NorseQuest (A Norse Xianxia)

[I.F. Ister]

Progress Update: Very, very close to wrapping things up. Just need to add the choices and boom, done.

 

[Slickji]

Had many sleep deprived thoughts last night cause I stayed up late theorizing orthstirr mechanics in this thread

Anyways when are we dressing Abjorn up like Winnie the Pooh? or are we going to do it to our bear daughter?

 

[Toboe]

Had many sleep deprived thoughts last night cause I stayed up late theorizing orthstirr mechanics in this thread

Anyways when are we dressing Abjorn up like Winnie the Pooh? or are we going to do it to our bear daughter?

Click to shrink...

Last conversation of a group of guards:
"Why is that girl giving us that look?"
"Why is she running towards us?"
"Why isn't she wearing pants(/skirt)?"
"[noise of a corpse hitting the ground]"

 

[KreenWarrior]

Had many sleep deprived thoughts last night cause I stayed up late theorizing orthstirr mechanics in this thread

Anyways when are we dressing Abjorn up like Winnie the Pooh? or are we going to do it to our bear daughter?

Click to shrink...

 

[I.F. Ister]

That's amazing, holy shit. Anyways...

 

[Slickji]

Last conversation of a group of guards:
"Why is that girl giving us that look?"
"Why is she running towards us?"
"Why isn't she wearing pants(/skirt)?"
"[noise of a corpse hitting the ground]"

Click to shrink...

could have sworn Pooh had pants on when he wore his PJs but i was wrong.

 

[I.F. Ister]

Spoiler: First Turn Back

[X] Plan First Turn Back
-[X] (Personal) Spend time with...(Write in)
--[X] Steinarr and the rest of the family
--[X] Grieve with them over our mother. Hug our family.
--[X] Stigandr
--[X] See if he's any better, try and get him to talk and spend time with you and Abjorn. Stigmar is also invited.
--[X] Gabriel
--[X] Talk about buying and freeing him (and Jerasmus), discuss the favor with the meteor...make it clear that this isn't conditional, we'll buy and free him either way if he wants, but it'd be appreciated if he helps with the meteor and needs to be done while he's wearing his manacles for technical reasons.
-[X] (Leverage suggestions for Abjorn)
--[X] Something to allow him to simply break in half people or things he gets ahold of (wrestling being the obvious usage, but snapping weapons would also work if he grabbed them, or breaking trees in half...not that he needs the help on that last one)
--[X] Something to allow him to swing weapons _even harder_ (a sword is a lever when swung, after all)
--[X] Something allowing him to redirect force when it hits his shield knocking opponents off balance.
-[X] (Research)
--[X] Look into what happened with the break in reality we experienced and the Norns. Just...talk with Hallr and try and figure out what's going on there. 1d6
--[X] Experiment with using Frami, Virthing, and Saemd. When full on orthstirr and see if we can make the orthstirr do anything odd...see if we can figure out where it goes. Try pouring orthstirr into them. Try and manifest them for longer than usual. Try to have our Fylgja manifest them. Try using _only_ orthstirr from each of the three to activate Tricks, particularly Kindle Spinner (both from us and our fylgja) and see if it makes any difference in the tricks in question. Other stuff like that. 1d6
---[X] While doing this, make sure to always have at least one of the three in reserve so we're not taken by surprise or anything.
-[X] (Blackhand's Training) Try to develop old/train new hugareida tricks (Write in)
--[X] Train Kindle-Spinner 2d6 (1d6)
--[X] Train Firebomb-Strike 2d6 (1d6)
--[X] Train Ember-Winged Cloak 2d6 (1d6)
--[X] Train Campfire 2d6 (1d6)
-[X] (Steinarr's Training) Ask Steinarr to teach you a trick/some tricks (Write in)
--[X] Train Sidestep 1d6
--[X] Train Magnify-Sight Trick 1d6
--[X] Train 'Household' Housecraft Skill-Trick 1d6
--[X] Train 'Teaching' Wordplay Skill-Trick 1d6
-[X] (Training) Hamr (30 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Hamr itself 5d6
-[X] (Training) Hugr (31 successes to rank up)
--[X] Train Hugr itself 1d6
--[X] Train Armorcraft 1d6
--[X] Train Artcraft 1d6
--[X] Train Barb-Tongue 1d6
--[X] Train Housecraft 1d6
--[X] Train Silver-Tongue 1d6
--[X] Train Weaponcraft 1d6
--[X] Train Wildcraft 1d6
--[X] Train Wordplay 1d6
-[X] (Training) Fylgja (16 success to rank up)
--[X] Train Fylgja Itself 1d6
-[X] Management
--[X] (Construction) Improve House 7d6
--[X] (Construction) Build Workshop 5d6
--[X] (Construction) Build Barn 10d6
--[X] (Construction) Build Storehouse 5d6
--[X] (Fields) Clear Fields 7d6 (6d6 from Plow and Scythe)
--[X] (Resources) Cloth 8d6 (3d6 from Wood Axe)
-[X] (Orthstirr Usage)
--[X] 5 Hamr
---[X] 4 Chop, 4 Defend, 4 Dodge, 4 Glima, 3 Bash, 3 Pierce, 3 Throw, 2 Labor, 3 Overland (30 total)
--[X] 6 Hugr
---[X] 3 Composure, 4 Housecraft, 2 Management, 3 Scouting, 3 Silver-Tongue, 3 Strategy, 3 Tactics, 4 Wordplay, 3 Wildcraft (28 total)
--[X] 4 Fylgja
--[X] 1 First Impression
--[X] 145 free for tricks

