Session 069

# Alliances Tested

**Age of the Wolf, Year 5, Autumn, Laelun Toil 2, Days 1-3**

*The heroes return to the Freehold, and visit with friends and acquaintances. They gain new intel on the ongoing war, and the party as a whole learns about the Trickster's offer to Jor. Nygaar demands the Freehold's loyalty, and it is tentatively given. The party travels to the dwarven stronghold, and finds that a funeral is underway. Esbjorn invokes the power of the god rune once again to transform his servant Droog, and in so doing alienates the dwarves.*

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## Player Characters Involved

* King Nygäär the Fey Blooded Rogue/Fighter/Crusader played by Dana
* Esbjörn Fireforge the Fire Giant Blooded Barbarian/Cleric/Surtr's Chosen played by Greg
* Heiða the Mother Fucking Veleda the Dökkálfar Blooded Dread Necromancer played by Justin
* Vindr Skreevarson the Mongrel Blooded Human Scout/Ranger/Cleric played by Donnie
* Jor the Emberwrought the Giant Blooded Human Transmuter/Beguiler/Human Paragon/Ultimate Magus played by Jason
* Irrian the Human Shadowcaster played by Koski

## A Reunion of Sorts

The party stepped out of the realm of shadows, meeting their erstwhile companion Irrian on the border to Midgard. Irrian nodded his hello, and told the heroes he also had business in the Freehold. Summoning Gullinbursti, Esbjorn mounted up, and the party rode up to the gates of the Freehold in style. They were quickly ushered through the gate by the Harii guardians, and made their way to Kettel's hall:

*The Harii gate guards let you in uneventfully, and you look at the well-maintained and bolstered walls of the Freehold’s defenses. The guards inform you that Kettel is in his hall, and you walk quickly through the bustling village that has served as your unofficial home for the past year. As you walk inside, the hall is crowded, and the sounds of laughter and feasting wash over you. You see many familiar faces: Kettel Magnusson, Gauk the Gorgeous the captain of the garrison forces, Nygaar’s apprentice Arlow, the dwarf smith Hermon Forgebreaker, and the newly young Helva the Comely. Surprisingly, the Harii horselord Egil Gislason is also in attendance, talking seriously with two others you have only met briefly. You recognize the Heimdall temple scout Harald Greycloak, last seen walking into the mountains with your old wolf-friend Vungar. The other guest is the beautiful goat maiden known as Laerad the Fair, who had once led the party to the duergar encampment in the mountains. All the collective faces of your erstwhile friends and acquaintances turn at your entrance, and speak words of friendly greeting to you with one exception; the sad eyes of the volva Helva peer at Nygaar knowingly.*

Moving confidently, Nygaar gave his apprentice Arlow a bear hug, and patted the boy affectionately on the head. Nygaar then immediately sought out Kettel as the rest of the heroes said their hellos and settled down at the feasting table. Jor followed, stalking behind Kettel in the odd manner that his companions had grown accustomed to. Esbjorn sat nearby, downing large tankards of mead at a breakneck pace while eating ravenously. He sent his servant Droog into the rafters, with orders to use his magic to detect the auras of those in the hall. Esbjorn nodded with interest when Droog returned, whispering in his master's ear that the ranger Harald, the maiden Laerad, and the warrior Gauk were not what the gods would consider "good" in the traditional sense.

Meanwhile, Nygaar asked Kettel about the ongoing war, and soon learned with the occasional input of the ranger Harald Greycloak and the goatress Laerad the Fair that the light elves, priests of Heimdall, and goat men, along with their old friend the wolf Vungar, were fighting valiantly against the frost giants to the north. In addition, Kettel spoke about the scourge of the fire giants, who were fighting all across Geat lands, mostly in skirmishes with Grim the Deathless and his Harii. Unfortunately for the party's allies, both the frost and fire giants were fighting well, and were inexplicably not fighting one another. Kettel urged Nygaar to take part in the war, and the would-be king of Seron announced his plan to head north and join the fight. Harald and Laerad agreed to act as guides, and all agreed to head north as soon as possible. Irrian waited patiently, and eventually was able to deliver the message to Kettel that his master in the Ruegian mages guild, Arch Magus Halldor, would soon be visiting the Freehold.

