Tried my hand at a skaldic verse. Please be gentle, I only have a moderate familiarity with sagas and these are basically stunt-poems for how difficult they are and possibly more for the sound than language. I think I got the syllable counts right, the alliteration and most of the rhymes, but didn't really count stresses tbh:
Witch-suckler[1] and wastrels
Watched white-shield[2] skaters.
Prince-biters[3], drudge piercers [4]
Possessed by greed, charge.
For maiden's rights, flying,
Forth war-seeds[5], friend falls.
Axe-giant, adamant,
Awed by maiden's ire.
[1]There are norse creatures employed by witches that steal milk, one of several references to the character of our assailants.
[2] "White-shield" = kenning for a frozen lake
[3] Reference to Prince Oleg, killed by a snake hiding in the skull of his horse (after it died). Calling Osborn a snake
[4] Reference to a legend where Loki killed a servant out of jealousy. Implying Osborn and crew are jealous.
[5] Kenning for arrows, cause they sprout out of people
[X] Plan Keep Looking For The Witch But No Climbing
-[X] (Seasonal) Check and reset the animal traps.
-[X] (Personal) Abjorn came by, asking if you wanted to go chop wood with him. (Hamr)
-[X] (Exploration) Go on a walk through...
--[X] The Hading!
---[X] Try to find a way into the Hedge
-[X] (Training) Hamr (3 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Hamr itself - 3d6
--[X] Train Shield 3d6
-[X] (Training) Hugr (7 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Poetry 1d6
-[X] (Orthstirr Usage)
--[X] 2 Hamr (QM Edit: reduced to max, overflow went to reserve)
--[X] 4 Hugr
--[X] 5 free for tricks
0~0~0
(Hamr Training: 5, 4, 3) 4 Successes. (Shield Training: 1, 6, 3) 2 Successes
Twisting to the side, you bring your shield up to meet Crowfeeder. Sparks fly as sword meets boss, but that's all that happens as Crowfeeder bounces away. The shield's left fully intact.
You grin, you're starting to get good at blocking!
(Hamr Rank Up! 6 More Successes)
(Shield Rank Up! 1 More Success)
0~0~0 (Poetry Training: 1) 1 Failure. Ouch, bad luck.
You stare at the sky, a groan of annoyance escaping your throat.
Poetry! Why must you be so damn hard!?
Sighing, you slump forward and resolve to try again later
0~0~0 Check and reset the animal traps. (Fylgja: ???)
There's a heavy sense of trepidation as you check the animal traps. After all, the last time you did it, you ended up in a fight!
You smile, resting a hand on the axe on your hip.
And you got Thievesbane out of it, which is a win in your saga.
...You steadily ignore the memory of burning orthstirr. How the blackened ash clung to every surface and how the acrid stench of scorched hair filled your nose.
You gulp, pushing it from your mind with all the force you can muster.
A smile spreads across your face as you see the bounty of the traps. Five rabbits, a non-inconsiderable amount.
It won't make up for the missing cows, though, once winter conquers the land.
You grimace as you once again think of the reason for those missing cows.
Why'd you have to go and kill Lori? If you hadn't, Steinarr wouldn't have to consider going on a raid to make up the difference. Shame wraps around your heart at the thought of being the reason for your father's absence. But from another part springs the desire to go on the raid with him, though you know that you would never be allowed to, not with the lacking strength in your bones.
The worst part of it all might be that you weren't in control. That it wasn't you who did the killing. You are mistaken, girl.
Whispers hiss at the edge of your mind, but you brush them aside and carry on with your day.
Only to stop as the hairs on the back of your neck stand up straight. Waves of gooseflesh crash over your skin, like someone's breathing on you.
You scan the forest, but find nothing.
Even so, the Hading no longer feels safe.
You dream of blue sparks in the night.
0~0~0 Abjorn came by, asking if you wanted to go chop wood with him. (Hamr: 6, 5, 5) 6 Successes... Okay, Halla, I see how it is, pulling out the max successes for Abjorn.
You're woken from your stupor by a feeling of wet on your chin.
You blink and heat rushes to your cheeks as you realize you were drooling.
"You okay, Halla?" Abjorn asks as he sets down the young tree he ripped out of the damned ground with his bare hands mere moments ago. He eyes your cheeks, concern clear in his gaze. "Do you need water or something? You look hot."
Bad, brain! Very bad!
"I'm fine!" You manage to squeak out as the heat spreads all over your face, neck, and chest. Your damn ears feel like they're about to catch on fire. "I'll be right back!"
You almost stumble as you leave at a near sprint. Abjorn scratches his head as he watches you go, confusion and worry in his eyes.
You stop at a nearby stream and kneel before it. After splashing the cool water in your face, you gaze into your reflection.
A frazzled girl looks back at you, her face as red as her hair.
"Thor's beard," the swear slips from your mouth as you bury your face in your hands. "I can't go on on like this. I just can't."
(+1 Success to Hamr.)
(Working through your feelings towards Abjorn is now a free action)
0~0~0 Go on a walk through the Hading and try to find a way through the Hedge. (Hamingja+Reward Dice: 3, 1 Reroll (Flekkr) 6, 4 + 5) 6 Successes
You are being hunted. You know this in your bones.
The stench of the dead follows your footsteps. Blue lights shine from the edges of your vision.
You pass by the body of the deer-monster you encountered, its head removed from its body with a single swipe of a sword.
You gulp, and find it difficult to breathe.
The desire to stop, to turn back and flee this place grips your heart. A haze of fear clouds your mind. It feels as if your limbs are heavy with weight, making every movement deeper into the Hading like a slog through mud.
You cry out, falling to your hands and knees. Your throat clogs and Flekkr tries to keep you moving with whines and desperate licks.
The words of your father filter through the haze in your mind.
No matter the perceived danger, there are only two outcomes to every encounter; Either you will live and reap the rewards or you will die a glorious death.
So, girl, for what reason do you falter? The paltry castings of a witch? The pitiful spells of those too cowardly to move on?
Keep. Moving.
A surge of flaming power flows through your limbs, casting aside the mental fog and breaking it like an axe does a shield.
You swallow your fear, grit your teeth, and keep moving.
0~0~0
For a moment, you think you must have missed the hedge-wall, for in its place is a cottage built into the roots of a giant ash tree. The ash creaks as you approach, its waving boughs reaching towards the heavens.
Your mouth waters as the warm scent of cooking meals floats through the air, accompanied by a wordless song sung by a woman's voice. A large ring of iron rests on the hut's door, as if begging you to knock.
So you do.
Once, twice, the iron thumps against the wood.
The singing stops and footsteps approach the door. (Hugr (Composure): 4, 2, 1, 4, 2) ...1 Failure. Halla, girl, come on. Get ahold of yourself!
You choke on your spit as the door opens.
When you think of a 'witch', you picture a gnarled old woman with warts and mushrooms growing all over her. So when she opened the door, you were not ready for her to look like that.
She's all curves and legs, with a head of gorgeous hair that can only be described as 'raven-like'.
She watches you, a single perfect eyebrow raised, as you gasp for air on her porch.
"Are you done?" She asks after a minute of this.
You nod, climbing to your feet. The heat's back in your cheeks, and its not just from choking.
"First of all, how did you get in?"
"I walked?" You shrug and she blinks, a heavy sigh leaving her full lips as she pinches the bridge of her nose.
"You... walked."
"And ran, at times." Flekkr barks, corroborating your statement. The Witch jerks back, as if she just now noticed Flekkr.
The Witch turns her gaze to the heavens. "All-Father, Cat-Mother, why? Just why. That's all I ask."
There's no answer. She sighs, looking rather tired.
"Alright, whatever, who are you and what do you want?"
