Owner Pose
Thor     Some time ago...
    Thor's voice had trepidation to it, pensive in the way the words were growled as the Thunderer stood over the table in the study that Loki at times claimed as his own. But there was no helping it. This was where the large table was, and it was the only place the old map could fit unfurled entirely.
    "The problem with getting into Trollheim unseen is thus." The tall man's hand swept over the map, index finger pointing out the city nestled against the coastline of the Odvatna sea. Then he motioned with a sweep inward. "The land is flat, the Bifrost while convenient draws attention. We don't want to tip our hand. Unless it touches here..."

    Now...
    The great blast of energy bursts from the sky, slashing downward through the clouds into the nestled valley. Bright colors streamed forth as the window through worlds brought forth those who would seek to learn of Trollheim's secrets. Several steeds stood at the tree-line near, overseen by a troll elder who was no enemy to Asgard. She looked on at the brilliant light awaiting to discharge her old debt.
Caitlin Fairchild "I developed some reconnaissance technology for Stark Industries a few years ago," Caitlin says. She stands with her arms loosely hugging her chest, wearing grey yoga pants and a lightweight pink hoodie. The redhead picks up one of the small drones, barely the size of a dragonfly. "They weigh almost nothing and they've got great range. They swarm and sound just like insects. They'll fan out and cover a huge stretch of land. No one's gonna be looking for tiny machine insects," she says with a confident smile.

Now garbed for a fight in the lightly plated armor of the Amazons, she's atop one of the massive Asgardian horses with a relatively practiced posture. Caitlin's long since developed a trick for making friends with horses: bribing them shamelessly. She reaches forward to feed it some more apple and oat cake, then pulls a grey canister from the saddlebags and opens it up. Dozens of drones warble to life and fly away with a buzzing of gossamer-light wings. In moments Caitlin has a feed going to the computer screen hidden in her left gauntlet, and nods at the others to confirm she's up and running. "They'll fan out to an area a couple miles wide. All we do is let them work," she says, and grins despite herself.
Sif Some time ago...
Sif regarded the spot Thor had pointed to, scanning the distance from there to the city itself. "That will put us on the ground for quite some time. We'll need mounts. And equines that are not winged tend to react..." She paused to consider the word. "Adversely to traveling by Bifrost. So we need to arrange something there to allow us to travel more rapidly, without drawing attention."

Now...
    Upon arriving, immediately Sif was scanning the area. She immediately moved to the troll with the waiting steeds, giving a motion of respect to the elder before taking the reins of her mount. She swung astride with practiced ease then turned curiously at the sound of buzzing from the drones. Midgardian technology of this type was far beyond her comprehension. It existed. It did what people said it did. That was it. Her focus was on their surroundings and preparations, leaving that sort of recon to the others.
Jane Foster Then...
"We'll have independent power sources for each of these. That means they can continue recording for up to a week until someone can retrieve them. Destroying one of the cameras in the network won't affect the rest, fortunately, and using different housing should prevent them from spotting the cameras wherever we put them." Jane explains the technological specifications of the swarm network, most of them shaped to look a great deal like rocks. "The stationary quality gives us a second layer of protection and, better still, they can communicate and interface with one another so that any information is split out among multiple cells. Together with the drones, that ought to give us the literal lay of the land."

Now...

The typical Asgardian pony is a poncy, prancing thing with an attitude. With her luggage in tow in a backpack, the astrophysicist proves that even a city girl can properly /sit/ a horse. Now ride one of those majestic beasts, truly ride, is another matter altogether. Mostly it's wise to hold on and let the steed do what it will. That she sticks like a burr in the saddle counts as -- roughly -- riding. Caitlin bribes the horses. She mostly just lets hers remain independent. Unlike the others, she's not overly visibly armoured and armed, because what would the point be? A hooded cloak goes a long way to not being especially intrusive.

Never mind there's a very annoyed grandchild of Odin currently listening to an excellent audiobook who would be utterly put out to know his mistress is riding a common, high-strung pony. /Utterly/. What Mr. Horse doesn't know can't hurt him.
Thea Queen Then
"So.., travelling by Bifrost...?" She tries to keep the hesitant tone away. Because really the first, and only time she actually took a trip on the Bifrost she was vomiting all over. Courtesy of a certain Lady Sif. But hey, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger..., or something. "Alright, I will make sure to bring some of my toys.." if anything she is good on these stealth missions...

