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Winter 10/Turn 1 Part 2
[X] You've got a few ideas
-[X] The last of them gave you some information as weregild, that someone masterminded this and called them to strike at Steinarr. You've also been tested for being a doppelganger twice in the lead-up to this attack, including by _Dwarves_ when you negotiated for the metal for Dorri's commission, and they're aloof from human politics. Someone's meddling, and you get a feeling that he's being set-up, since you don't see what anyone involved in the current political mess gains from Father's death that would be worth gold enough to move the elite of a Warband. You're going to do some digging to track the mastermind, and that'll require finishing your training with Solrun, but you should both be on guard for the possibility of a third party wearing other's faces in your searches.
0~0~0
Brother Talk
"When I arrived at the fight," with a splash of orthstirr as the paint and an extended finger as the brush, you draw your vibrant memories upon the table's meal-scratched surface. Sten and Eric have to squeeze in to get better looks, but they manage it without—much—complaint, "it was just in time to catch Alarik Dragon-Dancer before he left with comrades in tow.

"That the fucker that dealt Dad's death-blow?" You nod and immediately wince as the windows and doors buckle in their frames. Gray flakes fall like snow as Sten's growl shakes dust free from ceiling beams and furniture creaks in fear. Settling back down, Sten brushes his ribbon-braided hair clean with an apologetic sigh on his lips, "Something tells me he's gonna be the last name left on our list, by the time it's done."

"Norns would have it no other way," Eric huffs and folds his arms, his mien dark and anger-creased. "He's not gonna be easy to kill, either, given that he's the Heljarskinn's nephew."

"Not to mention that he's got some kind of self-reviving ability," you add before coughing into a fist, "but, uh, that's a bit beside the point." Clearing your throat, you continue on with your table-drawings, "Alarik offered some information as weregild—which, though I refused the offer, he still gave freely. He said that someone hired him and his men to kill Steinarr specifically. He didn't know their name or their face, as they communicated entirely through a 'fire-footed messenger'. All he knows is that they had a lot of money and some kind of reason to want Dad gone."

"Any more information?" Sten leans in at the mention of a 'fire-footed messenger'. "Could it have been a fire spirit messenger, or something?"

"Maybe, but," you offer an uncertain shrug, a scowl passing across your face, "he left pretty much immediately following my arrival. I would've stopped him had my strength not waned by that point."

"What a bastard," Sten scoffs his ire as Eric reaches across the table to lay a comforting pat on the shoulder.

"Anyways," Eric says as he returns to his seat, "anyone have any idea on who could have put the bounty on Dad?"

"Well, about that," you wince as eyes turn your way. "I've recently spoken with some dwarves and it turns out that they're dealing with some kind of 'doppelgänger' situation. I'm not certain that that's what's happening here, but it's a good thing to keep in mind if any evidence comes to light. Might also be a spiritual possession, but I'm not sure on that either."

"Spiritual possession?" Sten quirks his head to the side, "What, like, if your lounto or itse went missing and were replaced with something else?"

You blink. "I... Have no idea what you're talking about, but I only remembered it was a thing recently." Nodding towards your house, where Solrun slumbers even now, you continue, "I mean to ask Solrun about it whenever I get a chance in the coming days."

Eric nods at that, "I'll see if I can't dig up any records of Kyrsvikingar encountering anything 'doppelgänger-like'."

Sten blinks as all eyes turn to him. A flush rises on his cheeks as he folds his arms together, "I guess I'll, uh... Consult my memories, or something?" He shrugs, "Maybe something from Finland had a hand in this?"

With everyone having a plan of action, you agree to meet back up in a few months' time to compare findings.

0~0~0
Doppleganger
Roughly a week later, you catch Solrun just as she steps through the front-door. Hanging her raven-feathered shapecloak on the coat-stand, the Seeress sends an arched brow your way as she knocks mud from her shoes.

"You have a question," the corners of her wrinkled mouth curl towards her glimmering eyes. "I can see it on your face."

