While his siblings devolve into a pile of flailing limbs and wordless roars, Sigurdr sits beside a wall — his gray eyes turned towards the sliver of sky visible from the window. Sigurdr is quiet and contemplative, the kind of child that Asveig would have loved to have as a grandson.
<3
He's also the first of your children to speak — which isn't all that surprising given that Asgeirr and Eyvor seem more interested in making animal noises than human ones — so when he points at the window and says the words 'mama, bird!', it's not all that much of a surprise.
<3
Scouting Horra (Attempt #1: 6x4, 5x2, 4x2, 3x1, 2x2) 13 Successes
You hadn't thought you'd be seeing much of anything as you set up shop for the first day of watching, but this is one of those things that you're happy to be wrong about.

Not two minutes after you settled down, a cart started rolling its way from the compound. Five men in total, all well armed and armored as they make their way North. One of them seems a bit twitchy and jumpy, like they're not quite familiar with their own body.

It looks to you like Horra's heard about his Eastern friends' demise and has taken precautions with guarding future shipments.

How do you wish to take advantage of this situation, if at all?
[ ] Write in
Looks like a warning.
THEY ARE FRESHLY SHAPECRAFTED!
(Or ressurected from body death)
What is a surprise, though, is the giant, fuck-off bird sticking its head through the window. Easily four, five feet in height, it casually casts its angry-visage about the space as a strange sense of silent tension falls across your home.

Abjorn starts slowly reaching for his sword as you desperately wish you had learned Recall when you had the chance — as Sagaseeker is hanging on the wall on the far side of the room. Your hand falls to Ashen Kiss hanging from your belt — it'll have to do for now.

Sigurdr starts to laugh and clap, successfully diffusing the tension. Your eyes fall to the white bird's feathers and your brows rise to the top of your head as you recognize that singe. That's... that's the same kind of pattern as on your virthing!

The fylgja bobs its head once before drawing away from the room, its presence vanishing moments later.

You blink, as does Abjorn. Asgeirr and Eyvor, though, didn't stop fighting for even a moment as the too-big bird made its appearance.

"That..." you trail off as Sigurdr promptly goes to sleep, right then and there, "was a fylgja."

"Hostile?" Abjorn makes his way to the door, ready to hold it shut with his body if needs be.

"Sigurdr's, I think."

That sets Abjorn's brows to rising. "Huh."

Huh indeed.
A Fylgja.
A bird Fylgja.


What kind of bird was it? @Imperia Fister

Please tell me it was a raven.
It would just be perfect, to have a "prophetic dreams"/Hunin&Munin associated bird for Sigurd.
 
... Nalbinding.

Way back when, it was one of the first few ways Halla learned how to knit, it's a way of weaving that prevents something from unravelling.
 
Well, 15 successes on Hamr is great. Our mail shirt is extremely excellent (17 Armor, +4 Defense, and 13 Orthstirr reserve is a hell of a thing...apparently putting odr in is one way to get an orthstirr reservoir, that's good to know), we found out good stuff about weaving virthing and saemd (yeah, nalbinding seems relevant here), and this scouting mission has started well. Plus one of our kids has a fylgja already! I'll second the 'what kind of bird?' question there.

For our other kids, I suspect Eyvor is gonna have a Bear Fylgja like her dad...Asgeirr could go a few ways, but his vibe says Wolf to me.

As for the delivery, I think we should follow them to whoever they're headed to (likely the remaining bandits), to get actual evidence (if only in terms of our own testimony)...and consider what else we can do while that occurs. Ambushing them on their way back isn't crazy talk even if we can't participate personally, but mostly I want to see who they meet with and talk to.

I wonder. Is this the means to getting around the Enemy's obfuscation?

Risky to try, but maybe worth a shot at some point.
 
The cost also seems a bit obvious to me, while we've created a 'Pocket' with our Aspects, we're not able to tap them like we normally do. Probably whatever we tap this way becomes 'Committed' in some sense.

