Session 40: Deals with half-gods and lich-hags

General Summary

"Are you worthy to add your steel to my ever-bleeding trophies?!" bellowed Hulgar the Bleeding, the half-giant half-god warrior of prophecy, as he raised his ice-rimmed axe above Ottar. Ottar answered by plunging his enchanted elven sword Witherblade deep into Hulgar's shin. This made Hulgar smile, for the wound was deep and his opponent was worthy.
And so did the fight between the Storm Eaters, Hulgar, and his mother Sigdag Shadow-Kissed begin. Unfortunately for the Storm Eaters, Synsk's mysterious patron decided to summon him back to the Azure Cave at this critical moment, leaving only a magical stone on the icy ground where the raate stood a moment before. Bjargi screamed in confusion at the disappearance of his friend "kitty" before scooping up the stone for safekeeping. Meanwhile Hulgar summoned a swirling blizzard around him and waded into the fray. Ottar and Bjargi took the brunt of Hulgar's blizzard and his ice-rimmed axe, both soon unconscious and bleeding to death. Yngvild hurled fiery spells at Hulgar and his mother, and Sigdag responded by throwing a giant bag of sabertooth remains at the soceress, nearly killing her with a single blow. Bloodroot caused the ice at the giants' feet to erupt into sharp shards, lacerating their feet, while Svagnir summoned a fey spirit who placed an enchantment on Sigdag preventing the giantess from harming the ghost druid. Rowena dashed about the battlefield healing her companions in hopes of saving them before they bled or froze to death.
Sigdag then blew a warhorn and summoned her brother, a frost giant named Harshnag who knew the old ways of his kin, able to shape ice to his will with a wave of his hands. The Storm Eaters were in terrible danger, with three of there number near death and Synsk taken away to the Azure Cave. Bloodroot knew that the only chance they may have of surviving would be to use the godtrap once again. And so the grim druid took out the legendary artifact and focused its terrible power on Hulgar. The mighty half-god half-giant was no match for the might of the godtrap. His soul was taken, and his colossal body crumbled to the icy ground, lifeless.
Shocked at the sudden and unexplainable loss of her son, the invulnerable child of prophecy, Sigdag forgot the Storm Eaters and came to Hulgar's corpse, keening with a giant's sorrow. Harshnag, also shocked and perhaps frightened, stood over Sigdag defensively and screamed at Bloodroot, asking what foul sorcery the druid had used to slay his nephew. Bloodroot responded, saying he could return Hulgar to life if the giants let them pass. Sigdag did not hesitate. She swore she would do anything if her son could be brought back to life. And so after swearing and spitting to the oath, Bloodroot used the godtrap to return Hulgar's soul to his body. The mighty son of Ragnarr roared back to life, bewildered and humbled. Hulgar then asked Bloodroot for his name, so he would know the one who had laid him low in battle. Bloodroot responded with his true name, Rolf. The humbled Hulgar then pulled two items from the trophies that decorated his bleeding flesh and gave them to the Storm Eaters as proof of their victory. One was an enchanted great sword called The Feared, and the other a magical shield called Iron Will. And then as the Storm Eaters departed, Hulgar said he would be proud to fight by their side in the future, especially if they wished to join him in his destiny to slay his father, Ragnarr, god of war and tempest.
Harshnag used his ice shaping abilities to make stairs in the glacier's wall so that the Storm Eaters could ascend up into what was hopefully Hrolf's ice fortress. They found themselves in a large chamber made of roughly cut and stacked ice blocks, the icy floor covered with the dried blood and filth of wormborn who had departed days ago. An icy ramp led futher up into the ice fortress and the unknown. There were gaps in the walls where the ice blocks were not tightly fitted, and the Storm Eaters could see out southward across the endless glacier which surrounded Valdryssil. On the horizon, barely visible in the near perpetual twilight, they could see blasts of magic and the shape of a giant spider-creature battling through the wandering hordes of wormborn that still roamed the glacier. It was the Lodge, no doubt, pursuing them to the god gash. The Storm Eaters estimated they were roughly eight hours ahead of their pursuers. Time was of the essence, but they were terribly wounded and exhausted from their battle with the frost giants. They decided to spend a few precious hours resting and healing their wounds.
