Day Four of the Odinsleep (The Lindwyrms Engaged)

Day Four of the Odinsleep (Noon- 5pm)

While Korbin lies dreaming, his body begins to change. His feathers molt away and are replaced by a new glossier ebony covering. His limbs stretch, becoming longer, thicker, and stronger. The tips of his wings, already bearing fully functional fingers become more dexterous, compensating for the change in his size. His feet spill out over the end of the cradle in which he has been placed and hang over the side. The Norn Mother adjusts his blanket, keeping him covered and warm during his ongoing transformation. The Maiden keeps the fire burning in the hearth while the Crone sits with her eyes closed, listening carefully for any muttered word the crow may utter in his dreams – eager to know what secrets he is learning, what insights are being revealed to him.

- - - - - - - - - -

Idunn turns her attention back to the battle atop the wall. She stares hard at the remaining Svartalfar and is suddenly more THERE. A reassuring aura washes over the party members, bolstering their courage and inspiring them to fight harder but the remaining dark elves scream in terror, their courage crumbling under her gaze. Sweat breaks on their brows and, except for the one running into the orchard, they begin edging their way toward the side of the wall overlooking the Plains of Vígríðr.

The goddess’ enlarge bees continue pestering the dark elves they battle, stabbing at them with their stingers but the dark elves manage to parry or evade the envenomed barbs.

Desmond stares at the fleeing dark elf in shock for a moment before his brain begins screaming at him, “That guy just STOLE my Sword!” The sergeant breaks into a run, chasing after the thieving Svartalfar and his purloined blade. He drops over the edge of the wall and onto the back of the fleeing elf. The two tumble to the ground and come up, facing each other. The dark elf brandishes Desmond’s stolen sword, a wicked grin on his face as the two circle each other.

Arthur presses his attack, slashing and stabbing with Lawbringer at the Svartalfar to his left. His first blow parts the chain armor covering the dark elf’s left thigh but his second blow is turned aside by a quick thrust of his foe’s spear. He reverses his swing quickly, sliding his blade back up the spear’s haft and slices through the fingers holding the weapon and then takes the arm they were once attached to off at the elbow. The dark falls, blood pouring in a river from the fatal wound as the paladin turns to face his lone remaining enemy. With the speed granted him by Ra’ziir’s spell of haste, he draws a long cut across the Svartalfar’s chest.

Grotto raises his axe to throw it but his intended target, one of the dark elves fighting Arthur falls so the dwarf adjusts his aim and throws his double-bitted blade at the dark elf on the paladin’s right. The blow bites deeply into his target’s shoulder and the unexpected impact drives the dark elf off-balance. Grotto’s axe spins through air and flies back to its owner’s hand as Cedron steps forward and points one hand at a Svartalfar battling one of Idunn’s bees.

The cleric-minstrel speaks a word and light blasts from his extended hand. The concentrated daylight slams into the chest of his target, burning through the dark elf’s armor and sizzling the flesh beneath. The elf, already wounded, staggers backwards, raising his spear to fend off the bee while trying to watch all of the massing adventurers at once. 
 

Drax crosses the empty distance along the top of the wall, cloaked by his spell of invisibility and comes up behind Arthur’s injured foe. A quick thrust of Drax’s blade pierces the base of the dark elf’s skull, the spot where skull meets spine, ending his life in the blink of an eye.

Kysek races after the Svartalfar who stole Desmond’s sword. The gold elf drops over the side of the wall, flickering into view for the briefest moment before his shortsword Blackflame shreds the armor covering the dark elf’s back, flaying the skin down to the bone. Kysek’s ring reasserts its shroud of invisibility and the thief vanishes from sight before the dark elf can identify his exact location.

Hansuke closes on the dark elf burned by Cedron’s spell, taking a scratch across his arm as the dark elf brings his weapon around to stop him. The tattooed monk bellows, “Shoryuken!” as he drops into a crouch and then leaps skyward, crunching a rock-hard fist in the dark elf’s jaw. The blow lifts the elf off of his feet, knocking him about a foot into the air. Hansuke steps in quickly and launches a punch with his other hand that caves in the sternum of his descending foe, driving bits of bone into the elf’s heart and lungs.

