Ride of the Valkyries [Advanced RP, PG-16] - Started, Still Accepting

[Guest Ixigo]

Hm' date=' I wonder what you mean by 'special bonuses?' Perhaps Varden could pay a little trip to Midgard in a quest of his own...

[/quote']

 

I'm afraid not. The first part (beyond the prelude) specifically deals with the task of enabling the Einherjar to travel from Asgard to the lower realms, so understandably, until those events are concluded traversing to Midgard is going to be impossible.

 

Rewards will vary, ranging from improved equipment, magical trinkets, special abilities or even plot-related priviledges.

[Saiba Aisu]

Oh, alright. That makes sense... Looks like I'm in too much of a hurry to recover my old powers! I guess I'll stick with runic sorcery until then. But just you wait, Varden will come on his own soon enough!!

 

Hm, and where would these rewards come from? It's unlikely that characters will just happen upon magical trinkets... Perhaps some lovely Valkyrie could return one of Varden's treasures to him... A useful little bag, if you catch my drift. xD

[Guest Ixigo]

Oh' date=' alright. That makes sense... Looks like I'm in too much of a hurry to recover my old powers! I guess I'll stick with runic sorcery until then. But just you wait, Varden will come on his own soon enough!!

 

Hm, and where would these rewards come from? It's unlikely that characters will just happen upon magical trinkets... Perhaps some lovely Valkyrie could return one of Varden's treasures to him... A useful little bag, if you catch my drift. xD

[/quote']

 

What would you put in that bag anyway? And not even Valkyries have the ability to physically get to Midgard before the first arc is completed.

 

As for the source of any items you might find - they'll either be Asgardian treasures granted to the bravest of Einherjar (that will mostly apply to rewards apart from combat equipment), or salvaged from the enemies you defeat - remember you'll be fighting against a lot of ancient armies, and they'll be definitely bringing in some heavy weaponry to beat you.

 

The key is patience. You have to first survive with what you are given, and then see about getting more stuff.

[Saiba Aisu]

I thought you said that Einherjar weren't immune to needs for food, etc? The bag could easily carry many useful things for a journey, like food, bedding, weapons, money, even materials to make a tent. But alright, I don't mind waiting.

 

Hm, Varden is a pretty brave character, as I'm sure my application showed you, but he's also rather crafty - again, based on Moiraine. We'll see how he goes about proving himself.

 

I'm patient about getting to Midgard and recovering my magic equipment. Not so patient about waiting for this to start!!

[Otaku-sama]

This waiting problem can be solved with a single word: solicitation. Doing it will draw many people in. Trust me. Waiting any longer might kill this thread or get it locked by the mods.

[Guest Ixigo]

Well, as I said from the start, the RP will commence this Sunday - no sooner, no later. If we get enough people by then, we'll dive straight into the main storyline; if we don't, we'll start off a bit lighter and try to attract more members. I've been generally trying to keep this thread up until then, in case someone checks in, but that seems quite doubtful by this point. I guess we'll have to wait and see, though an RP with just three people sounds fun in its own weird way. Well, I still haven't heard from Umbra, who said he'd be getting back his PC around Saturday, so...

[Saiba Aisu]

Okay, sounds good. And thanks for your PM, Ixigo. It laid my mind to rest about how to describe runic sorcery.

[Guest Ixigo]

OoC: The RP is officially started. Re-read the added parts of the first post (mainly your profiles and the RPing instructions). There are just a few more things to add based on the Runic system that I will implement later today, but until then the RP can begin. As I said, we'll be having a short prelude, so just enjoy the events as they unfold before the battle truly begins.

 

====================

 

Arc 0: Prelude to the End

 

GM post.

 

Loud noise, darkened clouds and the easily recognizable sensation of wrongness permeated Asgard's sky that day. Forthe approximately fifteen Einherjar, who had spent most of their mortal lives on a battlefield and their immortal ones preparing to enter one, this day's ominous awakening only meant one thing. War was coming, and soon.

 

Thunder cracked somewhere in the distance. A flash of lightning, then another one. In Asgard, the will of Gods maintained a permanent brilliant sunshine, but that same will might occasionally alter the weather to clouds or even rain or hail, depending on their moods. But something strange brewed around this sudden storm, something that did not speak of an irritated GOd's tantrum. A much more sinister hand was afoul here.

