which trip it was. Kinness wasn’t on so many trips with us, so this seems like a good bet. I also remember the night-sight helmet with the immovable visor – a design flaw. Looked at objectively Salrod’s defence of Kisten was definitely braver than an opponent through the use of a magic amulet and then having your mate sneak up and stab him in the back. However, this is not to say that the process of obtaining an eke-name is always rational – look at Philip the Fair.