session-2026-03-25

West Marches 2026-03-26

Date: Mar 25th, 2026

Summary

The party stood at a crossroads, debating whether to brave the darkened jungle paths around the pond or accept the tribe’s hospitality for the night. After a brief exchange of broken Toki Pona with Shae, the tribal elder, they managed to communicate their desire for a guide toward the mountain. The tribe, in turn, urged the adventurers to rest first, gesturing toward the large communal hut known as the Tomo Suli, where grass beds and woven foliage mats awaited them. The party relented, removed their footwear as the locals did, and settled in for the night.

The village proved to be a lively and humorous place even after dark. A young warrior approached Corneleus and, with a grin and a string of Toki Pona words, proceeded to mock the old man’s age and anatomy in front of the entire village, pointing at his gray hair and calling him a man of many years before delivering a particularly cutting remark about his penis size. The whole village erupted in laughter, and Corneleus could do little but smile and mutter “Pona” in response. The party learned several new words that evening, though not all of them were ones they had hoped to learn.

Morning brought the smell of food and the sounds of the village waking up. A hospitable tribal woman prepared a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, pork, vegetables, and a flatbread the locals called pan, along with what appeared to be a kind of salsa. Corneleus, drawing on his growing vocabulary, enthusiastically declared the food strong and good, impressing the woman greatly. She responded by touching his armor and launching into a new round of teasing, calling him a small stick man and pointing at his anatomy once more, sending the village into another fit of laughter. The party took it in stride, adding yet more words to their growing Toki Pona lexicon.

Before the party could depart, the tribe’s cat, Fenrir, became the subject of an ill-fated attempt at bonding. When Corneleus tried to handle the creature so a young girl could pet it, the cat moved with blinding speed and left three deep claw marks across his nose before returning to licking its paw as though nothing had happened. The girl looked on in wide-eyed surprise while Corneleus stood bleeding, and the cat regarded him with supreme indifference. It was, by all accounts, a humbling moment for a man who had just survived a T-Rex.

The tribe then presented the party with a remarkable gift: a spear crafted from one of the great teeth of the T-Rex the adventurers had previously slain. The warriors spoke of the party with reverence, calling Urrilon a great and strong warrior, and escorted the group toward a sacred cave not far from the village. Inside, the cave opened into a large circular chamber dominated by a beautiful, self-draining pool fed by a carved stone face on the wall, with tiny lights drifting through the air like fireflies. The tribe formed a circle around the pool and launched into a fierce, choreographed ritual of guttural screams and pounding spears, their movements precise and ancient.

Papa Jan attempted to mimic the ritual out of respect, doing his best to follow the violent choreography while keeping a careful eye on the tribe’s reactions. The warriors noticed and laughed, but not unkindly — it was the laughter of people watching someone try very hard at something they did not yet understand. Then, without warning, the cave plunged into absolute darkness. Six small blue flames ignited above the surface of the pool, and a ghostly female figure with fierce, blood-red eyes rose from the water, hovering in silence as the tribe dropped to one knee in reverence. The party followed suit.

The spirit spoke in Toki Pona, her words cryptic and layered, and the party struggled to piece together her meaning. She seemed to be asking them a question — something about who they were when no one was watching, what they were at their core when stripped of armor and title and audience. The warriors dipped the T-Rex tooth spear into the sacred water as the party wrestled with the language, and Urrilon, drawing on everything he had learned, strung together a sentence that declared him a parent of many strong and good warriors, a friend to those who travel and fight. The spirit’s fierce expression shifted, and she seemed satisfied. The spear rose from the water glowing with a soft magical light, blessed by whatever power dwelled in that pool. A great magical hammer briefly shimmered beneath the surface before fading back into the depths, unclaimed, as the party departed the cave with their new weapon and their guide, a tribal leader named Shay, and his dog Ike.

The jungle trek that followed was uneventful for a time, with Shay leading the group through dense foliage toward the mountains. Then, in a marshy clearing, the party spotted something extraordinary: a white horse sinking slowly into the swamp, its coat pristine despite the mud, a single horn gleaming from its brow. Corneleus spoke to the creature, and it answered in Common, introducing itself cheerfully as Wilbur. The unicorn happily accepted a handful of honey-oat rations from Corneleus’s pack and, upon learning the party was seeking expert builders for a fortress, suggested they look no further than Mount Celestia. He then opened a shimmering portal to an opalescent staircase and invited them to follow. Shae, understandably terrified by a talking unicorn and a magical doorway, decided his services were no longer required and quietly departed.