"Mama always has questions!" Sigurdr shouts from underneath the table, where he's working on assembling some manner of fortification from blankets and pillows. Asgeirr and Eyvor, in a rare showing of camaraderie, plan a Bjorney-assisted assault on Siggy's pillow-fort. Hallbjorn scowls from the kitchen—where he and Hallotta Kurtsdottir watch Steinulfr and Asveig—knowing that he'll be drawn into his siblings' antics soon enough.

Snorting with an odd mix of renewed nostalgia and ancient grief in her eyes, Solrun nods towards her claimed side room—where she stores a number of ingredients and various mixtures. "Come," she gestures for you to follow as she moves towards the doorway to her room, "my workplace awaits."

Following close behind, you shut the door tight as Solrun takes a seat next to the wood-stocked fireplace in the corner. As she rubs her hands together, you navigate across the box-filled floor and through dangling strands of ingredient-choked strings. With a surge of willpower directed by two wrinkle-ridden fingers, the fireplace erupts into a warm flame just as you drag a chair over to the space across from the Seeress.

Folding her hands in her lap, Solrun waits for you to start with a patient arch to her wizened brows—which you do with gusto! Clearing your throat with a smiling cough, you launch right into the question-asking, "So, when you gave me that drink after reviving me, you said that it was to see if I were 'controlled by something'? Is that a common problem or just a wise precaution?"

"The latter, fortunately." Solrun waves a hand through the air, leaving a trail of illusionary ripples in her wake. From the roaming ripples comes helpful images to better illustrate according to her will. "There are far, far more spirits than there are humans and, while I lack the exact ratio, I assume it to be something along the lines of a thousand-to-one."

You run thumb and forefinger across chin and jaw as the ripples transform into a thousand white dots and one red dot. "So, if there are so many spirits compared to humans, why isn't possession a common concern?"

"A good question," Solrun nods with a smile. "You see, the vast majority of spirits are too weak to have much of a presence on the branches let alone manifest a physical form like a fylgja. Sometimes, those spirits grow jealous of the gifts we received from the Gods—that of life, mobility, and sensation—and so they attempt to take it for themselves given the opportunity, such as during slumber." Waving her hand again, she directs the white dots to converge on the red dot. "However," the white vanishes the moment it touches the red, "spirits experience reality in a much lesser way than you or I, so when they experience reality at our level, they find themselves torn apart by the intensity—which is where nightmares come from."

"I assume this doesn't apply to stronger spirits, given that it's a concern at all?"

"You are correct, very good." Pride blossoms in your chest as you beam at her praise. "We, as Seers, are essentially beacons blazing away in the branches. With souls that are significantly more habitable to spirits, we are both the first choice and only choice for a wiser spirit seeking to experience sensation. As such, it is very important to take the necessary precautions whenever you walk the branches—as I have, of course, taught you. Fortunately, these precautions often prove redundant given that spirits are often slain by each other or by one's litilfylgjur when the opportunity to enter a Seer's soul presents itself."

"What are 'litilfylgjur'?" You tilt your head to the side as the Seeress waves a hand. The ripple-spun image twists and turns as an ever-changing specter barely larger than your fist presents itself before you.

"This is a litilfylgja," Solrun says as the ball of spiritual energy chirps and flips on the spot, "which are the spirits that assist one's fylgja in performing tasks assigned to it by the fylgjukona." Dashing her hand through the air, she dispells the illusion as she rises from her seat. Pointing a finger towards a trio of wax-sealed jars, she calls them to her hand with a flick of the wrist. A stench of acrid sulfur rises as she cracks one of the seals and explains how to mix the drink she gave you, "Spirits, lacking sensation, will always be excited to experience taste for the first time—no matter if whatever they have tastes good or bad. Feeding them a mixture of rotten eggs, spoiled milk, and cat whiskers will produce the same reaction as if you gave them the tastiest drink in your pantry. As such, you can use that mixture to test someone whose soul you suspect is sleeping."

You make a face as you follow her instructions and mix the so-called 'beverage'. Somewhat horrifically, it actually doesn't smell all that horrible, but that may just be thanks to the mercy of your imagination covering up the agonizing existence of the brew's true stench.

