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Empyrean Ulfhednar

Empyrean Ulfhednar are the elite bodyguards of the Empyrean Norse nobles and royal families.

0 · 347 views · located in Empyrean Sea Beach

a character in “The Multiverse”, as played by Sigurd_Hring

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The Empyrean Norsemen have a well established space-faring kingdom on an isolated island in the Empyrean High Seas, originating on planet Gaia in the Milky Way and waving a dragon banner.

So begins...

Empyrean Ulfhednar's Story

Characters Present

Character Portrait: The Ulfhednar Character Portrait: Robbie Wings Character Portrait: Jess Thresher Character Portrait: Maegan Davenport Character Portrait: Toh Shirong Character Portrait: "Spaniard"
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King Halfdan was at the recession hall inside the Empyrean Castle located in the Ring Fortress, talking to his jarls and other noble aristocrats about ways to expand his kingdom. He was wearing a dark royal purple tunic with gold trim, long red trousers, black leather boots and a black leather belt. He was also wearing a grey wolf skinned cape attached to one shoulder by a golden brooch, and a red fox fur hat or turban fitted with a crown of gold, and decorated with many colorful gemstones. He wore the king's red ruby ring, a gold medallion necklace inlaid with blue sapphire, and a silver serpent-headed arm ring over his left upper arm. King Halfdan's long shoulder length dark brown hair and short bearded mustache were groomed neatly and he smelled of spices and perfume, a clear indication that this was the king.

His most trusted nobles were with him. Fudørn Auricsson, the great descendant of Fudørn the Wise, was sitting to his right. Engrel Korrisson, the great descendant of Engöll the Archer, was sitting to his left. These were the jarls or earls of the Empyrean Norse Kingdom, dressed in bright red uniforms, wearing chainmail hauberks with lamellar cuirasses, metal stripped greaves and vambraces, their armor emblazoned with the logo of the famous dragon which also appeared on the banner and flags decorating the great kingdom, a sharp contrast to the Iskjerne Viking's raven banner, further across the seas to the north.

Snorri Jonasson was also sitting at the king's round table, only his uniform was bright blue instead of red, signifying that he was a man of lesser rank and status, but he was still privy enough to sit with the king and enjoy vintage wine in the company of great leaders. Rufus the Bald was also at the table, only he was not sitting, but rather, standing behind the king's throne. Rufus was also wearing a blue uniform, only his tunic was much darker than Snorri's, being a lesser bright, almost midnight or navy blue. Rufus the Bald had a long white wooly beard and a brown bear-hide fluffy cape which flowed over his broad shoulders, his completely bald head covered in tattoos with a stern fierce gaze on his face, signifying that this was the king's royal champion and bodyguard.

Other karls and freemen were also in the recession hall of the castle, though these were less famous Norsemen dressed in blue garbs who sat further down at the other side of the king's table. There were also three empty seats which had been designated for nobles, and which nobody else dared to sit in. Everyone else in the great gathering hall was either standing, or sitting on the matted flooring around the table. Some wore blue, some wore green, but apart from their attire, everyone in the castle looked pretty much the same. Young maids in pastel green dresses or long tunicas and aprons would walk around through the crowded chamber with silver pitchers, filling everyone's bolvine horned drinking cups and silver mugs.

Jarl Goffre had been away for some time, leading an expedition to the stars. Goffre's seat remained empty, for he had taken a fleet with him to another planet in a different arm of the galaxy, hoping to expand the kingdom and make it an empire. Prince Logan's and Princess Alruna's seats were also empty, for they were now handling other affairs inside the kingdom. Prince Logan was going around throughout the village on horseback, ensuring law and order, and gathering intelligence about the local community, accompanied by his elvish bodyguards, while Princess Alruna, now two weeks pregnant, would see to the temples, forests and gardens, accompanied by her closest hand-maidens as they left offerings for the gods and land spirits, ensuring peace and blessings throughout the marvelous kingdom.

Just as expected, a knarr would appear on the horizon of the sea, carrying merchants and sailors from the continent of Ellaria, bringing with them the merchandise they had gathered and purchased legally from trading and buying. The knarr was much smaller than the Norse drakkar longships, being roughly the same size as the karvis, only with a broader and wider hull which made it slower, but enabled it to carry more luggage. It was not a war ship, but a merchant ship, yet few were those who did not recognize its Empyrean dragon banner, or dared to commit piracy against it for fear of the consequences. The Empyrean Norsemen had been a decent, civilized and peaceful people for centuries, providing sanctuary to their neighbors and other Gaian peoples, and there was no need to provoke the Norsemen to war, especially after word had already spread across the lands about the fervor and violence of their northern cousins.

As the knarr reached the shores, it made its way to the docks and was roped off to keep it from drifting away as the small crew worked together with the other workers on the docks to setup a ramp on to the boat's deck. Soon, an assembly line was formed as the crew started handing down large wooden chests filled with merchandise and treasure, new furs and animal skins. They also unloaded some horses and goats, leading them off the docks and over towards the pastors near the farming village. Finally, a small mule cart wagon would descend down the ramp slowly and head for the ring fort, being driven by a familiar face. One of the guards would enter the king's hall and approach King Halfdan, whispering into his ear.