The climb up the Infinite Staircase was long enough that time itself seemed to blur and lose meaning. Corneleus, ever practical, transformed into a squirrel and rode on Papa Jan’s shoulder for the duration of the ascent, which the goliath bore with remarkable patience. Eventually, a portal opened onto the breathtaking vista of Mount Celestia, its peaks glowing with divine light. Wilbur agreed to continue guiding the party through the celestial realm, and they pressed onward into the mountain city of the dwarves.

The dwarven city within the mountain was a marvel of engineering, with cobblestone paths winding in concentric circles above grates that glowed with the heat of flowing lava far below. The party was directed toward a massive twenty-foot stone door embossed with the image of a great hammer, flanked by an anvil, a forge, and scattered ingots and tools. Corneleus set to work at the forge, producing a passable hammer on his first attempt and a much finer one on his second. Papa Jan, cutting through the ceremony, simply struck the anvil with his own warhammer, and the great doors swung open.

Inside, a dwarf named Glenn — red-bearded, bright-eyed, and ten feet tall — was directing workers with the confidence of someone who had built half the known universe. The party had been introduced to him by a goat herder whose two enormous animals, including one named Bess who took an immediate and slobbery liking to Cornelius, were strapped to a flying boat with propellers on top. The Dwarf agreed to hear the party’s proposal and invited them aboard for a demonstration of his work. The boat launched at terrifying speed through the clouds, moisture hitting the passengers like tiny knives, before arriving at a celestial mountain of towering dwarven spires and fog-wrapped stone. Glenn agreed to design and build a fortress for the party in the material plane, but named his price: a golden apple belonging to the goddess Idunn.

The party followed Wilbur up the staircase once more, this time emerging into the realm of Asgard, where the colors of the sky were richer than anything they had ever seen and the air carried a deep, settled peace that silenced the constant noise of the world. They crossed the Bifrost, the great rainbow bridge, watching the Einherjar — fallen warriors — train and laugh and kill each other in the fields below, their voices rolling like thunder. Two enormous ravens, Huginn and Muninn, began circling the party as they approached the city, watching with sharp, intelligent eyes.

A ten-foot-tall Valkyrie with great wings and metal chestplates was found sharpening her spear near the city’s edge. She informed the party that Idunn had been missing for months, lured away by Loki, who had disguised himself as Zeus in the form of a stag and led her into captivity in a cave. The Valkyrie pointed the party toward Heim, the guardian of Odin’s hall, and wished them well. The ravens continued to circle overhead as the party made their way to the great doors.

Heim stood before a pair of fifty-foot stone doors, his eyes hidden beneath his helmet, his broadsword resting from chest to floor. He summoned two stone Valkyrie statues that rose from the ground and formed an arch of crossed swords above the party’s heads, then told each of them to pass through while holding in their minds what they had given up to walk the path they were on. Papa Jan thought of his devotion to Lathander and the freedom he had surrendered. Umbra thought of her will to protect herself. Corneleus thought of his comfort, his family, and the hand he had lost. Urrilon thought of his wife, his child, and the stable life he would likely never return to. Glenn thought of the seat at Velq’va he had abandoned to find his own destiny. The statues tensed and sparked as each one passed, but none were turned away.

The hall beyond was vast and firelit, filled with the sounds of warriors feasting and fighting and rising again, the air thick with the smell of meat and the heat of torches. At the far end, before a great open window blazing with sunlight, sat Odin — a silhouette of immense size with a patch over one eye and a spear resting at his side, his ravens perched on his shoulders and whispering in his ears. He spoke to the party without looking at them at first, asking what they would lose if they succeeded, and warning them that the path they walked ended in certain ruin. He offered no comfort, only the truth as he saw it, and then tasked them with a quest: find Idunn in the cave where Loki held her, deal with his adopted son, and in return he would give them one of his golden apples. He spoke of Loki with the complicated love of a father who knew his child had gone astray but refused to rob him of the chance to find his own way back.

The party debated their approach over the feast Odin offered them, surrounded by the eternal revelry of Asgard. They agreed quickly that fighting Loki was not an option — he was a god, and a god of trickery at that. Their best chance lay in wit, in adaptability, in finding out what Loki truly wanted and using that knowledge to outmaneuver him on his own terrain. They could not plan for what they did not yet know, but they knew their goal: free Idunn, earn the apple, and somehow walk away from a confrontation with the god of chaos with their lives and their dignity intact. The path down to the cave awaited them, and whatever game Loki was playing, they were about to become the newest pieces on the board.

