NorseQuest: Collective Edition (Group-Based Xianxia Settlement-Builder)

[fearsome hill]

Bjorn Drakeslayer hunting report

Bjorn Drakeslayer steps into camp as the sun is beginning to hang low. He has in tow a smallish looking stomach and his hunting gear.
Hiding his excitement, Bjorn steps close enough to the fire at the camps center so that those there can see him. A few children are spooked by the giant man suddenly appearing next to them.
Once he has their attention, Bjorn begins to take items out of the stomach. First comes a stomach filled with water and a strange tube like appendage attached to it, somewhat like the mouth of a mosquito.
This strange body part should have already filled out the stomach but instead Bjorn begins to draw out more items from his stomach bag: Meat, a thin pelt, a wooden container containing some kind of blood and finally a large rock he had stuffed into the stomach for demonstrations purposes. All the while Bjorn's normally dour face grows a slight grin. By the time Bjorn is finished with his show the bag has disgorged more than twice it's own volume in items.

Once done with his showcase of the stomach, Bjorn begins to tell the tale of his hunt:
"At dawn i stalked into that deathly jungle in search of a beast fit to be our livestock. For a few hours i searched for tracks before finding some truly strange ones. They were as if a duck had left them yet there was clearly four feet at work in making these tracks.
Interested, i followed these tracks till i found the beastie who had left them. It was as the other creatures of this land: Ugly as Hel and just as dangerous. It's maw was like that of a mosquito"

At this point Bjorn picks up the stomach filled with water and points out the long appendage attached to it. "Which it used to suck in water. Firing a few shots close to it proved the creature to be an antsy thing as it sprayed a strong and deadly spout of water at anything which disturbed it" Bjorn presses on the stomach while pointing the appendage away from the campfire, causing water to spew out of it.

"After the beastie had had it's fill of water it waddled off. Following it i found the water spewer engaging another creature, a two legged monster with a hole for a face. Although the holeface attempted to do some kind of sucking attack the water spewer was mightier, destroying the holeface with a single water attack. Afterwards it began to feed on the holeface, draining it of blood" Bjorn once more points to the long appendage.

"Being too dangerous for children to handle and a predator besides, I came to the conclusion it was simply not fit to be livestock. A single well placed arrow slew the creature yet it took affront to it's death and decided to burst, spewing blood, water and viscera everywhere.
I quickly harvested the remains of both beasts, finding that holeface's stomach can store great volumes inside itself.
Sadly the meat and pelt of both of these beasts seems quite poor in both quantity and quality. Hunting them is worthless unless one has need for their organs."
With his tale told, Bjorn deflates and begins to awkwardly gather the things he had taken out from the stomach bag before quickly retreating back towards his shack.

 

[Oshha]

Onigar Bestiary​

Spoken by Sigmund Sigurdsson of Clan Jarnblod and written by Torunn Astridsdottir of Clan Jarnblod in the first winter following the landfall.​

The Onigar appear to be the primary threat of these lands. They have promised to attack us and each one is more than a match for an individual Norseman.

Onigar are muscular from head to toe. They have red skin and stand taller than any man without Giant's Blood with an Onigar's arm being equal in length to the height of a Norseman. Karta, the one fought by Rikard's expedition in the first winter since landfall, stood roughly eleven feet tall. Their bigger legs mean that Onigar are faster than a Norseman on foot.

Onigar wear brass lamellar armour, which is strong enough to withstand an ordstirr-enhanced blade. They wield iron weapons though the only one seen so far is an iron club, each weighing a hundred pounds of iron. Onigar did not use swords as Karta didn't recognise my sword as a weapon and even after it cut through his armour, Karta was dismissive of it.

Onigar have a good sense of smell albeit one that may be limited to the scent of blood. Karta and another Onigar were able to smell the blood of the cresthead captured by Rikard's expedition even as the Norsemen of the expedition went unheard, unseen and unsmelt.

The Onigar have a stone quarry in the mountains in the north-west of the village and an Onigar was encountered in a sauna north-east of the village. It is likely that they have a settlement of some kind in the north in or beyond the mountains. Onigar have apparently encountered both crestheads and humans before as Karta called the captured cresthead an "sou-dina" and called Rikard's expedition "muck-afavi".

These encounters have seemingly left the Onigar with a low opinion of humans as Karta was very dismissive of Rikard's party and didn't consider them to be approaching a threat to him until they cut off his arm. They also appear to have translation magic as Rikard's party heard Karta and another Onigar speaking in Norse, but the lip movements of their mouths didn't match the words they were speaking.