"Your majesty, I bring word from the shipyard. Thorvald Asvaldsson has returned from Iskjerne," the messenger whispered softly. King Halfdan nodded quietly and smiled, raising his silver wine goblet and offering a toast to the other nobles and freemen in the recession hall. "Skál!" the king shouted with glee. "Skál!" the Norsemen shouted back at him joyfully as they all proceeded to down the contents in their drinking horns. Everything was going smoothly according to plan. Little did any of them know at the time that Thorvald's message from the north would be a cause for great concern.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: The Ulfhednar Character Portrait: Robbie Wings Character Portrait: Jess Thresher Character Portrait: Maegan Davenport Character Portrait: Toh Shirong Character Portrait: "Spaniard"
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The Great King Halfdan Svensson was still feasting and enjoying the company of the other nobles when Thorvald "Bloodyfist" Asvaldsson walked into the great hall and stood quietly by one of the posts, joining the rest of the crowd who had come to feast with the king. King Halfdan the Great would glance over to Thorvald once he noticed him and signalled for him to approach the king's table and join him. "What news do you bring from the north?" Halfdan asked, offering him a seat across the table from himself. "Nothing you want to hear, your grace" Thorvald answered, removing his hat and sitting down.

"I learned that Iskjerne Bay is no longer a kingdom, but is composed of 3 kingdoms, 2 kings and 1 queen. There are no grasslands, no forests, and no sign of the land spirits. Cold and fever, sickness and death. There are many burial mounds, from the battles they have won. But Hel is like a silent hound, before it clicks its fangs. They are warriors, still, and I felt it better to leave before they started fighting, Thorvald recalled, telling the konung everything about the plague and division between the Iskjerne Vikings. People listened, and so did King Halfdan, who turned to look at Princess Alruna who was sitting beside him, next to Prince Logan, also listening. They had returned from their daily routines.

"You could have taken the throne for yourself," Logan said. King Halfdan glanced at Prince Logan, then turned to look at Thorvald again. "How about you, my daughter? What do you think?" he asked, as Thorvald glanced at King Halfdan before looking at the princess. "I, think... We should have a feast. Decorate our houses and celebrate" she said, smiling. King Halfdan grinned, glancing at the dome shaped rooftop high above the floor before nodding his head. "A feast... Yes. Invite messengers from every kingdom north and south, and send word that the leader of the Empyrean Norsemen is holding a feast, paid for by the king. It will last eleven days," the king said, looking at Prince Logan once again, before nodding his head.

Logan nodded to the sea elf standing beside him, who had purple and blue shiney, scaley skin, large black eyes with V-shaped reflective silver pupils, pointy ears, and long flowing green hair which looked like seaweed. The elf was wearing a dark midnight blue gambeson and a gem encrusted silver chestplate over the top of a silver hauberk and haubergeon, wearing a cone shaped gold-trimmed silver helmet, shoulder guards and arm plates, holding a double engrailed top shield similar to the shield of Tyrell in shape, only pure silver and gold in color and shine. As the elf walked away, King Halfdan ordered the preparations to be made for a feast. Soon everyone would start decorating the halls with boughs of holly leaves, placing mistletoe above the doorways, pine cones and berries intertwined with wreaths on the doors.

Logs were gathered and set by the fireplace, along with one log in particular which they had set aside from the others. Some people would pick mushrooms and decorate the pine trees, completely ignoring the other trees, while other Norsemen prepared centerpieces for the dining tables, each centerpiece having three candles. 1 large swine was prepared for the feast, along with 3 bulls, 6 goats, 9 squirrels, 1 fox, 1 horse and 1 bear. King Halfdan forbid the use of traps, making it illegal and unlawful to hunt anything with antlers. He insisted that they instead decorate their homes and the entire village with candles and magic tinsel, collecting berries and potatoes, carrots, walnuts, hazel nuts, almonds, cashews and pecans to share with everyone. Some of the maidens went to work making different kinds of breads and sweets for the the feast. Others would perform sacred cleansing rituals for the building, and the dining area inside of it.

King Halfdan the Great sent his messengers out into Ellaria and S'iven, and to the Álfaren kingdoms. Everyone was welcomed to participate, regardless of their race, gender, age, language or faith. He also invited other species, and left offerings all over the kingdom for the winter loving animals to eat freely. King Halfdan was hoping that his generous invitation would earn him a more connected, better relationship with his gods and neighbors. Apple and cinnamon, imported sugar and spice. There was ginger, peppermint and more to compliment different varieties of mead and beer, and plenty of food to go around as the fires burned and the Empyrean Norse Kingdom was lit up with lights. It wasn't snowing here like it was in Iskjerne Bay, but the wispy waves and southward winds made the Empyrean Sea Beach chilly at night, so iron chandeliers fitted with dozens of white and red candles would be hung in the recession hall, and above the dance floors and dining halls, along with portable torches, while the great hall and all the guest quarters were cleansed with burnt spices and incense, protecting the kingdom from an outbreak of the Viking Plague.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: The Ulfhednar Character Portrait: Robbie Wings Character Portrait: Jess Thresher Character Portrait: Maegan Davenport Character Portrait: Toh Shirong Character Portrait: "Spaniard"
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Empyrean Sea Beach... three months later...

