Session 26: Bitter Losses

General Summary

As the sun set upon the 32nd day after Midsommar the Storm Eaters took stock of their brutal victory over Galdur and the Pale Men of the Axebreaker Isles. Svagnir had his giant octopi bring him the corpse of Galdur, soon to be questioned with his ability to speak with the dead. Ottar led an effort to investigate the vessel of the Palemen. Janicka stared out across the waters, contemplating the loss of Eiuin and the discovery that her companion had been Eika all along. And Herja, normally fond of Halstein, turned and cuffed the small tomte across the face. "Because of you I lost six men today! If an enemy wishes to parley, then I will decide to accept or deny that as captain of The Darkness, not you!" Halstein did not respond, and silently contemplated the consequences of his attack on the giant when Galdur was calling for talks.
Soon the vessel of the Pale Men was searched and nothing of value was found, other than some food stores, revealing that the Pale Men needed to eat despite their undead appearance. Under the direction of Herja, Ottar put the vessel to the torch and cast it off. Herja immediately called all hands on deck to sail from these cursed waters as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Svagnir questioned the corpse of Galdur with his Ghostfalls magic. The former druid-turned-Pale Man spoke mostly in cryptic messages and revealed little of consequence, other than his master, the Lord of the Inevitable, would wish to speak with the Storm Eaters. Galdur stated that his master was pure truth, and that the druids of Ghostfalls only hear echoes of that truth. Svagnir discussed what he learned with his companions and Herja, and it was quickly decided that nobody wanted anything to do with the Lord of the Inevitable (presumably Hrymm, the god of death) and his Pale Men, so the voyage south was continued with all haste.
As the sun rose upon the morn of the 33rd day after Midsommar The Darkness sailed clear of the Axebreaker Isles. Only a few rocky outcroppings protruded from the waters here, none of them big enough to be inhabited by anything other than seals and gulls. But several of the sharp-eyed Storm Eaters spied a familiar form crouched like a predator in a cleft of one of these rocky islets...Eika. The giant goddess was covered in blood, a dead walrus in one hand, watching them sail by. She took a bite from the walrus, blood running down her chin, then tossed it aside and beckoned for the Storm Eaters to come to her. The Storm Eaters decided to heed the goddess' call, convincing Herja to weigh anchor while they approached Eika's islet in a small outboat.
Eika lounged in the shadows of the cleft stone islet when the Storm Eaters came ashore, half dressed in fresh seal pelts and covered in blood. She stared only at Janicka as she spoke. "I found you Seed Bearer. Even as a dumb goat I found you, as I always do." Janicka was confused by the title, but didn't question it initially and shared old memories of their times together in an effort to befriend the goddess. Eika responded that she too remembered these times together, although they were hazy, filtered through the memory of a goat's brain. Janicka offered the bit of horn that Vintior had broken off to Eika as a sign of friendship, and Eika accepted, pinning through a seal skin that hung from her massive shoulders. Janicka then asked why Eika called her "Seed Bearer". The goddess replied she would answer that question and more if Janicka would help her get her revenge against Keitel, the god of trickery, for imprisoning her in goat form for so long.
Eika said that Keitel vexes them all and deserves their revenge. When questioned about that, Eika revealed that Skald was Keitel in disguise, and is responsible for tricking Bjekmir into making them Eaters of Worms and sending them on this quest. She went on to say that Keitel has come to them many times in disguise, including a certain prophetic tomte in the fields outside Molde, to name but one of the occurances. Eika wishes to hunt down Keitel and exact her revenge, but in order to find the trickster she needs the magical eye of Borgrym the Unsleeping, a magical item that can see through all illusions and lies. Eika told the tale of Borgrym, a one-eyed giant that long ago ruined one of Keitel's elaborate ruses with his special vision. Keitel punished the giant by spearing him through his eye with a magical spear made of cruel laughter, which put the giant into a stasis, pinning him against a cliff on the southernmost Axebreaker island, indefinitely watching the world go by without rest or respite. Eika said if she retrieved the eye herself Keitel would know she is coming for him, but if the Storm Eaters got it, the god of trickery would remain unaware that she has returned to her true form. Eika also said there were tales of a great treasure hidden in a cave within the cliff Borgrym was pinned against, his massive body concealing the entrance. Eika had no interest in it, but offered it as an additional reward to the adventurers.
The Storm Eaters accepted Eika's quest with the hope that the goddess would help them in their efforts to reach Thaneshall safely, perhaps by protecting them from the revenge of Ranbedr, the sea giantess who haunted their trail. And so the adventurers returned to The Darkness and convinced Herja to sail back north to the nearest of the Axebreaker Isles, promising her and her crew a share of whatever treasure was to be found in the cavern hidden by Borgrym. By midday, they lay at anchor off the coast of the island they sought. They saw the massive cyclops pinned against a cliff face, a magic spear through his eye binding him into a deep stasis. Once again using the outboat, the Storm Eaters left The Darkness safely at anchor in deep water and made their way ashore.
Once on the isle of Borgrym, the Storm Eaters investigated the giant and the area. Ottar discovered what appeared to be a secret door hidden behind the giant's legs, partially blocked unless the giant could be moved. The companions attempted to move the giant's legs with ropes and brute force without success. They assumed the cyclops would be free of his stasis if they removed the spear from his eye, and didn't want to face his likely rage, so contemplated slitting his throat while paralyzed. To test their plan they made a cut in Borgrym's leg and watched it seal up as quickly as it was opened without a drop of blood spilled. With disappointment they discarded that option. After much critical thought, they finally succumbed to just removing the magical spear from Borgrym's eye while everyone was in covered and concealed positions, ready for the worst. And so, tiny but fearless Halstein agreed to climb up the giant and remove the spear. Ottar suggested tying a rope to it and removing it from a safe distance, but the determined tomte wished to remove it by hand (a decision he would soon possibly regret).
And so, hidden behind boulders and trees, ready for battle, the Storm Eaters watched as Halstein pulled the magic spear free from Borgrym's eye. It instantly dissolved into sinister laughter, leaving nothing behind. Borgrym immediately burst free of his stasis, driven mad by the many years of pain, unable to move as the world spun by before his open and pierced eye. A fierce battle began, with the cheers of the crew of The Darkness coming from their position on the safe, open water not far away.

