Isle of Loost: Beornwulf the Bold's story

Beornwulf the Bold and a group of saxon warriors were journeying home from the continent where they had been on campaign supporting Beornwulf''s cousin. On the voyage home they had been blown south in a storm. Knowing of the position of the isle of Loost they had landed there to gather food and water.

 

Beornwulf and his party march slowly in-land ...

They come across a hermit and get directions to the hamlet of Sodham ...

Entering Sodham Beornwulf enquires about food and water; after a long discussion they agree to trade some hand axes and their remaining coin for food...

While they prepare the food for the saxons the villagers tell them of the visit of some vikings a couple of days before....

Beornwulf and his men leave Sodham with supplies and a villager to guide them to the fountain of Isencak to obtain water before they return to their ship ...

The villager leads them along the high ground avoiding the swamp in the valley

As they reach a gap in the vegetation, they see some vikings down by the fountain ...

The sound of fighting is heard, they can see the vikings under attack; the guide tells them it is the orb maiden warriors (protectors of the Orb Stone of Isencak);  Beornwulf forms up the fittest men....

The saxons charge into the fray...

a long and bloody fight ensues ...

The saxons are victorious, but a few vikings get away with the stone of Isencak....

Beornwulf and his men exhausted after the fight are unable to pursue, they rest for a while. After getting  some water they return to their ship, along with the last of the orb maiden warriors. Some rest in the tents with others on guard - the rest watch as the food is prepared ......

there is much feasting, drinking and telling of tales round the camp fire. The next day the saxons set sail for home...

Isle of Loost: Angstrom Angstromsen's quest for the Orb Stone of Isencak

Angstrom Angstromsen and his band of viking warriors move in land....

A squabble breaks out over some trivial jibe, by the time Angstrom has got his men under control, one of their party is dead

After getting directions from a mad old hermit they move down the hill towards the swamp in the valley ...

The party enters the swamp....

Angstrom finds out while the hermit cackled with laughter as he told them of the way through the swamp....

A crocodile jumps up out of the swamp, the men try to fend it off...

Angstrom deals with the last crocodile...

After a hard fight the crocodiles are dealt with and the vikings move out of the swamp as quickly as they can

a little while later the find themselves at a fountain in a clearing; by the fountain is the keeper of the orb stone. Give me the Orb of Isencak, demands Angstrom ....

the orb maiden warriors, protectors of the stone, appear ....

the vikings fight the orb warriors...

seemingly beset on all sides the vikings make a run for a it, only to find that there are only a few of them left..

 still they have the Orb of Isencak and it's rather pretty keeper ....

Isle of Loost: Fasil the Hermit's Busy Day

A typical day for Fasil was for a hermit what one would expect, not a lot happened - however one day after a particularly stormy night Fasil had more visitors than he was used too (or really wanted)...

Early in the morning a group of saxon warriors drew close to his small hut by the stones ... Fasil picked up his old warhammer and was about to shout at the saxons - when their leader Beornwulf politely introduced himself..

'My name is Beornwulf , sorry to disturb your solitude old man, please could you tell us the location of a nearby village or hamlet where we could trade for some food and water ?'  Fasil relaxed and gave them directions to Sodham. The saxons gave him a cloak and a little food which they had spare. Nice people thought Fasil as they left...

 

Later that morning a strange whirring/whistly noise rent the air; Fasil grabbed his warhammer - what is going on he thought. A large blue hut appeared down the slope right on top of his blueberry bushes... 

I say Romana this Doesn't look like Prantifax IV,

perhaps we best try again (must overhaul those navigation circuits..)

 

Fasil rushed down the hill brandishing his warhammer and shouting at them, the strangely apparelled people disappeared into the blue hut; Fasil reached it and started pounding on it with his warhammer; then that horrible noise again and the object was gone. Fasil recovered his composure - the blueberry bushes were ruined - Fasil was not in a good mood ...

Towards mid-day Fasil cleaned up round his hut, said some prayers at the stones and was just about to have a little rest when a party of uncouth vikings appeared ..

They pushed him about and demanded to be told the way to the the resting place of the Orb of IsenCack. Fasil now rather annoyed told them the way but not the safe way - the dangerous way - that'll sort them thought Fasil.

Later in the afternoon a fellow hermit on the island arrived for a visit; What a day I've had said Fasil ...

as the sunset and Fasil retired for the night he mused - hopefully a normal quiet peaceful day tomorrow.

Isle of Loost: Njahl Odinsen's Saga

Njahl and his men moved inland at first dawn, they followed a trail and halted confronted by some strange shaped large animals...

