Session 055

# A Homecoming of Sorts

**Age of the Wolf, Year 5, Autumn, Maelun Toil 1, Days 4-8**

*The party enters the Freehold and finds many things have changed. An old companion returns from Muspelheim, and new information is made clear concerning the war and local battles. The party faces a large party of fire giants and emerges victorious. Heida returns to her people with the party in tow and bargains are struck.*

PREVIOUS --- NEXT
## 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 Freehold Transformed

The party approached the gates of the freehold, and were surprised to see that wooden palisades had been partially replaced by stone. Before they reached that gate, a number of clearly Harii horsemen approached them and demanded their business, it being midnight. Upon the battlements, the party saw a familiar figure peer over the side; Egil Gislason, the fierce Western Harii horse lord, who bid them enter and ordered the gate opened. Upon entering town, the heroes learned that the Harii and the Freehold had forged an alliance, largely to protect one another from ravaging giants of both the frost and fire variety, with fire giants being much the more active in the area.

Egil greeted them, and marveled over the magnificent stallion Glaer. Moving further into town, and going to Kettel's hall, the heroes learned many important details of what had transpired while they were away, as well as learning of new tasks they could perform to complete their mission:

* Kettel Magnusson advised Nygaar he should consider freeing the slaves that fall under his banner, as long as they swear their loyalty to him and renounce the One God. Kettel further advised that Nygaar should offer any loyal slaves the free man’s bounty of two hundred silver pieces.
* Knowing that convincing the heathens that their religion is false would be difficult, Kettel proposed that Nygaar go to Odin’s Temple to seek out the high priest Arn Odinsight in Trondheim for guidance on how to inspire the slaves to convert.
* Kettel also informed the party that the Harii wished to rule as overlords of the Freehold, but that for now they were content to ally with Kettel and his people in common defense. Hence the presence of Egil and the Harii horsemen.
* Heida learned that the Western Harri had combined under one banner to fight the fire giants, led by her father Grim the Deathless.
* Valindr sought out Helva the Comely, and learned that if she so desired Helva could attempt to return her to her previous form.
* Valindr also spoke with the mad priest of Odin known as Finn the Fool. Surprisingly, the madman gave her advice concerning her split loyalties to Hermod and Ymir. She danced around the sacred oak and was healed, then learned from Finn that a portion of Baldur's blood existed in Midgard, and that if she wished to remain loyal to Hermod she could seek out the Ruegian priestess Leofee who is believed to be in Trondheim.
* Jor spoke to Kettel concerning his captured uncle Demonaxe, and learned that the spell that held his uncle under Phaegun the Magus's sway could be broken with the same draught of Baldur's blood Valindr had learned about. The key was to seek out the Sacred Chalice, believed to be in possession of Crua known as the Witch Queen, in Mixin lands.

While all this was marvelous information to gain, by far the biggest surprise occurred in who Esbjorn encountered.

## The God Rune (aka the Rune of Ragnarok)

As the rest of the party spoke to Kettel, greeted Arlow and his mentor Gauk, and noted the presence of a drunken dwarf who they recognized as the artificer Kazak Kazdul (who it seemed was working with Kettel to improve the Frreehold's defenses), a serious young man approached Esbjorn. Calling him my lord, the man introduced himself as Viggo Logison, and at first Esbjorn was at a loss. Eventually, when the man showed Esbjorn a crudely carven symbol of Surtr upon his forearm, Esbjorn realized this was in fact Kurg, the boy he had taken under his wing long ago who had been transported to Muspelheim. Confusion rippled across the giant blooded warrior's face at the age of Kurg, who was clearly no long a boy of ten. They retired to an adjoining room while the rest of the party spoke to Kettel, and Kurg told his story.

Upon entering Muspelheim, Kurg sat at the feet of Surtr. He heard the god laugh about his human followers and plot about the coming of Ragnarok, in which he would ally with Loki. He even heard the god say he feared Esbjorn, as the fire seers had foretold he would challenge Surtr for supremacy of Muspelheim and may take his place. Surtr swore that he would spare clan Surtshellir, give them hope, and then the final triumphant feast would include feeding the Surtshellir clanswoman and children to his captains and champions. He would do this in front of the mongrel warriors of the Surtshellir clan, before burning them to a cinder. Kurg went on to describe how he was relentlessly beaten, burned, and tortured by the fire elementals and the devils of Muspelheim over the course of many long and weary years.

Esbjorn listened with rising anger at the effrontery of these words spoken of his god, and seemed ready to strike what was surely a pretender (and not really the boy Kurg) down in a frenzy of blood. Sensing this, the young man handed Esbjorn a black stone box, and bade him open it. Inside was a rune from Surtr's crown, invisible but aflame (even the flames were invisible). Kurg said it was a variation on the theme of Odin’s rune and that no magic of any kind could show one the shape of the rune, as it changed its form so none could hold it and tease out its secrets. Kurg claimed that he was given the rune by the demi-goddess sorceress Sinmara, Surtr's consort, and that she then led him to the fire gate to return to Midgard. Esbjorn was still dubious, and Kurg bade him take hold of the rune and all would be revealed. Sensing a trick, but bravely grasping the invisible rune despite his misgivings, Esbjorn saw in a flash all that had transpired over the years while Kurg was in Muspelheim. It seemed time passed differently in other worlds, and Esbjorn experienced first hand all that his ward had suffered, and saw the truth of his words.

