- Pronouns
- He/Him
It sure didn't give any evidence of it and there's a fair amount of circumstantial evidence it's not. It's not quite impossible that it's sapient, but it's pretty unlikely in context.
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
It sure didn't give any evidence of it and there's a fair amount of circumstantial evidence it's not. It's not quite impossible that it's sapient, but it's pretty unlikely in context.
I mean, without a common language, having been basically waken up by a home invasion, I'm not sure how it would signal it to us. It wasn't using tools or having a fire inside its cave or anything, if that's what you mean? But fiction and myth are too replete with sapient animals who are not tool-using for me to consider that as being too determinative, whilst it's still evidence.
All that being said, I don't think the bear is Blackhand's child, without which there's much less reason to expect it to be sapient in the first place, so it's a bit academic.
Summer 12/Turn 1
I.F. Ister
Fortifying The Thread
- Pronouns
- He/They
[X] Plan We Caught a Pokémon, Om Nom Nom
-[X] Reattach the bear's missing arm by cutting a thin layer of the Steel-afflicted tissue away on both sides, then gluing it together with Healing Clay if needed.
-[X] Stick it into our Soulscape until we can work out what to do with it, letting Blackhand keep an eye on it.
-[X] If it causes problems, then take it out again.
-[X] Imbibe the bear's blood using the proper method with Odr, gaining the effects of that process.
[X] Plan Yule And Owlbears
-[X] [Focus] Yule Party
--[X] Specifically, invite a bunch of people to our Yule party with a specific focus on any women any of our huscarls say they'd like to invite (they're all single, giving them an opportunity to mingle is good)
--[X] All direct neighbors would also be invited, including Buri's family
--[X] Very publicly give our retainers the things we've made for them (weapons, armor, and arm-rings)
--[X] Give out Grand Forged Iron farming tools to those families in the valley most in need of good tools, picking members of the family other than the head if appropriate
---[X] Including one set Bo Burisson, former member of our crew
-[X] Talk To Buri
--[X] The idea here is to get somewhere private and recruit him to the cause of bringing down Dorri.
--[X] Taking all reasonable, and possibly some unreasonable, precautions to prevent being overheard.
-[X] Yule Divination
--[X] Take all appropriate privacy precautions, especially about vermin like ants
--[X] Ask who knows about Dorri's deal with Drysalt (using the same list of important people in the Valley for answers)
--[X] Ask who knows the truth about what happened to the Witch (again, same list)
--[X] Ask id defeating and slaying Dorri would escalate things with Drysalt in a way that speeds up the time-table on his plans? (Drawing lots for Yes, No, Likely, Unlikely, and Uncertain)
-[X] [Extended] Hunt the Owl-Fire-Bear-Thing
--[X] Taking at least Abjorn, Stigmar, and Alvis with us...possibly others depending on the situation
-[X] (Training) Hamr (511 XP to rank up)
--[X] Train Sword Stepping 9xp
--[X] Train Harvesting Sense 6xp (3xp)
--[X] Train Fire Starter 6xp (3xp)
--[X] Train Brazier Bomb 6xp (3xp)
--[X] Train Ember Stoke 6xp (3xp)
-[X] (Training) Hugr (255 XP to rank up)
--[X] Train Ignition 60xp (15xp)
--[X] Train Standstill 24xp (12xp)
--[X] Train Size Up 6xp (3xp)
--[X] Train Dancing Sparks 8xp (2xp)
-[X] (Training) Fylgja (512 XP to rank up)
--[X] Train Owl-Eye Pulse 6xp
-[X] (Work Options)
--[X] Craft 9 Grand sets of Forged Iron farming tools as presents for those most in need in the Valley, customized to what we know of their needs (9 Work)
--[X] Plant hashish in our soulscape, spending **3 Odr** for a crop (and see how much that gets us and what effects it has)
-[X] (Incidentals)
--[X] Before gaining Odr this turn infuse **128 Odr** into Hamr, afterwards infuse **6 Odr** into Labor, **4 Odr** into combat, **2 Odr** each into Smithing and Scouting, and **3 Odr** each into Housecraft and Travel.
--[X] Adding Taafl Board Capacity Gains to: Asgeirr, Eyvor,
--[X] Receiving Metal from Dwarves: 24 oz Forged Iron, 6 oz Storm Iron,
-[X] (Shapeshifting Slots)
--[X] Assign new slot to Reduced Sleep
[X] More Clashing, Faster
-[X] +5 Initiative
-[X] +4 Stamina
-[X] Reattach the bear's missing arm by cutting a thin layer of the Steel-afflicted tissue away on both sides, then gluing it together with Healing Clay if needed.
