III

The End of Ragnarök

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 The Final
Stronghold
Through angels and valkyries, you persist.
Along with Shefus, Char, and now Geld and
his Umbra steed, you have managed to
arrive at the gigantic gates to the ancient
Palace of Gold. One final push.
At the gates, the monstrous Garm, last
Divine Wolf in service of the Allfather,
watches you approach. Your party prepares
for a fight; the creature’s growls are loud
enough to rumble the earth. Yet, before the
monster charges forth, Stormwalker Geld,
atop his eldritch horse, marches ahead,
meeting the demigod face to face.
The monstrous wolf unleashes a deafening
bark, sending a wave of energy that trips
Shefus and makes Char drop prone. Geld
ducks unto his mount, while Umbra stands
proud in front of the creature. What are they
doing?
Then, just when you thought the
Stormwalker was about to speak, he
dismounts and slowly returns to your side,
leaving the horse face to face with the Divine
Wolf.
You feel a chill run down your spine, as
Umbra grows four additional legs from its
belly, and becomes bigger in size. Garm
fixes the eldritch creature with his
bloodthirsty stare.
They know each other. Then, a heavenly,
omnipresent voice starts echoing from the
Stormwalker’s companion. Umbra speaks,
for the first time. You hear it in your brain, a
smooth whisper, and judging by the wolf’s
reaction, so does he…

To End Ragnarök 61
 I see you are still a loyal
hound, Garm. Is this how
you treat an old friend?
I demand you open the
gates to the Allfather’s
Throne. I demand to see
my master.
I have sworn never to fail
him. These mortals have
allowed me to return to
his side. You must let me
pass, brother.
Someone must end his
suffering. I bring the
heroes that will free him
from this eternal
penance.
Please, let us through,
watchdog. We can end the
King in Yellow’s hold
over this land.

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 You are not my brother,
Sleipnir. I have no
brothers. You talk of
Odin like he doesn’t
deserve his fate. The
Valkyries may think they
can save him; I don’t.
My duty, mount, is to
ensure that wretched man
suffers for eternity. He
cursed us all, Sleipnir. He
is the one that destroyed
Asgard with his reckless
promises, not the King.
So long as I live, no
creature will breach these
gates. It is my duty, but
beyond that, it is my will.
May strength guide your
blows, heroes, for I am
the scourge of this realm.
Prepare yourselves. Today,
we fight like true
Einherjar!

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 The Guardian and the Mount
ighting Garm is inevitable. Sleipnir, Umbra’s

F
true name, has led Stormwalker Geld, as Garm
well as you, up to this point. He was Odin’s Jailor of Odin
faithful mount, son of Loki, and has been
tainted by the same corruption that cursed Armor Class 24 (natural armor)
the Allfather, so long ago. He differs from Hit Points 620 (35d20 + 245)
the rest of the Order of Gold, however, and
knows that Odin would want nothing more than to die STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
in honorable battle. 28 (+9) 30 (+10) 25 (+7) 20 (+5) 22 (+6) 28 (+9)

Sleipnir knows the Allfather’s mind better than anyone, Damage Immunities necrotic, radiant
and hates the fact that his angels do not allow him to Condition Immunities incapacitated, grappled, paralyzed, petrified,
pass on. The Mad God is in pain, and must be defeated, prone, restrained
not only to release him from his torment, but also to foil Challenge 30 (120,000 XP)
the King in Yellow’s insidious plans.
Divine Wolf Variant. Garm is a variant of the Divine Wolf statblock.
On the other hand, Garm is the most powerful of all Its game statistics are higher and he has the following additional
Divine Wolves. Greater even than Fenris, he was tasked features.
from birth to guard the entrance to the realm of the
dead, Helheim, at the foot of Yggdrasil. He lived a Brutality. Garm is the strongest of the Divine Wolves and fights
wretched, hateful life, sequestered down at the gates of with unmatched ferocity. Creatures hit by a critical hit from any of

the dead, for an eternity. the wolf’s attacks suffer half the critical hit’s damage at the start of
their next turn as piercing damage, as they hemorrhage. Creatures

When Odin called his armies to battle the Enemy, Garm that cannot bleed are immune to this effect. Garm’s weapon
attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.
was let loose. Ragnarök had come, after many years,
and the prophecies of old destined the hellhound to Of Helheim. Garm deals an additional 3d8 necrotic damage on all
battle the God of Justice. This never came to pass, as the of his attacks. A creature hit by Garm’s attacks has its hit point
God fell against the armies of Eternity, which left Garm maximum reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage
without purpose. taken. This reduction lasts until the creature finishes a long rest.
The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.
And so, he returned to Midgard, aimless. No one told Additional Actions
him to guard the palace gates, and yet, he begrudgingly
found himself defending the Order of Gold against the Multiattack. Garm makes an additional attack with his Bark.

corrupted Einherjar. Even demigods are creatures of Bark. Garm barks out a sonic blast in a 90-foot-cone in front of
habit, after all. him. Each creature in the area must make a DC 26 Constitution
saving throw, taking 45 (10d8) thunder damage on a failed save, or
When Odin was chained to the top of the Blackbark, half as much on a successful one. A creature that fails this saving
Garm understood his true purpose. He would make the throw is knocked back 15 feet and is deafened until the end of its
Allfather pay for the years of servitude he’d been next turn.
subjected to. After millennia, the slave became the Additional Legendary Actions
jailor. Bark (Costs 2 Actions). Garm uses his Bark.