There was a knock on the door. Three consistent knocks in a row, simple and to the point. It was an elfen mercenary from the beach. He was wearing pure 999 golden reflective material, almost resembling aluminum foil and light metallic elven armor so shiny and perfect that it reflected like a gold mirror. His skin was iridescent and shiny with color changing hues of green, blue and purple like some kind of aquatic sea creature, and his scaley skin seemed to blend in and perhaps even merge with his scale breastplate and shoulder armor. The messenger had solid black eyes with V-shaped silver pupils, and at his side was a long curved sabre reminiscent of a silver scimitar.

"It's open..." Prince Logan responded from inside his private chamber. It was a rather basic room of antique design resembling something like a home office. The prince was sitting at his polished wooden desk, examining a tabletop miniature spinning globe of Gaia suspended by its axis points and connected to a bronze base, twirling it around with his fingertip.

As the tall elven naval officer opened the door, he held it open as another, much smaller figure entered the Prince's chamber and hobbled over to the chair on the other side of the prince's desk. Prince Logan could hear tiny footsteps approaching his desk, but whoever it was had been so small that he couldn't see the source of the footsteps over the edge of his desk as the chair across from him seemed to pull away and move on its own. A few seconds later, however, a small individual lifted himself into the chair and sat down, looking up at Prince Logan with just his eyes and ears showing, and the top of his long red cone shaped hat.

It was a garden gnome. But not just any garden gnome. It was the commander of the Empyrean Gnome Network, a sentient race of intelligence gathering little magical people who were native to the island and had somehow, despite the presence of the Norsemen, comically deemed themselves to be the sole rulers and guardians of the island, and the most powerful force in all of existence. This bold claim wasn't entirely true, but the Empyrean Norsemen respected the little gnomes and admired their fervor. Prince Logan had befriended the Empyrean Gnome Network, advised by his own elfish counsel, for the tiny domestic soldiers served a purpose and despite being very small, could be either a nuisance to the Norsemen, or a useful alliance. Their commander's name was Cloud Wrestler, and yet he only stood barely over 19 inches tall as he gazed up at Prince Logan with weariness in his tired eyes.

"Hello again young lad," the long grey bearded gnome said sluggishly, looking a bit dazed. The sea elf stepped into the prince's chamber and closed the door behind him, guarding the entrance.

"Oh, your excellency. I didn't know that was you. To what do I owe this great pleasure?" Prince Logan asked, sliding the model globe off to the side of his desk before pulling his seat forward and leaning in to get a better look at the little person sitting across from him.

"I've come to inform you that..." Cloud Wrestler leaned forward to peer into Prince Logan's eyes, raising his index finger to speak. But before he could, the old gnome closed his eyelids and lowered his hand again as his head started to hang forward and he suddenly fell asleep.

Prince Logan waited for a response, blinking as the commander started snoring loudly. "Commander Cloud..." the prince said calmly. But as the gnome started snoring more loudly, Logan slammed his fist down on the desk and spoke louder. "Commander!" he said affirmatively.

Commander Cloud jumped up and opened his eyes again, raising his index finger once more to finish his long lengthy speech, and make his demands. No way was some young punk Empyrean Norse prince going to try and startle him. Cloud Wrestler wasn't afraid of anybody or anything, as he tried to remember what he was saying.

"Um.. ah yes.. the Empyrean Gnome Network is proud to announce that our forces are in position." the commander said with authority, furrowing his hairy eyebrows. Prince Logan had no idea what Cloud Wrestler was talking about, but he was sure it was probably good news as he nodded quietly, listening to what the tiny fellow had to say.

"Zzz... Zzz..." the commander started to doze off and snore again. Prince Logan glanced up at the elven guardian at the door, who stood perfectly at attention, as still as a statue without flinching or even making a sound. Logan began to sympathize with the elven soldier for a moment, before slamming his fist down and calling his name again.

"Commander Cloud!" he shouted, causing the gnome to jump back in his seat and open his eyes again. Cloud Wrestler had to grab on to his red cone shaped hat and look around at first before he remembered where he was, or how he got there. But then it occurred to him. His army was all alone in the field. He had to get back to work.

"Hm? Oh yes, right... Carry on," the tiny leader commanded before hopping out of the chair and making his way back to the door. "Oh, and tell your king that last week's payment was short. He still owes us for the gardens," Cloud demanded. Prince Logan seemed confused.

"The payment was short? But that wasn't the - I had my own carrier deliver that basket..." Prince Logan assured him. But as the elfish warrior opened the door for him, Cloud Wrestler scoffed and retorted back to him.

"We agreed on 86 puffy marshmallows. I only counted 84, you owe us 5 more" the gnomish commander dictated as he scowled up at the much taller prince. Logan blinked again. He didn't understand the commander's logic, math or reasoning, but it actually amused him more than anything. Marshmallows of all things, in such a peculiar and specific amount. It was a small matter to the Empyrean Norsemen, but for some reason the gnomes were obsessed with marshmallows, something that the other Empyreans couldn't care less about. It seemed like a fair trade.

"My apologies, your excellency. I take full responsibility. I will have my servants double count the basket next time, and I will see to it that you are compensated..." the prince said.

