for sure those are all ideas for the final product
missed the second part. but does that mean we aren't doing Vestfold in Halla's life at all? it had a bit too much build up for that no?
NorseQuest (A Norse Xianxia)
- Thread starter I.F. Ister
- Start date
- Original Fantasy Action
-
- Tags
- norse mythology (mythology) original xianxia cultivation western cultivation ask sirihand did your mother tell you anything? discussion pleases yggdrasil farming gloating gets people killed granary management hubris is a coward's word you will die norsemen do not die when they are killed the qm has a bad memory the qm is bad at math viking courtroom drama (legal drama) vikings
- Pronouns
- He/Him
It means we're not doing Vestfold this coming year. That still leaves two more years before Drysalt's threat timeline hits its end. I agree entirely that Vestfold has been too foreshadowed to skip, and we have potential allies to gather there as well, making for a good excuse to go there, so I'm pretty sure we're going...just not in the Summer of Year 12.
fair enough. whats the plans for the summer then? we will have a bit of time. and is a quick trip to Jurgdby okay by IF? its not really an expedition after all if it ends there
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I'm pretty sure Jurgdby alone is not an expedition, no, though it is a Travel action, which are limited. I think the current plan for this Summer's Travel Actions is getting more evidence of Dorri's perfidy and lining up the right people for when we confront him (and starting the 'get people ready for Drysalt' thing, of course). Exact details probably depend on how the Folkvangr trip goes, and when exactly we want to confront Dorri (the timing of which might be quite important).
Non-Travel actions will be used to reinforce existing relationships (maybe get some more people to swear to us and complete the Boon), recruit additional people (against Drysalt and Dorri, if not into our service directly), and maybe craft some useful stuff (this is probably where we craft Nordic Armor, for one thing), for the most part anyway. We'll also be sending Brother Bart home and with a note for Gabriel, probably requesting his help and presence, though the exact time frame for that is arguable. And we also have to deal with Abjorn's half-brothers and inheritance (getting them on-side before any big fights would be spectacular). We've got stuff to do.
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- Pronouns
- She/Her
The basic request/offer by IF was;
Yall keep asking for downtime to do less frantic things. As long as we commit to not going out on long indepth voyages, IF will pause the bad luck rolls that can cause famines, fenriskin, or random raids, so we can justify spending some more time at home, working on projects, getting to know our new Huskarls, and not needing to scramble around.
But this offer for downtime without Bad Shit Happening only lasts until we step on a boat to go on a voyage.
Yall keep asking for downtime to do less frantic things. As long as we commit to not going out on long indepth voyages, IF will pause the bad luck rolls that can cause famines, fenriskin, or random raids, so we can justify spending some more time at home, working on projects, getting to know our new Huskarls, and not needing to scramble around.
But this offer for downtime without Bad Shit Happening only lasts until we step on a boat to go on a voyage.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
He did then follow up a bit later with a request that we actually do that, for at least a bit. So it's not just those things restarting that means we should probably not go anywhere next Summer.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
The only voyage we're taking is to Vestfold. It's getting put off in that we're not taking any voyages for a minute, but we're not going on any others before it.
I actually disagree on the build thing, but it hardly matters, we can work on that at home or in Vestfold as well as anywhere else.
Shard
One and Many
- Location
- Malaysia
Hmm...
!!!
Kurt, your dad is here! Faxi, you have grandchildren living in our home! You should visit!
===
Gabriel Blackstone isn't Bartholomew's Nephew - The timeline's don't match.
He could, however, be his grand-nephew.
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I will admit that, given how the Norse have been characterised in this story, an armor that calls on the power of a nearly external entity (their pantheon, or even just ancient heroes) feels... off.
Knights calling on the power of heaven to battle, for good or for ill, makes intuitive sense, because even the most glory seeking cavalier will never escape the romantic element of knighthood being a call to service- not only to their liege, but also upon the spiritual icons they swore their oaths upon. They don't tap the glory of the LORD because it's a power pinata; it's symbolic that, just as they champion a higher power, that higher power champions them in turn, a deep and emotional connection between servant and master, between fallible, mortal yet active men and a benevolent, undying yet more restrained deity.
