NorseQuest (A Norse Xianxia)

Oshha · Dec 15, 2023

Imperial Fister said:
I'll need a hamingja roll, please

How many dice is that?

KittyEmpress · Dec 15, 2023

If I'm reading the sheet right we have 30 hamingja currently

I.F. Ister · Dec 15, 2023

Oshha said:
How many dice is that?

30 dice, sorry for not specifying

KittyEmpress said:
If I'm reading the sheet right we have 30 hamingja currently

Correct

Oshha · Dec 15, 2023

Imperial Fister said:
30 dice, sorry for not specifying

Done.

DeadmanwalkingXI · Dec 15, 2023

That comes to 24 successes, I believe.

I.F. Ister · Dec 15, 2023

DeadmanwalkingXI said:
That comes to 24 successes, I believe.

Hot diggity dog.

I.F. Ister · Dec 15, 2023

Wait, I just realized that I should have you folks roll a silver-tongue (21 dice, right?)

TheCount · Dec 15, 2023

lets hope it is!

lets see... 21-7... thats 14 successes, right?

Shard · Dec 15, 2023

Oh huh, Speaking out the Law would apply wouldn't it?

I.F. Ister · Dec 15, 2023

Apologies, everyone, but I seem to have gotten severely distracted with things. I'm not sure I'll be able to complete this update today, so I'll tackle it tomorrow with a fresh mind

Oshha · Dec 16, 2023

Shard said:
Oh huh, Speaking out the Law would apply wouldn't it?

I suspect it will fall under the same circumstances as the Estonians, which means Speaking Out of Law might count due to them being outside of the law in spirit even if their ability to speak Norse means they technically fall inside the law.

Imperial Fister said:
I'll say yes, though technically it wouldn't because he speaks Norse and, therefore, is subject to certain laws.

I.F. Ister · Dec 16, 2023

[X] Ask him about his people. How do they travel on Sea of Grass without getting lost when it's all... grass?
[X] Ask him how many horses he has. Is it true that every Maygar warrior has to own at least four horses to be counted a member of their Jarl's _hird_?
[X] Is it true that a Maygar can throw a shield into the air and hit it with a hundred arrows before it falls?
[X] Would he like to arrange a friendly demonstration of our respective culture's martial skills?

0~0~0

The salt of the sea plays rough games upon the man's light chestnut hair. Unused to the harsh gifts of the ocean breeze, the fine strands of brown locks will have great trouble recovering from the ravages of this trip. His youthful eyes are light in color while his face is strong indeed, just as the far-travelers described his people. Long of limb and broad in bone, the Magyar are a sight to behold.

The man you called over is dressed in the fineries of his people. Silk robes of red and yellow with a fine belt of darkened leather tying it together. Silver plates cling to the hilt of the saber upon his hip as he examines you in turn. The fact that a man as young as he has a weapon as fine as that says great things about his usage of the blade.

With the man's greeting still draped across the air, you figure now is as good a time as any to introduce yourself. "I'm Halla Sunshine," your words are followed by your offered hand, which the man takes eagerly. "I reckon you're not from around here, are you?"

"You are right," the man nods as you take note of just how thin his arms really are—the length of his limbs doing little for the size of his muscles, "I am Balogh Kalman, of the Megyer tribe."

"Megyer?" The unfamiliar word plays across your mouth in a rather odd fashion. It rolls this way and that, never stopping but always catching on something, "I thought you were Magyar?"

"I am," Kalman's chest fills with clear pride. "My tribe is the greatest of all the ten arrows and, as such, it is only right that our people bear the name for themselves. Every clan of rulers have come from the Megyer tribe, it is simple fact that we are the best."

Filing that away for later perusal, you drum up a question you'd had in the back of your head ever since you heard of how the Magyar travelled a 'great sea of grass'. "I've heard that your people travel a great sea of grass. How do you not get lost?"