"I'm Halla Steinarsdottir and this is Flekkr." You pet the good boy.
The sigh of relief that leaves her mouth could be put into the sagas. You wait a spell, but The Witch doesn't elaborate. Alright, then. Moving on.
"And what do I want...?" A lot of things, really. Money, power, fame, a good husband — you ignore the image of a certain large boy that pops into your head. But, at the moment, what you want most are... "Answers, I want answers."
The corners of her mouth quirks up and a sparkle enters her eye as she invites you into her home. "Why isn't that interesting? Now, my dear Halla Steinarsdottir, what questions do you want answers to?"
You soon find yourself before her hearth, in a fresh change of clothes, and with a warm meal in your hands. You take one, hesitant bite and your eyes shoot open in surprise. You gobble it down, as swift as any growing child.
The Witch sits across from you, watching you intently with her chin resting on a knee.
Swallowing the last mouthful of food, you begin to ask her your questions.
"Fylgjur are your companion spirit, often taking the form of an animal." She flicks her hand at Flekkr, who contentedly chews on a large bone. "They most often play the role of a sentry, warning you of approaching danger." She chuckles, her laughter like birdsong. "Have you ever felt the hairs on your neck stand up or bumps flow across your skin like the flesh of a goose? All of that is your fylgja warning you of danger."
"And... and what took control of my body?"
She tsks, as if disappointed in herself. "I don't know."
"Oh." All this way, for nothing...
"I don't know the identity of the being that did it, that is." She corrects herself, eyes staying locked on you as your crestfallen expression turns to one of hope. "I know of many possibilities, but all of them would require rituals to identify them, which I require time to prepare. And they wouldn't be free, for that matter."
Determination lances through you like an arrow from a bow. "Your price?" Pick your price carefully, Daughter of Cats.
"Just a simple favor, equal in value to your desires, no more, no less." The Witch hurriedly states. A tiny bead of sweat rolls down her brow.
"That seems fair, I accept." You frown as you catch her wide-eyed gaze. "Is something wrong?"
"No! No, it's just..." She grimaces, glancing out the nearest window. "Oh would you look at the time, it's almost nightfall! You wouldn't want the monsters to get you, would you!?"
There's an almost manic look to her as she keeps glancing from you to the door, like she's weighing her options. There's no backing out now, Witch. I look forward to your efforts.
She flinches, teeth grinding together.
"Well, uh, I guess I'll be going then?" You share a confused look with Flekkr, who follows you out the door.
The door slams shut behind you.
Well. That was weird.
(The Hading Witch added to Relations)
0~0~0
Seasonal (Pick 1):
[ ] (Seasonal) Top off the firewood supply.
[ ] (Seasonal) The fields need to be harvested and stored in the barn, for the animals to eat once the snow begins to fall.
[ ] (Seasonal) Help prepare the wagon for hauling the yearly tax to the Asvir headsman.
[ ] (Seasonal) Begin moving the animals back to their winter pastures.
0~0~0
Personal (Pick 1):
[ ] (What Happened to Me?) Something happened to you, start asking around.
-[ ] Who? (Write in)
[ ] (Personal) You've got some uncertain feelings towards Abjorn that you need to start working through. (Hugr) (Free)
[ ] (Personal) Steinarr's been talking about going on a raid...
[ ] (Personal) Eric's been asking after you, saying he wants your advice on something
[ ] (Personal) Stigr came by, asking if you wanted to go fishing with him. (Hamr)
[ ] (Personal) Ask Randi to tell you some stories
-[ ] (Optional) Write in
[ ] (Violent) Pick a fight or spar with...
-[ ] Eric, your older brother, for fun
-[ ] Steinarr, as part of your training
-[ ] One of the local boys, for violence! (Optional Write In)
-[ ] Asva (You doubt she'd be willing to fight you, but maybe you can needle her enough?)
[ ] (Personal) Spend time with... (Write in)
[ ] (Crafting) Try to make something (Write in) (Hugr)
0~0~0
Exploration/Travel (Pick 1)
[ ] (Visit) Go visit...
-[ ] The Witch!
-[ ] Asvir!
-[ ] Vidby, Abjorn's Farm
-[ ] Kerby, Stigr's Farm
-[ ] Buriby, Osborn's Farm (Has a guaranteed chance of ending in a fight)
-[ ] Glebby, Sverre's Farm
-[ ] Runby, Aki's Farm
-[ ] One of the two undiscovered farms
--[ ] The newly built one to the north
--[ ] The one at the bottom of the river
[ ] (Exploration) Go on a walk through...
-[ ] The fields!
-[ ] The Hading!
-[ ] The hills!
0~0~0
Training: You have 7d6 training dice to spend as you see fit.
[ ] (Training) Hamr (5 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a hamr skill or trick (Write in)
-[ ] (Steinarr's Training) (Optional) Ask Steinarr to teach you a trick (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Hugr (7 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a hugr skill or trick (Write in)
0~0~0
Orthstirr Available: 11
How do you want to use your orthstirr?
[ ] (Orthstirr Usage) (Write in)
0~0~0
(Random Event: 4, nothing happens)
0~0~0
[X] Plan Witchcraft and Feelings
-[X] (Seasonal) The fields need to be harvested and stored in the barn, for the animals to eat once the snow begins to fall.
-[X] (Personal) You've got some uncertain feelings towards Abjorn that you need to start working through. (Hugr) (Free)
-[X] (Personal) Eric's been asking after you, saying he wants your advice on something
-[X] (Visit) Go visit...
--[X] The Witch!
-[X] (Training) Hamr (5 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Hamr Itself 5d6
-[X] (Training) Hugr (7 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Poetry 2d6
-[X] (Orthstirr Usage)
--[X] 3 Hamr
--[X] 4 Hugr
--[X] 4 free for tricks
0~0~0
(Hamr Training: 5, 5, 2, 5, 3) 6 Successes
Heaving with all your might, you hurl the stone down the hill for the final time.
Your arms burn. Your lungs crave air. Your legs shake.
But despite it all, there's a smile on your face.
(Hamr Rank Up! 15 More Successes Needed)
0~0~0
(Poetry Training: 1, 2) 2 Failures. Good freakin Lord.
What doesn't bring a smile to your face, however, is this damned poetry.
It's just... the words and the tenses and the damned syllables!
You're beginning to wonder if poetry is even for you.
0~0~0 The fields need to be harvested and stored in the barn, for the animals to eat once the snow begins to fall. (Hamingja: 6, 5, 6) ...6 Successes
Steinarr left that morning.
He wore a tunic you hadn't seen before, one with chainmail sewn into strategic places, like over the heart and stomach. He took down Crowfeeder and his iron-rimmed shield from the wall.
He hugged you, Asva, and Asveig goodbye then told Eric to look after the farm. He said that he'd be back sometime in winter and stepped through the door.
And then he was gone.
With father off raiding, everything got a little bit harder around the farm. There just wasn't enough hands or time in the day to do everything.
So when you were out harvesting the fields, you were the first to notice a streak of fire from the east as it burns its way across the early-morning sky. It tore through clouds like a knife through straw, like a fist through powdered snow.
It hits the earth like Mjolnir does a giant's head. The ground shakes, sending you to the ground with a sharp jolt. The animals bleat in fear, stamping against the dirt and causing a raucous ruckus.
And then, it stops.
Just like that. No warning or sign given. Where once there was movement, there now only is stability.
You climb to shaky feet and look to the hills, towards where whatever it was landed.
Well, at least you'll have someway to occupy your time while Steinarr's gone.
(Journal Updated: Fire in the Sky)
(Journal Updated: Steinarr's Training is now Inactive)
0~0~0 Eric's asking for his wise little sister's advice.