Norse... don't? Not that they don't desire to emulate heaven's glory, but the motivation there seems very different. The greatest Nordic champions rarely act out of religious intent, although they are presumably reasonably pious; they act selfishly, even, to glorify themselves and emphasise their valour. A Norse may wish to emulate Tyr's self sacrificing courage, but powerfully doubt they'd feel the urge to champion or call upon Tyr in all but the most dire or esoteric of circumstances. Tyr doesn't need champions to act through and advise- he can and does do it himself! The Nordic paradigm seems to take great pride in their fierce independence, that no one is behind their heroics but themself, and that any external boon had been first fairly won. Thus, to shield yourself with godly power feels... strange. Craven, even, in that warlike context.
I understand that the intent of Nordic Plate is to syncretise the strength of Feudalism with ourselves, and so preserve native culture against a tide of missionaries... but an armour that draws on the power of heaven, or even just any external unrelated icon, doesn't seem representative of the ideology you wish to reinforce. Neither worship nor pantheons can be exchanged like sacks of grain; to counter superior might with a shroud of grace remains a Christian solution, even if written in Aesir Runes
If ideology does not sway you, then I pose an additional, more practical concern. By inserting into the Nordic cultural cloud the Christian-native idea of conspicuous piety <-> draw on their blessings- wouldn't that increase, not decrease, the threat of syncretism -> conversion? After all, as is a zealous Feudal Christian convert has little place in Norse society, the elitist and subservient ideas (ie. trust and serve heaven to guide and protect me) as is has little place in our (more egalitarian, shamelessly proud) conception of the world. But if you create a way for a convert to transform faith in a higher power into physical might...
Would this... divine Nordic armour, really change in nature if the runes glorified Christ instead of Odin?
Knights calling on the power of heaven to battle, for good or for ill, makes intuitive sense, because even the most glory seeking cavalier will never escape the romantic element of knighthood being a call to service- not only to their liege, but also upon the spiritual icons they swore their oaths upon. They don't tap the glory of the LORD because it's a power pinata; it's symbolic that, just as they champion a higher power, that higher power champions them in turn, a deep and emotional connection between servant and master, between fallible, mortal yet active men and a benevolent, undying yet more restrained deity.
Norse... don't? Not that they don't desire to emulate heaven's glory, but the motivation there seems very different. The greatest Nordic champions rarely act out of religious intent, although they are presumably reasonably pious; they act selfishly, even, to glorify themselves and emphasise their valour. A Norse may wish to emulate Tyr's self sacrificing courage, but powerfully doubt they'd feel the urge to champion or call upon Tyr in all but the most dire or esoteric of circumstances. Tyr doesn't need champions to act through and advise- he can and does do it himself! The Nordic paradigm seems to take great pride in their fierce independence, that no one is behind their heroics but themself, and that any external boon had been first fairly won. Thus, to shield yourself with godly power feels... strange. Craven, even, in that warlike context.
I understand that the intent of Nordic Plate is to syncretise the strength of Feudalism with ourselves, and so preserve native culture against a tide of missionaries... but an armour that draws on the power of heaven, or even just any external unrelated icon, doesn't seem representative of the ideology you wish to reinforce. Neither worship nor pantheons can be exchanged like sacks of grain; to counter superior might with a shroud of grace remains a Christian solution, even if written in Aesir Runes
If ideology does not sway you, then I pose an additional, more practical concern. By inserting into the Nordic cultural cloud the Christian-native idea of conspicuous piety <-> draw on their blessings- wouldn't that increase, not decrease, the threat of syncretism -> conversion? After all, as is a zealous Feudal Christian convert has little place in Norse society, the elitist and subservient ideas (ie. trust and serve heaven to guide and protect me) as is has little place in our (more egalitarian, shamelessly proud) conception of the world. But if you create a way for a convert to transform faith in a higher power into physical might...
Would this... divine Nordic armour, really change in nature if the runes glorified Christ instead of Odin?
AeonIlluminate
The power of friendship and aggressive landscaping
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Welcome to testing this stuff. It might work, it might not work, we don't know yet as we ain't tested yet. Even if it works, this is a wooden prototype, not a fully crafted metal suit with all the bells and whistles so we can revise it later before the final version.