Niklas takes aim at the last dark elf atop the wall, sighting down the shaft of his arrow, and fires. Three more shots are loosed in rapid succession. All four pass between the two hovering bees to strike the elf in the chest. The elf staggers back, coughing up blood just as Morn’s Truesilver Whip snakes its way along the ground to climb the elf’s back and wrap itself around his neck. The enchanted leather constricts instantly, snipping the head from the elf like a child popping the bloom off of a dandelion. The decapitated corpse falls to the ground and the wall is clear of enemies.

The last Svartalfar slashes madly at Desmond. The elf’s first and third blow strike true and, once again, light flows from the wounds the sword has inflicted into the blade. The energy flows up through the steel and into the hand of the wielder, spreading throughout his body. Kysek watches as the grievous injury struck with Blackflame begins to close, healed by the power of Desmond’s stolen weapon.

- - - - -

Ra’ziir closes in on the troll nearest the base of the wall. The green-skinned brute sees him coming and swipes at the bladesinger with a stout cudgel. The elf-emental evades the blow and delivers a slash to the troll’s chest. Pebbly flesh catches fire as the flaming strikes and the troll howls, angered by the elf’s boldness. It bats the flames out with its free hand while swiping and smashing with his knotted club. Ra’ziir twists and spins, avoiding the attacks with contemptuous ease.

The bladsinger’s luck is not shared by the Einherjar and one more falls, beaten down by the heavy hammers of the ogres on the frontline of their battle.

Idunn’s summoned swarm of centipedes flows like a river up the legs of the ogre nearest to them. As they climb, they begin taking bites from the small giant’s flesh. The ogre howls in pain and drops his hammer, swatting at the tiny creatures with his bare hands. Dozens of the miniscule pests are crushed with every blow but hundreds remain to take their place as they begin slowly devouring the brute while it is still alive.

- - - - -

Shadow angles toward the approaching dragons as directed by Raven, “I hope you know what you’re doing,” he thinks to himself as the massive, snake-like creatures grow closer. As they pass by the god, Ægir, standing on the beach at the edge of the water, the drow chants the words, “Πέτρινο δέρμα” and sprinkles a bit of powdered rock over his body. His skin hardens, taking on the appearance of polished obsidian and armoring him against attacks. The drow pulls up and banks hard, releasing his grip on Raven’s wrist.

The moon elf flies forward, his momentum carrying him through the air toward one of the serpents. Its eyes widen in surprise as the elven missile drops toward it and one arms comes up to defend its face. Raven is past the dragon’s claws before they can block. He roars his challenge as he brings the nigh-unbreakable blade down on the wyrm’s shoulder. Sparks fly as steel-hard scales are splintered by the blow and a great gout of blood erupts from the wound. Raven drops, splashing down into the water before the monster as it turns its attention away from the god and directly on to him.

The other two dragons, ignoring the plight of their stricken brethren, slither past and exhale caustic plumes of acid at the god on the beach. Ægir smiles and thrusts the end of his trident into the water and a wave rises up to engulf the deadly streams before they can reach him.

= = = = = =

• Haste – all except Korbin and Raven (11 rounds remaining)

• Arthur: 100% health;

• Bubo: 100% health;

• Cedron: 69% health; True Seeing (10 minutes, 3 rounds remaining)

• Desmond: 100% health;

• Drax: 100% health; Greater Invisibility (8 rounds)

• Grotto: 100% health;

• Hansuke: 93% health;

• Korbin: 100% health;

• Kysek: 100% health;

• Morn: 100% health;

• Niklas: 100% health;

• Raven: 100% health;

• Ra’ziir: 100% health; Fly (16 minutes, 6 rounds remaining)

• Shadow: 100% health; Overland Flight (16 hours, 59 minutes, 4 rounds remaining), Stoneskin (100%, 170 minutes, 0 rounds remaining)

• Spewer: 100% health