-[X] Stick it into our Soulscape until we can work out what to do with it, letting Blackhand keep an eye on it.
-[X] If it causes problems, then take it out again.
-[X] Imbibe the bear's blood using the proper method with Odr, gaining the effects of that process.
[X] Plan Yule And Owlbears
-[X] [Focus] Yule Party
--[X] Specifically, invite a bunch of people to our Yule party with a specific focus on any women any of our huscarls say they'd like to invite (they're all single, giving them an opportunity to mingle is good)
--[X] All direct neighbors would also be invited, including Buri's family
--[X] Very publicly give our retainers the things we've made for them (weapons, armor, and arm-rings)
--[X] Give out Grand Forged Iron farming tools to those families in the valley most in need of good tools, picking members of the family other than the head if appropriate
---[X] Including one set Bo Burisson, former member of our crew
-[X] Talk To Buri
--[X] The idea here is to get somewhere private and recruit him to the cause of bringing down Dorri.
--[X] Taking all reasonable, and possibly some unreasonable, precautions to prevent being overheard.
-[X] Yule Divination
--[X] Take all appropriate privacy precautions, especially about vermin like ants
--[X] Ask who knows about Dorri's deal with Drysalt (using the same list of important people in the Valley for answers)
--[X] Ask who knows the truth about what happened to the Witch (again, same list)
--[X] Ask id defeating and slaying Dorri would escalate things with Drysalt in a way that speeds up the time-table on his plans? (Drawing lots for Yes, No, Likely, Unlikely, and Uncertain)
-[X] [Extended] Hunt the Owl-Fire-Bear-Thing
--[X] Taking at least Abjorn, Stigmar, and Alvis with us...possibly others depending on the situation
-[X] (Training) Hamr (511 XP to rank up)
--[X] Train Sword Stepping 9xp
--[X] Train Harvesting Sense 6xp (3xp)
--[X] Train Fire Starter 6xp (3xp)
--[X] Train Brazier Bomb 6xp (3xp)
--[X] Train Ember Stoke 6xp (3xp)
-[X] (Training) Hugr (255 XP to rank up)
--[X] Train Ignition 60xp (15xp)
--[X] Train Standstill 24xp (12xp)
--[X] Train Size Up 6xp (3xp)
--[X] Train Dancing Sparks 8xp (2xp)
-[X] (Training) Fylgja (512 XP to rank up)
--[X] Train Owl-Eye Pulse 6xp
-[X] (Work Options)
--[X] Craft 9 Grand sets of Forged Iron farming tools as presents for those most in need in the Valley, customized to what we know of their needs (9 Work)
--[X] Plant hashish in our soulscape, spending **3 Odr** for a crop (and see how much that gets us and what effects it has)
-[X] (Incidentals)
--[X] Before gaining Odr this turn infuse **128 Odr** into Hamr, afterwards infuse **6 Odr** into Labor, **4 Odr** into combat, **2 Odr** each into Smithing and Scouting, and **3 Odr** each into Housecraft and Travel.
--[X] Adding Taafl Board Capacity Gains to: Asgeirr, Eyvor,
--[X] Receiving Metal from Dwarves: 24 oz Forged Iron, 6 oz Storm Iron,
-[X] (Shapeshifting Slots)
--[X] Assign new slot to Reduced Sleep
[X] More Clashing, Faster
-[X] +5 Initiative
-[X] +4 Stamina
Ignition 7-9 (Forgefire 6-7, Emberwind 4-5, and Firestorm 5-7)
Standstill 6-7
Harvesting Sense (Rough-Refined)
Fire Starter (Rough-Refined)
Brazier Bomb (Rough-Refined)
Ember Stoke (Rough-Refined)
Dancing Sparks (Rough-Refined)
Owl Eye Pulse (Rough-Refined)
Size Up (Rough-Refined)
Standstill 6-7
Harvesting Sense (Rough-Refined)
Fire Starter (Rough-Refined)
Brazier Bomb (Rough-Refined)
Ember Stoke (Rough-Refined)
Dancing Sparks (Rough-Refined)
Owl Eye Pulse (Rough-Refined)
Size Up (Rough-Refined)
Hashish
Planting hashish seeds in your soulscape allows you to grow and harvest them. For every odr spent, it grows three bars worth of plant. A good deal, all around.