And with regards to the bit about what's the difference in having a suit dedicated to Odin vs Jesus, a suit to Odin would grant stuff that hes know for like knowledge and magic. What the hell has Jesus done that is usable to emulate in combat? I can't think of anything except maybe water-walking, and theres no way that people are gonna get a specific suit of armour for pacifism and food/drink creation when mail is already a large investment, and full-plate is several times its cost before you go to the difficulty in finding someone capable of making it.
I'm not saying that zeal-powered armour won't work, because it obviously does, just not for us (as of now). I'm trying to explain why I don't think creating it will affect Nordic culture as positively as the thread hopes- at least, compared to a theoretical (somewhat more elitist) suit powered by your own saga, which, unlike, godlike power, is mostly definitely yours.
.......Jesus doesn't have 'domains'. The Trinity is a monotheistic entity that dominates everything worth dominating; Christ is Yaweh is the Holy Spirit, and while the reendition of the LORD who was a (briefly) mortal man may not have been very martial-
-no, I'm not here to argue theology. The point is, creating a focus for your faith in heaven is not a very Nordic solution. Transforming Scripture into Tangible Strength is what the Feudal Christians do (and they are living refutations of your argument), but I doubt it's something we should do.
AeonIlluminate
The power of friendship and aggressive landscaping
- Pronouns
- They/Them
I was trying to look at it from the perspective of Joe the Average Norseman, who I feel would look at it as "What would Jesus/God/the Holy Spirit have as their domains, as all the Norse Pantheon have their domains based off of their deeds, and so would look at what deeds the 3 "facets?" of the Trinity have and therefore what they would boost. And calling on gods for strength is already something that Norse do, for example like half our runes as Shard mentioned, and the sacrifice of food for temporary Hamingia, so the concept is in no way foreign to the Norse
I.F. Ister
Fortifying The Thread
- Pronouns
- He/They
No, because the Norse themselves didn't either. They still raided and pillaged even after being converted.
The Norse Gods don't have domains either, not in the way of Greek Gods. They have things they are good at which the average Norseman can request their help with.
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I think there is a significant difference between 'Odin taught humans how to do X' and 'This Armour is partially enchanted by the many-folded lines praising and calling upon Odin directly'.
Additionally, I still wouldn't say that the transactionary 'directly exchange food for moderate blessings' is in quite the same category either, anymore than the man who regularly burns incense for a river deity in the explicit hope for plentiful catches is of even the same sort of faith as someone who willingly accepts martyrdom.
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AeonIlluminate
The power of friendship and aggressive landscaping
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Well, TIL. Disregard my arguments Shine, I was arguing with incorrect information
I.F. Ister
Fortifying The Thread
- Pronouns
- He/They
It's a common misconception, don't worry about it.
You can think of the Norse Gods as the local handyman that you call up when you need help with some project or another. The handyman isn't going to do it for free, of course, so you offer some valuables and/or a nice meal to motivate him to come on down and give you a helping hand.
Now, obviously, the Gods aren't going to literally show up and help out—because they're formless spirits, more or less, it gets complicated and don't worry about it—but they will guide your hands and nudge the tools along. Maybe they'll tap on a part that you missed and draw your attention to it so you don't accidentally have a hole in your house or something.
0~0~0
I'll call the vote in 30 minutes
Regarding 'make the Norse more pious to entrench culture' idea I saw earlier in thread...
Let's say I was tasked with making an impious peoples more pious. It is not necessarily that they are somehow evil; just.. alarmingly negligent in their behaviour. Clearly, this much be fixed.
And so, to encourage piety, I would start with passive influence. Fix up the old churches, aid and encourage church elders of reasonable virtue to use the church not only as a place of religion, but as a place of civics as well- a place for charity, and learning, and somewhere that welcomes and protects discussions and community. I would encourage immigration of certain families who fit a certain mold- admirably behaved, evidently pious, clearly capable in their work. I would find storytellers and encourage them to tell stories from the Testaments; I would, if such was acceptable and possible, even try to have children taught about New Testament, as well as the saints and martyrs!