"So, do you think you can help me?" Eric asks after laying out the problem he's facing. You stroke your jaw and chin and weigh the options while going over the problem once again.
Eric is 17-years-old and is an adult. Which means that he can go off and do his own thing and nobody will bat an eye. As an adult, he's expected to either find a trade or start a farm, sometimes both.
He's also expected to find a wife, which only really adds to the problem.
The only trade he really thinks he could be good at is shipbuilding. Problem is that Asvir doesn't have a shipwright of its own, it contracts the shipwright of Jurgdby — a larger town down the coast — to obtain the ships necessary for trade and viking.
Jurgdby isn't close to Asvir. It's a day's journey by foot, thanks to a fjord cutting between Asvir and Jurgdby. Boating there is far swifter, only a few hours at most, but your family doesn't own a boat with which to do so.
This means that Eric won't be able to help out around the farm, nor would he be able to defend it should the worst happen. With Sten gone, he's worried that him leaving would leave the family hanging.
He's also wondering if he should try courting Stigrun, Stigr's sister, or if he should try to find a wife in Jurgdby. Marrying Stigrun would permanently secure the alliance with Kerr's family, but it might also make Vidar feel excluded. Unless, of course, you and Abjor-
You shake your head to clear it of cheek-heating thoughts and re-focus back on task.
What do you tell him?
[ ] Stay here and farm, court Stigrun
[ ] Stay here and farm, court someone else
[ ] Go to Jurgdby, court Stigrun
[ ] Go to Jurgdby, court someone there
Whatever you decide, you know that Eric will wait until next year to either go to Jurgdby or start his farm.
(+1 to Little Sister's Wisdom. 7 Left)
0~0~0 Well, looks like Abjorn's on the mind. (Hugr: 4, 5, 6, 2, 1) 3 Successes
Who is Abjorn to you?
You laugh at the thought.
Abjorn is one of your best friends. He's always been there for you. Not only has he been there for you, but he's never tried to stop you from being 'un-womanly'. Not even Stigr can claim that — he wasn't the nicest of little boys, but you kicking his ass convinced him otherwise.
Abjorn outpaces you now, sure, but you were the only one who could keep up with him when you and he were little.
He's protective of you — suicidally so, even! He took a damn arrow for you. He got himself gutted by Lori's spear and, instead of focusing on staying alive, used the last bit of strength in his body to carve open Lori's leg!
It's clear that he cares about you in a way beyond a normal friend, even one as good as you. But, does he feel the same way about you that you do about him?
A dopey smile spreads across your face, heat flooding your cheeks as you bury your face in your hands.
And don't kid yourself. You like him, a lot.
Odin's eye that feels good to say!
You like Abjorn. You want to m-ma...
Your cheeks gain the heat of the sun as you force yourself to finish the thought.
Marry him. You want to marry him.
You stare at the sky, your breathing light as a feather and a fond smile on your face. Speaking the truth was like taking a leaden weight off your shoulders.
You want him as your husband and you want to be his wife.
But, does he feel the same way?
(Journal Updated: Finding Out Abjorn's Feelings)
0~0~0 Visting the Witch
The Witch's door looms before you, the iron knocker shining like a beacon in the night.
You reach out and grab it. But before you can knock, you've got to decide on what you're here for.
What are you here for?
[ ] Fylgja Unveiling
[ ] Possession Testing
[ ] Write in
0~0~0
AN: Today's voting period will be shorter than normal, three or four hour. Once the visit is over, the options for next turn will be available.
Swift-swung, sinew-seeking, sharp striker
Narrowly knifes, not enough, never
Shaping steel, smashing stone, smith's-striker
Hardly hammers, hardly hits, hopeless
Rather wrap in regard, reave with respect
That the three-thain-thread throughout
Halla sighed. Reading back what she had written, she actually found herself confused about how the Honed Trick worked. This was not the place for clever wordplay. No room for misinterpretation, she needed to explain what was happening so that even a novice could do it.
Besides, this was awful. Even if she had the most powerful tricks known in it, no one would learn them if it meant enduring her poetry. Maybe prose, next time. When she got around to the next time.
The first draft of Halla's Manual joined the rest of the kindling.
Step, step, step are the Witch's answering movements.
The door opens and you are prepared this time, though it is a near thing.
"Welcome back, Halla Steinarsdottir." The Witch's sultry voice greets you at the door, soon followed by the Witch herself. "Have you thought of a ritual you wish done?"
"Yes," a bead of sweat appears on the Witch's brow, "I'd like to be able to see my fylgja."
The sweat droplet disappears and she smiles, her teeth like marble stones, "Ah, a noble pursuit. Come," her fingers, long and slender, curl as she gestures for you, "I have prepared a site." Be brave, girl, for we enter a place of power in a Witch's presence.
You follow along, slight hesitance in your step. After all, you don't know this woman, no matter how... how you find her. She could very well be leading you to your demise!
Your hand finds your axe and resolute determination dashes the coiling fear aside. Should this be your end, it will find you with courage-filled heart and not a drop of doubt in your soul.
You follow her around her home, through a cavern's opening, and down a flight of stairs built from the ash's roots.
You find yourself in an underground chamber with a roof made from dirt and roots. The Witch has you stand in the center while she fetches her staff. Upon returning, she hands you a pair of leaves with a pale paste rubbed on one side.
"And what am I supposed to do with these?" You ask, heart sinking as you know what must be done.
"Put them in your eyes, and keep them open." She stresses, and you scowl. With a heavy sigh, you press them to your open eyes.
It stings, really bad.
Your teeth grind together as the paste seems to seep into your body. The Witch starts chanting something, but you're too distracted by the sensation in your eyes to make sense of the words.
After what feels like an eternity, the leaves fall away and you lay eyes on...
[ ] A bear (Gain Boon: Spirit of the Bear - Doubles Endurance gains.)
[ ] A wolf (Gain Boon: Spirit of the Wolf - Doubles damage.)
[ ] A dog (Gain Boon: Spirit of the Hound - Intercept results are doubled.)
[ ] A snake (Gain Boon: Spirit of the Serpent - Gaining money is easier.)
[ ] An owl (Gain Boon: Spirit of the Owl - Doubles hugr capacity gains.)
[ ] A raven (Gain Boon: Spirit of the Raven - Brings you prophetic dreams.)
0~0~0
AN: And here we are.
The Raven's prophetic dreams are not guaranteed to happen, nor will they be very clear. They are more... possibilities rather than fate. After all, the only fate that binds a Norseman is the one bound at birth.
Hugr capacity refers to the number of muna, hugareidir, or seidr spells you can have readied at any given time.
An owl (Witch's Greed? 6) Uh oh.
Some say that the only time you see your fylgja is when death is approaching. Those people are misinformed.
But that doesn't stop the odd feeling coiling through your gut as the owl preens before you. It fluffs itself and combs its beak through its feathers.
"An owl?" The Witch asks as her head quirks to the side. "I would have thought that you would have a wolf, or perhaps a bear."
"I guess I'm full of surprises." You shrug, uncertain on how to feel about your soul manifesting itself in the form of an owl of all things. To be honest, you had been expecting to see a wolf too.
But, an owl is what you see so an owl is what you are. I had thought you were one of the Cat's, but you aren't, are you?
There's a greedy twinkle in the Witch's eye as she looks from the owl to you. She opens her mouth to speak, the corners of her lips curling upwards. Don't even think about it, Curse-Blood! Girl, you need to leave, now!
She flinches harder than you've seen before, her jaw snapping shut with force enough to rattle her head. The spark snuffs out like a lick of flame in a storm, but something smoldering, something wrong, is left in its place.
"Is there something wrong?" Unease trickles up your spine. A sudden chill bites into your skin as the ash creaks above you.