0~0~0

Spoiler: Training

(Sidestep Trick Training: 4) 1 Success. (Magnify-Sight Trick: 1) 1 Failure (Household: 2)1 Failure. (Teaching: 6)2 Successes
These damned eyes of yours...

You scowl, a growl spilling from your throat as Abjorn works on refining his Leverage. His bear — a big, yellow-furred beast — blinks as a butterfly lands on its nose.

(+1 Sidestep Trick)
(+2 Teaching Skill-Trick)
0~0~0
(Hugareida Trick Training #1: 3, 1)1+1=2 Successes. (#2: 3, 5)3+1=4 Successes. (#3: 1, 6)1+1=2 Successes. (Campfire: 4, 2)1+1=2 Successes
Steady progress is good progress, that's what Sten always says anyways.

(+2 to Kindle Spinner)
(+4 to Firebomb Strike)
(+2 to Ember-Winged Cloak)
(+2 to Campfire)
0~0~0
(Hamr Training: 6, 6, 3, 6, 5) 9 Successes
Well, if there's one good thing about owning your own farm — besides, of course, the owning of your own farm — it's that there is a lot of hard labor to do.

(+9 to Hamr)
0~0~0
(Hugr Training: 1) 1 Failure. (Armorcraft: 1)1+1=1 Success. (Artcraft: 6) 2+1=3 Successes. (Barb-Tongue: 2) 1 Failure. (Housecraft: 1)1+1=1 Success. (Silver-Tongue: 2) 1 Failure. (Weaponcraft: 6) 2+1=3 Successes. (Wildcraft: 3) 1+1=2 Successes. (Wordplay: 5) 2+1=3 Successes
With all the farm work going on, you've had a lot less time to focus on practicing your more mindful arts. Still, you managed to improve a little bit.

(+1 Armorcraft)
(+1 Housecraft)
(Artcraft Rank Up)
(+3 Weaponcraft)
(+2 Wildcraft)
(+3 Wordplay)
0~0~0
(Fylgja Training: 1) 1 Failure
No luck with your fylgja. Looks like it's gotten a little lazy since last time you trained...

Spoiler: Farmlife

(House: 6, 1, 1, 2, 2, 4, 4)1+4=5 Successes. (Workshop: 6, 5, 4, 5, 4) 8+4=12 Successes. (Barn: 3, 1, 3, 6, 4, 6, 6, 6, 3, 5)13+4=17 Successes. (Storehouse: 5, 2, 4, 3, 4)4+4=8 Successes.
Wiping the sweat from your brow, you share a quick kiss with your love as you stand in the midst of your farm.