The animals moved into the long grass, after a short wait they continued; then after moving down a hill they found themselves in a cultivated area with a hamlet in the distance..

Njahl approaches and asks directions to the cave of U'Skull, but the villagers of Sodham are evasive ...

Threatened with force they tell them the way ....

The vikings move through the hamlet, more interested for the moment in the object of their quest ...

They cross the open heathland and into a rocky area, a cave is spotted in the distance ....

One of the vikings, Snorri Rasmussen, jumps up into the rocks and making his way to the cave encounters a hermit, the protector of the U'Skull,  Where is it old man ? he demands ...

Ask my brother says the hermit !

Snorri  just manages to parry the blows of the giant and others come to his aid, after a hard fight the giant is killed...

After a search in the cave, they find the U'Skull, crafted out of solid gold and gems, in it's casket....

With the U'Skull safely in their posession they start back to their ship, they relax now thinking it safe but then a pack of wolves attacks them from the rocks ....

The wolves tear out the throats of three men ....

The vikings re-group, into the fray - they kill two wolves and wound another - the wolves have enough and run away...

They reach the hamlet of Sodham, but they keep on going - they want to get back to their ship - the island is too full of dangers...

Njahl and his men set sail for home - they have the U'Skull ....

here endeth the saga of Njahl Odinsen

The Sagas of the Isle of Loost

The sagas of the Isle of Loost were set down in writing in the early 10th century,  also a smaller edition was made containing abridged shorter versions of the main stories, these include

• Njahl Odinsen and the quest for the U'skull
• Fasil the Hermit's busy day
• Angstrom Angstromsen's search for the the Globe Stone of Isencak
• Beornwulf the Bold searches for sustenance

these stories will recounted in due course ...

Arrival at the Island of Loost...

Land ho !, shouted the lookout.

Njahl Odinsen looked at the upcoming coast spying for a landing point. After rounding the headland he shouted - Take the ship in there ! We'll setup camp and move in land tomorrow morning.  He checked with his second in command, no sight of the other ship they had seen earlier - looks like we have the island to ourselves he mused ....

The Gods laugh

The gods looked down on Sven amd smiled wryly to themselves,
The human conceit, the plans to weld vikings together against a common foe, all this would come to nought,
   A moments thought would tell that the common enemy of the Viking was another Viking, or Saxon, or anyone really.
   At this very moment three longships were approaching the Island of Loost, Each captain and crew intent on their own objectives, and unaware of the others approach from different points of the compass.
   The few inhabitants of Loost were equally unaware of what was about to befall them. Fasil the Hermit slept, as did the inhabitants of the small hamlet of Freesing. The only person awake on the entire island was Kai the swineherd.
    Gazeing out to sea ,he could see the faint glow of the approaching sunrise, A red sky, that augured something evil, but nothing even remotely evil rver happened here, It was such a remote island that nothing much ever happened here. The wolves might howl of a night time, and strange creatures did walk the hills and woods but even the abnormal was normal here.


    And so the scene is set, three ships, 2 Viking and 1 Saxon, will soon appear off the shoreline, they have no idea of  what they will encounter, human, animal,natural or unnatural, each is searching for something, one group seeks the `U shull, rumoured to be in a dark cave, another the Stone of Isencak, an object of wonder to the islanders, The third fresh food and water.
     What will they find? The gods rattle the dice, They will decide.

Visitors?

The mist was still playing tricks , the far headland looked strange to Sven`s eyes but right in front of him were the much heralded reinforcements.

 A Fearsome looking bunch, Berserks, Archers, a ragged shieldwall and a small group of captives, A scribe and his accompanying monks plus a young girl holding a Globe.
   This was worth a closer look, but ever the host, first mead must be served, ale quaffed and stories told.

Saxon Ships ....

Meanwhile the saxons have been maing preparations of a naval nature ...

Earldorman Rodor and his houscarls wait on the headland ...

The first saxon ship passes by...

All three of the ships in the saxon flotilla are now in view ....

they'll be waiting to pounce on the vikings should they dare to raid the shores in Earldorman Rodor's domain ...

Three ships a sailing in .....

The thick sea mist which has been present for some days has finally lifted; Sven Erikson had been out twice watching for ships arriving but to no avail; however late in the afternoon the sound of a horn drifted along the fjord - Sven ran out and to his delight three ships had rounded the headland and were coming up the fjord - Siegfried Freyasson, Olaf the Ambivalent and Njahl Njahlson and their warbands had arrived ....

My viking ships have had their sails painted I opted for two banded sales with  a light colour washes over the buff colour I had orginally pianted them - however I though the largest ship should have a nice design on it - I based it on a stone carving of a dragon.