The vast majority of that is the last two or three points, for the record (going from 11 or 12 to 14). Which doesn't change the calculus, mind you, but it puts it in some context (ie: he could still have gotten there putting a lot fewer dice early on and just shoving, like, 60 dice or something silly into it every turn towards the end).
Like, with Giant's Blood, getting fro 2 to 11 is 1024 successes total, then going to 12 is another 1024, then 2048 for 13, then 4096 for 14.
Even if so, starting combat training a few years earlier (as seems normal for male children) and having more Training Dice would still make him a lot more conventionally hardcore ignoring the Odr benefits.
That's not true, actually. We have Friendly, for example, but not all our children have it. All that would be required is Steinarr to not have it and we wouldn't see evidence of it (we haven't met any of aunts, uncles, or cousins). We've been stacking the deck to give it to all our kids, but that's a PC specific ability, not a standard thing Hallr could've done (if it's based on anything in-universe it'd be Charred Soul, which he got after Steinarr was born).
Now, I have no idea if Hallr actually had it (it's on our recessive Trait list, but that's due to the way character generation worked as much as anything), but he could've.
The negative traits are a little harder to explain than the positive traits, in part because given Norse society you sorta expect them to just.. not survive. Like if you get Undersized you might just outright not survive your first few years when sickness rolls around.
IRL Norse society would've been even worse, what with being merely mortal in resilience and medical skills, and lacking an outright supernatural, near omnipresent, extremely persuasive motive for honourable behaviour.
Yet the Norse seem to be flawed mortals like you and I, both now and in the past, so perhaps genetics is simply like that.
The negative traits are a little harder to explain than the positive traits, in part because given Norse society you sorta expect them to just.. not survive. Like if you get Undersized you might just outright not survive your first few years when sickness rolls around.
I'm not sure how much of it is OOC and how much is IC, but when we upgraded our Fylgja we gained a flaw that might not have been in our bloodline, which can and has passed out into one of our children, So I like to propose the idea that Fylgja, or other such effects, work to constantly infest the gene pools with flaws. With natural selection and perhaps Muna or seidr or Hamingja if the npc can do something similar working to clean out the negative traits.
It's a balancing act between every successful Norse get some malus to his bloodline and natural and unnatural selection working to get those flaws out. With a similar mechanism of good traits staying with the surviving children and propagating and something getting added to and getting washed out over time by death and flaws crowding in.
This has been my TED talk of Darwinism in Norse cultivation. Thank you for listening.
Scheduled vote count started by Imperial Fister on Jun 4, 2023 at 8:58 PM, finished with 122 posts and 27 votes.
[X] "Um wow hello you're pr- I mean um. Hail cousin! I've come to retrieve my bodily-dead friend from the Abyss! His fylgja died so he's probably having a bad time right now."
-[X] "So yeah, I'm just going fishing here, not going to intrude one way or the other, he's just a kid and all that... Uh, is there anything in particular I should keep in mind while I'm doing the fishing? Just so I'm not intruding, or bothering anyone."
--[X] "While I'm here, just a question, is it safe to talk about certain things here, or should I still treat this place like saying the wrong things will cause trouble?"
[X] "Um wow hello you're pr- I mean um. Hail cousin! I've come to retrieve my bodily-dead friend from the Abyss! His fylgja died so he's probably having a bad time right now."
-[X] "So yeah, I'm just going fishing here, not going to intrude one way or the other, he's just a kid and all that... Uh, is there anything in particular I should keep in mind while I'm doing the fishing? Just so I'm not intruding, or bothering anyone."
[X] "Um wow hello you're pr- I mean um. Hail cousin! I've come to retrieve my bodily-dead friend from the Abyss! His fylgja died so he's probably having a bad time right now."
-[X] If the opportunity arises, also ask if the Enemy can notice us here or if we're safe to tell Aki about Odr.
[X] "Um wow hello you're pr- I mean um. Hail cousin! I've come to retrieve my bodily-dead friend from the Abyss! His fylgja died so he's probably having a bad time right now."