Meanwhile, Heida and Vindr sat down with Helva, and talked quietly about why they had come. Helva seemed to suspect that Nygaar had come to make some demands of Kettel, and Heida tried to downplay that fact. The topic turned to Grim the Deathless, Heida's father, and Helva surprised the volva by revealing that she had foreseen something of note. It seemed that Heida would one day face a final test, a proof of her loyalty to Afkarr and the Valkyrie order, by sending her father to Valhalla once and for all. Heida was taken aback, and for once was nearly at a loss for words. Vindr took that opportunity to enter the conversation, and paid Helva back with a bag of treasure for freeing him from bondage long ago. Eager to speak to his former lover Helva, Vindr then dropped a bombshell, revealing that he had personally encountered the god Loki with Jor in the Boar's Wood. The room quieted, and Esbjorn bellowed in confusion and outrage when Vindr told those present about the Trickster's attempt to tempt Jor. Everyone turned to Jor, who downplayed the encounter and said simply that Loki was wily and had made a half-hearted attempt to seduce him to fight for the darkness. No one seemed terribly convinced by Jor's explanation, but talking about such subjects in front of outsiders seemed unwise, and the subject was quickly changed. After a time, the companions dispersed, making ready to settle in for the night.

## The Party Confers Amongst Themselves

Eager to learn more about what Loki was up to, Heida walked with Vindr around the village, and asked more details about what Loki had offered to Jor. Vindr was more than happy to reveal the scheme to steal the god rune from Esbjorn, and deliver it to the frost giant king. Esbjorn had noticed the two strolling away together, and sent Droog to eavesdrop. To his credit, Vindr went on to tell Heida that he thought Jor was simply contemplating how best to turn Loki's offer against the god, and that he could probably still be trusted. Heida frowned, and the two soon parted ways. Vindr sought out Helva, in the hopes of rekindling their romantic connection. Meanwhile, Heida went in search of Esbjorn, drinking deeply from her wineskin as she did so.

Eventually Heida and Esbjorn sat down together, and the volva began to drink heavily. It seemed the news about her destiny to kill her own father, coupled with the revelation about Loki, was troubling her. Esbjorn, who already knew what Loki had offered Jor from Droog, waited patiently for the volva to reveal what she had learned. Heida's mind seemed to wander, and she spoke about many things, such as her breastplate of mithral made by the dwarf Eitri, and about her training with the valkyries. The subject soon turned towards Heida's encounter with the Norns, and how she changed the weave in order to avert Ragnarok. Heida went on to admit that she had hidden the truth about her loyalties to Odin because of Esbjorn's former loyalty to Surtr and because the spirits had told her to bide her time. Wanting to regain his trust, she told him what she had learned from Vindr concerning Loki and Jor. Once again, Esbjorn felt lied to by those he thought he could trust, and proclaimed his wish that all men would act with honor and transparency. After a time the two came to an understanding, and Esbjorn retired to Hermon's forge to work out his frustrations on an anvil.

Meanwhile, Jor seethed with quiet irritation at the loose lips of Vindr. He sought him out, but was unable to catch him before he entered Helva's chambers. Patiently looking around, he soon saw the strange priest of Odin the villagers called Finn the Fool dancing around the dead oak tree in the village square. This strange and possibly insane man told Jor he saw the snake blood in him, and advised him to be wary of Loki's artifice. Jor distractedly pondered again what the priest had once told the party about the blood of the winter wolf, and how it could somehow revive the dead oak. Shaking his head, he was happy to see Vindr finally emerge from Helva's chambers. Approaching quickly, he confronted the mongrel-blooded scout, and asked him what he thought he was doing. Vindr seemed surprised, and was taken aback when Jor revealed that he was descended from Loki through Jormungandr. Jor went on to reveal that he was still contemplating what to do about the offer. The interaction between Jor and Loki made more sense to Vindr after learning more about his friend's lineage, and he assured Jor that he still trusted him. Jor watched Vindr walk to the forge, and wondered how the rest of the party would react when they inevitably questioned him further.

Vindr tracked down Esbjorn, and they worked throughout the night at the humble forge of the dwarf Hermon Forgebreaker. Vindr went into explicit detail about what had happened with Loki, and how Jor must steal the god rune from Esbjorn in order to earn his reward. Esbjorn quietly fumed, nearly breaking the hammer and anvil with his powerful swings. Ultimately it made sense, however; Jor had lied to him before. It only made sense that a Harii blooded sorcerer would play his games of subterfuge and intrigue. Esbjorn pondered again how as Fireforge he would set the world aright, and reforge Seron as a place of order and honor.

