Oruldr was the sole Frost Giant who chose to accompany the trio on their journey to Mount Aglazad. They rode upon his shoulder as his enormous strides took them through the harsh environment of the snowy island. The others returned to break camp and would catch up with them on their journey North. This particular group of Frost Giants, the Bono Tribe, had one of the closest relations with the Ymir Dwarves, though the Ymir Elves and the Ymir Tribe of the Frost Giants were, for obvious reasons, much closer.
"So, like this Ymir guy," Menelik started. "He just out here claiming up all the best tribes? No offense."
Oruldr let out a bellowing laugh, his head cocking back in amusement. "Ah, I like this one." He pointed to Menelik. "I really do." He nodded his head a few times before continuing. "You are correct though. Those who bear the Ymir name are some of the first inhabitants of this frozen world."
Oruldr began to speak the tale of Ymir, the one where he came to this island of Ayce, long before it was what it is today, back when it was nothing more than an island that could only be found during a particular time of the year, from an oddly specific angle. It was Ymir who, when he found the island, used his vast amount of magic to keep it stationed in Arrithia. No longer would it disappear, but his spell came with a cost—the spell kept Ayce intact but covered it in the unrelenting blizzard that now blankets it. That day, the Neverwinter was born.
"Damn, so when we meet Ymir, we can thank his dusty ass for this weather?" Menelik asked.
Oruldr shook his head. "No, Ymir has been missing for many a long time now; you will not be seeing him."
"Huh, well any of you think about how we gonna tell Maeve about Shiroe?" Menelik asked.
"Why don’t we just wait until the time comes," Taharqa stated. "But I know one thing; I bet Greed is happy he swapped out with Shiroe at the last minute." Taharqa started to laugh, hoping to try and make light of the situation, hoping to lift their spirits, but it would seem the lingering silence was enough of an answer. Even Oruldr seemed to turn his head for a moment before speaking up.
"This Shiroe, was he more important than Greed?" He asked.
"Uh, we don’t exactly know," Taharqa replied. "We kinda just met ‘em. Both of them actually."
"Oh, so to you, he was not important, but to others, he may have been," Oruldr replied.
There was a lingering silence once more, then Idris decided to fill the gap before Menelik could.
"How far until Mount Azyhover’or’whatever?"
Oruldr suddenly stopped, causing the group to nearly fall from his shoulders. He turned his head toward Idris. "You haven’t the faintest idea where you are, do you lad?"
Idris shook his head, Oruldr’s booming voice leaving him at a loss for words.
"We are all the way down here near the Prince’s home of Nazzaroth, all the way in the south. Mount Aglazad, that be all the way in the north, just beyond Rünhaven. And if we’re lucky, the Dosül Tribe will be there too, doing their usual rounds."
"What’s so special about the Dosül Tribe?" Taharqa asked, and instead of an answer, Oruldr just chuckled aloud and began walking again.
Idris and Menelik leaned backward, looking just behind Oruldr’s neck at Taharqa, who greeted them with the same concerned yet confused expression.
"So big guy, are you all this big or, are some smaller, or like…bigger?" Menelik asked.
"Oh, I reckon there are a few or so who are larger than me, but I am pretty large myself. My brothers you met earlier, they are about average size. The Maru Tribe is by far the largest; they look like walking cities. And to be completely honest, I would rather not run into them if we can avoid it."
The trio all sat in silence, their minds trying to wrap around everything, especially the fact that none of them could comprehend the actual size of the Maru Tribe, given just how large Oruldr and his brothers were, and that’s apparently average.
The silence persisted as Oruldr focused on navigating the ever-increasing snowbanks, his colossal size adapting to the weather's challenges. The ever-changing landscape became a subtle battle for balance and pacing. Meanwhile, Taharqa's mind brimmed with thoughts that might cross paths with his kin, a situation he preferred avoiding, given the long list of tasks Maeve had set for them before returning to Sidra. Idris pondered over whether to address Maeve's personal requests before or after completing their main objective. One of her requests involved returning her rapier and having it transformed back into her daggers. Additionally, she wanted them to craft another Void Cloak, a process she mentioned could take months. The prospect of spending months in this challenging environment wasn't appealing to them willingly.
"Hey, Oruldr," Menelik broke the silence. "I've got another question for ya."