As the commander of the Empyrean Gnome Network left the Prince's chamber, Logan would just smile quietly and shake his head while looking at the elfish warrior. The sea elf rolled his eyes and smiled also, saluting Prince Logan before leaving the room and closing the door behind him. Prince Logan leaned back in his chair, slid the model globe of Gaia back in front of himself on the desk and begin spinning it again. The life of an Empyrean Norse prince was interesting indeed.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: The Ulfhednar Character Portrait: Robbie Wings Character Portrait: Jess Thresher Character Portrait: Maegan Davenport Character Portrait: Toh Shirong Character Portrait: "Spaniard"
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Days turned into weeks, and after a month of continuous politics, foreign trade and networking, the gnomish commander Cloud Wrestler walked into the prince's chamber one day and reported that the Stjornhestr had returned from a distant planet. Apparently, the ship's entire crew had survived.

The entire kingdom was of course excited to see the return of Jarl Goffre Alvisson and his crew, with Svegdir Staghelm and Borstein the journalist right beside him. King Halfdan the Great welcomed the Stjornhestr's crew of Norse cosmonauts personally, greeting their company dressed formally wearing a royal purple cape with a crown of purest gold. The king congratulated them on their safe journey and presented the jarl and each karl with a golden medal, granting the thralls on their expedition with enough silver pennies to buy their own freedom and change their clothing colors. Halfdan then threw a feast, giving a toast to Jarl Goffre and his shipmates.

The king's royal council wasted little time in collecting Birger's maps, writings, and notebook full of drawings to be copied and made available to them. Halfdan the Great's kingdom was beginning to seem more like an intergalactic empire than a small Norse colony. The Empyrean Sea Beach formed its borders, but the entire island itself was it's capital. King Halfdan then commissioned another quest to the stars. Only this time instead of sending just one starship, the king decided to launch all 3 of them. It was a small armada, but a force to be reckoned with. Initially Goffre Alvisson and his team refused to return to Xamayos, still unnerved by what they had discovered there, but King Halfdan pleaded with Goffre and offered to give the Stjornhestr's crew more supplies, and an even better payout than their first mission. The jarl and his cosmonauts agreed, and soon the Stjornhestr was back on its way to the distant planet of dinosaurs, monsters and megabeasts.

It wasn't long before the smoke from the wildfire on the mainland reached the area where it could be seen from the island. The sea elves reported to King Halfdan that the Argosians had returned to Ellaria and had set the Great Forest ablaze. It wouldn't be long before the forest's native inhabitants came pouring into the shores and asking for sanctuary. King Halfdan was not one to turn them away. His empire was expanding as he gazed out into the great assembly of humans, dwarves, elves, gnomes, and other magical races who had somehow come to serve him. Eventually he knew he would have to make a decision to help their Iskjerne Viking cousins to fight off their oppressors, or to help the Argosian foreigners to conquer Iskjerne Bay in order to expand his own intergalactic trading network.

The setting changes from Empyrean Sea Beach to Senusret

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Empyrean Norsemen Character Portrait: Stjornhestr Character Portrait: Stjornkona Character Portrait: Empyrean Sjóálfar Character Portrait: Empyrean Ulfhednar
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A smaller but mighty spaceship descends from the orbital frontiers of Dedelion, looking like a starry spectacle in the mid-day sun as it descends from the partially visible white puffy clouds and enormously vast bright blue skies.

The Stjornkona resembled a space faring Viking longship, albeit with a sort of sci-fi/steampunk futuristic twist as it hovered silently down from the open stormless sunny skies, the completely invisible energy surrounding the vessel leaving its unseen mark in the form of the bowl-shaped imprint or dent it left in the lake as it pushed the water aside before landing gracefully into the lake.

The Stjornkona, similar to her sister the Stjornhestr, which was now orbiting Bastion IV, was a magically endowed longboat designed by expert shipbuilders and crafted especially for a specific purpose. The moderately small spaceship doubled as a considerably large Nordic Viking watercraft which slowly cradled its crew to a weightless drift in the center of the seemingly still and tranquil lake, the only giveaway of the Empyrean Norse Empire's presence being the perfectly circular water rings that expanded across the water, but which also got thinner before fading away the bigger each circle grew in size, they too disappearing as the lake grew calm again.

At the bow of this large Viking vessel was a large visible figurine carved into what would have been the windlass sail holder, a large extension at the nose of the Empyrean Norse mothership similar to a marlin or swordfish, only this ship bore the likeness of a mermaid or water nymph, or perhaps even a remarkable sea goddess, for the Stjornkona in the crew's native language translated to intergalactic common as the Starmaiden, or Star-Maiden, a beautiful but deceptively dangerous decoration for the magical Viking ship which had just landed peacefully in the water, making its presence known.

The setting changes from Senusret to The Milky Way

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: The 6th Order Character Portrait: Aschen Marine Character Portrait: Cydrok Character Portrait: Chaos God Slaanesh Character Portrait: Ralen Nostari Character Portrait: The Final Order
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The Stjorndrekr would float effortlessly in unison beside the Stjornkona, also emerging from the Sirius star system parallel to the first Viking ship, an almost identical twin replica of the Stjornhestr, except that the bow of the Stjornkona had the figure of a sea maiden, while the Stjorndrekr had a dragon prow more similar to older classical Viking longships.