## A Demand of Loyalty

Late that night, Nygaar returned to Kettel's hall to continue their discussion. Bringing Heida along with him, he found the leader of the Freehold sitting quietly alone by the fire, and they got down to the true business of their visit. Nygaar had decided to keep Kettel in power, despite the Harii demands to hand the stronghold over in return for their troops. In return, Nygaar demanded that Kettel fly his king's banners at once, and begin construction of a temple to the new god Fireforge. Kettel bristled at these demands, and swore only informal loyalty to Nygaar. His reasoning was sound; the Freehold was surrounded by enemies, and to announce his loyalties publicly would (in his mind) bring down the wrath of many dangerous factions upon both he and his people. Heida grinned, and threatened Kettel with a hostile takeover by her father Grim. After a tense discussion, it was eventually decided that once Nygaar defeated the frost giants, Kettel would serve Nygaar without question. His ego somewhat placated, Nygaar accepted this half measure, although he nearly decided against Kettel in favor of Grim and the Harii. That decided, Nygaar and Heida got some much needed rest.

As the party slept, Heida saw a vision of her father and her clan. She awoke in the morning with a start, and realized that the solution had been in front of them all along. The Geat clan, a clan of cowards and sycophants to the Umbrian invaders, no longer deserved their lands. These lands, to include the capital Aarhus, must needs go to Grim and the Harii. She smiled with satisfaction; surely her king would see the wisdom in what she had foreseen. As the rest of the party made ready to depart, drinking, eating, and sparring, Nygaar turned to his final bit of business. He sought out the Harii horselord Egil, and attempted to make a new deal in order to gain the Harii cavalry to his side. After a long ride and a tense negotiation, Egil agreed to accept a number of the offspring of Vindr's stallion Glaer, along with a day to mate the magical horse to a number of his most promising mares. Nygaar agreed, and the party left Glaer to seal the deal, preparing to step into the shadowlands to visit the dwarves of the Firehand clan.

Before leaving, the newcomer to the group Irrian cautiously approached Nygaar. Holding two war pups in his hand, he held them out to Nygaar, and apologized for the destructive power his seidr had wrought in the Boar's Wood. Nygaar grinned slightly, and thanked the strange foreign wizard. Esbjorn, who had just finished an informal sermon to some villagers, squinted in suspicion at Irrian. Speaking in jotun, he asked Nygaar if Irrian could be trusted. Nygaar assured him that he could be, and Irrian smiled and replied in the same language that he was happy to ally with the party. Nygaar shrugged, and handed the dogs to his protege Arlow. Rounding up his companions, Nygaar and the heroes set off.

## Heedi is Laid to Rest

In less than an hour, the party emerged from the shadow realm in the foothills of the mountains. The dwarvish horns sounded, and the retractable drawbridge was sent out at their approach. After crossing the chasm, the heroes were met by the priest Asrik Bronze Fist, who ushered them quickly inside, informing them the king wished to speak to them at once:

*Asrik Bronze Fist leads you down into the bowels of the Firehand Stronghold. The normally talkative dwarvish priest walks quietly, urging you to hurry. You navigate a number of labyrinthine hallways and staircases, some with low ceilings that the tallest amongst you must stoop to pass through. You hear low mournful chanting and singing somewhere ahead of you. Moments later, as the singing grows louder, you enter into a large hall deep in the recesses of the mountain. Dwarven warriors, adorned in all their finery, stand vigil around the perimeter of the chamber, and you see King Grammar Oakspine standing beside a magnificent stone bier. The king beckons you to approach. To his right stands a fearsome dwarven warrior you have never seen before. The stranger, his beard streaked with gray, stands gripping an adamantine battle axe and wearing a magnificent spiked shield upon his back, and frowns at you as you approach. You see Grammar shake his head slightly in the warrior’s direction, and you watch as the unknown dwarf relaxes ever so slightly. As you near the king’s side, the carvings embellishing the top of the bier come into focus, showing the outline of a dwarf maiden you recognize only too well.*

The party approached the king, and were met with solemnity. The king was cordial, and informed them that they had found the body of his niece at long last. The party wondered what might transpire, knowing full well of their crimes in killing the innocent young dwarven maid. The stranger was introduced as Frothi Bloodbuster, and the heroes were filled with dread when they learned this was Heedi's father. No accusations were leveled, however, and the king encouraged the party to pay tribute to his niece. The heroes spoke briefly with the king concerning the prince Durin, and they learned that the dark dwarves seemed to have brokered some sort of peace between the frost and fire giants. Asrik handed Nygaar the crown the dwarves had made for him, and he examined it with interest before tucking it away in his bag. After a short time, Esbjorn slipped away, intent on finding the physical location of the ghost forge. Irrian felt out of place, and followed Esbjorn, creeping through the shadows. As the rest of the party took their leave and retired to the feasting hall, no one seemed to notice that two of their number had crept off, at least at first.