In a fight, Onigar are fast and strong. A casual strike from an Onigar breaks the sound barrier and a casual backhand from Karta was able to break both the shield and arm of myself. Furthermore, the Seeress has been able to make potions of strength from the corpse of Karta as further proof of their strength. It is my opinion and that of all those who fought Karta that no Norseman can survive a direct hit from an Onigar except maybe if they were using a shield. Even then, I can attest that a blow blocked by a shield is still enough to shatter the shield and the arm holding it. Had Karta struck me with his club rather than his free hand, I have my doubts that I would have survived even with a shield to block it.

Toughness seems to be a relative weakness of the Onigar as Karta didn't prove noticeably tougher than a Norseman. When Karta died, it was after he had been stripped of his armour and lost an arm, dying to a stab through the exposed armpit by Rikard's spear. This caught Rikard and his expedition by surprise as it was at odds with the speed and strength shown by Karta.

When fighting Onigar in the future, one should strive to avoid doing so alone as a single Onigar is more than a match for any Norseman except the greatest of us. Fighting an Onigar should be treated like fighting a Knight, with numbers and as a superior foe. One should never fight the Onigar whilst outnumbered.

The speed and strength of the Onigar are their greatest advantage. A single hit shall kill any Norseman so one must focus on not being hit, a deed made harder by their sound barrier-breaking speed. Beyond numbers to keep the Onigar off-guard, ranged attacks are recommended as that was what allowed Karta to be literally disarmed. Stealth is also recommended for Onigar are not Norse and it is not Nid to ambush them. One should be careful not to bleed or smell when ambushing or sneaking on Onigar for their sense of smell is potent. It should also be noted that not once did Karta fight us seriously as Ragnarr used his emotion kunna to push Karta into overconfidence and then Karta died before he could switch to serious fighting.

In essence, the key to fighting Onigar are numbers, dodging and ranged attacks with stealth being desirable.

 

[Oshha]

Necromouser and the Skeletons Bestiary​

Spoken by Sigmund Sigurdsson of Clan Jarnblod and written by Torunn Astridsdottir of Clan Jarnblod in the second summer of Rekavidr.​

The skeletons were a threat that attacked Rekavidr during the second summer, a threat grave enough to require the entire village to fight them off. While they may have been defeated once and for all with the death of the Necromouser, information will be recorded for ease of access should that not prove true.

The skeletons were first encountered in the first summer when a member of the village brought one back, unaware of its true nature. My cousin and blood-brother Ragnarr Fair-Spoken along with Galti Hanisson and Njal Ulfsson attempted to give the skeleton a proper burial only for the skeleton to reassemble itself as they were digging a grave. The skeleton swiftly fled into the jungle and back towards the cave where it was found.

A year later in the second summer, the skeletons were encountered for a second time as they attacked with an army. The skeleton army consisted of four hundred regular skeletons, fifty skeleton cavalry and a dozen goliaths. They were remotely controlled by the Necromouser via relay skeletons. Amongst the regular skeletons and skeleton cavalry, there was one relay skeleton for amongst every ten skeletons while each goliath was controlled by a relay skeleton.

All skeletons were armed with a variety of bone weapons, made from sharpened and honed bones. There were no armour or metal weapons to be found amongst them. A single regular skeleton didn't pose much of a threat to a Norseman, but they had the capability to harm one and in large numbers, they could overwhelm an individual Norseman. Torgarr Village-Feeder was slain by the skeletons, dying to a spear meant for his kinwoman Gefjosa Aslaugsdottir.

Skeleton cavalry were fast and dangerous. They demonstrated the ability to go into the ocean by shapeshifting their bone horses into what others tell me were bone seahorses. Goliaths are towering monsters made up of multiple different skeletons, each one commanded by a single relay skeleton. Beyond being tough and hardy opponents to bring down, they were capable of throwing boulders and logs at others.

The draugr of Galti Hanisson that attacked the sea wall during the skeleton attack and slew Ivor Name-Giver, Anja Giantbone and my cousin Njall Redaxe appears to be unrelated to the skeleton army. It seems that it was the will of Nornir not the Necromouser that saw it attack at such an opportune time.