In short, I would seek to indoctrinate the youth.
To be more reasonable upon myself- all ideology (or the lack of it) requires indoctrination to spread and maintain itself, no matter how benign or repulsive you may find it, and typically the first, easiest and most important to sway are young people, who have not yet immersed themselves within their own ideas and ways of life. By acting in gentle yet omnipresent ways, I would hope to create an external image of Christianity not just as a set of rules in a book (which, in many ways, it is), but as a lifestyle that encourages model behaviour, an even temperment, and, if not success, then the self confidence and patience to achieve in life (which it is also, to me, personally).
Therefore, Christians become role models to emulate by children, and Christian stories and culture become a part of their life and up bringing, and, maybe over twenty to thirty years, the community becomes more pious, and the once ill used Church becomes well used indeed.
You may have noticed an incredibly obvious flaw, and if you have I assure you that is not the only one, but one at a time.
The first is that Halla is not a Christian. She's not any Abrahamic faith! What I suggested would mostly apply to the Rabbis and Imans as well, but there is no... central place and authority where Norse worshippers gather. Nordic religion, as is, seems to me far less socially cohesive. It does not encourage its worshippers to congregate, it rarely impels them to band together- Halla does not consult the community elders on matters of faith; Odin is not remotely Yaweh; Halla does not get up and pray to him five times a day for wisdom and virtue, and the Nordic pantheon certainly doesn't nor seems meant to dominate thought like the Testament does. There seems to be substantially less rules, and more.. aspirations, to live up to- and when Halla does pray to Odin, it is not as a mortal man unto an all powerful ever present force that they wish to subsume themselves to, but 'merely' as a petitioner to an entity much more powerful.
So if your plan relies on pre-built in Christian thought of associating Norse piety with lots of prayers and ablutions or similar, rethink it. A Norse paganism that becomes Christian-like enough that it does work would be a very different religion, anyways.
The other flaw, less obvious, is that, to encourage piety I changed the culture of the community! Considering that you are trying to use religion to defend the culture, it seems like an unavoidable flaw- how pious the culture is on average is part of the culture in and of itself! Now, in fairness, cultures inevitably change or adapt or convert, and the future coming to be is certainly not a bad thing in and of itself... but anyone trying to make the Norse more pious, in their own fashion, should probably think of that first.
So, if I was Norse Pagan Shine.. then, I feel, my goal would be much more difficult. There is no beating communal heart of piety I can keep my finger on, nurture and flourish and use as an exemplar of the change I wish to herald; the (even more) decentralised (and sometimes directly transactional) rites of the Norse are self admittedly foreign to me.
Still, I would probably begin with...
Well, actions have consequences. If you believe the consequences, in summation, are fine and good- then I wish all the best for you.
Final Disclaimer: A lot of the ideas I just suggested make Norse paganism more cohesive, organised, monolithic- and probably, therefore, more like an Abrahamic faith. It may be an inevitable conclusion given my own cultural/ religious background, but I apologise for it nonetheless. Maybe someone who's actually lived in a surviving faith more adjacent to Nordic paganism could offer an alternative path?
Let's say I was tasked with making an impious peoples more pious. It is not necessarily that they are somehow evil; just.. alarmingly negligent in their behaviour. Clearly, this much be fixed.
And so, to encourage piety, I would start with passive influence. Fix up the old churches, aid and encourage church elders of reasonable virtue to use the church not only as a place of religion, but as a place of civics as well- a place for charity, and learning, and somewhere that welcomes and protects discussions and community. I would encourage immigration of certain families who fit a certain mold- admirably behaved, evidently pious, clearly capable in their work. I would find storytellers and encourage them to tell stories from the Testaments; I would, if such was acceptable and possible, even try to have children taught about New Testament, as well as the saints and martyrs!
In short, I would seek to indoctrinate the youth.
To be more reasonable upon myself- all ideology (or the lack of it) requires indoctrination to spread and maintain itself, no matter how benign or repulsive you may find it, and typically the first, easiest and most important to sway are young people, who have not yet immersed themselves within their own ideas and ways of life. By acting in gentle yet omnipresent ways, I would hope to create an external image of Christianity not just as a set of rules in a book (which, in many ways, it is), but as a lifestyle that encourages model behaviour, an even temperment, and, if not success, then the self confidence and patience to achieve in life (which it is also, to me, personally).