As for the effects, it seems to have a sort of calming effect, which improves your magic by a tier.
Planting hashish seeds in your soulscape allows you to grow and harvest them. For every odr spent, it grows three bars worth of plant. A good deal, all around.
As for the effects, it seems to have a sort of calming effect, which improves your magic by a tier.
Yule Gift Giving
The year, by the reckoning of the followers of Christ, is 8981 AD and you, Halla Sunshine, have just turned twenty-three.
'Nineteen years till 9000 AD,' Blackhand muses as you cast your gaze about the Yule party raging on around you. 'You'll be fifty-two.'
"Forty-two, actually," you mutter under your breath as you greet some of the new arrivals with a broad wave and a warm smile. That's a warm smile in a very literal meaning, given the way the heat burns beneath your skin. From how it writhes and boils, you can only imagine the flames that'd burst free if you were to peel away the flesh. Of course, if you were to do that, it would merely reveal that you were made of meat and bone like any other person. After all, your body is only fire when you will it so.
Regardless, there's more than a few unfamiliar faces at the Yule party today, which makes sense given the sheer number of new families moving into the Valley. From around two or three-hundred Hadingsmen the year previous to a whole five-hundred, the recent success against the raid having drawn the attention of more than a few hopeful families. Most live on the coast, which is getting rather congested with all the new farms, but even you have some new neighbors—who are here now!
'Fifty, forty, same thing,' Blackhand grunts as you step across the party, the largest group of new arrivals now centered square in your sights, 'Math is a scam.'
"And what if a merchant tries to cheat you? How would you tell?"
'Easy answer. Violence.'
You have to hide the snort as the group takes note of your presence—you wouldn't want to offend them, after all—but it does give you an opportunity to look them over as you compose yourself.
There's about fourteen people in total, four men, seven women, and three children of various ages, though none older than ten. Given their near-uniform square jaws—save for one of the women, presumably a wife—you'd reckon that you're looking at an extended family in search of a better life.
Stepping right up with a broad smile plastered onto your face, your hand hovers as you give them your best greeting, "Hello! My name's Halla Sunshine and welcome to the party. I tend not to get out much," you offer a laugh as you scratch at your cheek, "so I'm sorry for not meeting you sooner."
"No harm, no foul, Halla Sunshine," the tallest man of the lot steps forward to greet you with a firm shake of the hand and a respectful nod of the head. His large hands are strong and heavily calloused, well-suited to hard labor. He'll be fine in the Hading, you reckon, though the same can't be said for all the new arrivals—some of whom look rather reedy and limp about the wrists, "I'm Dyggvi Dursson and these are my siblings," he nods to the other square-jawed Durssons and -dottirs in attendence as he identifies them all by name. A long list of names all beginning in 'D' flee his lips as he moves down the line one by one until he arrives at the sole non-square-jawed among them, "and this is my wife, Iliana Letrisdottir, as well as my sons."
Iliana eyes you warily as her husband waves her way, "Halla Sunshine, is it? I've heard a lot about you."
"Good things, I hope," you try a smile, though it doesn't reach your eyes. There's been something of a resurgence of foul rumors as of late. The source isn't known to you, though the contents are. Apparently, some of the new arrivals have been urging Dorri to give them rights to your land, as, supposedly, one of them had won a wager of battle against someone claiming to own the lands of Steinarr.
Dyggvi's eyes twitch as Iliana stares so hard a cold bead of sweat leaves a wet trail as it slides down the back of your neck. His smile strains as his teeth grit, "Come now, Iliana, it's not like you to put stock in rumors."
Your eyes narrow, darting between man and wife in quick succession, "What rumors?" While you know most of the rumors regarding your person, it never hurts to make certain of suspicions.
They flinch in unison as a cloud crosses over the sun, "T-that you're a bloodthirsty maniac."
A beat passes as you grumble, "I'm not a maniac! I had valid reason for every man I've kill!"
"How..." Dyggvi stares as his lips thin, fingers twitching as he seems to regret the peacebonds on his sax, "How many have you killed?"
You blink as silence looms like the hunter after cornered prey, "I, uh, I've kinda lost count."
'I think it's in the fifties. Fifty-two, perhaps.'
...Fifty-two, huh?
'Yes.'
The same age as he thought you'd be, huh?
'...Yes.'
Yeah, you don't believe that for one second.
'Eh, worth a shot.'