The relay skeletons were the weak point amongst the skeleton army. If a relay skeleton was destroyed, a connected goliath would simply collapse while regular skeletons and skeleton cavalry lost all organisation. I personally witnessed a band of regular skeletons losing all coordination and skill when the last relay skeleton amongst them was slain. These relay skeletons are indistinguishable from other skeletons and they required Seeing Eyes to be identified.

It is believed that the Necromouser was controlling the skeleton army via the relay skeletons and a magical black orb. It would explain both the loss of tactics and skill when the relay skeletons were destroyed as well as how the kill team was able to track down the Necromouser.

The Necromouser was a large rat-thing the size of a man. Clad in old and decayed robes, the Necromouser did not pose a threat outside of its skeletons albeit perhaps because it was not given a chance. Grid Icewings used her Emotion Kunna to slay the Necromouser via panic attack before it could notice the kill team or attempt to defend itself from them.

The Necromouser seem to be solely focused on Hugr at the expense of Hamr. It had powerful army of magical minions and its lair had dangerous seidr traps yet the Necromouser died to a mere heart attack.

 

[Oshha]

Miscellaneous Bestiary​

Spoken by Sigmund Sigurdsson of Clan Jarnblod and written by Torunn Astridsdottir of Clan Jarnblod in the second summer of Rekavidr.​

There are several creatures out there that I have not been able to recover enough information on for a proper bestiary entry. As of such, I will be given what limited information we know on them here.

Spine-Rats look like hedgehogs, but are not and were first discovered by Grid Icewings & my cousin Kare Sky-Dancer of Clan Jarnblod. They explode when exposed to lightning or when they feel threatened. The former was discovered by Grid Icewings and my cousin Kare Sky-Dancer of Clan Jarnblod while my cousin Moli Spotlight discovered the latter when he picked one up and it exploded, killing him. The smell of a Spine-Rat is repulsive to most creatures in Haskistsdr and they will avoid anyone who smells like a Spine-Rat.

Storm-Toads can command lightning hence their name. They are preyed upon by Void Eagles and Still-Lizards, which they consider appetising. Gunnar Toad-Terror of Clan Farfaxung was the first to hunt and kill a Storm-Toad, earning him his kenning. This entry is short because I have never personally encountered one and have heard little in the way of detail on them.

Still-Lizards are lizards that look like logs and can manipulate time itself, first encountered by Ivor Name-Giver and Njal Ulfsson. They prey upon Storm-Toads and others, freezing time around their prey so they can get close enough to eat their victim. Still-Lizards can also use their time-stop to protect themselves from projectiles and other ranged weapons. Their eyes dart around, letting spot anything coming at them and time-stopping it, even attacks from directly above. Their only weakness is their bellies as they cannot freeze time beneath themselves and still move. Traps and attacks from below are the only known means of slaying a Still-Lizard.

Only one Void Eagle has been encountered so far, the late nemesis of my cousin Kare Sky-Dancer. Able to teleport by stepping into the void and being able to command ice, my understanding is that the most dangerous aspect of a Void Eagle is their intelligence. The one encountered knew when to retreat when it was outmatched and it had limited ability to plan. It took my cousin three fights to slay a Void Eagle and the first one saw him dead in body.

Gravity Tyrants are fearsome lizards, easily capable of taking on and killing a Norse warrior. They are able to control gravity in a radius around them, either lowering it or increasing it, and have knowledge of the terrain within that radius. It can stomp a Norseman into paste and its attacks can be hard to dodge due to its gravity control slowing those around it. Little more is unknown as despite there being two battles against one, the fighters of the first refuse to say much about how it went. With the second, it was against an undead one augmented by seidr and therefore it is unknown how much is the Gravity Tyrant and how much are additions made to it.

Fenrisian Bear-Snake is likely the apex monster of Haskistsdr. Its lair was found by Ivor Name-Giver and Njal Ulfsson in mountains to the north. It is a massive beast, so massive that only its necks and heads were seen. And yes, that is plural as it has four heads like that of a bear, each one attached to a snake-like neck. It appears to be intelligent due to its hoard, which includes one beak of a Void Eagle and the many skulls belonging to the reptiles of Haskistsdr. Its hoard also contains other bones alongside gems, iron and gold. Ivor Name-Giver and Njal Ulfsson were able to retrieve an iron Onigar club from the hoard before leaving after they encountered some manner of guard creature.

 

[I.F. Ister]

No two Dread-Beasts are exactly alike, for the category of Dread-Beast exists to catalogue the powerful creatures that otherwise refuse to follow any sort of taxon. Each Dread-Beast exists in a category of its own, linked only by the lack of other kin-beasts.