 

The cause, the group of Einherjar that had been summoned in front of the outpost's gates discussed amongst them, without reaching a satisfactory conclusion. However, shortly enough, the moment they all expected arrived, as the armor-clad stately figure of a female spear-wielding warrior, one who bore herself with a grace and force of presence unparalleled even when compared to the heroes of legend who had been gathered here, walked into the scene. The time had come for the Valkyrie to announce the will of Gods. Surprisingly enough, though, the Chooser of the Slain known by the name of Geiraho, the spear-fighter, was not alone in her appearance, for another female, much less imposing than the Valkyrie, trailed behind her. In contrast to the Battle Maiden's regal, expressionless face, the woman, known only by name to few of the warriors assembled there, seemed anxious and frightful.

 

"Warriors!" The Valkyrie barked, her voice as commanding as it was alluring. Those who had served as Einherjar knew that most Valkyries had two sides to them. They could be caring and loving at rest, when they served as Freya's adjutants, but as Odin's battle commanders, they were ruthless and expected no less than absolute obedience. "I fear Lady Marielle brings dire tidings with her that must be made known immediately." Geiraho stepped back to allow Marielle, a lesser Aesir in little better standing than a servant, to speak up - but it only gave the impression that the Valkyrie was looming over the poor messenger.

 

"The Jotun have invaded Asgard! The foul giants are besieging Valhalla as we speak!" Marielle said quickly, her voice coming out little better than a squeak. However, that did not reduce the impact of her words. The Einherjar exchanged uneasy glances. "Ragnarok is at hand!" Seeing the commotion caused by Marielle's abrupt announcement, Geiraho decided to take matters into her own hands again.

 

"The Last Battle is not here yet, and we must calmly deal with what is." She said coolly. "The threat from Jotunheim must be culled before anything else. Lady Marielle, brief us on the situation."

 

"The Elsac Plains were empty when I rode through, but I could hear the cursed horns of the Jotun as they approached from all sides." The lesser goddess spoke, a little more calmly. "The entire land between here and the gates of Valhalla may well have turned into a battlefield by now."

 

"In that case, we cannot act alone." Geiraho concluded. "I shall send messengers to the other front guards so that they can join forces with us, and collectively, we shall attempt to stop the siege." She turned to the messenger. "In the meantime, you shall return to Valhalla in order to receive further instructions."

 

"Beg your pardon, my Lady Valkyrie" Marielle fumbled with the words. "But alone, I shall not make it. The invaders will have overrun the road by now."

 

"Very well." Geiraho said, barely hiding her irritation at having to deal with Marielle's return. "I shall send two Einherjar to escort you. It would be useful to receive orders directly from Valhalla as well. You" She ordered, pointing her finger at the Einherjar named Varden "and you" she also pointed at Isgaen. "Step up! The rest, onto your tasks. Prepare for war!"

[Saiba Aisu]

[align=justify]As Geiraho called his name, the Einherjar named Varden threw back his hood and made a graceful half-bow. He looked up, his face a perfect mask of serene composure and self-assurance in heavy contrast to Lady Marielle's worried countenance. He was a tall man, dark-haired and slender, with sun-browned skin and flashing green eyes. In one brown-gloved hand, he held a simple wooden stave with a crimson runic symbol etched at its crest.

 

"Don't worry, my Lady Marielle," he said in a low voice, striding forward in a waist-length green cloak slashed with brown that billowed behind him. His well-worn black boots made hardly any noise as he came to stand by the woman, who despite her best efforts, was still fidgeting noticeably. "I promise that I will see you safely to the gates of Valhalla, and beyond, if need be."[/align]

[Otaku-sama]

Igsaen heard his name being called and he got up off the ground he was sitting on. He had a very whimsical expression as he approached Lady Marielle. He gave a deep bow to the worried maiden.

"You do not need to worry milady. Me and Spear are at your service to escort you back to Valhalla! We will put our bodies between you and the enemy!" Igsaen said to Marielle.

"Don't sign me up for something I don't want to do! These battles everyday for who knows how long is asking enough from me already!" Igsaen heard his spear say.

"Don't be like that Spear! I am an Einherjar and you are my trusty weapon! We must protect who we are asked to! You should be honoured to protect an emissary of Valhalla!"

"Fine...Fine...I guess I'll do it. Not like I have much of a choice now do I?"

"Very good. Now, which way is Vahalla, Lady Marielle?"

 

OoC: Just so you know, the dialogue in italics is what Igsaen hears objects say to him. Other character cannot hear this, so it just looks like Igsaen is just having a one way conversation.

