A sacrifice

Opening Monologue¶

The Midsommer recede, steam rising where warm blood stains sacred earth. What was meant to be a Hunt — a rite of honor, of reverence — ends with death not chosen by the gods, but by mortal hands.

You set out with hope. The boar Hrimgaldr was no mere beast, but a vessel of divine will — a symbol of strength, of renewal, of Midsommer's eternal turning. You were warned: slay him, and doom the village to blight and divine silence.

Yet it was not your blades that drew the final breath. That honor — or curse — belonged to others.

You found the Sacred Grove through guile and guidance: Gunnar called upon Loki, pouring wine on steel and sealing it with a kiss. The trickster’s voice slithered into his ear, showing paths where none should exist.

Riven walked those hidden trails with purpose, keen-eyed and sure-footed, as if the forest remembered him.

You soothed the dryad, a spirit wracked with rot, promising to cleanse her roots and shield her pain. Hanzt took to the healing waters, emerging changed — the filth that clung to his blood lessened by the Grove’s gift.

Together, you cornered Hrimgaldr — majestic, thrashing, ancient. You nearly calmed him.

And then… the orcs came.

Steel split air. Divine blood spilled. The forest screamed. And now, beneath the trees, the Hunt lies broken. Arrows jutting out from the beast as his breaths are shallow against the ground.

🌞 The Midsommerblót of Hammerfall¶

Three acts of fate: Hunt, Sacrifice, and Celebration.

📜 Session Structure Overview¶

Act II – The Bloodfire Rite: A solemn sacrifice atop a sacred mountain shrine near Upper Hammerfall.

⛰️ Act II: The Bloodfire Rite¶

❖ Setting: The Godtooth Altar¶

An ancient stone circle built into the shoulder of a jagged peak northeast of Upper Hammerfall. Ice lingers in the shadows year-round. Old symbols mark the stones, and fires are only lit once a year here.

❖ The Sacrifice:¶

At dawn, the boar is bound and the Speaker of the Chosen leads a sacrifice to the old gods. The blood is spilled onto the stone to draw their attention and make the gods welcome..

Ceremonial Elements:

Mead poured on stones
Chanting in Old Speech (have players join if they like)
The Gothi invokes fate, ancestors, and the sun’s gaze

❖ Vision Sequence:¶

Each character sees a premonition, guided by blood, fire, and the gods. Encourage strange, symbolic imagery. Give players just enough mystery to be haunted by what it means.

⚖️ Hanzt’s Midsomerblót Vision: “The Pathogen’s Price”¶

The vision begins in darkness. A sudden, sharp smell—sulphur and alchemical bile. Then: red light, a stone corridor slick with moisture. Iron doors slam shut behind Hanzt, trapping him in a world shaped by memory, guilt, and temptation.

1. “Which Shall Suffer?”¶

Setting: A crumbling Guild torture chamber. Candles drip onto iron implements. On two tables:

A scarred man with Guild tattoos—once a guild member captured and, now begging for mercy.
A young girl with eyes wide with fear—she stole bread.

Vision Prompt: A familiar Guild voice in his mind: "Only one lives. The other must suffer. Show us you've still got the touch."

There’s no timer, but hesitation causes pain to both.

Choices:

Torture the child (the man dies screaming, but his last words curse Hanzt).
Torture the man (the child whimpers, goes quiet, but the man gives useful intel).
Refuse (both tables ignite in purple flame; the voice snarls in frustration: “Sentiment makes a poor scalpel.”)

2. “The Cure That Corrupts”¶

Setting: A burning village—an alchemical plague spreads. Townsfolk scream and beg. A large black cauldron glows nearby.
A Guild officer, expression twisted by the guild’s mark, offers Hanzt a formula: "Cure them. For a price."

The cost? Accept the Guild’s blessing—corruption in his own blood (symbolized by black veins creeping up his arm).

Choices:

Take the cure. Save everyone—but gain a visible mark of Guild corruption.
Refuse. People die. Vision ends in ash and coughing children.
Try to alter the cure with a check (simple skill check, success = partial cure, minor corruption).

3. “The Golden Trial”¶

Setting: A throne room of molten gold, a vision of the Guild's secret.
Guild leaders (masked, expressionless) kneel before a dwarf king, in pure golden armour of the finest make. The floor is made of gold coins, but they're red hot causing a constant pain, but none show any response.

Hanzt is offered a dagger made of obsidian and gold. A familiar face kneels before him: Tarod (the man who gave him the innocent family job).
The dwarf king’s voice rumbles, unnatural and guttural:

"Slay him, and I grant you your rank back. Your secrets, your reach, your power—ours again."

Choices:

Kill Tarod (brief combat or quick-time strike) → Power floods Hanzt
Spare him (the dwarf king roars in fury, Guild masks melt and swarm Hanzt).
Turn the dagger on dwarf king (impossible to slay, but causes the entire room to collapse, ending the trial early).

💪 Brawn’s Midsomerblót Vision: “The Weight of Glory”¶

The vision begins with roaring cheers, a parade in Brawn’s honor. Banners fly. Children chant his name. Then—the clouds blacken, and the crowd’s applause turns to whispers. Every eye begins to weigh him...