Remember, the Enemy can't touch what is ours. This is also something that naturally happens when we weave our Aspects inside ourselves. The Cost is probably genuine, I'd bet it permanently reduces our Aspects in exchange for whatever those 'Pockets' are, but I don't think this is the Enemy's doing, but they absolutely wouldn't have wanted us to discover this.

Presumably, doing it inside our Home limited its ability to interfere, which is why we were asked where we were doing this. That seems important, if the Enemy is fundamentally opposed to Civilization and Culture, then its power is likely weaker within those boundaries.

Hamr Death March is going pretty well though!
 
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The cost also seems a bit obvious to me, while we've created a 'Pocket' with our Aspects, we're not able to tap them like we normally do. Probably whatever we tap this way becomes 'Committed' in some sense.

Remember, the Enemy can't touch what is ours. This is also something that naturally happens when we weave our Aspects inside ourselves. The Cost is probably genuine, I'd bet it permanently reduces our Aspects in exchange for whatever those 'Pockets' are, but I don't think this is the Enemy's doing, but they absolutely wouldn't have wanted us to discover this.

Presumably, doing it inside our Home limited its ability to interfere, which is why we were asked where we were doing this.

Yeah...I'm really curious what the pockets are and what they do. Also, how Frami gets involved here, because it seems weird if it doesn't get involved somehow at some point in the process.
 
Yeah...I'm really curious what the pockets are and what they do. Also, how Frami gets involved here, because it seems weird if it doesn't get involved somehow at some point in the process.

I suspect Frami gets involved when we do something with the Pockets. Burnt Offerings maybe?

The Enemy apparently would not want us to know whatever this is, which makes me want to go forward on principle.
 
I suspect Frami gets involved when we do something with the Pockets. Burnt Offerings maybe?

The Enemy apparently would not want us to know whatever this is, which makes me want to go forward on principle.

That makes sense. And yeah, we want to do this fairly soon, I agree, though we want to make a single pocket first to see what it does.
.
.
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Also, for the actual vote, I'm thinking this:

[X] Follow after the cart discreetly trying to listen in on any conversation, see who they are delivering to exactly, witness the delivery and the response from both these people and those they are delivering to and make plans from there.

Anyone disagree or want to add specifics?
 
Unfortunately, though, you don't find any oil to work with. The branches have those waxy leaves and the wax seems to have some kind of repelling effect on the sap, but, with your hands like they are now, you're not super interested in screwing around with the sticky tree until you get your fingers unstuck.
Well, found the material for anti glue protection, it being leaves mean we need to craft a robe or overall from it.

There's something there in that word, unravels, that tickles at the back of your mind. How does one stop something from unraveling?

There's something that stinks of cost, buried deep inside that thought. While it doesn't feel like a warning per se, it could easily be The Enemy trying to trick you into something unfortunate.
A trap or a permanent commitment? one is a landmine and the other is good progress, and as long as the result isn't a complete failure that prevent advancmet or something that won't kill Halla. Then that is acceptable to go for a subpar result.

(Bible Study is now complete)
(New Journal Entry: How to Write)
Halla gained Literacy. Let all her foe tremble before her.

"Sigurdr's, I think."
Now I wonder, is it his Stats or the knife? they all have 'seeing eyes' so that is not necessarily it. maybe a combanition of trait or lack of other, or IF just want to let each child have their own thing. or maybe hidden rolls.

A reservoir of orthstirr floats within the interlocking links of chain, a reserve you can draw upon at will.
Great stats, and a reserve of Orth freely available to the youngling just upped their survival chance by a lot. But that also mean that only Odr infusion will give Orth, if there is something more then we will have to fish for it.
Now that I know that this is how you can create a weapon spirit and Orth stock, I want to try and shove an Odr into a weapon spirit even more, seem like a way to cultivate it like our plants.
 