Short

The party accepted the hospitality of a jungle tribe, spending the night in the communal Tomo Suli hut and sharing meals with the villagers. Despite a language barrier, they communicated through broken Toki Pona, learning new vocabulary amid rounds of good-natured teasing — most of it directed at Corneleus, who was mocked for his age, his size, and was even left bleeding by the tribe’s indifferent cat, Fenrir. Before departing, the tribe gifted the party a spear crafted from a T-Rex tooth and led them to a sacred cave, where a ghostly spirit rose from a glowing pool and challenged each member to reflect on their true nature. Urrilon answered in Toki Pona, declaring himself a parent of strong warriors and a friend to those who travel and fight, satisfying the spirit and earning the party a magically blessed spear. With their new guide Shay and his dog Eek, the party set off through the jungle — until a talking unicorn named Wilbur emerged from a swamp, accepted some honey-oat rations, and opened a portal to the Infinite Staircase, sending a terrified Shay fleeing back into the jungle.

The staircase led the party to Mount Celestia and into a magnificent dwarven mountain city, where Corneleus proved himself at the forge and Papa Jan simply struck an anvil to open the great stone doors. Inside, they met Glenn, a ten-foot red-bearded master builder, who agreed to construct a fortress for them in exchange for a golden apple belonging to the goddess Idunn. Wilbur guided the party onward to Asgard, where they crossed the Bifrost, were watched by Odin’s ravens Huginn and Muninn, and learned from a Valkyrie that Idunn had been kidnapped by Loki. After passing a solemn trial before the guardian Heim — each member reflecting on what they had sacrificed to walk their current path — they entered Odin’s great hall. Odin tasked them with freeing Idunn from Loki’s cave, offering a golden apple in return while warning them that their path led toward ruin. The party resolved that fighting Loki was not an option, and instead committed to outwitting the god of chaos on his own terms.

Classic

Last we left off, our intrepid band of adventurers found themselves welcomed into the warmth of a jungle tribe, sharing meals of scrambled eggs, pork, and flatbread, and learning more Toki Pona than perhaps they bargained for — most of it at Corneleus’s expense. The village proved generous in spirit and merciless in humor, and even the tribe’s cat, Fenrir, saw fit to humble the old man with three swift claw marks across the nose. Yet before the party departed, the tribe honored them with a sacred ritual in a cave of drifting lights and still water, where a ghostly spirit with blood-red eyes rose from the depths and tested the hearts of those who stood before her. Urrilon spoke truly, the spirit was satisfied, and the great tooth of the T-Rex they had slain was blessed and given into their keeping.

The road that followed took them from the jungle to the impossible — a unicorn named Wilbur, cheerfully sinking into a swamp, who offered them honey-oat rations, pleasant conversation, and a shimmering portal to the Infinite Staircase. Corneleus, ever practical, spent the climb as a squirrel on Papa Jan’s shoulder. At the top waited the dwarven city of Mount Celestia, where a ten-foot red-bearded master builder named Glenn agreed to design their fortress — for a price. One golden apple, belonging to the goddess Idunn. A small ask, except that Idunn had gone missing, lured away by Loki himself, disguised as Zeus in the form of a stag, and was now held captive in a cave somewhere beyond the reach of gods and Valkyries alike.

Now, having crossed the Bifrost, passed the judgment of Heim, and sat at the feast table of Odin himself — who offered them truth without comfort and a quest without guarantee — the party stands at the edge of something far larger than a fortress contract. The Allfather has spoken. Idunn must be freed. Loki must be faced. And somewhere in the depths of a cave, the god of chaos waits, playing a game whose rules he alone has written. The party cannot fight him. They cannot outrun him. Their only weapon is wit, and their only advantage is that Loki does not yet know how clever they can be. The cave awaits, and whatever comes next… and so it begins.

Middle English

Lythe and listin, gentilmen, Of adventurers bold and free, Who supped with tribes and gods alike, And climbed past mortal sea!

They rested in the Tomo Suli, On beds of woven grass, Where warriors mocked old Corneleus, And the whole village laughed, alas! A cat named Fenrir, swift and proud, Did claw him on the nose, And left him bleeding, humbled sore, As any wise man knows.

