"Ragnarok": A call for information!

Good people,

This will be where we all compile information on the weapon known as "Ragnarok" or any other weapons of a power sufficient enough to be comparable.

Please make yourself known and offer any information you can. Even if you feel it may be redundant or basic in its content, we will need any clues or resources that can be found. Our lives and our souls will depend on the success or failure of this research effort and the following quest to recover the "Clean" option for destroying Balfurous.

We need not become the enemy in order to defeat him.

Wotcher Mister Belfast,

Here follows what information I've been able to bring together thus far:

As far as I've been able to discern, legend tells that the weapon was formerly wielded by a revered warrior from the Northern Wastes. A number of ancient poems and songs feature both he and the blade, and while I haven't been able to ascertain precisely where the weapon came from or how it entered his possession, from studying these, it seems that swinging the weapon brings about some sort of great traumatic force - there are numerous mentions of great numbers of opponents being flung through the air, or knocked to the ground.

Perhaps most heartening of all: by performing an analysis of the foes Ragnarok is told to have slain, I believe we can claim that the weapon will prove effective against Mister Balfurous with approximately 90-95 parts certainty. What precisely will happen when we apply an unstoppable force to an immovable object remains to be observed.

Count Winterdark has ordered that I assemble a small expedition to retrieve the weapon from its resting place - once we've finished preparations, we hope to leave in just over a week's time. There is no indication that any organs will need to be sacrificed during the process.

I hope this information will be of use to all who read it.

If you're needing of my help, it is yours on this expedition.

Bran

While the need to find Ragnarok is great it will not be a replacement for Bloodtide. We need something more than legendary weapons. The reason for Bloodtide was a weapon that could prevent Balfurous from turning into a block of ice and using his incredible healing powers. Ever bleeding wounds would prevent that. The powerful blows from Ragnarok would matter little when Balfurous can simply stop and heal himself.

Do not take this as me condoning the use of Bloodtide, even with my sacrifices to make it. I'm simply pointing out what an alternative would need to accomplish: make it so Balfurous can't stop and heal.

If what is needed is to halt healing and regenerative effects, perhaps one might look to the records of those who hunt lycanthropes. One would think that those used to combating regeneration would have some form or technique towards doing so.

In addition, I have been working towards something that may well prove of use in such an endeavor. One merely hopes that I shall be able to complete my research in time.

In science and progress,
Nigel Whitworth, Gentleman Apothecary

Goggins,

I wish I could help with this expedition. I wish you the best of luck and pray for your success.

A student of the world,
Seeker of the Lost Word,
Illyrin Soral

Sir Daniel McKraegar,

I do hear what you have said and I must write with all finality, that you and none of us know that Bloodtide will work. It has never been done before and so cannot be proven to be true. We are told that it will, but even our brightest scholars can only guess as to its effectiveness because the weapon Bloodtide has never been used in this fashion before.

I would rather fight my enemy with a pointed stick than use a weapon born of murder and defilement. If we are so clever to have devised a way to forge a weapon capable of causing an ever-bleeding wound, are we not clever enough to find a way to stop Balfurous from turning to ice?

There is another answer. There is a path to redemption and we will find it.

Furthermore,


I was recently made aware of a creature of immense destruction, a Fire giant of proportion and power beyond reckoning.

Surtur it is called and rumored to reside within Honor's Peak.

I would not wish this new enemy to appear, however I feel there must be some connection of perhaps a divine coincidence between the rumored return of the Lord of Fire Giants and the need to destroy a Demon of Ice.

Perhaps setting these forces against one another in combination with a weapon of legend may be enough to see Balfurous' destruction.

The weapon has been forged, and the reputation of Travance is forever stained. That stain can be lightened when those who murdered are dealt with according to law. There were other things done, such as lying when inquiries were made concerning the replacement of some of the hearts "harvested." We have the means, but even that was not done.

Fighting Balforous with a stick can be tried, but Galladell will count your death as a suicide when you appear for judgement. We might as well use it, as to lay it aside would make the murders completely pointless.

Pendarvin has been aware of Surtur's rousing for several months, and we have been working on a solution. We scouted the area in force and have an idea of what we are up against.So far as I know, and I have studied Surtur extensively, there is no connection. He does reside in the volcano atop Honor's Peak and can usually be mollified by feeding him sufficient magic, though what is sufficient and the current efficacy of that approach is not certain.

By mollified, I mean put back to another long rest. Calling him a Lord is understating what he is. I do not know the rank of this Demon of ice, but we can overcome most demons. I do not believe that is the case with the god of the Fire Giants. For if Surtur is not a their god, then certainly a demi-god. I do not elevate him to the same level of power as the gods men worship, but he is worshipped by Fire Elementals and Fire Giants for a reason.

In your wisdom Edwin, would you be able to determine if the flames of Surtur would be hot enough or capable of preventing Balfurous from taking on his form of ice which protects him while he heals his body?

I would not wish to fight both the might of the Mountain and the Demon Balfurous at once, but if such heat that Surtur possesses could be harnessed then perhaps we can find a way to augment the heroic blade known as "Ragnarok" to make it as effective as Bloodtide is rumored to be.

