Game Date: 01.05.2001

Strength, Honor and Blood

Our story begins after the battle with the silver armored agents in Golden Gate Park.

"My hammer?" Thunder thought incredulously, "Its gone. Now what?"

Thunder didn't even attend the meeting on Alcatraz afterwards. He went home and sat there thinking till late into the night. Finally he went to sleep. His dreams that night, understandably, were convoluted replays of the hammer's loss, mixed with larger-than-life Norsemen standing in front of him with their hands out. Again and again the scene repeated.

For several days the dreams repeated. Finally, one night the dreams took on a more real quality. Once again he was back at the battle. Once again his hammer flew straight and true at his enemies. Once again his hammer... disappeared. Then the shifting fog rolled in, and he found himself standing on a solid rainbow looking at an assembly of Norse Gods.

The oldest of the gods spoke, "You promised to keep the hammer. Show me the hammer."

"I... I... can't." Leif stammered.

The god spoke again, "You pledged by the hammer to protect the people. Show me the hammer!".

"I... I... can't." Leif stammered again.

The god spoke a third time, "The hammer was your responsibility. Show me the hammer!!"

Leif could only look back at them in silence.

The god spoke a last time, "Since you will not show us the hammer, then you are condemned to your existence."

With that, Leif fell back and away from the gods on the rainbow. It was a hard, wet, muddy landing. Leif looked up and saw the sky. He lay there and thought about what had happened, he wasn't in bed. Where was he? And, damn it's getting cold. Then a man was standing over him, and said "Stranger. Is it your wish to catch your death of cold? Or are you just trying to get the feel of Niffleheim a bit early?" With that the man reached down and offered his hand.

Leif accepted the offered hand and said, "Thank you. It's been a long day so far and the gods have been less than charitable."

"If lying in a mud puddle is the worst the gods have done to you, I'd say you still have a chance to die with honor. But, you won't do that if you die of a cold. Join me back at my home for a change of clothes and a warm meal and perhaps Balder's gift will fall on you. Besides, tonight I celebrate the birth of my first son, and all are invited to the feast."

"Congratulations! And, certainly, I'd welcome a warm meal. But first, I would know the name of my benefactor..."

"Where are my senses? The gods must have struck me daft in my joy. I am Egil Thorssen. And you?"

"Leif. I am called Leif." Egil Thorssen? Leif thought to himself, it can't be possible.

The two made their way to Egil's home. It was a large log hall. Many people hailed Egil as they made their way in. Apparently, Egil was an important man. Leif had come to suspect that he would see as little technology on the inside as he had on the outside. And, as they had entered the hall it struck him that since he had met Egil, they had been speaking a dialect of Norwegian he knew hadn't been spoken in over several hundred years in his world, fluently.

Shortly, dinner was served. It was venison, over cooked on the outside and raw in the center. It was heavily spiced. Dinner was a loud, raucous affair. There was singing, drinking and feasting. Later, the men told stories around the fire. Leif told one of the sagas he knew about the gods, fighting and honor. Before the night ended, the wise man cast the runes and foretold the future. It held war and honor. And, it foretold the gods blessings on the Jarl, his blood kin and a stranger from another world. When everyone looked at Leif he re-assured the group that he was nothing but an honest man quite normal in his being. Later after more stories the group broke and staggered to their rest.

Early the next morning Leif awoke and went outside to look around. The land looked as much as it had the day before. It looked as if it were in the mid 7th century. People working the land looked much as history had said. The view from the head of the fjord was breath taking. The wind on the water made a panorama that had to be seen to be believed. Even the ships in the distance were picture perfect.

"Ships?" Leif thought to himself. "Only two reasons for ships to be coming in at this time of the year. And it doesn't take that many ships to bring a present for the new born." Leif ran for the hall. He almost ran into Egil as Egil was out walking with the new born. Hurriedly he told him about the ships. Egil agreed with him and they both ran for the hall, Egil shouted at everyone to prepare to meet the arrivals.

The battle that followed was hard. There were many invaders, but with the advanced warning from Leif, Egil and his people won the day. The day following the battle, Egil called his head warriors together with Leif and the wise man.

"You all know the man that I am. You all know the battles we have fought, and how that most of the Jarls have assembled together against us. If it weren't for this man," Egil pointed at Leif, "we may well have been destroyed and some other man enjoying our land and women. Are we going to stand for this?"