"What is it now, Panther?"
"Ever heard of a Human called Zero?"
Oruldr halted. "Zero?"
"Yeah," Menelik affirmed. "Cocky fellow, quite strong, and excessively arrogant—borderline annoying at times."
"I do not. He sounds like a formidable warrior."
"That isn't what I said, but sure, okay, good."
Idris nudged Menelik. "What's this about?"
Menelik waved a hand dismissively. "Mind your business."
"Are you trying to make a name for yourself here?" Taharqa chimed in.
Idris teased, "You were just checking if he's unknown around here because you'll never do anything as cool as him. They'll forget your dusty ass name in a week or two."
Menelik elbowed Idris and moved to throw a punch when Oruldr raised a hand to silence them.
"Quiet. We have company."
For a moment, only the wind curled through the air. Then, silhouettes emerged in the distance, advancing toward them. Even amid the dense blizzard, the figures became visible. The aura they emitted was dense and cold, instantly sending Menelik and Idris into shivers. Oruldr and Taharqa also felt a slight chilling breeze. Oruldr lowered his hand and clenched both into fists.
"Prepare yourselves, lads. We've got ourselves some Yetis."
"Yeah, all I've got is this rapier that I can't touch without…" Idris dug into the pouch on the side of his skirt and pulled out a small piece of fabric. "...wrapping the hilt in this cloth Maeve gave me."
"Yeah, big guy, we lost all our weapons when we got ambushed by the other Frosty Boys."
Oruldr nodded to himself and knelt down. "Hop off then." As they jumped down into the snow, each of them was covered up to their chest. Oruldr stood up and extended his hand to the side.
"Sorry we're kinda useless," Taharqa stated, getting glances from Menelik and Idris.
"No," Orudlr replied. He held his hand out a tad longer before an enormous warhammer tore through the blizzard and into his grasp, where he took hold of it with both hands. "It's fine...I'll do it myself." He let out a ferocious war cry and charged forward, his massive frame carving its way through the thick snow, kicking it up in all directions. The three silhouettes let out their own deafening screeches and charged at him on all fours, their movements wild and feral. When they finally came into view, the trio understood now why they gave the Frost Giants a good fight.
They were nearly the same size as Oruldr, maybe a meter shorter, but their stature matched them, their physique actually even larger than that of the Frost Giants. Their front arms were enormous tree trunk-sized muscles propelling them forward with intense speed, their back legs weren't as large but still were enormous. Everything apart from a small section of their face and some of their thick black feet were covered in a bluish-gray fur that was short and thick around their body and arms, but around their face, it was shaggy and messy like hair and a beard all mixed into one. Their eyes were pitch black, and even the inside of their mouth was black with white splotches scattering their tongue. As they drew closer, their aura thickened, and the blizzard grew even worse than before, creating a harsh whiteout that even Oruldr was beginning to have a hard time seeing through.
The Yetis roared again and reached onto their backs, pulling out enormous scimitars, the blades made of dark blue stone and the hilts made of solid gold with some sort of white powder from tip to the hilt. They lunged into the air and sliced at Oruldr, where he sidestepped and swung his hammer forward. The Yeti reached out with its free hand and stopped Oruldr's swing's momentum with their massive frame and pushed themselves up and off of the hammer, knocking it into the ground and propelling themselves into the air for another downward swing. The others came down one after another, swinging their blades, causing Oruldr to drop his hammer and leap back. When he landed, it shook the area, shifting the snow and causing the Yetis on the ground to have to reposition for their next attack.
The Yeti in the air came crashing down onto Oruldr, its blade swinging downward toward his head. Oruldr lifted both his hands and slammed them together on the blade, locking it in place. He flexed his arms and let out another roar as he pulled downward, yanking the Yeti from the air and into the snow. He released his grip and reached forward with his right arm, grabbing a hold of the shaggy fur around its head, and with his left, he balled it into a fist and threw it forward, making contact with the Yeti's head, knocking them into the snow. He quickly turned around as the other two lunged forward. He lifted both hands and grabbed onto the blades, stopping both swings. The Yetis screeched as they gripped their scimitars with both hands and began pushing down, screeching and crying at Oruldr as they did.