[Saiba Aisu]

Varden gave Igsaen a sideways, calculating glance, although his face remained expressionless. Plainly, he was uncertain to whom or what the other man was talking to. He arched one eyebrow slightly as the man's spear, but turned instead to the Lady Marielle.

 

"My Lady," he said, drawing himself to his full height and fairly dripping calm, "which path shall we take? If you like, I could cast a spell that would let me more easily see any who approach..."

[Guest Ixigo]

GM post.

 

Considering the matter settled, Geiraho walked away to inspect the armories. Marielle cast the two Einherjar a rather uneasy glance, then made as if to follow the Valkyrie - but one sidelong glance for the Battle Maiden seemed to indicate that as long as she didn't want to run all the way back to Valhalla alone, she would comply with Geiraho's choice of escorts.

 

Taking a deep, steadying breath, the goddess turned towards the two warriors. Marielle might've been just a lesser Aesir, but she could still connect to the souls of the two sacred champions. The spirit of the one called Varden was noble and steadfast - one she could trust. The other... Marielle sensed a great deal of instability from him. She wouldn't have considered him to be the most trustworthy escort, but...

 

"The White Road that leads through the Elsac Plains, the most direct route to Valhalla, is probably overrun by Jotun by now. We won't make it out of there alive. We should circumvent their encampments and move through the Ylsritt Woods. We won't be able to ride in the forests, but we should still make it before nightfall if we make haste." The change in her tone was indeed surprising, as she had assumed a posture of grace and command, spoiled only by the slight sweat that glistened on her face, and her clenched, still trembling, fists. Most Aesir truly considered the Einherjar tools or servants, disregarding them except for their value in the Last Battle. Therefore, if she was going to be escorted by that pair, Marielle would have to exert all the force she could muster, or she'd end up the laughing stock of the entire palace. If they ever made it back there alive, that was.

 

"Follow me." She said simply, summoning her one-horned white steed with a simple call. Apparently she intended to ride until the forest's outskirts, and then send her steed back to the astral plane - such luxury was not allowed for the Einherjar, though, who would be forced to keep up as they could. Without another word, she leapt on her white mare, and sped off towards the forest.

 

---

 

OoC: Just a note, an average C-ranked Einherjar should have little trouble matching the speed of one of the Aesir's horses which aren't intended for charges anyway, but if you want to RP your characters as slower for any reason, feel free to. Also, you can freely RP up to and including the entrance to the forest - just make sure to wait at least one post so that the other RPer can catch up (metaphorically, but also applies in a literal sense). Of course, I will also put some posts in from Marielle's perspective if I have the chance.

[Saiba Aisu]

Varden lifted his staff clear off the ground with one hand, and sped after the mounted woman with long, easy strides that somehow managed to match those of her horse. His tattered cloak billowed out behind him as he sped along, but despite the speed of his pace, his breathing remained steady - the ability to outrun or at least rival most of the Aesir's horses was a common one among Einherjar.

 

As he ran, his green eyes flashed from side to side, raking everything in front of him with an impassive glance that missed nothing. Despite their large size, Jotun were known for their crude cunning, and he did not want to be caught unawares in ambush. Satisfied that there were no Jotun nearby, he drew abreast of the Lady Marielle.

 

"My Lady," he said, his voice clear as if he were standing still instead of running, "you came to us asking for our assistance in repelling the Jotun attack - and be assured, I will give it gladly - but... I cannot help but wonder why we are needed so desperately? Surely the Gods are more than capable of managing this threat on their own?"

[Guest Ixigo]

OoC: By the way, Jotun doesn't really have a plural form.

 

---

 

GM post.

 

Marielle reined in her horse, coming to an abrupt halt. She dismounted smoothly enough, and her proud steed dissipated soundlessly into white mist - removed from the plane of existence until it was needed again. They were close enough to the forest as it was. But more importantly -

 

"On their own, you say...?" She inquired, observing the Einherjar as she spoke.

 

"You haven't seen them. Like a tide of black frost emerging from the depths of Niflheim - perhaps, if all of the Aesir were gathered in Valhalla, they'd be able to deal with this siege by themselves, but not without casualties. There are just too many, too powerful - and they've brought their ancient magicks to the battlefield as well. Furthermore, the Jotun are just the beginning. From the holes they tore apart into the upper realms, other creatures will soon wander through, if they haven't already - some just as, or even more dangerous than the Jotun. Regardless of what the Valkyrie says..." She coughed a little, drowning the distaste she was about to express at Geiraho's stance in the matter "...this is truly the beginning of Ragnarok. Without amassing all of our able forces to the field of war, we'll be crushed before we even have a chance to strike back."