The Witch scowls, a fire igniting from the embers. "No, just," she sighs, "is there anything else you want? Lessons, perhaps?" Don't push it, Crow-Witch! You mistake stupidity for boldness.
"What about the other rituals?" Or what, Old Man? What can a formless spirit do to a Witch of the Crow-Mother?
She tsks. "I only have so much energy to use in a day." She seems distracted with something, but what is there to be distracted about? I will do what I must.
"Damn." You will do nothing but watch as the Crow-Mother has her fun.
"Say, Halla Steinarsdottir, there is one ritual I can perform right now..." The Witch trails off leadingly. You. Will. Burn.
"Another ritual?" After the success of the fylgja ritual, you can't say that you aren't interested in another. You will try to, but you will fail. I know your kind, Worm-Spawn, and I have sealed this chamber against your magics.
"One that should get you more in-tune with... well, your magic." She smiles. "That interests you, yes?" ...Is that what you think I am? One of the Worm's?
"I... maybe?" The Witch suddenly looks very concerned about something and you don't want to push it. Am I wrong?
"Um, are you okay?" You ask as the Witch says nothing, large beads of sweat trickle down her face. Very.
The Witch pales, turns, and flees with as much speed as she can muster. She's left the room in an instant, her footsteps pounding against the stairs hard enough to shake dust from the ceiling.
You look to your owl, who looks as confused as you feel. You share a shrug and decide to come back later. She must be having a moment.
Though something still causes your skin to crawl.
(Fylgja Revealed)
0~0~0
Seasonal (Pick 1):
[ ] (Seasonal) Help prepare the yearly offering to the gods.
[ ] (Seasonal) Begin marking out the next year's plot of farm land.
[ ] (Seasonal) Help fill the wagon with the yearly tax.
[ ] (Seasonal) The animals need to be moved inside, for the snowfall that's surely coming.
0~0~0
Personal (Pick 1):
[ ] (What Happened to Me?) Something happened to you, start asking around.
-[ ] Who? (Write in)
[ ] (Abjorn's Feelings) You have come to a conclusion about Abjorn, but his thoughts are currently unknown. You need to find out.
-[ ] (Optional) Write in approach to take.
[ ] (Personal) Stigr came by, asking if you wanted to go fishing with him. (Hamr)
[ ] (Personal) Ask Randi to tell you some stories
-[ ] (Optional) Write in
[ ] (Violent) Pick a fight or spar with...
-[ ] Eric, your older brother, for fun
-[ ] One of the local boys, for violence! (Optional Write In)
-[ ] Asva (You doubt she'd be willing to fight you, but maybe you can needle her enough?)
[ ] (Personal) Spend time with... (Write in)
[ ] (Crafting) Try to make something (Write in) (Hugr)
0~0~0
Exploration/Travel (Pick 1)
[ ] (Visit) Go visit...
-[ ] The Witch! (Actually, something tells you to give her some space.)
-[ ] Asvir!
-[ ] Vidby, Abjorn's Farm
-[ ] Kerby, Stigr's Farm
-[ ] Buriby, Osborn's Farm (Has a guaranteed chance of ending in a fight)
-[ ] Glebby, Sverre's Farm
-[ ] Runby, Aki's Farm
-[ ] One of the two undiscovered farms
--[ ] The newly built one to the north
--[ ] The one at the bottom of the river
[ ] (Exploration) Go on a walk through...
-[ ] The fields!
-[ ] The Hading!
-[ ] The hills!
0~0~0
Training: You have 4d6 training dice to spend as you see fit.
[ ] (Training) Hamr (15 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a hamr skill or trick (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Hugr (7 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a hugr skill or trick (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Fylgja (2 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a fylgja skill or trick (Write in)
0~0~0
Orthstirr Available: 11
How do you want to use your orthstirr?
[ ] (Orthstirr Usage) (Write in)
0~0~0
(Random Event: 2, Reroll: 1) Oh boy
A traveler stops at your home and tells tales of a highwayman robbing people in the area.
You thank him and offer him hospitality, but he refuses, saying that he needs to go warn the other farms before he can rest.
You wish him well and he departs.
0~0~0
AN: Things like to happen way sooner than I expect them to, it seems.
[X] Plan More Witchcraft And Feelings (but without the Witch)
-[X] (Seasonal) Help prepare the yearly offering to the gods.
--[X] (Abjorn's Feelings) You have come to a conclusion about Abjorn, but his thoughts are currently unknown. You need to find out.
---[X] Tell him in a straightforward fashion that Halla is interested and explain why as clearly as we can
-[X] (Visit) Go visit...
--[X] Runby, Aki's Farm
-[X] (Training) Hamr (15 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Shields 1d6
-[X] (Training) Hugr (7 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Poetry 1d6
-[X] (Training) Fylgja (2 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Fylgja Itself 1d6
--[X] Train Command 1d6
-[X] (Orthstirr Usage)
--[X] 4 Hamr
--[X] 4 Hugr
--[X] 2 Silver-Tongue
--[X] 1 free for tricks
0~0~0
(Shield Training: 2) 1 Failure
You stare at the shield, the shield continues to do nothing.
Why did you think you could practice defending when you had nothing to defend against?
Making the Owl follow your commands comes as naturally as breathing. You don't even really have to think about it doing it, it just happens naturally. It's like you were trying to move your arm. No matter how hard you think about moving your arm, it doesn't happen until you just do it.
Which makes sense, given that it is not simply an extension of yourself, it is you.
(Command Rank Up! F.Endurance and F.Capacity unlocked! 1 Success Left)
0~0~0 Confessing at the feast (Hugr (Silver-Tongue): 6, 6, 4, 4, 6, 3, 3) 10 Successes... Oh my goodness
The bonfire wasn't the only thing warming your face that night as you joined Abjorn's family for a feast.
You sat next to Abjorn as you dined on lamb. Vidar Kurlisson, Abjorn's father, knew that Steinarr was away on a raid, so he invited you and your family to feast with him and his. You accepted, of course. Such an offer could not be lightly refused!
Conversation sprung up around you, but you couldn't make out much if any of the words. Asva is trying to talk your ear off, but you have eyes only for Abjorn. You're waiting for the perfect opportunity to talk to him alone, to tell him how you feel.
Vidar threw another dozen logs on the fire, throwing sparks into the air. He reached for another log but found only air.
Your host frowned and turned to his youngest son — his eldest, Farbjorn, was off raiding with Steinarr. "Abjorn! We've run out of firewood."
Abjorn nods and takes a last bite of lamb before rising to his feet. He steps away from the fire and the shadows start swallowing his large form.
Your eyes widen. This is your chance!
You leap to your feet, citing that you need to go relief yourself, and slink off into the darkness.
Abjorn passes his family's tool shed and seemingly forgets to grab an axe, so you do for him. By the time you turn around, he's already entering the woods.
You hurry after him, wood axe in hand. The strange sense of familiarity flows through you before you realize that the last time you went into the woods with a wood axe, you destroyed a man's soul. You pause, the memory crashing over you like waves on the shore.
Scowling, you shake your head and get back to moving. You're wasting precious time on meaningless thoughts!
You find Abjorn just as he stops before a rather large tree — by far the largest tree in these lightly forested woods. It would take two entire Abjorns to completely envelop the trunk!
He places a palm against the tree and focuses his orthstirr as his right hand curls into a fist. You still, pulse pounding in your ears as Abjorn's red-orange orthstirr swirls around his body.
Abjorn taps his orthstirr-coated knuckles against the wood. He takes a deep breath and slowly releases it, drawing his fist back at his breathing's pace.
