Day Three of the Odinsleep (The Plains of Vígríðr - The Summoning)

DAY ONE (Day Three of the Odinsleep), 9:40 am

 

The Valkyrie follows Ra’ziir over to her horse but as she turns to leave the sphere she looks directly at Raven and says, “I will have your soul soon enough.  You are far too self-destructive to remain alive for long in this realm.  You will continue to seek out the largest and most powerful enemies you can find and hurl yourself at them, thinking yourself noble for placing yourself in harm’s way and protecting your allies.”

The bladesinger turns his attention to the Valkyrie and responds to her warning of doom for Raven, “Listen shiny-word lady, I’d not take that tone with my friend here.  It sounds almost like a threat.  And while I am sure that you are a great and talented warrior, I would not suggest trying to take my companion’s soul anywhere unless he wishes it.  Immortality is a fickle thing.  Very few things in this multiverse are truly immortal and I would not encourage you to test that with him.”

 

“No threat is intended.  My words are simply a prediction based on what I have seen of him so far”, the woman replies calmly as she adjusts her harness for flight and gathers the reins of her flying steed.

Raven, still seated on the ground inside of the sphere looks up at the woman, “Unless there is anything else you need, I believe my drow companion said that we would see you at the feast this evening.”

Desmond keeps watch over the plain while the party continues planning its next move.  Niklas joins him atop the berm, surveying the layout of ridges and trees the dot the battlefield.  “There must be a way for us to get the advantage without Raven getting smashed every battle.  I’m no expert but I can’t see our spellcasters being able to heal him much more after the next skirmish.”

“Should I knock three times on your chamber door or just come in when I get there, my Lady?” Shadows ask with a grin and a wink.  The Valkyrie looks back at the drow, “And how will you know which door is mine or who to ask for when you get?  None of you have bothered asking for my name or is a matter like that too trivial for the ‘heroes foretold by the All-Father’ to be concerned with?”  The rider of the winged horse turns and walks back over to her mount and sings up into the saddle.  She prods the horse with a tap of her heels and the mount leaps into the air, spreading its wings and starts to climb skyward.  “I will be watching.  Best of luck in your upcoming battles!”

Grotto, certain that his scarred face is an insurmountable roadblock to getting any attention from the woman turns back to healing Raven and activates his healing belt, transferring the positive energy stored within to the elf, further healing his wounds.  Even after the magic belt has done it work, Kysek frowns at Raven, “I’m not even certain any of my remaining defensive spells will help you, my friend.  The enemies’ weapons are so large, even hitting a displaced you would surely still hit you solidly.  We need surprise over brute force on our larger foes.”  The gold elf thief-turned-mage asks Ra’z’iir, “How large of a pit can you dig in the earth?  Possibly covered with an illusion to trap the Jotun prior to dispatching it with ranged attacks?”

The half-elemental replies, “I can call up an earthquake that may take a Jotun down, or make the terrain otherwise difficult to traverse.  I could also summon a swarm of Grumbar’s elementals to fight alongside of us.”

 

Kysek nods, “Whatever will work.  Trolls and the like seem fine for us to dispatch easily.  The Jotun pose the risk.  We can no longer turn our collective backs to them and allow just one of our number to fight them.  If we turn our backs to the trolls and ogres to focus on the Jotun, the trolls and ogres have the upper hand and in reverse, the Jotun.  Surprise and distraction will be our best allies in the coming battles.”

Drax considers all that has been said thus far before he begins to speak, “The Jotun’s size makes conventional methods impractical.  Poison will take too long and required doses would be too high.  I recommend severing the hamstrings directly above the ankle.  They should snap under the extreme pressure the creatures’ weight puts on them.  The beast will fall to its knees, exposing its carotid.  Open that or the arteries in the upper thighs and it should die quickly.  For this creature, we should emulate the wolf.  Quick strikes and then retreat out of range.  And that…cursed thing,” the assassin gestures toward Thorgrim, “should be buried in a deep pit and forgotten.”

 

The bladesinger, recognizing the value of his allies’ words, moves a short distance away and begins the summoning spell that will call forth the Earth King’s servants.

Korbin, feeling his request for re-supply has been ignored, begins collecting stones and piles them in his portable hole for later use.

 

Cedron snaps his attention back to Raven and extends one arm, grasping the elf by the forearm and pulling him to his feet while incanting the words to another prayer of healing.  More life energy flows back into the elf, continuing the healing process but even so, Raven still has the look of one-thousand leagues of bad road. 

Morn sidles up beside Shadow, “Considering part of the enemy host is dark elves, my friend, I am fairly certain her animosity is borne of that personal familiarity rather than personal affront.”  The drow replies with a wry smile, “She would tire of resisting my advances and give me what I want eventually and then never want me to leave.  When I finally did, it would be sad to see her pine away for a dark elf that forsook her for another.  It is better this way.”

“Yes, but I would have liked the opportunity to ask her more about this realm we find ourselves in,” the bard replies in turn.

While the conversations between the groups continue, Ra’ziir completes his summoning.  The earth rumbles slightly and shifts as earth and stone rise up out of the ground in shapes that are vaguely humanoid.  Within moments, eight powerfully-built earth elementals stands before him, each taller as the trolls we fought. 

“Not bad.  Allies like these…” Raven begins to say but Ra’ziir holds up one finger and says, “Wait…”

Minutes later, an even large brute rises from the ground, this one at least as tall as the ogres we battled.  “No bad at all…”  Raven starts to say again but once more, Ra’ziir signals for him to wait.

 

Again, several minutes pass and Shadow's body reverts to its normal flesh-and-blood state, until finally a massive creature of earth and stone, one that dwarfs all of the other creatures Ra’ziir summoned rises up out of the ground.  Standing nearly as tall as the Jotun themselves, the monster is massive, blotting out the sun as effectively as a tall tower.  The bladesinger nods to Raven but this time the swordsman responds, “No.  I’m good.  Come on; let’s get ready for the next battle.”

= = = = = =

• Arthur: 94% health;
• Bubo: 100% health;
• Cedron: 93% health;
• Desmond: 100% health;
• Drax: 100% health;
• Grotto: 100% health;
• Hansuke: 94% health;
• Korbin: 100% health;
• Kysek: 100% health; Stoneskin (58 minutes, 9 rounds remaining)
• Morn: 100% health;
• Niklas: 100% health;
• Raven: 33% health;
• Ra’ziir: 100% health; Stoneskin (138 minutes, 9 rounds remaining); Elemental Swarm (8 Large Earth Elementals, 1 Huge Earth Elemental, 1 Elder Earth Elemental – by the time the Elder arrives, 140 minutes, 0 rounds remaining)
• Shadow: 100% health; Overland Flight (14 hours, 88 minutes, 9 rounds remaining);
• Spewer: 100% health;