Names: Hvastillitr, Svartr, Svartgr*ma, Mötsognirsón
Known As: T*ll
Race: Dvergr
Age: 324
Sex: Male
Height: 7' 5''
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Grey
Occupation: Elect of the Æsir
Appearence: Heads taller than most humans, and of average to medium heavy build for his height. His hair and beard are long, black, and tinged slightly grey in places. His skin is unusually, unpleasantly pallid, blued in recesses and almost cadaverish. Although he his apparently healthy, his cheeks are hollow, as though he has been starved for many months. His eyes are grey and steely, with a penetrating stare that seems to pass straight through solid matter. His garb is almost exclusively tanned leather, his hands gloved, with no skin left exposed. His only adornments are a ring-chainmail shirt, belted at the waist, and a black cloth hood, which covers his face whenever he is outside.
Weapons: Hvastillitr carries three weapons, in roughly descending order of use preference:
Mörkharmr: The “mark of pain”. An unusual polearm-like weapon similar in design to the Thracian Rhomphaia, sporting a long, heavy haft of around five feet, and a three foot long, slightly curved single-edged blade, used for both stabbing and slashing attacks. The blade of the weapon is bound with a series of complex enchantments, represented by stained rune-marks, which ward against its dulling or shattering, and confer upon it a supernaturally keen sharpness, allowing the burnished and modified steel to easily cut through some of the more weakly forged varieties of softer metal armour (such as copper). The haft was carved from the wood of the world-tree Yggdrasill, and is almost indestructible as a result. The blade's tang is bolted and fixed firmly into the haft with several magically charged bolts to prevent breakage. The whole weapon is bound with a peculiar spell which causes fatigue, weakness, and premature ageing to any non-dvergar who attempts to wield, or even to touch it, apparently an effect of the Yggdrasil-wood used in its construction, which dvergar may be spared from via their close affinity with death and the dead. It is generally carried at all times, even when not in use, though it may be strapped across the back.
Kippa∂hausr: The “render of skulls”. A weapon almost identical to a real world Dacian Falx, taking the form of a one-handed sword, the blade of which curves sharply towards its edge, being sharpened only on the inside of this curve, it is deadly effective when used to slash at an opponent, and although much smaller in size than its polearm brother, it may be used in conjunction with a shield. It is bound with similar enchantments to Mörkharmr, rendering it unnaturally keen and functionally indestructible in much the same way as its larger counterpart. It is worn at the hip when not in use.
Fjarrsetja: The “far hurler”. A slingshot of cured leather, which is infused with magic to hone its accuracy, range, and the relative speed of a projectile thrown from it. It is stated in legends to be able to cut through the heart of a mountain and out again at the other side, but in reality the magic extends its effective range from around 50 to 100 yards to something approaching 400 to 500 yards. It is T*ll's primary method of projecting “bound stones” (see below). It is worn on T*ll's belt when not in use.
Armour
The only armour T*ll wears regularly is the thick and heavily tanned leather forge-clothes he wears on an almost daily basis, supplemented with a shirt of extremely intricate chain mail, which is interlocked so thoroughly that it appears to have been woven, and reaches to around mid-thigh. The metal itself is an alloy of dvergr design, which is as strong as, but moderately lighter, and several degrees more flexible than, ordinary forged steel. Since his appointment by Thor, he has carried a roundshield cut from the oaks of the god's own orchards and overlaid with a plating of iron and a heavy iron boss. Although its divine nature means the shield is much lighter than anything of regular oak and iron whilst still being able to withstand the force of repeated full on strikes from a great axe or the like, its sheer bulk often proves to be a disadvantage. It is worn on the back when not in use.
Other Equipment
Aside from his weapons, T*ll carries relatively little with him into battle, save for a small cloth pouch containing five bound stones, each of which is enchanted with a spell to the detriment of forged or otherwise crafted items (see below).
Skills and Abilities
In combat, Hvastillitr is exceptionally skilled. Having designed his own weapons, and using the long lifespan of his race to the advantage of heavy training, he now holds complete mastery over the use of each of them. Although he is of comparatively great strength, his sheer size can often be a disadvantage, especially in enclosed spaces. He is also able to use his centuries of experience as a smith and armourer to quickly and easily discern the nature, strengths, and weaknesses of almost any piece of military equipment he might come into contact with, although more complex constructions will understandably take relatively longer to assess accurately.
Being a scion of a race heavily associated with magic, T*ll has not inconsiderable ability in spellweaving, and is a master of the arts of both creative and destructive magic, usually as channelled through the peculiarly powerful medium of the Nordic runes used in their symbolic forms. The effects of magic are generally achieved by the scratching or staining of a particular rune or sequence of runes upon an object, conferring the quality of that sequence upon it. A particularly complex example of this is the creation of “bound stones”, which can be thrown at an object or individual in order to transfer the power and effect of their runic content onto the target. On extremely rare occasions, runes can be used to invoke gods, but any use carries a cost, and such a large request can prove fatal.
