To be fair if they want to raid they are expected to pass the raid trials. And the quality of Halla's adventures means those who do want to go kind of have to be up to snuff and that means getting training otherwise they might die. Also getting training is the hard part for most women. And their orthstirr pool is likely to be small.
 
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To be fair if they want to raid they are expected to pass the raid trials. And the quality of Halla's adventures means those who do want to go kind of have to be up to snuff and that means getting training otherwise they might die. Also getting training is the hard part for most women. And their orthstirr pool is likely to be small.

They could approach Halla directly, but that's an obstacle yes. I'm not sure how we actually scout out women who want this kind of training though, not as things stand. If we do become hersir we could maybe set something up to allow it more easily...
 
Visiting Jurgdby 3
[X] Examine the Thralls
0~0~0

The flesh-sellers' platform rises above a square in a theatrical display of wooden slaving might. Five thralls stand lined up before a crowd as one-by-one, each thrall is auctioned off.

The first thrall, a well-muscled bear of a man glowers at the crowd as he's lead forward by a unfeeling guard. The fat, curled-mustache-wearing slave driver announces the man as a noble's son and, as such, will be going for a high price.

The second thrall is the first's sister, a truly stunningly-gorgeous young woman without a wrinkle on her face. She's used to better circumstances than the one she's found herself in, that's for sure. She'll likely be bought as a house-slave, if not a bed-warmer. She's not fit for the fields, that much is certain.

The third thrall is a spindly little man with a pair of odd-looking circles on his face that he constantly fiddles with as he's lead up to the front. Supposedly, he's a learned man—though how wise he is remains to be seen, given his current situation.

The forth thrall is a hollow-eyed mother and her two children, a boy and a girl—both of which don't seem to want to talk all that much. It's likely that they saw their father and any older brothers be killed in front of them.

The fifth thrall is a slight waif of a woman who looks like she might faint at the lightest touch of wind. She's hyperventilating as she's dragged forward by the leather straps keeping her wrists bound together, her feet stumbling over each other as she nearly vomits all over her worn, woolen dress.

Would you like to purchase any? Mark all you want to purchase:
[ ] Thrall #1 (150oz Silver)
[ ] Thrall #2 (230oz Silver)
[ ] Thrall #3 (40oz Silver)
[ ] Thrall #4 (60oz Silver)
[ ] Thrall #5 (80oz Silver)

0~0~0

AN: I don't much like slavery, to say the least.

No moratorium.
 
I feel the biggest obstacle for women wanting to become warriors is that you don't start training to be a warrior as a (wo)man. You start young, as a boy (or girl). Halla's brothers began training with weapons before they were 10, and we only got the chance after we murdered the hell out of a thief and absorbed his soul (dramatic emphasis not reality). And even then Steinnar faced opposition with his own family (Asva, at least) for training Halla.

Even the worst of the worst newbies we have recruited thus far probably trained since their youth and are still bad.

You need to train girls to have women warriors, or at least have women who trained themselves as girls in secret.
 
AN: I don't much like slavery, to say the least.
hopefully thats a common sentiment. slavery is a horrible thing. hopefully we can help at least a few of these people.

buying them all comes out at like, 560oz. not cheap, though not outrageously expensive as some of our other purchases. not sure if we can afford that though, will leave that to @DeadmanwalkingXI to decide. but buying all the commoners, at least, is 180 which is doable

I feel the biggest obstacle for women wanting to become warriors is that you don't start training to be a warrior as a (wo)man. You start young, as a boy (or girl). Halla's brothers began training with weapons before they were 10, and we only got the chance after we murdered the hell out of a thief and absorbed his soul (dramatic emphasis not reality). And even then Steinnar faced opposition with his own family (Asva, at least) for training Halla.

Even the worst of the worst newbies we have recruited thus far probably trained since their youth and are still bad.

You need to train girls to have women warriors, or at least have women who trained themselves as girls in secret.
or train woman who are extremely talented, like Halla. Halla did start training 4 years later then the boys, and still outclasses the vast majority of her age group. so definitely not impossible to start at, say 16-20 and become at least a solid warriors. though probably most people arent as talented
 
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Honestly fighting the urge to kill this guy and take them. I know it would be a crime under Norse law, I know we need Corpsemaker's support, but christ.

