Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Enchanted Trinkets Complete--a hardcover book containing over 500 magic items for your D&D games!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Knightfall" data-source="post: 279148" data-attributes="member: 2012">Ympyrä Ristiriita (The Challenge)Hiisi knew the battle was lost, he had lost almost as much as Cronn’s pantheon.  All his dark children were gone and there power with them.  He had had to beg Thera to come to Lunia and add her power to the battle.  But then the God of Prophecy had arrived and sent her to oblivion.His blockade had fallen and Aegir had surprised everyone by rising out of the Great River with a battle ready army of followers.  If Hiisi had received word of the event like he was suppose to then he wouldn’t have been caught between Jalivier’s & Aegir’s armies.  Vespin was gone, he knew his godson would never have let this slip by.His pantheon was broken but he refused to surrender.  Better to retreat and regain his power then die needlessly in savage battle.  Hiisi motioned to Mussin to call the retreat.  The vile god laughed at Hiisi’s plight and he, Druaga and Nether shifted away.“Damn you to the Abyss Mussin, you will suffer for this!”“No!”Hiisi wondered who would dare contradict him and turned to see Cronn’s godson Jaeger walking towards him.  “Well, this is an unexpected pleasure.  I feel like taking my frustration out on someone.  It might as well be you, little god child.”“You’ll have your chance.”  The young god smiled like he had already won.  Jaeger raised his voice calling out to the sky in the ancient tongue of the Old Gods.  “I invoke the ancient tradition of the Finnish Pantheon.  I call for the Ympyrä Ristiriita!”“What, no, you can’t!“ Hiisi did not have time to finish his sentence.  Eight Avatars of the Finnish gods appeared around Hiisi and Jaeger.  Ahto, Ilmatar, Loviatar, Mielikki, Tuonetar, Ukko and Untamo!“The challenge has been made Hiisi; do you accept or forfeit your station to the challenger?”  It was Ahto that spoke the words.“You can’t be serious, he isn’t one of us.”  Hiisi was furious.  As long as he was within the circle of Ympyrä Ristiriita, he could not leave Lunia.“It doesn’t matter if the challenge comes from outside of the pantheon, you know that.  Or do you forget how you came by your station amongst the Finns?”“Don’t patronise me Mielikki.  And yes, I will accept the challenge.”  Hiisi looked at Jaeger laughing.  “You little fool, you can’t defeat me.  No one has ever defeated me in Ympyrä Ristiriita.”“I don’t have to defeat you, I just have to trap you here long enough for the rest of my pantheon to finish destroying your army.”  Jaeger looked passed the circle of Finnish gods noting that a growing number of Outsiders had seen the Finnish Gods appear and riders were already on their way to tell the rest of the pantheon.  They would come eventually but not soon enough to save him.  Not that they could, no god may interfere in this challenge.  Not even his father could pass through the circle of Finnish Gods.Jaeger’s words enraged Hiisi and the Lord of Darkness made the first move.  Jaeger evaded him easily, as the Dark One was not thinking rationally.  Jaeger tried to keep his foe off balance by noting that Hiisi’s allies seemed to have abandoned him.  That really ticked him off and he almost caught Jaeger flatfooted.  The God of Honor wouldn’t last long against these odds, even with Hiisi on Jaeger’s turf.  Not that Mount Celestia was his home plane, the Prime Material was.  But to Jaeger, Mount Celestia was like a second home.Instead of dodging Hiisi’s next attack, he surprised the Lord of Darkness by meeting him head on, striking out with Honorbound against Hiisi’s torso.  The first hit was his, which enraged the Dark One even more.Hiisi tore into Jaeger, gaining four straight cuts with his sword.  A great cheer rose up from one side of the circle as a group of fiends had gathered to watch the spectacle.  Jaeger blocked the next blow and noticed that a group of celestials cheered him on from the other side of the circle.  Law versus Chaos, Good versus Evil.  This was what it was all about on the Planes.  Jaeger did not care; this was for Harqual – for all the mortals that he had grown up with, fought beside, and watched die.  That was what this was all about!The rage took Jaeger and he fought with no regard for his own life.  He took the fight to the Dark One, beating him back to the edge of the circle.  Hiisi was battered by the time Jaeger's rage had subsided.  Yet his strength was still greater than the young god's determination.  He slammed into Jaeger, sending him sprawling to the ground.  Jaeger was hurt bad by the blow barely getting up to his knees.  The rage had sapped his strength and he could feel himself slipping away.“You are beaten, young one.”  Hiisi stood over Jaeger and raised his fist in triumph.  The fiends roared at the sight while several of Jaeger’s pantheon members looked on, helpless to do anything.Jaeger looked to see his sister Mayela standing outside the circle with his mother Inanna.  Cronn was not there yet.  It didn’t matter, he had lied to Hiisi - he wasn’t stalling.  It was time for phase two of his plan.  Something that the First One in the Halls of Twilight hadn't suspected he knew.  Jaeger was not even sure it would work.“I have fallen Hiisi but I am not beaten.”  Jaeger’s words echoed across the lands of Lunia, as Jaeger grasped Honorbound at both ends.  “Here me Old Gods of all the Planes of Existence, I convey my essence to the Outer Planes wishing only one thing in return.  That Hiisi be banished to Carceri for as long as my Great Father watches over the lands and people of Harqual.  This I do freely with no tricks or illusions.”Hiisi’s eyes widened with fear and he reached out towards the young god.  “No!”Cronn appeared just as Jaeger snapped Honorbound with all his strength.  Godfire erupted within the circle consuming Jaeger.  The Old Gods of the Planes saw the young gods sacrifice and invoked the ancient Banishing that would trap Hiisi in Carceri for as long a Cronn watched over Harqual.“Jaeger!”  Cronn watched helplessly as his godson gave his life in the Banishing of the Lord of Darkness.  A mist swirled around Hiisi and the Dark One screamed as his essence was transferred to Carceri.The Avatars of the Finns left as quickly as they came, leaving Cronn’s pantheon to mourn the death of the godchild that would become known as Jaeger the Saint.  Hiisi’s pantheon was broken they had won.Jalivier returned to his realm and became known as Defender of the Light across the Outer Planes.  The other gods of the pantheon also returned to their realms and took places of honor amongst the gods of the universe.Cronn returned to the Prime Material to watch over the lands of Harqual and its people.  He built a new realm in the farthest reaches of the North called the Heart of Ice.Hela remains trapped as part of the seas of Harqual, while her brother Hansa has been trapped deep inside the earth.  He struggles in vain to free himself, which causes seasonal earthquakes to rock Harqual.  Cronn prays that Hansa will die soon, so that his grandchild’s suffering might end.And a new star appeared in the night sky after Jaeger’s death and it became known as Jaeger’s Rest.  It is said that Cronn spends many a night watching the star created by his godson’s legacy, in loving memory.</blockquote>

Verification