"Now," Solrun begins as, with a healthy application of wax, she seals both drinks into their own separate jars, "this test won't work on a spirit that's experienced it before and survived the removal process. It also won't work on an entity that experiences reality to a greater degree, such as a Dark Forester. If a Dark Forester is inhabiting a soul, nidheart is a common symptom."

With your questions answered, for now, you thank the Seeress before returning to your work.

0~0~0
Crafting (Heat Hold used on the knife)
With a heavy scowl on your face, you toss the work knife aside. It falls to the ground with a clatter as you, begrudgingly, wave a hand in its general direction. A blast of heat leaps from your palm and engulfs the knife, helping it retain its heat until you're ready to try again.

Seriously, how in all the Gods-damned realms did you screw up some simple runes! Gods, just what is up with your luck?!

Well, at least your Cindersoot owl did some fine work on the drinking horn's runes, so there's that!

(Wondrous Drinking Horn re-added to inventory. Its runes grant those that drink from it x2 XP to Silver-Tongue and Wordplay.)
0~0~0
Trying to find the Skogtatt (Hamingja: 16) 16 Successes
From your owl's eyes, you watch as it circles around a cliff-face cave at the edge of where the hills meets the mountains. Set directly into the side of a sheer cliff, you suspect that the cave isn't entirely natural. Judging by the tracks leading right up to the bottom of the cliff, this is where the skogtatt makes its bed.

Now then... How to go about making a magical mountain cat like you?

(New Journal Entry Added: Here, Kitty-Kitty)
0~0~0
2 Owl Gachas (1st: 9, that's a something. Relevancy: 8) (2nd: 3, that's not something.)
As you yawn and stretch early one morning, your owl cheerfully deposits something smooth and cylindrical into your open maw.

After choking for what felt like eternity, you eventually manage to cough up what appears to be a blood-filled vial of cork-stoppered glass.

...Weird and slightly concerning, but potentially useful.

Rubbing the owl's head, you slide the vial into a pocket as you get back to your morning preparations.

(Vial of Blood acquired!)
0~0~0
Personal (Pick 2/3, if no Exploration is picked. 1 Free Social):
[ ] (Here, Kitty-Kitty) Attempt to make friends with the skogtatt
-[ ] (Write in) How do you go about this?
[ ] (Underhouse) What would you like to use the Underhouse for?
-[ ] Search the empty bedroom for the ledger
-[ ] Write in
[ ] (Playdates) Set up a playdate between one/multiple of your kids and one/multiple of other kids. (Write in)
[ ] (Violent) Pick a fight or spar with... (Sparring with people reveals a summery of their character sheets)
-[ ] Spar with Abjorn, your husband
--[ ] (Optional) With armor
-[ ] Spar with Stigmar
-[ ] Someone else (Write in)
[ ] (Personal) Spend time with... (Write in)
[ ] (Shopping) Ask Abjorn to buy something for you (Write in) (Can only be used to buy or sell things you are already aware of and cannot haggle)
[ ] (Court) Send Abjorn to make a case at the Thing (Write in)
[ ] (Crafting) Try to make something (Write in) (Hugr+Some kind of crafting skill)
-[ ] (Optional) Focus on repairing something (Write in)
[ ] (Poetry) Try to realize an Inspiration (Write in one of your Inspirations)
0~0~0
Exploration/Travel (Pick 1 or none):
[ ] (Visit) Go visit... (1 Left)
-[ ] The Witch... even though she's dead
-[ ] Asvir!
--[ ] (Optional) Attend the Thing
-[ ] Vidby, Vidar's Farm
-[ ] Buriby, Osborn's Farm
-[ ] Glebby, Sverre's Farm
-[ ] Hasviby, Hasvir's Farm
-[ ] Halfdanby, Halfdan's Farm
-[ ] Jurgen's Cave
[ ] (Exploration) Go on a walk through...
-[ ] The fields!
--[ ] (Optional) Send your fylgja in your place (Does not cost an action)
-[ ] The Hading!
--[ ] (Optional) Send your fylgja in your place (Does not cost an action)
--[ ] (Optional) Try to find the Heart of the Hading
-[ ] The hills!
--[ ] (Optional) Send your fylgja in your place (Does not cost an action)
--[ ] (Optional) Range further from your home
0~0~0
Training: You have 69 XP to spend as you see fit.
[ ] (Research) Try to figure out how things work (Write in)
[ ] (Seeress) Learn seidr with the Seeress (Only available during Summer)
-[ ] Write in up to 3 things to request of her
[ ] (Drifa) Teach Drifa some of your tricks (Write in)
[ ] (Blackhand) Try to develop old/train new hugareida tricks (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Hamr (255 XP to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a hamr skill or trick (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Hugr (255 XP to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a hugr skill or trick (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Fylgja (102 XP to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a fylgja skill or trick (Write in)
0~0~0
Orthstirr Available: 1244
How do you want to use your orthstirr? You can turn on passive tricks here. (Leaving this blank is assumed to be boosting all your stats to max)
[ ] (Orthstirr Usage) (Write in) (Optional)
0~0~0
Fylgja Capacity: 13/13
Do you want to withdraw or deposit anything in your fylgja?
[ ] Write in (Optional)
0~0~0
Equipment/Capacity/Shapeshifting/Alloy/Pocket/Whatever Management
What do you want to have equipped on your person, in your capacity, or for your shapeshifting? Leaving this blank means that no changes are made.
[ ] Write in (Optional)
0~0~0
Property Management: You have 96 Work Dice Available
How do you want to use them? (Leaving this blank is assumed to be the same as last turn)
[ ] Write in (Optional)
0~0~0

