This is worth a shot, yeah. We can only spend 4 Odr per time we use it at most...if that works, we'd happily do it every turn. Even if it just significantly reduces symptoms, that's still really good...if it even mildly reduces symptoms we'd Master it and maybe Perfect it to do a better job at that.

In addition to this, there's also the prospect of designing our own Seidr spells to specifically try and target his cognitive decline. Solrun is a more experienced and skilled Seidr user than we are, and will presumably have already done this with stuff like the leaves she had him chew. But we have one advantage she does not: we can cheat using Odr to lend extra power to the spells.

It's good that we're speaking with her now about treatments that might help. If nothing else, the fact that we live a lot nearer and can devote more of our time to Steinarr's care means that we can help alleviate his symptoms. Longer term, assuming everyone lives through the raid, it might be worth thinking about getting him to come and live with us or with Sten, or having someone move back home to help look after him.

...God, I really don't like how similar this this feels to IRL discussions about caring for family members I'm sure many of us have had to have.
 
It's good that we're speaking with her now about treatments that might help. If nothing else, the fact that we live a lot nearer and can devote more of our time to Steinarr's care means that we can help alleviate his symptoms. Longer term, assuming everyone lives through the raid, it might be worth thinking about getting him to come and live with us or with Sten, or having someone move back home to help look after him.
Sten already lives with him and Sten's got Randi and his wife on hand if he needs assistance with Steinarr.
...God, I really don't like how similar this this feels to IRL discussions about caring for family members I'm sure many of us have had to have.
If you need to take a break from the quest, feel free to. I'll shoot you a PM when it's over, as long as I don't forget. I have a plan for Steinarr.

0~0~0

Apologies for being later then usual, I got super distracted while thinking about NQ and spent, like, an hour and a half pacing. Give me another hour and I'll be good to go
 
In addition to this, there's also the prospect of designing our own Seidr spells to specifically try and target his cognitive decline. Solrun is a more experienced and skilled Seidr user than we are, and will presumably have already done this with stuff like the leaves she had him chew. But we have one advantage she does not: we can cheat using Odr to lend extra power to the spells.

It's good that we're speaking with her now about treatments that might help. If nothing else, the fact that we live a lot nearer and can devote more of our time to Steinarr's care means that we can help alleviate his symptoms.

Yeah, higher investment alone might help. We'll need to see what we can come up with.

Longer term, assuming everyone lives through the raid, it might be worth thinking about getting him to come and live with us or with Sten, or having someone move back home to help look after him.

As IF notes, Sten is already living with him. If we find a good treatment for him that needs to be administered regularly, we might need to revisit arrangements, but honestly probably not given that we are effectively next door neighbors with a lot of personal mobility...we could visit daily with no trouble.

...God, I really don't like how similar this this feels to IRL discussions about caring for family members I'm sure many of us have had to have.

Yeah, it's a rough topic. I've been lucky and avoided the issue personally for the most part, but it's always a concern with elderly relatives.
 
oh, i see there is already a switch to ask about Steinarr. can we also switch where she lives for counters/detection about the doppelgangers?
That's an excellent point. I'm gonna switch the shroud question out, since that's interesting but we have no reason to believe it's time sensitive
[X] Yes, there is!
-[X] ask about Steinarr's condition and what kinds of things she knows we might be able to do to help him, even temporarily.
-[x] ask about detecting dopplegangers and possessing spirits, since that's come up twice recently.
-[X] Reprise our question about where she stays in the winter and invitation to stay with us if she would prefer
 
Sten already lives with him and Sten's got Randi and his wife on hand if he needs assistance with Steinarr.
As IF notes, Sten is already living with him. If we find a good treatment for him that needs to be administered regularly, we might need to revisit arrangements, but honestly probably not given that we are effectively next door neighbors with a lot of personal mobility...we could visit daily with no trouble.

Ah, I'd completely blanked on that. That's good.

If you need to take a break from the quest, feel free to. I'll shoot you a PM when it's over, as long as I don't forget. I have a plan for Steinarr.

