Viking Diplomacy

> "*The Warborn grew. Soon....much sooner than I had anticipated, only two Warlords remained in Valkenheim. The Raider and a vicious killer named Siv. With many of the Warborn leaders held hostage,* conflict *was inevitable*."
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**Viking Diplomacy** is the second mission in the Viking Story Campaign. The Warborn have taken over Ragnar's clan. One year has passed since Apollyon nearly wiped the Vikings out. Nevertheless, the clans still struggle to survive. A Berserker named Siv the Ruthless has taken several Warborn as prisoners and The Raider seeks to free them and kill her. There are six Observables and 5 Breakables to be found in this mission.

## Events Of

The first mission objective is to free the Viking prisoners. Move up the path and start clearing out the outpost defenders. They have access to Fire Flasks and will use them, setting The Raider on fire if s/he doesn't move. Run up the stairs of the nearby tower for a second confrontation and to free the first prisoner. Open the door of the cage using an interaction control. To leave the tower, interact with a chain attached to the roof, accessible through a window. The Raider will use an axe to slide down the chain to the ground. Continue looking for more prisoners. Not all cages are inside buildings. After the second prisoner is released, Siv will start bellowing for The Raider.

Hearing the yelling, the Warborn clan decides 'that must be the signal', and moves in. Some of the Warborn leaders join The Raider and the objective changes to 'Push Back the enemies'. This is a centralized fight involving several AI opponents as well as groups of minions on both sides. After the majority have been eliminated, the Raider will face Siv.

Defeat Siv and the remaining clan members will join The Raider's cause, uniting the clan. Stigandr is freed, as well as any remaining prisoners. The Raider comments that it is now time to take back their birthright (land).

## Transcript

*Camera pans down to the Warborn marching on Siv's fortress, a high fort surrounded by heads on stakes.*

**Runa:** *(looking at staked head)*Siv's work.

**Helvar:** That's just barbaric.

**Runa:** I've seen you take scalps.

**Helvar:** ...It's different!

*The Raider motions for everyone to halt. He looks at the guards ahead, and signals for the Warborn to wait as he walks off.*

**Helvar:** We'll just...wait for your signal, then?!

**Mission Objective: FREE the Viking prisoners**

*The Raider makes his way to the outposts, killing the guards there. After freeing two Vikings, the camera cuts to Siv's fortress, where Siv herself looks out for the Raider.*

**The Raider:** *(voiceover)* Siv...

**Siv:** RAIDER!

**The Raider:** *(voice over)* We had a history.

**Siv:** I know it's you!

*Cut to the Warborn, who get ready for battle.*

**Helvar:** I guess that was the signal!

**Mission Objective: REACH Runa and Helvar**

*The Raider meets up with Runa and Helvar, and they, along with the Viking soldiers, charge on Siv's fortress.*

**Mission Objective: PUSH BACK the enemies**

*The Warborn fight off wave after wave of Siv's troops until they reach her fortress. Cut to Siv, who drives her axes into a soldier's shoulders.*

**Siv:** Raider!

*She kills the soldier and looks around.*

**Siv:** RAIDER!

*The other soldiers gather around her, but this only increases her frustration.*

**Siv:** *(longer and more drawn out) RAIDER!*

*The Raider makes his way among the soldiers and the two prepare to duel.*

**Siv:** *(smirking)* What are YOU doing among the Warborn?

**The Raider:** You talk too much...

**Mission Objective: DEFEAT Siv the Ruthless**

*The two old rivals begin their battle as both their armies watch. After a length battle, The Raider kills Siv.*

*Camera cuts to the entrance of Siv's fortress, where the newly freed Warborn prisoners walk out.*

**The Raider:** *(voiceover)* The old ways of blood stir our people...we were united once more. It was time to free the rest of the Warborn. *(A Warlord wearing a bear pelt walks out.)* Stigandr...

*Stigandr sees Helvar.*

**Stigandr:** What took ya so long?

**Helvar:** Finding Vikings you hadn't pissed off? *(laughs and gives Stigandr a handshake.)*

*Stigandr prepares to greet Runa but awkwardly backs off with and gives here a mere hand wave. Stigandr walks up to the Raider.*

**Stigandr:** My thanks, warrior.

**The Raider:** Don't disappoint me, Jarl.

**Stigandr:** *(starts laughing)* Oh, I like you.

*He shakes the Raider's hand and grabs his sword.*

**The Raider:** *(voiceover)* Now, it was time to take back our birthright.

## Observables

* Beneath
	+ The easiest way to do this is to go around the map and collect all of them before completing the objectives. Once you start the mission, look at the half buried head of a statue in front of you.
	+ *“A millennium ago, Valkenheim was the site of a vast Nordic empire. The earth swallowed them whole. Now, in places, the rains slowly reveal that past. What else lurks beneath the soil, I wonder?”*
* Bear Claw Clan
	+ Once you start the mission, turn around and looked at the impaled heads.
	+ *“The Bear Claw clan crushed all resistance. They forced the other clans to serve them. Their Warlord, Siv, was ruthless in her pursuit of power. I liked her.”*
* The Past
	+ Once you start the mission, turn around and look at the entrance of the observation tower.
	+ *“We build new structures on top of the sanctuaries left by our ancestors, but they never match the glory of our past. They were great, we have much to learn from them.”*
* Glory
	+ Out near the center of the map, keep a look out for an engraved stone.
	+ *“The more glory a Viking earns, the greater their legend when they are gone. But unlike us, their gods require them to share that glory with the weakest among them.”*
* Siege Engines
	+ If you found the previous observable, then this one is nearby. It is the demolished cart at the base of the rock.
	+ *“Through example, we Knights accidentally taught the Vikings the art of siege warfare. I like to think, in turn, they showed us how to live free.”*
* Gods
	+ On the right side of the map, on the little strip of land connected by bridges, look for the tree. Then look for the face in the tree.
	+ *“The Vikings worship gods of wood, of storms and of stone. The Samurai gods are of fire, of wind, and of thought. The gods of the Knights, are iron, steel, and gold. But power, that we agree on.”*

## Trivia

* There are a set of spikes on the gate of the fortress. It is possible to kill Siv by guardbreaking her and tossing her into those spikes.