Day Four of the Odinsleep (Kaniŋ Awakens, Arrival of the Jotun, Ægir Fights)

Day Four of the Odinsleep (Noon- 5pm)

Korbin awakens.  The first thing he notices is that his feet and wings are spilling over the sides and end of the cradle and that all of the gathered women seem…smaller than before.  Hugin and Munin, the ravens who led him to the Norn pool twice wait nearby, perched on the lintel above the door.  They too, no longer look quite as massive as they did during Korbin’s previous meeting with them.  He rolls to his feet, stretches his wings, and preens his feathers, noting that the wounds where the nails pierced his flesh have healed.

The Maiden looks hopefully to the other two Norns.  The Mother and Crone both nod and the beauteous woman turns and lifts a wooden case from the floor, places it in her lap and opens the lid.  Lying with on a velvety orange cushion is a jeweled dagger, nearly the size of a shortsword.  Runes glitter in the dim light, floating beneath the surface of the metal.  “Thy new brothers have want of digits so they hasn’t any needth for a weapon, but thee, noble Kaniŋ, art not bound by such limitations.  Therefore, we has’t a gift for thee…BEHOLD!  This is Laevateinn – knownst by some as the Wounding Wand, drawn up from the Realm of Hel so we may passeth ‘t to a worthy wielder!  Bear ‘t proudly and may ‘t serveth thee well.”

The Crone shoulders past the Maiden, “Enough about the dagger, telleth me, Kaniŋ, what didst thee see in thy fevered dreams while thee slept?”
- - - - - - - - - -

Idunn waves her hand and dismisses the giant bees before looking out over the field.  The goddess’ face pales as she sees the Jotun have taken the distraction provided by the battle atop the wall to rapidly close on Asgard’s defensive perimeter.  Six massive giants, each nearly a minor god in their own right, rush toward the party’s location, scattering companies of Einherjar and smashing aside their own forces as they charge.  Arthur, his last foe dispatched, races over the Idunn and takes his place beside her and can feel something unexpected radiating off of her – fear.  Drax moves in beside Idunn as well, “Milady, I need to be,” the assassin begins as he points to the small island in the fjord where Raven and Shadow have joined the battle against the serpentine dragons, “there.  Will you aid me?”  The assassin then sees the look on Idunn’s face.  He sees her throat move as she swallows and notices that the fingers holding her staff shift nervously.

Hansuke laughs and drops off the edge of wall, plummeting toward the ground below.  He reaches out, brushing the vertical surface with his fingers or toes, the friction provided by these small touches slowing him as he falls and he lands gently on the ground, just behind the line of Einherjar at the bottom.

Niklas leans over the side, sees the fight below and notes Ra’ziir and Hansuke’s positions in relation to the other defenders and the enemy force.  He grabs arrows from his quiver, slips each onto his bowstring in turn and releases the feathered shafts at the enemy.

Grotto laughs and jokes with Cedron, “That blow will leave a nice scar there, bard!  I would say that women are impressed by scars but if that were true I would never spend a night alone!”  The dwarf laughs at his own joke, hiding the pain he feels about his appearance and continues, “So, shall Hanseath’s magic heal your wounds or will only Malazzarr’s do in this case?”  Cedron gives a brief smile, “As long as others are in danger, (as absent-minded as they may be) he adds silently, “my wounds can wait war-priest.”  Cedron then pulls a scroll from the folds of his cloak and reads it, activating the spell inscribed upon it and begins mending his injuries.  Once his spell is completed, he grasps the ends of his cloak and holds them out like a pair of wings and rises into the sky, turning to give chase to Desmond, Kysek, and the sword-stealing Svartalfar.

Desmond and Kysek circle the last dark elf.  Desmond draws his bow and slips an arrow onto its string, his eyes alternating between watching his opponent and looking for signs of Kysek’s passage so he can release his shot while the Svartalfar is distracted by the invisible thief.