...Okay, putting that to one side for now, I think we can buy all five here? Like frankly I simply can't stomach the idea of leaving any of them to be sold.

Would you like to purchase any? Mark all you want to purchase:

How much for all thirty?

Is it possible that we can "haggle"?
 
[X] Thrall #3 (40oz Silver)
[X] Thrall #4 (60oz Silver)
[X] Thrall #5 (80oz Silver)

I think grabbing these three people is absolutely valid. I...don't know if we can justify the other two? I'm not entirely against them, but it's much harder to justify on practical grounds. We'd definitely need to grab the sister if we grab the brother, in order to get him to cooperate (not by threatening her just, he's not gonna help us in exchange for his freedom but not hers). Shit, maybe all five is right, it definitely is morally.

I'm really torn on #1 and #2, is what I'm saying.

The latter three I think are all very good, though. #3 is supposedly learned, which should be fascinating, and #4 and #5 both seem more than cheap enough and desperate enough both to be helpful in our quest, since what we want is local info. The scholar might balk, but a mother saving her children or a desperate woman will not, if we offer to free them. #5 is the hardest of the three to justify, but #3 and #4? We want them.

...Okay, putting that to one side for now, I think we can buy all five here? Like frankly I simply can't stomach the idea of leaving any of them to be sold.

We can afford all five, though it's not cheap. I'm down if other people are...like I said I'm torn.

How much for all thirty?

Is it possible that we can "haggle"?

We definitely couldn't afford 30 at these prices. And it's an auction, so haggling is likely out.

EDIT:
[X] Thrall #1 (150oz Silver)
[X] Thrall #2 (230oz Silver)

I am soft hearted, I guess. But also, multiple info sources are good and maybe we'll get a reward for returning them? Maybe?
 
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Personally I am tempted to use Time Stands Still to simply teleport until we are eye-to-eye with the slave trader, make an insultingly low offer but technically-legal offer for his entire contingent, and dare the slimy fucker try and defy us. He'll be the first one to die if he does.

But that's not what we're going to do today, because it would be insane.

[X] Thrall #3 (40oz Silver)
[X] Thrall #4 (60oz Silver)
[X] Thrall #5 (80oz Silver)

I think grabbing these three people is absolutely valid. I...don't know if we can justify the other two? I'm not entirely against them, but it's much harder to justify. We'd definitely need to grab the sister if we grab the brother, in order to get him to cooperate (not by threatening her just, he's not gonna help us in exchange for his freedom but not hers). Shit, maybe all five is right.

I'm really torn on #1 and #2, is what I'm saying.

The latter three I think are all very good, though. #3 is supposedly learned, which should be fascinating, and #4 and #5 both seem more than cheap enough and desperate enough both to be helpful in our quest, since what we want is local info. The scholar might balk, but a mother saving her children or a desperate woman will not, if we offer to free them. #5 is the hardest of the three to justify, but #3 and #4? We want them.

A local nobleman is the most likely to have local military knowledge and connections, and could serve as a pretty useful guide/mediator with other local nobles and warriors. Saving his sister as well is not strictly necessary in terms of what she brings (although she may also have useful local knowledge and connections) but is probably necessary to buy his loyalty. In terms of direct knowledge about another group of warriors, who their allegiance might be, how to track them, etc. etc., he's far more likely to know something than a local farmer's wife IMO.

Like from a purely utilitarian perspective in terms of helping with our original mission here, I suspect #1 and #2 are the most directly useful, whilst #3 is essentially the Mystery Box Option, and #4 and #5 are just desperate and sad.
 
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I understand us as readers wanting to free them all, but why would Halla be so driven? This is How Things Are Done for her and her society.

Neither Blackhand nor Halla like slavery in general.

Personally I am tempted to use Time Stands Still to simply teleport until we are eye-to-eye with the slave trader, make an insultingly low offer but technically-legal offer for his entire contingent, and dare the slimy fucker try and defy us. He'll be the first one to die if he does.

We can't be doing stuff like that, not without making piles of enemies and endangering those we care about. I admit to also being tempted but we can't afford to do it.

