“Umm . . . What that? It be poison stabbie thing? We need kill?” Jorund looks to the other for guidance but is very glad he already has his hammers out if only for bunny smashing.
Ulf very carefully asks Osvald if, by any chance, he has been hearing voices in his head?
Because (if Ulf remembers correctly) that looks like a **pseudo-dragon ** on your shoulder. 
They can choose to be magical companions, if they wish … and that is a very good thing for the fortunate Magician chosen. 
“Erm… Why yes, I HAVE been hearing things in my head. But only Two voices so far!” says Osvald, his eyes widening in panic at the creature on his shoulder.
“He… he wants to eat Wee Bunny… Oh dear…” Osvald is a bit disheartened, but makes up his mind.
“I’m sorry Wee Bunny, but it’s a far, far better thing that you do now than you’ve ever done.” Osvald quietly looks over to the creature and thinks: *If you are really hungry, you may eat him. Otherwise, we can try to capture another one of the rabbits running around and try to eat that instead.
Oh, and do you have a name? Please don’t eat me! Sorry, that thought just snuck in there. But feel free to listen to it. *
Sorely’s eyes will go wide at the appearance of the winged serpent. “Truly a beast of legend accompanies us already. A good portend, the breath of Loki rides with us…” Sorely will start to cautiously cross the boat towards Osvald, hand on his hilt, eyes full of wonder.Any chance Sorely knows what the hell that thing is?
Osvald notices that action, and begins to worry.
Erm… are you a friendly fellow? A bit of elucidation would be delightful here… And enjoy the Rabbit… No rushing you or anything. But uh… Osvald racks his brain for an idea to calm himself and the situation down. “Do you like Tea? I can do a delightful Tea Ceremony you know!”
*I’ve never tried tea, but I can see that you think it is very good, so I will try it if you like. As for names, I used to have one, but not any more. 
Perhaps you can think of one?
Listen, I don’t have to eat your friend - I’m sure I can catch one of the others. Or if you have any other meat for me to eat, that will be all right too. I don’t eat very much - enough to fill the palm of your hand every morning and evening. And I wouldn’t eat you unless I was really, really hungryoops for you would go bad long before I could finish you.
Though I don’t know why you want that as a friend. It’s not very interesting, it just sits there wrinkling its nose and trying to bite you (a perfectly apt observation by the way - these are eating rabbits, not pets) and it’s not got two thoughts in its whole head.*
I gave Sorely a chance to know what this creature might be, but it’s obviously not legendary enough for him.
Osvald, would you like to ask your new friend if he knows who the** other ** voice is?
Perhaps your new friend (hey - you need to name him!) could explain to you what he can do.
It will certainly be a first for a pseudo-dragon to experience a Tea Ceremony!
DM, do we go along with Loki being a member of the Aesir and therefore worthy of our respect? Does his alignment matter?
I love the Loki Mythology. The Norse god that causes / fixes / causes all the trouble of man and god and ultimately betrays everyone, only to have it all start again. An echo of the capricious nature of life! I’ll be playing to Sorely as Neutral for Alignment.
“I don’t know what sort of beast this is Osvald. Don’t move quickly I fear it might sting you, much as a bee or wasp. Maybe we should feed it?” Sorely will clear his throat… “And did you just offer it tea? Truly the thoughts of wizards and warlocks will always be beyond my ken.” Sorely will take his hand off the hilt of his short sword and scratch his head. “Well I hope its an omen of good for the journey ahead…”
Gods are rather above any mortal definitions of alignment, at least in this campaign. Loki is to be venerated and respected, but not necessarily emulated. There are times when he is the most appropriate As to offer a prayer to, but most men would as soon not bother him. It’s sort of like Zeus and the frogs - pester Loki and he may either help you or send you King Log or even King Stork. Still, the occasional offering to placate his uncertain whims certainly wouldn’t be out of place. As duncfoo points out, Loki has sometimes been of great benefit, even if he causes at least as much trouble as he solves. You could consider him the ultimate Chaotic Neutral, equally impervious to force and reason once a notion has entered his head.
Osvald looks down at the Rabbit and back at the creature. *I just wanted a companion for the journey that’s why I saved the Rabbit. My human allies are all brave and mighty and warriors and all. But I am… not cut from the same metal chain mail as them, if we were to use such metaphors. I want to LEARN about the world- pillaging the world and such isn’t what I seek…
That’s why I figured the Rabbit would make a meek and similar companion, but you’re right, tiny one. This Rabbit would not make a proper friendship with me.
It’s role is to be eaten, and mine is to… not be eaten. Hopefully.
How about this, little one. Would you be my companion? You can talk, and reason- I think. I would not mind feeding you and watching out for you in this world of ours right now, and perhaps you can follow and help me out as well?
I have not much to offer, but since you’re in my head- you’re free to browse around in it- There’s another voice in there, if you recognize them please let me know.