Therefore, Christians become role models to emulate by children, and Christian stories and culture become a part of their life and up bringing, and, maybe over twenty to thirty years, the community becomes more pious, and the once ill used Church becomes well used indeed.
You may have noticed an incredibly obvious flaw, and if you have I assure you that is not the only one, but one at a time.
The first is that Halla is not a Christian. She's not any Abrahamic faith! What I suggested would mostly apply to the Rabbis and Imans as well, but there is no... central place and authority where Norse worshippers gather. Nordic religion, as is, seems to me far less socially cohesive. It does not encourage its worshippers to congregate, it rarely impels them to band together- Halla does not consult the community elders on matters of faith; Odin is not remotely Yaweh; Halla does not get up and pray to him five times a day for wisdom and virtue, and the Nordic pantheon certainly doesn't nor seems meant to dominate thought like the Testament does. There seems to be substantially less rules, and more.. aspirations, to live up to- and when Halla does pray to Odin, it is not as a mortal man unto an all powerful ever present force that they wish to subsume themselves to, but 'merely' as a petitioner to an entity much more powerful.
So if your plan relies on pre-built in Christian thought of associating Norse piety with lots of prayers and ablutions or similar, rethink it. A Norse paganism that becomes Christian-like enough that it does work would be a very different religion, anyways.
The other flaw, less obvious, is that, to encourage piety I changed the culture of the community! Considering that you are trying to use religion to defend the culture, it seems like an unavoidable flaw- how pious the culture is on average is part of the culture in and of itself! Now, in fairness, cultures inevitably change or adapt or convert, and the future coming to be is certainly not a bad thing in and of itself... but anyone trying to make the Norse more pious, in their own fashion, should probably think of that first.
So, if I was Norse Pagan Shine.. then, I feel, my goal would be much more difficult. There is no beating communal heart of piety I can keep my finger on, nurture and flourish and use as an exemplar of the change I wish to herald; the (even more) decentralised (and sometimes directly transactional) rites of the Norse are self admittedly foreign to me.
Still, I would probably begin with...
- A sense of pan-kingdom nationalism. To be blunt, Norse as of current do not feel like they are Norse first and foremost; their first loyalties are to their homes and families or themselves, and in my opinion that is fine and good. However, if you wish to fortify Norse religion and identity, then making people proud to be Norse- of which paganism, of course, would be a core component of- would help a lot.
- An orthodoxy. Norse religion is decentralised, grass roots first. It changes inevitably over a far enough distance, which robs its worshippers of a single minded cohesion. This lack of cohesion means you cannot do the above, nor....
- Encourage peoples to really study theology and godlike sagas for their own sake. Most Norse as of current do not have a priest caste, or a missionary caste, and that is fine and well but it leaves them without an answer to Mendicants who study theology all their lives. Without an Orthodoxy, though, a study of theology is increasingly hard for not much reward, does not inspire much conviction, and does not create a united group of people who can match in debates Christian priests who make it a core part of their identity.
- Make it fashionable. No, really- make Norsemen associate... Norse worship (?) with good things, make it desirable to emulate. This encourages them to make it a larger part of their lifestyle. By making it part of their lifestyle, it becomes part of their identity, and they will be more hesitant to discard it.
- Material benefits. I personally disdain transactionary faith, but it's true that power is objectively appealing. I will not advise you on this, though.
Well, actions have consequences. If you believe the consequences, in summation, are fine and good- then I wish all the best for you.
Final Disclaimer: A lot of the ideas I just suggested make Norse paganism more cohesive, organised, monolithic- and probably, therefore, more like an Abrahamic faith. It may be an inevitable conclusion given my own cultural/ religious background, but I apologise for it nonetheless. Maybe someone who's actually lived in a surviving faith more adjacent to Nordic paganism could offer an alternative path?