After suffering through that ordeal, Esbjorn said he needed time to contemplate things. Kurg nodded in submission, asking only that if Esbjorn chose to remain a loyal champion of Surtr that his death be a clean one. He told Esbjorn that the secret of the rune of Ragnarok (aka the god rune) is that one with human blood can honor Surtr and abandon their human brethren, becoming Surtr's true champion (second only to the god himself) and washing away one’s impure human blood. However, they must abandon their loyalties to their human clan to do so. Or, they can retain a measure of their human blood, while keeping the power of Surtr, and challenge the god for supremacy, maintaining loyalty to one's human kin while becoming the focus of worship, bending the fire giants to men's will and making them the servants of the men of Midgard.

It didn't take too long for Esbjorn to come to a decision; he would use Surtr's own power against him and crush him, taking his place. Kurg was relieved, and informed Esbjorn that he would go to the Surtshellir clan and report all that had happened to the leadership there. Esbjorn clapped the young man upon the shoulder, and thanked him for his bravery in risking all to escape Muspelheim and bring him the truth about his erstwhile master. Before leaving, Kurg warned Esbjorn that the fire giants in Seron would no doubt be hunting for both him, and that he could expect no mercy from that quarter. No doubt Surtr was enraged that the rune had been taken from him, and deduced that the prophecy as foreseen by the fire seers, of one with human blood challenging him for the rule of Muspelheim, might be coming to fruition.

After this incredible news was digested by the party, Heida implored the party to come with her to seek out her father Grim the Deathless, and encourage the Western Harii to fight the Umbrians and stop their senseless war with the Fire Giants. Knowing the Harii would most likely be based in the northern reaches of the Fey Woods at a well known summer camp, the party departed, once again traveling through the shadow realm using Jor's seidr.

## Esbjorn's Former Brethren

Racing through the shadowlands, the party disembarked at the outskirts of the fey wood. As they made their way towards the Harii summer camp, they walked right into a large group of Fire Giants, clearly a war party on the march. Upon seeing Esbjorn, the fire giants flew into a fury, and charged across the meadow to close the distance between themselves and the party. A fearsome battle ensued, with Nygaar and Esbjorn surging forward to join their enemies in melee. Meanwhile Heida took flight, and used her dark necromantic magic to attempt to bring down some of the massive humanoids. As Glaer raced in to fight on his six powerful legs, Valindr began to pepper the relatively easy targets with arrows. Jor, meanwhile, made good use of his seidr powers, engulfing many of the giants in powerful frost magic. Esbjorn would surely have fallen, were it not for Heida's quick thinking in casting a spell upon him to delay his death.

Fighting on long after he should have fallen, exhausted after his fit of rage ran it's course, Esbjorn was covered in grisly wounds that no mortal should have been able to endure. His heart and one lung were plainly visible beneath the rents in his armor, and he was covered in gore. The fire giants flung curses at him, saying that he and his traitor clan were dead by order of King Lumgrýmr, and they demanded the return of the rune stolen from Surtr. Esbjorn laughed in their faces, and he and Nygaar chopped the last of their foes down. The field, which had been sparsely covered in snow, was now a red ruin, and Esbjorn fell to one knee. Moving quickly, the party healed his life threatening wounds, and spoke of the challenge in now having both fire and frost giants as enemies. Proceeding forward, they soon made their way to the Harii camp.

## The Harii United

Venturing into the forest, the woodland camp of the Harii was well fortified, with the men camping in makeshift shelters high in the trees. After a short time, in which Heida was recognized, a number of her clansman approached. First came Grim the Deathless, Heida's father and the fearsome leader of the Western Harii. He informed his daughter that they had come together under one banner in order to fight back against the fire giants, who had threatened and attacked many of their clan members. He also informed Heida that he would fight against the Umbrians, along with fifty of his elite berserkers, if he was given dominion over the Freehold, as he felt it was time to abandon the old ways and create a lasting settlement to keep their people free and prosperous.

Next Heida spoke to Frida Shadow-Walker, her one time companion and friend who had betrayed her and sent an assassin to kill her. They worked things out, as Frida could see that Heida was changed once more and no longer in thrall to the evil powers of the goddess Hel. Frida agreed to join the fight against the Umbrians for a price; it seemed she was barren, and wished to have a girl child of her own to raise. The spirits had told her that if her brother Magnus Luckblade and Heida laid together, they would have a daughter powerful in the ways of seidr. Heida looked askance at Magnus, who simply looked down and said nothing. Eventually Heida relented, and swore that she would do this thing once the war was over. In return, Frida promised Nygaar twenty sorceresses steeped in seidr, known as the Light Bringers, to fight by his side.

Finally Heida spoke to the fearsome shield maiden known as Veborga Bråvalla, a leader of a sect of Harii in her own right. Veborga was a massive woman, well over six feet tall and clearly giant blooded. She said she would fight as well, once the fire giants were dispatched. She only asked that she be matched with a warrior worthy of her, as she felt it was past time she was wed. Nygaar promised her this would be so, and Veborga eyed both Esbjorn and Jor with what seemed an unhealthy interest. At his promise, Veborga simply smiled her gap toothed grin and swore the allegiance of her seventy assorted warriors and shield maidens to Nygaar.

As they had already spoken to the other Harii leader Egil, who wanted horseflesh from the the forbidden stables of the Umbrian capital Unterfirth and would offer up fifty cavalry in return, it seemed the party knew what these wild people required to be brought into the fold in their war against the Umbrians. While they were not able to convince them to stop attacking the fire giants, it seemed much progress had been made. The party settled down to feast their bonds with this fearsome people, enjoying a warm meal and a welcome respite from what would no doubt be a series of long and difficult battles ahead.

PREVIOUS --- NEXT