Chapter 2 : V-DAY! : VIKINGS!!

[DSIGFUSS]

As if on cue, Melkorka emerges from the Prison Hold and grins at all the Vikings of importance gathered on the deck. She then quickly shuffles her way back into Captain Gunharr’s war room for a word with the Captain in private.
After a short while, the prisoners file out one after the other. First comes Oddlog and his devilish partner Hildegarr. Then Edgar and Berger. They were soon followed by Ingvar, Weoulf and Sigfurd who seems to have fully recovered from his wounds suffered in the brawl below deck just a few days ago.



Oddlog points at Orm and mumbles something to Hildegarr.



Hildegarr snickers and the two return below deck for some of Gilliog’s ale.



Berger, the hopeless drunk, follows quickly behind them, eager to resume his debauchery.

Sigfurd salutes and smiles at Orm as he walks into the morning light and the fresh air gives him a burst of energy.


Orm! Brother! It’s too bad you could not join us in the hold old friend. Weoulf here got himself a good ass raming from the witch!

Sigfurd pats Weoulf on the back in good fun before joining Orm and Osvauld in the Viking circle.

Weoulf drops his head in shame, his time in the hold had obviously having taken a toll on him.



Edgar stays with Weoulf offering him some comforting words in private.

Ingvar follows hooting and hollering at the fresh air and the thought of battle. Everyone hears Ingvar shouting in Oddlog's and Hildegarr's direction as they disappear below deck.



"First I'm gonna get me some chow and maybe kill a local, but then you're MINE"

Grinning from ear to ear with excitement, Sigfurd continues…

So tell me Orm, has the time away from your friends raised your spirits any or do you still mourn the loss of your beloved so much it has made you lame as a sacked horse?

Sigfurd smiles brightly at Orm and puts his arm on his shoulder... clearly glad to see his old friend.

[Henrik]

Orm glares at Sigfurd at the remark. He knows that Sigfurd does not mean harm with his blunt remark and he is a good friend, although at times Orm seriously contemplates cutting out his tongue.

[DSIGFUSS]

All the Viking men on the deck stare out at the approaching isle of Helluland. it grows bigger on the horizon with each passing second. Logain and Dorgan move away from the group. Dorgan, the chief navigator pulls out his map and looks up at the sail. Everyone on deck can hear the Viking Oarsman below grunting in unison ith each row, pushing them further to glory.

Sigfurd looks up at Osvauld... Gunharr's man and takes a more serious tone.



How long til we reach land sir? All that time in the hold has made me and Ingvar thirsty for land.

Dorgan calls back..



1 hour... Ready yourselves lads...

Sigfurd nods and looks back to Osvauld.

Where's the Captain? Shouldn't he be on deck for this?

[imme]

Osvauld glances toward the captain's quarters. "He'll be here. He is making final plans, I believe." He surveys the men gathered on the deck, and raising his voice to be heard by all, says,

"We are here, men, ready to meet the unknown and conquer it. We will fight valiantly. Some of us will soon reach our rewards in Valhalla, others of us will have to wait and instead return victorious to our king. This is what we were born to do. Remember, men:
Praise day at even, a wife when dead,
a weapon when tried, a maid when married,
ice when 'tis crossed, and ale when 'tis drunk.
So let us try our weapons, cross this ice, and finish all with some good ale!"

[Basketvector]

Ingvar moves to the front of the mass of men, eager get a look at the land.

"BY THE GODS!! THAT'S BEAUTIFUL!!! ALMOST MAKES YA FORGET ABOUT KILLING EH? EH COMRADES?" He slaps the man next to him on the back.

"Mmmm, I can almost smell the seal blubber."

[Henrik]

Orm begins to think about Osvauld's verse. He wished that he had praised his wife a bit more when she was living. To praise a wife, when she is dead... to Orm his marriage is what made his life worth living.

[DSIGFUSS]

Helluland is now no more than a mile off as the Icebreaker plows her way through the dark ocean. It’s tall mountains, seen only from the Eastern shoreline, stretch high into the sky as they carve their way into the mainland.

Melkorka finally steps out with Captain Gunharr from their long conversation in the war room. By the looks on Gunharr’s face, the captain is not pleased in the slightest.



Dorvog…. Report!

Dorvog steps forward and updates Gunharr.



Ready yourselves lads... We’ll be landing in minutes Captain. The ice flow is minimal. We should be able to pull the Icebreaker right up to the beach.

Logain smiles and cuts Dorgan off.



Seems the witch was wrong Captain. Maybe we’ll be meeting with our boys inland after all! Bah! Runes… the gods say what they will, when they will, with little concern for our affairs.

Melkorka scurries up to Logain with amazing speed for a woman of her age and appearance. She sticks a boney finger in Logain’s face.



Blasphemy! The gods have their eyes on this vessel and all those upon it. Odin’s Ravens follow us all the way from Asgard.

Melkorka points up to the sky and indeed a Raven circles the Icebreaker. Then Dorgan, still keeping watch on the water calls out to his Captain, a maddening look of terror in his eyes.

There’s a storm coming Captain… It’s…… come out of the mountains. It’s headed right for us!

