NorseQuest (A Norse Xianxia)
- Thread starter I.F. Ister
- Start date
- Original Fantasy Action
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- Tags
- norse mythology (mythology) original xianxia cultivation western cultivation ask sirihand did your mother tell you anything? discussion pleases yggdrasil farming gloating gets people killed granary management hubris is a coward's word you will die norsemen do not die when they are killed the qm has a bad memory the qm is bad at math viking courtroom drama (legal drama) vikings
Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
Again, it's straight up "Nothing has happened yet, and one of the parties involved is asking you for advice on what should be done." People are allowed to have Bad Feelings and shit-talk without gaining Nid, it's only when that feud escalates to actual bloodshed that the battle lines have to be drawn. The fact his reaction to those Words was immediately "I don't even care what those Words are, I'm cutting ties the instant I can do so without achieving Nid." Was a big "WTF?" Moment. Which says either bad things for his long term prospects or bad things about Horra's ability to turn the most tenuous blood connection into an iron wall of defense.
Again, it wasn't even a "You rolled badly." It was "You immediately fail in the worst way possible, no save just fail, just for attempting this." We have never seen a Trait this powerful before, and it apparently triggered for a "Second Cousin Twice Removed?" That is a level of distance that is just shy of Complete Strangers, especially in the interconnected nature of old day society. If the trait is coming from Folkmarr's side as opposed to being magically strengthened somehow, then he's effectively incapable of being objective as a ruler, because he literally can't countenance the idea of going against someone who's loosely connected by blood to him. He's a disaster waiting to happen who apparently is always going to rule in favor of his distant relations, which is going to turn everyone who doesn't share a loose blood connection with him into the effective underclass within his area of influence.
The biggest WTF moment is that he didn't even try to make peace. He just straight up went "Whatever happened, I'm on his side, and since you're not on his side, I have to let you go after this is done. Out of respect of our previous relations, I will explain why you should absolutely not fight this guy--because half the valley will come to avenge him because He's Family And That's What You Do, but then we're done."
It literally Overrode his Ambitious Trait, apparently without contest given how a roll wasn't even called for, it was just an auto-fail, meaning that there was no conceivable universe in which Folkmarr's apparent Fatal Flaw could ever overcome that Trait (Again, because which is the Big Character Strength/Flaw that's been exhibited so far, which is why I'm going "Wait, What, there is either transcendent levels of FuckFuck going on here, or Folkmarr is a disaster who must absolutely never be given a position of Real Influence" )
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- Location
- Norway
I have a great idea.
Halla should become related to Horra by marriage.
Since not everyone is tracking everyone else's relations or feuds, and being a distant relation counts, there's got to be some way to marry one of our relatives to one of his without tipping off the parties involved, and then he'll be on the wrong side of the "won't fight against a distant relative" problem. Right?
Halla should become related to Horra by marriage.
Since not everyone is tracking everyone else's relations or feuds, and being a distant relation counts, there's got to be some way to marry one of our relatives to one of his without tipping off the parties involved, and then he'll be on the wrong side of the "won't fight against a distant relative" problem. Right?
Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
I have a great idea.
Halla should become related to Horra by marriage.
Since not everyone is tracking everyone else's relations or feuds, and being a distant relation counts, there's got to be some way to marry one of our relatives to one of his without tipping off the parties involved, and then he'll be on the wrong side of the "won't fight against a distant relative" problem. Right?
Sadly, as cheeky as that sounds, it wouldn't work even if he's not basically turning every blood relation of his into a Nuclear Threat to any opposition through sorcery. Because Kinslaying is the worst sin you can ever, Ever achieve. A Kinslayer is Outlawed universally, and it's the One Line that it is never okay to cross, not even in Self Defense, or by accident. If you slay your Kin for any reason, you are reviled by all.
Mind you, "Kinslayer" generally assumes killing close relations, generally within one remove. It gets fuzzier after that. It's still Not Okay to wander in and do so, but you're not expected to stand there and take it of Third Cousin Twice Removed Jim Bob comes running at you with an axe like you would be if they were your brother.