The Vikings had arrived from their long journey, which started on the Empyrean Sea Beach, a small island on planet Gaia, deep within the Sirius star system. But this is where they would part ways, for as the Stjornkona split ways through the Norma Arm, heading for Dedelion, its sister ship the Stjorndrekr headed deeper into the Milky Way, drifting silently towards deeper Space as it discreetly left the galaxy.

The setting changes from The Milky Way to The Fantasia Galaxy

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Ifrit Atundai Character Portrait: Empyrean Norsemen Character Portrait: Stjornhestr Character Portrait: Stjornkona Character Portrait: Empyrean Sjóálfar Character Portrait: Empyrean Ulfhednar
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The Stjorndrekr drifted slowly through outer Space, entering the Fantasia Galaxy after traversing through millions and millions of light-years and light-miles of gas clouds and dark matter at the speed of cosmic sound, with some assistance from Gaian magic. This small but magnificent space-faring dragon ship was one of three twin vessels or sister ships. Whereas the Stjornhestr returned to Bastion IV, and the Stjornkona headed for Dedelion, the legendary Stjorndrekr had left the galaxy completely and the Empyrean Norsemen on board had just set a record for being the crew and passengers of the most distant Gaian Norse vessel in the universe. The reason why the Empyrean Norsemen had traveled so far, along with the Sjoalfar who accompanied them was still a mystery. But it had taken weeks, months, even a few years for the Stjorndrekr to arrive as it drifts quietly through the Fantasia Galaxy, undetectable by radio, satellite, computer, phone, radar, or most forms of communication as the Stjorndrekr had no electricity and gave off very little if any signature, being only 1/3rd the size of most other transport buses, enterprises and shuttle ships. Although the Stjorndrekr had its own on board built-in ecosystem, 13 escape shuttles and an arsenal of weapons and armour capable of engaging in intergalactic warfare with a crew of 500 or more Vikings, it resembled a classic sea-faring Viking longship, with a sci-fi/steampunk twist, being moderate or humble in size but decoratively elaborate in appearance as it descended towards the Talmora System, making no sound whatsoever as it continued its most linear trajectory to one of the furthest points in the local universe. The dragon-prowed longship gave off no light of its own, only reflecting the distant stars with its silver and gold manufacturing as it hovered quietly, sailing through Fantasia.

The setting changes from The Fantasia Galaxy to Senusret

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Empyrean Norsemen Character Portrait: Stjornhestr Character Portrait: Stjornkona Character Portrait: Empyrean Sjóálfar Character Portrait: Empyrean Ulfhednar
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The lake sent a whisper to someone somewhere far away, yet closer than probably expected. This whisper was entirely undetectable by all, aside those Of Senusret. There was a new vessel parked on Lake Vitality. The foreign vessel called itself Stjornkona.

Lake Vitality sent a second whisper. Lake Vitality was more than large enough to comfortably accommodate most water activities the long boat might consider getting into, if the crew liked those sorts of games.

Lake Vitality had grown calm shortly after the Stjornkona descended. It remained calm for a period of time, long enough for the state of calm to be considered usual and expected, long enough for most to grow bored staring into it's infinity of blue.

Roughly fifty feet from the Stjornkona, another ripple appeared. It was caused, once, by seemingly nothing. Again Lake Vitality grew still.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Empyrean Norsemen Character Portrait: Goffre Alvisson Character Portrait: Halfdan Svensson Character Portrait: Stjornhestr Character Portrait: Karvi-3 Character Portrait: Birger Torvesson
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After a moment of inactivity in the otherwise seemingly still waters of Lake Vitality, the large Viking longship began to move. Large ramps slowly opened up on both sides of the longship, and from within the air-tight ports, two smaller vessels emerged. These karve-like silver convertiboats were much smaller in size, about 20 foot in length and shaped like silver almonds as they were released from the Stjornkona, drifting outward into the serene lake as if the larger longship had just given birth to two smaller oblong egg-like boats. As the convertiboats drifted ahead of the Stjornkona, the large ramps were retracted and shut like drawbridges against the sealed docking bay, pushing water outwards from the air-tight vacuum within like a giant aquatic whale exhaling spouts of water from its blowhole, or a mechanical shark through its massive gills. Such was the effort and technology of the Empyrean Norsemen, having worked for generations and generations to reach the stars while their own home planet Gaia was being destroyed by more primitive barbarian peoples that had been fighting and killing each other for decades, allowing the Empyrean Vikings to stay out of the limelight and advance far beyond other space-faring races.

The expedition to Senusret had been sanctioned by King Halfdan the Great for the purpose of exploration, star navigation, resource gathering, mapping, soil and water samples, weapons testing and new discoveries, all in the name of Empyrean Norse science, magic and alchemy. The small convertiboats began to push forward, moving side by side as they headed towards the open shore, while the captain of the Stjornkona and his two pilots took note of the other small ripple in the water roughly fifty feet away. By now, every Norsemen was familiar with the open seas, many of them having sailed back and forth across much larger and deeper waters back home. Most of them had already grown accustomed to whales, sea monsters and dragons, and many passengers on the Stjornkona had already been acquainted with Birger's maps and sketches, and his illustrious tales of Jarl Goffre and his crew's frightening encounters in Dracos Valley, something which every Nordic cosmonaut had been required to study before venturing into outer space. And while the Stjornkona had an entirely new and different crew from its twin sister ship the Stjornhestr, every vessel now had copies of Birger's journal and, coming well prepared for their journey across the galaxy, the Stjornkona's crew of 500 vikings felt like they had nothing to fear at this point in their journey.

