Session 056

# Abraxia is Slain

**Age of the Wolf, Year 5, Autumn, Maelun Toil 1, Day 9**

*The party leaves the Harii camp after learning of an additional threat from Muspelheim. Venturing once more into Storm Hammer Keep, they finally seal their pact with the dwarves by ridding the ancient dwarven keep of the minions of Svartelfheim. They return to the dwarven king's stronghold and make ready to claim their reward.*

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## Player Characters Involved

* Nygäär the Dark the Fey Blooded Rogue/Fighter/Dualist played by Dana
* Esbjörn Sigvardson 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
* Valindr Ymirsdottir the Frost Giant Blooded Human Scout/Ranger/Cleric played by Donnie
* Jor the Emberwrought the Giant Blooded Human Sorcerer/Dracolexi/Incantator played by Jason

## The Fire Gate

The party awoke refreshed after feasting with their new Harii comrades. As they made ready to walk the shadow realm once more, they saw a number of wounded and weary Harii riders return to the camp, desperate to seek out their leader Grim the Deathless. Heida and Nygaar approached, and learned that Harii scouts had encountered a small band of fire giants near the Torne River. After discussing this new develpment briefly, the heroes concluded that the gate to Muspelheim, the one that the man once known as Kurg (now known as Viggo Logison) escaped from, was now open. Nygaar felt that the party must go to Raendale and warn Stig Witch-Breaker. After some lively disagreements, as was the wont of free men of Seron, the party ultimately decided they must face the demon Abraxia first. Jor's ability to lead the party through the shadow lands gave them the flexibility to deal with the fire giant threat later, without putting their allies in Geat lands at too much risk. That settled, the party entered the shadows and rushed towards Storm Hammer Keep, ready to strike down the demon and seal their pact with the dwarven king Grammar Oakspine.

## The Demon is Laid to Rest

The heroes reached the keep without incident, and greeted the dwarven captain Belgron Stonebreath warmly. The dwarf reported that none had entered the keep on his watch, and the party quickly descended into the bowels of the keep once more. Before approaching Abraxia, the party used their collective seidr might to enhance their powers, sure that they would be facing a daunting foe. Esbjorn, Heida, and Jor wove the webs of their siedr, Esbjorn drawing on the power of the god rune, which all noticed wounded him slightly. Heida called out to Odin to protect Nygaar, the volknut upon her forehead lighting up with seidr magic and spinning off to ensorcel the would-be king of Seron. Jor, as always, drew upon the magic of his Loki blood to weave mysterious webs of seidr power, greatly enhancing the overall might of the party. Their preparations complete, the party approached the iron cage where the demon had been trapped for many long and weary years, eager to lay her to rest and fulfill their bargain with the dwarven king.

The heroes approached warily, Heida flying up near the ceiling of the fifty foot high cavern. As more magic was called forth, Abraxia immediately responded, calling forth a ringed wall of whirling blades shaped of pure force around herself. As Heida touched the key to the side of the cage, it immediately began to shake, and slowly descended from the ceiling. After a moment, Heida balanced upon the edge of the now topless cage, and Jor wielded his wand of benign transposition to swap the locations of Heida and a waiting Valindr. As the cage descended, the demon Abraxia called forth two hideous demons known as hezrou, large toad like humanoids that filled the cavern with a horrific stench almost beyond description in its vileness. Meanwhile, the long dormant gate to Svartelfheim burst open, and an enormous predatory arachnid demon known as a bebelith crept into the cavern.

As the demon foes multiplied, and Nygaar and Esbjorn positioned themselves to enter combat as the cage lowered, Valindr called upon all of her talents to fire the ensorcelled arrow she possessed true. Almost losing her balance, she recovered at the last instant and hit the marilith Abraxia squarely in the chest. The dwarven spirit Muldrunn's sacrifice had not been in vain; the demon was now unable to use her teleportation magic to flee the party and run riot in Seron. Shouting in triumph, Valindr ran upon the metal edge of the cage as it descended, positioning herself for another shot. Finally the cage disappeared into the floor, and battle was joined in earnest.

Nygaar moved to close the portal, using the swan maiden's ashes upon his sword to strike at the floor and close the gate for good. The demon spider and one of the hezrou closed in on him, but Nygaar had little difficulty chopping those foes to ribbons, the seidr upon him aiding him immensely in avoiding their strikes, poisons, and the horrific stench of the hezrou. Meanwhile Esbjorn closed in to slay Abraxia, relying upon Jor seidr to dispel her blade barriers a number of times. The fight was a ferocious one nonetheless, as Heida found out when she closed with Abraxia. Using her long tail, the demon grasped Heida, squeezing the life out of her and slamming her to floor. Heida gasped for air and was soon unconscious. Knowing there was no escape for her, the demon made ready to slay Heida, her wounds from Esbjorn's ferocious strikes and Valindr's well-timed arrows dripping with her green blood. Fortunately, Esbjorn was able to finish her quickly, hacking the demon apart and ending her evil for good. Jor drew deep upon his draconic heritage, evoking immense, scaled wings of force that swept out and struck in a savage flurry that laid the remaining foul smelling hezrou to rest. The battle over, the heroes quickly revived Heida, and noticed that the demon Abraxia was slowly vanishing. Acting fast, they covered her corpse with Swanhilde's ashes, and the corpse immediately turned to black ash and dissipated.

The party breathed a sigh of relief, and gathered up the jewelry Abraxia had worn. Silver rings and gold bracelets aside, one treasure of note was the adamantine arm ring the demon had worn, adorned with the symbol of the demon lord Graz'zt. The only other items of note claimed by the party were the six swords Abraxia had wielded; each was inlaid with delicate veins of violet black ore that glistened faintly in the dim cavern. The battle complete and the spoils doled out, the party left the keep, secure in the knowledge that their bargain with the dwarves was finally sealed. They walked among the shadows once more, and presented themselves before the dwarven king to claim the promised dwarven troops. The king looked up at them grimly as they entered the throne room, and the heroes made ready to parley.

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