Due to the fairly abstract nature of the figurative meanings of each glyph of the Elder Futhark, given sufficient preparation time, inscriptions may be produced which can give almost any desired magical effect. However, the cumbersomeness of the medium involved and the general expenditure of energy required to magically prepare each rune means that the devising of a long or complex inscription in the middle of a battle is both dangerous and stupid, meaning that most "improvised" spells will generally be fairly simple in nature. A list of the runes of the Elder Futhark is provided here, with their original names reconstructed and their properties and uses explained. In each inscription, there is usually a primary rune, which sets the basic effect of the spell, and one or more subordinate runes which modify this effect. Longer or more powerful inscriptions may have more than one primary rune.
The effective use of this magic is bound to the ability to understand and inscribe these runes, although with enough time, ingenuity, and energy, almost any effect can be achieved.*Fehu: "Wealth", with the original meaning "cattle" (the sum of a person's wealth was originally measured via his livestock). In primary position, used as a charm to encourage good luck or prosperity. In subordinate position, is principally used to indicate or invoke abundance, acting as an intensifier for the spell's effect. For example, *Kenaz, *Fehu, "torch" and "wealth", may be interpreted as "a wealth/abundance of flames", used to create multiple fire attacks.
*Uruz: "Aurochs". Generally indicating strength. Can be used to temporarily bolster the physical strength of a person or object, or to intensify the effects of a spell when used in a subordinate position.
*þurisaz: "Giant". Another intensifier, though for size as much as strength. Has much the same function in both primary and subordinate positions, but with a greater result than *uruz and an accordingly greater power drain.
*Ansuz: "Æsir". Is very rarely used as a great intensifier, but would often be excessive and cause ridiculous energy loss. Its primary purpose is to call down the wrath of the gods, but since the price of doing so is so high, it is almost never employed casually without first preparing a suitable sacrifice.
*Raido: "Ride" or "journey". Generally used in conjunction with a longer sequence to create a magical means of transport, although it can be used outwith this context to provide the basis for spells which banish or destroy magical constructs.
*Kenaz: "Torch". The rune most commonly used to invoke fire, heat, and light.
*Kaunan: "Ulcer". A rune of disease, discord, and confusion. Principally used as a primary rune in spells of weakening and undoing.
*Gebo: "Gift". Rarely appears as the primary rune of a spell. Used in subordinate when the intention of a spell is to confer something upon something else (making it vital in the preparation of "bound stones".
*Wunjo: "Joy". Most often used as a trivial rune for charms of happiness. However, has a more important secondary function in the context of "battle joy", or the rage of the berserkr. In this role, it is usually seen alongside *Tiwaz.
*Hagalaz: "Hail", or, more figuratively, "storm". Can be used to invoke the elements against an opponent, or as a subordinate to direct attacks from the sky.
*Naudiz: "Need". Often used in invocations to gods to express urgency. However, it is of dubious usefulness and little understood by most practitioners of the art.
*Isaz: "Ice". Does exactly what it says on the tin most of the time, but it can be used as a way to "freeze things in place" as opposed to more literally freezing them.
*Jera: "Year". Used to indicate time, may be used to accelerate growth in benign spells or to cause aging or disease in malign ones. Is exceptionally powerful and rarely used.
*Eihwaz: "Yew". Symbolises eternity, and is another powerful rune that rarely finds use due to the inherent dangers of its application.
*Perþ: The exact meaning of this rune is unclear, although it appears to be connected to pleasure, but is almost never used due to uncertainties in its properties.
*Algiz: "Elk". Used to invoke solidness, sturdiness, and endurance, both physical and mental.
*Sowilo: "The Sun". Similar to *Kenaz, but with much more power, and subsequently much more difficult to use.
*Tiwaz: "Tyr". The rune of the god of single combat and glory, used to strengthen the warrior-qualities of an individual or the strength and tenacity of a particular spell. May also be used in an adapted form to invoke Tyr himself, but the costs of doing so are usually fatal.
*Berkanan: "Birch". Symbolises youth and vigor, commonly used as an energiser in spells.
*Ehwaz: "Horse". Indicating speed, swiftness, and agility, used to encourage these attributes.
*Mannaz: "Man".
*Laguz: "Lake". This rune governs water and fluidity.
*Ingwaz: "Ingwaz". The rune of Freyr, god of fertility and bounty, is principally used in healing spells.
*Oþala: "Estate". Has little practical application.
*Dagaz: "Day". Governs clarity and illumination. May be used as a charm for victory in the trivial sense.
