[X] Zharrvengryn: Ties
Fire and Cutting can be acquired elsewhere, most likely. "Ties" is a much more esoteric one, and something that embodies Snorri's specialty more. Snorri's greatest works were not "the best armor" or "the best weapon", but rather the deeds he did for others. Snorri is the kind of person whose secret joy is giving gifts to orphans and cultivating the potential--both in terms of skills and in terms of mental wellbeing--of those he cares for.
[X] Aid: All that you are able to.
A large commitment of material and time towards helping the Dawi of Dum recover. [Cost: 1 action and 1 retainer action] Locked in for 8 turns. Take on [Simple] Hold Founding: [Cost: 6 actions].
This is literally Snorri's style. His secondary title is 'Gift Giver'. Plus, if there's any course of action the Ancestors would smile upon most, it's this one. The true avenging of a Grudge is not merely killing those who committed the wrongs; it's restoring what was lost as best as can be realistically done.
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Anyway, what an update. Gazul makes a surprise appearance and shows how he assesses and strikes decisively from the shadows. Snorri gets to be an utter badass who absolutely schools the mastermind of this entire attrocity, manages to stop the resurrection of Hashut, and inspires the survivors of Karak Dum and the Throng alike. Gimli meets a living legend and also proves his own maturity in a moment that would be agonizing for any good dwarf. Igna goes Doom Slayer on the enemy's elites and somehow none of her gronti are even so much as crippled.
Worryingly, however, is the division of opinion about whether to bury this incident or spread knowledge about it, only resolved by the direct say of Gazul himself. Once again, the terminal dependence of the dwarves on the Ancestor Gods to help them adapt makes itself apparent, and it's alarming. Grimnir already set a terrible precedent and example; I can only hope the other Ancestor Gods choose differently (and DON'T disappear and leave their people to utterly fail to adapt to a changing world).
Other than that, though, this whole campaign displayed Snorri's mettle on a grand scale: in front of a huge audience, he calmly walked up to the gates of the enemy's walls, themselves emblazoned with runes, and smashed them apart with contempt in a single blow each. They saw him slaughter foes left and right, take on any and all that an enemy most foul could throw at him and break them. The queen of Karak Dum saw Snorri stop the horrific ritual her people had been sacrificed for, then systematically demolish the one responsible for it all.
It's interesting, really: Snorri's greatest notoriety is not in what he's made, but in what he's done for others. I think that's a big part of why he seems to have the favor of the Ancestor Gods so consistently: his runesmithing is a means to do the same kind of selfless work the Ancestor Gods did/do--his character and will are what make him truly special. When combined with his runesmithing skills and insight, he is able to achieve great deeds that feel like an faint echo of the kinds of deeds the Ancestor Gods are known for.
This campaign was a great crystalization of all of that. It's the first time Snorri went from "the runelord who will fight like hell for others" to "the runelord who takes on all comers for others...and wins". This was the birth of Snorri the Doom Slayer.
