Storming the beaches of Norse-mandy - The Omens

As the Godi cast the runes on the deck of the largest longship, Torvald Isulfson eagerly looked on. They lay just off the shore of the jungle land that would make them all rich. They were so far south, the Winds of Chaos were hardly a breeze here, so Torvald was hoping for any good omen to encourage his army.

Torvald still cursed those traitorous Norsca back at Skeggi. He'd assumed his force would have been welcomed by their distant cousins, but the greedy whelps refused to allow his ships to land. They felt the owned the whole jungle. Well, he'd show them & plunder the gold right out from under their noses.

So, instead of making an easy landing where there should have been welcoming wenches and ale, his army was having to make a mad dash up the beach & into the jungle. His army was used to fighting like that, but Torvald at least had enough sense to realizing a beach landing on a unknown continent would be tougher than the normal fleecing of those Imperial sheep.

He'd decided to land his army on the only shallow beach near Skeggi. The fact there were skeletal totems all along the beach made no difference to him. It kind of made it look home. Once the army was landed & had drawn out any awaiting enemies, he'd land the supplies in a small inlet near by that would have been too hard to defend. Torvald would ensure the supplies were landed, while one of his sub-chieftains, Valgard Stonecleaver, would lead the army.

Returning his attention to the runes, the Godi's divination said that much that was hidden would be revealed. The army cheered, believing that meant they would find piles of gold & treasure. But, as Torvald let the blood of the final sacrificial victim flow into the ocean in thanks for a safe journey, he realized this Godi's readings had always been particularly vague, & decided to send him along with Stonecleaver to share in whatever vague fate he had foreseen.