Since his induction into the direct service of Thor, he has received the grace of that god and the domain over which he has power. Because of this, he is effectively immune to direct harm caused by any electrical source, although if such attacks or obstacles bear sufficient kinetic power or heat energy, they may enduce percussive or burn effects.
Due to the natural affinity of all dvergar to death and the dead, he also displays some power in this area. He has the ability to communicate with recently deceased beings of appropriate sapience, and carries something of the crypt and the barrow with him wherever he goes. If his intent is such, prolonged direct physical contact will cause gradually increasing weakness and fatigue, and may even eventually cause death or accelerated ageing. This effect has been demonstrated to work on crafted inanimate objects of mortal design, being able to reduce a newly forged sword to rust within a matter of minutes. However, attempting to perform this trick to any real meaningful effect quickly exhausts him, leaving him unable to defend himself from counterattack, and sustaining the effect long enough to kill anything larger than small rodents in a reasonably short time would almost definitely result in the failure of his own body. He is also able to project a palpable aura of decay about himself, which may kill nearby plant life and cause projectiles to deteriorate after coming within reach of his body.
Exposition
What! We have heard of the might of the gods, and of their servants, and of the strength and cunning of great warriors who dwell in deathless halls. We have heard of the fates of the Whole Glory, those two who wrought great works for Odin across the darkness of the void, of the dvergr Hvastillitr, wise Mötsognir's son, and of the dread Lawmaker of Thor, the son of no one and we have learnt of how this unseemly union of such unlike minds was made. It is said that it was Thor himself, Thor that terrible prince of the immortal æsir, who made them one, by means of his misplaced wrath, which cost many heads, of mortal, and of the spirits of light, a mighty rage which casts down towers and buries the kings of earth.
What so angered the Giant Slayer? It is said that it was Balfleyg∂r the smith, son of Fundinn, who raised his ire, defiling his sanctuary in Uppsala with the blood of his brother, Balaskr, whom he had pierced through in his wrath at the theft of his wife. Though the smith Balfleyg∂r thought to be unseen, a warder of that temple saw the deed, and in his anguish at such blasphemy, did pray a prayer to the Prince of the Gods, that he might extract recompense. Upon hearing these words, Thor of the Wide Forehead was moved to a great wrath, and, mounting his chariot, descended from the skies and came to that village where Balfleyg∂r dwelt with his kin, the people fleeing in terror from his advance, and taking up Mjolnir, Hrugnir's slayer, he struck down thunder upon that household. Balfleyg∂r the smith he slew, and his wife, and his sons, his daughters, all these he smote in anger, sparing not even the thralls, tore down the walls of that ancient forge and destroyed utterly all that was theirs.
Thus did the Giant Slayer rain his fury upon Balfleyg∂r and the seed of Balfleyg∂r, consigning their souls to Hel, and when he was satisfied, he remounted his chariot and rode forth to Bilskirnir, greatest of halls, in the kingdom of Þrúðvangar, in Asgard, the realm of the blessed æsir, where he dwells with his kin in peace, and for a time was undisturbed. But in the north of the world, in the black mountains of the edge of the earth, where lie the strongholds of those dvergar who have made their abode in Midgard, that skilled craftsman Hvastillitr, the son of noble Mötsognir, the foremost of all that proud race who hide their faces from the gaze of the sun, heard tell of the death of that smith Balfleyg∂r, of his brother Balaskr, and of all of the kin of Balfleyg∂r, and that the sun of his house had been smothered, and a great rage was stirred in his breast. Taking up his arms in anger, his long bladed polearm, his cruel hand-scythe, and his rock-sling, and garbing himself about in leather and mail, forged by his own hand in the dread workshops of his godlike father, and went out into the world.
For seven nights and seven days he travelled, horsed on a strong steed, all times holding his hood close across his face, lest the heat of the sky's jewel bring death down upon him. At the setting of the sun on the eighth day, he came to that great bridge, Bifröst, which separates the realms of Midgard and Asgard, which the æsir cross each day to pass their judgements in the shade of the world tree Yggdrasill, at the well of Urd. Here, dark Hvastillitr left his mount (for no mortal horse will willingly cross that dread way), and set foot on the path to the realm of the blessed gods. And thus, in time, he came there, hood hiding his face from the great light which would otherwise cast him down to death and to Hel, he walked through the bountiful country of the noble æsir and the great vanir.
Now it so happened that Heimdallr, the guardian of the terrible Bifröst, whose hall is at Himinbjorg on the far end of the bridge, who is the guardian of all the gods, and will sound the horn at the end of ages and make known the coming of the death of all the worlds, was away from his post at the time of the arrival of the black one, being at council at Urdarbrunn with the rest of the assembled æasir, and it was thus that the dvergr was able to cross into Asgard unmolested and unnoticed. So he came, in time, to the kingdom of Þrúðvangar, the lands and demesnes of Thor the strong archer, where sits Bilskirnir, the greatest of all the halls of the nine worlds, which is the seat of the Loud Rider himself. And the moons of the forehead of Hvastillitr the Black, the son of the greatest of all the dvergar who live beneath the earth, shone bright in anticipation of his vengeance.
