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Friday, November 10, 2017

What You Missed: Echoes of Ragnarok III by Ed "Tuilli" Drummond



**A parchment is found by a ranger in the Wastes, a raven, strangely dessicated, lays with the tattered parchment in its clutches**

⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪,

Lily and I ventured to Helheim.  We heard that the gods of that realm were ⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪, so we went to investigate.  We found Torolf, ⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪ and Hayden, ready to delve into the realm of the dishonored dead.

We heard from the Jomsviking that there were forces looking to stop what they called Rhag-na-roch.  From what I can tell and from what I heard from ⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪ this is nearly identical to the great Wheel.  We had to get in, stop the interlopers, ruin their plans and somehow escape the clutches of a god of Death.  Seemed pretty much the same as when we ⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪.  The exit to the land of Helheim was guarded by a fierce beast.  Legend has it, someone was able to escape the realm by use of a mimic or simulacrum to fool the beast into thinking that we remained in Helheim.

We entered the land of Helheim only to find our powers partly stripped.  We found that we could regain our ability by gathering what little honor the dead in this land had, honoring them in part through returning them to rest; by way of the sword.

Nearly immediately, I came across our exit strategy; a small representation of an individual that looked like a common adventurer.  Frankly I thought he looked like ⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪, but that is up to other bards.  I kept it for a while, sharing what I knew with key, trusted individuals of course.  Orio⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪ ⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪ and Saegan ⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪
We fought through wave after wave, cave after cave and grave after grave.  Rox of Saurabia seemed intent on drinking the dark water we encountered at each wellspring.  It did not go well for him.

Finally, and most important, we came to the final chamber, one we heard about in missive from previous strike teams and legend.  The lab.  We knew there was something there from what we had heard.  It did not prepare us.

A bois.

Bedlam.

In theory, in stasis.  ⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪red me that that it would be destroyed once it was out of stasis.
We know what this could mean.  That ⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪ would end.  ⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪destruction.  The final⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪rt⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪nd
I warned them.  That I would stop at nothing should this happe⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪old me again that visions assured it was going to be destroyed.  My faith in such visions is never strong.

We destroyed it.  We purged that world of what we could find.  By fire and violence as we do.

It was gone.  Bedlam withered once it caught up with our timeline.
We recovered ourselves, exited as fast as we could, throwing our simulacrums to the hound of Hel as so many chew-toys.

We got back.  ⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪⧪ed.  

We return to the keep.

T