Iliana and Dyggvi exchange a quick glance as Dyggvi takes a half-step back. You can't imagine you're going to have much trouble from them, especially if the way some of the womenfolk are eyeing your retainers is anything to go by. Unless, of course, something goes wrong as it so often does—courting is known as the most dangerous thing a young man can do for a reason, after all.
Begging your leave from the Durssons—who happily give it—you turn your attention to the affairs of your men as they try their damnedest to earn the affections of the many young maidens in what might be the most prime time for marriages the Hading has seen in decades. With all the new arrivals fresh off the boat, they're all eager to put down roots and make alliances as quick as possible. Though you can't imagine any of your neighbors would do such a thing as kill them on the spot—save, perhaps, Hasvir—it's still not a bad idea to make friends and family of the people you're to live next to for the foreseeable future.
Regardless, it seems that your bachelor retainers have, by and large, had good fortune in their search for wives.
Most of the women clinging to your men's every word blur into a single figure in your mind's eye. As much as you may wish it weren't, it's undeniable that Norsewomen tend to fall into a sort of archetype. The same goes for Norsemen, for brash attitudes and boisterous laughter is an all too common occurrence among them.
Of course, that doesn't mean that all your retainers found themselves doe-eyed, soft-faced sweethearts—far from it, in fact! Though you can't see Trausti, Tryggr, Vagn, or Eysteinn working out with their partners of the evening, the same can't be said for Alvis, Hakon, Magni, or even Ingolf, who somehow managed to attract the attention of a woman most formidable. Other potentially successful pairings include the likes of Stigmar, Kare, and Trygve, though none are truly notable in of itself.
Starting with the most notable, somehow, against all the odds, a young woman of clear Giant's Blood—by the name of Fenja Oakenstrength—found herself in the company of none other than Ingolf of all people. The poor boy shivers and shakes as Fenja sits with her arm around his shoulders. Fortunately for what little standing Ingolf has in the Valley, Kare took all the attention upon himself as he very verbally let down a woman of both beauty and good stock.
Next in line is none other than Alvis, who seems to have caught the eye of a sly woman by the name of Gylla Soursong. A woman of sass and succor in equal measure, her fair voice carries far as she sings songs both warm and cold. Though far from a Skald in truth, she still remains a formidable poet if the way she verbally spars with Alvis and anyone who strays too close is anything to go off of. Not the person to make an enemy of, that much is certain.
Last you saw of Hakon Thunderclap, the young man was being dragged off into the treeline by a Dursdottir named Dylla Shocks. You suspect that there will be a new alliance in the near future, if only to save face for all those involved. From what little you gather, Dylla Shocks was weaned on the milk of a storm cow as her mother had, unfortunately, passed soon after birth. As such, it seems that Dylla developed an affinity for thunder and lightning, which makes a pairing with Hakon rather auspicious. It's a shame he didn't work out with Audrikr's sister, but sometimes such things are for the best.
Last, but certainly not least, is Magni Littlerock, who is in the middle of an arm wrestling match between himself and the brothers of a little waif of a woman by the name of Lyndi Surlingsdottir. Knuckles touch wood as Magni is crowned victor three times in a row, having bested all three of Lyndi's brothers one after another. Surling Nailbiter himself—a more formidable foe than his sons by far—looks on from the distance. It'll be hard for the boy, there's no doubt about that, but perhaps he'll be able to prove himself to the old man after all? Only time will tell, though you have a good feeling about it.
As your eyes drift across the clearing prepared in anticipation of Yule, you fail to miss the arrival of a family you hoped would be in attendance. Buri of the Bog, as he is often called, steps into the party flanked by a trio of his sons—Bo, Boris, and Burtr. Though dressed in finery befitting their status, they all still bear peace-bonded arms on their person. While understandable for those new to the valley to be wary of those they don't know, you can't deny you hoped the Burissons would trust you enough to come weaponless.
Regardless, came they still did! That in of itself is a statement, given how ostracized and isolated—partly by choice and partly by reputation—the Burissons so often are. Sauntering on up to the ill-rumored family with a welcoming smile on your face and a hand held out, you strike up a warm greeting, "Hail, Buri and sons! I'm happy you could make it, though it's a shame the rest couldn't." Directing your gaze to Bo, you offer a nod to both him and one of the new arrival's daughters, "I heard about your engagement to Ruth Lutheinsdottir, Bo, and allow me to be the first to congratulate you on the marriage."
Bo nods his thanks as his eyes linger on his wife-to-be, "Thank you, Halla, really, but..."