Thank you for the offer, but it shouldn't be a problem.

I think this was definitely an... interesting choice for a plot arc in a quest, but I respect what you're trying to do here by giving us something we can't really stab to death. It definitely jives with the themes of mortality which you've consistently put front-and-centre from the outset, so I can't really say it wasn't foreshadowed in a sense. The fact that we've all found it a bit upsetting is testament to the way you've got us invested in these characters, I think.
 
Thank you for the offer, but it shouldn't be a problem.
Alright, just keep in mind that you can bow out at any time—and this goes for the rest of you, too! Just send me a PM or leave a comment and I'll get back to you when it's over.

0~0~0

Voting is now closed
Scheduled vote count started by Imperial Fister on Oct 6, 2023 at 7:21 PM, finished with 55 posts and 6 votes.

  • [X] Yes, there is!
    -[X] ask about Steinarr's condition and what kinds of things she knows we might be able to do to help him, even temporarily.
    -[x] ask about the Divine shroud around Steinarr's soul: what it is, what it does, what it means, where it comes from
    -[X] Reprise our question about where she stays in the winter and invitation to stay with us if she would prefer
    [X] Yes, there is!
    -[X] ask about Steinarr's condition and what kinds of things she knows we might be able to do to help him, even temporarily.
    -[x] ask about detecting dopplegangers and possessing spirits, since that's come up twice recently.
    -[X] Reprise our question about where she stays in the winter and invitation to stay with us if she would prefer
 
Summer 10/Revenge Raid 0
Depictions of grief
[X] Yes, there is!
-[X] ask about Steinarr's condition and what kinds of things she knows we might be able to do to help him, even temporarily.
-[x] ask about the Divine shroud around Steinarr's soul: what it is, what it does, what it means, where it comes from
-[X] Reprise our question about where she stays in the winter and invitation to stay with us if she would prefer
0~0~0

Amidst the colorful tapestry of the Asvir autumnal season stands a leaf-swamped tent. Piles of once-fallen now-raked leaves stand like sentinels guarding the home of an honored member of the community. The ground crunches beneath your feet as you wave to Arnfinn Heavystep, Torgny Shocker, and Somerled Lungingwalk—who had become friends over the course of their time with you—as they rake yet more leaves from the ever-filling ground. They smile and return the wave before getting back to work.

Staring at the blue-cloth flap to the Seeress' tent, your thoughts could only charitably be described as 'orderly.' You leap from one potential to the next, from the stories of 'dopplegangers' to where she goes in the winter, but it always returns back to your father eventually.

Steinarr... Age has a way of bringing the greatest of men to their knees. You'd heard the tales just like everyone, of how warriors once unstoppable were felled by the creak of their knees and the pain in their back. It's just that, well, there's a difference between hearing stories and witnessing them with your own two eyes.

Honestly, it's difficult to just accept that this is how it is now. He was fine just a few months ago! Or, well, at least he looked it. What changed between then and now? Was it the news of the approaching raid? Was that, to borrow a phrase from Gary Tuskpuncher, the straw that broke the camel's back?

Or... Or was it, maybe, Asveig's death? He fell into a deep depression after it, his grief driving him to do and say terrible things to the undeserving. If it were another spirit, then, at least, you could solve the problem with a precise application of violence! Something tells you, though, that this is different.

Besides, even ridding Steinarr's lands of the scorn-pole didn't return him to his previous self—though sometimes you caught a flicker of the man who raised you in the man who he returned to. It wasn't ever clear, just the way he'd deliver a joke or in how he'd tilt his head, but it was there. It was enough to latch on to, for him to be your father in truth rather then name.

It's still there, even now, but it's faded yet further.

But maybe, just maybe—you set your jaw as you stare at the Seeress' tent, having finished organizing your thoughts—there's something you can do about it.

Striding forward boldly, you fling the tent flap aside with far too much force, leaving you standing awkwardly before the Seeress with her now-tattered door dangling from your fist. She sighs and sets a new pot of tea to boil. It's going to be a long, long day, you can feel it. As soon as you crossed the threshold, it was like the world was placed on your shoulders

"You're upset," you stiffen as she breaks the nascent silence threatening to grow between you.