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Omegahugger
Inattentive Idiot
And let's be real, Horra probably knows that already. The man has lived quite a long time for a Norseman, the idea that the children of the guy that really wants to kill him inherited that grudge isn't going to be new to him.
The stories of how we fought and what we did during the raid is probably going to be of more use to Horra than the fact that Halla is currently gunning for him.
i mean... we could very well already be.I have a great idea.
Halla should become related to Horra by marriage.
Since not everyone is tracking everyone else's relations or feuds, and being a distant relation counts, there's got to be some way to marry one of our relatives to one of his without tipping off the parties involved, and then he'll be on the wrong side of the "won't fight against a distant relative" problem. Right?
Most of the valley is related, one way or the other to Horra by blood.
The only families we know most likely isnt? Steinar's, for obvious reasons, and Halfdan's.
Abjorn's family though? Easily could be related on a similar way as Folkmarr's.
Now, I dont know about how that would change things if true, but all the Korean and Chinese historical and "historical" drama writers would just drool over that idea....
Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
That would not Strictly be Nid, but it'd absolutely be Odreng for him to backstab a sister in battle like that--over what are words that have not yet become Actions. He can absolutely inform him that "Hey, Halla will probably kill you if she gets a chance", but giving him a full rundown of Halla's capabilities and tactics would Absolutely Turn Him Into The Asshole, especially as he learned those as she fought on his behalf in a wildly successful Raiding Trip as one of his top fighters.
And I'm not sure he can afford to do so if he's got Ambitions to Be Something. Again, nobody likes Horra, he's Kin so they'll close the wagons if he's killed in a feud by someone who isn't part of the clique, but nobody would actually proactively fight on his behalf to the point of impacting their Cultivation.
Of course, I say all this, but that was before I learned this Trait is apparently so broad in its scope and so powerful in its nature that it overrides every other character trait of his, so (Shrug)
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...
There isn't a need for Folkmarr to inform him though?
Like, Its natural that a blood feud is inherited, look at just the Burisons. The kids had no need to be assholes, but most of the family is.
Then, there was Horra's son in the festivities before the trials. he had a hatred for us without even meeting us. Had we not know the story, it would have changed our mutual hatred to confusion.
Horra is DEFINITELY expecting us to get into the blood feud imo.
Especially after we killed the Nisse, if he sent it.
All he or his nuclear family needs to do is go to the village and listen to the news to know Halla is a problem that needs to be dealt with.
Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
It's not the fact the Trait exists that's weird, it's that it applies so broadly that it's effectively useless if it'll cover even the most tenuous of blood connections.
But grumblings aside, Nasty Words that aren't backed by Deeds shouldn't be enough for Folkmarr to straight up take a hit in Nid or Odreng to pre-emptively start undermining Halla. He's a Foe in the long run unless we can whip out watertight proof that Horra is Doing Forbidden Shit, but we haven't actually done anything to warrant a pre-emptive assault yet.
Shard
One and Many
- Location
- Malaysia
This event honestly puts the Headsman ruling of our killing of a Burisson legal in an entirely new light.
Given that we kind of humiliated two Horassons in that fight.. who are, most notably, no longer part of the same family that the Folkmarr's are descended from(!)
1. The trait itself (which made asking Folkmarr advise on how to kill someone within his family kind of a major faux pas.)
2. Halla actually rolled net failures on her silver tongue so her delivery/context was bad. (She rolled 1 Failure net.)
3. Folkmarr may have had a hidden failed composure check and/or a relevant trait exacerbating this.
4. Both Halla and Folkmarr are teenagers, welp, kaboom.
Given that we kind of humiliated two Horassons in that fight.. who are, most notably, no longer part of the same family that the Folkmarr's are descended from(!)
2+1+2-1+2+1-4 = 3 + 2 + 1 = 6 (not 5) for our first impressions check with the Jarl during the wedding. Not sure if it overly matters, but something I noticed while looking through.
Honestly my reading of it was that it was a combo of:
1. The trait itself (which made asking Folkmarr advise on how to kill someone within his family kind of a major faux pas.)
