The old man looks up at the huge solid form of Frejya with his good eye "Aye we're a might stuck here. Nothin' I can do to budge 'em." He gestures to the cart laden with heavy oak timbers "S'posed to be gettin' this to the Hall for the jarl for his new ship".
Freyja tries to budge the cart but it's stuck fast and the oxen low but don't move. Skorri's suggestion to lighten the load seems wise, and he and Freyja set to work lugging some of the heavy timbers off to one side.
"Hrumfph. Honestly these dirty freesteaders are just the worst-" a sharp word from Signy cuts off Inga's complaint and her eyes widen as Gunnar smooths things over with the family his jest eliciting a chuckle from the woman and young lad and thankfully distracting from the insult.
Freyja flexes her muscles again and heaves against the lightened wagon as Mørkedrømevandrer calms the tiring oxen and gently coaxes them forward. With a sucking sound the cart slowly shifts, and a few moments effort has it successfully free and out of the way.
No sooner has the obstruction been shifted than Fastvi spurs her horse forward eager to bolt for the nearby Meadows. But you're quicker. Freyja has the bridle firmly in hand as Mørkedrømevandrer blocks the path calming the confused horse and it stops firmly in its tracks. A wry smile crosses Fastvi's face and she relaxes as if to say "fine, you win".
As you load the cart again the old man looks at you gratefully with his one good eye. “Thank you for your aid. You are the sort of folk who make the Northlands proud. Have a pleasant journey, wherever you are going. Keep tight to your mind’s-worth, and may your fates soar through the ages.”
.....................................
The family depart with their load and you are free to continue on your way. Finally, after another fifteen minutes your morning trek seems to be nearing an end as you see sunlight through the woods ahead. It is a warm spring day, and the Meadows nestled in a narrow arm of the forest open before you. Insects buzz about, and the idyllic expanse of flowers is fragrant with fresh growth and new blossoms. Smiles on their faces the girls quickly dismount and spread across the meadow busying themselves with picking flowers (or in Fastvi's case exploring and climbing trees).
As they amuse themselves you observe the surroundings, Skorri and Mørkedrømevandrer noticing some movement in the bushes some distance away on the western side of the Meadows near little Runa as she stoops to play with a friendly pair of squirrels....
Spoiler: Multiple skill challenges FTW
Show
Handle Animal DC12 to coax oxen
DDW (1d20+2)[9]
DDW (1d20+2)[11]
DDW (1d20+2)[16]
Strength DC25 (DC20 once wagon unloaded) to shift cart
Freyja (1d20+4)[9]
Freyja (1d20+4)[15]
Freyja (1d20+4)[23]
Diplomacy DC15 to avoid a war of words
Freyja (1d20+5)[10]
Skorri (1d20+5)[10]
Gunnar (1d20+1)[20]
DDW (1d20-2)[-1]
Signy (1d20+4)[23]
Sense Motive DC15 to prevent Fastvi bolting
Skorri (1d20+3)
Gunnar (1d20+4)[9]
Signy (1d20)[14]
Freyja (1d20-1)[17]
DDM (1d20+1)[21]
Spoiler: The boon
Show
Religion DC15 to draw some conclusions...
Gunnar (1d20+2)[9]
DDW (1d20+2)[11]
Freyja (1d20+4)[11]
Skorri (1d20+1)[19]
Could it be that the old man and his family are actually Wotan (Odin), his wife Frigga, and his son Donar (Thor) taken on mortal forms? Or perhaps they were mortals that Wotan had chosen to use to test your mettle. In any case you sense that the consequences of your actions favour you:
Each PC (irrespective of religion check success/ failure) receives one free re-roll of a failed d20 roll.
Spoiler: Meadows Perception check
Show
Perception DC15
Gunnar (1d20+4)[11]
DDW (1d20+7)[17]
Freyja (1d20-1)[4]
Skorri (1d20+3)[21]
Re: The Northlands Saga - Spears in the Ice IC
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