Talk to Sten, at the forge
"Obviously," you draw the word out as you assume a lecturing posture, "it is a Hearthroot."
Drifa quirks her head to the side, as if silently judging the name. After a few moments of this, she shrugs a nod as she accepts it. "That's a good name."
You smile as you clap the dirt from your hands. With Drifa in tow — she had very suddenly found herself with nothing to do — you make your way to your brother and her father, Sten.
Sten's beard is a bit scruffier than it normally is. That's the first thing you notice.
The second is that his eyes are bloodshot while Drifa's are her normal steely gray. Strange, children tend to be more susceptible to magic, thanks to not having the mental resistance that age brings to such things. For her to be fine while her father isn't... that implies something odd is going on. Well, something odder than you expected, at least.
"Good, you came," Sten runs a hand through his hair as he scowls, picking out flakes of metal from his shoulder-length hair, "I was beginning to think you never got my message."
You blink, mind gearing up as your heart starts to race. Is this the Enemy making a move? "I never got a message."
His scowl deepens as his teeth grind together. "Damn, it must have been intercepted..."
He mutters something about 'not having many carriers left', but you're too relieved by it merely being the work of some foe rather than the Enemy to take proper notice
Drifa looks between you and her father, confusion sparking in her eyes.
"If I had gotten the message, what would it have said?" A breath of ice floats across the back of your neck as Sten glances over his shoulder.
"Dad's been cursed, in a big way." His words are sharp and harsh, but they get the point across.
Dread grips your heart as your pulse quickens once again. "Cursed? How?"
"The land spirits have been driven into a frenzy and are taking it out on dad and the farm, they're slowly driving him mad."
"How do we stop this curse?"
He scowls, a heavy sigh escaping free. "I wish I knew more about curse breaking, but what little I know... There has to be an anchor of some kind, you don't get something like this without one. It's probably in the hills, as when I went looking for it..." he pats his leg, a grim look on his face as he continues, "a troll bit my leg off." You share a wince with him as Drifa listens closely. "I managed to drive it away and get my leg back, but it was a near thing."
"And if there's anything more than that, you won't be able to do it on your own," you finish for him as he nods.
"I wish I had another option, other than you," his eyes trace the growing bump on your stomach, "but I don't know how much more dad can take before he snaps."
"Why not Abjorn, or Gabriel?" He shakes his head as you ask, in your opinion, very reasonable questions.
"I... I didn't think of Abjorn," he eventually admits, the bags under his eyes seeming rather dark and heavy, "and Gabriel... Steinarr enthralled him, why would he desire to fight on his behalf?"
"Maybe because he swore an oath?"
Sten scoffs, "And why would he do that?"
You shrug, "Christians are weird."
Sten nods, a needed laugh on his lips, "Aye, that's the truth there."
You scowl as the conversation slows down, it all hinging on you and your decision.
What do you do?
[ ] Gather your kin and kith and go hunt down the source of this evil
-[ ] (Optional) Write in who goes with you (Sten is automatically here)
[ ] You... you can't do this, not right now, not while pregnant (Sten goes without you)
-[ ] (Optional) Try to convince Sten to wait until you give birth (Hugr (Silver-Tongue))
-[ ] (Optional) Though you can't fight in melee, you can still support from afar with your various ranged tricks (Also write in people who come with you. Sten is automatically here)
(Hearthroot added to Soulscape, in Overview)
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AN: It was a good thing you went with this one, as Asva would've dragged you inside to meet with Steinarr. But then again, you would've been able to do epic Norse courtroom drama so you win some, you lose some.
Most problems a Norseman will face can be solved by sticking axes in other peoples' faces. Now, this may bring more problems with it, but the first problem is still solved.
No moratorium, normal voting period.
