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Abjorn lays on his back, his clothing doffed and stacked neatly nearby, as his eyes look to the sky. The great slabs of his hair-choked chest rise and fall with every breath, his mouth dry and lips pressed thin.
"Will it hurt?" Abjorn's voice is quiet as you pause your preparations—simple busywork to take your mind off the coming tension.
Swallowing, you speak the honest truth, "I... I don't know."
Abjorn is quiet for a long, drawn-out moment as the watching eyes grow ever-more-hateful. Eventually, he sets his jaw, closes his eyes, and nods. "I trust you."
The short phrase, though simple, is still sweeter than any fruit. If your heart wasn't already his, he'd have stolen it all over again. Hiding your smile behind your Seeress' soul, you flex your fingers and turn to your husband.
Not waiting to see if he's ready—for the wait is always the worst part—your palm finds his naked flesh and power surges from deep within. Crimson strength wraps about your limbs as he tenses, eyes snapping wide and bloodshot as teeth click shut with enough strength to shatter stone. Knuckles pop as his hands twist into tight fists, bones cracking and groaning from the tension of his muscles.
The first drops of odr touch his soul and he
stops. The twitch of his muscles, the shivering of his eyes, the flexing of his hands, it all goes quiet as odr flows through dozens upon dozens of dampening layers of orthstirr might.
Odr enters his body and slowly gathers in his soul as you watch what was once empty and white grow into a plot of potential. Odr gently carves a pit in the middle of his soul, the excess piling around it to add further height and depth to the gathering well. The well-topped hill slowly grows as odr feeds into it with carefully-restrained precision.
Time seems to struggle in the face of such focus, your body locked in place as your willpower does its work. By the time your senses come back to you, the sun has crept across the sky and a voice in your ear greets with a warning.
"Wake swiftly, Child of Ash and Elm," the voice of the Hading speaks with urgency as her eyes stay locked to the encroaching darkness, "for your husband requires the strength of your arm."
It doesn't take long for you to realize
why Abjorn would need your strength, for the shadows of past glories have crept ever-closer in the slow passage of time. With Abjorn recovering from his initiation into odr, he's completely defenseless against the predations of the envy-ridden. You'll have to defend him until he wakes.
Against such an onslaught as the one you now face, few would be able to stand. All is not lost, however, for the Hading herself fights by you on this day.
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(Tactics: 5+7) 12 Successes
The Shades—as that is what you've taken to calling them—are numerous and plentiful. Their endurance leaves much to be desired and can be destroyed with a swish of the blade. However, where their endurance fails them, their blades still bear sharp edges.
There must be well over a hundred pairs of eyes watching you from the darkness. Where the light shines reveals swords, daggers, helmets, and odd oblong shields—all forged of a bronze. Horses call from the darkness as whips crack. The thunder of wheels across the ground rattles in the distance as a great host readies itself for war.
They will start slowly, with careful probing to reveal your lacking areas, and then quickly ramp up the ferocity as your strength starts to wane. Their blows lack the strength of flesh behind it, meaning that the slightest effort shall see you safe. However, Abjorn cannot put even the smallest amount of effort into his protection.
If you take too long, they will overwhelm you. If you are overwhelmed, the Shades will slay your husband. Though a mere bodily death, who knows what horrors it would reap upon his cultivation? It is best to not find out.
Endurance: (17/17) | Frenzy: (7/7) (+7 to all Combat Rolls) | Armor: (42/42) (+9 to Defense)
Orthstirr: (1603/1603) | Odr: (79)
( ) Frami: 534 | ( ) Virthing: 534 | ( ) Saemd: 534
Sagaseeker has 80 orthstirr in his reservoir.
Emberguard has 28 orthstirr in its reservoir.
Shapeshifting (8 Slots) + Runes are granting you (+1 Damage, +3 Attack-Speed)
Shapecrafted Slots are granting you (+5 Attack-Speed)
Your combat pool is 141d6 and you have 21d6 Stoked Dice
What do you do?
[ ] (Plan Name)
-[ ] (Dice) Attack
-[ ] (Dice) Defense
-[ ] (Dice) Intercept
-[ ] (Dice) (Trick) (Orthstirr)
-[ ] Tactics Write in
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AN: Not much to say here other than no moratorium.