The tribe did gift a T-Rex tooth, A spear of fearsome might, And in a cave of blue-lit flames, A spirit rose in night! With blood-red eyes she asked of them What lay beneath their name, And Urrilon spoke true and strong, And blessed the spear became.

Through jungle marsh a unicorn, Named Wilbur, white and fair, Did lead them up the Infinite Stair, To Celestia’s golden air! Great Glenn the dwarf, ten feet of fire, Did hear their fortress plea, But named his price — an apple gold From Idunn, goddess free.

To Asgard then the party climbed, Where ravens watched on high, And Odin spoke of ruin’s path Beneath a sunlit sky! Now Loki holds the goddess fast, In cavern cold and deep, But wit, not sword, shall win the day, And wake what gods would keep!

Snarky

Our gloriously unprepared band of adventurers somehow stumbled their way from a jungle village — where Corneleus was repeatedly roasted by locals, scratched half to death by a cat named Fenrir, and still managed to charm a tribal woman with his two-word food review — all the way to the literal halls of Odin, which is either a testament to their resilience or proof that the universe has a deeply unhinged sense of humor. Along the way they received a T-Rex tooth spear blessed by a ghost with blood-red eyes, got a fortress architect quote from a ten-foot dwarf named Glenn whose price was “one goddess, please,” and followed a cheerful unicorn named Wilbur through a portal because of course they did. Shay, their tribal guide, took one look at the talking unicorn and the shimmering magical doorway and made the only sensible decision anyone in this story has ever made: he left.

Now the party sits in Valhalla, eating Odin’s food and plotting how to outwit the literal god of chaos, who has kidnapped a goddess and is currently disguised as a stag in a cave — which is, frankly, a very Loki thing to do. Odin, in his infinite one-eyed wisdom, essentially told them “you will probably fail and lose everything, good luck,” and then offered them dinner, which tracks. Their plan so far is to figure out what Loki actually wants and use it against him, which is either brilliant or the setup to the worst TPK in celestial history. Corneleus lost a hand to get here. Urrilon left his family. Papa Jan surrendered his freedom. Umbra gave up her self-preservation instincts. And Glenn quit his job. Whatever happens in that cave, these five disaster men have already paid too much to turn back now.

Limerick

The tribe laughed at Corneleus’s plight, A cat scratched his nose in the night. They slept, ate, and learned, A T-Rex tooth earned, And a spirit blessed their spear with light!

In the swamp stood a unicorn white, Named Wilbur, polite and forthright. He opened a door, To a staircase and more, And Shay fled in absolute fright!

The dwarves forged their halls with great care, With lava below and cool air. Big Glenn named his price, An apple — how nice — From Idunn, a goddess most rare!

In Asgard the colors ran deep, Where Einherjar fought without sleep. A Valkyrie said, “Idunn’s been misled, By Loki — that trickster and creep!”

Great Odin spoke truth, cold and plain, “Your path leads to ruin and pain.” They feasted and planned, With wit close at hand, To outsmart the god of the game!

Memorable Moments

Corneleus is mocked by a tribal woman who uses Toki Pona to call him a ‘small stick man,’ pointing at his anatomy and saying ‘Lili’ while the whole village laughs.

Corneleus had just been learning the language when the woman turned the lesson into a series of increasingly personal insults about his size

Urrilon strings together a sentence in Toki Pona to answer a ghostly spirit’s test, declaring himself a parent of many strong, good warriors and a friend to travelers — earning a magical blessing on his T-Rex tooth spear.

After the party struggled to interpret the spirit’s cryptic language, Urrilon’s heartfelt answer in the tribal tongue impressed the fierce red-eyed figure

Corneleus transforms into a squirrel to hitch a ride on Papa Jan’s shoulder for the entire climb up the Infinite Staircase rather than walk.

Faced with an infinite celestial staircase, Corneleus found the most practical and undignified solution available to a druid

Odin reveals that Loki has imprisoned the goddess Idunn in a cave after luring her away disguised as Zeus in the form of a stag, and tasks the party with dealing with his son in exchange for a golden apple.

The party had only come seeking a builder for their fortress; they now find themselves on a divine quest in the halls of Asgard

Urrilon rolls three natural ones in a row with three different dice while trying to use his inspiration to interpret the ghostly spirit’s question, sealing his fate to answer blindly.

The party desperately needed a good roll to understand the spirit’s cryptic Toki Pona question; the dice had other plans entirely

Scenes

Negotiating with the Tribe

The party attempts to communicate with the local tribe using Toki Pona to secure a guide and decide whether to stay the night.