"I'm not," the lie leaving a shameful, acrid taste on your tongue.

She pauses in her grinding of tea leaves to give you the look—a half-lidded, eyebrow-arching, chin-tucking expression of utter doubt and complete disbelief. It's a look that could quell the heart of a raging berserk. A look that expresses her thoughts and opinions far better then mere words ever could. A single, gentle sentence leaves her lips—the perfectly spoken accent mark to the raw power of the look, "You are safe here, Halla Steinarsdottir."

Unwanted words slip free from your lips, "I... It's just..." You swallow the lump in your throat, the brief pause all it takes to unleash the flood that had been building for well over a week.

Tears stream down your face as you collapse backwards into a chair that wasn't there before, but you're in no place right now to question it. You sob into your hands as the mournful cry of a nearby raven fills your ears. Your dry-throated, heaving moans soon join its symphony of tears as time passes at a glacial pace.

At some point, you ran out of tears—but your sorrow still remains.

The sudden warmth of a teacup against your hands is a lifeline you grab with all ten fingers. The nectar enters your mouth as the once bitter taste now coats your throat and tongue with liquid compassion. Like a caring mother's unconditional embrace, it warms your entire body with its love.

"Take as long as you need," Solrun says as she brews another pot—the last having followed the first cup down your throat, "I'll be here."

Two pots later, your heartrate settles as you feel like you can breathe again.

"Thank you," your voice is a hoarse husk despite the cups of tea, beaten bloody by your full-body sobs. 'Really, I... I don't know how I'd..." You trail off, not sure where to go.

"Are you ready? It's okay if you're not," Solrun asks gently as she sits down across from you, her own teacup in her hands—the first she'd brewed for herself since you arrived.

"I am," you nod, surprising yourself with how true those words actually are. It's then that you realize just how much you needed this, how much you needed someone to talk to. Abjorn tries, and you love him for it, but this is not where his talents lie. The loss of Blackhand's ever-present well of advice and wisdom stands ever-starker with every passing day.

Solrun returns the nod, "Then begin whenever, and wherever, you're most comfortable."

Swallowing the lump in your throat, you do just that, "It's... It's my father," Solrun's eyes shine with understanding. "I'm," you sigh, "I-I just want to know why this is happening. Why Steinarr? Why," your voice cracks, "my Dad?"

Waiting a moment to make sure you finish, Solrun folds her hands in her lap and tries to answer, "Put simply, the human body and mind is simply not built to burn as brightly has he for as long as he has. This is a common occurrence amongst our people, the price we pay to gain glories at an unmatched pace. But, in your bloodline, that trait shines far brighter then most. Towards the end of his life, Blackhand," she sighs, her eyes seeing sights unknown as you listen in silence, "was a tragic, mess of a man. His joints were calcifying almost before our eyes as a lifetime of violence finally caught up to him. His skin was barely attached, so much so that I once watched him accidentally strip the skin from his arm after getting it caught on a fish hook. His mind, though, was still sharp."

"Which, well, isn't the case for Dad," you honestly don't know which you'd rather suffer. The loss of the mind or the loss of the body? All you can do is hope your fated day comes before that time, else you find out for yourself, "Is there anything that can be done?"

"I spend all summer peddling my services to Asvir so that I can spend all winter pursuing an answer to that question," she looks down at her withered, age spot-ridden hands as a sigh escapes her lips. "In all that time, after all those years, I've found only one solution; the apples Idunn cultivates in her orchard."

You lean in, "How do I get there?"

Solrun shakes her head and your heart sinks, "Idunn doesn't give out apples for nothing, not after Loki's cruelties. In order to get even the skins," she turns her head to where a hand-tall jar half-filled with golden apple skins sits in an honored spot atop a small shrine, "I had to promise her the last fruit of my womb."

"You promised her Kolla," the words ring hollow to your ears, the horror of such a concept leaving a foul taste in your mouth.

