The Wolves of Vidar: Redemption & Salvation

[Grimtooth]

PROLOGUE

 

The frigid expanse of the cosmos lay still, an inky black canvas dusted with the celestial fire of countless stars. A faint tremor disturbed the quiet. A subtle ripple, almost imperceptible, began to spread across the stellar tapestry, distorting the familiar patterns of constellations set in place for eons. It grew, gaining definition, until it was no longer a ripple but a jagged, tearing wound in the very fabric of reality.

Through this raw, bleeding aperture, a cacophony of colors spilled forth—hues unknown to the natural universe, swirling and clashing in a violent and uncontrolled maelstrom. And from within this vibrant, impossible reality, a vessel emerged. It was a hulking slate grey ship, heavily scarred and gouged, its once sleek hull marred by countless weapon blasts and what appeared to be monstrous talon-like gouges raked its flanks. Trailing a haphazard wake of twisted metal and sparking conduits, it limped into the void, barely holding itself together, a testament to a desperate flight from within the Warp. Its propulsion flickered erratically, each burst a gasp for life in the cold, silent embrace of space. From within, an encoded transmission begin to broadcast across all short and long range frequencies. Only two short words, that to the naked eye would only be a jumble of obscure ideographic runes, but to a select few would be understood immediately,

 

"HJOLDA FENRYS!"

[Grimtooth]

Within the Chamber of the Annulus, the air hung thick with the scent of burning torches, accompanied by the low ever-present thrum of power within the Aett. Logan Grimnar, the Great Wolf, stood tall, his legendary weapon, The Axe of Morkai resting against his armored shoulder. His gaze, sharp and piercing, was fixed upon the Wolf Priest before him. Every one of Grimnar's heightened senses was on high alert, a primal instinct honed by centuries of warfare. He was defensive, ready to spring into action, yet a profound curiosity tempered his stance.

 

His eyes, accustomed to the recognizing the finest artificer plate, noted the older, worn armor of the Wolf Priest, a testament to countless battles fought and won. But what truly captured Grimnar's attention, and sparked a flicker of unease mixed with intrigue, were the obvious signs of the Mark of the Wulfen. The subtle tremors in the priest's frame, the hint of wild lupine fury within his gold-flecked eyes, spoke of a struggle waged internally, a beast barely contained.

 

Despite these unsettling markers, the Wolf Priest exuded an undeniable aura of wisdom and unbreakable will. His presence filled the chamber, a quiet power that belied his physical form. Yet, for all his inherent might, he presented himself with a clear and unwavering submission to the Great Wolf. His head was bowed just so, his posture respectful, acknowledging the undisputed authority that Logan Grimnar commanded. It was a delicate balance, a powerful individual humbling himself before an even greater force, and Grimnar, with his keen insight, understood the profound implications of such an encounter.

 

“From the beginning, priest,” he ordered, his voice a low growl that resonated in the ancient and sacred chamber. “From the moment you were ordered to break engagement at Gangava by the Great Wolf Ironhelm to return to Fenris and when our long-range patrol plucked you from the void, with your ship crippled and most of your brothers in a suspended state of the Curse.”

[Grimtooth]

The priest stood motionless for a moment before the Great Wolf, quietly focusing his thoughts before he started to speak;

 

"Great Wolf, I am Amund Boneweaver, wolf priest of the Fourth Great Company under Jarl Arvek Hren Kjarlskar who I am told now sleeps on the red snow along with many of my old brethren.

 

It was the Fourth that came upon Gangava and relayed to Great Wolf Ironhelm that we had finally found the new home planet of Magnus the Red and his warp-cursed offspring.  We fought alongside the Great Wolf, cleansing the maleficarum the Thousand Sons had used to recreate the abhorrent Prospero before we found out the sorcerous trickery in play. Jarl Arvek Kjarlscar ordered the Fourth to return in defense of the Aett, but some of us were ordered to remain, to witness and confirm the complete destruction of Gangava.

 

When Gangava was reduced to cosmic debris, and we entered the Warp for the return to Fenris, our ship was immediately attacked by the chaotic forces of the Immaterium. We do not know if this was the work of the traitorous XV Legion in compact with their malevolent masters or if the denizens of the warp had been attracted by the complete destruction of Gangava in the horrid reflection of the empyrean. Our ship was cast into the deepest recesses of the Sea of Souls, randomly attacked at times and sometimes left in the dead calm of nothingness with no direction. Our Navigator, may the House of Belisarius always be blessed by the Wolf King. protected us from the absolute worse as best he was able, always seeking calmer paths that allowed us to recover after each attack. But alas any attempt to direct us out of the corrupt nothingness was stymied by the Tides of Chaos.

 

The Chaos Gods were patient, knowing that this was a war of attrition, and our resources were limited while theirs were without number. It slowly dawned on us that we were being assailed not only from outside, but from within. Our brothers, locked in continuous battle with the warp entities were succumbing to the Curse, whether that be instinctually to protect from the Taint of Chaos or the constant stress of sustained combat. I do not know how the vagaries of the Otherworld work, but none of us succumbed in physical form to become wulfen, but many of our Blood Claws were placed into stasis, unable to control their growing ferocity and animalistic nature. Even as I speak now, as wolf priest of the Rout, I can barely hold in the untamed desire to answer the Last Hunt.

 

The last assault on our ship was meant to finish us, with creatures of immense size battering and assaulting our ship relentlessly. It was here where our ship sustained the irreparable damage in which you found us. A warp engine breech had cast a ripple through the storm that gave our navigator a becalmed window through which escape finally became possible. With the Gellar Field collapsing we dropped into real space, not knowing where we were but finally free at last. Little did we know what that freedom would mean.

 

Chronometers measured out our time lost in the Eternal Dark at 2646 days, standard. But on contact with our brethren who answered our distress call, we now know that a millennia has passed. Everyone we have ever known is gone, save only a select few of the Ancients below the Fang. And while your Stormcaller has deemed us uncorrupted by Chaos, we are all tainted by some degree by the Curse of the Wulfen, which now, without the mysterious dampening effect of warp travel, has begun to accelerate in its course. We are saved only to be transformed into beasts and be turned away from our kin."

 

Logan looked down at Amund, seeing that a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders in telling the saga, but also now revealing a deep resignation and acceptance of the fate passed along to him and his brothers.

 

"Amund Boneweaver of the Fourth, you and your brothers are home and you have all brought great honor to the Rout and to the Wolf King!" boomed the Great Wolf as he stood.

 

"Our beloved Fenris set the wyrd that would bring you back to the Aett from across the galaxy and from the depths of Hel to continue the battles that the Vlka Fenryka were created by the Allfather and led by Russ to fight." Logan said as he walked towards Amund, "The Curse is upon what remains of the Great Company of Jarl Arvek Hren Kjarlskar, but we may have a path going forward that may bring you all peace."

 

"Come with me to speak with my High Wolf Priest, Ulrik," he explained as he stepped in front of the priest and set a gauntleted hand on the wolf priest shoulder, "and let him tell you of the Rubicon Primaris."

 

   

Edited Friday at 09:34 PM by Grimtooth