It was spring and there was peace in Sequarl. The Protectors were destroyed and in their place Grettir’s patrols kept the peace in the southlands beyond the Rin, and his deputies held those of their strongholds that were not now rubble. Winter had been blessedly free from orc raids and outlaws would rather freeze or starve than risk the attentions of Grettir and his men. Grettir sniffed the spring air and decided that now was an auspicious time to take a long sea voyage. He was not proved to be entirely correct in this prediction, but he ordered that the Stigandi, his ocean-going longship be prepared and provisioned for a long voyage and assembled a crew. Most were his own sworn retainers, but he also took on a number of professional seamen. Amongst them was a large man with distinctive corn-row hair, who claimed to have come from far-off Atlanea and was a warrior who also knew runes. His name was Ubaron.
He took counsel with friends and advisors as to his itinerary. Paradoxides was very keen to make use of the rutter discovered in the laboratory of Porshneer on Seahorse Island. This described the journeys of some old-time sorceror who sailed the seas in search of strange wonders. He had recorded his movements so that – if they proved a true record – others could follow his voyages to these destinations. Paradoxides was particularly keen to visit an island in the uttermost South called Emeo where according to the rutter there was a Gate to another world.
The Stigandi set sail in March of 693. Grettir bade farewell to Kisten and his family saying that he expected to return in the autumn, but that Paradoxides could transport him home in the blink of an eye. If they had great need they must to break a runestick and he would return. With him on the voyage was his eldest son Thorfinn who was still only 14 years but tall, strong, steady and disciplined. This made his twin sisters, Signy and Katla, wroth for they were a year older. However, Grettir judged that they would be a handful on a long sea voyage, for they were wilful and full of mischief – though he loved them for it. They proved his point by trying to stow away on board. “Next time,” he said and left them pouting on the quay.
Rather than head directly to Kos via Seahorse Island, Grettir chose to hug the coast and make a first landfall at Telemark. This was not entirely without risk – it was only a few months since he and his companions had slain Gunnar Halfdanson and half the crew of the Sea Raven at Yarr. However, he had two of that crew, Gron and Ari, now serving him and sailing on the Stigandi. In the event they were welcomed by Skirmir, the King of Telemark and invited to a rowdy viking feast. Gifts of value were exchanged between them and Grettir further enhanced his reputation (at least amongst vikings) by triumphing in the drinking competition. One of his men, a berserker called Donsti, leapt upon the table and made a foolish oath to slay a sea serpent upon this voyage. Otherwise the only casualties were many sore heads amongst the crew as they rowed out of Telemark’s deep harbour and headed south.
The voyage from Telemark to Kos was punctuated by a number of the usual encounters to be found in those dangerous waters. As fate would have it the very first of these was a sea serpent – the rest of the crew stood aside as Donsti gave it its death blow to fulfill his oath. Some days later they fished a shipwreck survivor named Hasbindra from the sea, barely alive. They also slew a huge sea crocodile. One night when Grettir was on watch he was attacked by a giant squid. His son, Thorfinn bravely came to his aid along with Wilf and between the three of them it was easily slain. The ship made excellent time to Kos, aided by constant favourable winds supplied by Girindor and the sure-handed helming of Bas’hagar, a (reformed, he assured them) Tyrosian pirate taken on as a pilot by Grettir.
Landfall at Kos was marked by trading northern goods for southern exotica that would make good prices when they returned to Chittagong (Grettir always said that he made far more treasure out of trading than he ever did from raiding on these ventures). From there they sailed south first to Asperiche where Paradoxides paid respects to his mentor, Norgamus, and then to Anango for more trade. An island called Kao Reef was the first entirely new place they visited, way to the south. It was inhabited by a race of big strong humans who made their main living hunting the giant turtles that lived in the seas nearby. They received a friendly welcome. They traded iron weapons there for black, white and red coral, pearls, huge shark teeth and exotic shells, all of which would make a pretty penny in the North.
Sailing yet further south, they passed close by to Sulphur Island, with its smokey smouldering summit. They marked it for a visit upon their return but pressed on to a barren island upon which stood three dolmens – two upright and a third set like a lintel atop them. According to the ancient rutter, this was the Emeo Gate. It was marked with strange runes. After some consideration, Paradoxides found the method to activate the gate and he, Grettir, Wilfred, Ubaron and Girindor passed through to the other side.
They found themselves upon a tiny island in an endless seascape. There they met Utamo, a huge titan of watery aspect, who greeted them in a friendly manner and bade them welcome to his domain. He was happy to trade with them – especially for iron, for he was a smith. However, he was even keener to enlist their aid in his struggles with interlopers from another plane – some species of fiery demon that had gained a foothold on one of the land-masses of his world. He took them down into his smithy in the caverns below the island. There, in front of them, he forged five javelins. He gave them to Grettir saying that on use they would become lightning bolts. He said that more of these, and other wondrous weapons, would be theirs if they aided him against his enemies. He could also furnish them with helmets that would permit them to breath beneath the waves (he misliked Grettir’s helm, the Master of Fire).
Grettir was greatly tempted by Utamo’s offer. However, he was keenly aware that he had a ship and a crew awaiting his return on the other side of the Gate, who he could not simply abandon while he explored a whole new world as a mercenary in Utamo’s employ. He did not refuse Utamo outright but told him that he would have to go back to his own world first but would return when he could. Utamo graciously acceded and told him that the matter was not time-critical. Though Grettir meant his words when he spoke them, many years have since passed and neither Grettir nor any of his companions have yet returned to aid Utamo.
F-12
OE Date: March to June 693
Characters: Paradoxides, Grettir, Salrod, Wilf, Jason, Aranath, Girindor NPCs: The crew of the Stigandi including Thorfinn, Donsti, Ari, Gron, Bas’hagar
Real World: January 2000 ; Where: Nottingham