Borgrym gonna fuck shit up!

Svagnir summoned a pair of ferocious bears that tore into Borgrym's legs. Ottar fired deadly arrows from hiding, burying shaft after shaft into the giant's neck and shoulders. Janicka also took up her bow, and with the fury of nature's magic added to their steel points she took her toll upon the cyclops. But Borgrym was more than a match for all pain and more. With his golden eye he stunned both Halstein and Janicka at various points in the battle. His gigantic club and his terrible stomps made quick work of Svagnir's magical bears, sending them back into the nothingness they had come from. And then, with a massive back swing of his stone club, he landed a mortal blow upon Halstein. The tiny rock tomte fell from his perch on the giant's shoulder to land upon a lip in the cliff face in a crumbled mess, dying.
Unable to get to Halstein with the giant in the way, Svagnir used his death magic to enfeeble Borgrym, which caused the cyclops to charge the druid in a rage. Even with his might greatly reduced, the cyclops pummelled Svagnir near to death with his club. Janicka took the opportunity to dash as fast as she could, even summoning the winds of the wilds to speed her movement, to reach Halstein. Ottar continued to rain arrows with cruel precision into the cyclops.
As Janicka knelt over Halstein, ready to heal him with her primal magic, she knew she was too late. Halstein looked up at her, barely recognizable with his tiny body smashed in, and with his last breath said, "This is what I deserve..." And with that same last breath, the dying breath of the dragon Scalding Rain left Halstein and was inhaled by Janicka. She felt the surge of power and memory fill her. Meanwhile, Ottar and Svagnir were finally able to lay Borgrym low, with Svagnir landing the final blow with a swipe of a magical ghost hand that rotted away the cyclop's throat.
The Storm Eaters all rushed to Halstein's body. There was nothing to be done but mourn. Svagnir took up his tiny, broken frame and carried him gently to the outboat. They would send him to the tree through the waters of the Throat of the World once back aboard The Darkness. Meanwhile, Ottar carved out Borgrym's eye, wrapped it in a cloak, and also placed it in the outboat.
The Storm Eaters then set their attention to the secret opening in the cliff that the giant's legs had previously blocked. They discovered it was easily opened now. Inside the cave they found an old, yet still beatiful woman sitting alone in the darkness, braiding her hair into a long strand that was at least seven feet in length. The only other feature of the cavern was a natural spring that formed a small pool. Svagnir used his magic to sense that the woman's hair and the small pool were both magical. The woman introduced herself as Redda, and told a sad tale.
She was once the young bride of a elderman, and when her husband was off raiding a wanderer came seeking shelter from a storm. She refused solace to the wanderer while she braided her hair, which was her pride and joy. The wanderer then revealed himself to be Keitel, the god of trickery, in disguise. Keitel said he would reward her for her inhospitality by giving her exactly what she wanted. Keitel whisked her away to this cave where no guests would bother her, and when she braided her lovely hair it would now become magical and even more lovely. The catch was if she ever left the cave or stopped braiding her hair, she would die. She has been trapped in that cave for decades now, the magical spring providing her sustenance, her long braid of hair starting black and fading to gray. She could not bring herself to leave or stop braiding, but she showed no love for life. When Ottar stepped near her and drew Wither Blade, his magical sword, Redda looked him in the eye and kept braiding, but with a tilt of her head offered a place for his blade to cut her hair away. Ottar, in his kind yet heartlessly practical way, cut off Redda's braid. The old woman gave a resigned look, perhaps tinged with a sense of peace, and then fell over dead.
Ottar took the braid of magical hair while the others searched the remainder of the cavern. No other treasure was to be found. The Storm Eaters left the cave, with Svagnir carrying the body of Redda and Ottar carrying her magical braid of hair, back to their outboat. They had Borgrym's eye and the treasure hidden beneath him, but at such a cost. Two lives. Halstein. Redda.
The Storm Eaters made their way back aboard The Darkness. Svagnir gave Herja and the crew a handful of gems worth a man's yearly wage, stating it was their cut of the promised treasure. The seaman took him for his word and accepted the loot. They quickly sailed back to the rock where Eika awaited them, the deck lined with the bodies of the fallen from the Pale Men's attack and now from the isle of Borgrym.
When the Storm Eaters came ashore on Eika's small islet she was cleaning the blood from her skin like some giant feral cat. Ottar offered her the eye of Borgrym, which she happily accepted. As promised, Eika then told Janicka why she was the Seed Bearer. The goddess said that Valdyrssil may be dying, but it will live on. It always chooses a Vaettir, one of its leaf-touched children, to be its seed bearer, to pass on when the world ends to give birth to a new tree and a new world. The strange markings on Janicka's hands are the seeds of Valdryssil. Eika is always drawn to these seed bearers, and there have been many over the years, the burden passing from one to the next as they live and die. Even in her "dumb goat" form Eika had been drawn to Janicka by the seeds. Eika hopes that when Valdryssil does eventually die that she will be with the seed bearer and taken to the new world to born out of the corpse of this one.
Janicka stood dumbfounded by this revelation, pondering what this meant for her future. Eika went on, now addressing the other Storm Eaters. The goddess said her memory while in Eiuin's body was still fuzzy, but she now remembers what the group of adventurers sought...a god trap, a device capable of killing a god and using that power to end the Wormborn Plague. Eika said she would help the Storm Eaters accomplish this goal upon two conditions. One, they promise that should they find the god trap they will not use it on her. And two, that Janicka, the Seed Bearer of Valdyrssil, hunt with her for the rest of her days, always by her side. The group turned to Janicka. The strong and stoic Vaettir rangeress made her decision quite assertively and without hesitation, as she made all decisions. She agreed to Eika's terms.
And so a deal was struck between the goddess of the wilds and the Storm Eaters (the two that remained). Eika would protect them from Ranbedr for the remainder of their voyage to Thaneshall. And she would also facilitate the transfer of the dragon's last breath from Janicka to Svagnir, so that Janicka could be free of carrying that essential element needed to power the godtrap. To do so, Eika snatched Janicka by the throat and with a jerk of her giant, powerful hand snapped the Vaettir's neck. As Janicka exhaled her last breath, the essence of the dragon Scalding Rain left her body and was inhaled by Svagnir. Svagnir felt the rush of power and memory fill him, while Eika quickly used some of her fleeting and precious divine power to bring Janicka back to life. With the deal complete, Svagnir and Ottar left Eika and Janicka on the rocky islet. No teary or touching goodbyes were shared, as that was not Janicka's way. And so did Janicka Fiersted, Giant Slayer, Beast Sister, Seed Bearer, Eater of Worms leave the Storm Eaters, to hunt the edges of the world at the side of a goddess, seeking revenge upon Keitel for his meddling.