To a man, including Leif, they answered "NO!"

"Aye! And that is why I have called you here. Gravdal Wiseman, warriors, friends, I ask you to be blood witnesses to my pledge and sacrifice to the gods."

Egil sat down. Not a man spoke. Gravdal the Wiseman stood and began a low chant and walked around the circle. He approached each man in turn. Each man held out his right arm and Gravdal cut him and gathered the blood in a bowl. Leif as well gave his blood.

Suddenly, the solemnity of the occasion was broken by the screaming of Egil's new born child. In a flash, Leif understood what was going to happen, and he reminded himself that these were true Vikings and not the romanticized people of modern day cinema and he was as certain that if he made one move to stop the sacrifice he would be sacrificed as well. In mute horror at what was happening, Leif stood there and watched the sacrifice proceed.

As the ritual reached the moment of the sacrifice, the strange fog arose that Leif was becoming familiar with. Egil, speaking his pledge raised the sacrificial knife, but it never came down. All of a sudden, there was a grey cloaked man holding Egil's arm. Egil spun to see who dared to stop his sacrifice.

"Who dares interfere with a sacrifice to the gods?!?" Egil screamed.

"I do Egil Thorssen." The stranger spoke in a naturally resounding voice.

An awed murmur passed through the assembly as each man turned to face the stranger.

"Who... " Egil began.

"Silence!" The stranger yelled. "Egil Thorssen, are you so desperate for the ear of the gods that you would sacrifice your own son?"

"My people are my concern, and my son is my most precious possession. But, my honor and dedication to my god are irreplaceable. And, if this is what it takes to gain the god's ear, then so be it. Though it breaks my heart to do so," said Egil.

The stranger stared at Egil for a moment, "Well spoken my son. To have said more and I would have thought you a braggart, to have said less and I would have thought you heartless. Speak your pledge Egil Thorssen."

In a solemn voice Egil said, "By my blood and the blood of my blood, if the gods will empower me to protect my family, my people and my land from all invaders; I will be the servant of the gods till Ragnarok comes and will faithfully stand by their sides in the final battle. My pledge to you is my strength, and my honor is my shield and my blood is my weapon." Egil was quiet and stared at the stranger.

"Egil Thorssen, it is done. Now let's seal your pledge." From somewhere horns of mead were handed to both Egil and the Stranger. They both drained them. The stranger brought forth a wineskin and filled the horns. Again they drained the horns. Egil let out a long sigh as if the second drink were much stronger than what he had expected. The stranger laughed out loud.

The stranger placed his hand on Egil's shoulder and said, "Egil Thorssen, take your child and protect him well. You and your blood are now servants of the gods and protectors of the people and the land." With the last sentence, the stranger looked past Egil and directly at Leif. With that, the fog gathered again and the stranger walked from the group and quickly disappeared.

Later that evening, every man pledged himself to Egil. Leif pledged himself to Egil as well, and when asked what he pledged by, he answered, "Even as my blood has pledged, so will I pledge it again anew."

"Do you know what it is you are doing my friend?" Egil asked.

"Yes... I finally know what it is I am doing, my friend." And in a lower voice that only Egil could hear, "The gods have been far more charitable than I knew." They both smiled at the memory of how they had met.

"Here." Leif stared at Egil as he took off his belt and placed it around Leif's waist. "Take this as a reminder of your pledge, my son." Egil whispered the last two words.

Later that night as Leif walked slowly to the hall, the fog once again surrounded him. Impossibly, he was again facing the assemblage of Nordic Gods.

The oldest of the gods stepped forward, "Show me now the hammer."

Boldly Leif spoke, "My pledge to you is my strength, and my honor is my shield and my blood is my weapon." With that Leif held out his hand as if holding a hammer and suddenly a hammer materialized in Leif's hand.

"Forget not that you are our servant Leif Thorssen and that your blood and you have pledged yourself to us. Now go." The oldest of the gods commanded. Then there was the falling sensation.

Sun streamed in the window to Leif's apartment waking him up. He sat up wondering if it had all been a dream. Then he saw the belt around his waist. And he knew it had been all too real and he smiled. He went and got the paper from out front and looked at the date. He smiled again, "All in one night." he thought. He went back in and had a good breakfast.