Guardian’s Rampage (Costs 3 Actions). Garm moves up to half his

speed in a direction of his choice. All creatures in his path must
succeed on a DC 25 Dexterity saving throw or be trampled by the
divine wolf, taking 35 (10d6) bludgeoning damage, 18 (5d6)
necrotic damage and 18 (5d6) radiant damage. Additionally,
creatures that fail this saving throw are knocked prone. At the end
of the charge, Garm uses its Bark, and can make one bite attack
against a creature it trampled.

64 To End Ragnarök
 T O E N D R A G N A R Ö K

“Careful, comrades. We have made it this far, but nothing guarantees our victory. See, the darkfowls are watching us.
They are the eyes and ears of Odin. He is expecting our arrival. Remember, we are the hunters, not the hunted. Let us
end this sorrowful tale.”

Stormwalker Geld leads the way into the Palace of Gold. What was once a mighty castle is now nothing more than a
forsaken ruin. The ground is tainted by the ichorous corruption, a constant outpour of black liquid flowing from the
center of the palace. To find Odin, one must simply follow the ink.
Ravens litter the many nooks and crannies of the old castle. A legion of black wings and opaque feathers. They watch,
intently, as you march to your doom. Odin’s chamber is not far within the derelict bastion. You find it soon enough; an
enormous round hall, where feasts and banquets were once held, now a blackened tomb, at the center of which, on a
tall stone throne, sits an old man, accompanied only by two ravens, two wolves, and silence. His voice reaches you as
soon as you step into the room. One lowly inquiry, before all hell breaks loose.
65
 T O
A R E

K I L L
Y O U

M E ?
H E R E

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The Inkfather creatures of ink that share the Inkfather’s statistics, except they
have an AC of 18, a Dexterity score of 22, and 78 hit points. If
Medium Celestial, chaotic neutral
they are killed, Odin cannot use their abilities until they reform.
If not summoned back, they respawn at the Inkfather’s side
Armor Class 20 (natural armor) after a minute.
Hit Points 625 (50d8 + 400)
Speed 0 ft. Huginn and Muninn. The Inkfather does his bidding through his
animal familiars. Huginn and Muninn, his two watchful ravens,
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA are tiny creatures of ink that share the Inkfather’s statistics,
5 (-3) 9 (-1) 26 (+8) 5 (-3) 30 (+10) 30 (+10) except they have an AC of 22, a Dexterity score of 22, and 28 hit
points. If they are killed, Odin cannot use their abilities until
Saving Throws Con +18, Wis +20, Cha +20 they reform. If not summoned back, they respawn at the
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, Inkfather’s side after a minute.
and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, Innate Spellcasting. The Inkfather’s spellcasting ability is
exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, Charisma (spell save DC 28, +20 to hit with spell attacks). He
restrained, stunned can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material
Senses truesight 240 ft., passive Perception 24 components:
Languages All At will: scrying, clairvoyance, counterspell
Challenge 30 (155,000 XP) 3/day each: dominate person, wall of force, harm (with a
range of 120 ft.)
1/day each: power word: stun, power word: kill, time stop
Legendary Resistance (3/day). If the Inkfather fails a saving
throw, he can choose to succeed instead. Actions
Multiattack. The Inkfather uses the throne’s maddening
Greater Magic Immunity. The Inkfather can’t be affected or presence. He then commands Geri and Freki. He can also use
detected by spells 7th level or lower unless he wishes to be. He his Mournful Wail, if available.
has advantage on saving throws against other spells and
magical effects. Maddening Presence. Each creature of the Inkfather’s choice that
is within the Ink Domain must succeed on a DC 21 Wisdom
Shadow of a God. The Inkfather was once the mighty Odin, God saving throw or gain a random effect from the short-term
of War and Death, Allfather to the Aesir pantheon. The ichorous madness table (5e SRD). A creature can repeat the saving
corruption, however, has left him a shadow of his former self. throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself
His physical scores have deteriorated and his mind has been on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the
addled by the maddening curse ever since he was first bound to effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the Inkfather’s
the throne. He is, however, the host of ink, and all the Maddening Presence for the next 24 hours.
nightmares that haunt Midgard are his doing. In the event of
his death, all creatures that have been spawned by him will Geri. Geri teleports to an unoccupied place within the Ink
slowly melt away and dissipate over the course of 1d4 days. Domain and makes three attacks: two with its claws and one
with its bite.
Though he is not in his best shape, Odin is still a God of old,
veteran of Ragnarök, and first to act against the Enemy. He has Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: + 16 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
a proficiency bonus of +10 and truesight out to 240 ft. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) slashing damage plus 11 (3d6) necrotic
damage.
Thread of War. Odin carries a shard of the Thread of War. In the
event of his death, it will gently float above his corpse, ready for Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: + 16 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
another to claim. A creature that attempts to claim it must Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) piercing damage plus 22 (6d6) necrotic
succeed on a DC 20 Charisma saving throw or take 110 (20d10) damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 24
force damage. Then, they must convince the Thread of War to Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
attune to them, and vow to protect it from those who wish to
destroy it. A creature that claims a Thread of Divinity becomes Freki. Freki teleports to an unoccupied place within the Ink
an ascended being of CR 26 or higher. Domain, uses his Mending Howl, and casts one of the following
spells: haste, lightning bolt, blight, hypnotic pattern or sleet storm.
Bound to the Throne. The Inkfather cannot move, as he is
chained to the throne, forced to endure his madness for Mending Howl. Freki lets out a mending Howl. Freki and the
eternity. The throne itself is what protects him from harm. He is Inkfather recover 27 (6d8) hit points.
immune to all conditions that would displace or restrain him in
any way. In addition, the Inkfather uses the Throne’s hit points Paint Familiar. The Inkfather remakes one of his wolves or both
and Constitution score. his ravens. The ink creature spawns in an unoccupied space
within the Ink Domain.
Ink Domain. The Inkfather can use most of his abilities in a 120-
foot radius sphere centered on himself, which coincides with Mournful Wail (recharge 5-6). The Inkfather cries out in pain. His
the chamber he is bound to. Within this area, creatures of the sorrow is unbearable. All creatures within the Ink Domain that
Inkfather’s choice take 13 (3d8) unmitigable necrotic damage can hear him must succeed on a DC 28 Constitution saving
at the start of their turns, unless they are immune to the black throw or take 35 (10d6) psychic damage. Every time the
touch sickness. Inkfather uses this ability before finishing a long rest, its next
mournful wail deals an additional 18 (5d6) psychic damage.
Geri and Freki. The Inkfather does his bidding through his
animal familiars. Geri and Freki, his two loyal wolves, are large

