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Just beyond the eastern border of Gilhirdisillrgawen stood Vidslott – a great fortress built by the Congregation of Tep. They were a mysterious group of scholars from a far-away land who where dedicated practicioners of interdimensional science and had chosen that specific area for scientific reasons. Noone paid them much attention until rumor had it that they were engaging in dangerous experiments of portal magic. The fortress foundation was built upon a great dungeon complex in which they were constructing a portal which enabled traversal between planes and dimensions.
As not anyone could tell what such a creation might lead to or what they wanted it for, nearby kingdoms started to worry, sending messengers and spies – none of which returned. One day, a gathered attack was launched on the fortress and the final stand took place down in the dungeons. The congregation members fled trough the portal that now stood finished and the attacking forces attempted to destroy it – an act which had better been left undone. The portal exploded and vanished did all the forces that were left alive in that chamber. Since that day, the dungeons below the fortress of Vidslott was dimensionally unstable grounds.
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In more recent times, Vidslott became a subject often discussed among luck-seeking adventurers. Mostly due to the rumors of a wondrous item that was said to have been lost during the siege; The Greataxe of Xalgahar – an axe of great magic power.
Two such luck-seekers were Gullviva, a warrior and Hokan, a knight who had since long abandoned the cause of his own kingdom. They were inseparable companions proven in battle.
Gullviva was a tall blonde woman, light of heart and often close to laughter but fierce and agile as a fighter. She once inhabited our world, but ended up in Aeanathe somehow by mistake during her youth. Hokan was the quiet type, often with a grim expression on his face and rarely seen in public without his massive weapons and armor. In battle he was a ruthless, steel-encased killing machine. He was actually a knight of Urahefmnl – a north-eastern kingdom, but were escaping his duties. What motivations that drove him now was shrouded in mystery and the only one that really knew him was Gullviva. They had both lived for years on looting and mercenary contracts.
High in spirits, the two of them were now venturing forth through the ruined fortress toward the dungeon entrance – uncertain of what they might meet inside. The corridors, halls and chambers of the dungeon were allways shifting between different wicked planes and dimensions and few things were static. Eventually, they would end up in the portal-chamber were the axe were said to be found.
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The first floors posed little threat to the experienced fighters and they were rather enjoying themselves, astonished by the sightings in the strange dungeons. Sometimes they couldn't determine if they were walking inside or outside. Some areas contained plants, creatures and architecture alien to this world. However, it was easy to get lost; as some rooms changed as you were inside them. If you weren't heedful, you might end up stuck in the wrong plane. Those of weak psyche and bad sense of orientation might find themselves giving up at early stage. Gullviva was gleefully dancing around, laughing at some weird and seemingly unharmful furry creatures which they passed in a small grove-like grotto.
Nextly, they found themselves in darker areas. The air became humid and enormous bugs were attacking them from within the slippery growth of the narrow tunnels.
Flocks of malicious beasts were beginning to give them a hard time as they descended towards the depths.
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As they stepped out in an arched hallway, they heard guttural murmurs up ahead and prepared to engage in real battle. The area was strangely lit by colourful lights from above like some kind of sky. Cautiously walking trough the hallway, they ended up in a great chamber where they were jumped and battle commenced! The attackers were small sword-wielding creatures of unknown origin, but among them was also what appeared to be humans – though their appearance was twisted and they spoke with alien tounge as they commanded the growing swarm of monsters. The creatures were easy to fend off and little damage could they do to Hokan in his full plate armor.
But they came in great numbers and there was an intense phase of hack and slash combat. Hokan standed put, mauling everything around him with his morning star while Gullviva steadily moved around, slashing and thrusting with her longsword.
The stream of monsters never seemed to end and Gullviva started to move toward the twisted humanoids, hoping that killing them would disrupt the attackers. When she got near, all the creatures rushed to her, but Hokan came close behind; simply grabbing some of them to throw them against the brick wall while mauling the others with the morning star. A desperate look manifested on the face of the almost-human as Gullviva chopped its head off. They did the same to the others and the creatures stopped to emerge from the darkness.
They came to what appeared to be the portal chamber. That was where they would find the axe; as it was here he fell, Xalgahar the grand champion of Ideoina. It was now completely quiet and the place was full of skeletal remains from hundreds of soldiers. There were also bones that belonged to much larger, alien beings.
Hokan went forward, starting to climb over a big pile of bones that laid in their way.
Gullviva screamed and it was too late.