1. “Hero of Murgrog”¶

Setting: The town square of Murgrog. Townsfolk praise Brawn after a decisive victory—he’s just crushed a rebellion of orcs seeking justice against the Guild. He stands on the steps of the town hall, raised high.

But then: a weeping orc mother is dragged forward—her sons were among the rebels.
A town elder whispers, “Show them your strength, Brawn. Be our symbol.”

Choice:

Publicly shame the woman to cement loyalty from the townsfolk (they cheer, but her sorrow lingers).
Offer her mercy and risk being seen as weak (the crowd mutters, but she blesses him quietly).
Walk away—neither endorse nor stop the punishment (the elder’s face twists in disappointment).

Regardless of choice, the vision fractures—the scene of Mulgoth burns, and Brawn is suddenly running through it.

2. “The Fall of Murgrog”¶

Setting: A surreal, slow-motion battlefield—Murgrog in flames**. Charred banners. Screaming orcs.

Brawn sees himself reflected in puddles of blood—wreathed in golden light, haloed like a god. Around him lie his family—dead, stone-eyed. A familiar voice—his brother, whom he left behind—says:

“You saved them all, Brawn. Just not us.”

A massive creature of ash and regret (non-combat) rises behind him—symbol of his failure. It lurches forward.

Interaction:

Roleplay with the ash-creature (perhaps it mimics his brother).
Attempt to fight it (it never dies—just reforms).
Allow it to embrace him (vision shifts to next scene).

3. “The Pit Fight”¶

Setting: A crude fighting pit on the edge of a festival—mud, torches, blood-soaked sand. A ring of cheering warriors surrounds Brawn and a young orc contender.

Brawn wears stolen, enchanted gloves—dark leather, etched with runes that pulse when his fists clench. They tighten unnaturally around his knuckles, making every punch land like a hammerfall.

Announcer shouts: “To the victor: glory! To the defeated: shame!”

The orc nods solemnly. He enters the fight without magic or armor, only strength and pride.

Fight Mechanics (Play Out ~5 Minutes)¶

Skill Challenge / Combat Minigame

Ask Brawn’s player to roll Athletics checks and Unarmed Strike attacks.
His DCs are relatively low (8–12) and he gains advantage from the gloves on all checks.
The orc is not a pushover but clearly outmatched—Brawn lands blow after blow.

First round: The orc holds his own.
Second round: He’s winded and bloodied.
Third round: He goes down—but Brawn doesn’t stop.

Brutality & Choice (No real out—just tone)¶

The crowd begins to chant Brawn’s name. He is urged on by drunken cheers, and by the magic of the gloves—which tighten, as if feeding off his violence.

Let Brawn continue to roleplay or roll another round of attacks:

Critical hit causes teeth to fly, the orc’s face a ruin.
The orc tries to crawl away, but Brawn can grapple and strike again.
The referee tries to step in, but is shoved back by the crowd.

Eventually, Brawn stands alone over a ruined body—his name now being shouted like thunder:

“BRAWN! BRAWN! BRAWN!”

Final Image¶

The crowd lifts Brawn into the air, carrying him like a war god. Their chants echo louder, and louder still.
The camera pans down—beneath the swaying limbs and stomping boots—
—to where a young orc boy kneels beside the broken fighter.
His hand trembles over the ruin of his brother’s face.
His eyes lock onto Brawn.
Tarod. Tears of pain. Eyes full of hate.

⚔️ Riven's Vision: “The Arrow Loosed Cannot Return”¶

Scene 1: The Middens, in Summer¶

The warm greens of your childhood shimmer in golden sun. Liora, Torran, and Etta run through the thickets, laughing, their voices echoing with youth and hope back to you as they scatter into the shrubs. You follow behind, laughing and calling out to them - to hide well for you will find them. The sun flickers oddly, and the trail grows colder.

Have Riven search for his friends. As he finds each one describe how they are older now, haggard, bruised—refugees in their own memory.

Etta turns to you. “You ran. We gave everything.”
Liora gently adds, “Did we save you, or just doom ourselves?”
Torran, fists clenched: “You said you would save us.”

2. "The Altar"¶

Setting: The trapped site from the introduction, but warped—overgrown, drowned in unnatural moonlight.

Hannah lies bleeding, still breathing—but barely.
Riven is again offered a choice: he can save her… but doing so means:

Giving her his amulet (as he did),
Giving a little of himself to her

This time, he is aware: something is wrong.

Allow Riven to go through the same motions again—but this time with full awareness of what he’s doing.
As he gives her the amulet again, her body jerks violently—her eyes open wide and wrong.

Voice (not hers): “Good boy. You always choose wrong.”

3. "The Resurrection"**¶

Setting: Deep within the catacombs, Hannah crucified on an inverted cross. Feeding her minions, morphing and mutating them, bending them to her will

Hannah smiles and laughs while on the cross, she wears Rivens amulet.

Riven can be witness to the morphed and grotesque creations Hannah mothers.

If he tries to interfere, he is restrained. Made to watch the glory and the second coming... of Hannah the Forsaken...

Gunnar¶

Join us next episode!

Session Notes¶

Hantz was pretty do as ordered

Brawn tried to preserve life despite the glory / adoration

Riven can't help being helpful