Now
Or rather, Red Arrow is. Dressed in black and red leathers, hood up and with a bow on her back and blade on her waist this vigilante is ready for this. Or at least she hopes so. She doesn't throw up which is a plus even if she presses one hand to a nearby tree to keep her balance and after taking in a good deep breath she looks at the horses that a *troll* brings them.

Pony lessons don't fail me now.

"Do these trips ever get easier..?" she whispers to the other human on this trip, eyes on the hooded Jane briefly and she offering her a tentative smile. Humans got to stick together and all that!
Vintridr     Bragi has taken the Bifrost with an old hoof's equanimity, dropping out of the bridge a moment early to cover the last few meters to the ground under his own power, then folding his wings to move up to the cluster of more mundane horses.

    Vintridr nods as she listens to Jane and Caitlin's explanation. "So what one sees, all can perceive, and communicate back to their proper owner? Clever machines indeed."

    She gives Bragi a silent nudge, guiding her mount forward and to the left so she can cover the area while the others mount their own horses.

    "The Rainbow Bridge can be unsettling at first, but with practice one learns to trust that Heimdall won't guide us wrong - and the ride is frankly quite thrilling."
Thor     "That is good," Thor nodded toward Caitlin and Jane as they worked out their plan, "Covering ground quickly is best, we have no idea how long of a window you will have beyond that our detachment shall arrive on the seventh day. But lay low if needs be until then."
    When Sif brought up her concerns he lifted his chin, "We are not without friends in Trollheim. I know of one who was of a bloodline that was of aid to Asgard. Perhaps she can provide mounts." Then a slight half-smile, "But aye, Bifrost for the first, Lady Queen."

    Once out of the mountains the sweeping landscape of the countryside surrounding Trollheim became clear. Craggy and rocky like its people. Grim and severe like their lives. It was from those hills that they got a good view of the rolling hills that led down toward the coastal city. Distantly one can see the grand heights of those stone ships with their elaborate rigging. A high wall marked the city itself, everything within was Trollheim. Everything without was guarded against. Though there was some traffic on the roads. The team would have a passingly good vantage point from the edge of the mountains at the forest's edge.
    And when the network of drones spread out, when their systems came fully online, they would get an even clearer picture. Life inside the city, the roads that wend their way through the hills. Signs of other settlements far to the South and Southeast. Also ships of foreign design were nestled at anchor or at harbor. Many beings of many races walked the streets of Trollheim, yet there was a feeling of subdual. For in the city itself people were quiet. The mood somber.
    So far the use of Midgardian technology had been a success. Though occasionally there would be a sizzle of static or interference that would sweep across parts of the network, though the displays would return shortly.
Caitlin Fairchild The handy thing about the drones is that base camp doesn't need a lot of altitude or clear lines of sight. They can tuck their horses and tents into a copse of trees blocked in with some megalithic boulders the size of a house. Trollheim is not perilous but the wilds are a place where the unwary can still get eaten by things right out of myth.

A river flows nearby, guaranteeing fresh water and possibly fish; Caitlin takes a few minutes to set up her camp things, producing a lot of cleverly well-designed tools from her backpack that unfold into a respectable kitchenette. Lastly is a collapsible pup tent which springs into view fully assembled with a flourish of her wrist.

"I'd like to get some fresh produce from town if we have time," she tells the others, seeing to her horse and unpacking the rest of her gear. The redhead's hair is pulled back in an efficient fighting braid, save for a few springy strands framing her face. She pulls a heavy cloak over her shoulders and settles the hood around her neck. "I don't know what we've got for game animals out here. Any rabbits?" she inquires of the Asgardians, with a hopeful tone. "Or... something equivalent, I guess?"
Jane Foster The horse that would rather not be ridden by 'that human woman' -- unfortunately for Gulhofnir, Jane understands him perfectly well -- will be stashed in camp, and the perfectly comfortable woman treading on foot instead. When it comes to field situations, she's surprisingly used to rough conditions and perfectly capable of making shelter out of a sleeping bag, a screen of leaves, and not much else. While she has the means and ways to assemble a particularly comfy little campsite, it's enough to create a space that stays warm under a low-lying, mountaineering tent with a focus on not being seen. Absolutely everything she brings intends to match the landscape, including her.