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I.F. Ister
Fortifying The Thread
- Pronouns
- He/They
Alright, voting is now closed
I.F. Ister
Fortifying The Thread
- Pronouns
- He/They
I'll need some dice for Eyvor and Asgeirr's tafl board rolls, please
I'll also need a hamingja roll (34 dice) for your exploration
I'll also need a hamingja roll (34 dice) for your exploration
Rolling hamingja
Edit:me without ADHD pills trying to roll
Edit:me without ADHD pills trying to roll
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- Pronouns
- She/Her
Eyvor tafl
I.F. Ister
Fortifying The Thread
- Pronouns
- He/They
Here's the research from this turn. I've gotten the plotting mostly all done, so we're on track for tomorrow as scheduled!
0~0~0
Fylgjur Unveilings
Vagn - Buck
Kare - Wolf
Ingolf - Wolf
Eysteinn - Raven
Hakon - Dog
Alvis - Magpie
Trygve - Boar
Magni - Bear
0~0~0
Trying to Sword-Step
No matter how you try, you can't seem to listen to your weapons. Well, that's not entirely true, as Sagaseeker is quick to comment on all your actions.
"Come now, meowther-mine," he laughs as you still can't hear Burning Caress, "surely you realize the problem?"
Sighing, you lean on your sword as you direct a withering glare at the atgeir leaning against a tree, "And what, exactly, is this 'problem' you speak of?"
"You're trying too hard, is my guess."
Trying too hard? What?
...You might have to try something else here, as it seems like the straightforward route isn't the answer.
0~0~0
Slavic Language
Learning Slavic is going well, as is the teaching of Norse.
0~0~0
Hakon Thunderclap: General Info
According to stories, gossip, and rumors, Hakon Thunderclap is the youngest son of three brothers—Haklangr the Large and Haleikr Underfoot, both now deceased, were his brothers. Though his family have a certain affinity for lightning as a result of being decedents of Thor, Hakon was the only one of his brothers who the gift of thunder passed to.
A young man, Hakon is eager to prove himself to anyone who would give him praise. Lightning flows across his body as he fights, delivering shocking force to all who would try to bring him down.
Due to his young age, not much is currently known of his feats. However, with his heritage expressing itself strongly, he is expected to make quite the name for himself in the coming years.
0~0~0
Logi Firehair: Fighting Style
According to stories, gossip, and rumors, Logi Firehair fights more like a beast than a man. He is brutal, bold, and swift, able to land blows that others would regard as foolhardy thanks to his ability to simply shrug off wounds others would find mortal.
Logi has fought more battles than most men see years and it shows in how he thinks. Where others see an unassailable ledge from which to shoot down at their enemies, Logi sees a route with which to flank his foes. His weapons are crude and battle-worn, but never have they failed him in all the years of his life.
It is said that Logi once dueled a fire giant and drank its blood upon victory, from which he earned his kenning and fiery disposition. Quick to anger and even quicker to act, Logi is a man you don't want to make a foe of as he will quickly see the situation resolved, one way or another.
It is known that he wields all of the fire hugareida, barring those flames trapped in the depths of Muspelheim. Even Sunfire finds a place in his arsenal, the rare and intense hugareida being rather uncommon to see. How he managed to acquire Sunfire is a mystery, as he refuses to speak of the matter and doesn't much like to talk about it.
He practices the Martial Styles of Mirror Waltz, Flame Step, Sword-Step and Crevice Crush. Flame Step is a ring style he acquired and mastered on one of his adventures. It allows him to move at shocking speeds and close gaps that otherwise might not be possible.
0~0~0
Attempting to adapt the prayers on Knightly Armor
As you and Sten stand back a ways and he pulls a jury-rigged string—which dumps paint into the rune channels—you're met with a grand load of...
Nothing.
"What went wrong?" You scratch your head as Sten crouches over the pile of armor parts, a frown on his face.
"I think," he begins as he rises to his feet, "well, the runes are all right and the painting is correct, but..." His frown turns thin as he sighs and slumps his shoulders, "I reckon I know what went wrong."
You blink, long and slow, "Well? Don't keep me waiting!"
"We're asking the Gods for aid, right?" He begins, like he's piecing it together as he speaks.
Your brows furrow as you speak, "Yeah, bu- Wait," you sigh as your shoulders slump and your head falls, "We... forgot the sacrifice."