Kalman blinks, your words failing to muster much of a response as he shrugs, "I know not of which you speak, my people rarely have reason to migrate now. However," he cuts off any disappointment brewing in your heart with a wave of the hand, "I imagine that taltos would play a role in guiding the tribes, such as one guided us here." He nods to one of the members of his group, a woman with her hair pulled back to reveal the split-pupil in her left eye. A taltos must be their variation of a seeress, which makes some measure of sense to you.

Just as you go to ask another question lurking in your mind, Kalman turns the tables on you with a question of his own, "I've heard that your people can sail upon the waters better than anyone. How do you navigate the vast seas without getting lost?"

"Usually, we don't," you shrug as he gapes, "We follow the coast until we can't anymore, then point our ships in the direction we want to go and hope for the best. Getting lost is all part of the fun."

He stares for a long time, "You... You..." He seems to be having some trouble wrapping his head around the fact that you just, you know, wing it. "Surely you have some methods?! Or else you'd be losing ships left and right!"

You shrug once again, which only serves to set Kalman's eyes to twitching. "Losing ships is only to be expected. Even the greatest expeditions lose ships, like Ironside and Haesteinn's raids in the Mediterranean. They went in with sixty ships and came back with just eighteen!"

"Just eighteen?" Kalman keeps staring as horror dawns in his eyes, "If a warband of sixty went out and only eighteen came back, the organizer would be cast out for the shame! How did they even lose forty ships?!"

"Storms took most of them and enemies the rest," your answer doesn't seem to help matters much as Kalman flings his hands toward the sky.

"I was told your people were great warriors! Masters of the sea!" He cries his confusion to the heavens as you struggle to hide the smile forming on your face, "Are these people really Attila's killers?"

That, however, rips the light grin from your face in an instant. Bones creak as your body trembles and hands ball into tight fists. Rage overflows from your heart's furnace like the molten slag of the poorly kept forge as you breathe through clenching teeth. Blackhand growls like a wolf stalking his prey, his voice like thunder in the silence of your mind.

"What." Barely able to keep a handle on your mind, the wrath of your ancestors rising up inside like a tidal wave of force, your words are flat and emotionless.

Kalman doesn't seem to notice as he carries on, "Attila and his Huns are my peoples' cousin-kin, with Attila himself the ancestor of our Great Princes. How can his killers be so inept? I heard rumors of treachery playing a part in his demise, but I thought that they had to be just that, rumors!"

A surge of calming cold washes away the white-hot rage as you take a deep, chilling breath and let it out. Mastering yourself once more, you eye the man speaking of matters he knows nothing about. "I see the sword on your waist, Balogh Kalman of the Megyer, and I know you see the atgeir on my back. So before you go on down a path of assumptions, why not put the stories of our strength to the test yourself? A spar in the fields, away from all these people," you wave a hand at the crowd slowly forming around you.

Kalman hesitates as his eyes dart to his father. Sucking down a sharp breath, he sets his jaw and bows deep to you, "I... Apologize, Halla Sunshine, my words were most unbecoming of me. I would love to engage in martial demonstrations, but I am needed whole and hearty by my father."

Just as he says that, though, his father turns to him and barks an unknown word. Kalman quirks his head and turns back before engaging in a spitfire conversation that, even if you had known his tongue, you doubt you'd have been able to follow. Eventually, Kalman nods and turns back your way, "Father has given permission for a friendly duel to first blood, but only after the day is done."

"Sounds good to me," you reply as you accept the offered hand.

With that done, you make your way back to the Wavedancer to wait for the setting of the sun. All that's left to do now is to figure out how you want to play this.

Would you like to give it your all or let fate take its course?
[ ] Give it your all (Play it like a normal spar)
[ ] Let fate take its course (IF writes something up for it)

0~0~0

AN: Alrighty, then, not super certain on this one but at least it's out now. Apologies to any Hungarians if I've gotten anything super-duper wrong.

No moratorium and short vote

DeadmanwalkingXI · Dec 16, 2023

[X] Give it your all (Play it like a normal spar)

I'd enjoy getting to play with whatever the mechanics are here. The other option would also clearly be fine, though.

Drieder · Dec 16, 2023