But would you like to be my friend, little one. Hmm… You need a name, you say. Well you look like a tiny dragon. So how about a mighty name for you? Everyone deserves a good title. The only dragon I can recall is the mighty *Nidhogg that lives beneath the great world tree, Yggdrasil. That’s the sort of name that would inspire confidence in Anyone, including me! **
So how’s about it, will you accept my friendship and the name Nidhogg?
As for Wee Bunny… well, everything in life has his duty to do. And I suppose we can both help him accomplish his task in life. I have a delightful mint tea that would go well with him!
Osvald looks up and notices everyone staring at him, while he has been silently talking to the creature.
“Shh… my fellow vikings- don’t worry. I’m seeing if he’ll eat the bunny…”
*Nidhogg… Nidhogg… Níðhöggr! What a terrible creature! Well, I promise not to destroy the… World-Ash. Excuse me, I have not known a Viking before and your thoughts are strange and new. I will be Nidhogg.
There has been another voice in your head, but it was bigger than mine, I think.
As to your rabbit, I think it would be cruel to eat it now. Perhaps you should let it go when we reach land, in some place where the scent of Man on it will not cause other rabbits to kill it. If it were wild I would have killed it before it knew, but now I have made it afraid and I do not like to do that. If you have something else to eat I will take it gladly. Ship-rat will do when there is nothing better, but it is not clean food.*
Ahead, the isle Vectis grows large, spreading from East to West.
“If you feed it me think I no need kill it. . . Right Osvald? . . . Ooooh looky island is close. I guess we head to town first and get information before we go smash nonlive.” Jorund forgets all about the island as a rabbit runs by he feet and he is off agin trying to smash a rabbit.
Sorely will try to start a small conversation with Ivar, “Priest, I don’t mean to be rude but, I think you and Bjarni might be the most… Steady of your little group. Should I be worried or is this normal?..” Sorely will advise docking and finding a common room as soon as we can, establish a place for ourselves and then send out a few of us to ask questions while the warriors try and get some common chatter from the area, and maybe drink the town drive.
What do we know of this village. Can a Viking longboat dock without having to worry about getting run off? Have our ancestors come here and sown oats and blood across the land recently enough for us to be maligned?
Osvald decides that the creature’s words as wise, and will free the Rabbit when they reach land.
"Guys, can I get some actual food for the little one? His name will be Nidhogg! He may stick around and join us for our journey! * Don’t worry, little Niddy! I shall take care of you- just let me know if you need anything!
Kim, this is Niddy. Niddy the other voice in my head I believe is named Kim. Feel free to say hello when you meet each other.*
And with that, Osvald goes off to procure come actual food for the two of them, this time he’s feeling a bit happier and more confident than ever before. He finally has a companion all of his own!
The gossip over in Hamwic certainly didn’t suggest that you’ll be badly received here - there’s a little traffic between the two, and in general relations between the Vikings and the southern English aren’t too strained at the moment.
Ivar grins. “This isn’t normal, no, but it certainly doesn’t seem negative. I’ve always heard that one should refrain from meddling in the affairs of wizards, so I’ll let Osvald run with this as long as it doesn’t seem dangerous, and while pseudo-dragons are dangerous, they’re not necessarily so, and I don’t see any reason to interfere as long as it’s not threatening the group. Besides, great good could come of this. My knowledge of legends may be less than yours, but it’s enough to think that this could be a good omen.”
Is it safe to assume that Nidhogg (nice name! Good history with that one) is the source of the bitten rabbits?
Once on land, Ivar will take to a local temple (with Sorely, probably) and do a check of any tomes of legends regarding pseudo-dragons, and ask any wizened elders for their knowledge of such a thing.
Once safely on Vectis, Ulf suggests to Ivar that (assuming there is a Temple) he also asks the Priests about Keyhole Cove.
So have we established that Nidhogg was the rat-killer?
Have we established the relationship between Nidhogg’s poison tail and the mechanical snake’s poison fang?
Nidhogg is happy to talk about his previous friend, although he’s a little upset about the subject. He was kind to me and we did interesting things together, along with his friends. Yes, that was my sting fluid in his iron cobra. It was no trouble for me to provide it and it is very effective. But he started to change when he got interested in owlbears. He forgot about me, and in the end he even forgot to feed me the last time he went out. I was shut in and hungry. As soon as someone came to the house I had to get out and find something to eat. I do not like to eat people so I found a rabbit. I hid until I could see what kind of people had let me out. Now I see that you are nice people.
More on the Cove later…
Hearing this, Ulf confirms that Nidhogg is a really useful ally.
Pseudo-dragons can become a companion (typically to an MU), when they form a telepathic link.
They have chameleon-like powers of concealment, plus magic resistance to spells - and if they are touching their companion, he gets it too.
They have paralysing poison - although they are not tough fighters and should be carefully looked after.
Look after him, Osvald!