A local nobleman is the most likely to have local military knowledge and connections, and could serve as a pretty useful guide/mediator with other local nobles and warriors. Saving his sister as well is not strictly necessary in terms of what she brings (although she may also have useful local knowledge and connections) but is probably necessary to buy his loyalty.

It's unlikely that the people we're after are from the same village as these people, we're looking for general terrain and cultivation info, and while commoners will have a bit less of the latter, it is an 'all cultivator' culture, so not vastly less.

Like from a purely utilitarian perspective in terms of helping with our original mission here, I suspect #1 and #2 are the most directly useful, whilst #3 is essentially the Mystery Box Option, and #4 and #5 are just desperate and sad.

Motivation is also a factor. Saving both #1 and #2 does likely get them motivated, it's true, but probably less so than #4 is all by herself. And having different perspectives is useful....

Hell with it, maybe we can get a reward for returning them or something, I'm going back and adding the nobles.
 
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I understand us as readers wanting to free them all, but why would Halla be so driven? This is How Things Are Done for her and her society.

One of her best friends growing up (Gabriel) as well as a mentor figure (Jerasmus) were thralls, and she has been characterised before as finding slavery pretty distasteful in the past. That's not to say she necessarily has a modern perspective on it, and she may fall into the camp of believing it's ugly but an innate part of the world which cannot be changed. But I don't think Halla is a fan, either. Also, we as the players get to decide how she feels to some extent.

That said, it's important to understand the gap of cultural difference that separates us from the past, but equally it's important to note that even in slave-owning societies, there were those who questioned the morality of the practice. There are voices of criticism you can find going back even into Antiquity. Everyone's favourite public masturbator Diogenes was notably pretty negative on the practice, perhaps because he'd been enslaved himself at one point. These aren't the majority of opinion in their societies by any stretch, but they do exist.

It's ultimately up to us as players I think, but it's not so crazy to imagine that Halla might be able to look at a practice like slavery more critically.

It's unlikely that the people we're after are from the same village as these people, we're looking for general terrain and cultivation info, and while commoners will have a bit less of the latter, it is an 'all cultivator' culture, so not vastly less.

That's true, although I think as a nobleman and warrior, he's also more likely to be well-travelled than a farmer who may not have left the vicinity of her village.

Motivation is also a factor. Saving both #1 and #2 does likely get them motivated, it's true, but probably less so than #4 is all by herself. And having different perspectives is useful....

Hell with it, maybe we can get a reward for returning them or something, I'm going back and adding the nobles.

Based and Deadmanpilled.

[X] Thrall #1 (150oz Silver)
[X] Thrall #2 (230oz Silver)
[X] Thrall #3 (40oz Silver)
[X] Thrall #4 (60oz Silver)
[X] Thrall #5 (80oz Silver)

Yes, it would be.

You folks are allowed to do write ins, for this one, should you be so inclined

Other than "Go on a slave-freeing rampage like we've been possessed by the spirit of John Brown." I don't really have any ideas tbh, and that does not really make sense for Halla and would be tantamount to political/legal suicide given the number of feuds it'd engender.

Buying them and then immediately freeing them is the best we can do, I think.
 
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Other than "Go on a slave-freeing rampage like we've been possessed by the spirit of John Brown." I don't really have any ideas tbh, and that does not really make sense for Halla and would be tantamount to political suicide given the number of feuds it'd engender.

Buying them and then immediately freeing them is the best we can do, I think.

Yeah. I don't think it'll be quite immediate, just on the basis of logistics, but buying and freeing them as quickly as we can arrange, possibly in exchange for things, seems like the most viable option I can think of. Unfortunately.
 
I don't personally have any stake in this vote. Slavery is terrible but making ourselves the savior of all slaves is not something I personally really care to do. Bad things happen in history, and I think the predisposition to oppose all acts of these bad things in quests is... overdone and trite, honestly.

I'm fine never participating in slavery, obviously, I don't want to be enslaving people either. But I also don't want to have us feel forced to save every slave we see, and I especially don't want us to be out trying to murder all slavers especially not in public and dumb ways like some people want to.


Buying slaves just to free them does nothing really, and ultimately just empowers the slave takers by giving them money. I dunno, it seems like a lose lose lose situation, ultimately.
 
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