Each Dread-Beast bears powers of its own, with differing appearances to all other Dread-Beasts. Some Dread-Beasts crawl, others fly, others yet still tunnel, yet all have features belonging only to them.

The origin of Dread-Beasts is a mystery lost to the ages. Beings of ages past, Dread-Beasts now lurk in the darkness, slumbering till woken. Dread-Beasts lack reproductive capabilities, so how Dread-Beasts come about is a mystery. Some Dread-Beasts lack any internal organs, merely being flesh all the way through. Others are entirely intestines from head to toe. Some have complete anatomy--though these still lack reproductive capability.

Dread-Beasts have never been seen eating or drinking, only ever sleeping and fighting. They are hostile to all beings that enter their sight--or other primary sensory organ--and will not rest until all they see is laid to waste.

Killing a Dread-Beast is a difficult task, but it can be done.

 

[CoatRackRanger]

Anja Stormeye, Ivor Name-giver, and Gefjosa Aslaugsdottir heave their tired and battered bodies back into town. They are towing behind them what looks chunks of a broken granite statue. At one point, it might have been an extremely lifelike sculpture of a monster.

They take a moment to disgorge more and more granite out of their Fylgja spaces, until, eventually, they are standing amid a small hill of high quality stone.

Gefjosa tiredly climbs the pile, takes a deep breath, completely shuts off her perception of fear and almost everyone in the gathered crowd, and begins to talk.

"The mountains beyond Rekavidr are not so untamed as they were when first we lost of Gotland washed ashore. Much of the land has been tamed and claimed, made into homes and fields and hunting grounds. The vine-choked, steaming jungles of their lower slopes have felt the tread of brave Norse soles time and time again and it was in the tread of these far-ranging wanderers that Operation Punching Thunder began!

High above the band of six, Eagle and Raven Eyes of brave Kare and crafty Krakr wove a web of far-seeing that no foe could penetrate. Ingunn of Many Forms took chimeric mein, with raptor eyes and canine nose, burrower's whiskers and softpadding paws, ranged forward forth sensing all and sensed by none! The winds themselves bore the Skydancer aloft and carried his whispered words of waiting dangers back to groundbound ears. Towards the tallest mountain he flew, and followed all others, far beneath. As the Name-Giver wove impenetrable mail of needle and thread to gird his soon siblings-forged-in-blood-of-battle, it was brave (and beautiful and humble and awesome) Anja of the Giantbone who led them all! In her heart beat the desire to meet the Maker of Thunder and make her mettle known!

Also, Gefjosa, who had packed snacks, was there.

Up, up, and up! Through the mist-smocked hills, past jungle crags, and into the barren twisted scree they marched! Even in places tamed, the heart of the wild may still beat and into this towering heart of darkness the heroes travelled! All lurking foes they slipped, through senses sharp and footfalls careful, save for the cleverest of all.

On the lonesome path, with deathsome drop on one side and unyielding stone the other, from hiding in the rocks above, peered cat-slit eyes of gemstone hue and cruelest depths. From all around came the hiss of its venom filled stingers, three in number of ready to fell the same of our heroes' count. A perfect predator, perfectly placed, patiently perched, and poised to bring ruin at the slightest misstep. All save one readied their souls and swords to do battle.

It was the one saved who saved all. Clever Ivor, foxlike in soul and guile, had seen to the heart of this thing. Though larger than vessels that fled fallen Gotland and bedecked with three venoms potent enough for to serve equal stead in the Trickster's punishment, that which has the eyes of a cat has its soul as well. And among them the Norns had decreed would be one who had what which no cat may resist. From his soul the Name-Giver spun finest thread, fit to catch claws and tantalize teeth such that not even a beastly puss such as this could resist! Spun and spun and spun until a ball fit for the king of cats was before them.

All stood in awe as Ivor pushed his creation away and with it fled the deadly beast that would have robbed some of them of their chance to see the Thunderer's Spark! Listen close, friends, and learn well! Remember that a drop of cleverness may spare an ocean of blood!

Without further fight, they reached the peak and beheld below them all the world that the Aesir had gifted us Gutes to make our own. There, sized as a child's toy, was the whole of Rekavidr, a speck of virtue in a sea of hungry green! But Anja's eyes were fixed upwards at the gathering storm that had come to witness what glory the Gods had conspired to reveal this day!