 

---

 

Enemy post.

 

A fair distance away from the Aesir and her appointed Einherjar guards, another entity kept careful watch. Even though they wouldn't even enter the vision of a normal person from such a distance, the concept of normality was lost to the one observing them. At least as tall as some of the tallest trees in the forest, his skin a sleek grey that blended in well with the nondescript background, clad in a crude dark blue armor whose color seemed to waver, as if it was crafted out of running water - the Jotun had already caught onto his prey. Even without the Einherjar and Valkyries stationed in Asgard's outer fortresses, the Jotun would have enough trouble besieging Valhalla - no, it would've probably been an impossible endeavor without that. Therefore, it was imperative that all communication between Valhalla and the forces stationed outside was severed immediately. Glancing gleefully at the goddess and her guards, the Jotun's mouth twisted in a sickening grin. He could wait until they entered the forest, and engage them in the favorable conditions of the thick woodland. Then, he would take his time tearing them apart.

 

---

 

OoC: As is fairly obvious, Enemy Posts are written from the perspective of an enemy (generally, GM Posts = non-combat NPC posts related to your characters, Enemy Posts = combat or non-combat enemy NPC posts, and Story Posts = posts that are not directly related to your characters, and just promote the storyline). Again, you may respond to this however you wish, but keep in mind that realistically detecting the Jotun's presence, who is tracking you with magic, with regular means should be impossible.

[Otaku-sama]

Igsaen kept in step with Varden and the Aesir, running in a way that kept his arms behind him. His robes billowed all around him, but somehow Igsaen didn't trip over them. The group stopped in front of the forest. Listening in on the conversation, he was distracted by another set of voices, ones coming from the forest, or more so, the forest itself. Igsaen approached a tree.

"Mr. Tree? What is all the commotion about?"

"We just got news of the seige of Valhalla. Those vile Jotun are tearing our brethren down to make their war machines! It's a massacre and we could be next!"

"Do you know how far they are from here?"

"I don't know, but from what I heard, the Jotun have made camp on the other side of the forest. If you are planning on going through, you'll run into them."

 

Igsaen left the tree and returned to the group.

"The forest is saying that the Jotun have made a camp on the other side of the forest. If we go through the main path, we might run into more giants that we can handle at once. We should try to find an alternate path."

[Saiba Aisu]

[align=justify]Varden's face flashed momentarily into an angry frown, as if he disliked being reminded that there were still some things in this world he had not seen or did not know about. Then he rearranged his face into that mask of neutral, calm serenity, and was straightening his cloak. "I don't doubt the power of the Jotun," he said, "but they surely can't be as terrible as you're making them out to be. When I was still alive, I researched them briefly as part of my magical studies, and they are not without weaknesses. We should be able to make our way to Valhalla with little difficulty if we go about this carefully."

 

At that moment, Igsaen returned from the edge of the dense, tall trees, saying that the forest had told him that the Jotun had established a camp on the other side, and suggested they take an alternate path. Varden's face remained expressionless, but it was only with a skill born of long practice that he did not question the other man. Igsaen was decidedly odd, Varden decided, but could he really be a Treespeaker? Even Vivienne had been unable to communicate directly with the trees, and her magical talent and knowledge had been second to none.

 

"There's no use in seeking an alternate path," Varden said coolly, stepping forward. "If what Lady Marielle has told us is true, than the Jotun are everywhere, and we may only succeed in wasting time if we go another way, or even stumble upon other Jotun." He laid his staff down upon the ground and turned towards the dark depths of the forest. "Sometimes, it's necessary to take risks," he said, raising his gloved hands in preparation to work magic. "I will cast a spell to enhance my vision tenfold. The Eyes of Saga should be useful if we are to traverse the woods, and it should give us sufficient warning of any Jotun in the immediate area."[/align]

[Otaku-sama]

"You have made your point comrade. With your magic eye spell, we should be able to plan a way to pass through the Jotun camp," Igsaen replied. He started walking down the road with his spear on his shoulder.

"There is not point in hesitating any longer here. The quicker we get Lady Marienne back to Valhalla, the quicker this siege will end."