## Droog is Reforged

Esbjorn stalked quickly towards his goal; the abandoned passage that led to the ghost forge and his cursed companion Ivaldi's prison. The stronghold was largely abandoned, and he was able to pass undisturbed. After a short time, he noticed Irrian, and asked him what he was doing following him. The shadow mage said he felt out of place in the funeral hall, and had nothing better to do. Esbjorn shrugged, and continued on, eventually reaching the bricked up passageway that he knew led to the forge he sought. Esbjorn attempted to use his boots to magically bridge the gap, but soon found that the wall was thicker than ten feet. Nodding sagely, Irrian stepped forward, and offered his help. Esbjorn realized that fate had sent this strange foreigner to witness his greatness, and he told Irrian how fortunate he was to be a witness to such a historic event in the lore of Seron. Irrian realized that the giant-blooded warrior was probably insane; it seemed Esbjorn really did believe he was becoming a god. With little fanfare, the two stepped through the shadows and ended up in the dark and dusty forge room, walled off from the outside world. A dessicated and horrible looking elderly dwarf grinned at them; Esbjorn recognized Ivaldi but was puzzled at his weakened appearance.

Ivaldi greeted Esbjorn, and asked him in the dwarvish tongue why he had come. Esbjorn responded in dwarven that he had come to use the forge, and along with the god rune, hoped to remake Droog to better serve him. Irrian's attempts to ask what was going on were met with confusion; it seemed Esbjorn had lost the ability to speak in the common tongue. Sensing trouble, Irrian wove some shadow seidr. Reaching forward into Esbjorn's shadow, he grasped the shadows of the suspected curse and tore it away. Immediately Esbjorn could speak common once more, and Irrian stepped back and nodded in satisfaction. The one known as Fireforge cared little, however, and went back to speaking with Ivaldi. Ivaldi agreed to help Esbjorn, but told him the king Grammar must be slain as a usurper. Inexplicably, this seemed logical to Esbjorn, and he nodded in affirmation. The two then set to their task, with Ivaldi grasping a hammer of light from the forge and Esbjorn creating a hammer of fire made from the god rune, they set about beating the tiny quasit senseless, and black smoke began to fill the chamber. After a short time, Droog emerged from the smoke, a quasit no longer. The magic had worked; Esbjorn's tiny servant was now reforged. Droog resembled something akin to an imp, yet his eyes burned with inner flames and a black smoke seemed to swirl around his tiny body at all times. The diminutive creature's reddish skin was hot to the touch, and when he moved he seemed to flow as if he was lighter than air. Unfortunately, Esbjorn satisfaction was short-lived; he and Irrian watched in horror as Esbjorn's right hand turned to ash and blew away into nothing. Ivaldi laughed, saying that the gods must have a sense of humor. Esbjorn turned grimly back to the wall, ready to depart. Only a few short minutes had passed, and Irrian brought them back through the wall. What they found on the other side was unexpected.

While only a few moments had passed for Esbjorn and Irrian, over eight hours had elapsed in the real world. The party had been frantically searching for their companions for a time, until Asrik Bronze Fist learned that Esbjorn had sought out a forge. Jor had suspected god magic was afoot when his normal seidr tricks went awry, but he did sense Irrian was in the stronghold somewhere. After checking every forge in the stronghold, Asrik suspected the worst. He was waiting for Esbjorn when he came through the wall. Esbjorn immediately passed out cold on his return, and the dwarves left him there under guard as the party slept. In the morning, all of the heroes were summoned to the passage, and Asrik revived Esbjorn. Filled with rage, the dwarven priest escorted the party out, banishing Esbjorn from ever returning. The heroes beat a hasty retreat, and returned to the Freehold to collect Glaer. It seemed that Esbjorn's plan to remake Droog came with dire consequences. The party made ready to head north, and join the war properly. The now-shaky dwarven alliance would have to wait to be mended.

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