"I did," the Seeress hangs her head in honest shame. "In truth, though she comes from my womb, I am only Kolla's foster mother. One day, one day Idunn will come for her," her jaw tightens as she forces out the next words, "and I will be alone once more."

"If you'd like," it's an impulsive decision, but a just one nonetheless, "you can live with me?"

Solrun's nod is infinitesimal, her voice quieter than the most moss-toed mouse, "I'd like that, yes."

"Alright," you say, already thinking of where to lodge her in your home, "I... have one more question, if that's alright?"

It's a bit surreal to have been comforted by her one moment to comforting her the next. Regardless, she nods, a flicker of humor in her eye, "Go ahead. I'm rather good at answering questions, I've found."

You chuckle light-heartedly, desperate for something to break the tension even just a little bit, "Well, Sten said that there was a 'divine shroud' concealing Steinarr's soul. What do you know about that? When did it appear? What does it do? Things like that."

"It," Solrun frowns ever-so-slightly as she considers the question, "is like nothing I've ever seen in all my years and I've borne witness to Valkyrie Protection before, but this is beyond even them."

"Valkyrie Protection?"

"Valkyries are capable of wrapping those they deem worthy in shrouds of magical protection. Their magic makes mine look like a parlor trick, yet this... I can't imagine that anyone else other then the Gods would be capable of such a thing." Solrun tries a laugh, like she can't believe that it exists, "I can't even feel its presence, let alone see or even attempt to do anything about it! The only reason I know it's there is that I can't feel his soul!"

You know it's not true, but you have to ask, "Do you think it could be, well..."

"The cause?" Solrun takes your hands in her own. "Oh child, Steinarr has done nothing to draw the Gods' ire. He serves them as well as any man could ever hope to." She releases your hands and rises to her feet, gesturing for you to follow her to the shrine. "Come, I'll show you how to prepare the skins for your-"

The world rattles as the long, drawn-out blare of a war horn fills the air.

"Father..." Solrun trails off as she turns her Seersight pointlessly on the oceans, knowing the same as you exactly what that horn means. "They're here," she whispers, her voice trembling in fear as she snatches the jar from the shrine, "Three ships, two-hundred and thirty men." Your blood chills in your veins as her once-more normal eyes flick to you, "Go, child, and tell the Headsman," she says as she lifts the lid on a chest to retrieve a cloak of glossy black feathers before swiftly wrapping it around her shoulders, "I will tell your family and give your father," the jar rattles in her hands, "this."

You don't get to respond as, the moment the cloak clasps shut, an elderly raven takes the place of your vanished mentor. Solrun-raven eyes you just long enough to make sure you understand before flapping her wings and soaring through the now-empty doorway—leaving you all alone.

Gods, just once, you'd really like to have a break.

Nevertheless, you've a job to do. Steeling yourself, you set out to do just that.

0~0~0
The War Council
"Two-hundred and thirty men," Dorri collapses against his chair as he ages twenty years in half as many seconds. "Where'd they get so many?"

Framarr Heavyhand, Dorri's eldest son and heir-apparent, steps forward with a piece of birch bark in hand. He lays it flat against the map-laden war room table and points to the charcoal drawing of a three-headed seabird in flight upon it, "Scouts saw this emblem on the biggest ship. It might answer the question."

Dorri leans in to get a better look, quickly collecting himself in the process, "That's the symbol of Aggilsfjord, a Jarldom not far from here." He taps a finger against an armrest, digging a dent deeper with every seemingly-light tap. "We harried there last summer, during the famine. This must be their revenge."

Logi picks then to speak up, "If we muster every able-bodied man in the Valley, we could just about match that number—if we loosened our definitions of 'able-bodied'." He pauses for a moment, "And also 'man.'"

"In times of trouble," Dorri murmurs under a sigh, "boys must wield their father's swords."

"Will we receive any help from Corpsemaker?" Framarr asks as he eyes the map of potential landing sites.

Logi's laugh is a harsh, cruel thing. "A foolish question, boy! Corpsemaker's been waiting for an opportunity like this for years, there's not a chance we'll see even a single arrowhead of help from him."