Before her, Giantbone placed the idols of her toil and conquest. First, the hammer of precious brass she had forged with her own huge (but surprisingly gentle) hands. Then, two horns ripped the brow of the Gute's greatest foes! Before these, she knelt and prayed!

(Gefjosa does a terrible Anja impression)

"Mighty Thunderer, I offer these horns, taken from an oppressive Onigar, as sacrifice to you. Please take them, Thor, with the promise of more to follow. All I ask in return is whatever care and blessing you see fit upon my companions, and the chance to test my strength and determination against a spark from your hammer."

She stood then, knowing without looking that the clouds were parting. Each of those arrayed around knew as well. Their leader had prayed for a test and none believed it would be solely a test for her alone. They made ready as best they could.

But none can be ready for a God to speak, let alone to act.

The sky split.

The Storm Itself spoke HERE KID CATCH.

Lightning flashed.

Thunder boom.

THE SPARK DESCENDED.

Anja rose to meet it, powerful thighs propelling her skyward, palm raised to strike the SPARK. Every inch of her frame bent into this one blow, more than merely seven-and-a-half feet of beautiful muscle, the Giantbone's soul itself was thrust into the strike. Vrthing, Saemd, and Frami all wreathed Giantbone as all of her bent towards one purpose… and struck with head held high!

How.

She.

Screamed.

In a clap of thunder, Anja Giantbone was torn apart and thrust into the mountain, nine feet deep through solid stone older than the idea of Man itself. Giantbone died. Fingers grasped the edge of the crater she'd rent into the highest-reaching finger of the earth and STORMEYE emerged.

From shoulder to nail, storm clouds replaced skin! Lightning leapt from cloud to cloud that made up her heaving bosom! Changed but whole and swiftly returning to flesh, but still housing the storm, Anja Stormeye rose the hammer shaped crater with fearful crackling gaze still aloft towards the sky as if to say THANK YOU THUNDERER BUT IS. THERE. MORE?

There was.

The mountain beneath us rippled, ripped and split in two! Surely, you must have seen the peak rent on that day! Surely, you must have known in your hearts that none but the most skilled, most valorous, and most blessed could survive force that slays the very mountains themselves! You are correct and we skilled, valorous, and blessed stand now before you, only outmatched in those qualities by the brave that fell in the fight that came! For the rending peak was heralded greater woe! From the revealed depths was disgorged true horror! For only such monstrosity would be fit to challenge the newly anointed Daughter of Thor herself!

All know of the Dread-Beasts, things that do not create, do not beget, and do not relent. Things of elemental destruction, each unique save for that their whole being is bent towards the end of all else. What emerged from the yawning chasm could be nothing else.

Four wings like blades, it had, and six eyes overfilled with hatred! Eight legs each clad in claws longer than even Uncle Njal (Hi Uncle Njal!) towers and ten thousand folds of its stony grey skin like the elephantine beasts of mythic Carthage! And one tail, long as a river, and carrying in its weft all the death of a season's worth of drowning floods!

PRAISE THE THUNDERER FOR HE GIVES TESTS WORTHY OF HIS GIFTS!

Before the others drew breath, Swift Kare took wing, raised bow, and stole from the creature one full forth of its flight as his deadly shaft, wreathed in crackly power, severed one of the Dread Beast's buzzing wings! Wrath descended as the Beast threw a wall of knives towards Rekavidr's swiftest son but caught naught save cold crystal dust!

At Anja's behest resourceful Ivor, he who uses woman's tool to surpass men in war, spun thread indestructible as Fenrir's chains and gave it to the hands of stalwart Gefjosa! Swallowing her fear, Stormeye's staunchest friend launched herself from the prow of a conjured plow and lay hands on the Beast, distracted as it was by the archer's elusive flight and ceaseless stings!

Flowing Dark shrouded Gefjosa's touch from the beast's mind as she scaled its length and pulled the rope taut around its neck! But at another touch, the Beast knew of the gnat and swat it with its all-slaying tail! Unblessed by the Thunderer, Gefjosa fell and met cruelest mountainstone as little more than mangled limbs and unbroken will! Never one to leave a downed foe alive, the Dread Beast turned to bathe the fallen farmer in its flesh-eating breath. Its neck swole with venom as it prepare to reduce her to bone-strewn sludge, ending her cursed life once and for all!