"But inviting us here was a mistake," Buri grunts as he takes your hand in his with a sharp slap, "If we want to take him down, our alliance needs to be kept as quiet as possible to prevent my reputation from staining your own."
His voice is kept quiet, though the various charms and spells you've layered on both him and you render it a moot point. Nobody can hear what you speak of lest you will them to, such is the strength of the magic you worked.
"My reputation is strong," you shake your head, your hair whipping with the movement, "It'd take more than that to shake its foundations."
Buri scoffs and folds his arms, "I've seen friends turn on each other for less, Halla Sunshine. You can't afford to alienate anyone, lest they convince mutual friends to side with them rather than you."
Your brows dig a deep furrow on your head, "My men are loyal, bound by oath."
He shrugs, "Ten or so men isn't anywhere near enough to take a Jarldom. You'll need more friends, more allies, more people willing to throw their lot in with you. If you've got a poor reputation, it gets that much harder to do."
...As much as it irks you, he's got a point. Dorri has a significantly better position than you in the politics of the Valley. While your Seerwork is causing a shift in power and opinion, that doesn't mean you've got the standing to challenge the Hersir in his own land. Not yet, at least.
'In the game of politics, you either win or you die,' Blackhand mutters as you sigh, 'I fought against playing it in life for a reason and in death I find myself liking it even less.'
"I'll..." You scowl as you feel judgement-filled eyes on you, "I'll keep that in mind. I've got a way to make up any lost reputation, but I'll need to shirk you to do it."
Buri grins and offers a quick nod, "I'd have recommended you do that, had you not. There will be no hard feelings from me or my sons, no matter the words you must speak."
"Thank you, Buri," it's a tall order to ask him this, but he's the kind of man who understands that sacrifices must be made, "I'll make it up to you, once this is done."
He snorts and waves it off, "Killing that bastard is more than enough compensation, but I appreciate the gesture."
Sharing a parting nod, you do your best to ignore the withering stares leveled your way from some of the guests. Buri stays at the sidelines, which does reduce the heat some, but you'll need to make a statement one way or another eventually, else the rumor mill do its dark work.
Stepping up onto a rock positioned in command of the clearing, you raise your hands above your head and call the party to silence. All eyes fall to you as you take a deep breath and let your shoulders go slack as nerves leave your body.
Lifting your voice to the heavens, you start with a big smile and warm eyes, "Welcome, everyone, and thank you all for choosing to spend Yule in my company. It is a great honor to be in your presence and I wouldn't trade it for anything!" A few cheers ring out at that, your words of praise flowing like wine, "I have little to say here, for I am a woman of action! As such, to show my thanks to all those here, I have some gifts for the new families in our presence," with a flick of the wrist, you Recall a large satchel burgeoning with all manner of tools, "When I call your names, please approach the stone!"
One by one, you call names and give out bundles of masterwork gifts. Orthstirr falls across your shoulders as praise is offered by the wagonload, the words of glory as sweet as any drink in all the lands.
What doesn't go unnoticed, however, is that not all the new families received gifts by your hand. The family of Bo Burisson and Ruth Lutheinsdottir goes unadorned by your works of marvelous iron, a fact only right in the eyes of most of those in attendance.
Still, to so visibly ignore Buri... No matter how necessary it may be, it doesn't make it any more right.
Your sleep that night is wracked with uncertainty.
0~0~0
Divination
"So, how's the bear doing?" You ask nobody in particular as you trudge towards a spot picked out for the night's divinations, "Not tearing the place apart or anything?"
'It's doing fine, far as I can tell. Currently mostly just eating fish from the rivers, doesn't seem all that interested in the spirits or anything.'
A slight frown crosses your face as you shrug, "Well, have you had any realizations?"
'I'm fairly certain that this bear was once my pet, or at least the descendant of him. It's been so long that he's regressed to a more animalistic state, but, with time, perhaps we can draw him back out? Thank you, by the way, for not killing him. Though I have no memories beyond his existence, even his name is a mystery to me, I can't help but feel saddened by the prospect of his death.'
"Wasn't a big deal," you wave it off as you find a good spot and sit down. Retrieving the sticks and casting more than a few spells of secrecy, you soon find yourself casting the first, second, and third of the lots.
To the first question, for who knows of Dorri's deal with Drysalt, a single name returns to you, a name you hadn't been expecting at all. Logi Godsdamned Firehair knows of Dorri's deal with Drysalt.
The second question, about who knows the truth of what happened to the Witch, comes up with two names: Dorri Rattlespear and Halfdan the Dane.