The convertiboats drifted slowly ahead while the larger longship sat still in the middle of Lake Vitality, each one holding a small gang of 12 armed vikings who were already in the process of taking notes and studying this new foreign habitat on Dedelion as they approached the shore, well protected by the seemingly windowless two-sided silvery mirror casings and plate-like rooftops on each karve that allowed the gangs to have a 360° full view of everything around them, both above and below the water, so long as there was clear visibility to perceive everything. Although they could not see the bottom of the lake due to its sunless depths, as usual they did detect life forms in the water and determined that the planet's air was breathable by the sighting of small curious fish and scattered palm trees on the shallow beaches. The sealife was different from Gaia and the palms were shaped slightly different from the ones on the Empyrean Sea Beach, but they were not too dissimilar from home to the point of being unrecognizable, and even the climate and temperature itself seemed almost familiar to them as they approached the shore. Only once they reached the shallow waters did the bimini-like rooftops start to open and retract back, revealing the oarmen within the convertiboats as the vikings felt the fresh air and breathed the calming breeze for the first time.

The setting changes from Senusret to Iskjerne Bay

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Livia Caesarius Character Portrait: Sigurd Hring Character Portrait: Iskjerne Vikings Character Portrait: Uhtred the Godless Character Portrait: The Svinfylking Character Portrait: The Berserkers
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During the Argosian conquest of Ellaria...

There was something happening among the Iskjerne vikings, as they now appeared to be in a declaration of war with the Ellarian barbarians, the Tartarian nobles, the Argosian legion, the Takayama shogunate, the Detente and many others. King Harald Fairhair seemed like he had gone mad, but in all reality, most were not wars that he himself had started. Rather, these were wars that Harald Finehair inherited when he became the King of Iskjerne Bay.

Granted, the Norwegian king had made an oath to restore Iskjerne Bay back to its native people. He fulfilled that oath with honor, giving the land back to the Iskjerne vikings by restoring their rights to lands, refurbishing Sigurd Hring's old viking settlement, replanting and rebuilding with communal assistance from the Iskjerne vikings themselves, liberating them from all foreign relationships, invasions, policies and religions.

That sounded like a good idea, but this was not to be the will of the gods. For whatever reason, the nature spirits didn't return quickly to repollinate the old settlement. Iskjerne Bay had also inherited a pestilence, a great plague of barren mounds and the feeling of death around every corner. Many were those who died performing legendary feats and engaging in heroic battles, and King Fairhair had also demonstrated a lust for power through xenophobic behavior. This behavior, however, did not go unnoticed. The gnomes, elves, dwarves, and other races were slow to repopulate and repollinate Iskjerne Bay, and the gods were unresponsive when offerings and sacrifices were made to them.

King Harald Fairhair had waged no war on the nature spirits, but it would take some time for them to return in great numbers. Fairhair did purge the vikings into a bitter conflict with the Argosian nation, the Taiyou city of Niihama, and the Tartarian Norman duchy. This perhaps had racial or cultural implications, and his total genocide of foreign affairs in Iskjerne Bay had only added to their complications. With the lack of goblins and ogres, dragons and giants, only the statues of the gods remained.

There was a slight breeze, low dark clouds hovering swiftly over grey skies, a murder of crows and large black ravens squawking as they glided down from their perches on the tower balcony when King Harald opened the doors to the large stone crescent patio and stepped out on to the balcony, resting his whole bodyweight against the stone railing which separated him from gazing hundreds of feet to his death. He gazed up at the rolling clouds and peered out towards the mountains, studying the direction of the black billows of smoke escalating from the sloping horizon. He knew that the great fire would not cross the Weargtooth mountain range due to the sparsity of woodlands and shelters.

As he looked down at the small kingdom below, he noticed two people walking slowly up to the third entrance of the castle, assisting what appeared to be two more people who had been wounded. It was Bjorn Ironside and the last of his own personal berserkers, the rest of whom had been slaughtered by Ellarian barbarians led by a Germanic chieftain whose identity was concealed behind a facemask-visored helmet. King Harald listened to Bjorn's venture to capture Duke Robert, as did Queen Lagertha who sat across from Bjorn Ironside next to King Harald on her throne, remaining motionless and listening quietly to her eldest son's exploits. King Harald was displeased to find out that Bjorn Ironside, even the large berserker son of Ragnar Lothbrok had failed to capture Rollo on account of the Cheruscans, Chatti, Harii and other tribes that had ambushed Bjorn's gang.

Harald Fairhair slammed his fist down on the arm of his throne seat and cringed. After a moment, he raised a mead horn and gave a toast to Bjorn's safe return, vowing before all of the volva and witnesses in the great hall that he would seek revenge against the Ellarian barbarians after their battle with the approaching Argosians. This didn't seem feasible, had it not been for the tone and manner in which he said it, for it was evident that the Great Ellarian Forest was burning, and that the Ellarian barbarians must have suffered many losses in their fight with Bjorn Ironside and his party of Iskjerne berserkers. Capturing the Duke Rollo was no longer a priority, but neither were the Ellarians as even now, the Argosian legion was already approaching the kingdom.

