Like, "he existed before the Concept of Death did, and when it came into existence, he declined to sign up" levels of conceptually impossible.
Though... I wonder if it might be possible to somehow convince him to allow the concept of death to apply to him. I mean, it'd be impractically difficult, I'm sure, but possible?
Directly transporting him into the Hells might also be an idea? There are those rivers that do things like cause you to forget everything, right? As far as we know, he's undying, not immutable. Maybe personality death would suffice?
Ehhh... he's probably immune. I mean, if Jotun chug eitr for funsies, and dragons spit the stuff, then Drysalt probably isn't too troubled by it.
One theory I mentioned on Discord is that Drysalt is not a name but a description, he's literally made of salt originally (most of the elder norse beings are, actually), and that if he was ever actually named perhaps death would then apply to him. Of course, someone calling him something would clearly not be a name in that case, and I dunno if we can set up a formal naming ceremony that would work. Who could we call on who would even have the mystical authority to do so?
One theory I mentioned on Discord is that Drysalt is not a name but a description, he's literally made of salt originally (most of the elder norse beings are, actually), and that if he was ever actually named perhaps death would then apply to him. Of course, someone calling him something would clearly not be a name in that case, and I dunno if we can set up a formal naming ceremony that would work. Who could we call on who would even have the mystical authority to do so?
If Drysalt is like Ymir at all, then he would literally have been born of Eitr, bathing in its pools when Eitr was all that existed before Midgard waa made. It wouldn't be odd for him to thus have immunity.
1: Even if someone could give out names they'd still probably have to be older than him, your grandchildren don't name you.
2: We'd have to in christian lands to even try that idea and I seriously doubt we have the power required to capture Drysalt and then transport him by boat to England.
If we had the power to capture Drysalt we would just travel to Ginnunagagap and dump him in a pool of Eitr, or if travelling overseas, getting a favor from our Good Friend Ilmarinen.
The Freedfire Kenning
-Drifa called your father by a name unfamiliar to you. The name 'Steinarr Freedfire'. Why is it only now that you find out about this? Frankly, you're getting a bit annoyed at being so out of the loop!
-There's something about kennings that makes men act in certain ways.
-Since you've gotten your kenning of 'Longstride', you've been a bit more... You're not really sure, really. You suppose that you're bouncier than you used to be, and just generally faster, quicker to move. You also are struggling to slow down for the slower people.... Yeah, yeah kennings do have an effect, but how deep does it go?
-You met a man called Logi Firehair with, as the name would imply, hair perpetually on fire. Is that as a result of his kenning or is his kenning a result of it?
- Since Halla got Skyfire, she found it hard to be in confined places
- Halla's Skyfire is sort of a 'moulded' kenning, because it's something fits into her lineage of Dreadfire-Freedfire-Skyfire
- Since Halla got Sunshine, she's in a generally happier mood (best kenning side-effect ever?)
- Only the primary kenning has an effect on you. Steinarr put aside Freedfire and called himself Hallson to avoid the effects of Freedfire (uncontrollable).
Kenning (Side-)Effects:
Dreadfire: Made Blackhand have an absolutely dreadful temper.
Freedfire: Made Steinarr have difficulty controlling himself.
...
Life-Bringer: We'll never know this one >.<
For such a big (background) plot element and something that's a big deal to Norse Society in general, I think there's more to kennings than just their effects on you.
Kennings:
1) Give a mechanical bonus to what you're known for (Possibly a malus as well if it's a negakenning)
2) Affects your personality (based on your kenning)
3) Can be used as an alternative name for you, in court, law, runes.
Themewise, kennings are how the world sees you.. though not necessarily how you see yourself. Halla still primarily sees herself as her father's daughter (Steinnarsdottir), for example. I'm focused on 'how the world sees you' part, actually. Do Kennings affect fate itself, make the world.. sort of like, bend to try and give you a story that is more 'fitting' to your kenning? But then whatever you did to earn your kenning, well, it's probably something that the kenning is relevant towards already so that would be reverse-causality in play.