"I AM ORULDR OF THE BONO TRIBE, THE MIGHTIEST WARRIOR IN THE SOUTHERN REGION!" He gripped the blades tighter, shattering the stone with his decisive grip. The Yetis began to fall forward, and without a wasted moment, Oruldr moved forward, grabbing both of them by the neck. With an enormous war cry, he lifted them into the air. "AND YOU WILL REMEMBER MY NAME!" He slammed both Yetis into the ground, snapping their necks with his mighty grip as he did. He lifted up immediately and started walking toward the last Yeti, who was lifting itself up, its jaw hanging downward, broken.
Oruldr walked forward, and it lazily swung at him. He stepped back and grabbed the blade again, pulling it forward from the Yeti's grasp. He quickly flipped it into his hand and swung it at the Yeti, removing its head in one swing. He lowered it and looked at the headless Yeti. "Know your place, Yeti." He lifted the scimitar and looked it up and down. "You were a fool to attack Frost Giants with Frost Giant weaponry, but you were an even mightier fool for not knowing who you were up against. Peace was always an option."
Idris, Menelik, and Taharqa stood in awe, their minds racing with the realization of what could have transpired had they challenged the Ghiga Tribe. They would have shared Shiroe's fate.
"Damn, he didn't even use his big-ass hammer," Menelik stated. "I'm lowkey scared now, not gonna lie."
"Nah, man, Oruldr is a monster. That was brutal," Idris replied. "I don't know what the fuck we were gonna do if that's what the fights are like. We can't compete."
"That's why you must train," Oruldr boasted. "And you will, under me, for the next seven months."
"Did Maeve set us up?" Idris wondered to himself. "No, no, she couldn't have known this would happen, could she?" Idris pulled himself from his thoughts and looked to Oruldr.
"Seven months?" He asked with a smirk. "We'll do it in four."
Menelik slowly leaned forward, his head turning to Idris. "Four months?"
Idris nodded. "Yeah, well, I guess it depends on how long it takes for the Dwarves to make Maeve's new cloak."
"Maeve?!" Oruldr exclaimed. "This Maeve...is she a Teufel by chance?"
"Yeah, pinkish-red skin, silver eyes, auburn hair?" Idris asked.
"Likes to kill people," Menelik added.
"HAHA!" Oruldr boasted. "The very same!" He knelt down to the trio with a huge smile. "How is she doing? I haven't seen Maevert in at least a hundred years. My goodness, just how do you know her?"
"She's the King who sent us here," Taharqa replied. "The one we spoke of before."
"Maevert is the King of Sidra, my goodness. Who would have thought that little assassin would settle down with that husband of hers."
"Wait, so you have met Zero?" Menelik stated. "He's been here?"
"Oh no, no," Oruldr stated. "He was not with her company. It was only Maevert. I believe, now, this was a century ago, so I may not be remembering right, but she told me that he didn't like the cold and that the enchantment she uses, much like Prince Taharqa's very own spell, he didn't like the way it made his skin feel."
The three of them let out a group sigh, and Idris nodded his head. "No, that sounds like him. That sounds just like something Zero would say."
"Where is he now, this Zero? Does he accompany Maevert in Sidra, the way she spoke of him, I can't see them ever being too far apart," Orudlr stated.
The trio shared a look at one another then turned back to Oruldr.
"So all that stuff we were telling you earlier," Taharqa stated. "We may have left some parts out, but to make a long story short and avoid repeating ourselves, Zero's dead."
Oruldr closed his eyes in grief and shook his head in sorrow. "Oh no, poor Ma—."
"It's on purpose, so don't feel bad about it," Menelik interrupted.
"I'm sorry?" Oruldr stated. "You are not saddened? Maevert is not saddened?"
"I mean, I'm sure she is, but it was all a part of the plan they put together. He'll be back," Idris stated. "At least he says he will be."
"Plans on bringing a few people back too," Menelik added.
Oruldr shook his head with a smile. "He plans to come back from Volja Vatre. Even the mightiest of Frost Giants have not escaped its grasp. Death comes for us all, and it does not give back."
"Yeah, about that," Taharqa started. "Death is a physical being, and Zero fought him, got his ass kicked, but he fought him."
Orudlr's face contorted, and he shook his head once more. "I would very much like to meet this Zero. I eagerly await his return. He really does sound like the mightiest of warriors."
Menelik let out an exhausted sigh. "We prefer the term, arrogant."