• The party discusses whether to leave the pond area or stay the night with the tribe.
• Corneleus attempts to communicate with a tribal member using limited Toki Pona vocabulary to ask about a guide and the distance to the mountain.
• The party successfully negotiates for a guide to lead them toward the mountain.
• A tribal member demonstrates commands to a dog, teaching the party words for ‘command’ and ‘sit’.
• The tribe convinces the party to stay the night and rest before traveling in the morning.

Settling in at the Village

The party is shown to a communal hut and interacts with the villagers before taking a short rest.

• Yan Tomo points the party toward a large communal hut called Tomo Suli for their stay.
• The villagers provide the party with food and grass beds.
• A young warrior mocks Corneleus’s age and appearance, leading to a humorous exchange about physical attributes using Toki Pona words.
• Corneleus asks for the location of the bathroom facilities and is directed to the ‘Tomo Tello’ or water house.
• The party members settle in for a short rest, with some practicing the new language.

Morning in the Tribal Village

The party wakes up in the tribal village, interacts with the locals, and learns more of the Toki Pona language over breakfast.

• The party attempts to interact with a cat named Fenrir, resulting in the cat scratching Corneleus’s nose when he tries to handle it.
• Urrilon attempts to play a dice game with a tribal local to learn numbers and gambling customs, losing a copper piece when he has nothing else to offer.
• The party discovers that the tribe uses lizard teeth, known as ‘Kiwen Uta’, as currency.
• The party takes a long rest and reflects on their growing understanding of the Toki Pona language.
• A tribal woman prepares a breakfast of scrambled eggs, pork, vegetables, and flatbread for the party.
• Corneleus uses his knowledge of the local language to express that the food is strong and good, impressing the villagers.
• A tribal woman teases Corneleus about his age and physical attributes using Toki Pona words, and the party learns words for man, woman, and stick.

The Ritual at the Water Cave

The villagers lead the party to a sacred cave for a ritual involving a mysterious pool and a carved stone face, culminating in a blessing from a ghostly spirit.

• The villagers present the party with a spear crafted from a T-Rex tooth.
• The party is escorted to a large circular cave containing a beautiful, self-draining pool of water fed by a carved stone face, with firefly-like lights in the air.
• The villagers perform a violent, choreographed dance involving guttural screams and pounding spears around the pool.
• Papa Jan attempts to mimic the ritual dance to show respect and avoid offending the tribe.
• The cave suddenly goes pitch black before blue flames ignite above the water’s surface.
• A ghostly female figure with blood-red eyes appears floating above the pool; the tribe bows in reverence and the party follows suit.
• The warriors dip the T-Rex tooth spear into the sacred water.
• The ghostly figure speaks to the party in Toki Pona, questioning their nature and character — the party struggles to interpret her cryptic language, eventually deducing she is asking who they are when no one is watching.
• Urrilon successfully strings together a sentence in Toki Pona, identifying himself as a parent of many strong, good warriors and a friend to travelers.
• The ghostly figure is impressed and blesses the spear, causing it to glow with magical energy.
• A magical hammer briefly appears in the water but fades away as the party chooses not to claim it.
• The party departs the village with their guide, Shay, and his dog, Eek.

Trekking Through the Jungle

The party leaves the tribal village and heads toward the mountains, led by their guide Shay.

• Shay leads the party through the dense jungle environment toward the mountains.
• The party travels for several hours, keeping watch for danger.
• A perception check reveals something unusual ahead in a marshy area.

The Encounter with Wilbur the Unicorn

While traveling through a swampy area, the party encounters a unicorn and learns about the path to Mount Celestia.

• The party spots a beautiful white horse with a horn sinking in the marsh, which they identify as a unicorn.
• Corneleus casts Speak with Animals to communicate with the creature, who introduces himself as Wilbur and speaks Common.
• Corneleus offers Wilbur some honey-oat rations, which the unicorn happily accepts.
• Wilbur mentions a ‘wonderful wizard’ who has been following the party.
• The party expresses interest in finding expert builders for their fortress, and Wilbur suggests looking in Mount Celestia.
• Wilbur creates a portal to an opalescent staircase, inviting the party to follow him to the mountain of the gods.
• The party’s local guide Shay, frightened by the talking unicorn and the portal, decides to leave the group.

