Posted: 10 October 2021 (reading time: 8 minutes; 1635 words)
Recap by Arash Shahangian
All members of Asgardeyða share the same nightmare. They find themselves together, surrounded in inky blackness, wrapped in rubbery, slimy, mucusy, black tentacles that cover the entire area. As they lie paralyzed, they hear a female voice, both soothing and terrifying, but very familiar to one of them. The voice says “Little Imp, I’m so proud of you for opening to gates for Shub-Nigguroth.” The mention of that name rips through each of their minds like a jagged claw. “I always knew you were special, better than all these other sacks of meat. The way you’re going will bring the Old Ones back. Please join us. What a wonderful opportunity for you to join us in taking this world and turning it into the way it should be. We will take the useless wretches of the world, making them all cocoons, chrysalises to transform and evolve into vessels of the Elder Gods.” She speaks a few of their names and each name rakes deep into the group’s minds, causing psychic damage with each invocation.
Belnirith pleads “Mother, where are you? I need to find you, to see you again.”
Aegnagryd responds sweetly and sickly “I’m afraid that’s not possible at this moment; but don’t worry, we will have our reunion soon enough. And as reward for your assistance, the Old Ones will spare your friends pain the rest will have to experience as they are made ready to bring the Old Ones back to this world, paving the way for the arrival of the Great…” and a great, white, light bursts into their minds, ending the nightmare. But Asgardeyða’s dreams continue, though now separately.
Greunthrn finds himself on the Rainbow Bridge, vomiting profusely and facing a serious and sad Heimdall who waits for him to finish then says “None of you deserve this. Be vigilant, be watchful. Rely on your friends.”
Vyshka sees an uncharacteristically stern Thor standing before her, saying “Kill them. Kill them all!”
Laguza finds herself in front of a great anvil, with the Allhammer, Moradin, standing behind it, saying “Don’t let them break you. Remember who you are and what you are.”
Belnirith is shunted to a middle dimension where everything is white and grey. Nadira appears before her and says “I’m so sorry. I’m your Guardian, but I couldn’t protect you. It was too powerful, or I would have saved you. Remember, she is not who she was, anymore. Find strength in your friends. And trust Osk.”
Everyone but Laguza wakes up exhausted. There are two heavily armored soldiers of King Torvald in front of the barkeep when Laguza orders breakfast. Other soldiers are nearby and look upon the people of Vestri Keep with contempt. The barkeep tells her that Valli had received a letter from those soldiers and retreated to his “Thinking Hill”, where he goes when he needs to contemplate especially weighty issues does not want to be disturbed.
Belnirith confesses that the woman in their shared dream was her mother, Aegnagryd, who was always power-hungry and is partly responsible for why Belnirith looks the way she does. Belnirith ruefully says “My mother is beyond saving. She wasn’t a good mother before, and now she is too far gone.” Valli’s wife, Signy, finds Asgardeyða as they are eating and recuperating from the psychic damage from their dreams. Signy is in full fighting gear and war paint. She tells the group “King Torvald is a coward, a slimeball, and weak. He does not defend against what is to come and does not serve his people.” She asks Asgardeyða to seek out Valli on his hill, as he is requesting “friendly, outsider council”.
Guided by Gaettr, Valli’s second in command, and Bersi, scoutmaster, Asgardeyða arrive at Valli’s “Thinking Hill”, situated near the mountains with a beautiful, unobstructed view of all of Vestri Keep. Gattr does not join the discussion but directs them to where the Hersir would meet with them. Valli appears pained but is pleased to see the group. He tells them about the letter, an order from the King, commanding Valli to step down from his position of leadership, because Valli disobeyed orders to double the famers’ taxes. Valli knew it would destroy them, and suspects King Torvald placed the order to insure Valli would either be overthrown by the farmers or forced to step down. Valli now has to decide whether or not to overthrow the King. The 200+ soldiers of Vestri Keep would all gladly follow him into battle, but they are young and Torvald will have thousands.
Bersi informs them that the other cities of the kingdom would not come to the King’s aid, and Belnirith asks Valli if the other cities would support in his overthrow attempt. Valli’s demeanor shifts at this. With a surprised smile he says “I like the strategic way you think. That could actually work. I know what I need to do. We’re going to have a “talk” with his men.”