To End Ragnarök 67
Legendary Actions
The Inkfather can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used
at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The Inkfather regains spent legendary actions at the start of his
turn.

Huginn. Huginn flies 60 feet and uses either its neurotoxic beak or its metamorphosis.

Neurotoxic Beak Melee Weapon Attack: + 16 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) piercing damage plus 22 (6d6)
necrotic damage. The target must succeed on a DC 24 Constitution saving throw or be incapacitated until the end of its
next turn.

Metamorphosis. Huginn transforms into an Ink-forged or aberration of CR 5 or lower. This transformation is permanent,
and Huginn must be summoned once more by the Inkfather.

Muninn. Huginn flies 60 feet and uses either its necrotic bolt or its end magic.

Necrotic Bolt. Ranged Spell Attack: +20 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (6d8) necrotic damage.

End Magic. Huginn ends an ongoing magical effect of 5th level or lower it can see within 60 feet. It can choose to end a
creature’s concentration on a spell instead. A creature targeted in this way must succeed on a DC 24 Constitution saving
throw or lose concentration.

Command Wolf (Costs 2 Actions). The Inkfather commands one of his wolves to act.

Mark of the Inkfather (Costs 2 Actions). A creature within the Ink Domain that the Inkfather can see must succeed on a DC 28
Charisma saving throw or become vulnerable to necrotic damage until the start of the Inkfather’s next turn.

Paint Familiar (Costs 3 Actions). The Inkfather uses his Paint Familiar action.

Paint Greater Ink-forged (Costs 3 Actions). The Inkfather spawns an Ink-forged of CR 11 or lower in an unoccupied space
within the Ink Domain.

Create Nightmare (Costs 3 Actions) (1/day) The Inkfather’s throne manifests the power of madness and calls upon a creature
from nightmares. A Faceless Angel appears in an unoccupied space within the Ink Domain.
As the Allfather’s tormented
mind is put to rest, his missing eye
starts to bleed profusely. The
ichorous corruption slowly turns
red, and the many creatures
beyond the Palace of Gold are
alerted to the outcome of your
battle.

You have succeeded. Now,

however, a legion of angels is
about to descend upon you, for the
crime of killing a God. More than
that, you and your allies are deep
within the Asgardian stronghold,
exhausted, and without a clear way
to escape.

At that exact moment, a shape

wearing yellow manifests at the
corner of the hall. It’s… Him.

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 “You did it, it seems. Oh, what a nuisance. Well,
things happen. A setback… I guess. What will I do
with you, huh? I cannot kill you lot, I sent you on this
quest in the first place. Oh, buggers. I hate rules.

Well. Maybe destiny has put you on this path for a

reason. Maybe this was meant to be. And what can
we do… but follow the crumbs? Eternity will return,
after all, and we will have to work together.

Perhaps, you are the army I’ve been looking for all
along. Let’s get you out of here, shall we? I wouldn’t
want my heroes to end up skewered by divine
arrows.

You are destined for great things, it seems. All of

you. I will make sure your futures are as bright as
they are tragic. Such is the way of Madness.”

--- He Who Wears Yellow

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