Ascending the Infinite Staircase

The party travels with Wilbur up the celestial Infinite Staircase toward Mount Celestia.

• The party enters the portal and begins climbing the Infinite Staircase, where their perception of time fades.
• Corneleus transforms into a squirrel to ride on Papa Jan’s shoulder during the long climb.
• After a long ascent, the party reaches a portal that reveals the breathtaking view of Mount Celestia.
• Wilbur agrees to continue acting as the party’s guide within the celestial realm.

The Forge of the Master Builder

The party arrives at a massive dwarven door in the celestial realm and must forge a hammer to gain entry.

• The party reaches a massive 20-foot tall stone door embossed with a large hammer image.
• An anvil, forge, ingots, and tools are found nearby.
• Corneleus attempts to forge a hammer at the anvil using tinker’s tools, producing a passable but imperfect result on the first try.
• On a second attempt, Corneleus produces a much better hammer.
• Papa Jan strikes the anvil with his own warhammer, causing the great doors to open.
• The party enters a mountain city filled with dwarves and flowing lava far below.

The Goat-Sled to the Master Builder

The party assists a dwarven goat-herder in exchange for an introduction to the master builder Glenn.

• The party meets a dwarf leading two gigantic goats, one of which is named Bess, who takes a liking to Papa Jan and licks him enthusiastically.
• Papa Jan uses his knowledge of Dwarvish to communicate with the herder.
• The party helps strap the massive goats to a flying boat with propellers on top.
• The herder introduces the party to Glenn, a prominent dwarven master builder.

The Master Builder’s Flying Boat

The party meets master dwarven builder Glenn and takes a high-speed flight on a goat-powered boat to see his architectural wonders.

• The party negotiates with Glenn, a master dwarven builder with a bushy red beard and bright blue eyes, to design and construct a fortress in the material plane.
• Glenn invites the party onto a flying boat powered by two gigantic goats to showcase his work.
• The boat flies at incredible speeds through the clouds, with the party clinging to the railings as moisture hits them like knives.
• They arrive at a celestial mountain featuring massive dwarven-built spires and fog-shrouded architecture.
• Glenn agrees to provide his services in exchange for a specific apple belonging to the goddess Idunn.

Arrival in Asgard

Guided by Wilbur the unicorn, the party ascends the infinite staircase and crosses the Bifrost into the realm of Asgard.

• The party travels up the infinite staircase and enters a portal leading to Asgard.
• They witness a sky with colors richer than anything on the material plane and see the towering city of light and stone.
• The party crosses the Bifrost, the rainbow bridge, observing the Einherjar training and fighting in the fields below.
• Two ravens, Huginn and Muninn, begin circling the party as they approach the city.
• The party encounters a ten-foot-tall Valkyrie sharpening her spear and asks her about Idunn.
• The Valkyrie informs the party that Idunn has been missing for months after being tricked by Loki, who impersonated Zeus in the form of a stag.
• The party learns about the Golden Orchard and that taking an apple without permission is considered theft.
• The party decides to seek an audience with Odin directly.

The Trial of the Valkyries

To enter Odin’s hall, the party must pass through a magical archway guarded by stone Valkyrie statues and declare what they have sacrificed.

• The party meets Heim, a helmeted guardian with a massive broadsword, who challenges them to prove their worthiness.
• Heim summons two stone Valkyrie statues that form an arch with crossed swords above the party’s heads.
• Papa Jan passes through, reflecting on giving up his free will to serve Lathander.
• Umbra passes through, declaring she has given up her desire for safety and her will to protect herself.
• Corneleus passes through, thinking of the comfort, family members, and the hand he has lost.
• Urrilon passes through, reflecting on the loss of his wife, child, and stable life.
• Glenn passes through, thinking of giving up his position as a headmaster to find his own destiny.
• The stone statues tense and sparks fly as each member passes the judgment of the Valkyries.

Audience with the All-Father

The party meets Odin in his great hall to request a favor, leading to a quest involving his son Loki and the imprisoned goddess Idunn.

• The party enters a massive hall filled with warriors feasting, fighting, and resurrecting.
• They approach Odin, a gigantic silhouette seated before a bright window with a patch over one eye, his ravens Huginn and Muninn on his shoulders.
• Odin questions the party’s worthiness and their willingness to face certain ruin for their goals.
• Odin reveals that to earn his favor, the party must find and deal with his adopted son Loki, who has imprisoned the goddess Idunn in a cave.
• Odin explains that Loki lured Idunn away by impersonating Zeus in the form of a stag.
• The All-Father offers the party a path to the cave where Idunn is held and promises one of his golden apples as a reward for her release.
• Odin provides cryptic wisdom about understanding oneself to understand others, then invites the party to enjoy the feast.
• The party debates their strategy for confronting Loki, deciding to rely on wit and adaptability rather than martial strength, and agreeing not to fight him directly.