Dorri doesn't stop him, which is telling in of itself. "Two-hundred and thirty men on three ships leaves little room for supplies, let alone personal space. They'll be looking for a quick resupply and a chance to stretch their legs before the big fight." He nods towards one of the silent servants in the hall, "Send a message to the coastal farms that their families are welcome in my hall and to leave their supplies behind—it'll only slow them down. I'll reimburse them for any lost goods."

The servant sucks in a deep, nervous breath before bowing, pivoting on the spot, and then tearing out from the hall with a trail of fire following his footsteps. As the servant makes his exit, Logi leans in with narrowed eyes and a sly grin, "I'd know that look on your face anywhere, Dorri. What's brewing in that big brain of yours?"

Dorri chuckles and leans on an arm, "They'll want to resupply as soon as possible, which means that they'll send parties out to hit the closest farms. One farm won't be enough to keep all those men fed, though, so they'll have to send out many bands at once. They'll also have to leave men behind to guard the ships and every man left behind is another not going out to bring back food, which means that they'll be forced to give that role to their best, most effective warriors."

"Meaning that their best won't be with the foraging parties," Logi mirrors his best friend's chuckle, a bloodthirsty gleam in his fiery eyes, "Which leaves both vulnerable."

"How will we take advantage?" Framarr scratches at his arm, looking rather uncomfortable to have so many people around him. He's the kind of person who likes to be by themselves, free to pursue their own interests without fear of any disturbance. With the hall as packed as it is, he can't be happy.

"We could hit their ships," Logi suggests, clearly eager to test himself against strong foes. "Taking out both their rides and their best would deal a heavy blow to their willingness to fight."

"It would, however, leave those foraging bands free rein to plunder our homes as they please," Dorri frowns as he leans back in his chair. "Something I am rather loathe to do."

"We could," Folkmarr speaks up for the first time, "do both, right? Our best fight their best while the rest fight their rest."

As the council falls silent to mull it over, you realize that this may very well be the best chance you get to have your say.

What do you do?
[ ] Side with Logi and hit the ships with all you have
[ ] Side with Dorri and mop up the foraging bands
[ ] Side with Folkmarr and send your best to the ships while the rest deal with the plunderers
[ ] Suggest something else (Write in)
[ ] Say nothing and let fate have its way

0~0~0

AN: Man, this was a lot of fun to write. I must admit that I've missed getting to really dig into a scene.

No moratorium, but this'll be the only update for today, like as not.
 
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Hmmm I'd be tempted to mop up the foraging bands. A sort of defeat in detail, take out their weakest (and most numerous), but leave them still hungry. It does have the fault of leaving their strongest around though, and still allows them to move on.
 
[X] Side with Dorri and mop up the foraging bands

i say we kill the mooks and then swarm the elite fighters with everyone we have


side note holy fuck Solrun what the fuck??!!
 
There's actual hope for Steinarr's treatment. That's...that's a lot. Solrun really is part of the family at this point.

side note holy fuck Solrun what the fuck??!!

In fairness, Idunn is, in most depictions, a pretty nice Goddess as these things go. It's not like giving your kid over to a monster to be eaten or something. Still a deeply messed up situation, though.

On the actual vote.

I think mopping up the foraging bands is probably right. It lets us whittle down their numbers with, hopefully, minimal risk. I could be convinced to go with Logi's suggestion, but I think it's riskier and there'll be more collateral damage. Folkmarr's suggestion is listed in the dictionary under 'Hubris'.

[X] Side with Dorri and mop up the foraging bands
 
[X] Side with Dorri and mop up the foraging bands

I like the idea of taking them out piece meal while also not letting them plunder our lands.
 
[X] Side with Dorri and mop up the foraging bands

I think defeat in detail is our best hope of winning this, and leaving them extra hungry as a result can push them into making more mistakes.
 
We've got a lot of mobility going for us, leaving a strong garrison to deter their main dudes from going while we sweep their raiders should have good effect.

Hopefully our mail should tilt the odds in our favor.