You watch, excitement building. You just know that Abjorn's about to do something really ho-
A sharp, ear-ringing crack splits the air as the fist blurs into motion. It hits the tree with troll-like force, leaving a shield-sized crater in its wake. Bark and wood explodes from the other side of the trunk as the tree groans and sways from the impact.
It tilts to one side and a series of sharp cracks signal its fall. There's a broad smile on Abjorn's face as his orthstirr swirls around his body. He follows the tree's trajectory and locks gazes with you.
He pales.
It takes you no time at all to realize why.
The tree hurtles towards you at great speed. You can't dodge and you left your shield at home!
You stand frozen, wide-eyed, as the tree descends upon you. You can't breathe, you can't move! You can't even close your eyes as your fate rushes to meet you.
And then Abjorn steps in the way.
And he catches the tree.
The wood axe falls from your hand and you soon follow. You look up from your knees to Abjorn's towering, struggling form.
He caught the beast on his back, one palm pressed against the tree above him and the other pressed against the trunk at his side. His knees threaten to buckle, to give out under the weight he carries on his back, but he holds firm. Every drop of orthstirr in his body goes into keeping you safe.
Abjorn's eyes stay screwed shut and something clicks in your brain.
He couldn't have known that he was strong enough to catch the tree. He couldn't have known that he wouldn't be instantly crushed by the falling weight.
But he did it anyways, for you.
You climb to your feet, taking care to not make a sound. It's a good thing that Abjorn's bent over, or else you'd struggle to reach him even on your tippy-toes!
You palm presses against his scratchy cheek — his orangish-red whiskers only just beginning to grow in bulk — and his eyes snap open to find you looking up at him. The confusion in his gaze makes you smile as you stand up as tall as you can.
It's a good thing that your favorite food is mutton because you can taste the lamb in his breath.
The tree rolls off his shoulder and thumps against the ground hard enough that the blast of wind sends your hair whipping.
But as his arms wrap around you, you find yourself not caring.
As the world comes to a complete stop around you and Abjorn, you find that you truly understand what it means to be at a Standstill. I'm very proud of you, Halla
(+1 Relationship with Abjorn. You are now lovers. Keep at 10 to marry when you come of age)
(Muna Gained! First Kiss Under A Falling Tree.)
(Hugareida: Standstill Unlocked!)
(Journal Updated: Abjorn's Feelings is now complete!)
(Journal Updated: What are Muna?)
(Journal Updated: What are Hugareida?)
0~0~0 Visiting Runby
As you exit the forest, the first thing you notice about Runby is how poor it is.
Barren fields, dilapidated buildings. The place is a mess.
Not many people want to deal with the father of Witch-Spawn, as Aki is sometimes called.
You don't see Aki's father anywhere, though Aki himself is watching you from a stump not too far away. Seems like he's expecting you, given the other stump and bundle of food laid out.
What do you do?
[ ] Write in
0~0~0
AN: My plans! My beautiful, beautiful plans!
F.Endurance and F.Capacity both refer to your fylgja's attributes. For most people with active fylgjur, the fylgja is their weakspot. You can 'store' spells, hugareidir, and muna in your fylgja, which uses its capacity.
If your F.Endurance drops to 0, then the fylgja and you are taken out of the fight.
By training your fylgja stat, both of those attributes increase.
[X] Show Aki your fylgja, thank him for the hint and tell him about the witches weird behaviour. Invite him to join us and our friends when we go check out the meteor.
0~0~0
After exchanging greetings and sitting down across from Aki Runson, you start to talk about your time with the Witch.
"So I followed your advice — thank you for that, by the way — and discovered the Witch an-"
"I didn't say that." Aki's unseeing eyes seem to pierce through you. A raven peers from the branches of a nearby tree.
You frown, brows furrowing in confusion. "I... What?"
"There isn't a Witch in the Hading." There's something about the way he delivers everything with that dead-pan expression, in that uniform tone, that deeply unsettles you.
"What?"
"A Seeress occasionally makes her home in the deeper parts of the forest, but there isn't a Witch."
"There's a difference?"
He pauses, clearly caught off-guard. Some hints of personality surface as he sputters and the mask slips. "Well, I... It's kind of obvious, right? Wise-women, Seeressess, would know things about plants and herbs and divination. They're helpful. Witches," he frowns, "Witches play games and eat people."
"I didn't know that." And just like that, the mask is back.
"I didn't know there was a Witch in the Hading."
"I guess we both learned something today." Aki has nothing to say to that and simply sips his milk. You decide to process the whole Witch thing later and, for now, you simply shrug and eat some of the provided food. It's not especially fantastic, but it's mutton so you like it. You're not sure why, but you suspect that Aki prepared this himself. "Did you make this?" You gesture to the blanket laid out between the two of you.
He bristles, a scowl slipping over his face. "Why?" He spits and the raven caws, "So you can ridicule me too?"
"What? Why would I do that?"
The mask slides on again. "Never mind."
You blink. "Uh, okay?"
He sighs, "Do you have a reason for being here or did I do this for nothing?"
"Are you okay?" You eye the heavy bags under his empty gaze. "You seem a little, uh, cranky."
"My fylgja," he jerks his head at the raven, "woke me up long before dawn and told that I would be meeting with someone today. I wasn't told when this would happen, so I've been sitting out here for over half the day. Just. Waiting."
You wince, rather happy that you didn't get a raven as your fylgja. "That... that really sucks."
"Tell me about it." The longer you spend with him, the more his mask slips. He's quite the sassy little boy when he's not doing his whole 'Witch-Spawn' shtick.
"Well, I managed to unlock my fylgja!" With a grin, you call your owl from the spirit realm. It flutters from behind a tree and lands beside the raven. The raven gives your owl a long, long look, but seems to deem it 'okay'. "Bet you weren't expecting an owl."
"I know you have an owl. I can see into the spirit realm."
"Cool." You... you don't have much to say to that. He really took the wind from your sails, dammit! You sigh, despite his constant sass and dead-pan expression, he's starting to grow on you. Like a poisonous moss or a tumor, but he grows on you nonetheless. "Hey, uh, Aki?"
"Yes?"
"I was wondering if you wanted to come with my friends and I when we go check out that thing that fell from the sky. Do you?" You flick a finger towards the hills in the far distance. (Hugr (Silver-Tongue): 4, 3, 2, 4, 4, 5, 4) 6 Successes
"Sure." If you didn't know any better, you'd have sworn there was a hint of warmth in his sigh. "I've got nothing better to do." And there's the sass you've come to expect.
"Great!" You smile and clap as you leap to your feet. "We'll swing by and grab you when its time, then."
(+1 Relations with Aki Runson!)
(Aki Runson Relationship Revealed! It sits at 5/10!)
(Journal Updated: The Hading Witch)
(Journal Updated: What Happened to Me?)
0~0~0
[ ] Do anything else at Runby?
-[ ] Write in
[ ] Go home
0~0~0
AN: Short vote this time with no moratorium. Expect it to be called in two hours.
Going home results little more then a choice for next turn, plus Random POV.
[X] Do anything else at Runby?
-[X] Tell Aki about what happened during "A walk on the ice" and ask him what he thinks about the "possession".
-[X] Ask him where the seeress he's talking about can be found, since we apparently ran into the wrong person.
0~0~0
As you turn to leave, you pause mid-step. If Aki can see into the spirit realm, then maybe he can see if there's anything wrong with your soul? Even if he can't, he might be able to see if there's anything left behind.
You turn back and sit down. "Hey, Aki?"
He sluggishly lifts his head. "Yes?"
You pause and stroke your chin and jaw. How to go about doing this? You don't really want to reveal that you might be 'possessed' by some kind of spirit — it would be disastrous for you and your family if that got out! However, Steinarr always said that it's better to know who's at home when you go to burn it down.