It was a lot of hard work getting it all built, barely had time to do, well, anything really!

But you did it.

And with the efforts made this time around, it'll be way easier to improve them next time!

(+5 to Decent House)
(+12 to Workshop)
(+17 to Barn)
(+8 to Storehouse)
0~0~0
(Sheep: 4, 4, 5, 3, 6, 1, 6, 4)9x4=36 Cloth
You shake your head as you gaze upon the stacks of cloth piling up in the storehouse.

From beyond the walls of the storehouse, the distressed mooing of a new ox reaches your ears.

(+36 Cloth)
(+1 Decent Ox)
0~0~0
(Clearing Fields: 6, 4, 4, 2, 1, 4, 3)4 Successes
While you did manage to clear your first field, that was more or less all the progress you actually made at it. Oh well, you've got more than enough food and fodder to survive winter.

You quickly rap your knuckles against the nearest fencepost.

(Field #1 Cleared!)
(+1 to Clearing Field #2)

Spoiler: Research

Discussing the Reality Break
"When the Enemy does its work... makes its move, what exactly happens? If it can manipulate fate, how come we're not dead already?"

You're in a secluded spot in the woods you found while wandering one day. There's a light trickle of a tiny stream's waterfall playing in the background as a smooth stone sits flat in the shadow of a brilliant ash.

'I... I knew the answers to that, once, but...' Blackhand's frown is visible in the way he speaks. 'I seem to have forgotten, I'm sorry. All I remember is that the Nornir are, in purpose, completely neutral and entirely arbitrary entities.'

You frown in turn as a light breeze bats your hair to the side.

Looks like you'll need to do some more thinking on that, in greater focus.
0~0~0
Playing with Aspects
In that same spot under the ancient, swaying ash, you find yourself sitting on the stone once more.

The tree creaks over your head as you focus your power and stoke your frami. Crimson flames sprout from your skin, shouting your existence at the world and demanding that it listens to your words.

Eyes closed and brows furrowed, you hone your focus to a razor-sharp point as frami whirls about your body. It feels... almost more *malleable* with your full supply of orthstirr providing a sort of buoyancy to its movements.

Opening your eyes, you stretch out your arm and flex your will. In tune with the movements of your arm, crimson fire spreads out along its length and then further still as it touches the edge of the stone.

But even as controllable as it is, it's... it's almost lacking something. With how light it is, it feels as if it needs something to anchor it, some kind of foundation to build off of.

Frowning, you move on to the next part of your experimentation; using only orthstirr from an Aspect to fuel tricks. For this job, Kindle Spinner seems to be the most appropriate of choices.

Holding your hand palm-facing the sky, you focus your frami and force it to swirl in that familiar pattern. Slowly, surely, a Kindle Spinner violently spins its way into existence in your palm.

Well, you're not sure what, exactly, you were expecting. After all, frami already is crimson fire and that's just Kindle Spinner anyways. But, that's not all there is to power, to tricks.

Kindle-Spinner when fueled only with frami seems to almost have a hunger to it. A hunger for violence, a hunger reminiscent of Sagaseeker...

Shrugging, you dispel the trick and release hold of your frami — as you are rather curious to see what happens when you do such a thing when full on orthstirr.

The moment you release hold on your frami, it's as if it were grabbed by something. It's sucked to the ground and swiftly disappears into smooth stone. That's what always happens, except this time it was far, far quicker to happen. Like something was greedily gobbling it down like Drifa during Yule.

For some reason, a sinking feeling thunders up from your gut.

Shaking your head side-to-side, you clear it of any malignant thoughts before proceeding with the next experiment on the docket; trying two Aspects at once. If frami feels like its lacking something, like it needs something to build upon, perhaps virthing and saemd can build upon each other?

The moment you call forth virthing and saemd is the moment you feel it.