Oruldr was the sole Frost Giant who chose to accompany the trio on their journey to Mount Aglazad. They rode upon his shoulder as his enormous strides took them through the harsh environment of the snowy island. The others returned to break camp and would catch up with them on their journey North. This particular group of Frost Giants, the Bono Tribe, had one of the closest relations with the Ymir Dwarves, though the Ymir Elves and the Ymir Tribe of the Frost Giants were, for obvious reasons, much closer.
"So, like this Ymir guy," Menelik started. "He just out here claiming up all the best tribes? No offense."
Oruldr let out a bellowing laugh, his head cocking back in amusement. "Ah, I like this one." He pointed to Menelik. "I really do." He nodded his head a few times before continuing. "You are correct though. Those who bear the Ymir name are some of the first inhabitants of this frozen world."
Oruldr began to speak the tale of Ymir, the one where he came to this island of Ayce, long before it was what it is today, back when it was nothing more than an island that could only be found during a particular time of the year, from an oddly specific angle. It was Ymir who, when he found the island, used his vast amount of magic to keep it stationed in Arrithia. No longer would it disappear, but his spell came with a cost—the spell kept Ayce intact but covered it in the unrelenting blizzard that now blankets it. That day, the Neverwinter was born.
"Damn, so when we meet Ymir, we can thank his dusty ass for this weather?" Menelik asked.
Oruldr shook his head. "No, Ymir has been missing for many a long time now; you will not be seeing him."
"Huh, well any of you think about how we gonna tell Maeve about Shiroe?" Menelik asked.
"Why don’t we just wait until the time comes," Taharqa stated. "But I know one thing; I bet Greed is happy he swapped out with Shiroe at the last minute." Taharqa started to laugh, hoping to try and make light of the situation, hoping to lift their spirits, but it would seem the lingering silence was enough of an answer. Even Oruldr seemed to turn his head for a moment before speaking up.
"This Shiroe, was he more important than Greed?" He asked.
"Uh, we don’t exactly know," Taharqa replied. "We kinda just met ‘em. Both of them actually."
"Oh, so to you, he was not important, but to others, he may have been," Oruldr replied.
There was a lingering silence once more, then Idris decided to fill the gap before Menelik could.
"How far until Mount Azyhover’or’whatever?"
Oruldr suddenly stopped, causing the group to nearly fall from his shoulders. He turned his head toward Idris. "You haven’t the faintest idea where you are, do you lad?"
Idris shook his head, Oruldr’s booming voice leaving him at a loss for words.
"We are all the way down here near the Prince’s home of Nazzaroth, all the way in the south. Mount Aglazad, that be all the way in the north, just beyond Rünhaven. And if we’re lucky, the Dosül Tribe will be there too, doing their usual rounds."
"What’s so special about the Dosül Tribe?" Taharqa asked, and instead of an answer, Oruldr just chuckled aloud and began walking again.
Idris and Menelik leaned backward, looking just behind Oruldr’s neck at Taharqa, who greeted them with the same concerned yet confused expression.
"So big guy, are you all this big or, are some smaller, or like…bigger?" Menelik asked.
"Oh, I reckon there are a few or so who are larger than me, but I am pretty large myself. My brothers you met earlier, they are about average size. The Maru Tribe is by far the largest; they look like walking cities. And to be completely honest, I would rather not run into them if we can avoid it."
The trio all sat in silence, their minds trying to wrap around everything, especially the fact that none of them could comprehend the actual size of the Maru Tribe, given just how large Oruldr and his brothers were, and that’s apparently average.
The silence persisted as Oruldr focused on navigating the ever-increasing snowbanks, his colossal size adapting to the weather's challenges. The ever-changing landscape became a subtle battle for balance and pacing. Meanwhile, Taharqa's mind brimmed with thoughts that might cross paths with his kin, a situation he preferred avoiding, given the long list of tasks Maeve had set for them before returning to Sidra. Idris pondered over whether to address Maeve's personal requests before or after completing their main objective. One of her requests involved returning her rapier and having it transformed back into her daggers. Additionally, she wanted them to craft another Void Cloak, a process she mentioned could take months. The prospect of spending months in this challenging environment wasn't appealing to them willingly.
"Hey, Oruldr," Menelik broke the silence. "I've got another question for ya."
