SECOND SESSION

WARRIORS IN ATTENDANCE

ERIK, THE SKALD, "BARNACLE-BEARD"

ALBERT, THE SWORDSMAN, "THE BUTCHER OF THE SEA"

VIC, THE SWORDSWOMAN, "THE TWENTY-MAN SLAYER"

A brief recap: The had met the people of Rhus and seen their plight. After taking it upon themselves to find them aid abroad, they went and got some volunteers and showed them what was happening on the island. They prepared to return to Jork to entreat King Ulfr for more men.

And then this tale began.

JORK,

seat of power of King Ulfr the Young, with hundreds of mail armored swordsmen sharpening blades no longer in use, played host to the who entreated King Ulfr with promises of treasure, resources, and the honor of defending his distant Norse kin in need. The King bid them to ferry his hardened, best killers over and so the band did, for two months. Meeting a pirate ship along the way, the crew was decimated and their vessel brought on for the beginnings of a fleet. All in all, nearly two hundred men were gathered across the two months.

RHUS,

land beset by the sea, a people tormented, raised their heads in dark glee to hear that the band had led an attack against a beachhead of the merfolk. Though they were large, and fortified, the gallant warriors surrounded them and launched a daring strike from land and sea both, cornering and slaughtering the defenders. It was not all glory though, as the bitter price of war was paid in full: 19 of the hundred-band fell, the massive Skulnar among them.

Skulnar, Warrior. He made no great boasts. All knew he died as he chose to live, a free man of war.

The mere 35 tenacious defending merfolk held on, losing 9 of their kin in the amphibious prong of the assault before their lines collapsed.

TRECHT,

swollen with men, sea water, and boarded up with palisades, girded itself for the final confrontation. An envoy of the sea folk came to plead the case of her people... The band would not say what it is that she offered, only that they refused it. No regrets were to be had over this, however, as the defence was a glorious battle indeed!

Albert proved himself a Swordsman! Pledging that he would bring a great Claw of a giant Lobster back to Jork, he slew one in battle and had its limb removed and sent to a feast in Jork!

Vic proved herself a Swordswoman! Pledging that she would slaughter ten merfolk single handedly, she proceeded to wade into the enemy lines with a greatsword and cleave them limb from limb!

Erik set out to prove himself a Hero, but ended up making a Skald out of himself! Pledging that he would defeat the enemy commander, he instead found himself face to face with

VESUVIUS, THE MYRMIDON "OF THE BLACK SMOKER"

and when Vesuvius pledged he would answer Erik's bold challenge single handedly, Erik doubled down! He wasn't here for a fight, he was here to make sure at least ONE of them DIED!

They circled each other, round after round. Vesuvius had the vigor of three men, and indeed would get three blows in for every one Erik could land. It kept him on the back foot, but blow after blow was parried by the Axeman, only to be repaid with interest with punishing cleaving strikes! To the amazement of all standing, it seemed that Vesuvius surely had it in hand, with Erik a mere touch away from death and the fighting fish still more than any one man could handle.

It was then that Erik threw his shoulder out, digging deep into the sand and throwing a clod into Vesuvius' face before bring his axe down first on his spear arm and then on his shield arm, and as the eleven-cubit spear fell into the turf and the myrmidon's shield slipped from his grasp, Erik's last act was to discard his axe and embrace the fallen champion before his own body gave out.

MAURITS,

being true to his word, gave his daughter Louis' hand in marriage to Albert! Their ceremony was fit for a small king, and after Erik had recovered, saw fit to buy gifts for the two of them, a good sword and shield to signify their resolute new house.

With much treasure, honor, and no small amount of word spread about their deeds, the band rested on their laurels for a time...

However...

Not all were so happy to hear the news. The credit for the defence went to the band. The armored swordsmen, were seen as heroes in their OWN right, and as being led by CAPTAIN ALBERT!

King Ulfr had had enough of this. First, word had come that King Vagn had patronized a band of adventurers from Rhus and they had given him word of the affairs of Hwicce. Then, those self same adventurers had elected not to mention this inconvenient fact as they plied him for military aid. The final straw was that he had been left to shepherd his own men back from Trecht... and many of them had elected to stay. Land had not been parceled out in due time, they said. The locals were kith, they said. They would seek their own fortune, they said.

ERIK, ALBERT, VIC, these were REAL warriors, they said.

King Ulfr denounced the christian head-taker, Erik. The duplicitous captain, Albert. As long as their henchmen and companions stand by them, none of them shall be given mercy either. His realm is unstable as it is, before this development came...

Pyorra,

the great contient, awaits. The band demurrs on where to go next, though the tiebreaker seems to be that Erik has a few more christian heads to deliver to his mentor on the Isle of the Berserkers...