But no Gute fights alone and brave Ingunn, who always choses her perfect moment to strike, had chosen this one. Powered by the full might of her Aspect and a form sculpted solely to power that single throw, a spear tore through and through the monster's neck piercing the fell sacs within that only such a master of monstrous forms could have divined!

Death-cucked close to completely, the vengeful beast turned what remained of its horrid toxin upon brave Ingunn and in a blast of gas, ended the Mistress of Shapes! The first to fall, however, had saved them all! Without her spear and peerless courage, each would have felt the toxin's scourge upon their flesh in time!

Her fall gave yet more as the maddened beast had made a grave misstep! Quiet Krakr had spoken to the seeds of the mountain peak and commanded them grow tall and green and shroud his form. From hiding in a blind of his own bond with the spirits of land, Krakr loosed his bow, striking that horrid thing in its rightmost eye! Pain like dagger must have shot through it then for it was ten thousand daggers that it showered upon the bower from which Krakr's perfect strike had flow. All things there were pierced and though Krakr had built a shelter, it could not stand and his body was pierced twenty times in each inch and he fell with glory greater than the uncountable number of his wounds.

Brave Anja, then, had seen half of her companions fall and knew that their current path lead but to death. Each strike alone was mighty but more than might was needed to best the test of Thor. But the Norns had blessed Anja with brilliance greater than both her height and her beauty (which is crazy cause she's so hot and so tall). As Kare's Flickering Fleinn-Dance threw him cross the sky and riddled the Beast with sizzling shafts, Anja called to clever Ivor for the greatest distraction from the depths of his depthless bag of tricks and fled towards the fallen Gefjosa. In whispered words they conferred as the weaver worked a true miracle.

Thread. Needle. It is ever-true that the simplest tool shew the truest expression of the sharpest minds. Woven from thread and glinting metal made from a fox-clever soul, powered by crown, and cloak, and glory bright, Ivor's Dragon took shape and flight! It rose, equal in size to the towering Dread Beast itself as Kare's became cornered even in the endless sky! As it rose to bring his doom, cherry-red needles stormed from the maw of Ivor's masterpiece and pierced deep into the beast's wrinkled skin! It spun and struck and rent the facsimile asunder, proving all the artifice of Norse brilliance is worth but a moment of distraction to an engine of the Gods' wrath!

A moment is all that Norse may need, however. Anja's strong left hand grabbed the trailing rope that Gefjosa's body had been broken to place. In her stronger right she swung a sling in which was seated a small plow, the last creation of shattered Gefjosa's flagging strength, forged by gravestone crown, flaxen cloak, deepest sorrow, and flickering hope.

The sling spun.

The beast rose towards Kare.

The rope snapped taught.

The world hung as the beast jerked to the side, all its might meeting all of Anja's and found for a second wanting…

Kare watched in that long second as one razor wing rose, scything towards the rope that held it bound, still, and defenseless against Anja's yet-unloosed plow.

Kare watched the river of knives pouring towards his momentarily frozen form… none faster than Kare Sky-Dancer… to dodge that wave of blades would be the work of a split moment's thought… yet in that moment the thing's wing would cut that rope, the slung plow would strike naught but vapor and… feather touched Kare's cheek, he'd already drawn the bow, he would not dodge.

That tide of blades washed over him as the single arrowed he'd loosed and powered with the last Aspect that could have spared him from the lethality of the Dread Beast's rage met the joint that held the scything wing to the creature's fell form. And SEVERED it. Kare fell broken but victorious.

None stood save the Stormeye and she proved the truth of her kenning. The Storm surged beneath her skin as her eyes glowed with the light of a thousand sparks. A scream of raw force split her throat as she pulled on the rope with all her might. The Dread-Beast's head wrenches to the side add its sole eye latched on to the plow-spinning-sling.

In that instant, the cold hatred in its gaze vanished with a sharp injection of fear.

The sling cracked. The Plow flew, Stormeye guiding its path, and connected with the Dread-Beast's brow.

Before the blade of a plow, all obstacles were equal. With the might of Anja Stormeye driving it, no obstacle could stand.

The Dread-Beast's body hit the ground as stone crept along its surface--a hole large enough for three men to stand with arms outstretched replacing its head.

…

Then we gathered up the bodies, talked about making a sled out my Plow and some Thread, put a bunch of stuff in our Fylgjas, gathered the bodies of our fallen heroes and walked home!"

Then she climbs off the pile, lies down, and falls asleep on the ground.