Vikings & Valkyries: The Immolation of Bakrauf

When I kicked off VIKINGS vs SAMURAI, I naturally scoped out the competition—the comic creators bringing that same kind of epic flair. And let me tell you, I struck gold. We’re talking Stan Sakai’s legendary Usagi Yojimbo, Aaron Wroblewski’s gripping Blood & Fire, Alex Robnett and Dave Fowler’s gnarly Mushikera, and Ian Stuart Sharpe’s Vikingverse. Now, Ian? He’s not just slinging comics; he’s building a whole damn saga—novels, games, podcasts (Vikings & Valkyries). The guy’s a one-man Norse renaissance.

I’ve been hooked on role-playing games (RPGs) since I was 12—dice rolling, stat crunching, and diving headfirst into worlds where anything’s possible. Now, here’s the kicker: an upcoming issue of VIKINGS vs SAMURAI is penned by my buddy Richard Byers. This guy and I go way back—high school days spent blasting through Traveller, the OG sci-fi RPG. Think space battles, interstellar trading, and exploring star systems like we owned the damn galaxy.

But wait, there’s more. I’m cooking up a horror comic inspired by Mothership, another RPG gem where you and your crew try not to get vaporized in the cold, unforgiving vacuum of space. Ran it with friends a few years ago, and let me tell you, it was a beautiful blend of terror and chaos.

So when Ian hit me up to join his Vikings & Valkyries game? Man, I didn’t even blink—"Yes," I said, faster than a hyperdrive jump. This is the kind of storytelling fuel I live for. Let’s roll!

Here’s the deal: Hjálpmakaar is no walk in the frost-bitten park. This is Midgard on its last legs after the Great Winter—a place where survival isn’t just a question, it’s a cruel joke. Our players are thrown into a brutal odyssey, escorting a dying man through icy hellscapes, only to get tangled up in a blood feud nastier than a tavern brawl at closing time. Enter Finnbogi Ásbjarnarson, your not-so-friendly accuser at the Law Thing. They’ll need alliances—or a good right hook—to make it through.

And if that’s not enough, a jötnar headman slaps them with a curse that drags them into his tribe’s twisted sacred hunts. Survival, cunning, trust—it’s all on the menu. Is all this leading to glory, or is it a one-way ticket up the Stairway to Valhalla? Yeah, things get dicey fast.

Now, here’s where I crash this icy party: I played Bakrauf, a jötunn with the voice of a Cockney pirate and the temper of a drunken berserker. First mate to Finnbogi himself, Bakrauf joined the crew just in time for their totally horrifying leviathan fishing trip. Spoiler alert: it went straight to Hel. The leviathan wrecked our ship, leaving us bobbing in the briny deep, and somehow, that was just the beginning.

From there, it was out of the frying pan and into the fire. Next up? A skeleton she-bear with eldritch rage dripping from its fangs came charging in, and it was game over for everyone—except, of course, the mighty Bakrauf. With a mouth full of expletives and a heart full of steel, he went full kamikaze, lighting himself and the she-bear up in a blaze of glory. For Bakrauf, it was the ultimate send-off. For the heroes? Just another day in this frozen deathtrap.

The saga isn’t over, my friends. This game is packed with valor, bawdy humor, and Ian spinning a tale that’ll freeze your blood and fire up your imagination. Tune in—you won’t regret it!