After picking off the remaining Saxon archers, I led my crew back to the longship and sailed home under the moonlight. Upon docking, I reported to Azar that the river was safe. We built her trading post, and she handed me a letter from Eivor's long-lost cousin, Barid, the King of Dublin.
Before hopping back onto the boat, I caught sight of a few Saxon soldiers still firing flaming arrows into our men. Leaving them alive felt like bad practice, so I took a quick detour to wipe them out.
With the shore completely clear, my crew and I sprinted back to the longship. Taking command of the helm, I opened the sails immediately.
The journey back was genuinely stunning, the lighting in this game never fails to impress, especially with the bright moon guiding our ship down the water.
On the way, I finally figured out why those river settlements looked so familiar and empty. They were the exact same places I had raided earlier, which explained why there was zero loot left to collect. It was a nice detail that made the world feel persistent.
We eventually caught sight of the home settlement in the distance and docked the longship. Walking ashore, I loved how the crew naturally followed behind Eivor, making us look like a proper returning warband.
I headed straight for Azar's spot on the far edge of the settlement. At first, she just had a tiny, depressing tent to live in, which felt a bit cheap considering how much effort I put into clearing the waterways for her.
I triggered the conversation, and Eivor reported that the river was officially open for business. Azar seemed genuinely surprised by how fast we pulled it off. Eivor offered his men to help construct her trading post, establishing the brand-new Irish Outpost right there at home.
Immediately after building it, Azar handed over a letter from her contact, who turned out to be Eivor's long-lost cousin, Barid.
Reading the letter was a great narrative surprise. Barid mentioned that it had been years since they parted and invited Eivor to Dublin, pointing out that a reunion could massively expand trade for our clan.
Learning that Barid is not only alive but actually the King of Dublin was a awesome plot hook, and Eivor's shock echoed my own thoughts. After the chat wrapped up, I noticed Azar unlocked a new quest line involving a tree and vision reflection, but I decided to hold off on that for now.
That's all for now.