What were the arms of that vengeful spirit who came thus in his rage to the very hall of Thor? His weapons were three in number, and terrible, the produce of his own hand, the hand of a dvergar, who are known above all other things for their great and terrible skill in the forging and tempering of biting steel. First, there was Mörkharmr, the Mark of Grief, an instrument of death of foreign design. It is known not from whence its shape was taken, though it is said that the worthy fighters of the south had use for it in the days of their greatest glory. Like unto a spear it was, its haft long, sure, and stout, blackened by fire and shod in beaten iron, but it bore no head. In this place, there sat a cruel, heavy blade, as of a scythe, but straighter, that it may be used both to stab and to slash, raining two great terrors upon the foes of its wielder. The inner edge of this blade glittered with the eager tint of murder, sharp enough to rend stone and strike through the strongest steel. This he carried in his strong arm. Second, belted at his side, was Kippa∂hausr, the Render of Skulls, a blade of vicious steel like unto that of Mörkharmr, but with a strong curve, set onto the pommel of a mighty bloodworm as might be borne by a great king of old, a heavy blade, a death blade. Lastly, at his side also, or in his weak-hand when he bore it, was the death-bringing Fjarrsetja, the Far-Hurler, a leather stone sling worked with the enchantments of the dvergar. It was said of it that no stone thrown from it could fail to hit its mark, and that the destruction it wrought upon wall and bone alike was terrible to behold. These were the arms of sharp-eyed Hvastillitr, that he bore with him to Bilskirnir.
At the door of the Great Hall of the Terrible One, wrathful Hvastillitr spied two forms standing guard. They were neither man nor einherjar, nor were they æsir nor vanir, but they were alfar of the light, close kin of the dvergar of the might-forges, set by great Thor to bar entry to those for whom his hall bore no welcome while he himself was not present to greet or turn away his visitors. They espied the coming of the dark one when he was yet at a distance, for the eyes of the alfar are keen and strong, and called out to him to state his name and business, and why he approached the hall of the Prince of the Æsir in arms. Hvastillitr of the sharp-glance answered them not, but instead bore up a rock into the far-hurling Fjarrsetja, and loosed it upon them. The one, whose name was Gætattdigr, the stout watchman, a mighty warrior of the alfar who are beloved of the gods, yet strong as he was, nought could save him from that dread onslaught of wrathful Hvastillitr, and he was struck by the rock above the temple, his skull split asunder from the force of the blow. A second well-thrown stone struck his companion in the breast bone, shattering his chest and lungs, hurling the life from him, though not before he had loosed a single cry of anguished warning to the dwellers within the Great Hall.
Hence did the warders of the door fall to the ground, for all strength was gone from them. But it is known that the alfar, like their brethren the dvergar, and their distant kin amongst the æsir and vanir, may not die utterly from the worlds, as may the mortals of Midgard, who die once and are judged, and may never again walk in mortal lands, and their houseless forms sped from the place of their deaths to Alfheimr, where by time and the enchantments of that people they were healed of their hurts. But in Asgard, in the kingdom of Þrúðvangar, Hvastillitr raged on forwards. Strong and old were the doors of Bilskirnir, the home of thunder, but to these the dvergr took Mörkharmr, and with heavy blows did rob them of their ancient strength, sending them to lie stricken and in pieces on the pleasant earth of Asgard the home of the gods. Now, the Hall of Thor the Terrible is the greatest of all the halls of the gods known to song, and its rooms number full fifty and four hundred, and these now Hvastillitr son of Mötsignr did walk through, consigning their contents and their structure to utter wrack and ruin, and slaying those he found inside, striking their hastily-grabbed weapons from shaking hands, he pierced their chests and split their bones, and much blood greased the floors and walls of Thor's hall on that day. It is said that before the onslaught of the dvergr none could stand, not alfr nor einherjar who dwelt within those walls, the guests and friends of the mighty Prince himself, for all those æsir who may have been able to subdue his form were yet at council by the well of Ur. And when Hvastillitr saw that he had slain all who made their abode in that great house, he bore them outside, and made a mound of their corpses that rose up like a hill from the fields, putting them all to the torch, which he then took to the great hall Bilskirnir itself, gutting its heart and felling its roof-timbers with that bane of wood.