It twists and turns, spinning and weaving in your soul. It's barely there, almost completely unnoticeable in the whirling strands of crimson power wrapping around themselves, in and out, over and over again — one part of singed feathers, the other of flaming iron. It curls, spinning into a ring of mouth on tail as it descends through your body.

It settles at the bottom of your stomach — just above your unborn children — and waits, patiently, for something. For something that isn't clear.

As it rests and waits, the light of virthing and saemd weaving into one length shines all throughout your being. Into every nook and cranny, corner and crevice it flows, revealing all there is to see in the empty, barren landscape of you soul.

The only thing in existence in the void is a locked and barred gate, facing out and away from the empty abyss at the very edge, the barrier between the inner and the outer.

But even as patient as virthing and saemd may be, it simply lacks the staying power of... of something.

The light recedes and the paired Aspects unravel, spilling out to be swallowed by the earth.

Lost in thought, you rise to your feet, barely aware of the time of day — six hours passed since you started your work.

0~0~0
Grieving with Steinarr and the rest of the family
When you pass through the doorway to the place you once called home, you enter into a building far different to your memories.

Drifa sits with the other children, a scowl on her face as she mutters something about 'killing sickness'. Sterki doesn't understand what happened, not entirely. Every once in a while he goes up to one of the adults and asks where 'mama' is.

Nobody has the heart to tell him the truth, not yet.

Draupnir and Steinkell, your nephew and newest brother in turn, sleep with blessed peace in their cradles. Minna and Randi tend to them and the children as needed, but mostly they sit in silence.

Sten's in the forge, hammering away at something or another. He's not the kind of person who mourns openly, not even with his kin and kith. Clanks-like-thunder ring out over and over again, the only hints to how the storm rages.

Asva sits beside your father, making sure that he eats — on pain of angering her. In the days and weeks following Asveig's death... Asva's really stepped up and taken charge. Even in the quiet sorrow of the hall, she's hard at work making sure everything is as it should be.

But as you walk through the door, you find your gaze glued to the face of your father.

He's aged a decade in as many days and his eyes have lost that spark of playful kindness that has always lingered in that sea of steel. He's eating, if only thanks to Asva's unrelenting insistence, but...

Steinarr Hallsson is a corpse who hasn't realized it yet, a dead man walking — and he knows it.

The man you knew as father is dead and gone, burnt to ashes in his wife's funeral pyre.

He meets your gaze, the fire reflecting in his broken eyes. There's nothing in them, not of your father.

All that's left is anger, a mourner's rage. Cold, patient, razor-sharp wrath.

He doesn't know why Asveig died like she did, but it wasn't natural — not to him. He refused to accept that Asveig could just die like that, when there's no reason she should've. She was on the mend, as he says, sickness had nothing to do with it.

His quiet ranting late in the night has kept you up more than you care to admit — in the handful of nights that you've spent with your kin since Asveig's death.

He rises to his feet as words, slow and solemn — more fitting a judge deciding the fate of the accused than the man you once knew as father — fall from his mouth. There's something in his hands that shines as it catches the light of the fire, something silver and polished.

"Halla..." He comes to a stop before you as you stand just inside the doorway. Shame, nid, sparks in his eyes as he holds his clenched hand out to you. "I've kept this from you, Asveig... she wanted you to have this and I..." His voice closes in as he chokes his words out, "I couldn't let her go!"

A small silver chain falls into your hand, an amulet hanging off the side. A red, shining ruby as big as your thumbnail sits in the surface of the silver as gold dances around it in swirling shapes and sweeping, curling gestures.

Runes round the outside edge of the circle, runes of a type you nor Blackhand can decipher.

You stay silent, his eyes telling you all you need to know. No matter how much you said it was okay, he'll never forgive himself. Not for something like this, something of a magnitude you can only guess at.

When Steinarr starts speaking again, his voice is quiet, a near-silent whisper that has your ears straining, "She said that there's something in Vestfold for you, something that the amulet belongs with."

"No details?"

"Her last words."

"Oh..."

