Session 080

# Vindr is Marked for Death

**Age of the Wolf, Year 5, Autumn, Laelun Toil 2, Day 6**

*The party regroups following the battle with Cryocrax. Vindr is clearly in love with Fang, much to the concern of his fellows. After arguing about where to go next, and with Vindr unwilling to do anything but immediately seek out the frost worm on Fang's behalf, the party decides to break the geas by killing Vindr and then calling his soul back before it can be claimed by the valkyries. Unfortunately, Vindr is able to escape into the ethereal realm still very much alive, confused and horrified at what he perceives as an act of betrayal by his erstwhile comrades.*

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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 Shadowborn the Human Shadowcaster played by Koski

## The Heroes Regroup

With the dragon's escape, the party regrouped and tallied up their losses; five cavalry soldiers and their horses had been killed in the fray. The cavalry reorganized themselves and burned their dead, and soon fell back into formation and awaited orders from Nygaar. After a brief discussion, Nygaar decided to station them in the Freehold, as they would be of little use in taking the Rime Citadel from the frost giants. That decided, the party next turned to the clearly in love and ensorcelled Vindr, who went about the business of preparing to depart singing an off-key love song as he thought about his beloved Fang Li:

♪♫♪ *Looking at me, are your eyes. ♪♫♪*

♪♫♪ *Like the deep of space, grabbing my soul, and sending it outward, beyond. ♪♫♪*

♪♫♪ *Where I do not know... as I am lost. I remember your smile like the sun. ♪♫♪*

♪♫♪ *It brought me back home, to where the Earth and stars, collide above, and explode at random, and, or, ever at your pleasure. ♪♫♪*

Vindr took Heida aside, and tried to convince her to attack the frost worm immediately. She explained she had exhausted her magic and that it would be wise to rest for a night to regain strength. Following that, he argued, they should retake the Twin Landings from the Umbrians and make contact with the Mixin clan. Heida said aloud that retaking the channel was sound, and she agreed that they needed Mixin ships even explaining to the group when they approached that scouts on a beach would be too late. It was unusual to see Heida take Vindr's side as he has brought this up in the past. Perhaps Heida was being very agreeable with Vindr because she was concerned about Vindr's single-minded and relentless drive to immediately face the frost worm and fulfill his obligation for his "lady love." Eventually the whole party joined the conversation, and they learned that Harald Greycloak was the traitor who had been in contact with the frost giant king. The heroes decided that Harald must be interrogated and afterwards stand trial.

Meanwhile, to make matters worse, Esbjorn once again fell into speaking dwarven, not just a few words but an entire conversation. It seemed he didn't even realize that is was happening, and that the trigger was when he talked about forging (in this case asking about a forging project for Heida). After Heida questioned what was going on, Esbjorn made light of it and changed the subject. Irrian helped divert the conversation, bringing up possible ways to forge a tracking device if they were ever to fight the dragon again. The evil shadowcaster grinned to himself, remembering how he had helped Esbjorn to gain access to the cursed dwarven smith to begin with. Eventually the cavalry and the party were ready to depart and rejoin the army to the south, but unfortunately Vindr refused.

## Vindr Must Die (Temporarily)

Vindr insisted on "scouting ahead" and would not join the party in their march south and away from the frost worm. The party attempted to persuade him by saying they had no need for a scout (Heida claimed she saw in her visions where the wyrm was). Then they attempted to convince him he was the only person who could testify that Harold was a traitor. Appealing to his lawful nature, they even had Esbjorn directly tell him not to scout. Finally the goat maiden Laerad the Fair spoke up, telling Vindr that he was charmed and that he wasn't thinking clearly. Vindr flew into a rage and shouted the beautiful maiden down, upsetting her deeply and demonstrating the extent of the geas to the rest of the party, who knew Vindr would never normally speak to the girl that way. Telepathic messages flew back and forth at a breakneck pace, and Heida and Jor came to a decision. Vindr must die, as they did not have the proper spells to break the curse in any other way. Heida assured Jor that she could easily bring Vindr back once he was struck down, as long as she did so quickly. Jor communicated the plan to the rest of the party, and they made ready to strike. Unfortunately, Vindr's faithful steed Glaer seemed to sense their intent and tensed noticeably, moving towards his master to protect him.

Everyone except Vindr and Glaer briefly glowed blue as Jor enhanced their reaction time with his seidr. Nygaar anticipated everyone's actions and could have acted first, but he hesitated, waiting for the wizards to strike before he made his move. Heida jumped in, and channeled negative energy into a dark mote in her hand which she flung at Vindr. Acting quickly, she repeated the spell, and Vindr sagged in complete exhaustion at this sudden attack. Jor also struck with his seidr, concentrating a burst of magical energy centered to strike both Vindr and Glaer and render them confused and vulnerable. Unfortunately only Glaer was affected, and Vindr was able to activate his magical cloak and step into the ethereal realm. That was exactly what the party had hoped to avoid, and confused looks were turned towards Nygaar who could have acted but had chosen not to.

In any case, Vindr was now on another plane of existence, and Glaer charged Esbjorn in the thrall of his magical confusion. Esbjorn bashed the horse with his shield, pulling his strike in an attempt to avoid killing the loyal creature. For a time the party sought out Vindr with no success, while the goat maiden Laerad attempted to beguile some of the party with her magical gaze in an attempt to stop their attack, without success. Eventually, Heida created a billowing mass of misty acidic vapors to surround and engulf Glaer, hoping that Vindr would return to save his steed.

Meanwhile, Jor called upon his dragon heritage, his golden eyes momentarily ablaze as he conferred upon himself the ability to see all things as they actually are. Peering into the ethereal, Jor created an illusion to stand in for Vindr on the material plane, allowing the other heroes to know where he was on the adjacent plane. Droog was the only one able to follow Vindr, and he did so, crossing over into the ethereal realm and using his breath weapon to attempt to strike him down. The imp laughed in glee at this new game, and implored Vindr to give up for his own good. Vindr, horrified, attacked Droog in turn, burying two of his force arrows into the imp's flesh. Watching Jor's illusion so that he knew where to attack, Irrian joined in the fray, firing a shadowy arrow across the planar boundary at Vindr, barely missing the mark. Seeing Irrian cast across planes gave Jor an idea, and he dropped his illusion, instead hoping to capture Vindr in a globe of shimmering force which he wrought with his seidr across the boundary of the planes. Unfortunately Vindr reacted too quickly, and was able to escape the trap.

Drinking a potion of haste to give himself a boost of much needed energy, Vindr sought to escape, moving west and away from the party as quickly as he could. Jor watched him go, and once again created an illusion to allow the party to track his movements. In desperation, and knowing that Vindr might believe it, Jor added to the illusion. He created an illusory and dying Glaer staggering out of the acid fog, in the hopes that it would draw Vindr back to the material plane. Vindr hesitated, but then continued to stagger westward, nearly unable to believe that his companions would turn on him with no explanation. Vindr wracked his brain in an attempt to formulate a plan to save himself and his loyal steed, secure in the knowledge that his love Fang would surely help him seek revenge if only he could find a means of escape.

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