NPCs

Yan Tomo

A tribal member who communicates with the party in Toki Pona, helping them find lodging and agreeing to provide a guide toward the mountain.

Tribal Dog

A dog belonging to the tribe that responds to the command ‘Anpa’ (sit), inadvertently teaching the party Toki Pona command words.

Young Tribal Warrior

A young warrior who mocks Corneleus’s age and physical attributes using Toki Pona, leading to a humorous exchange that teaches the party several new words.

Tribal Woman

A hospitable villager who prepares breakfast for the party, communicating through gestures and basic Toki Pona. She also playfully teases Corneleus about his appearance while teaching him new words.

Tribal Local

An unnamed member of the tribe who engages in a dice game with Urrilon, teaching him the local numbering system and winning a copper piece before walking away with his lizard teeth currency.

Shay

A tribal leader who acts as a guide for the party, leading them toward the mountains. He flees when the party encounters Wilbur the unicorn and enters a magical portal.

Eek

Shay’s dog, whose name translates to ‘bad’ or ‘naughty’ in the local tongue, though he follows the sit command.

The Ghostly Figure

A fierce spirit with blood-red eyes that appears floating above the sacred pool during the tribal ritual. She communicates in Toki Pona to test the character of those who enter her domain, and blesses the T-Rex tooth spear after Urrilon’s answer satisfies her.

Fenrir

A house cat belonging to the party that proved temperamental, scratching Corneleus across the nose when he tried to handle it and refusing to be trained.

Wilbur

A friendly, talking unicorn found sinking in a swamp. He speaks Common and Celestial, enjoys honey-oat rations, and serves as a guide to the celestial realms, creating a portal to the Infinite Staircase.

Bess

A gigantic goat with eyes pointing in opposite directions and a very long tongue, used to pull a flying dwarven vessel. She takes an immediate liking to Papa Jan and licks him enthusiastically.

The Goat Herder

A dwarf who enlists the party’s help strapping his giant goats to a flying boat, in exchange for introducing them to the master builder Glenn.

Glenn

A legendary dwarven master builder with a bushy red beard and bright blue eyes, standing around ten feet tall. He agrees to design and construct a fortress for the party in exchange for an apple from the goddess Idunn.

The Valkyrie

A ten-foot-tall winged warrior with a helmet and metal chestplates, found sharpening her spear in Asgard. She informs the party that Idunn has been missing for months after being tricked by Loki, and guides them toward Heim and Odin’s hall.

Huginn and Muninn

Odin’s two large ravens who act as his spies, circling and watching the party as they enter Asgard before landing on Odin’s shoulders to whisper reports of the newcomers.

Einherjar

Fallen warriors in the fields of Asgard who spend their time training, fighting, and laughing with sounds like thunder, killing each other in practice and rising again.

Heim

A guardian in a helmet whose eyes are hidden, wielding a massive broadsword that reaches from his chest to the floor. He tests the worthiness of those seeking Odin by summoning stone Valkyrie statues to judge those who pass through.

Odin

The All-Father of Asgard, a towering figure seated before a bright window with a patch over one eye and a spear resting nearby. He is accompanied by his ravens Huginn and Muninn and possesses a deep, philosophical outlook on fate and the growth of his children. He tasks the party with dealing with his adopted son Loki to earn a golden apple.

Idunn

The goddess of youth, renewal, and immortality who has been missing for months after being tricked by Loki. She is currently held prisoner in a cave.

Loki

Odin’s adopted son and the god of trickery and chaos. He lured Idunn away by impersonating Zeus in the form of a stag and is now holding her prisoner in a cave. The party views him as a dangerous entity that cannot be defeated through traditional combat.

Locations

Tribal Village

A settlement of indigenous people in the forest near a pond, featuring straw-mat huts, communal living areas, and a distinct local culture centered around the Toki Pona language.

Tomo Suli

A large communal hut within the village where the party is invited to sleep on grass beds made of woven foliage mats.