[X] Side with Dorri and mop up the foraging bands

Glory's important, but this is our home, letting them have their way with it doesn't sit right.
 
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Given Halla has an essentially medieval understanding of health, it's not unreasonable that we don't know the disease or condition which is causing this: because Halla herself wouldn't. But it is a bit of a puzzler; I want to emphasise that this kind of cognitive decline at Steinarr's age is really rare. Dementia-like symptoms are not a normal consequence of being in your late 50s or early 60s, or even of most terminal illnesses.

Vascular dementia caused by cumulative strain on the circulatory system by Stoker State might be a good candidate? But for obvious reasons I'm a bit loath to suggest we canonise this explanation given Halla and essentially our entire extended family would also be at risk.
Or it could be fantasy norse-cultivator dementia.
Kinda like rl dementia, but not the same.

In addition to this, there's also the prospect of designing our own Seidr spells to specifically try and target his cognitive decline. Solrun is a more experienced and skilled Seidr user than we are, and will presumably have already done this with stuff like the leaves she had him chew. But we have one advantage she does not: we can cheat using Odr to lend extra power to the spells.

It's good that we're speaking with her now about treatments that might help. If nothing else, the fact that we live a lot nearer and can devote more of our time to Steinarr's care means that we can help alleviate his symptoms. Longer term, assuming everyone lives through the raid, it might be worth thinking about getting him to come and live with us or with Sten, or having someone move back home to help look after him.

...God, I really don't like how similar this this feels to IRL discussions about caring for family members I'm sure many of us have had to have.
We could also try to ask old one eye directly (as someone already suggested).
And we could try contacting the Fylgjukona.

[reading update]
Well. Somuch for that.

I got an alternative idea.
Risky, but would give Steinarr a good send off:

Gamble, and hope that Ymir considers the dying-of-decrepitude Steinarr to fall under "nothing will come of it, not worth a reaction" and tell him the secret of true cultivation.
Then he can fight the invasion with the powerup and kick a metric ton of arse before finding his true death.

[] Side with Dorri and mop up the foraging bands
-[] Hurry home, offer Steinarr a secret to help him better protect his home family and friends. If he accepts take the risk and guide him through his first true cultivation.


@Imperial Fister
is there enough time for this suggestion, or would that take too long and we miss the fighting?
edit: with the answer, the subvote is useless. So removed.
edit2: With the clarified answer... Lets do the best to give Steinarr his best chance to burn bright.

[X] Hurry home, offer Steinarr a secret to help him better protect his home family and friends. If he accepts take the risk and guide him through his first true cultivation. Give him the pointer how to best use his new powers.
 
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-[X] Hurry home, offer Steinarr a secret to help him better protect his home family and friends. If he accepts take the risk and guide him through his first true cultivation.

By what Solrun said, I highly doubt this would even help. Blackhand still had aging issues despite all his Odr after all. If it did help, it would do so via Hugr Infusion. And Steinarr infusing Hugr results in him going berserk. There might theoretically be a safe way to do it, but definitely not one we have time for.

Also, Solrun already offered a treatment. At least in the short term.
 
By what Solrun said, I highly doubt this would even help. Blackhand still had aging issues despite all his Odr after all. If it did help, it would do so via Hugr Infusion. And Steinarr infusing Hugr results in him going berserk. There might theoretically be a safe way to do it, but definitely not one we have time for.

Also, Solrun already offered a treatment. At least in the short term.
Your argument fundamentally misses my point:
This isn't about saving Steinarrs live.
This is about accepting the painful truth "all men die" and giving Steinarr the best chance to shine one last time, rather than him withering away.
 
[X] Side with Dorri and mop up the foraging bands

Not as glorious but with how fast we are probably for the best we help here.
 
Your argument fundamentally misses my point:
This isn't about saving Steinarrs live.
This is about accepting the painful truth "all men die" and giving Steinarr the best chance to shine one last time, rather than him withering away.

I understood that. My point is that it wouldn't actually help his cognitive problems, and would thus not be useful at all even as a 'burn bright and die' kind of thing.
 
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