Day Three of the Odinsleep (The Plains of Vígríðr - A Perilous Defense Part 3)

Day Three of the Odinsleep – 9:50 am

 

The Valkyrie grows ever larger as she approaches the battle raging before the golden wall of Asgard.  Raven glances up and sees her coming and then over at the enchanted leather and clockwork bracer on his left arm.  He shakes his head and turns his attention to the Jotun standing before him and wades back into the brawl.

 

Moving with magically enhanced speed, Raven brings Nightwatcher up and around, shearing through the thick hide armor covering the Jotun’s legs, slicing away thick swathes of muscle from the giant’s shin and the top of its foot.  A backhanded slash splits open the calf on the other leg.  Raven stumbles a little and misses one swing but makes up for it by driving the nigh-unbreakable blade point first in through the ankle, shattering bones in the delicate joint.  The Jotun roars, feeling no pain through the haze of its fury-induced rage.

 

Ra’ziir is there beside him a moment later, both of his swords in hand.  Deathblossom and Grumbar’s Razor work side-by-side while the bladesinger chants the words to a spell, stepping in beat with the magic’s incantation.  His body transforms from flesh into steel as his first blade strikes.  Ra’ziir is soon surrounded in a cloud of fire and smoke as his blades wreak havoc on the Jotun’s lower legs.  The snarling, enraged giant stomps his feet, trying to catch either the bladesinger or Raven with a crushing boot heel but the two elves are agile enough to remain out of the way.

 

Arthur raises his sword, saluting the giant as he prepares himself for death.  He cries out, “FOR MALAZZARR!”  Cedron’s mouth drops in shock as Arthur is nearly demolished by the Jotun’s rampage.  The cleric dives, the folds of his cloak held tightly in his hands as he swoops toward the beleaguered paladin.  “Malazzarr, use me as Your vessel to save your paladin from this foul creature’s wrath!”  The priest crashes into the flailing knight, engulfing him in the folds of his cloak and both vanish completely.  Cedron opens his eyes and finds himself in a dark place with soft walls and dim lightning with Arthur sitting beside him.  The paladin has a confused look on his face.  An opening in the floor looks out over the field where the battle continues below.  “Wha…?”

 

With Arthur vanishing before his very eyes, Hansuke finds that he is alone battling his Jotun.  Suddenly wishing he had had something more to drink than just a potion of speed the tattooed monk screams “HYAKU RETSU HARIATE” and unleashes everything he has against the towering giant.  Blows land with bone-crushing force faster than the eye can follow.  The Jotun is driven back a step just from the sheer number of hits that landed but it seems to be little the worse for wear.

 

The Jotun that killed Korbin strides forward, pushing its way past the giants fighting Hansuke, Raven, and Ra’ziir.  It raises its axe and bellows “This one fake too?” A moment later, the weapon’s heavy blade comes crashing down atop the nearest elemental.  The blow fractures the summoned creature’s body and fully two-thirds of it break off and hit the ground in a pile of rubble.  The rest of its body follows a moment later and the giant smiles through its rage.

 

The Jotun besieged by the majority of the party’s rogues spins, eyes searching for someone to smash.  It swings tis axe, skimming it along the ground.  Desmond throws himself to the ground to avoid the massive blade but it scrapes along his back and drags him along in its wake until he fetches up hard against a rock and comes to a sudden and painful stop.  Niklas sees the blade coming and tries to dodge aside but isn’t fast enough to get out of the way.  The edge of the axe hits him squarely in the face and tears his head from his body without even slowing.  Its circle complete, the giant brings its axe back up and swipes at Shadow once more.  The impact of the blow sends the drow sailing backwards and he nearly passes out from the pain but his magic cloak throws off the giant’s second swing enough to save his life.

 

The Jotun battling Raven and Ra’ziir roars.  It is infuriated by the pests hacking at his legs and setting him on fire.  He spins his axes in a figure-eight motion, swiping at both warriors down by his feet.  Both elves are struck twice.  Raven nearly suffers the same fate as Niklas but the blade’s second strike hits just far enough to the left to keep him from having his head removed as well.  Ra’ziir’s steel body sends sparks flying on both blows and he is shoved back several feet, leaving deep furrows in the ground where his heels plowed the earth.

 

The Jotun, now all along with Hansuke vents its frustration against him.  It turns its axe broadside and begins smashing the ground with it.  The tattooed monk scrambles to get out from beneath the descending blade but it is just too damn big and he is driven into the ground.  Both of his legs and his left arm are broken on the first strike and his vision goes red as pain overwhelms him.  The second blow snaps his spine and suddenly he can no longer feel the pain in his legs and the third blow sends him tumbling down into the darkness of death.