"Trollheim probably sees very few humans," she warns. Asgard's reaction to her isn't spoken of. "We might want to have a story at hand if we're questioned." Her habit of dropping rocks every so often or planting the occasional thin, slender stick isn't very exciting. That tends to be the point. With an aside to Thea in her excellent costume, she replies, "The destination is always better than the journey to get there. I keep my eyes on the horizon, which helps." If Thea wants to toss out rock-cams, she is free to help herself. They are light enough to pin to a tree or wall with an arrow.

The Asgardian women are the two given the next inquiry: "Are there any predators we should know about?" Gulhofnir will not be offered for dinner.
Sif As they moved to a spot that would provide cover, Sif took the time to scout a little around. While she was armored, she had pulled a long cloak over her form to hide it from view. No need to have her armor screaming 'Asgardians poking around' when they were waiting on information. She gently nudged her horse and worked her way through the trees and rocks they had chosen for an encampment.

When she returned to the camp, others were settling in. She heard the inquiry from Caitlin. "I have some hardtack and jerky if you wish. There is some wild game which we could hunt. How long might the devices you have sent forth require to gather data? That will determine the need for hunting and further preparations such as a perimeter against predators." Which answered that yes, there were indeed predators here. "As well as a fire to deter them."

She left it to others to fill in the blanks on types of predators. But she did add. "There are many things that would kill and eat you if given the opportunity. Not necessarily in that order."
Thea Queen Making camp. Maybe even tents. This sends her back to her school days. Camping in the wild! She certainly hated it, but hey when is Asgard be ..., Asgardian? So no complaints out of the former rich girl turned vigilante. As they settle she goes to help with the getting it up and running and even going to set out some of those rock-cams around, all the way to the edge of the forest to get that perimeter set. "I got some of those cams running..." she says on her way back.

"What's with the interference though? That isn't normal, is it?" The question towards Jane and Caitlin when she spends a little time looking at the monitors.

When Sif speaks of the various predators all around there's a soft sight out of Thea "So I am guessing a hunt contest is not in the plans, hmm?" is she teasing Sif's fabled competitive drive?
Thor     The camp comes together well, a spot chosen out of sigh but near enough to an overlook that those who wished could get a good long view of the city itself. No roads were near, no need to fear of travelers wandering upon them unless they were perhaps hunters though in this barren land it was hard to find game. Yet those souls with the team who had been to the realm before knew how to hunt the game that was there and the game that emerged when dark took the land.
    Over the course of the next day a caravan arrived to the city. Not trolls, though not humans either for they were of a heavy stocky folk. Yet those who knew the royal seals of the nine realms would recognize the black and grays of Eitri the Dwarf King and his people. Likely, though with the banner flown without pennant it would mean that the King was not in attendance nor any of his court. Though there seemed to be wagons enough to signify trade.
    The caravan took nearly three hours to be allowed within the confines of the city, and it was clear that the guards who stood at the gate were poking around and going through what they could of the wagons. And the dwarfs allowed this.
    An interesting event, all told. Yet it was perhaps what followed that would prey upon the memories of those that look back upon the trip. For it was when night had fallen that a great roar was heard, loud enough for it to carry across the barren lands. Powerful and guttural as it called out, two sharp sounds.
    Then another louder echo of that same sound was heard. And from somewhere out of view in the city, currently unseen by the network of drones, a great shape emerges. Large wings flapping powerfully to rocket the creature into the air like a spear thrown toward the heavens.
    Difficult to make out entirely clearly, black scales upon a black night sky. Reptilian in shape, yet active like a bird of prey. It rises high into the sky, answering the call...
    Which is when two more of those same dark shapes appear near the horizon, over the large stone sailing ships of the trolls. And against that landmark the size of the beasts are clear. Perhaps 100... 150 feet long with tail. Large enough that when one lands on the superstructure of one of those troll ships the vessel sinks into the water some ten feet.
    Dragons from afar.
Caitlin Fairchild \

"Holy buckets," Caitlin whispers, and stares skywards in shock and awe as the tremendous drakes soar majestically overhead. They certainly are a sight to behold-- but no the less terrifying for it. Ancient creatures of hoary legend, hunters of every puny thing that lives in this land.