"I'm giving you the Christians," his words are hissed with sudden anger, whiplash fury sparking in his eyes, "I don't want them in my home, not after what that mendicant tried." His voice turns to a low hiss as he snarls out his next words. "She doesn't need his prayers, she never did."

'That's not good.' Blackhand's blunt words sums your thoughts up nicely as you stow the amulet on your person. Your grandfather was silent as he watched the mourning process from within the empty depths of your soul. When only you can hear it there's not much point to trying to comfort someone who can't.

Later that day, when you left with Gabriel and Jerasmus in tow, something brushed along your hair. Something cold, something malignant.

Something wearing your mother's face and cursing the building you once called home.

(Journal Added: The Vestfold Amulet)
(Journal Added: The Curse Wearing Mother's Face)
(Gabriel and Jerasmus added to Household)
(Gabriel's Armor added to Inventory)
0~0~0
Talking with Gabriel
"I'm freeing you, by the way." The shackles fall away from Gabriel's hands as he blinks in shock. They clatter against the ground as realization spreads across Gabriel's face.

He falls to his knees, tears in the corners of his eyes as he gazes at the sky. A smile, weak yet full of hope forms on his face as simple words fall from his mouth. "I... I'm free."

"Aye," ever since the raid... well, you've been having a few thoughts on things. "What you do with it is up to you, but I wouldn't mind your help around the farm. I'll pay you of course."

Jerasmus, unlike his young compatriot, is still on his feet. He never had any shackles to begin with, so having them removed does nothing. He bounces on his feet, hands held behind his smock as he thinks out loud. "I wonder what I shall do, now that my freedom is mine once again." He scoffs to himself as a smile spreads up the side of his face. "Ah, as if there was ever any doubt; I'll continue my wandering, see what there is to see, and talk with those who can, cannot, and won't speak back."

You nod once, slowly. Weird words from a weird man. It can only be expected, really.

Gabriel rises to his feet and wipes his eyes of tears. There's a look of purpose on his face, like he'd realized something while on his knees. "I was wondering why God would allow something like my enslavement to happen, but... I may have not sworn the Knight's Oath yet, but I still follow them as best I can."

Something swirls in the air, like the spiritual pressure of newly unleashed vigor.

"One of the Oaths is to seek out Evil and destroy it wherever it may be," he points a finger in the direction of your once-home as he sets his jaw, zealous determination firing up in his eyes. "There is evil, true evil, in your home. Standing still in the face of such evil... I would never be worthy of the title of Knight."

You smile as you extend your hand. "Glad to have you on side."

He takes your palm with his and meets your steel with deep water. "Glad to be here."

(+3 Relations with Gabriel)
(Gabriel added to Household as Huskarl)
0~0~0
Checking in on Stigandr
Traipsing through the woods, you find yourself before Stigandr's ho-

Something crunches off to the side of the woods, drawing your gaze to the source and your weapons to your hand. Ever since meeting with the family, you've been on edge to a frankly ridiculous degree.

So, when a lumbering figure shambles from the tree line, groans, and then collapses before you in a pile of dreary rags, you're left staring open-mouthed at the pile of clothes with a look of utter confusion on your face.

What fresh horror is this? What task will you have to complete today? You've got a lot on your plate, too much some may say!

Laughter rings out as the figure's head turns towards you — revealing the smiling face of your friend, Stigr.

Tears spill from your eyes as you fall to your knees and pull him into a tight hug. He squawks, trying to free himself from your grasp to no avail.

This? This is a win, a concrete one, one you've been needing for a long, long time.

(Journal Entry: Stigandr's Plight is now resolved. Good job.)
(+2 Relations with Stigr)
Pick one:
[ ] Muna: The Return of Stigr (Gives Twist: Hidden in Rags)
[ ] +2 Hamingja