 

The acid in the Jotun’s ear continues to sizzle and Spewer unleashes more of the caustic fluid but his glands are running low and only a trace amount of saliva comes forth as Shadow flies back in, striking with his rapier and dagger.  Both blades flash crimson as the drow circles the Jotun stabbing and slashing, opening more wounds in its face, head, and neck.  The wizard calls out to his lizard familiar through their shared mental link, “If I fall, you come find me and pour a potion down my throat!  I have plans for later tonight!”

 

Morn rushes up as Raven and Ra’ziir are battered with their foe’s giant blade.  His snaps his whip forward and the lash extends, lengthening until it is long enough to snap at the Jotun’s eyes.  The tip tears a bloody line across the giant’s cheekbone.  The giant barely notices the stinging blow but notes the movement of his newest challenger and takes one step forward, placing the minstrel well within the reach of his blade.

 

Kysek points his wand at the open gash in the giant’s calf and triggers his wand of lightning.  White hot hell is unleashed and pours into the wound.  The giant screams as electricity courses through its body and for the briefest moment, Kysek is sure that he saw the monster’s skeleton.

 

Drax is forced to hustle to keep up with the Jotun’s giant strides.  As it stops and dispatches the first elemental it reaches, the assassin strikes, plunging his shortsword into the back of the titan’s ankle.  The monster roars in surprise and spins, searching for the source of this latest insult but Drax’s spell of invisibility has already concealed him from view once more.

 

Desmond pushes himself to his feet, spits blood, steadies himself and fires on the electrified Jotun.  Once more, two arrows from the ranger’s massive longbow bury themselves deeply in the giant’s flesh.

 

Grotto barrels along the ground.  He realizes that there is no way he will be able to keep up with his target so he veers to the left and rushes at the Hansuke’s killer.  The dwarf shouts a mighty war cry and the Jotun turns, kicking at him with a huge booted foot.  Grotto is kicked in the face and his nose is crushed by the impact but his axe tears a long slash through the sole of the giant’s foot.

 

Grog sets and slings another stone.  The rock expands, turning into a boulder sized projectile once again before slamming into the lead giant.  The stone smashes into the giant’s chest before crashing to the ground, knocking the wind from the Jotun for a moment or two as the elementals finally enter the fray.  The two elementals closest to the Jotun beat against his thighs and knees with their stony fists.  The others follow the Elder.  The massive Elder, nearly as tall as the Jotun itself roars with a sound like stones grinding together and launches a powerful blow that hits the giant right in the jaw.  The Jotun staggers, shakes his head and spits out a tooth before raising his axe once more.

 

= = = = = =

• Arthur: 4% health;
• Bubo: 100% health;
• Cedron: 93% health; Major Image (Concentration plus 3 rounds remaining); Heavy Warhorse from bag of Tricks (9 minutes, 8 rounds remaining)
• Desmond: 63% health;
• Drax: 100% health; Greater Invisibility (7 rounds remaining)
• Grog: 100% health; Stoneskin (109 minutes, 8 rounds remaining)
• Grotto: 100% health; Enlarge Person (6 minutes, 9 rounds remaining)
• Hansuke: DEAD
• Korbin: DEAD
• Kysek: 100% health; Stoneskin (66 minutes, 8 rounds remaining); Greater Invisibility (18 rounds remaining)
• Morn: 100% health; Blink (8 rounds remaining)
• Niklas: DEAD
• Raven: 12% health; Bull’s Strength (from Grog, 10 minutes, 7 rounds remaining); Haste (15 rounds remaining);
• Ra’ziir: 40% health; Stoneskin (86%, 147 minutes, 0 rounds remaining); Elemental Swarm (7 Large Earth Elementals, 1 Huge Earth Elemental, 1 Elder Earth Elemental – by the time the Elder arrives, 128 minutes, 8 rounds remaining); Iron Body (DR15/adam, immune to blindness/critical hit/deafness/disease/drowning/electricity/poison/stunning and effects that affect physiology or respiration, Str 31 (+10)/Dex 12 (+1) ASF 50%, -8ACP, 17 minutes, 0 rounds remaining)
• Shadow: 3% health; Overland Flight (14 hours, 27 minutes, 7 rounds remaining); Iron Body (DR15/adam, immune to blindness/critical hit/deafness/disease/drowning/electricity/poison/stunning and effects that affect physiology or respiration, Str 21 (+5)/Dex 16 (+3) attack bonus/penalty cancel out, gains +3 damage, ASF 50%, -8ACP, 1 minutes, 8 rounds remaining); Keen Edge (from scabbard: 49 minutes, 7 rounds remaining)
• Spewer: 100% health;