Be sure to read the previous chapters!
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII

The night is dark and still.

The endless expanse of space stretches far and wide beyond the deck of your ship. A sea of stars washes around the fleet, swathes of flickering light amidst an eternal night so deep and cold. The silence of the void has pressed through the shields, blanketing the ship and its crew. As you sit on the prow, eyes sightlessly peering through the shadows ahead, you know this same stillness has overcome the entirety of the fleet.

Everything is set. All the preparations made, the new mechanics tested as thoroughly as possible. The jump coordinates have been entered; all that remains is the signal from the Sleipnir.

The massive command ship sits quiet in the midst of the fleet.

For now, in these precious moments before launching into the unknown, it is the time for peace and reflection. Now is the time to pause and consider your life, your choices, your path. To determine the depths of your resolve, to make the choice of whether or not to continue. Each soul aboard must look inside themselves and pursue the calling of their own path.

Ahead lies the ultimate uncertainty - a nigh impossible journey through the unexplored dangers of a black hole. What awaits you, you could never begin to guess. Even the Snake Clan Vikings have no idea what awaits on the other side, if it exists, or what the journey entails.

And so each of you sits in silence, lost in the seas of your mind.

The risk is great, but the reward… is Valhalla.

Welcome back to Chapter VIII of the Epic Quest - Valhalla!

Here’s how the Epic Quest works: I will host an activity each month that plays into the story being told. You’ll earn small prizes for each activity you complete - like points, HPD, or cash shop items. You’ll also earn XP points, and the player with the most XP points at the end of the year - December 2021 - will win the grand prize:
1. This fully coded layout (currently a WIP) and
2. Matching animal CSS and
3. A 1-year upgrade!

Participate in the Epic Quest activity every month of the year, and you’ll earn a special prize:
1. An official HP achievement and
2. A store pair with 100k points.

If you haven't joined yet but would like to, check out Chapter I to figure out how to create your Viking! You need to message me with a clan, a specialty, and a name - then you can join one of the crews below!

If you have any questions about the quest, prizes, or how it works, don’t hesitate to message me!

CONTEMPLATION

Before you begin your journey into the unknown, you must take the time to settle your thoughts and motives, to make peace with the path you’ve chosen to walk. This is something that can only be done alone - there will be no collective crew rewards for this Chapter.

Your task? Reply to this forum thread with something you are thankful for, something that makes you happy, something that brings you contentment. You can reply in character or as yourself, and you can reply up to 10 times a day.

Each reply will earn you 1 XP point.

The catch is that you cannot double post - you must wait until another Viking has posted their contemplative thought before posting another of yours. Also, you cannot post the same thing twice.

You may post your thoughts until 11:59 pm HP time on Sunday, Nov. 28th.

REMINISCENCE

Message me up to two choices you’ve made or events that have happened to you that were very important to you. Make sure these are HP appropriate events/choices that you are ok with other HPers knowing about. 

You can choose events that happened here on HP or in real life. You can also choose to make up these choices or events as things that have happened to your character, rather than real things that happened to you.

For each event/choice you message me, you will earn 5 XP points.

You have until 11:59 pm HP time on Sunday, Nov. 28th to message me.

PRIZES:
Each contemplative reply to this forum thread - 1 XP point.
Each event/choice messaged to me - 5 XP points.
BONUS: Message me the HP animal you are proudest of training for 10k points (that can go on any animal you want, not limited to the one you send me).

FIND YOUR CALM BEFORE THE STORM, VIKINGS

I am thankful for these cool fall temperatures.

I am thankful for my wife, who once again never ceases to be incredible 

I am thankful for the financial savings that my husband and I have built up. It's not a lot, but it makes me feel so much more comfortable -- you know, just in case.

Savings are everything! I totally get that Jaya. It's helped so much with this new house and planning vacations, while also still having a safety net. 

I am thankful to Mango! For providing this incredibly positive atmosphere here! 

I am pre-thankful for the walk I'm going to take with my kids once the baby wakes up from his morning nap. Something about being out in the fresh air just puts a smile on your face and gets your whole day looking better!

For my puppers and kitties. Nothing beats warm snuggles on the couch while you watch a scary movie. :D

I am thankful to have clean water. I can't believe how long the crap has been going on in Flint, and that the government isn't doing more to help.

That is so true, Jaya! And for the native Americans that live on the reserves - they only get water deliveries like once a week?? They don't have normal running water! Which is completely unfair I think.(I have not fully researched this, only what I've seen via social media)

So, I am also thankful to have clean, running water. 

I am thankful for my laptop. I practically live on this thing.

I'm thankful for internet - having access to everything at my fingertips is a luxury 

My Dad! I relate to him so much more than my mother and he's a lot calmer. Doesn't like to cause drama like my mother.

I am thankful for Lin-Manuel Miranda, and all of the wonderful music he had brought into the world and gotten stuck into my head.

Something that brings me contentment is being in the barn listening to the horses munching on their hay.

I am thankful that my first mammogram results came back normal.

Something that makes me happy is being able to watch my favorite tv shows via Hulu or Netflix!

Being able to actually have food and no worries of not having food. Every year on Thanksgiving my grandmother's restaurant rents buses and drives to local homeless camps and brings them back to her restuarnt for a big, free meal, and then takes them back to their camp - she always gives them a plate of left overs to share with people who didn't trust us enough to come. It's been a tradition since I was like six and she kept it going even after my grandfather passed away in 2003. This is the first year that I won't get to be there the entire day (just stopping by in the morning to send my my and drop off my food) cause I am having to cook a  meal and then take a plate to my mom who's still in the hospital. I will be there in spirit though and I am taking them three pies to serve.

Con that's so sweet ❤🥺❤

Branching off of what's said above; I'm thankful I've always had a roof over my head and a place to call home

My home! Especially now that covid is causing everyone to be looking for their own house so there's a lot of competition and it's more expensive. We bought our house when it was a buyers market.

I am thankful for the opportunities to learn from some amazing ladies in the equine industry. Without their support and mentorship I'd be so lost!

HP! I dont really have friends to hang out with in RL. So my HP friends are where i get my social interaction to get me through the days.