Kysek finally moves, darting in with Blackflame and White Faerie in hand.  The sudden movement briefly suppresses his invisibility spell and Desmond fires at the dark elf as the thief’s swords seek his target’s back.  The arrow plunges into the Svartalfar’s chest as Kysek’s first blade slips into the sword thief’s spine.  The final dark elf perishes, killed by the simultaneous attack.
- - - - -

Many people have observed differences in Ra’ziir and Raven’s fighting styles over the years.  Where Raven is a brawler, Ra’ziir is an artist.  He moves with uncanny grace and precision, each motion another step in a deadly and beautiful dance.  Each step establishes a rhythm, a fluid movement, in time with the cadence of the spell he chants.  His fiery blade slips effortlessly past the troll’s defenses, opening its throat while the bladesinger pivots and brings the sword back across, slashing the monster across its eyes.  A pirouette brings the elf-emental around to the beast’s back and slice across the brute’s hamstrings and a final blow, hastened by the spell of speed takes the monster’s head from its shoulders just as the words of Ra’ziir’s next spell are finished.  An orange bead flies from his hand and detonates when it reaches the troll at the opposite end of the attackers’ line.  The blast engulfs not only the troll but the two ogres standing closest to it.  The troll manages to avoid the brunt of the blast but both ogres are struck full on and stagger out of the flames disoriented and badly burned.

Idunn’s swarm of centipedes continues to gnaw at the flesh of their victim.  The ogre howls in agony and breaks from the fighting, racing toward the fjord as quickly as its huge, tree trunk legs will carry it.  It crashes into the water with a massive splash, tearing the invertebrates away from its body.

The remaining Einherjar race to engage the ogre that hasn’t been set on fire.  The fierce warriors pummel the miniature giant with their axes and hammers, inflicting grievous wounds on their enemy.

The ground trembles, drawing the attention of Ra’ziir, Hansuke, and their allies on the ground.  As one the turn to face this new threat and see six of the massive Jotuns closing on their position.
- - - - -

Shadow comes to a halt in midair and begins making broad gestures with both hands, focusing on the waters of the fjord.  Magic flows through his body and builds in his chest.  With a shouted, “Συγκρότημα Monster Οκτώ!” he releases the pent-up magic and the water responds.  The waves froth and thrash, taking on a life of their own as the drow’s magic reaches out, penetrating deep into the Elemental Planes to call forth a mighty being.  A tower of water rises up from the fjord, arms made of cerulean liquid burst from its flanks and the crest reels back to expose what can only be a mouth.  The summoned creature roars, its voice the crashing of waves against rock and it claws at the air with its mighty limbs, screaming its defiance at the serpentine dragons.

Raven dives, thankful that his chain shirt is enchanted to ward off the water’s chill embrace and kicks his feet, plunging deeper beneath the surface.  He reaches out, the magic of his ring allowing him to move normally despite the water resistance and latches on with one hand to the scales of the dragon above.  He reverses his grip on Nightwatcher and begins the wyrm in its underbelly.  The adamantite sword parts the scales like butter and blood pours from the wound, painting the water crimson.  The dragon reacts instantly, plunging beneath the surface as well.  The dragon’s maw clamps shut on Raven’s arm, its teeth piercing his mail and adding the elf’s blood to the swirling red.  A set of claws reach out to rake down Raven’s chest but the swordsman gets his blade up and manages to fend off the some of the strength of the attack.

The central Lindwyrn turns toward the elemental, lashing at the summoned being with its claws and snapping with ferocious teeth.  It batters away at Shadow’s summoned servant but with nothing solid to strike; its claws do next to nothing.  The bite and the dragon’s slashing tail manage to tear away some of the elemental’s substance but even this does little to harm the creature.

The last dragon slithers past and closes on the waiting Ægir.  The god casts his trident aside and a club appears in his hand.  He strikes faster than the dragon can see.  The blow caves in the monster’s skull with a single strike, the snapping its neck and powdering bones at the point of impact.  The wyrm falls, its massive corpse crashing down to create a miniature break wall at the god’s feet.
= = = = = =
• Haste – all except Korbin and Raven (10 rounds remaining)

• Arthur: 100% health;
• Bubo: 100% health;
• Cedron: 90% health; True Seeing  (10 minutes, 2 rounds remaining)
• Desmond: 100% health;
• Drax: 100% health; Greater Invisibility (7 rounds)
• Grotto: 100% health;
• Hansuke: 93% health;
• Korbin: 100% health;
• Kysek: 100% health;
• Morn: 100% health;
• Niklas: 100% health;
• Raven: 94% health;
• Ra’ziir: 100% health; Fly (16 minutes, 5 rounds remaining)
• Shadow: 100% health; Overland Flight (16 hours, 59 minutes, 3 rounds remaining), Stoneskin (100%, 169 minutes, 9 rounds remaining), Monster Summoning VIII (17 rounds remaining)
• Spewer: 100% health