2. Halla actually rolled net failures on her silver tongue so her delivery/context was bad. (She rolled 1 Failure net.)
3. Folkmarr may have had a hidden failed composure check and/or a relevant trait exacerbating this.
4. Both Halla and Folkmarr are teenagers, welp, kaboom.
Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
The Failure was not on Silver Tongue, it was on the Bird Gacha. Her Silver Tongue was straight up "Autofail" The dice were rolled, but whatever the result is was thrown out and turned into an "Autofail"
EDIT: OH!
I just re-read that section.
Yeah, it wasn't on Folkmarr's side. It was on fucking Horra's side
Horra literally has an incredibly powerful Trait that gives him a Perfect Defense against anyone with a blood connection working against him
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Shard
One and Many
- Location
- Malaysia
She did actually still get to roll for it, though. Like maybe if Halla had rolled 1 net success the relations drop would have been to 1 instead of -1 (corresponding to 1 net failure).
CedeTheBees
Probably high right now
- Location
- Somewhere
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[X] Yes, go shopping
-[X] See if any livestock are for sale, particularly milk cows
-[X] See if we can hire a farmhand who will bring his wife to help us with housework and children
-[X] See about buying more land
-[X] Check the blacksmith for tools, weapons, and metals
-[X] Visit the Seeress
--[X] reveal Asbjorns Fylgja
--[X] does she know how to get evidence on the nisse or evidence that could get Horra outlawed
--[X] Ask about the prophecy we got about Steinarr getting involved in the Horra situation being bad...see why she didn't go to him about this.
--[X] Ask about finding Thievesbane's original owner
-[X] See if any livestock are for sale, particularly milk cows
-[X] See if we can hire a farmhand who will bring his wife to help us with housework and children
-[X] See about buying more land
-[X] Check the blacksmith for tools, weapons, and metals
-[X] Visit the Seeress
--[X] reveal Asbjorns Fylgja
--[X] does she know how to get evidence on the nisse or evidence that could get Horra outlawed
--[X] Ask about the prophecy we got about Steinarr getting involved in the Horra situation being bad...see why she didn't go to him about this.
--[X] Ask about finding Thievesbane's original owner
Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
And yeah, that explains why killing the Burrison guy was dubbed Legal. It also confirms the one that was wounded survived, because Horra's trait would have triggered if one of his sons died in an unsanctioned fuckfest and we'd have gotten a shitstorm thrown at us because Deep Family Roots would have triggered to throttle us to death. Fuck, we dodged a bullet there.
Nobody gives a shit about the Burrisons though apparently, or at least not to the point where they'll back them at all costs, and Horra's trait seems strictly defensive in nature, so it's not something he can really use pro-actively to fuck with people either. Which helps.
Nobody gives a shit about the Burrisons though apparently, or at least not to the point where they'll back them at all costs, and Horra's trait seems strictly defensive in nature, so it's not something he can really use pro-actively to fuck with people either. Which helps.
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I.F. Ister
Fortifying The Thread
- Pronouns
- He/They
There was an instance in the sagas were a man was attacked by a band of warriors, a felag. Recognizing his cousin amongst them, he called out to him and reminded him of their relation. Torn between his duty to the felag and his duty to his family, the cousin stepped away from the fight.
There is another time that a man was attacked by a felag and recognized a member of his family among their numbers. Calling out to him, the man was able to remind the other man of their relations. Upon this happening, the felagi immediately turned around and started killing his sworn brothers.
But he is a Jarl. It is not his place to avenge Horra, a Karl, should he be killed. He also isn't the head of his household, so even if he wanted to do such a thing as avenge Horra, who is head of his own household, it would be doubly not his place to do so. Taking things into his own hands would be risking Nid at worst, loss of status at best.
You can fall from Jarldom. That is something that can happen to people. The higher your status, the more you're risking should you act dishonorably
Deep Family Roots is a trait that naturally springs up when your family lives in one place long enough. When anyone lives in one place long enough.
There is another time that a man was attacked by a felag and recognized a member of his family among their numbers. Calling out to him, the man was able to remind the other man of their relations. Upon this happening, the felagi immediately turned around and started killing his sworn brothers.