"What is it now, Panther?"
"Ever heard of a Human called Zero?"
Oruldr halted. "Zero?"
"Yeah," Menelik affirmed. "Cocky fellow, quite strong, and excessively arrogant—borderline annoying at times."
"I do not. He sounds like a formidable warrior."
"That isn't what I said, but sure, okay, good."
Idris nudged Menelik. "What's this about?"
Menelik waved a hand dismissively. "Mind your business."
"Are you trying to make a name for yourself here?" Taharqa chimed in.
Idris teased, "You were just checking if he's unknown around here because you'll never do anything as cool as him. They'll forget your dusty ass name in a week or two."
Menelik elbowed Idris and moved to throw a punch when Oruldr raised a hand to silence them.
"Quiet. We have company."
For a moment, only the wind curled through the air. Then, silhouettes emerged in the distance, advancing toward them. Even amid the dense blizzard, the figures became visible. The aura they emitted was dense and cold, instantly sending Menelik and Idris into shivers. Oruldr and Taharqa also felt a slight chilling breeze. Oruldr lowered his hand and clenched both into fists.
"Prepare yourselves, lads. We've got ourselves some Yetis."
"Yeah, all I've got is this rapier that I can't touch without…" Idris dug into the pouch on the side of his skirt and pulled out a small piece of fabric. "...wrapping the hilt in this cloth Maeve gave me."
"Yeah, big guy, we lost all our weapons when we got ambushed by the other Frosty Boys."
Oruldr nodded to himself and knelt down. "Hop off then." As they jumped down into the snow, each of them was covered up to their chest. Oruldr stood up and extended his hand to the side.
"Sorry we're kinda useless," Taharqa stated, getting glances from Menelik and Idris.
"No," Orudlr replied. He held his hand out a tad longer before an enormous warhammer tore through the blizzard and into his grasp, where he took hold of it with both hands. "It's fine...I'll do it myself." He let out a ferocious war cry and charged forward, his massive frame carving its way through the thick snow, kicking it up in all directions. The three silhouettes let out their own deafening screeches and charged at him on all fours, their movements wild and feral. When they finally came into view, the trio understood now why they gave the Frost Giants a good fight.
They were nearly the same size as Oruldr, maybe a meter shorter, but their stature matched them, their physique actually even larger than that of the Frost Giants. Their front arms were enormous tree trunk-sized muscles propelling them forward with intense speed, their back legs weren't as large but still were enormous. Everything apart from a small section of their face and some of their thick black feet were covered in a bluish-gray fur that was short and thick around their body and arms, but around their face, it was shaggy and messy like hair and a beard all mixed into one. Their eyes were pitch black, and even the inside of their mouth was black with white splotches scattering their tongue. As they drew closer, their aura thickened, and the blizzard grew even worse than before, creating a harsh whiteout that even Oruldr was beginning to have a hard time seeing through.
The Yetis roared again and reached onto their backs, pulling out enormous scimitars, the blades made of dark blue stone and the hilts made of solid gold with some sort of white powder from tip to the hilt. They lunged into the air and sliced at Oruldr, where he sidestepped and swung his hammer forward. The Yeti reached out with its free hand and stopped Oruldr's swing's momentum with their massive frame and pushed themselves up and off of the hammer, knocking it into the ground and propelling themselves into the air for another downward swing. The others came down one after another, swinging their blades, causing Oruldr to drop his hammer and leap back. When he landed, it shook the area, shifting the snow and causing the Yetis on the ground to have to reposition for their next attack.
The Yeti in the air came crashing down onto Oruldr, its blade swinging downward toward his head. Oruldr lifted both his hands and slammed them together on the blade, locking it in place. He flexed his arms and let out another roar as he pulled downward, yanking the Yeti from the air and into the snow. He released his grip and reached forward with his right arm, grabbing a hold of the shaggy fur around its head, and with his left, he balled it into a fist and threw it forward, making contact with the Yeti's head, knocking them into the snow. He quickly turned around as the other two lunged forward. He lifted both hands and grabbed onto the blades, stopping both swings. The Yetis screeched as they gripped their scimitars with both hands and began pushing down, screeching and crying at Oruldr as they did.