Tomo Tello

A small hut used as a bathroom facility, literally translated as the ‘water house,’ with a small water dish outside for washing hands.

The Sacred Cave Pool

A large circular cave near the village featuring an endless pool of water fed by a carved stone face on the wall. It serves as a site for intense religious rituals and spiritual manifestations, with firefly-like lights in the air.

The Jungle

A dense, humid forest area between the tribal village and the mountains where the party travels with their guide Shay.

The Swamp

A muddy, marshy area where the party discovers Wilbur the unicorn sinking in the muck.

The Infinite Staircase

A celestial, opalescent staircase that connects the material plane to Mount Celestia. Time and perception feel distorted during the ascent.

Mount Celestia

The mountain of the gods, featuring beautiful peaks and different planes where various deities reside.

The Dwarven Mountain City

A massive underground city within the celestial realm featuring cobblestone paths, concentric circles, and grates over flowing lava far below.

Celestial Mountain

A stunning example of dwarven architecture showcased by Glenn, featuring giant spires reaching into the sky and surrounded by fog.

Asgard

A divine realm characterized by a glowing sunrise, halls of light and stone, the Bifrost rainbow bridge, and a grand feasting hall. Colors here are richer than anything on the material plane.

The Bifrost

A gigantic, beautiful bridge made of a rainbow that connects the realms and leads to the city of the gods in Asgard.

The Golden Orchard

A warm, windless grove in Asgard where light filters through branches and smooth, faintly glowing apples grow. Taking an apple without divine permission is considered theft.

Odin’s Hall

A massive feast hall in Asgard filled with firelight and the sounds of revelry, where fallen warriors feast and fight eternally and Odin sits before a great window of light.

Items

Water Skin

A container used by the party that a tribal member uses to explain the Toki Pona word for water (‘Tello’).

Straw Mats

Finely woven foliage mats used as flooring in the communal hut, prompting the party to remove their footwear before entering.

Six-sided Dice

Standard gaming dice used by Urrilon to bridge the communication gap and play a game of chance with a villager, inadvertently teaching the party the Toki Pona numbering system.

Kiwen Uta

Lizard hook teeth used as currency by the tribe, kept in small pouches. The party learns of their value after Urrilon loses a dice game and has nothing to offer in return.

Pan

A type of flatbread, similar to naan, served during breakfast in the village alongside eggs, pork, vegetables, and what appeared to be salsa.

T-Rex Tooth

A large trophy from a previous battle that the party carries. A smaller tooth is given to the villagers, who value teeth as currency, and the tribe crafts a spear from one of the larger teeth.

T-Rex Tooth Spear

A spear crafted by the tribe using a tooth from the T-Rex the party previously defeated. It was given to the party as a sign of respect for their strength, then dipped into the sacred cave pool during a ritual, emerging as a magical glowing weapon.

Magical Force Hammer

A powerful magical hammer that appeared briefly in the cave’s sacred pool as the party departed. It was described as capable of conjuring lightning and granting flight, but it faded away when the party chose not to claim it.

Honey-Oat Rations

A mix of dried fruit, oats, and honey from Corneleus’s pack that he shared with Wilbur the unicorn to build rapport.

Ball-peen Hammer

A small hammer forged by Corneleus at the celestial anvil outside the dwarven doors, used to demonstrate intent to the gatekeepers.

Flying Boat

A dwarven vessel equipped with propellers on top and pulled by giant goats, used by Glenn for high-speed transport through the celestial skies.

Idunn’s Apple

A golden apple from the goddess Idunn’s orchard in Odin’s grove, associated with youth, renewal, and immortality. It is the required payment for Glenn’s architectural services and can only be obtained with divine permission.

Heim’s Broadsword

A massive blade wielded by the guardian Heim that reaches from his chest to the floor, used to summon stone Valkyrie statues to judge the party’s worthiness.

Odin’s Spear

A legendary weapon resting near the All-Father during the party’s audience with him in his great hall.

Spells

Guidance

A divinely inspired boost used to assist party members during key moments, including helping Corneleus handle the cat Fenrir and aiding in attempts to decipher the ghostly figure’s cryptic Toki Pona questions.

Speak with Animals

Cast by Corneleus to initiate a conversation with Wilbur the unicorn found sinking in the swamp, allowing the party to communicate with the creature and learn about Mount Celestia.

Wild Shape

Used by Corneleus to transform into a squirrel so he could be carried on Papa Jan’s shoulder during the long climb up the Infinite Staircase.