0~0~0
Surplus (Pick 1 or none):
[ ] Make a sacrifice to the Gods (+1 Hamingja per 20 Food/Fodder sacrificed to a limit of 3)
[ ] Host a feast (Costs 1 Food per guest, +1 Relations with each)
-[ ] Write in guests
[ ] Donate to a family in need (+1 Drengskapr per 12 Food/Fodder donated, to a limit of 3)
0~0~0
Personal (Pick 2/3, if no Exploration is picked):
[ ] (Violent) Pick a fight or spar with... (Not an option while pregnant)
-[ ] Spar with Abjorn, your husband
-[ ] Someone else (Write in)
[ ] (Personal) Spend time with... (Write in)
[ ] (Shopping) Ask Abjorn to buy something for you (Write in) (Can only be used to buy or sell things you are already aware of and cannot haggle)
[ ] (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...
-[ ] The Witch! (Actually, it's probably a good idea to avoid her entirely)
-[ ] Asvir!
-[ ] Steinby, your Father's Farm
--[ ] (Optional) Go here with the intent to investigate the Curse.
-[ ] Vidby, Vidar's Farm
-[ ] Kerby, Stigr's Farm
-[ ] Buriby, Osborn's Farm (Has a guaranteed chance of ending in a fight) (Not an option while pregnant)
-[ ] Glebby, Sverre's Farm
-[ ] Runby, Aki's Farm
-[ ] Horrby, Horra's Farm (Has a very good chance of ending in a fight) (Not an option while pregnant)
--[ ] Rather than visiting normally, you instead stealthily approach and try to scout it out.
-[ ] Halfdanby, Halfdan's Farm
[ ] (Exploration) Go on a walk through...
-[ ] The fields!
-[ ] The Hading!
--[ ] (Optional) Try to find those bandits you heard about (not while you're pregnant)
-[ ] The hills!
--[ ] (Optional) Towards where the flaming thing landed. Maybe there's something you missed?
0~0~0
Training: You have 25d6 training dice to spend as you see fit.
[ ] (Research) Try to figure out how things work (Write in)
[ ] (Blackhand) Try to develop old/train new hugareida tricks (Write in)
[ ] (Steinarr's Training) Ask Steinarr to teach you a trick/some tricks (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Hamr (21 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a hamr skill or trick (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Hugr (31 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a hugr skill or trick (Write in)
[ ] (Training) Fylgja (16 successes to rank up)
-[ ] (Optional) Train a fylgja skill or trick (Write in)
0~0~0
Management: You have 30d6 management dice to spend as you see fit
[ ] (Construction) Write in
[ ] (Multi-Crafting) Write in
[ ] (Resource) Write in
-[ ] (Cloth) 8 Dice Maximum
[ ] (Fields) Write in
0~0~0
Orthstirr Available: 229
How do you want to use your orthstirr? You can turn on passive tricks here.
[ ] (Orthstirr Usage) (Write in)
0~0~0
Fylgja Capacity: 4/4
Do you want to withdraw or deposit anything in your fylgja?
[ ] Write in (Optional)
0~0~0
Equipment Management
What do you want to have equipped? Leaving this blank means that no changes are made.
[ ] Write in (Optional)
0~0~0
AN: This was a lot of writing, wowee... (this was, like, ~4k ish including spoilers and planning stuff. Doesn't seem like all that much, but I'm only human)

Well, it can't be helped, really. Let's hope the next one doesn't have as much stuff in it!

25-minute moratorium.

Multi-Crafting works pretty simply. You assign dice and a minor object you want made and the number of successes determines how many minor objects are made, depending on the success requirements of the minor object in question.

Explosion-Charms require 3 Successes each
Meat-Keeping Sticks require 2 Successes each

I am almost 100% sure that I've missed some bit of math.

Also, we made it to the end of Summer 5! YAY!

Hopefully, we'll be able to leave the bad feels in the rearview.

 

[Alectai]

Well, Well Well, looks like we were on the ball, there is an Internal Aspect to Norse Cultivation, and it's derived from the specific Aspects of Orthstirr. That being said though, we need to actually do something with it first.

At this point, do we just need to spend more Research Dice on cracking the code?

Also, Yay! Gabriel Joined the Party! It's probably not a permanent arrangement, but it'll be a fine Quest for him to undertake.

That being said, unfortunately, it looks like Steinarr's Doom is on hand, that's... Unfortunate, and also very sad.