Sighing, you figure that it's best to just get it over with. "Last winter, my friends and I got into a fight with some Burissons."
"I heard about that," Aki says. He finishes the glass of milk in his hand. "Didn't your brother kill Lori Burisson?"
"That's what the court assumed happened and nobody corrected them on it. What actually happened was... Well, I killed Lori, sort of."
He quirks a brow. "How do you 'sort of' kill someone? He's dead, right? You're either dead or not dead, that's the rule."
"I'm not sure that I was the one who killed him. My hands did it, but I wasn't in control of them." For a moment, you thought you heard someone scoffing in the back of your head. You shake off the feeling and get back on track. "I was possessed, by what I don't know. Can you take a look at my soul, please?"
"You'll owe me for this." He replies as he scooches into better posture. He's very tired, and not just physically. You can't imagine that it's easy to keep that mask of his up all the time.
"But you'll do it, right?"
He sighs. "Yeah, I will. Sit still, don't move, let me work."
He closes his eyes and you do as asked.
After a few minutes of what you assume is preparation, he opens his eyes once again. It's a little disappointing that his eyes aren't glowing or anything, but it's probably working, right?
"I don't see anything wrong with your soul. It's actually very healthy, far healthier than most I've seen, at that. You've got such a penchant for activity that..." He laughs, voice squeaking as he carries on "that you developed a muna from, from standing still!"
"It was a bit more than that." You grumble.
The raven rolls its eyes in Aki's stead. "Do you know what the most common muna is? First kills. For you, it barely left a mark."
"That doesn't mean that it didn't effect me!"
"No, but it does mean that it's not something that you'll carry with you for the rest of your life. How often do you think about it compared to your first kiss?"
You blink, a light blush dusting across your face at the memory. "Um, not often?"
"Exactly." Aki rubs at his eyes and yawns. "Alright, there's nothing wrong with your soul. There's no evidence for anything foreign to your soul, either. There's a little bit of weirdness in your hamingja, but it's nothing to worry about if you're named after an ancestor or something. Are you?"
"I'm not sure, actually." You frown, scratching at your jaw. You just never thought to ask about that before.
"That's a question to ask your dad, then."
"What does it mean if I'm not named after someone?" You really, really don't like the look that falls across Aki's face.
"If you're not named after an ancestor..." He hesitates, biting his lip. "Then somebody slipped something into your hamingja. It doesn't look like it's harmful, but I'm not getting anything positive from it either. Not getting anything at all from it, actually."
You grimace. "Let's hope I have a namesake, then."
"Yeah, lets." Aki trails off and another question comes to mind.
"So, if the Witch isn't the Seeress, where can I go to find the Seeress?"
He tsks. "I don't know where she goes in the winter. I'd assumed that the one place with a magic-wielding woman I could detect was her, but evidently not. I know she's in Asvir during the summer, though."
"Well, thanks for the help, Aki." You shake his hand. He wipes it off on his shirt. Dick.
Waving goodbye, you turn and take your leave. But before you get very far, Aki's voice calls you back.
"You weren't kidding when you said that I could come with you to the meteor, were you?" There's a cautious hope in his eyes and it occurs to you just how lonely he must be. Gods know you didn't play with him growing up.
"Why would I kid about something like that? That's just cruel."
He smiles, big and wide and bright. It's... clear he hasn't had much practice in smiling.
You can't help but want to give him a hand with that.
(+1 Drengskapr for showing kindness to the disadvantaged)
0~0~0
Seasonal (Pick 1):
[ ] (Seasonal) Help prepare the yearly offering to the gods.
[ ] (Seasonal) Begin marking out the next year's plot of farm land.
[ ] (Seasonal) Help fill the wagon with the yearly tax.
[ ] (Seasonal) The animals need to be moved inside, for the snowfall that's surely coming.
0~0~0
Personal (Pick 1):
[ ] (What Happened to Me?) Something happened to you, start asking around.
-[ ] Who? (Write in)
[ ] (Personal) Stigr came by, asking if you wanted to go fishing with him. (Hamr)
[ ] (Personal) Ask Randi to tell you some stories
-[ ] (Optional) Write in the topic
[ ] (Violent) Pick a fight or spar with...
-[ ] Eric, your older brother, for fun
-[ ] One of the local boys, for violence and/or fun! (Optional Write In)
-[ ] Asva (You doubt she'd be willing to fight you, but maybe you can needle her enough?)
[ ] (Personal) Spend time with... (Write in)
[ ] (Crafting) Try to make something (Write in) (Hugr)
0~0~0
Exploration/Travel (Pick 1)
[ ] (Visit) Go visit...
-[ ] The Witch! (Actually, it's probably a good idea to avoid her entirely)
-[ ] Asvir!
-[ ] Vidby, Abjorn's Farm
-[ ] Kerby, Stigr's Farm
-[ ] Buriby, Osborn's Farm (Has a guaranteed chance of ending in a fight)
-[ ] Glebby, Sverre's Farm
-[ ] Runby, Aki's Farm
-[ ] One of the two undiscovered farms
--[ ] The newly built one to the north
--[ ] The one at the bottom of the river
[ ] (Exploration) Go on a walk through...
-[ ] The fields!
-[ ] The Hading!
-[ ] The hills!
--[ ] (Optional) Towards where the flaming thing landed.
0~0~0
Training: You have 4d6 training dice to spend as you see fit.
[ ] (Training) Hamr (15 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a hamr skill or trick (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Hugr (7 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a hugr skill or trick (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Fylgja (2 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a fylgja skill or trick (Write in)
0~0~0
Orthstirr Available: 11
How do you want to use your orthstirr?
[ ] (Orthstirr Usage) (Write in)
0~0~0
(Random POV: 1)
In a far off land of silk, jade, and honey, an alchemist squints at the large hole that a bunch of thieves had left in his ceiling.
He shrugs and orders a trio of Strawbound Hunter-Killers after his lost property. The blade-fisted golems leap through the hole in pursuit. Hopefully there'd be enough left of the thieves to get some information from them.
If not, then he can simply rip their souls apart for the information.
He might even do that regardless.
He may not look it outwardly — nor inwardly, for that matter — but he is absolutely livid.
0~0~0
AN: Not a whole lot to talk about here other than the fact that I completely whiffed it on the seasonals for last turn. So, uh, you're getting the same choices again!
When you receive orthstirr for doing something, drengskapr is added to that amount while odrengskapr takes away from it.
[X] Plan Let's Find A Meteor!
-[X] (Seasonal) Help prepare the yearly offering to the gods.
-[X] (Personal) Ask Randi to tell you some stories
-[X] (Exploration) Go on a walk through...
--[X] The hills!
---[X] (Optional) Towards where the flaming thing landed.
---[X] Taking Abjorn, Stigr, and Aki with you, as previously mentioned
-[X] (Training) Hamr (15 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Shields 1d6
--[X] Train Overland 1d6
-[X] (Training) Hugr (7 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Poetry 1d6
-[X] (Training) Fylgja (2 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Fylgja Itself 1d6
-[X] (Orthstirr Usage)
--[X] 4 Hamr
--[X] 4 Hugr
--[X] 1 Fylgja
--[X] 2 free for tricks
0~0~0
(Shield Training: 5) 2 Successes
It took a lot of pestering, but you finally got Eric to agree to take a couple swings at you. At your shield, to be specific.
You bounce his spear off the boss and catch him in the jaw. He stumbles back, clearly rattled as his sways on his feet.
You grin. Your shieldwork is improving bit by bit!
Your mind swirls with ideas of hundreds of untold stories.
You take a deep breath and try to quell the storm in your head.