AN: And done in about 2 hours and 10 minutes! Nice!

25-minute moratorium.
 
Pffft HAHAHAHAHA Wow, our owl delivered a vial of someone semi-random's blood to a budding sorceress. That's definitely not going to randomly ruin someone's day, no siree.
 
Okay, Priorities then, at least in terms of research and development

1) What the fuck is with the vial of blood? Do tests
2) Sort out the Pecking Order in our Soulscape.
3) Start practicing with Unbinding
4) Our Fylgja has to be able to do more than it is, at the very least, it should be able to watch for spiritual phenomena ambling around us, figure out how to get that working. Maybe a Standing Order to pass on what it sees to us? Maybe try to look through its eyes?
5) We have Chicken, give it a little Odr and see if we can Infuse it without anything exploding, a good carrot.
 
perhaps we should also try manipulate our soulscape? though not super urgent.

any ideas of experiences to capture?

what are our priorities for social actions?
 
When (if) we go raiding, we should take note of the castles for Gate-house designs. Or if we really want to, we could just make a massive wall with a simple gate. Kinda-like Asguard is in GoW
 
Okay, Priorities then, at least in terms of research and development

1) What the fuck is with the vial of blood? Do tests
2) Sort out the Pecking Order in our Soulscape.
3) Start practicing with Unbinding
4) Our Fylgja has to be able to do more than it is, at the very least, it should be able to watch for spiritual phenomena ambling around us, figure out how to get that working. Maybe a Standing Order to pass on what it sees to us? Maybe try to look through its eyes?
5) We have Chicken, give it a little Odr and see if we can Infuse it without anything exploding, a good carrot.

I'm on board with all of this except maybe the blood (we should do more items if we're doing the blood since we can easily do several for one 'slot'...the question is what to give up). Gimme a moment to fiddle with the plan.
 
@Imperial Fister is putting Work Dice towards Sten useful or relevant? We did some last turn, should we keep doing so?

Perhaps the chicken? I know, I know. But its a relatively minor thing.

The chicken is how we find out we can Infuse other people. That's not minor, IMO, it's arguably one of the most important.

My request, as someone completely unaware of the general plan, is that we finally plant an evil seed :p

It's the middle of Winter. I'm thinking planting things now is not the best way to get them to grow.

So, things in this plan I'm unsure about:

1. Do we want to do item investigations (including the blood) as one of our 6 Research Actions? I'm down with doing so but unsure what to drop.
2. I'd like to spend time with our retainers and maybe offer them Fylgja Unveilings, but if we're maybe gonna be offering them Infusions next turn, it seems wise to wait and see whether we can do that to do the whole offer at once.
3. I'd be down with an alternate exploration plan, I'm just unsure what's better than this.
4. No idea what Alloy to assign at this point with our empty slot. I'm open to suggestions.
5. I'd love better wording and ideas for Solrun's test with the burl and bridge and wrangling spirits. I think we need to do both, but ideas for exact methodology and phrasing are not coming.