And the smoke from these great fires was visible throughout that kingdom, and all who lived there were struck with awe and fear, and the rumour went out that the Hall of Thor was consigned to destruction, that even Thor himself had been slain, so that when the great god returned from the councils of his brethren, the people were overjoyed, and clamoured to tell him what ill-fate had befallen his dwellings and his servants. Hearing these tales, he was greatly angered, but troubled also, for no such sacking of a god's hall had yet taken place in Asgard's proud history. Gathering his kin about him, he went forth to the ruins of Bilskirnir, where Hvastillitr awaited his coming. With him were his wife, Sif, and their children, and Thor's brother, the noble one-handedTyr, and many of his retinue besides. When they approached the ashen ruins, the dvergr saw them from afar, and called out to them from behind his low cowl in a voice of rage:
“Thor, Odin's son! Art thou so craven as to slay the innocent? Is there not a drop of honour in thy soul? Dost thou not recall those vows thou madest, little more than ten-score turnings of the earth ago? “
And Thor cried back in his own blood rage, demanding a name from the destroyer of his home, condemning him to a thousand tortures and punishments and the burning cold of Hel. But the dvergr stood firm, calling back to the mighty god:
“Thou lookst upon Hvastillitr, the son of Mötsingr, of the dvergar a prince, and latterly a servant to thine might. But have I not been punished enough? Didst thou not destroy the forge of Balfleyg∂r, and his life, and the lives of his children, consigning his seed to the dust? Didst thou not spit on the vow that thou hadst made to me when I entered thy service? Nay, not I that should receive just punishment, but thou! I name thee oathbreaker and murderer, and I have exacted my revenge upon you in kind, though it is a victory made hollow by that fact that thine fate is not to die here, and that thine household will return to thee with the setting of the firey eye.”
At these words, Thor fell silent. But the young Tyr, ever the champion of honour, spoke forth now, saying:
“These are harsh words thou speakst, and foolish! If the god of the hammer hath wronged you so, hast thou not also wronged him greatly in return? Thou hast invaded this fair kingdom, putting its stronghold to fire and the sword! What more dost thou desire, and how know we thine word is true?”
In answer to him, the dark one replied swiftly:
“I demand only that this the so called Prince of Gods, this black and worthless prince of yours, who spits on oaths and fires homesteads, be brought before the Dread One for proper judgement, that I may plead my case and my sorrows be eased.”
At these insults, Magni, the son of Thor, was moved to a great wrath, and taking up a battle cry, did speed towards the black one by the ruins. But for all his anger, and his strength, and his courage, he could not reach the dvergr, for he slung at him a stone from his sling, striking him a harsh blow across the shoulder, sending him reeling back with a great cry of shock and pain. His brother Mö∂i, who ran forth to avenge him, was likewise struck in the kneecap, and fell prone. Enraged so to see the wounding of his sons, and their blood lying thick upon the green grass, Thor the Terrible brought forth his great battle hammer Mjolnir, the crushing death, and raised it, intent to strike down flame and death upon his foe. But the dvergr saw his intent, and cast forth another stone, this one bound all about with dread enchantment and dwarf-cunning for the undoing of forged things, and it struck that slayer of Hrugnir in the hand of Thor. And there was a great shriek of pain and despair, for the tool had grown leaden in his hand, and fell heavily to the earth. And the lords about the Giant Slayer were shocked, and Tyr did cry in a voice of fear and awe, “His sabotage is terrible!” And Hvastillitr did cry out to the gods one final time:
“Hear me, ye æsir! Unless you shall accede to my request, I will undo your alliances, and break your swords, and plunder your treasuries! I do not fear death, oh mighty gods, for the secret ways of the dvergar have made me immortal, and I will return in time from the darkness. The alfar are like unto the asses that tread the fields! I will take all that is of worth from their pitiable stores! My vengeance shall be in their blood on the green grass. For I have knowledge of thy names, and my words are true! Your retinues are like also unto the asses that plough the fields! I will take all that is of worth from their treasuries and their halls! My vengeance shall be in their blood on the green grass! I know of your dwellings, and my revenge shall be cruel. The æsir and the vanir who stand about you are like even unto the asses that plough the fields! I shall rend open their halls and make off with their gold! My vengeance is in the blood of these immortals on the green grass! For your names all are known, and my sabotage will be terrible! Effeminate I name ye, and craven!” And he did laugh then a cruel laugh.
But Thor did draw himself up, striking thunder about the dvergr, and cried “Impudent fool! I give thee this warning that thou shalt henceforth be banished from this place to Hel!” And he raised his head to the skies, and called out in a terrible voice that shook all the worlds, he called to his most terrible servant, the dread Lawmaker, the blind abomination who keeps the codes of the æsir. And the Lawmaker heard the summons of his master, and rose from his place of rest, and swiftly came in arms to the realm of Þrúðvangar in the plains of fair Asgard. And the arms of the Lawmaker were many and cruel, forged, so it is said, long ago by the dvergar in their secret forges for the great lord Eldar Njör∂r, an elect of the gods in his life, gloried still in his death. Four dread blades, black as pitch, he did bear with him, two of the long kind and two of the short, and two stout axes sat across his back. A creature of steel and edge was he, with blades extruding from his very flesh, as much a part of him as all his limbs, and also with him was the dread tool of arbitration, Alsvid, an unholy blade of unknown lineage, which it is said would cut rock as easily as water. These were the arms of the lawmaker.