Great stats, and a reserve of Orth freely available to the youngling just upped their survival chance by a lot. But that also mean that only Odr infusion will give Orth, if there is something more then we will have to fish for it.
Now that I know that this is how you can create a weapon spirit and Orth stock, I want to try and shove an Odr into a weapon spirit even more, seem like a way to cultivate it like our plants.

It's cheap, too, at only 1 Odr (the two excess got converted to successes). I bet there are other ways to awaken a weapon spirit, with this just being a shortcut, but it's a hell of a shortcut.
 
It's a shame that we're still quality capped, because that would have been what came after Superior :(

Still, we probably made one of the Best Mail Hauberks in the Valley. I'll call it a win. +17 Armor, +4 Defense, and a bonus Orthstirr Reserve of 13? While there might be examples in the Valley that are better in one or two fields, there probably aren't many that are good in all of them

That aside, man, for all it was a giant research sink? "You have unlocked the idea of writing things down" is a game changer. Well worth the time and investment involved.

Even Runestones are more turns of phrases and sentences then something intended to put a lot of information forward. The only downside is that the Runes are... Well, too magical to be something you can write a lot in.

Which means we're going to need to develop a simplified version that isn't magical.
 
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Still, we probably made one of the Best Mail Hauberks in the Valley. I'll call it a win.

Oh, it's definitely a win. Those stats are absolutely great in every way. 17 Armor aside (and that's an absurd number in its own right), our 1d defenses verge on unassailable to people without Hone, and even people using Hone are gonna fail pretty utterly vs. Honed Reinforced Defenses. Once our Frenzy gets under control and we raise it to, like, 3, our 1d defenses sans orthstirr are almost unassailable even to Honed Attacks. It's great.
 
The thought that all male Norse who learn to finally cultivate might have to learn how to, Gasp, needlework is hilarious.

One more knife to reform the Norse,
 
...

Come to think of it.

I wonder...

Are we accidentally learning Seidr?

Is this why it's considered a 'Womanly Art?' After all, nothing we're doing is out of reach just from Orthstirr as long as you have a way to prevent your Aspects from unravelling later...
 
I mean, it was literally in the first of Halla's updates too. Doesn't require Odr at all, technically. As long as something is giving you a Foundation.

We also know that Seidr has a price attached, though that Price can vary. (Like how the Seeress wants Horra's head in exchange for teaching us).
 
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I can't see how you can weave your Aspects without opening the soulscape, so unless the first lesson in Seidr is don't touch the gate, something that was reinforced by plenty of dying people, then I assume that it is different. Beside there are plenty of other reason why Seidr is considered womanly.

Also, the reveal that Odr cultivation at home is the secret for safely cultivation for the first time jibe kind of weird with IF saying it is supposed to be the big filter that cut the majority of people. at least frenzy and instant ganking for sharing does help explain why it is not common knowledge.
 
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I can't see how you can weave your Aspects without opening the soulscape, so unless the first lesson in Seidr is don't touch the gate, something that was reinforced by plenty of dying people, then I assume that it is different. Beside there are plenty of other reason why Seidr is considered womanly.

Also, the reveal that Odr cultivation at home is the secret for safely cultivation for the first time jibe kind of weird with IF saying it is supposed to be the big filter that cut the majority of people. at least frenzy and instant death for sharing does help explain why it is not common knowledge.

It's not instant death, it's just that the Enemy gets to take a swing at you with whatever resources it has on hand if you go loud with the Secrets. It's possible to prepare the field well enough that its response can be overcome.
 
Before I'm off, some music for the Sigurd Fylgja hype.


Also, for the actual vote, I'm thinking this:

[X] Follow after the cart discreetly trying to listen in on any conversation, see who they are delivering to exactly, witness the delivery and the response from both these people and those they are delivering to and make plans from there.

Anyone disagree or want to add specifics?
Gather a party to try an ambush and take prisoners?
Prisoners with knowledge of the suppliy movement between Horra and the bandits...
Extremely valuable.
Halla gained Literacy. Let all her foe tremble before her.
She should have been literate before, knowing the runes.