"I AM ORULDR OF THE BONO TRIBE, THE MIGHTIEST WARRIOR IN THE SOUTHERN REGION!" He gripped the blades tighter, shattering the stone with his decisive grip. The Yetis began to fall forward, and without a wasted moment, Oruldr moved forward, grabbing both of them by the neck. With an enormous war cry, he lifted them into the air. "AND YOU WILL REMEMBER MY NAME!" He slammed both Yetis into the ground, snapping their necks with his mighty grip as he did. He lifted up immediately and started walking toward the last Yeti, who was lifting itself up, its jaw hanging downward, broken.
Oruldr walked forward, and it lazily swung at him. He stepped back and grabbed the blade again, pulling it forward from the Yeti's grasp. He quickly flipped it into his hand and swung it at the Yeti, removing its head in one swing. He lowered it and looked at the headless Yeti. "Know your place, Yeti." He lifted the scimitar and looked it up and down. "You were a fool to attack Frost Giants with Frost Giant weaponry, but you were an even mightier fool for not knowing who you were up against. Peace was always an option."
Idris, Menelik, and Taharqa stood in awe, their minds racing with the realization of what could have transpired had they challenged the Ghiga Tribe. They would have shared Shiroe's fate.
"Damn, he didn't even use his big-ass hammer," Menelik stated. "I'm lowkey scared now, not gonna lie."
"Nah, man, Oruldr is a monster. That was brutal," Idris replied. "I don't know what the fuck we were gonna do if that's what the fights are like. We can't compete."
"That's why you must train," Oruldr boasted. "And you will, under me, for the next seven months."
"Did Maeve set us up?" Idris wondered to himself. "No, no, she couldn't have known this would happen, could she?" Idris pulled himself from his thoughts and looked to Oruldr.
"Seven months?" He asked with a smirk. "We'll do it in four."
Menelik slowly leaned forward, his head turning to Idris. "Four months?"
Idris nodded. "Yeah, well, I guess it depends on how long it takes for the Dwarves to make Maeve's new cloak."
"Maeve?!" Oruldr exclaimed. "This Maeve...is she a Teufel by chance?"
"Yeah, pinkish-red skin, silver eyes, auburn hair?" Idris asked.
"Likes to kill people," Menelik added.
"HAHA!" Oruldr boasted. "The very same!" He knelt down to the trio with a huge smile. "How is she doing? I haven't seen Maevert in at least a hundred years. My goodness, just how do you know her?"
"She's the King who sent us here," Taharqa replied. "The one we spoke of before."
"Maevert is the King of Sidra, my goodness. Who would have thought that little assassin would settle down with that husband of hers."
"Wait, so you have met Zero?" Menelik stated. "He's been here?"
"Oh no, no," Oruldr stated. "He was not with her company. It was only Maevert. I believe, now, this was a century ago, so I may not be remembering right, but she told me that he didn't like the cold and that the enchantment she uses, much like Prince Taharqa's very own spell, he didn't like the way it made his skin feel."
The three of them let out a group sigh, and Idris nodded his head. "No, that sounds like him. That sounds just like something Zero would say."
"Where is he now, this Zero? Does he accompany Maevert in Sidra, the way she spoke of him, I can't see them ever being too far apart," Orudlr stated.
The trio shared a look at one another then turned back to Oruldr.
"So all that stuff we were telling you earlier," Taharqa stated. "We may have left some parts out, but to make a long story short and avoid repeating ourselves, Zero's dead."
Oruldr closed his eyes in grief and shook his head in sorrow. "Oh no, poor Ma—."
"It's on purpose, so don't feel bad about it," Menelik interrupted.
"I'm sorry?" Oruldr stated. "You are not saddened? Maevert is not saddened?"
"I mean, I'm sure she is, but it was all a part of the plan they put together. He'll be back," Idris stated. "At least he says he will be."
"Plans on bringing a few people back too," Menelik added.
Oruldr shook his head with a smile. "He plans to come back from Volja Vatre. Even the mightiest of Frost Giants have not escaped its grasp. Death comes for us all, and it does not give back."
"Yeah, about that," Taharqa started. "Death is a physical being, and Zero fought him, got his ass kicked, but he fought him."
Orudlr's face contorted, and he shook his head once more. "I would very much like to meet this Zero. I eagerly await his return. He really does sound like the mightiest of warriors."
Menelik let out an exhausted sigh. "We prefer the term, arrogant."