Now the Lawmaker is reckoned the greatest warrior of all the nine worlds, save for the blessed gods themselves, having stood in combat against the Giant Slayer and bested him for a time. But Hvastillitr the dark one was swift and full of guile and dwarf-cunning, and as that dread apparition advanced upon him, he struck him thrice with Fjarrsetja, with stones bound about with charms for confusion and for weakness and for fatigue, and thus it was that he avoided those cruel knives the abomination hurled at him, levelling the battle in his favour. For five days and five nights that fight raged on, the force of their anger carving mountains in the plain where their missed blows struck the earth, and each night the black dvergr did strike a wound to the giver of the gods' words, who cried out each time in pain, and each day did the lawmaker strike a terrible blow against that child of stone. And though on the fourth day the haft of the dread Mörkharmr was cleft in twain, Hvastillitr fought on with strength, and it seemed that the fighters were too evenly matched for any victory to be had. But at the rising of the sun on the sixth day, the dvegr began to tire, and could no longer leap away from the strikes of his enemy. At noon that day, when the glory of the elves was at its zenith in the clear skies of Asgard, the Lawmaker's steel struck him a mighty blow about the head, and though it merely glanced off the face of the proud dvergr, it took his strength from him utterly, for his hood was torn from his shoulders, exposing his face to the full glare of the sun, and being of his race who dwell forever in darkness, to feel its rays on his skin was a terrible torment, more vicious than the bite of any weapon of man or god, and so he cast down his arms at the feet of the Lawmaker, and yielded himself up unto the mercy of the æsir.
Seeing him striken low in this manner, Thor was well pleased, and taking up his weapon once more sought to beat the life from Hvastillitr were he lay prone and guarding his face from the flame of the day, but his noble brother, the Leavings of the Wolf, stayed his hand, crying out to him as he made to strike, saying “Hold, brother! Though he has done wrong to you and is defeated, he has stood against the Lawmaker, the greatest of all our fighters, for these five days, and yet lives! He has struck the hammer from your hands and wounded your sons! It is clear that his death is not yours to grant, and clear that he has some grievance of your causing, for no false-anger could provoke such battle-strength. Kill him not, for he is of immortal stock, and will return atime to plague your halls again. Instead, bring him before the Lord of the Hanged that he may be judged!”
Upon hearing these words, Thor was swayed, and bade that the Lawmaker shackle the hands of the dvergr, and a trial was called before the assembled æsir and vanir, with the dread lord Odin himself sitting in the place of judgement. And as soon as that council of doom was seated, the worthy Thor cried out bitterly in his anger, for want of swift vengeance for the destruction of that which was his, but Hvastillitr the Dark cried out in turn, and plead his case at the feet of the All-Father.
“Wrong I may have inflicted upon this great prince of yours, but that which is true of the lesser is true also of the greater, for thy son, lord, has broken his word, and spat on all the vows he made to me in far-off days. I slew his retinue in kind for the slaying of my kin, for I have not been of the seed of the dvergar for all of my days. I was once from the stock of the mortals who walk in Midgard.
“Anciently, the shining Almetna∂r of the alfar begot by a mortal woman the great smith Ningvar, who was of lofty stature and fair, and in his lifetime wrought many a fearsome blade. Near the end of his life, a long one, for such is the grace of the alfar and their kin, he begot in turn a son of the same name, and gave unto him and his descendants a forge near the shrine of Uppsala in the north of the world. And for thirteen generations, there was a Ningvar in that stout forge, for Ningvar fathered Ningvar, the line and name unbroken, down those centuries, at least until the time of my own life. For I was not born once, but twice, and lived not one life, for two, for I who stand before you now, proud gods and guardian spirits of the nine worlds, am what remains of the shade and spectre of Ningvar, the thirteenth and last of that name. I was born as a mortal, in that very forge that would become my own upon the death of my father. But in my fiftieth and third winter, foul misfortune befell that place, and an evil terror did strike down upon all the households of that village. Wild-men, cruel and savage, with fire and blade came down from the uttermost north, and fell about us with shout and steel. In that desperate fight, I was slain, and I passed from the world of mortals, knowing not whither I should go from there, to great Valhalla, the Hall of the Slain, to be led in war by Odin the Hanged at the last battle, or to fair Fólkvangr, the Field of the Hosts, to the command of his good wife, for I fought well in life when the need did demand it, and I hoped not to be consigned to that awful doom of ice and shame below all the other words.