The third question, if defeating and slaying Dorri would escalate things with Drysalt, comes up with a simple 'No'.
0~0~0
A young man comes knocking to your door, asking if you have any solutions to a problem he's been having with his hands. After inviting him inside and asking him after the details, you learn that his hands are always cold and clammy, which makes it difficult to shake hands with people.
What solution do you give him?
[ ] Write in a solution
0~0~0
[ ] Plan Name
-[ ] Write in what you wish to focus on
-[ ] Write in your first low-effort action
-[ ] Write in your second low-effort action
-[ ] Write in your extended action, if you desire to use it right now.
0~0~0
Training: You have 59 XP to spend as you see fit.
-[ ] Write in how you wish to spend it
0~0~0
-[ ] Work Options (Optional)
--[ ] Specify specific things
0~0~0
AN: And there we go, the first proper turn of the new system done!
How is it working, now that you've had a chance to experience it properly?
25-minute moratorium.
Last edited:
I.F. Ister
Fortifying The Thread
- Pronouns
- He/They
Voting is now open
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I think that first Drysalt should be Dorri?
But assuming that is true, in terms of long-term plans, that means we probably spend this year gathering allies and evidence and then aim to work with Corpsemaker and get rid of Dorri next year, I think? That seems like the right tack to take to me, anyway.
On our seeress stuff, I don't know exactly how to help the poor boy with cold hands. We could whip up a magic item, maybe? Or just, y'know, give him some mundane gloves and instructions to wear them? If we need to spend Work on it, I can shift the plan to do that easily enough.
In terms of the plan, we promised to send off Brother Bart, and we should do so. Vagn likes to travel so he's a good person to send along...other people who want to volunteer are, of course, welcome to do so. We also want to get Abjorn started Odr cultivating, and we have the opportunity to finally get to know our Slavic retainers, what with the language barrier being gone...I don't think we should put that off and, while they take a bit to clarify our intent, the other two shouldn't take long for IF to write, so that should be our Focus. It could be argued that talking with Halfdan to get him on-side and see what's up with him, Dorri, and the Witch, is also an important Focus Action to take soon, and I agree, but I think next turn is soon enough.
In terms of training, this gets a couple of useful/needed things to Mastered and most of our Rough stuff to Refined. Something important to take advantage of Owl Fylgja's new bonus. We still have one 'minor research' involving checking an Alloy or Magic Item undefined, and I'm open to suggestions there.
But that aside, here's a plan:
[X] Plan Goodbye Brother Bart (For Real This Time)
-[X] Send off Brother Bartholomew for Wessex
--[X] Assigning Vagn Wheel-Drifter and anyone else who wants to go on a quick drop off to accompany him.
--[X] Send them along on one of the ships already headed that way this year
--[X] Offer to send Seeingsnow with them if Seeingsnow so desires.
--[X] Send a letter to Gabriel, asking Brother Bartholomew to deliver it and explaining our connection with Gabriel Blackstone, who seems likely to be a relative of his.
---[X] This letter will tell Gabriel of Steinarr's death, and request that he help us against those who killed him, if he is willing (along with noting the rough time frame based on Drysalt's threat, and that these enemies include supernatural evil). They did deny him his own chance for revenge, after all, and our remaining family is in danger, we could use his help. That said, this is a request for help from a friend, not a demand.
--[X] Suggest picking up books might be a thing that Vagn could do (with Brother Bart's advice) and we'd appreciate (particularly anything on cultivation itself and how it works), and send him with some money for that. If he finds no books we'd be interested in, then he doesn't find any, it's very much a side issue.
-[X] Talk to Abjorn
--[X] Try to convince him to actually cultivate Odr, work on his soulscape and Infuse things. Specifically, note that it's a relatively safe route to power, indicate (in veiled terms) the food security provided by the field, and so on. Power can be an end goal, but even if you don't care about that power helps to shape the world and defend the part of it you already hold...Abjorn is already powerful, but the more powerful he is the safer both he and our family as a whole are. We want that for him. Can he please put in the effort?
--[X] We're not encouraging him to do anything risky like Hugr Infusion (that's up to him), but Infusion in Hamr, Combat, Labor, and stuff like that, and making a House, Fence, and Fields are all too useful for him not to engage with.
-[X] [Focus] Talk With Our Slavic Retainers
--[X] Now that we have a language in common get to know them and see if they have any issues or things they'd like to do.