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Bjorn's return was not celebrated very long on account of all the circumstances and mead shortage. Soon, everyone would return to their posts, and their plan to make their last stand against their enemies would resume much as before. Bjorn Ironside shared what little information he could about his venture into Argosian/Ellarian territory, but said nothing about his encounter with Odin as his eyes scanned over the leather map that King Harald rolled out over the round table in front of them.

It was a Map of Gaia...

Little did the House of Finehair know that the Iskjerne ulfhednar had already been defeated, but King Harald had never put much reliance on the front line to begin with. There were still Iskjerne hestuhar, svinfylking, kattrfylking and shield-maidens, specialized archers armed with the Tartarian crossbows they had seized, and many a berserker and war machine to deal with. King Harald was expecting the Argosian legion to utilize seige weaponry, and thanks to the great (although slow) progress of Iskjerne Bay, the vikings had some seige engineering of their own. Prepared for any attacks from land, air or sea, the Iskjerne vikings waited.

Meanwhile, to the far west of Iskjerne Bay and more southward towards the tropical regions of Ellaria, the Empyrean Norsemen had just launched a full-scale space expedition across the galaxy, and indeed, in an attempt to circumnavigate the multiverse using elven and dwarven alchemy, reaching for the stars. Things were not so advanced in Iskjerne Bay, where the lack of magic had been replaced by human strength and perseverance, and King Harald's "advanced" weapons were but medieval catapults and trebuchets made of simple metal, wood and stone. Such weapons were still magnificent, however, comprised of some of the most advanced human engineering that Gaia had to offer.

Human beings were a confusing lot, their human natures full of inquisition and unanswered questions, revelry and rivalry, and the chance for uncertainty. Here in Iskjerne Bay, in the midst of the Milky Way galaxy, pure-blooded human beings were still in existence, untainted by computers, tracphones and technology, without augmented repairs or simulations, threatened by entire space empires yet still remaining, 100% human, uninfected and unmutated by the whims of the goddesses of fate.

Gaia was indeed a remarkable planet. The mortal Iskjerne vikings stood in defiance of the gods, against time and space, and against the very spirits of their own innate destruction. One particular deity was Sigurd Hring, the native god and titan, who observed their offerings and sacrifices whilst subservient to Odin and the other more powerful deities who held him back from intervening in their human mortal affairs, even though Sigurd was being humble and modest, for Iskjerne Bay was his kingdom and not even the gods themselves could stop him from ruling it with an iron fist.

But the gods had made council, and the heavens themselves were of one accord, so that the Iskjerne vikings and their equally mortal enemies would be destined to battle without magic or luck, modern science or technology, and especially without the help of the gods. Ellaria's great forest burned slowly, consuming more and more of the enormous continent with every passing minute. There was silence and the cumbersome feeling of loneliness in that moment as the enemies of Iskjerne Bay neared closer and closer, bringing that same global pandemic with them as they approached.

But despite even all of the other stuff that was already happening, there was still more beneath the surface. Be it by some sacred vampiric ritual or perhaps a tumor of energy prescribed to dark magic, or the curse that had consumed the kingdom, the tumuli and burial mounds in Iskjerne Bay were not all lifeless and dormant after all, some of the skeletal bodies and mutilated corpses groaning or tossing in their graves. Unanimated, still dead, the corpses would not rise from their resting places... this was not a resurrection. This was merely a trembling, a subtle signature of things to come as the shores of Iskjerne Bay became more darkened.

White caps and waves started to approach and recede from the rocky fjords, as the unsettled and cremated spirit of Ivar the Boneless made its draugr presence felt, not upon the living but upon the already dead.

King Imar...

The new king of the dead...

Like the great world serpent, he emerged from the deepest darkest depths of the Great Ellarian Sea, his own tattered and sunken, burned and charcoaled funeral ship lying in abysmal ruins and broken pieces at the bottom of the sea. His own body had been turned to ashes, which now mixed with the soot and sand at the sunless sea floor, but King Imar had inherited his mother's and father's curse, being both the son of a famous viking konung and an equally talented famous witch. He had started as a false self-proclaimed mortal god. But now Ivar the Boneless was no longer a slithering half-paralyzed cripple. He was not even a physical person anymore, but his restless spirit had become a draugr, a type of Old Norse ghost, vampire or revenant.