After all, how powerful must a creature be to thrive in a locale with such hardy residents as the trollkin?
Sif At the commentary from Thea, Sif's lips lift in a smirtk and she shakes her head negatively. "Not on this outing. Perhaps another time." For everything there is a season. Even competition. Though there is no venom to her words, just a simple statement.

The information coming in is interesting. Trade is apparently happening. With the dwarves no less. They have learned the guards for the town are very much on their toes. Which doesn't help with infiltrating the city.

That night comes the surprise. One that is not welcome. Sif's expression is pensive as she regards the dark flying figures. "Since when does Trollheim have dragons? And not one but three! They are a rarity in any of the realms. Something is very wrong."
Jane Foster A fire to deter them... The comforts of a campfire and the routines of roughing it are all well and good. Jane performs a good deal of remote monitoring on the network of stones littered far and wide, checking the cameras have field of vision and a worthwhile purpose for stalking trolls and other denizens. Travellers who come and go along the road are just as much of interest as they are the sky. On several instances, she shows Sif the data or Vintridr the recordings to confirm what they see. Carnivorous rocks, bunnies with great big teeth, a merchant passing by? All fair game for the goddess of war to survey, and getting Thea's input on where best to hide them.

"I'm not sure if the variations are a fact of being in another realm entirely or energy they use here. I frankly don't know a great deal about trollish magic. We'll have to ask..." She almost says his name. Almost. Time to make a note and contemplating smacking the other Odinson for good measure, just in case.

And now? Now there are bloody dragons. Dragons out of legend that prove longer than train cars in mid-air cause her to go silent, and snap a picture of one just in case. The numb reaction comes from someone who regularly deals with theoretical phenomena on a grand scale, but she just stares through the lens and over it. Up. Down. "Do... dragons trade? With /dwarves/? The only one I know that did ended up dead from a very lucky, very large bolt to the neck."
Thea Queen Give it to Thea to complete people's sentences! Like saying certain names, "... Loki?" she suggests. Hey, she knows he is good in magic. Well, maybe more than good, but no need to let his ego get more inflated! But proving that it takes at *least* saying a name three times to get the rascal to appear there's no sudden 'popping' of a Loki nearby. Or at least none that she notices even if Thea casts a a brief glance around. "Ah, shouldn't have said his name, should I?"

But as days pass by and they continue their investigations nothing could really prepare Thea for what she sees. Dragons? Jaw drops. And she controls herself enough to make no game of thrones snerky comment. Because really .., nothing beats the real deal.

She takes a step back and nearly falls on her behind but finds some purchase by holding on to a tree, "Dragons?" she finally says, taking a few moments to process it all.
Thor     The trio of dragons seem to be in the process of greeting each other. One perched on the large troll stone ship, while the other two remain aloft, each of them roaring greetings to the others. They are, indeed, magnificent creatures. Though when they're illuminated by the glowing bonfires and torches that line the walls of the city, one can make out not just scales protecting their reptilian silhouettes, but pieces of armor that have been connected about their forms. Barding on them. And saddles.
    When the drone network moves to at least get a better angle on the city, new points of views appearing, the team will see what looks like a great hole or cavern having been dug into the depths of the large troll settlement. A cave that leads down into the deep, and when the dragons alight again...
    That is where they descend to disappear from view.
    It leaves the team with much to consider, though a good amount of information for now at the least.
Jane Foster Say his name three times and he might appear, wearing a cloak of green and a scowl of grey. Jane actually looks over her shoulder habitually when Thea gives rise to who the problem might be. "Always a wise precaution to be careful. He listens. I am sure he has an answering service to report when it's said." The hint of a smirk there is only a ghost, her dimpled cheek smoothing out.

Maybe that diversion helps to swallow the fact they are staring at dragons. Three bloody huge dragons. The biomechanics side of her mind is already trying to make sense of how, but if there are space sharks, why try?