--[X] Hopefully also get some information on Slavic Cultivation, but getting to know them is the priority
--[X] If we have time after dealing with any issues and getting to know people see if Kazimir has any interesting knowledge we could learn from him
Training:
-[X] (Training) Hamr (511 xp to rank up)
--[X] Train the Sword Stepping Martial Style 7xp
--[X] Train Tree-Split Trick 6xp (3xp)
--[X] Train Stunner-Slam 6xp (3xp)
--[X] Train Tendon Cut 6xp (3xp)
--[X] Train Palm Crush 6xp (3xp)
--[X] Train Meteoric Shot 6xp (3xp)
--[X] Train Devouring Blaze 36 xp (18 xp)
-[X] (Training) Hugr (255 xp to rank up)
--[X] Train Flashfire Cleave 36xp (9xp)
--[X] Train Dead Air 6xp
--[X] Train Warm Up 8xp (2xp)
--[X] Train Dry Off 8xp (2xp)
-[X] (Work Options)
--[X] Remake our 11 Basic Shields as Superior (11 Work)
--[X] Write A Poem - Ginnungagap (3 Work)
--[X] Check if Extinguish works to put our Sunfire. The Owlbear proved it doesn't work on Finales, but this seems worth checking. (1 Work)
--[X] See what we can figure out about the Earthblood without opening it. Especially what would happen if we opened the vial. (1 Work)
--[X] Try and Alloy Fight of Our Life and Stoker State and see what happens (1 Work)
-[X] (Shapeshifting Slots)
--[X] Reassign our slots to two in Improved Attractiveness, six in Reduced Sleep, and two in Sharpened Senses.
-[X] (Incidentals)
--[X] Infuse 4 Odr each into Smithing, Scouting, Housecraft, and Travel and 8 Odr each into Combat, Wordplay, and Labor
--[X] Adding Taafl Board Capacity Gains to: Nobody (we did two last time)
--[X] Receiving Metal from Dwarves: 24 oz Forged Iron, 6 oz Drafty Iron
EDIT: Fiddled with Work, Shapeshifting, and Odr infusion very slightly. Switched Poem Inspiration.
Adding the following for the guy with clammy hands:
[X] For the man with clammy hands, offer him an ointment brewed with (among other things) the unconsumed experience of The First Warmth of the Rising Dawn, which he must use daily for the next 27 days, putting it on his hands and feet alike daily. We will charge him two ounces of silver for this, and it should cure the problem for good, if it does not he can come back and we'll fix it another way.
EDIT 2: Added a couple of Research Actions.
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AeonIlluminate
The power of friendship and aggressive landscaping
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- They/Them
All seems good in the plan
[X] DeadmanwalkingXI
[X] DeadmanwalkingXI
I've been told that there is an upgrade path to the saga plate is that something that would fit here?
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Per what IF said I don't think so? They indicated that it would be sort of automatic and done in the background rather than us spending stuff on it. If that's wrong I'd happily spend for it, but that's a big 'if'.
That's probably something that should be asked about, would be very annoying to assume something and then get told that it isn't true.
@Imperial Fister how is the sagaplate refining handled?, do we need to make it a focus, use work, do research just use it in different situations to gather data a combination of the above or something different?
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I hope Stigmar ended up with our ex-thrall Slav who was giving him googoo eyes in a past update.
She might not be particularly special, but it'd be nice to have someone date outside the norm of other Norse. Maybe second generation Stigmar's kid could have some Slavic stuff that way too.
I would like to spend actions sometime soon on dwarf inspection of our Sagaplate. I want their advice asap before we start considering making more. Now that we've tested it and seen its power a bit I think it's a good time.
Though I suppose the faster we get Abjorn doing Odr stuff the more he might infuse for himself or something.
She might not be particularly special, but it'd be nice to have someone date outside the norm of other Norse. Maybe second generation Stigmar's kid could have some Slavic stuff that way too.
I would like to spend actions sometime soon on dwarf inspection of our Sagaplate. I want their advice asap before we start considering making more. Now that we've tested it and seen its power a bit I think it's a good time.
Though I suppose the faster we get Abjorn doing Odr stuff the more he might infuse for himself or something.
A ring, or a pair of rings, infused with dawns first warmth. Given the climate I assume he has gloves.
Edit: maybe a bracelet if rings have too romantic a connotation.
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- He/Him
Assuming we can't just cure him magically, this seems like the simplest solution. Price would defend on materials.
@Imperial Fister I'm guessing we don't have some spell to just fix this guy's problem, do we? And do we need to spend Work on the solutions we come up with to these things in general, or what? And do we get paid in a mechanically relevant fashion?