My expertise does not lie in research but I would be interested in joining this expedition to find Ragnarok. For all avenues should be explored. Should we have more ways to fight Balfurous, the higher our chances may be to defeating him. Using only one would be foolish, even if one was created through evil deeds.

I shall not falter to provide my services in the search for Ragnarok.

As for this Surtur, I wish to explore perhaps augmenting Ragnarok as said, or getting this giant to assist in some way even if not willingly in our battle should it prove helpful.

In less then a week.... you the holiday when many members of travance bring their younglings out of hiding and let them run with the hero's... Damned i needed to get to that graveyard

Magnus

I will help in whatever way is needed. All options must be looked at and researched incase one turns out to be false.

My suggestion to the other alternative for making Balfurous unable to heal is the curse the masters of house reign are able to grant their enemies. Was this line of thinking ever explored?

Explored and dismissed, yes. Apparently it would take over 200 witch hunters to begin to deal with Balfurious.

I think Lucien is on to something. Perhaps there is a way to either control or convince Surtur to fight for our cause. I have not had many dealings with demons that wasn't straight out warfare, but perhaps they can be reasoned with?
It is surprising what patience and politeness and accomplish.
Is Surtur something with presence of mind enough to understand these things? Can he be spoken to, reasoned with?


I will help and do whatever it takes to make this happen or anything else that we find will work. Please, let me redeem myself.

Demons are known to be combative and mistrusting of one another.

I would not suggest treating with one demon over another, but if Surtur feels insulted or threatened by the presence of a Lord Ice Demon, perhaps near his domain, it may cause Balfurous to expend resources at least in quieting the Fire-Lord , affording us some relief.

It is said that Surtur is hungry for magic and so may follow a "trail of breadcrumbs" if you will.

I apologize if any of this seems outlandish, but it would not be the most outrageous leap of logic I have seen done in Travance to be sure.

It is heartening to see that members of Travance wish to find alternative means to this abomination BloodTide. In matters concerning Ragnarok I think we may have to be careful with how many people we bring to retrieve the weapon. So far I have compiled a list with Goggins and we are up to a dozen? Feel free to correct me if I am wrong, Goggins.

I had heard rumor of another sword that resides inside Honors Peak. In retrieving it, we could kill two birds with one stone. Perhaps we could get some of the Fire Giant Lords essence..or whatever it is we might need for him, and retrieve the sword. It is said to be a Divine Sword with the same properties as Blood Tide. I suggest another group be formed to retrieve, or attempt to retrieve, that sword while the other party goes for Ragnarok.

Astrid Aldorson

Father Belfast:

It is none that Bloodtide will work. Two people, Philidin and Belegchand, have simply touched the blade and have wounds that would not stop bleeding. If not for the intervention of the Visraki to save Philidin and Palinthorn to save Belegchand those two would have died.

This weapon was originally forged by the ancient evils of this world for Belloc to fight Nimfear. It was made by dragon slayers to fight a half dragon. There is no reason to be uncertain, it will work.

Ragnarok is still needed, and I will lend my aid to the expedition.

Sir McKraegar,

I thank you for your assistance and welcome it gladly.

The fact of the matter is that if Bloodtide delivered it's fatal wound to a non-demon, then that likely means that we were not successful in properly attuning it to our enemy.

Its original purpose was to slay dragons, and during its reforging process it was supposed to have been "retrained" to cause its wounds to demon-kind. Yet here we have two examples of it not destroying the lives of demons but of two elves.

Since this weapon has never been weilded by mortals, we have no proof positive way of knowing of its effectiveness. What evidence I can gather does not bode well. Which is why I have been so adamant in my opposition, as well as brash in my demands for further action.

I trust this makes sense to you.

If I can be of any help in this mission, I offer my services.

I also suggest bringing at least one Master Psion on this mission. I would suggest asking Silas Krone for his multitude of abilities, or my student Raxas.

Alana also would be a good candidate due to her ability to travel the elemental planes.

Well it's fatal wound was dealt to a wild mage/possible half demon descended from Balfurous (I'm actually uncertain what he was after the procedures he had done to himself). The injuries to a dragoon and an elf (not two elves) were done by the blade before it was reforged, so even in its damaged state it would leave grievous wounds on mortals. The "retraining" as you put it was successful.

Wotcher,

Indeed, Mrs. Aldorson, what began as a small list has since grown to well over a dozen - today alone, I've had more notes delivered to the workshop with pledges of assistance than will fit in the letterbox! I'm honestly rather overwhelmed by the correspondence... this afternoon, we had to send Rocky out to collect fresh stationery supplies, and we've nearly exhausted those too!

To all those who have pledged their support: my most sincere thanks. You are truly kind-hearted and noble folks, and your dedication to exploration and discovery is worthy of the highest praise. I am honestly lost for words.

Miss Tz - this is not the first time you have seen fit to assist me with some form of research, and now as before, I am sincerely grateful for your insight. Your words here would indicate that you have some knowledge of the artifact we are hoping to find. Are you able to share your information with us? The tomes that document these items are badly organised and littered with untruths; if you are able to share the fruits of your research,I've no doubt that it would prove beneficial to the efforts of the town.