Someone is associated with those dragons. I cannot imagine they see the need to visit cities often. They may well have their own." Enough doubt indicates no absolute certainty. Her eyes are shadowed by her hand over her brow. Caitlin's carefully devised drone network produces something of an answer she might not wish she had. "I suppose we have an answer that they're staying for the medium term. Our thoughts of going in to trade for food might be better served looking for an entrance to a cave network. Or at least asking about it. I didn't think to bring anything equipped with LiDAR." Nothing to get a picture of the ground below. Huge holes in the ground. Huge tunnels. "That would make things very different if there was conflict with Asgard," she murmurs to Thea softly. "/Why/ would they be here? Has Korek achieved an alliance and if so, why? Answers not likely found out here. How good are you at shaking information out of the unsuspecting?"
Thea Queen "I am good enough. Though there's the small matter of not really knowing their language." Because some people don't just talk every tongue like the Asgardians do! And no universal translators have been invented ..., yet. Thea presses her lips together, thoughtful, this is all a bit too overwhelming for the vigilante without any special powers but she can at least provide some of her insight. "How good are trolls at seeing at night? I am going to guess not great ... Could try spelunk inside to have a look within that cave.." she suggests. "Or even get a few cameras set up inside." a glance back to Jane, "Though do you think those short---" she stops herself, because she is maybe as short as them too! "Those wagon people, they could be bringing in the armors for the dragons?"

Don't call them dwarves either or else she might be calling herself one too!
Thor     After the appearance of the dragons and the arrival of the caravan there was little more to draw the attention of the heroes as they considered what to do in the coming days. The city seemed to maintain activity throughout the night, the lights of many buildings were on an active. Smoke rose from that great gaping cave entrance, and the chieftain's fort, deeper inside the city itself seemed to have teams of trolls coming and going.
    Yet there was a feeling of tension in the air, as if the city itself was on a heightened alert. There were not too many celebrations, and what drinking could be seen was often furtive and restless. People moved quickly on the streets and sometimes were stopped by armed guards.
    When the Caravan moved into the city it set up in the marketplace and the Dwarfs were active overnight to get their stalls prepared. In some ways it seemed as if times were dark. Yet business and life continued.
Jane Foster 'Wagon people.' That's a new statement.

"Do you get the impression maybe they don't /like/ having guests and people in the city? They're all lit up and waiting on something." Monitoring the city gives a fairly clear view of things not being well. Jane watches over the monitors and trusts in the others to give their opinion on Trollish behaviour, but her own experiences are limited. Mostly to the whole dying bit, and those are not secrets she can divulge without rousing a lot of curiosity and questions that cannot be answered. "The residents aren't being treated well, and you can see the heightened security. I'm with you, let's go see what they are selling and find out if they are willing to trade. Let's make this simple, your name literally means goddess. Say you come from the lands of the Gaulish pantheon and that's sufficient. France, by the way. Just France when the Romans got there."

She rolls her shoulders enough. "If we go down and intercept them to find out if it's safe for us to enter, on grounds of shelter and trade, I doubt we would have much trouble. Every great city has people who sell their trades. Yours is obvious. Mine, a little less obvious."
Thea Queen "Yea, almost like a military curfew of sorts. No one questions it so that's become the status quo even if it's not normal for those people... Even the ones that are arriving in it, they know what's going on inside. Or at least part of it." Then a glance to Jane, "Wait, so you are telling me I am going to pose as some french goddess?" she is a bit confused with that but .., hey. Fine with her!

"But I am with you. Lets go see what those travellers have to say about the city." she readies herself to go, hood up. The bow. She looks like an huntress!
Thor     The journey into the city brings it all into focus. From afar getting a handle on the scale is difficult, considering the size of the average troll and their architecture making them seem small even so. For the gates were enormous, rising like a toothy maw out of the stone and crafted to present something ominous and in some ways oppressive, but also very functional.
    For there were two sets of portcullis, as well as formidable defenses along the walls. A cadre of guards were set to protect each gatehouse though currently the people of Trollheim do not seem to be looking for anyone in particular. They check carts and wagons, or when someone declares themselves a merchant, but otherwise travelers are allowed to come and go as they please.
    Yet within the walls there is a feeling of potential. As if something waited to be unleashed. Perhaps it's the dragons that have made Trollheim their home, or perhaps it's something else. Yet that tension is a severe thing.
    As the team moves about the city the guards do not seem inclined to approach them. There are quite a few number of beings that are human or humanoid looking and none are deprived of their arms or armor. For those able to use All-Speak the cries of many people selling their wares is omni-present, but to those who do not have such a gift it is all chaos.