That aside, here's the plan. The basic idea is to do some projects we've been working on and use our Training to finish up a bunch of stuff that's half done, get Thermic Reckoning to Mastered with our other Finales, and experiment a bit with a Fylgja Trick.

[X] Plan Books, Books, Books
-[X] (Crafting) Try to make something (Free Action)
--[X] Fix the Runes on our Work Knife from last turn (+16 successes fromTools/Workshop)
--[X] "May using me teach how to use a blade." - Hopefully a TrainingItem for Pierce and Slash
--[X] Try and place the Experience of working alongside Abjorn on the farm into the item

-[X] (Underhouse) What would you like to use the Underhouse for?
--[X] Try and find a way to unlock the Dwarven ledger we found in the Underhouse.
--[X] Specifically, attempt to work out the password for the ledger using Sundersight to find any weaknesses in the security and, if possible, Frenzy to better predict what password would work
--[X] If we don't seem to be getting anywhere, then contact Toki to see if the Dwarves can help, but be cautious. Feel him out first around the subject before revealing what we found.

-[X] Write A Book
–[X] Our first book will be an almanac on the Norse farm intended for prospective farmers, covering a diverse array of subjects from plants, animal husbandry, the correct way to lay out a field and farm buildings, and of course comprehensive information on Norse cultivation, including the meaning of Aspects, Orthstirr, Tricks, Hugareida, Styles, and so on. Also included will be information on the other prerequisites of Odr cultivation like needlebinding and weaving.
--[X[ Interspersed with these will be stories from folklore and poems. These are common in books of this type, but an attentive reader will begin to notice repeated odd resonances and repeated themes throughout all the stories and poems; the image of magic gates and through which rivers or monsters can pour, countless repeated versions of the story of how Odin or various Odin-like heroes steal the mead of poetry, and tales where cunning heroes overcome their foes through weaving.
--[X] Through poetic allusion and the rich oral tradition of the Norse with its bountiful supply of double-meanings, rather than through plain speech, the hidden message of our book will be revealed. The true secret of Odr cultivation, and the means to survive its first pitfalls.

-[X] (Personal) Spend time with...
--[X] Halfdan
--[X] Check in with him if he and his family are really alright after the events of the raid and see how everyone is doing
--[X] Talk to him about why Reidar Swordfury was after him and his situation with regards to Vestfold

-[X] [Social] Erect a Runestone for Steinarr honoring his life and accomplishments

-[X] (Exploration) Go on a walk through...
--[X] The hills!
---[X] (Optional) Range further from your home
---[X] (Optional)Send your fylgja in your place (Does not cost an action)

-[X] Special Note: On all Crafting add the following if possible unless otherwise specified:
--[X] For metal items have Heat Hold available just in case
--[X] Using Sundersight (+1d3 Successes)
--[X] Stoking Frami, Virthing, and Saemd (for +1 Success each, +3 successes total) to enhance the crafting process


Training:

-[X] (Research)
--[X] Work on learning how to undo needlebinding more quickly and easily by experimenting with different styles of weaving and knots and taking advantage of our newly increased Hugr to multitask better –1 Research
--[X] Work on teaching Bjorney Eyespeech – 1 Research
--[X] Try and Infuse 1 Odr into the chicken in our soulscape's Hamr, see if we can apply that process to other people –1 Research
---[X] If it still seems hungry afterwards, feed it
--[X] Try and do the Burl and Bridge thing Solrun suggested to us – 1 Research
--[X] Attempting to recruit the half-formed spirit-wisps in our soulscape –1 Research
--[X] Continue our research on uncovering the parent Style of Time Stands Still. Keep focussing on controlling and rationing our breath as we were doing before, so that the Stopped Time "stutters" in and out of existence as we move rather than being continuous. Try to visualise our breath as a store of energy, similar to our Stoker State, and experiment with how it speeds to our movements and eventually, strikes. Perhaps this is a kind of... Stutter Step? – 1 Research

