Characters
A skald
A scout
A berserkr
A seer
A pyre
Events
The characters awoke in a stone chamber lit by a bonfire at the center of the room. They did not remember their names, nor how they had come to be in this cave. When the pyre examined the bonfire, she saw that a skeleton pierced through with a spear sat at its middle. She could feel the heat of the flames on her skin, but the sensation was muted--she realized then that they numbered all among the dead.
The sound of the sea could be heard from the mouth of a sea cave to the south. Looking out of the mouth revealed a sea choked with broken dragon-prowed ships, dead Vikings, and slain monsters. The scout dismantled the bonfire, which (in retrospect) could have been a disastrous mistake. The berserkr found a broken sword; this was their only weapon for the time being.
They could also hear the sound of metal scraping against stone coming from a corridor. They followed the sound and saw two viking specters uselessly dragging broken swords across the stone walls of the corridor. The wraiths ignored them as they passed through the tunnel into a wide-open chamber with a large crater at its center. When the berserkr examined the crater, a massive demon made of rock dropped from a ledge overhead. The party ran for the safety of another corridor, but they did see that a set of massive carved doors were also in that chamber.
The corridor led them to another bonfire. Nearby leaned five bundles of wolf fur held shut with leather straps. Inside each bundle was an item of power meant for each of the Vikings; touching their item caused them to remember their names. The skald was named Toki; the scout was named Sigridur; the seer was named Gorm; the berserkr was named Hallbera, and the pyre was named Revna. They also now remembered that they were blood-kin sworn to the service of Jarl Angraboldr.
In a cavern covered in mushrooms, they found a skeleton near a murky pool. Approaching the skeleton caused it to rise and attack; another skeletal warrior emerged from the murky pool to attack them from behind. Once the skeletons were destroyed, Gorm used his yew staff to check for anything strange or interesting in the pool. He ended up wading into the murk to retrieve a luminescent, palm-sized lump of glass.
The presence of arrowheads along the next stretch of corridor alerted them to the skeleton archers waiting to ambush the group. As the rest of the group engaged the archers, Sigridur ducked into an alcove and found another five wolfskin bundles. These bundles contained the rest of the Vikings' gear. They were now well-armed for the confrontations ahead.
Following their path brought them to a huge grotto. A hole in the ceiling of this chamber brought a huge shaft of sunlight into the space; a massive apple tree dominated the room. Tending the tree was a woman whose form shifted between that of a maiden, a mother, and a crone. The woman's name was Idis; she referred to the members of the party as "the Fallen," and told them that to leave the cairn they'd need to kill the stone demon, gather the souls within it, then toss the souls into a bonfire so that they could become living once more. Before the Vikings departed from Idis's grotto, she gave them each a drinking horn containing a draught of healing mead.
After returning to the last bonfire and resting, the group pressed on. They found a set of natural stairs, at the top of which was a wraith making threatening gestures. They approached the wraith, but a boulder suddenly rolled at them from the top of their stairs, injuring most of them as it crashed to the back of the tunnel. Eventually, they emerged into a ledge that overlooked the cratered chamber in which the stone demon prowled. They did find an iron key hanging on the wall.
Sigridur plunged down on the stone demon from above with his hunting knives, doing massive damage to the creature. The rest of the party followed him into the chamber to do battle with the demon. Although the demon was once a formidable opponent when they were unarmed, they quickly destroyed it. Among the stone wreckage left behind were five glass souls and a bronze key.
Both keys were required to open the carved door. Inside was a mass of thick fog they were forced to press through. In the chamber beyond the mist, they saw the inverse of Idis's chamber: a massive dead tree loomed at its center. A gilded wooded throne sat beneath it; upon the throne was a desiccated, undead Jarl Angraboldr. Angraboldr called upon them as his oath-sworn to give him the blood he needed to live again. Figuring that their oaths were null and void since they had died in his service once before, they instead refused him, angering the Jarl and causing him to attack. The battle was brief, but fierce.
When the Jarl fell, five ravens descended from an aperture far above. They asked the Vikings if they "wouldst seek justice in the Broken World." When the Vikings responded in the affirmative, each raven grabbed up one of characters and soared with them up and out of the cairn complex.
Where are the ravens taking them? We'll find out next time.
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