 

[I.F. Ister]

At this point, do we just need to spend more Research Dice on cracking the code?

Click to shrink...

Gotta put the puzzle pieces together first ;P

Also, Yay! Gabriel Joined the Party! It's probably not a permanent arrangement, but it'll be a fine Quest for him to undertake.

Click to shrink...

GabrielQuest is partying right now, finally they're able to have agency.

(One of the original versions of what would eventually become this Quest actually featured Gabriel as a protagonist. Didn't pan out into anything, but I recycled it for NorseQuest use)

 

[DeadmanwalkingXI]

(Household: 2)1 Failure.

Click to shrink...

(Wildcraft: 3) 1+1=2 Successes.

Click to shrink...

Huh. I thought the Crafting bonus would apply to the trick and not to Wildcraft. Interesting.

The curse and the amulet are...not good. We need to do something about that, though I'm less sure what.

EDIT: Oh, @Imperial Fister can Gabriel help us with the meteor now, or not? He likes us enough but is no longer wearing the manacles. Do we need to work on an alternative or not?

 

[Alectai]

Gotta put the puzzle pieces together first ;P

Click to shrink...

Welp. And the Runes on it are the amulet indecipherable as well, that's some strong juju.

We're going to need to work on banishing that Curse. And the Seeress is going to be out of town until spring too, but I fear leaving things alone that long may be a problem.

Anyway, gimmie a minute to try and analyze what we learned from experimenting with our Aspects.

That being said, did Halla ever try using All Three in tandem @Imperial Fister ? I notice she tried with one, and had more success with two, but I don't know if she ever tried all three at once?

 

[KreenWarrior]

Frami on its own is the Fame Monster. There's no such thing as bad publicity.

Reputation and Prestige, but without fame, seem to be our cycling traits, and how the hell that works I'm having a hard time picturing. But there's a gate, and it needs either a key, or to be busted open. For the sake of experimentation, anyways - I'm a bit concerned about opening a door to the void...

Do we need to find a fourth aspect? Is that the missing piece?

 

[w4terghost]

That seems... unlikely?
I actually suspect it may be something like each of the three aspects has three sub-aspects.

 

[Alectai]

Frami on its own is the Fame Monster. There's no such thing as bad publicity.

Reputation and Prestige, but without fame, seem to be our cycling traits, and how the hell that works I'm having a hard time picturing. But there's a gate, and it needs either a key, or to be busted open. For the sake of experimentation, anyways - I'm a bit concerned about opening a door to the void...

Do we need to find a fourth aspect? Is that the missing piece?

Click to shrink...

I think on the contrary, we need to make the Key with our Aspects. Or alternately, we need to start writing something on the 'Gate' to get it to open.

Anyway, I'm definitely going for the Twist, this implies it might be something that helps us remain Unnoticed as Ourselves, which will be critical for our investigations.

 

[I.F. Ister]

EDIT: Oh, @Imperial Fister can Gabriel help us with the meteor now, or not? He likes us enough but is no longer wearing the manacles. Do we need to work on an alternative or not?

Click to shrink...

Fervor won't work... but he can still help you out.

That being said, did Halla ever try using All Three in tandem @Imperial Fister ? I notice she tried with one, and had more success with two, but I don't know if she ever tried all three at once?

Click to shrink...

It was specified that you would keep 1 in reserve at all times, in case of ambush.

 

[Constenanto]

Uh. Yeah, I'm gonna let the smart people (read: Alectai and Deadman) deal wigg the cultivation stuff. I have no idea what's going on with our soul there. If I had to guess, framing, virthing and saemd are incomplete? Or rather, we're not using orthstirr properly?

The plot is really starting to thicken - Imperial wasn't lying when he said that the true quest begins now. Steinarr's depression and whatever happened to Asveig is pretty sad, but the healing of Stigr and freeing of Gabriel balances that out. Sad to see Jerasmus go, though. I bet he had way more knowledge he could've given us.

 

[Alectai]

Fervor won't work... but he can still help you out.