But instead of these destinations, I found myself stood unclad with raiment or the raiment of flesh, before the great lord Thor, who now accuses me of great blasphemies against him and his, and he clothed me with new skin and bone, and set before me a great feast, and at this feast were delights and pleasures such that I have never seen their like. He showed me the flesh of some strange bird of the uttermost west, and confided that it was to him the fairest of all foodstuffs, and bade me tell him what I found pleasant to eat. I feasted in his fair hall with him and his proud sons for ten days, until I asked what service he desired of me, whereupon he revealed his intention to elevate my spirit, giving me a second life as one of the mighty and stern dvergar, the lords of rock and iron, that I might help enhance and further the glory of the æsir and their people by crafting arms for them.
At this I fell before the mighty Giant Slayer on my knees, prostrate in thanks for such a great honour, for I had loved my craft, and amongst the dvergar I would learn such secrets as none of mortal stock, nor of the alfr nor the æsir nor the vanir has ever been privy to. I thus had one boon to ask of him in this regard, concerning the family of Ningvar the Thirteenth. I asked then if any of his blood, my blood, remained still living in Midgard, for although Ningvar the Fourteenth, first fruit of my loins and my heir, had perished in the cruel fight by my side and was now sped to one of the musterings of the einherjar, I yearned to know of the fate of my two younger sons, of my daughters, and of their mother, and of their children. When that great lord said unto me that they yet lived, and begged to him prostrate that he grant them his protection and his guidance, and the protection of all of those spirits and mortals who are within his power, that no harm would come to them from that day until the day of the death of all the gods. In return for this, my spirit would serve him and the other æsir whatever form bore it.
And the one who rides alone spoke then, saying “Such a boon is a small one in my sight, for one who will serve me and my people so well. For it has been seen that in time thou wilt be the greatest of all of the smiths and craftsmen of the dvergar, who are the greatest of all the craftsmen of the nine worlds. Thou shalt learn at the foot of Mötsognir, the king and the foremost of all that race, as his son and his heir, and the family and descendants of Ningvar the Tirteenth, whom thou werst, shall live on in glory, as great in the crafts of forging and of war as their lordly sire Almetna∂r the alfr, who dwells yet in alfheimr beyond the stars of the mortal sky.
“But know thee this, my servant, thou shalt be bound by all the laws of the dvergar, and by all their customs. Thou shalt ne'er again look upon the light of the sun, lest ye be slain and become as stone, for such is the fate of that race which lives beneath the earth. And though thy mortal kin shall flourish as ages pass, thou art barred utterly from going among them, or from viewing them from afar. The knowledge of my vows unto thee must be enough to satiate thine worries. These laws I make for thee, and they will last for eternity, or until thy body fails and thou standst before me once more.”
And though the lives of the dvergar are long, lasting until the uttermost end of all things, lest they are slain or feel the touch of sunlight, and I knew it unlikely I would ever stand before Thor again having died, I accepted his terms as he accepted mine, for, I assumed, the word of a god is a true word, a strong word. How wrong I was! As had been decreed, my spirit was strengthened, and set in a new form, which quickened in the womb of the wife of Mötsognir, the king of all dvergar, and I was born as his son, and named Sharp-Glance for my eyes when I was in that form but six days of age, and for two centuries and threescore and ten and one beside I learnt from him, and worked with him, crafting and maintaining the armaments of the hosts of the divine spirits who are immortal, and all was well for me.
But some days ago now, one of the mortal folk who dwells under the sun came to the halls of Mötsognir to purchase blades commissioned by his lord, and took a meal with us, where we were told that he had passed through Uppsala to reach us where we dwelt. I was intrigued to hear this, and enquired what news had come with him from that place, and he told us a shocking tale, the memory of which chills my bones still. “All is not well at Uppsala,” said he, “For the sanctuary of the gods there was defiled by a smith, Balfleyg∂r, the son of Fundinn, who slew their his brother in anger. And the lord Thor was so taken in wrath by this misdeed that he rode against the household of Balfleyg∂r and destroyed it utterly, so that none of his seed survived. The ruin of their ancient and proud forge still stands near the sanctuary, a testimony to the vengeance of the æsir!” At this news, I cried out in anguish, for I knew well that this forge must be the forge of Ningvar, for no other ancient forge lies close to the divine sanctuary of Uppsala. And so I bade my kin amongst the dvergar farewell for a time, and arming myself about I set forth to the tremulous bridge that I might exact penance from him who wronged me.”