Even Runestones are more turns of phrases and sentences then something intended to put a lot of information forward. The only downside is that the Runes are... Well, too magical to be something you can write a lot in.
If we don't carve+paint the runes they don't have magic power. Some time back in the thread IF told us in answer to some of my speculations. Carving the runes, then painting them is important if you want to use them for magic.
If we yoink the idea of paper and draw on that we should be fine with runes on dense material.

I can't see how you can weave your Aspects without opening the soulscape, so unless the first lesson in Seidr is don't touch the gate, something that was reinforced by plenty of dying people, then I assume that it is different. Beside there are plenty of other reason why Seidr is considered womanly.

Also, the reveal that Odr cultivation at home is the secret for safely cultivation for the first time jibe kind of weird with IF saying it is supposed to be the big filter that cut the majority of people. at least frenzy and instant death for sharing does help explain why it is not common knowledge.
Doing it at home could be part of the secret of save cultivation.
At home to slow it to have a chance + knowing whatever Hallr faintly remembered to use to close the door could be the full secret.
 
I mean, there's no such thing as a completely safe way to Initiate people. But you can tilt the scales if you know what you're doing.
 
...

Come to think of it.

I wonder...

Are we accidentally learning Seidr?

Is this why it's considered a 'Womanly Art?' After all, nothing we're doing is out of reach just from Orthstirr as long as you have a way to prevent your Aspects from unravelling later...

I don't think so? Or not mainly anyway. We needed to cultivate the land first and Odr is needed for that and definitely not a part of seidr. It might help with seidr, though.

We also need a practical writing medium, which probably means importing parchment.

Technically, we could probably make vellum...but nobody around here knows how, so yeah it's a bit of an issue.

I can't see how you can weave your Aspects without opening the soulscape, so unless the first lesson in Seidr is don't touch the gate, something that was reinforced by plenty of dying people, then I assume that it is different. Beside there are plenty of other reason why Seidr is considered womanly.

Also, the reveal that Odr cultivation at home is the secret for safely cultivation for the first time jibe kind of weird with IF saying it is supposed to be the big filter that cut the majority of people. at least frenzy and instant ganking for sharing does help explain why it is not common knowledge.

I suspect 'safely' is an overstatement. It's more safe to cultivate at home, but probably not perfectly so. That said, yeah, not being able to share info easily is the big obstacle.

Gather a party to try an ambush and take prisoners?
Prisoners with knowledge of the suppliy movement between Horra and the bandits...
Extremely valuable.

Yeah, but we should have evidence they're dealing with bandits first, so the idea is to maybe do that on the way back. Adding assembling the party does seem reasonable, though. One moment.
 
I'm quite curious what sort of swings the Enemy might take. Clearly "editing reality so 9 Steelfathers are after you" is an extreme example. But there's also a whole "from beneath you it devours" thing going on. I wouldn't be surprised if dragon's teeth skeletons show up at some point.
 
It's not instant death, it's just that the Enemy gets to take a swing at you with whatever resources it has on hand if you go loud with the Secrets. It's possible to prepare the field well enough that its response can be overcome.
Yeah, miswrote, meant an instant ganking
Doing it at home could be part of the secret of save cultivation.
At home to slow it to have a chance + knowing whatever Hallr faintly remembered to use to close the door could be the full secret.
The thing that kill you is getting knocked unconscious so you can't close the gate before your Aspect weave fray, I think anyone who remain aware would be able to see the fraying and close the gate in time.
 
Okay, revised vote for what we should do here:

[X] Follow after the cart discreetly trying to listen in on any conversation, see who they are delivering to exactly, witness the delivery and the response from both these people and those they are delivering to and make plans from there.
-[X] While doing that, with your body at home get Gabriel, Tryggr, Trausti, Stigmar, Sten, Abjorn...anyone who's right around other than maybe Steinarr together to potentially ambush them on their way back depending on what we witness.
 
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