They prepare themselves for the inevitable confrontation. Bersi and Greunthrn go the longhouse and take sniper positions on the King’s solders standing stiff and stern in military stance in front of the 20’x 60’ stone slab in the middle of the city square. One of the longhouse staff tells them “it would be a shame if anything happened to the king’s men,” then smiles and drops off 2 quivers full of arrows at their feet. Laguza goes off to secure the soldiers’ horses, to prevent escape. Valli and the rest of Asgardeyða stand on the dais.
Valli holds up the letter to the crowd of people behind the soldiers and the Keep’s men around the square and reads it to them. Gaettr shouts “Would you have the King’s men take this Keep?” The city in one voice shout back “No!”, among other things. As the lead soldier shouts back, Gaettr jumps down and stabs him, initiating the massacre of the 20 soldiers. Between arrows from the longhouse, weapons from the Keep’s warriors, and the might of Asgardeyða, the battle was short and very bloody. The soldiers’ bodies are then hung at the gate of entry into Vestri Keep.
Signy sends for Osk, the local shaman “She can consecrate this venture and give our young warriors courage.” Osk suddenly appears, seemingly out of nowhere, and states “What you are doing is right. I will bless this group. I will gather the other shamen and we will, together with Asgardeyða, hold a blót (blessing)”.
Osk lead the blót and the other shamen follow, beginning with song and chanting. Vyshka casts Word of Radiance and Thaumaturgy around her, providing a light/sound show to support. Belnirith then performs a ritual Ceremony of Dedication on Valli, dedicating him to the service of Odin and empowering him with Odin’s blessing. For the second part of the blót, Osk rolls bones “A favorable omen. 200 against thousands. Go overland, not by sea. You will be going to the Iron Mountains and the frost giants there will join us.” This declaration is accompanied by wide eyes, murmurs, gasps, and looks of incredulity from the crowd and Asgardeyða.
Laguza, with her intimate knowledge of giant culture, informs the group about the frost giants’ love of eating, drinking and games of skill and athleticism. She describes those giants as bigger, broader, and meaner than the stone giants she grew up with. So, the group gather a wagon, stocks it with 10 barrells of ale, 2 goats to pull the wagon and 4 more tied along for offering to the frost giants.
On the first day of travel, Greunthrn catches the scent of a very large mammal and follows it. Though it is cold, only Belnirith seems to have some difficulty with it. On the second day, the weather is milder and Greunthrn maintains his lock on the scent. During the final watch of the night, a large, spectral figure (shadow horror) approaches Vyshka and Belnirith, asking “Will you and your party join the Old Ones?” to which Belnirith replies “Um, we’ll get back to you on that.” At this point the shadow horror attacks, but the group manage to destroy it swiftly.
On the third day of travel, the weather is again mild, though somewhat windier and Gruenthrn lost the scent and almost lost the way, until Belnirith divined a portent which redirected his navigation. The group arrive at an area where they find 2 boulders with a large chest on top. Vyshka uses Mage Hand to open the chest, which then spills over as the the boulders turn into two galeb duhrs, very upset at being awakened. Laguza wisely apologizes and Belnirith uses Thaumaturgy to create soft, soothing music, as Asgardeyða slink away.
Later that day, Greunthrn hears whimpering and discovers glints of copper amid the snow, eventually revealing a baby copper dragon, named Kar. They heal Kar, who was attacked by “fucking Yeti” and was very grateful to the group. Asgardeyða introduces themselves and Kar directs them to where he believes the frost giants to be. Kar admits to having snuck away 100 miles from his mother, going off on his own for the first time. Belnirith asks Kar to give a message to his mother, telling her about the return of the Elder Gods and asking to meet her, someday soon. The group offer one of the goats to Kar to give him energy to get back home. Before anyone has time to notice, Kar nearly swallows one whole and departs happily.
On the fourth day of travel, the group hear bestial roars and the sounds of a large female in pain. As they hurry closer, they see two Yeti looming over a bloody and beaten female frost giant prone amid her torn nets. Asgardeyða attack the Yeti…
TO BE CONTINUED…
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