Farewell and happy hunting, Janicka...

Svagnir and Ottar returned to The Darkness, resuming their voyage to Thaneshall after doing the bidding of Eika at the cost of two of their companions. A funeral was conducted by Svagnir and Herja for the dead. Svagnir beat the funeral drum and sang his song of the dead as the bodies were given to the sea. Herja sang the deeds of her six fallen men. Svagnir sang for Redda. And more importantly he sang for Halstein, whose heart and courage were far too big for his tiny body. Halstein, who chose to be an Eater of Worms, who slayed the dragon Scalding Rain, and who loved cheese. The Storm Eaters were on a dark quest which often required dark deeds to be done, a quest which seemed no place for the tomte's compassion and innocence. Yet perhaps...perhaps the tomte's compassion and innocence were just what the Storm Eaters needed to not be swallowed by the darkness of their quest?

Farewell and be at peace, Halstein...

And so the Storm Eaters, now just two strong, sailed south for Thaneshall. They respectfully and practically put Halstein's magical items into their arsenals, with Ottar taking his enchanted torque and Svagnir taking his magical shield, Rain Bringer.
For two uneventful and quiet (perhaps uncomfortably quiet) days they sailed south. On the afternoon of the 36th day after Midsommar they spied the city of Thaneshall, the largest city of men in all Valkheim. Its great hall stood proud upon the peak of an arch of stone that reached out into the waters of the Throat of the World. Thousands of halls and homes nestled around it, spilling down the great stone arch and crowding around the docks at its base.


What lies in store for the Storm Eaters next when they meet with Skordal and the other representatives of the Lodge Eldritch in Thaneshall? Skordal said he would guide them in what they had to do with the Dragon's Last Breath, but what did that mean? Will Svagnir and Ottar have to continue upon this quest alone, or will other heroes have the courage to join them on this mission to find the God Trap of Wrothgar and use it to end the Wormborn Plague? And will the gods continue to meddle with them, as Keitel, Shif, Ragnarr, Eika, and Hrymm already have? Listen to the winds as they whisper through the dead boughs of Valdryssil, for only they may know...

Report Date

13 Sep 2023