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What was hidden under the pile of bones was the head of a lindworm. Gullviva had seen it just as its jaw started to move. She had no time in which to act, for a second later; the venomous fangs of the monster had pierced the armor of Hokan. Fueled by both angst and hate – she plunged into battle.
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Exhausted after having fought – and finally slaughtered – the monstrous creature for hours, Gullviva bent down over her fallen comrade. He wasn't dead but severely ill from the hazardous etter of the lindworm. "Find the axe... get out...", he told her absently while staring up into nothing. He was probably hallucinating by now. "I will do that and I will take you with me.", she answered and rose up to begin her search in the many piles of weapons and armor which the monster had been stacking up. The axes were few among the weaponry of those who had fallen and only one were of marvelouysly glimmering magic-infused metal and bore the inscription "Aagrami aas it uwa eti Xalgahar" – Destruction brought by the hand of Xalgahar.
After having retrieved the weapon, she prepared for the perilous journey out from the depths. Due to the magic properties of the metal, carrying the axe wasn't much of a burden. However, Hokan was quite big even without his full-plate armor. She crafted a stretcher from the scaly hide of the lindworm to drag him on, but she still had to carry him for some distances and defend him from the hungry scavengers that lurked along the way.
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It took her sixteen hours to reach the surface. The sun dazzled her as she stepped out in the middle of the day. As she sat down beside the entrance of the dungeon, she fell asleep almost immediately and when she awoke it was under a starry sky. Hokan was still breathing, but uneasily sleeping to the opiatic nightmares caused by the foul etter. She decided to ride for the rolling green hills of Gilhirdisillrgawen – transporting Hokan tied to the back of his horse in hope of getting help at the castle of Illornesannelan where she knew that great wonders had been worked before by the great cosmic mind, residing in the temple.
It was a peaceful kingdom ruled by a higher intelligence called Eraraldai who were in direct contact with the people. Recently, the broken people of Ordisanet and the wicked aristochracy that ruled them – had invaded and actually held the kingdom for a very short while until a heroine – who was summoned by Eraraldai – came from another world to free them. From what Gullviva had heard, she were still around; having earned an exalted position in the court.
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It was close to dawn when she arrived at the castle gates. She told the guards of the events at Vidslott, but they just mocked her. "No sane person – warrior or not – sets foot in those dungeons. Why would we help you and your misfortunate friend here at Illornesannelan? Who knows which curses you might bring upon us!", one guard said and backed off in disgust. That's when steps started to approach from the long stone staircase beind the gates. A minute or so later, the gates were opened from the inside. The guards immediately bent their knees, for it was Ronja Ekenstråla – the heroine of Gilhirdisillrgawen.
"Rise!", she told them with great annoyance in her voice."
"Carry this man. Eraraldai wants to speak with those two."
"I don't think this one will be speaking ever again.", one guard said while he started to unmount Hokan from his horse.
The great god-mind Eraraldai had overheard their story about the events at Vidslott and in the temple he spoke with them in their minds – for his sole embodiment was that of a small crystal. He knew about the axe and its true powers and were impressed by their quest to retrieve it.
It was true that Hokan's body was forfeit, but if he wished; his soul could still be saved from departing from this world by containing it within a susceptible item.
After some time of silecne, it was declared by Ronja that the soul of Hokan would be merged with the magical greataxe, thus continuing his life of battle – but this time – for the sake of the kingdom. "And I shall be the one to wield you, my friend!", Gullviva exclaimed, raising the axe as Ronja channeled the great cosmic powers of Eraraldai trough herself onto the liefeless body of Hokan, extracting his soul so that he was free to possess the greataxe.
They were both knighted that day at the court of Illornesannelan and the two comrades were happy to be fighting alongside each other again as weapon and wielder. But this weapon was far from any regular weapon now. With its mysterious magic and the soul of Hokan; it held great power, a will of its own and could communicate with its wielder. It's hard to believe that it ever would accept any other wielder than Gullviva though.
Ronja and Eraraldai were also happy to have two new champions fighting for the kingdom. However, they both agreed that they would have to keep a close watch on those two – due to the natural unruliness that dwelt within their essences.
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Another heroic adventure that takes place not far — both time- and space-wise — from "Parallel Realm and Deeds of Etehereal Heroism". Two new characters are introduced and old ones are revisited!
See track lyrics for story or download for booklet with story, art and UNIQUE FOOTAGE from the dungeon itself!
released May 19, 2020