Definitely overstating how impactful the trait actually is. Folkmarr is young — the same age as you, in fact — and boy does his blood run hot. He is enamored with the sagas and stories of old (and current, stories in general, really) and what is it that all the heroes do? Seek vengeance.
But he is a Jarl. It is not his place to avenge Horra, a Karl, should he be killed. He also isn't the head of his household, so even if he wanted to do such a thing as avenge Horra, who is head of his own household, it would be doubly not his place to do so. Taking things into his own hands would be risking Nid at worst, loss of status at best.
You can fall from Jarldom. That is something that can happen to people. The higher your status, the more you're risking should you act dishonorably
Deep Family Roots is a trait that naturally springs up when your family lives in one place long enough. When anyone lives in one place long enough.
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Shard
One and Many
- Location
- Malaysia
Horra's trait probably wouldn't have triggered. See, Norse Families count from people having the same Great-Grandfather.
Horra shares the same great grandfather as Folkmarr. But, say, anyone of line Horasson? Nope, vengeance is no longer mandated! They 'only' share a Great-Great Grandfather, which is not enough to be part of the same family.
Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
Hah, yeah, it's messy, but it's good to have reassurance that Folkmarr isn't going to take this further as long as Halla doesn't, it's just a reminder that if we're going to take a swing at Horra, we'd best have a fucking sea of Evidence to bury him in if we don't want to start a war where Literally Everyone gangs up on us to avenge him.
On a related note, did you have fun reading all of our wild speculation over the night?
I.F. Ister
Fortifying The Thread
- Pronouns
- He/They
Bit of a non-sequitur, but this is partly why Eric doesn't actually have any fire hugareida beyond Campfire.
Who is your great-grandfather? That's a question you should probably start thinking about because Born of Fire? That didn't come from Hallr
Yes, that was very fun. Fun enough that I have stayed up way too late. It's 4:30 where I live! Good thing it's a friday... well, was a friday.
Also, it's kinda weird that you guys are going back to the farm now (relative) as I actually took a tour of a farm 'yesterday'. Very cool the kinda things that happen when you get a couple small federal grants.
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Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
Hah, it's 5:30 here, I think I'm going to have to accept powering through, because I need to reset my sleeping to a reasonable schedule. Arguing here has helped keep me awake.
But yeah, huh, that's weird. Eric is Halla's older brother, right? But he only has Campfire? That seems odd.
But yeah, huh, that's weird. Eric is Halla's older brother, right? But he only has Campfire? That seems odd.
so, its just a bonus that doesnt count agains the traits at conception?
I.F. Ister
Fortifying The Thread
- Pronouns
- He/They
Correct. All it does is reinforce familial bonds. That is it.
If somebody doesn't like you, then the trait makes it so they won't actively work against you. Doesn't mean they'll help you, though.
Born of fire isn't from Hallr....
Charred soul IS though....
what the fuck, was the fire stuff an eugenic project of the family or what?
...
We will have to ask QUESTIONS when we go home... so many many questions....
- Location
- Under your couch
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Are we one of his top fighters? I might not have been paying attention but I thought we did a bit over average overall.
We definetely have a lot of work ahead of us, and here I thought it would be easy going for a couple of years atleast.
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Sirrocco
Pedantic
We soloed the priest. We also killed the sergeant. We were a key assist on killing the horse. The only notable foe on this trip that the felag took out that Halla wasn't directly involved with killing was the bird. (possibly both birds, fi there was a second bird).
So yeah. One of the top fighters.
Was just looking back on this.
So... Horra is actual familly to these people. It was all of his wife's relations that Steinar kept killing off (apparently), which means that the people of the valley don't crave vengeance for them (other than Horra and the Horrasons).
Also... it sounds like most of the valley is related to each other in some fashion, just in general, and Horra just has part of that. That's apparently not the case for Burri, though, given how Folkmarr's reaction differed. It's not that deep family roots are a crazy and weird thing... it's that the fact that we don't have it make us weird.
Also, Folkmarr massively overreacts to things. He's trying to write the saga of his life in his head in real-time, and it makes him do things that "make the better story" even when that's not the sane choice. So... that's a thing to know about the boy.
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