After a few heartbeats of silence, you notice a rather curious effect. It almost seems easier to remember when thought of as poetry, if that makes any sense?
There's a faint memory brushing up against the back of your mind, as if begging to be seen. Taking pity on the poor thing, you bring it to the forefront.
It's... a woman's face as she laughs in a summer meadow. Long golden locks flow down her back as she dances joyously. Her smile sparkles like polished silver on a bright day. She reaches a hand out and beckons for you to take it.
But even as you touch her hand, the memory fades away through your fingers. My dearest Eyvor, oh how I miss your honey smile.
A sense of melancholy steals over you. For some reason, your gaze turns to the East.
(Poetry Rank Up! 4 Successes Left)
(+2 Capacity! Every other poetry rank up, your capacity is improved.)
0~0~0
(Fylgja Training: 5) 2 Successes
Your owl seems to weather harsh winds better than it did before. You suppose that your training with it is starting to pay off.
0~0~0 (How Well Did Steinarr Do? (d100) 86) Not bad at all, Steinarr, not bad at all.
It's Eric who spots your father first.
"Dad's back!" Eric yells as the door swings open and scares the living daylights out of you during the mid-day meal. Two heartbeats pass before bowls are forgotten in the stampede to the door.
You don't even have time to put your outer clothes on, but you just don't have it in you to care. Steinarr's back! That can wait!
Steinarr stands victorious atop a sled pulled by a workhorse, a foot up on the side and Crowfeeder in hand. Even as far away as he is, you can almost taste the orthstirr in the air, from how thickly it clings to your father.
He must have done something truly impressive for the orthstirr to have still not settled. A broad grin stretches from ear-to-ear, you can't wait to hear the story!
As the sled draws in, you start to make out some of the finer details hidden by your father's glory. Two strangers sit in the back, one clapped in chains. Thralls, you realize.
The differences between the two thralls are stark. One is young, no older than you, with a body honed for battle while the other looks older than Steinarr! He's dressed in a brown smock tied at the waist with cord and his hair is cut short but leaves the top bald and shiny.
Why Steinarr thought that a man as old as that would be a good addition to the farm you have no idea.
The sled stops a few dozen paces away from where the family is gathered. Steinarr leaps down from the side with a happy look in his eyes. You notice that he carries not just Crowfeeder, but two other swords in his shield-hand!
One of the swords looks rather plain, like something a young warrior from a well-off family would use. The other, though, is a work of art.
Your breath catches in your throat as you see it, even sheathed as it is. It's a sword with a long grip and a longer blade, one easily longer than your wingspan. The guard is wide and, much like Crowfeeder, is shaped to look like the wings of a bird. Though, unlike Crowfeeder, these wings belong to something more like a sparrow than a raven or crow.
"Good afterno-Oof!" Steinarr takes a step back as you slam into him with a hug. Your eyes snap wide as the cold touch of mail presses against your skin. It glistens in the winter sun, a shining piece of Steinarr's earned glory.
Steinarr hugs you back and the rest of the family joins in. But even as the love warms you all, you can feel the shouldering gaze of hate crawling across your form.
You turn your head and lock eyes with the younger thrall. Thralls can't have orthstirr, nor can they gain it, but yet power flows within his body. A power that belongs to something foreign, something different. It doesn't feel wrong, per se, not like the Witch's strength, but it's nothing you're familiar with either.
He looks away first, chains clanking as he turns to speak to the older thrall. His language is a foreign one, but you're more interested in the runes covering the iron bands on his wrists and ankles. Every once in a while they glow with a soft red light, but other than that they're inert. Simple runes with a cunning twist. Allow me.
'Swallow Pride, Humble Self. Know No Power Till Deemed Free'.
You're not sure where that knowledge came from, but apparently you can read runes now? You look to the runes again, but they still make no sense to your eyes. Neither do Crowfeeder's, for that matter.
That is rather weird...
After drawing away from the hug, Steinarr brings the two new thralls down and introduces them to the family.
"Everyone, this is Jerasmus the Mendicant and his... student? Squire Gabriel." He points to the older thrall and younger thrall, respectively.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Jerasmus bows deeply, the smooth bald spot shining bright. He jostles Gabriel after he hesitates, who grumbles something and dips his head in the shallowest bow you've ever seen. "I feel I must apologize for my young friend's silence. For you see, he speaks not a lick of your wonderful tongue."
Jerasmus smiles at the wordplay. Despite your earlier misgivings, you can't help but appreciate the old man's jolly enthusiasm.
"Can you farm?" Asveig, however, doesn't.
"In all the many dozens of decades I have been graced with life, I have not yet had the pleasure of partaking in the toil of the common-folk." There's a sparkle in his eye as he rolls up his sleeves. You notice that he doesn't have his own version of Gabriel's iron bands. "But, as with all new things, I find that it is best to learn through experience!" This man is harmless, but he should still not be left unbound.
Asveig notices the same thing as you and she flicks a question to Steinarr. He glances at the house, his answer clear; 'We'll talk about this later'. Asveig frowns, but drops it.
As the family introduces themselves to the new thralls, Steinarr reaches into the back of the sled and hauls out a big chest. He drops it on the ground with a grin as whatever's inside clanks and rattles.
"Want to see what else I won?" He asks as he crouches down next to the lid. After a resounding chorus of 'Of course!', he opens the lid with a broad smile.
Inside sits a suit of... Armor? Is that what it is? Or maybe it's dinner plates? You quirk your head to the side as you look upon the pile of iron plates resting under a face-covering helmet.
The rest of the family's reaction must have been the same as yours, as Steinarr's smile was swiftly replaced with an awkward grimace. "Ah, well..." he searches for an escape route, but Jerasmus steps in before he can find one.
"A wonderful piece of metalworking!" Jerasmus begins with a clear passion for teaching as he scoops the helmet up. He examines it like any well-learned man would look upon anything. "This is a suit of Knightly Armor, Unbound at that! Something like this would be worth quite the princely sum in southernly lands, for with it a Knight changes from simply a powerful warrior to a nearly-unstoppable titan of mayhem-inflicting bloodshed! Unfortunately," his next words put a damper on your building enthusiasm, "it is next to useless when utilized by anyone other than a Knight or a Squire." He claps Gabriel around the shoulders, "Like young Gabriel here."
"Yes, that's... that's what this is. Yes." Steinarr nods, lips pinched. You get the feeling that while he did know what it was, he didn't have the words to describe it properly. "I also brought back a few hundred ounces of silver and Sparrowfall here." He jerks a thumb at the beautiful sword leaning against the sled.
As you begin moving the loot into the house, you notice that Steinarr bears a new scar on his left arm. It's a large, jagged thing that wraps around his bicep. It almost looks as if it was cut off, but clearly, he still has it. He also walks with the lightest of limps in his right leg.
He must have gotten into some crazy fights while away.
(Steinarr's Training is now active and improved thanks to Steinarr fully shaking off the rust!)
((3+1 Drengskapr)= +4 Orthstirr for simply being related to Steinarr)
(Gabriel added to Relations)
(Jerasmus added to Relations)
0~0~0 Ask Randi to tell you some stories
The new thralls didn't worship any of the Gods, instead they're something called 'Christians' and worship just one God. Christians seem to be enemies of Norsemen, so you reckon that it's a good idea to learn about them.
"Randi?" You ask one evening, when the last of the chores were being done. "Can you tell me a story about the Christians?"
Randi pauses in her work and taps her chin thoughtfully, her black hair cut to her ears, like all thralls. She's seventeen years your elder, though she's always seemed more like a big sister — a better one than Asva! — than an adult woman. "I don't know many about Christians, but I do know one."