-[X] (Training) Hamr (255 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Chop 12xp (6xp)
--[X] Train Thermic Reckoning 36xp (18xp)
--[X] Train Brazier Bomb 4xp (2xp)

-[X] (Training) Hugr (255 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Contested Movement 28xp (14xp)
--[X] Train Silver-Tongue 12xp (6xp)
--[X] Train Light-Touch 6xp (3xp)
--[X] Train Contention-Connection 6xp (3xp)
--[X] Train Effort Gauge 28xp (14xp)

-[X] (Training) Fylgja (102 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train a Fylgja Trick for improving spiritual perception and especially spiritual overwatch 3 xp

-[X] (Work Dice Usage)
--[X] Buildings, Resources, and Livestock: 2 Living Space, 2 Storage, otherwise maxed out (65 Total)
--[X] Construction: Put 19 into Workshop (19 Total)
--[X] Conversion: Spend for 6 Research Dice (12 Total)

-[X] (Incidentals)
--[X] Infuse 64 Odr into Hugr
---[X] Take our normal precautions for Infusing Hugr
---[X] Place the new Frenzy in 3 empty Pockets
--[X] Adding Taafl Board Capacity Gains to: Abjorn, Hallbjorn,
--[X] Receiving Metal from Dwarves: 24 oz Forged Iron, 6 oz Storm Iron

Alloys:
-[X] (Alloy Slots)
--[X] Assign ???

Capacity:
-[X] (Capacity Slots)
--[X] Assign Beaconlight, and Vows of Love.

Fylgja:
-[X] (Standing Orders)
--[X] Assign our Fylgja's remaining standing order to providing spiritual overwatch for us.

EDIT: Swapped Inverting Ignition research for trying to get the Time Stands Still parent style.
EDIT2: Fiddled with the Underhouse Action give the particulars
EDIT3: Added trying to put an Experience in the Knife.
EDIT4: Added poetic allusions to the book after confirmation this does not risk Disclosure.
 
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Wasn't our Workshop supposed to be upgraded last turn?

It was, it needs exactly one more to get us to Grand instead of Superior on mass production. I can be convinced to hold off on that, but it'd be very cool if we could do it, and likely doable in only a few turns.

But if people prefer to start on the commissions now, I'm down with that as well. Reall, given this, the 'maybe help Sten' and 'maybe spend some to get more Research to investigate multiple items' the Work Dice are one of the most changeable parts of the plan.
 
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It was, it needs exactly one more to get us to Grand instead of Superior on mass production. I can be convinced to hold off on that, but it'd be very cool if we could do it, and likely doable in only a few turns.

I mean, I'd rather finish the commission first, given the politics involved, I'd rather get this shit sorted out before it catches fire so we don't get caught in a Debt that could be used against us by bad actors.
 
can we offer the spirits Odr in return for service?

I think we can try capture experiences with the current alloy slot and then use it next turn to alloy an experience to something

the experience of fire, of frenzy or of sunlight might be good

and I think we can erect a runestone with work dice? not sure, but if we do we can use the social for other important stuff
 
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I mean, I'd rather finish the commission first, given the politics involved, I'd rather get this shit sorted out before it catches fire so we don't get caught in a Debt that could be used against us by bad actors.

There is no debt.

The commission will never be done, it's ongoing and we are paid in shares of what our equipment gets Dorri in terms of loot. To even go through the Iron we bargained for we'd need to spend several more turns doing nothing but. We can do three or four sets of armor a turn at most while not spending actions and maintaining our responsibilities (a bit less if we want to set up the tournament that's been discussed)...that's several years to do everything. But we never promised a specific delivery schedule, just that we'd consider undertaking to keep making arms and armor.

Saying that Superior is good enough and we're gonna be doing some of those every turn is fine, but it basically means we're likely never upgrading the Workshop...not in the next several years anyway.

And rushing to provide him with as much as possible is definitely gonna be seen as taking his side, politically, since we're under no obligation to do so.
 
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