===
Hey IF,
1) Would you be willing to say what Life-Bringer as a kenning would have done if it was a Primary kenning?
2) Has any of our kennings have major (or minor) plot effects?
I posited it in the discord though it was discarded as me shit posting a joke, but what if Drysalt is literally a descriptive kenning for the being that he is. What if he was the salt that Adumbla never licked. The leftovers from what once held Buri and Odin and his siblings? Literally the dry salt from primordial days.
Norse alliance by marriage is confusing, pls explain. Like how far does it extend? Say, Asva's marriage to Jordan, you're related/allied to:
Jordan: Brother in law, allied
Jardan's father Halfdan: Father in law, allied
Jordan's uncles: ???
Jordan's granduncle/grandfathers: ???
Jordan's cousins? Second cousins???
I posited it in the discord though it was discarded as me shit posting a joke, but what if Drysalt is literally a descriptive kenning for the being that he is. What if he was the salt that Adumbla never licked. The leftovers from what once held Buri and Odin and his siblings? Literally the dry salt from primordial days.
its an interesting theory and I would have probably believed that. but given someone said Drysalt was possibly older than the gods, and IF responded we are exaggerating it, he probably isn't that old
its an interesting theory and I would have probably believed that. but given someone said Drysalt was possibly older than the gods, and IF responded we are exaggerating it, he probably isn't that old
I think it's still potentially valid if we consider the idea that he might be younger than the gods even with this description of his origins, if he only gained Will and was 'born' later on. But yes it does throw a wrench into the works!
1) Would you be willing to say what Life-Bringer as a kenning would have done if it was a Primary kenning?
2) Has any of our kennings have major (or minor) plot effects?
Norse alliance by marriage is confusing, pls explain. Like how far does it extend? Say, Asva's marriage to Jordan, you're related/allied to:
Jordan: Brother in law, allied
Jardan's father Halfdan: Father in law, allied
Jordan's uncles: ???
Jordan's granduncle/grandfathers: ???
Jordan's cousins? Second cousins???
-[X] Put up two 40d6+7 Atgeir Bodyguards adding **1 Odr** each on Abjorn (-92 Orthstirr, **-2 Odr**), and an Atgeir Counter-Stab prepped to make thirty-one 3d6+7 Sharpened Basic Attacks adding **1 Odr** (-39 Orthstirr, **-1 Odr**), having Sagaseeker take charge of one of the Bodyguards and the Counter-Stab using them himself. Draw Burning Caress. Ask Shadeclaw to guard him as well, to the best of her ability when not worn.
-[X] Set up a 120d6+7 Semi-Halting Vortex adding **6 Odr** (Total -121 Orthstirr, +3 Stoked Pool, **-6 Odr**) set up to only be used as a rolled defense never as a Perfect, and do not use it against Fleinns
-[X] As backups, put up a 40d6+7 Sword Guard (-44 Orthstirr), and three 40d6+7 Semi-Halting Vortexes (Total -123 Orthstirr, +9 Stoked Pool) set up to only be used as rolled defenses never as Perfects, and neither against Fleinns
-[X] Tactics – The basic idea here is to set up some serious defenses in depth over Abjorn especially (including asking Sagaseeker and Shadeclaw to guard him), and stand over him protectively, then go to town using Stoked Engage as fast as possible to whittle down our enemies numbers as they come to us (we should have Speed 29 for our Stoking Engage stuff), then a Stoking Cleave to really clear them out.
0~0~0 152+159+60+72+78+70+61+177+190+173+182+165+177=1716, successfully defending Abjorn.
You have a scant few heartbeats before a spine-rattling bellow rises from the earth. As one, the shades rush in with weapons held high and shadows streaking off their limbs. Swords and daggers flash as bronze catches the light sun of the setting sun. The forces of the past surge to consume the present, but they'll have to overcome its defenders, and you are no easy foe to face, not by any consideration of the word.