Such was the situation in Iskjerne Bay that even the primeval forces remained silent, awestruck by the situation. Sigurd Hring would grin, giving testimony to his cause. King Harald and King Halfdan, and indeed Floki the Blind, were all now competing against one another in a freezing cold triangular war for absolution. Clearly the Iskjerne vikings had been outnumbered, outpowered and outsmarted by the Argosian army. But fate always seemed to rear her head as the vikings resolved to stand against them, continuing as planned.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Livia Caesarius Character Portrait: Yoko Kayabuki Character Portrait: Sigurd Hring Character Portrait: Seno Miyagi Character Portrait: Iskjerne Vikings Character Portrait: Uhtred the Godless
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#, as written by Sepokku
Uhtred laughed as he watched his guileless children feign making war. “Quaint,” he smiled as he sipped his mead

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Livia Caesarius Character Portrait: Yoko Kayabuki Character Portrait: Sigurd Hring Character Portrait: Seno Miyagi Character Portrait: Iskjerne Vikings Character Portrait: Uhtred the Godless
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Vae Victus


"Benedicite omnes formas intelligentiae." Livia said to herself once they crested a hill overlooking Iskjerne Bay. "We made it." She thought to herself as she watched from afar. The settlement was pitiful, she could smell the starvation and disease from where she stood. The icy wind whipped the heavy pelt she was wearing, and whisps of auburn hair whipped around her face as she squinted, surveying the ring fort below. Clasped in her right hand was a looking glass, and with purpose, she brought the looking glass to her right eye, and watched below.

She recalled the memories of the trek across the mountains, their fight with the Ulfhednar, their burning of Ellaria, and the brutal killing of her praetorian guards. All these events culminated into what was about to transpire. Now Livia stood poised to conquer the great Iskjerne Bay. She was poised to lay them low, and exact vengeance for everything they had done to her people.

She looked both directions, to her left, and to her right as her legion, now united and three thousand strong began assembling along the mountain passes overlooking Iskjerne Bay. She had laid out the plans with her consul, and explained them in great detail. She was going to encircle Iskjerne Bay and force them to surrender, and failing that she planned to lay siege to the settlement, and kill them all.

Livia silently rested her hand on the pommel of her gladius, and she lowered the looking glass, and bit her bottom lip.

She turned around, and watched as her war engineers were finishing the final preparations for their trebuchets, which towered over their crudely made fortifications. Her army was assembled in large blocks of infantry, each legion was bearing it's banner proudly despite the blistering cold. Now was the crowning moment, and Livia was ready.

"Patria parva non potest cum magno contendere; pauci cum multis contendere non possunt; et infirmus non potest contendere cum fortibus" She called out, and her men all raised their weapons in agreement.

Each of the six trebuchets they brought with them were loaded with terracotta pots filled with a mixture of diesel fuel and polystyrene, they were readied and prepped, and the moment Livia would give the command, they would be loosed below.

Livia took a deep breath, the frigid air stinging her lungs.


"Parate!"

The dozens of Trebuchet crews began tighting ropes, pulling the arms of the Trebuchets back, checking the weights, and making sure the oil was applied to all the moving parts. The fires were lit on the wicks of each of the clay pots, and in unison the sound of tightening rope, and creaking wood filled the air.

"Intendo!" She cried out, and each of the spotters using their calculations made fine adjustments to the Trebuchets, and then moved away.

Livia cast a brief glance to Reginarus, before she took another deep breath.

"Aperta ignis!" Livia bellowed, and the Trebuchets released their charges into the ring fort below, each clay pot would erupt into flame on contact, shattering and spewing the sticky burning liquid in all directions, liquid that would be difficult to put out using water alone.

With the first salvo loosed, Livia raised her hand to the five Ballistae situated on rock outcroppings, and she gestured forward, each of them fired simultaneously, concentrating their fire on the gates of the ring fortress with weighted tungsten bolts, with the intention to either knock the gate down, or splinter the wood.

There would only be a brief pause as Livia's siege engineers prepared for the next salvo.

The setting changes from Iskjerne Bay to The Milky Way

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: The 6th Order Character Portrait: Aschen Marine Character Portrait: Cydrok Character Portrait: Chaos God Slaanesh Character Portrait: Ralen Nostari Character Portrait: The Final Order
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STRAIGHT FROM THE MILKY WAY
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SIRIUS COMPLICATIONS

We are live, reporting to you from right outside the edges of what's known as the Sirius Star System, where an anomaly has been spotted: a native space-faring vessel, departing. This departure provokes a shocking question for those who are familiar with the Sirius Star System: How?

For the entirety of recorded history in the Milky Way Galaxy, the planet Gaia of the Sirius Star System has been considered to be untouchable. All who tried to land on it's surface found themselves crashed, each vessel's crew never heard from again. There was something about the planet Gaia that didn't allow technology to exist there, beyond a point. While the majority of the galaxy continue to wonder what happens on the surface of Gaia, one civilization has managed to gather first hand knowledge straight from the surface of the planet.

That's right, folks: Gaia is no longer untouchable.

This untouchable status was broken by none other than the Taiyou Empire. Galactic citizens may recall rumor of a terrorist attack against the city of Niihama by natives from the planet Gaia. This attack has been confirmed by sources within the Taiyou empire who wish to remain anonymous. While many sources dispute who exactly the attacker was, there's always one commonality: Vikings.

Now, here, we witness the passing of not one, but two, Gaian-native vessels- Viking vessels, our sources have confirmed.

Just how did the natives of the planet Gaia, known throughout the Milky Way Galaxy for it's barrier of technology and lack there of, make it this far? Is this the direct result of contact with the Taiyou Empire? Will the Vikings terrorize the next civilization they come into contact with, or will they simply pass them by much as they did the Intergalactic News Network Cruiser we're reporting to you from?

Stay tuned and follow this story only onINN: NOW.