[X] "Um wow hello you're pr- I mean um. Hail cousin! I've come to retrieve my bodily-dead friend from the Abyss! His fylgja died so he's probably having a bad time right now."
-[X] "So yeah, I'm just going fishing here, not going to intrude one way or the other, he's just a kid and all that... Uh, is there anything in particular I should keep in mind while I'm doing the fishing? Just so I'm not intruding, or bothering anyone."
--[X] "While I'm here, just a question, is it safe to talk about certain things here, or should I still treat this place like saying the wrong things will cause trouble?"
---[X] Give her gifts.
[X] "Um wow hello you're pr- I mean um. Hail cousin! I've come to retrieve my bodily-dead friend from the Abyss! His fylgja died so he's probably having a bad time right now."
-[X] "So yeah, I'm just going fishing here, not going to intrude one way or the other, he's just a kid and all that... Uh, is there anything in particular I should keep in mind _while_ I'm doing the fishing? Just so I'm not intruding, or bothering anyone."
--[X] "While I'm here, just a question, is it safe to talk about _certain things_ here, or should I still treat this place like saying the wrong things will cause trouble?"
0~0~0
Heart pounding in your ears, you swallow a suddenly dry mouth. Climbing to shaky legs, heat floods your face as Modgudr simply slow blinks.
"Can I help you?" She repeats, her scratchy, rarely used voice like the brewing storm. Behind her is a bank of clouds, the border of the Land of Mists and of Helheim.
"U-uh wow you're pre-" you gulp down a lungful of air before giving a weak, sputtering cough, "H-hail, cousin!"
"Hi." Another slow blink accompanies her simple greeting.
A heartbeat of socially awkward silence passes before you cough again.
"Well, I'm here to retrieve a bodily-dead friend, as his fylgja was killed, and he's probably not having the best of times..." You trail off as Modgudr nods.
She jerks her chin towards the side of Gjallarbru, where a stairwell leads to a small mooring just above the waters. "Go straight to the Gjoll. Stay out of Helheim."
"You're not much of a talker, are you?" She doesn't answer, which, in a way, is an answer. "Right, well, thanks?" She doesn't respond, so you shrug and heft the faering back onto your shoulder.
As you make your way to the stairs, a thought occurs to you. "Hey, Modgudr?"
"Yes?"
"Is it safe to talk about certain things here?"
"You speak of odr, yes? You smell like a greenwood einheri." She laughs, your heart skipping a beat as her lips curl up at the corners. "While we are not beyond the Dead Sleeper's grasp, the mists of Niflheim blind his eyes while the Gjoll drowns out his ears. It is safe to speak of normally unwise topics here."
When nothing happens, you relax slightly and thank her before getting on your way.
She waves as you depart.
But, before you do, is there anything you would like to talk to her about?
[ ] Yes, you do!
-[ ] Write in
[ ] Nothing right now, continue on with your adventure
0~0~0
AN: Alright, while there's not really a vote here, this is an opportunity to use Reward Dice on influencing your little fishing adventure.
There will be 3 rolls. 2 Sailing rolls (1 there and 1 back), 1 Labor roll to fish Aki up. The better sailing, the quicker you sail. Failing a sailing roll means that you run the risk of getting beached. Failing Aki's fishing roll means you've gotta come back and do it again, as the Abysslings will be chomping at the bit to get you.
Have at it. The 'vote' timer depends on how much time everyone needs to scramble for dice.
I really stumbled over myself while writing this one, lmao.
Or Odr is part of the criteria for Odin to choose you as einherjar.
Though if the ex-alive loose ability to regenerate Orthstirr, it would make some sense for Odin to distribute some Odr for them to use training.
Or Odr is part of the criteria for Odin to choose you as einherjar.
Though if the ex-alive loose ability to regenerate Orthstirr, it would make some sense for Odin to distribute some Odr for them to use training.
Well, she says 'greenwood' - which I imagine is supposed to mean 'green'? As in, a newbie. So I got the impression that einherjar were taught odr, and we reminded her of an einherjar that just learnt odr. I realise I'm assuming a lot of things, and 'greenwood' could just be a rank among the einherjar or something.
