Post date: Jul 14, 2013 3:37:37 PM
(Summer 1220)
Taking a closer look at their environment, the soil seems tillable, and is roughly 1000 yards in radius (600 acres in area). The land is a mild valley with a depression running NW to SE, and meltwater is already starting to flow along this line and under the glacier. Outside the dung circle the ice is approx 12' in height. The climate inside the circle seems slightly on the chilly side of warm.
Martin goes scouting in the form of Skua, and Valeri scales the ice. They discover it is about a mile to the SE before the ice stops, when it does, the glacial meltwater stream is visible. To the west of the stream continues a rocky cliff, and the stream hugs this as it flows over about a quarter of a mile of scrubbland/grassland before meeting the sea near some jagged rocks, again off to the west. The scrubland has a few goats on it and in amongst the jagged rocks is a walrus colony, but there does not seem to be a safe way to swim/row over to them through the violent waves.
Inspecting the land, they judge that a small lake will form in a depression just before the outlet, and Tethys casts Conjuring the Mystic Tower such that it will be lake adjacent, but not too near. Wracked with the pain, she then retires to her newly created rooms to recover.
Valeri has a polite chat to one of the goats, and discovers that there are people around, they live in underground houses, like hobbits. Skua and Vale try to see if anyone is in. A woman emerges and offers them food.She is wary, but seems much more respectful (but still fearful) when Skua turns into a (naked) Martin. Through the medium of interpretive dance, and mispronounced German, the Magi discover that her husband is a fishermen, and that no one can get to the Walrus's. She was disturbed by the revelation that Valeri had talked to the goat, but Martin realized that she was more worried that Hospitality would demand that she gave it up. She asks them which Hreppur they belong to, but they don't understand.
Valeri kills a walrus with his bow and arrow, and Martin flies over to recover it, using a CrAu spell to make it float, they manage to recover their prize. As thanks they leave a bit of the meat at the hut, but no one comes out to greet them.
Meanwhile the Captain, Magnus, is getting snarky. He pointedly informs them that the boat belongs to Wormhould covenant, and he reminds the magi that if they don't get it back, that they could be liable for "deprivation of magical power", a phrase that he clearly expects to motivate them.
The only Solution seems to be for Pumilius to repeatedly cast Pilum of Fire, to carve out a channel for the boat to float upon. He starts his season-long effort with joy in his heart, as he so rarely got to cast exciting spells during his apprenticeship....
During this season, Blucher tries to plant some of the corn, and it seems to be taking, Valeri and Martin are fishing hunting Walrus and being taught West Norse by Tethys (including the the fact that hreppar means "cooperative"). Pumilius is firing....
Halfway through the season, The Pila of Fire stop working, it seems that all the heat has attracted a small fire elemental. This little sprite intercepts the spells before they can hit the ice. Eventually they confine it to the Portable oven on board the ship, and the mining work continues.
Eventually the last ice is breached, and the ship rides a bore to the sea, Standing by the new entrance is a tall blond haired man wielding a greatsword, there is a little confusion but he readies his sword and attackes the corpse that have been swept down with the flow. Pumilius easily dispatches it with (another) Pilum of Fire.
The Man introduces himself as Thord Sturlson, Storgordi (which Valeri and Martin remember being mentioned by the fisherwife). He tells them that corpses always come after the floods, and he had had a premonition that such a flood would come. He invites them to feast with him, and the Magi indicate that they will return tomorrow.
Valeri quickly decides to fashion a gift, so he casts a MuAn spell on some Walrus tusk, the resulting botch creates a chthonic horror that is saved by Pumilius's peerless crafting.
The magi wait until he has gone, and quickly extract the two pawns of Corpus Vis in the corpse's eyes.