...One of Kindle-Spinner's main selling points is that it's literally our fastest trick when on the ground. The only trick I can think of that is faster is possibly Flashfire Cleave, and that's it. And for the air, it has the flamethrower version? Not to mention we have Gale Spear for when we actually want to hit someone that's high up and the flamethrower version of Kindle-Spinner can't reach.
Now if Flame Arc was like Cutting Wind, in that it does low damage but can interrupt tricks and whatnot... then I'd definitely consider getting it. But as it stands, I just think its a basic fire hugareida trick, since literally any fire hugareida - except for Campfire, I assume - can learn it.
'Hey, Blackhand? Is Flame Arc like Cutting Wind as in it can interrupt tricks?'
I doubt we'll actually go through with this, but it'd be funny to use our atgeir as a sword completely, and master only sword tricks rather than atgeir ones. So we're using an atgeir... that's also a sword (due to our Sword hugareida), and we're also more proficient in using Sword tricks than we are at actual atgeir tricks.
I'm assuming it'd deal more damage than Cutting Wind in order to compensate...? Or it's literally just worse Cutting Wind. Anyway, good to know I guess. Not sold on getting it, given it's slower than Cutting Wind by a fair bit.
Huh, I wonder if we manage to 'broaden our understanding' of our atgeir, it'd fully awaken its spirit?
I would be more surprised if the abyssal horror creatures living in Ginnungagap - a place I assume that has no light to begin with, which means they must detect things somehow, whether that be through supernatural means or not - for who knows how long weren't able to see through our Twist.
That leans a lot into Halla's fatal flaw... not every fight is a fight we can win, after all, and I wouldn't be surprised if we couldn't stand up to these things at all.
Ultimately, we're going there to rescue Aki, not to get into fights. Fights should be our lowest priority, to be honest, given how they'll exhaust us and waste time.
[x] Research Ginnungagap
-[x] The Abysslings
-[x] The 'terrain'
0~0~0 Researching Abysslings
Finding anything concrete on the Abysslings is difficult. You end up spending a lot of time quizzing old explorers over the things they've seen. Unfortunately, there aren't very many of those around so you have to make do with what you've got.
"Abysslings?" The Elephant Merchant — who you are convinced is named 'Gary' — strokes his bleached beard. His beard needs to be re-dyed, hints of black are showing at the roots. "I'm not especially familiar with the Ginnungagap variants, though I've fought a couple that slipped through some poorly warded bridges."
One of the words he said catches your ear. "Variants?"
Gary Tuskpuncher nods. "Yeah, variants," he says as he rolls up his shirt sleeve to his shoulder, exposing a wicked set of bitemarks that have long since turned white. Tapping his bicep, he continues, "Sometimes, while you're out on the deep sea, Abysslings will come up from the deepest, darkest depths of the ocean to screw with you. I've fought more than my fair share of those, that's for fuckin' sure."
"Any notable characteristics I should look out for? Poison, venom, particularly tough hides?"
He clicks his tongue, shaking his head back and fourth. "You do not want to eat them as they're made of fuckin' eitr."
Your jaw drops as your eyebrows shoot sky high. "E-eitr?!"
He nods, lips thin and grim. "You heard me right, they're made of the poison that'll kill you as if it were your Fated Day." He lets that one sit in the air before moving on. "Fortunately, most of the little ones aren't nothing to worry about, except in big groups... which they typically're in. You can squash one like a bug, except three more'll take its place. Nasty little critters, that's for sure."
"And the bigger ones?"
"Yeah, yeah those ones'll get you good, if you let them get too close. I've seen one kill four men in half as many seconds, while we were heading back from, uh," he frowns before snapping his fingers, "Crete! That's the place. The bigger the Abyssling, the bigger the brain and smarter the critter. Yeah, Abysslings're nasty fuckers alright."
You can't help but agree. "Any tips to fighting them?"
"Yeah. Don't." He scoffs, rolling his eyes. "Besides that old useless adage, the best thing you can do is keep them, at minimum, an arm's length away. Immune to all kinds of poisons, *but* they don't like light all that much. Or, more specifically, the little ones are scared of it while the bigger ones are attracted to it. Fortunately, the bigger ones are a lot less common than the smallsies." He pauses as something occurs to him. "They've also got some kind of extrasensory ability, lets them navigate through Ginnungagap without ears or eyes or anything like a sense, really."
You thank him for his help before moving on.
0~0~0 Researching the 'Terrain' of Ginnungagap
This time, you actually manage to find someone who went there... sort of.
Torsten squints as you repeat yourself, pausing in loading up his ship — a karve called the Redheaded Stepchild. "Ginnungagap? The terrain?" He frowns, which doesn't help his squat face at all, "I've sailed one of the Elivagar before. Well, 'sailed'. I was only at the mouth of one of them — the Slidr — for a moment, but I could already smell the yeast in the wind from there. Nasty stuff, eitr." He pauses again. "Hey, kid, if a Jotun ever offers you alcohol, don't drink it. They like to brew drink from eitr of all things, as a way to, as they say, 'troll' unwanted guests."
"I'm guessing that they won't take no for an answer, either..."
He laughs, a wry grin on his face. "You've got a good head on your shoulders. Try to keep it that way, alright?"
"I'll nail it down if I need to!" You return the grin, a laugh of your own escaping your lips.
"But, uh, Ginnungagap." He runs his tongue over his teeth and lips. "Eleven rivers run through it, all of them with their own funkiness going on. But, if you have to choose one to travel, I've heard the Leiptr is the one to pick, thanks to how bright its waters shine. Scares away the Abysslings, or so I've heard. Course, none of the Elivagar are easy to travel, as ships don't like to be on them, so if you're looking to use one for travel purposes, you're gonna need to find a different route."
You thank him for his help before retiring for the day.
0~0~0
The Seeress has completed the Aki Tracker. Tomorrow, she will assemble all the components necessary to open a portal to Ginnungagap.
You have 6 days left to rescue Aki.
How would you like to spend Day 2? (Pick 2)
[ ] Train (You have 3d6 Training dice to spend as desired)
[ ] Research Ginnungagap
-[ ] How to traverse it
-[ ] Eitr. What is it?
-[ ] The Elivagar
-[ ] Write in
[ ] Spend Money
-[ ] Something to produce light (Silver-Tongue check)
-[ ] Write in
0~0~0
AN: This one came to me much easier than the last one did, so that was nice.