It was specified that you would keep 1 in reserve at all times, in case of ambush.

Click to shrink...

Interesting.

So, has Jerasmus straight up left now? Or is he now wandering around and doing Mysterious Mentor type things in the area? He's definitely gotten the Scent of some Evil Shit around here, which might help.

We're in no condition to go adventuring for now, and we should probably strongly consider going a Maximum Hamr training session in hopes of getting that next point before the Murderkittens Emerge, but I'm not someone who's good at the maths.

 

[KreenWarrior]

That being said, did Halla ever try using All Three in tandem @Imperial Fister ? I notice she tried with one, and had more success with two, but I don't know if she ever tried all three at once?

Click to shrink...

Isn't all three at once just orthstirr?

 

[I.F. Ister]

So, has Jerasmus straight up left now? Or is he now wandering around and doing Mysterious Mentor type things in the area? He's definitely gotten the Scent of some Evil Shit around here, which might help.

Click to shrink...

He's in the area. For how long, though, is up to him and him alone.

 

[KreenWarrior]

I'm curious why the prayers didn't work. Was it because Asveig wasn't Christian? Or was there indeed something sinister at work, that explains why our mom turned into the Grudge? Or did she get better because of the prayers, and then die because Norns?

 

[DeadmanwalkingXI]

Fervor won't work... but he can still help you out.

Click to shrink...

What action would it be for that? Or for investigating the curse situation for that matter? Those seem like things we should do, but I dunno how we'd phrase that.

EDIT: @Imperial Fister also, there's an inconsistency in our Management tab. Actually, there are a couple...we should be consuming 6 Food per turn, and one place says we have a second House (one Decent, one Basic) but the other says we have a Good House...so which is it?

 

[I.F. Ister]

Voting is now open.

What action would it be for that? Or for investigating the curse situation for that matter? Those seem like things we should do, but I dunno how we'd phrase that.

Click to shrink...

Talk to him (Hugr (Silver-Tongue))
-Will need to convince him to part with something precious
Then Explore at the crash site with him in tow.

As for investigation, I'll add a quick investigation optional to Visiting Steinby

 

[KreenWarrior]

[x] Muna: The Return of Stigr (Gives Twist: Hidden in Rags)

Hamingja's obviously great, but I'm all over the special stuff. I would guess this lets us hide ourselves in rags? I don't really get what happened in this sequence.

 

[Alectai]

I'm curious why the prayers didn't work. Was it because Asveig wasn't Christian? Or was there indeed something sinister at work, that explains why our mom turned into the Grudge? Or did she get better because of the prayers, and then die because Norns?

Click to shrink...

We definitely might want to consult with him then, he's the closest thing to the Seeress we have, and even if he can't do it without provoking Death by Steinarr, he might be able to give us an idea of where to look.

Anyway, re-reading the Research Post. Frami is described as malleable, and using two Aspects at once had them explicitly described as 'Weaving Together'.

It seems likely then that Opening the Gate requires use of all three Aspects in tandem. Using Virthing and Saemd to give weight to your Frami, as you shape it into either key or blade to release the locks and open the Gate to the Inner Self.

Notably though, something is eating Orthstirr beyond your baseline maximum. And doing so very fast, and Halla explicitly gets Bad Vibes from it. I suspect this is likely the work of The Enemy, and likely makes it difficult for someone to realize that the Inner Self also matters with regards to Orthstirr Weaving unless you're doing this On Purpose and have a certain degree of sensitivity. Because you don't get enough time with your expanded Orthstirr to realize they can be woven together like we just did.

 

[Constenanto]

Where'd the decent ox come from?

Also, now that I read it, did we we just find the Norse version of a dantian? Like, in Chinese cultivation, the equivalent of that gate thing would be a cultivator's golden core - that would certainly make sense as a 'foundation', and Halla notes that she seems to be missing one. I'm guessing that 'foundation' has something to do with the realm ascension that Norse cultivation lacks. I wonder if Hallr found this, and developed it? I doubt he'd have comprehensive knowledge of it, given the fact that he's split up, sadly.