As the Storm Eaters prepared to sleep, Olav Farwalker asked what the companions' plan was after they placed Nydaugg's soul in the god gash. Assuming they were successful, they would have little time before the Lodge arrived. They needed a plan to escape. The Storm Eaters decided they would flee the way they had entered, and hoped Hulgar and his family would help cover their exit from the Lodge. Olav then asked each of the Storm Eaters what their plans were after the quest was complete and their escape was made. What would each of them do after the world had been saved and history had been made?
Bloodroot said that he would hunt the gods with the godtrap, ridding Valkheim of their presence. The glory-seeking Olav loved that answer. Bjargi said he would get Mons and love him and pet him and take him to kitty's cave and love him some more and pet him some more. Olav blinked in confusion and perhaps a bit of disdain, then moved on. Svagnir said he would find Mabd and strive for a way to return the young sorceress's humanity. Olav was inspired by the idea of cursed lovers being reunited against all odds, but wanted nothing to do with it. Rowena said she would return to her order and continue to serve Sila, not really sure what her goddess's fate would be if she placed the artifact she carried in the god gash. Olav liked the idea of killing gods more than serving them, and again moved on. Yngvild simply said she would become "mother". Olav said congratulations, briefly wondering who the father was, but finding that he didn't care enough to ask. And finally Ottar said he was a sworn Thanesman and would go to Thanehall to serve as librarian to a meager trove of knowledge. Olav found his friend's answer to be wanting, and suggested (while casting a mind-altering enchantment on Ottar) that he join him and Bloodroot in killing gods. Ottar, briefly ensorcelled by Olav's spell, found that plan quite agreeable. At least for today.
Also during the brief rest Svagnir used his silver raven figurine to send a message to Mabd, hoping it would reach her wherever she may be.
Resting as long as they dared and knowing that they would now have to proceed with haste to the god gash, the Storm Eaters gathered themselves and ascended the icy ramp up into the unknown. They discovered another large chamber made of roughly stacked ice blocks. Again the floor was littered with old wormborn tracks and filth. The southern wall was partially collapsed and the Storm Eaters could again see out onto the glacier that surrounded Valdryssil. They saw a giant skeletal spider traversing the glacier toward them, perhaps two hours away at most. A handful of unrecognizable figures rode the colassal thing of bone. The Lodge was close. There was no more time to spare. The northern wall of the chamber they were in was built against the very trunk of Valdryssil, and a portion of its bark was exposed through the ice. Above this was built an icy balcony with a passage leading further into the ice fortress. The ice stairs that once led up to the balcony had collapsed, crushing half a dozen wormborn beneath its rubble a day or more ago.
As the Storm Eaters prepared to hastily climb (Yngvild used her magic to ascend the ice like a spider) or fly (Ottar summoned his giant fly from its figurine) up to the balcony, a figure suddenly emerged from the recesses of the bark of Valdryssil. It was Bloodcrown, arch druid of the Leaves of Blood. The grinning Bloodcrown told Bloodroot, "I found you." The two old druids shared a tense exchange, with Bloodroot asking what Bloodcrown's intentions were. Bloodcrown said it was time to balance the alliance between the Leaves of Blood and the Lodge Eldritch, and if their Circle possessed the godtrap after this quest, it would go a great way towards keeping the longtime allies equal. Bloodroot found Bloodcrown's manner to be a bit strange and cast a spell to remove any magic that may be effecting the arch druid, which seemed to do nothing. Bloodroot then asked Bloodcrown what his name was, to which the arch druid replied, "Bloodroot." If this answer was found to be satisfactory or not, Bloodroot showed no sign. With an uneasy acceptance, Bloodcrown was welcomed to join them as they finished their quest to the god gash.