We also know that there are multiple einherjar - Odin's, Hel's, Freya's, etc. Being barred from an actual afterlife because you didn't have odr doesn't sound right. Where would they get all their warriors from? Sure, we're definitely not the only odr cultivators around. But there can't be that many, and I imagine many of them wouldn't be very strong either, due to how fucked Norse cultivation is right now. Not to mention everyone else would be doomed to a horrible afterlife.
Odr might not be a requirement to join, but if 'greenwood' is a rank rather than an adjective, then it might be we just smell like an einheri who has odr. That seems more plausible, now that I think about it.
Anyway, I wonder if it would be too much trouble to ask the Seeress if we can return here with other people. I'm also not sure if Modgudr would appreciate a bunch of people on her bridge. But if we can, it seems like an easy way to initiate people into odr.
Well, she says 'greenwood' - which I imagine is supposed to mean 'green'? As in, a newbie. So I got the impression that einherjar were taught odr, and we reminded her of an einherjar that just learnt odr.
We also know that there are multiple einherjar - Odin's, Hel's, Freya's, etc. Being barred from an actual afterlife because you didn't have odr doesn't sound right. Where would they get all their warriors from? Sure, we're definitely not the only odr cultivators around. But there can't be that many, and I imagine many of them wouldn't be very strong either, due to how fucked Norse cultivation is right now. Not to mention everyone else would be doomed to a horrible afterlife.
"While we are not beyond the Dead Sleeper's grasp, the mists of Niflheim blind his eyes while the Gjoll drowns out his ears. It is safe to speak of normally unwise topics here."
Ginnungagap borders everything, which is why anyone would want to travel it in the first place. All the rivers of the Norse world can be sourced back to the Elivagar
"Consign" implies agency that we can't be certain exists. The Norse cultivation itself is deeply forked, it's not unthinkable that the Nordic afterlives too have been artificially limited.
Maybe the various deities lack the ability to accept more than a select few individuals at a time.
Okay, our Sailing is currently 13d, while our Labor is only 11d. I think that means we should focus on the Labor for at least the first couple of Reward Dice we add. I don't have any personally, but I think at least a couple there is a good investment. People might want to check if they have any, I'm a little surprised by who has them myself.
And yeah, talking to Aki about Odr seems like an...interesting possibility.
"Consign" implies agency that we can't be certain exists. The Norse cultivation itself is deeply forked, it's not unthinkable that the Nordic afterlives too have been artificially limited.
Maybe the various deities lack the ability to accept more than a select few individuals at a time.
I mean, that doesn't really fit with my knowledge of the Norse afterlife, especially since Odin sends valkyries out to go and look for the worthy among the slain, supposedly. If Odin can choose, I don't see why the other Gods wouldn't be able to. It might be a possibility, but until we see evidence of it I'm going to go off my knowledge of Norse myth for this one.
Okay, our Sailing is currently 13d, while our Labor is only 11d. I think that means we should focus on the Labor for at least the first couple of Reward Dice we add. I don't have any personally, but I think at least a couple there is a good investment. People might want to check if they have any, I'm a little surprised by who has them myself.
And yeah, talking to Aki about Odr seems like an...interesting possibility.
I mean, that doesn't really fit with my knowledge of the Norse afterlife, especially since Odin sends valkyries out to go and look for the worthy among the slain, supposedly. If Odin can choose, I don't see why the other Gods wouldn't be able to. It might be a possibility, but until we see evidence of it I'm going to go off my knowledge of Norse myth for this one.
My argument is that if you can only pick up ~6 people per year for your undying army afterlife, you're going to pick the best you can. Which in a cultivation setting means cultivators.
Particularly if you're Odin and is trying to use said army to stave off the prophesized end of the world.
My argument is that if you can only pick up 6 people per year for your undying army afterlife, you're going to pick the best you can. Which in a cultivation setting means cultivators.
Particularly if you're Odin and is trying to use said army to stave off the prophesized end of the world.
