Asbjorn Bjornulfsson pushes through pine needles and bramble, leaving the village smoke far behind. Ahead, a clearing opens around a smoldering fire, its coals breathing red through the dusk. Wolf pelts flash between the trunks as robed figures circle in a slow, chanting tread.
He slows at the edge of the trees, watching the rhythm of their steps. The air hangs thick with raw musk and pitch smoke. No one turns yet, all eyes fixed inward on the fire and the shadows it throws.
The Stranger
You tread lightly for a man in mail. Come closer, if you seek the gods, and not the wolves.
Asbjorn Bjornulfsson
I come to witness.
The circle parts by a handspan, enough to show a lean, fur-cloaked man with ash on his brow. He keeps his pace with the others, but his gaze settles on Asbjorn with calm measure, neither welcome nor warning, only appraisal.
The Stranger
Then stand where you can see. The old names are being called tonight, and the fire listens better than men.
The chant deepens, low as thunder under earth. One pelted shoulder turns toward Asbjorn, inviting him to watch, while the fire spits and settles into a steadier glow.
✓ Quest Accepted
Be accepted by the Ulfhethinn as a fellow seeker
✓ Quest Accepted
Learn whether the Ulfhethinn will grant divine guidance
“The Wolf Warriors come out as they march in a rhythm with their spears and shields and their wolf pelts. Then The Stranger chants a religious rite envoking wolf and bear spirits into the warriors. I join in the marching with the Wolf Warriors feeling empowered by the spirit of the Wolf and the Bear.”
SUCCESS (Good Theology, rolled +0)
Asbjorn steps into the ring and matches the beat with his boots, mail whispering under the chant. The line of fur-clad warriors takes him in without breaking rhythm.
The Stranger
Good. Keep the pace. Wolf and bear heed a steady heart.
He lowers his shield arm and folds his stride into theirs, shoulder to shoulder with the march. The firelight catches on his helm as the circle turns around him.
The Shieldmaiden
He keeps the step. The gods may have brought him here after all.
The chant swells, and Asbjorn feels the rhythm settle through his legs and chest. For a breath, the clearing seems to move like one body, with him inside it.
A Village Elder
Then let him stand among us and witness properly. No man learns the old ways from the edge.
The Stranger gives a slight nod, never breaking the circle, and the nearest wolf-pelted man opens space beside him. The march carries Asbjorn inward, accepted for the length of the rite.
Quest Complete
Be accepted by the Ulfhethinn as a fellow seeker