The Storm Eaters ascended to the balcony and then proceeded down the icy passage that led deeper into the ice fortress. They soon found themselves at a dead end, but not alone. A beautiful elven woman with pale hair, gray cloaks, and a resplendent leather cuirass casually leaned against the wall of the icy passage with a smug grin upon her face. Velanna of the Traitors Three, eldest daughter of Ravel the Sleeping Queen, awaited the Storm Eaters arrival with a proposal. She said the Traitors Three had lost, but some refused to admit it, Hrolf specifically, who was an idealist. But Velanna said she was a realist...no, a survivalist, and she wanted to make a bargain. She was willing to let the Storm Eaters pass unhindered and also share important information about defeating Hrolf, in exchange for her soul spear. The Storm Eaters discussed the deal, and eventually decided to agree to its terms. Rowena gave Velanna her soul spear, and in exchange Velanna showed them a secret door which would lead to Hrolf's chambers, warned them about the frost elemental that guarded the way, and told them about an arcane shield Hrolf had created to protect the god gash. She said the arcane shield was sustained by four enchanted stones. If the command word "hope" was spoken while a stone is touched, its magic would be dispelled. If all four stones were dispelled, the shield would disappear. She also said she did not recommend trying to destroy the stones in any other way, as they were protected by defensive magic.
Velanna then asked Yngvild, her "sister-to-be", if she wanted to come with her to Lilladenau where they would meet Hvisla and complete her ascendance. Yngvild said she would come to Lilladenau once her quest with the Storm Eaters was complete. Velanna nodded with barely veiled amusement, and warned Yngvild to beware the Huldetr, a creature of hunger and cold which hunts the mountains around Lilladenau. Velanna and her soul spear then vanished behind a curve in the icy walls of the winding passage. And with that, yet one more of the Traitors Three had been removed from the Storm Eater's path. Only Hrolf remained.
Knowing there was no time to spare with the Lodge close behind them, the Storm Eaters opened the secret door in the ice wall that Velanna had revealed to them. They quickly proceeded down the icy tunnel beyond, only to encounter an elemental being made of frost (as Velanna said there would be). The elemental roared, sending a blast of devasting cold across all of the party except Bjargi. Ottar's giant fly was slain, and its spirit was sent back into the figurine which held it during dormancy. Not wishing to experience another blast of its frosty breath, Bloodcrown turned the elemental into a turtle and tossed back into the chamber the companions were leaving. The arch druid said that enchantment would hold it for an hour, and it might be a nasty surprise for the Lodge when they followed. Glad to be done with the frost elemental without having to truly fight it, the Storm Eaters came to the end of the tunnel to discover a barricade of ice blocks. Yngvild and Olav threw blasts of magical fire into the icy barricade while Svagnir summoned an elemental spirit of fire to help melt it. In less than a minute, a gap in the barricade melted enough to see into the massive chamber beyond. Two things immediately captured the attention of the Storm Eaters. One was Hrolf, who appeared to have just completed casting a spell and was giving the Storm Eaters a grim, determined look. The other was a 15 foot gash is the very trunk of Valdryssil itself, swirling with cosmic energy and surrounded by a glow of arcane energy. The god gash, and the magical shield that protected it.

And so the end game begins for the Storm Eaters. Before them Hrolf, last of the Traitors Three. Beside them a pair of unlikely allies, Olav Farwalker and Bloodcrown. And behind them the Lodge Eldritch, in pursuit to take the godtrap for themselves. Two score and seven days ago this quest began on a stormy night, sparked by Bjekmir the Blind when he was tricked into turning an unlikely band of strangers into Eaters of Worms. One way or the other it will end within a fortress of ice built against the trunk of the Tree-That-Made-The-World, the soul of Nydaugg and the terrible godtrap that holds it perhaps the only chance at victory, with the fate of all Valkheim hanging in the balance...

Report Date

08 Oct 2024