@Imperial Fister
Hey Halla, is it just his hands that are cold, or do his feet suffer too? Is he particularly tall? Are his hands especially thin?
wondering if he might have poor circulation
Edit: How long has he had this affliction? Has he sought treatment before, and if so what was it?
Hey Halla, is it just his hands that are cold, or do his feet suffer too? Is he particularly tall? Are his hands especially thin?
wondering if he might have poor circulation
Edit: How long has he had this affliction? Has he sought treatment before, and if so what was it?
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Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
I'm pretty sure I've found what he's got?
www.cedars-sinai.org
The solution to this pretty much boils down to daily applications of a certain cream until it's under control, and then biweekly follow ups to make sure it doesn't get out of control anymore.
Hyperhidrosis | Cedars-Sinai
Hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating that most commonly occurs in the hands, armpits and feet. Hyperhidrosis in the hands can be severely debilitating, especially in social situations. In the feet, it can be dangerous during activities such as driving and walking. Nonsurgical and surgical...
www.cedars-sinai.org
The solution to this pretty much boils down to daily applications of a certain cream until it's under control, and then biweekly follow ups to make sure it doesn't get out of control anymore.
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Let's just give him some hashish so he's too chill to worry about his sweaty hands.
Magical mittens, instead of cream so that he doesn't have to come back to use every week to restock on cream come to us for a check up? Soak the mittens in hearthroot oil, infuse them with the experience of the warmth of the rising dawn, chant a seidr spell while soaking. So that he'll only have to wear them consistently for a while and then every once in a while when they get too bad.
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Hmm. Is this why he killed the witch?
I.F. Ister
Fortifying The Thread
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Reforging it, using work dice
You can make spells up as you want, as long as you can back it up using pre-obtained resources. They don't have any inherent cost beyond the time it takes for you folks to think up solutions. You set the price.
His feet do also suffer, yes. He is fairly tall, at about Steinarr's height (6-foot-1). He's never really thought about it until he went to shake someone's hand and they visibly avoided his hand.
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Check. How much Work is required for that? And would changing what God it's devoted to be problematic? I'm guessing yes on the latter, but just checking.
Interesting. We can definitely combine some ideas then. Do we know the going rate for things like this when, say, Solrun did them? We saw her working enough, after all. We don't want to be predatory about this, but it is a valuable service we're offering so undercharging might also be an issue.
I.F. Ister
Fortifying The Thread
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9 Dice, I'll say, and it requires a smithing roll of sufficient quality. You'd have to offer up something as compensation, which you'll have to figure out on your own
Depends on the problem you're solving. No more than a few ounces of silver for this.
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Mmm. That works. Probably not this turn, then...we actually need those shields, folks. But we can do it most turns going forward thereafter.
And if it requires an offering, we'll probably just make a second set rather than try rededicating one. We likely wanted to do that anyway.
Check.
What do people think of the following?
[ ] For the man with clammy hands, offer him an ointment brewed with (among other things) the unconsumed experience of The First Warmth of the Rising Dawn, which he must use daily for the next 27 days, putting it on his hands and feet alike daily. We will charge him two ounces of silver for this, and it should cure the problem for good, if it does not he can come back and we'll fix it another way.
That seems the right blend of magic and 'put some ointment on it' to me. I'll insert an appropriate vote into my post above.
What a banger of an update!
Tired and brainscrambled, so some rough thoughts and impressions:
Halla is, as they say, "a real one".
D'aaaawwww
Huh, it's good to know that Buri is so ride-or-die with us on overthrowing Dorri now.
Did we uh, have a meeting and try to induct him into our plan at some point? I guess we must have, or he's a sly fox and intuited it.
D'awww, good boi!
We need to befriend him.
BEGIN RESEARCHING BEAR TREATS
Well, I guess we're going to see Halfdan then!
It's good!
Tired and brainscrambled, so some rough thoughts and impressions:
Halla is, as they say, "a real one".
D'aaaawwww
Huh, it's good to know that Buri is so ride-or-die with us on overthrowing Dorri now.
Did we uh, have a meeting and try to induct him into our plan at some point? I guess we must have, or he's a sly fox and intuited it.
D'awww, good boi!
We need to befriend him.
BEGIN RESEARCHING BEAR TREATS
Well, I guess we're going to see Halfdan then!
It's good!
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- She/Her
Could we odr-honey the owlbear like we did Bjorney? What kind of action would that be?