[Saiba Aisu]

[align=justify]Varden nodded sagely while biting back an angry shout at Igsaen. The fool! He hadn't even waited for him to cast the spell! Thinking that it would serve Igsaen right if he walked into a whole slew of Jotun, Varden drew himself up, suddenly regal despite his tattered green garb, and looking every inch the image of a magician about to cast his magic.

 

Varden's sun-browned fingers flashed like lightning through air as he drew a series of runic symbols, trailing lines of glowing silver etching his movements as he cast the Eyes of Saga. He wove delicate strands of Air, wrapped slightly with Fire, about his eyes, and blinked slightly at the sudden pressure upon them. He opened his eyes slowly, the emerald green of his eyes now tinged slightly with yellow, like an eagle's.

 

He wasted no time in starting forward, his eyes flashing across the undergrowth in a hawkish manner. With his enhanced vision, the lines of each object quivered slightly, like silver, their edges seemed sharp enough to cut with, and even the deepest shadows were visible. The Eyes of Saga was a useful spell, but the strain it placed upon the caster's eyes could easily leave him blind if left unchecked. Deciding that there were no Jotun in the immediate vicinity, Varden turned to motion to the Lady Marielle, who had perched cautiously at the edge of the wood, and a flicker of motion caught his eyes.

 

Igsaen continued to stride forward, muttering unintelligibly to his spear, unaware of the Jotun looming over him, hidden in the shadows of the trees and watching hungrily. Varden's heart caught in his throat.

 

"Igsaen!" he called out in a ringing voice. "Igsaen! Get away from there!"[/align]

[Otaku-sama]

Igsaen was walking rapidly down the forest road when he heard Varden shout. He looked around, not seeing anything until he heard ominous breathing in the trees. He looked up. His eyes met the sunken eyes of a Jotun. It roared and slammed a massive log down on Igsaen. Igsaen barely managed to roll out of the way of the log, but ended up on the ground again. Igsaen quickly got up and jumped on an overhanging tree branch. The Jotun pulled its club out of the ground and like a drunken caveman swung its club at Igsaen. Igsaen now easily jumped out of the way of the club and gracefully landed on another branch. Igsaen jumped off the branch and onto the Jotun's face. He plunged his spear into the giant's eye and jumped off. The giant roared in pain as is struggled to pull the spear out.

"Varden! Plan on helping anytime?" Igsaen shouted at Varden. The Jotun finally managed to pull the spear out of his eye, snapping it in two in the process. Igsaen rolled out of the way of another strike of its club. He knew he couldn't do this forever. All he could do is wait for Varden's magic.

[Saiba Aisu]

Varden muffled a curse and threw himself against the Lady Marielle, knocking her out of the way as the Jotun's thrown tree passed over their heads and then struck the ground with a loud noise. Behind him, he heard a horrible, squelching sound, as if someone had prodded something slimy, followed by a frenzied scream. Leaving the Lady where she lay, he sprang to his feet, green eyes flashing and the fingers of his right hand twitching in rapid motions as he drew more silvery runes and cast another spell, the Draugr Blaze.

 

A circular, searing fireball about the size of a man's head blossomed from Varden's palms, and with an angry spread of his hand, he send it flying towards the Jotun. He quickly followed up with two more fireballs to complete the attack, and the three blazed their way through the air towards the monster.

[Otaku-sama]

Igsaen jumped out of the way of the incoming fireballs. They hit the Jotun directly in the chest, making it fall to the ground with a great crash. Igsaen took no time to take advantage of the fallen giant's disadvantageous position. Picking up a large stick off the ground, Igsaen brandished his new weapon and jumped onto the giant's face. With a series of brutal jabs and smashes, Igsaen disembowled the Jotun thoroughly, covering the ground and most of himself in blood. The Jotun stopped moving, apparently dead. Igsaen got up and dusted himself off, not doing much about his blood stained robes. He looked around and found the top half of his spear.

"Spear! Are you ok?" Igsaen asked the spear.

"See?! SEE?!?!?! THIS IS WHY I DON'T TRUST YOU!!! You better get me fixed!"

"Well...I don't see your other half around here. I think the Jotun might of broke it..."

"@&*^!!!"

Igsaen walked back to Varden.

"Well, we can continue our mission with him out of the way, but Spear is unable to fight with me as you can see," Igsaen said as he held up his broken spear.

[Saiba Aisu]

*Ooc: Forgive me, I know this is breaking the rules, and I can always delete it later, but... Remember, we're not supposed to post the enemies' reactions. That's why I cut if off at the three fireballs flying towards him. I think Ixigo probably wanted to extend this battle a little further...*