Everyone on the deck of the Icebreaker looks up to see a thick, dark storm cloud, snaking it’s way through the mountains and over the Ocean. It was at least a half mile wide and the same distance long. The storm cloud moved like no weather the Vikings had ever seen on their many voyages at sea. It moved with purpose and was heading right for them. Thunder roared out across the ocean as if Thor himself was hammering the mighty Mjolnir against a host of shields. Then the storm cloud flashed bright as forks of lightning struck out at the sea with a terrible fury. As the cloud moved closer to the Icebreaker, neither the thunder, nor the lightning ceased. The storm would soon be on top of them and everyone on deck could hear the hollow, unmistakably human sound of chanting. A woman’s voice in a foreign tongue echoed across the water, adding a dreamlike quality to the horror unfolding all around them.

[Piano man]

Alrik stays with the witch knowing that she will be one of the first to escape. I should throw you overboard now you hag.

[Henrik]

What kind of trickery is this? Orm does not believe what he is hearing. Is this storm Melkorka's doing? "By Odin I swear that I will plunge my sword in your black heart and send you to Hel where you belong!"

[imme]

Osvauld places a hand on Orm's shoulder. "Listen to the chanting, this is the work of someone else." In a low voice, he adds, "Remember our mission." He turns to watch the witch's reaction to the coming unnatural storm.

[DSIGFUSS]

The witch stares up at the sky as the storm cloud rushes towards them. She looks around the ship and her beady eyes rest on Weoulf and Edgar. She licks her lips greedily and then gazes at the coming storm.

Gunharr hears Orm’s accusation and grabs the witch by the robes and flings her against the rail of the Icebreaker.

You doom us all with your magics witch! Is this your doing Melkorka? I can hear a woman’s voice at the heart of this madness. Is it your devil tongue witch! Answer me!

Melkorka cowers under Captain Gunharr’s forceful grip.

This is not my doing Gunharr. Release me so I can prepare our defenses….

The storm cloud begins to funnel overtop of the Icebreaker. A giant bolt of lightning arcs down from the smoky gray menace, striking the front sail and setting it ablaze. Thunder cracks overhead as another bolt arcs from the sky.

BOOOOOOOOOM!

OOC – Everyone roll luck. And tell me where you are on the ship. Plus post what you say and do if you are not struck by lightning. Post your exact rolls please. Also if you are near the rail of the ship, roll spot hidden.

OOC- The Captain is manhandling Melkorka at the front of the ship. Logain and Dorgan are close to the Captain.
Tristan is in the Captain’s quarters gathering charts and supplies.
Sigfurd is with Ingvar wherever he decides to be.
Edgar and Weoulf are at the rear of the ship close to the prison hold. They have hardly moved much in the 1hour since Helluland was spotted.
Oddlog, Berger, Hildegarr and Gilliog are below deck manning the oars with the rest of the crew )- some 30 Vikings.
Torvog, the jailer is with Alrik wherever he decides to be in light of the lightning striking the Icebreaker.

[Piano man]

Alrik puts his hand on the Captains arm. She is right Captain this is not her doing, but we need her if any of us is going to survive. Alrik gives the Captain a reassuring look. He feels the same way about the witch as everyone else.

occ http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1476373/ Alrik luck roll 4 sweet.

[Henrik]

Orm is standing in the vicinity of the mast when the storm breaks loose.

Luck roll (1d100=9)

OOC: I wasn't clear that Orm was not speaking he was just thinking! But never mind that!

[imme]

ooc--oops, sorry, Henrik
luck roll (1d100=82) failed, (luck at 75)

Osvauld is standing close to the Captain when he is hit by lightening.

[DSIGFUSS]

As the storm cloud passes, four bolts of lightnig arc from the sky striking the uppr deck of the Icebreaker.

One bolt strikes the front mass again, showering the deck with pine splinters.

The second strikes a small stockpile of armor next to the prison hold at the front of the ship.

The third bolt hits the cluster of Vikings gathered around Captain Gunharr. Neither is hit directly as the bolt makes it's way to the deck. Alrik and Orm almost seem to see the lightning coming and dive clear of the blast. Logain, Dorgan, Ingvar and Melkorka are flung into the air and land in the middle of the deck. (2 damage) Osvauld and Gunharr are flung forward.... up and over the rail.

The fourth bolt crashes down onto Edgar. To Weoulf’s horror and disbelief, Edgar's head pops right off of his body as the bolt of lightning courses through his body. He falls lifeless to the deck. Weoulf is flung back down into the prison hold.

Ooc- Osvauld I need a grapple check to grab onto the rail of the icebreaker. Edgar rolled a 100 for his luck check.... very bad

[Henrik]

Orm tries to reach the railing to see if he can help Osvauld.

[imme]

Osvauld desperately grabs for the railing.

ooc grapple (at 25) - grab railing (1d100=37)

[Piano man]

Alrik scrambles to his feet. Get to the longboat!!!!!!! He tries to make his way to the boat.

[DSIGFUSS]

Both Osvauld and Captain Gunharr are hurled over the side of the Icebreaker and splash into the freezing cold arctic water.

Both men surface at the same time gasping for relief from the cold. Osvauld sees Gunharr reach for his sword. He pushes Osvauld aside as a giant horned whale surfaces beside the two Vikings and lunges towards him. No more than a foot away from the great beast, Osvauld can see it's eye flash an unatural redness as it thrusts itself at Captain Gunharr.



The Captain cries out to everyone on board the Icebreaker...

Narwhales!!!




Orm, worried for his friend, looks out to see and through the crashing waves and rain from the storm cloud overhead, he can see them. At least a dozen Narwhales heading right for the Icebreaker.

[Piano man]

Alrik obeys the Captain and once aboard he starts to sing.

isa isa isa
i i i i i i i i i
i i i i i i s s s s s s
(s s s s s s i i i i i i)
i i i i i i i i i