Randi launches into a tale about, like many of her tales, brave vikingar. She describes them as they began an attack on a town near a monastery, how the defenders fought heroically and died on their feet, like men. The warriors honored their memories by cleansing their homes of any lingering malignant spirits.
However, the townspeople had fled to the monastery with most of their wealth. Up until this point in time, no monastery had been hit by vikingar, so it was thought of as safe. And they were correct!
For, you see, no vikingr had yet managed to breach into a monastery, for their faith in their God kept the warriors out. Nothing could touch the Christian's golden wall. No arrow nor spear nor trick could even as much as blemish the shield.
But, among them was a cunning warrior called Thormarr, who would later be known as Thormarr Faithbreaker. He hatched a brilliant plan after listening to the Christians' taunts and jeers. If it was the Christian's faith that fueled the shield, then he'd simply have to weaken their faith and the shield would fall.
He had his men scour the scorched town for artifacts of Christian faith. He proceeded, in full view of those trapped within the monastery, to burn and deface their God's idols. When nothing happened to him, despite the monks' claims that he'd be struck down, their faith wavered.
And the shield fell.
And much plunder was had.
(+1 temporary hamingja for the rest of the season)
0~0~0 You, Abjorn, Stigr, and Aki go on a fun jaunt to the meteor
"Do we really have to bring him along?" Stigr whispers as you lead the band into the hills. You're in the front, Abjorn a few paces to your rear with Stigr on the other side. Aki brings up the rear with his raven circling high in the sky.
"Halla said so." Abjorn replies with a giant shrug. He and Aki never had any problems, as far as you were aware. Stigr, on the other hand, once threw Aki down a hill. As far as you know, he never apologized for it, either.
"And what Halla says goes?" Stigr scoffs, shaking his head. "Boy you're whipped already. Are you sure that Halla's the woman in your-"
Abjorn scowls and a hand lashes out, stopping Stigr in his tracks. He lifts him by the back of his shirt and holds him in the air, limbs dangling wildly. Stigr's eyes widen as he passes over a bank of muddy snow.
"H-hey, man, take it easy! It was just a jo-" He's thankfully muffled by a mouthful of mud and snow. Aki snickers and just as Stigr digs himself out, a splatter of white lands on his head, curtesy of the raven. He sighs, slumping over. "Yep, that was deserved. Sorry!"
"It's fine," you say, Abjorn nodding his assent. Stigr will probably never learn to shut his mouth, but at least he knows when he screws up, nor does he ever mean anything he says. And while something like that might not hold much water with most people, it does with his friends.
As you move into the hills, your lacking speed immediately makes itself apparent. Aki, with his 9 year-old legs, just can't keep up with you, Stigr, and Abjorn. He's lagging behind and he's slowing you down.
You shoot a glance at Abjorn, who nods. He takes a couple steps towards Aki, who gives him a wary look.
"Hop on," Abjorn says. He's holding out a massive arm for Aki to climb onto.
Aki, however, is having none of it. He scowls, mask slipping. "I am a man! I can handle the hill!"
"You're slowing us down. Hop on or be left behind."
Aki blinks, teeth grinding together. Suddenly, the mask slips back on. "Okay," is all he says as he climbs onto Abjorn's back.
With Aki no longer slowing the party down, you make much faster time and arrive at the crash site well before mid-day.
In the middle of a crater as deep as Abjorn's thigh, a large, blackened boulder sits nestled in the dirt. Swirls of red and green cover the black, charred surface and, upon touch, you feel the shapes and designs.
Something like a big snake with arms is carved into the outside, whiskers and beard floating along beside it. Inscriptions and characters cover the surface, though you recognize none of them.
After everyone has a chance to examine it, you turn to them. "Well, any ideas on what this thing is?"
"It's obviously man-made," Stigr says as he scratches at his bare cheeks. "But I don't know anyone who makes stuff like that."
"Neither do I." Abjorn adds, shaking his head.
"It came from the east, far to the east," Aki says as his raven perches on the rock. "I think that someone... threw it?" He frowns. "It's as if someone threw it in an attempt to get rid of it. There's something inside, as well, but... none of the spirits have any idea what this thing is or how to open it."
"Couldn't we just smash it open?" Stigr asks, leaning on his spear. "I bet that Abjorn could crack it."
"No, it's sealed against things like that." Aki shrugs, shaking his head. "I think that if you hit it, it.... It explodes." You all immediately back away upon hearing that.
"So Halla's got a big, explosive rock in her backyard that someone threw to try and get rid of." Stigr sums up what you've learned. "It also contains something, but nobody has any idea what it is or how to open it. Maybe whoever threw it did so to get rid of it?"
You shrug. "That's as good a theory as any."
Your dreams that night are of straw-stuffed creatures battling against an unarmed, but far from defenseless man.
0~0~0
Seasonal (Pick 1):
[ ] (Seasonal) Celebrate Yule
-[ ] What do you try to make? (Optional Write in)
0~0~0
Personal (Pick 1):
[ ] (What Happened to Me?) Something happened to you, start asking around.
-[ ] Who? (Write in)
[ ] (Personal) Stigr came by, asking if you wanted to go fishing with him. (Hamr+Fishing)
[ ] (Personal) Ask Randi to tell you some stories
-[ ] (Optional) Write in the topic
[ ] (Violent) Pick a fight or spar with...
-[ ] Eric, your older brother, for fun
-[ ] One of the local boys, for violence and/or fun! (Optional Write In)
-[ ] Asva (You doubt she'd be willing to fight you, but maybe you can needle her enough?)
[ ] (Personal) Spend time with... (Write in)
[ ] (Crafting) Try to make something (Write in) (Hugr+Some kind of crafting skill)
0~0~0
Exploration/Travel (Pick 1 or none):
[ ] (Visit) Go visit...
-[ ] The Witch! (Actually, it's probably a good idea to avoid her entirely)
-[ ] Asvir!
-[ ] Vidby, Abjorn's Farm
-[ ] Kerby, Stigr's Farm
-[ ] Buriby, Osborn's Farm (Has a guaranteed chance of ending in a fight)
-[ ] Glebby, Sverre's Farm
-[ ] Runby, Aki's Farm
-[ ] One of the two undiscovered farms
--[ ] The newly built one to the north
--[ ] The one at the bottom of the river
[ ] (Exploration) Go on a walk through...
-[ ] The fields!
-[ ] The Hading!
-[ ] The hills!
--[ ] (Optional) Towards where the flaming thing landed. Maybe there's something you missed?
0~0~0
Training: You have 12d6 training dice to spend as you see fit.
[ ] (Steinarr's Training) (Optional) Ask Steinarr to teach you a trick/some tricks (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Hamr (15 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a hamr skill or trick (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Hugr (7 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a hugr skill or trick (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Fylgja (4 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a fylgja skill or trick (Write in)
0~0~0
Orthstirr Available: 15
How do you want to use your orthstirr?
[ ] (Orthstirr Usage) (Write in)
0~0~0
(Random Event: 5)
You find another coin on the ground. Lucky you!
(+1 hamingja for the rest of the season)
(+1 Ounce of Silver)
0~0~0
AN: Lots of stuff happened in this one! You had a solid bit of luck this turn, as well.
Very good idea to bring Aki with you when you checked out the meteor. You'd have gotten way less information otherwise. So you can feel good about that.
You've also just got a ton of training dice now, so that's good.
25-minute moratorium.
One thing to clarify. I know that plate armor wasn't a thing in this time period. However, I think it looks cool so I'm utilizing my artistic license and including it. One of the inspirations for this quest was the game For Honor, of all things, and the concept of a plate-armored knight going up against a viking captured my imagination and I just couldn't not include it.
and possibly more for the sound than language. I think I got the syllable counts right, the alliteration and most of the rhymes, but didn't really count stresses tbh: