Session 10: A death, a birth, a farewell, two greetings, and the Third Plague

General Summary

The third of three storms, the storm prophesized to change the world, swirled around the companions on the Island of the Middle Sister in Coldlight Fjord. Kradar crumpled in crippling pain and the storm seemed to center its wrath around him. He was lost from sight in the swirling wind and snow to all except Worhana, who saw him clearly as if he were lying in a calm, drifting snowfall of purest black and white. Worhana approached the barbarian at it was clear he was dying. The thing inside him, which had plagued him with pain and bizarre mood swings, was going to kill him if it remained within him. Worhana attempted to heal Kradar, but her divine spells failed as they did not serve the purpose of her goddess in this moment. Whatever the mysterious Shif wanted, delaying the release of the thing inside Kradar was not it.
Worhana asked Kradar what to do and what he wanted. The dying barbarian, with what pain-filled strength he had left, snarled at the elf, "Your goddess did this...kill me...or I will kill you..."
Wracked with indecision, Worhana took the pommel of a dagger and struck Kradar in the head to knock him unconscious. Not a moment later the barbarian's strength was finally exhausted by the thing within him. He no longer wished to fight. He no longer wanted to bear the pain he had stoically carried for most of his life. Blood and blue mist poured from every orifice in his body. He was dying. Worhana knew there was nothing else she could do. The elven devotee to Shif cut into Kradar's distended belly. An eruption of blood and blue mist burst forth. Kradar's flesh peeled and melted away, revealing some bear-like form beneath, coated in blood. From within Kradar's belly Worhana pulled forth a wondrous war hammer of blue steel, carved with the runes of Ragnarr (god of war and tempest) and Shif (goddess of twilight and change). As the hammer was born, so did Kradar Stormbelly of the Bear People, Cursed by Two Gods, die. Yet he died with peace on his gore-stained face. Perhaps the first peace he had known in many, many years. For he had died spiting and fighting the gods that had cursed him.
The moment the hammer was born, delivered from Kradar's dying body into Worhana's blood-soaked hands, both Janicka and Eiuin crumpled with intense pain, as if a portion of their strength and energy had been stolen from them for a moment. The feeling quickly passed and both the Vaettir and her goat recovered their strength, but the event left Janicka wondering what tied the rune-scars on her hands, her faithful mount, and this strange hammer together?
Meanwhile, not far away on the beach of the small island, Isulf stood with Hunger, the magical blade of dark steel, awaiting the approach of Haftan the Hungry through the storm. Eventually the two came to stand face-to-face at the tide's edge, like brooding mirror images of each other with crows, both alive and undead, swirling in the air above them. The standoff was short lived, as Haftan suddenly kneeled in the surf, bowed his head with a mix of both predatory hate and complete resignation, and reached out his hands in a plea for Hunger. Isulf stood in a moment of indecision. Should he return the sword to this cursed soul? Would that empower him or end his undead cursed state? Or should he feed Hunger by taking Haftan's head? He summoned his murder of crows and looked for guidance.
Svagnir approached and offered a different course of action. The druid suggested giving the blade to the Lodge Eldritch, using it as powerful leverage to gain favor from the league of mages. Isulf considered this wise counsel, but then with the guidance of his hungry crows screaming overhead, the dark paladin knew what he needed to do.
With one powerful swipe of Hunger the head of Haftan the Hungry fell from its shoulders and into the surf. A moment later the body of Haftan melted away, leaving only his ragged leathers floating in the tide. Isulf had ended his curse. His sword had been returned to him, albeit by its blade through his neck.
With the death of Kradar, the birth of the hammer, and the end of Haftan's curse the storm quickly dissipated, leaving the companions to sort out what all had just unfolded. Worhana blamed herself for Kradar's death and was consoled by Mabd. Aela offered to conduct the funeral rites of the Tide Wolves for Kradar Stormbelly. The group agreed it was fitting, as none of them knew the death rites of Kradar's people. Additionally, Svagnir fashioned a spirit drum from the haft of Kradar's axe and some of his bear hides, and sang the death songs that would help carry the barbarian's soul high into the branches of Valdryssil. Several of the other companions offered gifts to aid the barbarian on his passage, such as crow feathers, nacken claws, and owlbear feathers. With Kradar's body taken by the waters of the Throat of the World, accompanied by song and gifts, the companions felt peace knowing that his soul would find its way to the Great Tree.
The companions decided to rest in the cave of the Steintrolls they had slain earlier in the day, making several preparations for whatever challenges awaited them next. Aela took the magical head of Arik's mother, as she needed it for her quest to meet the Sleeping Queen of Lilladenau. Svagnir conducted a ritual to summon a new spirit creature that would fight by his side in future battles. Isulf studied Hunger and became one with the dark blade, for good or bad none currently know. Mabd made a magical totem of protection for Worhana as an offering of condolence to ease her guilt over Kradar's death. Worhana communed with her goddess and the war hammer, and its secrets began to unravel to the elf.
The companions discussed their next course of action. Aela declared she could no longer delay her quest to Lilladenau and welcomed any and all to accompany her. Only Isulf, her first mate and lover, agreed to go with her. The others felt they had an obligation to go to the Lodge Eldritch to find answers to Bjekmir's condition and the curse of the Eaters he had placed on some of them. It was decided that come morning Aela and Isulf would take the rest of the companions to the western shore of Coldlight Fjord to drop them off to continue their journey to the Lodge, and then they would leave the group to go east to Lilladenau. Some of the companions had concerns that Isulf was making a poor decision to leave them and go with Aela. Others, notably Mabd, was happy to have the dark raider captain and the even darker crow paladin go their own way.
While the companions rested Isulf noticed a small creature flitting about their camp, apparently pouring something into Worhana's waterskin. The paladin confronted the creature, and the entire party was awoken in the process. The creature turned out to be a rock tomte named Halstein. After questioning the tiny stone-skinned man, the companions learned that Halstein had been hiding on the Bloodkraken for weeks, helping Gorn with the ship's supply of fresh water in exchange for treats. Halstein possessed a magical shield of elven make that could produce fresh water daily, and the tomte used it to help keep the Bloodkraken's water supply in order. Halstein stated now that Gorn was dead he had decided to help keep Worhana's waterskin full, as she seemed the nicest of the companions.
Happy to have the strange yet benevolent tomte helping them, the companions offered Halstein a place in their company, which he accepted.
Before the companions departed the island, they noticed a strange creature scuttling away on the western bank of the fjord in the direction they were headed. Before they could discern much about this strange creature it disappeared inland, lost from sight. Not sure what to make of this, the companions proceeded with their plan. Aela and Isulf took the companions to the western shore and dropped them off. Farewells and concerns were shared, but Isulf remained steadfast in his desire to stay with his flame-haired captain and lover. And so did it go, Isulf Thedolfsson, the Crooked Crow, First Mate of the Bloodkraken, Lover of Aela of the Tide Wolves, and Wielder of Hunger, left the companions to seek fortune and carrion upon a different path.
With a comatose Bjekmir tied upon the steady back of his warhorse 31, the companions proceeded west along the shoreline towards the Lodge Eldritch. A few hours into their journey they encountered an obese and ugly looking human man apparently helping a pair of centaurs move an uprooted spruce tree with a strange apparatus of his own design made from a wooden sledge, log rollers, and a healthy amount of rope. After confronting the strange sight, the companions learned the obese man was called Ottar (Svagnir recognized him as a companion of Virhis, another deathspeaker druid of Ghostfalls) and he was helping the dryad that lived in the spruce tree relocate away from the danger of "inside-out" creatures that were threatening her previous location nearer the Lodge, with the aid of a pair of centaurs.
The companions decided to help the dryad as well, lending their strength and magical skills to make the journey as quick and painless as possible for the tree-bound fey (Ottar was later rewarded for this deed by a kiss from the dryad and six magical healing spruce berries). Along the way Ottar revealed that he was pledged to serve a life-debt to the druids of Ghostfalls, and that he was helping Virhis deliver a message to the Lodge before they were attacked by the same "inside-out" creatures the dryad was attempting to flee. Based on the description of these creatures and tales from the Second Plague, the companions believed them to be Wormborn.
Ottar stated that Virhis had died at the hands of the Wormborn, but his death had bought Ottar a chance to escape and carry the message safely away for now. Ottar pledged himself to Svagnir and gave him the message, which consisted of a length of twine encoded with pebbles, bits of bone, feathers, and other items which meant something to those who knew how to read it. Ottar also stated that he saw Blackwater Watchtower overrun with Wormborn, and it may have been destroyed in a massive explosion that caused the ground to give way and break for miles around it.
Svagnir studied the encoded message and deciphered part of it. The message said the druids of Ghostfalls heard a powerful voice in the water, a voice that they believed may be a dead god. Svagnir could make out nothing else.
Despite the enigma of his past the companions decided to accept Ottar into their company, as he pledged his loyalty to Svagnir as a Ghost druid. They were immediately rewarded by a delicious dinner as they camped that night, as Ottar turned out to be an exceptional chef.
Based on the world-shaking discovery that Wormborn had returned, and the third plague may be happening, the companions used the sending stone of Einar the Windy to contact the Lodge. They were surprised (or perhaps not surprised) when Helka, the woman Bjekmir spoke of constantly before he went into his coma, responded and said she would contact one of them in a dream tonight with more information.
Later that night Mabd was shaken from sleep by the dream Helka had sent her, choosing the young sorcerous as Svagnir, Janicka, and Worhana do not sleep or dream. Mabd recounted the dream to all the companions. She stated she was at Ghostfalls and it was being overrun by Wormborn. She said she saw a large entity walk by, perhaps a god, uncaring to the plight of the druids. But then the large entity was suddenly sundered open, and in the burst of energy that was released the Wormborn were destroyed. From the corpse of the large entity emerged Helka, an elven mage and Eater of Worms. Mabd was terrified of Helka, but the mage said she was safe as long as she proved useful. Helka went on to state that four days ago the Wormborn had suddenly emerged and attacked Blackwater Watchtower. All mages and Eaters from across Valkheim were recalled to defend the Lodge, but Blackwater Watchtower fell regardless. Helka stated the Wormborn now march upon the Lodge itself, which can hold out for a time but not indefinitely.
Helka stated the only way to stop the Wormborn, or at least delay them for several centuries again, is to return a massive amount of energy or life force to Valdryssil, so that the great tree can combat the infectious Wormborn at their source deep within its roots. Killing a god would provide this massive amount of energy, but killing a god is no simple task. Helka stated the famous dwarven weapon maker Wrothgar has supposedly created a god trap, but he needs a very rare ingredient to power it: the last breath of a dying dragon. Helka asks that the companions get the dragon's breath, while the mages hold out as long as they can defending the Lodge.
Helka continued, stating that a dragon has recently been sighted hunting the area around the ruins of the Elvish Gardens. The locals have named this dragon "Scalding Rain". It is unusual for a dragon to take a lair so near civilized lands, and it is believed this dragon is either young, desperate, ill, or a combination of those.
Helka instructed the companions to go to Goat Eye Point, an old, abandoned Lodge watch tower about half a day's travel west along the shoreline, where they will be provided transportation and supplies for their journey to the Elvish Gardens. With those final instructions Mabd's enchanted dream ended.
Once again, the companions had a lot to consider. It seemed problems far bigger than anything they had ever faced were being thrust upon them. Plus, none of them felt Helka was anyone they could trust, at least not yet. Yet not knowing what other options they had at this point, the companions warily decided to proceed to Goat Eye Point.
As the companions broke camp for the half day journey to Goat Eye Point, Svagnir and Janicka suddenly sensed a very strong Wormborn presence approaching. A lone human woman, dressed in fine blue robes with tan skin and dark hair, stood a safe distance from the camp. Dark veins of Wormborn corruption spread up her neck and half of her face. She announced she was Ana, that she meant no threat, and she had been looking for them since her scout saw the group leaving the island yesterday (presumably the creature the companions briefly noticed scuttling away on the western beach). Some of the companions versed in history recalled that Ana was the apprentice of Hrolf Volksson, one of the arch mages of the Traitors Three that had disappeared during the Second Plague while trying to control rather than defeat the Wormborn. Ana recognized Bjekmir and called him a "lovesick fool."

Ana, showing dark veins of wormborn corruption

The companions asked what Ana wanted, and why she sought them out. She responded that she merely wanted to provide the group with the truth, so that they could make informed decisions on whom to trust. Ana said learning whom to trust was a lesson she had learned the hard way, and she hoped to save the companions the same misery. Wary and on guard, the companions acknowledged that they would listen.
Ana said, "Then let me tell you the truth of how the Eaters of Worms ended the Second Plague, so that you can decide whom to trust, and whom not to trust..." and she began her tale from over two hundred years ago, when a rag-tag band of Eaters and mages traveled to the rooftop of the world, to the very base of Valdryssil itself, on a desperate quest to save the world.
The combined mages of Valkheim, who had come together for survival and would later form the Lodge Eldritch, had a theory that there was power in the places where the gods had emerged from Valdryssil that could be used against the Wormborn. They called these places "god gashes", where the gods tore themselves out of the tree itself, stealing its power and bringing the first life to Valkheim.
Five champions had been sent to investigate one of these god gashes, a tear in the bark of Valdryssil where its world-spanning trunk met the ground of Valkheim, and discover if there was a way to use any power there to destroy the Wormborn. These champions were all battle-tested heroes who had become Eaters of Worms, dedicated to ending the Second Plague. They were Bjekmir, son of Bulvi, a cunning warrior and wielder of the axe Stormthief. Helka, a brilliant and powerful elven mage. Ana, the former apprentice and lover of the arch mage Hrolf Volksson. Roba Lightfinder, a Djorruk adventurer that could get in and out of nearly any trouble. And the indomitable Lar Deep-spear, a fearless Jotenmyn warrior from the cold mountains of the far north. They were hounded by bands of Wormborn as they made their way north to Valdryssil, constantly fighting off the corrupting creatures as they journeyed.
What did these heroes out of history find at the god gash? What truth does Ana, 200 years older and now emanating powerful wormborm corruption, want the companions to know by telling their tale, and what is her true agenda? Can the companions trust her?

Report Date

20 Sep 2022