Burning Caress snaps out with lethal aim as you cleave a leaping shade from head to toe in a single blow. Wisps of swirling shadows fall from the wound as the echo of the past sinks back into the darkness of the earth. Reforming in the distance, the remnant-warrior rejoins the fight after a bare few seconds. Though there's only about a hundred of them, their refusal to give up the fight means that you'll be here for quite some time.
Your limbs bleed fire as you strike out again and again. Burning Caress and a nameless shield work together to strike down all that would dare approach you. Shade after shade leaps screeching only to meet pitiful ends on the edge of your sword and shield. Foes die in droves, but even with all your speed, you're only barely able to keep up.
If you were the only thing keeping Abjorn's sleeping body safe, than you would have lost even before the sun passed the horizon and cast the world in darkness. Fortunately, you are far from alone. Not only do ghostly weapons defend your husband in a whirlwind of blades and battle, but the very earth itself rises up for war beneath your feet.
Chariots manned by red-eyed shadows thunder across the battlefield in a marriage of horse and bronze. Arrows and spears rain down around you as you dance to and fro, dodging all the attacks with ease but unable to respond for fear of leaving Abjorn exposed. However, as luck would have it, your efforts would be redundant in dealing with the chariots.
Roots burst from the ground as the wind howls its fury. Wood collides with bronze as roots weave in and around the spokes of the wheels. With a furious crunch, the roots rip the wheels off and the chariots apart with a relentless anger.
The chariots reform in the distance, as they always do, but the momentary respite from the arrows and spears is a Gods-sent gift in this never-ending onslaught.
Under the light of the rising full moon, you do battle against the hordes of the forgotten past. Bronze against iron, a strange sense of familiarity passes over you as you dash shadows aside and send them back from whence they came.
Impossibly, though your limbs burn from the fires of exhaustion and your breath stays leaden in your lungs, the glimmer of hope shines from between the trees. From the tree-swamped horizon rises a sight you've long since forgotten: the warm light of the summer sun.
The shadows retreat as the sun climbs the sky and you fall to your knees with tears in your eyes. Abjorn's eyes flutter as he stirs, his rest uninterrupted and allowing him to adapt fully to the presence of odr.
You did it. Abjorn Bearbreaker, your husband dearest, is now an odr cultivator.
May the Gods have mercy on those who would oppose you, for now they face true power.
(Abjorn can now cultivate odr, good job)
0~0~0
Personal (Pick 1, if no Exploration is picked, as 2 are taken up by Latin. 1 Free Social):
[ ] (Here, Kitty-Kitty) Attempt to make friends with the skogtatt
-[ ] (Write in) How do you go about this?
[ ] (Violent) Pick a fight or spar with... (Sparring with people reveals a summery of their character sheets)
-[ ] Spar with Abjorn, your husband
-[ ] Spar with Stigmar
-[ ] Someone else (Write in)
[ ] (Personal) Spend time with... (Write in)
[ ] (Shopping) Ask someone to buy something for you (Write in)
[ ] (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... (0 Left)
-[ ] The Witch... even though she's dead
-[ ] Asvir!
--[ ] (Optional) Attend the Thing
-[ ] 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 90 XP to spend as you see fit.
[ ] (Research) Try to figure out how things work (Write in)
[ ] (Drifa) Teach Drifa some of your tricks (Write in)
[ ] (Blackhand) Try to develop old/train new hugareida tricks (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Hamr (511 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 (320 XP to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a fylgja skill or trick (Write in)
0~0~0
Orthstirr Available: 1603
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: 16/16
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 179 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 (Coin Flip for Owl Gacha: Tails) No gacha for you
AN: And there we go, finally at the end of this sea- Wait, no, it's just the second turn of Summer and not the final one... Sigh.
Regardless, Summer 11 is currently 92k words on my side of things—which has a bunch of extra notes and the like in it—so it's the longest season of NorseQuest so far.