Sten nods, "Yep."
0~0~0
Adding more animals to your soulscape
Sheep, cows, and chickens now wander your soulscape, but you imagine it'll take more than that to get it feeling right.
Still, you're absolutely on the right track here. There's no doubt about it.
0~0~0
0~0~0
Fylgjur Unveilings
Vagn - Buck
Kare - Wolf
Ingolf - Wolf
Eysteinn - Raven
Hakon - Dog
Alvis - Magpie
Trygve - Boar
Magni - Bear
0~0~0
Trying to Sword-Step
No matter how you try, you can't seem to listen to your weapons. Well, that's not entirely true, as Sagaseeker is quick to comment on all your actions.
"Come now, meowther-mine," he laughs as you still can't hear Burning Caress, "surely you realize the problem?"
Sighing, you lean on your sword as you direct a withering glare at the atgeir leaning against a tree, "And what, exactly, is this 'problem' you speak of?"
"You're trying too hard, is my guess."
Trying too hard? What?
...You might have to try something else here, as it seems like the straightforward route isn't the answer.
0~0~0
Slavic Language
Learning Slavic is going well, as is the teaching of Norse.
0~0~0
Hakon Thunderclap: General Info
According to stories, gossip, and rumors, Hakon Thunderclap is the youngest son of three brothers—Haklangr the Large and Haleikr Underfoot, both now deceased, were his brothers. Though his family have a certain affinity for lightning as a result of being decedents of Thor, Hakon was the only one of his brothers who the gift of thunder passed to.
A young man, Hakon is eager to prove himself to anyone who would give him praise. Lightning flows across his body as he fights, delivering shocking force to all who would try to bring him down.
Due to his young age, not much is currently known of his feats. However, with his heritage expressing itself strongly, he is expected to make quite the name for himself in the coming years.
0~0~0
Logi Firehair: Fighting Style
According to stories, gossip, and rumors, Logi Firehair fights more like a beast than a man. He is brutal, bold, and swift, able to land blows that others would regard as foolhardy thanks to his ability to simply shrug off wounds others would find mortal.
Logi has fought more battles than most men see years and it shows in how he thinks. Where others see an unassailable ledge from which to shoot down at their enemies, Logi sees a route with which to flank his foes. His weapons are crude and battle-worn, but never have they failed him in all the years of his life.
It is said that Logi once dueled a fire giant and drank its blood upon victory, from which he earned his kenning and fiery disposition. Quick to anger and even quicker to act, Logi is a man you don't want to make a foe of as he will quickly see the situation resolved, one way or another.
It is known that he wields all of the fire hugareida, barring those flames trapped in the depths of Muspelheim. Even Sunfire finds a place in his arsenal, the rare and intense hugareida being rather uncommon to see. How he managed to acquire Sunfire is a mystery, as he refuses to speak of the matter and doesn't much like to talk about it.
He practices the Martial Styles of Mirror Waltz, Flame Step, Sword-Step and Crevice Crush. Flame Step is a ring style he acquired and mastered on one of his adventures. It allows him to move at shocking speeds and close gaps that otherwise might not be possible.
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Attempting to adapt the prayers on Knightly Armor
As you and Sten stand back a ways and he pulls a jury-rigged string—which dumps paint into the rune channels—you're met with a grand load of...
Nothing.
"What went wrong?" You scratch your head as Sten crouches over the pile of armor parts, a frown on his face.
"I think," he begins as he rises to his feet, "well, the runes are all right and the painting is correct, but..." His frown turns thin as he sighs and slumps his shoulders, "I reckon I know what went wrong."
You blink, long and slow, "Well? Don't keep me waiting!"
"We're asking the Gods for aid, right?" He begins, like he's piecing it together as he speaks.
Your brows furrow as you speak, "Yeah, bu- Wait," you sigh as your shoulders slump and your head falls, "We... forgot the sacrifice."
Sten nods, "Yep."
0~0~0
Adding more animals to your soulscape
Sheep, cows, and chickens now wander your soulscape, but you imagine it'll take more than that to get it feeling right.
Still, you're absolutely on the right track here. There's no doubt about it.
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