When Hvastillitr had finished speaking, there was a murmuring amongst that assembled council, and the Giant Slayer was moved to a great shame, and standing, he cried “Cruel fate and horror has come about us in these days! Surely the work of the Trickster and his foul agents has been done here, or I am such a fool that my rage blinded me utterly. I will freely admit before this council and before my brothers and my father that I have done this wrong, and by this wrong I have broken the solemn oaths that I swore to this black dvergr upon freeing him from the bonds of cruel mortality. Shame is upon me and upon my house, and I will atone for it in what ways I can. But mark, father, who sits in judgement upon these crimes: have I not also been wronged? My hall lies shattered, my retinue purged and sent hither and thither I know not where, and though they will yet return in time to Asgard clad about in new skins, has not also this Hvastillitr done wrong unto me and unto the æsir? Can he escape the due that he owes for his crimes?”
For a time, there was silence. And then dread Odin, the Lord of the Slain, the all-father, stood from where he sat in judgement, and proclaimed his verdict to that solemn court: “I have heard, and thus I judge. Injustice has been done here today and in the days past by the dvergr, but what is true of the lesser is true also of the greater, and mine own son stands before me in his shame. This I have decided: That neither of you shall be absolved, but ye both shall pay great restitution for these transgressions. Thor, thou shalt make amends first, for thou werst first to strike, and I task you with this task: Go thee down into Hel, and take up the souls of the smith, and of the family, and of his brother. Of the former, make dvergar, that their spirits may in time sit in the mountain halls with the spirit of their noble forefather, and thus repay your debt. Of Balaskr, the brother to Balfleyg∂r, who was just and ever honourable in his life and did no wrong, and was killed for no crime of his, make an alfr, and set him in Alfheimr to dwell with the founder of his line until the end of days.
“And as for you, Hvastillitr son of Mötsognir (who was a creation of my own hand in the days when the worlds were young), I sentence thee this sentence: Thou and thy kin shall build anew the hall of the worthy Giant Slayer that thou hast destroyed so cruelly, and when this is done, thou shalt give to the lord who rides alone any one favour which he may ask of you. But mark, my son,” he said in thought, turning back to the might prince of gods, “that I will have no trickery from you in this regard. Thou shalt have thy dues payed, and no more, and thou wilt not seek to extract revenge upon the dvergr with the cruelty of some or other labour. Whatever task thou shouldst appoint him to, thou must provide any and all things that he may need and request for it, and if he should suffer needlessly or by your hand, my wrath will wax most terrible upon thee and thine.”
And Hvastillitr rose from where he knelt, and proclaimed that Odin's law was just, and Thor rose from where he sat, and gave his consent to be bound by this judgement, seeing that it was fair and that he could not escape in good faith from repaying for his slight, but before he left to brave the cruel ice and gloom of dull Hel, he asked one term of the hanged lord, that he appoint his task to the dvergr before the rebuilding of his hall commenced, and Odin gave his consent for this to be so, and Thor thus addressed Hvastillitr, commanding his obedience.
“These gifts I will give to thee. For the haft of thy sure spear, that mighty polearm that was smashed in your trials, I shall give wood, unlike any thou hast held, that thou might fashion it anew. But this is no ordinary kindling, for it was cut from the mightiest and noblest of all the trees in the nine worlds, Yggdrasil, under which the gods sit in judgement, and which shall endure when all other ages have passed finally into the dust. That which you make from it shall never notch nor yield to even the greatest of strikes. Since thou hast entered my service, I shall grant you the grace of my domains, and no power of lightning or thunder shall willingly harm thee. And I shall present you with this shield, which was made anciently for your mortal forefather, the gloried Almetna∂r, which is by right yours, at thou remain his only descendant at this time unbound by the prisons of death. I shall also, if my good father will allow such a great gift, remove from about your form the darkness of the dvergar, that the light of the elven glory may no longer be a bane to your life. For yourself, you may ask for any materials you might need to create armour or other like devices, for this endeavour will not be simple, nor will it be entirely without pain.
“Beyond the roots of Yggdrasil the Great, beyond all the nine worlds, beyond the sun and the moon, and the dwellings of the frost giants and the fire giants, there lies a great void, that was of old called the Ginnungagap, from whence sprang all that now is, and was anciently a place of power and magics. It exists still, though outwith our normal reach, but it is said that beyond this great expanse there are other worlds that are not of the nine. None have looked before upon this dread place, save for the All Father, who stared into the void and learned much that is secret. But we know now, that beyond the great Ginnungagap, which is the outside of all things, a great marshalling takes place, where the worthiest of warriors of countless worlds take up arms for their glory. So thus I task you, thee, Hvastillitr the Black, and thee also, Lawmaker: go beyond the void, and bring back from this marshalling the souls of those you would judge worthy to serve the gods here in Asgard. Yours shall be a mission of glory, and not glory diminished, but glory whole, and the light of all the gods shall shine about your labours.”
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